Sunday, August 31, 2008

A Fammine For the Word

Amos 8:11-14

About 750 B.C., an obscure farmer and shepherd was called by God to be a prophet.... The man’s name was Amos. His mission: to warn Israel of God’s coming judgment if they did not repent! Sadly, the nation did not heed the call to repent.... As a result, they were led into Assyrian captivity. Part of Amos’ prophecy that was fulfilled concerned an unusual famine that would come upon the people: A Famine For The Word Of God! - Amo 8:11-14‘"Behold, the days are coming," declares the Lord GOD, "when I will send a famine on the land-- not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the LORD. They shall wander from sea to sea, and from north to east; they shall run to and fro, to seek the word of the LORD, but they shall not find it. "In that day the lovely virgins and the young men shall faint for thirst. Those who swear by the Guilt of Samaria, and say, 'As your god lives, O Dan,' and, 'As the Way of Beersheba lives,' they shall fall, and never rise again."’Today, there is also a famine for the Word of God.... Different in some ways, yet similar in other ways, and producing similar results!

In our study today, we will compare the present-day famine with the one foretold by Amos... In the present day famine, how different is it? The present famine for the Word of God was not sent by God. On the contrary, it is evident God has provided for a “feast”, not a “famine”! We enjoy an abundance of Bibles. Never before in the history of mankind has the world enjoyed such free access to God’s Word. Indeed, today’s famine for the Word of God is self-imposed! Despite such access to the Bible, the following “Diary Of The Bible” illustrates what is often so true:

January: A busy time for me. Most of the family decided to read me through this year. They kept me busy for the first two weeks. I’m now forgotten.

February: My owner used me for a few minutes last week. He had an argument and was checking references.

March: Grandpa visited us. He kept me on his lap for an hour, reading 1 Cor 13.

April: I had a busy day. My owner was appointed a leader of something and used me. I got to go to church the first time this year...Easter Sunday.

May: I have a few grass stains on my pages. Had some early spring flowers pressed in me.

June: I look like a scrap book. They have stuffed me full of clippings. One of the girls got married.

July: They put me in a suitcase today. I guess we’re off on a vacation. I wish I could stay at home, as I will have to stay in this thing for a month.

August: Still in the suitcase.

September: Back home again, and in my old place. I have lots of company. Two “True Stories” and four “Funny Books” are on top of me. I wish I could be read as much as they are.

October: They used me a little today. One of them is sick. Right now I’m all shined up and in the center of the table...I think the preacher is coming.

November: Back in my old place.

December: They are getting ready for Christmas. I’ll be covered under wrapping papers and packages.

Why is there this present-day famine for the Word of God? The answer may be found as we compare this famine with the one foretold by Amos and notice how similar it is. The present famine is the result of similar causes, such as, material luxury. In Amos’ day, this became the cause of pride which God hated - Amo 6:1-8‘"Woe to those who are at ease in Zion, and to those who feel secure on the mountain of Samaria, the notable men of the first of the nations, to whom the house of Israel comes! Pass over to Calneh, and see, and from there go to Hamath the great; then go down to Gath of the Philistines. Are you better than these kingdoms? Or is their territory greater than your territory, O you who put far away the day of disaster and bring near the seat of violence? "Woe to those who lie on beds of ivory and stretch themselves out on their couches, and eat lambs from the flock and calves from the midst of the stall, who sing idle songs to the sound of the harp and like David invent for themselves instruments of music, who drink wine in bowls and anoint themselves with the finest oils, but are not grieved over the ruin of Joseph! Therefore they shall now be the first of those who go into exile, and the revelry of those who stretch themselves out shall pass away." The Lord GOD has sworn by himself, declares the LORD, the God of hosts: "I abhor the pride of Jacob and hate his strongholds, and I will deliver up the city and all that is in it."’

Their luxury prompted them to “put far off the day of doom” in their minds (i.e., they did not want to think about the future). God had warned Israel that it might cause some to forget God - Deu 8:11-14‘"Take care lest you forget the LORD your God by not keeping his commandments and his rules and his statutes, which I command you today, lest, when you have eaten and are full and have built good houses and live in them, and when your herds and flocks multiply and your silver and gold is multiplied and all that you have is multiplied, then your heart be lifted up, and you forget the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery,”, 17“Beware lest you say in your heart, 'My power and the might of my hand have gotten me this wealth.'”Likewise, Jesus warned that riches could choke those who had received the Word- Lk 8:14“And as for what fell among the thorns, they are those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by the cares and riches and pleasures of life, and their fruit does not mature.”

Today, many in their search for wealth forget about God. Others have so filled their time enjoying their luxuries, they have no time for the Word of God. For example, consider the moral corruption around us. Consider how corrupt the people had become in the days of Amos - Amo 2:6-7“Thus says the LORD: "For three transgressions of Israel, and for four, I will not revoke the punishment, because they sell the righteous for silver, and the needy for a pair of sandals-- those who trample the head of the poor into the dust of the earth and turn aside the way of the afflicted; a man and his father go in to the same girl, so that my holy name is profaned;”Who can deny that immorality is having its effect on the church today?The world’s standards often become the standards of those in the church. When this happens, people will not want to feed upon the Word of God. If they did, it would make them very uncomfortable, because of its ability to reveal our true selves - He 4:12-13“For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. And no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account.”

Consider religious corruption, even within the church. The people of Israel couldn’t wait for religious days to be over - Amo 8:4-10“Hear this, you who trample on the needy and bring the poor of the land to an end, saying, "When will the new moon be over, that we may sell grain? And the Sabbath, that we may offer wheat for sale, that we may make the ephah small and the shekel great and deal deceitfully with false balances, that we may buy the poor for silver and the needy for a pair of sandals and sell the chaff of the wheat?" The LORD has sworn by the pride of Jacob: "Surely I will never forget any of their deeds. Shall not the land tremble on this account, and everyone mourn who dwells in it, and all of it rise like the Nile, and be tossed about and sink again, like the Nile of Egypt?" "And on that day," declares the Lord GOD, "I will make the sun go down at noon and darken the earth in broad daylight. I will turn your feasts into mourning and all your songs into lamentation; I will bring sackcloth on every waist and baldness on every head; I will make it like the mourning for an only son and the end of it like a bitter day.”Today, many people can’t wait for services to be over so they can work or play. If they are unwilling to spend time in sincere worship it is easy to see why they won’t take time to feed daily on God’s word!

Sunday, August 24, 2008

Dare To Be a Daniel - Cont.

Daniel 1:8-21; 6:1-10

Having laid out the character and principles of Daniel from our text we will continue this lesson in a second part noting some lessons we can learn and apply to our Christian walk.

People admire persons of principle. Outwardly they may ridicule them, but inwardly they wish they had the same intestinal fortitude. And when they need someone that can be trusted, and depended upon to carry through with an assigned task, who do you think they will turn to? God also admires individuals who will stand by their principles, and by their words – Psa 15:1-5 “O LORD, who shall sojourn in your tent? Who shall dwell on your holy hill? He who walks blamelessly and does what is right and speaks truth in his heart; who does not slander with his tongue and does no evil to his neighbor, nor takes up a reproach against his friend; in whose eyes a vile person is despised, but who honors those who fear the LORD; who swears to his own hurt and does not change; who does not put out his money at interest and does not take a bribe against the innocent. He who does these things shall never be moved.”

Our society is in great need of people with principle. Those who “Dare To Be A Daniel”, and demonstrate by example the value of being led by “principle” rather than by “price”, are not only highly valued by God but also by their fellow man.

But having purpose and principle is not all...another element for true success is needed. What that element is can be seen when we observe that Daniel was a man of purity. His opponents could not find any fault. He was faultless when it came to management of his business affairs - Dan 6:1-4 “It pleased Darius to set over the kingdom 120 satraps, to be throughout the whole kingdom; and over them three presidents, of whom Daniel was one, to whom these satraps should give account, so that the king might suffer no loss. Then this Daniel became distinguished above all the other presidents and satraps, because an excellent spirit was in him. And the king planned to set him over the whole kingdom. Then the presidents and the satraps sought to find a ground for complaint against Daniel with regard to the kingdom, but they could find no ground for complaint or any fault, because he was faithful, and no error or fault was found in him.” This would help to explain his rise to positions of great responsibility and power. Of course, his purity in business affairs was related to his overall purpose to please God first and the fact that as a man of principle he could be trusted.

The Christian is also to maintain purity of conduct. Whether young or old - 1 Ti 4:12 “Let no one despise you for your youth, but set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity.”; Ti 2:6-8 “Likewise, urge the younger men to be self-controlled. Show yourself in all respects to be a model of good works, and in your teaching show integrity, dignity, and sound speech that cannot be condemned, so that an opponent may be put to shame, having nothing evil to say about us.” Whether slave or free - Ti 2:9-10 “Slaves are to be submissive to their own masters in everything; they are to be well-pleasing, not argumentative, not pilfering, but showing all good faith, so that in everything they may adorn the doctrine of God our Savior.” People who maintain purity in their dealings with others are often given positions of great responsibility and privilege, because they can be trusted to use them wisely.

Yes, Daniel was a man of purpose, principle, and purity (and how the world needs more like him!). But the element that likely tied all these together in such a way to receive blessings from God and favor from man is the fact that Daniel was a man of prayer. What follows is just a glimpse of his “prayer life”. - Dan 6:10 “When Daniel knew that the document had been signed, he went to his house where he had windows in his upper chamber open toward Jerusalem. He got down on his knees three times a day and prayed and gave thanks before his God, as he had done previously.” He knelt in prayer, a demonstration of his humility. He prayed three times daily, a demonstration of his continual dependence upon God. He gave thanks in the midst of persecution, a demonstration of his gratitude and the fact that he had not lost sight of God’s blessings. His prayers were a “custom since early days”, demonstrating his persistence and faithfulness in his service to God -- Is it not likely that his “custom” to pray so diligently helped him to remain a man of purpose, principle and purity, despite his rise to power and preeminence over the empire?

Christians would do well to follow Daniel’s example. “Let us learn the lesson that the finest of God’s servants must maintain regular and fixed prayer habits in order to continue steadfast in devotion to the Lord.” (Strauss). As Christians, we too are to pray often - 1 Th 5:17-18 “pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”; Co 4:2 “Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving.” If our efforts to live purposeful, principled, and pure lives are not what they should be, could an undisciplined “prayer life” be the reason? Are we willing to “Dare To Be A Daniel” in regards to prayer?

There is a false assumption that to “get ahead” in this world one must conform to the sinful practices of the world. But even today there are many Christians who demonstrate that when one “dares to be a Daniel” they can succeed in the affairs of men without selling their souls to the world. How about you? Will you “Dare To Be A Daniel” by becoming a person of Purpose, Principle, Purity, and Prayer?

Sunday, August 17, 2008

Dare To Be a Daniel

Daniel 1:8-21; 6:1-10

The Bible is filled with accounts of many godly men and women who are worthy of our emulation. One such person is Daniel, a man who obtained preeminence and power in his lifetime:

He started out preeminent among the children of Israel - Dan 1:3-6 “Then the king commanded Ashpenaz, his chief eunuch, to bring some of the people of Israel, both of the royal family and of the nobility, youths without blemish, of good appearance and skillful in all wisdom, endowed with knowledge, understanding learning, and competent to stand in the king's palace, and to teach them the literature and language of the Chaldeans. The king assigned them a daily portion of the food that the king ate, and of the wine that he drank. They were to be educated for three years, and at the end of that time they were to stand before the king. Among these were Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah of the tribe of Judah.”

He gained preeminence among the wise of men of Babylon - Dan 1:17-20 “As for these four youths, God gave them learning and skill in all literature and wisdom, and Daniel had understanding in all visions and dreams. At the end of the time, when the king had commanded that they should be brought in, the chief of the eunuchs brought them in before Nebuchadnezzar. And the king spoke with them, and among all of them none was found like Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. Therefore they stood before the king. And in every matter of wisdom and understanding about which the king inquired of them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and enchanters that were in all his kingdom.”

He was given power over all of Babylon - Dan 2:48-49 “Then the king gave Daniel high honors and many great gifts, and made him ruler over the whole province of Babylon and chief prefect over all the wise men of Babylon. Daniel made a request of the king, and he appointed Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego over the affairs of the province of Babylon. But Daniel remained at the king's court.”; 5:29 “Then Belshazzar gave the command, and Daniel was clothed with purple, a chain of gold was put around his neck, and a proclamation was made about him, that he should be the third ruler in the kingdom.”

He received similar power over the Medo-Persian empire - Dan 6:1-3 “It pleased Darius to set over the kingdom 120 satraps, to be throughout the whole kingdom; and over them three presidents, of whom Daniel was one, to whom these satraps should give account, so that the king might suffer no loss. Then this Daniel became distinguished above all the other presidents and satraps, because an excellent spirit was in him. And the king planned to set him over the whole kingdom.”, 28 “So this Daniel prospered during the reign of Darius and the reign of Cyrus the Persian.”

How was Daniel able to reach these positions of power and influence without compromising his position as a godly man? A close look at the book of Daniel reveals his secret, and shows how we too can be successful without selling our souls.

First, we notice that even as a young teen-ager Daniel was a man of purpose. “Daniel purposed in his heart” - Dan 1:8 “But Daniel resolved that he would not defile himself with the king's food, or with the wine that he drank. Therefore he asked the chief of the eunuchs to allow him not to defile himself.” A young boy in a strange land, Daniel was immediately faced with a challenge to violate God’s law by eating the king’s food. Despite his youth and the obvious pressures to conform, Daniel “purposed in his heart” to uphold the law of God, no matter the cost. Because of his willingness to put God first, God granted Daniel favor in the sight of others - Dan 1:9 “And God gave Daniel favor and compassion in the sight of the chief of the eunuchs,” How God did this is not explained, but it happened in the case of Joseph also - see Gen 39:1-4; 21-23. By putting God first, God blessed Joseph in such a way that favorably impressed others.

Every child of God needs to be a person of purpose. No one respects a “wishy-washy” person, someone with no direction in their lives. Whereas a person with a strong sense of purpose often breeds respect and admiration in others. What should be the “purpose” of the Christian? Jesus makes it clear in Mt 6:33 “But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” For example, to seek the will of God and fulfill it in our lives, no matter the circumstances. As Jesus promised, this will guarantee God’s favor toward us and in turn likely gain us favor in the eyes of those around us. Will you “dare to be a Daniel” and be a person with a purpose like he had? No matter how young or old one may be, it is never too early or too late to “seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness”!

Throughout his life, Daniel not only had a strong sense of purpose, but Daniel was a man of principle. He refused to compromise his convictions. As a young man, by refusing to eat the king’s meat or drink his wine - Dan 1:8 “But Daniel resolved that he would not defile himself with the king's food, or with the wine that he drank. Therefore he asked the chief of the eunuchs to allow him not to defile himself.” As an old man, by refusing the gifts of Belshazzar - Dan 5:13-17 “Then Daniel was brought in before the king. The king answered and said to Daniel, "You are that Daniel, one of the exiles of Judah, whom the king my father brought from Judah. I have heard of you that the spirit of the gods is in you, and that light and understanding and excellent wisdom are found in you. Now the wise men, the enchanters, have been brought in before me to read this writing and make known to me its interpretation, but they could not show the interpretation of the matter. But I have heard that you can give interpretations and solve problems. Now if you can read the writing and make known to me its interpretation, you shall be clothed with purple and have a chain of gold around your neck and shall be the third ruler in the kingdom." Then Daniel answered and said before the king, "Let your gifts be for yourself, and give your rewards to another. Nevertheless, I will read the writing to the king and make known to him the interpretation.” He refused to compromise his convictions under the threat of persecution, by refusing to obey the decree of Darius - Dan 6:10 “When Daniel knew that the document had been signed, he went to his house where he had windows in his upper chamber open toward Jerusalem. He got down on his knees three times a day and prayed and gave thanks before his God, as he had done previously.”

Having laid out the character and principles of Daniel from our text we will continue this lesson in a second part noting some lessons we can learn and apply to our Christian walk.

Sunday, August 10, 2008

Remember Shiloh!

Jeremiah 7:1-15

In the days of Jeremiah (ca. 600 B.C.), the people of Judah faced difficult times.... The northern kingdom of Israel was history, taken into Assyrian captivity. Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, had defeated Assyria, and was making his way into Judah. The people of Judah had developed a false trust.... One condemned by the Lord through His prophet Jeremiah. One which we do well to remember and avoid today.

We read of that false trust and how the LORD responded to it in Jer 7:1-15... The false trust of Judah was trusting in the temple to excuse their failure to fully serve the Lord - Jer 7:1-7. Jeremiah was commission to preach in the temple - Jer 7:1-2 “The word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD: "Stand in the gate of the LORD's house, and proclaim there this word, and say, Hear the word of the LORD, all you men of Judah who enter these gates to worship the LORD.” Calling for repentance when the city was in danger of being destroyed by Babylonian forces - Jer 7:3 “Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: Amend your ways and your deeds, and I will let you dwell in this place.” Their trust was in the fact that the temple was in Jerusalem.

1) Their attitude: “We are safe; surely the Lord will not allow His temple to be destroyed!”

2) As implied by the threefold statement “The temple of the Lord...!” - Jer 7:4 Do not trust in these deceptive words: 'This is the temple of the LORD, the temple of the LORD, the temple of the LORD.'”

The Lord required more than rituals involving temple worship and outward piety:

1) Repentance and service was to be done “thoroughly” (truly, NASB) - Jer 7:5a ‘"For if you truly amend your ways and your deeds,”

2) Affecting their individual and daily dealings with people - Jer 7:5b-6 “if you truly execute justice one with another, if you do not oppress the sojourner, the fatherless, or the widow, or shed innocent blood in this place, and if you do not go after other gods to your own harm,”

Such true service would spare them from Babylonian captivity - Jer 7:7 “then I will let you dwell in this place, in the land that I gave of old to your fathers forever.” The false trust of Judah was trusting in the temple to excuse their obvious sins - Jer 7:8-11. Again, theirs was a false trust - Jer 7:8 ‘"Behold, you trust in deceptive words to no avail.” Blatantly transgressing the Law - Jer 7:9 “Will you steal, murder, commit adultery, swear falsely, make offerings to Baal, and go after other gods that you have not known,” Then going to the temple, believing that such excused their conduct - Jer 7:10 “and then come and stand before me in this house, which is called by my name, and say, 'We are delivered!'--only to go on doing all these abominations?” Yet the Lord could see through their hypocrisy - Jer 7:11 “Has this house, which is called by my name, become a den of robbers in your eyes? Behold, I myself have seen it, declares the LORD.”

The Lord’s response to the folly of such a false trust was: “Remember Shiloh!” - Jer 7:12 “Go now to my place that was in Shiloh, where I made my name dwell at first, and see what I did to it because of the evil of my people Israel.” The place where the tabernacle had once been - Josh 18:1 “Then the whole congregation of the people of Israel assembled at Shiloh and set up the tent of meeting there. The land lay subdued before them.” Where the ark of the covenant had been captured by the Philistines - 1 Sam 4:10-11. God would do likewise with Jerusalem and the temple - Jer 7:13-15, because of their failure to heed His prophets - Jer 7:13 “And now, because you have done all these things, declares the LORD, and when I spoke to you persistently you did not listen, and when I called you, you did not answer,”. What happened at Shiloh would happen at Jerusalem - Jer 7:14 “therefore I will do to the house that is called by my name, and in which you trust, and to the place that I gave to you and to your fathers, as I did to Shiloh.” They would be taken into captivity, just like Ephraim (Israel) - Jer 7:15 “And I will cast you out of my sight, as I cast out all your kinsmen, all the offspring of Ephraim.”; and 52:12-30.

In 1 Co 10:11-12, we’re told that God’s dealings with Israel were written for our admonition. With the very real danger of falling, what application can we draw from our text in Jeremiah? Perhaps one about the false trust some Christians have. Let’s first look at trusting in the church. Could we have a false trust as “members” of the church which Christ built? Like the Jews who cried “The Temple of the Lord...” There may be those who cry “The Church of Christ...” Acting (and perhaps believing) that membership excuses negligence and inactive service with an attitude based on faulty reasoning? For example, the church will be saved, I am a “member”, so I will be saved. As long as I am a “member”, I can get by. Yet remember the parable of the tares - Mt 13:41-43 “The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will gather out of his kingdom all causes of sin and all law-breakers, and throw them into the fiery furnace. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears, let him hear.” One may be in the kingdom (church) now, but cast out of the kingdom (church) at the last day. Salvation is dependent on individual allegiance, not group association! - Jn 15:2 “Every branch of mine that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit.”

Then there are those that disregard the consequences of sinful actions. Like the Jews who disobeyed God, then claimed exemption? Such as, living in the world, then going to “church”? Engaging in immorality, worldliness, but being a “faithful member”? God has not changed! His grace demands holy living - Ti 2:11-12 “For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age,” Despise His grace, expect His wrath! - He 10:26-31 “For if we go on sinning deliberately after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a fearful expectation of judgment, and a fury of fire that will consume the adversaries. Anyone who has set aside the law of Moses dies without mercy on the evidence of two or three witnesses. How much worse punishment, do you think, will be deserved by the one who has spurned the Son of God, and has profaned the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and has outraged the Spirit of grace? For we know him who said, "Vengeance is mine; I will repay." And again, "The Lord will judge his people." It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.” Salvation is dependent upon God’s grace, not church ritual!

The Lord’s response to the folly of such a false trust: “Remember Sardis!” - Re 3:1-6 ‘"And to the angel of the church in Sardis write: 'The words of him who has the seven spirits of God and the seven stars. "'I know your works. You have the reputation of being alive, but you are dead. Wake up, and strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have not found your works complete in the sight of my God. Remember, then, what you received and heard. Keep it, and repent. If you will not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what hour I will come against you. Yet you have still a few names in Sardis, people who have not soiled their garments, and they will walk with me in white, for they are worthy. The one who conquers will be clothed thus in white garments, and I will never blot his name out of the book of life. I will confess his name before my Father and before his angels. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.'” They had “a living name”, but that did not free them from the threat of condemnation - Re 3:1-3. As always, salvation was based on individual consecration - Re 3:4-6,

To the folly of such a false trust: “Remember Laodicea!” - Re 3:14-22. They had become “lukewarm” - Re 3:14-15 ‘"And to the angel of the church in Laodicea write: 'The words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of God's creation. "'I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were either cold or hot!” They were in danger of expulsion because of worldliness - Re 3:16-17 “So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth. For you say, I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing, not realizing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked.” They were in need of rebuke and chastening - Re 3:18-22 “I counsel you to buy from me gold refined by fire, so that you may be rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself and the shame of your nakedness may not be seen, and salve to anoint your eyes, so that you may see. Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline, so be zealous and repent. Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me. The one who conquers, I will grant him to sit with me on my throne, as I also conquered and sat down with my Father on his throne. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.'"

Like the Jews whose salvation from destruction depended upon wholehearted service to God, so our salvation depends on complete and faithful obedience to the will of Christ! We must avoid the fallacy of “virtue by association”, and remember that God has promised to do to us just as He did to Israel if we are not faithful - Ro 11:19-22 “Then you will say, "Branches were broken off so that I might be grafted in." That is true. They were broken off because of their unbelief, but you stand fast through faith. So do not become proud, but stand in awe. For if God did not spare the natural branches, neither will he spare you. Note then the kindness and the severity of God: severity toward those who have fallen, but God's kindness to you, provided you continue in his kindness. Otherwise you too will be cut off.”


Sunday, August 03, 2008

Ask For The Old Paths - Cont.

Jeremiah 6:16

Having examined the text and looking at the paths that Jesus offers, in our previous portion of this lesson, there are man made “pathways” that would lead us astray. Such as the doctrines of men - Mt 15:9 “in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.'"’ Such as the philosophies of men - Co 2:8 “See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ.” Often packaged as “new!” and “improved!”, such doctrines and philosophies fail to deliver what only the Lord truly offers (“rest for your souls”).

To ensure that we are not led astray, we need to set up signpost, making landmarks. This was the solution for Israel to set up road marks which would direct them back to the right way - Jer 31:21 "Set up road markers for yourself; make yourself guideposts; consider well the highway, the road by which you went. Return, O virgin Israel, return to these your cities.” For them, these ‘signposts’ and ‘landmarks’ was the Law of Moses to which they were not to add or take way - Deu 4:1-2 ‘"And now, O Israel, listen to the statutes and the rules that I am teaching you, and do them, that you may live, and go in and take possession of the land that the LORD, the God of your fathers, is giving you. You shall not add to the word that I command you, nor take from it, that you may keep the commandments of the LORD your God that I command you.” Which they were to teach to every generation - Deu 4:9 ‘"Only take care, and keep your soul diligently, lest you forget the things that your eyes have seen, and lest they depart from your heart all the days of your life. Make them known to your children and your children's children”

This is the same solution for us today. To set up road marks which lead us to the right way. For us, these ‘signposts’ and ‘landmarks’ are found in:

1) The apostles’ doctrine, received as God’s Word - Ac 2:42 “And they devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.”; 1 Co 14:37 If anyone thinks that he is a prophet, or spiritual, he should acknowledge that the things I am writing to you are a command of the Lord.”; 1 Th 2:13 “And we also thank God constantly for this, that when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men but as what it really is, the word of God, which is at work in you believers.”

2) For they contain the doctrine of Christ, without which we cannot have God - 2 Jn 9 “Everyone who goes on ahead and does not abide in the teaching of Christ, does not have God. Whoever abides in the teaching has both the Father and the Son.”

Do you desire to have rest for your soul...? Freedom from sin, freedom from guilt? With inner peace and tranquility in the midst of outward turmoil? The path to such rest is an old path.... Found only in Him who lived and died for our sins nearly 2000 years ago. Whose doctrine has been faithfully preserved by His apostles in the New Testament.

If you are stumbling around in life, then “ask for the old paths” that will lead you back to God...!