1 Thessalonians 2:9-12

[9] For you remember, brothers, our labor and toil: we worked night and day, that we might not be a burden to any of you, while we proclaimed to you the gospel of God. [10] You are witnesses, and God also, how holy and righteous and blameless was our conduct toward you believers. [11] For you know how, like a father with his children, [12] we exhorted each one of you and encouraged you and charged you to walk in a manner worthy of God, who calls you into his own kingdom and glory. (ESV)

 1 Thessalonians 2:9 -12 ESV

In the previous passage, we saw that Paul and his traveling companions had come to the Thessalonians sincerely. He explained their motives. Paul said they were gentle, like a mother with her newborn. In this passage he continues to remind his readers in what manner they approached them. They "worked night and day, that we might not be a burden to any of you..." (v.9) Did they really work "night and day?" Looking at the accounts of Paul's ministry in Acts 18-19, it appears so. They preached the gospel to many willing listeners, but also had to contend with opposition from some of the Jews in the area. There were many factors contributing to their ministry in Thessalonica. They did not want to "be a burden" to them. He already said that because they were apostles of Christ, they could have made some "demands" of them (v.6). But they did not. What did they do then? How were their needs met? It could have been through their work as tent makers. In Acts 18:3 we learn that Paul did this kind of work with Priscilla and Aquilla. Perhaps Paul had joined some tentmakers in Thessalonica and was able to earn some wages. Also, it seems he took whatever opportunities to preach and teach the gospel that came up. Whatever Paul may be referring to here, he is reminding his readers of something they saw themselves- they saw that Paul and his companions labored hard and were not a burden to them.

They worked hard while they "proclaimed the gospel of God" to them. (v.9) What is the gospel? I have written on this here, https://sprlpsrn.blogspot.com/2011/11/gospel.html,  back in November 2011. But let's review here. The word "gospel" comes from a Greek word that means "good news." The message contained in the good news at it's most basic form is as follows. Jesus was born. He was really a human being, but was also God. He lived a perfect life, that is, He never sinned. He was crucified and died a real death on a cross. He was buried in a real tomb that was sealed by a stone. On the third day, He literally, physically rose from the dead. Hundreds of people saw Him after He had risen. Those who follow Him proclaim these truths. All who believe are saved. Paul and his companions labored and toiled to bring this message to as many people as they could. 

He calls it the gospel "of God." He has called it "my gospel," as well in other places (Rom 2:16, Rom 16:25, 2 Tim 2:8). It is very personal to him. But he uses the term "gospel of God" a few other times as well. (Rom 1:1, Rom 15:16, and in this chapter of 1 Thess a few times). It is also called this in Mark 1:14 and 1 Pet 4:17. Why is it God's gospel (good news)? Because it is the message of God's work to save men. It is God's work through the 2nd person of the Trinity, Jesus. It is God's power on display. It is God who draws people to this message. It is God who receives the glory in this message and in His saving of sinners who believe. Thus it is the "gospel of God." 

Paul again reminds the Thessalonians of his conduct toward them (v.10-12) Paul and his fellow travelers were "holy and righteous and blameless" toward the believers there. They treated them like a father does his children. They "exhorted" and "encouraged" them to live lives "in a manner worthy of God." When I read this, I see them encouraging the believers to be like Paul and his friends. They had been holy and blameless and were not burdens to them. They are persuading the Thessalonians to do the same. He also reminds them that God "calls you into his own kingdom and glory." (v.12) The message preached is from God. God uses the message and Paul's ministry to call people to Himself. 

In the next section we will see Paul continue to encourage them. For now, remember...God is sovereign!

1 Thessalonians 2:3-8

[3] For our appeal does not spring from error or impurity or any attempt to deceive, [4] but just as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, so we speak, not to please man, but to please God who tests our hearts. [5] For we never came with words of flattery, as you know, nor with a pretext for greed—God is witness. [6] Nor did we seek glory from people, whether from you or from others, though we could have made demands as apostles of Christ. [7] But we were gentle among you, like a nursing mother taking care of her own children. [8] So, being affectionately desirous of you, we were ready to share with you not only the gospel of God but also our own selves, because you had become very dear to us. (ESV)

 1 Thessalonians 2:3–8 ESV

Paul explains his motives for coming to the Thessalonians. He says his "appeal." The Greek word can mean exhortation or appeal. When he and his companions came to them their appeal was not from error or any desire to deceive them. He goes on to explain that their motive is "to please God who tests our hearts." (v.4) Because they wanted to please God and not men (not even their audience), they "never came with words of flattery." (v.5) They came with the simple message of the gospel. 

There are many men and women who claim to preach the word of God who DO use words of flattery. They end up trying to please their audiences. Their lifestyles may reveal they came with greedy motives. They claim some authority as ministers of God. But Paul, who was an ACTUAL apostle of God, DID NOT come to his audience this way. Consider this when you listen to various preachers. Are they bringing the simple message of the gospel? Or do they seem more interested in "impressing" you with their flashy appeal?  Not all who are good speakers have false motives, but pay attention to the message. Do they stay true to the Scriptures, not twisting the meaning?

Paul says that as apostles of Christ, they COULD HAVE made demands of them. (v.6) But they did not. Rather, they were "gentle among you, like a nursing mother taking care of her own children." (v.7) I'm not sure in what sense they could have made demands. I do suspect Paul and his companions chose to follow Christ's word in Mark 10,

42 And Jesus called them to him and said to them, “You know that those who are considered rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. 43 But it shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, 44 and whoever would be first among you must be slave of all. 45 For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” Mark 10:42-45 ESV

Jesus commanded his followers NOT to "lord it over" each other. He commanded them to SERVE, to be a SLAVE. Paul is following this example. He goes on to say that they were very affectionate for the Thessalonians, "you had become very dear to us." (v.8) This caused them to want to not only share the gospel, but to share their LIVES with them. This is what gospel ministry looks like. To the extent that we share in each other's lives and in the gospel, we are mimicking Paul, who was following Christ.

I think this is a standard you can use to assess a church. Do they preach the gospel without greed? Do they let God's word remain as it is without twisting the meaning? Do they love those they meet with? Do they live life and share in the lives of those they meet with? In our next section, we'll see more of Paul's care and concern for those in Thessalonica. For now, remember... God is sovereign.

1 Thessalonians 2:1-2

 "For you yourselves know, brothers, that our coming to you was not in vain. But though we had already suffered and been shamefully treated at Philippi, as you know, we had boldness in our God to declare to you the gospel of God in the midst of much conflict."

          1 Thessalonians 2:1–2(ESV)

Paul continues by reminding the Thessalonian believers that when he and his companions came to them, it was "not in vain." What does that mean? The Greek word for vain means "empty." I think of it in this context as meaning "without meaning" or "meaningless." Paul had told them in 1:9 that they had turned away from idols and had turned TO God. Paul and his companions had brought the gospel and the Thessalonians had believed it. Paul also mentions his experience prior to coming to the Thessalonians. He says he and his friends "suffered and been shamefully treated at Philippi" v2. There is a record of this in Acts 16. In that account, Paul, Timothy, and Silas had made their way to Philippi. They preached to Lydia and she was saved. They cast a demon ("a spirit of divination") out of a slave girl and her masters were very upset about it.

"And when they had brought them to the magistrates, they said, “These men are Jews, and they are disturbing our city. They advocate customs that are not lawful for us as Romans to accept or practice.” The crowd joined in attacking them, and the magistrates tore the garments off them and gave orders to beat them with rods. And when they had inflicted many blows upon them, they threw them into prison, ordering the jailer to keep them safely. Having received this order, he put them into the inner prison and fastened their feet in the stocks. "

       Acts 16:20–24(ESV)

While in prison, the Jailer becomes a believer and the magistrates release Paul and his friends. They make their way to Thessalonica after these events. Even though they were persecuted because of the gospel, they continued from city to city preaching the gospel. It is never a vain, meaningless thing to preach the gospel. Yes, they were beaten and jailed over it. But Lydia had become a believer! And it resulted in the Jailer believing! This has me thinking deeply about my life and why I don't share the gospel. When I constantly DON'T share the gospel with people, it is from fear. Fear of being disliked or hated. Fear of losing my job. But even if I were to be mistreated for the gospel's sake, would there be fruit? That is, would people come to know the living God and be delivered from their sins and the wrath of God?  If this were the fruit, then such mistreatment would NOT be in vain. God would be glorified. And He would provide for me and my family. That provision would include different work, different people in my life with new opportunities to share the gospel of God.

Paul and his companions had been severely mistreated because of their work in the gospel in Philippi. This could have influenced them to give up preaching the gospel. But by God's grace it did not. As he says, "But though we had already suffered and been shamefully treated at Philippi, as you know, we had boldness in our God to declare to you the gospel of God in the midst of much conflict."  I think the Thessalonian believers were grateful that Paul had this boldness to continue preaching God's truth to them. It resulted in them receiving eternal life!

We can be encouraged by Paul's example. We cannot know whether our gospel preaching efforts will have fruit or not, but we ought to always have confidence in God. Whether we are mistreated or people believe the gospel message, our job is to remain faithful to God's word. God will save His elect in His time. Remember, God is all sovereign...

Judgement and Grace

 

 

[The LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.

 And the LORD regretted that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him to his heart.

 So the LORD said, “I will blot out man whom I have created from the face of the land, man and animals and creeping things and birds of the heavens, for I am sorry that I have made them.”

 But Noah found favor in the eyes of the LORD.  Genesis 6:5-8 ESV]

We have this account of humans from long, long ago. The intent of their hearts was evil- and evil continually. The LORD announced judgement on all people. And He brought that judgement.

Be warned: the Lord will judge the earth and all the living again. The next time will be with fire. Peter said, “But by the same word the heavens and earth that now exist are stored up for fire, being kept until the  day of judgment and destruction of the ungodly.” 2 Peter 3:7 ESV

There are many other warnings of the judgement to come. But what can we humans do? Paul tells us, “if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” Romans 10:9 ESV.  In God’s announcement of judgement in Genesis, He shows us his grace as well. It say, “But Noah found favor in the eyes of the LORD.” Gen 6:8.

Friends, judgement is coming. We don’t know when. It could be very soon or it could be in a thousand years. But it will come. Turn from sin. Believe what the Bible teaches about Jesus- that He is Lord and that He was raised from the dead- and you will be saved from the wrath to come. Jesus said, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.” Mark 1:15 ESV.

Is there a certain way to pray?

 

What a great question! I am going to start by asking another question: WHAT IS PRAYER?

The most basic answer from a Christian perspective is this: prayer is talking to God. But you cannot talk to someone that you don’t believe exists. You need to believe that God exists and that He sent His son Jesus to die and rise again for sinners.

Okay, so we believe God exists. How should we pray then?

Jesus once told his followers:

“This, then, is how you should pray:

“‘Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
 your kingdom come,
your will be done,
    on earth as it is in heaven.
 Give us today our daily bread.
 And forgive us our debts,
    as we also have forgiven our debtors.
 And lead us not into temptation,
    but deliver us from the evil one.’” Matthew 6:9-13 NIV

Pretty simple, right? Yes, but this tells us certain things to pray for. We certainly can pray this prayer. I would encourage everyone to read each line and think about what it all means. It is a very good list of things to pray for.

But the original question was “IS THERE A CERTAIN WAY TO PRAY?”  I like to look to the book of Psalms to answer this question. In our own lives, we often want to ask God for things, but we think He wouldn’t care or that we have no right to ask Him anything. But the Psalms have many, many examples of a person talking to God in all kinds of situations. Are you sad and feel neglected? Are you excited and want to worship God? Do you feel like enemies are about to ruin you? Are you feeling horrible because of the guilt of your sin? There are examples of people in these situations pouring their hearts out to God. And you know what? These example are for those of us who believe in God. We can talk to Him about ANYTHING. We can bring any request to Him. Read Psalms chapters 42 and 43 to see examples of a writer asking God why He has rejected him!

Hebrews 4:16 says “Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.” If you are a believer, you can approach God with confidence. That means you can PRAY to Him at any time an in any place!

The simple answer to the question, “is there a certain way to pray” is this: if you are a believer in Jesus, come to God confidently and share the depths of your heart with him. He is our creator and loving Father. Sometimes He answers no, but He does listen to His children. Cry, laugh, yell, scream, whisper. He hears you and He knows your heart.

I’ve heard it said that prayer doesn’t change God. So why pray then? When we pray to God, it changes US. We often want things that are not good for us or things that are clearly against what God says is right. During prayer, I often realize that I need to change what I’m asking for, or sometimes I realize I am in sin. God will often use our prayer time to redirect our hearts and minds to the right things.

Read through the Psalms. Pay attention to how David and the other writers talk to God. This has been the greatest example I’ve seen to teach me how to pray.

Remember, God’s all sovereign…

Where did dinosaurs come from?

               Genesis chapter 1 tells us that God created all things. Chapter 1, verse 20 through 23 it says,  

“And God said, ‘Let the water teem with living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the vault of the sky.’ 21 So God created the great creatures of the sea and every living thing with which the water teems and that moves about in it, according to their kinds, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. 22 God blessed them and said, ‘Be fruitful and increase in number and fill the water in the seas, and let the birds increase on the earth.’ 23 And there was evening, and there was morning—the fifth day.” 

  On the 5^th day God created swimming and flying animals.  And then verses 24-25, it says,

“And God said, ‘Let the land produce living creatures according to their kinds: the livestock, the creatures that move along the ground, and the wild animals, each according to its kind.’ And it was so. 25 God made the wild animals according to their kinds, the livestock according to their kinds, and all the creatures that move along the ground according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good.”

  That was on the 6^th day.

What can we learn from this? We know there were “dinosaurs” that swam in the oceans, flew in the skies, and walked on the land. So these creatures would have been created on the 5^th and 6^th days of the creation week. 

But why don’t we see any living dinosaurs today? When God judged the earth with the flood in Genesis we find some clues. The story is found in Genesis 6:9 through 9:17. In chapter 7 Noah was commanded to take pairs of animals on to the Ark. It is not unreasonable to think that dinosaurs were included. They didn’t have to be full grown giant t-rexes or giant full-grown brontosauruses. They were very likely small, maybe even babies of these kinds of dinosaurs. Also, keep in mind that the Bible does not name all the kinds of animals that were taken onboard the Ark.  Well, when the flood destroyed the living creatures on the Earth, many were swept away and buried instantly, creating the fossils that we see today. 

So why don’t we see dinosaurs today? Some of the descriptions of the world in Genesis suggest that the atmosphere was different before the flood. The atmosphere changed after the flood. This likely caused many of the dinosaurs to die out over hundreds or more years. Sometimes scientists find creatures in the ocean that they thought went extinct long, long ago. So there are many unanswered questions that scientists today cannot answer.

Another Old Testament book gives us possible references to what may be dinosaurs. It is the book of Job. Bible scholars believe Job is the oldest book in the Bible. Not that its events are necessarily the oldest, but that whoever wrote it, wrote it before Moses wrote Genesis. The creatures that I am referring to MAY be dinosaurs. We just aren’t sure, but their descriptions could be some sort of dinosaurs. When God is talking to Job near the end of the book, God mentions “behemoth” and describes the creature. Here’s part of what He says,

15“Look at Behemoth,

    which I made along with you

    and which feeds on grass like an ox.

16 What strength it has in its loins,

    what power in the muscles of its belly!

17 Its tail sways like a cedar;

    the sinews of its thighs are close-knit.

18 Its bones are tubes of bronze,

    its limbs like rods of iron.

19 It ranks first among the works of God,

    yet its Maker can approach it with his sword.

20 The hills bring it their produce,

    and all the wild animals play nearby.

21 Under the lotus plants it lies,

    hidden among the reeds in the marsh.

22 The lotuses conceal it in their shadow;

    the poplars by the stream surround it.

23 A raging river does not alarm it;

    it is secure, though the Jordan should surge against its mouth.

24 Can anyone capture it by the eyes,

    or trap it and pierce its nose?”   Job 40:15-24 NIV

And also in Job chapter 41 God describes a creature called “leviathan.” Some of what God says about this creature is here,

^{12 “I will not fail to speak of Leviathan’s limbs,}

    ^{its strength and its graceful form.}

^{13 Who can strip off its outer coat?}

    ^{Who can penetrate its double coat of armor?}

^{14 Who dares open the doors of its mouth,}

    ^{ringed about with fearsome teeth?}

^{15 Its back has rows of shields}

    ^{tightly sealed together;}

^{16 each is so close to the next}

    ^{that no air can pass between.”  Job 41:12-16 NIV}

^{Again, these MAY be dinosaurs. Many Bible commentators say they are probably a hippopotamus or a crocodile. But the descriptions of behemoth and leviathan sound less like a hippo or a crocodile to me. They sound more like dinosaurs to me.}

So the short answer of the question, "where did dinosaurs come from" is:  Dinosaurs were created on the 5th and 6th days of the creation week. It is not unreasonable to think that Noah took very small dinosaurs of all kinds on the ark. After the great Flood the atmosphere of the earth changed and the dinosaurs (like many other types of animals) gradually went extinct. The book of Job may mention a couple of creatures that were dinosaurs. 

*A couple of books I looked at for reference:

Hamm, Ken, editor. The New Answers Book. Green Forest, AR: Master Books, 2006.

DeYoung, Donald B. Dinosaurs and Creation: Questions and Answers. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 2000.

Thoughts on Psalm 8

 

“O LORD, our Lord,

how majestic is your name in all the earth!

You have set your glory above the heavens.”  v.1.

 

I love reading the Psalms! They move me in my heart to worship the one true God. I remember singing this in church in the early 1990s. God alone is worthy of worship. His name, His power, His greatness should be proclaimed in all the earth.

 

“When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers,

the moon and the stars, which you have set in place,

  what is man that you are mindful of him,

and the son of man that you care for him?” v.3-4

 

I really love to marvel at God’s creation. I look at the limited amount of stars and planets visible to me nearly nightly. I stand in awe of the beauty of the clouds and many aspects of God’s creation. God’s universe is immense. And trying to comprehend its vastness can make me feel like a microscopic speck on a microscopic speck compared to all of it. I relate to David (the author of this Psalm) when he asks, “what is man that you are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him?” It is truly humbling to consider the fact that God loves those who believe. David goes on regarding people,

 

“Yet you have made him a little lower than the heavenly beings

and crowned him with glory and honor.

  You have given him dominion over the works of your hands;

 you have put all things under his feet,

  all sheep and oxen,

and also the beasts of the field,

  the birds of the heavens, and the fish of the sea,

whatever passes along the paths of the seas.”   v.5-8

 

When God created humankind, He put us over His creation. Genesis 1:27-28 says,

“So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. And God blessed them. And God said to them, ‘Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.’”

 

In the Psalm, David is in awe of God’s treatment of humans compared to the whole of creation. The universe is wonderful and massive, but God has put mankind over this earth. God has given us “glory and honor.” It is sad that much of humanity has rejected God’s authority over them. But for those who believe in the triune God and his saving work completed in the Lord Jesus Christ, we rejoice in his love and kindness toward us. God is amazing. His creation continues to reveal his glory and power. He has given us His Word so that we can know what we need to about Him.

 

David ends the Psalm where he began, praising God for His majesty.

“O LORD, our Lord,

how majestic is your name in all the earth!” v. 9

We too, when we consider how wonderful God is, should praise Him for His greatness.

 

Please reach out to me with questions about God and the Bible. I will research the Bible and do my best to answer. Remember, God is all sovereign…

Is 2020 Just Another Year?

 

I cannot wait til 2020 is over….

Have you found yourself thinking this very thought? What does that mean? I get it. Most people are tired of the things that have happened in this calendar year. Covid, Political fighting, job loss, deaths of favorite celebrities or politicians, deaths of loved ones and the list can go on and on. But are these things CAUSED by the number of the YEAR on your CALENDAR???  Is 2020 out to get us all?

May I remind you that as the year 2019 ended, many people said something along these lines, “I can’t wait for 2019 to be over! Things couldn’t possibly get worse than this!!” And “2020 is going to be great!” But what happened? 2020 has been worse.

I think I understand the sentiment. As humans, we want to understand how it is that so many bad things can happen in such a short period of time. When we say, “I wish 2020 would hurry up and be over already,” we really mean that we want bad things to stop happening so close together. And I can totally relate. But at times, it seems as though people actually believe that when the clock strikes midnight on New Year’s Day that things actually “start over.” January 1^st of the year is a great time to hit the imaginary reset button, but is that the only day that we can do this?

A day is a day. A month is a month. A year is a year. What I mean is that time passes a day at a time. There is nothing we can do to stop it. We have no control over the big picture. All we can control is our reaction to it. When bad things happen nationally, we need to remember that God is in control. When bad things happen to us personally, it’s a little harder to control our reactions. But guess what: God is in control of these things too.

Regarding God’s control of all things, Scripture tells us,

“Remember this and stand firm,
    recall it to mind, you transgressors,
   remember the former things of old;
for I am God, and there is no other;
    I am God, and there is none like me,
 declaring the end from the beginning
    and from ancient times things not yet done,
saying, ‘My counsel shall stand,
    and I will accomplish all my purpose,’”  Isaiah 46:8-10 ESV

 

               “Our God is in the heavens;
                  he does all that he pleases.”  Psalm 115:3 ESV

 

“At the end of the days I, Nebuchadnezzar, lifted my eyes to heaven, and my reason returned to me, and I blessed the Most High, and praised and honored him who lives forever,

for his dominion is an everlasting dominion,
    and his kingdom endures from generation to generation;
 all the inhabitants of the earth are accounted as nothing,
    and he does according to his will among the host of heaven
    and among the inhabitants of the earth;
and none can stay his hand
    or say to him, ‘What have you done?’”  Daniel 4:34-35 ESV

 

“I form light and create darkness;
    I make well-being and create calamity;
    I am the Lord, who does all these things.”  Isaiah 45:7 ESV

 

“Who has spoken and it came to pass,
    unless the Lord has commanded it?
 Is it not from the mouth of the Most High
    that good and bad come?
 Why should a living man complain,
    a man, about the punishment of his sins?”  Lamentations 3:37-39 ESV

 

God is in control of all things. There are so many more Bible passages that teach this. And you know what? Things continue daily regardless the number of the calendar year. Half of a calendar year can be absolutely wonderful-- filled with love, newborn babies, great weather, job promotions, you name it! But the other half of a calendar year can be filled with misery-- broken relationships, death, horrible weather, job loss, you name it…  Which half of the year should you focus on? Which half of the year will define that year for you? It could go either way, couldn’t it?

King David once wrote,

“But I trust in you, O Lord;
    I say, ‘You are my God.’
 My times are in your hand;
    rescue me from the hand of my enemies and from my persecutors!”  Psalm 31:14-15 ESV

I encourage you to read the entire Psalm. Will you, along with King David, trust in the Lord? This doesn’t mean that things will be easy. Life can be incredibly hard. I’ve experienced much sorrow in my life, and from an early age. But what gets me through it? It is God alone.

Friends, study the Bible. Learn the precious truth of God’s grace in Jesus Christ. Learn to trust in him. Our times are in His hands. Remember, God is all sovereign…

Where is God?

 

Chaos. Heartbreak. Fear and anxiety. Where is God? Is He on vacation? Is He powerless?

He is not on vacation. He is not powerless.

Psalm 115:1-3 (ESV) states,

“Not to us, O Lord, not to us,
But to Your name give glory
Because of Your lovingkindness, because of Your truth.
 Why should the nations say,
'Where, now, is their God?'
 But our God is in the heavens;
He does whatever He pleases.”

 

I have said before and say it now, GOD IS SOVEREIGN. He is still reigning.

 

Amos 3:5-6 (ESV) states,

“ Does a bird fall into a trap on the ground when there is no bait in it?
Does a trap spring up from the earth when it captures nothing at all?
 If a trumpet is blown in a city will not the people tremble?
If a calamity occurs in a city has not the Lord done it?

 

If a CALAMITY comes to a city, the LORD has done it!!! Does that surprise you? It did me when I first learned it. But now it is a comforting truth. But how can this be comforting? It is comforting because it tells me that God is still in control.  This world seems to be spinning out of control. It seems that evil and lawlessness have won. We see calamity in many cities. But it is not outside of God’s control.

It may be difficult to believe that God exerts this level of control over creation, but the Bible is plain.

Ephesians 1:11-12 (ESV) says,

“In Him  also we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to His purpose who works all things after the counsel of His will,  to the end that we who were the first to hope in Christ would be to the praise of His glory. “

God predestines people to salvation as well as working all things after the counsel of His will!! It says he WORKS ALL THINGS. I don’t know how people ignore these truths.

It is normal to be fearful in this fallen, hectic world. But we need to put our hope and trust in God. He alone is our peace. He is our strength.

Friend, if you are not a believer in Christ, please hear the following:

All people are sinners.

^“ as it is written,

‘There is none righteous, not even one;
 There is none who understands,
There is none who seeks for God;
 All have turned aside, together they have become useless;
There is none who does good,
There is not even one.’” Romans 3:10-12 (ESV)

 

All people who die without Christ will be sent to the lake of fire for eternity.

“ And if anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.” Revelation 20:15 (ESV)

 

But there is good news: Jesus Christ came to earth, lived a perfect life, then died on a cross. He was raised back to life three days later. He ascended into heaven where he now sits at the right hand of God the Father and advocates for all who believe.

“ For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures,  that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, “  1 Corinthians 15:3-4 (ESV)

 

^“ For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.” Romans 1:16 (ESV)

 

Christ’s death pays the penalty for the sins of those who believe.

“For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life.” Romans 5:10 (ESV)

 

“There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.  For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death.  For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh,  in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.” Romans 8:1-4 (ESV)

 

^“ Surely he has borne our griefs
    and carried our sorrows;
yet we esteemed him stricken,
    smitten by God, and afflicted.
 But he was pierced for our transgressions;
    he was crushed for our iniquities;
upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace,
    and with his wounds we are healed.”  Isaiah 53:4-5 (ESV)

 

God commands all people to repent and to believe the message about His son Jesus.

“ The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent,  because he has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed; and of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead.” Acts 17:30-31 (ESV)

 

 “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.” Mark 1:15 (ESV)

 

“Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.” John 3:36 (ESV)

All who believe in Jesus will have eternal life.

 

The God who saves sinners is the God who is in control of all things in heaven and on earth. I encourage you to learn about Him. The Bible tells us all we need to know about Him. I have only given a little glimpse of Him. He is the savior of all who believe. But He also controls the universe.

“He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power.” Hebrews 1:3 (ESV)

Believe in Jesus. Remember, God is all sovereign…

The Gospel of Grace and the struggle to remember it

Over two and a half years ago, I posted about the gospel and how it affects our daily lives. Not surprisingly, all this time later, I still find myself in the same struggle.

From the political discussions to the work setting to the family setting to the Facebook setting...the struggle remains to keep Christ the center of all thought. Scripture tells us, "in [Christ] are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge." Col 2:3ESV. And here I am at the end of 2015 STILL struggling daily to glorify Him in all that I say, do, and think. If I lose a proper biblical focus, I could wind up in utter despair and compromise the gospel by thinking I have to be perfect in order for it to be true or for God to be pleased with me. Our gospel is not a gospel of works. It is a gospel of GRACE. Friends, WE MUST UNDERSTAND THIS! I MUST UNDERSTAND THIS! In that post over two years ago, I quoted Eph 2:8-9, "for it is by GRACE you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing. IT IS THE GIFT OF GOD, NOT A RESULT OF WORKS, so that no one may boast..." You and I must NEVER think that we are made right in God's sight by OUR OWN WORKS (not good works, obedience to the Law, not ANYTHING WE DO!)... Eph tells us that it is by GRACE! The more you and I understand grace, the more peace we will have. If you allow yourself to think that you can DO ANYTHING to make God love you more, you will NEVER have peace! You can never do enough! The Ephesians passage says " NOT AS A RESULT OF WORKS."
I am harping on this, because this is my struggle. And I imagine others having this same struggle.

Many churches and people in churches propagate this in the way they tell sinners they can be saved -by telling them it's their decision. This is an error. God chose whom he would save before time (Eph 1:3-14; Rom 9:6-29; John 6:65...Look them all up!) That Ephesians passage tells us that even our faith is a gift of God!

But again, how does any of this help me when an employee is yelling at me at work for some perceived injustice? How does this help me when someone on Facebook calls me a heretic for my Biblical beliefs?   It helps me to remember that God's gospel of grace is true in all events of my life. I've believed the gospel, so that means God gave me the gift of faith. Christ died for ME. He has orchestrated the events of my life for his glory and for my good (Rom 8:28). Even when I am told by a customer that I don't know how to do my job, Christ is my king. Even when I can't see how I am going to get through the day or the work shift, Christ is in control. His gospel is still true.

 One way I have enlisted the help of my family is that they tell me as I am heading out to work, "Remember Who you serve!" How does that help? If I can remember that I serve the God who brought about the truth of the gospel in the midst of a rough day, I can have peace knowing that Christ has saved me and that all the junk I may go through is working in me godly character according to His will. Knowing the gospel as well as other aspects of Biblical truth are quite the armor in our daily battles. They are spiritual battles. Ephesians (again!) tells us in 6:10-20 that we do not wrestle against flesh and blood and goes on to tell us how to be equipped for the battle. Part of that readiness comes from knowing the gospel.

Merry Christmas, Friends. Fill your heads with as much Biblical truth as possible. This can only come by opening up your Bibles and reading and studying. Remember the gospel. And remember, God is all sovereign...

How Does the Gospel Impact My Daily Life?

I was recently challenged by a conversation I had with a good friend. He was reflecting on how the gospel affects us in the daily details of life. I'm used to thinking that "the gospel" is a message we share with others. It's the message I believed and as a result, I am "saved." Back in November of 2011, I posted a short entry trying to define the gospel. Simply put, the content of the gospel message is: Jesus Christ became a man, lived a perfect life, died, was buried, and three days later he rose from the dead.  okay... but SO WHAT?

I've believed the gospel message. I know Jesus Christ. He is my Lord and my God. I have been rescued from God's wrath through Him(1 Thess 1:10.) There is now no condemnation for me because I am IN Christ(Rom 8:1.) But is that all the gospel does- is it only fire insurance? Do I only have to believe once and I'm "in?" The Bible tells us that we must live holy lives as well as have faith. We are to strive for peace with others and to live holy lives (Heb 12:14.) We were saved by grace and God gave us the gift of faith (Eph 2:8-9), but this was in order for us to walk in the good works that God has prepared for us (Eph 2:10.)

So, I ask the question, "How does the gospel impact my daily life?" How does it impact YOUR daily life? When things aren't going well at work, does the gospel help you? When a dear loved one has received a dreaded diagnosis, can the gospel affect how you deal with it? When your "enemy" does all he can to harm you, how do you respond? Friends, in any of these circumstances, I want the gospel to be REAL and to have an impact on how I respond. For example, I work with the public. Often times people can be rude, insensitive, demanding, and I must be gracious and polite and winning in my response to them. This is beyond difficult sometimes. Can the gospel help me at work? Absolutely! I need to remember that Christ died for sinners-> I am a sinner-> the person I'm dealing with is a sinner....I need to remember that Christ was unjustly treated; He had never done wrong or sinned against ANYONE -> I, on the other hand, sin with every breath and deserve unjust treatment in general; and yet I am SOO OFFENDED when someone is unkind to me. And to top it off, at work, I am not preaching the gospel to people and and I am being mistreated (at times)- I'm not saying I SHOULD be mistreated, I'm just saying that when I am mistreated, it's not directly for the cause of Christ. The Bible tells me to "endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as children." Heb 12:7NIV. So God loves me and through hardship He is teaching me discipline. Understanding the gospel helps me endure because the gospel is TRUE. Jesus really lived a perfect life. He really died. He really rose from the dead. He really is with me until the end of the age- even when a customer is angry and in my face. He really inspired the Scriptures that give me so much rich instruction. And the "sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us." Rom 8:18 ESV. <-That is really TRUE. It's all true because the gospel is true.

I hope that you can start to see how the gospel can impact even the minutest detail of you life. I'm trying to see how this is so and it is truly helping me to respond to situations in a more godly manner. I know I won't be perfect until Glory, but by God's grace you and I can continue this journey- we can continue to progress in our sanctification.  Remember, God is all sovereign...

Why Aren't We Doing MORE???

Have you ever been made aware of some injustice and wondered: "Why isn't anyone doing anything about this?"

I have. And usually, I'M guilty of remaining inactive. Such has been the case for me these past couple of decades regarding THE EVIL OF OUR AGE: ABORTION.

I have shed tears over the years at the thought that it is LEGAL to kill babies in the womb. I've given change to help support local pregnancy centers. I've prayed for the end to this evil. I've even begged women NOT to abort, but rather to give the baby to my family! But why haven't I done MORE?

I am only speaking for myself and God has been convicting ME in this matter. But think about it- an entire class of people (the unborn) are regularly torn apart in utero in our country and we ALLOW IT? If an unborn entity is wanted, we call it a BABY. If unwanted, it is okay and acceptable to get rid of "it." Why is there a disconnect?

I know those who support abortion default to language about women's rights and so on, but this will not suffice. Some have gone so far as to ADMIT the humanity of the unborn and STILL argue in favor of killing the baby!

Brothers and Sisters, we have all got to open our eyes! A great EVIL is being allowed in our country, in our states, in our cities, in YOUR CITY. Please consider this and try to understand my newfound passion for ending abortion. I know I may appear over-zealous, self-righteous, over-the-top in my desire to ABOLISH HUMAN ABORTION, but it is NOT my intent to be those things. The knowledge that baby humans are being killed daily, breaks my heart and I can no longer be silent. I can no longer remain inactive. May God be glorified and may God use me to help ABOLISH HUMAN ABORTION.  God is all sovereign...

A Letter to those in Milford

I know I posted a letter to you already, but I felt like I have more to say.

You are where I trained as a manager in the first place. Many of you were still there when I returned. Hopefully I was able to teach you something, but please know that YOU TAUGHT ME!  From you I learned:

• patience
• problem-solving
• how to treat people
• how to discipline
• how to work AND have fun!
• God's creative diversity- you are all so wonderfully different!
• I became a better cook than I was before

I know there's more. I guess I just want to say that it's been just over a week, and I miss you! I'll NEVER forget you! You'll always be my home. I am excited to be at my new restaurant and I'm already feeling welcome.  But I just wanted to restate my love for Team Milford. You guys ROCK! Keep up the great work and make me proud! I know you can continue to be excellent!

with much love and mushiness,

rAy

The Gospel

I haven't posted in quite some time. My mind is still on God's sovereignty, though. In particular, I've been focused on the Gospel.

What is the Gospel? The word is used many ways. I am thinking about Paul's use of the word in the New Testament.
"I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it s the power of God for the salvation for everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile. For in the gospel a righteousness from God is revealed , a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: 'The righteous will live by faith.'." -Romans 1:16-17 NIV

Paul tells us that the gospel is "the power of God for salvation." This tells me that the gospel is a message, but it is more! It is POWER! What does that mean? The gospel message is:
"that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures..." 1 Corinthians 15:3-4 NIV

So what about this message saves or has power to save? Think this through. Does the fact that Jesus died, was buried, and rose again automatically save a person? No. As Paul stated above, "it is the power of God for the salvation for everyone who believes."   So what happens when a person believes? Here's what doesn't happen: a person does not make himself or herself righteous. The righteousness is FROM GOD. When a person believes the gospel, God does not count his sins against him. What happens to a person's sin? "God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God." 2 Corinthians 5:21 NIV  God performs an exchange. The Great Exchange! When YOU believe the gospel message, God treats YOU like you had never sinned, but had lived a perfectly righteous life! How can He do this? By His own righteousness. In this Great Exchange God treats the Lord Jesus Christ as if He had lived MY sinful life and punishes Jesus Christ for MY SIN!!! It's absolutely incredible! Jesus got MY punishment, but I get HIS reward! If God had NOT performed this on my behalf, I would be damned.

This is why this message is such great news! Romans 1:18 tells us that "the wrath of God is being revealed..."  This should TERRIFY anyone who is not included in the Great Exchange I mentioned above! The gospel is the power of God to save everyone who believes from the WRATH OF GOD! "God is a righteous judge, a God who expresses his wrath every day." Psalm 7:11 NIV Oh thank God that He sent His son Jesus! The work of Jesus Christ (His perfect life, His death, His resurrection) on behalf of all who BELIEVE is truly Good News (which is what the actual word "gospel" means.) In 1 Thessalonians 1:10 we are told of the Thessalonians that they turned from their idols and learned to serve God "and to wait for His Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead--Jesus, who rescues us from the coming wrath." [By the way, I need to get back to my study in 1 Thessalonians!] Jesus saves us from God's coming wrath.

Friends, do everything you can to understand the GOSPEL! Let the gospel saturate everything about you: your thoughts, your work, your relationships, your every breath! "For it is the power of God for salvation..."  Remember, God is all sovereign....

Idols- A Closer Look at 1 Thessalonians 1:9

" how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God."1Thess 1:9b  ESV

We learned that the Thessalonians had turned TO God from idols in our last study. But what IS an IDOL? Perhaps you think of some African native bowing to a carved statue- you would be correct to identify such as a form of idolatry. What would have been an idol to the Thessalonians? Let's think about this. WHEN did Paul write this letter to the Thessalonians? It was in the First Century, approximately around 51 A.D. WHO did he write to? Yes, the Thessalonians, but WHAT empire was ruling at that time? The Roman Empire. Thessalonica was located in part of Greece. With the Roman and Greek gods being basically the same, the idols that would have been common to these people would have been the Greek/Roman gods of the time.  John Gill, in his exposition of this letter names the following:

" the great and chief gods of the Gentiles, were worshipped; as Jupiter and Bacchus, Ceres and Proserpina, Pluto and Mercury, Castor and Pollux, and Esculapius"

   - from http://biblecommenter.com/1_thessalonians/1-9.htm

This tells us that many (most?) of the converts in Thessalonica were not Jewish, but Gentile. It would have been a big deal for them to STOP worshiping the popular idols of their day. And Paul certainly makes a big deal out of it in verse 9 of our current chapter, "you turned to God from idols." Jesus Christ began a major change in the lives of the Thessalonian believers!  So what? What does this do for us TODAY? Does this apply to us today?

Think about yourself. Have you ever worshiped an idol? Do we have idols today in 21st Century America? Maybe your first thought is  "NO! we don't have idols!" But would that be accurate? Does an idol have to be a statue? Can an idol be something more abstract like a boyfriend or a girlfriend or money or sex or sports? At first I was hesitant to think this way because I wanted to be sure of how the Bible defined idolatry. The Bible certainly includes worshiping statues, Greek gods, and those types of things in defining idolatry. But what about the abstract things I mentioned? Let's look at a couple of verses:

Eph 5:5-6 " For you may be sure of this, that everyone who is sexually immoral or impure, or who is covetous (that is, an idolater), has no inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience." ESV

Col 3:5-6 "Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. On account of these the wrath of God is coming." ESV

In these verses, the Apostle Paul identifies some behaviors that are considered IDOLATRY. Those behaviors include: sexual immorality, covetousness, impurity, evil desire. You see, friends, IDOLATRY EXISTS TODAY IN 21st CENTURY AMERICA! These behaviors and attitudes are rampant today in society! So if you are following after these things instead of God you have to ask yourself, "Am I guilty of idol worship?" Please think very seriously about this. I must do the same. If I allow lustful thoughts, coveting more wealth, coveting a bigger house, or any other sinful thing to become more important than God, then I have committed the sin of idolatry! These may not be your struggles- but what ARE your struggles?

If you have not yet believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, but find yourself guilty of committing Idolatry, Paul tells you that you need to be concerned: "because of these things the wrath of God is coming." Yet you are not without hope! You can be like the Thessalonians and TURN AWAY from those idols. You can TURN TO THE LIVING GOD!! Those who have trusted in Christ for salvation and forgiveness of sins have done just that. We have turned away from those enslaving idols and turned to the One who deserves our worship-Jesus Christ. If you want more information, please CONTACT me!!

Remember, God is all sovereign...

1 Thessalonians 1:9-10

"9For they themselves report concerning us the kind of reception we had among you, and how you turned to God from idols, to serve the living and true God, 10 and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come."
1 Thessalonians 1:9-10

 Last time we saw that the reputation of the Thessalonians had spread to the region beyond Thessalonica itself.  They had become an example to all of the believers in Macedonia and Achaia (v.7-8). Now Paul adds more to the story of these believers  by telling what he had heard from others. The Thessalonians had given Paul and his fellow missionaries a warm reception and much more. In fact, it was evident to all who knew these believers that something had happened to them. There was a change in them.

But what exactly did they notice? There were three things in particular:  they had turned away from idols, they turned to God, and were now eagerly awaiting Christ's return. Is there anything that WE can learn from their example? Absolutely:

1)When Christ truly saves a person, others will notice a change. You can't stay in your sinful lifestyle. You won't want to. I'm not saying that Christians never stumble into sin that they never wrestle with temptation- we most certainly DO stumble and wrestle!!! But the overriding desire is to leave those things behind.

2)Not only do we begin to hate our sin, but we also begin to love God! Before we were saved, we did NOT love God. After He saved us, we find ourselves turning to Him more and more every day. We grow closer to Him through prayer and studying the Bible and spending time with other believers regularly.

3)As part of this turning away from sin and turning toward all things that please God, believers begin to long for the return of our Lord Jesus Christ. He said he would return and we believe Him. We can't wait to see Him face-to-face!

Are these things true of you? If you have believed in the Lord Jesus, they should be. They should be true of ME. I won't pretend that I don't struggle with sin. Those who know me best would probably laugh at me if I tried to say I didn't. Yet, He still loves me. He will never reject me. I never want Him to. Brothers and Sisters in Christ, don't give up. You will struggle with temptation and sin for the rest of your lives. But He still loves you. He will never reject you. Hebrews 13:5-6 reminds us:

"Keep your life free from the love of money, and be content

with what you have, for he has said, 'I will never leave you nor

forsake you.' So we can confidently say,   'The Lord is my helper;

I will not fear; what can man do to me?' "

Christ changes us from the inside out and draws us closer to Himself. Paul also emphasizes that Jesus, God's son, was raised from the dead. This is part of the message that we believe. Jesus died. Jesus was buried. Jesus rose from the dead. Jesus ascended to Heaven. Jesus is alive NOW. We await His return from heaven.

Paul highlights another important facet of Christ's work on our behalf: He rescues us from the wrath to come. What does that mean? Remember, all humans are born as "children of wrath"(Eph 2:3). We sin because we were born sinners. And once we are able to choose it,  we also sin because we want to. We deserve God's judgement, anger, and wrath. As we saw in an earlier post, He chose to save some of us and now we do not need to fear this wrath! What GOOD NEWS!!! Jesus, the One who rose from the dead rescues us from the wrath to come! And do not be deceived, God's wrath is coming. Christians hold many views regarding what will happen before Christ returns, but all agree that He is returning and that there will be a final judgment of both the righteous and the unrighteous- the righteous will receive eternal life and the unrighteous will receive eternal punishment.

To sum up: When a person  believes in the Gospel of God, that person is changed. Others notice this change. The believer desires to put away sinful living and desires to put on Godly living. The believer longs for the return of Christ, who rescues us from His coming wrath.

If you want more information on the work of Jesus and how He changes lives, please contact me!!

Remember, God is all Sovereign and stuff...

1 Thessalonians 1:4-8

4 For we know, brothers loved by God, that he has chosen you, 5 because

 our gospel came to you not only in word, but also in power and in the Holy

Spirit and with full conviction. You know what kind of men we proved to

be among you for your sake. 6 And you became imitators of us and of the Lord,

for you received the word in much affliction, with the joy of the Holy Spirit,

7 so that you became an example to all the believers in Macedonia and in

Achaia. 8 For not only has the word of the Lord sounded forth from you in

Macedonia and Achaia but your faith in God has gone forth everywhere,

so that we need not say anything. (ESV)

      I previously wrote about how the Thessalonian adelphoi were loved by God and a little about what it meant that they were chosen by God. Paul now tells them how they knew this.

                5 "because our gospel came to you not only in word, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction. You know what kind of men

we proved to be among you for your sake."

    Paul's first point is that he knew the trustworthiness of the messengers of the Gospel. True believers had delivered the Gospel message. Their message came with power and conviction. This may be a reference to miracles or it may simply be a reference to the clear preaching of the Gospel. We should never underestimate the power of preaching the Gospel clearly! Paul wrote elsewhere:

           "For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who

                                            believes..."   Romans 1:16ESV

  

     Paul continues in 1 Thessalonians,

"And you became imitators of us and of the Lord, for you received the word

in much affliction, with the joy of the Holy Spirit, so that you became an

example to all the believers in Macedonia and Achaia. For not only has the

word of the Lord sounded forth from you in Macedonia and Achaia, but your

faith in God has gone forth everywhere, so that we need not say anything."

vv.6-8

    His second point has to do with the response of the Thessalonians to the Gospel message. In 6a, we see that they "became imitators" of the Apostles and of the Lord. This certainly implies a change in the way they were living. In 6b, they received the word "in much affliction" and they received it "with joy of the Holy Spirit." They received  the word under stressful circumstances and did not reject it! Not only did they accept it, but they joyfully accepted it! Accepting the Gospel in spite of fierce opposition is evidence of the work of the Holy Spirit. Think about the circumstances in which you heard, and received the Gospel. Was your life in danger? Mine was not. Yet, I did experience some hardship. NOTHING compared to what the Thessalonians experienced I'm sure, but some family members and friends disapproved and clearly told me so. And if you live your life according to Gospel principles, you will eventually face hardship and affliction. We must "consider it all joy" (James 1:2) whenever this happens.

   In v. 7, Paul tells them that they became examples of faithful disciples to the larger region- to the churches in Macedonia and Achaia. And in v.8 they are told that their faith has become known even beyond their region! They cannot take credit for this. It was due to the Holy Spirit's transforming power in their lives.

  So how does this affect US (you and me)? Think about it. How do WE know that WE are loved by God and chosen for this salvation?  Was the message that we received the true Gospel contained in the Scriptures? Did you (and did I) believe the message? Did our lives change? (i.e. did we become "imitators of the Lord?")

     Now, not all believers will be known for their faith throughout their entire city or state, but people will notice a change in them. If you've received the Biblical message and been changed by it, KNOW that YOU TOO were chosen by God and are loved by Him! What precious truth to behold!

Remember, God is all Sovereign and stuff...





Life, Death, and the Sovereignty of God (R.I.P. Amber Fields)

I just got back from the funeral of a 26 year old mother and wife. She was killed in a car accident less than a week ago. I knew her because she used to work for me in Louisville. Amber Fields truly was all of those nice things they said about her in the funeral service. One of my fondest memories of her is the way she spoke. She spoke with a sweet, country accent. She always had a smile. She was kind to everyone. Now, truth be told, I hadn't seen Amber much during these past couple of years. She had worked in our restaurant in Louisville for a year or so. Then she worked at our Lexington restaurant, so I had less contact with her. But, working for the same company still, we would occasionally see each other at company events. And she always had a big hug and smile for me when she saw me. She always made me feel welcomed and respected.

Because we hadn't been in contact as much, I was surprised by how hard the news of her death hit me. I am genuinely sad. I feel a sense of loss. This tells me how much of an impact she had on me. And by the two overflowing rooms of mourners at the funeral, she had that same kind of impact on many others.

I went into the viewing and service feeling rather numb. After seeing her and greeting her husband, I felt extremely sorrowful and could only cry. But during the service, the pastor quoted a Bible verse that changed my sorrow into something different. The verse:  Revelation 14:13,

And I heard a voice from heaven, saying, "Write,

'Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on!'"

"Yes," says the Spirit, "that they may rest from their labors,

for their deeds follow with them." (NIV)

The pastor explained that Amber believed in the Lord Jesus and was therefore "in the Lord." She died "in the Lord" and was blessed. This verse and short explanation reminded me that even though Amber's death seems only tragic, the truth is not only tragic. There is HOPE! Yes, we mourn the loss of a truly wonderful person, but we have hope because Amber is BLESSED! We mourn, but she is worshiping God Almighty before His holy throne!    Now, I won't try to pretend that this truth will make Amber's husband and son feel no pain. Of course they will. But that is not the end of the story! Her husband and son can someday have hope knowing that their loved one IS BLESSED.

And guess what? This little verse reminds me that I have HOPE for other loved ones who have "died in the Lord!" It is less than a month from the 28th anniversary of my own mother's death. She was a young mom, too. She was 32. My mother loved the Lord Jesus and served Him the best she knew how... She died "in the Lord" and I am wonderfully reminded that she IS BLESSED!

The Lord is sovereign over all of the affairs of men. Even the events that seem to make no sense, like Amber's death. But in the midst of these dark Providences, we have hope. God, who brings darkness out of light, life out of death, order out of chaos- God gives us hope. He's the only One who can give us hope in life's seemingly hopeless events.

Remember, God's all sovereign and stuff....



1 Thessalonians 1: 4 A Deeper Dive: "[God] has chosen you"

"For we know, brothers loved by God, that he has chosen you ..."  1 Thess. 1:4 ESV

In my last post, I mentioned that God's choice of some and not others for salvation, the doctrine of election, is a "can of worms." If you are familiar with the doctrine, I do not need to explain WHY it is controversial. If you are not familiar with it, the following discussion will most likely reveal to you why it would be a touchy subject.

Paul has written elsewhere about the doctrines of election, predestination, and God's sovereignty in these matters. We will touch on some of these passages as well as what other Biblical writers have to say.

In order to be clear, let me state the doctrine first, and then we can look in the Bible to see what Jesus, Luke, and Paul have to say about it.

 By the decree of God, for the manifestation of his glory, some men and angels

 are predestinated, or foreordained to eternal life through Jesus Christ, to the praise

 of his glorious grace; others being left to act in their sin to their just condemnation,

 to the praise of his glorious justice.

-from the 1689 2nd London Baptist Confession of Faith, Chp 3.

So basically, when it comes to salvation, people are saved because God chose them to be saved. God made his choice long before he even created the world. His choice was never based on Him looking into the future and choosing those whom He saw would choose Him. Rather, God chose WHO WOULD CHOOSE HIM. If someone never believes the Gospel, it is because God did not choose that person to do so. Most people who hear this for the first time do not like it and will often respond by saying it's not fair, or the Bible doesn't teach such a thing. I had a similar response the first time I ever heard this teaching. But let me show you from the Bible why I now believe it...

Jesus taught it:

"Jesus said to them,'I am the bread of life;whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst. But I said to you that you have seen me and yet do not believe. All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out. For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me.And this is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up on the last day. For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.'" John 6"35-40

Jesus says that ALL that the Father gives him will come to him (v.37). This loudly implies that those who "are not given" will not come.

"So the Jews grumbled about him, because he said, 'I am the bread that came down from heaven.' They said, ^'Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How does he now say, "I have come down from heaven"?' Jesus answered them, 'Do not grumble among yourselves. No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day. '"

John 6:41-44

The Jews are complaining that Jesus is claiming to be from Heaven. Jesus tells them to stop grumbling and that (v44) "No one can come to me unless the Father...draws him." Jesus is saying no one CAN come to him. That is, no one IS ABLE to come to him unless something first happens. No one can come to him unless the Father DRAWS HIM. God the Father must first DRAW a person to the Son in order for a person to have the ability to come to the Son.

But why would people NOT have the ability to come to God/Jesus?
Romans 5 gives us some insight. There Paul tells us that through one man's sin (Adam's sin), "many died" v 15, "death reigned" v.17, "death spread to all men" v.12. And also in Romans 3, he tells us, "None is righteous, no, not one; no one understands; no one seeks for God..." v.10-11esv.  Paul paints an unflattering picture of mankind. We are dead in sin, we do NOT seek after God and in chapter 8 of this same book, Paul tells us that those who do not belong to Christ have "a mind set on the flesh" and this mind "that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God's law; indeed, it cannot" v.6-8esv.

Taking what both Jesus and Paul said, we see that mankind is dead in sin and CANNOT submit to God's law! I would paraphrase this: people in their natural, unconverted state, do not seek to be made right with God and they do not have the ability come to him anyway!

I may or may not write more about this. Let me know if you have questions. I would LOVE to interact with you over what the Bible teaches.

For now, when Paul says that "we know...[God] has chosen you," he's saying to the Thessalonians that they know God had chosen them for salvation and that this choice of them is the reason they are saved, not any desire or ability in themselves...

Remember, God is all Sovereign!