I Drew a Line

I once drew a line in the sand,
I drew it straight and deep.
Then I wondered upon which side to stand;
Right or left? North or South? Ah, which shall I keep?

Though the line was mine and done by my hand,
I suddenly realized that a divide I must keep.
My world afore had had no dividing plan
Yet now I was forced upon a place to seek.

Not quickly to the left or right for I am not such a hasty man.
To go to one is to approve that certain place and cause the other to reek,
But which shall I choose and to which shall I eventually land?
What if afterwards a love of mine came from the other side of my line straight and deep?

Ah, the waters that roll and erase with foaming tide upon the sand
Are far from reaching my line that formed a divide that I now must keep
Regardless of what others may do the line I drew has caused me to stand
Where the right or left that was not there afore decides what I shall reap.

The stranger that passes by no doubt does not understand
Why I drew a line so straight and deep.
And sometimes I wonder about my line-drawing plan
But a man without a line so straight and deep is a man over which to weep.

So I drew a line in the sand so very straight and deep .......to choose which side to take.

Pastor James Groce
jlg '09

God's Farmers

A Man to Till the Ground

“And every plant of the field before it was in the earth, and every herb of the field before it grew: for the LORD God had not caused it to rain upon the earth, and there was not a man to till the ground.” - Gen 2:5

I happened upon a book recently titled, “An Edible History of Humanity.” The author, Tom Standage, began his work by writing how that man took several centuries to move from the “hunter/gatherer” type of existence to the “farmer.” As I read his assumptions about how that process took place I recalled how that in Genesis 2:5 the Bible had stated that in God’s process of creation there was a time before Adam when there was no cultivation of the land because “there was not a man to till the ground.”

So with the forming of Adam and God giving him breath there came into the world a “farmer.” Mister Standage was incorrect – because the “farmer” came before the “hunter/gatherer.”This fact, concerning Adam as a tiller of the soil, caused my mind to traipse across the ages and see God’s newly fashioned man plowing the earth from which he was created. This event is made clear in the farther verses of Genesis 2 where they tell us: “And the LORD God planted a garden eastward in Eden; and there he put the man whom he had formed. . . And the LORD God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it.”

The spiritual application of this situation presents an intriguing set of circumstances. First, the fact that Adam must “farm” (till) the very ground from which he owed his existence seems to shout the message of evangelization. Adam must seek to turn the ground into something productive – to not let it remain the grower of weeds but rather a source of productivity—through his labor and the “seeds” that God has supplied him with. The only method of turning the earth into something profitable for God was to work with it in order to make it a place for the good seed. (The parable of the sower comes also to mind).

Also we might envision how that only through careful husbandry is it possible to produce a very different plant from its worldly counterpart. The nurturing of corn, for instance, changed it dramatically from the wild Mexican grass that it derived from. The maize that grows into a full and large ear of corn was once only a small and wild grass with little “fruit.” But God’s farmer, Adam, tilled the ground and “dressed” it causing a transformation under God’s radiant sun and rich earth.Without farther elaboration, I think we can see how that God Who called us into the ministry desired a “man to till the ground.”

“I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase. So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase. Now he that planteth and he that watereth are one: and every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labour. For we are labourers together with God: ye are God's husbandry, ye are God's building.” 1Co 3:6-9

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JUST WHAT IS FALSE DOCTRINE ?

What is “false doctrine?” At first glance, this question appears to be easily answered. False doctrine is the opposite of true doctrine. Now, that is a correct answer—but there is more that is demanded of such a question. For instance, if a man teaches something that is incorrect because of a mistaken concept of, let’s say, the gathering of the animals into the ark—by saying that ALL the animals were in pairs, by twos only (when it is clear that there are two divisions of the groups-by twos and by sevens.) But the point of this is—is the man that is unlearned, for the moment, teaches “by twos only” a false teacher? He is in error but is the “false teacher” label truly deserved? Is this preacher an anti-Christ?

I think that we shall see that there are degrees and nuances for those that are correct on salvific points and err in some way in other non-salvific doctrines. Even though there may exist a measure of error in some non-salvific teachings (of which we might all be surprised to learn that we ALL fall into such a group -- yes sir, I am certain there are points in which we all err) it does not make that teacher one that is inspired by demons. However, there are those teachers that are demon-inspired and teach “doctrines of devils.” These teachers ALWAYS broach salvific doctrine. These are the ones Paul addressed as “preaching another gospel, which is not another.” These teachers are false teachers—These doctrines, and many others like them, are doctrines of demons, and those that are used in such a way are truly false teachers—they are anti-Christ in nature. Also doctrines taught that lead men to destruction, such as worldly acceptance, are doctrines of destruction because they led men astray—“Without holiness no man shall see the Lord…”

When we look into 1 Cor. 3: 10-17

we see a clear distinction of the differences in teachers:1Co 3:10 According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon. 1Co 3:11 For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ. 1Co 3:12 Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; 1Co 3:13 Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is. 1Co 3:14 If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. 1Co 3:15 If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire. 1Co 3:16 Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? 1Co 3:17 If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.

(1) There are the teachers who build with gold, silver and precious stones.
(2) There are the teachers who build with wood, hay, and stubble.
(3) Then there are the teachers who destroy the temple of God.

The first teacher, his lesson, is using true doctrine and stands the test. The second teacher’s lesson has used improper (incorrect) material, or at least some of his material was incorrect, that will not stand the test—this teacher has erred somewhat in his lesson. The last teacher is a continual destroyer and is destroyed himself—this teacher is a true false teacher in that he teaches doctrines of devils that destroy men (a false salvation).

The bottom line is; IF the doctrine taught is in error and that error causes the destruction of a soul then that doctrine is false—and is taught by a false teacher. IF the doctrine taught has certain inaccuracies unknowingly to the teacher but was not a destroyer of souls and that teacher teaches true salvific doctrines then that teacher is a “mistaken teacher” and not a true “false teacher” as those which receive the wrath of God.We, of course, do not condone even “mistaken teachers” yet we ALL have been mistaken teachers and will be again—we should, however, seek doctrinal purity with our whole heart. We as preachers need not only to preach and teach but also to receive preaching and teaching from others-there is safety in an honorable and instructive brotherhood.

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Calvary - Then, Now & Forever

Hebrews 13:8

I think that one must consider the several unique perspectives of Calvary in order to get a full orbed view of the Divine Work of God.From God's perspective Calvary has always been a "finished" work. "The Lamb slain from the foundation of the world." Calvary in the Logos was predetermined, prearranged, premeditated and preemptive in the Mind of God. It was another one of those actions that only God can speak of as "things that are not (as to time) as though they were (already done in the plan of God as to His Will)." From man's perspective it was an unfolding drama of the Work of God. The past, present and future all had their play in the events. Man, as he is propelled along by time, was either touched by Calvary as to history or as to reality or as to a future event. The arms of the cross reach into all tenses. "In the fullness of time" is from man's perspective.

The Acts 2:38 message is the only way whereby Calvary becomes a living reality.Therefore the Cross is and always has been a "done deal" but was also a prophetic event of the future while it was also a "current event" and it was also a "historical" event. Calvary though historical is still contemporary because it IS; Calvary is an ever flowing power that keeps pace with every generation and never diminishes nor wanes. It is a living force brought about by the death of a Sinless Sacrifice. Calvary lives because death cannot relegate it to the pages of history only; Calvary defies time because it is eternal.Calvary, is-was-and shall be; it is an event before its time and of its time and without time. It is the stellar miracle of eternity. No wonder the preaching of the cross IS the power of God!

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Why didn't God come immediately after the fall of Adam? That question has been asked many times. But scriptures such as contained in Gal 4 give a hint to the answer:Gal 4:4-5 But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.Fulness of time: A time when all the prophecies would center on Him, and when there could be no doubt about their fulfillment. A time predicted so far before the event as to make it impossible to be mere human conjecture.Fulness of time: After the passage of thousands of years in order to prove to man that man could NEVER redeem himself. All such attempts miserably failed. Men were "without God and without hope" in their own devices. Only God could affect a salvation that would truly redeem!Fulness of time: The law could only testify to the failure of man and condemn him so Jesus Christ was "made under the law" to "redeem them that were under the law." He came into the system of condemnation--yet was not condemned Himself in oder to rescue those that were condemned. "Yet without sin." to die for those that were IN sin.

The Hatfield & McCoy Syndrome

In West Virginia-Kentucky backcountry along the Tug Fork River, lived two families (that turned into warring clans) in the late 1800’s. The first recorded instance of violence in the famous feuding, as legends go, occurred after a dispute about the ownership of a hog. It became, after much feuding over this and that, that the mere mention of “Hatfield” to a McCoy brought instant angst as likewise did the mere mention of “McCoy” did to a Hatfield.

No matter how “right” a statement might have been if the statement in any way spoke other than evil of the opposing clan it was rejected and belittled. The glasses that the McCoys wore were always Hatfield-colored and the spectacles of the Hatfields were always McCoy-colored. This warped perspective blinded the wearer to any good within the other clan—even the children.

I tremble to think that sometimes I may have slipped on a pair of some colored glasses that rather than aids my sight actually blinds me. I read the words in Revelation imploring the Ladocieans to buy eye-salve that they might see and realize how easy it is to think that we see when, in fact, we are blind.

Perspective is everything—someone has said. Indeed, the perspective we need is one far above the walls of flesh and prejudices of men; far above my friends and my enemies as well—the God-eye-view is what we need to pray fervently for! Are there certain “KEY WORDS” that trigger blindness in us? Do we allow an enemy to blind us of the good about him? Do we let our puny human emotions of pride prevent us from clear sight? Does “our clan” prevent us from seeing rightly “their clan?”

“How do you see?” Asked Jesus to the man that just received his sight. “I see men as trees walking.” He replied. And Jesus touched him again—and he saw all men clearly. I, for one, need God to touch my eyes—again—so that I can see all men clearly.


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A Real Paradox

Proverbs 26:4-5 -- A real paradox.

The first clause: “Answer not a fool according to his folly, lest you also be like him.”
The second clause: “Answer a fool according to his folly, lest he be wise in his own conceit”

These two proverbial statements, which appear to be at odds, are found side-by-side. Do they contradict one another? No, they do not. Their placement denotes design, not disorder. These verses call for caution in responding to the “fool.” The term "fool" here denotes one who is spiritually senseless--an individual who is willfully spiritually blinded.

"Answer"—which means that the fool has made a statement that was intended to elicit some response. Note that not all circumstances are equal in nature. Therefore, there are times to answer an opponent, and there are times when he ought to be ignored. And the wise preacher must know when to do one or the other.

Recall the question --“By what authority are you doing these things, and who gave you this authority?” Rather than answering their questions directly—because they were not honest inquiries—the Lord asked: “Was John’s baptism from heaven or from men?” To which they replied: “We don’t know,” for they carefully calculated the problem of the question--if they denied the validity of John’s baptism, they would be in trouble with the people—who believed in John’s ministry. And if they admitted the truth of John’s baptism, they would be asked: “Why did you not believe him?” So Jesus told them He would NOT answer according to their folly.
Also notice that when Herod interrogated Jesus with “many words.” Jesus “answered him nothing."

God's preachers will time and again have to make decisions about with whom, and how much time, is to be expended in responding to those who oppose the truth. Separating the “dogs” and “hogs” from the others is no easy chore sometimes. A prayer for wisdom in making the appropriate response, or non-response, to those with whom the preacher must deal with daily is greatly needed.

MINISTERIAL ACCOUNTABILTY – WHAT IS IT REALLY?

MINISTERIAL ACCOUNTABILTY – WHAT IS IT REALLY?
Pastor James Groce
Calvary Apostolic Tabernacle - Molino, FL
08/2007


CONTROL OR COMPLIANCE?

What about ministerial accountability, just what does this phrase entail and what are the biblical precepts to which we may make applications?
First, one of the major lines that must be drawn in the sand, regarding ministerial accountability, is the difference between the “positional office” of the pastor in regards to authority and the “positional influence” of other ministers in regards to that pastor. (Note: For this initial discussion we are focusing on a seasoned pastor that has a proven ministry among his peers – we will look later at other ministries).
The word "ministry," in one sense, has the connotation of the collective body of men called of God - and from this standpoint an individual pastor certainly cannot be influenced by each and every one of this group, no, he (the pastor) finds himself in a smaller "slice" of the larger and complete pie of the ministry. And it is within this “slice” that his true influence, for the most part, must come from (just as a saint's true influence comes from within a local congregation rather than the entire body of Christ - but each member connected to the whole body via the Spirit). However, to carry the likeness of a saint under a pastor to a pastor under a "pastor(s)" is an incorrect, in my opinion, likeness because of certain “transformational” events that occur with the call of God. The pastor, it seems, is placed by God in a position of authority over a flock and also with certain authoritative "influences" within his particular "slice" of the ministerial body as well. Therefore, much like electrons, each minister within their particular spheres exerts certain influences on one another. One electron is not greater than another nor of more weight than another yet each electron undoubtedly exerts a certain amount of influence on his neighbor that is felt and accepted and acted upon by that neighbor voluntarily. The system of attraction and repulsion is an ongoing process within the body of the ministry which, again, much like electrons, maintains correct distance and movement within the system - as each is connected through the Spirit of God.
In the oddities of physics there is the possible event of an electron being able to escape from its surroundings. This “escape” of the electron results in the loss of the influence of the electrons of its prior relationship. When this event transpires it is because the escaping electron has been influenced from beyond its neighboring electrons and exits its neighbors – thus removing their influence from its existence.
This “escaping electron” scenario is much akin to the loss of influence that a collective body of ministry has on a preacher that has become “influenced” by an external force(s) outside of his once equalizing environment. We have witnessed such “escapes” in the TV issue when preachers who were once conservative in nature somehow became influenced beyond their neighboring brethren and “escaped” into a liberal influenced mindset. In other words, influence within a group can only be beneficial as long as that influence is regarded as vital and accepted by each influenced member. Once that the collective influence is no longer accepted by any one member there is NO power within the system to force compliance.


“WHO’S IN CHARGE HERE?”
I think the Bible bears out the fact that the pastor is the highest authority within the local assembly that he pastors. The chain of command is; God (the Shepherd), pastor (the overseer designated by the Shepherd) and then the church congregation (the flock of God). Any insertion between any one of these steps will corrupt the flow of divine authority. More than one local assembly has been either destroyed or critically maimed by the insertion of a deacon board between the pastor and the local assembly and the insertion of organizational elected officials or any other persons between God and the pastor has, in many cases, usurped the authority that was not theirs to wield.
The pastor is the highest authority within the local assembly that he pastors – but what is his position among other pastors? Consider, if you will, Sheriff Jones; Sheriff Jones is the recognized law in his hometown, however, when Sheriff Jones journeys to a National Sheriff’s Conference in some distant place then he, now among his peers, is only a sheriff among sheriffs. Also consider Sheriff Jones’ friend (he could even be his father)—Sheriff Smith; if Sheriff Smith visited Sheriff Jones’ town he, even though a sheriff also, would have no real authority in Sheriff Jones’ town. Sheriff Jones may acknowledge Sheriff Smith as his mentor and as a consequence act upon the advice and counsel of Sheriff Smith—not because he must—but because he deems the advice and counsel of his mentor, Sheriff Smith, as vital and essential in his life and occupation. Does Sheriff Smith have the power to force Sheriff Jones to compliance of his advice or counsel? No, he does not—neither does he have the authority to “step-into” Sheriff Jones’ town and become the law—at least not in any true legal sense. This “sheriff-scenario” is akin to the pastor and his position among other pastors. Pastor Smith has no authority within Pastor Jones’ assembly—except the authority of the ministry as a visiting preacher. Pastor Jones may consider Pastor Smith his mentor and voluntarily solicit advice and counsel from his mentor and act and obey them because he deems Pastor Smith’s words as vital and necessary to his life and his calling. Pastor Jones may even have a group of pastors that he confides in and considers their decisions and advice as essential requirements to his life—however, he does this not out of force but voluntarily out of need and respect.
What, one might ask, happens if Pastor Jones goes astray in morals or doctrine—who can correct him? That, my friend, can only be answered by Pastor Jones. If he submits to those that he has counted on in the past then they can direct him, however, if he abandons their correction—they have no power to force compliance. Legal papers and matters may ensue from the world of legal handlings and courts and lawyers if some choose to pursue such a course—but ultimately Pastor Jones either deems his counselors vital and acts on their words or he “escapes,” like the electron, to be free from their influence. He may not be free from legal proceedings of the world but he by his actions has severed himself from the spiritual influence of those that once were his counselors.
So, “Who’s in charge here?” A pastor must make himself accountable to other pastors if he truly desires the aid of God in his life and in his ministry. In other words, a pastor must take charge to give charge in his life. A pastor must instigate the accountability of himself to others—he cannot be forced into accountability. A pastor that does not seek accountability among other accountable men will soon breach the barrier of ministerial ethics.


ACCOUNTABILITY PING-PONG
The second chapter of Galatians is an interesting study in the dynamics of ministerial accountability. Notice: Paul consulting the “pillars.” Gal 2:9-10, “And when James, Cephas, and John, who seemed to be pillars, perceived the grace that was given unto me, they gave to me and Barnabas the right hands of fellowship; that we should go unto the heathen, and they unto the circumcision. Only they would that we should remember the poor; the same which I also was forward to do.”
Then notice: Paul confronting a “pillar.” Gal 2:11-14, “But when Peter was come to Antioch, I withstood him to the face, because he was to be blamed. For before that certain came from James, he did eat with the Gentiles: but when they were come, he withdrew and separated himself, fearing them which were of the circumcision. And the other Jews dissembled likewise with him; insomuch that Barnabas also was carried away with their dissimulation. But when I saw that they walked not uprightly according to the truth of the gospel, I said unto Peter before them all, If thou, being a Jew, livest after the manner of Gentiles, and not as do the Jews, why compellest thou the Gentiles to live as do the Jews?”
In the first instance, Paul and Barnabas have made a voluntary trek to meet with James, Cephas (Peter), and John who were recognized as “pillars” as those having been eye-witnesses to the life and ministry of Jesus Christ. This conclave appears to have been one initiated by Paul as a voluntary act to seek the counsel and blessing of these “pillars.”
In the second instance, which follows in the very next verse, Paul confronts Peter, the pillar, concerning Peter’s hypocrisy, his “dissimulation.” And it can be hypostasized that Paul also confronted Barnabas about his actions also in the affair. It can also be understood that Peter and Barnabas both accepted and acted upon Paul’s words.
So what we witness in these brief verses of Galatians chapter 2 is a “ping ponging” of ministerial accountability on a lateral basis. It is understood that these men were apostles and therein resides a uniqueness of position, however, it is also apparent that ministerial accountability was meant to function “across-the-board” within the ministry. Brethren should voluntarily seek accountability from their peers and they should also be willing to confront and admonish one another in the fear of God. Accountability, you see, must be a two way street.


“PASTOR POSITION OPEN – CALLING REQUIRED”
One could muse over the “Help Wanted” ads that seek individuals having certain skills and state that experience is a requirement for employment—how, if this has always been the requirement, did anyone ever gain employment in the first place? It stands to reason that somewhere and at sometime there must have been individuals that obtained OJT (on the job training) somehow—lest there be forever positions available to which none could obtain. (We begin here to deal with ministries other than just the seasoned pastor).
While it is easy to mix metaphors and to transpose worldly values and appraisals into spiritual characteristics we must be careful that we do not allow natural logic to outweigh spiritual logistics. While in the natural sense of things, men become skilled in their occupations through experience; their trade is the result of making a choice among many options. Men, for example, become mechanics by mechanic-ing. However we must realize that men become pastors not due to experience but rather by a calling and that calling is and must be of God. Does this mean that experience is of no consequence in the life of a pastor? Of course not, but it is not the experience that makes a pastor it is the call of God that makes a man a pastor (or evangelist, etc.). A person becomes a member of the body of Christ by the grace of God when obeying Acts 2:38—that new convert has little or no experience to qualify themselves as a saint-of-God—but they are one nevertheless. In like manner a man “becomes” a part of the five-fold ministry by the grace of God’s calling. “And who He calls He also equips”—as the saying goes.
Experience is a valuable commodity, in the life of a man of God, when its teachings are God ordained and are received by an humble heart and an obedient spirit. Experience stimulates the ministerial calling of a man of God—it becomes the sunlight that energizes the already planted seed—it is the rainfall that helps facilitate the growth of the roots of the fledging plant. Experience aids in the adorning of a preacher’s life and ministry that otherwise might exhibit a degree of plainness. Experience is both the coarse file and also the polishing cloth which with sure strokes either abrasively cuts away imperfections or shines the dull spots into a glimmer of glory in the ministry of a man called of God to preach the gospel. First comes the call—then comes the experience.
The spiritual ministerial flow, in this dispensation anyway, is that all pastors spring forth from pastors. In other words, God calls men while under the authority of a pastor (much like how God makes chicks from eggs under a hen—no egg leaves the nest under its own power—a transformation is required). This transforming time under a pastor for a man called of God is “deaconship.” A man called of God to the ministry is not first called as a part of the five-fold ministry but rather he serves as a deacon under the authority and guidance of a pastor. It is this deaconship interval where certain qualifications and requirements are to be met, according to 1Tim 3:10-13; “And let these also first be proved; then let them use the office of a deacon, being found blameless. Even so must their wives be grave, not slanderers, sober, faithful in all things. Let the deacons be the husbands of one wife, ruling their children and their own houses well. For they that have used the office of a deacon well purchase to themselves a good degree, and great boldness in the faith which is in Christ Jesus.” It would seem only natural that since men are birthed under the authority and guidance of a pastor that that pastor would remain a vital influence in the life of “his son(s)” in the gospel.
We cannot help but notice that the qualifications of a deacon closely parallel that of a bishop with the exception of “how shall he rule the house of God.” This noted exception says so very much concerning the position of the deacon—mainly that he is not yet in a position of authority over a church because he himself is still under the authority of his pastor. Notice also that these men are to “first be proved.” “Proved” here according to Barnes; “the meaning is, that they should have had an opportunity of making their character known, and should have gained such respect for their piety, and their other qualifications, that there would be reason to believe that they would perform the functions of the office well.” “Proved” contains the ideal of the testing of metal (See 1 Th. 2:4).
These men, as is also pointed out in 1Tim 3, which are under the authority of their pastors must have “used the office of a deacon well.” The word “used” signifies a time element—a temporary position—a time where the deacon is receiving training under the guidance of his pastor. When God calls men into His ministry it will be from this deacon pool, it will be from these men which have “a good report” from those within (the church) and from those without (the secular world)—it will be from these men who have made themselves accountable.


“HE’S NOT A BOTHER, HE’S MY BROTHER”
Neh 4:14, “. . .remember the Lord, which is great and terrible, and fight for your brethren. . .”
If we, as God’s preachers, view accountability in only legal and control terms we will have missed the true essence of Biblical accountability—which is rooted and grounded in a love for the brotherhood. True ministerial accountability can only function correctly within a sphere of respect and love among the brotherhood one to another. Your brother’s spiritual welfare is vital to the collective body of ministry. One man’s blight among standing corn is an automatic concern to the owners of adjoining fields of corn—likewise the injury of one man’s ministry is an automatic concern to his brotherhood. 1Pe 2:17, “Honor all men. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the king.”
Brethren it is important that we sense that our labor in God’s vineyard has effects far beyond the border of our small acreage—reaching even unto our neighboring brethren.
Php 2:1-4, “If there be therefore any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any bowels and mercies, Fulfill ye my joy, that ye be likeminded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind. Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves. Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others.”
Accountability deals not only with “corrective-lenses” but also with “compassionate-senses.” Accountability, as God intends, means not just a “pointing-finger” but also a “reaching hand.” Accountability, in the most basic of Christian terms, is to “love thy neighbor as thyself.” While failure among the ministerial ranks may cause “tears”—victory in our brother’s life should bring “cheers.”
May God grant His ministry, in these last days, the humbleness of spirit to both account and be accountable one to another. May we each “love the brotherhood” and “fight for our brethren!”
In Jesus’ Name!

Apostles

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APOSTLES TODAY?

Pastor James Groce

Calvary Apostolic Tabernacle

Molino, FL

07/15/07

 

Eph 4:11, And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;

I am persuaded that all five divisions of the ministry are still in effect as stated in Eph 4:11. It is also my opinion that sometimes we tend to overlook the "specificity" of the ministries. We often think of some of the particular offices as being all inclusive and existing everywhere and all-at-once. But consider the pastor, for instance, he fills the office of "Pastor" as a function of the five-fold ministry, however, he is a "pastor" only to a select congregation—and only there does his office have the authority, and execution of said office, in other words, he is not the "pastor" of ALL congregations.

 I think this principle of specificity applies in all the offices of the five-fold ministry. This is why Paul stated in 1Co 9:2; “If I be not an apostle unto others, yet doubtless I am to you: for the seal of mine apostleship are ye in the Lord." An apostle may not be EVERYONE'S apostle - he may function, in the will of God, as an apostle to a select people, event, place or time. This, I feel, holds true for the prophet also as well as for the evangelist and the teacher. Probably, in my way of thinking, the one ministry with the widest orb of specificity as pertaining to his calling would be the evangelist -- and yet he is not EVERYONE'S evangelist just as the prophet is not everyone's prophet nor the teacher everyone's teacher. They seem to operate in specific places, times and events to a specific people as God directs.

 Paul recognized his "specificity" as to the Gentiles - even though he certainly preached to the Jews also, as we well know - but his FOCUS was to the Gentiles – “by the will of God,” as he himself declares. The other Apostles (these men were unique in that the people, time, place and events were unique) were Christ's Apostles to the Church (to the Jew first) - We do not have apostles today in the same "specificity" of the original apostles because we no longer have the SAME people, time, place and events as they were apostles to -- BUT we still have apostles TODAY for specific people, places, times and events.

 We must remember that Paul called Jesus -- THE APOSTLE -- HE is the single OVERALL Apostle to all people in all places, times and events. Heb 3:1; Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus;

 

Stated in house terms, I see:

The Apostle, as the man who, builds the house. (the man who laid the foundation - set the walls - etc.)

[That's why Jesus Christ is Our Apostle - "upon this rock I will build my church..."]

The Pastor, as the man who, lives in the house and is responsible for it - the caretaker.

The Evangelist, as the man who, at the request of the house caretaker, comes to paint, and clean and make additions to the house.

The Teacher, as the man who, at the request of the house caretaker, comes to illustrate how certain items work, operate, function in the house (i.e. the AC).

and

The Prophet, as the man who, comes to inform the caretaker of termites or dry rot in the house, etc.

The Apostle is more "government and structure" minded, while the pastor is more "caretaker" minded and the evangelist is more "remodeling" minded, while the teacher is more "to give understanding" minded and the prophet is more "discovery" minded.

But they all are "house" (church) minded.

Eph 4:12, For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:

 

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In Love--With Truth
2 Thess. 2:10b “…because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.”

It is sobering to realize that this statement implies that we don’t naturally love the truth. Nor, for that matter, can we be saved without loving the truth. Jesus said in another place that no one can come unto God, except the Father draw him. We are helpless in our natural state. That fact is the truth.

We have a natural antipathy to the truth: it implies something about us that challenges our sense of independence. But the scriptures tell us emphatically that we are not independent.We simply don’t like hearing the truth about ourselves. Pontius Pilate even attempted to engage Jesus Christ in a philosophical discussion of the nature of truth when he asked “What is truth?” Such a question springs naturally out of our hearts.

Our love of the truth causes us to "ask for the old paths, where is the good way." It directs us to the "strait gate" and "narrow way" that leads to life eternal. Because we "love the truth," we jealously guard against allowing truth to slip through our fingers to be "trodden under foot of men." "Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, lest at any time we should let them slip" (Heb. 2:1). All this we do because we "love the truth!"

The accumulation of facts gives us science. Is this the truth? Or is there more? Facts mixed with educated guesses give us half-truths. Distortions that rely on fact to support corruption, are lies. And we are inundated both in the world and in the Church with partial truth. More often then not it is our own selfish desires that cause us to accept so much of what we want to be true. We choose what is comfortable, with a mind set what we agree with agrees with us. What we agree with or what we choose to believe to often departs from the truth. We want to be agreeable. We want to be accepted.

We want to appear reasonable. And therefore our pursuit of the truth is tempered by our leaning toward disconcertion. We become half-hearted and without desire, for perfect truth; fading into a dim blindness. The truth does not elude us. It becomes obscure by our want of it rather then our need. We seek after it by gesture and innuendo allowing our hearing to be dulled. Our failure becomes complete when we reach that selective hearing state and hear only what we want. In our self-satisfied yet empty state, truth becomes that aloof phantom of spirituality we chase after but can never attain, perceivable but not livable.

Truth…What I hear, does it make me feel good? Does it please me? Can I live with it?Can I have it in small doses?Will it cause me to change? Is there an immediacy to act on it? We may even laugh in the face of it! We ask more of the truth then it is, then we are willing to gain from its presence in our lives. Our selfishness out weighs reality and we can then become embroiled in rituals for the sake of security or we well up inside ourselves independent. Secure in ourselves. We lend ourselves without commitment or submission. There in is the middle ground; we are groundless. For without the truth to lead us everything is in a flux of what I want when I want it. How much I’m willing is the measure of how much truth we’ve allowed to effect us. How can we become so blind? How can we be so insensitive? How can we run from rather then run to the truth? How can we live without joy? The results of selfishness is, we unknowingly become prisoners of ourselves. Bound up in cords of half-truths we suppress the desire to love… the truth…, which can set us free. We measure the ebb and flow of what we accept as truth. What we allow to touch our lives. What we want to believe… and no more or we would have to act on it.

We come to believe we have control of our input and our output… self determined but alas self-deceived. Lost, we wonder in circles which become ruts. In self-assumed safety we dig deeper and deeper. This is at the heart of religiosity. If we all do it together and tell ourselves it will be ok… it will. Rote, rite and ritual do it again and again. Empty of love. We have left the truth for some semblance of order… and the hope of perfecting that order. We love to act in concert not for the love of others but to confirm; we must be right if others agree. We just love to go through the motions. We love the symbols of truth, icons or idols. We come to love every thing about it, but the truth itself.

Thank God the truth is greater than us all. Greater then our certainty, greater then our foolishness. The truth is not a rule nor a set of rules nor a book nor any standard we can set or imagine… the truth is all the love there is forever… the truth is Jesus…He and He alone is the truth the way and the life… who has set us free…Seekers of the truth that have ears to hear… come follow… the truth… Jesus…

Still we continue to answer, with questions… rather then simply obey and follow…We replace love with a carnal substitute; repetitions, knowledge, icons, anything we can call spiritual. And how wrong can we be amid the throng. The other alternative is denial we move away from the truth driving deeper into ourselves. Trusting our selves to no one. In a crowd we remain alone within our self. Who knows better than I. Self love keeps me attached to the God in me… who turns out to be me. Denying the truth for want of a greater love… myself. But the only answer is to “receive the love of the truth” which is Jesus Christ!“Ye shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free!”

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Calvary Apostolic Tabernacle 

Swim or Drift?

Psalms 139:14-16

Salmon begin their lives in the fresh water rivers of the frigid Northwest. Not long after they’re born they begin a long swim down stream. Their destination is the ocean. It is here that they spend the majority of their adult lives. Then something strange happens. Scientists don’t even understand how, but at some point the adult salmon begins to swim back home. Though they may have swum thousands of miles from that original river location they head back home.

That’s right! They swim upstream, against the current of the river. They swim with determination, leaping out of the water to overcome waterfalls and other barriers impeding their progress. They also face predators like bears and people.Incredibly, though they’ve been gone for years many of them return to the exact spot where they were born. After an incredible effort the fish spawn and then die. The new salmon are soon born and repeat the process.

Does that describe you? Does your life have a destination? Are you going in a specific direction and are you willing to face all the obstacles to get there? If so, you’re like the salmon that possess a God-given determination.

Then there’s the jellyfish. There are numerous species of these weird-looking little creatures. Some of them are tiny. Others have tentacles that can be measured in feet. Jellyfish are born in the ocean and die there too. They have limited movement, but never really use that ability to go in any particular destination. They’re moved along primary by the wind and waves and tides. They drift about stinging and surviving. Occasionally one will wash up on the beach and become a danger to passerbys.

Are you more like a jellyfish than a salmon?--- You just kind of float from here to there. You’re carried by circumstances or other people’s plans, but you really have no particular destination of your own. The difference between salmon and jellyfish is the same as the difference between people. Some have a direction. Most just drift.

The problem with that kind of life is that you don’t accomplish anything of significance. Jellyfish people never find nor fulfill the reason for which they were created. Then there are those who have direction. They can look back with satisfaction because they discovered their life’s purpose and went full force in that direction. That kind of living is one of the secrets of spiritual success.

How can you be used by God in a successful and effective way? It begins with the ability to dream. If you want to find your purpose and begin to experience real success you must first:

Dare to dream.

You’ve got to begin to dream about the possibilities God has invested in your life. Determining your dream helps you find your purpose. Dreams are good because they give us direction. A man without a purpose is like a ship without a rudder. Again and again in the Bible God gives his people a vision of the way life could be. Sometimes we call this revelation. God gave his law as a parameter to help his people achieve his vision for humanity. But we think there’s more freedom if we go with the flow, so we tend to cast off restraint and drift.

People who go after their dream set priorities about how they will spend their time. Without some kind of vision we adopt an “anything goes attitude.”¨ We’re moved by the moment, not by something monumental.The thing that keeps most of us from dreaming is that we let our circumstances and limitation defeat us. Our dreams are so big, but were so small. Don’t let your perceived smallness stop you from dreaming big. That dream can propel you over all changes if you commit to it.

Dare to dream.

As you begin to dream you also have to factor in how you were created. To find your purpose you must determine how God has wired you up.Have HeartWhat are you passionate about? What stirs you up like nothing else. Your heart is inclined in a certain direction and it tells you something about your relationship with God.

”What do I really care about?” Proverbs 27:19 “As a face is reflected in water, so the heart reflects the person.”Your attitude determines your altitude. Your attitude is the limiting factor in pursuing your life’s purpose. If you think you can, you probably will. If you think you can’t you probably won’t.

Both the hummingbird and the vulture fly over our nation’s deserts. All vultures see is rotting meat, because that is what they look for. They thrive on that diet. But hummingbirds ignore the smelly flesh of dead animals. Instead, they look for the colorful blossoms of desert plants. The vultures live on what was. They live on the past. They fill themselves with what is dead and gone. But hummingbirds live on what is. They seek new life. They fill themselves with freshness and life. Each bird finds what it is looking for. We all do.

Your attitude is the lens through which you view life. Jesus said it this way: Your eye is a lamp for your body. A pure eye lets sunshine into your soul. But an evil eye shuts out the light and plunges you into darkness. If the light you think you have is really darkness, how deep that darkness will be! Matthew 6:22-23

A dream without a positive attitude produces a daydreamer. A positive attitude without a dream produces a pleasant person who can’t progress. A dream together with a positive attitude produces a person with unlimited possibilities and potential.Someone once said, “Between saying and doing, many a pair of shoes is worn out.”¨Success is not about talent or genius or beauty. Success comes down to a choice: direction or drift. Don’t be a jellyfish. God has a glorious purpose for your life. God gave you a pastor to help point you in the correct direction so pay earnest heed to his counsel. Seek God in earnest prayer and hear His Word, as heralded by a man of God, to find it and then “whatsoever he saith unto you do it.”


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The 3 Inch Killer

James 3:5-12

The Japanese give us two proverbs we should never forget. The first one says, “The tongue is but three inches long, yet it can kill a person six feet high.” The second one warns everyone: “The tongue is more to be feared than the sword.” This last one is parallel to a statement by the Greek philosopher and mathematician Pythagoras who said, “A wound from a tongue is worse than a wound form a sword; for the latter affects only the body, the former the spirit.” The Japanese and the Greek Philosopher are in harmony with the message which James, the brother of Jesus, speaks of in his epistle.

Recall the petition in the prayer Jesus taught which requests, “And forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.” Evidentially for Jesus this was the most important part of the prayer for all of his disciples. Why ? The reason lines in that fact that upon conclusion of this “Model Prayer” Jesus returns to this particular portion dealing with forgiving others but makes no additional reference to any other portion of the Prayer. To Jesus forgiving others was tremendously important, but to us it is often the hardest thing He asks us to do.

How harmful is the human tongue? James paints a frightening picture of just how disastrous a force our tongues can be. He calls the tongue a fire. The fire he describes is not the cozy warmth of a fire place on a cold winter’s night but a picture of a destructive forest fire. He goes on to say the tongue is “set on fire by hell.” Devastating forest fires often begin with one small match that is carelessly tossed aside but mushroom into infernos that destroy an entire forests. So often it is the same with our tongues. Small, careless gossip so often devastates lives of individuals, families, and groups, even Churches and ministries.

The fiery tongue is dubbed “the very world of iniquity.” The tongue is so deadly, because it so often utters unjust, unrighteous, and wicked words. Of all our body parts, the tongue is the one member which “defiles the entire body.” Jesus Himself tells us in Matthew 15:11, “it is not what goes into the mouth that defiles a person, but it is what comes out of the mouth that defiles.” A defiled disciple of Jesus is unfit for use as an instrument in influencing others to follow Christ.

James continues building his case against the tongue by calling it a “restless” or “unruly” meaning it is an unrestrained, an uncontrollable evil. From this point he makes perhaps his strongest argument against the tongue by declaring, “It is full of deadly poison.” He is now talking about the venom of a poisonous snake. James might as well come right out and say the tongue is a “cobra” or an “asp,” for that is the exact implication he makes. The victim of a vicious tongue is in a worse condition than one actually bitten by a cobra. The Psalmist literally prays for divine rescue from such venomous tongues in Psalm 140: “Deliver me, O LORD, from evildoers;protect me from those who are violent. . .“They make their tongue sharp as a snake’s,and under their lips is the venom of vipers.”--Psalm 140:1, 3

The tongue does have one redeeming quality, for “with it we bless God.” With our tongues we sing God’s praises. With our tongues we offer Him our prayers of Thanksgiving and our testimonies of praise for His goodness to us. The problem is that we then turn right around and curse our brothers and sisters who are the very image of the One we praise.“From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this ought not to be so” --James 1:10. A fountain can not give both fresh and bitter water from the same fount. A fig tree can not produce olives or a vine figs. Why then should the tongue speak both praises and curses? The Dead Sea, the Great Salt Lake, the oceans can not produce fresh water; so, why do we so often continue to exalt God and belittle our brothers and sisters with our tongues?“

No one can tame the tongue.” Just prior to this he says, “every species . . . has been tamed by the human race.” We can control the animal kingdom, but we cannot control our tongues; what hope do we have? If the tongue can not be controlled, are we doomed to failure and frustration? No! Verse eight would be more clearly understood, and in better keeping with James’ intent, if it were translated, “No human being can tame the tongue.” There is One Who can tame our tongues, and Scripture distinctly tells us who He is in Proverbs 16:1: “. . . the answer of the tongue is from the LORD.” What is humanly impossible is no problem at all for God.

What a difference it would make in our personal spiritual lives, in the life of our Church, in the life our Community, and in all our interpersonal relations if we would remember these words from Proverbs before we ever utter harsh, critical, or unkind words about anyone: “the answer of the tongue is from the LORD.” If we submit to the control of the Spirit in all those difficult situations we face with others, the tongue will cease to be a fire, an uncontrollable evil, and a snake. Victory comes as we surrender our tongues to the Spirit’s control; “He is the answer for our tongues.” When we let God sanctify our tongues and take control of the words we speak then the tongue can be divinely tamed.

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Intellect or faith?

Intellect Or Faith?

Colossians 1:1-29 is the setting for this study.

Which is more important, intellect, or faith?—that seems to be the question of the hour. Among Christians these two ideas fight for preeminence. Some think the two are mutually exclusive - you either have blind faith or you have intellect - but not both. Others say that our minds are the most important - our faith must proceed from our understanding and if the two contradict then the mind must reign supreme. This is especially born out of hundreds of years of rationalism in our western culture. If we cannot understand and explain something then it is simply not true.

Faith must precede understanding - our goal should be to know Christ’s mind - not our own. And becoming more mature as a Christian doesn’t mean that we get smarter - it means that we think more like Jesus. Does that mean we throw away our minds? Certainly not - but we also don’t elevate the mind above our faith. Our faith must precede our ability to understand something completely - there are simply things we will not understand because God is too complicated for us - so he "dumbs it down" for us.

Isaiah 55:8-11"For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the LORD. As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish,so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.”

Believing what God said should come before understanding the mind of God. After we believe, then we can understand.1 Corinthians 2:13-14“This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, expressing spiritual truths in spiritual words. The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned.”

The book of Colossians is all about which is more important - the mind or faith. It involves an early form of a heresy known as Gnosticism.In the heresies Paul addresses 2 of them are in chapter 1: That spirit is good, flesh is evil. 2: That Christ could not be both human and divine. It is a form of proto-Gnosticism - that spirit is good, flesh is bad and that there is a special kind of knowledge available only to the initiates in order to know God.“

Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother, To the holy and faithful brothers in Christ at Colosse: Grace and peace to you from God our Father. We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, because we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love you have for all the saints. . . the faith and love that spring from the hope that is stored up for you in heaven and that you have already heard about in the word of truth, the gospel that has come to you.”

Paul mentions faith, love, and hope - NOT knowledge. Our problem is that we put so much of a premium on our ability to understand and comprehend that when we don’t - we discount God instead of our intellect. Faith and love spring from hope - not intellect. Notice how the hope has two components: "stored up in heaven" and "that you have already heard about in the word of truth."

Hope from the Gospel - But notice that the source of the hope is not human generated emotion or philosophy. That’s the trap of Gnosticism and intellectualism - that our minds can figure out our future. The gospel is true - we just have to decide whether we are going to believe it or not. Once we believe the gospel - THAT is when we start bearing fruit and growing. People often have it backwards they have intellect challenging faith, instead of faith informing intellect. “For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding.” Notice that he says "knowledge of HIS WILL through all SPIRITUAL WISDOM." Don’t pray for smarts - pray for a knowledge of God’s will through the Spirit.“And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God,” Life is not about how smart you get - but how your life mirrors that of Jesus Christ, and how He works through you, bearing fruit - that is the way to know God more. The more you give Him access to your life and respond to His gentle (and sometimes not so gentle) prods - the more you know Him - having His heart of compassion and self sacrifice. .....

....Paul addresses the first of the heresies: That spirit is good, flesh is bad, and that Jesus could not be both human and divine:“He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy. For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.”

In the Colossian church there were several misconceptions about Jesus Christ that Paul directly refuted in this section:Believing that matter is evil, false teachers argued that God would not have come to earth as a true human being in bodily form. Paul stated that Jesus Christ is the image -- the exact likeness -- of God and is himself God, and yet he died on the cross as a human being.

They believed that God did not create the world because he would not have created evil. Paul proclaimed that Jesus Christ, who was also God in the flesh, participated in the creation of the universe.

They said that Jesus Christ was not the unique Son of God but rather one of many intermediaries between God and people. Paul explained that Jesus Christ existed before anything else as the One True and Living God and is also the firstborn of those resurrected.

They refused to see Christ as the source of salvation, insisting that people could find God only through special and secret intellectual knowledge. In contrast Paul openly proclaimed the way of salvation to be through Jesus Christ alone ( see Acts 2:38). Paul continued to bring the argument back to Christ.

Paul confronts the errors - the heresy said that the mind was supreme - but Paul shows that our minds are actually an enemy of the truth before we have faith in Jesus. “Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior.” Isaiah 59:2, “your iniquities have separated you from your God.” That’s what sin does - alienates, makes us “not a part” of what God is. It also makes us think unlike Him. So for us to imagine that our own philosophies can explain and understand God apart from faith then we are fooling ourselves.“

But now he has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation- if you continue in your faith, established and firm, not moved from the hope held out in the gospel. This is the gospel that you heard and that has been proclaimed to every creature under heaven, and of which I, Paul, have become a servant.” Again, Paul comes back to the theme of the mind and the body. God brought us back into relationship - not through philosophy or thought or some spiritual mumbo jumbo - but through the cross of Jesus Christ.

The Gnostics taught that the gospel was a mystery - but to know the answers you had to have special knowledge open only to a select intellectual few. It’s awfully convenient - and a great way to avoid debate over the truth - but the truth is that the mystery - that God was saving man through a man -- Jesus - was hidden, but now fully revealed.

Please Remember:
The gospel is simple - don’t over complicate it
The truth is obvious - don’t try to obscure it by false intellectual arguments.
The problem is not with God - it is with us

Isaiah 1:18 "Come now, let us reason together," says the LORD. "Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool." God will reason with us - but it always leads to dealing with sin first - then more knowledge is revealed. So don’t expect an unsaved person to understand anything more than the gospel. 1 Corinthians 2:14-16 The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned. The spiritual man makes judgments about all things, but he himself is not subject to any man’s judgment: "For who has known the mind of the Lord that he may instruct him?" --But we have the mind of Christ.

Using human intellect to understand a divine God is a useless exercise - so just believe what He said:Isaiah 55:8-11, “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the LORD. As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.”
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Loving truth

2 Thess. 2:10b “…because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.”

It is sobering to realize that this statement implies that we don’t naturally love the truth. Nor, for that matter, can we be saved without loving the truth. Jesus said in another place that no one can come unto God, except the Father draw him. We are helpless in our natural state. That fact is the truth.We have a natural antipathy to the truth: it implies something about us that challenges our sense of independence. But the scriptures tell us emphatically that we are not independent.

We simply don’t like hearing the truth about ourselves. Pontius Pilate even attempted to engage Jesus Christ in a philosophical discussion of the nature of truth when he asked “What is truth?” Such a question springs naturally out of our hearts.Our love of the truth causes us to "ask for the old paths, where is the good way." It directs us to the "strait gate" and "narrow way" that leads to life eternal. Because we "love the truth," we jealously guard against allowing truth to slip through our fingers to be "trodden under foot of men." "Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, lest at any time we should let them slip" (Heb. 2:1). All this we do because we "love the truth!"

The accumulation of facts gives us science. Is this the truth? Or is there more? Facts mixed with educated guesses give us half-truths. Distortions that rely on fact to support corruption, are lies. And we are inundated both in the world and in the Church with partial truth. More often then not it is our own selfish desires that cause us to accept so much of what we want to be true. We choose what is comfortable, with a mind set what we agree with agrees with us. What we agree with or what we choose to believe to often departs from the truth. We want to be agreeable. We want to be accepted.We want to appear reasonable. And therefore our pursuit of the truth is tempered by our leaning toward disconcertion. We become half-hearted and without desire, for perfect truth; fading into a dim blindness. The truth does not elude us. It becomes obscure by our want of it rather then our need. We seek after it by gesture and innuendo allowing our hearing to be dulled. Our failure becomes complete when we reach that selective hearing state and hear only what we want. In our self-satisfied yet empty state, truth becomes that aloof phantom of spirituality we chase after but can never attain, perceivable but not livable.

Truth…What I hear, does it make me feel good? Does it please me? Can I live with it?Can I have it in small doses?Will it cause me to change? Is there an immediacy to act on it? We may even laugh in the face of it! We ask more of the truth then it is, then we are willing to gain from its presence in our lives. Our selfishness out weighs reality and we can then become embroiled in rituals for the sake of security or we well up inside ourselves independent. Secure in ourselves. We lend ourselves without commitment or submission. There in is the middle ground; we are groundless. For without the truth to lead us everything is in a flux of what I want when I want it. How much I’m willing is the measure of how much truth we’ve allowed to effect us.

How can we become so blind? How can we be so insensitive? How can we run from rather than run to the truth? How can we live without joy? The results of selfishness is, we unknowingly become prisoners of ourselves. Bound up in cords of half-truths we suppress the desire to love… the truth…, which can set us free. We measure the ebb and flow of what we accept as truth. What we allow to touch our lives. What we want to believe… and no more or we would have to act on it.

We come to believe we have control of our input and our output… self determined but alas self-deceived. Lost, we wonder in circles which become ruts. In self-assumed safety we dig deeper and deeper. This is at the heart of religiosity. If we all do it together and tell ourselves it will be ok… it will. Rote, rite and ritual do it again and again. Empty of love. We have left the truth for some semblance of order… and the hope of perfecting that order. We love to act in concert not for the love of others but to confirm; we must be right if others agree. We just love to go through the motions. We love the symbols of truth, icons or idols. We come to love every thing about it, but the truth itself.

Thank God the truth is greater than us all. Greater then our certainty, greater then our foolishness. The truth is not a rule nor a set of rules nor a carnal book nor any worldly standard we can set or imagine… the truth is all the love there is forever… the truth is Jesus…He and He alone is the truth the way and the life… who has set us free…Seekers of the truth that have ears to hear… come follow… the truth… Jesus…Still we continue to answer, with questions… rather then simply obey and follow…

We replace love with a carnal substitute; repetitions, knowledge, icons, anything we can call spiritual. And how wrong can we be amid the throng. The other alternative is denial we move away from the truth driving deeper into ourselves. Trusting our selves to no one. In a crowd we remain alone within our self. Who knows better than I. Self love keeps me attached to the god in me… who turns out to be me. Denying the truth for want of a greater love… myself. But the only answer is to “receive the love of the truth” which is Jesus Christ!“Ye shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free!”

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An "A" Is Stll An "A"

“Pilate therefore said to Him, ‘So you are a king?’ Jesus answered, ‘You say correctly that I am a king. For this I have been born, and for this I have come into the world, to bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice.’ Pilate said to Him, ‘What is truth?’” John 18:37-38

During the decade of the ‘60s one trend was all the philosophizing about truth. Is there such thing as absolutes? Is truth relative? Can your truth be different than my truth on the same subject and still be valid?Logos, in Greek philosophy, is not a personal being, but a sort of ‘controlling principle’, issuing forth from God to direct the circumstances of your life. This is one of the misconceptions John was addressing in the first chapter of his gospel.

John declared the “Logos” was none other than Jesus Christ. So I suppose, if this universal principle is the same for everyone, but it guides each life down a different path, then that would make it possible to believe that your truth is as good and valid as my truth. No wonder Pilate was confused! What is truth? When he asked this question of Jesus, it was not in frustration or despair, as though wondering if truth could be found; truth that would finally put his restless and weary heart to rest. He was saying it in sarcasm! ‘You say banana, I say baa-naa-naa’. It was the attitude that might have been expressed by saying, “Truth! You’ve got your truth, and I’ve got mine! What does that have to do with anything?”Pilate stood in the presence of Truth, and asked, “What is truth?” And he received no answer, because he wasn’t really looking.

Annas, the High Priest emeritus, in his arrogance, wanted Jesus to defend His teachings. But he wasn’t looking for truth. Pilate stood staring Truth in the face, and asked, “what is truth?” But he didn’t want to know. Herod wanted Him to do a miracle for his entertainment. But he didn’t want to know the truth. The thief on the cross reviled and chided Jesus, challenging Him, if He was the Messiah, to save them both. But he didn’t want to know the truth. The angry crowd standing below the cross mocked and said, “He saved others, He cannot save Himself”. But they didn’t want to know the truth.

You see, truth calls for commitment. To know the truth about any given matter, requires a decision of some sort from the recipient of truth. And only in obeying truth can one walk in truth. “Thy word is a light unto my feet and a lamp unto my pathway.” One must see where he is (feet) to know where he is going (pathway). For instance, once one is confronted with the salvation truth of Acts 2:38 and that person fails to be obedient to that truth then the walk of truth is endangered. To obey is better than sacrifice!

The story is told of a man who came to visit his old friend, a music teacher. As the man came in, he said, “What’s the good news today?” The old teacher was silent as he stood up and walked across the room. He picked up a small hammer and struck a tuning fork. As the note sounded throughout the room, he said, “That is ‘A.’ It is ‘A’ today; it was ‘A’ 5,000 years ago, and it will be ‘A’ 10,000 years from now. The soprano upstairs sings off-key, the tenor across the hall flats on his high notes, and the piano downstairs is out of tune.” He struck the note again and said, “That is ‘A,’ my friend, and that’s the good news for today!”

In a day when we are surrounded and bombarded constantly by a jumbled, cacophony of useless and meaningless noise, let the one true sound go forth; the sound of Truth Himself, Jesus Christ, The Almighty God, bearing witness to the truth, and declaring, “Everyone who is of the truth hears my voice”

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Standards In A Non-Standard World

The "Ten Commandments" have been a topic of much discussion over the past several years. They seem to always be ending up in a court somewhere. Most of the time it’s because they are being found unconstitutional, as in the recent case in the courtroom of Judge Jennifer Coffman. She ruled that, not only are the Ten Commandments unconstitutional, but that the displays of all historic documents in eastern Kentucky schools and courthouses were unconstitutional and had to be removed. Her reason: "they had the effect of conveying a very specific governmental endorsement of religion."

It seems that most of our historic documents have some reference to God in them somewhere. I find it odd that they are being found unconstitutional since they are the very basis of our laws. Some courts still remember that. You might remember that Roy S. Moore, a judge in Alabama, fought (and lost) to keep a stylized copy of the Ten Commandments posted in his courtroom, much to the consternation of some civil libertarians. People fight over their legality mostly because they are largely ignorant of what they are, what they mean, and why they’re so important. In fact, most people can’t tell you more than these two: "Thou shalt not kill" and "Thou shalt not steal." Some people think they’re obsolete. Ted Turner thinks they are. A few years ago he offered a substitute he called the "ten voluntary initiatives." People who don’t understand their importance say the Ten Commandments are "old, archaic, immaterial rules of a primitive culture." They say they have no relevance to us at all. Sometimes Christians have been guilty of promoting this belief, pointing out that they are part of the "old way" God dealt with people. They surely can’t apply to all of us who are under "grace."

So, what are the Ten Commandments about? Primarily, we see them as God’s moral law. We look at the Ten Commandments as God’s guidelines for our lives. Here are Ten Rules to live by that will keep you in good graces with God, or so we think. Fact is that we can’t keep the Ten Commandments. We will always fall short of the mark. That’s why grace is so important. God had something else in mind when He gave Moses the Ten Commandments. The Bible says: Romans 3:20: "Therefore no-one will be declared righteous in his sight by observing the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of sin." Romans 5:13: "...for before the law was given, sin was in the world. But sin is not taken into account when there is no law." Romans 7:7: "What shall we say, then? Is the law sin? Certainly not! Indeed I would not have known what sin was except through the law. For I would not have known what coveting really was if the law had not said, "Do not covet."

We can look at the Ten Commandments as God’s guidelines for living, but The Bible says that God gave the law to reveal the fact that man is a sinner. Do you want to know why there is such a ruckus about posting the Ten Commandments? It’s because they reveal sin. That makes us uncomfortable. And all that negative stuff is just not good for our self-esteem. We will do anything to hide from our sin. But God still sees it. God wants us to see it. Finding the Standard in a Nonstandard World. "And God spoke all these words: I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. You shall have no other gods before me."

There is an important word in verse 1: "all". God spoke all these words. Moses makes it a point to let us know that none of this was his idea. You’re not going to find his opinion here. What follows is God’s word and that’s it. No commentary, no explanation.Nothing except what God has to say to his people. It’s sort of an attention getter that says everything that follows is very, very important so you better listen carefully.There’s another important thing to remember. God says, "I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery." He wasn’t talking to the entire world when he said that. He was talking to his chosen people. Doesn’t it bother you just a little bit to know that he didn’t give these commandments to everyone? Doesn’t seem quite fair, does it? We expect everyone to follow these rules but they were given to us...God’s chosen people...the people he brought out of the land of slavery. And you do know we were slaves to sin. We want everyone to follow these rules, but they just don’t apply to everyone.

They don’t apply to everyone because not everyone recognizes their sin. Paul says, "I would not have known what sin was except through the law." Do you think that maybe, just maybe, this might be one way God makes us confront our own sin? Conventional wisdom says that there are no absolutes in life. Everything is relative; there is no absolute truth. And, since there is no absolute truth there can be no "one God." For the conventional world, that is absolutely true. Remember, God gave the law to His people. He is our God. Or is he? He says he is "the Lord your God." What does Lord mean? Lord means "one possessed of absolute control." It denotes a master; one with absolute authority over another.

God is the master; we are his subjects. He is the shepherd; we are the sheep. Have you ever seen a herd of sheep leading the shepherd? Probably not, but how often do we try to lead God in the direction we want to go? Why do we do that? Could it be that we have placed other gods before THE GOD? Now, I know we are all shaking our heads and saying, "No, I worship the only true God." But what about that god of self? How many of us are guilty of placing our desires and our opinions before God? There’s an old saying that "everybody has an opinion about everything." Could it be that we have fallen prey to the world’s wisdom that says, "You can have it your way"? Could it be that what we really want is to be our own god and have other little gods around to help us out when we need it? Could it be that we have become so self absorbed that we don’t even recognize how we rebel and challenge the ultimate authority of God in our lives? The message that the world screams is that we will find ultimate peace and fulfillment if we will only buy this or eat that or go there or look this way or do this or do that. The world, the ones who don’t know any better, buys into this reasoning without a thought. And so do we. We live in a land where Self is Sovereign, where people believe that there are "many roads" to salvation, to happiness, to meaning in life. Where definitions of what is "right", "good", "bad", and "evil" are left up to individuals to create on the fly. Where "being spiritual" means you can believe in anything you want as long as it doesn’t interfere with someone else’s happiness.

We live in a world where anyone who suggests that there ought to be one set of specific moral rules for everybody is chided as being "narrow-minded" and "intolerant." We are living in the days described by the Apostle Paul in his letter to Timothy: "For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths." (2 Timothy 4:3-4) When God is removed as the rule-maker, the limit-setter, then anything and everything goes. We have begun to create God in our own image and remove Him as the sole authority in life so that we can make ourselves feel good, enlightened, and happy but the truth is that we will never feel good, enlightened or happy until we put God back in his rightful place as the "Lord your God." Saying you believe in "the Lord your God" is easy. Living like you believe it is the most difficult thing you will ever do. Finding the standard in a nonstandard world is easy. Look to Jesus Christ—look to the Word.

The Cost?

A prophet once came to a city to convert its inhabitants. At first the people listened to his sermons, but they gradually drifted away until there was not a single soul to hear the prophet when he spoke. One day a traveler said to him, "Why do you go on preaching?" Said the prophet, "In the beginning I hoped to change these people. If I still shout, it is only to prevent them from changing me."

Our separation from the world through biblical standards and principles are non-negotiable. We will not negotiate with the world to become more acceptable by lowering our holiness lifestyle. Daniel proved that His service to God was not for sale. Daniel was a servant to Jehovah first, to the king next. Daniel refused to even deviate from His devotional schedule to accommodate for the risk he put his life in.

Where does your service for God fall? When you have time for it? When the boss is satisfied? When the family is satisfied? God is looking for men like Daniel who are sold-out for God. Daniel proved that we can serve God without neglecting our secondary commitments. The three Hebrew children best exemplifies this principle in their statement to the King: Dan. 3:17,18 "If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king. But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up."

No matter the consequences, their faith still stands as non-negotiable. Are you willing to have a faith that may cost you? Cost Moses Pharaoh’s Palace and authority. Cost the Apostle Paul his position and reputation as a Pharisee. Cost Jesus His Life.

WE CAN ONLY STAND SUCH A TEST, WHEN WE VALUE WHAT WE HAVE MORE THAN WHAT WE LOSE.

Jesus describes this attitude in the parable of the “Pearl Of Great Price”. We will never effectively serve God, until the Kingdom Of God is worth surrendering everything else in our lives. Daniel and the three Hebrew children valued the God they served more than their lives. Daniel had to be a firm believer that the path he had chosen was the best path and so must we. He trusted the path he had chosen and it brought blessing to his life. All that life needs to be for us is wrapped up in a single package: Jesus Christ. He’s all the direction we ever needed: He is THE WAY. He’s all the revelation we ever needed: He is THE TRUTH. He’s all the fulfillment we ever needed: He is THE LIFE.