Reverence For God's Word

In today's church we get sermons that are 23-60 minutes long and people complain and murmur about the length. I was in one congregation that actually yelled out jokes at the preacher because he would go longer than the senior pastor did. And people laughed. The pastor laughed. Read this passage from Nehemiah.

Nehemiah 8:1-3
And all the people gathered as one man into the square before the Water Gate. And they told Ezra the scribe to bring the Book of the Law of Moses that the LORD had commanded Israel. So Ezra the priest brought the Law before the assembly, both men and women and all who could understand what they heard, on the first day of the seventh month. And he read from it facing the square before the Water Gate from early morning until midday, in the presence of the men and the women and those who could understand. And the ears of all the people were attentive to the Book of the Law.

Nehemiah didn't even preach. He read God's Word for about 5 hours straight. No one complained. No one left. No one sat down. No one got bored or fell asleep. This how much they revered God's Word. Look at what this did to their hearts.

Nehemiah 8:5-6
And Ezra opened the book in the sight of all the people, for he was above all the people, and as he opened it all the people stood. And Ezra blessed the LORD, the great God, and all the people answered, “Amen, Amen,” lifting up their hands. And they bowed their heads and worshiped the LORD with their faces to the ground.

When is the last time you saw this happen in church?

Look at how the day ends.

Nehemiah 8:9-12
And Nehemiah, who was the governor, and Ezra the priest and scribe, and the Levites who taught the people said to all the people, “This day is holy to the LORD your God; do not mourn or weep.” For all the people wept as they heard the words of the Law. Then he said to them, “Go your way. Eat the fat and drink sweet wine and send portions to anyone who has nothing ready, for this day is holy to our Lord. And do not be grieved, for the joy of the LORD is your strength.” So the Levites calmed all the people, saying, “Be quiet, for this day is holy; do not be grieved.” And all the people went their way to eat and drink and to send portions and to make great rejoicing, because they had understood the words that were declared to them.

This is what church ought to look like. we ought to come in and be overwhelmed by the power of God's Word and it ought to penetrate our hearts causing us to weep and worship. Then we should rise up and go celebrate the day in view of the greatness of our God and the power of His Word and then share what we have in honor of what we have been given.

Where’s the Peace?

There has been a lot made of the protests last weekend by the women and in general since Donald Trump took office, America appears to be in a decline of unity. As I have been mulling this over lately and praying about it the Holy Spirit brought a specific scripture to mind.

Matthew 10:34-36
 “Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. And a person’s enemies will be those of his own household.”

At this point one might find Jesus to be a little confused here. Has He forgot why He came? What happened to “peace on earth, good will to men”? Had He been late to His Sunday School class that covered Isaiah 9:6 saying “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”?

The answer is, of course, no. Jesus knows exactly why He came and He followed God’s will in completing the work His Father sent Him to do. The peace that Jesus came to bring was the peace we read of in Romans 5:1 which tells us who are His that “…since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” The peace Jesus brought was accomplished on the cross. It is the peace that comes to those who have been saved through faith in His finished work on the cross. Without Christ as our savior, we remain at war with God. And it is a war that we will lose if we choose to continue in our sinful rebellion against God’s righteous commands.

Look at what Jesus says in the verses following Matthew 10:36.

Matthew 10:37-39
“Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. And whoever does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.”

What Jesus was instructing us here was that we must be willing to take a stand and the entire teaching of the Bible is that we must stand for truth. He is saying we must set ourselves in opposition to the ways of the world. The sword? It is the Word of God.

The truth of this past election and the subsequent reaction of many is a display of fear. And what are they afraid of? They are afraid America might become a place where their sins will no longer be acceptable. Clearly the moral decline of our culture has not only allowed people to be free to live out these sins, but these sins have become celebrated. They are afraid that they might be faced with the truth. The truth that what man calls choice is what God calls sin. They are afraid that the lies they have convinced themselves of; abortion is a choice and it’s my body, sex has no boundaries, gender is up to us, will be exposed to their own wicked hearts. They are afraid because deep in their hearts they know these things are wrong. They are afraid of the sword true Christians carry. They are afraid of this verse because it cuts and it reveals the intentions of their hearts. They are afraid of being reminded that God sees and He will hold them accountable.

Hebrews 4:12-13
For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. And no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account.

Sadly, even the church has allowed the leaven to creep in. Many Christians live in the “I wouldn’t do it, but I have no right to judge what others do.” So, they sit back and remain quiet. Other Christians dive right into the world and look nothing like the Bible’s command to be holy and separate. The Bible address this.

Romans 1:32
Though they know God’s righteous decree that those who practice such things deserve to die, they not only do them but give approval to those who practice them.

Read all of Romans 1 if you don’t understand what things God’s righteous decree forbids.

Preach these words and you will not find peace in the world. But we are not called to say what people want to hear; we are called to speak the truth in love. If these things cause people to deserve to die for practicing them, can you honestly say it’s loving to not warn people? This is eternity we are speaking of here. And there are only two options; heaven or hell.

So yes, there is division in our country. There will be until Jesus returns. Jesus knew they would hate us if we stand by God’s righteous decrees. He calls us to be salt and light. Salt will burn when put into an open wound and light will expose many things. But in order to receive healing one must recognize the disease and then apply the necessary medicine. No one enjoys medicine. No one wants others to know their weaknesses and their sins. So yes, there will be opposition.

Jesus is coming soon. The first time? He came to offer salvation. The second time? Judgment. Read His word.

Christians stand firm. Don’t expect peace. Not from the world. You will only find it in Christ. Know that you must put on the full armor of God. Know that the sword you carry brings a great responsibility.

Those people marching? They are marching towards eternity. We must not let them march to the wrong eternity even if it means no earthly peace. This is our mission. As they said in that movie, we are on a mission, a mission from God. And we are at war.

God bless those who carry the Sword of God.

12 Facts of the Christian Faith Found In Genesis

I’ve been reading and studying the first book of the Bible, Genesis, this past couple of weeks now and this morning in the commentary I am using the author, Warren Wiersbe took a pause to sort of recap the first eleven chapters. Yesterday a fellow student of the Word of God has posted a statement referencing the purpose of the Old Testament to the modern Christian. The statement had validity for sure but it seemed to suggest there was only one purpose for why we still need the Old Testament. This is not true as God’s Word is not to be separated out in terms of old and new so that we think we don’t need the old. I always like to point out that every single person in the New Testament had and used only the Old Testament scriptures as they were used by God to begin and grow the Church, even Jesus. Jesus did a pretty good job of teaching and preaching from the OT scriptures. We must stop viewing the OT as a historical book of Israel and simply using it to memorize the names of the kings and the judges and use it as Jesus and the disciples did. The Gospel of Jesus is the entire point of God’s Word and the OT and the NT must be used in our work to fulfill the Great Commission as Jesus commands us to in Matthew 28:19-20 saying, “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.”

In Genesis chapter 11 Wiersbe reminds us of many of the basics of our faith. Here is a quick review of some of the salient points we should recognize that come right out of the beginning of God’s Word.

1. God Is

The Bible never seeks to prove the existence of God; it simply declares He is. Genesis 1:1 says “In the beginning, God…” The Bible says God is eternal, He was, He is, and He will be. The ramifications of this truth are many. We see in Genesis that God has unlimited power and all He must do is speak and things are created. Yet in spite of this all-powerful nature, God is a personal God who chose to create man so that we could have a personal relationship with Him.

2. We Live In His Creation

Genesis teaches us that, God created this entire universe and it is a beautiful creation filled with diversity of plants, animals, and even people. And God painted it all with colors, smells, and shapes and then He made man with the mind and facilities to enjoy it. Psalm 19:1 reminds us that “The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.”

3. God Made Us In His Image

The Book of Genesis reveals a lot about man. But if there is one lesson we must learn from this truth, maybe this is it; every person on this earth is made in His image and we will do well to look past the fallen effects of sin so that we can love each other as God has loved us.

4. Obedience Is Key

In the story of Adam and Eve we soon see that the effects of disobedience to God is what keeps us from enjoying the relationship with Him He intends us to have. Sin brings separation from God and the entire story of the Bible is the story of God’s plan to restore what was lost in the Garden of Eden.

5. Satan Is Real, But He Is Defeated

We are introduced to Satan in Genesis and we see that He is a real enemy. He seeks to deceive us and wants us to give him the devotion and worship God deserves from us. God gave us His Word and Satan from the very beginning has tempted us to doubt it. Satan’s question is this, “Has God really said?” Yes God really did say and if we want to live the best life possible then we must believe the truth of God’s Word. We must read and know God’s Word and we must let the Holy Spirit guide us into all truth. Guess what one part of that truth is? Jesus Christ has defeated Satan at Calvary and Satan has no power or authority over the Christian. We must claim the victory that is already been given us. Colossians 2:14-15 tells us “This he set aside, nailing it to the cross. He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him.” Jesus has overcome Satan and we, through Him, are free.

6. Sin Is Real But Hiding From God Is Not The Answer

Genesis reveals the truth of sin. Adam and Eve sinned and then tried to hide from God. But God didn’t quit loving them. Instead God made a covering for their nakedness. This my friends is a picture of Christ, who came and by His death on the cross, His shed blood will cover us and thus God sees us as righteous and this fulfills the just nature of God who will not be in the presence of sin. Pick up a copy of a book called The Cross Of Christ by John Stott if you would like to see the big picture of what Christ did and how God has made a way for sinners to be made new and whole.

7. Sex Was Designed By God

In Genesis we see that God made us male and female. In spite of man’s attempt to follow Satan, who says “Did God REALLY say?” we see that God made us male and female and it is not up to us to change that. Sin has marred us and unless we are seeking the absolute truth of God’s Word, which reveals His plan for how we are to live, we get confused. We have bought the lie of Satan in thinking our feelings are what should direct our paths. No, God’s word should. Psalm 119:105, “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” Follow God’s Word not your feelings.

8. We Are All Of One Blood

Oh how we need to live by this truth. Genesis reveals we all derived out of one race. Again our sin has led us to think we are better (or for some – worse) than others.

9. Israel Is God’s Chosen People

To hate the Jews is to hate God’s sovereign right to use His creation for His purposes. Israel has a special place in God’s government. Through them the Church, God’s other chosen people, would find salvation. The Words of Jesus from John 4:22, “You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews.”

10. God Does Not Change and He Is In Control

Another fact we Americans need to take hold of. God is sovereign and no election changes that. Genesis and the entire rest of scripture teaches us that God has given us a will and yet in a mystery we cannot fathom with our human minds which are tainted by sin, His will is going to be accomplished in spite of our rebellious attempts to “do our own thing.” We will do well to stop trying to explain this and simply live by faith.

11. Faith Is The Basis Of Our Relationship To God.

Hebrews 11:6 is clear saying that “without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.” Genesis and the rest of the OT is the story of men who either lived by faith or lived without faith. As you read the OT look for the results of living by faith as compared to what happens when men chose not to.

12. Living For God Is The Best Way

The Bible when read and understood reveals a simple set of truths; faith and obedience are what bring us a fulfilled life free of worry, anxiety, and fear. This does not mean you get everything you want nor does it mean there will not be suffering and troubles. It means you can have peace, peace that transcends understanding, even in the middle of the storms.

Read God’s Word. A good place to start is Genesis for it is the beginning of us. It truly is our story. Make it yours. Let it be your path to a life that glorifies God for in the beginning God created the heavens and the earth and He put you in it. You are His. Live that way.

Choosing the Right Mirror – God’s Word

The Word of God is our mirror. As Christians we must look into it as the Bereans did. The world wants us to see things from the wrong perspective. The mirror they want us to look into is a trick mirror and will only lead to death and sorrow. That is the problem with this whole LGBT thing. It is the problem with the whole pornagraphy thing and the selling of sex in our world. That is why we allow the business of killing our babies through legalized abortion. This is why we have this terrible tragedy of moral decline in our country.

James 1:22-25
But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing.

Christians, the standard for living is found in God's Word. Look into it to see how you stand up to God's holiness. Judge the things of the world by it as opposed to letting the world dictate what is right and wrong. Satan is the "prince of the power of the air" and he is leading the sons of disobedience.

I leave you with a message from God's Word. Be blessed by it, in it, and live for it.

Ephesians 2:1-10
And you were dead in your trespasses and sins, in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience. Among them we too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest. But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.