Wanting To

But from there you will seek the LORD your God and you will find him, if you search after him with all your heart and with all your soul.

Dt 4:29

As much as we like to call ourselves adults, we never really grow up. The same tantrums, demeanors we displayed when we were children, make their way into our adult selves – just under a more controlled circumstance. The way we behave toward people now, is a repeat of the way we interacted with other children when we were growing up. And, unfortunately the way we act toward God or choose to listen to what God has to say is the way we listened or didn't listen to our parents when we were small.  The truth? We listen when we want to.

You’re not going to hear God unless you really, really want to listen.   David wrote, “My God, I want to do what you want” and “What I want most of all and at all times is to honor your laws” (Psalm 40:8, Psalm 199:20).  David was passionate in his declaration that what he wanted most of all was to honor God. These things weren't options for him. He used words for seeking God (“I long for it,” “I crave it,” “I hunger for it,” and “I’m like a dear panting for water.”). The question is, is this what you hear in your own vocabulary?

A lot of people talk to God, but they never hear from God. Prayer is a monologue for most people, and monologues do not convey relationship. In a marriage, when only one spouse talks the marriage is dysfunctional because that’s not a relationship. Relationships require communication, and it is just as important as talking to God in prayer. Prayer is not just talking to God, but listening to God and letting Him talk to you. God doesn't tell his dream for your life if you want to debate it. God doesn't tell his vision for your life if you want to discuss it. God doesn't tell you what he put you on Earth to do just so you can say, “Let me think about It.” You've got to want it more than anything else.

David’s words have to become ours. We have to say, “I've got to know why. I've got to know what You want me to do with my life. I've got to hear Your voice. I've got to have Your vision.”

What is the thing you want most in life? Do you long for God’s voice?  Would you say that you are passionate for Christ in the same sense that when you are thirsty that you crave water? When you ask God or talk to God, what attitude do you talk with Him? Is it the three year old in you, or that part of you that realizes that God is everything? Are you prepared to respond in obedience?

Jim

Prepared to Answer

“Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have.” (1 Pet.3:15)

This advice is given by Peter in his encouragement to the Christians of his day as they came in contact with people on a day to day basis. Many read this scripture and experience fear. Fear that they have to become bible scholars in order to teach someone.  Unfortunately, this is a fear that has been instilled into believers for over 1800 years, when religious leaders told people like you and me that we could not do this because we were not “professionals,” or part of what became known as the “Clergy.” This however is NOT biblical teaching.  Paul considered himself a “brother” and “fellow servant” with Tychicus (Col. 4:7). The same was true for Paul and Epaphras (Col.1:7). Ephroditus was Paul’s “brother, co-worker and fellow soldier” (Ph’p.2:25). Paul and Timothy called themselves the “servants” of the Corinthian church (1 Cor.4:5). Peter viewed Silas as his “faithful brother” (1 Pet. 5:12). The apostles never talked in terms of “us” and “them” in the context of serving Christ. They considered themselves to be fellow laborers with all believers in the church.

The truth is, that everyone you come in contact with needs a reason for hope.  We all want the world to be a better place, yet, few do anything about it to make it better for someone other than themselves. That is why Peter states what he does. Christians should be and appear in public to be people that look beyond life and its drudgery to something better.  A happiness in their step, a smile on their face, an encouragement in their talk.  The hope that best helps people is the hope from somebody who says, “Been there, done that.”

Most think “give an answer to every man” in Peter’s passage means they have to explain why Jesus died on the cross, quote Scripture verses from memory, and know a bunch of Greek or Hebrew. We are not Lawgivers – there is only one with that authority – Christ (Jas.4:12).  We are not Attorneys or Lawyers of the Bible, again, that role belongs only to Jesus (1 Tim.2:5).  It’s not your job to convince people to accept Christ, and try as you can you cannot convert anyone (1 Cor.3:7). God does that. So what does this mean? It means simply that you tell others what has given you hope, a reason to smile, an outlook that today is good even though it has evil things in it.  He wants you to say, “Pain really got my attention. Let me tell you what I learned. I learned that God is all I need. You don’t know God is all you need until God is all you’ve got. I learned that God’s going to hang with me no matter what.” You simply share what you have learned through your own difficulty and experience. You tell people what changed you!

We all recognize others that have difficulties by the looks on their faces, the demeanor they carry – that “aura” that says “I need a friend right now.” What are the good and bad experiences in your life that God can use to impart hope with someone else? That’s what God wants you to do.

Can you think of one person in your life that you can share experience from your life with this week?  

Jim

"The Church"

I have entered a study that I wish to share, concerning "the church." A number of things pass my mind as I think of this term, that I know a lot of people think.  I remember growing up, there wasn't much emphasis put on "church." It was a place to go to socialize, dress up, hear someone speak (sometimes rant) and watch them always with emphasis among the circles I attended - pass the collection plate. After a while, especially in my teen years, I saw a lot of hypocrisy and branded "the church" at large (the group I was attending or otherwise) as hypocrites.  I quit going.  It wasn't until I met my wife, that I began going again, and this particular little group seemed different.  It was the first "church" I attended that emphasized what the bible actually taught, and the collection wasn't emphasized over everything, especially the teaching.

I am now 33+ years on the other side of that day, and once again questions come up about "the church" and what God intended it to be.  I have seen a lot of what God has not wanted it to be. So, I decided to chuck everything I had learned and start afresh on the subject to see what God says and has in mind when He thought of the church. 

Let's get a couple of preliminary things out of the way.  Paul says in Col.1:13 "He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son..."  In vs.18 in continuation of this thought of being in God's Kingdom, Paul here refers to this Kingdom over which Jesus is the Head as "the church."  God's Kingdom, God's Church are one in the same thing.   The term "church" is an interesting term, because it is not a "biblical" word.  Yes, it occurs in many Bibles, but the term "church" is neither part of the Hebrew, Aramaic, or Greek that the Bible is written in.  If you look up the term "church" as it is used in the New Testament, you will discover that it is the greek word "ekklesia."  This term is actually a combination of two words in greek  “ek”  meaning "out of" and “kaleo” meaning "I call."  The intent of the term is to describe God's people as those "called out of" the world as intended by Paul in Col.1:13,18. The term "church" is actually an English term of Middle English derivation,  of the Dutch/German/Slavic terms of the greek “kuriokos” meaning “belonging to the Lord.”  It was a term used to identify those who belonged to the Lord, which is not an incorrect use or identification. "Kuriokos" became shortened to "kurioch" which then later became shortened to  "kurch" which then became our modern English "church."  Still initially with the same original meaning intended, which as we have said, is not an incorrect application.  However,  men will do as men will do, and abuse of this term "church" has occurred where where men have craved power that belonged only to the Lord.  So, over history, men have made God's "church" into things that God never meant for it to be.  Men have made the church a philosophy, a culture, a Civil Government and ultimately a Business.  Confusing -- needless to say. But, this is not God's way (1 Cor.14:33), it is the world's and ultimately evil (1 Jn.2:16). 

Probably with that statement, you wish to shoot me to a wall with arrows. But before you do, I ask you to consider with me the question - What did God mean..what did God have in mind when He first mentioned "the church?"

Would it surprise you to note, that Jesus - who is the head of and author of the "church" only mentions it twice while He is living upon this planet?  Matt.16:18 and Matt 18:17 are the only places that Jesus mentions "the church." In the remainder of this post, we will look at Matt.16:18 and the context of it to see what Jesus meant when He said what began this all, "I will build my church."

1. "I will build" - tells us that He and no one else is the builder of His church. It is not left to men to build, to plant, or to possess. He will build it - period. It is already planted BY Him, all I can do is cultivate what He has given.  It is not mine to possess in any way shape or form. It is His!   
2. "and the gates of Hades (see footnote 1 below) will not overpower it" -  If death or the realm of death (Hades) cannot overpower it, then it is not an "earthly" thing (2 Pet.3:7). It is a Spiritual place subject only to the rule of God and Christ. No earthly realm can rule over it, no earthly influence shall have dominion in it and it still be called Christ's. 
3. "I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven."  This tells us that Jesus' church is a spiritual place guided by heavenly and spiritual values that were decreed or loosened in Heaven before ever so here in this realm.  The decrees and values of God's Kingdom are God's. If not revealed within the context of His word (Jude vs.3; Heb.1:1-3; Jn

All of this brings us back now to our question, "When Jesus said He would build His church, what was He going to build? How would it be different than anything else that men have seen?" 

 The answer is found in what we have studied above, and in a statement made by Paul in Eph.3:10 "so that through the church the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places."  Men have looked to government and human institutions of every kind, trying to find solace and peace. They have sought lauded rulers only to be disappointed. They have sought social and political institutions, only to find them as corrupt as everything else. And many have sought to find solace in "churches" - governed by man, and full of the same corruption that they find in every other human institution. 

God's church on the other hand (not men's) is the place where God's wisdom rules, where God's wisdom can be seen, and where the peace and solace that people yearn for can be found in God's Son (Mt.11:28-30). It is the place to which rulers, governments, authorities and other institutions look, when they want to see something of TRUE value!  THAT is what Jesus built!

We will look further into this subject in future posts.

Jim

Difficult Decisions and God's Will

Decisions are tricky. There are good ones and bad ones and making the wrong decision creates stress, anxieties, feelings of inferiority and other issues in our lives. This is why reliance upon God is something that one must learn. The main problem is that we like to be the captain of our own ships and think we know what is best, when sometimes we don't. 

How can I know that my decisions are right? How can I know that what I am choosing is what God wants?  

1. Make sure that what you are seeking is in alignment with what God has said in His word. (2 Tim.2:15; Heb.5:14)
2.  Seek what God wants, not what YOU want (Mt.6:33)
3. Base your decisions upon spiritual principle and knowledge (Jn.8:32; Jas.3:17)
4. Ask God to guide your wisdom (Jas.1:5)

Psalm 23:3 states, “He guides me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.”  To many, this sounds "corny" and yet others will say, ‘But I’ve tried this!’  There are times when we ask God to guide us but then come away more confused. We still couldn’t figure it out, and perhaps have heard the Tempter beckoning to us, ‘Why is knowing God’s will so difficult?’ Is God playing games with me? 

Anyone who takes the time to know God at all, will know that God is not out to confuse, make things difficult for us, or play games with us. 1 Cor.14:33 reminds us that God is not the author of confusion or unruliness, nor does he play games with or tempt anyone (Jas.1:13). This is a lie that the Evil One has spread since creation began.  God wants to guide us and He has given us the truth that we may know it (Jn.5:39; Heb.2:1-4). The problem is we often look for the wrong thing when we’re trying to find God’s will. 

• Some of us look for a feeling to tell us God’s will.  Yet, feelings can deceive. This is why feelings must be coupled with the wisdom of the truth, so that I may know the path I walk (Jas.1:25; Prov.8:20)
• Some of us want a formula to tell us God’s will. We want everything in black and white, we want the easy way and the easy answer. Yet, not everything is learned by formula, some things must be learned by use and experience (Heb.5:12-14)
• Some of us look for a fantastic sign that will show us God’s will. Yet, to constantly look for a sign to prove what God has already said is wrong (Mt.12:39). Satan himself can deceive and does deceive with such things (2 Th.2:9; Gal.1:8).  

God's will is not hard to know. It just involves looking for it (Acts 17:11) and asking God for help (Jas.1:5). Then doing, what I know to be truth (Jas.1;25).  The rest? -- you have to learn by experience and putting to practice the truth (Heb.5:14).

Jim