June 29, 2015

John 15:5; Philippians 4:13

(All scripture is from the New King James Version unless otherwise indicated.)

Two Sides Of The Coin:  It is a often phrase used to express the idea of looking at a subject from a negative side and a positive side, and both shed illumination on the subject.  So it is with two scriptures that have to do with what we can accomplish.

•      First, the negative from John 15:5 – “I am the vine, you are the branches.  He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.”  ‘Nothing‘ has to be qualified, because obviously there are many people who are not Christians who have accomplished much and made a difference in this world, a positive difference.

Mahatma Gandhi was a devout Jain Hindu.  His belief in non-violence toward human being, animals, insects and plants (in that descending order) led to his practice and advocation of non-violent civil disobedience.  He worked for ‘Swaraj‘ – political independence of India from British rule, which was realized on August 15, 1947.  Gandhi was assassinated by radical Hindus just five and a half months later.  Gandhi made a difference. He changed the world – and most say it was for the good.  But he was not a Christian! And he did not accomplish what he did through a vital connection with the Lord Jesus Christ!

“…for without Me you can do nothing…” …nothing that will stand the test of time and result in rewards in eternity!

Saul of Tarsus made a difference in Jewish society in his day.  He zealously tried to stamp out the new (and to his mind, heretical) belief in the risen Jesus Christ.  But this is his testimony from Philippians 3:7 and 8:

      But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ.  But
      indeed I count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ
      Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count
      them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ….

Rubbish! – the King James Version translates this word as dung – manure!  No matter how idealistic and lofty – no matter how it might affect society and the world, without Jesus Christ, “…you can do nothing…” that will really matter on your scorecard for eternity!

The reason is succinctly spelled out in Ephesians 2:8 and 9:  “For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.”  Salvation is not achieved by works!  It is God’s gift to us according to His grace.  And it is received only by faith in the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on Calvary’s cross!  Works only count for eternity after we have been saved!  As it says in Ephesians 2:10, “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.”

And this leads us to the other Side Of The Coin…

•      Philippians 4:13 – “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”  All things – but it has to be through Christ!  In other words, you first have to have Jesus Christ as your Savior and be following Him as your Lord for Philippians 4:13 to become operative in your life!  This idea is expanded in Psalm 37:3 through 7:

      Trust in the LORD, and do good; dwell in the land, and feed on His faith-
      fulness.  Delight yourself also in the LORD, and He shall give you the
      desires of your heart.  Commit your way to the LORD, trust also in Him,
      and He shall bring it to pass.  And He shall bring forth your righteousness
      as the light, and your justice as the noonday.  Rest in the LORD, and wait
      patiently for Him….

That second sentence is key:  “Delight yourself also in the LORD, and He shall give you the desires of your heart.”  If you line up your will with God’s, if you make your delight that which delights Him, then He will fulfill the desires of your heart because they will be the desires of His own heart!  And so anything you will then be attempting to do will be in the will of God.  And Jesus will strengthen you in everything you undertake because it is done through Christ and for His glory!

It is Two Sides Of The Coin – “…for without Me you can do nothing.”  And “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”

June 26, 2015

John 15:1-5

(All scripture is from the New King James Version unless otherwise indicated.)

We burn wood to heat our house in the winter.  We have an efficient wood stove that sets in our fireplace in the family room – not a fireplace insert – and it is flued up the chimney.  We also have oil heat, but about 90 percent of our winter heating comes from our wood burner.  Every spring I set about the task of procuring wood for the next winter.  Since we live more or less in the country – a small village with 43 houses and three stop signs! – there is plenty of wooded land surrounding us.  Usually within half a mile of our house I can harvest all the wood I need to get me through the next cold season.  I look for hardwood trees, newly fallen or Standing Deadwood right along the two roads that lead to our village – one a township road and the other state-owned.  Those in charge do not mind a bit that I glean wood that way.  It means they do not have to send out crews to clean up fallen trees or cut down others that might fall soon.

Standing Deadwood – it’s a good subject for a blog!  You see, Christians are designed to produce fruit.  Jesus discussed this subject in John 15:1-5:

      I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser.  Every branch in Me
      that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit
      He prunes, that it may bear more fruit.  You are already clean because of
      the word which I have spoken to you.  Abide in Me, and I in you.  As the
      branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine; neither can
      you, unless you abide in Me.  I am the vine, you are the branches.  He who
      abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do
      nothing.

There is a progression in this scripture concerning bearing fruit.  The first mention is “…every branch…bears fruit….”  The second is “…that it may bear more fruit.”  The third – “He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit….”  This reflects God’s desire for growth in every Christian’s life!  As Paul wrote in Ephesians 4:15:  “But speaking the truth in love, [we] may grow up in all things into Him who is the head — Christ….”  What kind of fruit are we to produce?  I believe it is the fruit of the Spirit found in Galatians 5:22 and 23 (NIV):  “…love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.”  If these nine manifestations of the fruit of the Spirit are abundantly in a believer’s life, others will see this and be drawn to Jesus Christ!

There is a fourth condition that is pointed out in our scripture, and it is mentioned first: “Every branch…that does not bear fruit….”  There are two conditions that bring this fruitless result:

•      Fruitlessness because one is not connected to the vine!  This one is Standing Deadwood!  He or she has other Christian characteristics such as church attendance, many of the right Christian words and actions, a certain morality (sometimes very strict), and a confession that they certainly are Christian.  However, there can be no genuine fruit in this one’s life because it is the fruit of the Spirit and, as Paul said in Romans 8:9, “…if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His.”  Only the Holy Spirit of God within us can produce the fruit of the Spirit !  An apt description of someone who is Standing Deadwood is in II Timothy 3:5:  “…having a form of godliness but denying its power.”

Why would I call such a one Standing Deadwood?  The person without Jesus Christ, and the new nature that He gives upon that one being born again, is “…dead in trespasses and sins…” (Ephesians 2:1).  He or she has physical life, but not spiritual life!

Of course I can quickly tell what tree is dead even though it is still standing.  There is no sign of life concerning that tree – no leaves, no fruit, no freshness!  It is often harder to tell if a professed believer is Standing Deadwood because many of the right words and actions are evident.  But if we look for the fruit of the Spirit and find little or none, it may very well be that one is Standing Deadwood!

•      The second cause of fruitlessness is when a born-again Christian does not mature in the Lord by obedience to His Word.  The writer of Hebrews addresses this problem in Hebrews 5:12 through 14:

      …by this time you ought to be teachers, [but] you need someone to teach
      you again the first principles of the oracles of God; and you have come
      to need milk and not solid food.  For everyone who partakes only of milk
      is unskilled in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe.  But solid food
      belongs to those who are of full age, that is, those who by reason of use
      have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.

Immature baby Christians!  The tragedy is that one has a hard time telling this condition apart from Standing Deadwood!  What does God do to those whose lives are fruitless?  It says He, as “…the vinedresser….takes [them] away….”  It may be that the Father will remove them even from this earth if, as an immature Christian, that one is bringing shame to Jesus’ name (see I Corinthians 11:29-31).  It surely means that at the Judgment the Lord will say to the one just acting the part, “Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels.” (Matthew 25:41).

Don’t be Standing Deadwood or an immature Christian!  Don’t fall into either category!

June 24, 2015

Ephesians 3:14-19

(All scripture is from the New King James Version unless otherwise indicated.)

It reminds me of a slogan describing Peter Paul Mounds (now made by Hershey).  In 1955 Leon Weiss of Gary, Indiana submitted the best two-word description of the candy bar and won – $10!  His entry?  “Indescribably Delicious”!  That slogan was used for over 40 years!

It also reminds me of what Paul said in Ephesians 3:14 through 19:

      …I bow my knees…that…[God] would grant you, according to the riches
      of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner
      man, that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being
      rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints
      what is the width and length and depth and height — to know the love of
      Christ which passes all knowledge; that you may be filled with all the
      fulness of God.

We have already talked about Searching The Unsearchable and Unsearchable And Unspeakable in the last two blogs.  Continuing with this theme, let’s look at the gospel as being Indescribable!  First, let me say that through all the Apostle Paul’s writings – at least thirteen epistles! – no one has done a better job describing the Indescribable!  I remember my theology professor telling his class, “If you master just the book of Romans, you will pretty much master the Christian faith!”

So how does Paul describe what is Indescribable?  Well, he doesn’t!  No one can ever reach the bottom of God’s mind!  And only God could come up with such a plan of redemption that was accomplished by the Son of God, Jesus Christ, dying in our place as a condemned sinner on the cross!

Yet it is simple enough for a child to understand.  Anna Bartlett Warner wrote a poem that appeared in an 1860 novel, Say and Seal.  Two years later William Bradbury added the music.  The result was the popular children’s hymn, “Jesus Loves Me.”

     Jesus loves me—this I know, For the Bible tells me so;
           Little ones to Him belong—They are weak, but He is strong.

      Jesus loves me—He who died Heaven’s gate to open wide;
           He will wash away my sin, Let His little child come in.

      Jesus loves me—He will stay Close beside me all the way,
           Then His little child will take Up to Heaven for His dear sake.

The refrain:   Yes, Jesus loves me!  Yes, Jesus loves me! 
                          Yes, Jesus loves me!  The Bible tells me so.

So simple!  And yet, so profound!  God dying in our place to provide salvation and eternal life to sinful man!

After Paul had received direct revelations from God concerning the Christian faith and life (see Galatians 1:12); after thinking and writing about the subject for years (by the time he wrote Ephesians, Paul had been a follower of Jesus for about 30 years); he came up with this description of the gospel:

      …that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend
      with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height — to
      know the love of Christ which passes all knowledge….

It is kind of like the little five-year-old boy who has seen an Airbus A380 for the first time.  It is 238 feet, 7 inches long, with a wingspan of 261 feet, 8 inches, and a height of 80 feet, three inches!  What would be his description?  “It’s wide!  It’s long!  It’s deep!  It’s high!”  That’s just about how Paul describes God’s plan of salvation:  “…what is the width and length and depth and height…”!

The only way to begin to comprehend all that God has done for us to experience it! – “…to know the love of Christ which passes all understanding….”  Have you experienced His love?  Have you received Him as your Savior?  Is He Lord of Your life?

It will take all eternity to begin “…to know the love of Christ….”  But you ought to start now!

June 22, 2015

Ephesians 3:8; II Corinthians 9:15

(All scripture is from the New King James Version unless otherwise indicated.)

I decided to add another scripture to our featured Ephesians passage from last Friday.  But I will abbreviate Ephesians 3:7 through 12 for the sake of space today.  Here are both Ephesians 3:8 and II Corinthians 9:15 (KJV):

      To me, who am less than the least of all the saints, this grace was given,
      that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of
      Christ….Thanks be unto God for His unspeakable gift.

Paul was preaching “…among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ.”  So he had to have searched out what was unsearchable in order to preach it!  And to preach it, he had to speak out the unspeakable!

In Friday’s blog, we began to discuss why the unsearchable riches of Christ are unsearchable.  And I wrote, “Because they are beyond human understanding!  They are revealed by the Holy Spirit, and only true believers have the Holy Spirit living within them!”  From a human standpoint, the riches of Christ are unsearchable.  It is only when a person experiences Jesus Christ and the riches of His salvation, that he or she can then begin to search out and understand those riches.

Why is all this also unspeakable?  I chose the King James translation for II Corinthians 9:15 because of this word unspeakable – it just went so well with unsearchable!  The Greek word used here means (according to Strong’s), “not expounded in full, i.e. indescribable….”  Indescribable is how the New King James Version translates the word.

And this leads us to the second idea of why the riches of Christ are Unsearchable And Unspeakable.  They are beyond our present human capacity to fully understand them!  How can we comprehend the following?

•      God created man innocent and holy, but with the capacity to choose and make his own decisions (free-will), knowing that man would disobey and bring all humankind into sinful rebellion against their Creator!  This involves some other mind-blowing concepts:  God’s omnipotence (He is all-powerful); His omniscience (He is all-knowing); and His total holiness.

•      God set the penalty for disobedience – death, both physical and spiritual!  He told Adam in Genesis 2:17:  “…of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.”  Adam ate, and Adam died!  He died spiritually first, hiding from God.  Because spiritual death is separation from God.  Years later he died physically.  And, as it says in Romans 5:12, “Therefore, just as through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and thus death passed upon all men, because all have sinned.”  We are all sinners! (See Romans 3:10, 23).  We are all spiritually dead in our natural state! (See Ephesians 2:1).  And if this condition is not rectified, we all face eternity separated from God forever in a torturous hell! (See Revelation 21:8).

•      God paid the penalty for sin Himself!  Why? Because if it was to be paid at all, it had to be paid by SomeOne who was holy and sinless.  Everything that any human being can do is infected by sin.  So if someone tried to offer God a sacrifice to cover sin’s penalty, even if he or she died to try to satisfy the debt, that sacrifice would be tainted by sin.  On our own, even dying by the horrible death of crucifixion for our sins would simply add to our debt of sin before God!

If only SomeOne sinless would offer to do it….  But the only one sinless is God Himself!  So Jesus Christ, the Son of God became incarnate (became a human being), and He lived a perfect life as a human being, never sinning once.  Then He offered that sinless life as a sacrifice before His Father – in our place, totally paying for the sins of all mankind for all time!  Three days later He arose from the grave – proof that God accepted His sacrifice on our behalf.  Now, He lives forever to apply that procured salvation to all who come unto Him in faith believing He died and lives for them!

Why?  Why would God do that for sinful, rebellious mankind?  The answer is in John 3:16 – called The gospel in a nutshell :  “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”  He loves the world!  He loves me!  He loves you…enough to die in our place!

How can we comprehend all that?  How can we begin to search it all out?  How can we begin to speak about it in its fulness?  No wonder the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ is Unsearchable And Unspeakable!

More on this in Wednesday’s blog.

June 19, 2015

Ephesians 3:7-12

(All scripture is from the New King James Version unless otherwise indicated.)

It sounds like an impossibility – Searching The Unsearchable!  How can you search something that cannot be searched?  Yet Paul writes this in Ephesians 3:7 through 12:

      …I was made a minister [of the gospel] according to the gift of the
      grace of God given to me by the effective working of His power.  To
      me, who am less than the least of all the saints, this grace was given,
      that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of
      Christ, and to make all people see what is the fellowship of the mys-
      tery, which from the beginning of the ages has been hidden in God,
      who created all things through Jesus Christ; to the intent that now
      the manifold wisdom of God might be known by the church to the
      principalities and powers in the heavenly places, according to the
      eternal purpose which He accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord,
      In whom we have boldness and access with confidence through the
      faith in Him.

Paul tends to run on in his sentences, and the second sentence of this passage is 112 words, making it a bit hard to follow!  But what he is saying is that God gave him (and others who have true faith in Jesus Christ) wisdom and enlightenment to delve into the unsearchable riches of Christ!

Why are such riches unsearchable? Because they are beyond human understanding!  They are revealed by the Holy Spirit, and only true believers have the Holy Spirit living within them!  Paul states in I Corinthians 2:9 (quoting Isaiah 64:4), 10 and 12:

      As it is written:  “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into
      the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love
      Him.”  But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit.  For the
      Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God….Now we have
      received…the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things
      that have been freely given to us by God.

It is a mystery, according to verse 9 or our featured scripture.  A mystery is something that has been hidden in Old Testament times but is now revealed (see Ephesians 3:4, 5).  This particular mystery is explained in Ephesians 3:6:  “…that the Gentiles should be fellow heirs of the same body, and partakers of His promise in Christ through the gospel.”  In other words, all people have equal standing before God in Jesus Christ the living Savior, by faith in His sacrifice on the Cross.  Together, Jews and non-Jews, form the Church, the Body of Christ, the Temple that is the “…habitation of God in the Spirit.” (Ephesians 2:22).

You see, the Jews considered themselves the special people of God – and they were His chosen ones! (See Exodus 19:4; Deuteronomy 10:15).  But in that Jewish exclusive view, the Gentiles (non-Jews) were something far less than the Jews themselves.  Yes, the scriptures talk about all nations honoring the Lord and being blessed by Him (see Genesis 12:2, 3; Psalm 22:27; 67:2; 86:9; 117:1; Isaiah 2:2; 66:18, 19; Jeremiah 3:17; 4:2; Ezekiel 38:23; Micah 4:2, 3; Zechariah 2:11; 8:22, 23; Malachi 3;12).  But Jewish rabbis and scribes had so corrupted any idea of the value of Gentiles that Peter, when he was sent by God to the Roman Centurion Cornelius (see Acts 10:1-22), he told him upon entering his house, “You know how unlawful it is for a Jewish man to keep company with or go to one of another nation.”  Nowhere in the Old Testament scriptures is this a pronouncement given by God!  It is that about which Jesus spoke in Mark 7:6 and 7:  “This people honors Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me.  And in vain they worship Me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.”

But in the establishment of the Church, Jews and Gentiles are one – equal before God – both lost sinners saved by His grace alone! (See Romans 11:32; Galatians 3:22).  This was and is unintelligible (a mystery) to those unsaved, those without the Holy Spirit to interpret this mystery to them!  And so, without God’s help, this concept is unsearchable!

But there is more about all this that makes it unsearchable!  And we will examine it further on Monday.

June 17, 2015

Mark 12:28-30

(All scripture is from the New King James Version unless otherwise indicated.)

As Christians we have to keep our priorities in order if our life is going to be lived out according to what Jesus said in John 10:10:  “I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.”  I want abundant life!  And as we have discussed in past blogs, the abundance Jesus came to give is not necessarily the abundance of things, but I believe it is the abundance of the fruit of the Holy Spirit in every situation – even the hard tests and temptations that can come along:  “…love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.” (Galatians 5:22, 23 – Easy-To-Read Version).  If you have these nine qualities in your life – in abundance – then whatever might come along will not defeat you!

But in order to experience abundant life, your priorities must be in proper alignment!  And what must be Number One on the list?  Jesus plainly showed us as He interacted with a Jewish scribe in Mark 12:28 through 30:

      Then one of the scribes came, and having heard them reasoning together,
      perceiving that He had answered them well, asked Him, “Which is the first
      commandment of all?”  Jesus answered him, “The first of all the command-
      ments is:  ‘Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one.  And you shall
      love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your
      mind, and with all your strength.’  This is the first commandment.

This is the Number One priority if we are to live out our lives as true followers of the Lord Jesus Christ!  Then why am I beginning the thirteenth blog on Who Am I? with this first commandment?  It is because we too often get my next description of Who Am I? before any of the others!  I am a hobbyist – Someone who pursues an interest outside one’s regular occupation and engages in it primarily for pleasure.  My hobbies include:

*     Writing – I thoroughly enjoy writing blogs for my Gems for Living website.  I also write sermons and am working on three books.

*     Walking – Because I experience severe arthritis, I walk an average of 40 miles each week to keep myself limber.  It is also a great prayer time, and sometimes I catch up on phone calls when I walk.

*     Antique automobiles – I have always been fascinated by old cars and trucks.  God has allowed me to currently have two – a 1930 Model A Ford sedan and a 1966 Pontiac Star Chief Executive.

*     Woodworking – which includes making miniature Shaker furniture, repairing and refinishing antiques, and general carpentry.

*     Reading – I concentrate mainly on reading my Bible and other Christian books, but I enjoy a lot of different types of writing.

*     Artwork – I take pleasure creating many forms of artwork, from drawing to painting to creating sculptures to….

Yes, I have a lot of hobbies!  I don’t have time for them all!  But when I engage for a bit of time in one or the other, I derive great pleasure from what I do.

The point is, your hobby should never take first place in your life – especially as a Christian!  It says in I Timothy 6:17 (God’s Word to the Nations Bible), “…God…richly provides us with everything to enjoy.”  But we dare not make our hobbies the first pursuit of our lives!  If we do, we will find ourselves in the same predicament as did the careless Christian standing before the Judgment Seat of Christ in I Corinthians 3.  According to verse 11, the “…foundation…[of] Jesus Christ…is laid…” in that one’s life – he is a Christian.  But in verses 12 through 15 Paul writes this:

      Now if anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones,
      wood, hay, straw, each one’s work will become manifest; for the Day will
      declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one’s
      work, of what sort it is.  If anyone’s work which he has built on it endures,
      he will receive a reward.  If anyone’s work is burned, he will suffer loss; but
      he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire.

I do not want to get my life’s priorities so out of whack that pursuits of pleasure – my hobbies – take precedence over loving and serving the Lord God!  Yes, my hobbies and interests are a wonderful part of my life.  But I determine to keep God first – “…with all…[my] heart, with all…[my] soul, with all…[my] mind, and with all…[my] strength.”

What is the top priority in your life?

June 15, 2015

Titus 1:6-9

(All scripture is from the New King James Version unless otherwise indicated.)

We will try to finish up the last two of seventeen qualifications for a bishop (elder, pastor) from Titus 1:6 through 9:

      …if a man is blameless, the husband of one wife, having faithful children
      not accused of dissipation or insubordination.  For a bishop must be blame-
      less, as a steward of God, not self-willed, not quick-tempered, not given to
      wine, not violent, not given to money, but hospitable, a lover of what is good,
      sober-minded, just, holy, self-controlled, holding fast the faithful word as he
      has been taught, that he may be able, by sound doctrine, both to exhort and
      convict those who contradict.

16.      Titus 1:7, 9 – “…a bishop must be…holding fast the faithful word….”  Strong says holding fast means “…to hold oneself opposite to, that is (by implication) adhere to; by extension to care for….”  And the faithful word is, of course, the Bible.  It is faithful because it is “…objectively trustworthy; subjectively trustful….”  All Christians should heed Colossians 3:16:  “Let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly…”; and Psalm 119:11: “Your word I have hidden in my heart that I might not sin against You.”  But pastors especially should adhere to God’s Word!  It is the very nourishment to grow the nature of the new man into maturity (see Colossians 3:10).  And pastors are to set the example of growing “…up in all things into Him who is the head — Christ…” (Ephesians 4:15).  This leads to the last (and very important) qualification…

17.      Titus 1:7, 9 – “…a bishop must be…able, by sound doctrine, both to exhort and convict those who contradict….”  In other words, a pastor must be able to teach the Word of God!  In Ephesians 4:11, Paul lists four offices which Jesus has bestowed upon His Church:  “…for the equipping of the saints for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ…” (Ephesians 4:12).  Some scholars count five, but I believe the last one listed in verse 11 combines two into one:  “…He Himself gave some to be…pastors and teachers.”  Pastors have to also be teachers!  And if a pastor properly presents sound doctrine to those whom he is teaching, then God by His Holy Spirit will do the exhorting and convicting (see Isaiah 55:10, 11).

Concerning pastors being teachers – here is what Paul has written to his spiritual ‘son’ Timothy in II Timothy 2:1 and 2:

      You therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.  And
      the things that you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit
      these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.

There are four generations of Christians implicated in this business of teaching:

1.      Paul – “…the things that you have heard from me….”

2.      Timothy – Paul is writing to “…my son…” Timothy, and telling him to “…commit these…” things to others that he has taught him.

3.       “…to faithful men…” is the third generation to be entrusted with these scripture truths.

4.       These “…faithful men…” are in turn to “…teach others also.”

Pastors are to teach, teach, teach – and teach others to teach!  I find it interesting that no where in the New Testament is it said of a pastor that he must be a good pulpiteer, that is, a good preacher!  But he must be a good teacher!  Yet what do most western churches look for in choosing a pastor?  “He’s got to be a good preacher! ”

Teaching is a gift from God.  It is not only mentioned as an office given to the Church in Ephesians 4:11, but it is one of the seven Motivational Gifts listed in Romans 12:6 through 8:

      Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, let us
      use them; if prophecy, let us prophesy in proportion to our faith; or ministry,
      let us use it in our ministering; he who teaches, in teaching; he who exhorts,
      in exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence;
      he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness.

Since teaching is God’s gift, it cannot be drummed up by us if we are not so gifted!  A warning from James 3:1 goes with this gift:  “My brethren, let not many of you become teachers, knowing that we shall receive a stricter judgment.”  Teachers are held to a higher standard because what they teach affects the lives of those whom they teach!  So pastors/teachers better be sure they are called to the position, then that they are trained by study (both formal and personal).

Concerning God’s gifts to His Church, there is a lot of misunderstanding about them.  I heartily recommend Don and Katie Fortune’s book, Discover Your God-Given Gifts.  This work will not only help you understand the three categories of gifts – Miraculous, Ministry, and Motivational; but it is a great tool for evaluating which gifts God has given you.  The book is published by Chosen Books, a division of Baker Book House.

I hope this study of Who Am I? – I am a pastor helps those who might be called into the pastorate, as well as those who are under the care of their pastor.  Being a pastor is a great and high calling with lots of joys and frustrations, and many rewards!

June 12, 2015

Titus 1:6-9

(All scripture is from the New King James Version unless otherwise indicated.)

We have five more qualifications to cover of the 17 for a bishop (elder, pastor) from Titus 1:6 through 9:

      …if a man is blameless, the husband of one wife, having faithful children
      not accused of dissipation or insubordination.  For a bishop must be blame-
      less, as a steward of God, not self-willed, not quick-tempered, not given to
      wine, not violent, not given to money, but hospitable, a lover of what is good,
      sober-minded, just, holy, self-controlled, holding fast the faithful word as he
      has been taught, that he may be able, by sound doctrine, both to exhort and
      convict those who contradict.

Let’s look at the thirteenth, fourteenth and fifteenth qualifications in this blog.

13.      Titus 1:7, 8 – “…a bishop must be…just….”  According to Strong’s A Concise Dictionary of the words in The Greek New Testament, just means “…equitable (in character or act); by implication innocent, holy….”  It is a different Greek word than that which is used for holy in almost all other places in the New Testament – as in I Peter 1:15 and 16:  “…as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, because it is written, ‘Be holy for I am holy.’ ”  The word means “…(an awful thing)…; sacred (physically pure, morally blameless or religious, ceremonially consecrated)….”  Certainly, a pastor should be consecrated to God and to the position to which God has called him.  And he ought to be pure and blameless in his personal, social and professional life.  Furthermore, he must live in such a way as to prove himself innocent of any charges laid against him, and equitable (fair) in all interactions with others.

This is a large order for one to fill!  Thank God that although I have tried to be just, I have found it true what Paul wrote in II Timothy 2:13 (Easy to Read Version):  “If we are not faithful, he will still be faithful, because he cannot be false to himself.”  He forgives all our failings, and I have many!  I can say with Paul in I Timothy 1:12:  “…I thank Christ Jesus our Lord who has enabled me, because He counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry….”

14.      Titus 1:7, 8 – “…a bishop must be…holy….”  This is a different word than the two discussed above.  Strong’s defines it thus:  “…properly right (by intrinsic or divine character…that is, hallowed (pious, sacred, sure)….”  Pastors are right (as are all true believers) – certainly not by intrinsic character, but because they are made right by being given the divine character!  This is plainly stated in II Corinthians 5:21:  “For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.”  This is positional righteousness.  But holiness must be more and more evident in a Christian’s life – and especially in the life of a pastor!  This is practical righteousness.  Pastors are also hallowed (set apart) unto the work to which God has called them – to care for those over whom they are placed, and to help their charges grow into mature Christians.  This growth is accomplished not only by pastoral teaching (the seventeenth qualification in our scripture), but also by personal example.

15.      Titus 1:7, 8 – “…a bishop must be…self-controlled…” (“…temporate…” in the KJV).  From Strong’s:  “…strong in a thing (masterful), that is, (figuratively and reflexively) self controlled (in appetite, etc.)….”  Self-control is also a part of the definition of sober-minded – the twelfth qualification discussed in the last blog.  But whereas sober-minded has to do with a sound mind, not extreme in opinion or passion, self-control carries the idea of strength, mastering those things in one’s life that are lacking in someone without self-control.

I have a friend, a fellow-pastor who gave me a good definition of what it means to be meek – as in Jesus’ description of Himself in Matthew 11:29 (KJV):  “…for I am meek and lowly in heart….”  “Meekness,” he said, “is strength under control.”  This sounds very much like what the qualification under consideration means.

What does a life look like in someone who lacks self-control ?  Proverbs 25:28 gives an apt description:  “Whoever has no rule over his own spirit is like a city broken down, without walls.”  Such a city would be defenseless!  Likewise, a life without self-control is also prone to attack from evil spiritual entities, other people, habits and addictions!

I have a very compulsive/addictive personality.  I have struggled over the years with many things assailing me because of lack of self-control.  But Paul’s heart cry in Romans 7:24 was also mine:  “O wretched man that I am!  Who will deliver me from this body of death? ”  And I found with him the truth of Romans 7:25 and 8:1:  “I thank God — through Jesus Christ our Lord!…There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus….”  How have I gained self-control ?  By what Paul stated in II Corinthians 12:9 and 10:

      And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made
      perfect in weakness.”  Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirm-
      ties, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.  Therefore I take pleasure in
      infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s
      sake.  For when I am weak, then I am strong.

I have learned to let Him be strong where I am weak! (See Philippians 2:12, 13; II Peter 1:3, 4).  Now I can say more often than before, “…thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”  And I am presenting a better example as a pastor!

We will try to finish with qualifications sixteen and seventeen in Monday’s blog.

June 10, 2015

Titus 1:6-9

(All scripture is from the New King James Version unless otherwise indicated.)

Our scripture is Titus 1:6 through 9, in which Paul lays out 17 qualifications for a man to be a bishop (elder, pastor):

      …if a man is blameless, the husband of one wife, having faithful children
      not accused of dissipation or insubordination.  For a bishop must be blame-
      less, as a steward of God, not self-willed, not quick-tempered, not given to
      wine, not violent, not given to money, but hospitable, a lover of what is good,
      sober-minded, just, holy, self-controlled, holding fast the faithful word as he
      has been taught, that he may be able, by sound doctrine, both to exhort and
      convict those who contradict.

We are moving on to the tenth, eleventh and twelfth qualifications in this blog.  After considering five negative traits in succession, Paul describes six positive ones:

10.      Titus 1:7, 8 – “…a bishop must be…hospitable….”  According to Strong’s A Concise Dictionary of the words in The Greek New Testament, hospitable means “…fond of guests, i.e. hospitable….”  The Greek word is a combination of two words, philo – which means fond or reciprocal love, or by implication, friend.  It is the same root word from which we get Philadelphia – the city of brotherly love.  The second word is xenos – meaning foreign or alien.  The idea that hospitable conveys is that a pastor is one who welcomes guests into his home and takes care of their needs, even if he does not know them.

A caution here:  Jesus told His followers in Matthew 10:16, “…be wise as serpents, and harmless as doves.”  One time years ago, my wife and I were visiting my brother-in-law and his family. He also is a pastor, and he brought a man into his house who had showed up at the church office requesting assistance.  The man was acting a bit strangely.  I noticed the outline of a gun in his pocket to which he often put his hand, probably checking to see if it was there and available.  I made this fact known to the family in private, and we arranged to get this man out of the house as soon as possible.

Wise as serpents has to do with the wisdom of the world – the world being under control of “…the god of this world…” (II Corinthians 4:4 – KJV), Satan!  No one with any sense, whether Christian or not, would bring a man with a gun and acting strangely into the presence of his wife and children, putting them in danger!  Though Christians are to be harmless, we are to approach life with great wisdom.  And this surely applies to pastors!

11.      Titus 1:7, 8 – “…a bishop must be…a lover of what is good…” (“…a lover of good men…” in the KJV).  From Strong’s:  “…fond to good, i.e. a promoter of virtue….”  Good in this case means both good men and good things.  God’s Word Bible reads thus for Galatians 6:10:  “Whenever we have the opportunity, we have to do what is good for everyone, especially for the family of believers.”  But to do what is good starts with the mind – thinking what is good!  Paul deals concisely with this subject in Philippians 4:8 (Modern KJV):

      Finally, my brothers, whatever things are true, whatever things are honest,
      whatever things are right, whatever things are pure, whatever things are
      lovely, whatever things are of good report; if there is any virtue and if there
      is any praise, think on these things.

If we – especially pastors – allow only good things to dwell in our minds, then our words and actions will also reflect the good, as well as the people with whom we associate!

12.      Titus 1:7, 8 – “…a bishop must be…sober-minded…” (“…sober…” in the KJV).  From Strong’s:  “…safe (sound) in mind, i.e. self-controlled (moderate as to opinion or passion)….”  This is an entirely different thought from the seventh qualification with which we dealt in yesterday’s blog:  Titus 1:7 – “…a bishop must be…not given to wine….”  While excess alcohol will muddle clear thinking, a pastor needs to be clear-minded at all times.  He is affecting the lives of all those under his care, and he must answer to the Lord for his influence over them!  It is much like the responsibility of a teacher which is brought out in James 3:1:  “My brethren, let not many of you become teachers, knowing that we shall receive a stricter judgment.”  But when there is greater responsibility, as far as the Lord’s work is concerned, there is always the opportunity for greater eternal rewards!

There are five more qualifications of a pastor in our Titus scripture.  We will continue with them in Friday’s blog.

June 8, 2015

Titus 1:6-9

(All scripture is from the New King James Version unless otherwise indicated.)

Continuing with my current answer to Who Am I? – I am a pastor, I count 17 qualifications in these four verses of Titus 1:6 through 9, written by Saint Paul to his spiritual ‘son’ Titus, bishop of Crete:

      …if a man is blameless, the husband of one wife, having faithful children
      not accused of dissipation or insubordination.  For a bishop must be blame-
      less, as a steward of God, not self-willed, not quick-tempered, not given to
      wine, not violent, not given to money, but hospitable, a lover of what is good,
      sober-minded, just, holy, self-controlled, holding fast the faithful word as he
      has been taught, that he may be able, by sound doctrine, both to exhort and
      convict those who contradict.

We will look at the seventh, eighth and ninth qualifications for a bishop (elder, pastor):

7.      Titus 1:7 – “…a bishop must be…not given to wine….”  According to Strong’s A Concise Dictionary of the words in The Greek New Testament, given means “…staying near wine, i.e. tipping (a toper)….”  So what is a toper?  According to Webster, a toper is “…one who drinks (alcoholic liquor) to the point of intoxication.”  It says in Proverbs 31:4 through 6 (Contemporary English Version):

      Kings and leaders should not get drunk or even want to drink.  Drinking
      makes you forget your responsibilities, and you mistreat the poor.  Beer and
      wine are only for the dying or for those who have lost all hope.

A pastor is certainly a leader in the church, and must have clear-headed wisdom to discern proper action when it comes to the flock under his care – as well as those who are not in the Church.  For in Paul’s description of the qualifications of a bishop in I Timothy 3:7, he writes, “Moreover, he must have a good testimony among those who are outside [the Church], lest he fall into reproach and the snare of the devil.”

In Ephesians 5:18 the Lord gives this command concerning all believers (so it certainly applies to pastors):  “…do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the [Holy] Spirit….”  So seek to fully ‘drink in’ the Holy Spirit, Christian, and leave the excess of intoxicating beverages alone!

8.      Titus 1:7 – “…a bishop must be…not violent…” (“…no striker…” in the KJV).  From Strong’s:  “…a smiter, i.e. pugnacious (quarrelsome)….”  A smiter is one who is too ready to physically lash out at the slightest provocation.  But of Jesus, it says in I Peter 2:23, “…when He was reviled, did not revile in return; when He suffered, He did not threaten, but committed Himself to Him who judges righteously.”  The Lord did not lash out (He did in exceptional cases like cleansing the temple of unscrupulous traders – see Matthew 21:13; John 2:14-16), and pastors especially ought to follow His example!

9.      Titus 1:7 – “…a bishop must be…not greedy for money…” (“…not given to filthy lucre…” in the KJV).  It is not an intrinsic trait of money that makes it filthy!  Paul tells his wealthy readers in I Timothy 6:6 through 10:

      Now godliness with contentment is great gain.  For we brought nothing into
      this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out.  And having food and
      clothing, with these we shall be content.  But those who desire to be rich fall
      into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and harmful lusts which
      drown men in destruction and perdition.  For the love of money is the root
      of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from their faith in their
      greediness, and have pierced themselves through with many sorrows.

Much good can be done with material resources with which God has blessed us!  Jesus told us in Matthew 6:19 through 21:

      Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy
      and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in
      heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break
      in and steal.  For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

Treasures in heaven are the result of what we do with our resources to help people!  Jesus also told His followers that the payback is 100 times the amount invested! (See Mark 10:29, 30).  It makes sense to lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven!

As a pastor, I have always tried to set the example for my people concerning tithing – giving 10% of my income derived from my ministry as pastor to my church.  It was not my only giving, because my wife also was working after our children were in school or out on their own.  Also, we would always give more than a tithe to thank the Lord for all He has given us.

We will continue with more characteristics of a pastor in our next blog on Wednesday.