Politics, Prime Ministers, and Peter

As you may have noticed, I haven't been writing much on this blog. One of the reasons is that I have been busy writing Bible Study lessons and a few sermons. But the bear has come out of hibernation; at least for a short time. There has been something weighing on my mind, that I feel is important to address.

    If you love truth, justice and righteousness, it is likely you are not pleased with the current political situation in Canada, especially with the last federal election. And that displeasure is understandable. I understand it too. Our leaders often act foolish and unjust. Unfortunately this decline in the moral condition of our politicians will most likely continue. As this decline continues, we more and more need to be reminded of how we as Christians ought to conduct our actions and attitudes toward our government. So Peter's words in 1 Peter 2 are very needed.

    Peter is writing his letter to Christians who are scattered abroad and in the midst of persecution. In chapter 2:12, Peter tells them to "keep your behavior excellent among the Gentiles, so that in the thing in which they slander you as evildoers, they may on account of your good deeds, as they observe them, glorify God in the days of visitation."

Peter then goes from exhorting them to have excellent behavior, to explaining his readers how they were to have excellent behavior as they related to the authorities. 

13 Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every human institution, whether to a king as the one in authority, 14 or to governors as sent by him for the punishment of evildoers and the praise of those who do right. 

Why should they submit to the government?

15 For such is the will of God that by doing right you may silence the ignorance of foolish men. 16 Act as free men, and do not use your freedom as a covering for evil, but use it as bondslaves of God.


 17 Honor all people, love the brotherhood, fear God, honor the king.

Consider this last verse. 
We know we need to submit to the authorities. We are to obey them so long as they don't tell us to do something that is in opposition to God's law. It is clear we can't lead rebellions to overthrow the government. At least I hope that is clear from the text. But Peter goes further than that. Peter commands us to honor the king. 

This word to honor is found at the first and last part of the verse. It has the meaning of treating someone with respect, to treat graciously, to give proper recognition. So, Peter tells us to show respect to all people. Then at the end of the verse, he tells us to show respect especially to the king or emperor. Think how hard this command was for those Christians. The emperor and those in government were persecuting them. Those in government were pagan to the core and morally corrupt. And yet Peter still tells them to show respect for those in authority. 

Why were they to show this honor? 
First, because like all men, they were made in the image of God and therefore were to be treated with respect. 
Second, those in government were put in that position by God, therefore they were to be respected.  

The question this text asks of you is this; 'do I show respect to those in government? It is not enough to submit to them, but do I honor them?' 

So much of what I see on Facebook as it relates to politics, falls far short of this command. People use insults and derogatory slurs toward the Prime Minister, President or some other member of government. Then, there are the political cartoons that demean politicians. It seems to me that for some people, because some politician is godless, it gives them the freedom to insult them as if that is their duty.

But for the Christian, these things should not be. You may say that is how things are in the world. But we are called to a higher standard. God calls us to live according to His standard not the low standard of unregenerate people. 

We can disagree with the government. We can point out when they are wrong. We can use lawful means to bring good change. But as we do this, our text "honor the king", should be in our mind. We need to do this with respect, kindness, civility and grace. 

Brad

Mary, Mary, Quite Contrary!

"And Mary said, “Behold, the bondslave of the Lord; may it be done to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her." Luke 1:38  

     This verse comes at the end of Mary's conversation with the angel Gabriel. Gabriel had just announced to Mary that she was going to conceive a son by the Holy Spirit. This son was to be named Jesus and would be great. He would be the Son of the Most High and would reign on the throne of David over the house of Jacob forever and ever. God had chosen Mary to have an unique and important part to play in His plan of salvation. After years of waiting, finally the Messiah was coming. And of all people, Mary was going to carry this Child who would be the Savior of all God's people and would be the long awaited king. This was an immense privilege given to her by God. But, with this privilege, there was also going to be trial and suffering. 

     The majority of people would think that Mary had gotten pregnant before her marriage to Joseph. How would she be able to explain how she had gotten pregnant, when no one before or since, has ever conceived in this manner? For the rest of her life she would have the stigma and reproach of being an unfaithful and immoral women. Few would ever understand in her lifetime. Who knows what shame and shunning she faced? And what about Joseph? He would think she was unfaithful to him. It was only through a dream from God that Joseph would be convinced that Mary wasn't unfaithful. (Matthew 1:19-21) In fact Mary could face death, for the law decreed death by stoning for those who committed adultery. (Deut 22:13-21) So while she would have an immense privilege in carrying the Savior, there was also a great trial for her to go through. But consider how she responds.

      Mary calls herself the bondslave of the Lord. In her eyes, she is God's slave, which is very contrary to how the Roman Catholic church views her. In their view, Mary is worthy of veneration and a mediator between God and man. But Mary understands that the Lord is her master and she is his slave. Whatever the Master says she will do. She submitted to God's purposes and will for her without murmuring or questioning. She trusted that her Master knew what was best and was willing to go where He called her, even if it would bring her pain and sorrow. Here is a worthy example for us.

     The Christian has the honor and privilege of being adopted into the family of God. He is an heir of the glory to come. His sins are completely forgiven. God is His friend and Lord. These honors and privileges are mostly unknown by those around him and many of these privileges will only be had in the life to come. This life is for the Christian the time for suffering. "Indeed, all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted." 2 Tim 3:12. This life is a life of war for the Christian as he must wage constant war against sin. Obedience is hard work. This Christian is the special object of Satan's temptations. The cross must come before the crown. 

And what should be our reaction when we are called to suffer and labor for God? It should be the same as Mary's reaction to the angel's announcement. We are God's slaves and will  do as He wills. 

"Let us be willing to go anywhere, and do anything, and be anything, whatever be the present and immediate inconvenience, so long as God's will is clear and the path of duty is plain." 
J.C. Ryle from his expository thoughts on Luke.(page 30)

Brad

How To Be A Christian Sports Fan

Christianity is not a one day a week religion. It isn't confined to a few areas of life. Christianity affects everything. Jesus Christ is Lord of every single part of our lives. Eating, drinking, exercising, driving, singing are all to be conformed to God's word. We are like a dilapidated house. Every room and space is in need of a renovation. So every area of our lives needs to be scrutinized to see if it is being done in a God-glorifying way. One area that needs to be examined is how we watch sports. How are Christian sports fans to be different than the sports fans of this world?

 What I find in the sports world is that people are dehumanized. Instead of seeing them as real people who have struggles and troubles like the rest of us, they seem to become mere objects on the screen. This can be seen in how people talk about players on their team, on the other teams or even the referees. People boo those players they don't like. Players are sharply criticized when they don't meet our approval or standard. The referees are cussed in anger when a call doesn't go our teams way. The opposing team is often looked at as an enemy to be destroyed. These are just some examples of a lack of love for those playing the game.

  God's word calls us to show love, respect, kindness and understanding to others. All people are made in the image of God and, therefore, deserve to be treated with dignity. If we do believe this, we will watch sports in a different way. Booing, catcalls, and unfair criticism have no place for the Christian while he watches sports.We should be patient with the officials even when they make a mistake. We should be able to appreciate the talents of all the players on each team, even when our team is losing. We ought not to rejoice, even if it is only inwardly, if the other team's star player is hurt. Maybe next time you watch your favorite team play ask yourselves 'How can I show love to those playing this game? How can I honour God in how I watch this game?'

  In Canada one of our religions is hockey. Maybe in the American South, it is football. Too often people idolize sports.  Some people get depressed after their team loses. Some will get angry. Either way these responses show that they worship their team or sport too much. Even Christians can have a sinful preoccupation with sports. We fail to consider how sports fits into the eternal plan of God. How important do you think it is to God's kingdom for your team to win the championship? This world and your team will all pass away, but God's kingdom will never pass away. We are to seek His kingdom and His righteousness first of all. Watching sports can be a nice way to relax. It is a blessing to enjoy. But in the end it is only a game and doesn't matter that much compared to the eternity ahead of us. Millions of souls are perishing and entering into a horrifying eternity in hell. The gospel needs to be preached to them. What is a sport game to this reality?!! A Christian should have a Biblical perspective when watching sports. Sure, we can cheer for our team to win, but if they don't, it shouldn't upset us. Being a sports fan is a good hobby, but don't make it your idol.

  Lastly, we should be careful to limit our time watching sports. "Therefore be careful how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise, making the most of your time, because the days are evil." Ephesians 5:15. A hockey game lasts for a couple hours. Now if you watch sports every night or every other night, that can be a lot of time spent in sports. Is that a wise use of time when you consider what I said in the last paragraph? Is there not more important things that could be done? Could that time be better used to serve Christ's church? Or that time could be used to read your Bible and pray or care for your wife and family? A real danger with being a sports fan is that it can eat up much of your time. As such, we need to be disciplined in how much time we give to the hobby of watching sports. Make it your slave, and don't let it master you.

Brad

The Christian Test: Part 3

This will be the last post about assurance of salvation. I have been trying to show from the Bible that there are certain questions we can ask ourselves to determine if we are indeed saved and so gain an assurance of our salvation. In the last post we saw there must be repentance, faith, obedience, the work of the Spirit and answered prayer in the life of a Christian. Now without further delay, here are the next traits of a Christian.

1) Do you love other Christians?

 A true Christian loves Jesus Christ. The one born of God will love God and will love those who are His children. 1 John 5:1-2. Jesus Christ loves His church. He suffered and died for her. And so a Christian will love the church as well. "The one who says he is in the light and yet hates his brother is in the darkness until now. The one who loves his brother abides in the light and there is no cause for stumbling in him. But the one who hates his brothers is in the darkness and walks in the darkness, and does not know where he is going because the darkness has blinded his eyes." 1 John 2:9-11.  Consider also this verse, "If someone says, 'I love God,' and hates his brother, he is a liar; for the one who does not love his brother whom he has seen, cannot love God whom he has not seen." 1 John 4:20.  It is not enough to say that you love your friends at church. But do you love all of those born again because God loves them and saved them and adopted them into His family; the same family that you are now part of? Do you love Christians who disagree with you on points of doctrine and practice or are not very lovable at times? Do you love the church where ever she may be found and seek to do her good? If you truly love God and have been born of God, you will seek the good of His church.

2) Are you disgusted with worldliness?

"Do not love the world nor the things in the world. If anyone loves, the world, the love of the Father is not in him." 1 John 2:15. The world is the collective mass of sin and error of the people in this world. It is the kingdom of darkness over which Satan rules. The world's values, habits, beliefs and pleasures are seen on the movie screen, on TV, on the magazine rack, in liberal churches, in Buddhists temples and so on. Can you love sin? Can you love worldly wisdom? Can you be at home among ungodly friends?  If so, then there are some serious problems in your life and you may not be a Christian. Christians reject the world. The philosophies of this world are repulsive to the believer. The humor and entertainment of the world is nauseating. The Christian will walk against the grain of society, because he loves God, and truth, and holiness, and seek after His kingdom and righteousness first of all. "You adulteresses, do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God ? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God." James 4:4.

3) Are you persecuted for the sake of Christ?

   A Christian will hate the world, but the world also hates the Christian. The world loves darkness and hates the light. Since Christians are of the light, the world will hate them and persecute them. "Indeed, all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted." 2 Timothy 3:12. Cain killed Abel. Why? "Because his deeds were evil, and his brother's were righteous. Do not be surprised, brethren, if the world hates you." 1 John 3:13. And so this has been the case from then until now. The children of Cain hate the righteousness of the children of Abel because it bothers their consciences and condemns them. "This is the judgement, that the Light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the Light, for their deeds were evil. For everyone who does evil hates the Light and does not come to the Light for fear that his deeds will be exposed." John 3:19-20  Have you suffered for Christ? Maybe you have not been tortured or put in prison. But have you been excluded from others because you are a Christian? Have you been mocked or insulted because you bear the name of Christ?  Have you been slandered against because you are of the Light? Have you shared in the sufferings of Christ? If you have, you can be sure that you are part of the Kingdom of Light. The more godly you will live, the more people will hate you and the more joy and assurance you will enjoy.

 This is the end of the Christian test. I know it wasn't exhaustive, but I think I covered most of the questions. If there was something I missed, let me know. A good resource is  the book 'Biblical Doctrines' edited by John Macarthur and Richard Mayhue. See pages 649-653.

  Hopefully, after looking over these questions, you will gain greater assurance. If you did, then praise God and continue to make your calling and election sure. But if you don't see these qualities in your life, then maybe you aren't a Christian. Or you could be an immature Christian who needs growth. I would advise you to talk to a mature Christian for further counsel.

Brad

The Christian Test: Part 1

This post continues on from the last one in which I showed from the scripture that we are to examine ourselves to see if we are in the faith. Assurance of salvation is important and God has shown us how to obtain it in His word. The letter of First John gives us a test by which we can see if we are indeed saved. Much of the texts used here will be taken from this book.

  This is a test that you must get 100% on. All the traits will be present in a Christian. But there will be varying degrees in the life of a believer. For example, all Christians have saving faith, but some will have strong faith while others weak faith. The greater these characteristics of a believer are seen in a their life, the greater will be their assurance. The less we see these qualities, the weaker will be our assurance.

1) Do I repent of my sins and trust in the finished work of Christ?

 How a person deals with sin, reveals his true colors. We are born loving sin. We don't need to learn to sin since it comes naturally. Left to himself, man would hold on to his sin rather than let it go and gain eternal life. The natural man pursues sins and continues to live in sin. He doesn't hate it and see it for what it is; the most hateful and vile evil in all the universe. 1 John 3:8, "The one who practices sin is of the devil; for the devil has sinned from the beginning."

 One of the first signs of new life in the soul is repentance. Repentance is a change in our attitude toward sin. It is much more than just saying sorry to God for your sins. It is more than just asking for forgiveness. With repentance there is a sorrow because we know that sins are an offence toward God. Sin doesn't seem lovely any more; it is seen as a disease, a poison, a pollutant, a rotting corpse. Then there will be confession of sin before God. "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." 1 John 1:9. We cry out to God as the tax collector did, "God, be merciful to me, the sinner." Luke 18:13. Real repentance also involves a breaking away or turning from sin. We don't wallow in our sins like a pig in the mud. We make an effort to leave the mire. Christians may fall into the mud, but they won't stay there. "No one who is born of God practices sin, because His seed abides in him; and he cannot sin, because he is born of God" 1 John 3:9
   
   Repentance starts at the beginning of the Christian's life and continues throughout his life. We never stop confessing our sins and repenting. When we come in repentance for the first time, we come before God as judge begging Him to forgive us and give us salvation. When we come in repentance during the rest of our life, we come to God as our Father whom we have wronged so there can be reconciliation and enjoyment of that relationship.

  Faith always goes with repentance. Faith and repentance are as two wings which are both needed for the bird to fly. Both faith and repentance are needed for salvation. A Christian trusts or rests on the finished work of Christ. He knows he is bankrupt of righteousness. He knows he can do nothing to save himself. He believes that only Christ can save him. A Christian is convinced that the gospel of Jesus Christ is true and that he can only be saved by coming to Christ in faith. 

"Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God," 1 John 5:1.

"The one who believes in the Son of God has the testimony  in himself; the one who does not believe God has made Him a liar, because he has not believed in the testimony that God has given concerning His Son." 1 John 5:10.

"That if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved." Rom 10:9.

 As with repentance, living by faith continues our whole lives. The just are saved by faith and the just continue by faith. A true Christian continues his whole life trusting Christ. Consider the lives of the saints in Hebrew 11. They did great deeds by faith. They courageously suffered and died by faith. They sailed through trouble and trials trusting in the unseen God who loved them. "For whatever is born of God overcomes the world; and this is the victory that has overcome the world-our faith." 1 John 5:4.

2) Is there a general pattern of obedience to God in my life?

 In many of these characteristics of a Christian there is some overlap. Obedience is the result of repentance and faith.

Jesus said in John 14:15 "If you love Me, you will keep my commandments."

and then later in verses 23-24 "If anyone loves Me, he will keep my word; and My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our abode with him. He who does not love me , does not keep my words;"

 1 John 3:10 states it very plainly, "By this the children of God and the children of the devil are obvious: anyone who does not practice righteousness is not of God,"

or consider 1 John 2:29 , "If you know that He is righteous, you know that everyone also who practices righteousness is born of Him."

I could go on; there are many similar verses in the Bible. A Christian will be obedient to God's commands. This doesn't mean Christians have to be perfect. No Christian will be perfect in this life. But when you look at your life, ask yourselves, "Is there a general pattern of obedience in my life?" "Do I delight to do God's will?"  "Is there growth of obedience in my life?" The more obedient we are the greater our assurance of our salvation will be.

   These first two characteristics of a Christian are foundational. You simply can't be a Christian if you never have repented of your sins and trusted Christ alone for salvation. There must be obedience to God's law in a Christian's life and that obedience must be increasing. A true Christian will find joy and will delight in God's commands. There will be a desire to repent. There will be joy in resting in Jesus alone. All these traits are products of a new heart that is given at salvation.

The next post will continue this test of a genuine Christian.

Brad

Sir Joe the Unready: A Failed Knight Of The Round Table

The stories about King Arthur and his knights of the Round Table are well known. We have all heard of  Launcelot, Galahad and maybe Mordred the Usurper. Their exploits have been recorded in great detail for us. But few have heard of Sir Joe the Unready. While other knights won fame and glory in battle and heroic deeds, Sir Joe doomed himself to an embarrassing place in history.

   Sir Joe was a son of a cousin of an uncle of Guinevere the wife of King Arthur. With the help of this influence, Joe was made a member of the famous Knights of the Round Table. Sir Joe was proud of his new position. It gained him a lot of popularity, especially among the fairer sex. While all the other knights were training in feats of arms or riding off on important missions, Sir Joe was lounging with his many admirers. When once Arthur asked him to go on a mission of some importance, Sir Joe refused. His excuse was that he had contracted a disease in the lungs or maybe it was the heart when he was young and ever since had been in frail health. As a result any strenuous activity would bring Sir Joe close to the grave since his lungs or his heart or it could have been his bowels would have given way. Arthur went away muttering something about not doing a favor for anyone anymore, even for his wife.

  As Sir Joe lived his best life now, the other knights trained hard; preparing for the eventual invasion. The other knights despised Sir Joe and mocked him behind his back. Sir Launcelot even publicly rebuked Sir Joe calling him to act worthy of a knight. But Sir Joe had his excuses and would not listen. But soon Sir Joe would find that his lack of preparation and laziness would come to cover him in shame.

  One day while Sir Joe was taking his afternoon ride in the forest to let the lunch meal slowly digest, he heard a scream. Sir Joe rode in the direction of the scream and found to his horror that a great dragon was carrying away a beautiful damsel. Sir Joe knew what to do. He charged. The earth trembled under the pounding hooves of his horse. The dragon roared and spat fire. Sir Joe at the dreadful moment of collision, drew his sword. But his sword was stuck in the scabbard. He pulled and pulled but it was rusted to the scabbard. While Sir Joe was distracted, the dragon flew off with his prize, not wishing to get into any conflict. Later he ate the lady in his cave. Sir Joe was ashamed of his failed attack. But no one knew about what had happened and he wasn't going to spread the word.

  Sir Joe's downfall came some months later when the hosts of Mordred invaded the realm of King Arthur. The battle lines were drawn and the armies prepared for the coming battle the next day. Arthur told Joe that this was his day to prove himself. Sir Joe was scared the next morning as they lined up in battle formation. When the battle trumpet was sounded, he with the other knights charged. But something snapped in Joe's mind. Fear made him have a sort of brain fever. Sir Joe raced around the battle field swinging his sword wildly at anyone in his way. Sometimes he wounded or killed a foe, but at other times he felled some of his own compatriots. At some point his sword flew out of his hands and landed in the field. He jumped off his horse to get his sword only to be knocked out as his frightened horse kicked him in the head.

  In spite of Sir Joe's antics, King Arthur and his knights won the battle. Sir Joe woke up after the battle with a massive headache. Arthur came up to him and said, "Ya know Joe, I think you are finished with the Knights of the Round Table." So a shamed and humiliated Joe went off to live his life in poverty and ridicule. All the people called him, Sir Joe the Unready and laughed at him as he walked by.

  This story was written to illustrate one truth: That we must be prepared and ready every day for the spiritual battles that war against our soul.  My story of Sir Joe is the story of many Christians. They are soldiers of Jesus Christ. But they forget the command to "Suffer hardship with me as a good soldier of Christ Jesus." 2 Tim 2:3.  They are not trained in the use of the sword of the Spirit. The deadly, desperate spiritual war every Christian is in is forgotten.The text in 1 Peter 5:8 is not remembered. "Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion seeking someone to devour." They act as if the battle was over. Too many of Christ's soldiers are not prepared for the onslaught of the foe. They don't know how to use the Bible. They are lazy and more at home in the entertainment of the world than in the scriptures. They are spiritually fat and undisciplined. Such soldiers are in great danger from the kingdom of darkness.

  The exhortation to you is; Wake up, there is a war going on. Learn to fight courageously and skillfully with the shield of faith and the sword of the Spirit. The devil can't take away our salvation, but he can make us ineffective soldier for Christ. "Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your toil is not in vain in the Lord." 1 Corinthians 15:58   Our victory is certain. Fight on!

                                                                 

Brad

David's Mighty Men

My children love the Asterix and Obelix books. The Gauls have a magic potion which gives them superhuman strength. This enables them to hold off the Roman legions and live in freedom. No matter the size or power of a Roman army, the Gauls can defeat them. One Gaul filled with magic potion can hold off thousands of soldiers. Well, I came across a portion of scripture that seems to come out of the Asterix books. And no, it was not Samson, although, he may be the best example of a man with superhuman strength.

If you would go to the second book of Samuel and the 23rd chapter starting at the 8th verse. There you will read an almost incredible record of some amazing warriors. There is a man who kills 800 men with a spear in one battle. Eleazer was another mighty warrior who stood fast against the Philistine army. He held them off, even as his hand grew weary and clung to his sword. Shammah did much the same feat at another battle. One of David's great warriors, Abishai, killed 300 men in a battle with a spear. Or consider that doer of great deeds, Benaiah. He killed two giant men of Moab as well as killing a lion in a pit on a snowy day. He also killed a great Egyptian by taking his spear and killing him with it. Lastly, three of David's mighty men broke through enemy lines into a Philistine held city to get David a cup of water, and then returned back to David's camp. Reading these military exploits is impressive, even hard to believe. But the question is what does God want us to learn from these heroes of David? Is this recorded to show us how great David and his army was or as an entertaining story? Or is there more?

 While these examples of courage are hard to believe, they shouldn't be. For God promised that Israel would do these kinds of feats of war if they were obedient to Him. One of the blessings that Israel would enjoy if she kept the Mosaic covenant was the defeat of her enemies. Leviticus 26:7-8 says, "You shall chase your enemies, and they shall fall before you by the sword. Five of you shall chase a hundred, and a hundred of you shall chase ten thousand, and your enemies shall fall before you by the sword." God did not just promise victory for obedience, but a supernatural and overwhelming victory since Israel would be able to defeat her foes with only a handful of men. We see this promise kept when Jonathan and his armor bearer attack and defeat a Philistine garrison through their trust in the Lord. 1 Samuel 14. So this list of military exploits by David's men should not surprise us since David and his soldiers are walking in obedience.

It is also important to note that in two of the examples it is stated that the Lord provided the victory. See verse 10 and 12. These men were skilled in war, but their skill and victories came from God. Through His people, God was showing His power in these victories over His enemies. So this story is not so much about David's mighty men as is it about the God of David's mighty men's. He worked powerfully to protect Israel. He was showing His love and kindness to Israel by enabling these warriors to win incredible victories over her enemies. So we learn from this narrative about the loving and powerful God we serve. But there is more for us to learn.

 We too can do great deeds for God's kingdom and honor. Consider the saints who have gone before us. Martin Luther stood up for the gospel and defied the powerful Roman Catholic church and her allies. By his courage and zeal, the Lord brought about the Reformation. George Whitefield and John Wesley preached the gospel to thousands, in spite of great hostilities. God used these men and others to transform Great Britain and America in the Great Awakening. Adoniram Judson left America as one of its first missionaries to go to the land of Burma. There he lost two wives, a number of his children, almost died in prison and suffered bouts of depression. But he translated the Bible into Burmese and the first church in Burma was started. The list could go on. Some of the great deeds of God's people may not seem so glorious as these, but truthfully they are deeds no one could accomplish but by the power of God. How about those who subdue their sin, like some great addiction such as porn or drugs. What about the pastor who continues to preach faithfully even though the harvest is small and he is relatively unknown. Or the mother who trains her children in the wisdom of the Lord and prays constantly for them. There are many examples we could give.

The Christian life of putting to death sin, living holy lives, and walking faithfully with the Lord is impossible for anyone to do. But with the power of Christ and the Holy Spirit, we can be super conquerors. We can do great deeds, but only through the Almighty. We are weak, but He is strong. Our troubles are powerful but God is even greater. This then is the great secret to living out the Christian life with all of its mountains and valleys. "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." 2 Corinthians 12:9.

-Brad

Come to Me

“Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

- Matthew 11: 28-30

I’ve been feeling rather discouraged lately in my struggle against sin.

There are certain sins that are so deep rooted that it feels like they keep rearing their ugly head, no matter what my resolve is. No matter how hard I try, I see and feel these sins lurking in the depths of my heart. And, when they break through in my words and actions, my soul longs to tear them, roots and all out of my heart. But I cannot. No matter what I try to do, they stick.

It’s interesting when you first become a Christian, that it seems like so many sins just fall away. You look back and wonder, ‘where did that go? Why do I find no joy or satisfaction in doing the things I used to do?’ The joy that is felt when you see how God has changed your heart and changed the longings of your heart. You desire to please Him. You long to do His will. You want to know more about Him and who He is.

But that ‘high’ doesn’t seem to last. Often the sin of pride starts to show as you wonder why others aren’t growing or haven’t grown as you have. Then you see more sins that are much harder to fight than the more ‘outward’ sins of your actions. You start to see how wicked the heart really is. How it is just steeped in sin—rotten to the core.

This is where discouragement can settle in as it has with me. I see how wicked my heart is. I see my failings, and short comings, and then I try to fight it. On my own.  And, that is where the mistake is made. I cannot fight sin on my own. I cannot live a life that is good enough or that pleases God. Oh, I long to. I so desire to please Him and yet I know that even my best attempts are as filthy rags before Him, all my labor is in vain. And, in my looking at myself, and my rottenness, I forget to look at Christ. I forget to look to Him and His righteousness. The righteousness He has clothed me in. I forget to cling to Him—to take His yoke upon me. I forget to learn from Him. I forget to immerse myself in His Word, and to cast my prayers at His feet. This is when my soul is heavy laden—cumbered with a load of care.

May I continually cling to Him, to find my joy and salvation in Him alone.  Not in my own works, not in my feeble attempts, but in Him alone. May I find rest for my soul in Him for He is gentle and lowly in heart. 

What a friend we have in Jesus,
All our sins and griefs to bear!
What a privilege to carry
Everything to God in prayer!
Oh, what peace we often forfeit,
Oh, what needless pain we bear,
All because we do not carry
Everything to God in prayer!

Have we trials and temptations?
Is there trouble anywhere?
We should never be discouraged—
Take it to the Lord in prayer.
Can we find a friend so faithful,
Who will all our sorrows share?
Jesus knows our every weakness;
Take it to the Lord in prayer.

Are we weak and heavy-laden,
Cumbered with a load of care?
Precious Savior, still our refuge—
Take it to the Lord in prayer.
Do thy friends despise, forsake thee?
Take it to the Lord in prayer!
In His arms He’ll take and shield thee,
Thou wilt find a solace there.

Blessed Savior, Thou hast promised
Thou wilt all our burdens bear;
May we ever, Lord, be bringing
All to Thee in earnest prayer.
Soon in glory bright, unclouded,
There will be no need for prayer—
Rapture, praise, and endless worship
Will be our sweet portion there.

-Joseph M. Scriven

~fenna

Spiritually Modified People

Genetically modified foods, in which they modify the genetic material of a plant, is a controversial process. I have no intention of writing about that now. But I want to use GMO's as a way to introduce a very important truth from scripture. God is in the business of spiritually modifying people (SMP). He takes out their old, evil, stone cold hearts and inserts new hearts. Such SMP's are now drastically changed in how they think and live. This change is really the greatest miracle around and it happens all the time. Let us briefly spend some time examining what God has to say on this wonderful doctrine of regeneration.

  Wayne Grudem in his systematic theology, defines regeneration as "a secret act of God in which He imparts new spiritual life in us." Regeneration is more commonly referred to in the Bible as being born again. Being born again is an absolute necessity for salvation. " Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God." John 3:3. This is so because when we are born physically, we are born spiritually dead. As Paul said we "were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked" and we "were by nature children of wrath." Ephesians 2:1,2,3. After Adam sinned we all died spiritually. So it doesn't matter who you are or where we live, we all need to be born again. You could be a great moral person with a religious pedigree all the way to John Calvin or you could be the most debased sinner but you still need to be born again.

Regeneration is something we play no part in. There are no commands in the Bible that we need to regenerate ourselves. Being born again is solely an act of God. Jesus referred to regeneration as being born of the Spirit."Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God." John 3:5.  See also John 1:13 and 1 John 2:29. In fact while regeneration is primarily the work of the Holy Spirit, a close study of scripture reveals that all members of the Trinity are involved in regeneration. Just as we had no part to play when we were born the first time, so we play no part in being born the second time.

 The word of God is what God uses to bring about the new life in Christ. "Since you have been born again not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and abiding word of God." 1 Peter 1:23.  This is also confirmed by James in James 1:18, "Of His own will He brought us forth by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of first fruits of His creatures." In both these passages we learn that God uses His word, especially the gospel message, to bring about the new birth. This should make us see how important it is to communicate God's truth with accuracy in teaching and evangelism. Since God uses His word for regeneration, we should, in our evangelism, use scripture in our conversation and gospel literature.

There is a mystery in how this work of regeneration occurs in the heart of a person. "The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit." John 3:8. How exactly God works as He transforms a person spiritually is unknown. For some people, they will know the  precise day and moment of being born again and others may not realize all that is taking place inside them. But yet there is always a moment when God takes the old heart out and gives that person a new heart. We may not perceive it until later. While we may not know how God imparts new life in the hearts of people, we will always see the results.

The result of the work of regeneration will always be repentance, faith, justification, and sanctification. When God gives new life in the soul, the person will now see the holiness of God, the sinfulness of sin, and the beauty of Christ and the gospel. He will respond to his sins with godly sorrow and true repentance. He will lean on the finished work of Christ for his complete salvation. When he does that, then God declares that person not guilty and righteous based on the sacrifice and righteousness of Jesus Christ. The Christian is now a new creature in Christ and as such he will live differently. There will be increasing conformity to the character of Christ in a Christian's life.

 John's first letter gives some of the signs of a person who has been born of God.
1) One who is born again will not continue to live in sin. There will be true repentance and forsaking of sin. He will hate sin not love it. 1 John 3:9 and 1 John 5:18
2) The one who is born again will trust that Jesus is the only Saviour for sinners. 1 John 5:1
3) The regenerated person will desire and try to live a godly life. 1 John 2:29
4) One who is born again will love God's people, His church. 1 John 3:14
5) One truly born again will not love worldliness. 1 John 5:4

Are these signs in your life? This is an important question, for there is no other way to enter heaven. Let me finish with an illustration that I have modified from Charles Spurgeon. Suppose there was a rule in Canada that only those who were born in Canada could become citizens of this country. Now a man from Japan comes to Canada and wishes to be a Canadian citizen. He is told that is impossible. So he says that he will dress like a Canadian and eat Canadian food. Will that help him to become a citizen? No, but this man truly is willing to become a citizen so he says that he will also learn English and just to show his sincerity he will learn French too. We would admire his zeal, but the law is the law. But he continues on, "I will change my name so it is a Canadian name like Wayne or Pierre. I will study the customs and traditions of this country so that I will be able to be a typical Canadian." Sadly this man still would not be allowed to be a citizen. So it is with the heavenly country. In order to become a citizen of God's country, you must be born again. No amount of outward good deeds can get you in. Only by God's sovereign grace can you become a citizen of that country. While we cannot regenerate ourselves, God does call all of us to repent and believe in Christ.

-Brad

Larry the Lamp and A Dark Lesson

 Larry was a typical lamp standing on a small table in the living room. He had a 60 W head with a light brown shade on top. Every day it was the same old, same old. In the afternoon or evening his owners turned his light on until late in the night. Then his light was turned off. His was a typical life for a lamp. The other lamps and lights in the room lived the adventure of lights every day as well. But Larry was a proud lamp. He boasted to the other lamps that he didn't need any owner to turn his light on. No, Larry was fed up with this boring life. Larry had a light bulb moment, he was going to make a break for it. Larry was going to make it on his own. Maybe by his power, he would be the limelight at some famous theater performance. Or maybe he would light up the palace of royalty. All the other lamps laughed at the silly ambitions of Larry, but deep down they wanted to do the same. So one day, when all the owners were away, Larry said goodbye to the other lamps and started to get ready to leave. Larry inched close to the edge of the table. Then he leaped over the edge. The other lamps watched in horror as Larry's light went out and he fell to the ground; lightless. Larry's cord had come out of the outlet. The other lamps reflected on this tragic fall in the darkness until one of the owners came over to help Larry. He was placed on the table again and his cord was plugged in. Then his light shone around the room again. Larry was now a humbled lamp. His great ideas of achieving fame and glory were gone. He realized he couldn't shine in the spotlight because he was plugged into the electrical outlet.

While this story seems a little childish, it contains the same truth as a passage in Isaiah. In Isaiah 10:15 we read God saying, "Shall the axe boast over him who hews it, or the saw magnify itself against him who wields it? As if  a rod should wield him who lifts it, or as if a staff should lift him who is not wood."  What is God talking about? Well, in verse 5 God calls Assyria his rod and his staff. The Lord had raised up the Assyrians to be a great and powerful nation. He gave them victories and wealth. He was going to use this wicked nation to punish His people Israel for their wickedness. But all this success, power, and wealth produced pride in Assyria, and especially in the king. The king of Assyria wanted to conquer and destroy all the nations. He believed that his success was due to his power, wisdom, and understanding. No one could stand before the great king of Assyria. No god could prevent the king from his ambitions. Or so he thought. In the verse I quoted, God rebukes the king of Assyria for his arrogance. God remind him that he is only a tool in God's hand and a tool is completely dependent on someone for it ability to do it's job. God will show this proud king that he is but a tool when He shall destroy his army. This occurred when an angel of the Lord killed 185,000 Assyrian soldiers who were besieging Jerusalem. Later this king was murdered as well. It seems he didn't learn from God's punishment.

 But have we learned this lesson? Do we realize that we are 100% dependent on God. He gives us our every breath and every heartbeat. All our talents and abilities come from Him. All spiritual gifts are given by our Lord. God has placed us where we are and given us what we have. The reason we are alive right now is because He wills it to be so. There is no room in the Christian's life for pride or boasting. Do we have wealth or success? It is only because God gave us that. Are we proud of our gifts or abilities? Shame on us, for that too comes from God. When you see godliness and fruitfulness in your life, are you tempted to be proud of your attainments? You have no reason to. Jesus said, "Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing." John 15:5. Ah! but you might say, "I have worked hard. I have been disciplined in the means of grace. Others are immature in the faith due to their own sloth and indifference." But consider Paul's words, "But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God that is within me." 1 Corinthians 15:10.  Without God, we are nothing and can do nothing.

So we should live in dependence on God every moment of our lives. We do need Him every hour. We need to give thanks in all things and for all things He gives us. We should be ashamed of our pride and boastfulness and learn to say, "Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord." 2 Corinthians 10:17.

-Brad

Bold As A Lion In A World of Fear

                                      "Nobody ever said that life was gonna be fair 

                                  You're never gonna get nowhere by running scared 

                        If you look down deep inside you'll find the faith to make you strong  

                                                         Oh, oh carry on."  

  These are lyrics of Tim Mcgraws song "Carry on". These lyrics summarize one way the world advises us on what to do when you are afraid. But unfortunately it is cold comfort. This advice won't help when you have no job, no money and no food or when you are on your death bed or when you see persecution coming. For if you look deep down inside, you will find nothing but a mass of corruption. Faith doesn't come from navel gazing or internal speculation. Faith comes from outside of ourselves. So looking deep inside our barren hearts won't help you in a world of fear. So how can you be bold as a lion in this world filled with fears? (Proverbs 28:1.)

God has clearly answered this question in His Word. Let us look at some of what He has said. In Deuteronomy 31:6 Moses tells the people of Israel "Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the Lord your God who goes with you. He will never leave you or forsake you." 

Then in verse 7 and 8, Moses tells the same thing to Joshua. In verse 23 the LORD tells Joshua to 'Be strong and courageous for you shall bring the people of Israel into the land that I swore to give them. I will be with you." 

Later in the book of Joshua, God repeatedly gives this same command to Joshua before he begins the conquest of the land of Canaan. "Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you where ever you go." Joshua 1:9.  This exhortation is repeated by others in verse 18 and later in chapter 10:25.  

This same exhortation is given to Solomon by David. "Be strong and courageous and do it. Do not be afraid and do not be dismayed, for the LORD God, even my God, is with you. He will not leave you or forsake you until all the work for the service of the house of the LORD is finished." 1 Chronicles 28:20 

Or consider Psalm 46:1, "God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way." 

When the disciples were sailing in a great storm on the lake of Galilee, they saw what looked like a ghost coming out to meet them on the lake in the midst of this storm. It was Jesus coming to help them and I love what He says to them. "Take heart; it is I. Do not be afraid." Matt 14:26 

Do you see the answer to our question? We can have courage in the midst of horrible troubles, impossible tasks, and great dangers because our courage comes from the promises and presence of God. Those who are redeemed and reconciled to God though Christ can be assured that their heavenly Father is always with them to give them help and strength. Our Father never leaves us alone. He is faithful to His promises and will finally present us blameless in His presence. His sovereignty, wisdom, love, goodness, power are all working on our behalf. If God is for us, who can be against us? In every circumstance God is using it for our good. When the way ahead of us is hard or the task ahead  towers above us, God promises He will go with us and give us what we need. 

Would a cat be afraid of a dog if a lion or bear was protecting it? Or does a child feel afraid of the dark if his father is right beside him. No I think not. Should we be afraid or dismayed when the infinite, all powerful Lord of the Universe is standing beside us? No, but we still do feel afraid often. Our faith is weak and our memories short. We need to cry out to God to increase our faith so we can "see" Him who is invisible beside us and hold on to His promises. Our troubles are small, before the Infinite One. Even the biggest troubles or difficulties is tiny for our King. We need to spend more time looking at our God than at our troubles and fears. 

Just one more text before I am done. Jesus told His disciples before he left to ascend into heaven that they were authorized to go into all the world to make disciples and then to teach them everything He taught them. Few harder tasks do we have than this. This commission has cost the lives of many people. It has brought much hardship in the lives of Christians to fulfill this. It may have seemed impossible to the disciples at that time. But consider the last promise of Jesus before He left to ascend into heaven. How does He encourage His people in this task? " And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age." Matt 28:20.  Emmanuel, which means God with us, promises that He will be with His people to help them in this task so long as this world endures. The righteous are as bold as lion, because the great Lion of the tribe of Judah goes with them. 

Brad

Devaluing the Value of Wealth

"He who loves money will not be satisfied with money; nor he who loves wealth with his income; this also is a vanity." Ecclesiastes 5:10

 In the mornings I have been studying the book of Ecclesiastes. The book describes the quest of Solomon to find purpose, satisfaction and meaning in life under the sun. He writes this book looking back on his quest for satisfaction. Throughout the book Solomon moves in his writing from his past quest to his current understanding. I found this understanding of Ecclesiastes very helpful as it clear up some confusion I had as I read this book.. I owe this view to the ESV study notes on Ecclesiastes.
   Solomon had seen vanity in all of life. Pleasure, work, laughter and power are all vain when pursued as an end in themselves. In Chapter 5:10-20, Solomon looks at wealth and money. The Bible talks a lot about money and wealth as it is an important subject. Wealth can do great damage to our souls. Wealth can also be used for great good. In a very wealthy culture, we especially need to have a Biblical understand of wealth. It is human nature to love money and wealth. It is a natural idol that we worship. For many people their goal in life is to be filthy rich. But here in this passage, Solomon warns us that wealth and money are not as valuable as we think. Riches are overrated. The idol of money is here exposed as being a sham and a cheat. Let us look at why Solomon found wealth to be unsatisfactory.

1) Loving money and wealth will not satisfy us. verse 10

Greed is a bottomless pit. The desire for money never ends. We never find real contentment in wealth. That satisfaction seems just around the next corner, but when you arrive there, it escapes to the next corner. Rich and poor alike are not satisfied with what they have. It doesn't matter if you have a thousand dollars or a hundred million dollars, you will not be content. A life lived to gain and be satisfied in money is a life that is empty and vain.

2) Gaining wealth adds more dependents. verse 11

The meaning of this verse could be the more wealth a person acquires, the more people will flock to him pretending to be friends to get a share of that wealth or that the wealthier we become the more we need to have people to take care of our wealth. For example the larger one's farm gets, the more employees we need for the running of the farm. Wealthy people have a lot of leeches that suck their wealth.

3) Wealth can bring loss of sleep. verse 12

A rich man can have a difficult time sleeping. One reason is that he may worry about his wealth. How will he manage it? What if all his riches are lost or stolen? Maybe he lies awake thinking about his business deals. Another reason is that a wealthy person doesn't have to work that hard. On the other hand, someone who works hard all day, will have no trouble falling asleep. It doesn't matter if he eats a lot or a little, sleep comes easy to a working man. Wealthy people tend to work more with their minds or at least do very little physical labor. As such it may be hard for them to fall asleep.

4) Wealth brings pain or hurt. verse 13

Wealth takes much pain and sacrifice to acquire and it requires pain and sacrifice to keep as well. Wealth needs to be maintained and it will cost us to hold on to our treasures. Wealth can hurt us spiritually by making us proud, gluttonous or self sufficient. Like the rich young ruler in Luke 18:18-25, money can be the cause of our eternal ruin. Wealth can hurt us by making those around us envious. Wealth can bring with many temptations.

5) Wealth can disappear in a one hundred and one different ways. verse 14

Wealth is not certain. There are many ways it can vanish. Thieves can steal what we have. We can make one bad business decision that can bankrupt us. The economy can collapse. The banks could fail. The stock market may crash. A natural disaster could destroy all we have. War could come and ruin us financially. We could become sick and spend all our money trying to get healthy. And the list could continue. Money is an untrustworthy idol.

6) Wealth can not be taken with you when you die. verses 15-16

You can work your whole life to build a massive fortune, but when you die, it all stays here on earth. You really can't take it with you when you go. All your hard work and careful planning to get riches will be in vain. All of it will go to someone else who most likely didn't do anything to help you acquire your fortune and may squander all of it. Naked you were born and naked you will die. Why heap up treasure that won't last.

I will conclude with the words of Paul. Please read them closely.
      "As for the rich in this present age, charge them not to be haughty, nor to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy. They are to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share, thus storing up treasure for themselves as a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is truly life."
1 Timothy 6:17-19

Brad

Lessons From the Life of Opa Bredenhof

  Recently I finished reading the autobiography of my Opa Bredenhof. About 15 years ago my grandfather wrote the story of his life. I have read that book a number of times in the last few years. I enjoy it more every time.  He was born in Holland in 1922. He worked on various farms and joined the underground army in WW2. After the war he was in the police force for awhile, till he decided to move to Canada. He first lived in Alberta and then moved on to live the rest of his life in BC. It has been just over five years since he died, so I wanted to share what I learned from reading the story of God's dealing with my Opa.

 1- My Opa was a man of courage. As a soldier in the underground army in Holland, he had a very dangerous job. Death stared him in the face many a time. Yet he continue to work and fight to give liberty to his country. He showed great courage during his years as a police officer, dealing with many dangerous people and situations. His courage comes out in his decision to come to Canada. Throughout his life, I saw this quality in my Opa. He had the courage to do what was right even when many others objected. He knew the dangers, yet continued on trusting in God. I need this quality. We all need this virtue. We need brave men; men who can face dangers and uncertainties and bravely go forward.

 2- My Opa had a good work ethic. He worked long hours throughout most of his life. He studied for long hours to obtain the knowledge to be good at his trade. He started out in Canada working for farmers as little more than a slave. Yet at the end of his work years, He owned a large farm which continues on today. This was done by years of back breaking work. Long hours were put in year after year just to put food on the table. Through hard work, courage, wise planning, and God's blessing he became a wealthy man. His hard work has benefited his children and grand-children. We stand on his shoulders. We have so much. We work a lot less than he did. We have it quite easy compared to his days. We owe some of this to the hard work of our grandfather. We have a duty before God to use the wealth and time we have to promote the cause of Christ in the world. It would be very sad for us to waste our money and position that was so hard won by my Opa. I am thankful to God for what He has given me through my Opa. I am also motivated to use my time well like my Opa did and to not be reluctant to work hard.

 3- My Opa was a man of faith. In his book, he continually mentions that his trust was in God. The book's title is called "By Grace Alone" which says a lot about how he lived. Often he says that to God alone be the glory. It brought him great joy to see his children and grandchildren walking in the truth. His joy was the same as John who said that " I have no greater joy than this, to hear of my children walking in the truth." 3 John 4
Opa gave a lot of time as a  school board member to set up a Christian school. He often served as a deacon and elder in the church. He was on the mission board to help work in Korea and Brazil. He often encourage his grandchildren to consider the work of a pastor or missionary. Opa said that the greatest thing in life was a God fearing life. His life proves his words.

He had his faults, but reading the story of Opa's life motivates me to walk in truth and godliness; to leave an example that others can follow. I want to be able to say as Paul did, follow me as I follow Christ. Wealth and a good name last for a short time, but what is done for the glory of God lasts forever. We exist to bring worship to God. This is the end we should seek in all areas of our lives.

-Brad

Little Creatures, Big Truths

"Four things on the earth are small, but they are exceedingly wise: the ants are a people not strong, yet they provide their food in the summer; the rock badger are a people not mighty, yet they make their homes in the cliffs; the locusts have no king, yet all of them march in rank; the lizard you can take in your hand, yet it is in king's palaces.

Proverbs 30:24-28

 The creation around us is full of wonderful illustrations of Divine truth. The One who made the world is the same who wrote His word for us in the Bible. So it is natural that God should use His creatures to reinforce the truth of His word. Guided by the Scriptures, we can observe the creatures around us to learn wisdom. This is what Agur did. He is the author of this chapter. In the verses we are looking at, Agur points to four small, weak animals that teach us some wise lessons. These animals are ants, rock badgers, locusts, and lizards.

Ants

Ants are very small insects. We can easily crush them. Yet they survive many troubles and dangers. Ants teach us to work hard. They are used as examples of diligence and hard work in Proverbs 6 6-8. But they also work smart by planning for the future. In summer when there is lots of food, they gather food to store it for the winter when food is scarce. God has put in these little creatures the wisdom to prepare for the future. Ants are a rebuke to the sluggard. Ants are a rebuke to those who live only in the moment without any thought for the future. Ants don't have brains like us, yet they are wiser than some people. We should do our work heartily as unto the Lord. Like ants, we need to consider future needs and problems and prepare for them.

Rock badgers

Rock badgers are a small gopher-like creature. Here is a link to some info and pictures of rock badgers. They don't have much of a defense against predators. But they are wise enough to recognize their weakness and seek their safety in something else. They live in the rocks and cliffs. There among the cracks and heights, they are safe from many of their enemies. We are weak too. We are no match for our foes. Our only safety is in the Lord, the Maker of Heaven and Earth. He is our rock, our fortress, our strong tower. "For God alone, my soul waits in silence; from Him alone comes my salvation. He only is my rock and my salvation, my fortress; I shall not be greatly shaken." Psalm 62:1-2. We need to turn to God for our salvation and daily look to Him to protect and strengthen us.

Locusts 

One little locust is not a problem. But when they gather together in great masses, these insects are a great terror. They can ruin a country in a short time as they eat all the green vegetation. Together they are more destructive than an army of soldiers. Yet this army of locusts has no leaders. They march together side by side as they cause desolation in their wake. How can they work together for a single purpose without a leader? God has put this ability inside their little heads. The church does have a leader, Jesus Christ. He has also provided elders to lead his people. Shouldn't we be able, with leaders, to work together with one purpose to accomplish the healing work that God has given us? Locusts can work together without a leader. Surely we can cooperate together to bring the gospel to sinners with leaders. Too often Christians let petty differences divide them. Christians are too often divided, distracted, and given to infighting and so the work of Christ suffers. Learn from the locust to work together to accomplish the Great Commission.

Lizards

Some lizards can fit in the palm of your hand. They are powerless to escape from your grasp. Yet these humble little animals can find a way to get into the palaces of kings. There they live in the presence of great and powerful men and women. How do they do this? They use their ability to walk on walls and slip though tight spots to enter areas that the average person cannot enter. I have seen these kinds of lizards in Cuba. They are swift and agile. They use this to their advantage. Perhaps this example from the lizard illustrates another proverb: Proverbs 22:28 says "Do you see a man skillful in his work? He will stand before kings; he will not stand before obscure men." I think the truth is no matter how weak and small you are, use your gifts and abilities to do the very best work possible. Often when we aim for high quality work, we will rise above others and be recognized by great men. Surely it is always true that when we are faithful to use our gifts to the glory of God, He will be pleased and tell us, "Well done, good and faithful servant.You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your Master." Matthew 25:23.

-Brad-

You Need the Vision

"Where there is no prophetic vision the people cast off restraint, but blessed is he who keeps the law."

Proverbs 29:18

"You need a vision for the future." That was what we were told some years ago at a conference. The speaker told us how we need to have a plan for the future. We need to make goals and work towards accomplishing them. Don't wander aimlessly in life. Now that is all fine and dandy, but he used the proverb we are looking at today to back this up. The problem is this proverb has nothing to do with making plans and goals for the future. This might be clear from the translation I used here, but the King James Version which the speaker used says the proverb like this, "Where there is no vision the people perish." This speaker's problem in interpretating this proverb was a failure to understand the Biblical meaning of vision and to study closely the second line of the proverb as it sheds light on the meaning of the text. This proverb really speaks about the result of a lack of God's word and the result of hearing and obeying God's word.

The word vision refers to the means by which God often revealed His word to His prophets in the Old Testament. 1 Samuel 3:1 says "And the Word of The LORD was rare in those days; there was no frequent vision." The book of Nahum is called "The book of the vision of Nahum of Elkosh." Nahum1:1. There are other places where prophets are given visions by God.  To have God's word is a great blessing. For God to remove His word is a great curse. In fact the absence of prophets and God's word was part of God's judgement of Israel. In Amos 8:11-12, God said He would send a famine of the word of the LORD. In Micah 3:6-7 God promised that there would be no visions and no answer from God as a judgement on the false prophets of that day. See also Ezekiel 7:26 and Psalm 74:9 for some other example of a lack of God's word in judgement.

The result of an absence of the word of God is that people are unrestrained. Without God's word to govern what they believe and how they are to live, truth and morality is left to each individual. This is what we see in the times of the Judges, which was a time when the word of God was rare. "Everyone did what was right in his own eyes." Judges 21:25. Moral chaos reigned. Israel had turned to idols from worshipping God and God in judgement took away His word which led to a greater plunge into darkness. It was only God's grace that saved them when God sent His word through Samuel to lead the people back to Him. We can see this principle at work in our days. People in our country have rejected the Bible. They want to remove anything to do with Christianity. Other countries have banned the word of God and the results are disastrous. Without God's word as the objective standard on truth and morality, people believe whatever they want to believe and people live however they want to live. And who can object? Or consider how this plays out in churches. When people do not conform the practise of the church to the scriptures, the church becomes whatever people want it to be. Then the church ceases to be the church of Christ.

How blessed are the people who have God's law and put it into practise. The law here refers to all of God's word not specially to the Mosaic law. It is not the having of God's word that brings blessing, but the obedience to its commands. Neglecting God's word is the same as rejecting it.  The Bible is a great treasure. It reveals to us what is true and false. It teaches us what is right and wrong. God, though His word, directs us to Christ as the only way of salvation for lost sinners.  We need faithful preaching which seeks to explain what God's word means and how it applies. We need Christians to do the hard work of searching and studying the scriptures on their own. We need to examine every part of our lives and beliefs to see if they conform to the word of God. "Do not despise prophecies, but test everything; hold fast to what is good." 1 Thessalonians 5:20. We need to stop allowing the culture and traditions to define our practice and doctrine. The Bible must be central in all things. When it is, how happy and blessed we shall be.
     Reader, do you prize the word of God more than your bank account? Do you delight in its truth more than your favorite food or hobby?

Sola Scriptura forever! 

Brad

My Graduation Text.

"Know well the condition of your flocks, give attention to your herds."

Proverbs 27:23

Many long ages ago I graduated from high school. I went to a Christian school, so when I graduated I was asked to choose a text for the graduation ceremony. Well, this proverb was the text I chose. I chose it because it fit well with my chosen profession; dairy farming.  It may have not been the best text to graduate with, but it does teach us much about how God desires us to work in our professions.

While the text is directed to those who work with animals, the principle can be applied to every job and activity. Colossians 3:23 says, "What ever you do, work heartily as for the Lord and not for men." This proverbs helps us understand how we can work heartily as we serve Jesus Christ so that He is pleased. Let us examine the text as it relates to caring for animals.

I have a book which takes the principle in this proverb and applies it to dairy farming. The book would explain this text very well. It is important when we care for animals to observe what is going on in the herd. We are to look at the group as well as the individual. Our sight, smell, and hearing are all to be constantly used to monitor what is going on among the animals. Our observation should then lead to asking why? Why is this happening or occurring? When we know why, then we can find a solution to the problem. For example: We need to examine the cow's coat, how she walks, and how she stands. Her eyes will tell you about her health. Is she chewing her cud?  How is her breathing? We should be aware of when she calved or when she was bred. Is the cow fat or thin? When we understand how the animals are doing, we can take care of them better. This takes time, effort, and care. But it is important, "for riches do not last forever." (Verse 24a). If we neglect to take care of our animals, they will be in poor condition. Shoddy management ruins the herd or flock. The performance of the herd will decrease and eventually the farm will not profit us. Wealth in the days of ancient Israel was in livestock. So this wealth needed wise and careful management, otherwise a farmer would become poorer and poorer without even enough food to feed his family.

Most people don't work with animals. But the truth in this proverb still applies. Paying close attention to the details will help you do your work well. If you are a parent, it is important to understand your children. Know their differences. Watch carefully their behavior so you can instruct, rebuke, or correct. If you are a carpenter, make sure your work is quality work. Measure twice and cut once. Think about how this proverb can apply to the responsibilities that God has given you.

 I wish all elders/pastors would consider this proverb. When  I chose this verse for grad, I was told that this was a verse for pastors. That is true although, not in the primary understanding but in its application. If we had more elders who cared about God's flock like some farmers care about their cows, our churches would be much healthier and more effective. The effects would be felt in our country and around the world. We need elders who care about the sheep. Elders needs to take time to know the members. They need to know their struggles, their hurts, their spiritual maturity, their gifts, and anything else that may help them to shepherd their souls. Ignorance about the members of the church will hinder the elder take care of God's people. You can't help or heal what you don't know. We need elders that know how to correctly handle God's word. The teaching and preaching of the Bible especially requires an attention and care to details. No sloppy work in this area please. We need to have elders who live out this proverb in their ministry. God, please give us these kind of shepherds.

-Brad

Love Warns

"Better is open rebuke than hidden love. Faithful are the wounds of a friend; profuse are the kisses of an enemy."

Proverbs 27:5-6

Warning!
This is a brief rabbit trail before I write about the proverb quoted above.

It is important when we read Proverbs that we don't think that the book just teaches us good morals. Proverbs gives us an expansion on the law of God. We see in Proverbs how we are to love our neighbor and love the Lord. As we read Proverbs, we will more often than not, see ourselves as the fool rather than the wise man. What is said of a fool and his folly could be said of us. Yet if we fear the Lord, we will turn to Him in repentance rather than run from Him. Also consider as we read Proverbs that Jesus Christ is the great wise man. Amazingly He acted in wisdom in every action, every word, every thought, every look, and in every situation. The righteousness He won for us who are not righteous in any way was not easily won. Living a life of wisdom is impossible for us sinners. Studying Proverbs should make that clear to us. Yet we can ever be filled with worship and thanksgiving, when we consider that Jesus Christ was wise in all things for our sakes.

My wife was walking one day on a trail in the mountains. I was behind her as I am so much older and slower than her. Suddenly I look up and see a mountain lion about to pounce on her from a large rock above her. I also see a bear coming though the trees to attack her. What is the loving thing to do? I would warn her loudly that she should get out of the way. Then the lion would pounce on the bear instead of my wife. This sounds like one of my wife's nightmares. But this nightmarish fictional story does help to illustrate the proverbs I want to write about.

Love compels us to warn people. We love people so we warn them about dangers. We warn our kids about crossing the roads or the boiling pot of soup. We warn about bad stores and bad merchandise. We warn others about con artists. We warn about diseases. We warn people because we don't want them to suffer harm. We don't want them to be hurt. We want them to avoid dangers. Warnings about the dangers of the world we can see are generally acceptable and appreciated. When we are warned we know that the person warning us cares about our well-being. But what about the dangers of sin?

Sin is dangerous too. Sin can have very terrible short term and long term consequences. Sin can have eternal consequences. Sin is far more dangerous than any wild animal or deadly poison. If we believe this, than wouldn't we want people to be warned about sin? Why are we often so quiet about the sins of others? If we really loved them, wouldn't we tell them the danger their sin is leading them into? The reason we don't is that our faith is weak and our love is weak. We don't really clearly see by faith the deadly effects of sin. Our love is weak towards others. We need to pray for greater faith and greater love.

True love will warn another about sin in their lives even if it hurts them. Rebukes wound us. They hurt our pride. We love our sin and are reluctant to give it up. But a true friend will rebuke anyway, even if it may result in losing a friend. The loving thing to do is to warn them about their sin because we know the danger of sin. We desire their spiritual health. A kind rebuke is indeed evidence of a good friend.

Let us warn others of their sin with humility and kindness and let us accept with graciousness the rebukes of others.

Brad