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THANK YOU FATHER! YOU NEVER FORGET!
Alzheimer’s disease is the 6th
leading cause of death in the United States. More people die from Alzheimer’s
than breast cancer and prostate cancer combined. More than 5 million American’s
currently live with Alzheimer’s. Every 67 seconds someone in the United States
develops the disease. 1 in 3 aging adults die with Alzheimer’s or another
dementia. Women are at the epicenter of the Alzheimer’s epidemic. Almost 2/3 of
Americans with Alzheimer’s disease are women. Women in their 60’s are about 2
times more likely to develop Alzheimer’s over the rest of their lives than
breast cancer. More than 60% of Alzheimer’s & dementia caregivers are
women. 15 million people provide around-the-clock support for these
individuals.
- Alzheimer's Association, 2013
If these statistics are not despairing enough, the disease is affecting more and more younger people. Symptoms can be seen in people as early as 30 years of age. It has no racial, cultural or vocational boundaries. Pastors, professors, doctors, and every other walk of life have been effected with Alzheimer’s or dementia. We do not usually think about these things, but I think it is good to prepare ourselves for disease and death. Knowing what we think and knowing what we think we will do is very helpful in planning for old age.
First, the Israelite’s were slaves
of Egypt and Moses was God’s chosen leader to rescue them and lead them out of
that country. Moses, meeting God for the first time, wasn’t sure of himself and
wasn’t sure about who this God is. Moses boldly asks, “Who shall I say sent
me?” In which God responded, “Tell them I AM sent you” (Exodus 3:13-14). “I Am” is a present
tense verb. God is a present action, a present help in time of need. God wasn’t
just Moses’ Great I AM. He is yours and mine as well. He promises to go with
you to the uttermost parts of the earth (Matthew 28). He promises to walk with
you through the “Valley of Death: (Psalm 23).
Second, in Psalm
139:1-12 the Psalmist says, “O Lord, you have searched me and known me! You know when
I sit down and when I rise up. You discern my thoughts from afar. You search
out my path and my lying down and are acquainted with all my ways. Even before
a word is on my tongue, behold, O Lord, you know
it altogether. You hem me in, behind and before, and lay your hand upon me.
Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high; I cannot attain it. Where shall I go from your Spirit? Or where shall I flee
from your presence? If I ascend to heaven, you are there! If I make my bed in
Sheol, you are there! If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the
uttermost parts of the sea, even there your hand shall lead me, and your right
hand shall hold me. If I say, ‘Surely the darkness shall cover me, and the light
about me be night,’ even the darkness is not dark to you; the night is bright
as the day, for darkness is as light with you.” God can be found in every
situation and circumstance. God can be found in any place no matter how dark
the experience may be.
Third,
God suggests that He sticks closer to you then a mother. “Can
a woman forget her nursing child, that she should have no compassion on
the son of her womb? Even these may forget, yet I will not forget you” (Isaiah
49:15). Can a mother forget her children?
They are not supposed to but Alzheimer’s many times robs a mother of these
memories. But not God, it is impossible for God to forget you or your mother!
Remember, it is easy many times to accept God as Creator. It is equally as easy
to accept Jesus as the God of Heaven and we hope to see him some day. But it is
hardest to believe God is the “Great I AM”. It is hard to believe that God is
walking with you in your current situation, but Scriptures undeniably says otherwise.
Trust God in your circumstances!!
To
trust God in your circumstances; you have to believe God is perfect and good.
Can a perfect God do anything that is not 100% perfect? The religious person
who refuses to accuse God of any wrong doing would suggest He cannot do
anything but what is 100% perfect, but what about this seemingly imperfect
world? If this world doesn’t seem to be perfect to you, and you believe God
cannot create or do anything imperfect, then the only alternative is THIS IS
THE MOST PERFECT WAY TO THE MOST PERFECT PLACE!!
God “subjected
the world to futility in hope” (Romans 8:20), God warned us about the perilous
times ahead (Matthew 10:16-25; 24), Paul said “if you live a Godly life then
you will be persecuted” (2Timothy 2:12), James said to “consider it all joy
when you fall into various trials” (James 1:2), John said in this world “you
will have tribulation; but be of good cheer” (John 16:33), and Peter said,
“don’t be surprised when you are going through fiery trials and don’t accept
persecution as strange fire [or strange worship]”. In fact, Jesus “learned
obedience by what He suffered” (Hebrews 5:8) and if Jesus learned obedience by
what He suffered, then, you should rest assured that you will learn obedience
the same way. I know no other way to get through God’s perfect way to His
perfect place than, to embrace every trying circumstance as a chance to obey in
heartfelt worship to God for allowing you to suffer as Jesus suffered.
In a ministry to the aging you will see the grace of God in families as
they face life’s tragedies with holy boldness. Just as the Disciples wondered upon seeing a man blind from birth, “Rabbi, who sinned,
this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” Jesus
answered, “It was not that this man sinned, or his parents,
but that the works of God might be displayed in him.” And what is a work of God
but to believe in him (John 6:29). Within life’s tragedies we see families
believing, trusting, praying, and worshipping. We witness God at work in the
lowest and perhaps loneliest time of a family’s life.
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Sunday, June 22, 2014
The God Who Never Forgets
Tuesday, January 7, 2014
Sovereign Election - How the Bible Speaks!
The key to understanding election is by holding the definition of God's Sovereignty in the back of your mind. It would be helpful to go back and read my latest blog on "God's Sovereignty and End of Life Struggles". The two most important ideas to remember concerning God's Sovereignty is God is the first cause and yet He is an uncaused cause. What this means is because God is an uncaused cause then nobody caused Him which means God answers to no higher authority. The fact that God is the first cause that caused all other things then He is above all of His creation and has no need of learning from or seeking wisdom or counsel from anyone. Therefore God does as He pleases and nobody gives God counsel or deters His plans.
The next logical question is to answer the Biblical terms of election, foreknowledge and choice. Nobody seems to care about how God made trees or animals. The biggest concern for man is how did God make man and how does He go about choosing them. Therefore I want to deal directly with God's salvation and how He determined to elect or chose people for salvation. How does the bible define election and foreknowledge?
Election is defined as "God Sovereignly choosing those who would become recipients of God's Heavenly blessing". God has created and given all mankind all that He has created. However the Bible teaches that we have sinned and therefore are now under God's justice and must pay the penalty of our sin. But in God's grace, mercy and love He planned to send His Son Jesus Christ to the world to pour out His wrath upon His Son Jesus Christ in our place so that through simply receiving these truth claims we will receive from God not just the world in which we live but a redeemed world that God will remake and we will live eternally with Him in peace and harmony. The most debated and discussed doctrine in all of the Bible is this moment in history where man is saved by an agreement or decision to believe and know Jesus Christ as the Author of salvation. God uses several terms to define this election and by studying how God uses these terms will help us in understanding how the Bible speaks or how God speaks about Himself concerning His election.
The terms used by God to define His election are choose, elect, appoint, ordain, foreknow, foreordain, predestined, purposed, and prepared before hand.
Deut 4:37 “Because he loved your forefathers and chose their descendants after them.”
Deut 7:6-7 “The Lord your God has chosen you out of all the peoples on the face of the earth to be his people, his treasured possession. The Lord did not set his affection on you and choose you because you were more numerous.”
2 Thess 2:13
“from the beginning God chose you to be saved through the sanctifying work of the Spirit and through belief in the truth”
Eph 1:4 “For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight.”
1 Thess 1:4 “we know that he has chosen you” (ASV, “knowing your election”)
1 Pet 1:1 “Peter, . . . to God’s elect”
Acts 13:48 “When the Gentiles heard this, they were glad and honored the word of the Lord; and all who were appointed for eternal life believed.”
Rom 8:29 “For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son.”
Rom 11:2 “God did not reject his people, whom he foreknew.”
1 Pet 1:1-2 “To God’s elect, . . . who have been chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father”
Rom 8:29-30 “For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son. . . . And those he predestined, he also called”
Eph 1:5 “In love he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance to his pleasure and will”
Eph 1:11 “In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will”
Eph 1:9 “. . . the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ”
Rom 9:23 “the objects of his mercy, whom he prepared in advance for glory”
Eph 2:10 “For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”
These verses speak of God's Sovereignty in that God speaks as the one who is in authority. God does not speak as though He is receiving counsel from another. God is not speaking as though there is someone above Him dictating what He must say and do. No, He speaks as though He is speaking from His own authority on the issue. These verses also speak as though He has not received or learned anything from human history. God is the great architect and He has written His blueprint and we are seeing His plan being erected or established. He elects solely on the purpose and pleasure of His Will. He does not find pleasure in our will. He finds pleasure in His will.
The verses that speak on human will leaves no room for man's will to change God's predetermined decision. Redemptive history is solely God's idea and He is the great architect and builder of this plan. When He speaks of choosing someone it is as if the choice has already been made.
He saves those with a precondition: His People.
Matt 1:21 “he will save his people from their sins”
John 17:2 “that he might give eternal life to all those you have given him”
Acts 18:10 “For I am with you, and no one is going to attack and harm you, because I have many people in this city [Corinth].”
Eph 1:11 “the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will”
Not the will of man:
John 1:13 “children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God”
Rom 9:16 “It does not, therefore, depend on man’s desire or effort, but on God’s mercy.”
Not the works of man:
Rom 9:11, 16, “Yet, before the twins were born or had done anything good or bad—in order that God’s purpose in election might stand . . . It does not, therefore, depend on man’s desire or effort, but on God’s mercy.”
Rom 11:5-6 “So too, at the present time there is a remnant chosen by grace. And if by grace, then it is no longer by works; if it were, grace would no longer be grace.”
2 Tim 1:9 “who has saved us and called us to a holy life—not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace”
Man Cannot:
Romans 8:7 "For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God’s law; indeed, it cannot."
John 6:44 "No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him; and I will raise him up at the last day."
God speaks to every issue as the Sovereign God of the universe. He speaks as though nobody is above Him and He speaks as though He has consulted nobody. He is not learning from history or deciding in response to another's actions. No, He is choosing and determining in accordance with who He is - the Sovereign God of the universe.
This is extremely encouraging because God does as He wishes and we should not pray with anything less than the Sovereignty of God in our minds. God has full authority to do anything in the universe He wishes and when He determines to do something it is set in stone forever. The reason that we are saved eternally is we receive everlasting life. The moment one believes He is saved for all eternity. Our hope is not in a prayer card or a prayer. Our hope is in God's Sovereignty. "If He began a good work in you then HE WILL carry it through to completion" (Phil. 1:6). Your salvation this morning or any morning does not depend on your ability to continue to believe but on God's ability to continue to save. When we pray for the lost we need to pray for God to save. Pray that God will intervene and interrupt their desires and will. If God does not draw them away from the direction they are heading they will continue in that direction to their destruction. Our only hope is God and His Sovereignty. There is not one person that God is not able to save. He can save as many as He chooses. Pray for God to save.
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Works Sited:
1.) http://wrs.edu/Materials_for_Web_Site/Courses/Theology_3/Chapter_8--Foreknowledge_and_Election.pdf
2.) http://scripturetruths5.tripod.com/pande.html
The next logical question is to answer the Biblical terms of election, foreknowledge and choice. Nobody seems to care about how God made trees or animals. The biggest concern for man is how did God make man and how does He go about choosing them. Therefore I want to deal directly with God's salvation and how He determined to elect or chose people for salvation. How does the bible define election and foreknowledge?
Election is defined as "God Sovereignly choosing those who would become recipients of God's Heavenly blessing". God has created and given all mankind all that He has created. However the Bible teaches that we have sinned and therefore are now under God's justice and must pay the penalty of our sin. But in God's grace, mercy and love He planned to send His Son Jesus Christ to the world to pour out His wrath upon His Son Jesus Christ in our place so that through simply receiving these truth claims we will receive from God not just the world in which we live but a redeemed world that God will remake and we will live eternally with Him in peace and harmony. The most debated and discussed doctrine in all of the Bible is this moment in history where man is saved by an agreement or decision to believe and know Jesus Christ as the Author of salvation. God uses several terms to define this election and by studying how God uses these terms will help us in understanding how the Bible speaks or how God speaks about Himself concerning His election.
The terms used by God to define His election are choose, elect, appoint, ordain, foreknow, foreordain, predestined, purposed, and prepared before hand.
Deut 4:37 “Because he loved your forefathers and chose their descendants after them.”
Deut 7:6-7 “The Lord your God has chosen you out of all the peoples on the face of the earth to be his people, his treasured possession. The Lord did not set his affection on you and choose you because you were more numerous.”
2 Thess 2:13
“from the beginning God chose you to be saved through the sanctifying work of the Spirit and through belief in the truth”
Eph 1:4 “For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight.”
1 Thess 1:4 “we know that he has chosen you” (ASV, “knowing your election”)
1 Pet 1:1 “Peter, . . . to God’s elect”
Acts 13:48 “When the Gentiles heard this, they were glad and honored the word of the Lord; and all who were appointed for eternal life believed.”
Rom 8:29 “For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son.”
Rom 11:2 “God did not reject his people, whom he foreknew.”
1 Pet 1:1-2 “To God’s elect, . . . who have been chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father”
Rom 8:29-30 “For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son. . . . And those he predestined, he also called”
Eph 1:5 “In love he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance to his pleasure and will”
Eph 1:11 “In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will”
Eph 1:9 “. . . the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ”
Rom 9:23 “the objects of his mercy, whom he prepared in advance for glory”
Eph 2:10 “For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”
These verses speak of God's Sovereignty in that God speaks as the one who is in authority. God does not speak as though He is receiving counsel from another. God is not speaking as though there is someone above Him dictating what He must say and do. No, He speaks as though He is speaking from His own authority on the issue. These verses also speak as though He has not received or learned anything from human history. God is the great architect and He has written His blueprint and we are seeing His plan being erected or established. He elects solely on the purpose and pleasure of His Will. He does not find pleasure in our will. He finds pleasure in His will.
The verses that speak on human will leaves no room for man's will to change God's predetermined decision. Redemptive history is solely God's idea and He is the great architect and builder of this plan. When He speaks of choosing someone it is as if the choice has already been made.
He saves those with a precondition: His People.
Matt 1:21 “he will save his people from their sins”
John 17:2 “that he might give eternal life to all those you have given him”
Acts 18:10 “For I am with you, and no one is going to attack and harm you, because I have many people in this city [Corinth].”
Eph 1:11 “the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will”
Not the will of man:
John 1:13 “children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God”
Rom 9:16 “It does not, therefore, depend on man’s desire or effort, but on God’s mercy.”
Not the works of man:
Rom 9:11, 16, “Yet, before the twins were born or had done anything good or bad—in order that God’s purpose in election might stand . . . It does not, therefore, depend on man’s desire or effort, but on God’s mercy.”
Rom 11:5-6 “So too, at the present time there is a remnant chosen by grace. And if by grace, then it is no longer by works; if it were, grace would no longer be grace.”
2 Tim 1:9 “who has saved us and called us to a holy life—not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace”
Man Cannot:
Romans 8:7 "For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God’s law; indeed, it cannot."
John 6:44 "No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him; and I will raise him up at the last day."
God speaks to every issue as the Sovereign God of the universe. He speaks as though nobody is above Him and He speaks as though He has consulted nobody. He is not learning from history or deciding in response to another's actions. No, He is choosing and determining in accordance with who He is - the Sovereign God of the universe.
This is extremely encouraging because God does as He wishes and we should not pray with anything less than the Sovereignty of God in our minds. God has full authority to do anything in the universe He wishes and when He determines to do something it is set in stone forever. The reason that we are saved eternally is we receive everlasting life. The moment one believes He is saved for all eternity. Our hope is not in a prayer card or a prayer. Our hope is in God's Sovereignty. "If He began a good work in you then HE WILL carry it through to completion" (Phil. 1:6). Your salvation this morning or any morning does not depend on your ability to continue to believe but on God's ability to continue to save. When we pray for the lost we need to pray for God to save. Pray that God will intervene and interrupt their desires and will. If God does not draw them away from the direction they are heading they will continue in that direction to their destruction. Our only hope is God and His Sovereignty. There is not one person that God is not able to save. He can save as many as He chooses. Pray for God to save.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Works Sited:
1.) http://wrs.edu/Materials_for_Web_Site/Courses/Theology_3/Chapter_8--Foreknowledge_and_Election.pdf
2.) http://scripturetruths5.tripod.com/pande.html
Thursday, January 2, 2014
The Sovereignty of God and End of Life Struggles
A Pastor once said "The most idolatrous hour of the American week is Sunday morning." The reason is most of us have created an image of God in our minds that we concocted rather than accepting the way God revealed Himself in Scriptures. In fact I write this before I get started because many reading this blog will not like some of the verses I will be quoting. God says some things about Himself that is hard for the human mind to grasp. However I encourage you to keep reading to the end of the blog because I think God reveals Himself not for fatalism but for our encouragement. In the end I will show you how the Sovereignty of God is an encouragement to every person in every situation.
A.W. Pink in his book titled "The Sovereignty of God" he says the following:
"The sovereignty of God. What do we mean by this expression? We mean the supremacy of God, the kingship of God, the godhood of God. To say that God is sovereign is to declare that God is God. To say that God is sovereign is to declare that He is the Most High, doing according to His will in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth, so that none can stay His hand or say unto Him what doest Thou? (Dan. 4:35). To say that God is sovereign is to declare that He is the Almighty, the Possessor of all power in heaven and earth, so that none can defeat His counsels, thwart His purpose, or resist His will (Ps. 115:3). To say that God is sovereign is to declare that He is "The Governor among the nations" (Ps. 22:28), setting up kingdoms, overthrowing empires, and determining the course of dynasties as pleaseth Him best. To say that God is sovereign is to declare that He is the "Only Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of lords" (1 Tim. 6:15). Such is the God of the Bible."
There are two important aspects of God's Sovereignty. First, God is the first cause of all other things and He is an uncaused cause. This means that everyone and everything traces his/her cause back to the Source and Origin of their existence and everyone originates from God. Therefore God is the Supreme cause of all things and nobody caused Him. This means that God is self existing and nobody caused God. God is infinite and eternal and nobody is above Him. Therefore God freely does what He wishes with nobody above Him to consult or dictate what He can or cannot do. Secondly, since God is self existing and the cause of everything else He is all powerful and all wise. Therefore He never has to lower Himself to less wise humans to ask them what He should do. Neither does God have to wait for or ask humans anything to gain knowledge in making any decision. God is not waiting to see what we do so He knows what to do, neither is there any corridors of history to look down to make the decision of election. God chooses, determines, elects, and ordains according to His Sovereignty.
2 Chronicles 20:6
“O Lord God of our fathers, are You not God in heaven, and do You not rule over all the kingdoms of the nations, and in Your hand is there not power and might, so that no one is able to withstand You?"
God's Sovereignty actively ordains everything. Deuteronomy 32:9 reveals to what extent He Sovereignly rules all things. "‘Now see that I, even I, am He, And there is no God besides Me; I kill and I make alive; I wound and I heal; Nor is there any who can deliver from My hand." God is the source of life, life originates from Him and life depends on God sustaining it therefore when God ceases to sustain life death occurs.
1Samuel 2:6-8
“The Lord kills and makes alive; He brings down to the grave and brings up. The Lord makes poor and makes rich; He brings low and lifts up. He raises the poor from the dust And lifts the beggar from the ash heap, To set them among princes And make them inherit the throne of glory."
Remember this revelation is for your encouragement not your fatalism. God doesn't want you to think this is God's Sovereign plan for my life so I have to just learn to deal with it... that's not much encouragement and God's Word is to edify us and encourage us. Let's look at several more examples of the extent of God's Sovereignty and then I will show you how this becomes encouragement.
God's Sovereignty includes matters of "chance". I place chance in quotations because with God's Sovereignty there really isn't any fate, chance, good or bad luck just GOD and His Sovereign will. Proverbs 16:33 "The lot is cast into the lap, But its every decision is from the Lord". Take Proverbs 16:33 with 1 Samuel 2:6-8 and you see a remarkable truth. Proverb 16 speaks of "casting lots". If you remember the soldiers cast lots at the foot of the cross to see who would get Jesus' clothing. Today we would say, dice are cast into the lap and every decision is from the Lord. If God makes rich and makes poor and the dice are cast and the decision is the Lord's then we see how Sovereign God is in delegating who is wealthy and who is poor. We can also now see the responsibility the rich have to help the poor. The riches are not yours. They are to be used for God's purposes. Where much is given much is required! (Luke 12:48)
God's Sovereignty includes the actions of wicked men. I just finished a two year study of the Book of Genesis and the last study was a study of the Life of Joseph. At the end of Joseph's life and the end of the Book of Genesis Joseph is encouraging and comforting his brothers. They were concerned about Joseph's revenge after his father passed away. Joseph tells his brothers do not be concerned because "what you meant for evil God meant for good" (Genesis 50:20). When the brothers placed Joseph in the pit they meant it for evil but God meant it for good. When the brothers sold Joseph into slavery they meant it for evil but God meant it for good. Therefore the wicked and God have the same intent but they do not share the same motivation. God is motivated to goodness while the brothers motivation was evil.
God's Sovereignty includes the actions of evil spirits. 1Samuel 16:14-16 " But the Spirit of the Lord departed from Saul, and a distressing spirit from the Lord troubled him. And Saul’s servants said to him, “Surely, a distressing spirit from God is troubling you. Let our master now command your servants, who are before you, to seek out a man who is a skillful player on the harp. And it shall be that he will play it with his hand when the distressing spirit from God is upon you, and you shall be well.”
Most people think there are two Sovereigns in Heaven God and the Devil. Spiritual Warfare is the war between God and Satan and we are hoping good wins out. The reality is God is the Source and Origin of all things. Satan is Lucifer the most beautiful, majestic, and glorious angel God created. Therefore, God is the only Sovereign and Satan was created and is sustained by God Himself. The life of God gives life to Satan. If God wanted to put an end to Satan then He could stop sustaining him. God Sovereignly uses the evil spirits to do His will.
God's Sovereignty also includes the good actions of men. John 15:16 "You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit..." Ephesians 2:10 " For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them." Philippians 2:12-13 " Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure."
God's Sovereignty includes the actions of good angels. Psalms 103:20 "Bless the Lord, you His angels, Who excel in strength, who do His word, Heeding the voice of His word." Psalms 104:4 "Who makes His angels spirits, His ministers a flame of fire." It makes perfectly good sense that if God Sovereignly controls the actions of wicked Angels that He also controls the actions of good Angels".
God's Sovereignty includes the actions of animals as well. The most popular story in the Bible is Daniel and the Lion's den. God closed the mouths of the Lions so they would not harm Daniel (Daniel 6:22). God's Sovereignty includes all aspects of His creation (Psalms 104).
In conclusion I want to mention two important points. On the one hand the Bible tells us not to question God's Sovereignty. Job 33:12-13 "“Look, in this you are not righteous. I will answer you, For God is greater than man. Why do you contend with Him? For He does not give an accounting of any of His words." Remember God does not have to consult anyone above Him and He does not seek knowledge or wisdom from those less wise than He. We do not advice God or tell Him what He can or cannot do (see also, Romans 9:19-24).
On the other hand God's Word is for edification, comfort and encouragement so how does God's Sovereignty encourage and comfort us. I believe you have to take into consideration God's Omniscience and Omnipresence along with His Sovereign Omnipotence. Remember everything you've read about God's Sovereignty and then consider his Omniscience and Omnipresence.
Psalms 139:7-12
"Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence? If I ascend into heaven, You are there; If I make my bed in hell, behold, You are there. If I take the wings of the morning, And dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, Even there Your hand shall lead me, And Your right hand shall hold me. If I say, “Surely the darkness shall fall on me,” Even the night shall be light about me; Indeed, the darkness shall not hide from You, But the night shines as the day; The darkness and the light are both alike to You."
God can be found in any given situation!! God is Omnipotent. He is Sovereign over all areas of life. He is Omniscience: Wise beyond measure. He is Omnipresent in every and all situations. Therefore, Isaiah 55:6 "Seek the Lord while He may be found, Call upon Him while He is near." Psalm 32:6 "For this cause everyone who is godly shall pray to You In a time when You may be found..."
If God is Sovereign and He wounds and heals then when you are wounded... where does your help come from? If He made you poor then who will lift you out? Where does your help come from? Where will you turn if you turn from God? Listen God sustains life, determined your days (Job 14:5), and it is appointed that all men die once and then face the judgment (Hebrews 9:27). But do not forget that God walks with you through the shadow of death (Psalm 23:4).
The most encouraging thing about end of life struggles is God is measuring out your situation by His wisdom, sovereignty and authority. He is present in your struggles and walking with you. He can be seen and found in your situation. The end of life is not a time to be bitter and resentful. It is a time to draw near to God!! Look for God's hand of Sovereignty in every aspect of your circumstance.
A.W. Pink in his book titled "The Sovereignty of God" he says the following:
"The sovereignty of God. What do we mean by this expression? We mean the supremacy of God, the kingship of God, the godhood of God. To say that God is sovereign is to declare that God is God. To say that God is sovereign is to declare that He is the Most High, doing according to His will in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth, so that none can stay His hand or say unto Him what doest Thou? (Dan. 4:35). To say that God is sovereign is to declare that He is the Almighty, the Possessor of all power in heaven and earth, so that none can defeat His counsels, thwart His purpose, or resist His will (Ps. 115:3). To say that God is sovereign is to declare that He is "The Governor among the nations" (Ps. 22:28), setting up kingdoms, overthrowing empires, and determining the course of dynasties as pleaseth Him best. To say that God is sovereign is to declare that He is the "Only Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of lords" (1 Tim. 6:15). Such is the God of the Bible."
There are two important aspects of God's Sovereignty. First, God is the first cause of all other things and He is an uncaused cause. This means that everyone and everything traces his/her cause back to the Source and Origin of their existence and everyone originates from God. Therefore God is the Supreme cause of all things and nobody caused Him. This means that God is self existing and nobody caused God. God is infinite and eternal and nobody is above Him. Therefore God freely does what He wishes with nobody above Him to consult or dictate what He can or cannot do. Secondly, since God is self existing and the cause of everything else He is all powerful and all wise. Therefore He never has to lower Himself to less wise humans to ask them what He should do. Neither does God have to wait for or ask humans anything to gain knowledge in making any decision. God is not waiting to see what we do so He knows what to do, neither is there any corridors of history to look down to make the decision of election. God chooses, determines, elects, and ordains according to His Sovereignty.
2 Chronicles 20:6
“O Lord God of our fathers, are You not God in heaven, and do You not rule over all the kingdoms of the nations, and in Your hand is there not power and might, so that no one is able to withstand You?"
God's Sovereignty actively ordains everything. Deuteronomy 32:9 reveals to what extent He Sovereignly rules all things. "‘Now see that I, even I, am He, And there is no God besides Me; I kill and I make alive; I wound and I heal; Nor is there any who can deliver from My hand." God is the source of life, life originates from Him and life depends on God sustaining it therefore when God ceases to sustain life death occurs.
1Samuel 2:6-8
“The Lord kills and makes alive; He brings down to the grave and brings up. The Lord makes poor and makes rich; He brings low and lifts up. He raises the poor from the dust And lifts the beggar from the ash heap, To set them among princes And make them inherit the throne of glory."
Remember this revelation is for your encouragement not your fatalism. God doesn't want you to think this is God's Sovereign plan for my life so I have to just learn to deal with it... that's not much encouragement and God's Word is to edify us and encourage us. Let's look at several more examples of the extent of God's Sovereignty and then I will show you how this becomes encouragement.
God's Sovereignty includes matters of "chance". I place chance in quotations because with God's Sovereignty there really isn't any fate, chance, good or bad luck just GOD and His Sovereign will. Proverbs 16:33 "The lot is cast into the lap, But its every decision is from the Lord". Take Proverbs 16:33 with 1 Samuel 2:6-8 and you see a remarkable truth. Proverb 16 speaks of "casting lots". If you remember the soldiers cast lots at the foot of the cross to see who would get Jesus' clothing. Today we would say, dice are cast into the lap and every decision is from the Lord. If God makes rich and makes poor and the dice are cast and the decision is the Lord's then we see how Sovereign God is in delegating who is wealthy and who is poor. We can also now see the responsibility the rich have to help the poor. The riches are not yours. They are to be used for God's purposes. Where much is given much is required! (Luke 12:48)
God's Sovereignty includes the actions of wicked men. I just finished a two year study of the Book of Genesis and the last study was a study of the Life of Joseph. At the end of Joseph's life and the end of the Book of Genesis Joseph is encouraging and comforting his brothers. They were concerned about Joseph's revenge after his father passed away. Joseph tells his brothers do not be concerned because "what you meant for evil God meant for good" (Genesis 50:20). When the brothers placed Joseph in the pit they meant it for evil but God meant it for good. When the brothers sold Joseph into slavery they meant it for evil but God meant it for good. Therefore the wicked and God have the same intent but they do not share the same motivation. God is motivated to goodness while the brothers motivation was evil.
God's Sovereignty includes the actions of evil spirits. 1Samuel 16:14-16 " But the Spirit of the Lord departed from Saul, and a distressing spirit from the Lord troubled him. And Saul’s servants said to him, “Surely, a distressing spirit from God is troubling you. Let our master now command your servants, who are before you, to seek out a man who is a skillful player on the harp. And it shall be that he will play it with his hand when the distressing spirit from God is upon you, and you shall be well.”
Most people think there are two Sovereigns in Heaven God and the Devil. Spiritual Warfare is the war between God and Satan and we are hoping good wins out. The reality is God is the Source and Origin of all things. Satan is Lucifer the most beautiful, majestic, and glorious angel God created. Therefore, God is the only Sovereign and Satan was created and is sustained by God Himself. The life of God gives life to Satan. If God wanted to put an end to Satan then He could stop sustaining him. God Sovereignly uses the evil spirits to do His will.
God's Sovereignty also includes the good actions of men. John 15:16 "You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit..." Ephesians 2:10 " For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them." Philippians 2:12-13 " Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure."
God's Sovereignty includes the actions of good angels. Psalms 103:20 "Bless the Lord, you His angels, Who excel in strength, who do His word, Heeding the voice of His word." Psalms 104:4 "Who makes His angels spirits, His ministers a flame of fire." It makes perfectly good sense that if God Sovereignly controls the actions of wicked Angels that He also controls the actions of good Angels".
God's Sovereignty includes the actions of animals as well. The most popular story in the Bible is Daniel and the Lion's den. God closed the mouths of the Lions so they would not harm Daniel (Daniel 6:22). God's Sovereignty includes all aspects of His creation (Psalms 104).
In conclusion I want to mention two important points. On the one hand the Bible tells us not to question God's Sovereignty. Job 33:12-13 "“Look, in this you are not righteous. I will answer you, For God is greater than man. Why do you contend with Him? For He does not give an accounting of any of His words." Remember God does not have to consult anyone above Him and He does not seek knowledge or wisdom from those less wise than He. We do not advice God or tell Him what He can or cannot do (see also, Romans 9:19-24).
On the other hand God's Word is for edification, comfort and encouragement so how does God's Sovereignty encourage and comfort us. I believe you have to take into consideration God's Omniscience and Omnipresence along with His Sovereign Omnipotence. Remember everything you've read about God's Sovereignty and then consider his Omniscience and Omnipresence.
Psalms 139:7-12
"Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence? If I ascend into heaven, You are there; If I make my bed in hell, behold, You are there. If I take the wings of the morning, And dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, Even there Your hand shall lead me, And Your right hand shall hold me. If I say, “Surely the darkness shall fall on me,” Even the night shall be light about me; Indeed, the darkness shall not hide from You, But the night shines as the day; The darkness and the light are both alike to You."
God can be found in any given situation!! God is Omnipotent. He is Sovereign over all areas of life. He is Omniscience: Wise beyond measure. He is Omnipresent in every and all situations. Therefore, Isaiah 55:6 "Seek the Lord while He may be found, Call upon Him while He is near." Psalm 32:6 "For this cause everyone who is godly shall pray to You In a time when You may be found..."
If God is Sovereign and He wounds and heals then when you are wounded... where does your help come from? If He made you poor then who will lift you out? Where does your help come from? Where will you turn if you turn from God? Listen God sustains life, determined your days (Job 14:5), and it is appointed that all men die once and then face the judgment (Hebrews 9:27). But do not forget that God walks with you through the shadow of death (Psalm 23:4).
The most encouraging thing about end of life struggles is God is measuring out your situation by His wisdom, sovereignty and authority. He is present in your struggles and walking with you. He can be seen and found in your situation. The end of life is not a time to be bitter and resentful. It is a time to draw near to God!! Look for God's hand of Sovereignty in every aspect of your circumstance.
Thursday, September 26, 2013
The Stages of a Dream
Abraham and Joseph are examples of what I want to call "The Stages of a Dream" or "The Stages of a Vision". It seems in both Abraham's life and in Joseph's life they experienced the same stages. The four stages are:
1.) The Birth of a Dream.
2.) The Life of a Dream.
3.) The Death of a Dream.
4.) The Resurrection of a Dream.
Now in these stages we see the Life of Jesus Christ. We see the birth, life, death and resurrection of our Lord and we can see this in each stage of Abraham's vision and in Joseph's dream. The first stage is the Birth of the Dream. Abraham and Joseph experienced this birth when God came to them sovereignly and providentially to tell them what He would do in and through their lives. In Abraham's case we see the Abrahamic Covenant in Genesis 12:1-3. In Joseph's case we see his boyhood dream in Genesis 37.
The second stage is the Life of a Dream. God gives life to the dream as we walk obediently to His vision or dream. In Abraham's case he leaves his family and moves to Canaan. He was being led by God. It seemed everything was going right. In Joseph's case we can get a clearer picture because Joseph follows the Lord and becomes the 2nd in command at home as Jacob places him in charge of his possession and brothers in Genesis 37-38. He is 2nd in command in Potiphar's house in Genesis 38-40. Joseph was 2nd in command in prison under the prison guard in Genesis 40-41. And in the end Joseph becomes 2nd in command over all of Egypt in Genesis 41 to 50.
The third stage is the Death of a Dream. God gives death for the purpose of exaltation. As God continues to bless us in His vision or dream we may become prideful or self-centered. Therefore we begin to think God has no part in fulfilling the dream and its because we've done all the right things and God has nothing to do with it. In the Life of Abraham God causes Sarah to be barren and Abraham and Sarah start feeling the vision is dead and uses Hagar to give birth to Ishmael to help God out. Abraham takes matters into his own hands. God puts a vision to death for a time until you realize God is raising you up for His Name's Sake not yours. Joseph had the same experience. He found himself hated by his brothers. He was placed in a pit, sold into slavery, and put into prison. From Joseph's perspective he certainly was not seeing how God was fulfilling his dream in Joseph's life.
The fourth stage is the Resurrection of a Dream and it occurs when all things seems helpless. The disciples are hiding in confusion wondering what is going to happen now that Jesus is dead only to have their hopes resurrected when Mary brings word that JESUS IS ALIVE!! Abraham and Sarah were beyond child bearing years. Joseph was 13 years in on a 20 year prison sentence and he gets word that the Pharaoh had a dream and wants to speak with him. Joseph could follow the Providence of God in his interaction with all the dreams in his life; two as a child, two different dreams of the butler and baker and now two dreams of Pharaoh. Joseph could also follow the Providence of God in the favor of God in his leadership as he was 2nd in command in every position he had in life. He was able at the end of his life to see the Life of Jesus all the way to the end that he could stand in front his brothers as they offered and apology and say, "you meant it for evil but God meant it for good" (Genesis 50:20).
If you've experienced an encounter with God in a vision or a dream the first thing you should do is make sure it is Biblical. God offers no further revelation and Satan is an Angel of light. However God will call you through a vision from God's Word or from a dream. He may press something upon your heart that you just know God is going to do something through your life. It is nothing more than a conception or an understanding of the task God has called you too. You want to follow that up with works for James said "faith without works is dead". Everything may go great for a while and you may get confident or a bit cocky about it. God will certainly put it to death moving you to uncertainty and frustration. You may take it further into your hands and work even harder and take on more responsibility trying to make the dream come about. God will wait until your done. He will let it die in your life. You will question whether you've heard God correctly. You will get to the end of yourself and turn yourself over to God. You will say with Jesus "Not My will but Your Will". It is at this point that God may choose to resurrect the dream. You've realized that it is about God's Name Sake not your own. You will have a fresh new dependence upon God and you will once again find and see victory in your life. I hope you find this helpful. God Bless!
1.) The Birth of a Dream.
2.) The Life of a Dream.
3.) The Death of a Dream.
4.) The Resurrection of a Dream.
Now in these stages we see the Life of Jesus Christ. We see the birth, life, death and resurrection of our Lord and we can see this in each stage of Abraham's vision and in Joseph's dream. The first stage is the Birth of the Dream. Abraham and Joseph experienced this birth when God came to them sovereignly and providentially to tell them what He would do in and through their lives. In Abraham's case we see the Abrahamic Covenant in Genesis 12:1-3. In Joseph's case we see his boyhood dream in Genesis 37.
The second stage is the Life of a Dream. God gives life to the dream as we walk obediently to His vision or dream. In Abraham's case he leaves his family and moves to Canaan. He was being led by God. It seemed everything was going right. In Joseph's case we can get a clearer picture because Joseph follows the Lord and becomes the 2nd in command at home as Jacob places him in charge of his possession and brothers in Genesis 37-38. He is 2nd in command in Potiphar's house in Genesis 38-40. Joseph was 2nd in command in prison under the prison guard in Genesis 40-41. And in the end Joseph becomes 2nd in command over all of Egypt in Genesis 41 to 50.
The third stage is the Death of a Dream. God gives death for the purpose of exaltation. As God continues to bless us in His vision or dream we may become prideful or self-centered. Therefore we begin to think God has no part in fulfilling the dream and its because we've done all the right things and God has nothing to do with it. In the Life of Abraham God causes Sarah to be barren and Abraham and Sarah start feeling the vision is dead and uses Hagar to give birth to Ishmael to help God out. Abraham takes matters into his own hands. God puts a vision to death for a time until you realize God is raising you up for His Name's Sake not yours. Joseph had the same experience. He found himself hated by his brothers. He was placed in a pit, sold into slavery, and put into prison. From Joseph's perspective he certainly was not seeing how God was fulfilling his dream in Joseph's life.
The fourth stage is the Resurrection of a Dream and it occurs when all things seems helpless. The disciples are hiding in confusion wondering what is going to happen now that Jesus is dead only to have their hopes resurrected when Mary brings word that JESUS IS ALIVE!! Abraham and Sarah were beyond child bearing years. Joseph was 13 years in on a 20 year prison sentence and he gets word that the Pharaoh had a dream and wants to speak with him. Joseph could follow the Providence of God in his interaction with all the dreams in his life; two as a child, two different dreams of the butler and baker and now two dreams of Pharaoh. Joseph could also follow the Providence of God in the favor of God in his leadership as he was 2nd in command in every position he had in life. He was able at the end of his life to see the Life of Jesus all the way to the end that he could stand in front his brothers as they offered and apology and say, "you meant it for evil but God meant it for good" (Genesis 50:20).
If you've experienced an encounter with God in a vision or a dream the first thing you should do is make sure it is Biblical. God offers no further revelation and Satan is an Angel of light. However God will call you through a vision from God's Word or from a dream. He may press something upon your heart that you just know God is going to do something through your life. It is nothing more than a conception or an understanding of the task God has called you too. You want to follow that up with works for James said "faith without works is dead". Everything may go great for a while and you may get confident or a bit cocky about it. God will certainly put it to death moving you to uncertainty and frustration. You may take it further into your hands and work even harder and take on more responsibility trying to make the dream come about. God will wait until your done. He will let it die in your life. You will question whether you've heard God correctly. You will get to the end of yourself and turn yourself over to God. You will say with Jesus "Not My will but Your Will". It is at this point that God may choose to resurrect the dream. You've realized that it is about God's Name Sake not your own. You will have a fresh new dependence upon God and you will once again find and see victory in your life. I hope you find this helpful. God Bless!
Sunday, September 1, 2013
God's Providence in the Life of Joseph
Joseph himself tells us that the circumstances of his life represents God's providence. Joseph said in Genesis 50:20 "But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive." Therefore when you study the life of Joseph everything Joseph's brothers do to him is seen by Joseph as the hand of God in his life.
Merriam-Webster Dictionary
Meant:
Merriam-Webster Dictionary
Meant:
transitive verb
1
a : to have in the mind as a purpose : intend
b : to design for or destine to a specified purpose or future
3 : to have importance to the degree of
4 : to direct to a particular individual
intransitive verb
: to have an intended purpose
The interesting terms are intend or destine. In keeping with Scriptures we are familiar with the word predestined. Therefore we can say this was Joseph's destiny because God intended to predestine him to these situations. God meant it for good while Joseph's brothers meant it for evil. Therefore as we read and study the details of Joseph's life we are simultaneously reading and studying the predestined providence of God in the life of Joseph. In this story we are reading what Joseph was doing, what his brothers were doing and most importantly what God was doing.
The first thing we notice is Jacob setting apart Joseph from the rest of his children. "Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his children, because he was the son of his old age. Also he made him a tunic of many colors. But when his brothers saw that their father loved him more than all his brothers, they hated him and could not speak peaceably to him" (Genesis 37:3-4).
The first thing we notice is Jacob setting apart Joseph from the rest of his children. "Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his children, because he was the son of his old age. Also he made him a tunic of many colors. But when his brothers saw that their father loved him more than all his brothers, they hated him and could not speak peaceably to him" (Genesis 37:3-4).
The second thing we see is God setting Joseph apart from the rest of his family by making Joseph the main character of two dreams. "Now Joseph had a dream, and he told it to his brothers; and they hated him even more. So he said to them, “Please hear this dream which I have dreamed: There
we were, binding sheaves in the field. Then behold, my sheaf arose and
also stood upright; and indeed your sheaves stood all around and bowed
down to my sheaf".....Then he dreamed still
another dream and told it to his brothers, and said, “Look, I have
dreamed another dream. And this time, the sun, the moon, and the eleven
stars bowed down to me".” (Genesis 37:5-7,9) I believe we see to "poster children" here. Joseph being the "poster child" of the elect and his brothers being the "poster children" of natural man. God shows favor and sets Christians apart and above the world and natural man hates it. God is providentially and sovereignly setting apart Joseph and his brothers want him dead.
Joseph is a man of character and his father trusts him with supervising his brothers who have shown themselves untrustworthy. The brothers are off to Shechem to feed Jacob's flock and Jacob summons Joseph to go get a report from the brothers. Joseph gets to Shechem only to discover that they've moved on to Dothan. So Joseph leaves Shechem to meet his brothers in Dothan. Joseph was coming into Dothan and the brothers saw him and began to plot how they would kill him.
Reuben spoke up and said lets throw him in a pit with the hopes he could come back later and help Joseph out of the pit. But while Reuben was gone Judah spoke up and suggested that they sell him to slave traders from Egypt. So when they saw the Ishmaelite's coming they pulled Joseph out of the pit and onto the slave wagon for 20 pieces of silver. Once Joseph arrived into Egypt he was sold to the Potiphar on the auction block.
God placed His favor upon Joseph and he prospered and rose to be Potiphar's right hand man. He was trusted with all of Potiphar's possession except his wife. The Potiphar's wife lusted after Joseph and attempted to seduce him on several occasions. The last advance by the Potiphar's wife was the last because Joseph left the house running. The wife of Potiphar lied about the situation and Joseph found himself unjustly in prison.
Reuben spoke up and said lets throw him in a pit with the hopes he could come back later and help Joseph out of the pit. But while Reuben was gone Judah spoke up and suggested that they sell him to slave traders from Egypt. So when they saw the Ishmaelite's coming they pulled Joseph out of the pit and onto the slave wagon for 20 pieces of silver. Once Joseph arrived into Egypt he was sold to the Potiphar on the auction block.
God placed His favor upon Joseph and he prospered and rose to be Potiphar's right hand man. He was trusted with all of Potiphar's possession except his wife. The Potiphar's wife lusted after Joseph and attempted to seduce him on several occasions. The last advance by the Potiphar's wife was the last because Joseph left the house running. The wife of Potiphar lied about the situation and Joseph found himself unjustly in prison.
I don't know where you are this hour as you read this blog but when Joseph found himself in a pit his brothers meant it or intended it for evil but God predestined it, meant it, intended it, purposed it all for good - our good. Joseph was sold into slavery. He was bound - in bondage. The brothers meant it, intended it, purposed it, but God predestined it, meant it, intended it, purposed it all for good - our good. Joseph also found himself in prison. The brothers meant it, intended it, purposed it, but God predestined it, meant it, intended it, purposed it all for good - our good and His.
So if your feeling like your in a pit or in bondage or in slavery remember God is providentially at work in your life to set you free. In fact you are free to trust and believe God is sovereignly and providentially working every thing for the purpose of good in your life. He is preparing you for glory - His glory. He is preparing you for Heaven. Do not succumb to your circumstances. Trust God to lead you in them and through them. There is no record of Joseph trying to escape or flee Egypt. Joseph simply obeyed God where he was. We are so quick to escape uncomfortable and hurtful situations and we lose the training trials were created to give. Stay faithful and trustworthy no matter what life offers you.
Saturday, July 13, 2013
Judge Not... Is Not a Biblical Principle!!
There are several reasons why I do not believe the Bible teaches that we are not to judge.
1.) God would be the author of sin because He established Judges in the Old Testament in the Book of Judges.
2.) Paul himself judges a man guilty of incest and commands the church to excommunicate him (1Corinthians 5).
3.) The Bible tells us to exercise church discipline (Matthew 18).
4.) The Bible tells us we know a tree by its fruit (Matthew 7).
5.) Jesus said He did not come to judge or condemn because "we stand condemned already". The Word of God judges you and condemns you. Therefore the Bible is a Book of Sin "if" God said do not judge (John 3:18).
So...
What does Matthew 7:1-6 teach us?
Matthew 7:1-2
“Judge not, that you be not judged. For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you."
First, notice that it says Judge not, THAT you be not judged. In other words it says judge not if you do not want to be judged. Then it continues by telling you why, for with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with what measure you use, it will be measured back to you. Therefore there is a warning to be considered before you judge. Judge not for if you judge they will turn it around on you and make you look just as bad or guilty as they are.
This happens with my wife and I all the time. My wife will judge me in a situation and I will spin it around and explain my actions as an effect of her behavior. I will make all of my faults look like its her fault. I'll say well what about you. I may have done this but let me give you the list of your shortcomings. Therefore one thing to take into consideration before judging is the other person will turn it back on you.
Matthew 7:3-5
"And why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me remove the speck from your eye’; and look, a plank is in your own eye? Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye."
The second thing to consider is the flow of thought in Matthew 7:1-6. If this was a principle of do not judge then don't you think the Bible passage would say, You have a plank in your own eye so just focus on your plank and leave your buddy with the splinter to himself. But it does not say that. It says deal with the plank so you can better deal with the splinter. Your judging the splinter and Jesus is telling you how to better equip yourself to remove the splinter. So Jesus is not saying don't judge but rather equip yourself to be a righteous judge or better yet equip yourself to be spiritually discerning. Don't be a hypocrite or self righteous or condemning but allow your judgment to be redemptive and restorative in nature.
Third, we need to watch how we use this verse. When someone lovingly judges us we do not want to fire back "Judge not less ye be judged". Paul Washer said "Twist not Scriptures less ye be like Satan." We might respond, "Am I my brother's keeper?" Who said that? Cain said it (Genesis 4:9). Cain was hiding the murder of his brother Abel from God. I'm afraid when we say, "Judge not less ye be judged" we are simply trying to hide our sin from God. We should not quote murderers!! Less we see ourselves in the same camp as them.
Matthew 7:6
“Do not give what is holy to the dogs; nor cast your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you in pieces."
Four, as we continue the flow of thought in Matthew 7:1-6 notice that we must not "give what is holy to dogs" and we must not cast "pearls before swine". How can we not judge and know the pigs and swine of the world? How do we not break this command of Jesus if we are not able to discern pigs and swine? Jesus is talking about kinds of people. Pigs, I believe, are people like the Prodigal Son who spent his father's riches on the world ending up eating with the pigs or swine. IN other words do not encourage carnal and worldly Christians with God's Holy Word. Treat them as though they are not saved and evangelize them and get them to repent. Dog's are Christians who have returned to their sin. As Peter said in 2Peter 2:22, they are like dogs who return to their vomit as they keep repeating their folly. In other Words if you are a worldly person that habitually continues to repeat your folly then the Bible calls you a pig and a swine and you have no good reason to lay claim of God's Word or His promises.
Judging is actually a beautiful thing. Judging one another is wonderful. However this can only be embraced by people who are serious about their faith and truly want to become holy - those who truly want to be conformed into God's image. Which is really the motive behind those who quote this verse - they really do not want to be holy, conform to Jesus or repent of their sin. They love their dog vomit to much. They love their folly. They love darkness rather than the light. They don't want to be judged because they do not want their sin exposed.
We have an incredible ability to overlook our own sin as we put others under a microscope. Therefore, we become self righteous and condemning in nature. There is no redemption or restoration in our motives - just condemnation. This is unbiblical judging and should be repudiated at every level. We should spend less time judging the world and more time judging ourselves in light of God's Word. To embrace this we have to want true holiness, true Christlikeness. The beauty of accepting biblical judgment is God made us dependent upon each other in the Body of Christ. If you can see splinters in others better than planks in yourself then others can see your sins more clearly than you can see your own. WHAT A GIFT GOD HAS GIVEN TO THE CHURCH AS WE PURSUE HOLINESS AND CHRISTLIKENESS!!!
A brother or sister or church who loves you enough to judge you righteously, redemptively, restoratively, mercifully, graciously, for the sake of the purity of the church and it's members is incredibly beautiful. Masterfully wonderful! So... it comes down to this, are you going to link arms with the Devil and continue to twist Scriptures and quote murderers or are you going to embrace God and His Word and seek holiness and Christlikeness within the context of the Body of Christ? I personally feel every believer should stop judging the world until the church is holy. And the only way we are going to do this is stop quoting Scriptures to justify our worldliness. Find someone who loves Jesus and truly loves the Body of Christ and wants to see it pure and holy and embrace the reality that you and I can see other's sin better than we can see our own and use that for the purpose of holiness and purification. Let's mortify the flesh together. Let's put to death and lay aside the sin that tangles. Hate your folly and allow your sin to be exposed by your brother or sister so you can bear fruit in keeping with repentance. Let's fight this fight together and win this war against sin!!
1.) God would be the author of sin because He established Judges in the Old Testament in the Book of Judges.
2.) Paul himself judges a man guilty of incest and commands the church to excommunicate him (1Corinthians 5).
3.) The Bible tells us to exercise church discipline (Matthew 18).
4.) The Bible tells us we know a tree by its fruit (Matthew 7).
5.) Jesus said He did not come to judge or condemn because "we stand condemned already". The Word of God judges you and condemns you. Therefore the Bible is a Book of Sin "if" God said do not judge (John 3:18).
So...
What does Matthew 7:1-6 teach us?
Matthew 7:1-2
“Judge not, that you be not judged. For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you."
First, notice that it says Judge not, THAT you be not judged. In other words it says judge not if you do not want to be judged. Then it continues by telling you why, for with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with what measure you use, it will be measured back to you. Therefore there is a warning to be considered before you judge. Judge not for if you judge they will turn it around on you and make you look just as bad or guilty as they are.
This happens with my wife and I all the time. My wife will judge me in a situation and I will spin it around and explain my actions as an effect of her behavior. I will make all of my faults look like its her fault. I'll say well what about you. I may have done this but let me give you the list of your shortcomings. Therefore one thing to take into consideration before judging is the other person will turn it back on you.
Matthew 7:3-5
"And why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me remove the speck from your eye’; and look, a plank is in your own eye? Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye."
The second thing to consider is the flow of thought in Matthew 7:1-6. If this was a principle of do not judge then don't you think the Bible passage would say, You have a plank in your own eye so just focus on your plank and leave your buddy with the splinter to himself. But it does not say that. It says deal with the plank so you can better deal with the splinter. Your judging the splinter and Jesus is telling you how to better equip yourself to remove the splinter. So Jesus is not saying don't judge but rather equip yourself to be a righteous judge or better yet equip yourself to be spiritually discerning. Don't be a hypocrite or self righteous or condemning but allow your judgment to be redemptive and restorative in nature.
Third, we need to watch how we use this verse. When someone lovingly judges us we do not want to fire back "Judge not less ye be judged". Paul Washer said "Twist not Scriptures less ye be like Satan." We might respond, "Am I my brother's keeper?" Who said that? Cain said it (Genesis 4:9). Cain was hiding the murder of his brother Abel from God. I'm afraid when we say, "Judge not less ye be judged" we are simply trying to hide our sin from God. We should not quote murderers!! Less we see ourselves in the same camp as them.
Matthew 7:6
“Do not give what is holy to the dogs; nor cast your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you in pieces."
Four, as we continue the flow of thought in Matthew 7:1-6 notice that we must not "give what is holy to dogs" and we must not cast "pearls before swine". How can we not judge and know the pigs and swine of the world? How do we not break this command of Jesus if we are not able to discern pigs and swine? Jesus is talking about kinds of people. Pigs, I believe, are people like the Prodigal Son who spent his father's riches on the world ending up eating with the pigs or swine. IN other words do not encourage carnal and worldly Christians with God's Holy Word. Treat them as though they are not saved and evangelize them and get them to repent. Dog's are Christians who have returned to their sin. As Peter said in 2Peter 2:22, they are like dogs who return to their vomit as they keep repeating their folly. In other Words if you are a worldly person that habitually continues to repeat your folly then the Bible calls you a pig and a swine and you have no good reason to lay claim of God's Word or His promises.
Judging is actually a beautiful thing. Judging one another is wonderful. However this can only be embraced by people who are serious about their faith and truly want to become holy - those who truly want to be conformed into God's image. Which is really the motive behind those who quote this verse - they really do not want to be holy, conform to Jesus or repent of their sin. They love their dog vomit to much. They love their folly. They love darkness rather than the light. They don't want to be judged because they do not want their sin exposed.
We have an incredible ability to overlook our own sin as we put others under a microscope. Therefore, we become self righteous and condemning in nature. There is no redemption or restoration in our motives - just condemnation. This is unbiblical judging and should be repudiated at every level. We should spend less time judging the world and more time judging ourselves in light of God's Word. To embrace this we have to want true holiness, true Christlikeness. The beauty of accepting biblical judgment is God made us dependent upon each other in the Body of Christ. If you can see splinters in others better than planks in yourself then others can see your sins more clearly than you can see your own. WHAT A GIFT GOD HAS GIVEN TO THE CHURCH AS WE PURSUE HOLINESS AND CHRISTLIKENESS!!!
A brother or sister or church who loves you enough to judge you righteously, redemptively, restoratively, mercifully, graciously, for the sake of the purity of the church and it's members is incredibly beautiful. Masterfully wonderful! So... it comes down to this, are you going to link arms with the Devil and continue to twist Scriptures and quote murderers or are you going to embrace God and His Word and seek holiness and Christlikeness within the context of the Body of Christ? I personally feel every believer should stop judging the world until the church is holy. And the only way we are going to do this is stop quoting Scriptures to justify our worldliness. Find someone who loves Jesus and truly loves the Body of Christ and wants to see it pure and holy and embrace the reality that you and I can see other's sin better than we can see our own and use that for the purpose of holiness and purification. Let's mortify the flesh together. Let's put to death and lay aside the sin that tangles. Hate your folly and allow your sin to be exposed by your brother or sister so you can bear fruit in keeping with repentance. Let's fight this fight together and win this war against sin!!
Sunday, July 7, 2013
God Intends to Make You Humble To Make You Holy
Jacob was God's chosen to be the next Patriarch of Israel after his father Isaac and his grandfather Abraham. Rebekah was concerned about prenatal pain and activity she was experiencing. God intervened in her concern to inform her the struggle was between two male twins in her womb, two nations who would always be at odds with each other. He told Rebekah and Isaac the older would serve the younger going against customary practice and social norms. Though it would cause problems in the life of this family God is not held by any traditional or societal practices. It is more important for all of us to remember that God is Sovereignly orchestrating events outside of public opinion and expectations. The church is trapped by people who are concerned with "the way we've always done it."
As Jacob aged he began to realized he needed to make end of life decisions. He wanted to make sure he had a living will. He wanted to make sure after his death all of his property would go to the appropriate place. He had forgotten God's Word in establishing the birthright as going to the youngest. Isaac perhaps felt a little odd going against public opinion and customary practices. So he chooses to go against God and gives his blessing to his eldest son Esau.
God spoke directly to Rebekah concerning His arrangement. She had God on her side. But neither Isaac or Rebekah would seek God's will in establishing their final will and testament. Rebekah, whose favorite child was Jacob, plots a deceitful plan against God, Isaac and her son Esau. Jacob in accordance with his nature complies and joins Rebekah in her plan. They deceive Isaac into giving Jacob the blessing of the birthright teaching us that man's wisdom never prevails for all of Isaac's senses failed him. Just as soon as Jacob leaves the room with the birthright Esau comes in from the field - stunned that he has lost the birthright to Jacob.
The Old Testament falls short in giving us what we need. Here was Isaac the father handing out the birthright. Once Isaac gave the birthright to Jacob there was nothing left for Esau; a father whose resources could be depleted! A birthright with limitations!! And a brother who is deceitful and selfish!!! We need an infinite and eternal Father whose resources are never depleted. We need an infinite and eternal resource that is never limited. We need a first born Son who unselfishly shares all of the Father's blessing. We have that in the Godhead. The infinite Father that is never depleted of His Heavenly blessings, An infinite birthright that is unlimited in quantity and quality, and an unselfish Son who would be an heir to the Father who would share His birthright with all of His brother and sisters. This is who we have in Jesus Christ. We are joint heir with Jesus. We have the right to pray "Our Father who art in Heaven!"
This event angered Esau so much he wanted to kill Jacob. Rebekah, once again scheming, sends Jacob to her brother's house for safety. She did not want to lose two sons in one day. She told Jacob, go to Uncle Laban's house and get your wife from his household and wait there until I send word that Esau is no longer angry. Well Rebekah's plan didn't work. She would die and wouldn't ever see Jacob again. The deceitful Jacob would be deceived by his Uncle Laban.
Jacob wanted Rachel but he would have to work seven years to get her. The seven years past by quickly because of the love Jacob felt for Rachel but Laban deceived Jacob by giving him Leah. She was given to Jacob and Jacob slept with her only to wake up the next morning to find Leah in his bed. Once again we see how our senses and sensibilities will deceive us. They cannot be trusted, not our senses and not our hearts. We can only trust God and his wisdom. Jacob should have been content and left with Leah, after all Leah was the Spiritual one. She is the one trusting in God but Jacob wasn't thinking with his brain so he agrees to work another seven years to acquire the woman of his dreams.
Jacob works another seven years and is finally given Rachel and the drama of family relationship continue. Jacob decides its time to head home when Laban manipulates him again into staying and working six more years. After these six years Jacob hears from God and is told to go back home and to reconcile with Esau. Therefore he leaves with the intent of meeting Esau first before going back to Isaac's place. He gets word that Esau is coming to meet him and Jacob knows nothing about him except he was angry and wanted to kill him 20 years ago. He takes precautionary measures and sends him gifts and a message of reconciliation. The messengers return with no word from Esau just that he is coming and he's bringing 400 men with him. Jacob's conclusion was he's going to be killed. He divides up his family and property into three groups. Three times Esau would meet Jacob's entourage with gifts and a message of restoration. Jacob runs to the river Jabbok and sends his wife and children to the other side of the stream and now he is all alone.
Alone, in the woods, left only to his own thoughts - thoughts of his deception, thoughts of his trickery, thoughts of his dishonesty not really sure he could count on God. At the end of himself God enters the scene and Jacob begins to wrestle with God. Jacob tried to convince Esau but he's still coming, still pursuing. Jacob feels scared and vulnerable and begins wrestling and pleading with God. He wants a blessing. He wants assurance. He wants help to find victory over the mess he made out of his life. He has a battle he must win and God..... dislocates his hip!!
Jacob thought he needed an army. He thought he needed strength. He thought God would summons the angels to come to his aid and God... dislocated his hip!!! Why does bad things happen to good people? Because God doesn't want to make you a proud, boastful, self sufficient person in this world. He wants to make you a humble, dependent, holy child of His. I am convinced death exists because of sin but it is also the one thing that will humble a sinner. Jacob would limp into what he thought would be a war. He was totally wrong for God prepared Esau for this meeting as well. Esau would be just as ready for reconciliation as Jacob was. God can be trusted. He wants you to humble yourself before him. The thing that we think we need to win in life may not be what we need to win in Heaven. Heaven is won by humility. Wars are won by strength. So the next time you are in a conflict that requires faith remember the blessing may come in the form of a dislocated hip. It may bring about a permanent limp. But God has to make you humble so He can make you holy.
If you are bitter with God because of some health issue or misfortune, relook at those things. See if you can see the Sovereign hand of God making you humble so He can make you holy. Look at your misfortune with an attitude of - God make me holy rather than making me strong and see if that doesn't change the way you look at your life. I've personally found many more "Spiritual Markers" where God intervened to make me humble by "separating my hip" to make me holy. I have to admit it wasn't the blessing I was looking for. I missed it because I missed God's purpose in this life. I don't want to be humble. I want to be successful, popular, famous or rich - none of these things prepare me for Heaven and God's presence the way humility does!! Thank God for the dislocated hips in my life!!
- Narrative of Genesis 26-33
As Jacob aged he began to realized he needed to make end of life decisions. He wanted to make sure he had a living will. He wanted to make sure after his death all of his property would go to the appropriate place. He had forgotten God's Word in establishing the birthright as going to the youngest. Isaac perhaps felt a little odd going against public opinion and customary practices. So he chooses to go against God and gives his blessing to his eldest son Esau.
God spoke directly to Rebekah concerning His arrangement. She had God on her side. But neither Isaac or Rebekah would seek God's will in establishing their final will and testament. Rebekah, whose favorite child was Jacob, plots a deceitful plan against God, Isaac and her son Esau. Jacob in accordance with his nature complies and joins Rebekah in her plan. They deceive Isaac into giving Jacob the blessing of the birthright teaching us that man's wisdom never prevails for all of Isaac's senses failed him. Just as soon as Jacob leaves the room with the birthright Esau comes in from the field - stunned that he has lost the birthright to Jacob.
The Old Testament falls short in giving us what we need. Here was Isaac the father handing out the birthright. Once Isaac gave the birthright to Jacob there was nothing left for Esau; a father whose resources could be depleted! A birthright with limitations!! And a brother who is deceitful and selfish!!! We need an infinite and eternal Father whose resources are never depleted. We need an infinite and eternal resource that is never limited. We need a first born Son who unselfishly shares all of the Father's blessing. We have that in the Godhead. The infinite Father that is never depleted of His Heavenly blessings, An infinite birthright that is unlimited in quantity and quality, and an unselfish Son who would be an heir to the Father who would share His birthright with all of His brother and sisters. This is who we have in Jesus Christ. We are joint heir with Jesus. We have the right to pray "Our Father who art in Heaven!"
This event angered Esau so much he wanted to kill Jacob. Rebekah, once again scheming, sends Jacob to her brother's house for safety. She did not want to lose two sons in one day. She told Jacob, go to Uncle Laban's house and get your wife from his household and wait there until I send word that Esau is no longer angry. Well Rebekah's plan didn't work. She would die and wouldn't ever see Jacob again. The deceitful Jacob would be deceived by his Uncle Laban.
Jacob wanted Rachel but he would have to work seven years to get her. The seven years past by quickly because of the love Jacob felt for Rachel but Laban deceived Jacob by giving him Leah. She was given to Jacob and Jacob slept with her only to wake up the next morning to find Leah in his bed. Once again we see how our senses and sensibilities will deceive us. They cannot be trusted, not our senses and not our hearts. We can only trust God and his wisdom. Jacob should have been content and left with Leah, after all Leah was the Spiritual one. She is the one trusting in God but Jacob wasn't thinking with his brain so he agrees to work another seven years to acquire the woman of his dreams.
Jacob works another seven years and is finally given Rachel and the drama of family relationship continue. Jacob decides its time to head home when Laban manipulates him again into staying and working six more years. After these six years Jacob hears from God and is told to go back home and to reconcile with Esau. Therefore he leaves with the intent of meeting Esau first before going back to Isaac's place. He gets word that Esau is coming to meet him and Jacob knows nothing about him except he was angry and wanted to kill him 20 years ago. He takes precautionary measures and sends him gifts and a message of reconciliation. The messengers return with no word from Esau just that he is coming and he's bringing 400 men with him. Jacob's conclusion was he's going to be killed. He divides up his family and property into three groups. Three times Esau would meet Jacob's entourage with gifts and a message of restoration. Jacob runs to the river Jabbok and sends his wife and children to the other side of the stream and now he is all alone.
Alone, in the woods, left only to his own thoughts - thoughts of his deception, thoughts of his trickery, thoughts of his dishonesty not really sure he could count on God. At the end of himself God enters the scene and Jacob begins to wrestle with God. Jacob tried to convince Esau but he's still coming, still pursuing. Jacob feels scared and vulnerable and begins wrestling and pleading with God. He wants a blessing. He wants assurance. He wants help to find victory over the mess he made out of his life. He has a battle he must win and God..... dislocates his hip!!
Jacob thought he needed an army. He thought he needed strength. He thought God would summons the angels to come to his aid and God... dislocated his hip!!! Why does bad things happen to good people? Because God doesn't want to make you a proud, boastful, self sufficient person in this world. He wants to make you a humble, dependent, holy child of His. I am convinced death exists because of sin but it is also the one thing that will humble a sinner. Jacob would limp into what he thought would be a war. He was totally wrong for God prepared Esau for this meeting as well. Esau would be just as ready for reconciliation as Jacob was. God can be trusted. He wants you to humble yourself before him. The thing that we think we need to win in life may not be what we need to win in Heaven. Heaven is won by humility. Wars are won by strength. So the next time you are in a conflict that requires faith remember the blessing may come in the form of a dislocated hip. It may bring about a permanent limp. But God has to make you humble so He can make you holy.
If you are bitter with God because of some health issue or misfortune, relook at those things. See if you can see the Sovereign hand of God making you humble so He can make you holy. Look at your misfortune with an attitude of - God make me holy rather than making me strong and see if that doesn't change the way you look at your life. I've personally found many more "Spiritual Markers" where God intervened to make me humble by "separating my hip" to make me holy. I have to admit it wasn't the blessing I was looking for. I missed it because I missed God's purpose in this life. I don't want to be humble. I want to be successful, popular, famous or rich - none of these things prepare me for Heaven and God's presence the way humility does!! Thank God for the dislocated hips in my life!!
- Narrative of Genesis 26-33
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