GDAC Adult Bible Class

Money, Possesions, and Eternity.

2012-02-18T17:19:00.000-08:00

The last post I ranted (I think that maybe what I should call it rather than venting) about Andy Stanley's illustration. Today I was reading in the other book that the teacher is using, Randy Alcorn's Money, Possessions and Eternity. Here is what he said:
'Teaching the "seed faith" and "hundredfold return" principles, one pastor triumphantly told of a woman in his church whose still-new car was about to be repossessed. As an act of faith, claiming God's "promise' of a hundredfold return, she put $20 in the offering. Sure enough, the next day she received $2,000 in the mail and was able to catch up on her payments, keep her car, and gain some extra spending money.
'That's a nice testimoney, but it raises some questions. Did it occur to the woman (or the pastor) that perhaps she should not have gone into debt in the first plasce, that her beautiful car might be a luxury God didn't approve of, or that God might want her to give up her car and invest the $2,000 in his kingdom (and not expect a check in the mail for $200,000 to compensate for her doing so)? It apparently didn't occur to them that may unrighteous people also received checks in the mail that day, while many righteous people didn't'

Thanks Randy Alcorn. That is what I was trying to say.

Fields of Gold

2012-02-15T14:30:00.000-08:00

Last Sunday our teacher shared with us from Andy Stanley's book, Fields of Gold. He used an illustration that made me somewhat uneasy. Let me explain.

In the book Andy Stanley talks about a couple who found themselves in debt; two car loans, student loans, mortgage and $20K credit card debt and they also discovered that the wife was pregnant and her job was being phased out. They were told to consider tithing and they didn't know if they could but decided to any way. They found out that the wife got a settlement from her company for $35K and that the husband got promoted to a much higher paying position that included the use of a company car. The implication was, though not directly, that it was the result of the couple making a decision to tithe.

So what is my problem? Don't I consider tithing important? Isn't God capable of doing this? The answer to the last two questions is a definite "yes". So then what is the answer to my problem? Or should I even have a problem?

The teacher is using four different books for his lesson and I cannot see Randy Alcorn, John Piper or David Platt using this illustration the way Andy Stanley used it. When we use an illustration it should not be open to the wrong interpretation and I think that this illustration flies in the face of David Platt's radically changed lifestyle approach, Randy Alcorn's eternity in view approach or John Piper's wasting your life approach.

Now to be fair to Andy Stanley and the couple they did look at involment in missions and they did put God first in the finances (or so they said).

There is no indication in the illustration that their lifestyle changed. What got them in the mess in the first place seemed to continue on in their lives. Unless we believe that it was their lack of giving to the Lord the problem. I don't think it was but rather it was what David Platt calls "living the American dream".

So let me run a couple of things by you. What would have happened if they did not decide to tithe? They may still of recieved the settlement and been promoted. Is it fair to say that it was the result of their tithing? I am not sure but I have to ask. What would have happened if they had to sell one of their cars, sell their house and move into something smaller because they didn't receive the settlement or the promotion? How would that have affected their decision? We are called to be faithful stewards with what God has given us even when the results of our decision goes against us.

But my biggest problem is that this illustration may lead us to the wrong conclusion. We may think that if we tithe God is obligated to reward us. That is not true. Too many times our teacher has reminded us that we do not give to get but we do get to give.

Those are just my thoughts and I would be delighted to hear from you whether you agree or disagree with me. If I am off base let me know. Remember I am not critising Stanley's book or even his illustration except that it is left open to what I consider the wrong intrepretation.

Just venting.

What can I learn from them?

2012-02-11T08:07:00.000-08:00

When you listen to some teachers or preachers it would appear that if we didn't believe exactly what they believe then we are a heretic. Well that may be true but it is also a very dangerous position. As a Christian I hope I believe all the right things but I am not so naive as to think that all my theology is right. As a Calvinist I can learn from an Armenian; as a pre-mill I can learn from the a-mills. We have to be careful that we base our beliefs on the Word of God and not upon man's teaching. We can learn a lot from other teachers but we must also keep in mind that they are not God and we must not treat them like God.
Paul reminds the Corinthians that different leaders have different responsibilities. That does not make the one who plants greater than the one who waters or even the one who harvests. Until we realize that all these teachers are a gift from God we will not be mature in our Christian faith.

The Baby likes Ham

2012-02-09T17:53:00.000-08:00

When are second son was a few months old my wife and I were in charge of the church picnic so one of the older ladies offered to care for our infant son. He was being fussy so she gave him a piece of ham to suck on. He was fine for her but that night he had a terrible stomach ache and we paid for her compromise.
Babies need milk. Their digestive system is not ready for solid food but as they get older we expect that they will graduate from a milk only diet to be able to eat solid food. We don't give a baby ham but if they never eat solid food them we are concerned.
That is the same with Christians. Christians need the milk of the Word so that they will grow but we expect them to grow into a diet of solid food.

Living the Gospel Centred Life

2012-02-04T17:14:00.000-08:00

The following is fromm Bob Hayton:

Many Christians live with a truncated view of the gospel. We see the gospel as the “door,” the way in, the entrance point into God’s kingdom. But the gospel is so much more! It is not just the door, but the path we are to walk every day of the Christian life. It is not just the means of our salvation, but the means of our transformation. It is not simply deliverance from sin’s penalty, but release from sin’s power. The gospel is what makes us right with God (justification) and it is also what frees us to delight in God (sanctification). The gospel changes everything!

Wildfire

2012-01-31T19:06:00.000-08:00

I lived in Northwestern Ontario for over 40 years where wildfires were common. Sometimes for no apparent reason the forests would catch on fire and burn out of control. I also grew up on the prairies where at one time wild grass fires were common.
Fire is an amazing thing. When it is controlled it can bring warm and comfort or it can be used to cook our food but a wildfire is dangerous.
The Holy Spirit is like a fire but He is really more like a wildfire than a controlled fire. We would like to have the Holy Spirit warm us, feed us and comfort us but then it is all about us and He is not ours to control. He is a fire but remember He is a wildfire.

Sophia

2012-01-30T08:03:00.000-08:00

A friend of mine and a member of our class wrote this on facebook after yesterday's class:

Sophia - meaning wisdom from the Greek. Where human wisdom ends, God's wisdom begins. Some men spend their life on earth trying to figure out everything on earth. God, the creator of this world, designed and built it along with the entire universe. Who are we to understand God? We are so finite, so small in comparison. In light of 'wisdom', where is your focus? Here and now or eternity? Is there anything you'll regret when you meet Jesus? That can change right now!

Yesterday we had Bob Beasley from the Bible League of Canada join us to talk about wisdom. It is always a pleasure to do a question and answer with Bob.

My friend then posted this:

This was discussed in the adult Sunday school today at church. Preach the cross man!!!

Where is the Cross?

2012-01-25T16:37:00.000-08:00

I have a friend who didn't like the fact that when the screen was down at the front of our church you couldn't see the cross. He felt that the cross should always be visible in the church.
Is it necessary that the cross be always visible? I am not sure that it needs to be but it must be behind everything we do as a church. Without the cross there is no need of a church. However, that is not the cross as a symbol but the cross upon which our Saviour died.

Flannery O'Connor

2012-01-23T17:40:00.000-08:00

“The boy didn’t need to hear it. There was already a deep black wordless conviction in him that the way to avoid Jesus was to avoid sin.” Flannery O'Connor

Why is it that when we think that we are above sinning we think that we don't need Jesus? Christians must learn how to avoid sin while staying close to Jesus.

A Church without Problems

2012-01-20T19:03:00.001-08:00

How would you like to belong to a church that didn't have problems? If you do then you wouldn't be part of the Corinthian church. However, when you think about a church that doesn't have any problems then you are probably thinking about a church that does nothing, a dead church. The Corinthian church had problems because it was alive. The majority of the congregation were new Christians that came with a lot of baggage. However, it was these problems that brought life and vitality.
If Satan wanted to defeat a church he would probably convince them that they have no problems and the best way of having no problems would be to maintain the status quo. We are not ignorant of his schemes. We are prepared to face the problems because new life always comes with problems.

How to build unity in the church

2012-01-17T15:26:00.000-08:00

Tim Challies posted this today and I thought it was appropriate to our study in 1 Corinthians.

First, Christ gives gifts. Not in a random way but thoughtfully and deliberately as He sees fit.

Second, these gifts are diverse.

Third, Christ's gifts bring unity through service.

Therefore, you need to be part of a local church.

You can read it here http://www.challies.com/christian-living/how-to-build-unity-in-your-church

Reading 2011

2012-01-16T15:13:00.000-08:00

I read 68 books last year and here is a list of the best of the books. I begin with a work of fiction. I read a number of fiction books but this was the best. The others are books that I read for study, devotion, or for education.

The Cross Centred Life

2012-01-16T07:47:00.000-08:00

How does one become Cross centred? It is not by applying the cross to every situation but rather begin with the cross. What do I mean? Let me give you an example.
Suppose I was teaching on finances. As I prepare my lesson if I stop and say how does the cross apply to this lesson then that is NOT cross centred but rather finance centred. However if I begin with an understanding of the cross and the Gospel and how that applies to all areas of life then allow my teaching grow out of that understanding then it is cross centred. I may know that God as Creator is the owner of all things including myself and my finances then I will know that it begins with the Gospel and not with my ownership.

Priority

2012-01-15T14:55:00.000-08:00

We live in a busy world and because of the demands that are placed upon us it is important that we set priorities. For a Christian the priorities should include times of Bible reading and prayer, time with the family, time for the church and time to serve others.
What should be the priorities for the church? Should it be worship (of course), preaching (naturally), fellowship, evangelism or something else? In all of these things we must remember that the Gospel is the priority.
In our striving for excellence in worship, preaching, teaching or in our families we may forget that it is the Gospel that is important behind all of these. The Gospel isn't just for evangelism but it is for our day to day living. As Jerry Bridges said he needs the Gospel preached to him everyday.

The Principle

2012-01-14T18:27:00.000-08:00

Paul gives us the principle in 1 Corinthians 1. The principle is unity but we must remember that it is not unity at any cost. The unity that we must have is in Christ. If the doctrines of Christ divide us then we will be divided as we see later in this chapter when Paul talks about the cross. Jesus is the source of our unity.
I volunteer at a Bibles for Missions thrift store. We come together from many different denominations but the one thing that unites us in our relationship to Christ and the Gospel. When we have disunity we are being immaturity, we take our eyes off of Christ and look to other leaders.
There are over 22000 different denominations and though that is a blight on Christianity we also know that we do need different denominations so that we can have a freedom of choice. If we divide over things like ordinances, worship styles, music then that will be okay but if we divide over the Gospel then we need to examine ourselves.

Power Language

2012-01-12T16:59:00.000-08:00

Christians can be guilty of power language. They can use it to shut down an argument or to get their own way. Often it takes the form of "God told me..." It gives the impression of spiritual superiority and it can be so harmful to the one who is the victim of the comment.
The Corinthians were guilty of power language. They dropped names like Paul, Apollos and Peter but those who really wanted the "one-up-manship" said that they belonged to none of the above but to Christ only. Their comments did nothing to help edify the church but only to put down others.
We should be careful how we talk. Do we use power language. This kind of talk is using God's name in vain.

The Pattern

2012-01-11T18:03:00.000-08:00

What happens if you cut out 100 items using the previous one as a pattern? By the time you get to the last one it doesn't resemble the first at all. There can only be one pattern. Paul gives us the pattern for unity in the church. The pattern is that we speak with one mind, or as the NIV says we agree with one another. Now that doesn't mean that we all agree to sing only hymns or that we wear the same type of clothes to church but it means that we are in agreement about the fundamental doctrines, the Gospel. If we cannot agree on the gospel then we will have divisions within the church.

Paul and the Church at Corinth

2012-01-10T18:13:00.000-08:00

Paul's relationship with the church at Corinth was one of a mixture of love and of concern. They challenged his authority as an Apostle but it should be noted that Paul was an Apostle in the restricted sense of being chosen and sent as a delegate of Christ Jesus. There is a sense that there are apostles who are sent to represent churches but they are not the same as the original Apostles.
So how does Paul see the church at Corinth?
First, he sees the church as an open letter to be read by all (2 Corinthians 3:2). What is the message that the world reads in this open letter?
Second, he sees the church as an aroma (2 Corinthians 2:15). The question is whether this is an aroma that attracts or repels?
Third, he sees the church as the body of Christ (1 Corinthians 12). As a body there can be no division.
Finally, he sees the church as an embassy (2 Corinthians 5:20). How well does the church represent Jesus Christ?

Let all your thinks be thanks.

2012-01-09T14:13:00.000-08:00

Paul begins his letter to this very difficult and problematic church by thanking God for them. He always is thankful for the work of the Spirit in their lives. Even when they had such serious problems that required much anxiety on his part he was so thankful that they were in Christ Jesus.
How different that is from some of the religious right winged talk show hosts we hear today. Someone said that if they didn't wake up angry they wouldn't know what to do with themselves. Let us always begin by thanking God for the work of His grace in the lives of people, even those we disagree with. It may be hard but we will be with them for eternity.

The Church at Corinth

2012-01-07T07:20:00.000-08:00

When Paul addresses the church at Corinth he addresses it as the Church of God in Corinth. We must remember that there is only one church but there are many congregations. I belong to the Church of God that meets on Gregory Drive in Chatham, Ontario which is part of the Christian and Missionary Alliance. At sometime we changed the meaning of "church". To correct the error some have referred to the local church as the church building but it should be referred to as the church of God that meets at ...

Corinth

2012-01-05T17:07:00.000-08:00

Paul loved cities. It was in the major cities of his day that he did his evangelism and church planting. He knew that if he planted a church in a city then the surrounding area would also hear the Gospel. Corinth was a major city but it was also a wicked city. I think that we would wonder about someone wanting to go to a city like Corinth (or Las Vegas) to plant a church. People often went to those cities for other activities but not Paul. He knew that if he could establish a church in Corinth then it would open up all of southern Greece for the Gospel.

By the will of God

2012-01-04T17:37:00.001-08:00

Paul was an apostle, not by his own desire, but by the will of God. We have a free will but does that mean that we can be anything we want? All too often people desire to do something for God by their own will but if you were to stop and analyse their reasons you would find that it was more to fulfill their desires than to do the will of God. Remember, God doesn't need us to do things for Him but rather it is a privilege when He calls us to work for Him. We can make the will of God about us rather than about God.

Called to be

2012-01-02T13:54:00.000-08:00

Today many people see the calling of God to do something but that is not how we should first see the call of God. Paul was called to be an apostle not just to do the work of an apostle.

We are first called to a person, Jesus Christ. Our calling always begins here.

Second we are called to be. We always want to do something but Jesus asks us to be something. We want to work for Him but He wants us to live in such away as to bring glory to His name.

It is always easier to do something than to be something. We seek God's calling as to what we should do, where we should live, who we should marry etc. but that is always secondary to the calling to be. Paul was called to be an apostle. He was first an apostle before he could do the work of an apostle.

Apostles

2012-01-01T13:58:00.000-08:00

This Sunday we will begin a new series on 1 Corinthians. Paul begins this letter by saying that he was called to be an apostle. An apostle was one that was commissioned by the Lord to bring the message to the world. The question of whether there are apostles today? Some would say that the leader who holds the highest ecclesiastical office would fulfill that role while others would say that they had to be directly commissioned by the Lord Himself.
We know that the original disciples were commissioned but was Paul? He talks about his commissioning by the Lord Jesus Christ. He had a special meeting that he claimed that we was unable to tell about.
So are there apostles today? My sense is that the answer is no. There are those who claim a special commissioning but when you examine them it appears to be more man given than God given. There is a pride in the office as well as a dominating spirit which was not the spirit of the original apostles. Paul tells us that he was the least of all apostles and doesn't deserve the title (1 Corinthians 15:9). Paul was reluctant to take upon himself that role but he does remind us that he had that calling from the Lord Himself.
The other reason why I think that there are no apostles today is that the apostles were were the foundation upon which the church was built, Jesus Christ being the chief cornerstone (Ephesians 2:20). The church was established by the apostles and today we are to build upon their foundation, not lay a new foundation.

When did it become an adjective?

2011-12-03T17:08:00.000-08:00

When I was growing up, a long time ago before the earth's crust was solid, worship was never thought of as an adjective but rather it was a verb. I want to say that it is more than a verb it is life itself. We now have worship songs, worship time, worship services, worship leaders but do we have worship? Have worship as an adjective means that we compartmentalize worship. However, we are to live a life of worship.
I saw this about sixteen years ago when my son's best friend was killed in a car accident. When the police came to their home in the middle of the night his mother told the police that she knew where her son was, he was in heaven. The police were used to people reacting so differently, becoming hysterical and beating on them in their grief. This was a life of worship. God is good in the good times and in the bad. He is always good. He is not a therapeutic God but a sovereign God of the universe.

Your God is too Small

2011-12-02T17:04:00.000-08:00

A number of years ago J. B. Phillips wrote a book titled, "Your God is too Small." I believe that you cannot worship a God that is too small. People have referred to God as the man upstairs or another such name but this is not a god that you can worship. The God that calls us to worship Him is bigger than the universe as He created it all. There are no words in any language that can describe Him. A domesticated god is not a god that we can worship we can only worship the God who cannot be tamed. When John tried to describe God words failed him.
How big is your God? Is your God indescribable?

Worship and Doctrine

2011-12-01T18:12:00.000-08:00

Should a worship leader have a good knowledge of doctrine? Before I go any further with this post I should point out that I just used "worship" as an adjective when it is much more than that but I will get to that in another post.
Jesus told the woman of Samaria that the time was coming when we would worship in spirit and in truth. People love the spirit part but they ignore the truth. What does that mean for our worship?
First, we must know the truth and not just the truth in abstract but the Truth as a person. Jesus is the Truth and the life. Our worship is not just with our emotions but it involves the mind.
Second, it means that the songs that we sing should speak the truth. They should be more than a catchy tune but have meaningful words. My son often said that the choruses we sing are take home theology. It is important that the words speak the truth. It is important that the one that picks the songs we sing also knows the truth.
Some people have said "no creed but Christ" but what does that mean? If you don't have a creed then what do you believe abut Christ? Who is He? The creed "no creed but Christ" is laziness and does more harm to our worship than we could imagine. We must know the truth, we must worship with our minds, we must know doctrine to worship properly.

Assurance

2011-11-23T17:34:00.000-08:00

"Every believer is saved but not every believer has the assurance of salvation. These doubts may arrest his spiritual growth, rob him of joy, and cripple his usefulness, but they do not alter the fact he is saved.". Curtis Vaughn
The puritans said assurance was like a three legged stool:
1. Objective - our grounding in Christ.
2. The internal witness of the Spirit.
3. A changed life.
Why do we need assurance? Doubt.
What causes doubt? Sin.

A Must See

2011-11-22T14:18:00.000-08:00

I made a comment in class this past Sunday about YouTube. If you are on Facebook you will notice that there are postings constantly about a YouTube video that you "must see". Usually they range from a warm sappy story with a loose message to something funny but really they are not a "must see". Now don't get me wrong, I like most of those videos but my complaint is not the videos but how those videos have become the focus of what we do as Christians. The videos are a "must see" so the Bible is no longer a "must read". We have reduced Christianity to 2 or 3 or 5 or 10 minute videos. Most of these have a moralistic view of Christianity rather than a Gospel view.
I have a friend who posts a lot of music videos. I love them but I don't watch them all. I know that they can help with my worship but he knows (so he never says) that these are a "must see". I hope he keeps posting them. I know that even if I don't watch them all someone will be blessed by them.
So what about videos? Should Christians keep posting them? Yes, but Christians need to realise that these will never replace the Word of God or a devotional book.

Huckleberry Finn

2011-11-16T17:26:00.000-08:00

When it comes to a definition of faith people have many different ideas. Today faith is used to refer to a belief system but that is not the Biblical view. Neither is Huckleberry Finn's view who said, "Faith is believing something you know ain't true."
Faith isn't believing the impossible but believing in a person, the Person Jesus Christ the Son. Remember the writer of Hebrews says that faith is believing the promises of God. We know that we do not live on facts but on promises.
John talks about a faith that overcomes the world. It isn't faith in faith, or just believing hard enough but believing that Jesus Christ came into the world to die upon the cross. At that point Satan was defeated forever and we became overcomers.

Are you adopted?

2011-11-15T07:51:00.000-08:00

Love the Law

2011-11-14T19:44:00.000-08:00

Once again John comes back to obedience, love and doctrine. In Chapter five he talks first about the doctrine of the belonging to the family and he immediately connects that to love. He then talks about test for knowing and he ties that to obedience.
Then he adds that love is obedience to the Lord's commandments. When was the last time you heard someone sing a song about loving the laws of the land? Maybe a song about the greatness of the traffic laws. Yet we know that these laws protect us and therefore we should be thankful for them.

Connections

2011-11-12T19:00:00.000-08:00

It is interesting how John uses love as the connector of what he has been teaching. He first connects love and truth. He says that if anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God then God lives in him and he in God. And he adds that we know and rely on the love of God.
He then connects love and confidence. He talks about having no fear of the future because of God's love.
Finally he connects love and conduct. He reminds us that love is not something we talk about but it is something we do. We love because He loved us first.

To live above with saints we love
Oh that will be glory.
To live below with saints we know
Well, that's another story.

Smörgåsbord

2011-11-10T17:10:00.000-08:00

I don't know about you but when I go to a buffet (or a smorgasbord as my Swedish friends call it) I do a lot of picking and choosing. I take a lot of one thing (too much I may add) because I like it and not much (probably nothing) of something I don't like.
People often treat the attributes of God that way. They like His goodness, mercy, grace and love so they overload on those but we will pass on the judgment, wrath, etc. The problem is that God is not part goodness, love, mercy, wrath, etc. You cannot say this much is love and this much is justice. God is all love, all mercy, all grace, all judgment, all wrath, all at the same time. That is what it means to be infinite. So to say that I like a loving God but not a judgmental God is to divide God up so that the God we want is not the God of the Bible.

OOPS!

2011-11-09T16:48:00.000-08:00

I sometimes use my iPad with word recognition software. It has sometimes caused me grief when I did not look back over my email.

A Pastor couldn't attend a friend's wedding so he decided to send a very quick email to her. Instead of writing out the verse he just typed 1 John 4:18 which says "There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love." However, he forgot the 1 so the email contained the reference John 4:18 which says, "The fact is, you have had five husbands, and the man you now have is not your husband."
OOPS

The Laptop Bible

2011-11-08T14:04:00.000-08:00

God is love

2011-11-07T17:11:00.000-08:00

John says that very clearly in 1 John 4:16. However, today many people want to turn it around and think that love is God. That is not true, especially when we define love the way that most of us do. Love is a feeling, love is something that happens but the translators of the King James Version of the Bible understood love differently when they translated the word "charity". Charity is something you do not something you feel.
So how should we understand that God is love. John 3:16 says it all. We think that God loves us because we are lovable. God loves in spite of the fact that we are unlovable. He didn't fall in love with us, He set His love upon us. How do we know that God loves us? 1 John 4:9 tells us, He sent His son to die for us.

Fundamentalism

2011-11-06T16:21:00.000-08:00

Two days ago I wrote about fundamentalism and what they believed. However, you can give assent to these statements and still not be a Christian.
Initially fundamentalists said, "We believe these things." (see the blog on Nov 4) However, the next generation said, "This is how you become a fundamentalist. Believe these five tenants and you will be a fundamentalist." Then the following generation said, "Give mental assent to these doctrines and you will be saved." Let me tell you plainly, you can give mental assent to the doctrines, you can say yes to all the right questions and still not be a Christian. Let us go back for a moment. We believe these things because we are a Christian not to make us a Christian. We are saved by Christ alone.

I believe in the deity of Jesus Christ

2011-11-05T13:17:00.000-07:00

Many people today believe in Jesus but they believe in only a man called Jesus. They do not believe that Jesus is very God in the flesh. We must not only believe that Jesus is God, after all Satan himself believes that, but we must allow Christ to be supreme in all areas of our lives and the life of our church. Paul writes to the Colossians, “He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the first born from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy. For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.” Colossians 1:15-20

In this passage the deity of Christ is clearly stated to us. His deity is describe as the image of the invisible God, the first born and later it states that in Christ dwells all the fullness of God.

Jesus is supreme over all things: He is supreme over creation, He is supreme over governments, He is supreme over the church, and He is supreme over our souls.

I think I may be one of those

2011-11-04T17:07:00.000-07:00

What comes to your mind when someone says the word “fundamentalist”, especially someone in the media?

Do you think of a right wing bigot who is against change, democracy and pluralism? Do you think of someone who bombs abortion clinics, marches against homosexuality and votes for the most politically right winged candidate in the running? According to the press the religious right, or fundamentalism, is intolerant of women, immigrants, the poor, minorities, homosexuals, non-Christians and anyone else who doesn’t fit in – all in the name of Jesus.

If this is what is meant by a fundamentalist then we do not want to be associated with them. Over the past years Christians who at one time were known as fundamentalists now want to be called evangelicals instead.

But let me make a confession. I am a fundamentalist. Now before you begin to think that I am gone too far to the right let me remind you that I have never been involved in a protest against homosexuality or abortion clinics though I believe that they are wrong and we should pray against these forces of darkness. I am not a member of a right wing political party. According to the press I have right wing views regarding homosexuality and abortion. However, some may think that I am left wing when it comes to other issues, especially those who are most vulnerable in our society such as the poor and the immigrants.

If being a fundamentalist is a crime then I am guilty as charged. I stand for the truth of God’s word and its application to life today. Yes I believe that there is only one way to heaven and that is through Jesus Christ but I also stand for religious freedom and people do have the right to choose but we must make sure that we give them the choice.

What does it mean then to be a fundamentalist? I believe that there are at least five major areas of belief that makes me a fundamentalist.

The scripture says, “Stand by the ways and see and ask for the ancient paths, where the good way is, and walk in it; and you shall find rest for your souls.” Jeremiah 6:16

1. I believe in the infallibility of Scripture.

2. I believe in the deity of Christ.

3. I believe in the Virgin Birth and the miracles of Christ.

4. I believe in Christ’s substitutionary death.

5. I believe in Christ’s physical resurrection and eventual return.

If believing in those tenants makes me a fundamentalist then as I said before, I am guilty as charged.

Know what you believe.

2011-11-03T17:09:00.000-07:00

When I was a university student I read a couple of books by Paul Little; Know what you believe and Know why you believe. Both topics are important. Later I had the privilege of hearing him speak at Urbana Missionary Conference just before he died in a car accident.
Yesterday I mentioned discernment but it is hard to have discernment when we don't know what we believe. Are we clear on what we believe about God, Christ, the Holy Spirit, Satan, man, sin, salvation, the Church, Scripture, etc.? If we think that these topics are only for theologians then we are in danger of being mislead by false teachers.
John says, "Be skeptical."
Why? Because there are many false teachers and their tribe is increasing.
So you may ask how can you know everything. You cannot but there are things that will help you. Spend time in Scripture. Be part of a Bible study. If you are studying a topic make sure that the topic has Biblical basis and not just man's opinion.

Discernment

2011-11-02T14:10:00.001-07:00

Yesterday I wrote about Christians fascination with manifestations of the Spirit but today I want to point out one place where Christians are lacking. It is the gift of discernment. John says, " Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world." 1 John 4:1
So how can you discern a false prophet. John gives us one test here and that is the truth test about Jesus Christ. Did Christ come in the flesh? Was He both God and man? Did He come as the only way to God?
Here are some truths about Jesus Christ that cannot be denied.
Jesus is God.
Jesus is the Creator.
He is the only way to the Father.
He died for our sins.
He rose again.
He is reigning.
He will return.

Remember, Jesus did not become God, He was always God and He will always be God.

So how do we discern false teachers? John tells us to use the Jesus test. It is not the only test but if they deny the divinity or the humanity of Jesus then no other test is needed. That would be false teaching.

Manifestations

2011-11-01T19:32:00.000-07:00

Why are Christians so fascinated by manifestations but they have a fear of doctrine? Todd Bentley had a healing ministry in Florida that drew thousands of Christians but he could not stay married to his wife. He failed the moral test but Christians were still fascinated. They love the manifestations of the Spirit but they shy away from doctrine. The Toronto blessing; healings; tongues; barking like dogs; slaying in the Spirit. Now I don't want to down play the Spirit's ministry. After all He is a wild fire but He also does not draw attention to Himself but rather points to Christ. When we seek the manifestations for their own sake we are not bringing glory to Christ.
Christians should know the basic doctrines. Let us look at a few of those of the next few days.

What does the Bible say Joel?

2011-10-31T18:24:00.001-07:00

Chinese Church

2011-10-30T15:28:00.000-07:00

Before we went to the Philippines with OMF we had to go to an orientation course in Toronto. One of the things that we had to do was visit a Chinese church where the service was in Mandarin. When we arrived we were about 8 white people in a church of 400 - 500 Chinese. We were warmly welcomed and every one wanted to make us as comfortable as possible. When they read the scripture the lady in front of us turned around with a Chinese Bible and pointed to the Scripture as she gave us the Bible. It was in Chinese, we couldn't understand a thing.
But it made me think again about walls. The Chinese were meeting as a separate group but the walls were not there. They were most welcoming and accommodating to us. We were treated as celebrities but truly they were the ones that should have been honoured. Walls aren't about having separate churches for different racial groups but it is when the people in those churches turn you away because you do not belong to their racial groups. This Chinese church truly understood the gospel.

Condemning Heart

2011-10-27T18:41:00.000-07:00

When we draw near to God I don't believe that we get the warm fuzzies as much as we get a heart that feels condemning. Isaiah went into the temple and the unexpected happened, he met God. Immediately he saw his sinfulness. The closer you draw to the light the more you see the dirt on our hands. If we truly encountered the living God in our worship we would not be standing there waving our hands in the air but we would be on the floor weeping.
But there is an important thing for us to realize as well. We may feel dirty before God but we are also aware of the Gospel. We know that there is no condemnation. Our hearts may condemn us but God has forgiven us.
We must not feel that though God has forgiven us but we cannot forgive ourselves. When we do that we are making ourselves more righteous than God and that is idolatry. The Gospel says you are forgiven. You are forgiven.

Walls

2011-10-26T16:27:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I posted about how Christianity removed the walls. Walls were torn down between all classes of people: rich and poor; old and young; educated and uneducated; adults and children; male and female; and so much more. However, are our churches today building walls where Christianity destroyed them. We have segregated congregations; we divide our church into various age groups. Now there is a place for some division but that should only be to reach out to invite others into the larger group.
When we were at candidate school before we went to the Philippines we were ask to attend a Chinese church. That church welcomed us with open arms even though we were the only non-Chinese people there. We could not understand the language but we understood the worship. This is not the division I am talking about. These people divided along common language so that they could minister to the larger population.

Antioch

2011-10-25T19:35:00.000-07:00

Antioch was one of the most cultural and ethnic diverse cities of its days. In Antioch there were walls that separated the different groups from one another. There was the Syrian section, the Jewish section, the African section and the Greek section. Then along came some believers. "Now those who had been scattered by the persecution that broke out when Stephen was killed traveled as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus and Antioch, spreading the word only among Jews. Some of them, however, men from Cyprus and Cyrene, went to Antioch and began to speak to Greeks also, telling them the good news about the Lord Jesus. The Lord’s hand was with them, and a great number of people believed and turned to the Lord." Acts 11:19 - 21
What was happening here? People were coming to Christ across the walls and that is why they called them Christians. They had no other name to call them but ones like Christ. The people had never seen anything like this before. When the church was in Jerusalem made up of only Jews it was thought to be a Jewish sect but now there were Syrians, Greeks, Jews, Africans and more coming to Christ. The church was no longer for the rich or the male or the Jew, it was for everyone.
That is why love is the characteristic of a Christian. It is the unique teaching of the person of Jesus that explains this. Christianity brought down all the barriers because of a unique truth that Christ was the Son of God. People may not have agreed with that truth but when they saw the love that brought down the walls then they had to take a second look and ask, "Maybe He is the Son of God."

Obedience, Love and Doctrine

2011-10-24T17:29:00.000-07:00

Why did John choose these three? He first talks about knowing God, having fellowship with God and he says that the tests for knowing God are obedience, love and doctrine. He then talks about being a child of God and again the tests are obedience, love and doctrine.
We need to remember that obedience grows out of fellowship with God and being a child of God. We are not a child because we are obedient but rather we are obedient because we are a child. Next Sunday we will look at the concept of love as a child of God.

Cain

2011-10-23T16:51:00.000-07:00

Cain is the only Biblical person mentioned in the book of 1 John. Cain had his sacrifice rejected and because of that rejection he murdered his brother. Now some have speculated that it was because he did not bring a blood offering but there was nothing to indicate that he should bring a blood offering. There were grain offerings as well as animal offerings. I don't believe it was because he brought a grain offering but it was because of his heart. God looks upon the heart and what was in his heart was shown when he had his offering rejected.
Some people may say that they have given God their best but it was not accepted. God doesn't want your best, He wants you. When the world offers God its best and it is rejected and the world sees the Christian have his offering accepted then the world despises the Christian.

Yes I am!

2011-10-21T12:17:00.000-07:00

When John says that anyone born of God does not sin it is much the same as what Calvin is saying to his mother. Christians do sin but that is not what is the rule. A teacher may say that there is no gum chewing in his class and a student may argue saying that is wrong because he is chewing gum does not make the teacher's statement incorrect.

Access

2011-10-20T17:49:00.000-07:00

Who has access to the president of the United States at any time in the night? His child. No one else can wake up the president and say, "I need a drink of water." and he will get up and get it for him or her.
We have the same access and yes, even greater, with our Father. We can come boldly to Him for any help in our time of need.

Children

2011-10-19T16:04:00.000-07:00

My wife and I have five children.

Four of them became my children the moment they were born but one became my child when the judge said so. They are all my children and they all have equal rights as my children. Because they are my children I will do almost anything for them. When they are in need I am willing to go where they are to help them. If they have a need I want to help meet that need. I do that because they are my children. There are other people who I would do things for but my children have a very special place in my heart.
We are God's children. Not just because He created us but because He has redeemed us. He bought us with the blood of His Son. So in once sense everyone is God's children but not everyone has the rights of children because they were born again and adopted into His family. We are called children of God but more than that we are the children of God.

Behold

2011-10-18T13:10:00.000-07:00

1 John 3 begins in the KJV with the word "Behold". All the other translations use a less forceful statement though the NIV adds and exclamation point to the end of the sentence. Non of the other translations gives us the wonder of the word "behold" and it is too bad as John is filled with wonder when he stops to consider the fact that we are called the sons of God.
When do we use the word "behold"? We don't open our pay envelope and look at the cheque and say, "Behold, they paid me." Behold speaks of wonder. It is similar to what the disciples said then Jesus calmed the sea, they were astonished and wondered what kind of man this was.
Have we lost the wonder? Do we think that it is an ordinary thing to be called "children of God"? We need to renew the excitement of that statement. We are the children of God and it is because of His great love not because of anything we have done. Remember what Moses said to the Israelites, "The Lord called you because He loved you not because you were special."

Unrighteous Conduct

2011-10-17T17:18:00.000-07:00

Unrighteous conduct should never be part of the Christian's life but today we had to deal with a case of alleged sexual harassment. The problem was that the perpetrator would not admit that he had done anything wrong while the accuser said that she had told him to stop on a number of occasions. Now maybe in his mind he thinks that he did nothing wrong but someone else thought differently. So how should a Christian act in those situations? Though we are often tempted to defend our reputation we are often more inclined to be concerned about our reputation than doing what is right. Let us suppose that this man thinks he did nothing wrong shouldn't he still be concerned about making the situation right instead of defending his reputation?
John says, "If you know that he is righteous, you know that everyone who does what is right has been born of him." 1 John 2:29 What is right in this situation? The right thing is to make things right with those who have accused you. Isn't it better to suffer wrong accusations than to damage the Gospel?

Five words

2011-10-16T13:46:00.000-07:00

"Jesus only and only Jesus."
With so many voices out there telling us about diversity, pluralism, tolerance it seems so narrow to say "Jesus only and only Jesus." This morning Pastor Gord preached on that and it was a powerful message. Someone asked me afterwards if Gord and I talked about what we were going to do as my lesson from 1 John was along exactly the same lines as Pastor Gord's sermon. Of course we didn't but I trust that we both listened to the Holy Spirit who is truly the author of both my lesson and Pastor Gord's sermon.
Here are two quotes from Pastor Gord's sermon: "To believe Him 95% is to be 100% lost." "To be almost right about Jesus is to be totaly wrong."
Jesus only, let me see,
Jesus only, none save He,
Then my song shall ever be
Jesus! Jesus only!
A. B. Simpson

If we could just prove it

2011-10-14T13:10:00.000-07:00

Sometimes Christians think that nonchristians would become Christians if we could prove to them some miracle from the Bible. We think that evangelism is reduced to apologetics. From the time of Paul before Agrippa to the present apologetics is not an effective means of evangelism. Why isn't it? People can be convinced that they are wrong but will not change because it is more than an intellectual problem, it is a heart problem. So what value is apologetics? For one thing it reinforces in the heart and mind of the believer that what they believe is right. That Christians have not committed intellectual suicide when they were born again.

What does it say to you?

2011-10-13T18:30:00.000-07:00

Can you imagine that when the Rabbi was teaching the Law he turned to one of his students and said, "Judah, what does this passage say to you?" And then he turned to another and said the same thing. You know that would never happen in a Jewish classroom but so many evangelicals ignore their teachers and scholars and seek out a personal meaning. There are times when the Scripture may speak directly to us in a way that is non traditional but we cannot take that approach to all Scripture. Scripture isn't fuzzy but very definite. When people choose to use Scripture that way there can be millions of different interpretations. And if we don't like what it says in one version we can always turn to another until we find one that says what we want it to say. Remember the cults use their own Scriptures so that they can have it say what they want it to say.
People attend an evangelical church and say that they have a high view of Scripture but take an experiential interpretation of it instead of a proper scholarly view. Let us first find out what Scripture says before we ask what it says to us. We may find that it does speak to us but not in the way we wanted it to.

Doctrine or Experience

2011-10-12T16:09:00.000-07:00

How should you determine truth? Should it come from experience or from doctrine? Now experience is important and it should not be ignored but it is not the foundation for truth, doctrine is. However, there are many people who form their opinions of truth on experience so they read books such as Don Piper's book, Ninety Minutes in Heaven, or whatever it is called and they believe that is truth but when you read Scriptures you see that Paul was very reluctant to talk about his experience of heaven. If he lived today he could have written a best seller and made the TV talk circuit.
Let us remember that Christianity is not right brained or left brained but it involves both doctrinal truth and experience. Let us make sure that we base our doctrine on the truth of Scripture and not on experience.

Build it and they will come

2011-10-11T13:12:00.000-07:00

I live in a town that loves new restaurants. As soon as a new one opens the people will come but after awhile when another new one comes along then where are the people that first came?
It is the devil's lie that if we build it the people will come. That is what he has been telling the church growth people for years. Just build it, change a few core spiritual practices while holding to the core spiritual values and then they will come. The problem is that when you change the way we do church then it is very easy to down play the core spiritual values. It is not that they are not believed or that they are not part of the statement of faith but they are not stressed. So out goes sin, the cross, and eventually Bible based sermons. The fact is that some may come but when you try to teach them the core spiritual values they are not interested, they see the deception and they won't fall for it.
Now I am going to step on a few toes. A number of years ago it was decided that there would be an evangelistic service in the evenings and a teaching service in the morning. People would come because it was the best show in town but something happened and the unsaved, unchurched stopped coming but the Sunday evening service remained unchanged. One day someone woke up and said it isn't working so lets get rid of it but the problem was that it was there for the wrong reason in the first place. Sunday evenings are a great teaching time if used properly.

Truth and Falsehood

2011-10-10T09:57:00.000-07:00

John reminds his readers that they know the truth which the antichrists do not know. The reason is that John knows that truth is a person rather than just a body of knowledge. He then goes on to use one of his favourite words, "abide". To have a knowledge of truth we must abide in the Son.
Interesting how truth is used in society.
Over the door of a library are the words, "You shall know the truth and the truth will set you free." It is as if the knowledge found in the library is the truth that will set you free. Only the Son, who is the Truth, can do that.
In the American constitution it says, "We hold that these truths are self evident". Again, is truth self evident or is it revealed through the word of God? What may be self evident to me may not be the same as it is to you unless there is an external source of truth.
Then again there is the definition of truth by Wikipedia and by Google. Wikipedia says that truth is by consensus while Google says truth is by relevance. Consensus does not change truth or make truth as does relevance. Again, Truth is a person.
Pilate asked Jesus, "What is truth?" not knowing that Truth was standing in front of him.

Mom and Dad

2011-10-09T11:31:00.000-07:00

I am so grateful for my mom and dad who loved the Lord and taught us to love Him as well. They both had a great love for the Scriptures and particularly the Psalms.

As I was reading in the Psalms I came to Psalm 95 and I thought about my mom. This was one of her favourite Psalms and now whenever I read it I think of her. The central aim of her life was to glorify God and she desired that would be the central aim in the lives of her children. When mom was dying I often visited her and she never said anything. However, you knew that if she could she would be extolling Him with songs of praise and thanksgiving.

One incident sticks in my mind. It was in the early stages of her disease but she had an attack and ended up in the hospital. Our pastor and I went to visit her and she told us about two young children who had come to see her. They had sat in the chair and never said a word. However, they brought her comfort. At first we were confused as to who these children were as children were not allowed in that part of the hospital. Suddenly we realized that they had been ministering angels that had come to give her comfort.

My dad's favourite Psalm was the ninety first Psalm. That Psalm speaks about trust and other than being thankful I think that trust was the mark of my dad.

This Thanksgiving I have much to be thankful for and I am so thankful for my godly parents.

Pascal

2011-10-08T19:28:00.000-07:00

"When everything is moving at once, nothing appears to be moving, as on board ship. When everyone is moving towards depravity, no one seems to be moving but if someone stops, he shows up the others who are rushing on by acting as a fixed point."

Falling Star

2011-10-07T17:08:00.001-07:00

B. H. Carrol once said that if you saw a falling star you could be sure that it wasn't a star. That is similar to what John was saying when he said, "They went out from us, but they did not really belong to us. For if they had belonged to us, they would have remained with us; but their going showed that none of them belonged to us." 1 John 2:19

Antichrists

2011-10-06T12:36:00.000-07:00

Don't miss it, John is not talking about the Antichrist but Antichrists. Who are antichrists? Those who deny the deity of Christ. However, those who preach Christ plus anything (good works, Ten Commandments, sacraments) to be a Christian are really antichrists. It is only by Christ Jesus that we are saved. It is also against Christ if we take away from either His humanity or His deity. Paul tells us in Colossians that In Him is the fullness of God.

Last days

2011-10-05T17:57:00.000-07:00

How can this be the last days when we live two thousand years after the Biblical writers told us that it was the last time? When John says that it is the last time he is telling us that this church age and when this age ends there will be no other.

GPS

2011-10-04T13:42:00.000-07:00

Global positioning system has become very popular over the past few years. We use one contantly in our truck at BfM and I use my personal one whenever we travel. They can save you time and make traveling so much easier. However, you probably heard the horror stories of people following their GPS and getting hopelessly lost. When I read those stories I usually think of two problems that may have occurred. The first is wrong settings. The unit may have been set for the shortest route but not necessarily the fastest or the most travelled. The other problem is some people put too much trust in their GPS. Instead of following their instincts they blindly follow the instructions given to them by a voice in the unit. I want to say to those people, "stay on the main route. The GPS will recalculate."
So what does this have to do with 1 John? John warns his readers to follow what is True. You may read many books but there is only one Book that you can always count on to be true. An author may be 95% true but is wrong 5%. You need to know when to stop following the GPS and look at the map.

Influenced by the World

2011-10-03T16:15:00.000-07:00

There are so many areas that the world influences our thinking. Here is a partial list. Feel free to add to the list.
Education
Finances
Investments
Employment
Training
Recreation
Leisure
News
Television
Entertainment
Books
Sports
Psychology
Philosophy
Social media
Worship
Family values
Music
Sexuality
Culture
"Don't let the world squeeze you into it's mold.". Romans 12:2. Phillips.

Work and Leisure

2011-10-02T21:55:00.000-07:00

How should a Christian's view of work and leisure be different from the world's? The leisure industry has grown in the past few years. The world takes two differing views of work. Either they get their identity from their work so they become work-alcoholics or they find their work unfulfilling so their work is a means to get funds for their leisure, their leisure becomes where they turn to for fulfillment.
A Christian should never get their identity from their work even there ministry. A Christian gets his/her identity from their position in Christ. Their work should be fulfilling their calling in Christ whether it be in ministry or in service to mankind. Leisure should not be in an end in itself but a means to refresh us.
So what about the Lord's Day? The World has come to realize that a person does need one day different from the other six. A Christian needs to change their routine. They should come apart to worship, take time to rest and take time for recreation. The recreation should not exhaust you but to refresh your mind.

Education

2011-10-01T10:19:00.000-07:00

One area of differing world views is in the area of education. Let us first look at the purpose of education. the world's view is to prepare people to live in society while the Biblical view is to prepare people for eternity. I say eternity rather than heaven because eternity begins now. So from the world's view education is to make responsible citizens while the Biblical view is to make a godly people. Second, consider the starting point. The world believes that people are basically good and by educating them they will be made better. The Christian knows that people are born in sin and they first need to be redeemed, have their view point changed, then they can be taught in the things of God.
I taught mathematics and some may wonder what could be the difference between world views. To me mathematics showed the order and precision of a universe designed by a Creator.

Moving into Sodom

2011-09-30T15:22:00.000-07:00

When Abraham and Lot separated Lot moved into the plains of Sodom. It wasn't long before he had moved right into the city. He may have thought that the needed to be nearer the better schools for his children. What opportunities did they have if they lived in the rural areas. He looked at the opportunities for his family and he may even have thought that his family could influence Sodom for God. He certainly was the last to think this. The church has been doing this from the beginning. However, when the church of God becomes like the world to show the world that it shouldn't be the world, the world sees through that hypocrisy.
When judgment came upon Sodom Lot learned that he had absolutely no influence over his neighbors. I am afraid that when judgment comes upon the world the church will find it has no influence over the world. If the church is to have influence it must remain separate. Not separated but distinct in it's view.
Lot lost it all. What did he gain? What shall it profit if you gain the world and lose your soul?

Pretzels

2011-09-29T12:58:00.000-07:00

What are the purpose of pretzels? The problem of eating pretzels is that it creates a desire to satisfy a thirst and a hunger for more. How does this relate to loving the world? Do we eat to live or live to eat? All eating disorders relate to the later rather than the former. When we have any sort of an eating disorder the we have moved food to a self-fulfilling function. This is worldly.

Egypt and Canaan

2011-09-28T17:17:00.000-07:00

The Israelites needed to be delivered from Egypt but overcome the Canaanites. Egypt is often looked upon as a picture of the world while Canaan is the redeemed life. Though Egypt is a picture of the world it held Israel in bondage. They needed to be redeemed. Egypt then is the picture of the life held in the bondage of sin.
However, in Canaan the world was always trying to influence the people of God. The world had been defeated but its influence still persisted. The people of God wanted to be like the Canaanites.
Today the unredeemed need deliverance but the church needs to overcome. The world wants to hold the unredeemed in bondage but when it loses that grip then it attempts to influence.

Retirement

2011-09-27T13:30:00.000-07:00

There are many areas in which the world influences the Christian's way of thinking and one is in the area of retirement. We hear about freedom 55 and that you deserve the time etc. but what does the Bible say? Now before I get too high and mighty I did retire at 55 and I have been busy ever since. Much of my time today is taken with teaching an adult Bible class and working for Bibles for Missions. Before that I did spend a year in the Philippines with my wife and daughter.
My thinking was changed about 11 years ago when I attended Missions Fest 2000 in Winnipeg Manitoba. Two speakers made an impact on my thinking about retirement. One was John Piper who with the Bible in one hand he read an article from Readers Digest that talked about a couple who took early retirement so they could travel around the world in their RV and play softball and gather sea shells. He compared that to the Apostle Paul who burned with passion for the Gospel even up to the time of his death. He showed us clearly that retirement is not in the Bible.
The other speaker was Ron Pearce who I later got to know and he visited us in our home in Chatham. He had a passion for missions that drove him every waking moment.
So what should be the Christian's attitude toward retirement? Should we view it as a time when we can rest on the fruits of our labours or is it a time when we can use the time in an uninhibited way to serve our God? At the moment God has blessed my wife and I with health that we can serve Him.
We need to view retirement as a time that we can serve our God without the hindrances of making a living. I know that God blessed me that way and it is my desire to continue to serve Him.

View from here

2011-09-26T07:30:00.000-07:00

When you view the world from the world you will only see the world. Too many times that is what happens to us as Christians. No wonder we are confused about the world and how we should react to it. The first thing we need to do is change our perspective. We need to have heaven's view of the world. How do we get that? First, we must know for certain that heaven is our home even though we reside in the world right now. The old spiritual says it right, "this world is not my home, I'm just apassin thru." Second, to get a proper perspective we must be students of the word. David said it well when he said, "Your word have I hidden in my heart so that I might not sin against you." Third, we must resist the world. We are never called to be delivered from the world but to overcome the world. Remember, the world and its attractions will pass away.

Facebook and the social media

2011-09-25T14:37:00.000-07:00

In reading some of the comments about what is happening on facebook it would seem that it is more serious than having pages torn from your Bible. Christians are getting all upset because of the changes that are being made. All I can say about that is "get your perspective right".
So what should be a Christian's attitude to facebook. We have all seen the data. One out of five couples met on facebook; 3 out of 5 gay couples met on facebook and 2 out five divorces are linked to facebook. It sure seems that facebook has an impact in the social realm. Anyone can falsely promote themselves on facebook and as a Christian we know that is wrong. However there is a much more subtle way that Christians fall victim to the world through facebook. It is not that they are blatantly falsely promoting themselves but by the things that they post they are promoting an image, an image that they want. To me this is where the problem lies. We have to be careful that we do not use social media to give people the wrong impression. It is not about style but about communication. Christians watch yourselves. Do your postings promote you or the Lord?

Spurgeon

2011-09-24T09:42:00.000-07:00

“Put your finger on any prosperous page in the Church’s history, and I will find a little marginal note reading thus: ‘In this age men could readily see where the Church began and where the world ended.’ Never were there good times when the Church and the world were joined in marriage with one another.” I believe that one reason why the Church of God at this present moment has so little influence over the world is because the world has so much influence over the Church.”

Hallelujah

2011-09-23T16:37:00.000-07:00

A quick quiz. When is the only time the word Hallelujah is used in the New Testament?
Answer: it is in the Hallelujah chorus of Revelation 19 where it is used four times.

Quiz #2. What is the occasion of the outburst of praise?
Answer: The fall of Babylon which represents the world system.

Demas

2011-09-22T18:11:00.000-07:00

Who is Demas and how is he related to 1 John? We first meet Demas in Philemon 24 where he is described by Paul as a fellow worker. The next time we meet Demas is in Colossians 4:14 where Paul just refers to him by name. Then in 2 Timothy 4:10 Paul says that Demas has deserted him having loved the present world.
Demas is a lesson for all of us. He represents those who see the world as an attraction whether it be in philosophy, finance, entertainment, values. Now don't misunderstand me, those things are not wrong in themselves but it depends upon how you view them. Satan doesn't even care if you have a Biblical worldview is your ultimate goal is to view the world.
We need to guard ourselves that we do not become like Demas.

Deliverance and Overcoming

2011-09-21T16:56:00.000-07:00

For years I got this wrong and I think that most evangelicals get it wrong. We want deliverance from the world and we are told to overcome sin. However, that is backwards. We are told to overcome the world but to seek deliverance from sin. We are powerless to conquer sin alone, we need to bring our sins to the cross. John tells us that if we confess our sins He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Again, notice the little word "just". It would be unjust to pay the penalty for sin again since it has been paid for on the cross. Let us stop trying to overcome sin in our strength and bring our sins to the cross.
But how do we overcome the world? I believe it is the same way that we are to overcome Satan. Revelation tells us that he was overcome by the blood of the lamb, the word of our testimony and not to love our lives so much that we would shrink from death. The problem we have is that we love our lives and the lives we live in the world.

Cosmos and Cosmetics

2011-09-20T17:01:00.000-07:00

I heard of a preacher who knew enough Greek to know that the Greek word for world was cosmos. He read 1 John 2 that we shouldn't love the world and by making the leap from cosmos to cosmetics he quickly condemned those who wore makeup.
But are we any different? If we do not realize that John was speaking of the worldly system and a worldly view of life we can quickly fall into thinking that the love of the world is externals. But the love of the world is much more than externals. Some have used world methods to overcome the world. They withdraw from the world rather than overcome the world. Running away is a worldly method. So the question remains. How do we overcome the world? To overcome the world we need to have a heaven view point. It is not "what would Jesus do" but having the mind of Christ. We need renewed minds.

Marks of a Christian

2011-09-19T13:40:00.000-07:00

What are the marks of a Christian? Some people would say it is defined by what we don't do while others would say it is what we do. Both views are right and both are wrong. What do I mean? John says that one mark of a Christian is obedience to God's commands. Remember we are not saved by obedience but if we are saved we will be obedient. We cannot say we love God and not do what He commands. We obey not out of a sense of duty but from love.
That leads to the second mark of a Christian, love of one another. John tells us that if we say we love God and then not love another believer we are lying. He says that we cannot have fellowship with God and not have fellowship with one another. Yes there will be times that the relationship may be strained but it should be our desire to see that relationship restored.
We used to ding a song that said that they would know we are Christians by our love. Let us remember that it is our love for one another and our love for the Father.

Something old, something new.

2011-09-18T17:55:00.001-07:00

The bride is to wear something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue. The bride is leaving life to begin a new life. John says that he writes a new commandment which really isn't really new but an old commandment. The commandment is that we are to love one another. When Jesus was asked which was the greatest commandment he said we were to love God and the second was similar in that we are to love one another.

Prayer Phone App

2011-09-17T08:39:00.000-07:00

I was listening to the Christian radio station the other day and I heard a comment about a prayer app for the iPhone. The person said that their son became ill or injured, I cannot remember which, and they immediately used the phone app to contact everyone to pray for him. He got better so they were praising the phone app.
Now that got me thinking. First of all why praise the phone app and not the God who heals? Now that may be incidental to what I think is the real issue. We have emails and prayer lines and print prayer requests in churches newsletters but why do we do it? I know we want to have as many people as possible pray for that request but is our prayer more likely to be answered by the number of people who are praying? The simple answer is no but is that true? We need to remember first of all that the basis of answered prayer is not on numbers or length of prayers but on the redemptive work of Christ. However, it is important that we involve as many as possible in praying together. We are commanded to bear one another's burdens. I do want others to join me in praying for requests because many times I feel inadequate. There are those who really can intercede before the Father on behalf of my request. But again I need to remember that it is not the number but the Saviour Who answers the prayer.

That you may know that you know.

2011-09-16T19:26:00.000-07:00

There are many people who have doubts about their salvation. One of the key words in John's epistle is "know". In the four verses from 2:3 - 6 John uses the word "know" four times. He says that we know that we have come to know Him if we keep His commands. Does that mean that we are trusting in our obedience for our salvation? If that were the case then we would not know that we know. It is not our obedience that we are trusting in but rather it is our obedience shows that we do trust in His finished work.
The problem of trusting in our work is that we will never know until our work is completed whether or not we are saved. However, we trust in Christ's finished work. It is done. We know that it is complete and we can have that assurance because of Him. Yes, we can know that we know.

What is sin

2011-09-15T18:32:00.000-07:00

1 John 1 talks about sin. Here is Don Carson of the Gospel Coalition as he talks about sin.

Faithful and Just

2011-09-14T19:51:00.000-07:00

How many of us have read 1 John 1:9 and saw that it said that God was faithful and just to forgive us our sins and thought, "Well that is His job", He forgives sins. We may not say it so glibly but we do think that if we sin then God in His mercy will forgive us.
But did you notice that it didn't say that He was faithful and merciful but rather faithful and just? Why justice instead of mercy? Mercy implies that we will be forgiven because God is "a softy" when it comes to our sin. So we don't take our sin to seriously. However, the word is just. Justice means that the debt has been dealt with. God will forgive our sins because it would be unjust to have two punishments for the same sin. Jesus paid the price. He paid the debt. He now stands as our advocate saying that the debt has been paid.
To me it means that we look at our sins differently. We are not playing fast and loose with God's mercy but we see that the debt for our sins was the cross. There was a debt to be paid. It could not be ignored.

Propitiation

2011-09-13T17:52:00.000-07:00

The NIV translates the word propitiation as atoning sacrifice and really that is what is meant but I am not sure that most people understand this any better.
You have probably heard the cliche that God hates the sin but loves the sinner but if you have read the Psalms you will have read that God hates the sinner. We don't like that today as we don't really understand God. God tells us in Scripture that we are under judgment because of our sin but He has supplied an atoning sacrifice.
The word propitiation means that the gods have been appeased. But we do nothing to appease God. We do not propitiate God by offering Him a sacrifice. That is a pagan thought yet our God had to be appeased. It was not because our God has a bad temper but that we are or were enemies of God. We don't offer a sacrifice but God propitiated Himself. He is the atoning sacrifice. Christ died the death we should have died so that we can live the life we shouldn't live.

Talk Radio

2011-09-12T20:16:00.000-07:00

The other day I tuned in a Christian radio station (not the local station) and it was a phone in talk back style. I was thinking that Christians are called to be lights but even though this station called itself the light it sounded more like judgment radio. It is not our job to judge the world, God will do that. Our job is to be a light. Maybe the world is in such a mess because there is no light. What would happen if we were lights and not judges?
John tells us to walk in the light as He (God) is light.

Headlights

2011-09-11T13:01:00.000-07:00

Pastor Gord mentioned headlights this morning and that got me thinking about 1 John. John tells to walk in the light. David said that God's Word is a light unto our path. As Pastor said, headlights may show the path (or road) in front of us but it doesn't show all the way to our destination. We have to walk in the light given us.

The Beatitudes

2011-09-10T18:29:00.000-07:00

Have you noticed what the beatitudes don't say? They don't say blessed are those that seek blessedness. Why is that? Like joy you are not blessed by seeking blessing but rather being a blessing. You don't become joyful by seeking joy but by having fellowship. That is why John ties fellowship and joy together. Fellowship with the Father and the Son will lead to fellowship with other believers. Fellowship with the Father, Son and others will lead to joy that nothing can take away. Being joyful is not pretending that everything is good but knowing that your relationships are good.

By-Product

2011-09-09T18:00:00.001-07:00

When I was a kid in Sunday School we used to sing a chorus that went

Jesus and others and you
What a wonderful way to spell joy
J is for Jesus Who must have first place
O is for others you met face to face
Y is for you and whatever you do
Put your self last and spell joy.

Now there is truth in that chorus.
If you seek joy you will not find it but if you seek to love the Lord and to serve others you will have joy. Joy is not a product you can produce but it comes as a by product.

Koinonia

2011-09-08T18:11:00.000-07:00

The Greek word for fellowship is koinonia. Koinonia is more than friendship it is having something in common. It amazes me how you can meet Christians from another culture and event though you don't speak their language you know that there is a common bond and that is our Saviour. The first man you see is Kuya Rudy from Manila. He is a man I got to know in the squatter area near where we lived. Kuya Rudy loved the Lord and wanted to give Him his best so he used his talents to build a squatter church.

The couple in the second picture I met last year in Ecuador. They are church planters from Chile, the opposite side of the world from Manila. Again they didn't speak any English and I didn't speak any Spanish but we both loved the Lord and there was koinonia. That is what is meant by fellowship.

The amazing thing about being a Christian is that fellowship crosses age, race, financial and any other barriers that the world wishes to establish. Where else but in Christian fellowship can a fifteen year old Native Canadian boy have something to share with an 80 year old Russian woman.

Rub-a-dub-dub

2011-09-07T17:48:00.000-07:00

Rub-a-dub-dub,
Three men in a tub.
So starts the English nursery rhyme.
John tells his readers that he proclaims what he has seen and heard so that they may have fellowship with him and the other apostles and ultimately with the Father and the Son. The Greek word for fellowship is koinonia and it means to "have in common".
The butcher, baker and candlestick maker had the tub in common.
The question we should ask is why did John say that the result he wanted from proclaiming the truth about what they had seen and heard would be fellowship? Why not salvation or holiness or something else? John knew that to have fellowship would mean to be in a right relationship.

The Word of Life

2011-09-06T14:28:00.000-07:00

If you take time to read the prologue to John's Gospel and the the prologue to his first epistle you will see many similarities. However there are some differences as well. We are told that in the beginning was the Word and we know that the beginning was the beginning of time and the Word was definitely the second person of the Trinity. He was there at creation and He was the creator.
But when you read John's epistle you are not so sure as to what beginning he is referring to. Is it the beginning of time as in John's Gospel or is it the beginning of Jesus' ministry. I believe that John is referring to the same beginning in both his gospel and his epistle.
The second difference is in John's Gospel there is no doubt that when he refers to the Word he is referring to the Living Word but that is not so obvious in the epistle. On this point the commentators are split. Again I think John is writing about the living Word. He does refer to the Word of Life and the emphasis is definitely on life. Some say that he is writing about the Gospel but remember that the good news, the gospel, is about a person.
Read both prologues and see the similarities and the differences.
Do you agree or disagree about the beginning referring to the same time? Do you believe that John's reference to the Word and the Word of Life are the same?

Obsessed

2011-09-05T13:23:00.000-07:00

Have you ever talked to someone who has just lost 10 pounds on a diet, or quit smoking, or had a major operation? Have you noticed that they don't want to talk about anything else? When a man I worked with had a heart attack I overheard one person say "Here we go again. All we are going to talk about is George's heart attack."
It is only natural to want to share with others what you find life changing. That was the Apostle John. As you read through the first four verses of his epistle you get the feeling that he cannot quit talking about what he has seen, heard and handled. It was more than an obsession, it was life changing.
Take time as you read through these verses to notice the number of times that the pronoun we, us, our is used. Do you think he is using the royal we or is he referring to others as well as himself? Is he only referring to himself or is he referring to the apostles? What about us, are we included?

Knowing where we stand.

2011-09-04T11:40:00.000-07:00

Next Sunday we will begin our study in the book of 1 John. John begins by telling us that our faith is firmly grounded in history. The Word of Life (which some believe may be a reference to the Gospel while others a reference to Jesus Christ - this is my understanding as what would be the Gospel except for Jesus Christ) was something that he had experienced. He saw, he heard, he handled. Next Sunday we will look at the prologue which consists of the first four verses. If you can be present next Sunday take time this week to read the entire letter at one sitting. Take time to notice the contrasts that he uses, light and darkness, truth and falsehood, etc.

Contemporary Questions

2011-09-03T09:49:00.000-07:00

John writes this letter to address some concerns which sound very much like contemporary questions.
Does doctrine matter?
Is Jesus the only way to God?
Is Jesus sufficient?
Interesting that people who say that they have no creed but Christ, or Jesus not doctrine are in reality expressing a creed or a doctrine. Doctrine does matter because it expresses what we really do believe. What they really should be concerned about is not whether or not doctrine matters but are they pointing to a set of laws or rules rather than to Christ?

So why did he write this letter?

2011-09-02T14:40:00.000-07:00

John wrote his letter to protect his readers but there were other reasons as well. He wrote to produce joy, holiness and assurance among his readers. Joy cannot be artificially produced but it comes as a byproduct of our service for the Lord. Phillip Yancey says that he has interviewed many stars and servants but it is the servants that have the joy. Holiness had been under attack by the teachers of John's day. Since the body wasn't important then why worry about holiness? Finally, his readers felt that they had come short because they did not have the experience of the superchristians of his day. John reminds his readers that our assurance is not based upon our experience or our works but upon the finished work of Christ.

1 John

2011-09-01T07:13:00.001-07:00

On Sunday September 11 we are going to begin a new study, Lord willing, on 1 John. I do intend to do a study in 1 Corinthians but I felt that we should begin with the little letter of John.
So why did John write this letter? The first reason was to protect his readers and we need that protection today. There is so much material that sounds Christian but it can lead people into error. For example, there is much teaching that focuses on man but this is just humanism. We need to get back to focusing on the Gospel.
Now I need a title for the series. I am open to suggestions.