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Friday, July 29, 2011

The definition of faith...


"Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.  For by it the men of old gained approval."--Hebrews 11:1-2.  This is one of the most famous chapters of Hebrews.  It has been called the Hall of Faith, the great faith chapter and others.  This chapter, by looking into the past shows us the difference faith can make and how faith is always, I mean always followed by an act of obedience. This chapter is one we can turn to if we seek to find the definition of faith.

The definition of faith.  By faith Abel offered the better sacrifice to God (Hebrews 11:4).  Notice Abel offered. He believed God and obeyed what God required of him.

The definition of faith.  Hebrews 11:6 will tell us that without faith, it is impossible to please God.  You might get caught up in the works but if you lose sight of your faith and forget about what God has promised by you doing those works, then you are not pleasing God.

The definition of faith.  By faith Noah prepared the ark after being warned of the things to come (Hebrews 11:7).  Noah was told what to expect and because he believed God, he immediately acted and prepared the ark so that he and his family would be saved.

The definition of faith.  By faith Abraham obeyed and set out towards the place that God would show him without knowing where he was going (Hebrews 11:8).  Abraham believed God enough to follow His will no matter where it would take him.  Abraham obeyed trusting fully that God would deliver on His promises.

The definition of faith. Finally, by faith Moses stood by God's people to endure what the text calls ill treatment than to enjoy the sinful pleasures offered by Egypt.  By faith he obeyed what God required so the angel of death would pass over each household that had the lamb's blood on the door post.

The definition of faith.  So how is faith defined in your life? Something we must understand from the Scriptures is that contrary to what is taught many churches today, faith alone does not save you.  Every instance of faith in the Bible, especially in Hebrews 11 is followed by an act of obedience. This is the definition of faith.

The definition of faith.  So again I ask, how is faith defined in your life? If we believe in God and what He tells us we can expect, the first response needs to be an act of obedience to the gospel message which involves commitment to follow Christ and do His will no matter where it might take you.  My faith in Christ has most certainly taken me on a very interesting journey but it's been worth every minute and there is no way I am turning back now.  This is the definition of faith.

The definition of faith.  So I leave you with that question, how is faith defined in your life? Do you trust God enough to stay true to your commitment to Christ or will you be among those that Hebrews 10:39 calls those who shrink back to destruction? Depending on your answer to these questions, this is the definition of faith. How is faith defined in your life? Take some time to jot some things down on paper with your response.

DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT! PRAY ABOUT IT! LOVE Y'ALL! GOD BLESS!

The price of deliberate disobedience...


"'...Here we are; we have indeed sinned, but we will go up to the place the LORD has promised.' But Moses said, 'Why then are you transgressing the commandment of the LORD when it will not succeed? Do not go up, or you will be struck down before your enemies, for the LORD is not among you. For the Amalekites and the Canaanites will be there in front of you, and you will fall by the sword, inasmuch as you have turned back from following the LORD.  And the LORD will not be with you.'  But they went up heedlessly to the ridge of the hill country; neither the ark of the covenant of the LORD nor Moses left the camp.  Then the Amalekites and the Canaanites who lived in that hill country came down, and struck them and beat them down as far as Hormah."--Numbers 14:40-45.  In this passage, we see that Israel is told to do one thing, warned what will happen if they don't and them doing it anyway causing them to pay the ultimate price of deliberate disobedience. 

The price of deliberate disobedience.  Take a look at the image I posted above.  It is a picture of a man climbing over a wall despite the fact that there is a sign on the left side of that wall indicating that he should not.  You look in the background of the picture, there is an ocean view.  I can't say for sure but there is a pretty good chance that when that man climbs over the wall, he will drop straight down a hundred or more feet.  He will be extremely lucky to survive a fall like that.  The image above fits perfectly with what is going on here in Numbers 14:40-45 because there is a clear warning but the man is disobeying anyway and his failure to heed it will cause him to pay the price of deliberate disobedience. 

The price of deliberate disobedience.  Many of us, myself included will read this passage and say to ourselves, 'What in the world were they thinking?' but let us not be too quick to judge. How often are we guilty of reading God's warning of what would happen if we disobey a particular command and we deliberately disobey anyway? I have seen it happen over and over again with members of the Lord's church and I hate to admit, I have been guilty of this myself.  I have paid the price of disobedience.  Not the same one the Israelites paid but I still paid a price. 

The price of deliberate disobedience. To elaborate on my own example, my whole life I have struggled with money and the proper use of it.  About this time last year, I allowed that struggle to get out of control (Emphasis on I allowed it meaning it was my fault) and I found myself in what seemed like insurmountable debt.  I am thankful to say that I did manage to pay off the majority of that debt and what debt I have left is manageable.  I thank God for His good grace and giving me the resources to get out of the hole I dug for myself.  But when I was in the midst of all this, I confessed what was going on to my best friend and in my confession, that is when I realized I had sinned against God by mishandling my money, which in reality is His money, not mine.  There are Scriptures that speak to how we should use our money but that is another discussion.  The point I am making here is that I knew how God wanted me to handle the money He had given me and I deliberately disobeyed and paid the price of that deliberate disobedience. 

The price of deliberate disobedience.  In Numbers 14:40-45, we see the ultimate price being paid, the price of human life but every act of disobedience to God comes with some sort of price to be paid and unfortunately this can include the ultimate price, death. Some examples of the price of disobedience can include broken families when the parents might be Christians but the children fail to heed their godly guidance and go off into a life of sin.  This is something I have witnessed firsthand in some families that I am close with.  God tells us in Romans 13:1 that we are into be subjection to the governing authorities but how often do we do something as simple as breaking the speed limit and end up getting a ticket we might not be able to afford to pay?  These are just two examples of many that give us the price of deliberate disobedience. Following is a video from the song "Homeboy" by Eric Church which gives us a visual representation of what the price of deliberate disobedience can be in a family.


The price of deliberate disobedience.  To close, I want to briefly describe a discussion I was having with one of my good friends Charisa over lunch yesterday.  As she and I were talking about the Scriptures, she made the statement that God's "rules" are there not to restrict us from doing stuff but they are there in order to protect us and to keep us from getting hurt.  To illustrate her point, she used the basic example of why a child is told not to touch a hot stove.  The child is told to not touch the hot stove for protection from harm, not restriction from fun.  This is what all of us as Christians need to realize.  God's commands are there not to restrict us from what we think is fun but they are there to protect us from harming ourselves and others. 

The price of deliberate disobedience.  So my encouragement to you is this, if there is a particular struggle you have that you know is contrary to God's will, do everything you can to get that struggle under your control so that it does not control you.  Like me, it might be money but it might be something else. Whatever it is, take some time to write down some practical ways you can get that struggle under control in your life. Let's all make it a point to avoid paying the price of deliberate disobedience.  And if you are reading this and are not sure about whether or not you are going to heaven, you can avoid paying the ultimate price of deliberate disobedience, losing your eternal life with God by simply obeying the gospel message.

DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT! PRAY ABOUT IT! LOVE Y'ALL! GOD BLESS! 

Thursday, July 28, 2011

Not just any man: Part 2

"Your sons shall be shepherds for forty years in the wilderness, and they will suffer for your unfaithfulness, until your corpses lie in the wilderness.  According to the number of days which you spied out the land, forty days, for every day you shall bear your guilt a year, even forty years, and you will know My opposition.  I, the LORD, have spoken, surely this I will do to all this evil congregation who are gathered together against Me.  In this wilderness they shall be destroyed, and there they will die.  As for the men whom Moses sent to spy out the land and who returned and made all the congregation grumble against him by bringing out a bad report concerning the land, even those men brought out the very bad report of the land died by a plague by the LORD.  But Joshua the son of Nun and Caleb the son of Jephunneh remained alive out of those men who went to spy out the land."--Numbers 14:33-37.  I chose to type this out because one verse alone does not paint a big enough picture to cover what I want to cover.  This is part 2 of my blog dealing with leadership.  Some people may be leaders but we can have good leaders and bad leaders.  Twelve men went to spy out the land in Numbers 13 but only two had favorable reports.  The other ten had bad reports about the land and in turn caused the nation of Israel to rebel against Moses and against God.

Not just any man.  Here we see the impact the leadership can have on an entire group of people.  Here in Numbers 13-14, ten out of twelve gave a bad report and claimed the land could not be taken despite the fact that God promised that it would be taken.

Not just any man.  So what can we learn from this? Well something we need to keep in mind is that if we aspire to leadership, what are we going to do when the people we are leading want to follow the masses instead of the few who want to see God's will accomplished? The answer to this question is another reason leaders cannot be just any man.

Not just any man.  Leadership is a heavy responsibility no doubt.  Here in the events of Numbers 13-14, we find one reason why it is such a heavy responsibility.  In Numbers 13-14, the leadership had an impact on whether or not the congregation of Israel would even enter the Promised Land. The leadership cost the entire nation of Israel everything they had been working for and preparing for.  The Promised Land was only days away and because of a few men's disbelief and disobedience, they would now have to wait 40 years and for an entire generation of Israelites to die off before they could even go in. This is another reason why leaders cannot be just any man.

Not just any man.  I hate to admit that I have witnessed firsthand how just a small handful of men can lead an entire congregation of the Lord's church astray and cause that same congregation to risk losing their eternal salvation.  Again, this is why a leader cannot be just any man.

Not just any man.  Here in Numbers 13-14, we can also turn our attention to Joshua and Caleb. These two men would enter the Promised Land because of their faith in God and their willingness to stand up for what God had promised even when the majority was against them.  This is the sort of leaders God wants.  Those who will stand up for His will when everyone else is rebelling.  This is why leaders cannot be just any man.

Not just any man.  If you consider yourself to be a follower as opposed to a leader, there is application for you too.  My encouragement to you is to seek out leaders who are truly desiring to do God's will without compromising it in any way.  These are the leaders we need to follow and these are the leaders we need to be.  Leaders cannot be just any man.

Not just any man.  So my encouragement to you is this, do not be afraid to stand up for God's will even when you are the only one.  Realize that even if you are the only one standing up for God's will, your reward is great.  Out of an entire generation of Israelites that would die before seeing the Promised Land, Joshua and Caleb were the exceptions. Why? Because they stood up for God's will even when thousands were rebelling. So what would you do? Food for thought.

DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT! PRAY ABOUT IT! LOVE Y'ALL! GOD BLESS!

Wednesday, July 27, 2011

Not just any man: Part 1


"Then the Lord spoke to Moses saying, 'Send out for yourself men so that they may spy out the land of Canaan, which I am going to give the sons of Israel; you shall send a man from each of their fathers' tribes, every one a leader among them."--Numbers 13:1-2.  At this point in the Old Testament account, God tells Moses to select one man from each of the twelve tribes of Israel to spy out the Promised Land.  This would be among the final events before Israel enters the Promised Land.  Moses was not to select just any man, but a leader. This will be the first of a two part blog dealing with the events of Numbers 13-14 about how leaders can have an impact on an entire congregation.

Not just any man.  These twelve men that were selected were acting as scouts.  For those who don't know a scout goes ahead of an army and surveys the land which they are about to enter to get an idea of what they will face. Scouts are a type of leader, not just any man.

Not just any man.  If we were to ask anyone what it takes to be a leader, you would get numerous answers.  To get some personal insight into spiritual leadership, take a look at a blog that is written by one of my instructors at the Bear Valley Bible Institute of Denver, Bob Turner.  His blog is called The Leadership Fund.  Leaders of the Lord's people are not just any men.

Not just any man.  I think we would all agree that what the true Israel, the Lord's church, is lacking is leaders. And again, a leader is not just any man.

Not just any man.  One good description of what a leader should be is found in 1 Timothy 3:1-13. In this passage alone, we find that a leader is not just any man.

Not just any man.  Yesterday me and my partner Andrew with whom I am working here at the Norco church of Christ were talking about the fact that the qualities of a leader that are found in Scripture are ones all men should aspire to because a leader is not just any man.

Not just any man.  So my encouragement to you is this, look at 1 Timothy 3:1-13 and other Scriptures that involve leadership.  Write down the qualities of a leader you find in Scripture and see what you can do to develop those qualities in yourself.

DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT! PRAY ABOUT IT! LOVE Y'ALL! GOD BLESS!

Tuesday, July 26, 2011

Do not throw away...


"Therefore, do not throw away your confidence which has a great reward."--Hebrews 10:35. The Hebrew writer here is continuing to encourage these Christians that are thinking of going back to their old ways to hang on to their confidence which they once had.  Here in this verse he tells them not to throw it away. 

Do not throw away.  The image above is a familiar one to many of us.  The image above tells us that something is not intended for trash. 

Do not throw away.  Attach this image to your Christianity.  Among other things, we should be looking at our Christianity and saying "Do Not Throw Away."

Do not throw away.  Notice this verse tells us that our confidence has a great reward.  Our reward is eternal but our Christianity offers rewards in this life as well such as better relationships, an expanded family and an overall better life.  Why would we throw something like that away?

Do not throw away.  It pains me to know that some of the otherwise strongest Christians I have known of have been among those that Hebrews 10:39 calls "those who shrink back to destruction." This same verse reminds us that Christians are not those who shrink back but of those who have faith to the preserving of the soul.  This is the type of people Christ calls us to be, of those that has a faith that preserves our very soul. Do not throw that away. 

Do not throw away.  So my encouragement to you is simply this.  Realize how valuable your faith really is and the rewards it offers in both this life and the life to come.  Do not throw that away. 

DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT! PRAY ABOUT IT! LOVE Y'ALL! GOD BLESS!  


You can't do it alone...


"I alone am not able to carry all this people, because it is too burdensome for me."--Numbers 11:14.  This verse is found in the broader context of yet another instance where Israel was complaining because of a lack of food. Of course Moses has probably had more than enough of their complaining and is ready to just give up on them. We find in Numbers 11:15 that Moses would rather die than put up with Israel any longer.  But of course God has other plans and furthermore, we see here that Moses just can't do it alone.

You can't do it alone.  What God does for Moses is to have Moses appoint seventy men from the elders of Israel.  God would have Moses select from his available resources.

You can't do it alone.  To illustrate the point I am trying to get at, I will describe to you something that happened only yesterday.  Last night, I attended the first night of a Vacation Bible School at the Chino church of Christ, CA.  I was asked to help carry something but was told I was going to need an extra set of hands. So the first people I saw were a couple of teenagers and they helped me.

You can't do it alone. There is a basic concept we need to understand as Christians.  And that is the statement I have already made. We can't do it alone.

You can't do it alone.  Of course we need God and His grace but God has also given us our brethren in Christ to help us along in our walk with God.

You can't do it alone. This concept is especially true if someone is a preacher or an elder of the Lord's church.  They can't do it alone either. As I was writing this blog, I received a phone call from a friend of mine and among the things we talked about is the fact that parents need to be actively involved in their teenagers spiritual growth and not just dump that responsibility on the youth minister.  The youth minister can't do it alone and on the broader level the preacher cannot do his job alone.

You can't do it alone.  To illustrate my point further, this week is my last week of a summer internship that I am a part of at the Norco church of Christ.  One of the things I have recognized while here is the need for the whole congregation to be actively involved in the evangelistic efforts of the church.  This is especially true at congregations as small as Norco is.

You can't do it alone.  So my encouragement to you is this.  The first thing we need to do to tap into our available resources is simply to ASK! What some of my own experience has taught me is that more people than we realize are willing to help but the problem is nobody asks them to help.  Worse off, if said people offer to help, many people are too proud to accept the help.  Dare I say it again? WE CAN'T DO IT ALONE!

You can't do it alone.  Moses needed help when he was in charge of thousands.  Preachers and elders have a responsibility towards hundreds.  If Moses couldn't do it alone, preachers and elders certainly can't do it alone. So in closing, remember Moses who first went to God and then sought out the assistance of his fellow Israelites.  Since the Lord's church is the true Israel, we too must seek out the assistance of our "fellow Israelites"  not if, but WHEN we need it.  So if you need help in some area of your own ministry or just help with some task, don't be afraid to ask for help because the fact is...

YOU CAN'T DO IT ALONE! DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT! PRAY ABOUT IT! LOVE Y'ALL! GOD BLESS!  

Monday, July 25, 2011

Separated...

Numbers 6:1-21.  As we move out of Leviticus, we come into Numbers which lines out some more laws but also gives us some insight into the preparations that are being made to enter the Promised Land.  In Numbers 6:1-21, we find a law that I have always found intriguing, the law of the Nazirite.  A Nazirite had a very unique set of requirements.  He could not cut his hair.  He could not eat or drink any sort of product made from grapes. He could not go near a dead person.  If the vow was somehow broken, sacrifices would need to be made. Finally, upon completion of the vow the Nazirite would shave his head and take it to the priest. The vow was only for a specified amount of time but it's requirements were strict. Above all, the person who took the Nazirite vow would have to be separated.

Separated.  The concept of the Nazirite vow should be familiar to most of us because of the story of Samson that we find in Judges 13-17.  Today, we are not going to look at Samson or spend a great deal of time with the Nazirite vow itself but spend some time looking at this concept of being separated for the Lord's service.

Separated.  Something many people fail to realize is that upon obedience to the gospel, we too are making a vow to be separated.

Separated.  We are not making a vow to never cut our hair or abstain from a certain substance but we are making a vow to separate ourselves for the Lord's service.

Separated.  We are making a vow to be separated but what happens when we break our vow? That's right, when, not if, but when we break our vow.  Well when we break our vow, we have to realize the sacrifice has been made by Jesus Christ but we must recommit ourselves, forget what is behind and press on toward the goal (Philippians 3:14).

Separated.  So how can we apply this? Well there are several practical ways we can apply this principle of being separated for the Lord's supper.  If you have not done so, it begins by obeying the gospel.  But if you have obeyed the gospel, my encouragement to you is this.  Today is Monday. Take the next seven days and give something up such as time on the internet.  But in addition to that, do something in service to the Lord during that time.

DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT! PRAY ABOUT IT! LOVE Y'ALL! GOD BLESS!

Friday, July 22, 2011

There is nothing left...


"For if we go on sinning willfully after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins."--Hebrews 10:26. The Hebrew writer by this point has made the emphasis that the old law is gone forever because Christ has made the sacrifice once for all (Hebrews 10:10).  So at this point, if we continue to sin, there is nothing left for us to cling to but what Hebrews 10:27 calls a "terrifying expectation of judgment."

There is nothing left.  This verse tells us that if we reject the knowledge of the truth that Christ is our one and only sacrifice that satisfies our debt of sin, we have nothing left.  We have nothing left but an expectation of five things that are lined out in Hebrews 10:27-31.

There is nothing left but a terrifying expectation of judgment. (v. 27)

There is nothing left but a fury of a fire that will consume the adversaries of God. (v. 27)

There is nothing left but a severe punishment because we have chosen to trample "under foot the Son of God." (v. 29).

There is nothing left but an expectation of God's vengeance.

Finally, there is nothing left but the fact that we will fall into the hands of the living God.  If we are disobedient, Hebrews 10:31 tells us it is a "terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God."

So I leave you with this question.  Why is it that if we have been saved do we still "willfully" indulge in sin? We need to remember that Christ made the sacrifice so we could be free from our sin, not to continue to be enslaved to our sin.  If we choose slavery to sin, we have nothing left, so what will we do?

DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT! PRAY ABOUT IT! LOVE Y'ALL! GOD BLESS!

 

Obedience: Penalties of Disobedience.

Leviticus 26:14-39.  These set of verses describe what will happen to God's people if they disobey.  Not only does this set of verses describe the penalties of disobedience, they describe what will happen if God's people continue to disobey even after consequences are rendered.

Penalties of disobedience.  The penalties of disobedience we find in this set of verses are the total opposite of the blessings given in Leviticus 26:1-13.  If Israel fails to obey, there will not be peace and prosperity in the land.  If they chose to disobey the commands of God, their lives would be riddled with violence from their enemies, the land would not produce crops and if it did, their enemies would consume it all and worst of all even God would act with wrathful hostility towards Israel as we see in Leviticus 26:28.  As you read through Leviticus 26:14-39, the text becomes more and more graphic and it all would happen if Israel would choose to disobey God's commandments. These are the penalties of disobedience.

Penalties of disobedience.  So what does this mean to us? Something we have to realize is that just like there are benefits to obedience in this life as well as the next, the penalties of disobedience also manifest themselves in this life as well.

Penalties of disobedience.  To give you an example of what I mean, consider how often we see lives destroyed by any given sin.  These are the penalties of disobedience.

Penalties of disobedience.  More often than not, sin does not only destroy the life of the individual but also the lives of those around him or her.

Penalties of disobedience.  As we look through history, sins like pornography have destroyed marriages and families.

Penalties of disobedience.  Drug and alcohol addiction has torn families apart and landed many individuals in jail and in other situations no one would want to be in.

Penalties of disobedience.  There have been times in my life where I have seen the penalties of disobedience manifest themselves in my life.  The areas in my life are probably areas that you might be able to relate to a little bit more.

Penalties of disobedience.  A more minor example would be the fact that I have disobeyed the speed limit laws and at one time I got a ticket that I managed to get paid but it was not easy.

Penalties of disobedience.  We can even sin with how we use our money if we fail to use it properly.  How often do we see people get themselves into what seems like insurmountable debt which can also lead to the straining of family and other important relationships.  These are the penalties of disobedience.

Penalties of disobedience.  As we get back to the passage here in Leviticus, we find that another penalty of disobedience is that Israel would be struck down by their enemies and they would "flee when no one is pursuing" (Leviticus 26:17).

Penalties of disobedience.  I bring this final point out because another product of sin is that many times it creates fear in the life of the individual.  In driving, sometimes we will choose to speed and hope we don't get caught.  But on the greater level, sins like those mentioned above can create enemies.  Many movies and TV shows depict individuals who are involved in some sort of sin and they are essentially enslaved to their enemies because of that sin because they fear losing life and/or limb if they fail to submit to said enemies and other individuals they might be accountable to because of that sin.

So after looking at these penalties of disobedience, we have to ask ourselves is a life lived in slavery to sin really worth it? I don't know if there is a specific sin you are struggling with.  Maybe it's one of the ones I mentioned in this blog.  If there is a sin you are struggling with, it's not too late to turn away and repent of it.  If  you are reading this, and you know you still need to get right with God by obeying the gospel, do not delay. I have described in this blog the penalties of disobedience in this life which in reality can be temporary but the penalties of disobedience in the next life, those are eternal so again do not delay. Even if you are in deep, God can still pull you out. Finally, if you are reading this and know someone who is struggling with a particular sin, go to that person and share this with them and do what you can to encourage them to get out of that sin.

DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT! PRAY ABOUT IT! LOVE Y'ALL! GOD BLESS!  

Thursday, July 21, 2011

Something new...

"When He said, 'A new covenant,' He has made the first obsolete.  But whatever is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to disappear."--Hebrews 8:13.  Here the Hebrew writer makes a statement which proves that we are no longer the Old Testament law.  The Hebrew writer makes reference to something new.

Something new.  One of the primary purposes the Hebrew writer had for writing this letter was to remind these Christians that the new covenant is better than the old covenant.

Something new.  By the time we reach Hebrews 8:13, the Hebrew writer has finished quoting Jeremiah 31:31-34 and this is to show that a new covenant would come and that something new has come and the old has been made obsolete.

Something new.  So what does this mean to us? Why is this new covenant new and better as it is described in Hebrews 8:6?

Something new.  Well to answer that question, let me ask you do you really want to be accountable to a system that requires you to make sacrifices day after day and that requires you to uphold hundreds of laws without fail? I didn't think so. Something new is something better.

Something new.  But allow me to dig a little deeper.  Fact is before we obeyed the gospel, we were under such a system.  As you look throughout history, mankind has been under one of two basic systems of law: The Patriarchal and the Mosaic. But then after Christ's resurrection, there was something new to embrace.

Something new.  Most Christians here in America are coming out of a patriarchal system which was the system of the Gentiles or the non-Jews.  That's you and me (unless you are reading this and happen to be of a Jewish background).  What I mean is that all of us were sacrificing to some form of a god before we became Christians. We were like the people Paul preached to in Athens in Acts 17:16-32.  These Athenians were always looking to hear something new.  When we became Christians, many of us responded to the gospel because it was something better and something new.

Something new.  This is the point the Hebrew writer is trying to get across in Hebrews 8, that the new covenant is not only something new but it is something better than being enslaved to a system of laws and sacrifices that are nearly impossible to uphold in the way God expects.  Fact is we cannot live up to our own moral standard let alone God's moral standard which as author Lee Strobel put it, is infinitely higher than our own.  Since we can't live up to our own or God's moral standard, we desperately need something new.  We need Christ.

Something new.  So let me ask again, would you rather be enslaved to a system of sacrifices which is the system our own sin creates? Or would you rather embrace something new that can free us from the chains that our sin creates? This freedom begins with obedience to the gospel and committing ourselves to Christ who can pick us up when we fall because He has made the sacrifice.

Christ is offering something new. Will you embrace it?

DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT! PRAY ABOUT IT! LOVE Y'ALL! GOD BLESS!

Wednesday, July 20, 2011

Our mediator...


"But now He has obtained a more excellent ministry, by as much as He is also the mediator of a better covenant, which has been enacted on better promises."--Hebrews 8:6.  Here we find a description of Christ which is pretty unique.  Here, the Hebrew writer describes Christ as our mediator. In tonight's blog I want to explore this idea a little bit about Christ being our mediator.

Our mediator. Consider the image above. The man facing you in the image is what we would call a mediator. A mediator is someone who stands between two parties and has the ability to communicate with both parties without any bias.  Christ is our mediator.  He stands between us and God.

Our mediator.  We know from Isaiah 59:2 that our sins are what have separated us from God.  As you read through the Bible from Genesis to Revelation, one thing you will find is that the Bible is an account of man's journey back to God after our relationship with Him was forever severed when Adam and Eve committed the first sin in Genesis 3:1-7.

Our mediator.  As I said, among other things the Bible is an account of man's journey back to God. But this is a journey man could not complete without help from God Himself.  What we needed was someone who could bridge the gap that was created by our sin.  How big a gap was this? Well consider the Grand Canyon and multiply that times 100 and that would not even begin to describe how far away from God our sin puts us based on Isaiah 59:2.  So like I said, we needed someone to bridge that gap, we needed a mediator.

Our mediator.  This mediator had to satisfy ALL that had been written by the prophets about Him.  And there was only one man who would satisfy the description given by the prophets of old.  One of the most famous descriptions of this person can be found in Isaiah 53:1-12.  There was only one man who could satisfy the requirements of being the mediator we needed to bridge and that man was and IS Jesus Christ!

Our mediator.  Some have called Jesus Christ the God-Man because He is 100% God and 100% man which gives Him the ability to speak to both God and man without any bias. Christ is our one and ONLY mediator.

Our mediator.  Since Christ is our one and only mediator, He is the only one that can reconcile us to God and bring us back into a right relationship with Him. Today, we live in a world that claims there are many ways to God.  We live in a world that thinks there are multiple routes to take to complete our journey back to God. One Scripture alone puts those theories to rest and that is John 14:6 where Jesus says "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me."  Christ is our mediator.

Our mediator. Read John 14:6 again.  Christ says He is THE way, THE truth, and THE life, NO ONE comes to the Father but through Him. The word "THE" is pretty powerful in this passage as its use automatically excludes any other "ways" to God.   Christ is our mediator.

Our mediator.  In conclusion, my partner and good friend, Andrew Lemus and I were discussing the fact that people follow God based on how they feel as opposed to basing their walk with God on His authoritative word.  So I want to leave you with a simple question, what will you do with the fact that Christ is our one and only mediator? Will you take the gospel message and take it for what God's Word says it is? The choice is yours. This is just a simple reminder that Christ is our one and only mediator.

DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT! PRAY ABOUT IT! LOVE Y'ALL! GOD BLESS!  

It belongs to God...

"The land, moreover, shall not be sold permanently, for the land is Mine; for you are but aliens and sojourners with Me."--Leviticus 25:23.  This verse is the beginning of a set of verses describing how the land is to be sold and bought.  There are specifics here because as the verse says, the land, it belongs to God.

It belongs to God.  Today, we live in a society that is so absorbed in what "belongs to them."  This is human nature.  We see this attitude manifest itself from children all the way through adults.  The very fact that we have to teach our children to share proves that this is true.  But again, we see it in adults as well.  We have people who refuse to give of their resources such as time or money, why? Because they think it all "belongs to them."

It belongs to God.  But there is something we all need to realize and that is that everything we have in reality belongs to God.

It belongs to God.  We know from James 1:17 that every good gift comes from above. Every good gift belongs to God.

It belongs to God.  So what are the good gifts you have? Is it money? It belongs to God. Is it a car? It belongs to God.  How about the computer you are sitting in front of to read this? Guess what, that belongs to God too. The point is all the good gifts in our lives belong to God.

It belongs to God.  So what does this mean? I am not here to suggest that since everything we might own belongs to God, we should go off and give everything we own to the church.  But that doesn't change the fact that it belongs to God.

It belongs to God.  The fact that every good gift we own belongs to God means that we need to be using those good gifts however we can for purposes of furthering His kingdom.  Why? Because it belongs to God.

It belongs to God.  So how can we apply this principle? Well, in practical terms here is what you can do. For example, with our computers, the internet, Facebook and other social media we can make it a point to talk about the gospel message with others via the internet.  You can also hear about additional ways to use technology for ministry by listening in on the weekly podcast of The Ministry Geek which is part of The Equip Network.  If you have a car, you can use that car to give someone a ride to church services or use it to provide transportation to a church event. Even your house and the land you live on belongs to God, so something you can do is host a church event or have that person you might be trying to share the gospel with over for a meal. And of course, we can't forget money. If you have a few extra bucks, put those few extra bucks in the collection plate this coming Sunday as opposed to spending it on yourself.

The point of all this is that all our good gifts belong to God. How will you use your good gifts?

DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT! PRAY ABOUT IT! LOVE Y'ALL! GOD BLESS!

Tuesday, July 19, 2011

It's All About the Details...


"...just as Moses was warned by God when he was about to build the tabernacle; for 'See,' He says, 'that you make all things according to the pattern shown you on the mountain."--Hebrews 8:5.  Here we find the verse that makes the point that Christ was the pattern after which the high priests operated under the old law.  This verse states that Moses was warned to follow the pattern he was given when building the tabernacle.  God warned Moses to follow the pattern.  God warned Moses to follow the details.

Details.  Details are huge in our society today.  As a people, we are always after details.  Something happens, we want details.  You also have people who have an "eye for detail" in any given area.  In my own life, often times when I mess up on something, it is because I missed a detail.  Miscommunications happen because details are omitted.  And the list goes on and on.  I think we would all agree that details are important. Well something we need to recognize is that God cares about the details too.

Details.  Going back to the verse I gave above, Moses was warned to follow the pattern when building the tabernacle.  Consider the image above. I think we would agree that the image is drawn with precise attention to detail.  The image above might serve as a pattern for something else.  If you or I were to copy that image and draw it any differently than the original, we will have destroyed the pattern. Why? Because its all in the details.

Details.  As I said, we see from the passage given that is quoted from Exodus 25:40 that God cares about us following the pattern He gave us and what that means is that we follow the details.

Details.  So you are probably asking what is the point I am trying to make here? Well, the point I am trying to make is that in the Lord's church, we too have been given a pattern and that pattern is found in the pages of the New Testament.  That pattern includes the details of the pattern that needs to be followed.

Details.  Every detail of the pattern that is to be followed is given in the New Testament.

Details.  Are you looking for details in the pattern of salvation? See Scriptures such as John 3:16, Romans 10:17, Acts 2:38 and 1 Peter 3:18-21.

Details. Are you looking for details regarding how God expects to be worshipped and how the New Testament church worshipped? See Acts 20:7-11, Ephesians 5:19, Colossians 3:16-17 and 1 Corinthians 11:23-32 and 1 Corinthians 16:1-2 just to name a few.

Details.  Are you looking for details regarding what the Lord's church should look like? See 1 Timothy 3:1-16 and Titus 1:5-9.

Details.  The above examples are just a small handful of areas where God has plainly laid out the details.  Please bear with me but what we need to recognize is that what is happening today is that most of the people who believe in God and claim to be Christians are venturing further and further away from the pattern and contrary to what many think, God's expectations of His people are being left on the wayside and people are following what they think is the correct pattern regardless of what the Bible, GOD'S AUTHORITATIVE WORD, PATTERN AND DETAILS might say.  One detail about this happening can be found in 2 Timothy 4:3.

Details.  So it's all about the details. For tonight, my encouragement to you is this. If you have any questions whatsoever about the details in the areas I gave above or in any other area of what God expects according to His pattern, please study those areas out, ask questions.  If there is any way I can help you, please feel free to shoot me an email at davidmalleyg@gmail.com.

DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT! PRAY ABOUT IT! LOVE Y'ALL! GOD BLESS! AND REMEMBER IT'S ALL ABOUT THE DETAILS!