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When in a Storm, Stay in the Boat

When in a storm, it is usually wise to stay in the boat.

My father had a saying: “The banana that stays with the bunch doesn’t get peeled.” Hungry wolves and lions like to “peel off” weak and young members of the herd to hunt down, kill, and eat. In the animal world, there is safety in remaining with the herd and great danger in going solo. This is true when it comes to the church, too. Unfortunately, today many are choosing to abandon the church community and go solo, often with very poor results.

The reasons for this exodus from the organized church are many. Almost all of us who have been in the church world for very long can tell stories of how we were mistreated and disappointed by people we thought had our best interests in mind. It is humbling to remind ourselves at times that someone out there blames us for their troubles. As one of my dear old friends is famous for saying: “We are all offenses waiting to happen.” Because we are human beings, we offend people, sometimes intentionally and sometimes quite by accident. This happens in every organization and institution, including the family and the most basic building block of society, the married couple.

When offenses happen, we can either isolate ourselves by abandoning ship or stay put and try to work our way through them.

Some offenses are so grievous they may require us to look for another ship, but most can be worked through.

Many who now are spiritually are flying solo formerly were part of a church. Perhaps their church involvement was out of a sense of habit, duty, or tradition, rather than from a conviction it is what God wants because we need each other.

The interesting thing is that once a habit is broken, it is can be difficult to reestablish it. When believers choose to forsake assembling with others of the faith, it may seem strange at first, but we get used to it. I have observed that “de-churched” people are reticent to make the commitment to regular attendance again. Sad.

There are certain things that can only happen when we meet face-to-face. Assembling in person with other disciples on a regular basis accomplishes much good.

Let’s take a look at one of the important Bible verses that applies.

All the believers devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, and to fellowship, and to sharing in meals (including the Lord’s Supper), and to prayer. Acts 2:42 (NLT)

I will approach these four point in the order of a typical small group meeting.

First, we need fellowship. Most of our small groups prioritize eating together as part of the meeting. There is something special about the fellowship and camaraderie that happens around the table. Church is supposed to be a place where deep and lasting friendships are built, and this can most easily happen in a small group setting. We need to have people in our lives who know us well enough to be able to tell if things are going well for us or not. We need those who can speak into our lives with truth and love. We need each other. Generally this happens best in person, when possible.

Secondly, we need to encouraged and exhorted. Paul wrote in his letter to the church at Rome that he longed to see them in order that he might strengthen them and be strengthened in return. (Romans 1:11-12) God created us to be mutually interdependent. None of us has everything that is needed to have a complete perspective on life. None of us has everything in the way of spiritual gifts. God wants us to receive from one another, and this most easily takes place when we gather with other disciples.

Thirdly, solid Bible teaching is crucial to our continued development and growth as a disciple. Deception most easily enters the picture when we abandon the input from trusted people in our lives who are willing to speak truth to us. Solomon wrote:

Whoever isolates himself seeks his own desire; he breaks out against all sound judgment. Proverbs 18:1 (ESV)

This does not mean everyone in a group must toe the line and embrace group think. It does mean that we listen to others, examine the Scriptures for ourselves, and allow ourselves to be accountable to people we love and trust.

Lastly, we almost always spend time in prayer, giving thanks to our Lord, who is the Creator, Sustainer, and Redeemer. We pray for whatever is important to those present, including for one another. This is when being together is so important because when we lay hands on one another and pray, often the Holy Spirit operates through those present in various gifts, such as prophecy and healing. This can take place over the phone or internet, too, but in person is the only place where we can actually lay hands on someone. The laying on of hands is a very important principle mentioned in Hebrews 6:1-2.

The author of the letter to the Hebrews also wrote:

Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works. 25  And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near.Hebrews 10:24-25 (NLT)

When God sent a worldwide deluge to destroy the wicked, he had Noah build an ark to provide the means to save one family which He would use to repopulate the earth. Only those who entered and remained in the ark were saved. When in a storm, stay in the boat.

The ark is an Old Covenant picture of the New Testament church.

We are in the midst of a storm of another kind today. This is not the time for us to abandon ship, so to speak, by isolating ourselves from other believers. Instead, we should realize how much we need one another now more than ever.

Another time in the Bible when a ship was in a storm was when Jesus and the disciples were on the Sea of Galilee. Although the disciples feared for their lives, the presence of Jesus in the boat guaranteed their safety. The same is true for the church today. Jesus, Immanuel, is with us. There is nothing to fear.

We may think everything is falling apart, but we should never abandon ship.

When the Prince of Peace is with us, we have nothing to fear. He is Lord over the storms we encounter in life. Stay in the boat.

If your boat is sinking, however, sometimes it is necessary to leave it. I tell people that we can often discern where God wants us to be in fellowship with other believers by looking at the following points. If the church you are part of or are thinking of joining (or leaving) has these things, it is probably a good fit.

  1. Does the church teach the Bible without watering it down to fit whatever the latest cultural errors are?
  2. Can you trust and follow the church leaders?
  3. Is the church’s vision something you can embrace? We want to be able to walk in step with the church and not pull against it.
  4. Do you feel the Holy Spirit nudging you to be a part of this church?

If we are looking for a perfect church with perfect leaders and people, we will never find it, and if we do, it will no longer be perfect after we join it.

Groucho Marx resigned from the Friar’s Club by saying that he did not want to be part of a club that would have him for a member. It is safe to say that he would never join any club, and some people have their reasons for not belonging to any church. Life is not a comedy routine however.

It all comes down to a matter of the heart. If we are determined not to walk with others on the discipleship journey, we can always find reasons. If we want to sound spiritual, we can blame our decision on the Lord’s leading. However, when in a dangerous neighborhood, it is much safer to walk with those who are going to the same place we want to go. This world in which we live is a dangerous place.

To sum it up, if you have abandoned ship, either climb back aboard or find another one going to your desired destination. Don’t disobey God by trying to go solo. Too much is at stake.

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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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Chapter 38: Lordship Matters – Lord of My Relationships

Being a disciple of Jesus Christ is a “love-hate” relationship. We are to love Him so much that all other relationships take a back seat.

The Lord used hyperbole in the following verse to make his point.

If anyone comes to Me, and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be My disciple. Luke 14:26 (NASB)

Jesus does not advocate hating our family, but, whenever there is a conflict of interest, we must come down on the side of God.

Some of us have been or will be confronted with making a choice between pleasing a family member, friend, colleague, or some other important person in our lives or Jesus. This is no small matter. We may suffer great loss and pain because of the choice we make. The early disciples faced such critical moments.

Then they brought the apostles before the high council, where the high priest confronted them. 28  “Didn’t we tell you never again to teach in this man’s name?” he demanded. “Instead, you have filled all Jerusalem with your teaching about him, and you want to make us responsible for his death!” 29  But Peter and the apostles replied, “We must obey God rather than any human authority. Acts 5:27-29 (NLT)

When we choose God over family, friends, culture, and familiar and important places, institutions, and people, it pushes us into what some call a liminal space of uncertainty between what was and what is to come.

Abraham chose God over his home, culture, friends, and what was familiar. During his journey to Canaan, he was in a liminal space. When he arrived at the “promised land,” he still had no place to call his own. Following the Lord can be like that, which requires us to find our security in God.

Those with whom we relate impact our lives for good or bad. The opposite is also true: we impact others for good or bad. Therefore, every relationship we have should be submitted to the Lord. This means we should allow the Holy Spirit to guide us in our choice of friends.

The righteous should choose his friends carefully, For the way of the wicked leads them astray. Proverbs 12:26 (NKJV)

Don't let anyone deceive you. Associating with bad people will ruin decent people. 1 Corinthians 15:33 (GW)

This does not mean that we should cease to relate to ungodly people who need to know the Lord, but we should be careful because our friends can influence what we believe and value. Jesus prayed all night before choosing the twelve apostles who would be closest to him. He powerfully influenced them over the next three years as he prepared them to be leaders in fulfilling the Great Commission.

Conversely, the disciples did not understand Jesus’ mission to give his life as the Lamb of God. Peter even tried to dissuade him from going to the cross, which provoked our Lord to rebuke him sternly.

From then on Jesus began to tell his disciples plainly that it was necessary for him to go to Jerusalem, and that he would suffer many terrible things at the hands of the elders, the leading priests, and the teachers of religious law. He would be killed, but on the third day he would be raised from the dead. 22  But Peter took him aside and began to reprimand him for saying such things. “Heaven forbid, Lord,” he said. “This will never happen to you!” 23  Jesus turned to Peter and said, “Get away from me, Satan! You are a dangerous trap to me. You are seeing things merely from a human point of view, not from God’s.” 24  Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross, and follow me. 25  If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it. 26  And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul? Is anything worth more than your soul? Matthew 16:21-26 (NLT)

We must be aware that people we love may attempt to sway us from obedience to God out of their concern for us.

They may not understand God’s call on our lives and try to dissuade us from taking a course of action that seems not to be in our own best interest. These well-intentioned people sometimes simply fail to understand what Jesus values. They do not grasp that Jesus is worth any sacrifice we may make. Nothing spent on him is ever ill advised. When the woman poured the expensive perfume on Jesus’ feet, one of the disciples declared it was a waste of money, but her act has been forever memorialized in Scripture, as well as the failure of that disciple to see Jesus’ immense worth.

Let’s be among those who are willing to give away what men treasure in service to God despite the naysayers.

Jesus had to reject Peter’s counsel to spare himself a horrible death to follow his Father’s will and save us. When this sort of thing happens, it is never an excuse for us to be rude or impatient. Rather we do well if we manage to show love and respect to those whose counsel we reject and try to explain to them as best we can why we must pursue obedience to the Lord. Jesus’ rebuke of Peter was done out of love for him and to properly distance himself from a very real temptation. Plenty of God’s servants have been led off course by those they love.

An Old Testament prophet was influenced to disobey God’s direct orders by another older prophet. (1 Kings 13:11-26) Perhaps the younger one listened to that older prophet out of respect, or maybe he secretly did not want to have to do what God said, and this was a perfect excuse. Whatever the reason, this prophet was put to death because he allowed a “friend” to get him off course.

I am not suggesting that God will kill us if we allow someone to get us off course, but we may indeed suffer great loss because of our disobedience. Let us be led by God’s Spirit in everything we do.

We are wise to rely upon the Lord when it comes to choosing a spouse, which is the most influential relationship we will ever have. People choose mates for all sorts of reasons – love, companionship, security, beauty, sexual attraction, financial interests, social advancement, etc. In the world, people often choose partners who will aid them in their career advancement and the pursuit of personal goals. Finding a like-minded person is important.

For a disciple, one of the most critical factors in choosing a spouse is for him or her to have the same vision and commitment to the Lord as we.

We would be very unwise to marry anyone who is going to distract us from God’s purpose and our commitment to serve Jesus. On the other hand, we don’t want to become so “spiritual” that we neglect the human side of the equation, either. I believe God wants us to marry someone whom we genuinely love and respect, to whom we are attracted, who has similar values and goals, and who shares our passion and commitment to the Lord and His kingdom. This necessarily eliminates non-Christians from consideration for marriage.

Don’t team up with those who are unbelievers. How can righteousness be a partner with wickedness? How can light live with darkness? 2 Corinthians 6:14 (NLT) 

A wife is bound to her husband as long as he lives. If her husband dies, she is free to marry anyone she wishes, but only if he loves the Lord. 1 Corinthians 7:39 (NLT)

When it comes to choosing a spouse, probably the most important of all our relationships, disciples understand the value of seeking good counsel.

It is not always wise to rely solely on our own feelings and judgment in such an important matter. When our hormones kick in, sometimes good judgment falls to the wayside. This does not mean we allow someone else to decide for us, but it is important to listen and weigh what others say. If those we trust, especially our parents and siblings, are uneasy about our choice, it should give us pause to consider. The best scenario is when all concerned are positive with our choice and give it their blessing.

Another way we allow Jesus to be Lord of our relationships is to maintain them His way. This means we make the choice to apply kingdom principles to our relationships.

God expects us to forgive readily and not harbor offenses.*

Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of malicious behavior. 32 Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you. Ephesians 4:31-32 (NLT)

This often requires us to talk openly about difficult matters instead of burying our feelings and hurts. Paul called it speaking the truth in love, which requires honesty, self-control, courage, and love.

Then we will no longer be immature like children. We won’t be tossed and blown about by every wind of new teaching. We will not be influenced when people try to trick us with lies so clever they sound like the truth. 15  Instead, we will speak the truth in love, growing in every way more and more like Christ, who is the head of his body, the church. Ephesians 4:14-15 (NLT)

Matthew 18 tells us how to handle these kinds of situations.

If another believer sins against you, go privately and point out the fault. If the other person listens and confesses it, you have won that person back. 16 But if you are unsuccessful, take one or two others with you and go back again, so that everything you say may be confirmed by two or three witnesses. 17 If that person still refuses to listen, take your case to the church. If the church decides you are right, but the other person won't accept it, treat that person as a pagan or a corrupt tax collector. Matthew 18:15-17 (NLT)

I believe one of the most prevalent sins in the body of Christ is the failure to properly resolve relational offenses.

The problem may stem from our dislike for confronting others and the high probability that we will be likewise confronted in the process, revealing our own sinful attitudes and behavior. Sometimes we are afraid of being hurt all over again. Nevertheless, if we are committed to being disciples, we will allow Jesus to rule in this area of our lives, too.

A final way we allow Jesus to be Lord of our relationships is in the church. The Lord often brings together people from different cultural, racial, socio-economic, and other backgrounds into a local church. Many church members may be those with whom we would not ordinarily associate. However, if Jesus is our Lord and God is our Father, then a church is a family. We love and relate to family members regardless of any perceived affinities. Sometimes God places people in our lives to help us grow in this area.

If Jesus is Lord of our relationships, we will relate to those whom He puts in our lives and learn to love and appreciate them.

Jesus wants us to lay down our own selfish agendas to be kingdom people who can show the world what real Christianity looks like. This is a tall order, but whoever said serving Jesus was easy?

* For those who have suffered abuse, it is important to add that forgiving someone does not mean we naively allow them to hurt us again. Forgiveness and trust are different matters. Also, forgiving someone does not mean we are necessarily reconciled to them, which is a restoration of intimacy. However, in a normal relationship, every effort must be made to release each other from any sense of indebtedness because of past offenses. God also wants us to forgive daily to avoid becoming bitter because we continue to be offended.

Then Peter came to him and asked, "Lord, how often should I forgive someone who sins against me? Seven times?" 22 "No!" Jesus replied, "seventy times seven! Matthew 18:21-22 (NLT)

We are all offenses waiting to happen. The Lord wants to restore us to intimacy and trust despite our propensity to hurt one another repeatedly. That is why we so desperately need mercy from God and each other.

Questions for Further Study and Discussion 
  • Which is more challenging for you, enduring the loss of friendships because of your allegiance to Christ or lovingly confronting a someone who has hurt you?
  • Have you ever had to go against the counsel of someone you admired and loved to obey the Lord? How did that affect you?
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Chapter 51: How to Make an Appeal to Authority

How do we properly appeal to someone in authority if he or she asks us to do something unwise or sinful? How do we maintain an attitude of proper submissiveness when challenging or informing a leader that we cannot obey for reasons of conscience? How we handle such situations will say a lot about our understanding of authority and our commitment to maintaining a right relationship with authority for the Lord’s sake.

Do not sharply rebuke an older man, but rather appeal to him as a father, to the younger men as brothers, 1 Timothy 5:1 (NASB)  

Obviously, unless we are a Roman Catholic vis-a-vis the Pope, people in authority are not infallible. It is a well-known principle that power corrupts; so, it is likely that the more authority a person has and the less accountability, the greater the probability he or she will abuse that authority.

The Bible commands us to obey delegated authority unless doing so would violate God’s commands or our conscience.

Sin or foolishness on the part of one in authority does not relieve us from our duty to properly submit to authority in general and that person in particular. Such situations test whether we recognize that all authority comes from God, regardless of the frailty or faultiness of the human vessel.

Every person is to be in subjection to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those which exist are established by God. 2 Therefore whoever resists authority has opposed the ordinance of God; and they who have opposed will receive condemnation upon themselves. Romans 13:1-2 (NASB)

The Bible gives us examples of men and women who had to relate to sinful, misguided, or unreasonable authorities. Let’s focus on four.

Daniel

From Daniel we learn to offer an alternative plan to the one to which we object.

Daniel had been taken captive by the Babylonians and was singled out for advanced training and preparation for service to the king. Part of that training required him to eat food that God’s Word forbade him to consume. What was he to do? He could boldly rebel against the command for conscience’s sake and face the consequences like a man, or he could knuckle under, hoping God would understand his predicament. A third alternative would be to resist passively aggressively; that is, he would never voice his complaint but simply would not comply. Daniel was an extremely wise man, however, and took a fourth route which worked for him. He appealed to authority and was granted his request.

Rather than going through the verses (Daniel 1:8-16), which you can do on your own, I will extract the principles.

  1. Daniel made up his mind that he would not sin against God by obeying the king’s command. It is important that we have strong convictions when making such an appeal and not mere preferences.
  2. He wisely sought to skirt a direct confrontation by asking for permission to be excused from obeying the king’s command. Daniel was not afraid, however. Later in life he directly violated the king’s command not to pray to God, for which an appeal was not possible since the king at that time could not reverse his own command. His disobedience resulted in his being put in a lions’ den overnight.
  3. Daniel understood the purpose of the king’s command and offered a counter proposal to achieve the same or better results in a way that would not violate his conscience. The principle here is that we should never just say “no” to a command without offering a wise alternative plan to help the one in authority achieve his or her objectives. If we show that we are committed to the success of the one in authority, it is more likely that he or she will consider our proposal.
  4. Daniel asked that his proposal be tested, evaluated, and a decision made accordingly. This recognized the right of the one in authority to be the decision maker.
  5. Daniel was careful not to engage the pride of his authority by making a threat of any kind – “Do this or else!” Except in the case when we are commanded to sin, the one in authority needs to know that we will submit to an undesired response.

In the case above, after testing Daniel looked better than the other candidates after being on a diet that conformed to the Law of Moses; so, his request was granted. It should be noted that Daniel’s superior took a risk doing this; so, the favor of the Lord was a big factor, too. However, we may not receive such a blessed outcome.

Esther

Esther appealed to her husband the king because a high-ranking enemy who was close to the king had devised a plan to destroy her people, the Jews, with the king’s unwitting approval. She may have been able to escape this destruction, since her Jewishness was not known at the time, but how could she passively concede to the obliteration of her people? This perilous situation required delicacy and great wisdom on her part.

From Esther we learn the art of wisely crafting an appeal.

She would only get one shot at changing the course of events; so, she had to make the most of it. This may be our case, too.

She used her leverage with the king as his beloved wife and queen to gain an audience with the king. She then excited his interest by delaying the presentation of the details of her appeal until the perfect time. She prepared a great feast for her husband-king before making her appeal, putting him in the best frame of mind to grant her request. She was also wise enough to make the law that Haman had devised to wipe out the Jews look as evil as possible by setting up a situation in which the king had to make a choice between her and Haman, an easy choice for him to make.

Nathan the Prophet

Another wisely crafted appeal to authority was made by Nathan the prophet to King David after the latter had committed adultery with Bathsheba and murdered her husband to cover it up. Whether or not the public was aware of David’s sin, news of it had at least reached Nathan. As God’s representative to David, he felt the responsibility to confront the king to hopefully bring him to repentance. David had the authority to execute Nathan; so, the prophet was taking his life into his hands.

By crafting a story that excited David’s sense of injustice, he got David to unwittingly condemn his own behavior.

He sprung the trap by revealing that he had done what made him so angry at the imaginary someone else. Let’s read the passage.

So the Lord sent Nathan the prophet to tell David this story: “There were two men in a certain town. One was rich, and one was poor. 2 The rich man owned a great many sheep and cattle. 3 The poor man owned nothing but one little lamb he had bought. He raised that little lamb, and it grew up with his children. It ate from the man’s own plate and drank from his cup. He cuddled it in his arms like a baby daughter. 4 One day a guest arrived at the home of the rich man. But instead of killing an animal from his own flock or herd, he took the poor man’s lamb and killed it and prepared it for his guest.” 5 David was furious. “As surely as the Lord lives,” he vowed, “any man who would do such a thing deserves to die! 6 He must repay four lambs to the poor man for the one he stole and for having no pity.” 7 Then Nathan said to David, “You are that man! The Lord, the God of Israel, says: I anointed you king of Israel and saved you from the power of Saul. 8 I gave you your master’s house and his wives and the kingdoms of Israel and Judah. And if that had not been enough, I would have given you much, much more. 9 Why, then, have you despised the word of the Lord and done this horrible deed? For you have murdered Uriah the Hittite with the sword of the Ammonites and stolen his wife. 10 From this time on, your family will live by the sword because you have despised me by taking Uriah’s wife to be your own. 11 “This is what the Lord says: Because of what you have done, I will cause your own household to rebel against you. I will give your wives to another man before your very eyes, and he will go to bed with them in public view. 12 You did it secretly, but I will make this happen to you openly in the sight of all Israel.” 13 Then David confessed to Nathan, “I have sinned against the Lord.” Nathan replied, “Yes, but the Lord has forgiven you, and you won’t die for this sin. 14 Nevertheless, because you have shown utter contempt for the word of the Lord by doing this, your child will die.”  2 Samuel 12:1–14 (NLT) —

If Nathan had barged into David’s presence and confronted him without getting David to see his sin through the story, the results may not have been very good. When we need to confront someone, especially someone in authority, why not ask God, the wisest, kindest, most loving, and most truthful person, to show us the best way to do it?

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego

A last example is also found in the book of Daniel. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were friends of Daniel and Babylonian officials of high rank who outrightly refused to bow to the golden idol of Nebuchadnezzar, even though the punishment was death. When the king gave them one last chance, here is the account of their response.

“Now if you are ready, at the moment you hear the sound of the horn, flute, lyre, trigon, psaltery and bagpipe and all kinds of music, to fall down and worship the image that I have made, very well. But if you do not worship, you will immediately be cast into the midst of a furnace of blazing fire; and what god is there who can deliver you out of my hands?” 16 Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego replied to the king, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to give you an answer concerning this matter. 17 “If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the furnace of blazing fire; and He will deliver us out of your hand, O king. 18 “But even if He does not, let it be known to you, O king, that we are not going to serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up.”  Daniel 3:15–18 (NASB95) —

In this case, there was no polite way to refuse a direct command from an obdurate king to commit idolatry. Peter replied to the Jewish leaders who commanded him to stop preaching the gospel, “We must obey God rather than men.” (Acts 5:29) In such cases, we should strive to maintain a properly submissive manner and tone when making a stand of conscience. When forced into such a corner, our refusal will carry a bad enough consequence without our making it worse by having a bad attitude. Peter later wrote the following:

But even if you should suffer for the sake of righteousness, you are blessed. And do not fear their intimidation, and do not be troubled, 15 but sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence; 16 and keep a good conscience so that in the thing in which you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ will be put to shame. 17 For it is better, if God should will it so, that you suffer for doing what is right rather than for doing what is wrong.  1 Peter 3:14–17 (NASB95) —

When making an appeal to authority, whether we can use a little honey to make our appeal more palatable or must be confrontive, it is important to keep in mind that our attitude is important because we serve God, the one behind all authority.

The art of making an appeal to authority is one of the most important skills we may ever acquire and deserves our utmost attention and consideration. Whenever we may need to make such an appeal, let’s ask God for the wisdom and correct heart attitude, whether it goes as we desire or not.

Questions for Further Study and Discussion

  • Have you ever had to make an appeal to authority? How did it turn out? Did you handle it wisely?
  • Have you ever been the one in authority to whom an appeal was made? Did you grant the request? Was it handled wisely?
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Chapter 52: Authority and the Fear of the Lord

The proper and timely use and display of authority inspires the fear of the Lord in people whose hearts are open to God. It has the opposite effect on those whose hearts are hardened. The following passage illustrates this.

And they brought to Him a paralytic lying on a bed. Seeing their faith, Jesus said to the paralytic, “Take courage, son; your sins are forgiven.” 3 And some of the scribes said to themselves, “This fellow blasphemes.” 4 And Jesus knowing their thoughts said, “Why are you thinking evil in your hearts? 5 “Which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up, and walk’? 6 “But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—then He said to the paralytic, “Get up, pick up your bed and go home.” 7 And he got up and went home. 8 But when the crowds saw this, they were awestruck, and glorified God, who had given such authority to men.  Matthew 9:2–8 (NASB95) —

The Jewish leaders for the most part were never convinced by the miracles Jesus performed. When he raised Lazarus from the dead, they determined to put both Jesus and Lazarus to death! (John 12:10)

How we react to and relate to authority often reveals a lot about the condition of our hearts and our openness to God.

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom and a cornerstone of character which assists people in turning away from evil. It enables us to properly assess God’s words and actions. The opposite of the fear of the Lord is a hardened heart, which is closed to God and his truth.

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; Fools despise wisdom and instruction.  Proverbs 1:7 (NASB95) — 

By lovingkindness and truth iniquity is atoned for, And by the fear of the Lord one keeps away from evil.  Proverbs 16:6 (NASB95) —

Those who properly fear the Lord will not only recognize and submit to authority in their lives, but they will also use it in the right way.

The proper use of authority is always meant to bless those it governs.

In the home, the husband and father’s God-given authority and responsibility to lead is meant to provide loving guidance, protection, and provision for the wife and children. In the church, authority properly used functions in the same manner. At work and in the government, authority is meant to provide guidance, order, reward for those who do well, and punishment for rebels.

Where authority is absent or is rejected because it is administered corruptly, people tend to become independent and unrestrained, the fear of the Lord can diminish.

In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes. Judges 21:25 (NASB)

When a government properly represents God’s intention for it, whether the state, a church, at work, or in the home, it helps the fear of the Lord to take root, influencing behavior for the good.

For rulers are not a cause of fear for good behavior, but for evil. Do you want to have no fear of authority? Do what is good and you will have praise from the same; 4 for it is a minister of God to you for good. But if you do what is evil, be afraid; for it does not bear the sword for nothing; for it is a minister of God, an avenger who brings wrath on the one who practices evil. Romans 13:3-4 (NASB)

Authority figures have a tremendous power of influence for good or evil. Those authorities who properly represent God influence people toward good. Those who misrepresent God can damage people spiritually.

Countless individuals and even entire families have given up on the church because of the failure of those in authority. Fathers who mistreat their children often damage their view of God the Father, whom they are meant to represent. If we have been damaged by the improper use of authority, Jesus wants to reveal to us the Father heart of God. He wants to lead us to churches where God’s authority is used benevolently.

On the opposite side of things, sometimes people try to diminish God’s intention for government by applying to the government commandments given to individuals. For example, I have talked with those who understand God’s commandment against killing (murder) to mean governments should not use capital punishment. The Bible makes it clear that governments are supposed to punish evil doers, even to the point of capital punishment, to maintain order, protect the innocent, and inspire obedience. This is why Paul referred to the “sword” of the government in the above passage.

In another place, Paul acknowledged this function of government in reference to his own legal predicament.

"If, then, I am a wrongdoer and have committed anything worthy of death, I do not refuse to die; but if none of those things is true of which these men accuse me, no one can hand me over to them. I appeal to Caesar." Acts 25:11 (NASB)

The Bible asserts that there are crimes worthy of death, which are listed in the Law of Moses and include such things as rape, murder, and kidnapping. These are moral crimes against individuals and society. Individuals are not supposed to seek personal vengeance for such crimes today, even though revenge killings were allowed under the Old Covenant.

As individuals, we are to forgive those who commit crimes against us, but this does not relieve the government of its responsibility to represent God though the application of justice.

Governments which fail to do so violate God’s law going all the way back to the flood.

Whoever sheds man's blood, By man his blood shall be shed, For in the image of God He made man. Genesis 9:6 (NASB)

When there is no justice, evil becomes even bolder and often gets the opportunity to commit similar crimes again.

Because the sentence against an evil deed is not executed quickly, therefore the hearts of the sons of men among them are given fully to do evil. Ecclesiastes 8:11 (NASB)

Those who reject the government’s responsibility to carry out God’s justice are in rebellion against God’s authority.

Without Christ, there is no real wisdom, and when well-intentioned governments refuse to use capital punishment in proper cases, out of supposed enlightenment, it is a rebellion against God’s order and will always have disastrous consequences. Sadly, governments sometimes misuse capital punishment, and there is the possibility of human error in judgment. Nevertheless, we should not “throw out the baby with the bath water” and eliminate capital punishment because of the possibility of our making a mistake. Using that line of reasoning, we would have to stop doing all manner of things.

Those in authority have a moral responsibility before God to use their authority to inspire the fear of the Lord in those they govern. If authorities, and this includes parents of small children, do not use their authority properly, they sin against God and those they oversee.

There is perhaps no quicker way to unleash unrestrained evil upon the earth than for authority to recede or collapse.

Parents who fail to properly discipline their children often sentence them to a very difficult school of hard knocks and demonstrate that they do not truly love their kids.

If you refuse to discipline your children, it proves you don't love them; if you love your children, you will be prompt to discipline them. Proverbs 13:24 (NLT)

Those who have been given authority should challenge themselves to fully accept this responsibility in the fear of the Lord.

We parents should not recoil from applying the “board of education to the seat of learning” because we have a thinly veiled rebellion against authority in our own lives. If we were mistreated by someone who had authority over us, we may have vowed never to do that to someone we love. However, we should not fail to use our authority the way God intends.

Our culture works to condition us to detest authority and its proper use.

We should be careful not to buy into Satan’s lie that corporal and capital punishment are morally repugnant.

If we are going to live under the authority of Christ and His Word, we should strive to be under authority and properly use authority, just as the Roman centurion did.

But the centurion said, “Lord, I am not worthy for You to come under my roof, but just say the word, and my servant will be healed. 9 “For I also am a man under authority, with soldiers under me; and I say to this one, ‘Go!’ and he goes, and to another, ‘Come!’ and he comes, and to my slave, ‘Do this!’ and he does it.” 10 Now when Jesus heard this, He marveled and said to those who were following, “Truly I say to you, I have not found such great faith with anyone in Israel.  Matthew 8:8–10 (NASB95) —

It take faith to submit to Christ’s delegated authority in others and faith to use that authority when and how we should. This responsibility should inspire the fear of the Lord in all of us. 

Questions for Further Study and Discussion
  • Why does a failure to apply God’s justice to evil doers usually release more evil upon the earth?
  • How can parents lovingly use their authority to inspire the fear of the Lord in their young children?
  • What will be the likely outcome for children whose parents are too harsh in applying discipline? When parents fail to discipline them?
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Chapter 53: Meditation on God’s Word

The Word of God is alive and powerful and deserves time and attention spent in meditation.

For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires.  Hebrews 4:12 (NLT) —

Jesus said that his words are “spirit and life.”

The Spirit alone gives eternal life. Human effort accomplishes nothing. And the very words I have spoken to you are spirit and life.  John 6:63 (NLT) —

The words of the Bible were inspired by the Holy Spirit when they were written (2 Timothy 3:16). They become alive to us when the Spirit helps us to understand, believe, and act on them. God’s words impart God’s life to us.

[Jesus said,] “It is written, “ ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’ ”  Matthew 4:4 (ESV) —

God’s words have the power to change us from the inside out through a process Paul called the “renewing of the mind.”

Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.  Romans 12:2 (NLT) —

We participate in the process of transformation when we meditate on the Word and allow it to permeate our lives while asking the Holy Spirit to be our teacher by opening its meaning to us, imparting its life, and helping us to put it into practice.

But when the Father sends the Advocate as my representative—that is, the Holy Spirit—he will teach you everything and will remind you of everything I have told you.  John 14:26 (NLT) —

God spoke the following to his servant Joshua when he was given the responsibility of leading Israel.

This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it; for then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have success. Joshua 1:8 (NASB)

The Bible has the power to stir faith in our hearts.

Therefore, we never stop thanking God that when you received his message from us, you didn’t think of our words as mere human ideas. You accepted what we said as the very word of God—which, of course, it is. And this word continues to work in you who believe.  1 Thessalonians 2:13 (NLT) —

The more we meditate on the Word, the more our faith will grow.

So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ.  Romans 10:17 (NASB95)

God’s Word guides us on the path of life and reveals God’s mind and heart to us.

Your word is a lamp to my feet And a light to my path.  Psalm 119:105 (NASB95) —

But we are unlikely to access the profound depths of God’s Word without meditating upon it. The Hebrew concept of meditation is nothing like what is advocated by various Eastern religions.

Biblical meditation is not an emptying of the mind. Instead, it involves turning the scriptures over and over in our thoughts, much as meat is turned as it roasts upon a spit.

Meditation also contains the idea of muttering or talking out loud to ourselves as we think or perhaps recite the verses in the act of memorizing or recalling them from memory.

As we meditate prayerfully upon Scripture, the Holy Spirit speaks to our hearts and gives deeper understanding.

The psalmist describes this process in the following passage.

Make me understand the way of Your precepts, So I will meditate on Your wonders. Psalms 119:27 (NASB)

The same author told his readers that wisdom and understanding come to the one who practices the spiritual discipline of meditation.

O how I love Your law! It is my meditation all the day. 98 Your commandments make me wiser than my enemies, For they are ever mine. 99 I have more insight than all my teachers, For Your testimonies are my meditation. 100 I understand more than the aged, Because I have observed Your precepts. Psalms 119:97-100 (NASB)

The Holy Spirit nurtures a love for God’s Word in our hearts.

The words of the Bible become a source of joy as the Holy Spirit causes them to come alive inside us.

When I discovered your words, I devoured them. They are my joy and my heart’s delight, for I bear your name, O Lord God of Heaven’s Armies.  Jeremiah 15:16 (NLT) —

When we meditate on God’s Word, it motivates us to obedience which brings blessings.

How blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, Nor stand in the path of sinners, Nor sit in the seat of scoffers! 2 But his delight is in the law of the LORD, And in His law he meditates day and night. 3 He will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water, Which yields its fruit in its season And its leaf does not wither; And in whatever he does, he prospers. Psalms 1:1-3 (NASB)

Jesus is the Living Word, the eternal Logos. We cannot afford to live without daily drinking from its depths and partaking of its sustenance. Jesus said:

People do not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.  Matthew 4:4 (NLT) —

If we regularly practice the spiritual discipline of meditation on God’s Word, we will grow spiritually and be continually led by God’s Spirit.

Meditating on God’s Word is one of the most basic spiritual disciplines a Christian must practice. We never get too mature to need to do this. Here are some suggestions for doing this.

  • Read the Bible daily. There are several ways to read the Scriptures. We can simply read through the Bible. We also can read and study it topically. Another method is to do “word studies” where we see how words are used in the Bible. Perhaps the most desirable way to study is devotionally. In this way of studying, we ask the Holy Spirit to teach us what he wants us to receive, believe, and do.
  • Ask the Holy Spirit to be our teacher. He is the One sent by God to give us revelation and understanding. He is the One who inspires faith in our hearts and does transformation work in our lives. When he teaches us, the Word “burns” inside us, so to speak. (Luke 24:32)
  • Keep a journal where you can record questions and insights you have regarding what you read. You can also notate anything you believe God speaks to your heart. We might think that we will remember everything, but that is highly unlikely. In my case, I often make notes in my Bible in the margins.
  • Memorize verses and passages. This is a great aid in the meditation process. Think long and hard in a prayerful state of mind about what you read.
  • Ask God to show you how to apply what you read to your life. Ask the Spirit to help you obey what the Bible teaches.
  • Use Bible study aids to assist you in your study. A great one is to have a computer program that provides instant access to various versions and notes, allows you to do quick searches, and shows what the original Greek and Hebrew words mean. Other resources are commentaries, expository dictionaries, Bible encyclopedias, and books. The NIV and ESV Study Bibles pull together many of these resources into one location. Listen to teachings from trusted teachers and read books by good authors. Your pastor may be able to recommend some excellent books for you.
Questions for Further Study and Discussion
  • Have you ever experienced the Holy Spirit causing the words of the Bible to “come alive” to you?
  • What have you found to be the most life giving way to read and meditate on the scriptures?
  • What Bible study aids do you find most helpful?
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Chapter 57: Sharing the Gospel

Sharing the gospel with others is our most powerful offensive spiritual weapon, and I list it as a spiritual discipline because it is something we should regularly do, even if we don’t “feel” like it.

Overcoming our reticence regarding the gospel is one of our greatest challenges.

Most people quite naturally talk about what is important, excites, or brings them joy. Jesus said:

The good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth what is good; and the evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth what is evil; for his mouth speaks from that which fills his heart. Luke 6:45 (NASB)

If our favorite sports team is doing well, we will probably tell others. If we discover some exciting hobby or pastime, we are likely to freely share it with others because our hearts are overflowing with pleasure, information, or excitement. Likewise, those who curse, complain, encourage, or praise as a regular habit also reveal what fills their hearts.

If we are afraid of what others think, say, or might do to us, we may opt to keep quiet about our allegiance to Jesus. This is what happened to Peter the night our Lord was put on trial. Paul exhorted us to overcome any fear or shame that might hinder our testimony.

For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline. 8So you must never be ashamed to tell others about our Lord. And don't be ashamed of me, either, even though I'm in prison for Christ. With the strength God gives you, be ready to suffer with me for the proclamation of the Good News. 2 Timothy 1:7-8 (NLT)

When we hold back from sharing our testimony or the gospel message (our allegiance to Christ), there are two additional possibilities of what may be restraining us. Let’s look at these.

  1. Lack of confidence. We may not feel qualified or knowledgeable enough to engage people with the gospel. Fortunately, this can be overcome by study, practice, and reliance upon the Holy Spirit’s help.
  2. Lukewarmness. This may be the most insidious condition of all. It is when we no longer desire God above all else. We may still retain the vocabulary and habits of devotion, but not the heart. The bride of Christ should love her groom and be excited to talk about him with others. Most of us begin our discipleship journey with zeal, but life and circumstances and the distractions of life have a way of dampening our ardor. Jesus detests lukewarmness, which should prompt us to repent. (Revelation 3:16) Jesus told us to come to him with a repentant heart. He will work inside us to restore the fire of zeal in our souls.

Jesus spoke of lukewarmness is his parable of the sower and the seed.

The seed that fell among the thorns represents others who hear God’s word, 19 but all too quickly the message is crowded out by the worries of this life, the lure of wealth, and the desire for other things, so no fruit is produced.  Mark 4:18–19 (NLT) —

Sharing the good news about Jesus the Messiah is one of the most rewarding ways to spend our time. It glorifies God when we publicly identify with our Lord. It makes it possible for others to come into the family of faith and allows us to participate in the joy of heaven when a sinner repents.

The only treasure we take with us beyond the grave is what God has done in and through us – our works of obedience and faith and those we lead to the Lord.

Paul wrote:

Dear brothers and sisters, I love you and long to see you, for you are my joy and the reward for my work. So please stay true to the Lord, my dear friends. Philippians 4:1 (NLT)

Christians are designed and expected to reproduce themselves through sharing the gospel, just as all living things do.

Sharing the gospel can also be thought of as fishing for people.

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

No one ever caught a fish without trying, except perhaps when a flying fish jumps into a boat. It is possible to lead a person to Christ almost by accident if they are ready enough. However, most fishing required time, effort, skill, and expense. If we are not willing to invest ourselves in the process, we will not likely catch many people. Here are some things we can do to get more involved in fishing for people.

  1. Pray for family, friends, associates, and neighbors who do not yet know the Lord. Ask God to prepare their hearts and bring people into their lives who will share the gospel. Be ready to be that person.
  2. Spend time with people. Call on neighbors. Ask people over to share a meal, coffee, dessert, etc. Take advantage of naturally occurring time spent together to develop friendships.
  3. Learn the art of conversation. People often reveal their needs when we talk, which can open a door to pray or encourage, or maybe even share our testimony or the gospel.
  4. Be patient. Do not think we have to “close the sale” too quickly. Wait for the right time and prompting of the Holy Spirit. If people think we are simply trying to put notches on our gospel gun, they will likely be offended.
  5. Make it your goal simply to love people whether or not they seem open to the gospel.

Have we shared our faith lately? Can we think of anyone that we personally led to Jesus? We will never win the lottery if we never enter it. We will never lead another person to faith if we never share the gospel. If we have reproduced ourselves through the gospel, how long has it been? Do we need to stir ourselves up again? Today is as good a time to start as any. Why not pray right now that God will open a door for you, and then be ready to share. Here is an admonition written by the apostle Paul.

Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. 3 And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains. 4 Pray that I may proclaim it clearly, as I should. 5 Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. 6 Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone. Colossians 4:2-6 (NIV)

Peter also encouraged us to be vocal about our allegiance to Christ.

But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, 1 Peter 3:15 (NIV)

We can make sharing the gospel part of our lifestyle by deciding to prioritize it.

This will require us to become gospel “fluent” by spending time in the study of the key elements of a proper presentation of the gospel. We will look at this in another section. We also need God’s anointing and power that come via the baptism in the Spirit. Jesus warned his disciples not to attempt being his witness until this took place.

“And now I will send the Holy Spirit, just as my Father promised. But stay here in the city until the Holy Spirit comes and fills you with power from heaven.”  Luke 24:49 (NLT) —

Those first disciples needed this infilling, and so do we. In a future lesson, I will share how to receive this most amazing promise of the Father. In fact, I have written a book on this subject, which is available on Amazon, entitled, Promise of the Father.

Questions for Further Study and Discussion
  • What are the key elements of your personal testimony?
  • What do you understand to be the difference between sharing our testimony and the gospel?
  • Do you feel like you are competent to effectively share the gospel?
  • Have you ever led another person to faith in Christ?
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Chapter 61: Irrefutable Evidence

Evidence is what we see, hear, or otherwise apprehend directly and personally, not secondhand or by hearsay, which helps to demonstrate the truth of some assertion. Evidence must be something objective and external to us, rather than inward feelings or conjecture. It is something that can stand up in court. Evidence does not cause something to happen. It proves that something did happen.

The Bible says that the evidence of the baptism in the Spirit is speaking in tongues and prophecy.

This lesson is limited to the evidence of speaking in tongues, since that is more common than prophecy as an initial evidence. When we observe someone speaking in tongues, we have irrefutable evidence that he or she received the baptism in the Spirit. If the person does not speak in tongues, but says he knows he has received the baptism in the Spirit by faith, even though it may be true, we cannot corroborate his statement because we have no evidence.

 Avoiding Common Pitfalls

Unfortunately, we often read into the scriptures our own prejudices and experience. This is called eisegesis, as opposed to the proper task of exegesis, which is extracting from the Bible what it means. While it sounds very noble to claim that we do not practice eisegesis, we all are influenced by our own experience, traditions handed down to us, and a priori beliefs. Only the Holy Spirit can properly interpret the Bible since he is the Author or Inspirer.

But you have received the Holy Spirit, and he lives within you, so you don’t need anyone to teach you what is true. For the Spirit teaches you everything you need to know, and what he teaches is true—it is not a lie. So just as he has taught you, remain in fellowship with Christ. 1 John 2:27 (NLT) —

It is a misguided endeavor to limit our interpretation of the Bible to what scholars determine was the human author’s intention and meaning when he wrote, especially when it comes to prophecy, since we are told that it was the Holy Spirit “carrying them along” (2 Peter 1:21) when they spoke and wrote, often about things regarding which they had limited understanding at best.

This salvation was something even the prophets wanted to know more about when they prophesied about this gracious salvation prepared for you. 11 They wondered what time or situation the Spirit of Christ within them was talking about when he told them in advance about Christ’s suffering and his great glory afterward. 12 They were told that their messages were not for themselves, but for you. And now this Good News has been announced to you by those who preached in the power of the Holy Spirit sent from heaven. It is all so wonderful that even the angels are eagerly watching these things happen. 1 Peter 1:10–12 (NLT) —

Knowing that we all tend to approach Scripture from the frame of reference of what we already think, have experienced, or have been taught, we should be careful when interpreting those things that are outside of our own experience.

Humility keeps us open to receive more from God and does not insist that truth conform to our own theology or experience.

Another big obstacle is bad doctrine. Some Bible teachers have done a great disservice to the body of Christ by disseminating false teaching regarding the baptism and gifts of the Spirit. Overcoming such indoctrination is often quite a challenge, especially if we love, respect, and trust our previous instructors.

Just because someone knows a lot about the scriptures in general does not mean he or she understands everything.

While a bachelor can teach on marriage from the Bible, a married person will probably have much more insight and wisdom about life as a couple from having experienced marriage firsthand. A person may know what the Bible teaches about the new birth, but until we have personally experienced it, we cannot properly understand it. Likewise, well-intentioned Bible teachers have taught on the baptism and gifts of the Spirit without ever having received or experienced them, often because they have rejected that they are for today.

Jesus said we must obey the Word to understand it.

Anyone who wants to do the will of God will know whether my teaching is from God or is merely my own.  John 7:17 (NLT) —

Spiritual strongholds are lie-based logical arguments we embrace that block us from believing God’s revealed truth and receiving the attached blessings.

We use God’s mighty weapons, not worldly weapons, to knock down the strongholds of human reasoning and to destroy false arguments. 5 We destroy every proud obstacle that keeps people from knowing God. We capture their rebellious thoughts and teach them to obey Christ.  2 Corinthians 10:4–5 (NLT) —

If we are taught and embrace a lie about the baptism or gifts of the Spirit, it sets itself up in our minds to keep us estranged from one of God’s biggest blessings – the Promise of the Father. Sowing lies is one of the devil’s primary strategies to hinder people from first coming to Christ and then, after we become Christians, to keep us from advancing in our faith and devotion to Christ. Overcoming lie-based strongholds requires us to embrace God’s truth, even when it opposes our previously held beliefs.

Traditions of men cannot be allowed to stand between us and God’s blessings.

The Record from Acts

Luke’s record of how the Holy Spirit worked through the early disciples of Christ in the years following his resurrection is found in Acts. We should allow the record to speak for itself instead of superimposing our own understanding and traditions on top of the Bible’s clear testimony.

Unfortunately, over time, unexperienced truth can be lost and buried like old ruins.

Thankfully, God has restored much to the church regarding the baptism in the Spirit over the last century beginning at Azusa Street, continuing through the Latter Rain Movement, and the Charismatic Renewal. In addition, over the past decades, God has restored our understanding and experience of apostles and prophets, two of the most neglected components of the Five-Fold or Ascension Gift Ministries described in Ephesians 4:11-12.

The first example of people being baptized in the Spirit is found in Acts 2.

When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place. 2  And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. 3  And divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and rested on each one of them. 4  And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance. Acts 2:1-4 (ESV)  

The word Luke used in the above passage to describe what happened to the disciples is that they were “filled” with the Holy Spirit. Jesus told his followers that they would be “baptized” in the Spirit.

And while staying with them he ordered them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, which, he said, “you heard from me; 5  for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.” Acts 1:4-5 (ESV)

We should not be confused by the overlapping terminology. The “filling” recorded in Acts 2 was the ‘baptism” promised in Acts 1. The important thing for us is that this was another experience with the Holy Spirit, different from the new birth. This baptism in the Spirit filled those men and women to overflowing with the power and boldness of the Holy Spirit, to equip them for preaching the Gospel and ministering in Christ’s name.

But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” Acts 1:8 (ESV)

Speaking in tongues is the supernatural overflow of this filling or baptism in the Spirit.

Jesus taught that we speak out of whatever fills our hearts.

The good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure produces evil, for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks. Luke 6:45 (ESV)

We all talk about the things that excite us. If we are football fans, we love to speak about football. If we are fans of cooking, we share recipes. If we love nature, we talk of the outdoors. If we are filled with God’s Spirit, we will talk about Jesus. In some cases, we do so in other languages inspired by the Spirit of God.

When we overfill a pitcher of water, the overflow comes out of the spout. When God overfills us with his Spirit, the excess spills out in various ways, usually in verbal form. Our mouths are sort of a pressure relief valve.

Paul wrote the following.

And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit, 19  addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart, Ephesians 5:18-19 (ESV)

Why should it surprise us that people begin speaking and singing when filled with the Spirit? The only real surprise is that we can and often do express our joy and excitement by speaking in unknown languages.

Here are some more examples from Acts.

While Peter was still saying these things, the Holy Spirit fell on all who heard the word. 45  And the believers from among the circumcised who had come with Peter were amazed, because the gift of the Holy Spirit was poured out even on the Gentiles. 46  For they were hearing them speaking in tongues and extolling God... Acts 10:44-46 (ESV)  

And when Paul had laid his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they began speaking in tongues and prophesying. Acts 19:6 (ESV)

When Peter and John visited Samaria on the heels of Philip’s preaching the gospel there for the first time, they laid hands on the new believers because, even though they had believed and been water baptized, they had not yet been baptized in the Spirit. How did the apostles know? The most reasonable explanation is because they had not yet spoken in tongues.

When Peter and John prayed, something so remarkable happened that Simon the Magician begged to be given the power associated with laying on of hands. Most probably he heard the people begin to speak in tongues, just as happened the other times people were baptized in the Spirit in Acts.

Now when the apostles at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent to them Peter and John, 15  who came down and prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit, 16  for he had not yet fallen on any of them, but they had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. 17  Then they laid their hands on them and they received the Holy Spirit. 18  Now when Simon saw that the Spirit was given through the laying on of the apostles’ hands, he offered them money, 19  saying, “Give me this power also, so that anyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit.” Acts 8:14-19 (ESV)
Conclusion

The record of Acts clearly shows us that the first disciples received the baptism in the Holy Spirit with the evidence of speaking in tongues and prophecy. This irrefutable evidence allowed Peter to argue successfully that he had to water baptize the Gentile Cornelius, since God obviously demonstrated his acceptance of him by giving him the baptism in the Spirit with the evidence of speaking in tongues.

There was no difference between what happened to the first disciples on Pentecost and what happened to Cornelius and the others later.

For they were hearing them speaking in tongues and extolling God. Then Peter declared, 47  “Can anyone withhold water for baptizing these people, who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have?” 48  And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ... Acts 10:46-48 (ESV)

We should desire and expect no less for us who live today. God is the same, the promise is the same, and the need is the same.

Peter said to them, “Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 “For the promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off, as many as the Lord our God will call to Himself.”  Acts 2:38–39 (NASB95) —

 

You can read more about the baptism of the Spirit and the gifts in Pete's book, Promise of the Father, which is available on Amazon. Click here for the link.
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