Making Things Clear

Yesterday I referred to a study in 1 Corinthians.  We are in 15 (here @ BibleGateway) this week.  14 (here @ BibleGateway) Last week.  12 – 14 is a difficult passage.  This time through I saw something that was tangential to the typical discussion that is usually started when one engages with 14.  

Before we get into that, lets think about one of, if not the major, theme of 1 Corinthians.  In each chapter Paul seems to deal with an issue that is causing division in the Corinthian church.  For instance:

Chapter	Divisive Issue
1	Competition of whose mentor is best
2	Lack of growth
3	Arrogance of conversion
4	Pride or Arrogance toward leaders
5	Misplaced tolerance
6	Mishandling of legal issues
7	male female relationships
8	Liberty misused
9	Rights demanded
10	Forgetting all in the same situation, choosing what one likes without regard for the choice’s impact on others
11	Misbehavior at the Lord’s table, differences about head coverings
12	Spiritual gifts
13	Lack of love

Which brings us to 14.  Most would probably suggest that it is a rehearsal or expansion of chapter 12, and at some level that is correct.  But, I believe there is more going on under the surface of the arguments Paul is making.  There are hints of this all through the chapter but 14:10 - 11 (here @ BibleGateway) is perhaps the clearest example.  Paul remarks that there are many languages and if two people are not speaking the same language one will think the other is a barbarian, they are not communicating.  

As I thought through the chapter, it began to dawn that that issues of not communicating was underlying all of what Paul is saying in this chapter.  Whether it is tongues, either in the charismatic sense, or prophecy, if those hearing do not understand what is being said, there is no edification in the church.

Shortly after thinking this through, I was in several meetings that included both staff at churches and men in Bible studies, I observed miscommunication happening in each meeting.  One person would say something and the person listening would hear something else and respond to what they thought they heard rather than what was said.

That happens between generations as well.  I am a baby boomer.  I have a different language, for the most part, than millennials.  I must work to both understand what they are saying, and work to communicate what I am thinking to them in language that they understand.

This past weekend we had a speaker that used the DISC personality inventory to help those in our church understand the different ways that different personalities communicate and hear what is communicated to them.  It was again a validation of what I saw in 14.

When I read articles on current events, I sometimes wonder from what planet the person writing the article recently arrived.  They are viewing what I see through a completely different lens.  

Interestingly When you consider Paul’s prayer request in Colossians 4:3– 4 (here @ BibleGateway), the main thing he is asking for is to be able to speak clearly, to make the mystery of the gospel clear to those to whom he speaks.  Communication.  James in 3:1 – 12 (here @ BibleGateway), you know the passage, the word translated tongue is the same word that is used in 1 Corinthians that is similarly translated tongue or tongues.  Lastly, in Genesis 11:6 (here @ BibleGateway), the Lord looking at what the people were building in the plain in Shinar, acknowledged that they all spoke the same language, thus they could do anything they chose to do.

If we communicate, across generations, across theological differences, across cultural differences, as believers, think of what we can do in pursuing first the Kingdom, Matthew 6:33 (here @ BibleGateway).

Growth by Praying for Others

I often ask others how I can be praying for them.  There is also another question I ask; I wrote about that here.  

A few weeks back, I asked a man for whom I have a lot of respect, how I could be praying for him.  He replied that he was anxious.  Later as I pondered his request – I want to be clear he had reason to be anxious – it occurred to me that when we are anxious, it is evidence of, possibly several deficiencies in our understanding and/or our relationship with Him.

We all may have Philippians 4:6 – 7 (here @ BibleGateway) memorized, but that doesn’t mean that we find it easy to live that out.  We still get anxious about “nothing.”  Psalm 139:3 (here @ BibleGateway) reminds us that God has scrutinized our path*.  That word means that He has examined our path beyond how a civil engineer examines the aggregate used to mix the concrete in our roads.  So in a real sense when we are anxious we are not trusting Him.

Nothing comes our way without Him knowing.  Nothing comes our way without intention.  Personally, I need to be continually reminded of that truth.  By asking my friend how I could pray for him, I was reminded and challenged in my own trust of God’s scrutiny of my own life’s path.  

Yet another example of the genius of the Lord’s commands to us.  We are to love one another, and pray for one another in so doing we are exhorted, challenged, and built up not only in our relationships with one another but also in our walk with Him.

*I have written a lot on this Psalm in this blog, there are several posts if you would like to see them type Psalm 139 in the “Search This Blog” tool at the top of the column next to this post.  Then I would suggest sort by date.

20210109 Training for Ministry? Part 2

Yesterday’s post ended asking you to consider two verses, 2 Timothy 2:24 – 25 (here @ Bible Gateway) and 2 Timothy 4:2 (here @ Bible Gateway).  Note that when you compare these passages to 2 Timothy 3:16 – 17 (here @ Bible Gateway) all three passages essentially have the same four actions. 

Consider this chart:

2 Timothy 2:24 - 25	2 Timothy 3:16	2 Timothy 4:2
Teach	Teaching	Proclaim
Correct	Reproof	Reprove
Repentance	Correction	Rebuke
Knowledge of the Truth	Training in Righteousness	Exhort

As you can see the four actions are similar if not identical.  

In 2 Timothy 2:24 – 25 (here @ Bible Gateway), Paul is challenging Timothy to confront false teachers, or in other words, those who do not have a relationship with the Lord, non-Christians.

In 2 Timothy 4:2 (here @ Bible Gateway), Paul is challenging Timothy to share truth with believers, Christians, those in his ministry in Ephesus. 

However, in 2 Timothy 3:16 – 17 (here @ Bible Gateway), Paul is challenging Timothy to be in the Word for himself, to follow Paul’s example, allowing the Word to teach him, reprove him, correct him, and train him.  This is also the ministry of the Word of God in our lives.

Further, note that 2 Timothy 2:24 – 25 (here @ Bible Gateway) and 2 Timothy 4:2 (here @ Bible Gateway) mirror 2 Timothy 3:16 – 17  (here @ Bible Gateway), the ministry of the Word of God in our lives.  The implication seems to be that our effectiveness in sharing with both non-believers and believers is dependent on our being in the Word first.

In Deuteronomy 6:6 – 7, 20 (here @ Bible Gateway), we are told that we are to always share the Word with our children.  In a sense we are helping them learn to process life through the grid of the Scripture.  In Ephesians 6:25 – 31 (here @ Bible Gateway), Paul outlines a husband’s responsibility for his wife.  It is a ministry to build her up and present her to the Lord with out spot or wrinkle, holy and blameless.

If what we read in 2 Timothy is true, then is seems that the prerequisite for our being successful in serving our wives and our children is for us as husbands and fathers to be consistently in the Word.

What do you think?

Training for Ministry?

A few years back I was asked to lead a seminar on how to study the Bible at the headquarters of a well know Christian organization.  It was essentially the same seminar that I have done in 10 weeks compressed into about 4 days.  During one of the last hours together one of the staff asked me if I thought that training staff was essentially Bible study.  I did not answer the question well.  About three years later I tracked down the staff member that asked the question and we talked through the issue.

Essentially, my answer was Bible study is the starting point and the foundation of all equipping for any Christian ministry.  

In this blog a reading plan has been mentioned several times.  The plan was put together by a Scottish minister, Robert Murray M’Cheyne.  It has been an enormous help to me.  So much so that I wanted to know more about this man whom the Lord took at the age of 30.  I got a copy of his biography and have been slowly reading it.  There is early in the book a key passage:

Mr. Alexander Somerville (afterwards minister of Anderston Church, Glasgow) was his familiar friend and companion in the gay scenes of his youth.  And he, too, about this time, having been brought to taste the powers of the world to come, they united their efforts for each other’s welfare.  They met together for the study of the Bible, and used to exercise themselves in the Septuagint Greek and the Hebrew original.  But oftener still they met for prayer and solemn converse; and carrying on all their studies in the same spirit, watched each other’s steps in the narrow way. (Memoir and Remains, Andrew A. Bonar)

Note that these two men who were struggling to walk with the Lord amid a world that was pulling at them, chose to fight by joining together to study God’s word.  This is a good example of Hebrews 3:13 (here @ Bible Gateway).  This is a key concept.  These men joined together to help each other excel in the Christian life.  What did they do?  They started by studying the Word of God together.

In 2 Timothy 3:14 – 4:4 (here @ Bible Gateway), Paul tells Timothy essentially the same thing.  Timothy is to continue in the Word of God.  All of us know 3:16 – 17 (here @ Bible Gateway), the four things the Word does, teach, reprove, correct, and train.  But have you noticed that Paul repeats those four impacts of the Word in two other places in 2 Timothy?  Consider 2 Timothy 2:24 – 25 (here @ Bible Gateway) and 4:2 (here @ Bible Gateway).

In the next post we will unpack these two passages, consider some of the implications of Paul’s statements, and catalog some ways they apply to men leading their families.

Burning Fire

Jeremiah 20:9 (here @ Bible Gateway) is a passage that both challenges and encourages me.  It also seems to provide a metric of sorts for us.

The context is telling.  Jeremiah has been sharing the Word that the Lord has given him.  The result, in the immediate context, he is beaten and put in the stocks.  Throughout the book when Jeremiah shares the Word of God he is rejected, beaten, imprisoned, or worse.

Regardless of the result, Jeremiah cannot contain himself, he has to share the Word the Lord has given him.

That is a challenge.  Do I have such a love, reference, and heart for God that I am unable to refrain from sharing what I have learned from Him?  A better question may be, am I learning anything?

In no way would I suggest that I have the attitude that Jeremiah had.  There are times though that as a result of my time in the Word there are things that I want to share; actually, must share.

I wonder if that is the measure of abiding?  We spend time with the Lord in His Word to the point where we can’t wait to share with someone what we saw in our time with Him in His Word.  If that is the case, think of how the command to build one another up might be impacted.

Accountability

You have probably heard of accountability groups.  You may be in one.  There is a lot of talk and a lot written on holding each other accountable.

You may have heard about or experienced the use of questions in these groups.  Here is a list of several, here are five that I have experienced:

1. Have you been with a woman anywhere this past week that might be seen as compromising?
2. Have any of your financial dealings lacked integrity?
3. Have you exposed yourself to any sexually explicit material?
4. Have you spent adequate time in Bible study and prayer?
5. Have you given priority time to your family?
6. Have you fulfilled the mandates of your calling?
7. Have you just lied to me

This idea of accountability has gained a lot of traction in the Church.  One problem, the word “accountable” does not appear anywhere in the text of the Bible as a directive or description of the relationship between individual believers.  Instead the word is used to describe our relationship to God.  Check out:

• Daniel 6:2 (here @ Bible Gateway)
• Ezekiel 3:18 (here @ Bible Gateway)
• Ezekiel 3:20 (here @ Bible Gateway)
• Ezekiel 33:6 (here @ Bible Gateway)
• Ezekiel 33:8 (here @ Bible Gateway)
• Ezekiel 34:10 (here @ Bible Gateway)
• Jonah 1:14 (here @ Bible Gateway)
• Romans 3:19 (here @ Bible Gateway) (not only the only time the English word appears it is the only use of the Greek word in the New Testament)

You will note that in the Bible the idea of accountability in these texts, and they are the only places that the English word “accountable” appears, is toward God not toward man.  By the way these are all the passages in our English Bibles that have any Hebrew or Greek word translated accountable...

So what do we make of this?

The Bible does give us direction on how we are to engage with one another (not an exhaustive list):

• John 13:34 – 35 (here @ Bible Gateway)
• Ephesians 4:11 - 16 (here @ Bible Gateway)
• 2 Timothy 2:24 – 25 (here @ Bible Gateway)
• 2 Timothy 3:14 – 17 (here @ Bible Gateway)
• 2 Timothy 4:1 – 2 (here @ Bible Gateway)
• Hebrews 3:13 (here @ Bible Gateway)
• Hebrews 10:24 – 25 (here @ Bible Gateway)

The words used in these passages are words like build up, encourage, reprove, rebuke, exhort, teach, correct, and arguably the most important, love one another.  I ran across an article that had a paragraph that seemed spot on:

In The Duty, Owen writes that church members should, of their own accord, “assemble together, to consider one another, to provoke unto love and good works, to stir up the gifts that are in them, yielding and receiving mutual consolation by the fruits of their most holy faith.” During these gatherings, Owen tells believers to warn the idle, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak (1 Thessalonians 5:14 (here @ Bible Gateway)), help one another understand the Word of God better (Acts 18:26 (here @ Bible Gateway)), help one another be on guard against the heart-hardening effects of sin (Hebrews 3:13 (here @ Bible Gateway)), gently restore those who have are trapped in sin (Galatians 6:1 (here @ Bible Gateway)), encourage and build up one another in the faith (1 Thessalonians 5:11; Jude 20 (here @ Bible Gateway)), and pray for one another (1 John 5:16 (here @ Bible Gateway)). – How John Owen Would Run an Accountability Group.  Links to Bible Gateway added.

It would seem from considering the text of the Bible that possibly the idea of holding one another accountable is a means of attempting to deal with sin by asking questions rather than building up one another in our relationship and dependence on Christ and the Holy Spirit.

What do you think?

Incremental Victories

There have been issues in my life and ministry that the Lord immediately changed.  One was my focus on what was ultimately important, not airplanes but people.  Another was an immediate and sustained hunger for His Word.

But other issues took time.  Swearing was one.

Some I was able to overcome, later attempted, with some success, to reassert themselves.

Some, like journaling, I was off and on with for years and now has become consistent.

In ministry engaging people in the Word is a strength, but prayer is a challenge.

The point is not everything in this journey is easy.  Further, things that we may have nailed down today, may break loose tomorrow.

Why?

There are probably more reasons than we can possibly cover in a short post.  Someone has probably written a book about this.  But I find help on this in some places in the Word.  First, in Exodus 23:29 – 30 (here @ Bible Gateway).  When the Lord was sending Israel into the land, it was not done overnight.  It was a process.  He wanted them to take the land incrementally.  The stated purpose was so that the land would not become desolate.

I resist allegorizing the text.  Detest is probably a better representation of my reaction to that type of reading of the text.  With that firmly in mind Romans 15:4 – 5 (here @ Bible Gateway) tells me that this passage is given for my instruction.

Now it is not the case that I am currently engaged in a war of conquest of a large land mass.  It is the case that I have been enlisted in a project to help change the culture of a number of communities in which I am involved.

In both the war and the project there is resistance.  In my case if there was not resistance I would find myself in a situation where people would want help and because there were not enough leaders equipped to give that help, the communities would become frustrated and much future opportunity would be lost.

Romans 15:4 – 5 (here @ Bible Gateway) reminds us that this is a journey, a mission that requires perseverance.  Facilitating change, is part of that journey both personally and in a community of believers.

From time to time I forget that.  When I do, discouragement surfaces.  I have to be reminded that this is a journey of perseverance.  That requires me to abide in Him, in His Word, and in fellowship with others that are pulling with me in the traces.

Standing Alert

If you are like me, there are times when you just need to check out.  Yesterday was like that.  For some reason, perhaps it was the cumulative effect of the last several weeks, I was out of it.  I did not want to do much of anything.  Pretty much vegged out.  It doesn’t happen often, but it happens.

At some significant level, I fear those times.  I fear they will become more frequent, normal.  That scares me.

I also fear that there are more and more people who live vegged out.  They do not think for themselves, they accept what the “experts” tell them.  They do not stretch or challenge their thinking, they opt continually for entertainment, fiction, movies, TV series.

This afternoon I was reviewing a journal entry from early last year.  The passage that started the thought was Matthew 24:42 (here @ Bible Gateway).  The phrase in the passage that caught my attention was “be on the alert”.  I jotted down several other passages that echoed that imperative. 

That caused me to look for other places that word showed up in the text.  So I searched in Logos for instances where the Greek word that was translated “be alert” showed up.  Here is that list.

The command to be on the alert seems to be a relatively consistent theme in the New Testament.  It seems that there are two primary reasons for this consistent exhortation.  First, we have a Lord that will return for us, and we are to be alert, looking for His return, being about His business, not, as I was yesterday, vegged out.

Second, we have an enemy who would love nothing more than to take us out.  Which will be easier for him if we are, like I was yesterday, vegged out.

It is almost as if the Lord is calling us to stand watch.  We are to stand watch over ourselves, our families, our communities, and the Truth.

It is an assignment that I need to take more seriously.  What do you see in those passages?

Means or End

I was able to finish the search I started yesterday, this time without tears.  The passage I was looking for is Acts 4:13 (here @ Bible Gateway).  While it turns out I have written on it before, this time it is from a different perspective.

In the last weeks and months there have been several conversations with which I have been involved that focused on some sort of discipline of the Christian life.  For instance, Bible study, Scripture memory, quiet time, prayer, how to make the most out of Christian meetings, and other basics in which those of us who are pursuing a relationship with Christ, should be engaged.

While these disciplines are important they are not the end.  However, at times there are those of us who will measure how we are doing in the Christian life by how we are doing in these disciplines.

Take a look at Acts 4:13 (here @ Bible Gateway).  The passage is striking for a number of reasons.  Peter and John were not educated men.  They were fishermen.  They knew boats, weather, fish behavior, how to read the water, and how to find the fish.  They were brought before the educated, the priests, the rulers, the elders, and the scribes.  Men who knew the Bible, men who studied, men who had been mentored, taught by others the intricacies of the Law.  From and education standpoint Peter and John were far outclassed.

Then Peter spoke.

He blew their minds.  It was not a small explosion.  The priest, rulers, elders, and scribes recognized that they were “untrained,” but were nevertheless amazed.  They attributed it to their having been with Jesus.

That’s the point is it not?

That is what the Lord told the Pharisees in John 5:39 – 40 (here @ Bible Gateway).  For the Pharisees and by extension the priests, the rulers, the elders, and the scribes, it was about the Word of God.  These had the first five books of the Bible memorized.  Jesus told them that this was not sufficient.  They studied, they memorized, they probably spent time in personal devotion in the Law, they prayed, they were regular in the synagogue, some even taught there.  Jesus said they missed the point.

It wasn’t about knowing all of those things or engaging in all those disciplines.  It was about knowing Him.  Coming to Him.  Following Him.

It is the same for us.  Those disciplines are important, key, and indispensable in our walk with Him.  But engaging in those disciplines to the extent that they are what we measure, keep track of or revel in is missing the same point that the Pharisees missed.  They are tools.  Essential tools, but tools nonetheless.  If through them we are not learning more of Him, if we are not growing closer to Him through our engagement with those tools we are missing it.

The whole point of engaging in these, even in reading this blog or Christian books, is to get to know Him better.  If it is not working that way for you.  Something needs to change.  If you are in a group of guys, or if you are meeting with someone regularly to talk about your Christian life, tell them you are struggling with this.  What you are doing, rather the amount of it, is not the issue.  The issue is through what you are doing, are you increasing in your relationship with Him.

I have to continually check this.  It’s kind of like the scheduled maintenance on your car.  If you do not pay attention the car will wear out and not work as well.  Same thing with us.  We need to continually ask are we knowing Him better or has our focus drifted on to the means rather than the end.

Bringing our Loved ones and Friends to the Lord

You may remember that the last book in our Bible is Revelation.  You may be put off by its imagery and apocalyptic discourse.  At a significant level, I am.

In one of the studies that the Lord allowed me to lead, I was asked several times to cover Revelation.  Each time I was able to deflect the request to another book.  However, at one point I finally gave in.

Typically I do not use commentaries in my study.  Why?  For the most part the commentaries do not address the questions that I bring to them.  I have found that if I invest the time in prayerful observation, that John 16:13 continually is validated as true.

But for this study, Revelation, I acquired multiple commentaries.  Most of them did not help, two did.  But again it was the prayerful observation that yielded most in the study.

With that in mind look at Revelation 9:20 – 21 (here @ Bible Gateway).

I have been in many conversations over the years that went somewhat along the lines of, “If only God would punish __________, people would repent and follow Him…”

However, these verses seems to throw buckets of cold water on that notion.  It seems that punishment for sin, no matter how dire, will not bring men to repentance.  If anything they seem to dig in their heels and fight harder for the right to continue in sin.

Rather, it is the draw and conviction by the Holy Spirit alone that will bring men to dependence on Him.  To accept the lavishly gracious offer of a life free from the reality of the punishment that our sin demands.  To accept life from Him rather from the death that we have purchased with our rebellion.

So, if you are concerned about one of your family or friend’s standing with Jesus.  Rather than continually push them or guilt them toward Christ, pray.  Pray that the Spirit will draw them to the Lord.  This combination is most clearly shared by Paul in 2 Timothy 2:24 – 25 (here @ Bible Gateway).  We share in kindness knowing it is the Lord that grants their decision to change their mind about Him, to repent.

It is not in our control.  That is a real challenge for most of us.

Preface to Distraction – Summary

For the past five days we have been looking at 2 Chronicles 15:2 – 7 (here @ Bible Gateway).  The series was called “Preface to Distraction” because I had earlier written about Asa focusing on the end of his life.  To summarize his life, in 2 Chronicles 15 (here @ Bible Gateway) Asa does really well.  In 2 Chronicle 16, not so much (here @ Bible Gateway).

What is the difference?

In 15 (here @ Bible Gateway) Asa listens to the prophet Azariah, he sought the Lord.  In 16 (here @ Bible Gateway) he chose not to seek the Lord, but rather sought an alliance with Damascus; and he chose not to listen to the prophet Hanani, rather when Hanani confronted Asa, Asa threw him in the clink.

There are a number of lessons here.  Asa listened to Azaiah at the beginning of his reign.  He was relatively new to the job.  He was not too proud to take the advice.  When the problem reoccurred in the 36th year of his reign, he had much more experience.  Rather than seeking the Lord, he figured he could solve this one on his own.

It looks like he became comfortable, over confident, and complacent in his extensive experience.  Thus, he did not need to seek the Lord or listen to the counsel of a man of God.

Scares me.

It is a common tale.  One starts well and finishes poorly.  Why?  Confidence in one’s own wisdom and distancing oneself from godly counsel.  That seems to be a recipe for disaster, or in Asa’s case really bad feet.

What can we learn from Asa?  How can we avoid the downward trajectory of his life?  The first part, seeking the Lord, is really easier for us than it was for Asa.  We have the full text of the Bible, probably on our phones, he had scrolls but those scrolls seemed to get misplaced often.  He was supposed to make his own hand written copy of the first five books, Deuteronomy 17:18 – 20, but there is no indication that he did this.  We have an embarrassing amount of Bibles and Biblical resources there are over 3,000 in my Bible program.  For us it is as simple as a disciplined quiet time.  If you do not know how to do that, let me know, I’ll help.

There are few if, in fact any, prophets wandering around today.  I can say that I have never met or heard one.  So how do we avoid Asa’s second problem, not paying attention to men sent into his life by God?  That again may be simpler than it would seem.  If we look at the New Testament, one of the recurring themes is men encouraging other men.  So it would seem that we all need others around us who are committed to having those men in our lives.  Men who are struggling to walk with God in this life as we are.  Men who are in the Word of God.  Men who will encourage us from their life and their time in the Word.

It would seem to me that not to follow those two suggestions, to do what Asa did at the first of his reign, would insure that we will end up like him at the end of his reign.

I am not interested in that program.

Avoiding Epic Stupidity

Every time 2 Chronicles 25:2 – 15 (here @ Bible Gateway) comes around in my reading or study, I am stunned and challenged.  It is troubling to read that Amaziah sought the Lord, however, there is a “but”.  The writer tells us that Amaziah did not seek the Lord with a whole heart.

Then later we read that after Amaziah utterly defeats the Edomites he brings their gods into Jerusalem and bows down and worships the gods that were unable to protect his enemies from his assault.  What?  The Lord God Almighty enables Amaziah to defeat his enemy and then in gratitude Amaziah begins to worship the gods of the ones he defeated.  Not only illogical but epically stupid.

Good thing none of us ever do anything like that.

Not so fast – how about overcoming lust through our relationship with Christ and then choosing to watch movies or programs that promote adultery or focus on physical beauty.

How about – struggling with our tongue, using speech that is not edifying and then reading, watching, or listening to speech that demeans people or dishonors God.

How about – declaring that I am devoted to my relationship with Christ and yet unwilling to spend time engaged in personal time with Him in His Word.

Personally, I would rather that my Lord would not ever say about me that I did not follow Him with a whole heart.  That is my prayer.  Unfortunately, like Amaziah, I struggle with compromising with the world, briefly or unconsciously embracing the world’s standards.

That happens mostly when I am lax in my time with Him in the Word and prayer.  Based on what I read about those whom the Spirit has given us as examples in the Old Testament, that is pretty much normal.  So I need encouragement.  I need others to walk with me through this struggle.  I need to be engaged with men of like heart who are struggling with the same condition.  Hebrews 3:13 (here @ Bible Gateway) reminds me that I need to encourage those men on a daily basis – I need that encouragement as well.

False Vines?

The Bible continues to reveal itself to me.  Example: I cannot count the number of times I have read John 15 (here in Bible Gateway).  I memorized verse 5 probably 40 years ago.  John 15 (here in Bible Gateway) is one of the central passages in the workshops that I use to equip men to study the Word of God.  I have diagramed the sentence.  I have done a verse analysis on that passage.  I talk about the verse with men at least once each week.

Yet earlier this year I saw something I had never seen before.  You probably have.  It is a blatantly obvious observation.

In John 15:1 (here in Bible Gateway) Jesus said that He is the true vine.  The implication is, again obvious, there are vines that are false.

That begs at least one question, how do we identify false vines.  The answer that could leap to mind is anyone that does not agree with our understanding of the Scripture.  While that is an easy answer, it may not be the best, for it may be too narrow.  I wonder if 1 John 4:2 – 3 (here in Bible Gateway) gives us some guidance on this.

Many different perspectives on the Scripture exist in the Body of Christ.  Some positions that some communities take make it difficult if not impossible for me to regularly engage in those communities.  But, should I consider them a false vine?  If they confess that Jesus came in the flesh, according to John, they are from God.  They are part of the larger Body of Christ.

I am still processing what to do with that.

Drifting Away

The importance of the intentional development of leadership, both in the home and the church, has been a constant focus for some years now.  Sometime back Jeremiah reinforced that with the emphasis on the abandonment of the Word of God by the leaders of Judah in favor of their own dreams and ideas.  The impact was the destruction of the nation.

Zephaniah 3:2, 4, echoes this theme.

The failure of the “city” to not cling to the Lord was laid firmly at the feet of those who were charged with teaching and leading them.  They did not teach them to cling to the Lord nor did they exhort them do so.  So, they did not.

It is the case that if we are not in community that encourages us to be in the Word, to “draw near to God”, then we will drift away.  Hebrews 3:12 – 13 reinforces this from a New Testament perspective.

It is imperative that we abide in the Word and intentionally continue to encourage one another to draw near to God through His Word.

Not to do so will, as with Judah, have dire consequences for our communities.

Chosen and Consecrated

2 Chronicles 7:16 closely follows the passage that we all memorize, frame, and cross stitch on stuff.  The statement puts special emphasis on the temple as far as God’s relationship to His chosen people.

He has the same commitment to the New Temple.

• 1 Peter 2:4 – 5
• 1 Peter 2:9 – 10

While the temple that Solomon built was grand, magnificent, it was man’s work.  It was built with earthly stones, dead.  It was done in obedience, but, because of the frailty of the material that was used, did not endure.

This temple, the Body of Christ, the Church, is built of sterner stuff.  It is built not by man, but by God.  Build with regenerated souls assembled with purpose and intention.  Each stone serving an intentional function and place.

It is built on the cornerstone of the Son of God who purchased forever the individual stones, which live.

This Temple will endure.  Even in the context of the reality of the oppression and hatred of the enemy and the world it will stand bridging all ages to eternity.

(See also 1 Corinthians 3:16 – 17, 6:19; Ephesians 2:21)

Brokenness Obvious or Hidden

I was at MD Anderson Cancer center earlier this week.  I had some tests and a visit with my doctor, plus I got to see some people that I wanted to see but was sure I would not be able to visit.

On the second floor of the main building (the picture is the main building one of several that make up the complex) there is a large atrium named “the Park.”  It is in an L shape.  It has ceilings at least three stories high with large translucent skylights.  There are large planters throughout with trees, flowers, and shrubs.  There is a “café” where one can purchase coffee, soft drinks, smoothies, and a hot or cold meal.  Tables and chairs are everywhere.

Tuesday afternoon I went over to get a smoothie for lunch.  I was going to spend some time in the Word and do some other work.  I was waiting for my mango kale vegan smoothie; a boy about 12 walked by, his left arm was gone.  In line to get their lunch or something to drink were one or two people pulling their IV trees with several bags hanging.  Off to my right there were several people some walking some sitting at tables with their care givers, with several bags hanging.  One man was in a hospital gown laying on his crossed arms at his table, IV tree behind him, obviously not feeling well.

Monday afternoon while I was waiting for my turn in the CT scanner, a woman came in with her care giver, she was in obvious distress.  She was moaning, holding her head, could barely get from her wheelchair to a chair.  She was obviously nauseated.  A close member of my family is still a patient there.  They have been going through what this lady has been experiencing for the past 10 months.  My father passed away at MDA in January after a 4-year battle with cancer.

So being there is a reminder…

Sitting in the park, drinking my smoothie, every direction, nearly everyone in sight was in obvious brokenness.  It was all around.  Inescapable.  As I pondered this it occurred to me that it is the same at church.  The difference is, at church it is dressed up, covered up.  Instead of moaning and IV trees; smiles, coffee, and everyone is “fine”.

I shared this with a friend Thursday.  He observed that the people that go to MDA are going for a cure, while those who go to church are going for a shot.  Most who make the trek to Houston – and they come, literally, from all over the world – are coming committed to do whatever the doctors say.  I am not sure that – yeah, I am sure, that not all that come to the church are committed at the same level.

I am still processing this.  I do not have solid answers, not even sure that I have the right questions.  However, the seed thought is that we are doing something wrong about the brokenness in our communities.  We are not good at acknowledging the reality of the cancer of sin and the brokenness it creates in our communities.  Canned programs and mass-produced curriculum doesn’t seem to be making that much of a difference.

Where is the passion to cure and to want a cure?  Why aren’t people flocking to the Church from around the world in desperation?  Why don’t they know that the answer, the cure is in Him?

Building the House – Summary

The last nine posts have considered 1 Chronicles 29:1 – 2.  The point was comparison of David’s passion to build a house for the Lord and our assignment to be involved in building the Kingdom of God through making disciples.

Here are some of the questions that pondering this comparison raises for me:

• There is nothing that I can accomplish apart from abiding in Him.  Am I engaged in anything that I am depending on me rather than Him?


• Jesus said that I am to seek His Kingdom first.  What have I placed before Him and His assignment for me in my priorities?


• God gave me gifts for the benefit of the Body.  However, I need others in the body to build me up in my gifts.  Where have I isolated or cut myself off physically, emotionally, or spiritually from those in the Body who are there to help me grow deeper in the knowledge of Christ?


• The assignment I have been given, to make disciples, is difficult.  However, there are clear models in the Scripture for me to follow.  How well do I understand and follow those models?


• The assignment I have been given is not so that I am recognized or exalted, but so that the Lord is shown as the glorious strong Lord that He is.  Where have I wanted to, or taken credit, or sought credit rather than pointing those who would praise me to the Lord?


• The Lord equipped me to serve Him.  Where have I been tempted to use those gifts for my benefit or my glory?


• David was all in, in his commitment to the Lord.  Where have I reserved portions of my life for me rather than completely surrendering to the Lord?


• David provided for work that he would not see finished in his lifetime with all of his ability.  Where am I holding back?  Where am I looking to provide for me rather than trusting the Lord’s provision?

Those are some of the questions that goad me as I work through this passage.  I am not particularly fond of any of them.  In fact, I don’t much like it when I am challenged in that way.  However, I am reminded that the Bible was not given to us to coddle us but rather to move us toward our Father.

That requires dealing honestly with difficult questions.

Building the House – Providing for the House

The last phrase in 1 Chronicles 29:1 – 2 we will consider here is David’s summary before he lists the materials he stored up for the temple.  We saw yesterday that he engaged in this with all of his ability, he was all in.  He did not hold back.

It was in providing material for the building of the temple that he did not hold back.  It was his focus.  The first thing on his do list.  The highest priority.

As we have said, David was prevented from building the house.  But He still pursued provisioning the construction with all that he had.

Unlike David, we are called to build God’s church, we are not prevented.  We are commanded to do so.  We are to provide material for that construction.  What could that be?

The material for the temple included gold, silver, bronze, iron, wood, onyx, antimony, precious stones and alabaster.  The material for the Church is people.

The first provision we have to make is us.  We have to give ourselves to Him and to His work, His Church.

Following that we are to proclaim the good news of the gospel to our sphere of influence.  It is through that proclamation that others are invited to engage and become members, material, in and for the Church.

Building the House – All In

David wanted to build a house for the Lord.  The Lord told him no and assigned the project to David’s son Solomon.  But David was still completely invested in his conviction that the Lord deserved a magnificent house.

We have examined David’s attitude toward the work.  David was not content, though, to completely release his desire to honor his Lord.  He provided the materials for the temple.  He stated in 1 Chronicles 29:2, that he did so with all of his ability.

He was all in.

This wasn’t a project that he was doing on the side.  In his words, he invested all that he had in preparing for a project the Lord not only forbid him to start but he would never see completed.

Think of it.

We have been given a similar charge.  We have been commanded to put Christ’s kingdom as the number one priority of our lives.  We have been commanded to make disciples.  We have been commanded to be diligent in our engagement with our communities of faith.  Unlike David, we have not been forbidden to start, just the opposite.  Like David, we will not see the work complete.

Still we are to be all in.

Building the House – For the Lord God

Yesterday we saw that David stated that the work of building the temple that was assigned by God to his son Solomon was not for man, not for Solomon.  The second part of David’s statement is that the assignment is for the Lord God.  The point of these posts, is that David’s statements about Solomon’s assignment are true of the assignments each of us are given by the Lord.

Paul reinforces David’s thoughts in Colossians 3:17, 23 – 24.  You probably have those verses memorized.

Our purpose, our gifting, our opportunities to serve and to worship are not for us, not for men.  Rather, the purpose, the reason, is for the Lord.

How does that impact all that we do and expect from the Lord?