 Happy Thanksgiving
I’m sure you are very full from the feast and probably a little worn out from the festivities. The holiday season is in full swing now. This past Sunday evening we were studying in Colossians 3 and Paul urges the believers to be thankful (Colossians 3:15-17). He is specifically encouraging the cultivation of thankful hearts among the assembled saints. Even emphasizing that this gratitude should motivate everything that we do as we act in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. But what does it mean to be thankful? The words being translated as “thankful” in the ESV translation are from the root word that means grace. Even our English terminology coming to us from the Latin has this connection to grace. I think that the point is that thankfulness proceeds from a recognition that we are recipients of grace. This means that we have received good things that we do not deserve. In this post, I do not intend to remind you of the reason to be thankful but rather to identify how many of our practices are a celebration of grace. The Feast You may think that the food gets too much of the attention when it comes to Thanksgiving. I mean shouldn’t we be thankful whether we have a big meal or just a simple sandwich? But the meal is an expression or celebration of all that we have been given. When the Pilgrims and Indians gathered for the first Thanksgiving the meal was a celebration. Of course we would still have much to be thankful for without all this delicious food but the great extravagance of the food is symbolic of all the lavish ways that we have received more than we could ever deserve. That’s the grace of God on display even in His common grace toward many who do not trust in Him! The Fellowship As we enjoy our time spent lingering in lively conversations or playing games with family and friends this also is a celebration of God’s grace. He has blessed us with these people and the relational capacity to know and be known. In the text mentioned earlier, Paul is recognizing the importance of the harmony that is produced by the bonds of love given to us by God (Colossians 3:14). Remember the exhortation that God is love is given to us so that we would love one another (1 John 4:7-21). We cannot truly know God and His love without loving our brothers and sisters in the church. It is important to note that for this to be Christ honoring and God glorifying fellowship it is not required that every moment be spent in deep theological discussion or reflections on complex interpretations of Scripture. God is glorified in the gladness and joy of His people. Rejoice Christians, we have some many blessings for which to be thankful. The Future Not only do we have all these past and present reasons to be thankful but we have even great promises coming in the future. His mercies are new every morning and that is a reason to rejoice (Lamentations 3:22-24). The security of our future under God's providential plan is a genuine reason for rest with thankful hearts. Even if many details and a full understanding of the future that awaits us (both in this age and in the age to come) may be unclear, we still know that it is according to His purposes and in this we can be thankful. So your post-dinner nap is not necessarily succumbing to the sin of laziness but rather a celebration of the gift of rest. This rest is not only the rest from difficult and stressful circumstances, or hard demanding labor; but the greater rest from striving for your own record of righteousness. There does remain a rest for the people of God and that rest is found today in Christ (Hebrews 4:1-13)! I urge you beloved, to fill your hearts with the thankfulness produced by the recognition of God’s free grace.
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 Family Ties
As we are approaching not only Thanksgiving but the many gatherings of the holiday season, for many people these settings are not all joyous and harmonious. Some of this is because we are maybe more likely on these occasions to gather with people who we share some kind of familial connection with but with whom we do not share values and maybe don’t really have an active ongoing relationship. Others may be thrown together into social settings with coworkers with whom their only connection is the company or career. Even still the differences in political views, religious beliefs, and lifestyle habits can contribute to very contentious gatherings. In many cases I think that what we probably really want is to be welcomed and accepted by these other people. This is especially true when these are people whom we care about deeply, such as family. The issue really does come down to the fact that most of us do not want to be rejected by our friends, family, or community. I believe that this resistance to being rejected is a part of the image of God in us. God has made us to be communal beings and to have relationships and fellowship with one another. The reality is that sin is not a basis for building true relationships but only a basis for the destruction of a true covenantal community. Church Splits The New Testament is very clear that it is the will of God and of the head of the church, the Lord Jesus Christ, that we as His people are bound together in genuine unity. Jesus Himself taught this to His disciples with some of His final words before the cross (John 15:1-17). He also prayed to the Father for the unity that we should have in His final prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane (John 17). The point is that Jesus wants for his people to be united. I do not believe that the real problem today is different denominations or theological camps. Rather, it is the weakness of our covenantal bonds to our own local churches. As a pastor, I am glad to see strong bonds of love and fellowship even in church with which I do not agree theologically. Assuming that the churches are orthodox and they are truly worshiping God and proclaiming the good news of Jesus Christ, I want to see them have unity and peace because that is what Jesus wants. If the Holy Spirit chooses to bring theological reformation to those churches praise the Lord but it may be our churches (like minded) that need a practical reformation and greater love for one another. The Apostle Paul in dealing with the factious problems in Corinth (1 Corinthians 1:10-17) acknowledges that the practical problems in their fellowship were actually evidence of much deeper spiritual problems in their membership (1 Corinthians 18-19). On a personal note, when people think of church splits they probably think of the major blowup where some large portion of the church leaves to start their own competing meeting. But as a pastor, I must admit that it hurts deeply every time someone leaves the fellowship. Of course there are cases when someone moves away and the separation is not based on them “leaving” the church. But whenever someone chooses to leave it feels like a rejection which cuts deeply and emotionally. Spousal Separation Another area of life where this kind of sharp rejection is often encountered is in marriage. Husbands and wives have made covenantal promises to one another and when those promises seem to be broken it brings about deep feelings of rejection. This does not have to be infidelity. It could be rejection of a spouse in favor of a job, hobby, or even some unknown or uncommunicated reason. But the outcome is the same, the rejection results in pain and damage to the covenantal relationship. Ultimate Rejection I mentioned earlier that our longing for connection, community, relationship, and fellowship is a part of the image of God in us. I think that this is the case because throughout the Scripture the most prevalent way that God shows us the idolatrous sin of His people is to compare it with the adulterous sin of rejecting one’s spouse. I believe that God shares with us in some way an understanding of how evil and heinous it is to choose our idols over Him (Ezekiel 23). Just as we may experience pain when we have been rejected and especially when rejected by those who have covenantally committed themselves to us, just imagine when God is rejected in favor of some puny, powerless idol. Idolatry is the most grave and serious of sins not only because the practice may be disgusting and reprehensible, but because idolatry is the blatant rejection of God! So what can you do if you have become trapped in idolatry? If you have been enticed to love something else more than Christ? The only answer is to repent and flee to your first love! Fly to Jesus for He will receive you (Revelation 2:1-7)!  Scandal
Several weeks ago it was revealed that Dr. Steve Lawson, a well known preacher in reformed baptist and presbyterian circles was being relieved of his “ministry activities” at the church where he was regularly speaking because of an inappropriate relationship with a woman who was not his wife. Now that was a bombshell for many because Dr. Lawson has always preached and taught a very conservative and orthodox brand of Christianity. But, of course, anyone can sin and anyone could prove to be a hypocrite. So I think most people assumed that Lawson simply fell into this sin. I did see some discussion around his schedule and his practice of often traveling alone. Many people seemed to think that better accountability practices might have kept this fall from happening. But just this past week some new information has been reported that could shed light on how this happened. But even more interesting for all of us is the lesson of the importance of covenant relationships found in this unfortunate tale. We should not concern ourselves with sordid or unnecessary details about the things that happened simply to entertain our selfish imaginations. However, in this situation, we should seek to learn the cautionary tale that could save both ourselves and those near us enormous pain and hardship. So what is the new information that has been reported? It is that Dr. Steve Lawson was not a pastor. Claims were also made that he was not even a church member but Dr. Josh Buice of G3 ministries issued a statement confirming that Steve Lawson and his wife were members of Trinity Bible Church (G3 statement). If you notice the language I used in the opening paragraph it sounds like a strange way to say those things. He was relieved of his “ministry activities” as opposed to being removed from his role as a pastor or elder because he was not a pastor or elder. I referenced the church as being where he was “regularly speaking” because he was essentially the weekly guest preacher, not one of the men pastoring that congregation. One other thing about this situation is that Dr. Lawson seems to have not wanted to be a pastor. He wanted to just be a guest preacher and teacher. Dr. Lawson held a teaching fellowship with Ligonier, was a professor with the Master’s Seminary, and a speaker with G3 ministries, as well as his own One Passion ministries. The problem in all of this is that without covenant commitment to pastor the local congregation, all of these ministries simply become opportunities for Lawson to preach and teach but without the responsibility and accountability of the church. Seduction Many of you reading this may not understand why this would have been so tempting for a person who felt called to ministry, so let me give you an analogy that may be more broadly relevant. Have you ever thought about what it would be like to live the van life? By van life I’m referring to a subculture of people who mostly derive their income from working online so they can work from anywhere that they can get a reliable signal. These people live in a modified van. This of course requires very intentional minimizing of possessions. Just imagine all the advantages! You could travel and see new places. You could just up and go where the weather was warmer in the winter or cooler in the summer. You wouldn’t have many of the normal expenses of life such as a mortgage, water bill, or electric bill. You could basically live your life on a contentious and epic vacation! Sounds great, well maybe. Some of you have already started mentally noting the problems. You don’t have a house payment but you may have a hefty car payment especially if you bought a newer van with all the additions that would make living in the van more appealing. Also after a while even if it's just one person or a couple that van might begin to feel quite small. You don't have the normal chores that come with a home or apartment but instead you have the ones that come with a camper and the chores you still must do such as laundry and bathing become more complicated. My point is not that it’s all bad but what could begin with seeming like an escape from the tedious and mundane could become its own kind of trap. The worst and most subtle danger of van life would be loneliness and isolation. Nomadic life sings the song of freedom but it also frees you of the bonds of covenantal connection and fondness cultivated through real fellowship. As a teacher who does get the opportunity to teach regularly to those outside of our own local assembly I will admit that it is easier than the work of pastoring our own congregation. When my only responsibility is to show up and teach the Bible I am unburdened of the responsibility for other things that take place in these ministries. This type of arrangement also tends to shield a person from criticism. This is because when pastoring and leading a church people are being affected in a more profound way by both the teaching and the decisions that we are making. When a person is basically an itinerant preacher or teacher they can just ignore what I have to say if they don’t agree. The point is that there is simply less investment from both the teacher and the students. It’s kind of like watching a ball game between two teams that you do not follow. You may enjoy the game and the skill but you don’t have the thrill as if one of the teams was your favorite. Society Sometimes it can be tempting to just want to escape the challenges and stresses of social media, small town drama, or even family strife, but we must guard ourselves from the danger of isolationism. We need community! The Scripture is clear that it is not good for man to be alone (Genesis 2:18-25). We are made by God to be communal beings. Living is not simply a luxury but a necessity. We are stronger and better when we are in likeminded, loving, and committed relationships with other image bearers of God (Ecclesiastes 4:9-12). This importance is especially true in the church. The word that we translate as church in the Bible means assembly. The communal nature of our calling as those with a personal faith in Jesus Christ is essential to the Bible definition of our Christian faith (Ephesians 4:1-16).  Results
Today, I had the privilege of hearing the testimony of someone, who is going through one of the most difficult struggles in life. They shared with me the high value of hope. By referring to the word “hope” I want to be clear that I do not mean the kind of wishful thinking expressed in the phrase, “I hope so.” This is not real hope! True hope has a basis in some reason for the trust and faith which is at the heart of all real hope. Hope that is not founded on any evidence or promise is just self delusion. One of the reasons that our Christian faith is not a “hope so” kind of faith is because it is based on the promises and power of God. Without the promises that the Lord has made to us and the assurance which we have from His faithfulness, we would not have a reason for hope at all. But because the Lord cannot and does not lie and based on His precious and great promises, we can have hope. Slogans Sixteen years ago a rather youthful candidate ran for the highest office in the land on the promise of bringing hope and change. Whether or not President Obama succeeded probably depends on the judgment of the individual. After all, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. However, this is what candidates are always trying to communicate to the voters. Namely, that their administration will lead the country to a more advantageous and prosperous future. The job of every person running for election to any office is to give hope that they will be able to do the job. Even President Trump’s now famous slogan “Make America Great Again” is conveying the hope that better days are ahead for the country under his leadership. This slogan also reminds the hearer of the nostalgic feelings associated with the good old days which increases both the desire for a return to those good times and a belief that this hope is truly possible. Now What? So what should we do now? The votes have been cast and the contest is settled. First, we should pray (1 Timothy 2:1-4)! We should pray to our God acknowledging that our hope is not found in any government or political leader but the providential and sovereign reign of our true King the Lord Jesus Christ! We should pray to thank God for bringing about His will and ask that He would use the outcomes of these races for our blessing. We should ask that the Lord would give us peaceful and quiet lives from which to seek His glory through the proclamation of the gospel and the building of His church. We should pray for the end of wicked and unjust practices and laws. We should intercede for the salvation of our leaders. We should pray for the promotion of humility and wisdom among our leaders. We should pray for the physical protection of our leaders and the peace and unity of our citizens. When we have prayed then we should get about the business of living lives of holiness and godliness (2 Peter 2:11-13). After we have prayed for the advance of the gospel and blessing of our homes, churches, communities and nation then we should live for those ends that we have sought from the Lord. Expecting that God is pleased to answer the prayers that He has instructed us to pray in the Scriptures (2 Thessalonians 2:16-17). We should be people full of hope for what God is doing in advancing His kingdom. Remembering that we also have an eternal hope of everlasting life based on the sure promises of our Savior and King (Titus 3:4-7)!  Holidays
The leaves are releasing their grip and cascading to the ground as the appetite for all things pumpkin spice begins to grow strong. Many of us are no doubt preparing to harvest a large buck and all of us are anticipating the many good meals to be enjoyed over the next couple of months. We have now entered the holiday season. Of course, we have many national holidays which are scattered throughout the calendar year but the time of year generally associated with the holidays is usually commenced for most folks by the tricks and treats of Halloween. I prefer to reflect on the anniversary of Martin Luther’s nailing of the 95 Theses to the door of the church in Wittenberg, Germany over the celebration of death and darkness. However, the holiday we call Halloween is really the eve of an ancient celebration of the saints. I must admit that as a Baptist I am not well versed in the history or the traditions dealing with “ALL Saints Day” or “All Souls Day” but since today is the day I thought we could meditate on the meaning of the title “Saints.” Only Sinners Well, everyone knows that we are only sinners saved by grace, of course. Actually, no! We were sinners dead in tresspasses and sins (Ephesians 2:1-3). We were prisoners in bondage to the desires of our flesh (Galatians 5:16-17). We were slaves to the lusts and passions of our rebellious hearts but now we are SAINTS (Titus 3:3-7)! I understand and appreciate the gratitude and humility that we are expressing when we say that we are only sinners saved by grace. We want all the glory and credit to go to Christ for bearing the penalty for our sin. We want the praise and honor to go to God our Father who gave us His own Son (Romans 8:32-33) and gave us to His Son as a gift (John 6:37-40). We want blessing and reverence to go to the Holy Spirit who applied the gospel to our hearts and took up residence in our souls so that we could have true union with God. However, when we say we are only sinners, we innocently and ignorantly, actually deny God the glory for raising us up to the positional place of inheritance with Jesus (Ephesians 1:3-14)! We also rob Jesus of the credit for giving us the imputed righteous by which we become the righteousness of God (2 Corinthians 5:20-21). Lastly, we are not honoring the accomplishment of our progressive sanctification being worked in us through the power of the Holy Spirit. All Saints The term “saints” means holy ones. Some people believe that it is a special title only to be given to honor the believers who have merited it through their lives of good works. But the Bible simply uses the term to refer to believers (Hebrews 13:24-25). Christians are saints! If you are not a saint you're not a Christian. The Apostle John is clear that we do not reach a point of sinless perfection in this life, but we do grow in holiness and practice righteousness as we walk with the Lord (1 John 1:5-10). I am afraid that often we do not like to use the word saints for ourselves because we are afraid of some implicit hypocrisy. But the antidote for this is not to deny the sanctifying activity of God in our lives. Rather we must repent of any known sin and use this as a catalyst to greater growth in holy living. The Scripture teaches that we are called by God to apply the holiness given to us by the work of Christ to the transformation of our lives.(Romans 12:1-2) Even as our God is holy so we are called to be holy (1 Peter 1:13-19). So today, November 1, 2024, let’s celebrate that God, in Christ and through the Holy Spirit, has made us saints. And let us rejoice in this by seeking to encourage each other to a greater experience of righteousness, holiness, and sanctification!  The Meeting Place
In the Old Covenant, God instructed Moses to have a special tent that would represent His dwelling place. This would be the place that would house the Ark of the Covenant and the other holy things related to the worship of Yahweh. But, of course, God does not dwell in a tent or any kind of structure in the sense that he is somehow contained within the spatial limitation of creation. Rather, this special tent was symbolic of His habitation and provided a place to facilitate meeting with God. The Tabernacle was referred to as the “Tent of Meeting,” where Moses and the priests would go to mediate for the covenant people. In the place of God’s residence the people could seek His guidance, give thanks for His blessings, obey His instructions, bring His sacrifices and offerings, and receive His forgiveness. It became the place for mediation, substitution, and atonement. Later, Solomon would build a massive Temple to replace this special tent to be followed by another Temple rebuilt after the exile and finished in the first century. Of course, the Old Covenant Temple was destroyed in the Roman siege and destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD by Roman General Titus. Many Christians believe that God will restore the Temple and the worship of the Jewish people in the future. But if Jesus' words on the cross are true and the mediation, substitution, and atonement was complete on the cross (John 19:28-30); then could it be that God has now provided a great tabernacle for this new covenant age? In this article, I want to consider the characteristics of the tabernacle and the parallels or fulfillments in the New Covenant. I am going to use a definition of the Tabernacle that I heard from Pastor Timothy Easley. He said, “The Tabernacle is a skin-covered, mobile, place where God and man could meet.” I believe that we will see two places where the typology of the tabernacle is reflected in the New Covenant. The first is the Lord Jesus Christ and the second is His body – the church! Skins The Tabernacle was a tent made of animal skins. Of course, animal skins are symbolic of the sacrifice necessary to deal with our sins, even as God first made covering for Adam and Eve from animal skins after the fall into sin in the garden (Genesis 3:20-21). However, this is not only a memorial but a sign pointing forward to the incarnation when the word became flesh and dwelt among us (John 1:1-18). Jesus came covered in skin and with a body of real flesh and blood to take the penalty of death for everyone who trusts in Him. The Tabernacle was meant to point to the Lord who would rip apart the veil and give all believers access to God through the veil of His flesh (Hebrews 10:1-25). But now, The Lord Jesus is ascended and seated at the right hand of the Father in glory. So where is the skin covered dwelling of God today? Well, it is the church. Not the buildings that we meet in but instead the people who have been saved by grace through faith and who have been compelled by His love! The church is the New Covenant tabernacle and temple not built with dead rocks but rather living stones (1 Peter 2:4-10)! Mobility The tabernacle was also mobile; it could move. Unlike the Temple that would come later this structure was portable. So what is the significance of the mobility of the tabernacle? First, God is not restricted to certain geographical boundaries. He is omnipresent and Lord over all creation. The Lord Jesus has authority over all of heaven and earth (Matthew 28:19-20). While in the old covenant God did make certain conditional land promises to the physical descendants of Abraham, those promises were kept and those claims were forfeited (Joshua 21:43-45). So now in this New Covenant era, the dwelling of God is not confined to a specific place but is mobile so that it may multiply and fill the earth. The dwelling of God is in the believers who carry the kingdom and the good news of our great King evangelistically into all the world. Mediation There is so much more that could be said on the above points but I want to point out one more connection. The Tabernacle was the meeting place between God and man. Because of sin, man has been separated from God ever since the garden. But God in His great love and mercy came and through Christ (Titus 3:4-7) has met us and redeemed us from the curse (1 Timothy 2:5-6) and credited us with genuine righteousness (2 Corinthians 5:20-21). So let us scatter out into the world as skin-covered, mobile, embassies of this glorious New Covenant Kingdom and our great New Covenant King!  Comprehension
Reading is a vital skill for modern life. Often people will say, “I’m not a reader.” Of course, what they mean is that they do not consume books or long articles on a regular basis. However, just reading signage and navigating the normal interactions of life such as grocery shopping, doctors appointments, and work requirements engages us in reading as a tool. But even though we all use this tool everyday, for many people, their reading ability is limited to certain kinds of tasks. Fortunately, the skill of reading can be improved through education and practice. The difference between those who can use the skill of reading simply to navigate life and those who can use their reading ability to grasp more complex or abstract arguments is really about reading comprehension. Reading comprehension includes the process of decoding and using language skills to understand the words, which is a part of the skill we all use. But it goes on to apply our background knowledge and to keeping track of the connections and communication in the story or those that make up the argument. It is vital to our understanding of any text that we not only know how to read but also how to read it. We must have the background knowledge and connections to make sense of what is being communicated. This is called context. It is essential to reading comprehension and especially so with the Bible! How do you read it When a certain lawyer came to test Jesus with a question regarding the acquisition of eternal life, which led to Jesus' famous parable known as, “The Good Samaritan,” he asked the Lord, “What shall I do to inherit eternal life (Luke 10:25-37)?” Jesus answered his question with two questions, one was about the content of the Law. This is more than just the ten commandments. Jesus was asking him about what was taught in the Old Testament regarding being in covenantal relationship with God, particularly in the Torah. Of course, this is the expertise of the lawyer! He was a scholar of the Law, so Jesus is pointing out that the answer to his question about eternal life is found in the revelation of God. But Jesus also asked a second question, “How do you read it?” The revelation of God regarding righteousness, forgiveness, grace, mercy, and love is available in the pages that this lawyer has spent his whole life studying, but the issue is reading comprehension and interpretation. Jesus is asking him about the way he reads these words. Obviously, Jesus is not asking if he reads the Bible on his knees in prayer or seated at a table. Jesus is asking about the lenses that he uses to interpret the text. By lenses, I mean the set of pre-understood notions or presumptions that he is bringing to the Bible. Depending on the presuppositions that someone has they will come to different conclusions when reading a written text. When you and a close friend share an inside joke that requires you both to know the context which makes it funny, then other people who might overhear the communication do not know. So if we are to understand the Bible we must learn to let the Bible define the context and the presuppositions that we use to read the Bible. Why are there so many different groups of people who believe so many different things about the Bible when many if not most of them are attempting to read it for what it says? The answer is that they are all using different presupposed contexts to read the same book which leads to the various interpretations. The Words of Eternal Life So, how do we learn to read the Bible correctly? We must go to the words of Jesus! I am not saying that the quotations of Jesus, what are commonly referred to as the red letters, have more authority than the rest of the Bible. Rather I am saying that we should take the teachings of Jesus, who is the head of the church (Colossians 1:15-19), as the context for how to read the Bible. We should use the way that Jesus used and interpreted the Old Testament to be the model for how we should read it. We should also extend this logic to the way that the Apostles interpreted both the Old Testament and the words of Jesus because they learned their interpretive skills from the Lord Himself. So we must seek to read all the Bible according to the process and principles that we find in the inspired interpretation of the New Testament. I may have brought up more questions than answers in this post, but let’s all resolve to have the humility and diligence to be like the noble Bereans who searched the Scriptures to know the truth (Acts 17:10-12)!  The Boy King
It is an amazing testimony when we witness the grace of God work upon a heart that has spent decades in rebellion against God, but then this elder person is born again as a new babe in Christ. However, it is also amazing when the Lord in kindness rescues a young child from their lost condition and brings them to saving faith early in life. The Apostle Paul when writing to his protege Timothy encourages him to not let anyone despise him because of his youth. The point is that the Lord is often pleased not only to save people when they are young but also to use them. The young person has the blessing of energy, zealousness, and optimism which God uses to great effect. In the Bible, we are told about Josiah (2 Chronicles 34). This boy became king of Judah when he was only 8 years old. To our amazement as Bible readers and amid the list of kings who did not honor God, we are told that Josiah, “did what was right in the eyes of the LORD.” What a testimony! One so young followed God, but it was the combination of a good start, a faithful life, and a peaceful end, which brought about this fitting eulogy. Repentance In the eighth year of Josiah’s reign he began to seek God. We must remember that the eighth year of his reign, which began when he was only eight, would be the year he was sixteen years old. In God’s amazing providence, He caused this young man, who saw the wickedness of his father and the depravity that they left as the common practice in Judah and Jerusalem, to begin to seek the God of his forefather David. Then in the twelfth year of his reign, which if we are keeping up means he is now twenty years old, Josiah begins to purge the land of the idols and the false places of worship that have now been in use for generations. He starts destroying the godless traditions that have not been according to God’s commandments or for His glory. This young man has become zealous to lead his people in repentance from the worship of these worthless idols. Josiah is an example of why we should be quick to heed Paul’s instruction to Timothy. We must not despise a zealous youth who is seeking to set an example of faith, love, and holy living (1 Timothy 4:11-12). Even though Josiah is young he is still faithful to the calling of God in his life. Repair But, unfortunately, we know that not everyone who begins well goes on to live a faithful life. Some people prove themselves to be rocky or thorn choked fallow ground which does not bear any good fruit (Mark 4:1-9). Thankfully, Josiah is not one of these! Instead, he continues to reign over God’s people faithfully. He begins the work of repairing the temple of God. Josiah provided for this work in 3 important ways. First, he committed the necessary financial resources to the repair and restoration of the temple. It would have been tempting to do as the kings before him had done and neglect the house of God to the benefit of his own bank account. Second, Josiah committed the necessary manpower to the task of repairing the structure. These were the best builders and craftsmen in Israel given fully to the work to rebuild the place of worship and fellowship with God! Restoration The third thing that Josiah did to complete the restoration, not only of the physical temple but of the correct worship of Yahweh, was to prepare the Levites and Priests to lead the people to worship God rightly as worship leaders, scribes, officials, and gatekeepers in the temple. In the middle of this restoration the most amazing discovery was made! They found the Book of the Law. They found the Bible! Upon reading the Scriptures Josiah was brought to a fuller understanding of the sin of his people and the need for repentance and forgiveness. He immediately seeks to inquire of the Lord concerning these things. He fully expects judgment and wrath because of the sin of his people over the generations. But God! The Lord saw Josiah's tender heart, humble spirit, and repentant faith. The Lord responds by granting peace throughout the rest of Josiah’s reign because of his faithfulness. Josiah is one of the best kings that Judah ever had, not on account of his military prowess or his diplomatic strategy or his economic genius, but because of his faithfulness to the LORD!  Example
What is a church? I know that the first temptation is to begin looking for a theological definition. That is certainly important. But in this article I want to think about what defines a church for us, practically. Meaning, if someone from a non christian culture asked you, “What is a church?” How would you respond? Most of us would respond based on our past experiences. If you have experienced a very formal church life like that of the high church Lutherians or Presbyterians then you would probably define church according to that experience. However, if you grew up in a small country baptist church the picture would be very different. Additionally, a person in an urban area attending a trendy megachurch would have another understanding of church. But shouldn’t we back up and instead of getting our understanding of the church from the examples we have experienced, look to the Bible for the basic definition for what the church should look like? In this post, I am not going to give that definition but rather the criteria I believe we should use to determine a truly Biblical and practical model for church life. Explicit The first and most weighty part of the criteria should be the explicit teaching of the Bible. We should first go to those texts that directly tell us what the church is. From the Scriptures, we must understand that the church is not a physical building which has been devoted to God but rather its a spiritual building constructed from the living stones, which are the members of the new covenant (1 Peter 2:4-5). The church is not a fraternal organization but it is a fellowship meeting of faithful saints (Hebrews 10:19-25). The church is not a hierarchical governing organization, but it is a body made up of members with responsibility and accountability to one another (1 Corinthians 12). My point is simply that we must take the direct instructions from the Bible as the best authority on how we should behave in the assembly of believers (1 Timothy 3:14-15). Implicit The second way I think that we can determine what we should be doing in the meeting of the church is through the implications that we find in the Bible about the early church. There are at least three ways that we can apply this principle of implicit instruction.
Normative The third way that I believe we can identify the practical means to be applied in the church in our time and culture is through distinguishing between those things which are normative versus the things that are extraordinary. In the book of Acts, there seem to be many things which happen through the miraculous working of God that are not normative for the church. Some of the habits of the early church were more necessary than strategic. So the event of Pentecost may not be something that we should expect to be a normative means of evangelism but Paul’s practice of going to the marketplace to reason with the people might be a normative pattern to be imitated even in our day. Even if we as believers end up with some disagreements about what the church meeting looks or sounds like, we should all be able to agree that our reasons for our opinions should not ultimately be our own preferences but rather scriptural premises.  The Mighty
Idolatry is a wicked sin. It is grotesque in the obvious forms of things such as new age occultism, neopaganism, and Buddhism. We also recognize that idolatry is also prevalent in the elevation of the normal activities, hobbies, and engagements of our lives to places of adoration. But one of the most offensive kinds of idolatry is when we take the things of God and make them into something to be worshiped rather than using them as the means of worship. Imagine a person who loves music so they join the church to get on the worship team so that they can perform the music they love. In this case, the person is not motivated to sing because they love God, but rather they are motivated to go through the religious necessities so that they can perform. This can also happen with adoration of people. Over the last few years and months some prominent and even conservative pastors have fallen from their place in ministry because of the discovery of disqualifying sin. In this post I do not want to dwell on those particular cases or on what would be considered disqualifying sin, but I do want to think about how we as Christians can avoid being ensnared and enslaved in sin (Proverbs 5:21-22) (2 Peter 2:17-22). Humility The first key to avoiding the trap of sin, especially the kind of seductive sin that has caused the disqualification of so many of these pastors is personal humility. We must recognize that we are in danger of committing these same sins so that we can be vigilant to guard against them. The Apostle Paul tells us that the Old Covenant Israelites’ failure to trust and follow the Lord in the wilderness when they came out of Egypt is an example for us. If those who had experienced the miraculous deliverance of God could then fall because of unbelief, then we also must be on guard against the subtlety of being tempted to attempt to live righteously but not by faith (1 Corinthians 10:1-13). In this same passage, the Lord also promises to always provide a way of escape from the temptation. But that way is always the way of faithfully trusting the Lord. We also must not be so prideful as to assume that we would not be seduced by these sinful practices given the wrong set of circumstances magnifying our weaknesses. The Bible is full of stories of some of the heroes of the faith still being captivated by sensual sexual temptation. Gratitude Another way to guard ourselves from temptation is to cultivate our gratitude for the blessing we have from God. Sin is almost always rooted in our attempt to satisfy some perceived deficiency in our lives. This perception of a deficiency is because we are not thankful for what God has given us but rather we think something more than what God has given us will make us happy. But the Lord is clear that if we seek as our highest importance His kingdom and His righteousness all the things necessary will also be provided (Matthew 6:25-34). This is the gratitude of faith that finds contentment in knowing that what God has provided is all we need. Holiness The purpose of God’s work of saving us as Christian’s is not to make us doctors in Theology or experts in exegesis, but rather holy followers who have been changed by God’s grace. This is why God disciplines us to cause us to live so as to bear the fruit of holy and righteous lives (Hebrews 12:7-11). This passage goes on to say that without this holiness no one will see the Lord (Hebrews 12:14). The greater desire for the joy of holy living is necessary to protect our hearts from the temptation to be captured by the lesser and fleeting happiness offered by sensual passions and pleasures. Brothers and Sisters, let us resolve to seek to live in holiness for both God's pleasure and ours while rejecting the cheap and empty counterfeits found in this world! |