My Bible And I

Dear Christian Brother or Sister,

I know often times it is said by some that they do not get fed by their pastor when they go to church services.  This is indeed a great problem.  We are told that a time such as this would come.

Amos 8:11-12
Behold, the days come, saith the Lord God, that I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the Lord:

12 And they shall wander from sea to sea, and from the north even to the east, they shall run to and fro to seek the word of the Lord, and shall not find it.
KJV

This is a great sin on the part of those who claim to be God’s men.  God’s men should indeed be faithful in preaching the Word of God.

On the other hand, there is a measure of sin on the part of the believer who sits in service and complains about not being fed.  You see, our text tells us that those who are truly hungry for the Word of God will seek for it.  Oh, sure, they will find  it harder and harder to get.  After a while it will be almost impossible to get a good, godly, expository sermon.

Even then there is an issue that the Christian must face.  He is responsible for the feeding of his own soul.  He cannot depend on someone to spoon feed him (though I suspect that there are many who should only be fed from a sling shot).  The Christian must feed himself.  He must, of his own accord, go to the Bible and feast upon God’s Word.

God gave us His Word for this very reason.

Deut 8:3
he humbled thee, and suffered thee to hunger, and fed thee with manna, which thou knewest not, neither did thy fathers know; that he might make thee know that man doth not live by bread only, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the Lord doth man live.
KJV

 

The Everlasting Gospel part 2

The Everlasting Gospel

I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people, Saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come: and worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters.

(Rev 14:6,7) KJV

How can the affection of fear along with giving glory and worshiping be good news to us?

First of all, it is because of the worth of God.  He is our Creator.  That means He is omnipotent, omniscient, and eternal.  His creation testifies to His glories.  This is not some arrogant person fishing for compliments.  This is the ONE who is worthy demanding His dues.

Fear is good news because God is merciful to those who fear Him. 
“As the heaven is high above the earth, so great is his mercy toward them that fear him.” (Ps 103:11) KJV

Give glory…how is this good news?  Faith gives glory to God, not works. 
“He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God.” (Rom 4:20) KJV Faith glorifies God by coming to Him for our fulfillment and satisfaction. 
“Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.”  (John 6:35) KJV

Worship…..good news?  Yes.  Faith is worship.  It acknowledges the worth of our Creator/Judge and trusts Him to acquit us at the judgment.  Faith worships God by trusting His goodness, benevolence, power, and faithfulness.
“We are the circumcision, which worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh.”  (Phil 3:3) KJV

 

Team Pyro’s Daniel Phillips Posts on Pastoral Success

Read the article here.

I have learned that we cannot always (and never fully) measure the eternal and spiritual success of our endeavors by looking at physical and material manifestations.

Just as many in the Charismatic movement look toward physical manifestations too much, so do many people look to that as a measure of ministerial success.

The problem is this: spiritual issues are by nature not entirely visible. Neither do the results come overnight. Jonathan Edwards was not successful by many of our terms. He lost a high profile pastorate and lived near poverty afterwards, then died before he fully recovered from that setback. He was successful, though. Why? Because his work blesses folks even today. He could NEVER have been able to imagine that. Neither could he have measured his impact.

Success is simply being faithful………….remember Jesus’ statement of commendation to His servants?

Matt 25:21
Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.
KJV

Thanks, Dan, for the good, thought-provoking post.

Let us all pray for grace to be faithful.

Just musing…..

 

What Really Matters In A Sermon

I don’t know Jonathon Bowers, but he surely has a good post here.

“During my lifetime, I’ve probably listened to over a thousand Sunday sermons. Out of those, I can recall a fraction in fuzzy detail. This makes me think that I’m either a horrendous steward of information (which I probably am) or there is something more important in hearing a sermon than being able to recite every bulleted point ten years down the pike.

I prefer the second option.

What is most important about a sermon is the immediate effect that it has on me while I am listening. Does it make me see Jesus? This is how I change: “And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another” (2 Corinthians 3:18). Whether or not I can recall its content at a later time is secondary.

Jonathan Edwards said this very thing: “The main benefit that is obtained by preaching is by impression made upon the mind in the time of it, and not by the effect that arises afterwards by a remembrance of what was delivered” (quoted in Jonathan Edwards: A Life by George Marsden, pg. 282).”

Oh that we might understand that the true heart’s cry is “Sir, we would see Jesus.”  (John 12:21) KJV

Just musing…

 

Keeping The Gospel In The Forefront

Various controversies seem to arise in the blogosphere.

Because of virtual anonymity we can say practically anything. As a matter of fact, we feel much more free to do so than if we met our fellow man face-to-face in a disagreement.

In the end, let us all not forget to keep the Gospel in the forefront of our blogs. Sure, homosexuality and politics are hot-button issues. So is tithing. What is most important is the Gospel, because God is glorified therein.

1 John 2:12
I write unto you, little children, because your sins are forgiven you for his name’s sake.
KJV

Just musing….

 

My Bible And I

” All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:  That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.”  (2 Tim 3:16,17) KJV

The Word of God is inspired.  God gave it to us through men who were led by the Spirit of God (See 2Pet 1:16-21).

“Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.   For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.”  (Matt 5:17,1 KJV

As a matter of fact, not only is inspiration verbal, but it is also very detailed.  God promises to preserve even the smallest stroke (such as the dot over an “I”) and the smallest article of punctuation as well.

This truth should cause us to be very respectful of God’s Word.  It should cause us to be careful to observe closely the words that we read and the punctuation, too.  Words have meaning, and punctuation helps present that meaning to us.

Someone once said that a spinster said that she was justified in never marrying, because the Bible said, “I would not have you, ignorant brethren.”  In truth, the Scriptures said, “I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren…”  (1 Thess 4:13) KJV She would not have made that mistake had she paid attention to the words that she was reading and the punctuation.

While this may seem very simple, many times we miss the meaning of the Word of God because of reading carelessly.  Let us not forget that the Word of God is inspired all of the way down to the smallest detail.

Just musing…

 

Biblical Authority

Albert Mohler states:

” Through the preached Word and the ministry of the Holy Spirit, God actually speaks to His people.

Dr. John Buchanan answered:

We need to be very careful about that. So many people have abused this, preachers need to be very careful before claiming they are God’s mouthpiece. I think the preacher needs to be suggestive and not declarative. There are times in history when people (like Dietrich Bonhoeffer and Martin Luther King) were called with some authority to say, “This is wrong.” But we need to be cautious. One of our central doctrines is that we all fall short of the glory of God. Sin touches all of us. Our call is to study, pray, discern the word, then convey it to people.

The key issue here is his proposal that preaching should be “suggestive and not declarative.”  While the preacher must be modest concerning himself, his own abilities, and his inherent inadequacies, the preacher must not be merely suggestive in the pulpit.  The “suggestive and not declarative” approach well defines most liberal Protestant preaching, but I think it also explains the decline of those churches and denominations.  The earlier loss of confidence in the authority of the Bible inevitably leads to a declining authority of the pulpit.”

Truly we need to uphold Scripture as the authority.  Let the man fade into the background as the clay pot that he is (See 2Cor 4:7), and let the Word of God stand upon its own power through expository preaching.  This preaching will be honored by God.

What thinkest thou?

Just musing…

 

The Pastor As Theologian

Read it here.

ht JT 

 

My Bible And I

    I hope to do a post each week that I shall call My Bible And I.   It is the aim of these posts to encourage each of us to approach the Word of God with correct attitudes so that we may by it be changed into that which God would have us to be.

“All that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.   But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived.   But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them;  And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.   All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:  That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.”  (2 Tim 3:12-17) KJV

    When we approach the Scriptures we should first of all approach them as timeless, relevant, and authoritative.

    Timeless, because the Word  of God endures forever (see 1Pet 2:22-25).

    Relevant because Scripture speaks to our times.  God provided prophetic insight into the days in which we live.  Along with that insight He gave us instruction that is relevant to our times.

    Authoritative because God has spoken.  The Words of Scripture are given by inspiration of God, and are not mere human words.

    May God grant us grace to respect His Word more each day that we might be changed thereby.

    Just musing…

 

 

The Transforming Power of The Gospel part 1

Beholding The Glory of God

“We all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.” (2 Cor 3:1 KJV

Context

“Do we begin again to commend ourselves? or need we, as some others, epistles of commendation to you, or letters of commendation from you? Ye are our epistle written in our hearts, known and read of all men: Forasmuch as ye are manifestly declared to be the epistle of Christ ministered by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tables of stone, but in fleshy tables of the heart. And such trust have we through Christ to God-ward: Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God; Who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life. But if the ministration of death, written and engraven in stones, was glorious, so that the children of Israel could not stedfastly behold the face of Moses for the glory of his countenance; which glory was to be done away: How shall not the ministration of the spirit be rather glorious? For if the ministration of condemnation be glory, much more doth the ministration of righteousness exceed in glory. For even that which was made glorious had no glory in this respect, by reason of the glory that excelleth. For if that which is done away was glorious, much more that which remaineth is glorious. Seeing then that we have such hope, we use great plainness of speech: And not as Moses, which put a vail over his face, that the children of Israel could not stedfastly look to the end of that which is abolished: But their minds were blinded: for until this day remaineth the same vail untaken away in the reading of the old testament; which vail is done away in Christ. But even unto this day, when Moses is read, the vail is upon their heart. Nevertheless when it shall turn to the Lord, the vail shall be taken away. Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.” (2 Cor 3:1-17) KJV

Paul asks the Corinthians if he needs to commend himself to them, or bring them a letter of recommendation. His response is that they are his letter of commendation, as they are written by his heart, and all men knew and read that epistle. In other words, the fact that they were saved and radically and graciously changed through his ministry to them made it obvious that he was an apostle of Christ. The letter was not one which was written with pen and ink, but was written upon the heart by the Spirit of God. It was not (as the law) written in stone, but was written upon their hearts by God. Note that Paul did not say that he wrote upon their hearts, but that he ministered unto them that which did write upon their hearts.

Paul’s confidence in his apostleship does not come simply because he preached and they were changed, but from the fact that he was trusting God. No man is sufficient in himself to change people so that they are eternally better. God makes us sufficient, however, that we may minister His word. What a blessing it would be if each of us would understand this truth and not think more highly of ourselves than we ought. There is altogether too much pride in Christian pulpits today. We should rather minister according to the ability that is given to us by God (1Pet 4:10,11), and speak His word in confidence of His blessing upon it. This is where change comes from: the new testament (the shed blood of Christ Matt 26:28), not from the law, but from the Word of God that is accompanied by the Spirit of God (See John 15:26,27;16:12-15). Paul had not preached to them the law, or any system of good works for spiritual transformation, but he had preached to them the gospel (See 1Cor 1:17-2:5). The law only ministers death: it shows us our sin and guilt (Rom 3:19,20;Gal 3:22), but the gospel, which fulfills the letter and spirit of the law, gives life by the indwelling Spirit of God (John 4:13,14;7:37-39;Rom 8:8-10;Eph 1:12-14).

It is not as if the law were not glorious truth from God. It indeed was exactly that. The issue before us is the fact that the glory of the law was not an abiding glory. The children of Israel did not comprehend this because of the fact that they could not abide seeing the brilliance of the glory with which Moses’ face shone, so he put a veil over his face. Because of the veil over Moses’ face the children of Israel did not recognize that the glory was a fading glory. Moses did not always wear the veil because the glory finally faded away, just as the glory of the law has faded. Sadly, the veil has remained upon the hearts of many of Israel’s children so that they cannot see that the glory of the law is gone and they need something greater if they are going to be transformed into that which pleases God. Thankfully, this veil is done away in Christ. When one submits to the righteousness of God in Christ (See Rom 10:1-4,16,17) they no longer hold to the law as the end-all for spirituality. They realize that Christ is the end of the law, and that He transforms men through gospel truth (See 1Pet 1:17-25) which is the everlasting truth of God in Christ. This gives great liberty: liberty from bondage (Gal 3:10-3;4:1-5;5:1;Heb 2:14,15) and the fear of death. This is the work of the Lord. The Lord is that Spirit mentioned in vs. three and six where Paul stated that the Corinthians were his epistle written with the Spirit of God and that the Spirit (not the letter) gives life. It is the Lord who liberates people from the bondage of sin, condemnation, fear, and death. There is liberty in Christ! We are free!

To this point, Paul is stating that his commendation was the fact that he had ministered the gospel to the Corinthians and they were transformed thereby. It was not by the power of his personality, or by the preaching of the law of Moses, but by the power of the Spirit of God through the preaching of the gospel that this change was wrought in them. This truth should have a great humbling effect upon us so that we would realize that we have no power within ourselves to change people, and that any good that is accomplished is because the Lord has made us able ministers of His life giving truth. We should also be emboldened to preach the Word of God more faithfully in confidence that God honors the preaching of His Word by giving life to those who believe it. May God grant us that confidence that we would shun opinion, market-driven strategies, works based systems, etc. and preach the Word KNOWING that He will crown such preaching with His soul-saving, life transforming power!

 

 

Just musing…