The Gospel

Cornelius had every reason to put his hope and trust in all things Roman.  He was, after all, a Centurion based in Caesarea, the Roman capital for the Judaea Province.  There he commanded at least 100 Roman soldiers, and maybe many more.

Roman culture, Roman politics and Roman might permeated much of the known world.  The sacrifices the Romans had made to their many gods resulted in many conquests, and indeed in world domination.

Despite having every reason to offer his sacrifices to Rome's pagan gods, somehow, somewhere along the way Cornelius came to believe in the one true God -- the Hebrew God.  "He and all his family were devout and God-fearing; he gave generously to those in need and prayed to God regularly." Acts 10:2.  

Cornelius was apparently well known and respected by the Jews.  He was not, however, a convert.

One day around 3:00 in the afternoon an angel appeared before Cornelius.  The angel instructed him to send men to Joppa and to bring back a man named Simon, who was called Peter.  Acts 10:5-6.  He was told that Peter would come to him with a message through which Cornelius and all of his household would be saved.  Acts 11:14.

Cornelius could not possibly have known in the moment that in just a couple of days not only would he and his household be saved, but that the future of mankind would change in that same moment forever.  At the same time the angel was speaking to Cornelius, the Lord was giving Peter a vision -- a vision that would lead to a revelation that Jesus died not only for the Jews, but for all of mankind.

Despite the fact that Jews were not supposed to associate with Gentiles, Peter found himself in the house of Cornelius -- where Cornelius had gathered his family and close friends.  Cornelius told Peter they were gathered to hear everything the Lord had commanded Peter to tell them.  And then, Peter began to speak:

“I now realize how true it is that God does not show favoritism but accepts from every nation the one who fears him and does what is right.  You know the message God sent to the people of Israel, announcing the good news of peace through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all.  You know what has happened throughout the province of Judea, beginning in Galilee after the baptism that John preached—  how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power, and how he went around doing good and healing all who were under the power of the devil, because God was with him.

“We are witnesses of everything he did in the country of the Jews and in Jerusalem. They killed him by hanging him on a cross, but God raised him from the dead on the third day and caused him to be seen.  He was not seen by all the people, but by witnesses whom God had already chosen—by us who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead.  He commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one whom God appointed as judge of the living and the dead.  All the prophets testify about him that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name.”

Acts 10:34-43.

Cornelius had apparently heard of Jesus, but he did not realize that Jesus was the one true God he had been worshiping.  He did not realize that Jesus had died for his sins, and that Jesus was the path to salvation.

And, when he heard the good news -- when all of the Gentile believers heard the Gospel for the first time -- while Peter was still speaking the Holy Spirit came on them, and they began speaking in tongues and praising God.  It was in this moment that the Jewish believers who had accompanied Peter knew that God's grace extended to all men.  See Acts 10:45.

Most of us know this story because it marks they day we were brought into God's family.  It was the day that "Christianity" -- or more accurately "The Way" -- breached the walls of its Jewish roots and became the means of salvation for all mankind.

On Wednesday night, though, we looked at the story for a different reason.  We were asked, as best we could, to put ourselves in the position of Cornelius -- knowing nothing other than the pure Gospel message.  Knowing nothing but that God came to earth in human form and died, was buried and raised again so that we might have eternal life.  Knowing nothing but that if we put our faith in Jesus and repent of our sins we could be saved.

In this information age all of us have read so many Christian books, blogs and magazines, experienced so many church services, and heard so many sermons/messages on line, on T.V. and on the radio, that I fear at times we lose sight of what it really means to follow Jesus.  So, this week we were invited to wipe the slate clean and to begin all over again.  We were invited to hear and experience the Gospel as if for the first time.  We were invited to remember our past sins, to repent and to praise God -- to fall face down before Him -- with gratitude and thanksgiving for what He did for each of us on the Cross.

We were reminded of the centrality that the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus plays in our every day spiritual life.  Indeed, remembering is the very reason we take communion together.  It is the sacrifice of Jesus combined with the reality that we could not save ourselves that gets us to that place of "poorness in spirit" that is necessary even to begin the real journey.

If we are to start over -- if we are to find our first love again -- I am convinced that the only place to look is at the foot of the Cross.  We must behold the beaten and battered Jesus.  We must behold his nail-pierced hands and the blood flowing from His body.  We must remember his last breath and His last utterance.  And we must accept in no uncertain terms that only through His grizzly death and triumphant resurrection could we experience victory -- not because of anything we have done but because of  His grace and His mercy.

I invite you to join us.  I invite you over the next few days to pretend with us that you know nothing but Christ and Him crucified.  I invite you to meditate on that, and that alone, as we journey together to rediscover our faith.

  

The Spiritual Gift of Love -- Philemon

Becky Porter, a great woman of God, stepped in for me this week. If this blog contribution is any indication, God gave her an awesome Word Wednesday night. Hope it touches you.  (Becky's Mom is pretty special too).




We stepped into the book of Philemon to get a glimpse of Paul’s ministry in action with Philemon and Onesimus.  I truly love this story because it illustrates what we talk about in our Radical class each week; we are being called daily to love God, love people, and advance the Gospel regardless of what we are already doing for the Kingdom.  It is not about the “doing” at all.  It is about Love and that is our purpose.

In Paul’s letter to Philemon he writes (Philemon 1:8-20) that he may have the authority to command Philemon to take Onesimus back and forgive him and receive him as a brother in Christ yet he would “rather appeal …on the basis of love”.  He goes on to ask Philemon to lay down what he has a right to in order to advance the Kingdom, honor Paul and save the life of a new brother in Christ who is also Philemon’s run away servant (slave) that Paul has led to the Lord.

Philemon is a faithful follower of Jesus Christ and he has a church that meets in his home.  He is a man of God.  Paul is calling him to something more in this moment.  Paul is a servant of Christ and he travels to teach, correct, and preach about Jesus Christ.  He has endured beatings and threats all for the cause of Christ and yet he takes a moment from his very worthy ministry to appeal on behalf of Onesimus.  He uses the love and relationship that he has with Philemon to save and change Onesimus’s life.  Could he have said, “Philemon, I need you to take this man back and forgive him or you are a hypocrite and have no business leading a church if you are going to deny my request” or “I am keeping Onesimus- deal with it”? Yes, but he was teaching and demonstrating love. 

When I look back at the entire chapter of Philemon I see a great relationship that Paul built with Philemon.  He loved and trusted him to do the better thing.  Perhaps he actually trusted that Philemon’s relationship with Jesus would lead him to do the better thing.  It was born out of love.

In our daily lives we have the choice to take time to speak love and connect with others in relationship or to deal with issues by fixing them quickly so we can move on to what is important to us.  As a human being in this world, if we are around people at all we can engage in love or not. Pastor Jim Cymbala talks about a time that he was choosing to dis-engage and God touched his heart through a homeless man that wanted to know about Jesus and did not want the money the pastor was handing to him. 

There is another story that came to mind about a busy minister that was redirected by God’s love to help people and it all started with some missing persons’ posters in an airport.  You may know Christine Caine as a Christian speaker and writer.  She was busy in her speaking ministry and traveling to a conference one day when she noticed many posters of missing women (children mostly) in an airport.  The Lord would not let her focus on her one ministry without finding out more about those posters.  God used that love that he had gifted Christine with to start another ministry that effectively rescues people from human trafficking.

I could list more than a few wonderful people that have been using their limited time and resources to help others.  Many people in our church open their wallets, purses, homes, and lives to others because they have the God given gift of love.  Recently we had an older couple in our church need help moving and the job that needed done was enormous.  Our church washed this couple in love through their sweat, tears, and time.  This same couple had poured out so much love at a local organization that when the leader of that organization heard they were in need, he showed up with a bunch of men to help.

What are our Biblical directives?

The word in the Greek is “agape” and is defined as ἀγάπη agápē, ag-ah'-pay; from G25; love, i.e. affection or benevolence; specially (plural) a love-feast:—(feast of) charity(-ably), dear, love. (https://www.blueletterbible.org/lang/lexicon/lexicon.cfm?Strongs=G26&t=NIV)

Let me first invite you to look this up the way I have.  Simply go to the Bible and look up every time the word “love” is used in the New Testament and see what we are being told.  Here are a few of the 116 times that the word “agape” is used.

Romans 5:8
But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Romans 14:15
If your brother or sister is distressed because of what you eat, you are no longer acting in love. Do not by your eating destroy someone for whom Christ died.

1 Corinthians 4:21
What do you prefer? Shall I come to you with a rod of discipline, or shall I come in love and with a gentle spirit?

1 Corinthians 8:1
Now about food sacrificed to idols: We know that “We all possess knowledge.” But knowledge puffs up while love builds up.

2 Corinthians 2:4
For I wrote you out of great distress and anguish of heart and with many tears, not to grieve you but to let you know the depth of my love for you.

2 Corinthians 13:11
Finally, brothers and sisters, rejoice! Strive for full restoration, encourage one another, be of one mind, live in peace. And the God of love and peace will be with you.

Ephesians 5:2
and walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.

*Note-You are reading these scripture “out of context” so let me encourage you to go and read the chapters these are extracted from so you see what the full picture is in these scriptural sound bites.

A call to action.

This loving gift that we offer is not always enjoyable.  It will not always feel good in the moment when we do it; it will be sacrificial and inconvenient for sure.  Jesus loved us so much that He paid such an amazing cost.  The Father sent His Son to die for us, that is how much God has shown His love and sacrificed for us.  He asks us to love as He has loved us.

--What does that look like in your life today? 
--Will you take time to sit down with a co-worker after work to help them think through a problem instead of rushing home to do the countless things that still need done in your own life?
--Will you pray for someone and spend time with the Lord on their behalf?
--Will you open the Bible to understand better what this “love” really looks and feels like?
--Will you get your hands and maybe your life a little dirty to help pull someone up?

Interestingly, the Holy Spirit seems to meet us in our need as we love people.  Pastor Cymbala confessed that the terrible smell of the homeless man became a beautiful aroma.  A friend of mine that has a very keen sense of smell went to minister in India in the slums.  She noted that the smell was removed from her noticing.  You may be called to hold hands with someone who has not washed recently, or go into insect infested homes, you may be called to listen to a person who has clearly made bad choices and have mercy for them, more than likely you will have to put your own needs, desires, and priorities aside; it is not in your human ability but it is in the Holy Spirit’s ability and He lives in you.

Look at what is in front of you today.  Sometimes it is hard to see the need and sometimes we tell ourselves reasons we cannot help.  If love is all that is required, and it is, who is God calling you to love today?  It probably will not make you famous.  The person you love and serve may not thank you or they might come to know Jesus in a brand new way and you might, too.

Paul said to Philemon 1:6, “I pray that the faith you share with us may deepen your understanding of every blessing that belongs to you in Jesus Christ.”

That is my prayer for us today

Reimaging Your Faith

"Reimage is the process of removing all software on a computer and reinstalling everything. A reimage is necessary if your operating system becomes damaged or corrupted."
                                             Webopedia


Nehemiah had heard of the trouble that fell on the Jewish remnant in Jerusalem -- those who had survived the exile.  He had heard that the wall that once surrounded the city had broken down, and that the gates had been burned.  By some miracle the Persian king allowed Nehemiah to return home and to rebuild the wall.  It was, no doubt, a miracle birthed out of repentance for the sins of the people -- the very sins that caused the people to be scattered into exile in the first place.  See Nehemiah 1 and 2.

With the rebuilding came opposition, but in time the wall was rebuilt.  And, when the seventh month came the people assembled in the square before the Water Gate.  At that time Ezra began to read from the Book of the Law:    "Ezra the teacher of the Law stood on a high wooden platform built for the occasion. Beside him on his right stood Mattithiah, Shema, Anaiah, Uriah, Hilkiah and Maaseiah; and on his left were Pedaiah, Mishael, Malkijah, Hashum, Hashbaddanah, Zechariah and Meshullam.

Ezra opened the book. All the people could see him because he was standing above them; and as he opened it, the people all stood up.  Ezra praised the Lord, the great God; and all the people lifted their hands and responded, “Amen! Amen!” Then they bowed down and worshiped the Lord with their faces to the ground.

The Levites—Jeshua, Bani, Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodiah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan and Pelaiah—instructed the people in the Law while the people were standing there.  They read from the Book of the Law of God, making it clear and giving the meaning so that the people understood what was being read.

Then Nehemiah the governor, Ezra the priest and teacher of the Law, and the Levites who were instructing the people said to them all, “This day is holy to the Lord your God. Do not mourn or weep.” For all the people had been weeping as they listened to the words of the Law."   Nehemiah 8:4-9.

From daybreak until noon Ezra read from the Book of the Law while the people stood and listened.  It must have been so overwhelming for those who had survived the exile to be standing before the rebuilt wall, hearing the Word of the living God as though for the first time.  Indeed, the people wept as the Word was read aloud and explained to them.

On the twenty-fourth day of the same month, the people assembled again.  But this time they were "fasting and wearing sackcloth and having dust on their heads."  Nehemiah 9:1.  "They confessed their sins and the wickedness of their fathers."  Nehemiah 9:2  They spent a quarter of a day reading from the Book of the Law and a quarter of a day confessing and worshiping.  Nehemiah 9:4-5.

It is interesting, isn't it, how the Word of God convicts us -- how it brings us to a place of repentance and to a place of joy?  Notice how the people read the Word, confessed their sins, and then worshiped God!

It is my belief that what the people experienced that day was sort of like reimaging a computer.  They were given an opportunity to unlearn all that they had learned while in exile, and hear as if for the first time the plain, unadulterated Word of the living God.   

As I have said many times in the past, I often think that we, as followers of Jesus, are busy looking for a fresh word or a new revelation, while Jesus is trying to get us to remember something very old.  He is trying to bring us back to our first love.  He is trying to bring us back to something simple and pure.  To something genuine and authentic.

As I was thinking about this all week, the Lord reminded me of an ancient text called the "Didache."  It is a first century writing that was certainly among the first attempts at recording some of the basic principles of the Way -- this new Christian faith.  While the Didache is certainly not "gospel" -- not part of the New Testament Canon -- and therefore cannot be relied on as scripture, I do think it gives us some pretty interesting insight into what was important to the early church.  It was before the intellectuals divided the body of Christ.  It was before Greek philosophy and Roman culture infected the Way.  It was before the arguments of men concerning certain words and phrases divided the church.

I am not in any way anti-intellectual.  I certainly believe it important to rightly divide the Word and to teach doctrine properly.  But I also believe that over time we have been bombarded with so many Christian books and magazine articles, so many sermons on the radio, TV and the internet, and so many commentaries that the core of our faith has become lost or obscured -- or perhaps taken a back seat to our quest for knowledge.

Others have been distracted by a quest is for a spiritual experience of some kind.  They want so badly to see the power of the Spirit of God in action that they forget why they were created.  They forget the mission to love God, to love others and to preach the gospel to the world.

The Apostle Paul was all too aware of the problem:  "Jews demand signs and Greeks look for wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.  For the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength."  1 Corinthians 1:22-25.  It is, after all, at the end of the day about faith.  And, it is about a few simple truths.

And, this brings me back to the Didache.  Again, I don't claim the document to be in any way authoritative -- it is not.  At the same time, though, it is a window into the past.  It is a window, I believe, into a time when believers had a greater reverence for God.  A time when people understood the profound nature of baptism and the Lord's Supper.  It was a time like the seventh month when Ezra read from the Book of the Law.  The only possible response by God's children to God's Word was tears, repentance and joy.

And, so, here is the complete text of the Didache.  I invite you to consider it for what it is worth.  And, I invite you to begin to rediscover Jesus for yourself.  I invite you to begin to scrape away whatever being a follower of Jesus has come to mean to you, and to begin a journey to discover the Jesus of the Bible -- the Jesus the Apostles knew as their Lord.  I invite you to reimage your faith. 

Much of what follows will be familiar to you.  Some of it should be rejected.  All of it hopefully will make you think.

Chapter One
      
There are two ways: one of life and one of death; and the difference between the two ways is great.  The way of life is this: first, you should love God, who made you; secondly, love your neighbor as yourself; and whatever things you do not desire to be done to you, do not do them to someone else.
Now the words of this teaching are this: Bless those who curse you and pray for your enemies, and fast for those who are persecuting you. For what credit is it if you love those who love you? Do not the Gentiles do the same thing? But love those hating you, and you will not have an enemy.

Keep yourself from fleshly and bodily cravings. If anyone hits you on the right cheek, turn the other one to him also. And you will be acting maturely. If someone should force you to go one mile, go with him two. If someone takes your coat, give him your shirt also. If anyone should take from you what is yours, do not demand that he give it back, for you cannot.

Give to everyone asking you and do not refuse, for the Father desires to give to everyone from His own gifts. Blessed is the one who gives according to the commandment, for he is innocent. But the one who receives without need shall account for his receiving. Furthermore, being held, he shall be examined concerning what he has done, and he shall not be released until he has given back the last cent.

It has been said concerning this, "Let your money sweat in your hands until you know whom you should give it to."

Chapter Two

And this is the second commandment of the teaching: you shall not kill; you shall not commit adultery; you shall not corrupt children, nor practice sexual deviation; you shall not steal; nor practice calling on spiritual guides; nor use sorcery; you shall not procure an abortion, nor practice infanticide; you shall not covet your neighbor's goods.

You shall not commit perjury, nor accuse someone falsely; you shall not speak evil nor hold a grudge. You shall not be double minded nor double tongued, for the double tongue is the snare of death. Your word shall not be false or empty, but do what you say.

You shall not be covetous or extortionate, or hypocritical, or malicious or proud. You shall not plan evil against your neighbor. You should not hate anyone; but you should reprove some, and you should pray for some, and you should love some more than your own life.

Chapter Three

My child, flee from evil and from every appearance of evil. Do not be ruled by your passions, for this leads to murder. Neither be jealous, quarrelsome, or quick- tempered. For murders are born out of such things. Do not let yourself develop lust, for this leads to sexual immorality. Do not be foul-mouthed, nor raise your eyes, for this leads to adultery.

My child, do not regard omens, for this leads to idolatry. Do not be a sorcerer, nor be involved in astrology or magic purifications. Do not desire to see these things, for that is how idolatry comes. My child, do not be a liar, for lying leads to thievery. Do not be fond of money and do not try to build your own image, for that also leads to thievery. My child, do not be a grumbler, for it leads to blasphemy. Do not be self-willed nor entertain evil thoughts, for that is how blasphemy starts.

Be meek, for the meek shall inherit the earth. Be patient and long suffering, devoid of evil, gentle and good, and trembling continually at the words that you have heard. Do not exalt yourself nor act presumptuously. Do not join yourself with the proud, but walk with the righteous and humble men.
 Accept everything that happens to you as good, knowing that nothing happens apart from God.

Chapter Four

My child, you should remember night and day the one who speaks to you the Word of God, and honor him as you would the Lord; for where the delegated authority speaks, there is the Lord.

And you should seek every day the presence of the saints, in order that you may be supported by their words. You should not desire division, but make peace between those quarreling. Judge righteously; do not favor anyone in reproving transgressions. Do not be double-minded as to whether anything should or should not be.

Do not be one who stretches out his hand to receive but withdraws it in giving.
Give a ransom for your sins if you have it to give. Do not hesitate to give, nor give in a grumbling manner, for you know who is the good Paymaster who rewards?

You should not turn away the needy, but share all things with your brother, not saying that anything is your own. For if we are sharers in the eternal things, much more should we be in the physical things. Do not withhold your hand from your son or your daughter, but from their youth teach them the fear of God.

Do not give orders to your slave or your handmaiden--those who hope in the same God--when you are bitter, lest they stop fearing God who is over you both. For He does not come to call men according to their social status, but He calls those whom the Spirit has prepared. And you slaves submit in fear and reverence to your masters as God's delegated authority over you.

You should hate all hypocrisy and all that is not pleasing to the Lord. Do not forsake the commandments of the Lord, and keep (the teachings) you have received, not adding and not taking away. In church, you should confess your faults; and do not go to prayer with an evil conscience.

This is the Way of Life.

Chapter Five

But the Way of Death is this: first of all, it is evil and full of curses, lusts, adulteries, murders, thefts, idolatries, witchcrafts, sorceries, robberies, false witnesses, hypocrisies, double-mindedness, fraud, arrogance, boastfulness, jealousies, foul speech, pride, persecutors of the good, haters of truth, lovers of a lie, not regarding the reward of the righteous, not holding to the good or to the righteous judgment, spending sleepless nights not for good, but for wickedness; far from whom is gentleness and patience; loving useless things, seeking rewards, unmerciful to the poor, not helping the hardworking person, not regarding the one who made them, child murderers, destroyers of God's creation, turning away the needy, oppressing the distressed, wrongfully assisting the rich, unjust judges of the poor, altogether sinful. May you be delivered, my children, from all of these things.

Chapter Six

See that no one misleads you from the pathway of this teaching, since it would be contrary to God. For if you are able to bear the whole yoke of the Lord, you should be mature. If you are not able, do what you can.

Concerning meat, do what you can; but keep from that which is offered to idols, for it is the worship of dead gods.

Chapter Seven

And concerning baptism, in this manner baptize: when you have gone over these things, baptize in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, in running water.

If you do not have running water, baptize in other water. If you are not able to use cold water, use warm. And if you have neither, pour water on the head three times, in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. And before baptism, the one baptizing and the one to be baptized should fast, as well as any others who are able. And you should instruct the one being baptized to fast one or two days before.

Chapter Eight

And let not your fasts be with those of the hypocrites, for they fast on Mondays and Thursdays, but you fast Wednesdays and Fridays. Do not pray as the hypocrites but as the Lord commanded in His gospel. Pray like this:

Our Father in heaven, hallowed is Your name, Your kingdom come and Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us our daily bread for today and forgive our debts as we forgive those who owe us. Please do not lead us into a test, but deliver us from the evil one. For You have the power and the glory forever.

Pray like this three times a day.

Chapter Nine
      
Concerning the Eucharist (communion) give thanks like this:

First for the cup:

We give thanks to You, our Father, for Your holy vine of David, Your servant, which You made known to us through Jesus, Your Servant. Glory to You forever.

Concerning the broken bread:

We give thanks to You, our Father, for the life and knowledge that You made known to us through Jesus, Your Servant. Glory to You forever. As this broken bread was scattered over the hills and was brought together becoming one, so gather Your Church from the ends of the earth into Your kingdom, for You have all power and glory forever through Jesus Christ.

Do not let anyone eat or drink of your Eucharist meal except the ones who have been baptized into the name of the Lord. For the Lord said concerning this: "do not give that which is holy to the dogs."

Chapter Ten

After you are filled, give thanks like this:

We thank you, Holy Father, for Your Holy name which you made to dwell in our hearts, and for knowledge and faith and immortality as You made known to us through Jesus, Your Servant. Glory to You forever.

You, Lord Almighty, created all things to show forth Your name. You give both food and drink to man to enjoy, and everlasting life through Your Servant. Above all, we thank You because You are mighty. Glory to You forever. Remember Lord, Your Church, to deliver her from all evil and mature her in Your love. And gather her from the four winds, separated into Your kingdom which You have made for her, because You have the power and glory forever.

Let grace come and this world pass away. Hosanna to the Son of David! If anyone is holy, let him come. If anyone is not, let him repent. Maranatha (Lord come). Amen

Allow the prophets now to give thanks as they desire.

Chapter Eleven
      
Whoever, therefore, who comes and teaches you all these things mentioned, receive him. But if the one teaching changes what has been taught to another teaching in order to destroy these things, do not listen to him. However, if his motive is to add righteousness and knowledge of the Lord, receive him as you would the Lord.
      
Now concerning the apostles and prophets, act according to the requirements of the Gospel. Every apostle coming to you, welcome as you would the Lord.

And he should not remain more than one day, and if he has a need also another. But if he remains three days, he is a false prophet.
      
And when the apostle goes forth, he should take nothing except a loaf of bread, until he arrives at his night's lodging. If he asks for money he is a false prophet. Also, you should not test or judge and prophet speaking in the Spirit, for every sin will be forgiven, but this sin shall not be forgiven.
      
But not everyone speaking in the Spirit is a prophet, but only if he should have a lifestyle of the Lord's character. Therefore, by his lifestyle you will know a false prophet from a true prophet. And any prophet ordering a meal in the Spirit should not eat of it; otherwise he is a false prophet.
     
And every prophet who teaches the truth but does not do what he teaches is a false prophet. But every prophet who stands the test and is genuine, even if he uses symbolic imagery in the church, so long as he does not teach others to do the same, should not be judged. His judgment comes from God, for so did the prophets of old.
      
But whoever should say in the Spirit, "Give me money or something else," do not listen to them. But if, concerning others in need, he says "give" let no one judge him.

Chapter Twelve
      
Receive everyone coming in the name of the Lord. Later, by testing him, you will find out about him, where he deviates from the standard. If the one coming is just traveling through, help him as much as you can. He should not remain with you more than three days if that is necessary.
      
But if he desires to settle among you and has a trade, let him work for his bread. But if he has no trade, you should provide for him according to your own discretion. In no way should anyone live among you unemployed as a Christian. And if he is not willing to do this, he is making a trade of Christ. Beware of this kind of person.

Chapter Thirteen
      
But every genuine prophet who desires to settle among you is worthy of his food. Likewise, every genuine teacher is worthy; like a workman, he is worthy of his food. Therefore, of all the first produce of the wine press and the threshing floor, and of the oxen and the sheep, take the first fruits and give it to the prophets. For they are your high priests.
      
And if you do not have a prophet, give such first fruits to the poor. If you should make bread, take it and give according to the commandment. Likewise, if you have opened a jar of wine or oil, take the first fruits and give to the prophets. And also take the first fruits of your money and clothes and all your possessions. As it seems best, give according to the commandment.

Chapter Fourteen
      
And when coming together on the Lord's own day, break bread and give thanks after confessing your transgressions. In that manner, your sacrifice will be pure. And do not let anyone coming with a quarrel against a brother join you until they get reconciled, in order that your sacrifice is not impure. For this has been spoken of by the Lord, "in every place and time offer me a pure sacrifice, for I am a great King," says the Lord, "and My name is wonderful among the nations."

Chapter Fifteen
      
Appoint for yourselves, therefore bishops and deacons worthy of the Lord: gentle men, not lovers of money, true and approved. For they minister also to you the ministry of prophets and teachers. Therefore, do not despise them, for they are to be honored among you along with the prophets and teachers.
      
Do not reprove one another in anger, but in peace, as we have been shown in the Gospel. And do not let anyone speak to a person who is unloving to his neighbor, nor let him hear a word from you, until he repents.
      
Pray and give and live as you have found in the Gospel of our Lord.

Chapter Sixteen
      
Watch over your life. Do not let your lamps be extinguished or your body unclothed, but be ready; for you do not know the hour in which our Lord comes.

Assemble yourselves together frequently to seek the things that benefit your souls, for all the time of your faith will not profit you unless you are perfect at the last. For in the last days, false prophets and seducers will increase, turning the sheep into wolves; and love will be turned into hate.
      
For lawlessness will increase and they will hate and persecute and betray one another. And then the deceiver of the world will appear as though he were the Son of God, and he shall do signs and wonders and the earth shall be delivered into his hands; and he will commit immoralities which have never been done since the age began.
      
Then shall the race of men come into the fire of proving trial and many shall be made to stumble and perish. But those who remain established in their faith shall be saved under the very curse.
    
And then the signs of truth shall be revealed. First, a sign spread out in heaven; then a sign of the sound of a trumpet; and third, the resurrection of the dead, but not all of the dead. But as it was said, "the Lord shall come and all His Holy Ones with Him."  Then the world shall see the Lord coming in the clouds of heaven."


  

      

1 John 5:21 (Shiny Things)

Last night we ended what was, at least to me, an extraordinary journey through John's first letter. The disciple Jesus loved showed us, as we have seen so many times before in the Bible, that there are only two ways to live.  As one ancient writer put it:  "There are two Ways, one of Life and one of Death, and there is a great difference between the two Ways."  The Didache   The way of life, John tells us, is to love Jesus and to obey His commands.  Rebellion, on the other hand, leads to death.  And, the one who rebels does not love God, but loves the world instead.

John ends his epistle with a single sentence that seemingly stands alone:  "Dear children, keep yourselves from idols."  1 John 5:21.  At first glance, this last sentence may seem out of place, or even out of left field.  It is a warning that seemingly comes from nowhere -- completely disassociated with the text that precedes it.

On closer inspection, however, it is a warning that makes perfect sense.  In fact, whatever its significance in the first century, it is a warning of incalculable magnitude in the world of today -- and particularly in the so-called Christian world.

The Apostle Paul, in his letter to the Colossians, brings into sharp focus what is meant by "idols."  We are to put to death our earthly nature.  It is not merely a matter of subordinating our earthly desires to our love of God:

"Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.  Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.  For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God.  When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.

Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry.  Because of these, the wrath of God is coming.  You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived.  But now you must also rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips.  Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator.  Here there is no Gentile or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all.

Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.  Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.  And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity."

                                                                                                        Colossians 3:3-14


I have heard it said that idolatry simply means putting anything before God.  I am not quite sure where this idea comes from.  Perhaps some think of the First Commandment admonition “You shall have no other gods before me” (Exodus 20:3) as meaning that we can love the things of this world, as long as we love God more.

This, to me, is a very dangerous idea.  My first objection is theological.  I don't think the First Commandment permits us to have other gods who are subordinate to the one true God.  I think it requires that we worship God alone.  Indeed, the very epistle we have been studying, 1 John, forecloses any other possibility.  Again, John tells us we must choose -- we can love the world or we can love God; but we cannot do both:

"Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father[d] is not in them.  For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world.  The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever."
                                                                             
                                                                                                              1 John 2:15-17.  

My second objection is more practical.  And, that is that I do not think it possible, once we open the door to loving things of this world, to honestly and accurately discern when our loves of things eclipses our love for God.  The heart is, after all, above all things deceitful.  Jeremiah 17:9.

We are really good at convincing ourselves that we put God first in our lives, but it is usually a lie. Worse, the only ones we fool with our never ending efforts to convince ourselves that that God is supreme in our lives is ourselves.  You know the idols in your lives.  I do not need to tell you about them.

As I was thinking about this, the Lord brought me to chapters 5, 6 and 7 of Joshua.  Joshua was at long last instructed to lead the people into the Promised Land.  It was a new generation -- the old had died in the desert.  This new generation saw God part the Jordan -- just as their forefathers had seen the God part the Red Sea.  They saw God bring down the walls of Jericho.  They saw the manna stop falling from heaven, and they were able to eat from the land for the first time.

Despite all of this, one of their number, Achan, denied God the one thing he had demanded -- obedience.  God would deliver Jericho into their hands, but Jericho and all that was in it was to be devoted to the Lord.  Joshua 6:15-19.  Despite all he had seen God do -- despite all he knew about God's power -- the shiny things found in Jericho were too much of a temptation for Achan.  And, Achan took some of that which was to be devoted to God for himself.  For a robe from Babylonia, two hundred shekels of silver and a wedge of gold many Israelites died -- including Achan and all of his family.  Joshua 7:24-26.  What an incredible price to pay for taking a few shiny things!!

Interestingly, after the sad story of Achan's seduction by the shiny things, God sent Joshua and the fighting men to conquer king Ai.  But this time, God allowed the Israelites to keep the plunder and the livestock for themselves.  Joshua 8:1-2.

If only Achan had been patient.  If only he had not succumbed to the temptation of those shiny things -- those idols.  God, as it turned out, had something waiting that was better.  And, he does for us too. Indeed, that is why we are to keep ourselves from idols, and instead store up for ourselves treasures in heaven.

What are we supposed to devote to God in these last days?  Only our very lives.  We are to offer ourselves as living sacrifices.  See 1 Corinthians 12:1-2.  Because of idols the wrath of God is coming.  But because of grace, something even better than the shiny things of this earth awaits for those who put their trust in Jesus.

Oh, and one more thing.  If you are still wondering what idols you have in your life, let me suggest a good place to look -- a mirror.
 

1 John 5:16-17 -- The Rope's End

In the life of every follower of Jesus there should come a time when we realize that there is more to the Christian life than the prospect of salvation, going to church on Sundays and striving to be a little better than our neighbors.  A light bulb comes on -- a revelation.  We hear the voice of Jesus as if for the first time commanding "follow me."  And for the first time we begin to grasp what it means to obey.  For the first time we take small steps toward true obedience.

We know that statistically few will hear the command, and fewer still will obey.  The gate is indeed narrow.

If we had any expectations about the journey, they were quickly dashed.  The journey was both more difficult and more amazing than we could have imagined.  At times we are frustrated with our progress, and at other times overwhelmed by how much God himself has changed our lives.  Things that seemed impossible at first become less and less of a struggle over time as the Holy Spirit day-by-day makes us more like Jesus.  Our priorities are increasingly His priorities, we increasingly see the world as He sees the world and we increasingly love as He loves.

We long to be salt and light.  We are slower to anger.  We increasingly hate the sin in our own lives.  We see that through God's Spirit we actually can love our enemies.  We desire more and more to give to those in need, and we want no credit on earth for our good works.  And, we can take no credit for any of it.  Our sole act was to obey -- God did the rest and continues to do so.

Our prayer life changes too, as our motives become increasingly pure.  We are less and less interested in our own circumstances, and more and more interested in God's kingdom -- and seeing His kingdom come to earth.  And, these things become the focus of our prayer lives.  We are interested in storing up treasures in heaven, and trusting in God to meet our earthly needs.

We are less and less judgmental.  We know that "[i]f when we judged others, our true motive was to destroy evil, we should look for evil where it is certain to be found, and that is in our own hearts."  Dietrich Bonhoeffer, The Cost of Discipleship.  When we see others sin, our response is not one of judgment but one of grief, of prayer and of love.

More and more Jesus softens our hearts.  More and more we truly rejoice with those who rejoice and mourn with those who mourn.  Our hearts cry out when we see others in pain -- even when it is self-inflicted.  Our desire is truly to be the face of Jesus in the lives of others.

There comes a time, however, when our actions are no longer fruitful -- and indeed even counter productive.  And here, John gives us one example to ponder.

"If you see any brother or sister commit a sin that does not lead to death, you should pray and God will give them life. I refer to those whose sin does not lead to death. There is a sin that leads to death. I am not saying that you should pray about that.  All wrongdoing is sin, and there is sin that does not lead to death."
                                                                               1 John 5:16-17.

When we see verses like this one we are naturally curious.  We want to know the nature of the "sin that leads to death" -- although I am not sure it is always for the right reason.  It is like going to a NASCAR race to see a crash.

Having said that, my best guess is that, given the context of the letter, it is talking about people who have left the fellowship and are teaching falsely about Jesus.  It is difficult to imagine a more serious sin than leaving someone into an eternity separated from God.  Some had left the church, and were likely teaching that Jesus was not fully man and fully God.

The more practical point, however, is that the Bible teaches that there are points in time when we are helping others -- trying to lead others -- when our actions end, even though our love continues.  It may be our efforts to lead someone to Jesus, to lead someone out of sin, or our provision of financial, emotional or material support.  We can get to a point where our words and actions simply have no positive impact, and may even cause the very people we are trying to help "turn and tear us to pieces."

Here are a some other examples in the scripture of what we are talking about.

“Do not give dogs what is sacred; do not throw your pearls to pigs. If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you to pieces."
                                                                                              Matthew 7:6.

If anyone will not welcome you or listen to your words, leave that home or town and shake the dust off your feet.  Truly I tell you, it will be more bearable for Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgment than for that town."
                                                                                               Matthew 10:14-15.

It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and of a kind that even pagans do not tolerate: A man is sleeping with his father’s wife.  And you are proud! Shouldn’t you rather have gone into mourning and have put out of your fellowship the man who has been doing this?  For my part, even though I am not physically present, I am with you in spirit. As one who is present with you in this way, I have already passed judgment in the name of our Lord Jesus on the one who has been doing this.  So when you are assembled and I am with you in spirit, and the power of our Lord Jesus is present, hand this man over to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, so that his spirit may be saved on the day of the Lord."
                                                                                                1 Corinthians 5:1-5.

Coming to the conclusion that we have done all we can in a particular situation is agonizing.  Our hearts continue to cry out, but we can see that nothing positive is coming of our efforts.  We can become frustrated and sometimes angry -- with them or with ourselves.  So, let me be unusually practical this once.  In such situations, consider these things.

1.  Pray.

2.  Whatever happens, it is neither your victory nor your failure.  All you can do is your best -- God is the only one who can change hearts.  Do not take on a burden for yourself that belongs to God alone.

3.  Don't use these scriptures as an excuse to give up too soon.  Have faith that God is bigger than the problem.

4.  When you think it may be time to retreat, seek wise, godly counsel.  You probably shouldn't have been doing this alone in the first place.  (And, no, seeking wise, godly is not the same as gossiping!).

5.  Pray some more.

6.  If you do reach the conclusion that you have done all you can, don't stop loving, praying and believing that God may open the door again in the future ... when they are ready, or when YOU are ready.