Thursday 29 October 2009
THIS WAS SENT TO ME VIA EMAIL AND FELT IT WAS WORTH READING
> SATAN'S MEETING: (Read even if> you're busy)> Satan called a worldwide convention of demons.> In his opening address he said,>> "We can't keep Christians from going to> church.">> "We can't keep them from reading their Bibles and> knowing the truth.">> "We can't even keep them from forming an intimate> relationship with their saviour.">> "Once they gain that connection with Jesus, our power> over them is broken.">> "So> let them go to their churches; let them have their covered> dish> dinners, BUT steal their time, so they don't have time> to develop a> relationship with Jesus Christ..">> "This is what I want you to do," said the devil:>>> "Distract them from gaining hold of their Saviour and> maintaining that vital connection throughout their> day!">> "How shall we do this?" his demons shouted.>> "Keep them busy in the non-essentials of life and> invent innumerable schemes to> occupy their minds," he answered.>> "Tempt them to spend, spend, spend, and borrow,> borrow, borrow.">> "Persuade> the wives to go to work for long hours and the husbands to> work 6-7> days each week, 10-12 hours a day, so they can afford their> empty> lifestyles.">> "Keep them from spending time with their> children.">> "As their families fragment, soon, their homes will> offer no escape from the pressures of work!">> "Over-stimulate their minds so that they cannot hear> that still, small voice.">> "Entice> them to play the radio or cassette player whenever they> drive." To keep> the TV, VCR, CDs and their PCs going constantly in their> home and see> to it that every store and restaurant in the world plays> non-biblical> music constantly.">> "This will jam their minds and break that union with> Christ.">> "Fill the coffee tables with magazines and> newspapers.">> "Pound their minds with the news> 24 hours a day.">> "Invade their driving moments with billboards.">> "Flood> their mailboxes with junk mail, mail order catalogs,> sweepstakes, and> every kind of newsletter and promotional offering free> products,> services and false hopes..">> "Keep skinny, beautiful models on> the magazines and TV so their husbands will believe that> outward beauty> is what's important, and they'll become> dissatisfied with their wives.> ">> "Keep the wives too tired to love their husbands at> night.">> "Give them headaches too! ">> "If they don't give their husbands the love they> need, they will begin to look elsewhere.">> "That will fragment their families quickly!">> "Give them Santa Claus to distract them from teaching> their children the real meaning of Christmas.">> "Give them an Easter bunny so they won't talk> about his resurrection and power over sin and death.">> "Even in their recreation, let> them be excessive.">> "Have them return from their recreation> exhausted.">> "Keep> them too busy to go out in nature and reflect on God's> creation. Send> them to amusement parks, sporting events, plays, concerts,> and movies> instead.">> "Keep them busy, busy, busy!">> "And when they> meet for spiritual fellowship, involve them in gossip and> small talk so> that they leave with troubled consciences. ">> "Crowd their lives with so many good causes they have> no time to seek power from Jesus.">> "Soon they will be working in their own strength,> sacrificing their health and family for the good of the> cause.">> "It will work!">> "It will work!">> It was quite a plan!>> The demons went eagerly to their assignments causing> Christians everywhere to get busier and more rushed, going> here and there.>> Having little time for their God or their families.>> Having no time to tell others> about the power of Jesus to change lives.>> I guess the question is, has the devil been successful in> his schemes?>> You be the judge!!!!!> ;> Does "BUSY" mean: B-eing> U-nder S-atan's Y-oke?
Tuesday 27 October 2009
TAKE TIME
Sometimes we need to just take a quiet moment from our busy lives and embrace all that God has given us. Take a walk through the park and enjoy the sights and sounds of nature, allowing God's wonderful creation to come alive in our hearts and minds. Embrace all that He has created for our JOY in Him.ps enjoy the photo and click for larger image
Monday 26 October 2009
what stops people accepting there is a God
What is it that prevents a person accepting that there is a God?
We can see that there has been a decline in the amount of people that go to church over the last 100 years. We can suggest that scientific advances, modern life, access to other cultures and religions has had something to do with this.
Do we really need God now that we can split the atom?
Do we really need God now we can send people into space?
Do we really need God with all our medical advances?
Has mankind replaced God with scientific and technological advances? In part I would suggest that this is true but that cant be the whole truth.
Christians are to blame for the lack of interest in God
Christians are to blame for half full churches
Christians are to blame for churches closing (and there are more churches closing than opening)
So what is the answer?
I believe the answer lies in living out our christian life as Christ lived out His life.
There can be no compromise to the truth of Scripture.
We must preach the authority of the Gospel without compromise.
We must live our lives in the spotlight of non-Christian's and allow them to see the work that God has done and still does in our lives.
I am the first to admit that I am not living the life that Christ died on the cross for.
There comes a time when we must look at ourselves in light of the cross and I have looked and don't like what I see. Yes I have looked in that mirror many times and walked away without cleaning myself, only to come back looking worse. In fact I admit I did not even recognise the person Christ died for.
So I say the answer is within each Christian to get their act together. Pick up your cross and follow Jesus. Walk the path of righteousness, in light of the cross, in light of Scripture and be an advert for God's amazing work in your life so that others can be encouraged.
We can see that there has been a decline in the amount of people that go to church over the last 100 years. We can suggest that scientific advances, modern life, access to other cultures and religions has had something to do with this.
Do we really need God now that we can split the atom?
Do we really need God now we can send people into space?
Do we really need God with all our medical advances?
Has mankind replaced God with scientific and technological advances? In part I would suggest that this is true but that cant be the whole truth.
Christians are to blame for the lack of interest in God
Christians are to blame for half full churches
Christians are to blame for churches closing (and there are more churches closing than opening)
So what is the answer?
I believe the answer lies in living out our christian life as Christ lived out His life.
There can be no compromise to the truth of Scripture.
We must preach the authority of the Gospel without compromise.
We must live our lives in the spotlight of non-Christian's and allow them to see the work that God has done and still does in our lives.
I am the first to admit that I am not living the life that Christ died on the cross for.
There comes a time when we must look at ourselves in light of the cross and I have looked and don't like what I see. Yes I have looked in that mirror many times and walked away without cleaning myself, only to come back looking worse. In fact I admit I did not even recognise the person Christ died for.
So I say the answer is within each Christian to get their act together. Pick up your cross and follow Jesus. Walk the path of righteousness, in light of the cross, in light of Scripture and be an advert for God's amazing work in your life so that others can be encouraged.
Friday 23 October 2009
For Jaq
Let us go then, you and I, When the evening is spread out against the sky Like a patient etherised upon a table; Let us go, through certain half-deserted streets, The muttering retreats Of restless nights in one-night cheap hotels And sawdust restaurants with oyster-shells: Streets that follow like a tedious argument Of insidious intent To lead you to an overwhelming question… Oh, do not ask, “What is it?” Let us go and make our visit. In the room the women come and go Talking of Michelangelo. The yellow fog that rubs its back upon the window-panes, The yellow smoke that rubs its muzzle on the window-panes Licked its tongue into the corners of the evening, Lingered upon the pools that stand in drains, Let fall upon its back the soot that falls from chimneys, Slipped by the terrace, made a sudden leap, And seeing that it was a soft October night, Curled once about the house, and fell asleep. And indeed there will be time For the yellow smoke that slides along the street, Rubbing its back upon the window-panes; There will be time, there will be time To prepare a face to meet the faces that you meet; There will be time to murder and create, And time for all the works and days of hands That lift and drop a question on your plate; Time for you and time for me, And time yet for a hundred indecisions, And for a hundred visions and revisions, Before the taking of a toast and tea. In the room the women come and go Talking of Michelangelo. And indeed there will be time To wonder, “Do I dare?” and, “Do I dare?” Time to turn back and descend the stair, With a bald spot in the middle of my hair [They will say: “How his hair is growing thin!”] My morning coat, my collar mounting firmly to the chin, My necktie rich and modest, but asserted by a simple pin [They will say: “But how his arms and legs are thin!”] Do I dare Disturb the universe? In a minute there is time For decisions and revisions which a minute will reverse. For I have known them all already, known them all: Have known the evenings, mornings, afternoons, I have measured out my life with coffee spoons; I know the voices dying with a dying fall Beneath the music from a farther room. So how should I presume? And I have known the eyes already, known them all The eyes that fix you in a formulated phrase, And when I am formulated, sprawling on a pin, When I am pinned and wriggling on the wall, Then how should I begin To spit out all the butt-ends of my days and ways? And how should I presume? And I have known the arms already, known them all Arms that are braceleted and white and bare [But in the lamplight, downed with light brown hair!] It is perfume from a dress That makes me so digress? Arms that lie along a table, or wrap about a shawl. And should I then presume? And how should I begin?Shall I say, I have gone at dusk through narrow streets And watched the smoke that rises from the pipes Of lonely men in shirt-sleeves, leaning out of windows?… I should have been a pair of ragged claws Scuttling across the floors of silent seas.And the afternoon, the evening, sleeps so peacefully! Smoothed by long fingers, Asleep… tired… or it malingers, Stretched on the floor, here beside you and me. Should I, after tea and cakes and ices, Have the strength to force the moment to its crisis? But though I have wept and fasted, wept and prayed, Though I have seen my head (grown slightly bald) brought in upon a platter, I am no prophet and here’s no great matter; I have seen the moment of my greatness flicker, And I have seen the eternal Footman hold my coat, and snicker, And in short, I was afraid. And would it have been worth it, after all, After the cups, the marmalade, the tea, Among the porcelain, among some talk of you and me, Would it have been worth while, To have bitten off the matter with a smile, To have squeezed the universe into a ball To roll it toward some overwhelming question, To say: “I am Lazarus, come from the dead, Come back to tell you all, I shall tell you all” If one, settling a pillow by her head, Should say: “That is not what I meant at all. That is not it, at all.” And would it have been worth it, after all, Would it have been worth while, After the sunsets and the dooryards and the sprinkled streets, After the novels, after the teacups, after the skirts that trail along the floor And this, and so much more? It is impossible to say just what I mean! But as if a magic lantern threw the nerves in patterns on a screen: Would it have been worth while If one, settling a pillow or throwing off a shawl, And turning toward the window, should say: “That is not it at all, That is not what I meant, at all.”No! I am not Prince Hamlet, nor was meant to be; Am an attendant lord, one that will do To swell a progress, start a scene or two, Advise the prince; no doubt, an easy tool, Deferential, glad to be of use, Politic, cautious, and meticulous; Full of high sentence, but a bit obtuse; At times, indeed, almost ridiculous Almost, at times, the Fool. I grow old… I grow old… I shall wear the bottoms of my trousers rolled. Shall I part my hair behind? Do I dare to eat a peach? I shall wear white flannel trousers, and walk upon the beach. I have heard the mermaids singing, each to each. I do not think that they will sing to me. I have seen them riding seaward on the waves Combing the white hair of the waves blown back When the wind blows the water white and black. We have lingered in the chambers of the sea By sea-girls wreathed with seaweed red and brown Till human voices wake us, and we drown.
Thursday 22 October 2009
prayer
If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.
(Matthew 21 v 22)
Do we believe this statement from Scripture?
How many times have you asked in prayer for something and not received it? I am sure most of us can honestly answer, quite a few times. Yet Scripture says If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.
(Matthew 21 v 22)
So can we say that we don't get because we don't believe? I think we would be wrong to come to that conclusion but I believe we have to think about what we are praying for.
1. Will it bring glory to God
2. Will it further His kingdom
For me these are the two questions we must ask ourselves.
I am sure we are all aware of the "name it and claim it" preaching that goes on within some churches but is that really what this passage is teaching?
I know for sure that I prayed 2 times with all my heart and never got what I asked. The death of my father and mother. I begged God to make them well again but sadly they both died. Now did I pray with faith and total belief that God would heal them? I am positive that I did!
Yet God did not heal them and they died. So can I conclude that God never answered my prayers? At first glance yes but if I look a little deeper I have to ask myself, "was it better for them to die and meet God or keep them here were they may have went on to suffer because of their illness"?
How can I really answer that, but what I can say is; that God knows better than me what was the right outcome.
I believe that praying in faith brings us to deeper faith even if our prayers are not answered in the way that we desire. If we look at the lords prayer for a moment "Thy will be done"
So when we are praying we are praying that God's will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
Yet we tend to forget that when we pray and seek our own desires and our own will.
As we grow in faith our desire is that God's will is done in our lives and the more we grasp that the more content we become in serving the One True God.
Be blessed
(Matthew 21 v 22)
Do we believe this statement from Scripture?
How many times have you asked in prayer for something and not received it? I am sure most of us can honestly answer, quite a few times. Yet Scripture says If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.
(Matthew 21 v 22)
So can we say that we don't get because we don't believe? I think we would be wrong to come to that conclusion but I believe we have to think about what we are praying for.
1. Will it bring glory to God
2. Will it further His kingdom
For me these are the two questions we must ask ourselves.
I am sure we are all aware of the "name it and claim it" preaching that goes on within some churches but is that really what this passage is teaching?
I know for sure that I prayed 2 times with all my heart and never got what I asked. The death of my father and mother. I begged God to make them well again but sadly they both died. Now did I pray with faith and total belief that God would heal them? I am positive that I did!
Yet God did not heal them and they died. So can I conclude that God never answered my prayers? At first glance yes but if I look a little deeper I have to ask myself, "was it better for them to die and meet God or keep them here were they may have went on to suffer because of their illness"?
How can I really answer that, but what I can say is; that God knows better than me what was the right outcome.
I believe that praying in faith brings us to deeper faith even if our prayers are not answered in the way that we desire. If we look at the lords prayer for a moment "Thy will be done"
So when we are praying we are praying that God's will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
Yet we tend to forget that when we pray and seek our own desires and our own will.
As we grow in faith our desire is that God's will is done in our lives and the more we grasp that the more content we become in serving the One True God.
Be blessed
Wednesday 14 October 2009
people will always remember how you made them feel
The last four months have been very tough as it has been the anniversary of my youngest brother Christopher, my father and my mum's death. You start to think about how good a brother and son you were. What could you have done to make their lives better.
Sure you also have good thoughts and they say the good times keep you going.
If I had my time over with them there are many things I would change but there are so many that I wouldn't.
Tell the people around you that you love them. Do it everyday and prove it by what you do.
People will always remember how you made them feel, long after your words have been forgotten.
I have a son and I tell him always how much I love him and I show him how much I love him.
Be Blessed
Sure you also have good thoughts and they say the good times keep you going.
If I had my time over with them there are many things I would change but there are so many that I wouldn't.
Tell the people around you that you love them. Do it everyday and prove it by what you do.
People will always remember how you made them feel, long after your words have been forgotten.
I have a son and I tell him always how much I love him and I show him how much I love him.
Be Blessed
Monday 12 October 2009
MEN
Discipleship: Men: Loving Leaders
Some of you may remember the film 'The Incredible Shrinking Man.' In the film the central character is exposed to chemicals that result in him shrinking until there is really nothing left of him. The same thing has been happening in our home, our society and in our church's because of a prolonged exposure to misinformation with the result that true manhood and fatherhood has shrunk until it has almost disappeared. Too many men have become passive and distant in the two most important spheres of their lives - their home and their church. Men no longer take the lead, show initiative or take responsibility in these areas. They run away from commitment and they renege on promises made to God, to their church, to their wives, and to their children. The results are all around us to see in our broken society, failing marriages and dying churches. we are going to look at what the Bible teaches about being a Man. So men listen up.
When you buy a car they give you a manual. When you buy a hi-fi, a laptop or even a mobile phone it comes with a manual. The manual contains the information the manufacturer believes you need to know to operate the product effectively. Well Men are no different. God our Creator has given us a manual - the Bible. The problem is we pay no attention to the manual thinking we know best how to operate the machinery and we will learn as we go along. Only ever turning to the manual when we are in trouble and by then it is usually a bit late as we have really messed up. How often could that be said of your life? So we are going to look at what the Bible says about being a Man.
This will be a general journey through Scripture and to that end I have put together a list of Bible passages for you.
The German psychologist, Alexander Mitscherleich, said this of men: their souls are torn and into this tear have fled the demons of insecurity, selfishness and despair. Consequently men do not know who they are as men. Rather, they define themselves by what they do, who they know and what they own. If you do not agree then answer this question: Who are you? Reflect on this: When you introduce yourself to someone how far into the conversation do you get before you start talking about your job, your possessions (and to some of you that includes your family) and then you take the next step by measuring (at least in your head) your income against his etc. I don't believe Mitscherleich is far wrong in his comment on men in the 21st century.
Could I suggest that many men looking at their lives would come to the following conclusion: my life has descended into a blur of endless meetings, a mass of possessions, countless superficial and meaningless relationships and shrinking income. The result is in many men's lives, including those who claim to follow Christ, a crisis or as one commentator wrote: "Men live lives of quiet despair." So what does the Bible say about being a man. Not what does Holywood say? Not what do the glossy magazines say a real man is? Nor what do our peers say but what does God say.
May I suggest to you this is what God says makes a real man: "A real man is a man who lives..."
A life of obedience to the Lord's commands.A life of service to others.A life of meekness and humility.A life of prayer.A life full of faith and trust.A life of empowerment by the Holy Spirit.A life of loving and studying the Scriptures.A life of modelling Christlikeness for others to follow.A life of faithfulness to the end.
I think that is a pretty comprehensive list of the qualities required of a man of God - in his life, in his home, in his church and in society. Would you not like to have this profile? I know I would.
A life of Obedience to the commands of the Lord: Turn with me first to Psalm 119.9-16. I believe this is an important Psalm for men and we should take time to read it through. Take a section each day for the next month and not only read it but also put it into practice. You will notice an immense difference in your life. If you look at these verses you will see a very clear command that the man of God is to live a life of obedience to the Word of God. The Word of God keeps his life pure and because it is deep within the core of a man it guides and directs the paths of his life. Those paths may be difficult, they may be dark and on occasions they may even be dangerous. With the Word of God as our guide we will be brought safely to the land of blessing - is that not the promise of the Good Shepherd in Psalm 23?
Think of Abraham who was commanded by God to sacrifice Isaac, the son of promise (Genesis 22.18), or Moses who was commanded to speak up for and lead the people of God out of Egypt (Exodus 2.10). Then there was Daniel instructed to obey God's Word over and above the king's word, even if it meant death (Daniel 6.8-10). So here are three men who are instructed to give up something, to speak up for God's people and to stand up for God's Word. They were asked to obey God's command in what appeared to be impossible situations. They obeyed and the result is that their obedience equipped them to live powerful and influential lives. God is still the same today as He was in the days of Abraham, Moses and Daniel. Come with me to Acts 9 verses 10-14. Anannias is asked by God to do an impossible thing - to go to Saul of Tarsus and bring him to the elders of the church. Saul of Tarsus, the man who stood by, and probably commanded, the stoning to death of Stephen the first Christian martyr. Saul of Tarsus who had spent his life searching out and persecuting the Christian believers. Anannias obeyed and Paul was brought to the elders of the church and the rest is as we say history. Obedience leads to influence and power in the life of a man of God. If you want power and influence in your home, in your church and in your society obey the Word of God.
A life of service to others. In Mark 9.33-50 we read of the disciples of Christ arguing amongst themselves as to who was the greatest amongst them. Men are so prone to jostling for position and status amongst themselves. We measure our worth and value by position and possessions. Jesus enters the conversation and tells them that if they want to be great in the kingdom of God they must be a servant. In fact He goes as far as to say that they must be willing to be the least of all the servants. He Himself showed this when He, their master, washed each of the disciple's feet in the Upper Room on the night He was betrayed. He made no difference amongst the 12, even washing the feet of Judas Iscariot who would betray Him and Simon who would deny Him. The task of washing feet was for the lowest of all the servants. It was the most basic and menial of tasks and Christ carried out that task for His disciples. Peter is indignant at the prospect of Christ kneeling before Him and washing his dirty feet. Christ gently rebukes Peter and carries on washing his feet. Men, learn from this. If you want to be a great man of God then you must be prepared to wash feet and to do the most menial of tasks. The other point in the story is that you must be willing to allow others to serve you. How many men believe they are totally self-sufficient and requiring no help. What disasters arise out of such a mindset? You want to be a man of God - then serve others and allow others to serve you. We have got it so wrong in our church's for so long. We have put out the message 'Come and receive' when we should have been saying to the men 'Come and Serve.' Service is not an option it is actually a central part of your Christian life. If you are not serving then you are not obeying! A life of service is marked by concern for the needs of others. It is not a self-centred, self-absorbed, self-promoting or self-serving attitude but a focus on others and how we can best serve Christ by serving others.
Meekness and Humility - this characteristic is in total opposition to what the world suggests a real man is. The world throws up images, impossible images, of a man whose strength is in what he owns, the wars he fights and the women he wins. The problem is that is the message men feed on in films, in books and from their peers. Meekness and Humility are not weaknesses but strengths. In Philippians 2 Paul writes that we should follow the example of Jesus who was humble and meek - even unto the point of death. Christ had everything as God the Son, the second person of the Trinity and yet He was humble. You see humility actually is a great sign of security. Meekness is a sign of security and strength. There is no striving in humility or meekness. There is contentment, security, and knowledge in who you are in Christ Jesus. Men, if there is one thing I have come to understand over the years, it is that men have lost their sense of identity because they have sought it in everything and everywhere except in Christ Jesus. You are only truly a man when your identity is in Christ Jesus.
Life of Prayer - if there is one weakness in the life of men that will be reflected throughout all areas of their life it is when men do not pray. It is no coincidence that in most churches the women outnumber the men at times of prayer and are spiritually stronger than men as a consequence. Why is that? Why do men not pray? Why do men think they do not need to pray? Why is prayer not a priority in the life of men in every congregation? I know some of you like me pray each day and I want to encourage you to keep praying. Allow me to be really honest with you - there are some of you, and you claim to be followers of Christ, but you have never been at your prayer meeting and if you were truly honest you have no idea when you last prayed, regularly prayed. You want to be a man of God then pray. Look at Jesus in the gospels - we constantly read of Him going off to pray. Of all the questions that the disciples could have asked Jesus they ask Him: "Teach us to pray." They knew, they witnessed, the strength that the Son of God received from prayer. Look at the men of God in Scripture their lives were saturated in prayer. Why do you think you don't need to pray?
Loving and Studying the Scripture. I don't really need to say much about this because I have touched on this on previous posts. I think it is obvious, or it should be obvious to you the importance we as a church place on the Word of God. 'A Bible in their Hands...' is the beginning of our Aim. Do your family and friends know that you love the Word of God? Would your family and friends witness you reading the Word of God? Is it an example you set to your children and grandchildren? I am not talking about reading it to be seen reading it but is it a natural part of your life? You can spend hours reading Christian magazines and books but there is no substitute for reading the Word of God. Be disciplined and read it daily. Set the spiritual temperature in your home by setting it first in your life by reading the Word of God.
Modelling Christlikeness - this is the challenge isn't it? When I read through Scripture I am constantly aware of how an older man of God set the example for a younger man of God to follow. Abraham and Lot, Moses and Joshua, Eli and Samuel, Elijah and Elisha, David and Solomon, Paul and Timothy - the list could go on. Could you be added to that list? These were sinful men like you and me. There was nothing special about them. In fact often they were the insignificant ones in society whom God raised up to do great things for Him. Christ calls His disciples to follow Him. For three years they followed Him. For three years they learned by following His example. An apprentice is placed beside a master and learns by example and instruction. So how will the younger men in this congregation follow Christ if you do not set the example? Seriously, look at your life what example are you setting? Let me be critical for a moment, and I am not saying this to be harsh or hurtful. Here is my honest reflection on the example that I have witnessed over the years The men in manu congregation's are a great contradiction:
There are times of amazing faithfulness and times of deep unfaithfulness to God, to wives and family, to church and to holiness of life. There are times of service that humbles and amazes. Yet there are times when men fail to serve, in fact refuse to serve. There are times of self-centred sinfulness that has broken the heart of God, of those who love you and the bonds of fellowship have been shattered because of it. A great contradiction in men.
I have witnessed men whose lives are mired in sin refusing to take responsibility for that sin and refusing to confess that sin. I have witnessed men who make every excuse for their failures and only when there seems to be no alternative then take responsibility. I have witnessed men who fill their lives with busyness, with possessions and with clutter rather than stop and deal with the real issues of their lives and their relationship with God and others. Then there have been men who have fallen before the throne of grace and been forgiven and healed by the grace of Christ. I have witnessed the restoration by grace of lives that were broken by sin. A great contradiction.
I know many of you men have hearts that truly desires to serve God. You have hearts that yearn for a deeper knowledge of God and a deeper intimacy with God. I know some of you have a desire to be a better husband, father, grandfather, and servant of God but struggle to know how to do all of this in a world that opposes and comes against you at every turn. As I said - there is a great contradiction in the lives of men here. Actually it would be better to say that right at this moment there is a 'battle', a spiritual battle, being waged for the very souls and lives of the men of many congregation's. Some of you men are totally unaware of that battle and some of you are running from it. Some of you have been beaten and broken by that battle. Some of you are only just having your eyes opened to this battle and some of you right at this moment are in the very heart of that battle. The good news today is that you are not alone - listen to these words now: Read Psalm 23.
Being Christ-like is not negotiable if you want to win this battle for you life and soul and become a man of God.
Empowered by the Holy Spirit. Here is another non-negotiable. In Ephesians 5 verse 18 we are commanded to be filled with the Holy Spirit and in Luke 11 verse 13 Christ promises that when we asked to receive the Holy Spirit God the Father will answer. The purpose of the Holy Spirit is first of all to bring us to a saving knowledge of Christ. The Holy Spirit is there to lead us to the Son who is there to take us to the Father - voluntary subordination of function. The Holy Spirit also empowers us for a life of service in obedience to God's will. The Holy Spirit cannot be purchased and is not for self-glory, self-attention or self-promotion - the story of Simon Magus in Acts 8.9-24 clearly teaches this.
You cannot be a Christian if you do not have the Holy Spirit - 2 Corinthians 1.22 and you cannot live a Christian life without the Holy Spirit - Galatians 5.16-26. So open your life to the Holy Spirit and do not quench the Spirit (Ephesians 4.30) in your life. If you want to know how you grieve the Holy Spirit and thwart His work in your life then read Ephesians 4.17 to 5.5. I think you will find there a comprehensive list of disobedience that can be applied to all aspects of your life.
Once again we come down to obedience. Time and time again in Scripture it comes down to obedience to the Word of God. Obedience to the Word of God requires knowledge of the Word of God. Obedience to the Word of God requires humility and meekness on the part of a man. Obedience to the Word of God requires discipline and faithfulness of a man.
I wondered how I should end this post today. I have no doubt this morning that God is dealing with men in congregation's all over the world. I have no doubt that right at this moment there are some of you men whom God is calling to repentance and faith in Him. I have no doubt that some of you men God is calling you to repent of sinful actions, behaviours, lifestyle choices and attitudes. I have no doubt that for some of you men God is encouraging you this morning to keep going with Him even though at the moment the path is difficult, dark and dangerous. Whatever God is calling you to do - obey that call. Women I want you to pray for the men in your family and in your church family. You will know what to pray for them. Men whatever it is God is speaking into your heart right now I want you to bring it to Him in prayer. Don't put it off to another day - deal with it now, even if it is a painful thing that is being brought to the surface.
Amen.
Again thanks to Alan for his love of God's word and people
Some of you may remember the film 'The Incredible Shrinking Man.' In the film the central character is exposed to chemicals that result in him shrinking until there is really nothing left of him. The same thing has been happening in our home, our society and in our church's because of a prolonged exposure to misinformation with the result that true manhood and fatherhood has shrunk until it has almost disappeared. Too many men have become passive and distant in the two most important spheres of their lives - their home and their church. Men no longer take the lead, show initiative or take responsibility in these areas. They run away from commitment and they renege on promises made to God, to their church, to their wives, and to their children. The results are all around us to see in our broken society, failing marriages and dying churches. we are going to look at what the Bible teaches about being a Man. So men listen up.
When you buy a car they give you a manual. When you buy a hi-fi, a laptop or even a mobile phone it comes with a manual. The manual contains the information the manufacturer believes you need to know to operate the product effectively. Well Men are no different. God our Creator has given us a manual - the Bible. The problem is we pay no attention to the manual thinking we know best how to operate the machinery and we will learn as we go along. Only ever turning to the manual when we are in trouble and by then it is usually a bit late as we have really messed up. How often could that be said of your life? So we are going to look at what the Bible says about being a Man.
This will be a general journey through Scripture and to that end I have put together a list of Bible passages for you.
The German psychologist, Alexander Mitscherleich, said this of men: their souls are torn and into this tear have fled the demons of insecurity, selfishness and despair. Consequently men do not know who they are as men. Rather, they define themselves by what they do, who they know and what they own. If you do not agree then answer this question: Who are you? Reflect on this: When you introduce yourself to someone how far into the conversation do you get before you start talking about your job, your possessions (and to some of you that includes your family) and then you take the next step by measuring (at least in your head) your income against his etc. I don't believe Mitscherleich is far wrong in his comment on men in the 21st century.
Could I suggest that many men looking at their lives would come to the following conclusion: my life has descended into a blur of endless meetings, a mass of possessions, countless superficial and meaningless relationships and shrinking income. The result is in many men's lives, including those who claim to follow Christ, a crisis or as one commentator wrote: "Men live lives of quiet despair." So what does the Bible say about being a man. Not what does Holywood say? Not what do the glossy magazines say a real man is? Nor what do our peers say but what does God say.
May I suggest to you this is what God says makes a real man: "A real man is a man who lives..."
A life of obedience to the Lord's commands.A life of service to others.A life of meekness and humility.A life of prayer.A life full of faith and trust.A life of empowerment by the Holy Spirit.A life of loving and studying the Scriptures.A life of modelling Christlikeness for others to follow.A life of faithfulness to the end.
I think that is a pretty comprehensive list of the qualities required of a man of God - in his life, in his home, in his church and in society. Would you not like to have this profile? I know I would.
A life of Obedience to the commands of the Lord: Turn with me first to Psalm 119.9-16. I believe this is an important Psalm for men and we should take time to read it through. Take a section each day for the next month and not only read it but also put it into practice. You will notice an immense difference in your life. If you look at these verses you will see a very clear command that the man of God is to live a life of obedience to the Word of God. The Word of God keeps his life pure and because it is deep within the core of a man it guides and directs the paths of his life. Those paths may be difficult, they may be dark and on occasions they may even be dangerous. With the Word of God as our guide we will be brought safely to the land of blessing - is that not the promise of the Good Shepherd in Psalm 23?
Think of Abraham who was commanded by God to sacrifice Isaac, the son of promise (Genesis 22.18), or Moses who was commanded to speak up for and lead the people of God out of Egypt (Exodus 2.10). Then there was Daniel instructed to obey God's Word over and above the king's word, even if it meant death (Daniel 6.8-10). So here are three men who are instructed to give up something, to speak up for God's people and to stand up for God's Word. They were asked to obey God's command in what appeared to be impossible situations. They obeyed and the result is that their obedience equipped them to live powerful and influential lives. God is still the same today as He was in the days of Abraham, Moses and Daniel. Come with me to Acts 9 verses 10-14. Anannias is asked by God to do an impossible thing - to go to Saul of Tarsus and bring him to the elders of the church. Saul of Tarsus, the man who stood by, and probably commanded, the stoning to death of Stephen the first Christian martyr. Saul of Tarsus who had spent his life searching out and persecuting the Christian believers. Anannias obeyed and Paul was brought to the elders of the church and the rest is as we say history. Obedience leads to influence and power in the life of a man of God. If you want power and influence in your home, in your church and in your society obey the Word of God.
A life of service to others. In Mark 9.33-50 we read of the disciples of Christ arguing amongst themselves as to who was the greatest amongst them. Men are so prone to jostling for position and status amongst themselves. We measure our worth and value by position and possessions. Jesus enters the conversation and tells them that if they want to be great in the kingdom of God they must be a servant. In fact He goes as far as to say that they must be willing to be the least of all the servants. He Himself showed this when He, their master, washed each of the disciple's feet in the Upper Room on the night He was betrayed. He made no difference amongst the 12, even washing the feet of Judas Iscariot who would betray Him and Simon who would deny Him. The task of washing feet was for the lowest of all the servants. It was the most basic and menial of tasks and Christ carried out that task for His disciples. Peter is indignant at the prospect of Christ kneeling before Him and washing his dirty feet. Christ gently rebukes Peter and carries on washing his feet. Men, learn from this. If you want to be a great man of God then you must be prepared to wash feet and to do the most menial of tasks. The other point in the story is that you must be willing to allow others to serve you. How many men believe they are totally self-sufficient and requiring no help. What disasters arise out of such a mindset? You want to be a man of God - then serve others and allow others to serve you. We have got it so wrong in our church's for so long. We have put out the message 'Come and receive' when we should have been saying to the men 'Come and Serve.' Service is not an option it is actually a central part of your Christian life. If you are not serving then you are not obeying! A life of service is marked by concern for the needs of others. It is not a self-centred, self-absorbed, self-promoting or self-serving attitude but a focus on others and how we can best serve Christ by serving others.
Meekness and Humility - this characteristic is in total opposition to what the world suggests a real man is. The world throws up images, impossible images, of a man whose strength is in what he owns, the wars he fights and the women he wins. The problem is that is the message men feed on in films, in books and from their peers. Meekness and Humility are not weaknesses but strengths. In Philippians 2 Paul writes that we should follow the example of Jesus who was humble and meek - even unto the point of death. Christ had everything as God the Son, the second person of the Trinity and yet He was humble. You see humility actually is a great sign of security. Meekness is a sign of security and strength. There is no striving in humility or meekness. There is contentment, security, and knowledge in who you are in Christ Jesus. Men, if there is one thing I have come to understand over the years, it is that men have lost their sense of identity because they have sought it in everything and everywhere except in Christ Jesus. You are only truly a man when your identity is in Christ Jesus.
Life of Prayer - if there is one weakness in the life of men that will be reflected throughout all areas of their life it is when men do not pray. It is no coincidence that in most churches the women outnumber the men at times of prayer and are spiritually stronger than men as a consequence. Why is that? Why do men not pray? Why do men think they do not need to pray? Why is prayer not a priority in the life of men in every congregation? I know some of you like me pray each day and I want to encourage you to keep praying. Allow me to be really honest with you - there are some of you, and you claim to be followers of Christ, but you have never been at your prayer meeting and if you were truly honest you have no idea when you last prayed, regularly prayed. You want to be a man of God then pray. Look at Jesus in the gospels - we constantly read of Him going off to pray. Of all the questions that the disciples could have asked Jesus they ask Him: "Teach us to pray." They knew, they witnessed, the strength that the Son of God received from prayer. Look at the men of God in Scripture their lives were saturated in prayer. Why do you think you don't need to pray?
Loving and Studying the Scripture. I don't really need to say much about this because I have touched on this on previous posts. I think it is obvious, or it should be obvious to you the importance we as a church place on the Word of God. 'A Bible in their Hands...' is the beginning of our Aim. Do your family and friends know that you love the Word of God? Would your family and friends witness you reading the Word of God? Is it an example you set to your children and grandchildren? I am not talking about reading it to be seen reading it but is it a natural part of your life? You can spend hours reading Christian magazines and books but there is no substitute for reading the Word of God. Be disciplined and read it daily. Set the spiritual temperature in your home by setting it first in your life by reading the Word of God.
Modelling Christlikeness - this is the challenge isn't it? When I read through Scripture I am constantly aware of how an older man of God set the example for a younger man of God to follow. Abraham and Lot, Moses and Joshua, Eli and Samuel, Elijah and Elisha, David and Solomon, Paul and Timothy - the list could go on. Could you be added to that list? These were sinful men like you and me. There was nothing special about them. In fact often they were the insignificant ones in society whom God raised up to do great things for Him. Christ calls His disciples to follow Him. For three years they followed Him. For three years they learned by following His example. An apprentice is placed beside a master and learns by example and instruction. So how will the younger men in this congregation follow Christ if you do not set the example? Seriously, look at your life what example are you setting? Let me be critical for a moment, and I am not saying this to be harsh or hurtful. Here is my honest reflection on the example that I have witnessed over the years The men in manu congregation's are a great contradiction:
There are times of amazing faithfulness and times of deep unfaithfulness to God, to wives and family, to church and to holiness of life. There are times of service that humbles and amazes. Yet there are times when men fail to serve, in fact refuse to serve. There are times of self-centred sinfulness that has broken the heart of God, of those who love you and the bonds of fellowship have been shattered because of it. A great contradiction in men.
I have witnessed men whose lives are mired in sin refusing to take responsibility for that sin and refusing to confess that sin. I have witnessed men who make every excuse for their failures and only when there seems to be no alternative then take responsibility. I have witnessed men who fill their lives with busyness, with possessions and with clutter rather than stop and deal with the real issues of their lives and their relationship with God and others. Then there have been men who have fallen before the throne of grace and been forgiven and healed by the grace of Christ. I have witnessed the restoration by grace of lives that were broken by sin. A great contradiction.
I know many of you men have hearts that truly desires to serve God. You have hearts that yearn for a deeper knowledge of God and a deeper intimacy with God. I know some of you have a desire to be a better husband, father, grandfather, and servant of God but struggle to know how to do all of this in a world that opposes and comes against you at every turn. As I said - there is a great contradiction in the lives of men here. Actually it would be better to say that right at this moment there is a 'battle', a spiritual battle, being waged for the very souls and lives of the men of many congregation's. Some of you men are totally unaware of that battle and some of you are running from it. Some of you have been beaten and broken by that battle. Some of you are only just having your eyes opened to this battle and some of you right at this moment are in the very heart of that battle. The good news today is that you are not alone - listen to these words now: Read Psalm 23.
Being Christ-like is not negotiable if you want to win this battle for you life and soul and become a man of God.
Empowered by the Holy Spirit. Here is another non-negotiable. In Ephesians 5 verse 18 we are commanded to be filled with the Holy Spirit and in Luke 11 verse 13 Christ promises that when we asked to receive the Holy Spirit God the Father will answer. The purpose of the Holy Spirit is first of all to bring us to a saving knowledge of Christ. The Holy Spirit is there to lead us to the Son who is there to take us to the Father - voluntary subordination of function. The Holy Spirit also empowers us for a life of service in obedience to God's will. The Holy Spirit cannot be purchased and is not for self-glory, self-attention or self-promotion - the story of Simon Magus in Acts 8.9-24 clearly teaches this.
You cannot be a Christian if you do not have the Holy Spirit - 2 Corinthians 1.22 and you cannot live a Christian life without the Holy Spirit - Galatians 5.16-26. So open your life to the Holy Spirit and do not quench the Spirit (Ephesians 4.30) in your life. If you want to know how you grieve the Holy Spirit and thwart His work in your life then read Ephesians 4.17 to 5.5. I think you will find there a comprehensive list of disobedience that can be applied to all aspects of your life.
Once again we come down to obedience. Time and time again in Scripture it comes down to obedience to the Word of God. Obedience to the Word of God requires knowledge of the Word of God. Obedience to the Word of God requires humility and meekness on the part of a man. Obedience to the Word of God requires discipline and faithfulness of a man.
I wondered how I should end this post today. I have no doubt this morning that God is dealing with men in congregation's all over the world. I have no doubt that right at this moment there are some of you men whom God is calling to repentance and faith in Him. I have no doubt that some of you men God is calling you to repent of sinful actions, behaviours, lifestyle choices and attitudes. I have no doubt that for some of you men God is encouraging you this morning to keep going with Him even though at the moment the path is difficult, dark and dangerous. Whatever God is calling you to do - obey that call. Women I want you to pray for the men in your family and in your church family. You will know what to pray for them. Men whatever it is God is speaking into your heart right now I want you to bring it to Him in prayer. Don't put it off to another day - deal with it now, even if it is a painful thing that is being brought to the surface.
Amen.
Again thanks to Alan for his love of God's word and people
Sunday 11 October 2009
Here we go again
Professor Ellen van Wolde, a respected Old Testament scholar and author, claims the first sentence of Genesis "in the beginning God created the Heaven and the Earth" is not a true translation of the Hebrew.
She claims she has carried out fresh textual analysis that suggests the writers of the great book never intended to suggest that God created the world -- and in fact the Earth was already there when he created humans and animals.
Prof Van Wolde, 54, who will present a thesis on the subject at Radboud University in The Netherlands where she studies, said she had re-analysed the original Hebrew text and placed it in the context of the Bible as a whole, and in the context of other creation stories from ancient Mesopotamia.
She said she eventually concluded the Hebrew verb "bara", which is used in the first sentence of the book of Genesis, does not mean "to create" but to "spatially separate".
The first sentence should now read "in the beginning God separated the Heaven and the Earth"
According to Judeo-Christian tradition, God created the Earth out of nothing.
Prof Van Wolde, who once worked with the Italian academic and novelist Umberto Eco, said her new analysis showed that the beginning of the Bible was not the beginning of time, but the beginning of a narration.
She said: "It meant to say that God did create humans and animals, but not the Earth itself."
She writes in her thesis that the new translation fits in with ancient texts.
According to them there used to be an enormous body of water in which monsters were living, covered in darkness, she said.
She said technically "bara" does mean "create" but added: "Something was wrong with the verb.
"God was the subject (God created), followed by two or more objects. Why did God not create just one thing or animal, but always more?"
She concluded that God did not create, he separated: the Earth from the Heaven, the land from the sea, the sea monsters from the birds and the swarming at the ground.
"There was already water," she said.
"There were sea monsters. God did create some things, but not the Heaven and Earth. The usual idea of creating-out-of-nothing, creatio ex nihilo, is a big misunderstanding."
God came later and made the earth livable, separating the water from the land and brought light into the darkness.
She said she hoped that her conclusions would spark "a robust debate", since her finds are not only new, but would also touch the hearts of many religious people.
She said: "Maybe I am even hurting myself. I consider myself to be religious and the Creator used to be very special, as a notion of trust. I want to keep that trust."
A spokesman for the Radboud University said: "The new interpretation is a complete shake up of the story of the Creation as we know it."
Prof Van Wolde added: "The traditional view of God the Creator is untenable now."
It will be interesting to read the thesis on the above but it does not shake or affect my own belief that God DID create the whole universe. The idea that God was just wandering around space and by chance came upon the earth and then decided to claim it for His own is preposterous. All that is seen and unseen was created by God. God is the intelligent designer of the whole universe and it is by His will that the earth was formed. Everything has a purpose and God does not create without purpose.
We have seen this before when someone comes up with a new idea or thesis and I am sure we will see it again.
She claims she has carried out fresh textual analysis that suggests the writers of the great book never intended to suggest that God created the world -- and in fact the Earth was already there when he created humans and animals.
Prof Van Wolde, 54, who will present a thesis on the subject at Radboud University in The Netherlands where she studies, said she had re-analysed the original Hebrew text and placed it in the context of the Bible as a whole, and in the context of other creation stories from ancient Mesopotamia.
She said she eventually concluded the Hebrew verb "bara", which is used in the first sentence of the book of Genesis, does not mean "to create" but to "spatially separate".
The first sentence should now read "in the beginning God separated the Heaven and the Earth"
According to Judeo-Christian tradition, God created the Earth out of nothing.
Prof Van Wolde, who once worked with the Italian academic and novelist Umberto Eco, said her new analysis showed that the beginning of the Bible was not the beginning of time, but the beginning of a narration.
She said: "It meant to say that God did create humans and animals, but not the Earth itself."
She writes in her thesis that the new translation fits in with ancient texts.
According to them there used to be an enormous body of water in which monsters were living, covered in darkness, she said.
She said technically "bara" does mean "create" but added: "Something was wrong with the verb.
"God was the subject (God created), followed by two or more objects. Why did God not create just one thing or animal, but always more?"
She concluded that God did not create, he separated: the Earth from the Heaven, the land from the sea, the sea monsters from the birds and the swarming at the ground.
"There was already water," she said.
"There were sea monsters. God did create some things, but not the Heaven and Earth. The usual idea of creating-out-of-nothing, creatio ex nihilo, is a big misunderstanding."
God came later and made the earth livable, separating the water from the land and brought light into the darkness.
She said she hoped that her conclusions would spark "a robust debate", since her finds are not only new, but would also touch the hearts of many religious people.
She said: "Maybe I am even hurting myself. I consider myself to be religious and the Creator used to be very special, as a notion of trust. I want to keep that trust."
A spokesman for the Radboud University said: "The new interpretation is a complete shake up of the story of the Creation as we know it."
Prof Van Wolde added: "The traditional view of God the Creator is untenable now."
It will be interesting to read the thesis on the above but it does not shake or affect my own belief that God DID create the whole universe. The idea that God was just wandering around space and by chance came upon the earth and then decided to claim it for His own is preposterous. All that is seen and unseen was created by God. God is the intelligent designer of the whole universe and it is by His will that the earth was formed. Everything has a purpose and God does not create without purpose.
We have seen this before when someone comes up with a new idea or thesis and I am sure we will see it again.
Tuesday 6 October 2009
Do we look in the mirror and forget
James 1.19-27
Disciplines of a Disciple
How good are you at following instructions? For example if you get one of those flat pack DIY jobs - do you read the instructions carefully or do you just start right in? I use to start right in but after many frustrating experiences I now lay everything out on the floor and follow the instructions. It is still very frustrating for me, in fact if at all possible I avoid DIY. You see you can read instructions and follow them or you can read instructions and ignore them. I want to look at the the Disciplines of a Disciple - you can choose to follow these instructions or ignore them.
The book of James was probably the first-written book of our New Testament, around AD 46. James was the half-brother of Christ and the leader of the Jerusalem church (Acts 12.17; 15.13; I Cor. 15.17). He was writing to Jewish believers in Christ who were in Jerusalem and scattered around the major cities of the Roman Empire. This letter is primarily about the practical outworking of the Christian faith in the life of a believer. So it is an excellent place to start concerning the Disciplines of a Disciple.
The passage is divided quite simply under three headings:
Receive the Word of God
Practice the Word of God
Share the Word of God.
Receive the Word of God
What do you reckon is the most powerful sound on earth? Not what is the loudest? But, what noise is the most powerful. I reckon it is the cry of a child. I am amazed at how in a crowd a parent will recognise the cry of their child above all the other noises. A child can cry and the whole house is moved to action. James would have us be moved by the Word of God the way a parent is moved by their baby's cry.
Verse 19 - James begins by addressing them as 'my dear brothers' which is more than a term of endearment. Yes it expresses love towards them but it also identifies them in fellowship in Christ with him. James also uses this term in the letter to introduce new topics. He then gives them three simple instructions.
Be quick to listen - be in a position to listen. To really listen requires time, effort and concentration. How often have you been asked 'Did you hear what I said?' To listen you have to be attentive, receptive and concentrating on what is being said. In 2 Samuel 3.15 David had expressed a desire to taste the water of a certain well which was behind the Philistine lines. Three of his mighty men heard what he had said and risked their lives to bring him a drink from that well. Many others listened to what David had said but they did not hear what he said! These men listened, heard and took action. Do you actually listen to the Word of God? Do you put yourself in a place to hear, truly hear God speaking to you from His Word? You can hear superficially - like background music in the supermarket. How many people listen to God's Word as if it were background music in the supermarket?
Be slow to speak - this is a difficult lesson to learn. I know, I often speak too quickly. However, let me ask you a very personal question: Are you quick to speak against the Word of God? You might recoil at that question. You might think to yourself 'No, I don't speak against the Word of God.' Well let me ask you another question: Have you read and obeyed the Word of God this week? You speak against the Word of God more with how you live your life than with the words of your mouth. How quick are we to ignore the Word of God in areas of our lives were we find it inconvenient or imposing a standard we do not wish to keep?
Be slow to become angry. James really goes for it at the start of this letter. The NT church was no different than the church today. There were factions and fighting. There were people who gossiped, back-biting, slandering and got angry with other people in the congregation. James here tells them they should be slow to become angry. Do you remember the story of David with Nathan? Nathan tells David a story about a little pet lamb that is taken by a rich landowner for a feast. David quickly becomes angry and then Nathan calmly points the finger at David for his sin against Uriah the Hittite. How quick a temper to do you have? Hear what James says - be slow to become angry. Please hear the Word of God - James is not saying that there are no occasions when we do not get angry, for example angry at sin or injustice. He is saying that we should not be short tempered with one another. May I make a comment here? Please don't be a hypocrite about this. Please don't have the patience of Job within your church and be a complete tyrant in your home. Start in your home and then bring it to your church. Also don't seethe quietly because the Lord God knows your heart (I Sam. 16.7). The reason James wants his readers, and us, to be slow to become angry is because it is not part of the life of righteousness that God would have us live. Do you read that in verse 20? Your wrath, your anger, your seething resentment is not part of the righteousness that God desires from His people. Are you going to take that on board this morning?
Verse 21 - Why would you do what James has asked of the believers? James begins this verse with 'therefore' which connects verses 19-20 with what follows. The Word of God has been implanted in your hearts and you are to receive it humbly because it is the means of salvation. When you came to the Word made flesh, Jesus Christ, He implanted His Word in your heart - Jeremiah 31.33 says this. The implanted Word was the proclaimed Word which took root in their hearts but it must bear fruit in their lives. The implanted Word was to become and inseparable part of their lives which changed them from the inside but which was seen on the outside. Look at what James says at the beginning of this verse - get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent. That is quite a strong statement. Remember he is talking to believers here. He is telling those who have received the Word of God that it must make a difference outwardly in their lives because it has been implanted in their hearts and they cannot remain the same. Friends, listen to this again - get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent. I could labour this point this morning with a whole list of moral filth and evil that is so prevalent in this world and in your lives. Here is the truth - if you hear the Word of God and you are truly a Christian then you will get rid of the moral filth in your life and the evil that is so prevalent and you will humbly receive and obey the Word of God today. I should not have to say anything else on that.
Practice the Word of God - verses 22-26.
Before we had emails and text messages, even before telephones were in every home, the quickest means of sending a message was the telegram. The story is told that in one telegraph office several people had answered a job advertisement. They were sitting in the reception when one of them got up and walked into the managing director's office. A few minutes later the managing director came out and thanked them all for turning up but said the position had just been filled. One person objected that no interviews had taken place. The managing director then explained that while they had been sitting in reception the following message had been tapped out in the background - if you hear this and understand then come into the managing director's office, the job is yours. One young man heard the message and acted on the message. The rest heard the message and thought it did not apply to them. How many of you hear the Word of God and do not act upon it? James could not be any simpler when he tells them to be 'doers of the Word and not just hearers.' Le me ask you a question: if this week in your work you spent the week praising the boss but actually did nothing he said - how long would it be before you were sacked? Then why do you think it is perfectly acceptable to praise God but not obey His Word?
Verses 23-25 James uses a mirror to demonstrate what he is saying to them. When they look in a mirror it is not just for a glance, nor to forget what they had just seen but to examine themselves and correct anything in their appearance before they walk out the door. It is an intense look into the mirror. They twist and turn to see as much as they can of themselves. How often are outfits changed? How often hair tweaked and fluff removed etc before you turn to walk away from the mirror? Seriously is the self-examination under the mirror of the Word of God as intense as the physical examination in the mirror? How many of you only glance at the Word of God and then walk out the door and remember nothing of what you have read? How many forget so easily what God says in His Word? How many of you choose to ignore the teaching of the Bible in all sorts of areas of your lives?
Look at the end of verse 25. Blessing comes from obedience. Your faith must be seen in your actions. Is that not the meaning of the parable of the Good Samaritan? You can have all the outward vestiges of faith, you can even know the Word of God but if it is not seen in action then it is empty and dead. Let me suggest something to you this morning - if there is no obedience to the Word of God there will be no blessing from God. Let me repeat that for you: If there is no obedience to the Word of God there will be no blessing from God. Verse 26 - this was obviously a problem in the churches to whom James was writing. Once again he returns to keeping a tight rein on the tongue. A little later in the letter he returns again to this issue and speaks of the damage the tongue can do. This is very applicable to our own churches The amount of damage done in every fellowship by the tongue is mounting. There are some of you, who claim to follow Christ, but you do the work of satan with your tongues in your fellowship. It is not just gossiping but sniping and criticising others, especially those in leadership, those serving and generally being negative.
Share the Word of God - verse 27.
There are two aspects of this Social Concern and Moral Purity. Social Concern - it is about looking after those in need in your own congregation and further afield. It is care in action for others. It is very important that we have people who serve both full-time and in a voluntary sector in this community. The pregnancy crisis centre, prayer ministry team, helping social services, fostering etc - they are all practical ways of showing that we care because He cares.
Moral Purity - James returns once again to the practical outworking of the Word of God in their lives. God says 'Be holy because I am holy.' As Christians we should be, we are called to be, radically different (morally) than the world in which we live. Our standards are God's standards in moral behaviour, not the worlds. We should stand out and be different. Are we? Do we join in the office gossip? Do we turn a blind eye to corruption? Fraud? Do we pass off the blue humour? What about what you read and watch on TV? Have you any clue what your kids are viewing on the internet? Have you seen their Facebook site? Have you any idea what moral teaching they are receiving in school? Who are the godly men and women who will set the example for the younger generation in this church fellowship?
What are we teaching them about the Word of God today? You can read it and ignore it or you read it, examine your life according to it and change what needs to be changed.
I believe God has spoken to all our hearts about the disciplines of a disciple - be doers of the Word and not hearers only. Amen.
Thanks to Alan
Disciplines of a Disciple
How good are you at following instructions? For example if you get one of those flat pack DIY jobs - do you read the instructions carefully or do you just start right in? I use to start right in but after many frustrating experiences I now lay everything out on the floor and follow the instructions. It is still very frustrating for me, in fact if at all possible I avoid DIY. You see you can read instructions and follow them or you can read instructions and ignore them. I want to look at the the Disciplines of a Disciple - you can choose to follow these instructions or ignore them.
The book of James was probably the first-written book of our New Testament, around AD 46. James was the half-brother of Christ and the leader of the Jerusalem church (Acts 12.17; 15.13; I Cor. 15.17). He was writing to Jewish believers in Christ who were in Jerusalem and scattered around the major cities of the Roman Empire. This letter is primarily about the practical outworking of the Christian faith in the life of a believer. So it is an excellent place to start concerning the Disciplines of a Disciple.
The passage is divided quite simply under three headings:
Receive the Word of God
Practice the Word of God
Share the Word of God.
Receive the Word of God
What do you reckon is the most powerful sound on earth? Not what is the loudest? But, what noise is the most powerful. I reckon it is the cry of a child. I am amazed at how in a crowd a parent will recognise the cry of their child above all the other noises. A child can cry and the whole house is moved to action. James would have us be moved by the Word of God the way a parent is moved by their baby's cry.
Verse 19 - James begins by addressing them as 'my dear brothers' which is more than a term of endearment. Yes it expresses love towards them but it also identifies them in fellowship in Christ with him. James also uses this term in the letter to introduce new topics. He then gives them three simple instructions.
Be quick to listen - be in a position to listen. To really listen requires time, effort and concentration. How often have you been asked 'Did you hear what I said?' To listen you have to be attentive, receptive and concentrating on what is being said. In 2 Samuel 3.15 David had expressed a desire to taste the water of a certain well which was behind the Philistine lines. Three of his mighty men heard what he had said and risked their lives to bring him a drink from that well. Many others listened to what David had said but they did not hear what he said! These men listened, heard and took action. Do you actually listen to the Word of God? Do you put yourself in a place to hear, truly hear God speaking to you from His Word? You can hear superficially - like background music in the supermarket. How many people listen to God's Word as if it were background music in the supermarket?
Be slow to speak - this is a difficult lesson to learn. I know, I often speak too quickly. However, let me ask you a very personal question: Are you quick to speak against the Word of God? You might recoil at that question. You might think to yourself 'No, I don't speak against the Word of God.' Well let me ask you another question: Have you read and obeyed the Word of God this week? You speak against the Word of God more with how you live your life than with the words of your mouth. How quick are we to ignore the Word of God in areas of our lives were we find it inconvenient or imposing a standard we do not wish to keep?
Be slow to become angry. James really goes for it at the start of this letter. The NT church was no different than the church today. There were factions and fighting. There were people who gossiped, back-biting, slandering and got angry with other people in the congregation. James here tells them they should be slow to become angry. Do you remember the story of David with Nathan? Nathan tells David a story about a little pet lamb that is taken by a rich landowner for a feast. David quickly becomes angry and then Nathan calmly points the finger at David for his sin against Uriah the Hittite. How quick a temper to do you have? Hear what James says - be slow to become angry. Please hear the Word of God - James is not saying that there are no occasions when we do not get angry, for example angry at sin or injustice. He is saying that we should not be short tempered with one another. May I make a comment here? Please don't be a hypocrite about this. Please don't have the patience of Job within your church and be a complete tyrant in your home. Start in your home and then bring it to your church. Also don't seethe quietly because the Lord God knows your heart (I Sam. 16.7). The reason James wants his readers, and us, to be slow to become angry is because it is not part of the life of righteousness that God would have us live. Do you read that in verse 20? Your wrath, your anger, your seething resentment is not part of the righteousness that God desires from His people. Are you going to take that on board this morning?
Verse 21 - Why would you do what James has asked of the believers? James begins this verse with 'therefore' which connects verses 19-20 with what follows. The Word of God has been implanted in your hearts and you are to receive it humbly because it is the means of salvation. When you came to the Word made flesh, Jesus Christ, He implanted His Word in your heart - Jeremiah 31.33 says this. The implanted Word was the proclaimed Word which took root in their hearts but it must bear fruit in their lives. The implanted Word was to become and inseparable part of their lives which changed them from the inside but which was seen on the outside. Look at what James says at the beginning of this verse - get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent. That is quite a strong statement. Remember he is talking to believers here. He is telling those who have received the Word of God that it must make a difference outwardly in their lives because it has been implanted in their hearts and they cannot remain the same. Friends, listen to this again - get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent. I could labour this point this morning with a whole list of moral filth and evil that is so prevalent in this world and in your lives. Here is the truth - if you hear the Word of God and you are truly a Christian then you will get rid of the moral filth in your life and the evil that is so prevalent and you will humbly receive and obey the Word of God today. I should not have to say anything else on that.
Practice the Word of God - verses 22-26.
Before we had emails and text messages, even before telephones were in every home, the quickest means of sending a message was the telegram. The story is told that in one telegraph office several people had answered a job advertisement. They were sitting in the reception when one of them got up and walked into the managing director's office. A few minutes later the managing director came out and thanked them all for turning up but said the position had just been filled. One person objected that no interviews had taken place. The managing director then explained that while they had been sitting in reception the following message had been tapped out in the background - if you hear this and understand then come into the managing director's office, the job is yours. One young man heard the message and acted on the message. The rest heard the message and thought it did not apply to them. How many of you hear the Word of God and do not act upon it? James could not be any simpler when he tells them to be 'doers of the Word and not just hearers.' Le me ask you a question: if this week in your work you spent the week praising the boss but actually did nothing he said - how long would it be before you were sacked? Then why do you think it is perfectly acceptable to praise God but not obey His Word?
Verses 23-25 James uses a mirror to demonstrate what he is saying to them. When they look in a mirror it is not just for a glance, nor to forget what they had just seen but to examine themselves and correct anything in their appearance before they walk out the door. It is an intense look into the mirror. They twist and turn to see as much as they can of themselves. How often are outfits changed? How often hair tweaked and fluff removed etc before you turn to walk away from the mirror? Seriously is the self-examination under the mirror of the Word of God as intense as the physical examination in the mirror? How many of you only glance at the Word of God and then walk out the door and remember nothing of what you have read? How many forget so easily what God says in His Word? How many of you choose to ignore the teaching of the Bible in all sorts of areas of your lives?
Look at the end of verse 25. Blessing comes from obedience. Your faith must be seen in your actions. Is that not the meaning of the parable of the Good Samaritan? You can have all the outward vestiges of faith, you can even know the Word of God but if it is not seen in action then it is empty and dead. Let me suggest something to you this morning - if there is no obedience to the Word of God there will be no blessing from God. Let me repeat that for you: If there is no obedience to the Word of God there will be no blessing from God. Verse 26 - this was obviously a problem in the churches to whom James was writing. Once again he returns to keeping a tight rein on the tongue. A little later in the letter he returns again to this issue and speaks of the damage the tongue can do. This is very applicable to our own churches The amount of damage done in every fellowship by the tongue is mounting. There are some of you, who claim to follow Christ, but you do the work of satan with your tongues in your fellowship. It is not just gossiping but sniping and criticising others, especially those in leadership, those serving and generally being negative.
Share the Word of God - verse 27.
There are two aspects of this Social Concern and Moral Purity. Social Concern - it is about looking after those in need in your own congregation and further afield. It is care in action for others. It is very important that we have people who serve both full-time and in a voluntary sector in this community. The pregnancy crisis centre, prayer ministry team, helping social services, fostering etc - they are all practical ways of showing that we care because He cares.
Moral Purity - James returns once again to the practical outworking of the Word of God in their lives. God says 'Be holy because I am holy.' As Christians we should be, we are called to be, radically different (morally) than the world in which we live. Our standards are God's standards in moral behaviour, not the worlds. We should stand out and be different. Are we? Do we join in the office gossip? Do we turn a blind eye to corruption? Fraud? Do we pass off the blue humour? What about what you read and watch on TV? Have you any clue what your kids are viewing on the internet? Have you seen their Facebook site? Have you any idea what moral teaching they are receiving in school? Who are the godly men and women who will set the example for the younger generation in this church fellowship?
What are we teaching them about the Word of God today? You can read it and ignore it or you read it, examine your life according to it and change what needs to be changed.
I believe God has spoken to all our hearts about the disciplines of a disciple - be doers of the Word and not hearers only. Amen.
Thanks to Alan
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