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9 Pentecost Editorial: |
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Posted July 13, 2008 |
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How Bad Do Things Have to Get... ...before
Americans realize how much we need to return to faith (obedient
trust) in Jesus Christ? "There's
'Too Much Wrong'" In the 1970's there was youthful revival of the Jesus Movement, considered by some as the Fourth Great Awakening, trying to counteract the allure of sex and drugs of the “Flower Children.” One of the best programs to come out of the Jesus Movement was the Calvary Chapel fellowship, begun in Costa Mesa by Chuck Smith. Although I was not of the Hippie generation, I came under the teaching and influence of Chuck Smith myself through his radio and tape ministries. Until recently I attended the local congregation Saturday evening worship for my young adult daughters when they had to work Sundays. Our society hasn't improved since the seventies when The Light and the Glory was written. Sex, and drugs are still leading our children astray. Sexually Transmitted Diseases are ever more prevalent and dangerous. Television is more and more sexual in content. “Swingtown” is an example, a new series this season which glamorizes indiscriminate adultery and group sex. If they do it on TV it must be ok, right? This era is the New Seventies. Iraq is our New Vietnam War. One of the most alarming problems is the lack of moral values in our children, who are virtually raising themselves without parental guidance. Gang violence is more and more prevalent. Gang members have no appreciation for the value of life. High School youths plot to bomb and shoot their classmates and teachers. California's legislature just legalized Homosexual marriage, avoiding the vote of the people in the November election. If the people vote it out in November, the “gay rights” activists have already accomplished their goal. That act is inviting God's judgment. Consider all the devastating weather and natural disasters: fires in California, floods and hurricanes in the midwest, our economic woes. Do we find ourselves working harder and harder for less and less? Does it seem likely that God has begun to lift his favor and protection from our Nation? david * Marshall, Peter, J., Jr. and Manuel, David, "The
Light and the Glory" (underline), Fleming H. Revell, Baker
Books, P.O. Box 6287, Grand Rapids, Mich. 41956-6287. ISBN
0-8007-5054-3 (paper) |
9 Pentecost – Sunday
Posted July 13, 2008
Commentary:
Jesus is the name of
the Lord. Jesus is the Redeemer, God's only provision for the
forgiveness of our sins (disobedience of God's Word; Romans 3:23; 1
John 1:8-10) and salvation from eternal condemnation and destruction
in hell (Acts 4:12; see God's Plan of Salvation, sidebar, top right).
Jesus is God's "anointed" eternal King (Messiah and Christ;
both mean "anointed" in Hebrew and Greek, respectively;
Matthew 2:2; 21:5; 25:34; 27:37; 28:18). Jesus is God in human flesh
(Colossians 2:8-9; John 20:28). Jesus is the first and last, the
beginning and end of all things (Revelation 1:17-18).
Fulfillment
is the hallmark and definition of God's Word (Deuteronomy 18:21-22).
The Bible is the Word of God, and the record and testimony of the
fulfillment of God's Word. Jesus is God's Word, fulfilled, embodied,
and exemplified in human flesh in this world (John 1:1-5, 14).
God
has been progressively revealing himself and his purpose for
Creation, first through Creation itself, then through the Bible.
Jesus is God's ultimate revelation of himself to the world, and the
gift of the Holy Spirit is God's ultimate revelation of himself to us
personally and individually.
Jesus is the rock of eternal
foundation (Matthew 7:24), spiritual refuge, and the source of
spiritual water in the "wilderness" of this world (1
Corinthians 10:4; Numbers 20:7-11). Jesus is the cornerstone of his
Church, but the rock of stumbling and offense to the disobedient and
unbelievers (1 Peter 2:6-8).
Jesus came into the world in part
to teach us how to know and live according to God's will and to
enable and strengthen us to do it.
We are born with "divided"
hearts. We can desire and aspire to do what is righteous (right,
good, and true, according to God's Word), but our flesh is in
opposition. Only by the empowerment of the Holy Spirit through faith
(obedient trust) in Jesus Christ can we be freed from slavery to our
flesh. Only by the Holy Spirit can we have the strength to overcome
sin.
Jesus is the invisible God made visible in human flesh.
Those who have "seen" Jesus have seen God the Father (John
14:8-11; Matthew 11:27). Jesus' word is the Word of God (John 14:10,
24).
God loves us and doesn't want any of us to perish
eternally (Romans 5:8; John 3:16-17). God has saved us from eternal
death through Jesus Christ, which we must claim and receive through
faith (obedient trust; Ephesians 2:8-9). Jesus is the Redeemer who
delivers us from death and the grave.
The promise of salvation
through faith in Jesus Christ is the redemption of our physical
bodies from death and decay. Those who have been "born-again"
have the assurance of eternal life within them by the testimony of
the indwelling Holy Spirit. The fellowship of the Holy Spirit is only
a foretaste of the perfect full-time fellowship that is to come in
eternal life. We can be encouraged and comforted by the presence,
guidance, and empowerment of the indwelling Holy Spirit within us. We
can be assured that the Lord knows our situation and need, and that
he will reveal God's will to us and empower and strengthen us to do
it.
We are all born into this world physically alive but
spiritually dead. This lifetime is our opportunity to be spiritually
"reborn." We are all born children of flesh and of Satan.
This lifetime is our opportunity to be "reborn" as children
of God.
There is a Day of Judgment coming when every one who
has ever lived will be accountable to God, through Jesus Christ, for
what we have done in this life. The Day of Judgment is not far off;
it will be within the lifetime of each one of us. Those who have
accepted Jesus as Lord, and have trusted and obeyed Jesus will have
been "born-again," in this lifetime, by the gift of the
indwelling Holy Spirit, and will receive eternal life in God's
kingdom restored to paradise in heaven; those who have refused to
accept Jesus as Lord and have refused or failed to trust and obey
Jesus will be condemned to eternal destruction in hell with all evil
(Matthew 25:31-46; 2 Thessalonians 1:5-10).
Is Jesus
your Lord? Are you Jesus’ disciple? Are you trusting and obeying
Jesus? Have you received the indwelling Holy Spirit since you first
truly believed (Acts 19:2)? Are you making disciples of Jesus Christ
and teaching them to obey all that Jesus commands (Matthew 28:18-20)?
Do you know with certainty where you will spend eternity (1 John
5:11-13; Ephesians 1:13-14)?
9 Pentecost – Monday A
Posted July 14, 2008;
Psalm
119:129-136 -- God's Word is Wonderful;
God's Word is
wonderful, so my soul delights in keeping it. "The unfolding of
thy words gives light; it imparts understanding to the simple"
(Psalm 119:30 RSV). My longing for your Word is like my panting for
air when I'm "out of breath."
Incline toward me and
be gracious to me, as is your nature to do to those who love your
name (person and character). Keep my steps steady as you have
promised and don't let sin get power over me. Free me from
oppression by other people, so that I can keep your commandments.
Look favorably upon your servant and teach me your laws. My eyes are
filled with tears of sorrow, because people don't do what your Word
commands.
Commentary:
Those who trust
and obey God's Word will discover that it is truly wonderful, and
that it is to our eternal benefit to learn and keep it. God's Word is
intended to be a blessing to us; to lead us to true eternal life, and
to keep us from doing things which harm and destroy life.
God's
Word is divine eternal truth, unlike what the world falsely calls
truth. What is accepted as worldly truth is subject to change, but
God's truth is eternal and unchanging.
Jesus is God's Word,
fulfilled, embodied, and exemplified in human flesh in this temporal
world (john 1:1-5, 14). Jesus is the only way to know God and God's
divine eternal truth (John 14:6). Jesus is the only way to true,
eternal life. Jesus is the wisdom and power of God (1 Corinthians
1:17-24).
The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of Truth (John 14:17)
which only Jesus gives (John 1:31-34), only to his disciples who
trust and obey Jesus (John 14:15-17). When we are spiritually
"born-again" by the "anointing" of the indwelling
Holy Spirit, he will teach us all things 14:26) and will guide us
into all truth (John 16:13). The Holy Spirit is the seal and
guarantee that one is in Christ and has eternal life (2 Corinthians
1:22; Ephesians 1:13-14; Romans 8:9b, 11, 15-16).
God is
gracious toward those who love him and trust and obey his Word. Those
who love the Lord will want to obey his Word (John 14:21).
God's Word is able to keep us from stumbling and from wasting
our lives. God's Word will keep us free from human oppression and
from bondage to sin and eternal death (Hebrews 2:14-15).
God's
Word is a blessing to those who have learned to know, trust and obey
it, but it will condemn those who have refused to hear, learn, trust
and obey God's Word.
God wanted us to have the freedom to
choose whether to trust and obey God's Word or not, so he designed
the possibility of sin (disobedience of God's Word) into Creation.
God created this world as a paradise (Genesis 1:31), but the evil in
this world is the result of human sin. God foresaw human sin and
designed a Savior, Jesus Christ, into Creation (John 1:1-5, 14).
This world could be restored to paradise, if all people would
learn to trust and obey Jesus Christ. But there are those who love
sin and hate God's righteousness (John 3:19-21). Those who have
learned to know, trust and obey God's Word mourn for those who are
spiritually lost and eternally dead because of their unbelief in
God's Word.
Jesus Christ is going to return on the Day of
Judgment, at the end of this temporal age (and the end of our
physical lifetime for each of us). He will judge the living and the
dead, in both the physical and spiritual senses. Those who have
trusted and obeyed Jesus will have been spiritually "reborn"
during this lifetime and will live eternally in God's kingdom,
restored to paradise in heaven; those who have rejected Jesus and
have refused or failed to trust and obey Jesus will spend eternity in
eternal death in hell with all evil (Matthew 25:31-46; 2
Thessalonians 1:5-10).
Is Jesus your Lord? Are you Jesus’
disciple? Are you trusting and obeying Jesus? Have you received the
indwelling Holy Spirit since you first truly believed (Acts 19:2)?
Are you making disciples of Jesus Christ and teaching them to obey
all that Jesus commands (Matthew 28:18-20)? Do you know with
certainty where you will spend eternity (1 John 5:11-13; Ephesians
1:13-14)?
9 Pentecost –
Tuesday A
Posted July 15, 2008;
1 Kings 3:5-12 -- Prayer for
Understanding;
King David the great shepherd-king of Israel
had died, and his son, Solomon, had succeeded him. Solomon was at
Gibeon (about 10 miles northwest of Jerusalem in the hill country of
the tribal territory of Benjamin). It was a priest-city where the
tabernacle was located until Solomon built the temple in Jerusalem.
The Lord appeared to Solomon in an dream and asked what Solomon would
desire from the Lord.
Solomon answered that the Lord
had shown great steadfast love to David, because David had lived in
faithfulness, righteousness and uprightness in heart for the Lord.
God had kept David in God's great and steadfast love, and had given
him a son to continue on the throne of David.
Solomon acknowledged that the Lord had
given him the throne of David, although Solomon felt like a little
child who had not yet learned "how to go in and go out."
Solomon recognized that he was responsible for God's chosen people
who were now vastly beyond counting. So Solomon asked God to give
Solomon an understanding mind, so that Solomon could govern God's
people and distinguish good from evil; otherwise Solomon would not be
able to govern God's people properly.
The Lord was pleased
that Solomon had not asked selfishly for long life or wealth, or
revenge upon his enemies, but had asked for discernment to know what
was right (according to God's Word). So the Lord promised to give
Solomon the wisdom and discernment he had asked for. There was no one
before, nor would there ever be after Solomon to compare with
Solomon's wisdom. God also promised to give Solomon what Solomon had
not asked for: both riches and honor. God declared that there would
be no other king who would compare with Solomon during Solomon's
lifetime, and if Solomon lived according to God's Word, as Solomon's
father, David, had, the Lord would give Solomon long life.
David
had been a man after God's own heart (who cared about the same things
God did and was obedient to God's will; Acts 13:22; Psalm 89:20), and
God promised to give David an eternal throne (2 Samuel 7:5-13; Psalm
89:20-29). God fulfilled his promise by "anointing" Solomon
to succeed David as king of Israel.
The Lord rewards those
who try to live in obedient trust in God's Word. Those who respond to
God's call to be his servants God will equip with the abilities to
carry out God's mission, and as the servants of the Lord carry out
their service to God, God will provide the material and physical
necessities as well.
Jesus told his disciples to seek first
the kingdom of God and God's righteousness and they would have
everything else they needed as well (Matthew 6:33). Worldly wisdom
says that we must pursue our physical and material security first,
but we cannot provide our own security, no much how many physical and
material resources we accumulate; we'll always need "just a
little more" than we have, and we'll never get around to the
true spiritual eternal security we need, which is only through faith
(obedient trust) in Jesus Christ.
In the time of David and
Solomon, only a few people chosen by God to lead God's people had a
personal relationship with God. In Solomon's case it was initiated by
God in a dream. God was pleased to supply Solomon with the spiritual
resources needed to do the mission God had called Solomon to do.
Among the reasons for Jesus' coming was to make it possible
for all God's people to be filled with the gift of the indwelling
Holy Spirit. Only Jesus "anoints" with the gift of the
indwelling Holy Spirit (John 1:31-34), only his disciples who trust
and obey Jesus (John 14:15-17). It is by the indwelling Holy Spirit
that we are spiritually "reborn" to eternal life, the "long
life" God has promised to his servants who trust and obey him.
The Holy Spirit is the seal and guarantee that one is in Christ and
has eternal life (2 Corinthians 1:22; Ephesians 1:13-14; Romans 8:9b,
11, 15-16).
It is by the gift of the indwelling Holy Spirit
that we are guided, equipped and empowered to know and accomplish
God's call for each of us individually and personally. We are called
to be Jesus' disciples (students) and apostles (messengers; of the
Gospel). As we trust and obey Jesus he will fill us with his
indwelling Holy Spirit. After we have been spiritually "born-again"
(Luke 24:45; Acts 1:4-5, 8) we are guided and empowered to go into
the world and make ("born-again") disciples of Jesus
Christ, teaching them to know, trust and obey all Jesus' teachings
(Matthew 28:19-20).
Is Jesus your Lord? Are you Jesus’
disciple? Are you trusting and obeying
Jesus? Have you received the indwelling Holy Spirit since you first
truly believed (Acts 19:2)? Are you making disciples of Jesus Christ
and teaching them to obey all that Jesus commands (Matthew 28:18-20)?
Do you know with certainty where you will spend eternity (1 John
5:11-13; Ephesians 1:13-14)?
9 Pentecost – Wednesday A
Posted July 16,
2008;
Romans 8:28-30 -- God's Purpose;
"Born-again"
Christians, like Paul (Saul of Tarsus), know (from experience) that
God is working for good in all things, with those who love him and
have responded to his call to complete his purpose. God's purpose is
to conform those, who respond (in obedient trust) to his call, to the
likeness of his Son (Jesus Christ), so that Jesus is the firstborn of
many brothers and sisters. God knew beforehand who would accept his
call, and he planned from the beginning of Creation to accomplish his
purpose. God calls all those he foreknew and planned beforehand
to fulfill his purpose, and those who accept his call are justified
(attributed blameless in God's judgment) and glorified.
Commentary:
Jesus says that one must be "born-again"
to see the kingdom of God, now, all around us, and to enter it in
eternity (John 3:3, 5-8). People who are spiritually "reborn"
have a personal relationship with the Lord, by the indwelling Holy
Spirit; the Spirit of Christ; the Spirit of God (Romans 8:9). People
who believe (trust and obey) Jesus will receive the gift
("anointing;" "baptism") of the indwelling Holy
Spirit, which only Jesus gives (John 1:31-34), only to his disciples
who trust and obey Jesus (John 14:15-17). The Holy Spirit is the seal
and guarantee that one is in Christ and has eternal life (2
Corinthians 1:22; Ephesians 1:13-14; Romans 8:9b, 11, 15-16).
Disciples who trust and obey Jesus have believed in Jesus,
and have come to know with certainty within themselves (John 6:68-69
RSV) by the indwelling Holy Spirit. They are learning by experience
that God is working for good in every thing, every situation, in this
world. Christians are to work with God to bring about his good
purpose.
God's purpose is for us to be conformed to the
likeness of Jesus Christ. We are called to trust and obey Jesus
and be filled with the Holy Spirit, as Jesus demonstrated obedient
trust in God's Word, and was the model of the indwelling Holy Spirit
dwelling within human flesh (John 1:32-33; Colossians 2:8-9).
God's
purpose has always been to establish an eternal kingdom of his people
who willingly choose to trust and obey God's Word. Jesus is the
fulfillment, embodiment and example of God's Word, lived in this
world in human flesh (John 1:1-5, 14). Jesus was "designed into"
Creation from the very beginning.
Jesus is the firstborn Son.
Jesus has special status and authority, and the spiritual inheritance
of God's kingdom belongs to Jesus. He will share that inheritance
with his disciples (Isaiah 53:12). We are to be like Jesus, but we
are not equal to Jesus (Matthew 10:25a).
God foreknew us and
he planned from the beginning of Creation to accomplish his purpose,
but that doesn't mean we don't have free choice. "Predestination"
is the false doctrine that God knew beforehand who would be saved and
who wouldn't and so it doesn't matter what we do. God calls us to
fulfill his purpose, but we must accept his call by faith (obedient
trust) in Jesus Christ.
God's purpose is for our eternal
benefit. God wants us to have what is truly and eternally life. We
are to cooperate with God's good purpose, personally, to be conformed
to the likeness of Jesus. Once we have received the indwelling Holy
Spirit, we are to work with the Lord, by the guidance and empowerment
of the Holy Spirit, to bring forgiveness and salvation from eternal
condemnation and destruction to a spiritually lost and dying
world.
Paul (Saul of Tarsus) is the prototype of a "modern,"
"post-resurrection," "born-again" disciple and
apostle of the Lord, which we all can be. He was confronted by the
Spirit of the risen Jesus on the road to Damascus (Acts 9:1-4),
accepted Jesus' rebuke and Jesus' lordship (Acts 9:4-5a), obeyed
Jesus' command (Acts 9:5b-8), repented (Acts 9:9), was discipled by a
"born-again" disciple, Ananias (Acts 9:10-17), until Paul
had received the indwelling Holy Spirit (Acts 9:17-19a), and then was
guided and empowered to carry out the Great Commission (Matthew
28:19-20) which Jesus gave to his disciples (Acts 9:19b-22).
Is
Jesus your Lord? Are you Jesus’ disciple? Are you trusting and
obeying Jesus? Have you received the indwelling Holy Spirit since you
first truly believed (Acts 19:2)? Are you making disciples of Jesus
Christ and teaching them to obey all that Jesus commands (Matthew
28:18-20)? Do you know with certainty where you will spend eternity
(1 John 5:11-13; Ephesians 1:13-14)?
9 Pentecost - Thursday
Posted July 17, 2008;
Matthew 13:44-52
Jesus told his disciples a series of
parables (stories of everyday experiences to teach spiritual truth)
to illustrate the kingdom of God. The kingdom of heaven is like
treasure buried in a field. A man found it and then covered it up and
went and sold all that he had and bought the field.
The
kingdom of heaven is like a fine pearl of great value. When a
merchant seeking fine pearls found it he sold all that he had to
obtain it.
The kingdom of heaven is like a fishing net thrown
into the sea. When it was hauled in it was full of fish of all kinds
and the fishermen sat down and sorted the good fish into containers,
but threw away the bad fish. Jesus warned that at the end of this
temporal age, angels will come and separate the evil from the
righteous. The evil will be thrown into the eternal fire of hell,
where people will "weep and gnash their teeth."
Jesus
asked his disciples if they understood what Jesus had said, and they
told him they had. Then Jesus said that every scribe (teacher of the
Law of Moses; the Old Testament scriptures) who has been trained for
the kingdom is like a householder whose treasure includes what is new
and what is old.
Commentary:
Eternal life in the kingdom of paradise
restored in heaven is a valuable treasure beyond calculation. In a
sense it is hidden to be discovered by those who seek it. It will
cost the seeker everything he has to obtain it, but it is worth much
more than that. An observer might wonder why the seeker is
willing to pay so much for that particular field, but the observer
isn't aware of the treasure the field contains.
Similarly,
the kingdom of heaven is the pearl of great price, worth much more
than all that we possess to obtain it, but not everyone is searching
for the pearl, and not everyone recognizes a great pearl when they
see one.
There is a Day of Judgment coming at the end of time
when all who have ever lived will be accountable to the Lord for what
they have done in this lifetime. There is no way to avoid being
gathered and separated in the judgment into one of two categories.
Those who have accepted Jesus as Lord and have trusted and obeyed
Jesus will be judged righteous, blameless in God's judgment. Those
who have rejected Jesus, or who have refused to trust and obey Jesus
will be condemned to eternal destruction in the fire of hell (Matthew
25:31-46; 2 Thessalonians 1:5-10).
The Day of Judgment is not
far off; it will come for everyone at the end of their lifetime, and
no one knows with certainty when that will be.
Today is the day of salvation (2 Corinthians 6:2). Now is the only
time we have to accept Jesus as our Savior and Lord and begin
learning to trust and obey Jesus.
We're all born physically
alive but spiritually dead. This lifetime is our only opportunity to
be spiritually "reborn" (John 3:3, 5-8) to eternal life, by
the "baptism" (anointing; infilling; gift) of the
indwelling Holy Spirit. Only Jesus "baptizes" with the Holy
Spirit (John 1:31-34), only his disciples who trust and obey Jesus
(John 14:15-17). It is by the indwelling Holy Spirit within us that
we have personal knowledge of and fellowship with God the Father and
our Lord Jesus Christ (John 14:21, 23). The Holy Spirit is the seal
and guarantee that one is in Christ and has eternal life (2
Corinthians 1:22; Ephesians 1:13-14; Romans 8:9b, 11, 15-16).
The
householder values some possessions because they're "antiques"
and although old are well made and useful. But just because an item
is old doesn't necessarily make it valuable. He also values items
because they're new, not just for newness but for usefulness as
well.
Jesus was telling his disciples that we shouldn't
discard the Old Testament scriptures because we have the New
Testament. The Old Testament scriptures contain many valuable things
that enhance our appreciation of the New Testament, but we must
understand the Old Testament scriptures from the perspective of the
New Testament. We shouldn't hang on to Old Testament teachings, such
as dietary laws, or circumcision, or the Jewish Sabbath, just because
they're old and traditional (see Galatians 2:16, 5:2-4).
We
are no longer bound by the Old Covenant of Law, provided that we are
being led by the indwelling Holy Spirit (Romans 8:1-9). Those who
have received the indwelling Holy Spirit are under the New Covenant
of Grace through faith (obedient trust) in Jesus (Ephesians 2:8-9),
which Jesus instituted at the Last Supper (Hebrews 8:8-10, 13; 12:24;
Matthew 26:26-29 RSV note "g").
Is Jesus your Lord?
Are you Jesus’ disciple? Are you trusting and obeying Jesus? Have
you received the indwelling Holy Spirit since you first truly
believed (Acts 19:2)? Are you making disciples of Jesus Christ and
teaching them to obey all that Jesus commands (Matthew 28:18-20)? Do
you know with certainty where you will spend eternity (1 John
5:11-13; Ephesians 1:13-14)?
9
Pentecost – Friday
Posted July 11,
2008;
Paul was Timothy's
spiritual mentor, and Timothy was like Paul's spiritual son. Paul was
serving God to the very best of his ability, as had his ancestors,
and had no reason to be ashamed. Paul always gave thanks to God for
Timothy in Paul's prayers, and longed for the joy of seeing Timothy
again. Paul recalled Timothy's sincere faith, which had been
transmitted to him by Timothy's mother, Eunice, and grandmother,
Lois, and had become Timothy's own. Paul reminded Timothy to stir up
the gift of God (the indwelling Holy Spirit which Timothy had
received through the laying on of Paul's hands. The indwelling Holy
Spirit gives one boldness, power, love and self-control.
Paul
urged Timothy not to be timid in testifying to Jesus Christ, nor to
be ashamed of Paul who was imprisoned for preaching the Gospel. So
Timothy should accept the possibility of persecution in the strength
which God supplies and not allow it to interfere with his testimony.
God has saved us (from condemnation and death) and has given us a
holy calling, not because we are worthy on our own merits, but
because of God's purpose and the grace (unmerited favor) which he
gave us in Jesus Christ "ages ago," which has now
been revealed through the coming of the Messiah (Christ) Jesus, who
has abolished death and revealed immortality through the Gospel. That
is the Gospel for which the Lord appointed Paul to be a preacher,
apostle (messenger; of the Gospel) and teacher. That Gospel is the
reason Paul was suffering persecution, but Paul was not ashamed,
because he knew the Lord in whom he had believed, and was confident
that the the Lord is able to guard what had been entrusted to Paul
until the Day (of Judgment). So Paul urged Timothy to follow Paul's
example and teaching, in the faith and love which are his in Jesus
Christ, and to guard the Gospel truth which had been entrusted to
Timothy by the indwelling Holy Spirit.
The Lord had promised
David to establish an eternal throne through David's descendants, and
the succession of Solomon was the beginning of the fulfillment of
that promise (2 Samuel 7:(5-11),12-13; Psalm 89:20-29). Jesus Christ
is the "Son of David" who is the ultimate fulfillment, the
eternal king reigning over God's people in God's eternal kingdom.
Jesus is the King of kings and Lord of lords, above all earthly
rulers (1 Timothy 6:15).
Paul (Saul of Tarsus) had originally
been a persecutor of Christians, and was on his way to arrest
Christians in Damascus when he was confronted by the Spirit of the
risen and ascended Jesus on the road (Acts 9:1-4). Paul accepted
Jesus as his Lord (Acts 9:5), became obedient to Jesus' commands
(Acts 9:6-8) repented (Acts 9:9), was "discipled" by a
"born-again" (John 3:3, 5-8) disciple (Acts 9:10-17), until
Paul was "born-again" by the "baptism"
("anointing;" "Infilling") of the gift of the
indwelling Holy Spirit (Acts 9:17-18). Then Paul began preaching the
Gospel of Jesus Christ by the guidance and empowerment of the
indwelling Holy Spirit (Acts 9:19b-22).
Paul is the prototype
and example of a "modern," "post-resurrection,"
"born-again" disciple and apostle of Jesus Christ, as we
all can be. Paul was fulfilling the Great Commission which Jesus gave
his disciples (Matthew 28:19-20), to make "disciples" of
Jesus Christ and teach them to obey all Jesus' teachings, which Jesus
commanded them to be carried out after they had received the gift of
the indwelling Holy Spirit (Luke 24:49; Acts 1:4-5, 8).
Timothy
is the example of Paul's "discipling." Timothy's mother and
grandmother had brought Timothy in faith. Timothy was probably
already a Christian believer when Paul came to his town. But Paul
"discipled" Timothy until Timothy was "born-again"
by receiving the indwelling Holy Spirit.
Paul's conversion is
extraordinary because it happened so quickly, but we should remember
that Paul was already formally trained in the Biblical scriptures and
in Judaism. Paul already loved, trusted and obeyed God. He just
needed to recognize that Jesus was the promised Messiah
(Christ).
Jesus' original disciples were with Jesus constantly
for about three years, and yet were still not ready to fulfill their
calling until they had received the indwelling Holy Spirit.
Discipleship is an ongoing process. Disciples must learn to know and
be guided by Jesus' teachings in their daily lives. They receive the
gift of the indwelling Holy Spirit once they have committed
themselves to trust and obey Jesus. Then the Spirit begins to
"disciple" them as Jesus did the original disciples.
"Born-again" disciples are still learning to know, trust
and obey the Holy Spirit (John 14:26), and are growing in faith as
they experience the power and faithfulness of the Lord.
It is
important not to try to proclaim the Gospel and attempt to carry on
Christ's mission in our own human strength and ability. Christ's
mission can only be accomplished by the guidance and power of the
Holy Spirit (Zechariah 4:6). The Lord promises that the Holy Spirit
will give his disciples what to say at the moment it is needed (Mark
13:11; Luke 12:11-12), and I personally testify to that truth.
The
Holy Spirit will give us boldness and power as we step out in faith,
but we must co-operate and not resist the Spirit's guidance. I was
rather shy and quiet when I was newly "reborn" and it took
some time and trial and error to learn to respond to the Lord's
prompting. But gradually I became confident of the Lord's guidance
and ability to supply what I needed at the right time.
I
never faced any persecution to compare with what first-century
Christians faced, or what oppressed Christians face now in other
parts of the world, but all Christians will experience some forms of
persecution for the Gospel. But the Holy Spirit will comfort and
sustain us. The Lord is abundantly able to preserve us and sustain us
in true faith until we enter eternal life.
Christians need to
read the entire Bible for themselves, and they need to read and be
guided by it daily. That is the only way to guard the Gospel truth,
so that we are able to convey it to others.
The Church is to
be a "disciple-making" organization, but in many nominal
"churches" today that is not happening. It takes
"born-again" disciples to make "born-again"
disciples. Discipleship is not an optional category of
"super-Christian." "Born-again" disciples are the
only genuine Christians there are. Christians are by definition
disciples of Jesus Christ (Acts 11:26c). Jesus said that one must be
"born-again" to see and enter God's eternal kingdom (John
3:3, 5-8).
Only Jesus gives the gift of the indwelling Holy
Spirit (John 1:31-34), only to his disciples who trust and obey Jesus
(John 14:15-17). The Holy Spirit is the seal and guarantee that one
is in Christ and has eternal life (2 Corinthians 1:22; Ephesians
1:13-14; Romans 8:9b, 11, 15-16).
Is Jesus your Lord? Are you
Jesus’ disciple? Are you trusting and obeying Jesus? Have you
received the indwelling Holy Spirit since you first truly believed
(Acts 19:2)? Are you making disciples of Jesus Christ and teaching
them to obey all that Jesus commands (Matthew 28:18-20)? Do you know
with certainty where you will spend eternity (1 John 5:11-13;
Ephesians 1:13-14)?
posted
Luke
12:32-48 Watchfulness
Believers
shouldn't worry about missing the kingdom of God, because wants to
give it to us. We should sell our possessions and give to the poor
and needy. Doing so is like creating an eternal banking account
in heaven. Our wealth will be spiritual rather than material. There
our treasure will never be exhausted, stolen or decayed. Our hearts
are tied to whatever we regard as our treasure.
Jesus tells us
to be watchful and prepared for Christ's return like servants waiting
for their master to return from a wedding feast, prepared to open the
door for him when he knocks. The servants whose master finds them
awake when he returns will be blessed. The master have them sit down
at the table and the master will serve them. If he comes during the
night when most people are asleep and finds them ready and alert, the
master will bless those servants. But remember, if a householder knew
when a thief was coming, he would waiting and would prevent the thief
from breaking in. So we must be ready for Jesus' Second Coming,
because he will come at an hour we do not expect.
Peter asked
Jesus if this parable was intended just for Jesus' disciples or for
all people. Jesus answered that his disciples are like stewards of a
householder, and are expected to feed the servants while their master
is away. If the master returns and finds the stewards doing their job
they will be blessed and will be given authority over all the
master's possessions. But woe to the steward who thinks the master is
delayed and begins to abuse the servants and get drunk and feed
himself without feeding the servants. His master will come and
surprise him at a time the steward doesn't expect. The master will
punish the steward and put him among the unfaithful. The punishment
for servants who know the Master's will but did not prepare and do it
will be more severe that for those servants who did not know the
master's will. Jesus declared that to those who have been given
much, much will be required. The more responsibility we have, the
more for which we will be accountable.
Commentary:
If we earnestly
seek God's kingdom, we needn't worry that we will fail to
receive it. It is God's desire to give it to us and he is able to
accomplish it if we will cooperate with him. We must not spend our
earthly lives accumulating and hoarding material things which will be
of no benefit in eternity.
God has provided everything we
need in this world. The problem is that those resources intended for
everyone are not distributed fairly according to need. If we would
trust in the Lord for our security and sustenance, instead of
thinking that we must hoard vastly more resources "for a rainy
day," there would be more resources available for those who need
them. We should realize that, in God's view, we are all equal,
instead of imagining that we are more entitled to wealth and luxury
than others because of our education, abilities, social status or
birth. Poor people don't cause poverty!
Jesus tells his
disciples to seek first the kingdom of God and God's righteousness
(doing what is right and good and true according to God's Word), and
we will also have the physical resources we need. But if we seek
wealth, success and worldly security first, we'll never get around to
seeking the kingdom of God, because security can never be obtained by
worldly effort and resources. We'll always need "just a little
more" than we have. By pursuing worldly resources and goals, we
are binding ourselves to a temporal Creation which is going to pass
away, and making no preparation for eternity.
Jesus has
promised to return on the Day of Judgment at the end of this temporal
age. He will return to judge the living and the dead in both the
spiritual and physical senses (1 Peter 4:5). Each of us will face the
Day of Judgment at the end of our lives, and no one knows when that
will be. The moment we die our eternal destiny is fixed and
unchangeable. This lifetime is our only opportunity to be spiritually
"born-again" (John 3:3, 5-8), by the gift of the indwelling
Holy Spirit which only Jesus gives (John 1:31-34), only to his
disciples who trust and obey Jesus (John 14:15-17). The Holy Spirit
is the seal and guarantee that one is in Christ and has eternal life
(2 Corinthians 1:22; Ephesians 1:13-14; Romans 8:9b, 11, 15-16).
The Lord warns us to prepare for his return and to be
watchful, alert to his coming at any time. He's coming like a thief
in the night, at a time we do not expect.
In one sense all
people are servants in God's household, and the Lord will hold them
accountable for what they have done with God's Word in this lifetime.
Those who have not believed in God's Word, fulfilled, embodied and
exemplified in Jesus Christ, and acted upon it in faith (obedient
trust) will be contemned to eternal destruction in hell with all
evil. Those who have accepted Jesus as Lord, and have trusted and
obeyed Jesus will have been spiritually "reborn," and will
receive eternal life in God's kingdom in heaven with the Lord
(Matthew 25:31-46; 2 Thessalonians 1:5-10; see God's Plan of
Salvation, sidebar, top right).
Christians are the stewards
of God's household, who are to provide spiritual guidance and nurture
to the lost and spiritually dead. Those who have only fed themselves
and done what they pleased will be accounted and punished as
unfaithful. Most people, inside and outside of the Church will not be
able to plead ignorance of the Gospel and expect to receive
lenience.
Is Jesus your Lord? Are you Jesus’ disciple? Are
you trusting and obeying Jesus? Have you received the indwelling Holy
Spirit since you first truly believed (Acts 19:2)? Are you making
disciples of Jesus Christ and teaching them to obey all that Jesus
commands (Matthew 28:18-20)? Do you know with certainty where you
will spend eternity (1 John 5:11-13; Ephesians 1:13-14)?