The Soul

The greatest possession we have is our soul.  Jesus says, “For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?” (Matthew 16:26). Our soul is worth more than the whole world and everything in it.  Jesus warns us to “Beware of false teachers who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves” (Matthew 7:15). A ravening wolf is going to kill and destroy.

God’s word says, “many false prophets are gone out into the world” (1 John 4:1). There were many false prophets in the first century just as there are many today.  Jesus says, “Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many” (Matthew 24:11). “They are blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind leads the blind, both will fall into a ditch” (Matthew 15:14). The purpose of a false prophet is to deceive, just as they are doing today. There are many who have been deceived and are blindly following false teachers.

Anything that is more than, less than, or different from what God says in the Bible is false doctrine. Today the many different denominational churches are all teaching and practicing different man-made doctrines and plans of salvation which are all designed by Satan to cause people to be eternally lost.  But Jesus warns, he that “climbs up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber” (John 10:1). Jesus continues to say, the thief comes “to steal, and to kill, and to destroy” (John 10:10). This is what the many false teachers are doing and they are very successful in what they are doing. By their different false teachings they are leading many souls on the broad path into Hell (Matthew 7:13).

 If one robs a bank and is caught, he is then tried, convicted, and sentenced to a Federal prison, as he should be. But these teachers of false doctrine are praised as a kind and loving “pastor” or “reverend”, when they are actually, “ravening wolves in sheep’s clothing”, helping Satan rob people of their most precious possession – their soul!!! These false teachers are not punished today by the laws of our land for robbery, but God will severely punish them throughout all eternity.

 Let’s not be robbed of our most precious possession, our soul. To protect our souls we must study God’s word and faithfully follow what it says.

Spiritually Blinded

Romans 11:8

“Just as it is written: God has given them a spirit of stupor, eyes that they should not see and ears that they should not hear, to this very day.”

The cause of blindness was questioned by the disciples of the Lord in John 9:2 in regards to the man that was born blind. Their question, “who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” was a common misconception to the cause of suffering. Jesus would reply that neither had sinned but “that the works of God should be revealed in him” (John 9:3). While it may be the case that people are blind for various physical reasons; born blind, macular degeneration, accidents, it would stand to reason that most people do not choose to be physically blind. Those that would purposely take their eyesight have a psychosis that needs to be dealt with. 

However, those that would purposely choose to be spiritually blind have a greater problem than those that would choose to be physically blind, one with eternal consequences. Perhaps instead of asking “what sin causes a person to be physically blind” the better question would be “what sin causes a person to be spiritually blind?” Paul states in Romans 11:7 that Israel had not obtained what they were looking for, national salvation. The elect, however, found salvation by the grace of God. He further states that those that have not obtained salvation, fleshly Israel, were blinded to God.

The word “blinded” in this passage carries the idea of hardening, to petrify. It is derived from a Greek word meaning “to cover with a callus, dulled spiritual perception”. Another word that could be used is “unimpressible.” Why could the Jews not obtain salvation? They were “unimpressed” with the works and message of Jesus Christ! John writes in his gospel, “And truly Jesus did many other signs in the presence of His disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name” (20:30, 31). Consider the seven miracles Jesus did in the gospel of John: water to wine (ch.2), healing the nobleman’s son (ch.4), healing the man at the pool of Bethesda (ch.5), feeding the 5000 (ch.6), walking on water (ch.6), healing of the blind man (ch.9), and the raising of Lazarus from the dead (ch.11). These seven miracles show Jesus is the Master of quality, distance, time, quantity, nature, misfortune, and death. And still, the Jews were so unimpressed with Him because they purposely blinded themselves to Him spiritually!

To further press the point, Paul uses a mixture of Old Testament passages to describe their condition in verse 8, “God has given them a spirit of stupor, eyes that they should not see and ears that they should not hear, to this very day.” The first part of the verse comes from Isaiah 29:10 and the second half from Deuteronomy 29:4. They had a “spirit” (Hebrew roo-akh) meaning their life and their mind is in slumber or sleep. The Jews became lethargic in their senses to follow Jesus spiritually. Like the prickling sensation one might receive in the arms and legs of the body when these extremities “fall asleep,” so did the Jewish mind. 

Paul also quotes from David in Psalm 69:22, 23 to describe the blindness the Jews had to God, “Let their table become a snare before them, and their well-being a trap. Let their eyes be darkened, so that they do not see; and make their loins shake continually.” Paul takes these imprecatory (invoking judgment or calamity on one’s enemies) verses to highlight the total and complete desolation of the house of Israel. The same desolation Jesus described “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing! See! Your house is left to you desolate” (Matthew 23:37, 38).

Although the Law of Moses was designed to bring the Jews to Christ, when they rejected Jesus and chose the law, the law made them stumble and caused them to fall from God. This quote by Paul shows that God never intended for the basis of salvation to come through national Israel, but there was the basis of the covenant God would make with the people through Christ. This is the same condition of those that still reject God today, “And for this reason God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie, that they all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness” (2 Thessalonians 2:11, 12). God has always rejected those that reject Him. 

10,000 Angels

“He could have called ten thousand angels, To destroy the world and set Him free.
He could have called ten thousand angels, But He died alone, for you and me.”

This popular hymn has been running through my mind for a couple of days now. Not because of the catchy tune that goes with it, but because how it reminds me of what Jesus did for me…for all of us really. It was always a part of God’s plan to send His Son to redeem mankind from sin, “Knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot. He indeed was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you.” (1 Peter 1:18-20)

The word “foreordained” Peter uses to describe the work of Jesus comes from the Greek word proginosko meaning “to have knowledge beforehand.” Literally, Jesus knew before He created this world, that He would have to give His life as a ransom for the sins of mankind. If we were in that position, we might not want to create any human and even if we did, we would not want to suffer the justice for sin in their place…but Jesus did. Then the question becomes why? Why would Jesus allow Himself to be humiliated, blasphemed, and put to death? Hebrews 2:9, 10 puts it into perspective, “But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, for the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, that He, by the grace of God, might taste death for everyone. For it was fitting for Him, for whom are all things and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings.”

To “bring many sons (and daughters) to glory.” Jesus died so that we may have the enjoyment of heaven with Him, the Father, and the Holy Spirit. It’s not that God needs us to be in heaven, as though He is not complete without us. He wantsus to be with Him! The love of God is so great, that He wants His creation to experience it for eternity!

Yes, Jesus could have stopped the crucifixion with 10,000 angels, He could have ended the scene of humiliation and suffering before it got out of hand. But He died alone…for you and me. 

Faithfully

The word “faithfully” is used in ten verses in the Bible and only once in the New Testament, “Beloved, you do faithfully whatever you do for the brethren and for strangers” (3 John 5). John uses this word to point out the attitude Gaius had toward others. In the Greek language, it means a person who shows themselves faithful in the transaction of business, the execution of commands, or the discharge of official duties. In our world, sometimes it is hard to trust what people tell us. From the news and politicians to friends and family, we want people to deal with us faithfully. And if that’s how we want to be treated, we should treat others the same way (Matthew 7:12).

As in the case John is describing, in hospitality, act faithfully. Jesus said those that would hear well done, good and faithful servant would be those that were faithful in their care for others, “And the King will answer and say to them, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.’” (Matthew 25:40). When the kids were younger, we always made sure that during a gospel meeting that the visiting preacher ate supper with us a couple of times during the week. That hospitality brought our kids closer to Christ by being able to visit and speak to these men in a more relaxed setting then the church building. And who knows, perhaps we will entertain angels unaware by faithfully being hospitable (Hebrews 13:2). 

We must also act faithfully in keeping the commandments of God. John would write, “By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and keep His commandments. For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome” (1 John 5:3). Satan wants us to believe that we cannot faithfully keep the commands of God, that it is too much of a struggle. God says we can, and I trust the Lord! Faithfully keeping the commands of God brings us into a closer relationship with Him. It tells the world there is a better way to live and allows us to let our light shine before men that they may see our good works and glorify our Father in heaven (Matthew 5:16). 

In 2 Chronicles 19:9, God tells the people, “Thus you shall act in the fear of the Lord, faithfully and with a loyal heart” when explaining the reform that would take place under Jehoshaphat. This truth remains today, as Christians that are trying to change the world, live faithfully with a loyal heart!

The Power of Love

Before our first child Ben was born, my mother told me that even though I didn’t know how I would be able to love another person as much as I love Kristina, the greatness of that love I’d have for him would make its way into my heart. And she repeated that advice each time we had another kid, I didn’t know how I could love someone as much as I loved them, and then they were born and sure enough, the power of love changed my heart over and over again.

Love has the power to change all of us. Perhaps this is why love is stressed by God so many times in the Scriptures. It is used 362 times in 323 verses of the Bible. Love is best described by the apostle John, “Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. He who does not love does not know God, for God is love. In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another” (1 John 4:7-11). 

It is the power of love that brings people from different backgrounds together, the shared love they have of God and His Son unites us as one, “For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise” (Galatians 3:27-29).

It is the power of love that puts out the fires of anger toward one another, “Hatred stirs up strife, but love covers all sins” (Proverbs 10:12), “He who covers a transgression seeks love, but he who repeats a matter separates friends” (Proverbs 17:9).

The power of love cannot be ignored! If we are really trying to change who we are and influence those around us, loving one another is a good place to start!

Drawn To Jesus

In John 6:44, Jesus said, “No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him, and I will raise him up at the last day.” What does it mean to be drawn to Jesus? The Lord declares that only the Father in heaven can draw us to Him, but how?  Many religious groups think this is done by building a Family Life Center or gymnasium. Some think having a coffee bar in the foyer is the way to go. Others are convinced people are drawn to Jesus through a basketball team, praise groups, or community outreach programs.

This mentality is not new. People will show up for the external, when the new gymnasium is built, people will flock to that religious group, but it’s not the building that will keep them. In the chapter that Jesus said the Father will draw us to Him, He had feed the multitudes with the five loves of barley bread and two small dried fish. The people were following Jesus for material and left Him when He taught the spiritual (John 6:66). They were not truly drawn to Jesus.

Jesus said the Father will draw us to Him the same way He always has, through the gospel, the good news, of redemption found only in Jesus Christ. Paul stated that he “was not ashamed of the gospel of Christ for it is the power of God unto salvation, to everyone that believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For in it (the gospel) the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, the just shall live by faith” (Romans 1:16, 17).

Recent studies have shown what the millennial generation (age 20-35) is looking for in churches. The results include: warmth, real people, substantial teaching, ministry, leadership, integrity, and whole-person care. Not on the list…programs, “I’m okay, you’re okay” teaching, and bigger buildings. Isn’t it great to know that people are still drawn to Jesus by faithful preaching? Isn’t is encouraging to know that the Lord’s church, under the divine authority for Jesus, is the “pillar and the ground of truth” (1 Timothy 3:15)?

It’s A Small World

There is a ride at Walt Disney World called “It’s a Small World”. Even if you’ve never been there are rode it, you are probably aware of the mind-numbing repetitive song that is played during the ride:

It’s a small world after all, it’s a small world after all.

It’s a small world after all, it’s a small, small, small, small world

It’s a small world after all, it’s a small world after all

It’s a small world after all, it’s a small, small, small, small world

The purpose of the ride and the song is to illustrate that even though the world is made up of different ethnicities, we are still all human beings and that makes the world very small indeed. There are a few lessons I believe we can learn from this song.

First, we are human beings, each with a soul, created in the image of God (Genesis 1:26) and that makes the world very small. Unlike the animal and plant world, humans are unique in the creation. Paul told the people in Athens, “And He has made from one blood every nation of men to dwell on all the face of the earth, and has determined their preappointed times and the boundaries of their dwellings, so that they should seek the Lord, in the hope that they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us; for in Him we live and move and have our being, as also some of your own poets have said, ‘For we are also His offspring.’” (Acts 17:26-28)

Second, as Christians, members of the Lord’s church, wherever we go we can find other Christians to associate with, and many times they know another Christian you know! The church is universal in nature and it makes the world a smaller place. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been far from home, only to find faithful Christians that share the precious faith with me. How is this possible? The church only has one head, Jesus Christ! Paul wrote, “And He put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all” (Ephesians 1:22, 23).

It is truly a small world.

 

Thursday Morning Christians

It is a wonderful privilege to worship the Lord with other Christians on the first day of the week. To participate in the singing, Bible study, prayers, and communion is a great way to start a week. Together we have fellowship with the Lord and His saints. It is a time to focus not so much on the physical but rather on the spiritual. We aren’t inclined to lie, cheat, cuss, steal, or behave in any manner that is unfitting for a Christian when we are gathered together on a Sunday worship service or a Wednesday night Bible Study.

But what about on Thursday morning? Am I still a Christian without being around other Christians? Sadly, some people don’t think being faithful to Christ requires anything beyond the worship. Thankfully, I’ve not seen members of the Lord’s church behave in such a manner, but I have seen the danger of behaving sinfully from those that attend denominations. I’ve heard a religious leader of a local church cuss during a meeting for summer baseball. I’ve seen a “devoted” member of another group buying scratch off lottery tickets. I see them and think how sad the influence they must have on the non-religious. So, I must be diligent to maintain my Christian walk through the week.

Jesus said, “You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven” (Matthew 5:14-16). Letting our light shine isn’t meant just for the corporate worship on a Sunday morning, but Tuesday evening as well.

Paul wrote, “Therefore I run thus: not with uncertainty. Thus I fight: not as one who beats the air. But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified” (1 Corinthians 9:26, 27). I don’t want to preach godly living to others on Sunday and disqualify (reject, castaway) my soul on Saturday morning.

Let us guard the influence we have on others through the week. We should not do anything that would bring reproach upon the name of God, but rather those things that would glorify God, all through the week!

Jesus and Death

I probably do not have to explain what death does to those that are left. While the one that we love has passed from this life, we are filled with emotions that we generally do not exhibit at other times in our life. The searing loss, the endless, uncontrollable tears, and the utter shock are common to all of mankind. We may even wonder in our grief why God would allow death to take our loved ones. We may wonder if God even cares at all. It’s at this point we should be reminded of the death of Lazarus in John 11.

Lazarus and his two sisters, Martha and Mary, lived in the town of Bethany. We know that these three were close friends of our Lord and He loved them very much. Upon receiving news that Lazarus was sick, Jesus waited two more days before He would travel to Bethany, arriving after the death of His dear friend. While the sisters mourned the loss of their brother, they also knew if Jesus had been there before death, Lazarus would have been healed by Jesus. However, Jesus knew what He was going to do and proceeds to the tomb of Lazarus. It’s at this point in the narrative we read, “Therefore, when Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who came with her weeping, He groaned in the spirit and was troubled” (John 11:33). So, let me ask again, does God care how I feel when someone dies? I think the answer is seen in Jesus’ reaction to death – He groaned in the spirit and was troubled. Jesus was not merely annoyed with death, but He was shaken to the core.

B.B. Warfield said of this verse, “It is death that was the object of His wrath, and behind death him who has the power of death, and whom he has come into the world to destroy…What John does for us in this particular statement is to uncover to us the heart of Jesus, as he wins for us salvation. Not in cold unconcern, but in flaming wrath against the foe, Jesus smites in our behalf.”

This description of Jesus at the tomb of Lazarus shows us His purpose for coming into the world, to abolish the grip of death and save us from our sins. As Paul famously summed it up, “So when this corruptible has put on incorruption, and this mortal has put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written: “DEATH IS SWALLOWED UP IN VICTORY.” “O DEATH, WHERE IS YOUR STING? O HADES, WHERE IS YOUR VICTORY?” The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Corinthians 15:54-57).

Works Cited

Warfield, B.B. The Person and Work of Jesus. Philadelphia, 1950.

The Old Gray Hair

I happened to glance in the mirror the other day and was immediately struck by the number of gray hairs I now have. I took a few moments to look at my changing hair and reflected on what I’ve been through in the past. I could name a handful of people that helped “jump-start” the gray hairs with their antagonistic attitude toward me and my family. I thought about my kids growing up, taking more responsibility upon them, but still worrying about their spiritual and physical well-being. I thought about the fact that gray hair is just common with old age, although 41 isn’t that old, is it?

I also thought about people that dye their hair to cover the gray and how people have asked me if I ever thought about dying my hair. While this is not an indictment in anyway on those that might want to cover the old gray hair, it’s not something that I’ve ever wanted to do. I appreciate people that allow the gray to show. It’s like I’m saying that I’m proud of what I’ve been through. I’ve lived life, I survived the struggles, and I have the wisdom to show it.

The Bible speaks favorably of gray hairs, “The glory of young men is their strength, And the splendor of old men is their gray head” (Proverbs 20:29), “The silver-haired head is a crown of glory, If it is found in the way of righteousness (Proverbs 16:31). God has placed honor on the old man and woman, the gray head is their beauty. “You shall rise before the gray headed and honor the presence of an old man, and fear your God: I am the Lord” (Leviticus 19:32). The outward respect due to old age is immediately connected with the fear of God.

Gray hairs are a fact of life. For some, they may come quicker than for others. It shows experience and wisdom that should be respected by all. It’s not something to be ashamed of, but thankful for. Thankful that we’ve lived long enough in the Lord’s service to enjoy the old gray hair.