My Environment…

Romans 8:5-8 (ESV) 5 For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. 6 For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. 7 For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God’s law; indeed, it cannot. 8 Those who are in the flesh cannot please God.

OK. To continue my last post, Paul continues to stress the importance of the mind in the battle of the soul. It seems a bit to me like the age old question: “What came first the chicken or the egg?” in trying to understand how the mind and the flesh interact.  Does the flesh direct the mind or does the mind direct the flesh?

Verse 5 is fairly specific. As we live, so we set our mind. It’s either on carnal things or Spiritual things, and ultimately death or life. It sounds like what I put myself around, I will eventually set my mind to. Perhaps therein lies the battle plan of the enemy. No one can argue that our culture and – worse yet – our children, are bombarded with TONS more images, words, implications, blood, death, hate, (fill in the blank) that we were. We are constantly stimulated with sights, sounds, images, smells, whatever, in a very media-rich environment.

Have you ever noticed how hard it is to just be still and quiet? “Be still and know that I am God” (Psalms 46:10). This is why its SO important for community, for fellowship, for “iron sharpening” – as we’re doing here.

Paul lays it all out there. “Death” or “Life and peace.” While it seems like a no brainer, the question becomes what am I surrounding myself with physically? On what am I setting my mind?

I choose life. I choose peace. I choose righteousness.

It’s time to evaluate my environment. It’s time to get still.  (Tried to embed Reuben Morgan’s “Still”)

Still – Reuben Morgan

I Am the Lost Son

Today I was talking to JG at work, we were talking about the blog and we realized that no one had missed yet. That made me think, I can’t remember the last time I spent time with Papa 15 of 21 days. I thought to myself that I felt  like the “lost” or “prodigal” son, or however you spell that. So I pulled that story up and this is what stuck out to me.  Luke 15:12 says, “The younger one said to his father, ‘Father, give me my share of the estate.’ So he divided his property between them.” I can’t count the number of times I have wished that Father would give me riches or my “inheritance” now so I could solve my problems. I immediately saw how I was like the younger brother who was quick to squander his new wealth on “wild living.” (verse 13)  So after he loses it all, he realizes he needs his dad’s provision and heads home. Verse 19 says the son feels unworthy, “I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired men.” Man, so often I feel undeserving and realize how good I had it back with Papa. So the son goes back to his father to beg to work for him but his father sees him coming and gets him the best robe, a ring and sandals and has the fattened calf killed. When the older son questions his father about everything the father says in verse 32, “But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.” If I remember Galatians 2:20 correctly it says something like “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live.” Therefore I was dead and am now alive,  I was lost and now am found.

Papa, thank you for seeing me from afar and celebrating my return. You know I don’t deserve it but I’ll receive it. Thank you. I pray that I become more like the older brother who stays by his father and has access to everything his father has. Papa, thank you that James 4:8 is true. I love you.

Ready at a moments notice

As I read Oswald chambers this morning I was offended to the point of conviction and then repentance.  He talks about the new testament worker and the type of witness he should be.  He says,  “we are sent by God to lift up Jesus Christ, not to give wonderfully beautiful speeches…..we must also be sharply intent on sensing those Scripture passages that will drive the truth home and then not be afraid to apply them.”  That’s just good, at first I thought how dare you, but as it set in, I began to see the truth, but more that that I found the freedom in it.  I don’t have to be a great speaker,  I don’t even have to know exactly what to say,  all I have to do is exalt Christ (be Jesus with skin on).  However on the flip side I do have to be ready to use scripture at any time and therefore I better know the scripture.  I can no longer use the excuse, “well I just don’t know any scripture, or I was going to learn’em.” that can no longer work.  We are to study to show ourselves approved.  We are to hide God word in our hearts.  Not just so we can say we did it, but so we can use it to preach the gospel, save the lost, rebuke those who need rebuking, etc.  This was a good reminder to me of the importance of what I am doing.

Church study #3…..The Head

Ok this post is for Kenny.  We were talking the other night and got around to something, of no consequence I’m sure, but ended up at, “hey you should do a post tomorrow about the pope.”  So here is my post about the Pope.  Peter is recognized by the catholic community to be the head of the first church, and all the popes some what resemble him or came from that line somehow.  So I started studying the catholic belief about church and the head of church and then comparing the Word. 

We often hear it said that Peter was the first head of the church. If this is true, surely we would expect such a major doctrine to be plainly stated in the Bible.  So consider what we find in Scripture.

 Ephesians 1:22,23 says that Jesus was head over the church and all things are under His feet. Ephesians 5:22,23 says Jesus is head of the church like a husband is head of his wife, but the Bible clearly teaches that a woman can have only one husband as her head. So how could the church have both Peter and Jesus as head?

We hear it said that Peter’s office is the foundation on which the church is built.  But 1 Corinthians 3:11 says no one can lay any foundation other than Jesus Christ.

We hear it said that the man who heads the church cannot be married.  But in Matthew 8:14 Jesus healed Peter’s mother-in-law, so Peter was married.  And 1 Timothy 4:1-3 speaks against the doctrine that forbids marriage.

We hear it said that people should bow to honor the man who heads the church.  But in Acts 10:25,26 Peter refused to allow a man to bow to him.  He said, “Get up, I myself also am a man.”

We hear people use terms like “holy Father” to exalt the man who is said to be the head of the church.  But in Matthew 23:9 Jesus said not to exalt men with such religious titles, because “one is your Father, who is in heaven.”

We hear it said that modern religious leaders are successors of the apostles.  But Acts 1:21,22 shows that, in order to be an apostle, one had to be an eyewitness that Jesus had been raised from the dead.

Surely Peter was an important and influential apostle in the early church. But why does the Bible nowhere describe him as participating in these things that the head of the church is supposed to do?  Maybe the head of the church is someone else then…..hmmmm……maybe it could be me.

God keeps His promises

In 2 Chronicles 23, Ahaziah is dead and his mother has been runing things for 6 years.  By the way, in her first year she had everyone killed who might have a legitimate claim to the throne… or did she?

Joash was young and was hidden by his aunt with her priestly husband.  Now six years later we have a coup in the making.  What is interesting to me is that all this happens because of God’s covenant with David.  God had promised David that his family would sit on the throne.  Ahaziah’s mother is not from the lineage of David.  Jehoida, the priest, forms alliances with the military leaders, goes out and gets all of the priests and levites from the land, and then comes back to the temple to annoint Joash king.

How much time and secrecy does that take.  Many takeovers throughout history are thwarted because people can’t keep their mouths shut.  But God is in this one, so it works.  How about the fact that what they are doing is forming an alliance against the current ruler?  Sounds devious.  It wasn’t, it was necessary to protect Joash.

I thought that God establishes and anoints all leaders.  It doesn’t seem that he established Athaliah to rule.  He is having her removed, via a rebellion, so that His word can be fulfilled and someone from David’s lineage can sit on the throne.  Hmm, now I am actually a bit confused.  Perhaps, she was put in place to get rid of all of the others.  I do not know what kind of king Joash is going to be, but I have a suspicion that he is going to be a godly man.  Perhaps the others had turned away.  Perhaps God needed Athaliah as ruler to get rid of all of those who might opose Joash or compete for the crown.  I do know this, God’s ways are not our ways.

This truly intrigues me.  I mean, I do not have a lot of Greek and Hebrew words to impress you with as do Shoe (or Show in GC’s last blog) and Chandler.  I can’t mesmorize you with the words of Oswald Chambers.  But, perhaps I can stir up some thought that will lead Marshall or even Ben to do some actual research and answer these questions that I am pondering.

What is ultimately VERY cool to me is that God made a covenant with David and He is going to see it through.  Staying true to His word is that important.  I said David will reign so by Me he’s going to.  Stuff happens along the way but God’s plan and promise and never failed.  Now that’s a great thought.  I’m sure if Davi was watching from Heaven, he would be saying something like “not the way I would have done it, but it worked.”  He would have ensured more safety and made it all smooth from one generation to the next.  Well, that isn’t life.  But what I can stand on today is that my God will not allow His word to fall to ground.  It always brings forth fruit and accomplishes what it was set out to do.