Rejecting the Counsel of God

Rejecting the Counsel of God

The first psalm describes the character of those who are blessed by God. “He does not walk in the counsel of the ungodly.” The implication of these words is that if one does walk in the counsel of the ungodly, he is cursed. The psalmist has in mind walking in the counsel of ungodly men and the blessedness of those who walk in the counsel of the godly men. Think of how this is magnified when we think of the importance of walking in the counsel of the godly One.  The New Testament speaks often about this.

The counsel of God is revealed in the Bible. Paul described the breath of this counsel when he said, “I have not shunned to declare to you the whole counsel of God” (Acts 20:27). Messengers of God must speak the truth (1 Pet. 4:11); they must speak the truth in love (Eph. 4:15); and they must speak the entirety of God’s will. Even if men reject what is taught, the messenger is still innocent. Paul said, “I am innocent from the blood of all men, for I have not shunned. . .” (Acts 20:26).counsel of God

The counsel of God cannot be changed by any person on earth. David said, “Forever, O Lord, Your word is settled in heaven” (Psa. 119:89). The English Standard Version emphasizes the word settled. “Forever, O Lord, Your word is firmly fixed in the heavens.” God has revealed His counsel in His words and decrees the blessing of those who follow it. It is remarkable that men so often choose to reject His counsel.

The New Testament affirms this truth even more emphatically. It speaks of the unchangeable character, the immutability, of His counsel (Heb. 6:17). Those who seek to change His counsel are condemned by God. Paul reveals how the curse of God awaits every man, every angel and even Paul himself if they perverted the gospel he had preached (Gal. 1:8-9).

This counsel of God is spoken of by the Holy Spirit in His discussion of the greatness of John the Baptist and the message he brought. He said that all the people who heard John, even the tax collectors, . . . justified God, having been baptized with the baptism of John.” What about those who were not baptized by John?  “But the Pharisees and lawyers rejected the will (the Greek word is counsel) of God for themselves, not having been baptized by him” (Luke 7:29-30).

Let me urge you to devote time in your life to read about His will, His counsel in your life. When every Bible is burned up with the fires of heaven consuming the earth, there will be one copy that remains to be used by the Judge of all mankind to measure our lives (Rev. 20:12). That counsel is firmly fixed in heaven, it is immutable. To reject its teaching on any topic, even the baptism revealed by Jesus, is to reject the counsel of God.  Think about this!

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Dedicated to the Process

Dedicated to the Process

The deceptiveness of the human heart it seems has no bounds.  Men lie about their motives to achieve their own desires.  This is born from a lack of love and selfishness.  When individuals can do something good, kind, and thoughtful (but refuse), they often choose to defend their ungodly activity with false virtue.  “I didn’t step in and help that person being attacked, because I could have gotten hurt and my family needs me.” “I didn’t speak up in the jury to defend the innocent, because he is probably guilty anyway.” “We created a process to fulfill our needs, so we cannot deviate from the process because we have been entrusted to do it.” “I didn’t offer to help teach a class, because I already help in so many other ways.“Process ego

Over the years, I have seen or heard all of the above examples.  Truth be known, the most galling was watching brothers and sisters fail to help someone in an accident because they were so set on following the process of worshiping.  There were people in need right outside their doors, but the Christians would not pause their service for a single moment to lend a caring hand.  Sacrifice had become more important than mercy in that location.

Matthew 15:1-9 speaks of these type of people.  Jesus speaks in this context with the Pharisees and scribes – “Hypocrites!”  His audience followed a process established by previous generations.  Not a bad process.  They practiced hand washing before meals which promoted cleanliness.  However, this practice did not come from the Law of Moses.  Men invented it to “perfect” themselves.  Ultimately, it was part of men not walking by faith, but by works. It was show, not service.

The Pharisees and scribes expressed concern that Jesus’ disciples were not following their tradition.  Jesus pointed out that while the Pharisees demonsrated diligence for their manmade traditions, they did not follow the Law of God which focused on caring for their own family.  They declared that anything they could do to demonstrate love, kindness, consideration, etc. in aiding their family, God already recieved in their devotion – “the process”.  The truth was far simpler.  They didn’t want to help so they hid behind a “righteous” excuse.

Galatians 6:10 – “So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith.”

To do the right thing is always in man’s grasp and under his control.  God does not make a man choose to do evil.  It is his own bias, lust, selfishness, partiality, and jealousies that cause him to not choose the proper action (James 1:14).  Mankind has a responsibility to his family, his Christian brothers and sisters, and to this world to overcome self and to do good.  The issue comes down to where a man’s heart is.  Without love man is nothing (I Corinthians 13:2).

In the main text, this quote of Jesus’ words is found: Matthew 15:9 – “This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me.” Jesus actually quotes the prophet Isaiah.  The men of Isaiah’s time suffered the same problem as did those of Jesus’ time.  Things have not changed today.  In the Church and out of the Church, we see men putting on a show of righteousness, but in the weightier matters of the law “Justice and mercy and faithfulness” they show neglect.  They toss mind, spirit, heart, aside instead of engaging them.

Christians, let us focus on what will Glorify the Body of Christ.  Let us lift up all the individual parts.  Where we can find peace, let us find peace.  Within our own power, do the right thing where possible.  Let the fruit of the spirit abound in our lives (Galatians 5:22-23 “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.”)  Brothers, “Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with Good!” (Romans 12:21).  “And let our people learn to devote themselves to good works, so as to help cases of urgent need, and not be unfruitful.” (Titus 3:14)

Jesus tells the pharisees the process of their actions resulted in vain (empty) worship.  When the process of men overrides the precepts of God, the vanity of sacrifice will be the ultimate result.  Let us be a better people than that.

 

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God Coming in the Clouds

God Coming in the Clouds

Have you ever done a search of the word “cloud” or “clouds” in “scripture”?  I searched this about twenty years ago, because I kept being told nearly all judgment seens in scripture spoke about God coming in the clouds.  Significantly, this is not the case.  Yes, there are lots of verses mentioning clouds, but God coming in judgment with clouds is not.  In fact, it can be limited to a couple of verses perhaps one.God coming in the clouds

When one looks for Christ coming with clouds in the Old Testament there is a significant verse, but it isn’t judgment.  It is Jesus arriving in heaven following His resurrection.  There Jesus recieves power, glory, and the Kingdom.

In the New Testament there are more verses about our savior in the clouds.  They are in Acts 1:7-11, I Thessalonians 4:17, Revelation 1:7.  Additionally there are two sets of parallel verses from the gospels regarding the messiah and coming on clouds.  The first set is Matthew 24:30 and its parallel Mark 13:26.  The second set is Matthew 26:64 and Mark 14:62.  I highly recommend that the gospel verses be closely examined.  All others verse dealing with Jesus and Him coming in clouds have nothing to do with 70 AD.

 

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Disqualified

Disqualified

“But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified” (1 Corinthians 9:27).

When a person is disqualified, he has not met the minimum requirements to participate in something. In 1 Corinthians 9:24-27, Paul is talking about how being a Christian is like participating in sporting activities like running and boxing. If one has not sufficiently trained himself, he will not be able to compete and earn the crown of victory. He concludes that he must bring his body into subjection so that he will not be disqualified himself. How could the apostle Paul have been disqualified?

He could have been disqualified by not exercising his faith. In the very next chapter,he discusses how the children of Israel failed to exercise their faith and consequently fell in the wilderness. He concludes, “Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall” (1 Corinthians 10:12). He knew that he was subject to that warning also. That was why he practiced self-discipline.

He could have been disqualified by not exercising self-control. Paul made it clear that sin was not to reign in our bodies. In Romans 6:12, he wrote, “Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts.” One must practice self-control, one of the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:23). Lack of self-control leads to fulfilling the works of the flesh, and those who practice such will not inherit the kingdom of God. They will be disqualified.

Not everyone will be qualified to enter heaven. Jesus said that only a few would (Matthew 7:14) and that the lawless would not (Matthew 7:23). We must be faithful if we expect to receive the crown of life (Revelation 2:10).

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For Thine is the Kingdom… Really?

For Thine is the Kingdom… Really?

So many individuals know the words of the prayer Jesus gave in the Sermon on the Mount. It begins by addressing God with the words, “Our Father which art in heaven. . .” and ends with “For Thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen” (KJV—Matt. 6:9-13). What can be so easily overlooked is the prayer of David as he discussed the building of the temple by his son, Solomon. He said, “Thine, O Lord, is the greatness, and the power and the glory, and . . . the kingdom” (1 Chon. 29:11).

What does the expression “Thine is the kingdom” really mean? Look at the NKJV rendering of the words of David, “Yours, O Lord, is the greatness, the power and the glory. . .Yours is the kingdom, O Lord.” The kingdom is God’s. Thine (Yours) is the kingdom!

Now when we understand that John the Baptist, Jesus, the twelve and the seventy proclaimed that the kingdom of God was at hand, about to come in the first century (Matt. 3:2; 4:17; 10:7; Luke 10:9), should we be surprised that Jesus taught His disciples to pray, “Thy kingdom come”? Jesus said that the kingdom would come with power in the lives of those who heard His words (Mark 9:1). We know what that kingdom is. Those in the early church had been translated into the kingdom (Col. 1:13). Jesus said the kingdom would come in the first century. What came? That which came was the church.

Now note how the prayer the Lord gave said that the kingdom belongs to God! He said that kingdom is Yours (Thine). He planned it and the blood of Emmanuel bought the church (Acts 20:28). It is His and His alone! He is the King over the kingdom. He is the head over the church (Eph. 1:22-23). Look again at the prayer. The kingdom belongs to Him forever.

O the folly of any mortal, whose very life is dependent on the breath God gives him, to usurp the right of the King to govern His kingdom, to rule His church. But isn’t that what has been done in Christendom?

The whole basis of denominational division is that God has abdicated His throne and given the kingdom to mortals and the right to change anything in the church any man desires. God did not give men the right to change His rules for His kingdom about worship, the Lord’s Supper, congregational singing, church organization, baptism, and a host of other matters. Where is the authority for all these changes? Does it come from a church synod, the reverend pastor, the church board, etc.?

Read the Bible. Let God be King over your life. Let’s return to the way He designed His kingdom, the church. Let’s not just say the words, “Thine is the kingdom.” Let’s give the kingdom back to Him.

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