Author Archives: Dan C.

Famine in the Land

Posted by Dan C. on

Amos 8_11

Amos was a shepherd and a fruit picker from the Judean village of Tekoa that God called to prophesy judgment – doom and captivity for Israel followed by eventual restoration. The sins for which Amos chastens the people are extensive: neglect of God’s Word, idolatry, pagan worship, greed, corrupted leadership, and oppression of the poor.

That passage is a striking reminder that although God’s judgment against the sins of Israel would be severe, there would be another severe famine in the land. God would become silent and there would also be a famine of “hearing of the word of the Lord” – prophetic silence in the most troubling times.

I am so thankful that we have the written Word of God passed down through the centuries ensuring there would never again be a famine of hearing the Word of the Lord.

At the same time, is there a famine of “hearing the Word of the Lord” when the message of the cross of Christ we preach minimizes the seriousness of sin and God’s wrath against it while promises of health, wealth, prosperity and God’s wonderful plans for us take center stage?

Food for Thought

Be Blessed!

Condemned “Already”?

Posted by Dan C. on

 I just searched the internet for “the hard sayings of Jesus” and none of the lists that came back included that passage. Maybe it should be in those lists, but maybe it’s so clear it doesn’t need to be included. They are certainly really strong words, but what does “condemned already” really mean, and why does it matter?

First of all, the larger context of John 3:18 is the well-known late-night conversation between Jesus and Nicodemus somewhere in Jerusalem. We know the story. Nicodemus approached Jesus and acknowledged him as a teacher sent by God. Rather than commenting on having been sent from God, Jesus responded by saying “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.”

Their discussion continued until Jesus utters the most familiar verse in the New Testament:

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16)

But Jesus didn’t stop there. After telling Nicodemus that Jesus came into the world to provide salvation, he spoke of judgment:

“Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.” (John 3:18)

Did that sink in? Everyone who has not believed (trusted) in Christ for eternal life is already (Gr. “even now”) under God’s judgment! Your unsaved family members, friends, neighbors, and fellow employees are right now, even as they live and breathe, facing the wrath of God, just as you were apart from Christ (Eph 2:1-3).

The BIG question. WHY does it matter?

Short answer: If it doesn’t impact the way we share the precious gospel of Jesus Christ, it should!

It’s been said by many that the GOOD news about the gospel of Jesus Christ doesn’t mean much without the BAD news about sin. Perhaps the worst of the bad news about sin isn’t about the things we do/don’t do, or even that we inherited a sinful nature from the first Adam. Maybe it’s knowing and realizing that apart from Christ we are already condemned, as we live and breathe.

Somehow the seriousness of the bad news ends up being minimized, taking a back seat, or is sometimes totally absent when we share the precious gospel with others.

clip_image002I’m not saying you have to be that “repent or perish!” guy (although that’s a true statement). I’m not suggesting you walk up to your unbelieving family member or friend and blurting out “Did you know that you are already condemned?” That would be an instantaneous conversation stopper.

What I am saying that when we share the message of the gospel with others, we get to the BAD news early on in the conversation, whether we start with Romans 3:23 or strike up a conversation about the latest terrible crime in the headlines and why it might have happened.

But even more importantly, in this old soldier’s heart and mind, is being able to picture that unsaved family member or friend not as someone just ‘kinda sorta’ separated from God at the moment, but as a condemned prisoner locked in a cell on death row. I guarantee you that it will transform the way you share the gospel!

BE BLESSED!

The REST of the Verse – Philippians 4:13

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It’s been said by some biblical scholars that the three most important rules for a proper and thorough understanding of the text of Scripture are Context, Context, & Context. By that we mean:

· The immediate context in a section or chapter of Scripture

· The larger context of a particular book in the Bible

· The broad context of the entire Bible and God’s plan for his children

I freely admit that some passages of Scripture can be valuable in and of themselves as precious promises, words of comfort, or even admonition or warning. They can also be used to ‘prove’ one’s personal opinion or preferred interpretation. Examining context can therefore be not only profitable, but extremely edifying.

With that said, let’s examine our passage:

This passage, as well as a few others[1] have been and are used for all sorts of ‘personal empowerment, from the mundane and ordinary (finding lost car keys) to the spectacular (Want to be a pro football player?), and just about every stop in between, where personal accomplishment of something is in view. Does not teach that a Christian is empowered to accomplish any task simply because they are saved?. Is that what it really means? Let’s take a closer look.

1. What is Philippians 2:13 REALLY about?

In Philippians, chapter 3 Paul tells members of the church in Philippi that he longs to see them (v. 1), followed by exhortation, encouragement, and a call to remain steadfast in praying for God’s provision in all things (vv.2-7). Paul then speaks of his great rejoicing that there was a revival of concern for his welfare on the part of Philippian believers. Although Paul finds their concern admirable, he also shares the real source of his strength in ministry in verses 11-13:

11 Not that I speak from need, for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am. 12I know how to get along with little, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need. 13I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.”

So it’s clear that the “all things” mentioned in Philippians 2:13 is about circumstances, not personal accomplishments.

2. What is the REAL promise in our passage?

Paul himself told us a few verses later:

19“My God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus. 20To our God and Father be glory for ever and ever. Amen”

(Philippians 3:19–20).

Just as Paul relied on Christ to provide all of his needs, and just as Christ could provide all of the needs of the believers in Philippi, He promises to meet our needs. Christ can give contentment during times of plenty and times of poverty. He can help us do all things through His strength, no matter what life tosses at us. In Paul’s case, it was the strength to serve as a missionary in the face of hardship and suffering. In our lives, this same strength is available. Whatever our station in life; if we serve in our Armed Forces or as a public servant, in a civilian profession, God will meet all of our needs, wherever we might find ourselves. No matter what, Christ’s power can enable us to stand firm on His promises and endure the most difficult of life’s challenges.

3. Is there a broader principle to recognize here?

If we look at what was possible with Paul in Philippians 4, we find that he was talking about whatever circumstances he encountered during his ministry, including suffering and hardship. When we examine Luke 1:37, we see the fulfillment of prophecy – the birth of John the Baptist, Matthew 19:26 is part of the story of the rich ruler and an answer to a question from the disciples of Jesus; “Who then can be saved?”. Finally, the context of Mark 9:23 concerns the healing of a boy possessed with a demon.

All of the above passages of Scripture had to do with the calling and purposes of God. Paul had been called by God to take the gospel to the Gentiles. Elizabeth had been chosen to give birth to the forerunner of Jesus Christ and the last OT prophet, John the Baptist. Jesus, in answering a question, was declaring that only God has the power to save. The story of the demon possessed boy in Mark was a demonstration of the miracle working power of Jesus and a confirmation of His identity as the long awaited Messiah.

So regardless of what you have believed about Philippians 4:13 et al, now you have. . .

. . .the REST of the verse!

BE BLESSED!

[1] Luke 1:37, Matthew 19:26, Mark 9:23

Then Luther Arose – The Necessity of Reforming the Church

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More than 450 years ago, a request came to John Calvin to write on the character of and need for reform in the church. The circumstances were quite different from those that inspired other writings of Calvin, and enable us to see other dimensions of his defense of the Reformation. The Emperor Charles V was calling the Diet of the Holy Roman Empire to meet in the city of Speyer in 1544. Martin Bucer, the great reformer of Strassburg, appealed to Calvin to draft a statement of the doctrines of and necessity for the Reformation. The result was remarkable. Theodore Beza, Calvin’s friend and successor in Geneva, called “The Necessity for Reforming the Church” the most powerful work of his time.[i]

Here is an excerpt from Calvin’s appeal to the Emperor:

“At the time when divine truth lay buried under this vast and dense cloud of darkness — when religion was sullied by so many impious superstitions — when by horrid blasphemies the worship of God was corrupted, and His glory laid prostrate — when by a multitude of perverse opinions, the benefit of redemption was frustrated, and men, intoxicated with a fatal confidence in works, sought salvation any where rather than in Christ— when the administration of the Sacraments was partly maimed and torn asunder, partly adulterated by the admixture of numerous fictions, and partly profaned by traffickings for gain — when the government of the Church had degenerated into mere confusion and devastation — when those who sat in the seat of pastors first did most vital injury to the Church by the dissoluteness of their lives, and, secondly, exercised a cruel and most noxious tyranny over souls, by every kind of error, leading men like sheep to the slaughter; — then Luther arose, and after him others, who with united counsels sought out means and methods by which religion might be purged from all these defilements, the doctrine of godliness restored to its integrity, and the Church raised out of its calamitous into somewhat of a tolerable condition. The same course we are still pursuing in the present day.”

(John Calvin. The Necessity of Reforming the Church- John Calvin (Kindle Locations 331-341). Kindle Edition.)

The entire work can be downloaded for free from Monergism.com in in .mobi, ePub, .pdf & html formats. A newer translation is available from Amazon.com with a foreword from Dr. W. Robert Godfrey, which includes A Reply to Cardinal Sadoleto, Calvin’s letter defending the work of reformation as it was applied in the city of Geneva.

[i] John Calvin on the Necessity for Reforming the Church

GOOD NEWS and BAD NEWS

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How many times have we all heard something like “I have good news & bad news for you, what do you want to hear first?” You don’t have to answer that. If we haven’t personally heard it from the local car mechanic or refrigerator repairman we’ve seen it countless times in movies, cartoons and social media memes.

Here’s another question: “How many times have you shared the message of the gospel of Jesus Christ starting with God’s wonderful plan for an unbelieving friend’s life and saved the bad news for a later in the conversation?” I plead “guilty as charged”.

One more question (for now): “When did you realize that the first thing you need to do to fix something that’s not working properly or broken is to identify the problem?”

Back to Genesis. We know the story. God created a “very good” world for the first couple. Adam and Eve sinned against God by disobeying the one commandment God had given them They were cast out of Eden; their perfect relationship with their Creator broken; the consequences of their sin reverberating throughout history, all the way to us today.

Not only did God tell Adam and Eve the consequences of their sin, but He also spoke to the serpent (Satan), announcing both bad news and good news:

“I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.” (Genesis 3:15, ESV)

Satan’s judgment announced the bad news that there will be ongoing spiritual warfare between the children of the devil and the descendants of the woman. At the same time, it announced the good news that one special man from the woman’s seed would destroy the works of the devil, although He would be wounded in the process.

That verse is known as the “first gospel”, or “protoevangelium”, proclaiming the BAD news of SIN and the GOOD news of the Gospel![i]

One last question: “Shouldn’t the “first gospel” be the model we use when presenting the gospel message to the lost world around us?” After all, it’s common sense that identifying the problem should always come before recommending the solution. In the case of God’s gospel, there are eternal consequences.

[i] What is the Protoevangelium?

“I don’t know the answer to THAT, but I know THIS!”

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Once upon a time there was an American Community Quality of Life Board at a NATO base in Italy. There were quarterly board meetings in the Navy Admiral Base Commander’s conference room attended by Board committee chairmen (all Officers except for a lone Sergeant Major) and the Admiral, who called upon each of the committee chairmen to provide a status report on their respective issues.

The various committee representatives would take turns sitting in a special corner chair next to the Admiral, present their status reports, and answer the Admiral’s questions. It was not uncommon to hear committee chairs stutter and stammer if asked a tough question. The SGM was however an exception to the pattern. He was heard more than once replying to a question from the Admiral with “I don’t know the answer to THAT, but I do know THIS!”, followed by the latest news about the topic at hand.

OK, so what’s the point?

Thanks for asking! In reply, let me ask you a question. When’s the last time you were engaged in a discussion with another Christian about an interesting topic like say, end times prophecy and the second coming of Christ? After all, there are several different views, some of which have been so carefully thought out and articulated they have been given formal names ending in “ism”.

It’s quite common for us Christians to think we need to subscribe to one “ism” or another and then discuss why our particular favorite “ism” is either the best one or even THE correct view. Am I wrong? I didn’t think so.

Perhaps a better approach might be to learn about the different views, discuss them with other Christians and maybe even end up with a personal preference without needing to come to a conclusion. Instead, remain friends with your discussion partners and just wait and see how it all turns out.

At the same time, we can certainly search the scriptures to determine what we can definitely know and, as Bible believing Christians, agree upon.

The second coming of Christ is a good example. I realize that there are some who will tell you that Christ’s 2nd coming is a done deal (one of those “isms”) but we won’t go there. If we want to discover what we can absolutely know about it, we can turn to Paul’s letters to the Thessalonian church.

Paul wrote those letters because certain people in the church had been teaching that the Lord had already come and that Judgment Day was upon them (2 Thess 2:1–2). Worse yet, those false teachers were alleging that their message came from Paul. Paul wrote to let them know that the “day of the Lord” was still in the future and described the events that would occur at Chris’s coming.

First of all, Christ’s return would be rather noisy and missed by no one. We’re talking about at least three audible manifestations; “a cry of command,” “the voice of an archangel,” and “the sound of the trumpet of God” (1 Thess. 4:16).

Second, at His coming Christians who had already died, as well as Christians who were still alive would be resurrected to meet Christ in the air and forever remain with Him (I Thess 4:16-17).

Third, severe judgment and everlasting punishment would befall the remaining unbelieving world (2 Thess 1:5-9).

Lastly, Paul’s concern for the Thessalonians is a prominent theme in both of his letters to the Thessalonians This concern is rooted in his deep pastoral care and commitment to the spiritual well-being of the believers in Thessalonica, as well as the well-being of Christians wherever he founded churches.

I suppose it’s quite common for Christians to want to understand everything in the Bible. However, that desire has resulted in a lot of ‘isms’ (for lack of a better word) that claim to have it all figured out when the Bible isn’t really clear. To make it worse, the creators of ‘isms’ through the decades have an uncanny knack of discovering those texts that they claim to ‘prove’ their conclusions but really only ‘imply’ that they might be correct. Some call that “eisegesis”, which is reading into the text what they want it to say. We would be far better off if we just stick to what we KNOW it says and leave the rest in God’s hands.

To summarize, the next time you are involved in a discussion about a biblical topic that has various differing interpretations among genuine Christians, try and steer the conversation toward discovering what we can actually know from the text of scripture. The “isms” will be all sorted out later!

BE BLESSED!

What Does It Mean to Fear the Lord?

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Key Verses

Genesis 20:11; Job 6:14; Psalm 19:9; Proverbs 1:7; 2:5; 3:7; 9:10; Jeremiah 32:40

“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom” is probably the best known verse in the Bible dealing with “fearing the Lord.” Fear is not something people normally desire to have. It is an emotion we would like to do without. Yet, the book of Proverbs says that the “fear of the Lord” is a good thing.

The Hebrew word yirʾah may mean “fear,” “reverence,” or “piety.” It comes from the root verb yareʾ, “to fear,” or “to be afraid.” The word indicates a genuine fear and respect for the Lord, but it is a fear that results in spiritual, moral and ethical health and wealth before both God and people in the book of Proverbs.

The word refers to the simple, but real fear of “briars and thorns” because of the physical damage they may cause (Isa. 7:25). The destructive judgments that God could bring upon a land or nation engendered fear among the people (Ezek. 30:13), fearing for their lives (Jonah 1:10, 16). The Lord put the fear of Israel upon the nations of Canaan so that they would not try to stand against His people—but rather stand in dread of them (Deut. 2:25).

The Lord came in an awesome epiphany at Mount Sinai to cause the people to fear Him so that they would not sin (Exod. 20:20). So from the beginning the fear of God made a moral and spiritual impression upon God’s people. The fear of Him engendered obedience to Him and righteous living. It was never to engender fear for fear itself.

Proverbs features the “fear of the Lord.” Those who hate knowledge are those who do not fear (yirʾah) the Lord. The person who fears the Lord shuns evil (Prov. 3:7)—in fact, the author says that to fear the Lord is to hate evil (Prov. 8:13). Because of the improvement in someone’s lifestyle when he or she fears God, that person’s mental and emotional condition and sometimes even his or her “length of life” improves (Prov. 10:27). The fear of God, rather than being a detriment to a full life, becomes a fountain of life (Prov. 14:27).

For the people of God, the fear of people can be detrimental. But the fear of God is always beneficial (Prov. 29:25). Paradoxically, the person who fears (yirʾah) God does not need to fear anything or anyone else. Jesus agreed with this Old Testament teaching. He told His disciples who they were to Job 6:14; fear—fear God, not man (see Luke 12:5).[1]

[1] Eugene E. Carpenter and Philip W. Comfort, Holman Treasury of Key Bible Words: 200 Greek and 200 Hebrew Words Defined and Explained (Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2000), 60.

What Does it Mean to Believe in Christ?

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John 3_15

Believe

Greek expression: pisteuō, Pronunciation: pee STEW oh

Strong’s Number: 4100

Key Verses

John 1:7, 12; 2:23–24; 3:15–16, 36; 6:47; 11:25; 14:1; 20:31

“Believe me, you don’t want to go down that road,” is a common statement which all of us have heard at one time or another. The message is clear: though you can’t see what is down the road, the other person has knowledge of danger. That person is telling you to trust his word rather than experience the danger for yourself and suffer the consequences. If you don’t “go down that road,” you trusted the person. There was belief that what he said was true. The Greek word for believe, pisteuō, literally means “to place one’s trust in another.” It occurs over 90 times (always as a verb) in the Gospel of John alone. Quite often the verb denotes that one must accept that something is true—that is, simple credence or belief. For example, Jesus said, “Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father in me” (John 14:11) and, “If you had believed Moses, you would believe me” (John 5:46).

Even more significant is the special expression for pisteuō, “to believe into,” in the sense of putting one’s trust into another. The particular form of the expression is found only in the fourth Gospel. It expresses the strong sense of personal trust in the eternal Word made flesh. In John 3:16 whoever puts trust in Him has eternal life. “Believers” are given power to become sons of God—to be born of God (John 1:12). They will never thirst—they will live, even though they die (John 6:35; 11:25).

In other places, John speaks of belief or trust as an absolute, without referring to the one in whom trust is placed. In John 11:15 Jesus arrives after the death of Lazarus and He is glad “… so that you may believe.” Similarly in the prologue, John the Baptist bears witness to Jesus in order that through him all might have faith and believe (John 1:7). As Jesus satisfies the doubt of Thomas concerning the resurrection, he says, “Because you have seen Me, have you believed? Blessed are they who did not see, and yet believed” (John 20:29, nasb).

Belief and knowledge are closely related. In John 6:69, Peter says, “We have believed and have come to know that You are the Holy One of God.” In His priestly prayer, Jesus says that eternal life is that believers “may know Thee, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom Thou hast sent” (John 17:3, nasb). The Bible says that he who has seen Jesus has seen the Father (John 14:9). No one has ever seen God and lived, but since Jesus has revealed the Father to us, we can see God through the eyes of faith (John 1:18). To believe is also expressed in the verb receive. Those who receive Christ are given power to become the sons of God (John 1:12). Trust is that form of knowing or seeing by which the glory of God (John 1:14; 17:4) is made present.[i]

nasb New American Standard Bible

[i] Eugene E. Carpenter and Philip W. Comfort, Holman Treasury of Key Bible Words: 200 Greek and 200 Hebrew Words Defined and Explained (Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2000), 234.

“Christianity Is Not a Religion, It’s a Relationship”

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We’ve all probably heard that Christian cliché. We’ve seen it as bumper stickers, Facebook memes, and billboard messages. It sounds great, and a lot of Christians love it! But is it true? Let’s take a closer look.

That Christianity is based on a relationship with Jesus Christ goes without saying, is self-understood (selbstverständlich in German – I love that word!). I seriously doubt that there are any Christians that would dispute that fact. It’s the “not a religion” bit that could use the closer look.

First of all, let’s examine a dictionary. Our old friend, Merriam-Webster[i] gives ‘religion’ two definitions:

    1. “the service and worship of God or the supernatural”
    2. “commitment or devotion to religious faith or observance”

Next, let’s see what the Bible has to say about Christianity and religion:

“If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person’s religion is worthless. Religion that is pure and undefiled before God the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world.” (James 1:26-27)

Case closed? Not quite. There’s an evangelistic aspect to our beloved cliché. We’ll start with a question.

How many times have you told someone with whom you are sharing the message of the gospel that what was missing in his/her life was a relationship with Jesus Christ? Be honest. Are you ready for an intellectual speed bump? It might be a big one, but I hope not. Hold on to your hat!

Every single human being already has a relationship with Christ! Every single one! Let’s ex[plain that starting with the easiest part. In Christian terms, every person on the planet is either saved or lost, headed for Heaven or the warmer place with no air conditioning. Still with me? Maybe, maybe not? What dies the Bible have to say?

As it turns out, both Jesus and the Apostle Paul had something to say:

In His late evening conversation with the Jewish teacher Nicodemus, Jesus said that God gave his only son so that anyone who believes in Him has eternal life (John 3:16 again). Then Jesus added the following:

“Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.” (v. 18)

There we are again with two kinds of people in the world – those who believe in Christ and those who don’t.

Later, the apostle Paul, in his letter to the church in Ephesus, had this to say about the former lives of those who became believers in Christ:

“You were dead in the trespasses and sins, in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience—among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind.” (Ephesians 2:1-3)

Dear readers, It doesn’t get much clearer than that. “Whoever” means “whoever” and “we all were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind” means ‘ladi dadi everybody’. (military jargon).

What does that have to do with evangelism? Well, the next time, and every time after that, when you find yourself sharing the message of the gospel with an unbelieving family member, school mate, co-worker, or acquaintance on the street keep those passages deep in your heart. They describe that person with whom you are sharing the promise of salvation in Christ. It will take your burden for that dear one to the next level. I promise!

I almost forgot. In case you missed it, Christianity is BOTH a religion AND a relationship!

[i] Merriam-Webster, Inc. Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary. 2003.

CHRISTIAN MASCULINITY: THE MAN GOD HASN”T CALLED YOU TO BE

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That’s the title of an article I read this morning that I will link to at the bottom of this short post. I found the article because a post popped up in my FB feed about a book called “The DNA of a Man: How Your God-Given Masculinity Rebuilds Your Mind, Your Marriage, and Your Mission” that the post author was selling directly for $7:00 that Amazon also sells for $7:99 (Kindle) and $19:99 (Hardcover and Paperback).

The FB post talked about all the things that the author had tried in order to overcome all sorts of problems with his marriage and how he had been totally emasculated by his wife. He had tried everything in  areas connected to his faith (church going, doing what his church taught him about loving and serving his wife, etc) and they had all failed.

He “discovered” (God told him) how to regain his “God-given masculinity” and promised that if you would just buy his book all sorts of great things would happen. Per his ad, you could even find out the hidden key to God’s design for masculinity that’s in the book of Genesis!

Since I am old and have read and studied the Bible for a few decades now and have never found God’s plan for my “masculinity” taught in its pages, my FB comment to “Follow the money.” wasn’t well received. I was finally blocked, but not after I posted a couple of quotes from the article I am referencing that clearly stated what the Bible says about being a godly man.

Anyhow, here’s the link to the article. I didn’t find anything new about being a man of God, but I did find out the roots of the “Christian masculinity” movement.

Christian masculinity – Converge or https://www.convergemedia.org/christian-masculinity/

Enjoy the read, share it and let me know what you think. Smile