Have you ever walked in on the middle of a conversation and realized that you must have missed something? For example, someone may have been talking about a friend who had been so embarrassed that “she wanted to die.” Imagine someone overhearing just part of that conversation and thinking that the friend was actually suicidal.
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I fear that sort of thing happens all too often with the scriptures. If we only get part of a passage, we can end up jumping to some really bad conclusions. That is why context is so very important in the study of scripture. Not only should we focus on the context of the surrounding verses, but we need to also focus on the context of the audience that is being spoken to.
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There is a song about the Bible that says, “Every promise in the Book is mine.” That is an invalid statement, because there are promises in the Bible that are not mine because they were given to a different audience. For example in Genesis 17:6, Abraham is promised that he would have descendants that would be kings. That is not a promise that is given to everyone. In that same chapter Abraham is given a promise that his 90 year old wife will have a son. That does not mean that every woman has the promise of bearing a son when she is 90. Clearly the context of the audience makes a difference in our understanding of scripture.
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The context of history is also important. For example, at our Monday night Bible study we just began to look at the book of Nehemiah. In that book we find out that Nehemiah is concerned about the fact that the residents of Jerusalem had not rebuilt the walls around the city. Earlier the prophet Haggai had been concerned that the residents of Jerusalem had not rebuilt the temple. In fact he rebuked them for making their own houses fancy while neglecting God’s house.
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But as we look at the historical context of Nehemiah, we find out that there is more to the story than just the residents of Jerusalem having other priorities rather than rebuilding the wall. First of all, Judah/Israel was not an independent country at this time. They were instead a province of the Persian Empire. Further when we look at Ezra 4:13-23, we find out that the Persian King had ordered them not to rebuild the wall. The historical context that we find in other portions of scripture as well as secular accounts of that time period, help us to better understand the events that unfold within the book of Nehemiah and how God worked in an amazing way in order to allow the wall to be rebuilt in spite of all the roadblocks that kept coming up.
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Not only does context help us to have a more accurate understanding of Scripture. It also makes it more exciting. It helps us to understand how all the pieces of Biblical history and Biblical doctrine fit together in a unified way that not only makes sense, but is really interesting and electrifying.
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Some people think that the Bible is boring. I believe that it only seems boring because many have not yet seen how the pages of scripture unfold to tell a magnificent story. Context helps us to understand the scripture so that we can see it’s true relevance. For further questions or comments, please contact southtownbc@yahoo.com
Friday, December 27, 2013
Friday, December 13, 2013
The Best Christmas Gift
Christmas time is exciting- especially with little kids in the house. We have four little boys and our oldest is almost 6 and our youngest is 2. It is fun to see their excitement as they open their presents. Of course with little boys in our house, we have a lot of toy trucks. We have some friends who only have little girls and they have a lot of dolls.
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Even though our boys love trucks and tools, they have dolls as well. Of course they look like dolls that have been played with by boys. Instead of dressing them up in frilly dresses, our boys have colored them with markers.
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As fun as trucks and dolls are, I hope we understand that they are not what Christmas is really about. Christ-mas is about the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ, but even as we consider the true meaning of Christmas, we can still end up missing it’s full significance.
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Our oldest son Jared recently reminded us of why Christ’s birth is so important. He approached his mom and told her, "Mom, I need to tell you something. My dolls need Jesus too." From a strictly theological perspective, dolls do not have souls and are not even alive, but our little boy had the right idea in realizing that everyone needs Jesus.
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That is why it was so important that Jesus was born into this world. John 3:16 says, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” In other words we need Jesus in order to have everlasting life. This is clarified later in the same chapter when verse 36 states, “He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.”
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The wrath of God sounds a bit scary, and it should, for the wages of sin is death, but the love of God should balance that fear with comfort because the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. (Romans 6:23)
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Can you imagine a better gift than eternal life? As much as I would still like a toy truck for Christmas, eternal life is way better than even a brand new real truck and all we have to do to receive it is to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. Romans 10:9 says, “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.”
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Christmas is about the birth of Christ, but it should be about so much more than just that. It should also remind us that baby Jesus grew up to be the Savior of the world as He died on the cross for our sins and that He did not stay dead, but rose again 3 days later. If you believe in Him as your Lord and Savior- your only hope for eternal life- then you too can be assured that you have the greatest gift of all. Take comfort in the promise that He made when He said, “All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.” (John 6:37) No wonder so many are excited about celebrating His birth.
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Even though our boys love trucks and tools, they have dolls as well. Of course they look like dolls that have been played with by boys. Instead of dressing them up in frilly dresses, our boys have colored them with markers.
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As fun as trucks and dolls are, I hope we understand that they are not what Christmas is really about. Christ-mas is about the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ, but even as we consider the true meaning of Christmas, we can still end up missing it’s full significance.
-
Our oldest son Jared recently reminded us of why Christ’s birth is so important. He approached his mom and told her, "Mom, I need to tell you something. My dolls need Jesus too." From a strictly theological perspective, dolls do not have souls and are not even alive, but our little boy had the right idea in realizing that everyone needs Jesus.
-
That is why it was so important that Jesus was born into this world. John 3:16 says, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” In other words we need Jesus in order to have everlasting life. This is clarified later in the same chapter when verse 36 states, “He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.”
-
The wrath of God sounds a bit scary, and it should, for the wages of sin is death, but the love of God should balance that fear with comfort because the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. (Romans 6:23)
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Can you imagine a better gift than eternal life? As much as I would still like a toy truck for Christmas, eternal life is way better than even a brand new real truck and all we have to do to receive it is to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. Romans 10:9 says, “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.”
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Christmas is about the birth of Christ, but it should be about so much more than just that. It should also remind us that baby Jesus grew up to be the Savior of the world as He died on the cross for our sins and that He did not stay dead, but rose again 3 days later. If you believe in Him as your Lord and Savior- your only hope for eternal life- then you too can be assured that you have the greatest gift of all. Take comfort in the promise that He made when He said, “All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.” (John 6:37) No wonder so many are excited about celebrating His birth.
Friday, November 29, 2013
Don’t Eat Ducks in That Pond
On a cold day this fall, I suddenly heard the honking of geese. They were flying in a southern direction- obviously heading for a warmer place to spend the winter. Earlier I had noticed a group of ducks floating on a body of water. I was not sure if they were local ducks or if they too were just passing through, but the water that they were floating on was a sewage lagoon.
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I must admit that I was a little grossed out, but for someone who did not know what sort of pond it was, the scene could have looked peaceful and even pleasant. There were beautiful trees and lush grass surrounding the pond and the ducks looked quite healthy and happy.
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That scene got me to thinking about how things are not always how they seem. The scripture actually warns us about those who seem good but are actually evil. 2 Corinthians 11:13-15 says, “For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into apostles of Christ. And no wonder! For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also transform themselves into ministers of righteousness, whose end will be according to their works.” (NKJV)
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Satan and his ministers do not always look like a murky sewage lagoon. Instead they might look more like a peaceful pond. They might even say a lot of things that sound good on the surface.
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Satan’s messengers try to look like spokesmen for Jesus Christ, and Satan tries to make himself look like an angel of light. Let us not forget that the true light of the world is Jesus Christ. “Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, "I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life." (John 8:12 NKJV)
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Before the apostle Paul warned about the Satan and his ministers in 2 Corinthians 11, he warned, “But I fear, lest somehow, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, so your minds may be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. For if he who comes preaches another Jesus whom we have not preached, or if you receive a different spirit which you have not received, or a different gospel which you have not accepted--you may well put up with it!” (2 Corinthians 11:3-4 NKJV)
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Today even some church leaders are saying that there are many ways to God, but Jesus Himself was very clear when He said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” (John 14:6 NKJV)
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When someone pretends to be a spokesman for Christ and says that there is a different way to God, they are giving a different gospel and are thus ministering for Satan rather than for the truth. They are like the stinky sewage pond that may look good on the outside but is a mess within.
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Jesus is the only way to eternal life. "Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved." (Acts 4:12 NKJV). We should not expect the false teachers who give another gospel to have horns and a pointed tail. We should not even expect that they will look ugly and menacing, but we should be able to compare what they say to what the Bible teaches.
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I would not want to eat a duck that had been swimming on the sewage pond, and I would not want to follow a false teacher no matter how good they looked or sounded.
For further questions or comments, please contact southtownbc@yahoo.com
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I must admit that I was a little grossed out, but for someone who did not know what sort of pond it was, the scene could have looked peaceful and even pleasant. There were beautiful trees and lush grass surrounding the pond and the ducks looked quite healthy and happy.
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That scene got me to thinking about how things are not always how they seem. The scripture actually warns us about those who seem good but are actually evil. 2 Corinthians 11:13-15 says, “For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into apostles of Christ. And no wonder! For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also transform themselves into ministers of righteousness, whose end will be according to their works.” (NKJV)
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Satan and his ministers do not always look like a murky sewage lagoon. Instead they might look more like a peaceful pond. They might even say a lot of things that sound good on the surface.
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Satan’s messengers try to look like spokesmen for Jesus Christ, and Satan tries to make himself look like an angel of light. Let us not forget that the true light of the world is Jesus Christ. “Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, "I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life." (John 8:12 NKJV)
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Before the apostle Paul warned about the Satan and his ministers in 2 Corinthians 11, he warned, “But I fear, lest somehow, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, so your minds may be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. For if he who comes preaches another Jesus whom we have not preached, or if you receive a different spirit which you have not received, or a different gospel which you have not accepted--you may well put up with it!” (2 Corinthians 11:3-4 NKJV)
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Today even some church leaders are saying that there are many ways to God, but Jesus Himself was very clear when He said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” (John 14:6 NKJV)
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When someone pretends to be a spokesman for Christ and says that there is a different way to God, they are giving a different gospel and are thus ministering for Satan rather than for the truth. They are like the stinky sewage pond that may look good on the outside but is a mess within.
-
Jesus is the only way to eternal life. "Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved." (Acts 4:12 NKJV). We should not expect the false teachers who give another gospel to have horns and a pointed tail. We should not even expect that they will look ugly and menacing, but we should be able to compare what they say to what the Bible teaches.
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I would not want to eat a duck that had been swimming on the sewage pond, and I would not want to follow a false teacher no matter how good they looked or sounded.
For further questions or comments, please contact southtownbc@yahoo.com
Saturday, November 16, 2013
Can You Relate to The Bible?
How high can you count? My three year old surprised me by counting to 5 all by himself. His older brother was not able to count that quickly. For some reason he had trouble figuring out the difference between 3 and 4. He would count one two four and then get stuck, even though he knew six, seven, eight. Finally I came up with a rhyme so that he could remember three. I told him to say, “three is like me.”
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Soon he was counting by saying, “one, two, four is like- three is like me, four, five…” Before long he no longer had to use the rhyme because he had learned the number 3.
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It can be frustrating trying to learn something and getting confused. To those of us who have been counting for a long time, three and four do not sound all that much alike, but to my little boy they were very confusing.
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The same sort of confusion can come when people first start to study the Bible. Theologians are able to quickly distinguish between Noah and Moses, yet some of them have still fallen for the trick question about how many animals Moses brought on the ark (Noah built the ark, not Moses).
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For those reading through the Bible for the first time, all those names and events can look like advanced algebra to someone who has just learned how to count. Once you figure out the difference between Noah and Moses, you then have to figure out the difference between Elijah and Elisha.
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It is kind of like watching a TV series for the first time. When you tune in during the middle of the second season, you do not know all the characters. You do not even know right away who the good guys are and who the villain is, but as you watch you begin to sort things out. Imagine thought that the TV series took place over hundreds and even thousands of years of history and the characters were constantly changing. If the series were really exciting, you would want to go back and watch the first season to find out what led up to the events in the second season. That is what the Bible is like.
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The Bible is not just a bunch of random stories that are not connected. It is a history of a people and of a particular family group and it traces that family group all the way to Jesus Christ.
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Once you realize that the events of the Bible are connected, you can then start to see how exciting the scriptures really are. That is part of the reason why I like to preach through a whole book of the Bible and explain who the people are, the significance of the events, and how we can relate those events to our lives.
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Often when people go to church, they only get a small sample of Bible verses and then the next week they get another random sample from another place in scripture so they do not get to see how the events are connected. It is almost like seeing a bunch of random movie clips without sitting down and ever watching the movie. My goal is to plant a church where God’s word is preached verse by verse so that people can see who the Bible characters are. Then they can also learn about who God is, how He interacts with man, and how He is relevant to our lives today.
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Soon he was counting by saying, “one, two, four is like- three is like me, four, five…” Before long he no longer had to use the rhyme because he had learned the number 3.
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It can be frustrating trying to learn something and getting confused. To those of us who have been counting for a long time, three and four do not sound all that much alike, but to my little boy they were very confusing.
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The same sort of confusion can come when people first start to study the Bible. Theologians are able to quickly distinguish between Noah and Moses, yet some of them have still fallen for the trick question about how many animals Moses brought on the ark (Noah built the ark, not Moses).
-
For those reading through the Bible for the first time, all those names and events can look like advanced algebra to someone who has just learned how to count. Once you figure out the difference between Noah and Moses, you then have to figure out the difference between Elijah and Elisha.
-
It is kind of like watching a TV series for the first time. When you tune in during the middle of the second season, you do not know all the characters. You do not even know right away who the good guys are and who the villain is, but as you watch you begin to sort things out. Imagine thought that the TV series took place over hundreds and even thousands of years of history and the characters were constantly changing. If the series were really exciting, you would want to go back and watch the first season to find out what led up to the events in the second season. That is what the Bible is like.
-
The Bible is not just a bunch of random stories that are not connected. It is a history of a people and of a particular family group and it traces that family group all the way to Jesus Christ.
-
Once you realize that the events of the Bible are connected, you can then start to see how exciting the scriptures really are. That is part of the reason why I like to preach through a whole book of the Bible and explain who the people are, the significance of the events, and how we can relate those events to our lives.
-
Often when people go to church, they only get a small sample of Bible verses and then the next week they get another random sample from another place in scripture so they do not get to see how the events are connected. It is almost like seeing a bunch of random movie clips without sitting down and ever watching the movie. My goal is to plant a church where God’s word is preached verse by verse so that people can see who the Bible characters are. Then they can also learn about who God is, how He interacts with man, and how He is relevant to our lives today.
Friday, November 1, 2013
Don't Stay Up All Night
I drove home late the other night and began to get tired. As I stopped to get gas, it changed from night to morning as the clock ticked past midnight. I was still about an hour from home and I wanted to get back to my family and my own bed. I walked around as the fuel pumped. I wanted to feel more awake for the final leg of my journey.
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No doubt about it, the sleep was sweet once I was finally able to lay my head on the pillow, but how important is sleep? Had I continued to drive without getting out and moving around, I would have become a danger to myself and others. Had I continued to drive much later instead of arriving at home it would have also been hazardous.
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Sadly, some suggest that sleep deprivation is a sign of spirituality. No doubt we must take into account the verses that say, “A little sleep, a little slumber, A little folding of the hands to rest; So shall your poverty come like a prowler, And your need like an armed man.” (Proverbs 24:33-34 NKJV) In other words, if you are too lazy to get out of bed and go to work, do not be surprised if you are a victim of poverty.
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Still, there is another side to this issue. With modern lighting, it is much easier to stay up late and avoid sleep. From the Christian perspective this too can be a problem. First of all, let us not forget that God created man to need rest. The Lord said in Mark 2:27, “The sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath.” The Sabbath day was set apart for man as a day of rest because God understands that we need to rest.
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The Psalms speak of meditating on God’s word day and night and even give special attention to focusing on it at night, but simply depriving ourselves of sleep can end up being an exercise in vanity. Psalms 127:2 tells us, “It is vain for you to rise up early, to sit up late, to eat the bread of sorrows: for so he giveth his beloved sleep.” Let us not neglect the gift of sleep. Even modern medical science shows us that sleep deprivation is hazardous to our health. As Christians our bodies are God’s temple. We need to take care of our bodies, and that includes getting enough sleep.
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But sometimes laziness can take the form of being poor stewards of our sleep. For example the person who only got 4 hours of sleep because they stayed up half the night watching TV is not less lazy than the person who got 9 hours of sleep after a hard days work. Ecclesiastes 5:12 tells us that the sleep of a labouring man is sweet.
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As Christians we need to be careful not to love sleep so that it leads to poverty (Proverbs 20:13), while still getting the rest that God made us to need. This is one of the many areas of the Christian life where if we only look at a couple of isolated verses, we can end up with wrong conclusions. Biblical balance shows us that we should not be lazy and spend all our time sleeping, but it also shows us that we need rest. Therefore, if you are reading this in bed and it is time to get up, throw off those covers and get to work. If you are falling asleep while reading this after a hard days work, then reward yourself with a good night’s sleep.
For further questions or comments, please contact southtownbc@yahoo.com
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No doubt about it, the sleep was sweet once I was finally able to lay my head on the pillow, but how important is sleep? Had I continued to drive without getting out and moving around, I would have become a danger to myself and others. Had I continued to drive much later instead of arriving at home it would have also been hazardous.
-
Sadly, some suggest that sleep deprivation is a sign of spirituality. No doubt we must take into account the verses that say, “A little sleep, a little slumber, A little folding of the hands to rest; So shall your poverty come like a prowler, And your need like an armed man.” (Proverbs 24:33-34 NKJV) In other words, if you are too lazy to get out of bed and go to work, do not be surprised if you are a victim of poverty.
-
Still, there is another side to this issue. With modern lighting, it is much easier to stay up late and avoid sleep. From the Christian perspective this too can be a problem. First of all, let us not forget that God created man to need rest. The Lord said in Mark 2:27, “The sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath.” The Sabbath day was set apart for man as a day of rest because God understands that we need to rest.
-
The Psalms speak of meditating on God’s word day and night and even give special attention to focusing on it at night, but simply depriving ourselves of sleep can end up being an exercise in vanity. Psalms 127:2 tells us, “It is vain for you to rise up early, to sit up late, to eat the bread of sorrows: for so he giveth his beloved sleep.” Let us not neglect the gift of sleep. Even modern medical science shows us that sleep deprivation is hazardous to our health. As Christians our bodies are God’s temple. We need to take care of our bodies, and that includes getting enough sleep.
-
But sometimes laziness can take the form of being poor stewards of our sleep. For example the person who only got 4 hours of sleep because they stayed up half the night watching TV is not less lazy than the person who got 9 hours of sleep after a hard days work. Ecclesiastes 5:12 tells us that the sleep of a labouring man is sweet.
-
As Christians we need to be careful not to love sleep so that it leads to poverty (Proverbs 20:13), while still getting the rest that God made us to need. This is one of the many areas of the Christian life where if we only look at a couple of isolated verses, we can end up with wrong conclusions. Biblical balance shows us that we should not be lazy and spend all our time sleeping, but it also shows us that we need rest. Therefore, if you are reading this in bed and it is time to get up, throw off those covers and get to work. If you are falling asleep while reading this after a hard days work, then reward yourself with a good night’s sleep.
For further questions or comments, please contact southtownbc@yahoo.com
Friday, October 18, 2013
God's Love For Bad Guys
Our little boy’s favorite TV program is Emergency. It is a series from the 1970’s that features two emergency rescue workers and their adventures helping others. The other day our 3 year old was laying in the back yard pretending that he was hurt and trapped in a hole. The 5 year old was tying the dog cable around him so that the 4 year old could hoist him out. I had to caution them not to hurt their little brother as they pulled while smiling under my stern admonition.
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Another one of their imaginary adventures involved a “bad guy.” I did not hear all of what was happening in their role play, but I listened long enough to hear our 4 year old say, “We should tell the bad guy about Jesus. He needs to know that Jesus loves him.” Some would have expected to hear, “We need to shoot the bad guy,” but instead my little man realized what the bad guy really needed.
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In a child’s mind, a bad guy is someone who steals, hurts, or kills, but according to the scriptures we are all bad guys. “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;” (Romans 3:23). Although the following list is by no means exhaustive, it gives some examples of the sort of things that prove we are all “bad guys” in God’s eyes. “Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God.” (I Corinthians 6:9-10 NKJV)
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Some may look at that list and say, “Well, I’m not a drunk or a thief, so at least I’m all right.” But notice that even being covetous- wanting what someone else has- makes us unrighteous before God. No wonder Romans 3:10 says, “As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:” As I look at my own life, I realize that I truly have sinned and come short of the glory of God. I also realize that the wages of sin is death. I realize that because of my unrighteousness, I do not deserve to be allowed into the kingdom of God. I realize that because of my sin, I am a bad guy.
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But I also realize the truth that my 4 year old shared. I understand that Jesus loves me. I understand that God loves me even though I am a sinner. “For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die. But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:7-8 NKJV)
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The consequences for my sin are serious, but because of my trust in Jesus Christ, I do not have to face those consequences. “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” (Romans 6:23) God’s gift is eternal life through believing on Jesus Christ. “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16)
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Remember that list of sins from I Corinthians 6? The Corinthians that the Apostle Paul was writing to in that letter were bad guys, but they had trusted Christ, therefore he is able to say in the very next verse: “And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.” (I Corinthians 6:11) If you have not yet trusted Christ, you can trust Him now and be washed as well.
For further questions or comments, please contact southtownbc@yahoo.com
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Another one of their imaginary adventures involved a “bad guy.” I did not hear all of what was happening in their role play, but I listened long enough to hear our 4 year old say, “We should tell the bad guy about Jesus. He needs to know that Jesus loves him.” Some would have expected to hear, “We need to shoot the bad guy,” but instead my little man realized what the bad guy really needed.
-
In a child’s mind, a bad guy is someone who steals, hurts, or kills, but according to the scriptures we are all bad guys. “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;” (Romans 3:23). Although the following list is by no means exhaustive, it gives some examples of the sort of things that prove we are all “bad guys” in God’s eyes. “Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God.” (I Corinthians 6:9-10 NKJV)
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Some may look at that list and say, “Well, I’m not a drunk or a thief, so at least I’m all right.” But notice that even being covetous- wanting what someone else has- makes us unrighteous before God. No wonder Romans 3:10 says, “As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:” As I look at my own life, I realize that I truly have sinned and come short of the glory of God. I also realize that the wages of sin is death. I realize that because of my unrighteousness, I do not deserve to be allowed into the kingdom of God. I realize that because of my sin, I am a bad guy.
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But I also realize the truth that my 4 year old shared. I understand that Jesus loves me. I understand that God loves me even though I am a sinner. “For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die. But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:7-8 NKJV)
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The consequences for my sin are serious, but because of my trust in Jesus Christ, I do not have to face those consequences. “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” (Romans 6:23) God’s gift is eternal life through believing on Jesus Christ. “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16)
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Remember that list of sins from I Corinthians 6? The Corinthians that the Apostle Paul was writing to in that letter were bad guys, but they had trusted Christ, therefore he is able to say in the very next verse: “And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.” (I Corinthians 6:11) If you have not yet trusted Christ, you can trust Him now and be washed as well.
For further questions or comments, please contact southtownbc@yahoo.com
Friday, October 4, 2013
Our Creator and Savior
Our boys have a new fort. Their uncle came to visit and he gathered up 3 old pallets for walls and then covered them with leaves and branches that he cut off of our willow tree. It looks like a cross between an obstacle course and a duck blind, but our boys love it. I have to admit that it is a cool fort for 4 little boys.
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The fort sits right between the house and the garage- two structures that took much more planning than the fort did. Though the house took much more planning than the garage, I must admit that it is a fairly simple structure compared to the Corn Palace. The Corn Palace might seem impressive until you see Mt. Rushmore. Still, the work Borglum did on Rushmore is nothing compared to the creation of the whole world.
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We do not expect that Mt. Rushmore came about by chance. I do not even look into my backyard and imagine that the wind blew the willow branches and pallets together to make a fort. So how did the world get here?
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One of the most ancient history books states in it’s opening statement, “In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.” (Genesis 1:1) Then we read later in Isaiah 44:24, “Thus saith the LORD, thy redeemer, and he that formed thee from the womb, I am the LORD that maketh all things; that stretcheth forth the heavens alone; that spreadeth abroad the earth by myself.”
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There are many other verses in the Bible that refer to God as creator. One of the passages that I love the most concerning creation is the passage that shows that Jesus is creator, thus showing that He is God. Colossians 1:16-17 states, “For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.”
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The study about what the Bible’s teaches concerning creation shows us many vital truths. Just in this short article we have already seen that God is the creator and that Jesus Christ is God. But why should we listen to what the Bible says over other history books? The Bible claims to be much more than just a history book. 2 Peter 1:21 tells us, “for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.” (NKJV)
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The Bible is not just some history book. It is not just some myth made up by some clever author. The Bible is God’s word given to us through the Holy Spirit. “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness.” (2 Timothy 3:16 NKJV)
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Look again at Isaiah 44:24, “Thus saith the LORD, thy redeemer, and he that formed thee from the womb, I am the LORD that maketh all things; that stretcheth forth the heavens alone; that spreadeth abroad the earth by myself.” Notice that not only is the LORD our creator, He is also our redeemer. Jesus not only made us, but He redeemed us. That means He paid the price for us as He paid the price for our sins on the cross. That means He saves us from the penalty for our sins if we believe in Him- not just as our creator, but also as our savior.
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As we understand that Jesus is our creator and savior, not only should we believe on Him, we should also worship Him as God. "You are worthy, O Lord, To receive glory and honor and power; For You created all things, And by Your will they exist and were created." (Revelation 4:11 NKJV).
-
The fort sits right between the house and the garage- two structures that took much more planning than the fort did. Though the house took much more planning than the garage, I must admit that it is a fairly simple structure compared to the Corn Palace. The Corn Palace might seem impressive until you see Mt. Rushmore. Still, the work Borglum did on Rushmore is nothing compared to the creation of the whole world.
-
We do not expect that Mt. Rushmore came about by chance. I do not even look into my backyard and imagine that the wind blew the willow branches and pallets together to make a fort. So how did the world get here?
-
One of the most ancient history books states in it’s opening statement, “In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.” (Genesis 1:1) Then we read later in Isaiah 44:24, “Thus saith the LORD, thy redeemer, and he that formed thee from the womb, I am the LORD that maketh all things; that stretcheth forth the heavens alone; that spreadeth abroad the earth by myself.”
-
There are many other verses in the Bible that refer to God as creator. One of the passages that I love the most concerning creation is the passage that shows that Jesus is creator, thus showing that He is God. Colossians 1:16-17 states, “For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.”
-
The study about what the Bible’s teaches concerning creation shows us many vital truths. Just in this short article we have already seen that God is the creator and that Jesus Christ is God. But why should we listen to what the Bible says over other history books? The Bible claims to be much more than just a history book. 2 Peter 1:21 tells us, “for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.” (NKJV)
-
The Bible is not just some history book. It is not just some myth made up by some clever author. The Bible is God’s word given to us through the Holy Spirit. “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness.” (2 Timothy 3:16 NKJV)
-
Look again at Isaiah 44:24, “Thus saith the LORD, thy redeemer, and he that formed thee from the womb, I am the LORD that maketh all things; that stretcheth forth the heavens alone; that spreadeth abroad the earth by myself.” Notice that not only is the LORD our creator, He is also our redeemer. Jesus not only made us, but He redeemed us. That means He paid the price for us as He paid the price for our sins on the cross. That means He saves us from the penalty for our sins if we believe in Him- not just as our creator, but also as our savior.
-
As we understand that Jesus is our creator and savior, not only should we believe on Him, we should also worship Him as God. "You are worthy, O Lord, To receive glory and honor and power; For You created all things, And by Your will they exist and were created." (Revelation 4:11 NKJV).
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