One of my most favorite times of the year is Thanksgiving Day. Oh, I love to eat and the football games are fun to watch, but that isn’t why I enjoy Thanksgiving.
On Thanksgiving Day we go over to my parent’s house. In years past that meant loading up the kids, along with our part of the food preparation, and going to dad and mom’s place. All day long we sit around and enjoy each others company. My parents are Christians and they have been a wonderful influence on our children. To watch them interact has always been enjoyable. We usually watch one of dad’s favorite old movies (now favorites of my kids, too) and stay until late.
As the years have gone by, my oldest son has married, adding another delightful family member to this great day. My younger son is away at college and having him home is special too. My two daughters have almost grown up so all the interaction is now mostly on an adult level, often about spiritual matters.
On the next day we have my wife’s family in. Since my oldest daughter was born on Thanksgiving Day, these Fridays have also doubled as the birthday celebration which brings in my dad and mom in the evening. At one time the number had grown to around 40 but it has dwindled in recent years (19 this year) as my wife’s siblings’ children have married and moved to other parts of the country and world. All of these folks are Christians, too, and again there is a lot of spiritual discussion, along with discussions about the SEC championship, business, cooking, the latest jokes, etc. Some folks always stay late and we end up singing spiritual songs together. This family has a lot of great voices and it is very uplifting to sing together.
Each year I find myself more and more thankful for so many blessing in my life that come from these families that my wife and I joined together. When you look up a generation to our still living parents, and out to our brothers and sister, and down to all those children, nieces and nephews (now two generations deep) and find so many mature, dedicated servants of the Lord, I can’t help but stop and give thanks. Each year those thoughts bring me to more and more tears as I become so conscious of just how unworthy I am to receive such wonderful blessings.
Yet in looking at my own children I understand why the Lord enjoys blessing His children. In fact, He said in Matthew 7:7-11, “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. Or what man is there among you who, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent? If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!”
Do you enjoy the blessings of the Lord? You don’t if you are not His child. If you would like more information about how to enter into a relationship with Him, please email me using the link at the left. I enjoy sharing the blessings of the Lord with others and would enjoy doing so with you.
Thanksgiving Day. Indeed!
Sunday, November 26, 2006
Saturday, November 18, 2006
Redefining Male and Female
New York City is considering a proposal that will allow a person to alter the sex listed on their birth certificate. No sex change operation is required - just some sort of proof that the person has acted like or lived as the opposite sex for at least 2 years.
Such an easy sex change has certain practical implications such as which bathroom will an employer allow "it" to use at work. Or a boy, if he thinks quickly on his feet, will act like a girl for a couple of years and conveniently change sexes just before being required to sign up for Selective Service.
Of course the whole process is designed to make it easier for two males or two females to marry since their birth certificates will indicate that they are male and female, a marriage allowed by New York law. If this proposal becomes law there will probably be the usual outrage expressed by those in the religious community, but I want to suggest that many "Christians" are guilty of similar redefinition.
The Scriptures clearly teach in 1 Corinthians 14:34 "Let your women keep silent in the churches, for they are not permitted to speak; but they are to be submissive, as the law also says." You see, this passage is as clear as the passages that teach us that homosexuality is "not permitted." Yet many of our religious friends want to redefine the role of women not only to allow them to speak but even to preach rather than to "keep silent in the churches" as Paul commands (see verse 37).
The Scriptures clearly place qualifications upon the role of the bishop (pastor, elder, presbyter). "A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, temperate, sober-minded, of good behavior, hospitable, able to teach; not given to wine, not violent, not greedy for money, but gentle, not quarrelsome, not covetous; one who rules his own house well, having his children in submission with all reverence..." (1 Timothy 3:2-4). Yet many of our religious friends want to redefine the role of the bishop, saying it really isn't necessary that the bishop be a married and a male ("husband of one wife") and they appoint unmarried men who have no children ("having his children in submission"). After all, Paul said the bishop "must be" these things (verse 2).
If Christians are going to insist that people must live according to God's teachings in regard to homosexuality and sex changes (and we should), then it is absolutely necessary that we live consistent lives and not take liberty with the Scriptures and presumptuously redefine roles when it is convenient to our own wishes and desires. Submission to God's will is the duty of all men - to those who want to reject His will regarding sexuality AND even to those who call themselves by Christ's name.
Such an easy sex change has certain practical implications such as which bathroom will an employer allow "it" to use at work. Or a boy, if he thinks quickly on his feet, will act like a girl for a couple of years and conveniently change sexes just before being required to sign up for Selective Service.
Of course the whole process is designed to make it easier for two males or two females to marry since their birth certificates will indicate that they are male and female, a marriage allowed by New York law. If this proposal becomes law there will probably be the usual outrage expressed by those in the religious community, but I want to suggest that many "Christians" are guilty of similar redefinition.
The Scriptures clearly teach in 1 Corinthians 14:34 "Let your women keep silent in the churches, for they are not permitted to speak; but they are to be submissive, as the law also says." You see, this passage is as clear as the passages that teach us that homosexuality is "not permitted." Yet many of our religious friends want to redefine the role of women not only to allow them to speak but even to preach rather than to "keep silent in the churches" as Paul commands (see verse 37).
The Scriptures clearly place qualifications upon the role of the bishop (pastor, elder, presbyter). "A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, temperate, sober-minded, of good behavior, hospitable, able to teach; not given to wine, not violent, not greedy for money, but gentle, not quarrelsome, not covetous; one who rules his own house well, having his children in submission with all reverence..." (1 Timothy 3:2-4). Yet many of our religious friends want to redefine the role of the bishop, saying it really isn't necessary that the bishop be a married and a male ("husband of one wife") and they appoint unmarried men who have no children ("having his children in submission"). After all, Paul said the bishop "must be" these things (verse 2).
If Christians are going to insist that people must live according to God's teachings in regard to homosexuality and sex changes (and we should), then it is absolutely necessary that we live consistent lives and not take liberty with the Scriptures and presumptuously redefine roles when it is convenient to our own wishes and desires. Submission to God's will is the duty of all men - to those who want to reject His will regarding sexuality AND even to those who call themselves by Christ's name.
Friday, November 10, 2006
The Bible Story
(Note: This is long but I believe it is important. The Bible is a unified story from cover to cover. It is hoped that this brief presentation of that story will encourage you to commit yourself to more Bible study. If you desire, I would be glad to spend time with you studying via email. I also have studies I can send via snail mail.)
Beginnings. “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth…” (Genesis 1:1). By simply speaking, God created the entire expanse of the universe. With each creative work He concluded that it was “good.” He focused His attention on one particular planet – earth.
On the earth He created living things, including mankind. Man was given the responsibility of caring for his new home with only one prohibition. “Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die." (Genesis 2:17). Satan, the enemy of both God and man, tempted the woman to eat of that fruit. She gave it to her husband to eat as well, and they sinned before God. This resulted in their separation from the beautiful garden God had created for them, their separation from God (Isaiah 59:1,2), and their eventual physical death. The remainder of the Bible is devoted to remedying the sin problem upon the earth.
Their sin began to multiply. Because of jealousy, their oldest son killed his brother. By Genesis 6, we find God saying he “was sorry that He had made man.” (verse 6). Only because of one righteous man, Noah, did God spare the earth from total destruction. God saved Noah and his family by instructing them to prepare a large ship that carried them through the flood which engulfed the entire earth. Hebrews 11:7 tells us that Noah was saved by faith when he acted upon God’s commands.
In Genesis 12 we are introduced to Abraham, later known as the father of the faithful. Abraham was a righteous man selected by God to be “a great nation” and through his “seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed” (Genesis 12:1; 22:18). Abraham’s grandson Jacob had 12 sons.
A Great Nation. Those 12 sons and their descendents became the promised great nation – Israel. Under the leadership of Moses, Israel was led out of Egypt to Mount Sinai where they received the Law, which included the Ten Commandments. Under that Law, God gave His temporary remedy for sin. For each sin committed, those under the Law had to offer an animal sacrifice. The blood of the animal served as an atonement for sin. Hebrews 10:1-4 tells us that animal blood was not a sufficient remedy for sin because each year the sins were remembered, requiring another offering.
Every nation needs a land. Just as God had said, Israel was given the Promised Land, an area much larger than that now occupied by modern day Israel. Joshua secured all the land Israel was promised. “So the LORD gave to Israel all the land of which He had sworn to give to their fathers, and they took possession of it and dwelt in it.” (Joshua 21:43).
Israel remained in the land for many years. The kingdom enjoyed tremendous prosperity during the days of David the king. Under his son Solomon, the kingdom was at peace. After the death of Solomon, the kingdom divided and both fragments ceased to be faithful to the Lord. In 721 B.C., the northern 10 tribes fell to Assyria. By 586 B.C., the southern tribes were captive in Babylon. It would seem that God’s plan to bless all nations had failed.
Prior to the captivity of the southern tribes, God had prophesied that they would return and possess the land once again (Jeremiah 29:10). God kept His promises and during the reign of Cyrus the Mead a decree was issued that Israel should return to rebuild and repossess their land. As Old Testament history closes there is promise of One to come and a time when “many nations shall be joined to the LORD in that day, and they shall become My people. And I will dwell in your midst. Then you will know that the LORD of hosts has sent Me to you.” (Zechariah 2:11).
The Fullness Of Times. “But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law…” (Galatians 4:4). At the opening of the New Testament, more than 400 years had passed since the last pages of Old Testament history were penned. Jesus was born to a virgin named Mary. At about age 30 He began to teach and preach saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel." (Mark 1:15).
Everything about Jesus failed to meet expectations. He was nothing special to behold and didn’t appear very kingly (Isaiah 53:2). His message excited folks for a time and He drew large crowds. But as the realities of His kingdom began to unfold, “from that time many of His disciples went back and walked with Him no more.” (John 6:66). The Jews had understood that the coming Messiah would establish an earthly kingdom and reign over men from Jerusalem. Jesus didn’t meet their expectations when He said, “My kingdom is not of this world.” (John 18:36). He certainly didn’t meet expectations when He told them He was to be crucified. Even his own apostles didn’t believe His message (Matthew 17:21,22).
The purpose of Jesus’ death would not be understood until several days later. On the night before He was crucified, Jesus told the apostles the purpose of His death. He said, “For this is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.” (Matthew 26:28). When you read of their despair in the days after His death, it is obvious they didn’t understand when He told them previously that He would “be killed, and be raised the third day.” (Matthew 16:21). They were not expecting His resurrection even though He had told them.
After His resurrection, Jesus “presented Himself alive after His suffering by many infallible proofs, being seen by them during forty days and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God.” (Acts 1:3). Jesus was more than a mere man. He was “declared to be the Son of God with power according to the Spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead.” (Romans 1:4).
The death of Jesus makes sense when we read Hebrews 9:15. “And for this reason He is the Mediator of the new covenant, by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions under the first covenant, that those who are called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance.” Finally, the remedy for man’s sin is accomplished.
Jesus is the “Seed” promised to Abraham who would bless all nations of the earth. (Galatians 3:16). Not only is salvation available to Jews, but now all men can now come to God for forgiveness of their sins. “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.” (Galatians 3:28,29). If we are in Christ then we, too, are Abraham’s seed. The key is being “in Christ.”
Remedy For My Sin. Are all men saved now that Jesus has died on the cross? Are all men now “Abraham’s seed”? How are my sins forgiven? The Bible story would not be complete without an answer to these questions.
Hebrews 5:9 says Jesus “became the author of eternal salvation to all who obey Him.” Are all men saved now that Jesus has died? No. He is the author of salvation to those who obey Him. Those who do not obey are lost.
Who are “Abraham’s seed,” those of all nations who will be blessed by God? Galatians 3 says that those who are “in Christ” are the ones who are Abraham’s seed. How does one get into Christ? Galatians 3:26, 27 teaches, “For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.” In order to get into Christ one must have faith in Him and be baptized into Him. These are the ones who have “put on Christ.” Only those who have faith in Him and have been baptized can claim to be “in Christ.”
Remember that Jesus said His blood was shed “for the remission of sins”? How are my sins forgiven? Let Jesus and His apostle Peter answer that question. Jesus said, “He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned.” (Mark 16:16). When asked what to do to be saved the apostle Peter answered, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” (Acts 2:38). Jesus “is the author of eternal salvation to all who obey Him.” That obedience includes faith, repentance, and baptism. Nothing short of that will remedy the sin brought on the world by the first two who ever walked here.
Is the Bible story complete in your life? Jesus has accomplished His part. Let Him finish it for you. Come to Him in faith and be baptized for the remission of your sins. Can I help? If so, contact me today.
Beginnings. “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth…” (Genesis 1:1). By simply speaking, God created the entire expanse of the universe. With each creative work He concluded that it was “good.” He focused His attention on one particular planet – earth.
On the earth He created living things, including mankind. Man was given the responsibility of caring for his new home with only one prohibition. “Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die." (Genesis 2:17). Satan, the enemy of both God and man, tempted the woman to eat of that fruit. She gave it to her husband to eat as well, and they sinned before God. This resulted in their separation from the beautiful garden God had created for them, their separation from God (Isaiah 59:1,2), and their eventual physical death. The remainder of the Bible is devoted to remedying the sin problem upon the earth.
Their sin began to multiply. Because of jealousy, their oldest son killed his brother. By Genesis 6, we find God saying he “was sorry that He had made man.” (verse 6). Only because of one righteous man, Noah, did God spare the earth from total destruction. God saved Noah and his family by instructing them to prepare a large ship that carried them through the flood which engulfed the entire earth. Hebrews 11:7 tells us that Noah was saved by faith when he acted upon God’s commands.
In Genesis 12 we are introduced to Abraham, later known as the father of the faithful. Abraham was a righteous man selected by God to be “a great nation” and through his “seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed” (Genesis 12:1; 22:18). Abraham’s grandson Jacob had 12 sons.
A Great Nation. Those 12 sons and their descendents became the promised great nation – Israel. Under the leadership of Moses, Israel was led out of Egypt to Mount Sinai where they received the Law, which included the Ten Commandments. Under that Law, God gave His temporary remedy for sin. For each sin committed, those under the Law had to offer an animal sacrifice. The blood of the animal served as an atonement for sin. Hebrews 10:1-4 tells us that animal blood was not a sufficient remedy for sin because each year the sins were remembered, requiring another offering.
Every nation needs a land. Just as God had said, Israel was given the Promised Land, an area much larger than that now occupied by modern day Israel. Joshua secured all the land Israel was promised. “So the LORD gave to Israel all the land of which He had sworn to give to their fathers, and they took possession of it and dwelt in it.” (Joshua 21:43).
Israel remained in the land for many years. The kingdom enjoyed tremendous prosperity during the days of David the king. Under his son Solomon, the kingdom was at peace. After the death of Solomon, the kingdom divided and both fragments ceased to be faithful to the Lord. In 721 B.C., the northern 10 tribes fell to Assyria. By 586 B.C., the southern tribes were captive in Babylon. It would seem that God’s plan to bless all nations had failed.
Prior to the captivity of the southern tribes, God had prophesied that they would return and possess the land once again (Jeremiah 29:10). God kept His promises and during the reign of Cyrus the Mead a decree was issued that Israel should return to rebuild and repossess their land. As Old Testament history closes there is promise of One to come and a time when “many nations shall be joined to the LORD in that day, and they shall become My people. And I will dwell in your midst. Then you will know that the LORD of hosts has sent Me to you.” (Zechariah 2:11).
The Fullness Of Times. “But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law…” (Galatians 4:4). At the opening of the New Testament, more than 400 years had passed since the last pages of Old Testament history were penned. Jesus was born to a virgin named Mary. At about age 30 He began to teach and preach saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel." (Mark 1:15).
Everything about Jesus failed to meet expectations. He was nothing special to behold and didn’t appear very kingly (Isaiah 53:2). His message excited folks for a time and He drew large crowds. But as the realities of His kingdom began to unfold, “from that time many of His disciples went back and walked with Him no more.” (John 6:66). The Jews had understood that the coming Messiah would establish an earthly kingdom and reign over men from Jerusalem. Jesus didn’t meet their expectations when He said, “My kingdom is not of this world.” (John 18:36). He certainly didn’t meet expectations when He told them He was to be crucified. Even his own apostles didn’t believe His message (Matthew 17:21,22).
The purpose of Jesus’ death would not be understood until several days later. On the night before He was crucified, Jesus told the apostles the purpose of His death. He said, “For this is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.” (Matthew 26:28). When you read of their despair in the days after His death, it is obvious they didn’t understand when He told them previously that He would “be killed, and be raised the third day.” (Matthew 16:21). They were not expecting His resurrection even though He had told them.
After His resurrection, Jesus “presented Himself alive after His suffering by many infallible proofs, being seen by them during forty days and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God.” (Acts 1:3). Jesus was more than a mere man. He was “declared to be the Son of God with power according to the Spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead.” (Romans 1:4).
The death of Jesus makes sense when we read Hebrews 9:15. “And for this reason He is the Mediator of the new covenant, by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions under the first covenant, that those who are called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance.” Finally, the remedy for man’s sin is accomplished.
Jesus is the “Seed” promised to Abraham who would bless all nations of the earth. (Galatians 3:16). Not only is salvation available to Jews, but now all men can now come to God for forgiveness of their sins. “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.” (Galatians 3:28,29). If we are in Christ then we, too, are Abraham’s seed. The key is being “in Christ.”
Remedy For My Sin. Are all men saved now that Jesus has died on the cross? Are all men now “Abraham’s seed”? How are my sins forgiven? The Bible story would not be complete without an answer to these questions.
Hebrews 5:9 says Jesus “became the author of eternal salvation to all who obey Him.” Are all men saved now that Jesus has died? No. He is the author of salvation to those who obey Him. Those who do not obey are lost.
Who are “Abraham’s seed,” those of all nations who will be blessed by God? Galatians 3 says that those who are “in Christ” are the ones who are Abraham’s seed. How does one get into Christ? Galatians 3:26, 27 teaches, “For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.” In order to get into Christ one must have faith in Him and be baptized into Him. These are the ones who have “put on Christ.” Only those who have faith in Him and have been baptized can claim to be “in Christ.”
Remember that Jesus said His blood was shed “for the remission of sins”? How are my sins forgiven? Let Jesus and His apostle Peter answer that question. Jesus said, “He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned.” (Mark 16:16). When asked what to do to be saved the apostle Peter answered, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” (Acts 2:38). Jesus “is the author of eternal salvation to all who obey Him.” That obedience includes faith, repentance, and baptism. Nothing short of that will remedy the sin brought on the world by the first two who ever walked here.
Is the Bible story complete in your life? Jesus has accomplished His part. Let Him finish it for you. Come to Him in faith and be baptized for the remission of your sins. Can I help? If so, contact me today.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)