Studying the Word of God

Lessons from the Book of Job

2013-03-01T03:19:04Z

James 5:11 KJV

Behold, we count them happy which endure. Ye have heard of the patience of Job, and have seen the end of the Lord; that the Lord is very pitiful, and of tender mercy.

There are many lessons that we can learn from the various Bible stories that have been given us, some of which we only review superficially. Today, I’d like us to look at a number of lessons that can be found in that epic encounter recorded in the book of Job.

Here are just five of the key lessons that we can take from Job.

The Perfection of Job

The Bible calls Job perfect. More than that, the Bible records God calling Job perfect.

Job 1:1 -- There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job; and that man was perfect and upright, and one that feared God, and eschewed evil.

Job 1:8 -- And the LORD said unto Satan, Hast thou considered My servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil?

Perfection is not just a state that will be reached when Jesus comes again, but is a state that is achievable only in Christ – only as we allow Him to will and to do of His good pleasure as we go about our daily tasks.

Satan is Watching Us

Not only does God pay attention to all we do, the devil also marks our steps and seeks ways to overthrow and undermine us. And he recognizes God’s protective power.

Job 1:9-11 -- Then Satan answered the LORD, and said, Doth Job fear God for nought? Hast not Thou made an hedge about him, and about his house, and about all that he hath on every side? Thou hast blessed the work of his hands, and his substance is increased in the land. But put forth Thine hand now, and touch all that he hath, and he will curse thee to Thy face.

Difficulty and Trials Should Not Cause Us to Stumble

Despite the most pressing trials, the Bible records Job’s fidelity to God. We have to be able to trust in God even when things are no longer going well from us from the perspective of human eyes. If God is only our God in good times, then we will not be prepared to overcome in the final conflict.

Job 1:20-22 -- Then Job arose, and rent his mantle, and shaved his head, and fell down upon the ground, and worshipped, And said, Naked came I out of my mother's womb, and naked shall I return thither: the LORD gave, and the LORD hath taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD. In all this Job sinned not, nor charged God foolishly.

Job 2:9-10 -- Then said his wife unto him, Dost thou still retain thine integrity? curse God, and die. But he said unto her, Thou speakest as one of the foolish women speaketh. What? shall we receive good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive evil? In all this did not Job sin with his lips.

Righteousness Is Not Our Own

Righteousness is ours to claim in Jesus, but if we claim it of ourselves, it is merely self-righteousness, and worth nothing. We are always to be clothed with the covering of God. Adam and Eve were first clothed with garments of light made by God, and when they fell, it was He who took away their feeble garments of fig leaves and gave them coats of skin. Now, He offers us robes of righteousness washed in the blood of Jesus. We know we have problems when we’re too big to let God dress us.

Job 9:20-21 -- If I justify myself, mine own mouth shall condemn me: if I say, I am perfect, it shall also prove me perverse. Though I were perfect, yet would I not know my soul: I would despise my life.

Friends Should Be Comforters

We owe it to our friends to comfort them in their distress, and not to add unto their burdens and afflictions. We need to always judge righteous judgment, and not judge by outward appearances.

Job 2:11-13 -- Now when Job's three friends heard of all this evil that was come upon him, they came every one from his own place; Eliphaz the Temanite, and Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite: for they had made an appointment together to come to mourn with him and to comfort him. And when they lifted up their eyes afar off, and knew him not, they lifted up their voice, and wept; and they rent every one his mantle, and sprinkled dust upon their heads toward heaven. So they sat down with him upon the ground seven days and seven nights, and none spake a word unto him: for they saw that his grief was very great.

Job 6:25-27 -- How forcible are right words! but what doth your arguing reprove? Do ye imagine to reprove words, and the speeches of one that is desperate, which are as wind? Yea, ye overwhelm the fatherless, and ye dig a pit for your friend.

Job 12:4 -- I am as one mocked of his neighbour, who calleth upon God, and he answereth him: the just upright man is laughed to scorn.

Job 16:2-5 -- I have heard many such things: miserable comforters are ye all. Shall vain words have an end? or what emboldeneth thee that thou answerest? I also could speak as ye do: if your soul were in my soul's stead, I could heap up words against you, and shake mine head at you. But I would strengthen you with my mouth, and the moving of my lips should asswage your grief.

– CONCLUSION –

Ultimately, God will take away our reproach. He will vindicate us and save us for His name’s sake. We just have to wait patiently upon the Lord and bear the trials that He has for us. We know not the impact of the lessons which we will be taught through patience.

Job’s understanding of God was greatly improved by his experience, to say nothing of his material benefits. We all need to exhibit the patience of Job, and pray that we get it by regular practice and not the same circumstances that came upon him.

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Making Time for Down Time in Ministry

2013-02-01T04:05:23Z

Mark 6:7-32 KJV
(7) And He called unto Him the twelve, and began to send them forth by two and two; and gave them power over unclean spirits;
(8) And commanded them that they should take nothing for their journey, save a staff only; no scrip, no bread, no money in their purse:
(9) But be shod with sandals; and not put on two coats.
...
(12) And they went out, and preached that men should repent.
(13) And they cast out many devils, and anointed with oil many that were sick, and healed them.
...
(30) And the apostles gathered themselves together unto Jesus, and told Him all things, both what they had done, and what they had taught.
(31) And He said unto them, Come ye yourselves apart into a desert place, and rest a while: for there were many coming and going, and they had no leisure so much as to eat.
(32) And they departed into a desert place by ship privately.

Oftentimes, people in ministry fail to recognize that they need time to regroup and recharge. Without scheduled periods of down time for restoration and recuperation, there will be unscheduled periods of “downtime,” borrowing a term from the technology realm.

Not only do those who minister to others need to take a break for physical and mental reasons, but they also need to take special time to recharge spiritually as well. It is not a sin or an act of laziness to set aside time for recharging. If anything, the opposite is true: a failure to set aside sufficient periods to be physically and spiritually regenerated will likely lead to breakdowns in health or serious spiritual challenges which could have been avoided. There are also implications for those with families – being always on the go will eventually lead to problems with relationships.

God expects His people to be wise – after all, He is the source of their wisdom – and they exercise wisdom and prudence by scheduling necessary breaks which will enable them to be more effective when they return to action. Keeping a grueling schedule might allow one to feel pious and zealous of the cause of God, but the damage that can occur without the necessary breaks could be very difficult to undo.

Let us endeavor to make time for rest and make time for work, and do both in the right season. Otherwise, we might find ourselves out of commission for longer than desired, due to intemperance of scheduling.

Ecclesiastes 3:1 KJV
To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:

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Learning the Lessons of History

2013-01-01T03:26:59Z

Esther 3:5-10 KJV
⁽⁵⁾And when Haman saw that Mordecai bowed not, nor did him reverence, then was Haman full of wrath.
…
⁽⁸⁾ And Haman said unto king Ahasuerus, There is a certain people scattered abroad and dispersed among the people in all the provinces of thy kingdom; and their laws are diverse from all people; neither keep they the king's laws: therefore it is not for the king's profit to suffer them.
⁽⁹⁾ If it please the king, let it be written that they may be destroyed: and I will pay ten thousand talents of silver to the hands of those that have the charge of the business, to bring it into the king's treasuries.
⁽¹⁰⁾ And the king took his ring from his hand, and gave it unto Haman the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, the Jews' enemy.

It is said that those who fail to learn the lessons of history are doomed to repeat them. This is especially true when it comes to Bible Study and last day events.

The history recorded in the Bible holds the key to understanding the prophecy which so many are eager to understand. Unfortunately for them, the prevailing view is that the Old Testament (OT) scriptures are no longer important, relevant or binding. As a result of this sentiment, it is very difficult to get a right conception of many of the things presented in the New Testament (NT), for they very directly reference the Old Testament scriptures.

Consider the following:

The only “Bible” which the NT believers had for several decades was the Old Testament. (The first written book of the NT occurred at least 20 years after Jesus had ascended back to Heaven)
Without the OT, it would have been quite impossible for anyone to prove that Jesus had been the Messiah, for all those prophecies addressing His first and second comings were provided by OT prophets.
Since the Bible is intended to be read and managed as a whole, anything you don’t find details about in the NT will have those details provided in the OT. Some things were emphasized again in the NT on account of disputes or questions or conflicts that arose – the same reasons that some things were reiterated within the OT itself.
Without the use of the Old Testament Bible, the NT believers would have had very little basis for any of the actions they took, as the vast majority of those actions were defined in the OT.
The Bible makes heavy use of types (shadows) and antitypes (fulfillments of types) all the way from the Genesis through Revelation. If you want to know how a certain thing will play out in prophecy, then look for any situation where types/antitypes are possible. (Jesus used several, including “As it was in the days of Noah” and “As it was in the days of Lot”.)

The persecution and attempted destruction of the Jews by Haman the Agagite, should be of particular note to God’s people, as it outlines a path where an individual or group persuades the powers that be for the authority to wipe out God’s people for not cooperating with something the individual or group desire/demand. A similar scenario can be found with Daniel in both chapters 3 and 6. In chapter 3, a group brings another group of people to the attention of the king because of their own annoyance/discomfort with the group (Daniel 3:9-12), and in chapter 6, we see that a group manages to get a rule put into place that adversely impacts one individual (Daniel 6:11-14).

Looking at Revelation 13, we can see that a similar set of events will unfold, and laws will be contrived by some, and put into place to the detriment of God’s people.

As we close out another year, and as we move one step closer to eternity, we need to be more ardent Bible students, that we might understand where we are, what is coming, and what we should be doing. And, it will help if we use the whole Bible in our studies, and recognize the patterns of the God who changes not. Failing at history – Bible history – is just not a good option.

Have a blessed year, and endeavor to study more intently than ever before…

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Stop Getting Ready

2012-11-30T16:58:32Z

Matthew 24:42-44 KJV
⁽⁴²⁾ Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come. ⁽⁴³⁾ But know this, that if the goodman of the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be broken up. ⁽⁴⁴⁾ Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.

Many preach the message of readiness, but they do so from a perspective that subtly differs from that of the scriptures: they talk about “getting ready.” Getting ready might seem to be a noble state of being, but it is necessarily one of incompleteness. One who is “getting ready” is, in fact, not quite ready as yet.

The reason that many have accepted this view of readiness, is that we have been taught that to claim to “be ready” would imply that we had attained perfection or were in need of doing nothing further. Well, that’s really not how readiness works. A month ago, we were preparing for the lovely Super-Storm Sandy that came barreling up the eastern coast of the US. We made sure we had food, fuel, water, and other supplies. We made our list and checked it twice, but we didn’t just sit around once we thought everything had been checked off. Instead, we looked around for things we might have missed.

In other words, while we *were ready* as opposed to merely *getting ready*, we continued to assess and evaluate to ensure that our readiness was not an illusion or somehow deficient. Certainly, we were more relaxed and less tense that we would have been had we been unprepared. We still didn’t know for sure how things were going to play out, but between preparation and prayer, we weren’t going to get stressed about it.

Spiritually, we need to take the same tack. God has outlined what readiness entails. We have counsel in Matthew 28:18-20, Revelation 14:6-12 and Revelation 18 pertaining to our work and our attitude. If the goodman of the house in Matthew 24 was “getting ready,” he still would have had his house broken into. He needed to be completely ready. Not complacent, but well prepared and actively watching/waiting.

Five of the virgins in Matthew 25 were ready, while the other five were getting ready.

1 Peter 4:7-8 KJV
⁽⁷⁾ But the end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer. ⁽⁸⁾ And above all things have fervent charity among yourselves: for charity shall cover the multitude of sins.

Stop getting ready. Be Ready. Stay Ready.

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Getting Distracting with Debates

2012-10-27T02:36:11Z

2 Timothy 2:23-26 KJV
⁽²³⁾ But foolish and unlearned questions avoid, knowing that they do gender strifes. ⁽²⁴⁾ And the servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient, ⁽²⁵⁾ In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth; ⁽²⁶⁾ And that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will.

It has recently become apparent to me that the primary source of conflict for God’s people is now from within the church, not outside the church. Every day, yet another person rises up seeking new approaches, new methods, or new interpretations of the everlasting gospel. In the past year alone, I have seen and heard more interesting theories that people claim are supported by the Bible, but somehow, the texts used to support the theory are always a subset of all of the passages that Bible contains on the subject at hand. When this is pointed out, there is never an acknowledgement of the missing texts, or any attempt to account for what they teach, but just accusations about how people are not listening to truth.

Hint: That’s not how Jesus behaved when He wasn’t listened to, and He *is* truth!

As a result of all this error and supposition that is creeping – or sometimes strolling – into the church, concerned brethren are readily engaging in debate and rebuttals and confrontations. But what does this serve? I cannot speak for everyone, but I myself have yet to see that as good, solid rebuttal or debate has caused anyone to say, “You know, I might have been wrong here.” I have not seen any person bearing their “new light” back down in the face of abundant scriptural evidence that their position is not supported by the Word of God. Meanwhile, lengthy debates generate collateral damage for bystanders in the form of doubt, and also in the deteriorating attitude of those who are engaged in the battle, leading to behavior and attitude that is most unChristlike. In short, this does not make a good witness for the gospel. It is no wonder that Paul counseled Timothy to avoid these types of conflicts and debates, for no good will come from them.

It seems that we frequently forget that we are engaged in a very serious conflict with a highly sophisticated and determined enemy. All this chaos is intended to redirect efforts that should be focused on encouraging our brethren to deep, personal Bible study, and on the preaching/teaching of the 3 angels’ messages to the whole world. There is no time to get caught up in needless conflict. There is no time to be distracted from the mission. There is no time to come down from the wall to meet and discuss with those who are looking to use a convenient subset of scripture to promote their theories.

Does that mean that we never challenge a false position, or gently seek to redirect an erring student of the Word? No, we should not casually leave any true seeker in error. But, once a person has been provided the evidence that their position is unsupported by scripture, and they insist that you are deluded or supporting heresy or are in apostasy, then you need to evaluate your subsequent time in light of the lateness of the hour and your responsibility to be a faithful steward of time. We cannot afford to get embroiled in needless debates, when there is so much of the Lord’s work which remains to be done.

Nehemiah 6:1-4 KJV
⁽¹⁾ Now it came to pass, when Sanballat, and Tobiah, and Geshem the Arabian, and the rest of our enemies, heard that I had builded the wall, and that there was no breach left therein; (though at that time I had not set up the doors upon the gates;) ⁽²⁾ That Sanballat and Geshem sent unto me, saying, Come, let us meet together in some one of the villages in the plain of Ono. But they thought to do me mischief. ⁽³⁾ And I sent messengers unto them, saying, I am doing a great work, so that I cannot come down: why should the work cease, whilst I leave it, and come down to you? ⁽⁴⁾ Yet they sent unto me four times after this sort; and I answered them after the same manner.

We have no time for needless conflict. Let us be prudent and discerning, and use our time wisely. We only need to correct an error once, and if the person insists on holding on to it, we need to move on.

”I am doing a great work, so that I cannot come down: why should the work cease, whilst I leave it, and come down to you?”

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Miscalculating The Time

2012-06-08T23:12:17Z

Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When his branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is nigh: So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors. (Matthew 24:32-33)

We have an annoying tendency to be overconfident about our ability to deal with complex situations or to gauge how much time we have left to accomplish major tasks, and the consequences for these miscalculations can range from minor to catastrophic. And that’s just in temporal matters – what about the potential impact in spiritual matters?

That’s the question that came to my mind almost 24 hours ago.

My family and I have recently made a major move from the suburbs of northern New Jersey to a small town in central West Virginia. There are quite a few reasons why we have embarked on this change, not the least of which is that my wife and I are looking to embrace a lifestyle that is more in harmony with Biblical principles. We have chosen to heed the counsel given us by God and His servants to bring up our children in an atmosphere that is more conducive to their spiritual development. We also want to move in a direction that enables us to be far more self sufficient for our daily needs than we have been in the past. And we want to maintain a pace that is more manageable than the typical rat race found in Corporate America today.

In making this move, we prayed and researched and planned for many months, and it was still harder and more complicated to move than we had anticipated. Nonetheless, I'd do it again in a heart beat. We have already begun to experience benefits that I would not willingly give up, and we have begun to learn some key lessons as well.

Yesterday evening, somewhere around 6pm, the whole family was outside cleaning up as part of our never ending unpacking activity (it’s been 4 weeks already!). The sun was shining brightly, and there was a nice, soft and cool breeze. Among other things, the boys were whacking weeds, I was clearing out the porch, and we were all stacking up boxes for the garbage (not counting the time we spent dodging some large spider that had gotten into the pile of folded cardboard). After a while, we noticed a small dark cloud a little bit north of us. My wife commented that it looked like the weather was going to change, but we all took a look at that cloud, noted its small size relative to the other clouds, and concluded that because it was a bit far off and not really headed our way, that we were fine.

Back to work we went.

No more than 5-10 minutes later, the wind made a rapid and significant shift and picked up intensity. Major intensity. Much of the sky also darkened. This got our attention.

The wind began to blow everything around, including the stacked cardboard and a large tarp I had laying on the ground. I actually had to run partway down one hill to catch and secure the tarp. We were all scrambling to grab this or that, and to get everything together so we could go inside. Our labor was much more difficult during this period, which lasted 15, maybe 20 minutes in duration. The wind was blowing all around, and we had to make fast decisions about what to do and where to go and how to secure everything. By now, the sky was pretty dark and foreboding, and rain seemed imminent. We labored as quickly as we could to get everything tied down, put away or covered.

Then, just as quickly as it had started up, the weather shifted back. The stormy clouds moved off in a different direction, and the sun shone again for a little while before finally setting over the tree line. We relaxed -- but only a little -- and continued working, with one eye on the sky. The whole incident felt a great deal longer than the 15-20 minutes it actually lasted.

At this point, a few key lessons began to take shape in my mind:

1. We need to be more attentive to weather conditions, and respectful of any changes we perceive.

2. We received – and ignored – an early warning that could have allowed us to complete our work with less stress and hassle.

3. We thought we had much more time before the weather would actually change. We misread the signs and totally miscalculated the time we had left, thinking ourselves safe when we really weren’t.

The good news is that the physical storm didn't actually materialize. The bad news is that we are prone to making similar mistakes in the spiritual realm, an that storm will most certainly materialize.

For over a hundred years, God has been telling His people that the country is where they should be making their base of operations. Yes, evangelism is most definitely needed in the cities. It is needed wherever people are, and plenty of them are in the cities. But, God's people need not be personally headquartered in the cities themselves in order to effectively work the cities.

The cities are killing us, physically and spiritually. All sorts of reasons are given for why so many youth are leaving our churches, and little do people realize that the mere influence of the cities is the biggest reason why many of our youth struggle with spiritual growth. For that matter, many of our older members struggle with spiritual growth for the same reasons. Like Lot, our tents are pitched towards Sodom, and one day, we will have to leave Sodom – under duress – only to find out that the vast majority of our children, youth and even adults, have elected to remain in Sodom.

Moving to the country is not something that can be done just on the spur of the moment. It takes time and a whole lot of planning. Our physical move to West Virginia involved lots of interesting twists and turns, which thankfully, we are not having to experience under duress. We received significant help from friends in NJ and WV, for which we are eternally grateful, and without which things would have been much harder and discouraging. And we’re not finished yet. There is still much to be done before we can have our own place and be truly situation as we feel God desires us to be.

There are severe economic problems coming upon the entire world, and while being in the country does not make one impervious to problems, on many levels, the hardships will undoubtedly be greater for those in the cities who are dependent on others for all their needs (food, water, power, transportation, etc) than for those in the country who are much more self sufficient. If you don’t believe me, just look at the chaos experienced in the major North Eastern US cities that were impacted by Hurricane Irene in 2011, and the freak snow storms in December 2010 and October 2011. What will happen when there are sustained problems that last months rather than days or weeks?

Not everyone sees things the same way, however. In talking to people about country living over the past ~2 years, I see three distinct groups of respondents:

Group 1: Those who have started moving or are prepared to move rather quickly
Group 2: Those who are contemplating moving, but are not quite ready to move or haven't quite decided how they will do it, or where they will go
Group 3: Those who see no need to move until some major prophetic event occurs (if then).

It is of vital importance that God’s people find themselves in Group 1 as soon as possible, because moving to a country living lifestyle involves a lot of work and a lot of change, and it is not something you can just jump into with a moment’s notice.

Those who are in Group 2 had better hope that they do not miscalculate how much time they have to get ready, as we did yesterday, or they might find that their path to move is impaired, or that they have no destination to go to, or that they cannot carry all that they wanted/needed to carry due to the limited time.

Finally, those who are in Group 3 need to wake up, or they might find themselves like the five (5) foolish virgins on Matthew 25, or like Lot’s children and in-laws.

There is a reason why Jesus emphasized watching and waiting so very heavily, and it's not because we are good judges of time.

My family and I will be paying close attention to the weather in the future, but we will also give much more heed to our spiritual readiness. Yesterday was a wakeup call for us, and we intend to pay close attention to the lesson learned. We have already learned a lot from those who have pursued this course before us, and from our experiences of the past month, and we are thankful for how God has led and preserved us. (Our experiences are not the worst ones that we’ve heard!)

We encourage all others who are looking at, or contemplating the country living message to consider that they have less time than they think. Miscalculation will be unpleasant, to say the least. Watch and pray.

And accelerate your planning. You have less time to get ready than you think – and far more work to do than you anticipate. Watch and pray and plan. Your salvation is dependent upon it.

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Do You Know What You Believe?

2012-04-01T03:12:23Z

2 Timothy 1:11-12
¹¹Whereunto I am appointed a preacher, and an apostle, and a teacher of the Gentiles.
¹²For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day.

When it comes to Christianity today, there are many people who profess to believe many things. Many of these people, however, they are unable to say “why” they believe what they believe. Some are even unable to highlight the particulars of what they believe or how it connects with other things they say they believe.

Do you know what you believe?

What is your belief based upon?

How often do you re-evaluate your favorite doctrines to ensure that they are Bible-based and not just based on traditions that you have never questioned?

If you found out tomorrow that one or two of your cherished doctrines was incorrect in some way, which of the following paths would you take?

Would you stubbornly stick to what you had previously accepted without question?
Would you lose confidence in the other beliefs you hold and abandon Christianity?
Would you begin to systematically re-evaluate all your other beliefs to ensure that they are Biblically sound?

In 2 Timothy 2:15, we are told to study to show ourselves approved unto God.

In 1 Peter 3:15, we are told to be always prepared to give a reason for the hope we have in God.

We need to study – daily – to ensure that what we think we know is truly knowledge of God. Contrary to popular opinion, the true Christian is willing and able to continuously re-evaluate his understanding of the scriptures by dedicated study. There is always something to learn as we prayerfully study God’s Word, but that won’t happen if we expect that we have already mastered it all. Nor will it happen if we approach the study of the Word with doubt concerning what we have previously studied.

Each time we study, we must simultaneously be open to a new and richer understanding of the scriptures, while being sure about what the foundational Bible teachings are. The proper attitude is neither one of doubt nor of overconfidence.

Ultimately, wisdom comes from God, and that’s where we start in our understanding of God’s word:

James 1:5
If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.

Make sure you know what you believe, and that it is firmly grounded in the Bible, because that is the only knowledge that will count for anything in the final reckoning/

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The Necessity of Obedience

2011-12-09T16:11:07Z

Now therefore, if ye will obey My voice indeed, and keep My covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto Me above all people: for all the earth is Mine: (Exodus 19:5 KJV)

Behold, I set before you this day a blessing and a curse; A blessing, if ye obey the commandments of the LORD your God, which I command you this day: And a curse, if ye will not obey the commandments of the LORD your God, but turn aside out of the way which I command you this day, to go after other gods, which ye have not known. (Deuteronomy 11:26-28 KJV)

It is often said that, "It takes money to make money."

The same can be said of obedience as it pertains to the Christian walk: It takes obedience to become obedient.

We need to obey the call of God that we might be given the power to obey Him in all things. Quite illogical sounding, no?

Salvation[1] is not something that just happens. We don’t make salvation happen. God has made salvation available to all, but in our desire to avoid saying that we do anything to earn salvation, we’ve quite taken ourselves out of the picture as it pertains to our responsibilities in the matter.

When we discuss obedience, we’re not throwing out any other fundamental principle. We’re just focusing on a needed one.

Imagine the following scenario:

You are adrift on the water, sitting on some raft, and headed to a waterfall. Someone comes by in a helicopter to rescue you. They through down a rope ladder and tell you to grab a hold of it, climb up and hang on. You can obey them, or disobey them of your own volition. If you disobey, then you will most certainly perish. If you obey them partially (you grab hold, but don’t climb up; you grab hold and climb up, but let go before the helicopter gets to land; etc) you will also perish. So obedience is very much a key to your being saved from the water.

Now, no one in their right mind, upon being placed safely on the dry land, would ever consider making the claim that they had saved themselves simply because they held on as instructed. And it is quite impossible imagining a place where the work of holding on is deemed more important than the work of flying the helicopter, finding the victim, dropping down the ladder, and flying back safely to dry land. At the same time, one cannot deny that obedience was important for the person being saved, and that a lack of it would have undermined the salvation of the victim (i.e. led to destruction).

When we exercise our faith in God – the faith that God has given us to begin with – it becomes strengthened. Likewise, as we obey God, we are sanctified (ongoing process) and enabled to render even more obedience which is essential for our character building.

God gives us a new nature – one that loves Him and desires to serve Him – but our characters are built over time, rather than handed to us outright. Character is nothing more than a solid collection of habits, which are built by a solid collection of actions, which are built by a solid collection of thoughts. We need habits of obedience (among other things) to be fitted for heaven, and it all starts by obeying God.

We submit to God… God empowers us to do His will… we continue to obey… He empowers us to do more of His will… and so on and so forth. (Philippians 2:13) God cannot be removed from the process, lest it become our own, useless self-righteousness, but obedience must be there.

Obedience cannot be removed from the equation.
Love cannot be removed from the equation.
The grace of God cannot be removed from the equation.
Faith in Jesus cannot be removed from the equation.
The Faith OF Jesus cannot be removed from the equation.
Repentance cannot be removed from the equation.
Various other things that I have left unmentioned (due to considerations of time and space) cannot be removed from the equation of our salvation.

We need God to be able to obey AND we need to obey God to be within His will. We can quibble about the exact sequence all we want, but given that given that the topic of salvation will be an *eternal* study for us, we need to accept that it’s an inherently complex subject, and a lot more interconnected than we often make it out to be.

The Bible shows us both sides of obedience because both sides are true. We need God before we can obey, and we must obey to get the power to do so. :)

Let us press towards the mark…

Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness? (Romans 6:16 KJV)

[1] Big word, broad term, vast concept

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Be Ye Ready

2011-12-01T03:00:00Z

“We need to be ready.” This is a statement that Christians make quite often. And there’s good reason for that, as we have quite a few Bible texts that enjoin us to do just that.

Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come. But know this, that if the goodman of the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be broken up. Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.
(Matthew 24:42-44 KJV)

The question then becomes: What are we waiting for, and in what way must we be ready?

Well that’s where things get interesting. The Bible does prep us for the future – mostly by instructing us about the past. Jesus indicated that the time just before the Second Coming would be very much like the time of Noah and the time of Lot. It should be noted that both of these scenarios represent periods before imminent destruction.

Noah was getting ready, and boy did that readiness involve some work.

Lot, on the other hand, was not close to getting ready. He wasn’t exactly laying about being useless, but his lack of preparation showed in the state of his family. They were not prepared to leave, and their attitudes ranged from outright hostility to highly reluctant departure.

History will be repeating itself, and we have been given an example of readiness and one of unpreparedness. While Noah had some indication of when the climactic event would occur, Lot absolutely had no idea that the end of his life in Sodom had arrived until he was taken by them outside the city (Genesis 19).

We have been given enough instructions in Matthew, Luke and Revelation to guide us in our great work of preparation.

We must watch, pray and be ready.

Just one month ago, we experienced snowstorm in the NY metro area. Some areas received up to 19 inches of snow!! Because the weather had been rather warm up to that time, so many of the trees had all their leaves, and snow covered leaves are heavier than you might thing. There were so many branches and trees that broke, taking out power and communication lines, that some people were without power or internet services for more than a week! Even now, one month later, much of the tree limbs and branches remain on the ground throughout NJ.

We had a couple days warning about that storm, and yet many found themselves woefully unprepared when it came. Will the same be said of us for the earth’s final events?

The time to prepare is *before* the events have transpired. Not during.

Watch.

Pray.

And get ready.

The instructions are all there…

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Do You See What I See?

2011-10-30T03:00:00Z

The signs keep on coming…

And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you. For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many. And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places. All these are the beginning of sorrows.
(Matthew 24:4-8 KJV)

This year, in the NY/NJ metro area, we’ve experienced an earthquake, a category 1 hurricane, rampant flooding, and now a snowstorm that has led to power loss for many.

And the year’s not finished yet.

God’s people need to stir and awaken themselves, because now is not the time to be sleeping on the job. We are entirely too comfortable doing the same old things we have been doing for years.

Things are about to get a lot harder. There are rumblings all around, and signs in the weather and in nature all across the globe.

It has been an unprecedented year of activity on many fronts, but too many of us have been lulled into a false sense of security because we’ve been hearing the same things about the Second Coming for generations.

Look closely, because I think that things are not as they have been.

Let no man deceive you. There is more to go, but we need to be ready.

Remember that it is Jesus that makes the analogy to labor pains – the frequency and intensity of these events *will* continue to increase.

Let us redeem the time, for now is our salvation nearer than when we first believed.

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Worship: Event, Activity or Lifestyle?

2011-09-20T11:26:00Z

The term “worship”, whether used in a religious or secular context, is supposed to reflect an attitude and ongoing experience rather than a specific activity or event.

Sometimes it seems that humanity embraces worship more fully when the object of that worship is not God. For instance, many people worship their possessions, their favorite celebrities, political and philosophical ideologies, and so on, and they are not afraid or ashamed to be focused on these objects of their worship at all times.

In contrast, when it comes to the worship of God, many of us seem to lack the stamina to apply ourselves as fully to the endeavor as the Bible suggests and teaches that we should. Perhaps it is because we see so many examples of misdirected worship that we are afraid to put that same kind of energy and focus into the worship of the only One worthy of worship. Perhaps we are afraid of being perceived as extremists. Whatever the reasoning, all too often, our worship tends to more resemble "activity" or "event" rather than "lifestyle".

The theme of the entire Bible is that of worship. The underlying conflict of the Great Controversy between God and Satan is all about worship. The fact is that the worship of God should be so much a part of our existence, that the phrase "ongoing worship" will seem as pointless to us as the phrase "constant breathing". Just as occasional breathing is of little use to an organism that depends upon air, so occasional worship provides little benefit to organisms that depend upon God.

Part-time worship is not nearly as effective for spiritual growth as it might seem at first glance. Sure, part-time is better than none at all, in the same way that one meal every other day is better than complete starvation, but growth and health and vigor are not really accommodated by one meal every other day, either.

While it is often used in other contexts such as Christian Education and Parenting, Deuteronomy 6:4-9 is actually a good text for emphasizing worship lifestyle and attitude:

Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD: And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might. And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart: And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up. And thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thine hand, and they shall be as frontlets between thine eyes. And thou shalt write them upon the posts of thy house, and on thy gates. (Deuteronomy 6:4-9 KJV)

If angels and other holy beings can live in a state worship (Revelation 4:8-11), how much more we who need the power of God to overcome the evil one?

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The Sabbath and the Marriage Bed

2011-09-06T00:47:20Z

One of the most popular questions that is posed concerning Sabbath observance is whether or not it is proper for a husband and wife to engage in sexual relations during the Sabbath hours. This question was raised in response to a posting I made on the significance of the Sabbath. (Also found on SSNET.org)

Although the Bible doesn’t answer this question directly, it does provide some key guidelines and principles that can help each couple come to a mutually satisfaction resolution.

The most commonly quoted texts against sexual intimacy on the Sabbath are Exodus 19:10-15 (especially verse 15) and Isaiah 58:13,14.

The Mount Sinai Experience

I have not been able to determine what day of the week that God came down to Mount Sinai, but the injunction that Moses placed upon the people to abstain from sexual activity as they awaited the appearance of God on the mountain was clearly a special and isolated event. It should be noted that the people had to prepare for God to come three (3) days hence, and that throughout the entire preparation time they were to abstain from conjugal relations. There is absolutely nothing in this passage to suggest that this is a precedent for handling the weekly Sabbath on a continuing basis. Furthermore, if it were, that would rule out Thursday, Friday and the Sabbath. God’s visit to Mount Sinai was an extraordinary event, and all the activities associated with it should be considered just as extraordinary.

The fact that only Exodus 19:15 contains a prohibition against it, when none of the many Sabbath commandments do, should be proof enough that the Mount Sinai situation was a very special one, and not a precedent for Sabbath keeping in general.

Doing Your Pleasure

The phrase “doing your own pleasure” of Isaiah 58 would seem to be more applicable, but consider the context of the chapter. Nothing else in Isaiah 58 appears to be covering personal relationships in this fashion. Isaiah 58 is a call to God’s people, informing them that, while they are going through the motions of worship and religious experience, they are busy fighting, oppressing the poor and weak, and failing to provide for the needs of others. While there is nothing wrong with evaluating marital relations within the context of these two verses (Isaiah 58:13,14), it does not automatically flow from the context.

Furthermore, while sexual intercourse is intended to be pleasurable for each participant, the goal of each person should be to express love and give pleasure to one’s spouse. For Christian’s, it is not supposed to be about finding one’s own pleasure.

The Sanctity of the Marriage Bed

The Apostle Paul makes several references to marriage and the marital relations. In Hebrews 13:4, he indicates that marriage and the marital bed are honorable. In 1 Corinthians 7, which is a chapter with a lot of counsel pertaining to marriage and relationships, Paul recommends that a married couple should not abstain from intimacy with each other unless mutually agreed upon for some reason, such as prayer and fasting (v5). In Ephesians 5:21-33, Paul expounds on how we should treat one another, focusing primarily on the marital relationship. In verses 31 and 32, he even goes so far as to compare the joining together of a husband and wife, with the relationship between Christ and His bride, the church. The books of Isaiah and Revelation are replete with references to God and His people in a marital context, which is why Israel was said to have committed whoredom whenever they turned to worshiping idols.

When you consider the sacredness of the marriage institution as God gave it to Adam and Eve in the garden of Eden, and you add the fact that all throughout the Bible, this same level of intimacy between a man and his wife is compared to the relationship that God has with His people, it is hard to conclude that sexual intimacy during the Sabbath hours – particularly during the night-time of the Sabbath – is forbidden by scripture.

There is nothing to suggest that there has ever been any injunction against it, and I personally have a hard time looking at Genesis 1:28 and coming to the conclusion that God told Adam and Eve to be fruitful, but didn’t explain exactly how until the first day of the new week.

In that vein, Christian couples should consider how special a gift that God gave to mankind, and engage in it in a way which reflects its precious and holy origins.

Preferring One Another

The Bible speaks extensively about sex and about the Sabbath, but never about the former being inappropriate during the latter. Now, if your options are choosing being sexual intimacy vs going to church during the morning hours of the Sabbath, I might have to question your priorities. But, as for the night time, there is no Biblical prohibition.

Having said all that, please note that 1 Corinthians 7, Romans 12, and Ephesians 5 highlight a major principle that should govern this discussion:

Ephesians 5:21 KJV
(21) Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God.

1 Corinthians 7:3-4 KJV
(3) Let the husband render unto the wife due benevolence: and likewise also the wife unto the husband.
(4) The wife hath not power of her own body, but the husband: and likewise also the husband hath not power of his own body, but the wife.

Romans 12:10 KJV
(10) Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another;

We are to give preference to the needs and desires of our spouses over ourselves. This works best, of course, when both spouses are honoring and preferring one another, so that no one is being taken advantage of. Forcibly persuading or attempting to guilt someone into doing something that they feel is wrong or inappropriate is completely unChristlike.

If your spouse feels very strongly that sexual intimacy on the Sabbath is not in line with Biblical principles, then all attempts to convince her that she is wrong – whether using the Bible or not – would be wrong. And, you have to ask yourself just how much effective it will be to bond with your spouse under those circumstances. This is equally true of a wife trying to convince a husband, lest anyone conclude that this is a one-sided issue.

If the sanctity of marriage were more universally appreciated, and the joy of the Sabbath were better understood, this issue might soon become far less of a contention among Christian couples.

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Seventh-day Adventists - a Special People?

2011-08-29T12:19:05Z

The Seventh-day Adventist church is a prophetic movement which God raised up for the furtherance of the gospel after centuries of apostasy by His church. This makes us special in terms of responsibility. We’re not special because of any intrinsic value that we have, but we have a special message and we are a called people.

The primary purpose of the Seventh-day Adventist church is to proclaim the everlasting gospel of Jesus Christ, which includes a remembrance of the Sabbath as God’s holy day, and a focus on the ministerial work of Jesus in the heavenly sanctuary. The everlasting gospel reminds us that God is Creator, Redeemer and Sustainer.

While there are many other people willing to preach about the gospel — at least some aspect of it — many of them are missing components, or are willing to suggest that vital sections of the scriptures have been done away with. Whatever their intent and sincerity, they are missing critical pieces of the full, everlasting gospel.

Yes, just as occurred with Israel of old, we could look at our calling as something that makes us better than others, or take our calling to mean that being a Seventh-day Adventist means that we are automatically saved. It would seem that because of this risk of pride and elitism, many have taken to downplaying our message. Or, stated more accurately, “the special message that God has given us to present to a dying world.”

Revelation 14:6-12 is not some random message given by some random people. It is our entire reason for existence at this time, and by taking a stance that essentially has us blending in with the world (or, with the rest of Christendom), we (however you choose to define “we”) fight against the purpose that God has designed for us. Sitting on the message that God has given us will get us in the trouble described in Ezekiel 3.

We don’t need to pretend that we are anyone other than who God has called us to be: Seventh-day Adventist Christians.

We don’t need to be ashamed of who God has called us to be, nor should we pretend that bearing the name Seventh-day Adventist will automatically result in our salvation. Our salvation comes only in Jesus and His sacrifice, and that is the essence of the message we need to share.

While it is true that many will enter heaven who were never called by that name, and that many who are now called by that name will eventually fall away, that does not mean that bearing the name doesn’t matter. It does. Being a Jew did not automatically result in salvation either, but Jesus did point out that salvation was of the Jews (because they had the message of Jesus which should have *led* to salvation, and it was because the Redeemer would come by way of the Jewish nation).

We have been given a great responsibility, and the message we have been given has power as it is prophetically mandated by the God who is the source of all salvation.

As a church, we have been given so much material — so much!!! — that we should not have to worry about whether or not there will be another prophet. Between the Bible and the Spirit of Prophecy, my family and I can’t even find enough time to get through all the key manuscripts, even with us using some for personal devotions as well as others for family worship.

The first Christians embraced the name they were given, even though it separated them from everyone else. We need not go out of our way to be different just to be different, but it is inevitable that the more we behold God we will look and act like Him, which will make us contrast more and more with those who are following a different leader.

That doesn’t make us better than anyone else, mind you. It just makes us different by the power of God.

And we should not be ashamed of that kind of difference at all…

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Why We Worship

2011-08-01T02:30:00Z

As for God, His way is perfect; the word of the LORD is tried: He is a buckler to all them that trust in Him. For who is God, save the LORD? and who is a rock, save our God? God is my strength and power: and He maketh my way perfect. (2 Samuel 22:31-33 KJV)

While it might often seem that we worship God because of what He has done or is doing for us, in reality, our primary reason for worshipping God should be simply because of who He is. He is our Creator, Sustainer and Redeemer.

What God does for us is a by-product of who He is.

He created us because He loves us.

He sustains us because He loves us.

He redeemed us because He really loves us.

Worship is not about us – it is about God and who He is. He alone is worthy of our adoration and praise.

When we focus on what He has done for us, it becomes a “what’s in it for me” game, and that soon has us focusing on our own achievements.

While worship should bring us joy, the purpose of worship is not our happiness.

While worship should generally be done in a lively fashion, expressions of liveliness and excitement are not necessarily indicative of true worship.

While worship should cause us to recognize our sinful condition and dependence upon God, it is not the goal of worship to cause us to be downtrodden and sorrowful.

Worship is the recognition of who God is and what He is about.

It is interesting that when we worship celebrities, athletes, politicians, or other people/things, we tend to give more of ourselves – and give more freely – than when worship God.

Worship is not about getting – it’s about giving. If we were doing worship correctly, we wouldn’t have time to fight about the right music, the right attire, the right timing, or the right format. We wouldn’t have time because we wouldn’t need to fight about these items – we would be praising God as He desires to be praised, and all these other items would fall into place.

Because we would realize that it’s not about us. Not in the least…. It’s about God.

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Where is God’s Storehouse?

2011-07-16T21:42:26Z

Many today are dissatisfied with organized religion for one reason or another. One aspect of organized religion that bugs people the most is the collection of funds. Yes, money is needed to keep buildings operating and pay for workers of the ministry, but we are all too acquainted with ministers and clergy of various denominations and churches that seem to be living the life on the backs of their congregations who are funding them.

The Bible calls for systematic giving, the rules of which are relatively easy to envision in the agricultural society of the Old Testament believers, and seem to archaic to those of our time. Malachi 3:6-10 (we usually start at verse 8) highlight’s God’s call to His people, where He points out that they are robbing Him by not returning His tithe, or presenting a free-will offering. As I mentioned in a previous post, this requirement is still binding.

Even among those who do not disagree that tithing is still valid, there are many who question where God’s storehouse is.

Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the LORD of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it. (Malachi 3:10 KJV)

As we can see from verse 10, God’s storehouse is very much connected to His house – the church – especially since they money which goes into the storehouse directly benefits the church. (Here are some texts indicating the church as God’s house: Exodus 25:8; Deuteronomy 12:5; Matt 21:13)

Just because we are no longer in an agrarian society, doesn’t mean that the principle of bringing the tithes and offerings into the church has changed. As God mentioned in verse 6, He has not changed, and thus his principles don’t change.

Aha, some might say: What about the wickedness and corruption of the times? What about the fiscal mismanagement that we hear about? What if the leadership (at whatever level) is inept? Why would God want me to just through away the tithe?

During the entire existence of God’s people, there have been notable periods of corruption, ineptitude, and apostasy, and never did God tell the people that they did not have to return to Him what was His during those periods.

When Hannah pledged her son to the Lord, she brought him right to the very temple where all sorts of vice and iniquity was taking place. (1 Samuel 2:12-36) The temple was the only place designated to give an offering to the Lord, and she did so with her most precious offering. She did not start an independent ministry, but worked with God’s established system. And God blessed her, blessed Samuel, and took care of the corruption that Eli should have addressed as the man of God.

Likewise, when Jesus sat near the church treasury and watched people returning their tithes and offering (Mark 12:41-44), He did not warn the people to give their money to a better cause on account of the wickedness and misappropriation of the temple authorities. Rather, He commended the widow’s gift as being far more meaningful and substantive than anyone else’s, due to its relative worth to her. This would have been a fine time to abolish the system of giving into corrupt churches, but Jesus did not undermine the system He had created. Also consider that when Jesus did bother to interfere with those manipulating money in the church, He:

A – Did so directly, rather than through any earthly intermediary

B – Only addressed the man-made systems that interfered with the sacrificial system

The reason we don’t have to worry about the tithe is that it is God’s. It is not ours, just like the Sabbath is not ours. In the Levitical system, one did not even get to choose which lamb or fruit to give for the tithe. You counted to the 10th one, and that was God’s – regardless of its condition. It was only the offering for which you needed to take care of the condition before presenting it to the Lord (see: Leviticus 27:30-33)

And all the tithe of the land, whether of the seed of the land, or of the fruit of the tree, is the LORD'S: it is holy unto the LORD. And if a man will at all redeem ought of his tithes, he shall add thereto the fifth part thereof. And concerning the tithe of the herd, or of the flock, even of whatsoever passeth under the rod, the tenth shall be holy unto the LORD. He shall not search whether it be good or bad, neither shall he change it: and if he change it at all, then both it and the change thereof shall be holy; it shall not be redeemed. (Leviticus 27:30-33 KJV)

Let us get back to the basics, and return to God what is His, to the place that He has instructed us to return it unto. There are plenty of things we need to worry about, but not about the things that are God’s, for He keeps the best possible records…

It is not for us to determine where the Lord’s storehouse should be for safe keeping, any more than it was Uzzah’s job to try and steady the Ark of the Covenant…

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