Without Warning

Without Warning

Less than 72 short hours before His arrest, crucifixion, and subsequent death and burial for the sins of the world, our Lord gave crucial answers to critical questions which are vital to the understanding of anyone hoping to go heaven. One of those questions was, “What would be the sign of [His] coming, and of the end of the age?” (Matt. 24:4). Later on, in answering that question as to when “heaven and earth [would] pass away” (vs. 35), Jesus’ response was that only God knew when that would happen (vs. 36), but that when it did come, it would strike suddenly, without warning, and would therefore occur so quickly and unexpectedly that for those who had simply gone about their normal, daily, earthly lives without getting properly prepared, there would be no time left to get ready (See vss. 37-41). Both the Apostles Peter and John (who were two of those who posed the original question and heard Jesus’ response that day – Mk. 13:3ff), as well as the Apostle Paul, all similarly wrote later on of this same event’s incredible suddenness (See: 1 Ptr. 3:10-14; Rev. 3:1-3; 1 Thess. 4:16-5:10; and 1 Cor. 15:51-58).

No Warning

No Warning. No Sign. Be Prepared at all times.

Jesus thus continued on in Matthew 24:42-44: “Watch therefore, for you do not know what hour your Lord is coming. But know this, that if the master of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched and not allowed his house to be broken into. Therefore, you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.” “Be ready!” That was clearly the clarion cry of the Christ and the crucial life and death conclusion which He would continue to drive home throughout the remainder of chapter 24 and all of chapter 25: “Be ready!”

“Be ready!” according to the Scriptures! “Be ready!” in the eyes of God! “Be ready!” before it’s too late! Get prepared, be prepared, stay prepared, and BE READY at all times – because you do not know the time of His return! Nor do you know when your momentary earthly life, which is but a vapor (Jms. 4:13-14), will come to an end – as we have been so relentlessly reminded by recent news stories regarding such sudden, fatal, and unexpected tragedies. Therefore, we must all, “Be ready!” Thus resounded one of the last, major, life and death messages of the Messiah!

You see, getting ready, being ready, staying ready, and helping others to get and stay ready and prepared for His return is one of the major reasons why the Lord’s church exists (Matt. 28:18-20; Acts 8:5-12). That is why we do not waste our precious Bible study and worship time (Eph. 5:8-17) with such vain, useless, and soul-destroying frivolities as man-made doctrines, philosophies, entertainment, or other worldly pursuits (Mk. 7:5-13; Col. 2:8; 1 Jn. 2:15-17). Instead, we spend our Bible study time… well, studying the Bible! Studying the “black and white,” “book, chapter, and verse,” divinely-inspired word, will, and truth of the living God (2 Ptr. 1:20-21; Jn. 17:17), which is able to prepare and make us complete to stand before Him (2 Tim. 3:16-4:4). This is why we continually study (1 Tim. 2:15), abide in (Jn. 8:31-32), grow in (2 Ptr. 1:2-11), and obey it (Jn. 14:15-21). Similarly, we refuse to waste our precious worship time with anything less than absolute Biblical adherence to exactly how God said He wanted to be worshipped in His word, thus seeking to be only the kind of worshippers which He is clearly, continually, and exclusively seeking (Jn. 4:23-24).

The reason that such an all-out effort at informed preparation is so infinitely important, is because the Bible clearly depicts the eternal tragedy of even some very highly and devout religious people; devout religious people who had called Jesus “Lord,” done incredible things in His name, and who obviously believed with all their heart and soul that they were saved, but alas, were not. They truly appear to have believed they were fully ready – and in their own hearts and minds surely they were, one hundred percent – but in God’s eyes, they obviously were not; for although they had done some good things, they had not done God’s will (See Matt. 7:21-23).

We don’t want to be them, nor forced to share in their eternal departure from the Lord (2 Thess. 1:7-10). Hence, we plan to be getting further, better, and more Biblically prepared this coming Lord’s Day (Rev. 1:10), in the Lord’s church (Rom. 16:16), so that when He, our Lord returns, we, His people (Acts 11:26; Gal. 3:26-27) will be ready.

What about you? Are you ready? Not in your own eyes, but in His? According to His word (Jn. 14:15-23)? If not – or if there’s any question whatsoever – then please come join us and let’s all get more Biblically prepared and truly ready for the Lord’s return together this coming Sunday, shall we?

 

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God Knows Fathers

God Knows Fathers

It is easy for us think of our omniscient God in a general sense. God knows the actual weight of the earth and measured the entire universe with the span of His hand (Isa. 40:12). We know that the heavens show this wisdom and glory to all men. However, sometimes it is not easy to think about what God knows about us individually. Let’s take time to look at what God knows about fathers, but each of us can make our own application to our lives even if we are not fathers.

Father God

Who owns your life? Who is father to your children?

God knows so much about fathers. He knew about Abraham as a father. “For I have known him in order that he may command his children and his household after him that the keep the way of the Lord” (Gen. 18:19). In His wisdom, God could see Isaac and Jacob having been taught by Abraham and their responsibility to God. Fathers, have you ever considered that God knows how you are teaching your children?

God gave Isaac to Abraham even at his old age. Abraham could look at Isaac and know that this son was truly a gift from God. God “owned” Isaac first and that is why he was a gift from God. This truth extends far beyond this father and reaches down to all fathers, even to those who are reading this right this moment.

As the Jews were being taken to Babylon, God reminded them of their neglect of their children in a remarkable way. “Moreover you took your sons and your daughters, whom you bore to Me, and these you sacrificed to them to be devoured.  Were your acts of harlotry a small matter, that you have slain My children and offered them up to them by causing them to pass through the fire?” (Ezek. 16:20-21). They took their sons and daughters and burned them as infant sacrifices to pagan gods. Read these verses again. It was not their children—God says that those children were His children. Fathers, your children are God’s gift to you, but they, in reality, are His children given to you.

God knew Abraham and that He would instruct his children. Have you considered that God knows you just as well? Does God know you and knows you will not instruct your children? The Jews were not simply neutral in failing to teach God’s children He had given to them, they actively taught their children, His children, to do wrong. Fathers, your failure to actively teach your children may actually be teaching them by your example to not put God first in their lives!

Fathers, God put one verse in the Bible especially for you. “Fathers…bring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord” (Eph. 6:4). Remember they are not your children, God says, “They are Mine!”

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Church of God or Church of Christ

Church of God or Church of Christ

Why does Paul address the church as “the church of God” rather than “the church of Christ”?  (1 Cor. 1:2; 2 Cor. 1:1)  In these passages he is speaking to all the saints.  Aren’t the saints the church of Christ?

Christ IS God (John 1:1, 14).  Therefore, the terms “church of Christ” and “church of God” mean the same thing.  The church which belongs to Christ belongs to God.

Church of God

Matthew 16:18 makes it clear that God would build His Church.

The term “church of Christ” is not the only biblical name given to the New Testament church (cf. 1 Cor. 1:2; Acts 9:2; Heb. 12:23; 1 Thess. 1:1; etc.)

The term “saints” comes from the Greek word hagios, which literally means “most holy thing” or “one sanctified.”  One is sanctified through baptism into the church of Christ (1 Cor. 6:11; 12:13; cf. Eph. 1:22-23).  Therefore saints make up the church/assembly/ekklesia of Christ, the church of God, the Lord’s church.

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Transformed?

Transformed

Coming out of Romans Chapter 11 and into chapter 12 is the idea that through God all men can be united.  He has made all.  He has had mercy upon all.  He hasn’t set one man to be of a greater worth than another.  Therefore, when we come to Christ, we transform!   The old man of sin dies and born in his place is someone no longer clothed in jealousy, pride, and selfishness.  Christians are transformed people serving mankind in good works and glorifying God.  This is the atmosphere that Romans 12:13-21 discusses.

transformed

Setting it all aside to become something new.

Often when the concept of change is discussed beyond self, the first place mentioned that it must be apparent is at home.  The home of the Christian is the Church.  Love for our brothers and sisters strengthens the Church.  These are not simply people with whom we worship God and then walk away until our paths cross again.  These are people who are relying upon us to help encourage them, comfort them, prop them up in times of struggle, and keep them from sin (I Thessalonians 5:14, Galatians 6:10, James 5:19-20).  We are one another’s accountability partners.  We need to draw close to one another.  What are the physical and spiritual needs of our Christian family?  It may be announced that so-and-so is ill or traveling or has a death in the family, but do you know when they are struggling to pay the bills, have work at home they are unable to accomplish, hurt inside because they feel their faith is weakening, or they feel empty and alone?  There are a plethora of needs brothers and sisters have and we cannot help them unless we invite them into our lives with kindness and hospitality.  We cannot develop a friendship unless we are willing to be friends.  This is the presentation of verses 13 and 15.  A living sacrifice reaches out, seeks out, what good he or she may do, and then engages.  It may mean we are doing something as holding a hand while tears are shed, but this can be huge for those in need.

Some Jews / Pharisees / Judaisers felt as if they were better than the non-Jew Christian.  They had established their own righteousness, traditions added to the Word of God supposing to make them even more pure, but rather drawing them further from God.  Certainly non-Jewish Christians struggled with pride and ego at times as well (Luke 18:9-14, I Corinthians 11:17-22, James 2:1-9) As a Christian living today, perhaps you have heard something like the following: “Oh, you only worship in the morning on the first day of the week? We worship x times on Sunday and x more times during the week!  (How pious we are)!” “MR. XYZ with all his credentials is our preacher, we wouldn’t accept less.” “We are a KJV only congregation.” “I am a Trustee, I determine what we will do.” “That Elder is President of 123 Corporation.”  There are a plethora of comments which could demonstrate the arrogance some people cling to supposedly lifting their worth above other Christians.  This was an issue in the first century and it is an issue today.  Thus, we are able to identify with the instruction given in vs. 16.  All of us have fallen short of the glory of God due to sin (Romans 3:23, Romans 3:9).  All mankind must put themselves at the feet of their savior and accept his reign over their lives to be saved.  Superiority over any brother due to race, sex, social status, or other means is simply a dangerous illusion from which we must simply flee.  We all must submit to God and serve one another (James 4:7).

The concept presented in verses 14 and 17-19 center on the friction that sometimes arises between men.  This may be conflict between brothers in the Church or it can be trouble outside of the body of Christ.  It can be persecution from those who stand against God or it can be frustrations between neighbors or coworkers.  The point is no matter with whom we come into contact, we have a responsibility to be kind and not cause the relationship to deteriorate even further.  We should neither seek to instigate conflict, extend it, or cause harm to others for what we perceive is injustice committed on their part.  This is God’s realm and He knows the hearts of men.  It certainly has been my personal and observed experience that when we seek to retaliate we often end up in no better position than when we began.  Furthermore, any hope of influence for the cause of Christ which we once might have had upon those whom we have come into conflict is likely snuffed out.  Consider the great influence wielded by Joseph under Pharoah.  He could have destroyed his family when they came for help, struggling with the famine in the land.  Where would Israel have been then?  Consider Daniel under Nebuchadnezzar?  He could have lashed out because Babylon had destroyed his homeland and the people he loved.  He could have been angry over having been turned into a eunuch.  However, he served Nebuchadnezzer and others providing a profound example as a faithful follower of God.  Consider Paul and Silas thrown into Jail for sharing the Gospel.  They could have ran from imprisonment abandoning the Philippian jailor when their bonds were unfastened.  Yet, their Christian behavior demonstrated throughout the ordeal brought the Jailor and his household to Christ.  The Bible provides multiple examples of how to live at peace with men.  There is no exception for hardships, persecution, or discomfort that may be experienced.  Retaliation, taking judgment into our own hands, should not be an option we ponder.

Taken together verses 13 through 19 discuss the way we ought to treat mankind properly.  We should be humble servants in all cases desiring peace and allowing wrongs to be judged by the hand of God.  This is all driven by a heart aware of God’s grace and mercy that wants to glorify God. This context is somehow forgotten in the attitude/understanding some hold when they cite verse 20:

“if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.”

Some view this as a way to “get back” at those by whom they have been wronged in perception or reality.  “Be sugary sweet to them and they will just feel guilty and small”.  Such an understanding of this verse is contrary to what the entire text has been trying to convey.  It would be promoting a vindictive heart and cruel behavior rather than a heart of Christian love and holy hands.  Verse 20 relates to a custom of one’s neighbor who has allowed his home fire to burn out.  The hearth is the center of the home for cooking and heat.  In such a situation where the fire is extinguished, the neighbor would travel to other homes in search of coals for the fire.  When he was able to procure some coals, he would carry them home upon his head stored in a clay vessel.  At that point, he would be able to rekindle the fire of his dwelling to the joy of his household.  Thus, someone who would heap coals upon an individual’s head was doing him a service.  They were being kind and showing a loving heart.  This understanding is in harmony with the text of Romans 12.  It fits in proper succession with providing food and drink to one who is in need, even if, they are your enemy. It also agrees with Proverbs 25:21-22 which is parallel to this passage save that the proverbs passage ends expressing that such behavior is rewarded by God.  If this behavior was one of retribution it certainly would not be rewarded by God.

The final verse of this passage (21) continues the understanding of the transformation a man makes when he gives himself to Christ.  As a living sacrifice, his example of love, hospitality, encouragement, and peace do not allow evil to conquer, but rather cause good to flourish.  An interesting coincidence is that verses 23-24 which follow those mentioned in the Proverbs 25, speak of the friction caused by a contentious wife.  How is the evil in such a situation overcome?  I Peter: 3:1 “Likewise, wives, be subject to your own husbands, so that even if some do not obey the word, they may be won without a word by the conduct of their wives,” Notice, the idea of proper behavior has the power to win over non-believers, turning them from evil to the goodness of God.

 

 

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Chosen

Chosen

There was no one – and I mean absolutely NO ONE in the entire universe – who had it as incredibly good as God’s Old Testament people Israel. Moses reminded them of that yet again in Deuteronomy 4:7 when he said, “For what great nation is there that has God so near to it, as the Lord our God is to us, for whatever reason we may call upon Him?”He went on in chapter seven to explain to them how God had chosen them, specifically, and them alone, to be His very own “holy” and “special treasure above all the peoples on the face of the earth” (vs. 6). Moses further reinforced to them how God would love them, bless them, and multiply them; and how they would hence be blessed above all the other peoples on the face of the earth because they were His special and treasured people (vss. 13-14). Of course, inherent in that God-favored position and heaven-given heritage was the fact that they would also enjoy the very special and unique privilege of both knowing and carrying out their Creator’s divine and exclusive will for His chosen people, without addition, subtraction, or adjustment(Deuteronomy 4:1-8, 7:6-16).

Chosen Called

Being chosen of God comes with the responsibility of service.

But sadly, even tragically, such a high and holy, special and unique, great and highly treasured position before their Lord God and Creator was something that they either did not understand, or else were so satanically deceived and short-sighted about,that they showed no desire to treasure, protect, and maintain it. Conversely and instead, they militantly and aggressively sought to surrender, destroy, and rid themselves of both their revered position and the sacred responsibilities that came with it at all cost. Even when Moses was initially up on Mount Sinai receiving God’s instructions for them, they, His own special and treasured people, were down at the foot of the mountain seeking to re-implement and follow pagan worship practices similar to  those of the ungodly and idolatrous nation they had just been set free from, who neither knew, loved, nor followed the Lord their God (See Exodus 32) – and this was only the beginning of their sad and total surrender of their sacred and special status.

Not long after the death of Joshua, Judges 2:11-12 tells us that, “the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord, and served the Baals; and they forsook the Lord God of their fathers, who had brought them out of the land of Egypt; and they followed other gods from among the gods of the people who were all around them, and they bowed down to them; and they provoked the Lord to anger” – a pattern that they would repeat time and again throughout the period of the Judges (3:7, 8:33, 10:6-10) and indeed, on into and throughout pretty much their entire Old Testament history as well (See 1 Kings 18:18; 2 Chronicles 24:7, 28:2, 33:3; Jeremiah 2:23, 9:14; Hosea 2:13, 11:2). They even became so incredibly determined to destroy their infinitely unique, exclusive, and special standing and relationship with God, that they even outright rejected and demanded to replace Him with a human king! This, just so they could accomplish their own heart-felt and human desire to become like all the pagan, ungodly, and destined for destruction nations all around them (1 Samuel 8). What an awful, terrible, and satanically-induced waste! And yet… are we truly any different?

You see, the “churches of Christ”(Romans 16:16) comprise God’s one, saved, chosen and holy, very unique and distinct, body, church, or group of people today (Ephesians 1:22-23, 4:4-6; 1 Peter 2:9-12). We became children of God, and were therefore added by God, to Christ’s one New Testament church (or body, or family) when we, by faith, were baptized into Christ for the forgiveness of our sins in obedience to the Lord’s commandment (Mark 16:15-16; Galatians 3:26-27; Acts 2:37-47; Colossians 2:12; Luke 6:46).

Just as with God’s former, chosen, Old Testament people, we (or at least most of us in the churches of Christ) also certainly understand as God’s chosen, special, unique and treasured New Testament children, that one divine aspect of our exclusive heavenly heritage is that we also get to enjoy carrying out the sacred responsibility that accompanies such a wonderful, God-pleasing, and infinitely exclusive status. We understand – and want – to worship in both spirit and truth (John 4:23-24) – that is, according to only what God said He wanted in His divinely-inspired word (which is the truth: John 8:31-32, 17:17; 2 Timothy 3:12-4:4) – and not according to any of the vain, futile, useless and worthless worship practices and teachings of uninspired human religious leaders of today (Matthew 15:3-9; Mark 7:5-13; Colossians 2:6-3:4).

Our God-given, grace-forgiven, and unique and privileged status as members of the Lord’s one New Testament church and no other, causes us to love Him more than anyone or anything else on earth. As a result, we seek to only and always, only and exclusively, obey only His commandments – and His alone (Jn. 14:15-24). How could we – or anyone else for that matter – who love Him so much, ever consider doing anything else?

We are so much in love with the Lord Jesus Christ in fact, that we would never dream of rebelling against and rejecting His holy and all-consuming authority and lordship by teaching that one can be saved and added to His church either without or before repenting and being baptized specifically for the forgiveness of their sins (Matthew 28:19-20; Acts 2:37-47, 22:16; 1 Peter 3:21)! In our consummate and complete love and devotion to our one and only Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, we would never even consider changing the kind of worship music He consistently practiced, stated, and showed He wanted, enjoyed, and still enjoys, by adding unwanted and Biblically unauthorized instruments of music to it (Matthew 26:30, Mark 14:26; Ephesians 5:19; Colossians 3:16; Hebrews 2:10-12. After all, we certainly learned and took to heart the lesson taught to Nadab and Abihu – two Old Testament priests of the Lord I might add – who took the personal liberty of adding to their worship that which the Lord had not specifically authorized – Leviticus 10:1-2). Nor would we ever dare to even consider rejecting and trespassing against His holy and clearly-stated commandment that women are to remain silent in His churches (1 Corinthians 14:33-37), never leading or teaching over men (1 Timothy 2:8-15).

It absolutely does not matter one whit or iota to those who are truly and totally in love with the Lord Jesus Christ, what the Biblically-condemned, Biblically-contrarian, and man-made and named doctrines and denominations all around them say and do (Matthew 7:13-27; 15:3-9; Mark 7:5-13; Romans 16:16-18; 1 Corinthians 1:10; Galatians 1:6-10; 1 Timothy 4:1-7; 2 Peter 2:1-3, 3:14-18; Jude 3). There is simply no other person, doctrine, or worship practice that such faithful disciples and children of the living God are willing to surrender their saved, sacred, exclusive, special,and eternal standing and relationship – or the sacred and special responses and responsibilities that come along with it – with God for.

Surely such have learned their lesson from God’s previously chosen Old Testament people (1 Corinthians 10:1-11). Therefore, faithful churches of Christ (Romans 16:16) certainly have no desire whatsoever to reject God’s commandments and become like any of the multitude of man-made denominations all around them.They certainly have no desire to surrender their unique, special, and Biblically-confirmed status and standing (1 Peter 2:9-11) in order to share in either the man-made doctrines, Bible-rejecting practices, or therefore Biblically mandated destination of those denominations. That would be to willingly commit spiritual suicide in the same way as His Old Testament chosen people eventually chose to do. God forbid!

However, what those of us who have truly learned from their example do have as a result, is the subsequent desire to get out there and share this message – speaking the truth in love – with every lost and misled member, of every lost and man-made denomination all around us. This, so that they, too, can be Biblically: taught, forgiven, saved, and added by God, to His Son’s one New Testament church, just the same as He has been doing ever since its establishment on the Day of Pentecost in 33 A.D., and just as we see recorded in the eternal record in Acts 2:22-47.

So, now, go (Mark 16:15-16)! Let’s get out there and “Give ‘em heaven!” And let’s always remember to never surrender even one, single iota of our sacred and special standing with God in the process! God bless!

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