Category: Discipleship Essentials

From Frustration to Fruitfulness

Frustration can lead us to giving up on God and taking matters into our own hands, or it can lead to fruitfulness.

Have you ever wondered why God often chose barren women to become mothers of some of the important people in Jewish history? It cannot be mere coincidence. Our Lord is bound to be teaching us something very important. The recurring theme is for a man to marry a woman he dearly loves only to discover she cannot seem to conceive – Abraham & Sarah, Isaac & Rebecca, Jacob & Rachel, Elkanah & Hannah. In those days, God allowed men to have more than one wife, which is related to my point, because it set up a situation in which frustration, jealousy, mocking, and torment came into play. Hagar mocked Sarah, Leah mocked Rachel, and Peninnah did the same to Hannah. What were these barren women to do? One choice was to become bitter against God, but none of these women did that.

Satan is called the accuser of God’s people. (Revelation 12:10) His weapons against us include lies, threats, fear, mockery, and accusation. Since all of us are very imperfect people, there is plenty of ammunition for him to use against us. He is not above making lying accusations, either.

In the days when the Old Testament stories were lived out, the ability to have children was supremely important and used as a measurement of God’s blessing. Conversely, childlessness was viewed with disdain or pity as a sign of God’s judgment or lack of favor. Indeed, children are a blessing from the Lord in so many ways. They bring joy and fulfillment to their parents and others. In Old Testament times, they helped out with the enormous work load around the home and farm. In addition, children were viewed as a form of security in old age in the days before there were government programs for the elderly. Childlessness could leave you insecure and alone in your old age. Being childless also opened a couple up to being looked down upon by family, friends, and neighbors.

What could make matters worse for many barren women in those days was the presence of another wife who was able to bear children for their husband. The fruitful wife proved that the problem did not reside in the husband. It was all the “fault” of the barren wife. This would be difficult enough in itself, but, if the childbearing wife used her own fruitfulness to mock and accuse the barren wife, it could become intolerable, as in the cases of Abraham & Sarah, Jacob & Rachel, and Elkanah & Hannah. Satan is a mocker, and he seeks to motivate people to speak on his behalf. We should always be alert to the voice of the accuser, no matter who is doing the speaking. Sometimes we even accuse ourselves. Thankfully God is bigger than all of this. (1 John 3:20)

In every case mentioned in this article, the barren wives were dearly beloved by their husbands. This is very important, because fruitlessness is often interpreted as being a sign that God does not love us or has withdrawn his favor from us. Elkanah and Hannah provide the perfect example. Peninnah was the fruitful wife. Hannah was the greatly beloved barren wife. Here is what the Bible says about that triangular relationship.

Each year Elkanah would travel to Shiloh to worship and sacrifice to the LORD of Heaven’s Armies at the Tabernacle. The priests of the LORD at that time were the two sons of Eli—Hophni and Phinehas. 4  On the days Elkanah presented his sacrifice, he would give portions of the meat to Peninnah and each of her children. 5  And though he loved Hannah, he would give her only one choice portion because the LORD had given her no children. 6  So Peninnah would taunt Hannah and make fun of her because the LORD had kept her from having children. 7  Year after year it was the same—Peninnah would taunt Hannah as they went to the Tabernacle. Each time, Hannah would be reduced to tears and would not even eat. 8  “Why are you crying, Hannah?” Elkanah would ask. “Why aren’t you eating? Why be downhearted just because you have no children? You have me—isn’t that better than having ten sons?” 1 Samuel 1:3-8 (NLT)

Being her husband’s beloved was not enough for Hannah. She could not say that her husband rejected her because she did not give him children. Nothing could be further from the truth. This is an important point. There are many childless wives who are dearly loved by their husbands; nevertheless, their fruitlessness still gnaws at their souls.

There is something inside us that longs to be fruitful. This is true in the natural realm and the spiritual one.

In a sense, we give birth to spiritual children when we share the gospel and people are born again into God’s kingdom. When God uses us to be part of that miracle by being the one to act as a sort of midwife in the birthing process, it brings us great joy and fulfillment. If we are not able to lead anyone into a new life in Christ, over time it wears on us, especially if we see others having great success. We begin to ask the same questions Hannah asked. What’s wrong with me? Why doesn’t God give me success? Has God turned his back on me? What am I doing wrong?

Peninnah made matters infinitely worse by mocking her rival, just as Hagar mocked Sarah and Leah mocked Rachel.

Those of us who try to measure our own success or failures against the perceived failures or successes of others are not wise. Doing so is a form of legalism.

The Bible tells us not to measure ourselves by any other standard than Christ; yet, there is an inner drive in us to compare ourselves to others in an attempt to try to gauge how we are doing and, hopefully, feel better about ourselves. Sometimes, however, it boomerangs, producing frustration. Hannah fell into that trap. She was already frustrated, but Peninnah’s mockery threw gas on the fire. It got so bad that Hannah was inconsolable. Fortunately, she knew what to do. She took her frustration to God.

After they had eaten and drunk in Shiloh, Hannah rose. Now Eli the priest was sitting on the seat beside the doorpost of the temple of the LORD. 10  She was deeply distressed and prayed to the LORD and wept bitterly. 11  And she vowed a vow and said, “O LORD of hosts, if you will indeed look on the affliction of your servant and remember me and not forget your servant, but will give to your servant a son, then I will give him to the LORD all the days of his life, and no razor shall touch his head.” 1 Samuel 1:9-11 (ESV)

In every case I mentioned earlier, either the wife or the husband used their frustration over childlessness to turn to God for help. Doing this allows us to use frustration to make progress toward fruitfulness.

When things come easily to us, we may undervalue them or think we did it on our own. The more important a promise is to God’s plan, often there is a greater wait and struggle for us to receive a miracle by faith.

Abraham had to wait twenty-five years for God to fulfill his promise to give him a son. In the interim, he grew weary of waiting and attempted to “help” God by resorting to a man-made solution by producing a child with Sarah’s servant, Hagar. When we do that, we may end up with an “Ishmael,” an ongoing complication and source of sorrow. For another example, consider David, who had to wait about fifteen years after being anointed by the prophet Samuel to actually become king. He went through some very dark and lonely places along the way when he was probably tempted to “throw in the towel”.

Consider Joseph, about whom the Bible says:

The LORD'S promise tested him through fiery trials until his prediction came true. Psalm 105:19 (GW)

Those who fought in the American Revolution on the patriot side also went through some very dark and trying days. When things were extremely bleak and many were ready to give up, Thomas Paine printed a pamphlet that turned the tide, entitled The American Crisis. These memorable words are found in it.

THESE are the times that try men’s souls. The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of their country; but he that stands it now, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman. Tyranny, like hell, is not easily conquered; yet we have this consolation with us, that the harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph. What we obtain too cheap, we esteem too lightly: it is dearness only that gives every thing its value. Heaven knows how to put a proper price upon its goods; and it would be strange indeed if so celestial an article as FREEDOM should not be highly rated.

In Abraham’s case, much more was at stake than his having an heir: a nation was being birthed which would produce the Messiah and Lord.  In Joseph’s situation, his own destiny was not the only thing God had in mind. Rather, Joseph would be instrumental in the preservation of his chosen people, the line of the Messiah. And God was going to use Hannah’s frustrated desire to have a son to bring into the world one of the great prophets of Israel, whom God would use to install its first and second kings.

God seems to enjoy bringing his greatest blessings in miraculous ways, against all odds, using very unlikely people whom the world despises and judges to be worthless.

Remember, dear brothers and sisters, that few of you were wise in the world’s eyes or powerful or wealthy when God called you. 27  Instead, God chose things the world considers foolish in order to shame those who think they are wise. And he chose things that are powerless to shame those who are powerful. 28  God chose things despised by the world, things counted as nothing at all, and used them to bring to nothing what the world considers important. 29  As a result, no one can ever boast in the presence of God. 1 Corinthians 1:26-29 (NLT)

So, if we are frustrated and discouraged that promises God made to us look as if they will never come to pass, we should not listen to the mocker and the accuser. Instead, like Hannah, let us seek the Lord.

But, like Hannah, we should be prepared to hold on to the fulfillment very loosely, because God may want to use the long awaited answer for his kingdom. If we give back to God that for which we have waited for such a long time, he will make it up to us. Hannah gave her long awaited son, Samuel, to God’s service, and God gave her more children to call her own. Imagine how proud and fulfilled she was to know her son was such an important man!

The point of this article is that we should never give on God’s promises, even if it is not our lot to experience their fulfillment in our lifetimes.

All these people died still believing what God had promised them. They did not receive what was promised, but they saw it all from a distance and welcomed it. They agreed that they were foreigners and nomads here on earth. Hebrews 11:13 (NLT)

Sometimes God wants us to be faithful so that the next generation can experience the fulfillment.

Moses got Israel through the wilderness, but Joshua led them into the Promised Land. Abraham fathered one son of promise, but that son and grandchildren would become the fathers of a multitude culminating in the Messiah. God’s promise to Abraham was fulfilled through his descendants. We are in this for the long haul, which may include multiple generations.

We cannot properly measure the value or significance of our lives and ministries. Only God can do that. Ours is to be faithful, possessing a loyalty and steadfastness that comes from being full of faith.

Let us not cave to discouragement, frustration, or fear. As Winston Churchill so famously said, “Never, never, never give up!” We must not give up on God’s promises. He is absolutely faithful to his Word. He will never let us down. He prizes faith, especially faith that keeps going when the chips are down. Who knows? God may use us to give birth to another miracle. In the meanwhile, we rest in knowing that we are beloved.

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Joab: Undone by Looking Out for Number One

Joab was one of the more interesting people who figured prominently in David’s kingdom. Joab was a son of Zeruiah, King David’s sister (1 Chronicles 2:13–17), and was therefore one of David’s nephews. Joab’s brothers, Abishai and Asahel, were two of David’s mighty men. Joab earned the position of general of David’s armies during the battle for Jerusalem. How he became general provides a valuable insight into Joab’s subsequent behavior and eventual downfall.

King David became king after being selected and anointed for that position by God through the prophet Samuel. When King Saul understood that God was raising up David to be his replacement, instead of cooperating with the plan of God, he made it his mission to murder David. Very importantly, David steadfastly refused to take matters into his own hands, even though he had more than one opportunity to kill Saul, his adversary.

David understood that coming against God’s appointed authority never ends well.

Once when Saul entered the cave in which David was hiding, his men urged him to kill the king, saying:

“Now’s your opportunity!” David’s men whispered to him. “Today the LORD is telling you, ‘I will certainly put your enemy into your power, to do with as you wish.’” So David crept forward and cut off a piece of the hem of Saul’s robe. 5  But then David’s conscience began bothering him because he had cut Saul’s robe. 6  “The LORD knows I shouldn’t have done that to my lord the king,” he said to his men. “The LORD forbid that I should do this to my lord the king and attack the LORD’s anointed one, for the LORD himself has chosen him.” 7  So David restrained his men and did not let them kill Saul. After Saul had left the cave and gone on his way, 1 Samuel 24:4-7 (NLT)

Instead, he waited patiently for God to remove Saul and place him into position as the king. All this is found in First and Second Samuel.

Joab’s ascension to power came very differently, however. In the heat of battle for Jerusalem, David made the following unfortunate promise. He announced that the first to go up and strike the Jebusites would become the leader of his army. (1 Chronicles 11:4–9) Joab fulfilled the requirement and became general. He earned his position; whereas, David received his position as a gift from God. Looking back with 20-20 hindsight, we can see that David should have asked God who should be his commander; nevertheless, the Lord worked through Joab’s generalship for David’s good for the most part, with a few notable exceptions.

The principle we derive from this part of Joab’s story is that how we achieve our position is how we must seek to maintain it. Joab became general through his own efforts, and that is how he sought to preserve it for the rest of his life. Since Joab did not receive his generalship as a gift from God, he had no confidence that God would preserve him in that position. He thought that he must always look out for himself first.

What we receive from God as a gift, we can trust him to keep for us. What we achieve through our own efforts, we must preserve that way.

Looking out for old number one never ends well.

If you cling to your life, you will lose it, and if you let your life go, you will save it. Luke 17:33 (NLT)

Joab generally served David well as general. He won many victories and usually proved to be very loyal to David. He realized that David was his ticket to success.

As long as upholding David resulted in his own position being preserved, he was steadfastly loyal; but, when his position was threatened, he took matters into his own hands, revealing a lack of confidence in God.

During the years when Saul still retained the kingdom and pursued David in the wilderness, Joab loyally served David. He understood that David was God’s man who would eventually be king. Instead of serving the current king, whom God was replacing, he took the risk of backing the one who had the promise from God. This was perhaps Joab’s finest hour.

The first example of Joab’s putting his own interests ahead of David’s was in the matter of Abner. When Saul died, his son named Ish-bosheth was installed as his successor due, in large measure, to the support of general Abner. David was accepted by Judah as their king, but the other tribes remained loyal to Saul’s son. This situation went on for seven years, and battles were fought between the competing factions, which posed Abner against Joab. In one of those skirmishes, Abner killed Joab’s brother Asahel, which fueled a longing for payback in Joab. Eventually the tides of war began to go David’s way, and Abner fell out with Ish-bosheth. Acting rebelliously toward his king because, like Joab, he was seeking his own best interests, he approached David to work out a way to bring the other tribes under David’s rule. Seizing the opportunity, David made a political choice to give the generalship to Abner, which imperiled Joab and incentivized him to murder Abner, both to revenge his brother’s death and to preserve his own position as general.

Joab probably assumed that Abner would get the generalship, since he had been King Saul’s man. Though David stood to gain politically by choosing Saul’s former general Abner over Joab, Abner was an even poorer choice to be general than Joab. One can imagine how Joab must have felt when his king consorted with his rival. Nevertheless, Joab’s deceitful murder of Abner in cold blood cried out for God’s punishment, which would eventually come years later. In the meantime, Joab retained his position as general, but this episode created a big rift between David and Joab. They continued to work together, but never again would they fully trust one another. David now realized that Joab could not be controlled, and Joab understood that David was not fully loyal to him.

The next big test for Joab came when David committed adultery with Bathsheba and ordered Joab to orchestrate things in battle so that Bathsheba’s husband Uriah would be killed. Joab went along with the murderous plan, but why? Perhaps he identified with David, who in this case also was putting himself ahead of God’s will. Maybe he wanted to gain some leverage against David. Perhaps he was being blindly loyal. Whatever the case, this was a sad day in King David’s life, one for which he, his family, and the nation paid dearly. Eventually what took place here culminated in the lowest point in David’s life, Absalom’s rebellion.

Absalom became embittered against his father when David failed to properly deal with Absalom’s older half brother, Amnon. Amnon was infatuated with his beautiful half-sister, Tamar, who was also Absalom’s full sister. He raped her and subsequently cast her off. David did nothing. When Absalom discovered what happened, he coldly plotted revenge, which he pulled off at a sheep shearing event, when his men killed Amnon. He may have planned to kill David at that time as well, but the king chose not to attend the event. David banished Absalom for a season, but eventually brought him back, but they were never reconciled. Absalom began to carry out a plan to gradually win over the hearts of many in Israel. He plotted with Bathsheba’s bitter grandfather to overthrow David. At the right time, Absalom launched the rebellion from Hebron and sent his army to capture David in Jerusalem.

At this low point in David’s life, the king showed his faith in God in a big way. He told his followers that he trusted that God would restore the the kingdom to him if it pleased him. Otherwise he resigned himself to God’s will. He was not passive, however. He fled the city, and, to his credit, Joab remained loyal to David. The decisive battle came some time later. David instructed his commanders to show mercy to Absalom, but Joab paid his king no mind and personally killed Absalom when the opportunity presented itself. Once again Joab showed that he was ungovernable, but, in this case, he did exactly what needed to be done. Absalom had to die.

After the battle, David grieved for his son, confusing his victorious warriors who risked their lives to end the threat. It was at this point that Joab’s true colors once again showed themselves. He told David that he must stop weeping for his enemy or he would demoralize his faithful, which was good advice. However, he threatened to lead a coup against David, if he did not follow this directive. Joab revealed at this point that he considered himself to be in a superior position to David. He believed David was beholden to him to retain his kingship, which was the very thing Abner had done to Ish-bosheth. I believe this threat sealed Joab’s fate.

The principle here is that, when we presume to dictate to or threaten those God has put in place in our lives as governing authorities, we cross a line that begs for God’s judgment.

After Absalom’s defeat, David once again showed disloyalty to Joab by courting the general who backed Absalom in order to gather the rebellious tribes back to himself. David seemed to alternate between operating by God’s principles and the world’s. When Joab heard about this, he resorted to what he knew best. He murdered Amasa his challenger, once again shedding innocent blood. I blame this one on David, but Joab did not have to react the way he did. What would have happened if Joab had trusted God to sort things out? We will never know.

Joab’s “last rodeo” brought him down. When David was so aged that he scarcely governed, his eldest living son named Adonijah decided to step into the vacuum and have himself declared king. To pull this off, he obtained the support of the general of David’s army, Joab. Previously, God had made it clear that Solomon was the one destined for the throne, but, for whatever reasons, Adonijah thought he could pull it off, and Joab must have believed his future looked brighter serving the presumptive king rather than Solomon. This was a fatal decision.

When David got wind of what was going on, he promptly installed Solomon as king, putting those who supported Adonijah in great danger for their treason. Solomon showed great restraint and refused to punish the rebels, but on his deathbed, David ordered Solomon to take down Joab.

And there is something else. You know what Joab son of Zeruiah did to me when he murdered my two army commanders, Abner son of Ner and Amasa son of Jether. He pretended that it was an act of war, but it was done in a time of peace, staining his belt and sandals with innocent blood. 6  Do with him what you think best, but don’t let him grow old and go to his grave in peace. 1 Kings 2:5-6 (NLT)

The opportunity to fulfill David’s directive arrived when Adonijah asked Bathsheba to seek permission for him to marry David’s former concubine, Abishag. This was tantamount to asking to be king, which infuriated Solomon, who dispatched his new commander, Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, to execute him. When Joab heard this news, he fled to the altar, hoping it would offer protection, but Jehoiada dragged him out and put him to death. Thus the old general ended poorly.

Benaiah had faithfully served David as captain of his personal body guard. He never once disregarded his king’s command or did anything solely for his own benefit. His loyalty was rewarded, and he was the man who brought God’s judgment upon the self-serving Joab, who over and over violated God’s principles of authority.

Ending well is a bigger challenge than one may think. Some of the biggest temptations come later in life. What we sow when we are young also may come home to roost later in life.

That was certainly the case with Joab. David made plenty of mistakes, too, but he repented when appropriate and kept his heart soft toward God. There is no record that Joab ever repented for his sins.

The final principle we can draw from Joab’s life is that faithfulness is eventually rewarded and rebellion punished.

Joab’s partial faithfulness was rewarded for a time, but the rebellion that was mixed in eventually brought him down. He ended up siding with a rebel, when it seemed to be to his advantage, and went down with him.

Proverbs says:

 Who may worship in your sanctuary, LORD? Who may enter your presence on your holy hill? 2  Those who lead blameless lives and do what is right, speaking the truth from sincere hearts. 3  Those who refuse to gossip or harm their neighbors or speak evil of their friends. 4  Those who despise flagrant sinners, and honor the faithful followers of the LORD, and keep their promises even when it hurts. 5  Those who lend money without charging interest, and who cannot be bribed to lie about the innocent. Such people will stand firm forever. Psalm 15:1-5 (NLT)

Moral character has a tremendous impact on our destiny. Joab’s moral flaws led to his downfall.

It is vital that we allow the Holy Spirit to transform us so that we act, think, and speak more and more like our Lord; otherwise our personal character defects may negatively impact our lives in a big way.

May the Lord be gracious to us and help us so that we can end well as did David, rather than as did Joab. David was a serious sinner, too, but he sought and found forgiveness. Joab never did, which undid him.

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Why I Am No Longer a Roman Catholic: Part 1 – Introduction

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I was a Roman Catholic for the first eighteen years of my life. My parents converted to Catholicism after they were married because they were looking for a church that took a firm stand for the sanctity of marriage and against divorce, which was prevalent in both their families. I, on the other hand, was raised as a Catholic and accepted it as normal and right. I served as an altar boy for many years and attended Catholic school from third grade through the eighth. I was baptized as an infant, received my first Holy Communion as a boy, and was later confirmed. Our family was active in the church and attended regularly. It was only as an older teenager that I began to ask a lot of questions and have significant doubts about God and the church.

Catholic teaching did not provide me with a clear path to having a personal relationship with God. The church actually stood between me and God with its rules and mediatorial priesthood. I could never be sure that I would one day go to heaven because that depended on dying in what was called a state of grace, which came and went depending on sins I would commit and subsequent confession to a priest. I seriously tried to keep the rules, but the more I tried to live without sin, the more I realized how hopeless an endeavor that is. Later I read in the Bible that this frustration with trying to be good was exactly what God intended to lead us to Christ (Galatians 3:22), but then I did not know that.

I attempted to please a God who was “out there” looking at me, but whom I did not know personally and was never there to help me, it seemed. In my frustration I began to wonder if God even could be known. I called myself an agnostic and began looking for God and truth outside the church. When I went to college, I discovered Zen Buddhism and Transcendental Meditation, which were trendy at the time. I tried meditation, thinking that perhaps truth could be discovered there, since Christianity had let me down.

It was about this time that the girl I was dating, who is now my wife of fifty years, wrote to tell me that she had become a Bible believing “born again” Christian. This was strange news to a Catholic, especially from someone with the same background as me. I found myself resisting and criticizing her beliefs and experience, but could not sway her a bit. That made an impression on me. Maybe she was on to something.

After a couple of weeks of wrestling with these things, I decided to experiment. I prayed to Jesus, whose very existence I doubted, asking him, if he were real, to come into my life and reveal himself to me. I left it at that. I did not struggle with it any more. I even temporarily forgot I said the prayer. Interestingly, however, I noticed that I was changing. I was happier and more willing to do nice things for people. I thought that perhaps my meditation was having a good effect. My girlfriend, Martha, came to visit, and we talked about Jesus some more. After dropping her off at the women’s dorm where she was staying, I caught a ride back to my dorm. Being hungry, I decided to stop by a small room with vending machines, where I bought something to eat. I was all alone, as it was late at night. Thinking about everything Martha and I had discussed and wondering about my life, I suddenly remembered that prayer to Jesus. At that very moment, God’s presence seemed to fill the room. Somehow I instantly knew Jesus is real and went from unbelief to having a strong conviction that he is everything the Bible says about him. Joy and peace filled my heart in a way I had never known. This was what I call my born again experience. From that time on everything became new and different.

Later I read the following verses and realized that God has been very gracious to me by opening my spiritual eyes and heart.

Jesus replied, “I assure you, no one can enter the Kingdom of God without being born of water and the Spirit. 6 Humans can reproduce only human life, but the Holy Spirit gives birth to spiritual life. 7 So don’t be surprised when I say, ‘You must be born again.’ 8 The wind blows wherever it wants. Just as you can hear the wind but can’t tell where it comes from or where it is going, so you can’t explain how people are born of the Spirit.” John 3:5–8 (NLT) —

The first thing I did was go to my nearby dorm, where several of my friends were still awake. I told them what had happened to me and let them know that Jesus is real and can be known. That was my first attempt at sharing the good news. I did not know much, but I knew that. That night it was difficult for me to fall asleep. I was excited and also wondering if I would still believe in the morning. Was this just a passing fancy or a new permanent reality? The next morning I woke up still believing, and here I am writing this article some fifty-two years later. I told Martha what had happened. She was surprised and overjoyed, as you might imagine. We have served the Lord together ever since.

That night changed my life in the most fundamental way. I went from feeling lost and alone in the universe to knowing I am loved by its Creator. I transitioned from doubt to having the assurance that God is real and loves me, his words are true and faithful, and I have eternal life. I want others to know about this amazing God who is willing and able to reveal himself to us!

One thing I understood right away was that my new birth had absolutely nothing to do with the Catholic Church. Priests never even told me that I could know God in this way. Only one older gentleman named Allen Graham, who taught a class for teens, said that God can be known, but at the time I did not know how. Eventually, as I became more and more familiar with the Bible, I realized that the Catholic Church long ago departed from Scripture in many areas. Instead of being a vehicle for people to experience the freedom of the gospel, it became an enslaving religious institution. Eventually I realized that I had to part ways.

I do not write this to condemn any family or friends who are still part of the Catholic Church. There are many truly born again believers who have remained in that church. However, I believe that I have a responsibility to share how Catholic doctrine has combined elements of the Old Testament with the New to alter the gospel message. The apostle Paul wrote that if anyone or group preaches a different gospel, they are cursed or under God’s judgment. (Galatians 1:8-9) The Catholic syncretistic betrayal of the New Covenant cannot be ignored. I hope that these articles will make it clear why I believe this and help you in some way.

Pete

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Why I Am No Longer a Roman Catholic: Part 8 – The Papacy

The papacy represents the Roman Catholicism’s solidarity with the world system of government as opposed to Christ’s. The RCC recognizes the Pope as its titular head. He is said to be Christ’s Vicar or representative here on earth. He is called the Holy Father, and his pronouncements, when he speaks and writes ex cathedra (“from the chair” – authority derived from one’s office or position), are supposed to be infallibly correct, even if he contradicts Scripture.

The office of the papacy was a logical outgrowth of the doctrine of the elevation of the clergy class over the common people or the laity. I showed how the clergy-laity divide is antithetical to the New Covenant in my previous article on the priesthood. Once a group accepts a clergy class and accepts the concept that the church has the form of a worldly kingdom complete with a king, it is only natural to end up with a Pope. Jesus made it clear that his kingdom is not of this world, however.

Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, then My servants would be fighting so that I would not be handed over to the Jews; but as it is, My kingdom is not of this realm.” John 18:36 (NASB95) —

The Roman Catholic Church claims is that it is the only church whose spiritual lineage of leaders goes all the way back to the Apostle Peter in Rome. Peter is considered to be the first pope from whom the current pontiff is descended spiritually through successive ordinations.

What the RCC does not comprehend is that every New Covenant believer is part of the new creation initiated by Jesus, the “second Adam” (1 Corinthians 15:45) through the new birth. The entire church goes back to Christ. Even if it were true that Peter were the first pope, it would not matter one whit relating to a spiritual pedigree. The only pedigree that matters is what comes via the new birth, something disconnected from any church organization. (You may wish to read my first article in this series for more on this topic.)

Historically the papacy claimed and exerted even greater religious and secular power than it does today. In his papal Bull of 1302, Pope Boniface VIII (on the right) wrote: “Indeed we declare, say, pronounce, and define that it is altogether necessary to salvation for every human creature to be subject to the Roman Pontiff.”

Boniface’s assertions of papal plenitude of power did not go beyond those of his predecessors in the 13th century. They were in fact more moderate than, for instance, those of Innocent IV and were in any case well within the range of the opinions gradually elaborated in the schools of theology and canon law in the period between the age of Gregory VII, the great 11th-century reformer, and that of Boniface.2

Although such secular authority is not currently claimed by the Pope, during the Middle Ages the papacy was the most powerful political force in European Christendom, having the ability to leverage kingdoms and even excommunicate recalcitrant rulers in order to bring them into line. For many centuries most of these kingdoms were nominally Catholic and looked to the Pope. Such power did not go uncontested, however. Some secular rulers vied with the papacy over the right to appoint bishops, etc. Wars were waged by kingdoms under the auspices of the Pope in a contest for power. Money was a big part of what was at stake, and, as one would expect, great power was accompanied by great corruption, and the “Vicar of Christ” was often a very poor representative of our Lord.

The early church had no such office as Pope. Jesus warned his disciples against having such pretensions of power and greatness.

Then they began to argue among themselves about who would be the greatest among them. 25 Jesus told them, “In this world the kings and great men lord it over their people, yet they are called ‘friends of the people.’ 26 But among you it will be different. Those who are the greatest among you should take the lowest rank, and the leader should be like a servant. 27 Who is more important, the one who sits at the table or the one who serves? The one who sits at the table, of course. But not here! For I am among you as one who serves. Luke 22:24–27 (NLT) —

The desire to be considered a “great” person with commensurate power and authority is rooted in our sin nature and is antithetical to Christ’s teachings.

Adam and Eve wanted to be great, which led to their downfall. Satan’s told them that they could be “like God,” knowing good from evil for themselves, rather than having to rely upon God. This desire continues in the human makeup and manifests itself over and over again. The tower of Babel was constructed by a group who wanted to “make a name for themselves” and be famous. (Genesis 11:4) This evil desire originated in Satan, who is thought to be represented in the following passage from Isaiah, which is ostensibly written about the King of Babylon, but seems to be about the prince of darkness, too.

How you are fallen from heaven, O shining star, son of the morning! You have been thrown down to the earth, you who destroyed the nations of the world. 13 For you said to yourself, ‘I will ascend to heaven and set my throne above God’s stars. I will preside on the mountain of the gods far away in the north. 14 I will climb to the highest heavens and be like the Most High.’ Isaiah 14:12–14 (NLT) —

Any time a church group elevates an individual to a position of enormous power and prestige, whether it is the RCC or any other organization of believers, we can be sure that it is not something birthed by God’s Holy Spirit.

The early church did not have an hierarchy. Instead it made decisions by coming together to seek the Lord’s will and discuss important issues in order to arrive at a consensus. This can only happen where there is unity and humility. The first big issue that arose was whether Gentile converts should be required to keep the Mosaic Law, specifically circumcision. The church in Jerusalem, quite naturally, had many Jewish converts; whereas, Paul, the apostle to the Gentiles, witnessed multitudes of Gentiles believing the gospel. As might be expected, the Jews viewed Christianity as an extension of Judaism and wanted these new Gentile believers to become full-fledged Jews in addition to putting their faith and allegiance in Christ.

Paul was in the eye of the storm. Having observed uncircumcised Gentiles being filled with the Holy Spirit without being circumcised, a proof of their complete acceptance by God, he taught that we are saved by faith alone and that circumcision is not necessary. This agreed with the passage in Genesis which says that Abraham was justified by faith in God’s promise before circumcision was even introduced. (Genesis 15:6) Paul wrote:

For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly, nor is circumcision that which is outward in the flesh. 29 But he is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is that which is of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter; and his praise is not from men, but from God. Romans 2:28–29 (NASB95) —

However, Paul’s view was contested. People called Judaizers followed Paul and injected their legalistic teaching on circumcision into the congregations that Paul started. As a result, people were getting confused, and Paul believed that the integrity of the gospel message was at stake. As he saw it, the future of the church hung in the balance. Therefore, the believers turned to the apostles in Jerusalem for the answer.

Some men came down from Judea and began teaching the brethren, “Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved.” 2 And when Paul and Barnabas had great dissension and debate with them, the brethren determined that Paul and Barnabas and some others of them should go up to Jerusalem to the apostles and elders concerning this issue. Acts 15:1–2 (NASB95) —

This was not because Paul recognized them as the supreme authority. He made that clear in his letter to the church in Galatia many years later.

Then after an interval of fourteen years I went up again to Jerusalem with Barnabas, taking Titus along also. 2 It was because of a revelation that I went up; and I submitted to them the gospel which I preach among the Gentiles, but I did so in private to those who were of reputation, for fear that I might be running, or had run, in vain... 6 But from those who were of high reputation (what they were makes no difference to me; God shows no partiality)—well, those who were of reputation contributed nothing to me. 7 But on the contrary, seeing that I had been entrusted with the gospel to the uncircumcised, just as Peter had been to the circumcised 8 (for He who effectually worked for Peter in his apostleship to the circumcised effectually worked for me also to the Gentiles), 9 and recognizing the grace that had been given to me, James and Cephas and John, who were reputed to be pillars, gave to me and Barnabas the right hand of fellowship, so that we might go to the Gentiles and they to the circumcised. Galatians 2:1-2, 6–9 (NASB95) —

After much discussion, in which Peter voiced his strong viewpoint in agreement with Paul, James, the Lord’s brother, who appeared to be the leader among the apostles and elders, stood to give the decision. Here is what he said.

Everyone listened quietly as Barnabas and Paul told about the miraculous signs and wonders God had done through them among the Gentiles. 13 When they had finished, James stood and said, “Brothers, listen to me. 14 Peter has told you about the time God first visited the Gentiles to take from them a people for himself. 15 And this conversion of Gentiles is exactly what the prophets predicted...19 “And so my judgment is that we should not make it difficult for the Gentiles who are turning to God. 20 Instead, we should write and tell them to abstain from eating food offered to idols, from sexual immorality, from eating the meat of strangled animals, and from consuming blood. 21 For these laws of Moses have been preached in Jewish synagogues in every city on every Sabbath for many generations.” 22 Then the apostles and elders together with the whole church in Jerusalem chose delegates, and they sent them to Antioch of Syria with Paul and Barnabas to report on this decision. The men chosen were two of the church leaders—Judas (also called Barsabbas) and Silas...[the letter contained the following statement] 25 it seemed good to us, having become of one mind, to select men to send to you with our beloved Barnabas and Paul, Acts 15:12-15, 19–22, 25 (NLT) —

James, not Peter, took the lead. This significantly undermines the RCC’s assertion of Peter’s being the first Pope.

Every group needs a leader, but not a pope. The leaders God uses are those who humbly submit to the written word of God, listen to the Holy Spirit and to the counsel of those around them, and humbly use their authority in the fear of the Lord. James’ leadership was not codified or otherwise made official. It seemed to be organic and based upon natural and spiritual gifts. There is no record that any sort of policy of succession existed in the early church.

It is true that God raised up Moses to be a very strong leader who exercised enormous authority. He was followed by Joshua who operated in the same way. It should be noted, however, that God used those two leaders to lead Israel out of slavery in Egypt and bring them into their inheritance in Canaan. The enormous mission required great leadership and commensurate authority. In addition, these two leaders fulfilled another purpose in God’s larger plan. Moses represented the Law and Joshua, the New Covenant. Moses, the Law, could not bring them into the promises, but Joshua (another form of the name, Jesus) did. The obvious significance is that legalism can never save us. Only Christ can do that through the new birth. Their leadership fulfilled a larger purpose in foreshadowing God’s plan of salvation.

Joshua conquered Canaan and later died. After that Israel entered the period of the Judges during which God changed how he raised up leaders. Without any policy or line of succession, God raised up men and a woman to lead the nation as the need required. As long as these judges exercised leadership, the nation prospered. When they died, the nation was again leaderless until God raised up the next judge, making the people feel insecure and vulnerable. Nevertheless, this is how God chose to do things.

God wants us to be dependent upon him rather than upon organizations with dynastic rulers.

Over time, the nation grew weary of God’s way of doing things and asked to have a king, “like the nations” (1 Samuel 8:20), whose sons would provide a ongoing succession of rulers, ensuring continuity of government. Samuel was judge and a prophet when this took place. He brought the people’s request to God, who regarded it as a rejection of his rule.

Then all the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at Ramah; 5 and they said to him, “Behold, you have grown old, and your sons do not walk in your ways. Now appoint a king for us to judge us like all the nations.” 6 But the thing was displeasing in the sight of Samuel when they said, “Give us a king to judge us.” And Samuel prayed to the LORD. 7 The LORD said to Samuel, “Listen to the voice of the people in regard to all that they say to you, for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected Me from being king over them. 1 Samuel 8:4–7 (NASB95) —

God wants his people to be content to be in a place of liminality or uncertainty in which we have nothing firm to cling to but him. This is the “place” where our faith and knowledge of God grows.

If we can become “comfortable” by faith with God’s being our only real security, we will experience God’s ongoing leadership, protection, and provision. (2 Corinthians 5:7) We are most free and happy when we rely upon the Lord. (John 8:31-32) Human beings in general, however, do not like this set up. We usually will trade freedom for a sense of security. This is what happened in Israel and is an ongoing pattern of behavior in every group, including the church.

The Lord allowed the people to get their way, and Saul was appointed as the first king. (It should be noted that God had a larger purpose in mind. His ultimate ruler, our Lord Jesus, would descend from the line of David to be Israel’s, the church’s, permanent king.)

“And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name Him Jesus. 32 “He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David; 33 and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and His kingdom will have no end.” Luke 1:31–33 (NASB95) —

The history of the kings of Israel is mainly one of sin and corruption, with several good kings, preeminently David, sprinkled into the mix. Contrarily, there is no record of a bad judge. If we allow God to raise up leaders from among the people as he sees fit, things will go much better.

Unfortunately, there is something built into human nature, going back to Babel, that wants to establish a system and build and empire to provide security and continuity. (You can read more on this subject in a previous article.)

The early church was decentralized, having no pope or other centralized rule. This was part of the genius God built into the church, which allowed it to survive and thrive during years of intense persecution. This same genius has enabled the Chinese underground church to multiply despite decades of suppression by the communist regime there. When a group or movement is decentralized, it is nearly impossible to “kill” it. There are no buildings to seize or central leaders to threaten or kill. If one leader is removed, another one springs up. Meetings can be conducted “underground” in homes and other suitable temporary venues. (If you wish to read more about the genius of decentralization, check out my summaries of The Starfish and the Spirit and The Insanity of Obedience .)

The early church was governed by elders.

When the Holy Spirit gave birth to a church through Paul’s preaching, one of his first orders of business was the appointment or ordination of elders, older men of proven character who had a spiritual gift and calling to shepherd or care for and oversee that local church.

When they had appointed elders for them in every church, having prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord in whom they had believed. Acts 14:23 (NASB95) —

Paul retained a fatherly sort of authority in each of the churches which he preached into existence.

For even if you had ten thousand others to teach you about Christ, you have only one spiritual father. For I became your father in Christ Jesus when I preached the Good News to you. 1 Corinthians 4:15 (NLT) —

Just as natural fathers train and prepare their children to become self-governing responsible adults, so Paul expected the churches he founded to be governed by the local elders or presbytery.

Grown sons govern their own families, but sometimes turn to their earthly fathers for advice and direction. In such cases, fathers do not have the right to rule their sons, but can influence them. Any father who seeks to do otherwise violates his son’s authority as husband and father of his own wife and family and stunts their growth. Likewise, Paul was able to exercise fatherly authority to assist churches in difficulty as invited and allowed. Those churches that honored Paul’s authority benefited immensely. Those who refused it generally suffered.

Nevertheless, Paul’s apostolic authority over the churches he founded depended on the willingness of the local elders to accede to it.

This is the biblical model for all ecclesiastical authority. Local churches are intended to be self-governing but not arrogantly independent. At times local elders need the wisdom and guidance of fatherly spiritual leaders who have their best interests at heart. This can only happen when relationships of trust have been built over time.

The institutionalized church tries to take a “short cut” by appointing overseers or bishops (the episcopate) who rule over the churches under them by means of positional rather than relational authority. This is a violation of the New Testament pattern and keeps people spiritually immature, a condition nurtured by overbearing leaders who prefer power to producing mature disciples.

After the conversion of the Emperor Constantine, the church began to morph into something more like an earthly kingdom, complete with a king or Pope. The church gained prestige, power, property, and wealth after it became the official religion of the empire. Instead of being a persecuted fringe minority, it became socially and professionally advantageous to be a Christian. Church leaders grew in power and wealth over time, rising to the heights of the papacy in the Middle Ages. God may have used this period of church history for some good, as he does in every case for those who believe (Romans 8:28), but by and large this was a dark age for the church. The corruption, abuse, and divergence from biblical truth became so great that it erupted into a massive and turbulent period of reformation. The evil surrounding the office of the Pope provoked Martin Luther and other reformers to consider that he was the biblical Antichrist. 1

At the time of the Reformation, Leo X was the Pope. He was one of the more ungodly pontiffs of all time. Leo X was the head of the de Medici family from Florence, Italy, when he became the pope. Interestingly he was not even a priest at the time of his appointment. He reigned over the RCC from 1513 until 1521. He used his considerable political skills in his years as Pope, appointing family members, writers, and poets to key church positions. His lavish lifestyle quickly emptied Rome’s coffers; so, he came up with ways to replenish the church’s bank account. One of the most famous methods was the selling of papal indulgences. People were told that when they gave money, the souls of the their loved ones were immediately released from Purgatory, a place of suffering where the heaven-bound remained until their last sins were completely expiated (another extra-biblical doctrine about which I will write later). This egregious abuse of power to enrich Rome became one of the main offenses that provoked Luther to post his 95 Theses on the church door in Wittenberg, Germany. Leo X engaged in wars and intrigue as well, joining the emperor of Germany and the kings of Spain and England to drive the French out of northern Italy. Interestingly, the reason he failed to quickly deal with Luther (put him to death as a heretic) was because of his preoccupation with these struggles. Much to his regret, by the time he got around to Luther, it was too late. The Reformation had already gained momentum and Luther came under the protection of powerful secular rulers who had the ability to thwart the Pope’s desires.

The RCC bases its doctrine of papal infallibility and rule on a much debated passage of Scripture.

He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” 16 Simon Peter answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” 17 And Jesus said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon Barjona, because flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but My Father who is in heaven. 18 “I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of Hades will not overpower it. 19 “I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; and whatever you bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven.” Matthew 16:15–19 (NASB95) —

The RCC believes this passage made Peter the first Pope, giving him binding authority to rule. However, if one properly exegetes or pulls out the true meaning of this passage, instead of reading into it what one wishes to see (isogesis), it is obvious that this is not what Jesus meant.

Jesus made a play on words in this passage. Peter’s name, petros, means little stone. The Greek word for rock is petra. It should be apparent that the little stone is not the rock. Peter just confessed that Jesus is the Lord. This confession is the rock upon which the church is built. The acknowledgement of Christ’s lordship along with our declared allegiance to him gives us entrance into the kingdom of God, producing in Christ’s followers the “obedience of faith.” (Romans 1:5) Paul summarized the importance of our confession of Christ’s lordship in the following passage.

that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; 10 for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation. Romans 10:9–10 (NASB95) —

The phrase “keys of the kingdom” refers to God’s giving Peter the authority or privilege to preach the gospel and open the door of salvation both to the Jews and to the Gentiles. Peter is the one God selected to first preach to the Jews in Jerusalem on Pentecost, and he was given the privilege of unlocking the door of salvation to the Gentiles when he preached to the Roman centurion and his family in Acts 10. Peter recognized this God-given favor, as recorded in Acts.

After there had been much debate, Peter stood up and said to them, “Brethren, you know that in the early days God made a choice among you, that by my mouth the Gentiles would hear the word of the gospel and believe. Acts 15:7 (NASB95) —

Regarding binding and loosing in the disputed passage, it is important to note that Peter was authorized to bind and loose what had already been bound and loosed in heaven. It is clear that this was not an authorization for Peter to wield power. I have already shown that he was not even the recognized leader of the church in Jerusalem. Instead this must refer to the his ability to loose people from spiritual darkness through the preaching of the gospel. On Pentecost, he concluded his message with these words.

And with many other words he solemnly testified and kept on exhorting them, saying, “Be saved from this perverse generation!” 41 So then, those who had received his word were baptized; and that day there were added about three thousand souls. Acts 2:40–41 (NASB95) —

His exhortation to be set free or loosed from sin resulted in the conversion of about 3000 people! Peter also exercised his authority to bind when he confronted Simon Magus, an evil magician who resisted the gospel message and tried to purchase the power to baptize converts in the Holy Spirit.

But Peter said to him, “May your silver perish with you, because you thought you could obtain the gift of God with money! 21 “You have no part or portion in this matter, for your heart is not right before God. 22 “Therefore repent of this wickedness of yours, and pray the Lord that, if possible, the intention of your heart may be forgiven you. 23 “For I see that you are in the gall of bitterness and in the bondage of iniquity.” 24 But Simon answered and said, “Pray to the Lord for me yourselves, so that nothing of what you have said may come upon me.” Acts 8:20–24 (NASB95) —

The RCC erred by seeking to use this passage to confer on the Pope an almost limitless authority and set him apart as the official Vicar of Christ. It is clear from other verses, that the entire church is Christ’s representative here on earth, carrying the authority of Christ to preach the gospel, heal the sick, cast out demons, and make judgments.

For God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, no longer counting people’s sins against them. And he gave us this wonderful message of reconciliation. 20 So we are Christ’s ambassadors; God is making his appeal through us. We speak for Christ when we plead, “Come back to God!” 2 Corinthians 5:19–20 (NLT) —

And as you go, preach, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’ 8 “Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out demons. Freely you received, freely give. Matthew 10:7–8 (NASB95) — 

When one of you has a dispute with another believer, how dare you file a lawsuit and ask a secular court to decide the matter instead of taking it to other believers! 2 Don’t you realize that someday we believers will judge the world? And since you are going to judge the world, can’t you decide even these little things among yourselves? 3 Don’t you realize that we will judge angels? So you should surely be able to resolve ordinary disputes in this life. 1 Corinthians 6:1–3 (NLT) —

The natural human propensity to seek order and security by appointing a permanent succession of rulers, as was done in Israel, always leads to tyranny, as God warned his people through Samuel the prophet. (1 Samuel 8:10-18) Nevertheless, just as Israel preferred the tyranny of an earthly ruler they could see over the rule of God, so the RCC choose to elevate men to a position of supreme authority instead of allowing God to raise up leaders as he saw fit.

This is part of the human condition and is not limited to the RCC. Protestant Christianity has often fallen into the same trap.

Often what began as Spirit-led movements morphed into man-made organizations or denominations, complete with centralized government, hierarchical leadership, power, money, and other assets. The modern megachurch movement is largely a capitulation to a business model for doing church, rather than the kingdom model adopted by Constantine.

The true church is a spiritual entity, an organism more than an organization. God meant it to remain decentralized and dependent upon his continuing leadership.

At the time of this writing, the RCC is in turmoil because of the words and actions of the current pontiff, Francis. The Catholic News Agency reported on May 1, 2019: “A group of nineteen Catholics, including some prominent academics, have published an open letter to the bishops of the world accusing Pope Francis of heresy.” 3 This is a huge problem since the is no means to remove the Pope.

Among specific heretical beliefs the letter accuses the pope of holding is the position that a Catholic can, with full knowledge of divine law, violate that law and not be in a state of grave sin. The letter also references a number of bishops, cardinals, and priests whom the authors claim are themselves heretical and the pope either appointed or allowed to remain in office, as further proof of the Holy Father’s “heresy.” The letter also suggests that a cross and staff used by the pope during the 2018 Synod on Young People liturgies were respectively “satanic” and proof of a pro-homosexual agenda.

Fr. Thomas Petri, O.P., Petri, vice president and academic dean at the Pontifical Faculty of the Immaculate Conception at the Dominican House of Studies in Washington, DC, told CNA that the letter is”frankly disappointing.” “I cannot understand how one could accuse the pope of heresy based on low-level appointments forwarded to him for pro-forma approval or on vestiture given to him to use for a liturgy.” “It’s quite stunning to include such ‘facts’ as evidence of heresy,” Petri said.

Canon law defines heresy as the “obstinate denial or doubt, after baptism, of some truth to be believed with divine and Catholic faith.” Attached to the letter is a four-page canonical rationale, in which the writers cite previous declaration by Pope Leo II that his predecessor, Pope Honorius, had supported the monothelite heresy in the seventh century. The letter acknowledges that “it is agreed that the Church does not have jurisdiction over the pope, and hence that the Church cannot remove a pope from office by an exercise of superior authority, even for the crime of heresy.” Nevertheless, the letter asserts, a pope with “heretical views cannot continue as pope.” The letter then suggests that the pope could lose office de facto as a result of obstinately holding public heretical views and that the bishops of the Church have an “absolute duty to act in concert to remedy this evil.” The Code of Canon Law explicitly provides for the punishment of Catholics who “make recourse against an act of the Roman Pontiff to an ecumenical council or the college of bishops.” Canon law also defines that both an ecumenical council and the college of bishops can only ever act with and under the authority of the pope. 4

This is the kind of predicament we get into when we violate God’s way of doing things and resort to man-made methods. In light of other areas in which the RCC has diverged from biblical truth, it is not surprising, however.

To conclude, the papacy is just one more error in the RCC, which is a result of its departure from absolute adherence to the scriptures. Serious errors always follow this most basic one. God does not want his church to be organized and ruled like an earthly kingdom. The Lord is the only king of the church. He has appointed no one specific person as his vicar or representative on earth. The Holy Spirit fills each believer, and God raises up leaders on a local level as needed.

The Roman Catholic Church’s decision to institutionalize leadership under the papacy reveals that it is not committed to Christ’s rule through the Holy Spirit or to adhering to the Scriptures.

1 https://digitalcommons.andrews.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1087&context=pd

2 https://www.britannica.com/biography/Boniface-VIII/Bonifaces-capture

3 https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/41164/theologians-accuse-pope-of-heresy

4 Ibid.

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How to Be a Happy Follower of Christ

One of the greatest desires we have is to be happy. God promises happiness to his people.

...Happy are the people whose God is the LORD! Psalm 144:15b (NKJV)

Unhappy followers of Christ communicate that the gospel is not true. Why would anyone be interested in following something that breeds unhappiness in its adherents? One of the biggest “turn offs” for unbelievers is encountering a bitter, legalistic person who claims to be a Christian. Why would anyone be attracted to that? On the other hand, if our lives reflect the unbounded joy of knowing God’s love, it will tend to draw others.

Just before ascending to his Father in heaven, Jesus left his disciples with what is called the Great Commission.

Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20  teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” Matthew 28:19-20 (ESV)

If we accept that the Great Commission is the church’s mission, here are two big questions.

  • “What is a disciple?”
  • “How can we become happy disciples?”
What Is a Disciple?

The basic meaning of “disciple” is someone who is a learner.

Disciples are always learning from our Lord through his recorded words in the Bible, from the indwelling Spirit, who is the master teacher, and from other followers of Christ who have been instructed from the Word of God and the Spirit.

When Jesus began his three-year earthly ministry, he gathered around him men and women who would become his disciples. Here is one instance of how he called them.

Jesus called out to them, “Come, follow me, and I will show you how to fish for people!” Matthew 4:19 (NLT)

From this invitation, we learn that a disciple is learner or student who first comes to Christ and then becomes his follower and learns to gather others into the kingdom and make them into disciples.

People follow Christ because they are captured by his love and awed by his greatness and regard following him as the most important and fulfilling thing in life.

In other words, we know him as our Savior and Lord. Following Jesus means we are willing to take seriously his words, think about them, and seek to put them into practice with help from the Spirit of God. It is not enough to simply know what to do. Unless we become doers of what we know, we are deceived.

All of us are fundamentally flawed by sin.

Without the ongoing help of the indwelling Holy Spirit, we simply cannot live the Christian life.

Our dependence on God never ends. That was God’s intention from the beginning. He created us to share in his life forever. God works in us the desire and the doing of his will.

For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him. Philippians 2:13 (NLT)

This is really good news! We do not have to live the Christian life using our own resources.

The secret to being a happy Christian is knowing that God loves us, enjoying his presence on a daily basis, and living by the power of the Holy Spirit.

The Good News about Jesus is meant to be shared. Once we begin our grace journey of following Jesus, we are privileged to invite others who do not know him yet to join us.

What is the Proper Motivation toward Discipleship?

Here comes the rub. What usually begins as an enthusiastic response to God’s amazing love, often fades into habit, duty, or even neglect. Many of us who were “on fire” disciples when we first came to Christ now seem to have lost our way to some extent. Often after many years of following Christ, we may begin to think that we have now moved beyond where we started and have “gotten our act together,” making us somehow better than those who do not know Christ or who we think are not as committed or knowledgeable about the Bible as we are. When this happens, we become unhappy ambassadors of the kingdom of God.

This was what happened to the Pharisees in Jesus’ time.

If we become self-righteous, smug, and better-than-others people, we lose our ability to be proper representatives of Christ and end up repelling those we hope to reach.

We all desperately need God’s ongoing help, even after being born again and walking with him for a long time. God resists the proud but helps the humble. (James 4:6)

If this has happened to us, how can we regain our humility and be re-aligned with grace? How can we be properly motivated again toward being the sort of happy disciples who attract people to Jesus instead of pushing them away? How can we return to our first love for Jesus? (Revelation 2:4)

Most of us have more knowledge than what we put into practice. For example, most of us know that being overweight is unhealthy, but fewer of us are convicted enough in this area to change our eating and exercise habits. When we do arouse ourselves to make the attempt, we often quickly fail because we do not have the conviction, will power, or whatever it takes to see it through. It is humbling for us to discover once again that we need God’s help.

It may be necessary for us to fail to learn our lesson. It was for Peter.

We often need some sort of breakthrough that internally inspires us to do what we should, whether it’s losing weight, overcoming an addiction, improving our prayer life or Bible reading and study, or reaching out to lost people who live and work around us. We all continually need God’s help, which is the very reason Jesus had to die on the cross.

After we are saved, we need his help every day just as surely as we needed his help to be put back into a right relationship with God before we were saved.

Paul wrote:

How foolish can you be? After starting your Christian lives in the Spirit, why are you now trying to become perfect by your own human effort? Galatians 3:3 (NLT)

The fear of the Lord plays of part in turning us away from sin and lethargy. The Holy Spirit convicts us in our hearts without condemning us, bringing about a change of mind and attitude that the Bible calls repentance. But repentance by itself is not enough. We need faith in God’s promises and reliance upon the internal working of the Spirit to enable us to do the thing about which we were convicted.

In other words, to get the results we desire, three internal things have to happen: repentance, faith, and the experience of God’s grace.

Whereas we tend to focus on external indicators of the Spirit’s work, God works in the heart. The fruit of the Spirit is mostly internal, but shows up in our attitudes, words, and behaviors.

But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23  gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things! 24  Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to his cross and crucified them there. 25  Since we are living by the Spirit, let us follow the Spirit’s leading in every part of our lives. Galatians 5:22-25 (NLT)

Earlier in the same chapter of Galatians, Paul said that the only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love. (Galatians 5:6) This fits into Christ’s words spoken to his followers just before his crucifixion.

A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. 35  By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” John 13:34-35 (ESV)

Now we can add to our definition of what it means to be a disciple.

A disciple is a perpetual learner who is happy to follow Christ and his words and is empowered by the Holy Spirit and motivated by faith and love, who seeks to bring others into God’s family and show them how to follow our Lord, too.

Shielding Ourselves from Legalism

When love prompts acts of faith and obedience, we know that we are on the right track. All of this requires a constant application of God’s grace through the operation of the Spirit of God. Once we are firmly established in our need to rely on grace, it is safe for us to move into doing works of faith without becoming legalistic.

Legalism lurks just around the corner in all of our hearts. The tendency to compare ourselves with others is almost irresistible.

Rather than rely completely on what God says about us, we tend to rate ourselves against some standard or other people. We may end up thinking we are better than someone else, leading to pride, or worse, resulting in discouragement. Those of us who think we are doing better than others tend to demand that they step up their game. Those of us who think we are not doing so well may be tempted to give up. God never intended for us to rate ourselves against anyone. We are to focus on him alone and leave others to do the same. Paul told the Corinthian church –

As for me, it matters very little how I might be evaluated by you or by any human authority. I don’t even trust my own judgment on this point. 1 Corinthians 4:3 (NLT)

Legalism springs from an internal desire to somehow prove that we measure up.

Some forms of legalism are easy to spot. When a group mandates that its followers must avoid makeup, jewelry, certain hair styles, dancing, drinking alcohol, and smoking cigarettes as a way to prove their dedication to the Lord, we realize that it has resorted to using outward measurements instead looking at the inner condition of the heart. Other forms of legalism can more difficult to discern.

When we insist that other people adhere to the same level of righteous living that we believe that we have attained, it is legalism because we have set ourselves up as the standard for someone else.

We often feel comfortable doing this to others, but we usually resist when someone “more committed” than we tries to force us to step up to their standard of righteous behavior. Some humorously define a religious “fanatic” as someone who is more committed to Jesus than are we.

We can generally agree that certain behaviors are part of what it means to be a follower of Christ, such as prayer, Bible study, worship, fasting, giving, attending church gatherings, and sharing our faith. The problem comes when we feel that we can judge another person regarding how well or poorly he or she is doing in any of these areas.

For we don’t live for ourselves or die for ourselves. 8  If we live, it’s to honor the Lord. And if we die, it’s to honor the Lord. So whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord. 9  Christ died and rose again for this very purpose—to be Lord both of the living and of the dead. 10  So why do you condemn another believer? Why do you look down on another believer? Remember, we will all stand before the judgment seat of God. Romans 14:7-10 (NLT)

God has given us great freedom. We can use that freedom to serve him or go our own way. No one has the right to usurp that freedom and try to force us into compliance.

For you have been called to live in freedom, my brothers and sisters. But don’t use your freedom to satisfy your sinful nature. Instead, use your freedom to serve one another in love. 14  For the whole law can be summed up in this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” Galatians 5:13-14 (NLT)

God draws us to do what is right and good because it is good for us, will make us happy, and because we love him and others. Otherwise our compliance will eventually breed resentment, just as happened with the elder son in the parable of the prodigal son.

God wants us to focus on our own “walk” of faith and obedience out of love for God and others, and hopefully, by so doing, we will become an encouragement to others.

Pay careful attention to your own work, for then you will get the satisfaction of a job well done, and you won’t need to compare yourself to anyone else. 5  For we are each responsible for our own conduct. Galatians 6:4-5 (NLT)

Ultimately we all are accountable to one Person, the Lord Jesus, when it comes to judgment, but we are responsible to one another to love and encourage each other to faith and good works.

Becoming a Happy Follower of Christ

Elders, the leaders of the church, are to encourage and model the kind of godly attitudes and living that we pray God will develop in the rest of the church.

So we keep on praying for you, asking our God to enable you to live a life worthy of his call. May he give you the power to accomplish all the good things your faith prompts you to do. 2 Thessalonians 1:11 (NLT)

Another way to put it is that we are all to encourage our brothers and sisters in the Lord to love God, love one another, and love the lost and be happy in so doing.

Love is the greatest motivational force in the universe.

It inspired our heavenly Father to give his only Son to die for us, his enemies at the time. Likewise, love for God and our neighbor is the purest motivation for engaging in the Great Commission. Love overcomes the inertia of laziness. It pulls us into relationship with others. It energizes us to engage in leading others to know the source and goal of love, our heavenly Father, and it makes us happy.

Love enables us to make the choice to joyfully leave the confines of our comfortable homes and church cultures to engage lost and hurting people who live around us.

It will encourage us to open our homes to show hospitality in the hope of deepening friendships and gaining opportunities to talk about the One who loved us enough to die for us. In addition, love motivates us to cooperate with the Holy Spirit in the ongoing process of character transformation so that more and more we live, think, speak, and act like Jesus. Love motivates us to get to know our amazing God better by studying and meditating on his love letter called the Bible. People who love are happy.

If we want to be happy followers of Christ, the best way forward is to fall more deeply in love with him, ask him to give us his love for the lost, and rely on the Holy Spirit to develop us into proper advertisements for the gospel.

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Knowing God Better, Life’s Greatest Blessing!

In the Old Testament on several occasions God revealed something about his character and nature by using a compound name for himself. What the Lord allows us to go through in life are opportunities for us to know him better. No matter what comes our way, God will work everything for good (Romans 8:28). If we seek him, every test and trial we face will be an opportunity for us to get to know him in a deeper way.

Knowing God better is the greatest blessing in life.

Jesus said:

And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent. John 17:3 (NKJV)

If we approach life with this mindset, we will be overcomers by faith.

For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith. 1 John 5:4 (NKJV)

We sometimes think that going through life without encountering difficulties is the best possible thing, but having no troubles may cause us to miss a chance to know God better.

God wants us to embrace difficulties as  opportunities to grow in faith.

Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. 3 For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. 4 So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing. James 1:2–4 (NLT)

Psalm 23 is one of the most beautiful and most quoted passages in the Bible and reveals a lot about God and the gospel. It was inspired by the Spirit of God and written and sung by King David, who was an accomplished musician and poet. It has endured for three millennia and will continue forever because it is the unchangeable word of God. This short psalm is packed with revelation about God’s heart and nature. In it we find the first compound name of God that I will cover

The Lord Is My Shepherd
The LORD is my shepherd; I have all that I need. Psalm 23:1 (NLT) —

Here the Spirit revealed through David that God the Lord is our shepherd, who provides, guides, and protects. David called him Yahweh-rah, the Lord my shepherd.

If we know and rely upon him to be our shepherd, we always have everything we need.

Jesus is the ultimate Good Shepherd who gave his life for his sheep. (John 10:11) He did this to bring us back to the Father by providing forgiveness for our sins, setting us free from all that enslaves us, giving us life eternal through the Holy Spirit, and making us children of God through the new birth. Ultimately we will co-rule with Christ over his creation. This is what Jesus called “abundant life.” Once we come to know Jesus as our Shepherd, life will never be the same.

Another aspect of the shepherd ministry is reflected in another name of God, Yahweh-shamar, the Lord our Keeper.

The LORD is your keeper; The LORD is your shade at your right hand. 6 The sun shall not strike you by day, Nor the moon by night. 7 The LORD shall preserve you from all evil; He shall preserve your soul. 8 The LORD shall preserve your going out and your coming in From this time forth, and even forevermore. Psalm 121:5–8 (NKJV)

Gospel Hint: If we encounter a person who feels lost, abandoned, fearful or who generally needs a “shepherd,” we should present Christ as the one they seek. He proved his love for us at the cross and his ability to take care of us at the resurrection.

The Lord Who Provides

Another Old Testament compound name for God was revealed to Abraham when God tested him regarding his willingness to sacrifice his son Isaac. At the last moment, when the angel restrained his hand from carrying out the deed, Abraham saw a ram caught in the thicket that he could sacrifice in Isaac’s stead. He named that place Yahweh-Jireh – the Lord who Provides. 

Abraham called the name of that place The LORD Will Provide, as it is said to this day, “In the mount of the LORD it will be provided.” Genesis 22:14 (NASB95) —

In the hour of Abraham’s testing and obedience, God’s provision became apparent. When we truly get to know God, we discover that providing for his people is part of his nature. It is who he is. We should never doubt his kind intention to provide for our every need, especially when we step out in faith to obey him.

Gospel Hint: Is we find someone who is afraid that they will not have what they need, we should introduce Jesus the Good Shepherd and provider. He is our shepherd. We shall not lack. We can always count on God to provide. If we surrender our lives to him, he graciously extends his care to us.

The Lord Our Peace
He lets me rest in green meadows; he leads me beside peaceful streams. Psalm 23:2 (NLT) —

Green meadows and peaceful streams are part of God’s provision for his sheep – peace and rest. Jesus promised that he will give his disciples peace that passes natural understanding. God revealed himself to Gideon as Yahweh-shalom, the Lord who is our peace, on the day he commissioned him to fight for Israel against seemingly insurmountable odds.

Now Gideon perceived that He was the Angel of the LORD. So Gideon said, “Alas, O Lord GOD! For I have seen the Angel of the LORD face to face.” 23 Then the LORD said to him, “Peace be with you; do not fear, you shall not die.” 24 So Gideon built an altar there to the LORD, and called it The-LORD-Is-Peace... Judges 6:22–24 (NKJV)

Peace does not depend on our circumstances, but on God’s promises and his presence in our lives. 

Jesus said that he will give us peace in the midst of the storms we encounter in life.

Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful. John 14:27 (NASB95) —

Peace is one of the defining characteristics of those who know God.

It is a fruit or result of God’s Spirit inhabiting and transforming us on the inside. The more we trust and rely on our Good Shepherd, the greater our peace.

Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:6–7 (NASB95) —

Gospel Hint: When we encounter someone who is afraid, we should tell them about the Good Shepherd who relieves us of our fears and imparts peace that passes understanding. His perfect loves displaces or casts out fear.

There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves punishment, and the one who fears is not perfected in love. 1 John 4:18 (NASB95)
The Lord Our Healer
He restores my soul; He guides me in the paths of righteousness For His name’s sake. Psalm 23:3 (NASB95) —

One important ministry of the Good Shepherd is that he restores and heals our bodies and souls. When we are born again, God makes our spirits brand new, but our souls still need a lot of work.

The new birth is once for all, but the restoration of the soul takes a lifetime. This is part of Jesus’ ministry as healer.

Everywhere Jesus went he healed and restored people. He still does today, but now he uses his Spirit-filled people to accomplish the work.

Before we can help others, we need to experience his healing and restorative work in our own lives.

One of the compound names of God in the Old Testament is Yahweh-raphah, the Lord who heals.

and said, “If you diligently heed the voice of the LORD your God and do what is right in His sight, give ear to His commandments and keep all His statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you which I have brought on the Egyptians. For I am the LORD who heals you.” Exodus 15:26 (NKJV)

Healing is part of God’s nature or character.

Under the Old Covenant, healing was promised to those who kept the law. Under the New Covenant, it is a benefit for those who put their faith and allegiance in Jesus, who perfectly kept the Law on our behalf. It is not something we have to wrestle from him.

It flows from his kind heart to hurting people.

Healing and deliverance from demonic oppression accompanied the preaching of the gospel in Jesus’ and the apostles’ day. Nothing has changed in God’s plan. God wants his people to experience his healing and restorative touch today, too. 

Gospel Hint: If we encounter someone who has physical, emotional, or spiritual pain or disease, we should offer to pray for them as we tell them that Jesus still heals. We never know what God may do.

The Lord Our Righteousness

Right paths and paths of righteousness are different phrases for essentially the same thing. God revealed himself as our righteousness in the Old Testament, the Lord our righteousness, Yahweh-tsidqenu.

In His days Judah will be saved, And Israel will dwell securely; And this is His name by which He will be called, ‘The LORD our righteousness.’ Jeremiah 23:6 (NASB95) —

When Jesus died on the cross and rose again, he provided a right relationship with God or “justification” for those who put their faith and allegiance in him. By taking our sins upon himself and exchanging our sin with his right standing with God, we became righteous before God. (2 Corinthians 5:21) We are not self-righteous, but righteous in Christ. Apart from him we have nothing.

For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. 2 Corinthians 5:21 (NKJV)

This imputation of right standing with God paved the way for our heavenly Father to reconcile us with him completely and adopt into his family through the new birth.

Now that we have right standing with God, he is working his righteousness into us on a daily basis. In other words, the Holy Spirit is transforming us on the inside so that we more and more think, speak, and act like Jesus. This allows us to “walk” as Jesus did in “paths of righteousness.” When we live like this it brings honor to God and blessings to us.

Gospel Hint: Sometimes we encounter people whose lives are a mess because of their sins and failures. We can introduce the Good Shepherd to them as the one who can restore them and set them on a path to blessings and success. It starts with their surrendering everything to Jesus the Lord and receiving all he has to offer, which is mainly himself and his right standing with the Father.

The Lord Who Is Always With Us
Even when I walk through the darkest valley, I will not be afraid, for you are close beside me. Your rod and your staff protect and comfort me. Psalm 23:4 (NLT) —

We all go through a dark places. This can be very scary, especially when we feel alone. One of the most repeated promises in the Bible is “Do not fear. I am with you.” (Genesis 26:24, Deuteronomy 31:8, 2 Chronicles 20:17, Isaiah 41:10, Matthew 14:27, and John 6:20) God revealed himself in the Old Testament as the ever-present One, Yahweh-shammah.

All the way around shall be eighteen thousand cubits; and the name of the city from that day shall be: THE LORD IS THERE. Ezekiel 48:35 (NKJV)

Psalm 139 is another place where King David expressed his faith in the ever present one.

Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence? 8 If I ascend into heaven, You are there; If I make my bed in hell, behold, You are there. 9 If I take the wings of the morning, And dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, 10 Even there Your hand shall lead me, And Your right hand shall hold me. 11 If I say, “Surely the darkness shall fall on me,” Even the night shall be light about me; 12 Indeed, the darkness shall not hide from You, But the night shines as the day; The darkness and the light are both alike to You. Psalm 139:7–12 (NKJV)

Jesus also is known as the One who is present in his name Emmanuel, God with us.

“Look! The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel, which means ‘God is with us.’ ” Matthew 1:23 (NLT)

Our Lord also promised that the Holy Spirit, his executor here on earth and our helper, will always be with us.

I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever; John 14:16 (NASB95)

The Spirit’s presence in our lives is a most precious gift.

Nothing compares. Because Jesus died and rose again, when we put our faith and allegiance in him, God comes to live inside us forever! We will never be alone again.

Gospel Hint: Abandonment is one of our greatest fears. Many people feel rejected and alone. Ultimately this is because our sin separated us from God. Jesus fixed this problem. All who put their faith and allegiance in him never need to be alone again.

The Lord Who Transforms Us
Even when I walk through the darkest valley, I will not be afraid, for you are close beside me. Your rod and your staff protect and comfort me. Psalm 23:4 (NLT)

The rod and staff represent the shepherd’s commitment to protect and guide his sheep.

One of God’s compound names in the Old Testament is Yahweh-Mekoddishkem – The Lord who sanctifies you.

Speak also to the children of Israel, saying: ‘Surely My Sabbaths you shall keep, for it is a sign between Me and you throughout your generations, that you may know that I am the LORD who sanctifies you. Exodus 31:13 (NKJV)

God is committed to transforming us into Christ’s image as we navigate this life with his help.

And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. 29 For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. Romans 8:28–29 (NKJV)

God’s protection from savage wolves and his loving discipline are represented by the rod. His discipline protects us from continuing on sinful paths to our own destruction. God disciplines all his children because he loves them.

For whom the LORD loves He chastens, And scourges every son whom He receives.” Hebrews 12:6 (NKJV)

Gospel Hint: God accepts us just as we are, but he doesn’t leave us in that condition. Most of us would like to be better than we are. Only God can get us there, as we learn to cooperate with the Spirit of God as he transforms us on the inside without condemning us for our many failures along the way. (John 5:24, Romans 8:1)

The Lord Our Banner
You prepare a feast for me in the presence of my enemies. You honor me by anointing my head with oil. My cup overflows with blessings. Psalm 23:5 (NLT)

God revealed himself in the Old Testament as Yahweh-nissi, the Lord our banner in battle.

And Moses built an altar and called its name, The-LORD-Is-My-Banner; Exodus 17:15 (NKJV)

Sometimes we think that peace means that we have been delivered from the threat or presence of our enemies.

God, however, prepares a feast for us right in front of our enemies. He wants us to ignore the enemy and focus on him.

The Bible teaches us the the battle is the Lord’s.

And he said, “Listen, all you of Judah and you inhabitants of Jerusalem, and you, King Jehoshaphat! Thus says the LORD to you: ‘Do not be afraid nor dismayed because of this great multitude, for the battle is not yours, but God’s. 2 Chronicles 20:15 (NKJV)

God has already defeated Satan and his evil allies. All authority in heaven and earth has already been given to our Lord Jesus. Nothing can happen to us without the permission of our Lord, and he promises to work out everything, even the bad things, for our good. (Romans 8:28)

God wants us to learn how to stand against evil. 

Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Ephesians 6:13 (NKJV)

We do this by understanding that we are protected by God. We are seated with Christ in the heavenly places. (Ephesians 2:6)

Our enemies must go through God to get to us.

This does not mean that we will never encounter tests, trials, or danger, but God is always with us as we go through these things. He is our victory. Our faith makes us overcomers in everything.

For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith. 1 John 5:4 (NKJV)

Gospel Hint: When we talk to people who are in the midst of some kind of spiritual battle, we can show them that God promises to be with us in the struggle and has already overcome the enemy. If we trust in him, he will give us peace in the midst of our warfare.

Conclusion

One of the most exciting things about being a follower of Christ is participating with him in helping others find freedom through our Lord and Savior! When Jesus launched his earthly ministry, he quoted Isaiah 61:1 and said that God’s Spirit rested upon him, anointing him for ministry.

The Spirit of the LORD is upon me, for he has anointed me to bring Good News to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim that captives will be released, that the blind will see, that the oppressed will be set free, Luke 4:18 (NLT)

The anointing, which represents the Spirit’s power and presence operating in and through us, is what we need to effectively minister to others.

God honors us by allowing us to participate with him in this ministry.

God is not stingy. He overflows with blessings and has more than enough for all those who trust in him. This ties into God’s being our Shepherd and provider. As we are blessed by God, we can pass these on to others.

Gospel Hint: Many people live outside of God’s blessings because they have never surrendered their lives to Jesus. The gospel promises God’s richest blessings upon all who trust and follow Jesus.

Surely your goodness and unfailing love will pursue me all the days of my life, and I will live in the house of the LORD forever. Psalm 23:6 (NLT)

Instead of being hounded by the curse associated with sin, Jesus opened the door for us to be pursued relentlessly by God’s goodness and mercy as long as we live.

When we die, we have the promise of being with God forever.

Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me. 2 There is more than enough room in my Father’s home. If this were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? 3 When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am. John 14:1–3 (NLT)

Gospel Hint: Jesus provides his followers with blessings here on earth and eternal life with him in heaven. Who would not want this?

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How to Measure Our Spiritual Status

We all like to be able to measure how we are doing. That is why most companies set goals and then measure their progress against their ambitions. In relationships, we want to have clear signals regarding how we are perceived or regarded by individuals or groups to which we relate or belong. The same is true when it comes to God and our relationship and standing with him. What is the best way to measure our status with God?

The Law of Moses gave clear standards by which individuals and the nation could judge. It the people kept God’s laws, they were blessed. If they disobeyed them, they came under judgment. How unnerving it must have been when Moses told the nation that they would utterly abandon God in the days ahead. (Deuteronomy 31:29)

God made it clear that it is not in us to be able to keep his righteous requirements. We will never be able to measure up! That is why the old covenant, the Law of Moses, had to be replaced by a new one, which is not based on our performance at all.

Yet we know that a person is made right with God by faith in Jesus Christ, not by obeying the law. And we have believed in Christ Jesus, so that we might be made right with God because of our faith in Christ, not because we have obeyed the law. For no one will ever be made right with God by obeying the law.” Galatians 2:16 (NLT)

Nevertheless, there is something in us that desperately wants to be good enough on our own, even after being justified in God’s sight by faith in Christ’s completed work. We fight against any notion that this is an impossible dream. Nevertheless, as long as we hold on to the illusion of being able to be good enough to please God, we will never discover the really good news that we don’t have to be.

Because Jesus was good enough, we do not have to be. Because he met every standard of measured righteousness, we are not subject to being measured. When we put our faith in Christ, we were given Christ’s perfect right standing with God, which is called justification. We don’t always appear righteous or act as we should, but who is measuring? Not God. Nor should we.

Once we stop worrying about measuring up, we are able to simply live a life of joyful service to the Lord and others.

What a relief when we stop trying to measure our standing with God and fully accept what Christ has done for us!

Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.” Matthew 11:28–30 (NLT)
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The Danger of Being Wise

How could anything as profitable and desirable as wisdom put anyone in danger? Didn’t Solomon write that finding wisdom is better than acquiring gold? (Proverbs 16:16) Proverbs also tells us that finding wisdom is a way to love our own soul. (Proverbs 19:8) How could something so valuable be dangerous?

Consider these words of Jesus.

At that very time He rejoiced greatly in the Holy Spirit, and said, “I praise You, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and intelligent and have revealed them to infants. Yes, Father, for this way was well-pleasing in Your sight. Luke 10:21 (NASB95)

This passage is noteworthy because it is the only recorded instance of Jesus showing such exuberant joy. What made him so gloriously happy? He rejoiced because his heavenly Father chose to conceal the truth about Jesus from the wise and intelligent and reveal it instead to the childlike or simple-minded. Why would that bring joy to the Lord?

Isaiah prophesied something very similar.

Therefore behold, I will once again deal marvelously with this people, wondrously marvelous; And the wisdom of their wise men will perish, And the discernment of their discerning men will be concealed.” Isaiah 29:14 (NASB95)

Apparently God says that it glorifies him that he made it impossible to find him or know him by using our intellects or human wisdom. Perhaps the reason is because Satan prompted Adam and Eve to pursue godhood by using their reasoning and knowledge, and God decided that no one will find him that way.

We have to be willing to lay aside the pride of human intellect and wisdom to know God.

In another place, Jesus quoted Isaiah.

FOR THE HEART OF THIS PEOPLE HAS BECOME DULL, WITH THEIR EARS THEY SCARCELY HEAR, AND THEY HAVE CLOSED THEIR EYES, OTHERWISE THEY WOULD SEE WITH THEIR EYES, HEAR WITH THEIR EARS, AND UNDERSTAND WITH THEIR HEART AND RETURN, AND I WOULD HEAL THEM.’ Matthew 13:15 (NASB95)

Faith comes by hearing or perceiving God’s words spoken in our hearts by revelation of the Spirit. (Romans 10:17)

We can only know God by faith. Faith is ignited when the Spirit of God opens our hearts and minds to apprehend the truth of God’s words.This is a spiritual activity that transcends human reasoning and wisdom.

Paul likewise took up this theme in his first letter to the church in Corinth.

For consider your calling, brethren, that there were not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble; 27 but God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things which are strong, 28 and the base things of the world and the despised God has chosen, the things that are not, so that He may nullify the things that are, 29 so that no man may boast before God. 1 Corinthians 1:26–29 (NASB95)

Putting these verses together, I conclude that there is a wisdom from God and a wisdom of the world. (James 3:13-18) The best examples of wisdom from the world is when it uses sound principles for evaluating knowledge in order to arrive at a prudent course of action.

The wisdom from God, includes the previous definition, but relies primarily on our apprehension of and faith in God’s written Word and the revelation of the Spirit.

There is a very big difference between the two kinds of wisdom that produces quite opposite results.

If we as Christians choose to rely more upon the world’s wisdom to guide us in our thinking and actions, rather than upon the written Word and the Holy Spirit, it will put us in danger.

My observation is that the people whom I consider to be the wisest are quite careful and make it a practice to try to avoid all extremes, following King Solomon’s advice.

So don’t be too good or too wise! Why destroy yourself? 17 On the other hand, don’t be too wicked either. Don’t be a fool! Why die before your time? 18 Pay attention to these instructions, for anyone who fears God will avoid both extremes. Ecclesiastes 7:16–18 (NLT)

Wise people I know generally believe that the truth is almost always found somewhere in the middle between opposing extremes. This results in their tendency to refuse to identify with either side in a political debate, for example, believing that the wise position is a compromise between the opposite extremes. Politically this works pretty well a good deal of the time, but when it comes to truth issues, compromise is not always the answer.

People in the Bible who tried this “wise” approach sometimes ended up in the wrong place. Take for example, when Jesus challenged the Jewish leaders by asking them if John’s baptism were from God or not. They “wisely” considered the outcome of their reply, choosing to avoid committing to either a positive or negative position. They remained cowardly “agnostic,” revealing their duplicity. Jesus told us in Revelation that he would rather we be hot (yes) or cold (no) rather than be “lukewarm” or non-committal. Another example of using wisdom to avoid making a commitment is when Gamaliel advised the Jewish leaders to avoid persecuting the apostles.

And now I say to you, keep away from these men and let them alone; for if this plan or this work is of men, it will come to nothing; 39 but if it is of God, you cannot overthrow it—lest you even be found to fight against God.” Acts 5:38–39 (NKJV)

Gamaliel used his wisdom to remain neutral. At least he chose to not persecute the Christians, which is something, but his “wisdom” never helped him make a commitment to Christ, as far as we know. It left him in the gray lukewarm undecided realm.

Truth requires us to make a commitment to it, even if it runs counter to the dominant viewpoint or seems to be an extreme position.

In this day and age, it is important that we understand that communists seek to move the middle to the right, calling what formerly was a mildly conservative position, far right, and what was formerly far left to the middle.

I think most of us understand that sometimes we must take an “extreme” position, such as in the case of abortion. Even though the predominant view in our country is that abortion is a legitimate (legal) option for a woman, we people of the Book know that abortion is the taking of an innocent life. There can be no compromise on this. Regarding less obviously “black and white” issues, however, it seems that wise people try to stay somewhere in the middle and to remain neutral.

If wisdom’s aim is to avoid controversy, this is certainly the way to go.

When Jesus arrived on the earth, he was thought by many to be the bastard child of an insignificant woman from Nazareth. The dominant view at the time regarding the expected Messiah, one supported by the “experts” in such matters, was that he would be born in Bethlehem and would lead the nation out from under Roman oppression and back to being in a dominant position of honor and power in the world. When the Lord revealed to Mary, Joseph, the shepherds, Simeon, and Anna that this little babe was the one chosen by God to assume David’s throne on a forever basis, it was not something anyone would ever have guessed or been able to figure out. It was a completely surprising claim that was so extremely divergent from the opinion of the experts (the priests, scribes, Pharisees, and Saducees) that it must have seemed like some sort of weird conspiracy theory. (Of course, that term had not yet been coined  by the CIA to dissuade people from probing into the JFK assassination.)

Few if any wise or biblically educated persons would ever have believed such a claim made by ignorant persons from the lower rungs of society.

When Jesus entered his public ministry, very few from the group considered to be educated and wise “fell” for his message. In fact, they were offended by his confident teaching, his demonstrations of God’s power to heal and deliver people from demons, his refusal to be bound by Talmudic oral traditions, and his claim to be able to forgive sins. Eventually those in power put him to death for saying he is the divine Son of Man prophesied by Daniel. From their point of view, Jesus’ claims were dangerous, misguided, and blasphemous.

Their “wisdom” completely let them down because it was unable to accept anything outside their understanding of what was the correct interpretation of the scriptures. How could all the experts be wrong?

These so-called authorities in the Law rebuked those who appeared to be open to the possibility that Jesus might indeed the Messiah.

Then the officers came to the chief priests and Pharisees, who said to them, “Why have you not brought Him?” 46 The officers answered, “No man ever spoke like this Man!” 47 Then the Pharisees answered them, “Are you also deceived? 48 Have any of the rulers or the Pharisees believed in Him? 49 But this crowd that does not know the law is accursed.” John 7:45–49 (NKJV)

The rulers and Pharisees were so convinced that their view regarding the coming Messiah was correct that they were not able to recognize him when he stood right in front of them and spoke to them. Their hearts were closed to anything that did not fit into their paradigm, understanding, and training. They were convinced that they were far wiser and more discerning than the “simple minded,” ignorant people who were being deceived into believing in Jesus. They were convinced that they were the guardians of truth responsible to protect God’s people from heresy and false messiahs. Their worldly wisdom and desire to avoid being deceived by “extreme” claims took them down a wicked path to murder the true Messiah, all the time thinking that they were serving God.

In the eyes of the world, the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ is outside the pale of what is reasonable and wise.

It is thought to be an extreme position that runs counter to the dominant worldview and all sound wisdom. To accept that Jesus rose from the dead as the Lord of Lords who will one day return to judge the living and the dead requires one to be willing to be labeled as a misguided religious fanatic.This happened to Paul when he preached the gospel in Athens, the center of worldly wisdom at that time.

And when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked, while others said, “We will hear you again on this matter.” Acts 17:32 (NKJV)

Some rejected the gospel, but others were “open” and wanted to hear more. In order to be saved, we have to move from being “open” to God to being committed to him. Before doing so, one should count the cost of making such a decision.

A public confession of Christ followed by water baptism is the designated way for us to declare our allegiance to Jesus the Messiah and become part of what the world considers to be a misguided fringe sect of fanatics.

It is impossible for us to accept the gospel as being the truth without the help of the Holy Spirit. Christianity is a revelatory “religion.”

Only those people who hearts are open to receive revelation from God are able to believe and come to Jesus. This is what it means to be childlike.

Jesus said that unless we become like little children, we cannot enter the kingdom of God. (Matthew 18:3) Jesus said we cannot come to him unless we are drawn by the Father and have our eyes opened by the Spirit of God. (John 6:44)

Once that happens, the Holy Spirit enables us to see things in an entirely new way. We are able to operate by means of a divine wisdom not recognized or understood by those in the world.

Paul wrote:

Yet we do speak wisdom among those who are mature; a wisdom, however, not of this age nor of the rulers of this age, who are passing away; 7 but we speak God’s wisdom in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God predestined before the ages to our glory; 8 the wisdom which none of the rulers of this age has understood; for if they had understood it they would not have crucified the Lord of glory; 1 Corinthians 2:6–8 (NASB95)

Since we are human, we remain susceptible to the temptation to rely on human wisdom instead of the Spirit of God and the written Word. This can take us into dangerous territory. Every strength has a corresponding weakness. The strengths associated with wisdom are obvious, but the weaknesses are more subtle. A person who is endowed with natural wisdom can easily begin to rely on that strength and slip away from a dependence on the Holy Spirit to open God’s Word and wisdom to us. There is a similar peril attached to being intelligent. We can start relying upon natural smarts instead of God’s Spirit.

The truly wise person learns to submit his natural wisdom and intelligence to the Holy Spirit and the Word of God.

The humble person will remain open to the Holy Spirit’s revealing surprising truth to him or her for life. Otherwise we are in danger of becoming what Jesus called an “old wineskin” that is unable to receive new revelation from God’s Spirit.

The humble of heart understand that the predominant view of things can be quite wrong. They will accept the need to commit to truth, even if it puts us on the outside looking in at the rest of society.

It is getting to the point where our ability to see through the propaganda of the government run media and education system could be a matter of life and death.

Our government, media, and other powerful influencers have proved to be quite untrustworthy. We will have to listen to God, depend on the what the Bible teaches, and be willing to think for ourselves. Every position that violates the clear teaching of Scripture must be rejected, no matter how many experts say otherwise. It may not be possible to hold a “wise” middle of the road position on some future issues.

I believe we must be prepared to make a stand, one that in many cases may relegate us to being seen as being on the fringe of society – ignorant Bible believers. We should not fear being marginalized.

The church has always been most effective working from the margins. Christianity began as a “fringe sect” of Judaism that soon found itself being persecuted by the Jews and the Roman government alike. Things may be heading that direction again. But that is when the church was able to turn the world upside down (Acts 17:6), upsetting the dominant worldview and power structures.

If we are willing to be identified with the remnant who believe God’s Word and declare allegiance to Jesus, we likely will have great impact on the world. We may be foolish in the world’s sight, but God will say we are wise.

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Are We Willing to Declare Allegiance to Every Word of God?

Jesus warned that we will be judged regarding our allegiance to him and his words.

For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words, of him the Son of Man will be ashamed when He comes in His own glory, and in His Father’s, and of the holy angels. Luke 9:26 (NKJV)

Satan’s chief strategy has always been to plant doubt in our hearts regarding God’s character and the truth of his words in order to break our allegiance and obedience to God.

We see this played out in the Garden of Eden, when he questioned Eve, “Did God really say?” After casting suspicion on God’s character and truthfulness, he countered God’s truth with a lie, which she and Adam believed.

It is important that we grasp that Satan made Eve and Adam feel foolish and ignorant for taking God at his word, instead of figuring out things for themselves.

Satan still seeks to shame anyone who simply believes what is written in the Bible.

The author of the letter to the Hebrews wrote:

By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible. Hebrews 11:3 (NKJV)

We learn from the opening passages of John’s gospel that Jesus is the Word of God who became a human, and everything was created by him.

All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. John 1:3 (NKJV)

We also know from John’s gospel that the one who created everything came to earth to die as a living sacrifice to restore us to a right relationship to his heavenly Father. Sadly, those whom he created, for the most part, refused to believe that he was and is who he claimed to be. A relatively few people, whose hearts were open, believed that he was and is the promised Messiah King of Israel.

Jesus knew that his purpose was to die for our sins and that he would rise again after three days. How did he know this? The only thing he could rely upon was what is written in the Bible.

Our Lord Jesus had absolute confidence in the truthfulness of God’s Word – all of it. He taught that it cannot be “broken.” (John 10:35)

Leading up to his death, he told his disciples that everything would happen to him as was written.

Then He took the twelve aside and said to them, “Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and all things that are written by the prophets concerning the Son of Man will be accomplished. Luke 18:31 (NKJV)

As he hung upon the cross enduring the mockery and taunts of his enemies and the excruciating pain of crucifixion, feeling his life blood drain away, he only had God’s promises to which to cling. He “put all his eggs into one basket,” so to speak. Jesus bet his life, his ministry, his reputation, and his eternity – everything – on the truthfulness of God’s Word.

As the “second Adam,” Jesus passed the test of the ages: he displayed full allegiance to God and his Word.

After he rose from the dead, he appeared to two discouraged disciples on the road to Emmaus. He gently rebuked their despondency, indicating that it was caused by a failure to believe the Word of God.

Then He said to them, “O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken! 26 Ought not the Christ to have suffered these things and to enter into His glory?” 27 And beginning at Moses and all the Prophets, He expounded to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself. Luke 24:25–27 (NKJV)

He called them “foolish” because they did not believe everything in God’s Word! He said they were “slow of heart to believe.” Faith resides in the heart. It surpasses what the intellect can comprehend. Only those whose hearts are open are able to believe God’s words. To everyone else, the written Word seems to be foolish.

Jesus did not condemn them, and he will not condemn us when we stumble through lack of faith and allegiance to God’s Word, but he will correct us and challenge us to believe every single word of God.

But Jesus answered him, saying, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.’ ” Luke 4:4 (NKJV)

We are not allowed to pick and choose which words of the Bible we are going to believe. We either believe all of it or everything in the Bible comes into question.

When Paul was on trial for his faith, he declared that he believed everything written in the Bible. (Acts 24:14) He said in another place that the written Word required him to speak about what he believed. He had no other recourse.

God required Paul to show public allegiance to Christ and to his Words.

And since we have the same spirit of faith, according to what is written, “I believed and therefore I spoke,” we also believe and therefore speak, 2 Corinthians 4:13 (NKJV)

Today it seems that many Christians believe that it is possible to show allegiance to Christ without making a stand for every word of God written in the Bible. Jesus contradicted this false notion in my opening verse above (Luke 9:26).

God gave us the written word upon which our faith rests.

Every word of God is tested and true. (Proverbs 30:5) John said that what is written is given to us so that we can “know and believe.” (John 20:31, 1 John 5:13) Paul said that faith bursts into bloom in our hearts by “hearing” the word of God. (Romans 10:17) The Lord warned us against invalidating God’s written word with our man-made traditions. (Mark 7:13) These are not only religious traditions. Anything that is handed down from one generation to the next that contradicts God’s Word is a demonically inspired tradition.

I believe the days are upon us when we too will need to have complete  reliance upon the written Word as deception grows in intensity. I believe that taking such a stand brings honor and glory to God.

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Belief in Heliocentrism Requires Belief in the Big Bang

One of the more shocking conclusions I have observed is that heliocentrism requires faith in the atheistic Big Bang theory.

In my understanding of Genesis Chapter One, without the Big Bang there is no way to account for the earth revolving around the sun. The Genesis account says that God created the earth on Day 1 and the sun on Day 4. It also says that the sun makes a circuit around the earth. (Psalm 19:6) This, of course, makes the earth the center of God’s creation which ennobles mankind. 

What is man that You take thought of him, And the son of man that You care for him? 5 Yet You have made him a little lower than God, And You crown him with glory and majesty! Psalm 8:4–5 (NASB95)

The Big Bang theory starts with nothing, including no God, and posits that everything in the “universe” self-created. The “law” of universal gravitation, another unproven hypothesis, enabled large bodies such as the sun to draw to itself lesser bodies. The heliocentric model has the sun ruling over its obeisant subjects, all bearing the names of false gods in a tribute to sun worship, and ultimately Lucifer, the light bearer. This is brilliantly laid out in the video below, which I highly recommend.

The geocentric flat earth is what the Bible presents to us. It reveals the glory of the Creator, not the worship of Satan.

Here is the first part of a well-presented 8-part series narrated by Pastor Ray McBerry on Biblical Cosmology. I encourage  you to listen to it.

Blessings on us as we pursue God’s truth.

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