Each day the news seems to be bad or it seems to be contentious. The economic outlook is very negative indeed. Unemployment rising. Credit evaporating. Foreclosures in the millions. It’s just not very good news when you open the paper or when you turn on the TV.
Some might be forgiven for making the mistake of thinking that this spells bad news for the church. This is the best time for God’s kingdom. I am not just being optimistic. I am being realistic. I am not just trying to make good of a bad situation. I am teaching the clear biblical truth that when things in the world start to fall apart, it is then that the kingdom of God really gets to shine.
It is one thing to be happy and positive when everybody is rejoicing because of their successes. Anyone can do that. It is a godly thing to continue to rejoice even when successes are few and far between. It is in these dark days that the church gets to really be the church. This is our time to shine.
Why? Because we are people who live by faith in Jesus Christ. “… I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” Galatians 2:20. That has always been the key dynamic in the life of the disciple of Jesus. “We live by faith, not by sight.” 2 Corinthians 5:7.
God says that we are people who do not find our security and feeling of well being just in a healthy bank account, a stable job or times of peace. He is not saying that these things have no value. When we have them they are blessings. What He is saying is that when we walk by the power of our own finances we are walking by sight. When we walk with His financial blessing of us as our only hope we begin to walk by faith.
Shining in the darkness. Walking by faith. This is not blind and irresponsible idealism. It is the most realistic approach to a life that was given to you and me by the invisible God who demands that we walk as though He is right next to us holding our hand. He says He is right next to us. “… And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”” Matthew 28:20. Do you believe that He is? This is where the proverbial rubber and the pavement meet. Do you believe? If you do then you can walk by faith. It you don’t you will continue to walk by sight and you will deny yourself the life that He promised you.
Walking by faith is giving yourself first. Paul wanted to brag about churches in Maceonia. What he said about them is what walking by faith is all about. “Out of the most severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity. For I testify that they gave as much as they were able, and even beyond their ability. Entirely on their own, they urgently pleaded with us for the privilege of sharing in this service to the saints. And they did not do as we expected, but they gave themselves first to the Lord and then to us in keeping with God’s will.” 2 Corinthians 8:2-5.
Severe trials. Times were tough. What did they do? Close up their hearts and wallets and try to weather the storm? They chose to be generous with their money during tough times. Not even Paul had expected them to do this. He should have had more hope, but he didn’t. But he was glad to reveal his mistake and reveal their faith.
Where did their faith begin? On the trip to the ATM to get the money to give? No. In their analysis of their finances? No. It began when they sat down with Jesus once again and gave themselves to Him once again. A lot of money was involved but this was not financial question. This was a faith question. And they answered that question with Jesus and an urgent pleading to be allowed to give to help the Christians in Jerusalem.
The church, you and I, are at our best when we respond with faith in Jesus when all around us are despairing. As the world get’s darker and darker the light we shine gets brighter and brighter. Listen to how God describes us. “Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. Dear friends, I urge you, as aliens and strangers in the world, to abstain from sinful desires, which war against your soul. Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.” 1 Peter 2:10-12.
What about you? Is this just Christian rhetoric or is it the truth? Is it time for us to shine brighter than ever? Is it time to be more generous than ever? Is it time for us to recommit ourselves to our savior and proclaim to the world that He is the only true hope?
Go Blue
Dodgers are doing it this post season. They are destroying the Cubs. I really didn't think it would be this one sided. So glad I jumped ship to the Dodgers this season. Manny is doing well but the whole team is doing well. Cubs helped us a lot with all those errors. Back to LA to finish them off.
The Pick and Choose Gospel
We pick and choose what we like. At the grocery store. At the movies. At every turn we pick and choose what we like. That’s what freedom is all about we think and we are right to a large degree.
However when it comes to God’s word we don’t get to pick and choose what we like. Yet, many try it. I’ll have a pound of the love and a packet of the acceptance and a ton of forgiveness. Hold the sin stuff and I don’t want any of the condemnation stuff. Have you got any of that feeding the poor stuff?
God revealed his message to us in a series of documents that together make up the Bible. Each of them is true. They don’t just contain truth along with a lot of other stuff. They are all true. See 2 Timothy 3:16. We don’t get to add to it and we don’t get to take away from it.
Yet that is exactly what some do today. Have you heard of “red letter” Christians? They only take seriously what Jesus said, which in some Bibles is printed in red. Hence the name. They believe that what Jesus said is more important than what Paul, John, Peter, Luke wrote or at least should be more of a focus of our lives.
When they do they pick and choose which is hard to justify but they try by giving Christ’s word pre-eminence which looks worthy. However it ignores one fact. Jesus didn’t write the red letter books, the ones we call the gospels. They were written by Matthew, Mark, John and Luke through the controlling guidance of the Holy Spirit (2 Peter 1:20-21). Our record of what Jesus said comes from the same source as the books of Acts. They are all in the same category. How can you then choose to follow Luke’s record in Luke and downgrade Luke’s record in Acts?
The only way is if you subscribe to the pick and choose approach to the scripture which reduces the Bible to nothing more than a buffet of teachings and stories that you can accept or reject subjectively.
Some go down this track because they don’t like or agree with what Paul and the other New Testament writers said about certain subjects like homosexuality, women’s role in the church, and a long list of doctrines. That’s hardly a good reason to reject a Holy Spirit inspired messenger of God. Just because you disagree with the message. Incidentally there are lots of stories about people who have done that in the past and they don’t end well.
The real question is not whether you agree with Paul’s etc. teachings. The real question is whether God is speaking through Paul and Luke and John etc. If He is, then listen to and obey the message. If not, then put them in with the piles of religious writings that litter human history.
However when it comes to God’s word we don’t get to pick and choose what we like. Yet, many try it. I’ll have a pound of the love and a packet of the acceptance and a ton of forgiveness. Hold the sin stuff and I don’t want any of the condemnation stuff. Have you got any of that feeding the poor stuff?
God revealed his message to us in a series of documents that together make up the Bible. Each of them is true. They don’t just contain truth along with a lot of other stuff. They are all true. See 2 Timothy 3:16. We don’t get to add to it and we don’t get to take away from it.
Yet that is exactly what some do today. Have you heard of “red letter” Christians? They only take seriously what Jesus said, which in some Bibles is printed in red. Hence the name. They believe that what Jesus said is more important than what Paul, John, Peter, Luke wrote or at least should be more of a focus of our lives.
When they do they pick and choose which is hard to justify but they try by giving Christ’s word pre-eminence which looks worthy. However it ignores one fact. Jesus didn’t write the red letter books, the ones we call the gospels. They were written by Matthew, Mark, John and Luke through the controlling guidance of the Holy Spirit (2 Peter 1:20-21). Our record of what Jesus said comes from the same source as the books of Acts. They are all in the same category. How can you then choose to follow Luke’s record in Luke and downgrade Luke’s record in Acts?
The only way is if you subscribe to the pick and choose approach to the scripture which reduces the Bible to nothing more than a buffet of teachings and stories that you can accept or reject subjectively.
Some go down this track because they don’t like or agree with what Paul and the other New Testament writers said about certain subjects like homosexuality, women’s role in the church, and a long list of doctrines. That’s hardly a good reason to reject a Holy Spirit inspired messenger of God. Just because you disagree with the message. Incidentally there are lots of stories about people who have done that in the past and they don’t end well.
The real question is not whether you agree with Paul’s etc. teachings. The real question is whether God is speaking through Paul and Luke and John etc. If He is, then listen to and obey the message. If not, then put them in with the piles of religious writings that litter human history.
Baptism
Very interesting lesson from Rick Atcherly at Richland Hills Church of Christ. Click Here
Good biblical perspective.
Good biblical perspective.
Americanizing the Gospel
It would probably be presumptuous of me (as an Australian to make these observations but that doesn't stop me from agreeing strongly with Toby's thoughts. Check them out at http://blogs.crosstimberschurch.org/toby/?p=1842#comments
Prosperity Theology
It may be sarcastic but this video really does point out the fallacy of the prosperity gospel. Over promising God's promises reduces them to religious irrelevency
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