Welcome to Bible Study Time. We come to you each Sunday morning on behalf of the Peace Church, and we want to invite you to join us for any of our services. We’re located 8 miles south and a half a mile west of Indiahoma, and we’re just 12 miles east of Manitou right on the Baseline Road. If you’d like more information about the Peace Church, you can find that on our website, which is www.ok-peacechurch.org
Last week we talked about the fact that Jesus Christ was not only the Son of God, but He was God the Son. The Christmas story is all about the fact that the virgin Mary conceived a son by the Holy Spirit so that her son was literally the Son of God. This is a concept that goes way back in Jewish history as well as pagan history.
In 2 Samuel, Chapter 7, God promised King David a son who would establish the throne of David in an everlasting kingdom, and God said that David's son would also be the Son of God. God's promise to David reads like this: When your days are fulfilled and you rest with your fathers, I will set up your seed after you, who will come from your body, and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build a house for My name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. I will be his Father, and he shall be My son. (2 Samuel 7:12-14 NKJV).
Well, the devil is the great imposter. He knows the plan of God because He knows how to read the Bible. He diligently researches every word of scripture for clues regarding the plan and purpose of God. Then he uses every resource he can muster to pervert, distort and discredit the plan of God. And this is what happened when God said that David's son would be the Son of God.
About 600 years after the time of King David, a child was born who, according to legend, was not a mortal, but rather he was the son of Zeus. This child grew up and became known as Alexander the Great. Some think that the legend was started by Alexander after he became the king, but others say it was started by Alexander's mother at the time of his birth. Regardless of this legends origin, this is typical of the way the devil works to imitate and discredit the plan of God.
The actual fulfillment of the prophecy that was given to David, was initiated when the Angel Gabriel came to the virgin Mary, he said: And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name Jesus. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David. And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end. (Luke 1:31-33 NKJV). The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God. (Luke 1:35 NKJV).
Jesus Christ was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of a virgin. Therefore, He was the Son of God. But the deeper spiritual truth of Christmas is that Jesus was also God the Son. He was a member of the triune Godhead composed of God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. As we saw last week, Jesus Christ was in the beginning with God, and He was God. As a member of the eternal, omnipotent, omniscient Godhead, He was God, and He was with God.
In the Bible we see that all three members of the Godhead function with absolute unity in every thought and deed. What one does, they all do. What one thinks, they all think. This is never so clearly seen as in the teachings of Jesus in the book of John.
In John, Chapter 5, Jesus healed the man at the Pool of Bethesda and this is John's account: For this reason the Jews persecuted Jesus, and sought to kill Him, because He had done these things on the Sabbath. But Jesus answered them, "My Father has been working until now, and I have been working." Therefore the Jews sought all the more to kill Him, because He not only broke the Sabbath, but also said that God was His Father, making Himself equal with God. Then Jesus answered and said to them, "Most assuredly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He sees the Father do; for whatever He does, the Son also does in like manner. For the Father loves the Son, and shows Him all things that He Himself does; and He will show Him greater works than these, that you may marvel. For as the Father raises the dead and gives life to them, even so the Son gives life to whom He will. For the Father judges no one, but has committed all judgment to the Son, that all should honor the Son just as they honor the Father. He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent Him. (John 5:16-23 NKJV).
In this passage, Jesus gives us a glimpse into the spiritual unity that exists between God the Father and God the Son. Jesus says that when the Father works, the Son also works, and that whatever the Father does, the Son also does. He says that the Father's love for the Son is unreserved and absolute, and because of His great love for the Son, He reveals everything He does to the Son.
Even when Jesus said that the Father has committed all judgment to the Son, we find in John 5:30 that Jesus says: I can of Myself do nothing. As I hear, I judge; and My judgment is righteous, because I do not seek My own will but the will of the Father who sent Me. (John 5:30 NKJV). And in John 8:15 and 16, Jesus says: You judge according to the flesh; I judge no one according to the flesh. And yet if I do judge, My judgment is true; for I am not alone, but I am with the Father who sent Me. (John 8:15-16).
This absolute spiritual unity that exists between the three members of the Godhead is a beautiful thing, and it's the kind of unity that God wants to see in His Church today. Believers today are members of the Body of Christ, and we are therefore positioned in the Godhead with Christ. When Christians contend with one another and strive with one another, they are removing themselves from the spiritual unity that is inherent in the fellowship of the Godhead.
That's why Paul says to the Ephesians: I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called, with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love, endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all. (Ephesians 4:1-6 NKJV).
To the Philippians, Paul said: Therefore if there is any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and mercy, fulfill my joy by being like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind. Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others. (Philippians 2:1-4 NKJV).
God's desire for the Church which is the Body of Christ is that we might experience the beauty and joy of the spiritual unity that exists within the members of the Godhead. When we seek that unity, when we walk in humility and gentleness with longsuffering, we are walking worthy of our calling in Jesus Christ.
So Jesus Christ being born as the Son of God is the story of Christmas. But the story behind the story is that God the Son decided to leave the glory of heaven and take upon Himself a mortal body, a body of flesh and blood, so that He could die for our sins through the person of Jesus Christ.
Paul said to the Philippians that if we really want to fully experience the spiritual unity that exists between the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, we need to dedicate ourselves to being like Jesus Christ. He said: Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. (Philippians 2:5-8 NKJV).
Then Paul said that because Jesus Christ was willing to humble Himself and walk in submission to the will of God, He has been exalted above all people and above all things. He said: Therefore God also has highly exalted (Jesus Christ) and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. (Philippians 2:9-11 NKJV). The implication of this passage is that if we humble ourselves like Jesus humbled Himself, we will not only experience the joy of fellowship with the Father, but we will be glorified and exalted with Jesus Christ.
With Christmas fast approaching, it is good for us to realize that the Good News of Christmas is more than just the fact that God the Son came to earth to live among men; the Good News is that Jesus Christ came to die for our sins so that we could enter into fellowship with God. In his first epistle, the Apostle John spoke of Jesus and said: That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, concerning the Word of life — that which we have seen and heard we declare to you, that you also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ. And these things we write to you that your joy may be full. (John 1:1-4 NKJV).
Many people spend their whole lives running from God. But the truth is that God wants only good things for us. We may think that money and the pleasures of this world will bring happiness, but real joy and happiness come from fellowship with God. God is the source of all true love, peace and joy, and we can only gain access to those things as we enter into fellowship with God through faith in Jesus Christ.
When we look at the Bible as a whole, and when we think about the full scope of the life of a believer, we can see that there are actually three distinct stages that people have to go through in order to enter into fellowship with God. These three stages relate to the three major programs of the Bible which are the Old Covenant Law, the New Covenant, and the Church which is the Body of Christ.
The Old Covenant Law represents the time in a person's life when he or she develops a moral conscience. The Old Covenant Law revealed to mankind the righteousness of God, and when I think about the fact that God had Israel live under the Law for 1500 years before Christ came into the world, I have to conclude that this stage of spiritual development is absolutely critical.
That's essentially what Paul said in Galatians, Chapter 3. Beginning in verse 9 we read: Why, then, was the law given? It was given alongside the promise to show people their sins. But the law was designed to last only until the coming of the child who was promised. (Galatians 3:19 NLT).
The Law was given to teach mankind about God's standard of righteousness. Before people can believe that Christ died for their sins, they must first come to grips with their sin. God gave the Law to teach us about sin, and God gave children parents to teach them about sin. Parents who don't teach their children the difference between right and wrong are actually interfering with the spiritual development of their children.
This aspect of spiritual development is so sadly lacking in our world today. It is so difficult to share the gospel with people today because so many have no real sense of right or wrong. As a result, we have parents who are drug addicts, teachers who are pedophiles, pastors who are adulterers, wall street executives who are thieves, politicians who are liars, and the list goes on and on.
Jesus knew that people need a moral conscience, they need a clear understanding of sin and its consequences before they can understand that Jesus Christ came to die for their sins. But those who do develop a moral conscience are ready to move to the next level in their spiritual development, and that's the level that is represented by the Biblical program known as the New Covenant.
The nation of Israel proved over and over again, that man has no capacity to live by the righteous standards of the Old Covenant Law. So, God judged Israel and while she was away in captivity, God gave the promise of the New Covenant. Through men like Ezekiel and Jeremiah, God said that He would someday give His Holy Spirit to live within the hearts of men and that the indwelling power of the Holy Spirit would give people the power to live according to God's righteousness.
However, the prophets did not actually tell the people all that God would have to do to make the indwelling power of the Holy Spirit possible. They did not mention that God the Son would have to enter into creation with a mortal body in order to die for the sins of the world. God knew that that was the only way to cleanse the human heart from sin, but He kept that secret from the prophets.
So when Jesus was about to shed His blood for the sins of the world, He told His disciples that His blood would be the blood of the New Covenant. His blood would be the instrument that God would use to cleanse the hearts of men from all unrighteousness. And it was the Apostle Paul who taught us that the cleansing power of the blood of Christ is made available only to those who put their faith and trust in Jesus Christ.
As a minister of the New Covenant, the Apostle Paul said: All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. (Romans 3:23). But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed . . . even the righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, to all and on all who believe. (Romans 3:21-22).
After people come to grips with their personal sin and believe in Jesus Christ for forgiveness and salvation, that's when they are ready to move on into the third stage of spiritual development. This stage is represented by the Biblical program known as the Church which is the Body of Christ, and it’s the stage in which a person becomes spiritually one with Jesus Christ in his everyday walk with the Lord. The Apostle Paul was given the special revelation concerning the Church which is the Body of Christ, and according to that revelation, those who believe in Jesus Christ are given the privilege of becoming spiritually one with Jesus Christ.
Paul said: For as the body is one and has many members, but all the members of that one body, being many, are one body, so also is Christ. For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body — whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free — and have all been made to drink into one Spirit. (1 Corinthians 12:12-13 NKJV). Now you are the body of Christ, and members individually. (1 Corinthians 12:27 NKJV).
Matthew, Mark and Luke did not talk much about this, but the Apostle John says that Jesus Christ often taught His disciples that they could become spiritually one with Him just like He was spiritual one with His Father in heaven. In the Gospel of John, Jesus said: My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father's hand. I and My Father are one. (John 10:27-30 NKJV).
Jesus said: Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. (John 15:4-5 NKJV). And again He said: If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. (John 8:31-32 NKJV).
During this Christmas season, we at the Peace Church wish you and yours a very Merry Christmas. We pray that God will bless you with a clear understanding of the righteousness of God, of the salvation that is available to us through faith in Jesus Christ, and of the joy that comes to those who become spiritually one with Jesus Christ.
Thank you again for studying with me today. We trust that you'll be able to join us again next week for a special Christmas program with Chas Robbins. Until then, may God richly bless you in every way.
Friday, December 09, 2011
Wednesday, December 07, 2011
Who Is Jesus? (Radio Lesson 12-11-11)
Welcome to Bible Study Time radio broadcast. We come to you each Sunday morning on behalf of the Peace Church, and we want to invite you to join us for any of our services. We’re located 8 miles south and a half a mile west of Indiahoma, and we’re just 12 miles east of Manitou right on the Baseline Road. If you’d like more information about the Peace Church, you can find that on our website, which is www.ok-peacechurch.org
This Bible Study Time radio broadcast was started by my father, Pastor James Roberts, back in January of 1977. So that was over 34 years ago, but in 1996, Daddy started his series called A Journey Through the Scripture. He led our journey through the Bible from Genesis to the Prophets. In the past three years or so we've been reviewing those lessons that relate to the first five books of the Bible. I hope that you've enjoyed and benefited from that review as much as I have.
As many of you know, my father was struggling with declining health for several years and went to be with the Lord a couple of weeks ago on Thanksgiving Day. We'll miss him greatly, and I want to say how much my family and I appreciate the many ways that so many of you here in Southwest Oklahoma have stood by us and supported us in this time of loss with so many expressions of love. It has meant so much to us. We just have to thank the Lord for you, for your love for the Lord and for your love for us.
A couple of days before Thanksgiving, our family stood around Daddy's hospital bed in the intensive care unit singing songs of praise to the Lord and rejoicing in the goodness of God. Then Daddy stopped us to say that he was prepared for whatever the Lord had planned for him, and he assured each and every one of us that he loved us. Not too many hours after that, he was no longer able to communicate with us. But as I said, on Thanksgiving Day, Daddy entered into the gates of the Lord, and I'm confident that he entered into those gates with thanksgiving. I'm sure that if Daddy could have, he would have called back to us from the heavenly realm shouting the glorious praise of Psalm 100:
Make a joyful shout to the Lord, all you lands! Serve the Lord with gladness; Come before His presence with singing. Know that the Lord, He is God; It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves; We are His people and the sheep of His pasture. Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, And into His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him, and bless His name. For the Lord is good; His mercy is everlasting, And His truth endures to all generations. (Psalms 100 NKJV).
Two days before Daddy died, I copied the last two tapes of Daddy's Journey Through the Scripture series that still had adequate audio quality for reproduction. Those tapes that followed must have been damaged in storage over the years. So as Daddy's journey on earth ended, our review of his Journey Through the Scripture series must also come to an end, and we will therefore embark on a new course of study.
As we move headlong into the Christmas season this year, I thought we'd spend some time in the gospel of John which deals with the birth of Jesus from the divine perspective. Mark doesn't talk about the birth of Jesus at all, but Matthew and Luke present more of a human viewpoint of His birth. They deal with the observable historical aspects of Jesus' birth, and particularly those things that fulfilled the prophecies of the Old Testament. They mention that Jesus was Immanuel or God with us, and they mention that Jesus came to save His people from their sins, but they give no clue as to how that could possibly be the case. However, the gospel of John goes far beyond the human viewpoint, telling us that the Spirit that lived within the mortal body of Jesus Christ was in fact the eternal, creator God who took upon Himself a mortal body so that He could die for the sins of the world.
John refers to Jesus as the Word and says: In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God . . . All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. (John 1:1-3 NKJV). When John says, in the beginning, he takes us back to the first verse in the Bible which states: In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth, and John says Jesus was there in the beginning with the God of creation and He was the God of creation.
Now, how could that be? How could Jesus be with God and be God at the same time? That can only be explained by the doctrine of the trinity. When we see that God is actually three people in one being, then of course, Jesus could be with God and still be God at the same time. He was there with the other members of the Godhead, and He was a part of the Godhead. Everything that one member of the Godhead does, all three members of the Godhead do. The Father, Son and Holy Spirit are seen as three different beings who always work together in absolute spiritual unity. No member of the Godhead operates independently of the other members of the Godhead. They are one and inseparable in all things, past, present and future.
What a beautiful Christmas story! God, Himself, manifest in the flesh; the creator of all things entering into His own creation with a mortal body, deliberately choosing to be born to peasants in a humble stable in Bethlehem. The Apostle Paul was one of the first to see the significance of this deeper spiritual reality. In Ephesians, Chapter 3, Paul said: To me, who am less than the least of all the saints, this grace was given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, and to make all see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the ages has been hidden in God who created all things through Jesus Christ. (Ephesians 3:8-9 NKJV).
To the Colossians, Paul said: Jesus Christ is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist. (Colossians 1:15-17 NKJV).
In Philippians 2, Paul said: Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. (Philippians 2:5-8 NKJV).
In 2 Corinthians 5, Paul acknowledges the difference between the human viewpoint of Jesus and the divine viewpoint of Jesus, and he challenges us to rise above the human viewpoint so that we can take pleasure in the heavenly viewpoint. Paul says: Even though we have known Christ according to the flesh, yet now we know Him thus no longer. And in Ephesians, Chapter 1, Paul says that Jesus Christ is presently seated at His right hand of the Father in the heavenly places, far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come. And God has put all things under His feet, and has given Him to be head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.
Many Christians today acknowledge that Jesus Christ is the Son of God who died for our sins, but they haven't really laid hold of the majesty and glory that Jesus Christ enjoyed with the Father before He was born in Bethlehem or the glory that He enjoys today at the right hand of the Father.
The body of Jesus that people saw while Jesus lived on the earth was a mortal body which was subject to death. But just because Jesus looked like everyone else, that doesn't mean that He was like everyone else. Everyone else's body was filled with the spirit of death, while the body of Jesus was filled with the Spirit of life, the eternal life that flows from the heavenly realm.
Unlike Jesus, all of us were born spiritually dead. Our selfish nature leaves us desperately empty and corrupt on the inside. Romans 5:12 says: Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men. The spirit of death invaded, dominated and controlled the human experience after Adam sinned against God.
In 2 Corinthians 5:14, Paul challenges us to do some deductive reasoning. He says, if Jesus Christ died for all of us, then it must be true that all of us were under the curse of death. And doesn't that make perfect sense? Christ wouldn't have had to die for us if we were not under the curse of death. Yes indeed, we were all born under the curse of spiritual death that could only end in physical death and eternal separation from God.
Spiritual death is easily seen in children and adults alike. Uninterrupted and unhindered, it leads to the misery and destruction of every human being. And it would lead to the absolute destruction of mankind, except for the fact that Jesus Christ came into the world to interrupt its work. He came to deliver us from death. He came to seek and to save that which was lost. Paul said: God has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love.
Jesus Christ was able to deliver us from the realm of death because He, Himself, was not born into the realm of death. Though He had a mortal body which was subject to death, His mortal body was not filled with death. It was filled with eternal life. The Spirit of God simply came down out of heaven and manifested Himself in the mortal body of Jesus Christ. Paul said that in Adam all die, but all those who are in Christ shall be made alive.
When a person accepts Jesus Christ as personal Savior, God delivers him or her from the Spirit of death and fills them with the same Spirit of life that was in Jesus Christ. The words of Jesus, the actions of Jesus, the emotions of Jesus, in all of these things we were given windows of opportunity to see the glory of the life that flows from God. John said: The Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. That was the true Light which gives light to every man coming into the world.
Today, that life is available to all who believe in Jesus Christ, and what a difference it makes in a persons' life. It's the difference between night and day, between life and death, between darkness and light. This difference is what the Bible is talking about when it says that a person must be born again to enter into the kingdom of God. This is what the Bible is talking about when it says that all those who believe in Jesus Christ become new creations in Christ. When we believe, we have the potential to become like Jesus was while He was on the earth. He had a mortal body, but He was filled with the eternal life of the heavenly realm.
When Jesus prayed in John 17, He said: Father, the hour has come. Glorify Your Son, that Your Son also may glorify You, as You have given Him authority over all flesh, that He should give eternal life to as many as You have given Him. And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent. (John 17:1-3 NKJV). To know God through faith in Jesus Christ is to be filled with eternal life right here, right now.
This concept is such a powerful concept when it comes to counseling people with problems. And if we think that professional counselors and ministers are the only people who counsel people with problems, we mistaken. Nearly all of us find ourselves at one point or another giving counsel to others who have shared with us a problem that they are facing. Whether it's a problem with their children, a marriage problem, a financial problem, or whatever it may be, we are in a position of giving advice to people. So this concept of the Spirit of Christ living within us can be so helpful to us as we give advice.
This concept helps us to understand that all problems are a result of the spirit of death that is naturally inside of everyone, but those who know the Lord have access to the Spirit of life. Therefore, if a person does not know the Lord, the first matter of business that needs to be taken care of us that of getting to know Jesus Christ. An unsaved person needs to acknowledge their sinful state before the Lord. They need to acknowledge the fact that they are filled with the spirit of death, and they need to believe in the power of the shed blood of Jesus Christ to deliver them from the realm of death and translate them into the realm of life. Then, on the basis of that faith, they need to ask God to fill them with the Spirit of life.
For those who are saved, for those who have already been given the Spirit of life, our goal as counselors should be to simply facilitate the power of the Holy Spirit. All people, whether saved or unsaved, will have a tendency to influenced by the circumstances of this life. We will start to get worried about things that we have no business worrying about. And the more we worry, the more we are influenced by the Spirit of death which makes us do things that actually make our situation worse.
So as we counsel with people, we need to help them believe in the power of God. We need to help them live in the peace, and joy and love of the Spirit of God. When we enter into the calmness and the quietness of the Spirit of God, that's when the Spirit of God can actually give us insights into our problems and solutions to our problems.
When we enter into the Spirit of God, we are much more likely to avoid the pitfalls of life and we are much more likely to be able to climb out of the pitfalls of life. We, as human counselors don't actually know the solution to all of the problems that people face, but God does. Our solutions are so often way over simplified. We are more likely to just tell the alcoholic to stop drinking alcohol. We may just tell the wife who worries too much to stop worrying. But such solutions really don't get at the heart of the problem because the problem is usually not just a problem of outward behavior. The outward behavior is just an outward sign of a spiritual problem that eating away at the person on the inside.
When we know the power of the Spirit of life who dwells within every believer, we can take advantage of that power. We know that God gave us that power so that we would be able to take advantage of that power. We can pray with the person. We can read the Bible with the person. We can encourage the person with the truth of God's word that everything is going to be alright because God is in control, and everything that God does is part of His plan which is good. God is good and His plan is good. We can encourage people with the truth that God will never give us more than we can handle. And God will never leave us or forsake us. Regardless of how dark the night, we can always look forward to the morning light. We can encourage people with the words of Nahum 1:7, and this is a verse that my father would so often quote: The Lord is good, A stronghold in the day of trouble; And He knows those who trust in Him. As counselors, one of our greatest challenges is to believe in the power of God for someone else. Many times, it's easier to believe that God will help us than it is to believe that God will help others. But God knows those who trust in Him, and He is a stronghold for all those who find themselves in the day of trouble.
During this Christmas season, may those of us who know Jesus Christ be so filled with the Spirit of Jesus Christ that all those around will want to know the reason for the season and that they will be drawn to the power of the Spirit of life that is available through faith in Jesus Christ.
Thank you for joining us for Bible Study Time this morning. We hope you'll join us again next week at this same time.
This Bible Study Time radio broadcast was started by my father, Pastor James Roberts, back in January of 1977. So that was over 34 years ago, but in 1996, Daddy started his series called A Journey Through the Scripture. He led our journey through the Bible from Genesis to the Prophets. In the past three years or so we've been reviewing those lessons that relate to the first five books of the Bible. I hope that you've enjoyed and benefited from that review as much as I have.
As many of you know, my father was struggling with declining health for several years and went to be with the Lord a couple of weeks ago on Thanksgiving Day. We'll miss him greatly, and I want to say how much my family and I appreciate the many ways that so many of you here in Southwest Oklahoma have stood by us and supported us in this time of loss with so many expressions of love. It has meant so much to us. We just have to thank the Lord for you, for your love for the Lord and for your love for us.
A couple of days before Thanksgiving, our family stood around Daddy's hospital bed in the intensive care unit singing songs of praise to the Lord and rejoicing in the goodness of God. Then Daddy stopped us to say that he was prepared for whatever the Lord had planned for him, and he assured each and every one of us that he loved us. Not too many hours after that, he was no longer able to communicate with us. But as I said, on Thanksgiving Day, Daddy entered into the gates of the Lord, and I'm confident that he entered into those gates with thanksgiving. I'm sure that if Daddy could have, he would have called back to us from the heavenly realm shouting the glorious praise of Psalm 100:
Make a joyful shout to the Lord, all you lands! Serve the Lord with gladness; Come before His presence with singing. Know that the Lord, He is God; It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves; We are His people and the sheep of His pasture. Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, And into His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him, and bless His name. For the Lord is good; His mercy is everlasting, And His truth endures to all generations. (Psalms 100 NKJV).
Two days before Daddy died, I copied the last two tapes of Daddy's Journey Through the Scripture series that still had adequate audio quality for reproduction. Those tapes that followed must have been damaged in storage over the years. So as Daddy's journey on earth ended, our review of his Journey Through the Scripture series must also come to an end, and we will therefore embark on a new course of study.
As we move headlong into the Christmas season this year, I thought we'd spend some time in the gospel of John which deals with the birth of Jesus from the divine perspective. Mark doesn't talk about the birth of Jesus at all, but Matthew and Luke present more of a human viewpoint of His birth. They deal with the observable historical aspects of Jesus' birth, and particularly those things that fulfilled the prophecies of the Old Testament. They mention that Jesus was Immanuel or God with us, and they mention that Jesus came to save His people from their sins, but they give no clue as to how that could possibly be the case. However, the gospel of John goes far beyond the human viewpoint, telling us that the Spirit that lived within the mortal body of Jesus Christ was in fact the eternal, creator God who took upon Himself a mortal body so that He could die for the sins of the world.
John refers to Jesus as the Word and says: In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God . . . All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. (John 1:1-3 NKJV). When John says, in the beginning, he takes us back to the first verse in the Bible which states: In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth, and John says Jesus was there in the beginning with the God of creation and He was the God of creation.
Now, how could that be? How could Jesus be with God and be God at the same time? That can only be explained by the doctrine of the trinity. When we see that God is actually three people in one being, then of course, Jesus could be with God and still be God at the same time. He was there with the other members of the Godhead, and He was a part of the Godhead. Everything that one member of the Godhead does, all three members of the Godhead do. The Father, Son and Holy Spirit are seen as three different beings who always work together in absolute spiritual unity. No member of the Godhead operates independently of the other members of the Godhead. They are one and inseparable in all things, past, present and future.
What a beautiful Christmas story! God, Himself, manifest in the flesh; the creator of all things entering into His own creation with a mortal body, deliberately choosing to be born to peasants in a humble stable in Bethlehem. The Apostle Paul was one of the first to see the significance of this deeper spiritual reality. In Ephesians, Chapter 3, Paul said: To me, who am less than the least of all the saints, this grace was given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, and to make all see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the ages has been hidden in God who created all things through Jesus Christ. (Ephesians 3:8-9 NKJV).
To the Colossians, Paul said: Jesus Christ is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist. (Colossians 1:15-17 NKJV).
In Philippians 2, Paul said: Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. (Philippians 2:5-8 NKJV).
In 2 Corinthians 5, Paul acknowledges the difference between the human viewpoint of Jesus and the divine viewpoint of Jesus, and he challenges us to rise above the human viewpoint so that we can take pleasure in the heavenly viewpoint. Paul says: Even though we have known Christ according to the flesh, yet now we know Him thus no longer. And in Ephesians, Chapter 1, Paul says that Jesus Christ is presently seated at His right hand of the Father in the heavenly places, far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come. And God has put all things under His feet, and has given Him to be head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.
Many Christians today acknowledge that Jesus Christ is the Son of God who died for our sins, but they haven't really laid hold of the majesty and glory that Jesus Christ enjoyed with the Father before He was born in Bethlehem or the glory that He enjoys today at the right hand of the Father.
The body of Jesus that people saw while Jesus lived on the earth was a mortal body which was subject to death. But just because Jesus looked like everyone else, that doesn't mean that He was like everyone else. Everyone else's body was filled with the spirit of death, while the body of Jesus was filled with the Spirit of life, the eternal life that flows from the heavenly realm.
Unlike Jesus, all of us were born spiritually dead. Our selfish nature leaves us desperately empty and corrupt on the inside. Romans 5:12 says: Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men. The spirit of death invaded, dominated and controlled the human experience after Adam sinned against God.
In 2 Corinthians 5:14, Paul challenges us to do some deductive reasoning. He says, if Jesus Christ died for all of us, then it must be true that all of us were under the curse of death. And doesn't that make perfect sense? Christ wouldn't have had to die for us if we were not under the curse of death. Yes indeed, we were all born under the curse of spiritual death that could only end in physical death and eternal separation from God.
Spiritual death is easily seen in children and adults alike. Uninterrupted and unhindered, it leads to the misery and destruction of every human being. And it would lead to the absolute destruction of mankind, except for the fact that Jesus Christ came into the world to interrupt its work. He came to deliver us from death. He came to seek and to save that which was lost. Paul said: God has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love.
Jesus Christ was able to deliver us from the realm of death because He, Himself, was not born into the realm of death. Though He had a mortal body which was subject to death, His mortal body was not filled with death. It was filled with eternal life. The Spirit of God simply came down out of heaven and manifested Himself in the mortal body of Jesus Christ. Paul said that in Adam all die, but all those who are in Christ shall be made alive.
When a person accepts Jesus Christ as personal Savior, God delivers him or her from the Spirit of death and fills them with the same Spirit of life that was in Jesus Christ. The words of Jesus, the actions of Jesus, the emotions of Jesus, in all of these things we were given windows of opportunity to see the glory of the life that flows from God. John said: The Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. That was the true Light which gives light to every man coming into the world.
Today, that life is available to all who believe in Jesus Christ, and what a difference it makes in a persons' life. It's the difference between night and day, between life and death, between darkness and light. This difference is what the Bible is talking about when it says that a person must be born again to enter into the kingdom of God. This is what the Bible is talking about when it says that all those who believe in Jesus Christ become new creations in Christ. When we believe, we have the potential to become like Jesus was while He was on the earth. He had a mortal body, but He was filled with the eternal life of the heavenly realm.
When Jesus prayed in John 17, He said: Father, the hour has come. Glorify Your Son, that Your Son also may glorify You, as You have given Him authority over all flesh, that He should give eternal life to as many as You have given Him. And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent. (John 17:1-3 NKJV). To know God through faith in Jesus Christ is to be filled with eternal life right here, right now.
This concept is such a powerful concept when it comes to counseling people with problems. And if we think that professional counselors and ministers are the only people who counsel people with problems, we mistaken. Nearly all of us find ourselves at one point or another giving counsel to others who have shared with us a problem that they are facing. Whether it's a problem with their children, a marriage problem, a financial problem, or whatever it may be, we are in a position of giving advice to people. So this concept of the Spirit of Christ living within us can be so helpful to us as we give advice.
This concept helps us to understand that all problems are a result of the spirit of death that is naturally inside of everyone, but those who know the Lord have access to the Spirit of life. Therefore, if a person does not know the Lord, the first matter of business that needs to be taken care of us that of getting to know Jesus Christ. An unsaved person needs to acknowledge their sinful state before the Lord. They need to acknowledge the fact that they are filled with the spirit of death, and they need to believe in the power of the shed blood of Jesus Christ to deliver them from the realm of death and translate them into the realm of life. Then, on the basis of that faith, they need to ask God to fill them with the Spirit of life.
For those who are saved, for those who have already been given the Spirit of life, our goal as counselors should be to simply facilitate the power of the Holy Spirit. All people, whether saved or unsaved, will have a tendency to influenced by the circumstances of this life. We will start to get worried about things that we have no business worrying about. And the more we worry, the more we are influenced by the Spirit of death which makes us do things that actually make our situation worse.
So as we counsel with people, we need to help them believe in the power of God. We need to help them live in the peace, and joy and love of the Spirit of God. When we enter into the calmness and the quietness of the Spirit of God, that's when the Spirit of God can actually give us insights into our problems and solutions to our problems.
When we enter into the Spirit of God, we are much more likely to avoid the pitfalls of life and we are much more likely to be able to climb out of the pitfalls of life. We, as human counselors don't actually know the solution to all of the problems that people face, but God does. Our solutions are so often way over simplified. We are more likely to just tell the alcoholic to stop drinking alcohol. We may just tell the wife who worries too much to stop worrying. But such solutions really don't get at the heart of the problem because the problem is usually not just a problem of outward behavior. The outward behavior is just an outward sign of a spiritual problem that eating away at the person on the inside.
When we know the power of the Spirit of life who dwells within every believer, we can take advantage of that power. We know that God gave us that power so that we would be able to take advantage of that power. We can pray with the person. We can read the Bible with the person. We can encourage the person with the truth of God's word that everything is going to be alright because God is in control, and everything that God does is part of His plan which is good. God is good and His plan is good. We can encourage people with the truth that God will never give us more than we can handle. And God will never leave us or forsake us. Regardless of how dark the night, we can always look forward to the morning light. We can encourage people with the words of Nahum 1:7, and this is a verse that my father would so often quote: The Lord is good, A stronghold in the day of trouble; And He knows those who trust in Him. As counselors, one of our greatest challenges is to believe in the power of God for someone else. Many times, it's easier to believe that God will help us than it is to believe that God will help others. But God knows those who trust in Him, and He is a stronghold for all those who find themselves in the day of trouble.
During this Christmas season, may those of us who know Jesus Christ be so filled with the Spirit of Jesus Christ that all those around will want to know the reason for the season and that they will be drawn to the power of the Spirit of life that is available through faith in Jesus Christ.
Thank you for joining us for Bible Study Time this morning. We hope you'll join us again next week at this same time.
Tuesday, November 15, 2011
Learning, Believing and Listening
The first step in spiritual maturity is learning about God. The second is believing in God. But the third step is listening to God. King David expressed knowledge and faith when he said: The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. (Psalms 23:1). And Jesus said: My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. (John 10:27).
Samuel grew up in the tabernacle of the Lord. Under the tutelage of Eli the priest, Samuel had an excellent opportunity to learn about God. Samuel believed in God and decided to follow God rather than the evil influence of Eli's sons. But for Samuel to become the spiritual leader of Israel, he had to learn to recognize the voice of God. When God first spoke to Samuel, Samuel thought Eli was calling; he did not recognize God's voice. But as time went on, Samuel developed an acute sensitivity to the voice of God.
The Apostle Paul was raised as a dedicated student of God's word. He sat at the feet of Gamaliel, one of the greatest Bible scholars of the day. Paul believed in God and wanted to serve God, but it wasn't until he heard the voice of God that he was able to understand God. While Paul was traveling on the road to Damascus, God called out to Paul, and Paul realized that God was actually Jesus. Once Paul heard the voice of Jesus Christ, he was able to discern the will of God, and through his teachings, millions have learned about Jesus Christ, believed in Jesus Christ and have heard the voice of Jesus Christ. Paul said: Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. (Romans 10:17).
Jim Roberts
Peace Church
Indiahoma, Oklahoma
www.ok-peacechurch.org
Samuel grew up in the tabernacle of the Lord. Under the tutelage of Eli the priest, Samuel had an excellent opportunity to learn about God. Samuel believed in God and decided to follow God rather than the evil influence of Eli's sons. But for Samuel to become the spiritual leader of Israel, he had to learn to recognize the voice of God. When God first spoke to Samuel, Samuel thought Eli was calling; he did not recognize God's voice. But as time went on, Samuel developed an acute sensitivity to the voice of God.
The Apostle Paul was raised as a dedicated student of God's word. He sat at the feet of Gamaliel, one of the greatest Bible scholars of the day. Paul believed in God and wanted to serve God, but it wasn't until he heard the voice of God that he was able to understand God. While Paul was traveling on the road to Damascus, God called out to Paul, and Paul realized that God was actually Jesus. Once Paul heard the voice of Jesus Christ, he was able to discern the will of God, and through his teachings, millions have learned about Jesus Christ, believed in Jesus Christ and have heard the voice of Jesus Christ. Paul said: Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. (Romans 10:17).
Jim Roberts
Peace Church
Indiahoma, Oklahoma
www.ok-peacechurch.org
Monday, November 07, 2011
Holy Is His Name
Many people go through life wanting to make a name for themselves, and it is often very sad to see the lengths to which they will go to do so. But those who do make a name for themselves then have to worry more than most about how future generations will view their legacy. Wealthy businessmen start great foundations in their name, and ex-presidents build libraries to tell their story.
The Bible teaches, however, that it is God who raises people up and brings people down, and this fact was very clear in the mind of the virgin Mary. When she was told that she would give birth to the Savior, she was overwhelmed with God's goodness and later wrote a song of praise known as The Magnificat. In that song, she said: My soul magnifies the Lord, And my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior. For He has regarded the lowly state of His maidservant; For behold, henceforth all generations will call me blessed. For He who is mighty has done great things for me, And holy is His name. And His mercy is on those who fear Him From generation to generation. He has shown strength with His arm; He has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts. He has put down the mighty from their thrones, And exalted the lowly. He has filled the hungry with good things, And the rich He has sent away empty. (Luke 1:46-53 NKJV).
Mary recognized that future generations would call her blessed, but she gave the glory to the Lord for His name alone is holy.
The Bible teaches, however, that it is God who raises people up and brings people down, and this fact was very clear in the mind of the virgin Mary. When she was told that she would give birth to the Savior, she was overwhelmed with God's goodness and later wrote a song of praise known as The Magnificat. In that song, she said: My soul magnifies the Lord, And my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior. For He has regarded the lowly state of His maidservant; For behold, henceforth all generations will call me blessed. For He who is mighty has done great things for me, And holy is His name. And His mercy is on those who fear Him From generation to generation. He has shown strength with His arm; He has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts. He has put down the mighty from their thrones, And exalted the lowly. He has filled the hungry with good things, And the rich He has sent away empty. (Luke 1:46-53 NKJV).
Mary recognized that future generations would call her blessed, but she gave the glory to the Lord for His name alone is holy.
Friday, October 14, 2011
Songs of Praise
Psalm 100 says that believers should come before the presence of the Lord with singing, and Ephesians 5 says that we should speak to one another in psalms, and hymns and spiritual songs. When we experience the joy that flows from the presence of the Lord, it is only natural that we should sing songs of praise to the Lord.
In the story of Jesus' birth, songs of praise were offered by three different individuals. After Mary learned that she would be the mother of the Messiah, she sang a beautiful song known as the Magnificat (Luke 1:46-55). After his son, John, was born, Zachariah sang a song known as the Benedictus because he knew that John would introduce the Messiah to the world (Luke 1:68-79). Then a very old man named Simeon sang a song to the Lord known as Nunc Dimittis when he was permitted to see the Messiah with his own eyes (Luke 2:29-32). These are beautiful songs because they reveal the heartfelt gratitude of those who witness the power of God and sense His presence. Each of these individuals, Mary, Zachariah, and Simeon, knew that God had blessed them in an extraordinary way, and so they could not help but sing unto the Lord.
May we rejoice in the blessings that flow to us through Jesus Christ and by Him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name. (Hebrews 13:15 NKJV).
Jim Roberts
Peace Church
Indiahoma, Oklahoma
www.ok-peacechurch.org
In the story of Jesus' birth, songs of praise were offered by three different individuals. After Mary learned that she would be the mother of the Messiah, she sang a beautiful song known as the Magnificat (Luke 1:46-55). After his son, John, was born, Zachariah sang a song known as the Benedictus because he knew that John would introduce the Messiah to the world (Luke 1:68-79). Then a very old man named Simeon sang a song to the Lord known as Nunc Dimittis when he was permitted to see the Messiah with his own eyes (Luke 2:29-32). These are beautiful songs because they reveal the heartfelt gratitude of those who witness the power of God and sense His presence. Each of these individuals, Mary, Zachariah, and Simeon, knew that God had blessed them in an extraordinary way, and so they could not help but sing unto the Lord.
May we rejoice in the blessings that flow to us through Jesus Christ and by Him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name. (Hebrews 13:15 NKJV).
Jim Roberts
Peace Church
Indiahoma, Oklahoma
www.ok-peacechurch.org
Friday, September 23, 2011
Babies Need to Grow
I heard about a group of people who were travelling through a small village in Europe. When they encounter an older gentleman sitting under a tree in the park, one of the tourists asked if any great men were ever born in his village. To this the man replied, no, just babies.
How simple, yet profound. All of us have to start somewhere in our walk with the Lord, and that happens to be as babies. The Apostle Peter said: Therefore, laying aside all malice, all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and all evil speaking, as newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby, if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is gracious. (1 Peter 2:1-3 NKJV).
On the other hand, the writer to the Hebrews challenges us with these words: For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the first principles of the oracles of God; and you have come to need milk and not solid food. For everyone who partakes only of milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe. But solid food belongs to those who are of full age, that is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil. (Hebrews 5:12-14 NKJV).
May we cherish the milk of the word while at the same time digging into the solid food that allows for genuine growth.
Jim Roberts
Peace Church
Indiahoma, Oklahoma
www.ok-peacechurch.org
How simple, yet profound. All of us have to start somewhere in our walk with the Lord, and that happens to be as babies. The Apostle Peter said: Therefore, laying aside all malice, all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and all evil speaking, as newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby, if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is gracious. (1 Peter 2:1-3 NKJV).
On the other hand, the writer to the Hebrews challenges us with these words: For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the first principles of the oracles of God; and you have come to need milk and not solid food. For everyone who partakes only of milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe. But solid food belongs to those who are of full age, that is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil. (Hebrews 5:12-14 NKJV).
May we cherish the milk of the word while at the same time digging into the solid food that allows for genuine growth.
Jim Roberts
Peace Church
Indiahoma, Oklahoma
www.ok-peacechurch.org
Wednesday, September 14, 2011
Bible Study Time Introduction (10-9-11) (Introduction to a radio Bible study.)
Welcome to Bible Study Time. We come to you each Sunday morning on behalf of the Peace Church, and we want to invite you to join us for any of our services. We’re located 8 miles south and a half a mile west of Indiahoma, and we’re just 12 miles east of Manitou right on the Baseline Road. If you’d like more information about the Peace Church, you can find that on our website, which is www.ok-peacechurch.org
After the nation of Israel crossed over the Jordan River, God told Joshua to have the males circumcised so that they could observe the Passover and then go on to conquer the land of Canaan. At once, we find ourselves asking, why? Why did the Jews in the wilderness not submit to circumcision, and why did they not observe the Passover? The only explanation we find is in Joshua, Chapter 5, where we read that the Jews who came up out of Egypt were circumcised, but they perished in the wilderness because they did not obey the voice of the Lord. Then we are told that the boys who were born after the Exodus were not circumcised. (Joshua 5:4-7 NKJV).
This is somewhat shocking that the Jews did not practice circumcision or the Passover while they were traveling in the wilderness. God had told Abraham that any male who was not circumcised would be cut off from the people of God because he had broken the covenant of God. (Genesis 17:6-14 NKJV). At Mt. Sinai, God made circumcision a part of the Mosaic Law, saying that every male child was to be circumcised on the eight day after his birth. (Leviticus 12:1-3 NKJV).
So, it is very puzzling that the Jews not practice circumcision or the Passover during their 40 years in the wilderness? And frankly, we just don't know why that was, but if we allow ourselves the luxury of speculation, we might say that it was just too difficult to do in the wilderness. But that's not very satisfying because they were still in a wilderness environment when Joshua ordered them to be circumcised at Gilgal.
We might conclude that circumcision was a sign of the covenant between God and Israel, and during their wilderness journey, they were not God's covenant people. Joshua, Chapter 5, says that the children of Israel had to journey through the wilderness until all of those who came up out of Egypt were consumed because they did not obey the voice of the Lord. But the problem with that is that those who came up out of Egypt and were consumed were the ones who were circumcised, while those who were uncircumcised were the ones who ultimately entered into the land of Canaan by faith.
And I think that this is a critical part of the puzzle. Namely, that God is more concerned about the condition of a person's heart than He is with any outward ritual or ceremony. The fact is that the Jews who traveled in the wilderness were the one who learned how to be truly circumcised in their hearts.
Physical circumcision was simply an outward sign of the spiritual circumcision that God requires of all those who follow Him. It is an outward sign of one's willingness to forsake the things of this world and the things of the flesh in order to enjoy the blessings of God.
When Moses gave his final address to the children of Israel, he spoke to a nation of uncircumcised Jews and said that they should fear the Lord and walk in His ways, that they should love and serve the Lord with all of their hearts and souls, and that they should circumcise the foreskin of their hearts. (Deuteronomy 10:12-16 NKJV).
As we study the history of the nation of Israel we find that those who traveled through the wilderness for 40 years were among the few who learned to be circumcised in their hearts. God actually forced these particular Jews into a situation where they were separated from the things of the world and the things of the flesh. While traveling through the wilderness, they lost their appetite for the garlic, the leeks and the onions of Egypt, and they learned to depend upon the Lord for their daily bread. They learned that the blessings of God are far more valuable than the things of this world.
As a result, this particular group of uncircumcised Jews was one of the most highly favored groups in all of Jewish history for they were the ones who were given the privilege of going into the promised land by faith to witness the mighty power of God as God helped them conquer the giants of the land.
From this we see that God has always been more concerned with the true devotion of a man's heart than He is with a man's outward rituals and ceremonies which merely give an outward appearance of devotion. If a person's heart is right with God, outward rituals can be meaningful even if they are unnecessary, but if a person's heart is not right with God, the outward rituals are certainly meaningless and actually would appear to be disgusting in the sight of God.
Now let's continue our Journey Through the Scripture with Pastor James Roberts.
After the nation of Israel crossed over the Jordan River, God told Joshua to have the males circumcised so that they could observe the Passover and then go on to conquer the land of Canaan. At once, we find ourselves asking, why? Why did the Jews in the wilderness not submit to circumcision, and why did they not observe the Passover? The only explanation we find is in Joshua, Chapter 5, where we read that the Jews who came up out of Egypt were circumcised, but they perished in the wilderness because they did not obey the voice of the Lord. Then we are told that the boys who were born after the Exodus were not circumcised. (Joshua 5:4-7 NKJV).
This is somewhat shocking that the Jews did not practice circumcision or the Passover while they were traveling in the wilderness. God had told Abraham that any male who was not circumcised would be cut off from the people of God because he had broken the covenant of God. (Genesis 17:6-14 NKJV). At Mt. Sinai, God made circumcision a part of the Mosaic Law, saying that every male child was to be circumcised on the eight day after his birth. (Leviticus 12:1-3 NKJV).
So, it is very puzzling that the Jews not practice circumcision or the Passover during their 40 years in the wilderness? And frankly, we just don't know why that was, but if we allow ourselves the luxury of speculation, we might say that it was just too difficult to do in the wilderness. But that's not very satisfying because they were still in a wilderness environment when Joshua ordered them to be circumcised at Gilgal.
We might conclude that circumcision was a sign of the covenant between God and Israel, and during their wilderness journey, they were not God's covenant people. Joshua, Chapter 5, says that the children of Israel had to journey through the wilderness until all of those who came up out of Egypt were consumed because they did not obey the voice of the Lord. But the problem with that is that those who came up out of Egypt and were consumed were the ones who were circumcised, while those who were uncircumcised were the ones who ultimately entered into the land of Canaan by faith.
And I think that this is a critical part of the puzzle. Namely, that God is more concerned about the condition of a person's heart than He is with any outward ritual or ceremony. The fact is that the Jews who traveled in the wilderness were the one who learned how to be truly circumcised in their hearts.
Physical circumcision was simply an outward sign of the spiritual circumcision that God requires of all those who follow Him. It is an outward sign of one's willingness to forsake the things of this world and the things of the flesh in order to enjoy the blessings of God.
When Moses gave his final address to the children of Israel, he spoke to a nation of uncircumcised Jews and said that they should fear the Lord and walk in His ways, that they should love and serve the Lord with all of their hearts and souls, and that they should circumcise the foreskin of their hearts. (Deuteronomy 10:12-16 NKJV).
As we study the history of the nation of Israel we find that those who traveled through the wilderness for 40 years were among the few who learned to be circumcised in their hearts. God actually forced these particular Jews into a situation where they were separated from the things of the world and the things of the flesh. While traveling through the wilderness, they lost their appetite for the garlic, the leeks and the onions of Egypt, and they learned to depend upon the Lord for their daily bread. They learned that the blessings of God are far more valuable than the things of this world.
As a result, this particular group of uncircumcised Jews was one of the most highly favored groups in all of Jewish history for they were the ones who were given the privilege of going into the promised land by faith to witness the mighty power of God as God helped them conquer the giants of the land.
From this we see that God has always been more concerned with the true devotion of a man's heart than He is with a man's outward rituals and ceremonies which merely give an outward appearance of devotion. If a person's heart is right with God, outward rituals can be meaningful even if they are unnecessary, but if a person's heart is not right with God, the outward rituals are certainly meaningless and actually would appear to be disgusting in the sight of God.
Now let's continue our Journey Through the Scripture with Pastor James Roberts.
Sunday, September 11, 2011
Why Ask Why?
When I was a kid, it made me wince when I heard parents say, do it because I said so. That just didn't seem right to me and maybe that was because my parents were for the most part willing to explain the reasoning behind the rules.
When we look at the Bible, we see that God does not get upset with those who sincerely ask why. In fact, we see just the opposite. God really wants us to seek an understanding of His will. In the Old Testament, God said: Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know. (Jeremiah 33:3 NKJV). In the New Testament, Jesus said: Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. (Matthew 7:7-8 NKJV).
Even when it comes to an understanding of why God would permit this or that in our individual lives, God may give us a sense of why things are the way they are. The Apostle Paul had a thorn in the flesh that really bothered him. He ask the Lord three times to remove it, but each time the Lord said no. Finally, the Lord told Paul that his thorn in the flesh was given to him so that he would not be lifted up with pride as result of the abundance of revelations that God had given him. This understanding was of great comfort to Paul because it helped him realize that his affliction brought him closer to Christ and made him stronger in the Lord.
Jim Roberts
Peace Church
Indiahoma, Oklahoma
www.ok-peacechurch.org
When we look at the Bible, we see that God does not get upset with those who sincerely ask why. In fact, we see just the opposite. God really wants us to seek an understanding of His will. In the Old Testament, God said: Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know. (Jeremiah 33:3 NKJV). In the New Testament, Jesus said: Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. (Matthew 7:7-8 NKJV).
Even when it comes to an understanding of why God would permit this or that in our individual lives, God may give us a sense of why things are the way they are. The Apostle Paul had a thorn in the flesh that really bothered him. He ask the Lord three times to remove it, but each time the Lord said no. Finally, the Lord told Paul that his thorn in the flesh was given to him so that he would not be lifted up with pride as result of the abundance of revelations that God had given him. This understanding was of great comfort to Paul because it helped him realize that his affliction brought him closer to Christ and made him stronger in the Lord.
Jim Roberts
Peace Church
Indiahoma, Oklahoma
www.ok-peacechurch.org
Sunday, September 04, 2011
Walking in the Spirit
All humans struggle to some extent with the destructive tendencies of the heart and mind. When jobs are lost, homes are broken, and lives are torn apart, we often ask why, but the Apostle Paul teaches that these things happen because of a powerful, spiritual struggle between the flesh and the Spirit of God. He said: I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish. (Galatians 5:16-17 NKJV).
Paul describes the flesh as that which relates to sexual sins, murder and witchcraft, but also to hatred, envy, drunkenness, and so forth. However, the things of the Spirit of God are quite the opposite. The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. (Galatians 5:19-23 NKJV).
Victorious living is available to us through faith in Jesus Christ and the indwelling power of the Holy Spirit. There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. (Romans 8:1 NKJV). And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you. (Ephesians 4:30-32 NKJV).
Jim Roberts
Peace Church
Indiahoma, Oklahoma
www.ok-peacechurch.org
Paul describes the flesh as that which relates to sexual sins, murder and witchcraft, but also to hatred, envy, drunkenness, and so forth. However, the things of the Spirit of God are quite the opposite. The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. (Galatians 5:19-23 NKJV).
Victorious living is available to us through faith in Jesus Christ and the indwelling power of the Holy Spirit. There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. (Romans 8:1 NKJV). And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you. (Ephesians 4:30-32 NKJV).
Jim Roberts
Peace Church
Indiahoma, Oklahoma
www.ok-peacechurch.org
Wednesday, August 24, 2011
Direction from God
The Bible indicates that God has a plan and purpose for each person's life, and there can be no real joy apart from that plan. The good news is that God really wants to reveal His plan to us. Proverbs 3:5-6 says: Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths. This direction comes about as the Holy Spirit of God conveys, convicts and confirms God's plan.
As we study God's word and communicate with God in prayer, the Holy Spirit first conveys a vision regarding our mission. This vision is critical because without a vision, the people perish. (Proverbs 29:18).
Second, the Holy Spirit convicts us of the importance of our mission so that we develop a passion for the work. When Jeremiah got discouraged, he was tempted to stop talking to people about God, but then he said: God's word was in my heart like a burning fire Shut up in my bones; I was weary of holding it back, And I could not. (Jeremiah 20:8-9).
Ultimately, the Holy Spirit confirms the vision. According to the Law, a thing is established on the basis of two or three witness. Therefore, God is more than willing to confirm our vision on multiple occasions by the word of God, by the words and actions of other people and by unusual circumstances.
If we trust in the Lord, He will direct our paths!
As we study God's word and communicate with God in prayer, the Holy Spirit first conveys a vision regarding our mission. This vision is critical because without a vision, the people perish. (Proverbs 29:18).
Second, the Holy Spirit convicts us of the importance of our mission so that we develop a passion for the work. When Jeremiah got discouraged, he was tempted to stop talking to people about God, but then he said: God's word was in my heart like a burning fire Shut up in my bones; I was weary of holding it back, And I could not. (Jeremiah 20:8-9).
Ultimately, the Holy Spirit confirms the vision. According to the Law, a thing is established on the basis of two or three witness. Therefore, God is more than willing to confirm our vision on multiple occasions by the word of God, by the words and actions of other people and by unusual circumstances.
If we trust in the Lord, He will direct our paths!
Monday, August 15, 2011
Be Content
The Apostle Paul wrote to the Philippians and said, I have learned in whatsoever state I am, to be content. (Philippians 4:11). Any way you look at it, this is a powerful statement. As we read the account of Paul's life in the book of Acts, we can see that Paul was not just sermonizing when he said this; he was stating a fact, and the people of Philippi knew it.
When Paul and Silas first traveled to Philippi, Paul cast out a demon from a fortune-telling slave girl. Her masters had Paul and Silas beaten and thrown in jail because their slave girl was no longer profitable to them. The Bible says that at midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them. (Acts 16:25 NKJV).
As I talk with people and as I observe my own attitudes, I cannot help but notice that we not only get distressed and upset about the way things are, but we worry about the things that might happen. When we start stressing out about the things that could happen tomorrow, our minds quickly turn into the devil's playground.
That's why Jesus said: Therefore do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' . . . But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble. (Matthew 6:31-34 NKJV).
Jim Roberts
Peace Church
Indiahoma, Oklahoma
www.ok-peacechurch.org
When Paul and Silas first traveled to Philippi, Paul cast out a demon from a fortune-telling slave girl. Her masters had Paul and Silas beaten and thrown in jail because their slave girl was no longer profitable to them. The Bible says that at midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them. (Acts 16:25 NKJV).
As I talk with people and as I observe my own attitudes, I cannot help but notice that we not only get distressed and upset about the way things are, but we worry about the things that might happen. When we start stressing out about the things that could happen tomorrow, our minds quickly turn into the devil's playground.
That's why Jesus said: Therefore do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' . . . But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble. (Matthew 6:31-34 NKJV).
Jim Roberts
Peace Church
Indiahoma, Oklahoma
www.ok-peacechurch.org
Bible Study Time Introduction (8-14-11) (Introduction to a radio Bible study.)
Welcome to Bible Study Time. We come to you each Sunday morning on behalf of the Peace Church, and we want to invite you to join us for any of our services. We’re located 8 miles south and a half a mile west of Indiahoma, and we’re just 12 miles east of Manitou right on the Baseline Road. If you’d like more information about the Peace Church, you can find that on our website, which is www.ok-peacechurch.org
Joshua came up out of Egypt with Moses. He loved Moses and he understood that God was directing Moses. Joshua lived the first half of his life in submission to Moses because Joshua was in submission to God.
In Numbers, Chapter 11, we read that there was a time when Moses gathered the seventy elders of the tribes of Israel around the tabernacle of the Lord. The Lord came down in a cloud and took the Spirit of the Lord that was in Moses and shared it with the seventy elders. When the Spirit of the Lord came upon them, they began to prophesy, and all of the people knew that the Spirit of the Lord was with them even as it was with Moses.
But two of the seventy men remained in their tent and did not show up at the tabernacle. However, the Spirit of the Lord came upon them also, and they began to prophesy. This did not set well with Joshua because they had failed to show up at the tabernacle, so he urged Moses to make them stop prophesying. But Moses said, Are you zealous for my sake? Oh, that all the Lord's people were prophets and that the Lord would put His Spirit upon them! (Numbers 11:29 NKJV). Once Moses spoke, that was the end of the matter for Joshua. He trusted Moses because Moses had proven Himself to be a leader who was led by the Spirit of God.
After the death of Moses, when Joshua became the leader of the nation, God came to Joshua and said, No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life; as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you nor forsake you. (Joshua 1:5 NKJV). Only be strong and very courageous, that you may observe to do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may prosper wherever you go. (Joshua 1:7 NKJV).
Notice that God did not tell Joshua that if he was faithful to keep the Law, he would gain eternal life. Eternal life was never promised in connection with the keeping of the Law for anyone at any time. God told Joshua that if he kept the Law, he would prosper wherever he went. And that was precisely the promise of the Law. God promised physical blessings for the nation of Israel if they would conduct their national affairs in accordance with the dictates of the Law.
As we read the Law today, we see that most of it was simply a criminal justice system. God knew that there are always those who steal and kill and bear false witness, and so forth, but God told Moses and Joshua that they were responsible for enforcing the precepts of the Law so that the nation of Israel would prosper with physical blessings.
Now it's important to note that some people who lived under the Law did receive eternal life. God has always offered eternal life to people, but it was never been offered on the basis of their ability to do good works.
Even after Adam and Eve sinned, God accepted them and clothed them in His righteousness simply because they were willing to come to Jesus Christ by faith. After they sinned, Jesus Christ came to them in His preincarnate form. He called out Adam and Eve, and by faith they came to Him, confessing their sin. After that, Jesus Christ sacrificed an animal to provide animal skin clothing for them, and this symbolized the fact that He had covered them in His righteousness.
When the Law was given, it promised the physical blessings which symbolize the spiritual blessings that flow through Jesus Christ to all those who put their faith in Christ. Today, we'll talk a little bit about the two and a half tribes who elected to settle on the east side of the Jordan River. They agreed to go into the promised land to fight for the land, but then they returned to their homes outside the land. These tribes symbolize the small remnant of Jewish people who did have true faith in Jesus Christ. Even though they never actually received the kingdom that was promised to Abraham, they will someday be resurrected from the grave, like Abraham, to receive that eternal kingdom.
Now, let's continue our Journey Through the Scripture with Pastor James Roberts.
Joshua came up out of Egypt with Moses. He loved Moses and he understood that God was directing Moses. Joshua lived the first half of his life in submission to Moses because Joshua was in submission to God.
In Numbers, Chapter 11, we read that there was a time when Moses gathered the seventy elders of the tribes of Israel around the tabernacle of the Lord. The Lord came down in a cloud and took the Spirit of the Lord that was in Moses and shared it with the seventy elders. When the Spirit of the Lord came upon them, they began to prophesy, and all of the people knew that the Spirit of the Lord was with them even as it was with Moses.
But two of the seventy men remained in their tent and did not show up at the tabernacle. However, the Spirit of the Lord came upon them also, and they began to prophesy. This did not set well with Joshua because they had failed to show up at the tabernacle, so he urged Moses to make them stop prophesying. But Moses said, Are you zealous for my sake? Oh, that all the Lord's people were prophets and that the Lord would put His Spirit upon them! (Numbers 11:29 NKJV). Once Moses spoke, that was the end of the matter for Joshua. He trusted Moses because Moses had proven Himself to be a leader who was led by the Spirit of God.
After the death of Moses, when Joshua became the leader of the nation, God came to Joshua and said, No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life; as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you nor forsake you. (Joshua 1:5 NKJV). Only be strong and very courageous, that you may observe to do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may prosper wherever you go. (Joshua 1:7 NKJV).
Notice that God did not tell Joshua that if he was faithful to keep the Law, he would gain eternal life. Eternal life was never promised in connection with the keeping of the Law for anyone at any time. God told Joshua that if he kept the Law, he would prosper wherever he went. And that was precisely the promise of the Law. God promised physical blessings for the nation of Israel if they would conduct their national affairs in accordance with the dictates of the Law.
As we read the Law today, we see that most of it was simply a criminal justice system. God knew that there are always those who steal and kill and bear false witness, and so forth, but God told Moses and Joshua that they were responsible for enforcing the precepts of the Law so that the nation of Israel would prosper with physical blessings.
Now it's important to note that some people who lived under the Law did receive eternal life. God has always offered eternal life to people, but it was never been offered on the basis of their ability to do good works.
Even after Adam and Eve sinned, God accepted them and clothed them in His righteousness simply because they were willing to come to Jesus Christ by faith. After they sinned, Jesus Christ came to them in His preincarnate form. He called out Adam and Eve, and by faith they came to Him, confessing their sin. After that, Jesus Christ sacrificed an animal to provide animal skin clothing for them, and this symbolized the fact that He had covered them in His righteousness.
When the Law was given, it promised the physical blessings which symbolize the spiritual blessings that flow through Jesus Christ to all those who put their faith in Christ. Today, we'll talk a little bit about the two and a half tribes who elected to settle on the east side of the Jordan River. They agreed to go into the promised land to fight for the land, but then they returned to their homes outside the land. These tribes symbolize the small remnant of Jewish people who did have true faith in Jesus Christ. Even though they never actually received the kingdom that was promised to Abraham, they will someday be resurrected from the grave, like Abraham, to receive that eternal kingdom.
Now, let's continue our Journey Through the Scripture with Pastor James Roberts.
Saturday, July 09, 2011
Bible Study Time Introduction (8-7-11) (Introduction to a radio Bible study.)
Welcome to Bible Study Time. We come to you each Sunday morning on behalf of the Peace Church, and we want to invite you to join us for any of our services. We’re located 8 miles south and a half a mile west of Indiahoma, and we’re just 12 miles east of Manitou right on the Baseline Road. If you’d like more information about the Peace Church, you can find that on our website, which is www.ok-peacechurch.org
In Deuteronomy, Chapter 31, the Lord spoke through Moses as Moses pronounced God's blessing upon Joshua as the next leader of the nation of Israel. God said: Be strong and of good courage; for you shall bring the children of Israel into the land of which I swore to them, and I will be with you. (Deuteronomy 31:23NKJV).
Now, it's very interesting and comforting to see that after Moses died, the Lord Himself came to Joshua and personally confirmed that message. In fact, that's what God really meant when He said, I will be with you. He really meant that He would be available to Joshua to talk to him and encourage him and give him specific instructions. The older I get and the more I grow in the Lord, the more I love the word confirmation, because it is more and more obvious to me that God loves to confirm the things that are true.
When Peter spoke to the children of Israel after the resurrection and ascension of the Lord Jesus, he was able to speak to them about the fact that God had confirmed to them over and over again that Jesus was the promised Messiah. Peter said: Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a Man attested by God to you by miracles, wonders, and signs which God did through Him in your midst, as you yourselves also know — Him, being delivered by the determined purpose and foreknowledge of God, you have taken by lawless hands, have crucified, and put to death; whom God raised up, having loosed the pains of death, because it was not possible that He should be held by it. (Acts 2:22-24 NKJV).
So God was more than willing to confirm the fact that Jesus was the Messiah, and this confirmation came through the miracles, wonders and signs that Jesus did. Have you ever thought about the fact that nobody ever questioned the miracles of the Lord Jesus? Even the religious leaders who hated Jesus, they would investigate the miracles, trying to find some evidence that Jesus was a fraud, but they found instead that the miracles were real. When they said that Jesus did the miracles through the power of Satan, they were confirming that the miracles were real. God loves to confirm the things that are true.
When I ask older people if they know any atheists, most of us don't, but when I ask teenagers, they all know at least one. Our society is growing farther and farther from God every day, and I used to think that we have no room for discussion with atheists. I mean, if they don’t believe that God exists, and if they don't believe the Bible, what basis is there for a conversation?
But today, I know better. Praise the Lord, we still believe in a God who is more than willing to prove to people that He exists and that His love is real, and that He is the only one who has the power to straighten out our lives. That He is the only one who can make our lives meaningful, and significant and blessed with love and peace and joy. God is still in the business of confirming the truth about Himself, every day, to people all over the world.
I hear a lot of talk on the radio and TV about the power of God, but you know, you can hear lots of things in the media. But I personally talk to lots of people every day who have fantastic testimonies about how God became real to them. And do you know what? One of the things that confirms the fact that these testimonies are true is that every testimony is different. God doesn't follow any prescribed formula. One person will say, it happened when I got baptized. Another will say, it happened while I was driving down the road. Another person will say, it happened just as I was about to blow my brains out in a hotel room. Every person has a different story because God is real, and He works in His own way in His own time.
But there is one thing that I know and that is that prayer is the key. Jesus said, if you ask, you will receive. James said, you have not because you ask not. You see, God doesn't force Himself on anyone. He's just standing at the door knocking, and if anyone opens the door even just a little bit, the power of the Holy Spirit will come pouring in, like a mighty rushing wind. And that person will know beyond any shadow of a doubt that God is real. That God's love is real, and that Jesus Christ is the one person who is able to give us access to our heavenly Father.
We'll see more about God confirmation to Joshua in this morning's Journey Through the Scripture. Now here's Pastor James Roberts.
In Deuteronomy, Chapter 31, the Lord spoke through Moses as Moses pronounced God's blessing upon Joshua as the next leader of the nation of Israel. God said: Be strong and of good courage; for you shall bring the children of Israel into the land of which I swore to them, and I will be with you. (Deuteronomy 31:23NKJV).
Now, it's very interesting and comforting to see that after Moses died, the Lord Himself came to Joshua and personally confirmed that message. In fact, that's what God really meant when He said, I will be with you. He really meant that He would be available to Joshua to talk to him and encourage him and give him specific instructions. The older I get and the more I grow in the Lord, the more I love the word confirmation, because it is more and more obvious to me that God loves to confirm the things that are true.
When Peter spoke to the children of Israel after the resurrection and ascension of the Lord Jesus, he was able to speak to them about the fact that God had confirmed to them over and over again that Jesus was the promised Messiah. Peter said: Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a Man attested by God to you by miracles, wonders, and signs which God did through Him in your midst, as you yourselves also know — Him, being delivered by the determined purpose and foreknowledge of God, you have taken by lawless hands, have crucified, and put to death; whom God raised up, having loosed the pains of death, because it was not possible that He should be held by it. (Acts 2:22-24 NKJV).
So God was more than willing to confirm the fact that Jesus was the Messiah, and this confirmation came through the miracles, wonders and signs that Jesus did. Have you ever thought about the fact that nobody ever questioned the miracles of the Lord Jesus? Even the religious leaders who hated Jesus, they would investigate the miracles, trying to find some evidence that Jesus was a fraud, but they found instead that the miracles were real. When they said that Jesus did the miracles through the power of Satan, they were confirming that the miracles were real. God loves to confirm the things that are true.
When I ask older people if they know any atheists, most of us don't, but when I ask teenagers, they all know at least one. Our society is growing farther and farther from God every day, and I used to think that we have no room for discussion with atheists. I mean, if they don’t believe that God exists, and if they don't believe the Bible, what basis is there for a conversation?
But today, I know better. Praise the Lord, we still believe in a God who is more than willing to prove to people that He exists and that His love is real, and that He is the only one who has the power to straighten out our lives. That He is the only one who can make our lives meaningful, and significant and blessed with love and peace and joy. God is still in the business of confirming the truth about Himself, every day, to people all over the world.
I hear a lot of talk on the radio and TV about the power of God, but you know, you can hear lots of things in the media. But I personally talk to lots of people every day who have fantastic testimonies about how God became real to them. And do you know what? One of the things that confirms the fact that these testimonies are true is that every testimony is different. God doesn't follow any prescribed formula. One person will say, it happened when I got baptized. Another will say, it happened while I was driving down the road. Another person will say, it happened just as I was about to blow my brains out in a hotel room. Every person has a different story because God is real, and He works in His own way in His own time.
But there is one thing that I know and that is that prayer is the key. Jesus said, if you ask, you will receive. James said, you have not because you ask not. You see, God doesn't force Himself on anyone. He's just standing at the door knocking, and if anyone opens the door even just a little bit, the power of the Holy Spirit will come pouring in, like a mighty rushing wind. And that person will know beyond any shadow of a doubt that God is real. That God's love is real, and that Jesus Christ is the one person who is able to give us access to our heavenly Father.
We'll see more about God confirmation to Joshua in this morning's Journey Through the Scripture. Now here's Pastor James Roberts.
Friday, July 08, 2011
Bible Study Time Introduction (7-17-11) (Introduction to a radio Bible study.)
Welcome to Bible Study Time. We come to you each Sunday morning on behalf of the Peace Church, and we want to invite you to join us for any of our services. We’re located 8 miles south and a half a mile west of Indiahoma, and we’re just 12 miles east of Manitou right on the Baseline Road. If you’d like more information about the Peace Church, you can find that on our website, which is www.ok-peacechurch.org
Today in our Journey Through the Scripture, we will see Moses coming to the end of his life. Moses was a great servant of God. Hebrews, Chapter 3, says: Therefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our confession, Christ Jesus, who was faithful to Him who appointed Him, (even) as Moses also was faithful in all His house. (Hebrews 3:1-2 NKJV).
When it says that Moses was faithful in all His house, the writer was not talking about the house of Moses. He was talking about the house of God. So Moses was faithful in all the house of God, and his faithfulness was even mentioned in comparison with the faithfulness of Jesus Christ.
The Apostle John said: For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. (John 1:17 NKJV). Here again we see Moses mentioned in comparison to the Lord Jesus. What a tremendous commendation by the Holy Spirit of God!
Of course, what the Holy Spirit said was absolutely true. Everything that is written in the word of God is absolutely true. However, if we meditate upon the words and think about the circumstances of the Jewish people, we can also see why the Holy Spirit might want to emphasize the importance of Moses and his ministry.
All of the Jews valued Moses. They all knew that Moses had been used by God to part the Red Sea, bring water out of a rock in the wilderness, and bring victory in battle by simply raising his arms in the air. They knew that God had spoken to Moses face to face, and that God had given the Law through Moses at Mt. Sinai. The Jewish people loved every thing they had ever been taught about Moses.
So the Holy Spirit was able to use that to make a beautiful point about Jesus Christ. He did not say, you think Moses is so great, but really Moses was nothing compared to Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit is full of grace and truth. He is full of compassion and empathy. He understands our tendency to love and adore human beings even more than we love and adore our Savior, who died on the cross for our sins.
In the past, Christians have argued with one another over the scriptures, and because we know that Christians aren't suppose to fight, we may try to claim that those who disagree with us are not Christians. But you see, when John and the writer to the Hebrews were making their appeals to the Jewish people, they were kind and gracious. They knew that many of the Jewish people had rejected the claims of Christ, but we see them trying to make a connection with the Jewish people on the basis of common ground.
They said, yes, you are right. Moses was a great servant of God. Moses was faithful in all the house of God. But now, let's talk about Jesus. If you like Moses, you're really going to like Jesus because Jesus too was faithful over the house of God. But Jesus was even more so because the house of God was His house. As the Son of God, Jesus was the rightful heir of the house of God.
When the Apostle Paul wrote to the Colossians about their testimony among unbelievers, he said: Walk in wisdom toward those who are outside, redeeming the time. Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each one. (Colossians 4:5-6 NKJV).
When Paul spoke with the pagan Gentiles in Athens, he saw that one of the altars was dedicated To the Unknown God. Well, he could have chastised them, saying, don't you people know any better. There is no unknown God. If you knew the first thing about the Bible, you'd know who God is. But no, Paul spoke with love and compassion and said that the God who made the world doesn't dwell in temples made with human hands. Then he said, God is not far from any of us, but He is in fact calling out to us to repent for the day of judgment is coming. What gracious speech, seasoned with the salt of compassion and love.
Well, we can learn a lot by looking at the life of Moses and comparing those things to the things that we learn in the New Testament. So now, let's return once again to our Journey Through the Scripture with Pastor James Roberts.
Today in our Journey Through the Scripture, we will see Moses coming to the end of his life. Moses was a great servant of God. Hebrews, Chapter 3, says: Therefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our confession, Christ Jesus, who was faithful to Him who appointed Him, (even) as Moses also was faithful in all His house. (Hebrews 3:1-2 NKJV).
When it says that Moses was faithful in all His house, the writer was not talking about the house of Moses. He was talking about the house of God. So Moses was faithful in all the house of God, and his faithfulness was even mentioned in comparison with the faithfulness of Jesus Christ.
The Apostle John said: For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. (John 1:17 NKJV). Here again we see Moses mentioned in comparison to the Lord Jesus. What a tremendous commendation by the Holy Spirit of God!
Of course, what the Holy Spirit said was absolutely true. Everything that is written in the word of God is absolutely true. However, if we meditate upon the words and think about the circumstances of the Jewish people, we can also see why the Holy Spirit might want to emphasize the importance of Moses and his ministry.
All of the Jews valued Moses. They all knew that Moses had been used by God to part the Red Sea, bring water out of a rock in the wilderness, and bring victory in battle by simply raising his arms in the air. They knew that God had spoken to Moses face to face, and that God had given the Law through Moses at Mt. Sinai. The Jewish people loved every thing they had ever been taught about Moses.
So the Holy Spirit was able to use that to make a beautiful point about Jesus Christ. He did not say, you think Moses is so great, but really Moses was nothing compared to Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit is full of grace and truth. He is full of compassion and empathy. He understands our tendency to love and adore human beings even more than we love and adore our Savior, who died on the cross for our sins.
In the past, Christians have argued with one another over the scriptures, and because we know that Christians aren't suppose to fight, we may try to claim that those who disagree with us are not Christians. But you see, when John and the writer to the Hebrews were making their appeals to the Jewish people, they were kind and gracious. They knew that many of the Jewish people had rejected the claims of Christ, but we see them trying to make a connection with the Jewish people on the basis of common ground.
They said, yes, you are right. Moses was a great servant of God. Moses was faithful in all the house of God. But now, let's talk about Jesus. If you like Moses, you're really going to like Jesus because Jesus too was faithful over the house of God. But Jesus was even more so because the house of God was His house. As the Son of God, Jesus was the rightful heir of the house of God.
When the Apostle Paul wrote to the Colossians about their testimony among unbelievers, he said: Walk in wisdom toward those who are outside, redeeming the time. Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each one. (Colossians 4:5-6 NKJV).
When Paul spoke with the pagan Gentiles in Athens, he saw that one of the altars was dedicated To the Unknown God. Well, he could have chastised them, saying, don't you people know any better. There is no unknown God. If you knew the first thing about the Bible, you'd know who God is. But no, Paul spoke with love and compassion and said that the God who made the world doesn't dwell in temples made with human hands. Then he said, God is not far from any of us, but He is in fact calling out to us to repent for the day of judgment is coming. What gracious speech, seasoned with the salt of compassion and love.
Well, we can learn a lot by looking at the life of Moses and comparing those things to the things that we learn in the New Testament. So now, let's return once again to our Journey Through the Scripture with Pastor James Roberts.
Wednesday, July 06, 2011
The Good Shepherd
"The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want." Thus begins the 23rd Psalm, one of the most beloved passages in all the Bible. These words were written by King David, who was a mighty warrior, a prophet and a man after God's own heart. As a warrior, David killed the mighty Goliath and subdued all of the enemies of Israel. As a prophet, David spoke of the coming Messiah and even gave specific details regarding the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ. But David's secret to success was his personal relationship with God. David viewed the Lord as his shepherd because he knew that God would always be there to love him, guide him, correct him and provide for him.
Today, we know that David's relationship with God was based on his relationship with the preincarnate Christ. Jesus Christ was in the beginning with God and was God (John 1:1-2). We know that David came to God through Jesus Christ because no one can come to the Father except through Jesus Christ (John 14:6).
Jesus Christ is the one mediator between God and man (I Timothy 2:5), and today He is speaking to all people everywhere, saying: I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep. My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand. (John 10:11,27-28 NKJV).
Jim Roberts, Peace Church, Indiahoma, OK
http://www.ok-peacechurch.org
Today, we know that David's relationship with God was based on his relationship with the preincarnate Christ. Jesus Christ was in the beginning with God and was God (John 1:1-2). We know that David came to God through Jesus Christ because no one can come to the Father except through Jesus Christ (John 14:6).
Jesus Christ is the one mediator between God and man (I Timothy 2:5), and today He is speaking to all people everywhere, saying: I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep. My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand. (John 10:11,27-28 NKJV).
Jim Roberts, Peace Church, Indiahoma, OK
http://www.ok-peacechurch.org
Jesus, The Life Giving Spirit
The Apostle Paul draws a sharp contrast between those who are the natural descendants of Adam and those who are the spiritual descendants of Jesus Christ. I Corinthians 15 says that in Adam all die, but those who are in Christ are made alive. (1 Corinthians 15:22).
Jesus Christ created Adam without sin, but when Adam sinned by His own volition, death passed upon him and all of his descendants. To rescue mankind from death, Jesus Christ entered the human race to die for the sins of the world. Since Jesus Christ is eternal by nature, He would not have been able to die if He had manifested Himself in His divine state. The virgin birth of Christ is therefore extremely important because it is the basis upon which God manifested Himself in human form.
After Adam and Eve sinned, God announced that the seed of the woman would someday destroy the power of Satan (Genesis 3:15). And sure enough, four thousand years later Jesus Christ was born of the virgin Mary to die for sin and conquer death. This actually disarmed Satan and his demon forces and made a spectacle of them. (Colossians 2:15).
This marvelous victory is available to all who put their faith in the saving power of the shed blood of Christ. The first man Adam became a living being when he was created, but he fell under the condemnation of death. Jesus Christ, on the other hand, conquered death and became a life giving spirit for all who believe in Him. (1 Corinthians 15:45 NKJV).
Jim Roberts, Peace Church, Indiahoma, OK
http://www.ok-peacechurch.org
Jesus Christ created Adam without sin, but when Adam sinned by His own volition, death passed upon him and all of his descendants. To rescue mankind from death, Jesus Christ entered the human race to die for the sins of the world. Since Jesus Christ is eternal by nature, He would not have been able to die if He had manifested Himself in His divine state. The virgin birth of Christ is therefore extremely important because it is the basis upon which God manifested Himself in human form.
After Adam and Eve sinned, God announced that the seed of the woman would someday destroy the power of Satan (Genesis 3:15). And sure enough, four thousand years later Jesus Christ was born of the virgin Mary to die for sin and conquer death. This actually disarmed Satan and his demon forces and made a spectacle of them. (Colossians 2:15).
This marvelous victory is available to all who put their faith in the saving power of the shed blood of Christ. The first man Adam became a living being when he was created, but he fell under the condemnation of death. Jesus Christ, on the other hand, conquered death and became a life giving spirit for all who believe in Him. (1 Corinthians 15:45 NKJV).
Jim Roberts, Peace Church, Indiahoma, OK
http://www.ok-peacechurch.org
Transformed and Productive
In Romans, Chapter 12, the Apostle Paul says that believers should not be conformed to this world but that we should be transformed by the renewing of our minds. Paul concludes that if we set aside our personal pride and honestly evaluate our gifts, this transformation will lead to great productivity in our service for Christ. In the New Living Translation Paul says: Because of the privilege and authority God has given me, I give each of you this warning: Don't think you are better than you really are. Be honest in your evaluation of yourselves, measuring yourselves by the faith God has given us. (Romans 12:3 NLT)
The Message by Eugene Peterson paraphrases the same verse this way: I'm speaking to you out of deep gratitude for all that God has given me, and especially as I have responsibilities in relation to you. Living then, as every one of you does, in pure grace, it's important that you not misinterpret yourselves as people who are bringing this goodness to God. No, God brings it all to you. The only accurate way to understand ourselves is by what God is and by what he does for us, not by what we are and what we do for him. (Romans 12:3 The Message)
If we set aside our pride and get honest before the Lord, we can truly dedicate our lives to God and bring glory to His name.
Jim Roberts, Peace Church, Indiahoma, OK
http://www.ok-peacechurch.org
The Message by Eugene Peterson paraphrases the same verse this way: I'm speaking to you out of deep gratitude for all that God has given me, and especially as I have responsibilities in relation to you. Living then, as every one of you does, in pure grace, it's important that you not misinterpret yourselves as people who are bringing this goodness to God. No, God brings it all to you. The only accurate way to understand ourselves is by what God is and by what he does for us, not by what we are and what we do for him. (Romans 12:3 The Message)
If we set aside our pride and get honest before the Lord, we can truly dedicate our lives to God and bring glory to His name.
Jim Roberts, Peace Church, Indiahoma, OK
http://www.ok-peacechurch.org
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
Fulfilled Prophecy
In Acts, Chapter 2, the Apostle Peter told the Jewish people that when they killed Jesus, they killed the promised Messiah. But then Peter gave them the good news that Jesus had been raised from the dead and would therefore be able to bring in the promised Jewish kingdom. To prove his point, Peter quoted a prophecy of King David, saying: You will not leave my soul in the grave, Nor will You allow Your Holy One to see corruption. (Acts 2:25-27).
Peter knew that David's words in Psalm 16 were not written about David because David's body did see corruption in the grave. As Peter said: Men and brethren, let me speak freely to you of the patriarch David, that he is both dead and buried, and his tomb is with us to this day. Therefore, being a prophet . . . he spoke concerning the resurrection of the Christ, that His soul was not left in the grave, nor did His flesh see corruption. (Acts 2:29-31).
The apostles were greatly encouraged by this prophecy which was given by King David a thousand years before Jesus lived on the earth. Today, the hope of Christian people is based on the resurrection of Jesus Christ, and the fulfilled prophecies of the Old Testament still stand as a potent confirmation of our faith. Jesus said, I've pitched my tent in the land of hope (Acts 2:26 The Message), and because Jesus Christ is alive today, we too can pitch our tents in the land of hope.
Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. (Romans 5:1-2 NKJV).
Peter knew that David's words in Psalm 16 were not written about David because David's body did see corruption in the grave. As Peter said: Men and brethren, let me speak freely to you of the patriarch David, that he is both dead and buried, and his tomb is with us to this day. Therefore, being a prophet . . . he spoke concerning the resurrection of the Christ, that His soul was not left in the grave, nor did His flesh see corruption. (Acts 2:29-31).
The apostles were greatly encouraged by this prophecy which was given by King David a thousand years before Jesus lived on the earth. Today, the hope of Christian people is based on the resurrection of Jesus Christ, and the fulfilled prophecies of the Old Testament still stand as a potent confirmation of our faith. Jesus said, I've pitched my tent in the land of hope (Acts 2:26 The Message), and because Jesus Christ is alive today, we too can pitch our tents in the land of hope.
Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. (Romans 5:1-2 NKJV).
Sunday, June 05, 2011
Living in Victory
When the nation of Israel made a covenant with the Lord at Mt. Sinai, God told them that He would give them the land of Canaan as their inheritance. But what was God planning to do with the Canaanites who were already living in that land? His plan was to drive the Canaanites out of the land a little bit at a time. God said: And I will send hornets before you, which shall drive out the Hivite, the Canaanite, and the Hittite from before you. I will not drive them out from before you in one year, lest the land become desolate and the beasts of the field become too numerous for you. Little by little I will drive them out from before you, until you have increased, and you inherit the land. (Exodus 23:28-30 NKJV).
People often come to God in faith and expect Him to rid them instantly of all their demons, even though those demons have had the opportunity to flourish unhindered over many years. It may be that victory over those demons and the claiming of the promised land will take years of dedicated warfare, but the victory is assured and well worth the effort.
When Joshua was ready to lead the nation of Israel into the Promised Land, God said: No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life; as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you nor forsake you. Be strong and of good courage, for to this people you shall divide as an inheritance the land which I swore to their fathers to give them. (Joshua 1:5-6 NKJV).
Jim Roberts, Peace Church, Indiahoma, OK
http://www.ok-peacechurch.org
People often come to God in faith and expect Him to rid them instantly of all their demons, even though those demons have had the opportunity to flourish unhindered over many years. It may be that victory over those demons and the claiming of the promised land will take years of dedicated warfare, but the victory is assured and well worth the effort.
When Joshua was ready to lead the nation of Israel into the Promised Land, God said: No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life; as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you nor forsake you. Be strong and of good courage, for to this people you shall divide as an inheritance the land which I swore to their fathers to give them. (Joshua 1:5-6 NKJV).
Jim Roberts, Peace Church, Indiahoma, OK
http://www.ok-peacechurch.org
Wednesday, June 01, 2011
FORGIVENESS
In the 1993 movie, Groundhog Day, Bill Murray plays the part of a man who lives the same day over and over again until he learns some important lessons. Day after day he wakes up to exactly the same circumstances as the day before. His hedonistic exploits result in extreme frustration, but even his attempts at suicide cannot deliver him from the day in which he is trapped.
This is a great illustration of what happens when we refuse to forgive. Ephesians, Chapter 4, says: Do not let the sun go down on your wrath. (Ephesians 4:26 NKJV). If we refuse to forgive, the sun will, in a figurative sense, never go down on our wrath.
The scriptures declare that God gets angry when he sees sin and violence, but He never allows His anger to overshadow His love or His forgiveness. Some sins seem truly unforgivable to us, but when Paul encourages us to forgive, he is not talking about justice; he is talking about healing. Every victim of injustice has a right to a period of anger, but every victim also has the opportunity to heal through the love of Jesus Christ.
Therefore, Paul goes on to say: Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you. (Ephesians 4:31-32 NKJV).
This is a great illustration of what happens when we refuse to forgive. Ephesians, Chapter 4, says: Do not let the sun go down on your wrath. (Ephesians 4:26 NKJV). If we refuse to forgive, the sun will, in a figurative sense, never go down on our wrath.
The scriptures declare that God gets angry when he sees sin and violence, but He never allows His anger to overshadow His love or His forgiveness. Some sins seem truly unforgivable to us, but when Paul encourages us to forgive, he is not talking about justice; he is talking about healing. Every victim of injustice has a right to a period of anger, but every victim also has the opportunity to heal through the love of Jesus Christ.
Therefore, Paul goes on to say: Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you. (Ephesians 4:31-32 NKJV).
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
Congratulations to the Graduates
During this time of the year our mailboxes fill with graduation announcements. Some announce a graduation from high school. Others announce a graduation from college or from postgraduate studies. Regardless, graduation is always a time of much anticipated celebration.
As it turns out, God's plan for mankind includes several graduation events. The first graduation was when God gave the Law of Moses which took mankind from individual revelation to a documented, systematic study of God's perfect righteousness. However, even that level of education was fairly elementary compared to the revelation of God that came through Jesus Christ. When Jesus Christ came, it was time for mankind to graduate to the next level of the divine curriculum.
The Apostle Paul said: Therefore the law was our tutor to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith. (Galatians 3:24 NKJV). The Apostle John said: For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. (John 1:17 NKJV). Jesus said: You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. (Matthew 5:43-45 NKJV).
Therefore, to all those who have graduated from the Law to enter by faith into a study of the grace and truth of Jesus Christ, I say congratulations. May you enjoy success and victory in your chosen profession.
As it turns out, God's plan for mankind includes several graduation events. The first graduation was when God gave the Law of Moses which took mankind from individual revelation to a documented, systematic study of God's perfect righteousness. However, even that level of education was fairly elementary compared to the revelation of God that came through Jesus Christ. When Jesus Christ came, it was time for mankind to graduate to the next level of the divine curriculum.
The Apostle Paul said: Therefore the law was our tutor to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith. (Galatians 3:24 NKJV). The Apostle John said: For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. (John 1:17 NKJV). Jesus said: You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. (Matthew 5:43-45 NKJV).
Therefore, to all those who have graduated from the Law to enter by faith into a study of the grace and truth of Jesus Christ, I say congratulations. May you enjoy success and victory in your chosen profession.
Sunday, May 15, 2011
Be of One Mind
When the Apostle Paul wrote to the believers at Philippi, he said: Therefore if there is any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and mercy, fulfill my joy by being like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind. (Philippians 2:1-2 NKJV)
Time and time again, the Bible tells believers to dwell together in unity. This is one of God's top priorities, and it should be a top priority for every believer. Jesus said, "By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another." (John 13:35 NKJV).
When Paul said, be of one accord and of one mind, what mind was he talking about? He goes on to explain: Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. (Philippians 2:5-8 NKJV).
If we, as believers, humble ourselves to do the will of God as the Lord Jesus did, we will have no problem dwelling together in unity.
Time and time again, the Bible tells believers to dwell together in unity. This is one of God's top priorities, and it should be a top priority for every believer. Jesus said, "By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another." (John 13:35 NKJV).
When Paul said, be of one accord and of one mind, what mind was he talking about? He goes on to explain: Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. (Philippians 2:5-8 NKJV).
If we, as believers, humble ourselves to do the will of God as the Lord Jesus did, we will have no problem dwelling together in unity.
Monday, May 09, 2011
Evaluate Without Judging
Jesus said, "Judge not, that you be not judged. For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you." (Matthew 7:1-2 NKJV). I once heard about a lady who told her pastor that her greatest talent was seeing the faults in others. Her pastor wisely advised her that the Lord would be very pleased if she were to bury that particular talent. (See Matthew 25:25). Jesus clearly taught that we love one another, even to the point of loving our enemies.
However, Jesus was not saying that it is inappropriate for believers to evaluate the spiritual condition of others and their deeds. The Apostle Paul said, "Those who are spiritual can evaluate all things." (1 Corinthians 2:15 NLT). He went on to say, "Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness? (2 Corinthians 6:14 NKJV).
When Paul wrote to the Ephesians, he said that believers should "have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them." (Ephesians 5:11 NKJV). Obviously, to be obedient we must identify the unfruitful works of darkness and then be bold enough to expose them in a spirit of love and concern. "God wants us to grow up, to know the whole truth and tell it in love — like Christ in everything." (Ephesians 4:15 The Message).
However, Jesus was not saying that it is inappropriate for believers to evaluate the spiritual condition of others and their deeds. The Apostle Paul said, "Those who are spiritual can evaluate all things." (1 Corinthians 2:15 NLT). He went on to say, "Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness? (2 Corinthians 6:14 NKJV).
When Paul wrote to the Ephesians, he said that believers should "have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them." (Ephesians 5:11 NKJV). Obviously, to be obedient we must identify the unfruitful works of darkness and then be bold enough to expose them in a spirit of love and concern. "God wants us to grow up, to know the whole truth and tell it in love — like Christ in everything." (Ephesians 4:15 The Message).
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