Palm Sunday is just a few weeks away. As Jesus came to Jerusalem that first Palm Sunday, many believed that He was riding into the capital city to set up His Kingdom and to reign as a king. They likely expected Him to drive the Romans out, but instead He went to the Temple and drove out those who bought and sold. As He did so, He quoted part of Isaiah 56:7, “Even them will I bring to my holy mountain, and make them joyful in my house of prayer: their burnt offerings and their sacrifices shall be accepted upon mine altar; for mine house shall be called an house of prayer for all people.”
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Notice that God had said in Isaiah that the Temple would be a house of prayer for all people. The context of Isaiah 56:7 is that the stranger- the Gentile/non-Jew, would have the joy of praying and worshipping in the Temple. There was actually a special court set apart in the Temple just for the Gentiles. It is believed that this court was the place where the moneychangers and sellers of animals had set up shop.
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Imagine a Gentile traveling from a far country to worship the true God coming into the Temple. He would find the place that was to be set apart for him to pray looking like crazy days on Main Street. No wonder Jesus drove out those who bought and sold.
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I was recently asked how churches justify fundraising activities in their building in light of what Jesus did in the Temple. Since we do not do fundraisers (bakes sales, raffles, etc) I hesitate to say how others justify it, but let me point out that the church building is not the same as the Old Testament Temple. Since the cross of Christ, we no longer have to bring burnt offerings and sacrifices to God’s special house of prayer.
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Some believe that our modern church buildings have actually replaced the Temple but it is actually the believer’s human body that is now God’s special dwelling place. “Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?” (I Corinthians 3:16)
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The church building is definitely different than the temple, but this brings up another issue. How should the church be financed? Paul said that on the first day of the week (Sunday) God’s people should bring in an offering based on what they had earned throughout the week. “Upon the first day of the week let every one of you lay by him in store, as God hath prospered him, that there be no gatherings when I come.” (I Corinthians 16:2). If Christians would faithfully and consistently bring in a portion of what they earned then the church wouldn‘t need to fundraise. (10% is the literal definition of the word “tithe” and offerings are above that). Malachi 3:8 says, “Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say, Wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings.”
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Consider the classic bake sale. After you figure the time and ingredients for the cake, is the church really making much more than if the baker had just given her money? As I consider that many look at these activities for their social, rather than monetary value, let us be reminded that tithes and offerings have effectively financed God’s work for thousands of years. We need not be dependant on fundraisers.
Friday, March 25, 2011
Friday, March 11, 2011
Making Decisions in Marriage
Ephesians 5:21 teaches mutual submission, yet the verses following teach that a wife is to submit to her husband. How can both be obeyed?
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I love to drive down roads I’ve never been on before. Often if we are not pressed for time, I will turn down a road that takes me in the direction I want to go, even though I have no idea where it goes.
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Often my wife is with me and if I ask her if she thinks it’s a good idea, she will say that she would have stayed on the main road. Even though she would prefer the main road, she calmly accepts my decision, understanding that I will take total responsibility if we get lost.
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My little driving excursions provide an illustration for a healthy marriage relationship. Ephesians 5 gives instruction to both husbands and wives. Wives are told that they are to submit to their husbands, and husbands are told that they are to love their wives. Some have balked at that teaching, claiming that it is overtly sexist.
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Though the teaching does deal with issues along gender lines, we should not think of it as oppressive. Within a husband and wife relationship decisions must be made. Since there are two people in the marriage the vote will either be 100% or split 50/50. This could present a huge problem, but in our marriage, I get the tie breaking vote because Ephesians 5:22 gives me that right.
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Now this is great for me, because I get to drive down any road I want to even if I don’t know where I’m going. For my wife, its really not that big of deal what road we go down unless she needs to get home quickly for something special she has planned.
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So what if I always exercised my right to cast the tie breaking vote, but never consulted my wife first? For example my wife may want to get home quickly because she is not feeling well. If I did not even allow her input before casting the tie breaking vote, I would not be aware of that. So what should I do with my tie breaking vote once I have that information? Ephesians 5:25 says, “Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it.” As a loving husband, if I am to obey Ephesians 5:25, I must cast my tie breaking vote in her favor instead of mine in such a situation.
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In order for this to work, I also have to trust that my wife is telling the truth and not just lying about how she feels in order to get her way. You see, love and submission are not the only important elements in a relationship, there must also be trust and communication.
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Whenever an issue comes up where I must cast the tie breaking vote, we first communicate so that I have all the information that she has so that I can make a loving decision as I cast that vote. Then, my wife has the understanding that all the consequences of that decision will fall on my shoulders. That takes a lot of pressure off of her as she submits to the decision and it allows me to make the decision with love. My love does not mean that I always let her have her way nor does her submission mean I always decide to do what I want to do. In this way we are truly submitting one to another in the fear of God (Ephesians 5:21).
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“Nevertheless let every one of you in particular so love his wife even as himself; and the wife see that she reverence her husband.” (Ephesians 5:33)
-
I love to drive down roads I’ve never been on before. Often if we are not pressed for time, I will turn down a road that takes me in the direction I want to go, even though I have no idea where it goes.
-
Often my wife is with me and if I ask her if she thinks it’s a good idea, she will say that she would have stayed on the main road. Even though she would prefer the main road, she calmly accepts my decision, understanding that I will take total responsibility if we get lost.
-
My little driving excursions provide an illustration for a healthy marriage relationship. Ephesians 5 gives instruction to both husbands and wives. Wives are told that they are to submit to their husbands, and husbands are told that they are to love their wives. Some have balked at that teaching, claiming that it is overtly sexist.
-
Though the teaching does deal with issues along gender lines, we should not think of it as oppressive. Within a husband and wife relationship decisions must be made. Since there are two people in the marriage the vote will either be 100% or split 50/50. This could present a huge problem, but in our marriage, I get the tie breaking vote because Ephesians 5:22 gives me that right.
-
Now this is great for me, because I get to drive down any road I want to even if I don’t know where I’m going. For my wife, its really not that big of deal what road we go down unless she needs to get home quickly for something special she has planned.
-
So what if I always exercised my right to cast the tie breaking vote, but never consulted my wife first? For example my wife may want to get home quickly because she is not feeling well. If I did not even allow her input before casting the tie breaking vote, I would not be aware of that. So what should I do with my tie breaking vote once I have that information? Ephesians 5:25 says, “Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it.” As a loving husband, if I am to obey Ephesians 5:25, I must cast my tie breaking vote in her favor instead of mine in such a situation.
-
In order for this to work, I also have to trust that my wife is telling the truth and not just lying about how she feels in order to get her way. You see, love and submission are not the only important elements in a relationship, there must also be trust and communication.
-
Whenever an issue comes up where I must cast the tie breaking vote, we first communicate so that I have all the information that she has so that I can make a loving decision as I cast that vote. Then, my wife has the understanding that all the consequences of that decision will fall on my shoulders. That takes a lot of pressure off of her as she submits to the decision and it allows me to make the decision with love. My love does not mean that I always let her have her way nor does her submission mean I always decide to do what I want to do. In this way we are truly submitting one to another in the fear of God (Ephesians 5:21).
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“Nevertheless let every one of you in particular so love his wife even as himself; and the wife see that she reverence her husband.” (Ephesians 5:33)
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