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Thursday, May 23, 2013

Teach Them to Obey....

I have heard of obedience school... usually for our dog friends. In Matthew 28, Jesus calls on His disciples to teach new disciples obedience to His commands. He tells them (and us) that in order to make true disciples, they must be taught His commands and that obedience to those commands is necessary. I know, I know... you are already thinking that I am teaching a works based salvation, but I am not! Let's read His words and see if we can make sense of all of this...

Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” (Matthew 28:18ff)

As I stated in my last blog, ( http://www.dalesdailybible.blogspot.com/2013/05/obey.html) our teaching must be Biblical. When we begin to teach others and make them disciples of Jesus, time must be spent in the four Gospels and the 21 Letters learning what Jesus had to say. A friend of mine told me this week that he had been going through the four Gospels and underlining all the commands of Jesus. I commend him for that... what better way to get fully acquainted with His commands than to read and study His Word with that as your goal?

Once we begin to understand His commands, I believe the natural response is to begin to place those commands in our lives. This is a very personal thing. My response to His command may well look different than your response. How I choose to live out my obedience is between me and God. How I choose to live it out today might well be different than how I do it at another time in my life. For example... I might chose to "love my neighbor as myself" by baby sitting for them so that they can have a date night. You might choose to bring them soup when they are sick. I might choose to live out "acknowledge Me before men" by wearing a shirt that says "I believe in Jesus", you might choose to stand on a street corner and preach. You get the idea. God gives us that ability to respond to His commands based on our gifts, but as His disciples our response must be obedience.

Our best example of how to teach obedience is through examining how Jesus did it. He did it perfectly, so if we use His way it will be the best and right way. For three years, he walked with His disciples and taught them His commands. As He taught verbally, He also lived out that command in front of them. When He told His disciples that they were to be His witnesses throughout the world, they had seen Him reach out to the woman at the well. When Peter asked Him how many times he should forgive his brother who sins against him, Jesus told him seventy times seven. And then, when Peter denied Him three times, he got to see His forgiveness in action. Jesus taught His disciples His commands, then He lived the commands out in front of them and then He sent them out to live them. That was His way of doing it and that should be our way.

In closing let me say that I fully understand that our hope of salvation is not because of our works, but because of what Jesus did for us. However, He requires that we are to be obedient if we are to be His disciples. Can we stray so far from obedience to Him that we are no longer His disciples? Common sense and Bible teaching would indicate that not only is that a possibility, but that it is a reality. How can someone say they are His disciples and not do what He commands? Jesus put it this way... "If you love me, you will keep my commands" (John 14:15)  and "Why do you call me, 'Lord, Lord,' and do not do what I say?" (Luke 6:46). Our obedience to His commands is a clear indication of our love for Him and whether His is Lord of our lives or not.

What about it... are you His disciple? Is He Lord of your life? Do you love Him? How you live your life is the real indication of who or what is in control. Who or what you submit to is Lord of your life. Making obedient disciples takes time and effort. Being His disciple takes obedience to His will. Anything else is a poor substitute for His perfect plan.

Tuesday, May 21, 2013

Obey...

Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. And when they saw him they worshiped him, but some doubted. And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28: 16-20)

In my last blog post, we explored Jesus command to make disciples, baptizing them... This topic is clearly of interest to many of you as it has been one on the most read blogs I have posted. If you missed it, here it is... http://www.dalesdailybible.blogspot.com/2013/05/baptism.html. Dig into the scripture and read for yourself what the Word has to say about baptism. Moving on from there, Jesus commands His disciples to make disciples and "teach them to obey all that I have commanded you." He had spent three years training these people. He had told them countless things and commanded them many others. This part of disciple making is the most time consuming and requires the greatest effort on our part. Let's explore this together.

Teaching someone about Jesus takes a little time, teaching them the Biblical way to respond to what they have learned requires some more... but teaching them to obey all that He commanded is a lifelong pursuit. His disciples wrote 21 letters (books) that are in our Bibles that deal with just that. Sandwiched between Acts and Revelation you will find the content of the teaching that we are to both learn ourselves and teach other disciples. I had a close friend and brother in Christ tell me that there is nothing contained in these 21 books that is not found in the four Gospels. I trust him to be correct, but I believe the the 21 books explain in more detail and perhaps give application to a teaching.

For example, Jesus told his followers that the second greatest command is to "love your neighbor as yourself". Good enough... but what does that look like in real life. How does the Christian love his neighbor that way. Paul gives us some insight in Galatians 5:13-15 - For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”  But if you bite and devour one another, watch out that you are not consumed by one another. Paul wants us to know that living out Jesus words means that we will consider the other person and limit what we do based on that. If my actions harm a brother or sister, even though it might well be "legal", I will not do it. We have great freedom in Christ, but love rules our actions. We are to be servants of one another.

You get the idea. When we are being discipled and when we are discipling others, we must stay in the scriptures. I am not teaching my thoughts; I am teaching Jesus thoughts. I am not speculating on what He meant by something I find in scripture; I am learning the intent based upon the whole teaching of Christ. This is not a two week course, this is a lifetime of learning.

Lastly, I am afraid many of us read the Great Commission like this... "teach them all that I have commanded you". Some of you are saying right now... "Isn't that what He said?". No! Go back and read it again... we are to teach His disciples to "obey". Interesting isn't it. Teaching someone what Jesus said on a subject is wonderful... but to fulfill His commission, they must be taught to obey. Obedience isn't always a natural thing. We are often disobedient by nature. (ask your parents, or look at your kids) So, how do you teach obedience? Tune in next time for a discussion of that very thing.

I am closing with a prayer request today. Moore, Oklahoma suffered a tremendous tragedy yesterday... lives have been lost, homes destroyed and families torn apart... please take a moment to ask Gods' blessing on those that have experienced such overwhelming loss. My thoughts and prayers are with all those in that community today. I like the quote "everything will be alright in the end, if it is not alright, it is not yet the end". God will wipe away all tears.

Thursday, May 16, 2013

Baptism

I particularly like the movie "O Brother Where Art Thou". My wife and I constantly quote the fun lines and of course when I think of pomade, it will always be "Dapper Dan". When things get a little hectic... I always think of the boys in the barn and say "We're in a tight spot". I haven't a clue how George Clooney remembered his lines. The only downside to the movie is the occasional bad word.

Why talk about this in a blog about baptism... well, there is a scene where Delmar and the boys are in the woods and a group of people head "down in the river to pray". He wants his bad past to be done away with and get a new start, so he jumps in the water and the Preacher baptizes him. He comes up out of the water rejoicing and tells his friends to "come on in boys, the water is fine". He tells them that "all my sins are washed away". That is what Delmar says, but what about the Bible... what does the Bible say about baptism? That is what matters!

I believe it is correct to say that every "Christian denomination" has some form of baptism that it teaches and utilizes. Some sprinkle, some pour, some immerse, some immerse multiple times. Some "baptize" babies. Some "baptize" adults. Some baptize to add someone to their particular denomination. Some baptize to impart the gifts of the Holy Spirit. All see it as important, some see it a essential. But again, what does the Bible teach about baptism? That is all important!

Jesus gives His apostles the "great commission" in Matthew 28:18ff, Mark 16: 14-16 and Luke 24:45ff. In Matthew we read that they were to "go and make disciples, baptizing them...", in Mark they are told to go to all nations and preach the good news... "he who believes and baptized will be saved" and in Luke they are to told that "repentance and forgiveness of sins will be preached" to all nations. All three record the all import idea that people are to be taught the good news of Jesus, that God sent His only Son to pay the penalty for our sins. So, it is easily understood that every person that will be saved must understand the message of the cross and believe that message. But what about baptism?

In Acts 2, we get to sit on the sideline and watch Peter deliver the very first Christian sermon. It is Pentecost (the fiftieth day after the Passover and the celebration of first fruits) and Jews from every nation are gathered in Jerusalem. Peter tells them the good news of Jesus and those that believed it asked Peter what they were to do with the information. Peter responds with two actions they were to undertake... "Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit". That sounds remarkably like the commission that Jesus gave His apostles... doesn't it? We are told that "those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls".

Peter told those that believed the message that they were to change their lives, repent of their past and turn to walk a new life in Christ. He told them that they were to be immersed (meaning of the word baptize; there are other words in the Greek language that mean sprinkle or pour) for the forgiveness of their sins. Their sins had not yet been forgiven, but in baptism their sins would be forgiven. Additionally, he tells them that they would receive the Holy Spirit in the act of baptism. They had not yet received the Holy Spirit even though they had believed the message. When they were baptized, they were added to the saved. (not a denomination, they didn't exist... they were added to the one church that did exist)

All through the book of Acts, the message is the same. Teach the message of Jesus, repentance of sins and immersion for forgiveness and receive the Holy Spirit. Check it out. It doesn't take long to read the book of Acts, so read it... underline every instance of someone becoming a Christian and see if the pattern holds true. Only those old enough to be able to hear the message and respond to it were baptized.

Paul gives a personal account of his conversion to Christianity. He encounters Jesus on the road to Damascus. Many say that he was "saved" on that road... but what does he say? (Acts 22) He says that a man named Ananias came to him three days later with these words..."The God of our fathers appointed you to know his will, to see the Righteous One and to hear a voice from his mouth; for you will be a witness for him to everyone of what you have seen and heard. And now why do you wait? Rise and be baptized and wash away your sins, calling on his name." If Paul had been saved on the road, his sins would have already been forgiven, but he is told to be baptized and wash away his sins. This is the same message that Peter gave his hearers on the day of Pentecost. 

Delmar got it right! When he came up out of the water, he knew his sins had been done away with and that a new life awaited him. He could have been told to "pray Jesus into his heart". Peter could have told the crowd on Pentecost to "bow their heads and say a prayer with him", but he didn't. Jesus had given him very specific instructions and he delivered the message that he was told to deliver. Repent... and be baptized.... receive the Holy Spirit, that is the message that was delivered and the same message must be deliverd today. Any other message is man made. What will God do with all the different people that have responded to all the different teaching... I have no idea. He is just and will do right, that I know. But that doesn't relieve us of responding to the message that was preached on Pentecost and is still preached today... repent, be baptized for the remission of your sins, receive the Holy Spirit and live a new life.

I ask you to consider the message, read the Bible and make the decision to be immersed for the forgiveness of your sins. Be free of your guilt today! It is not my message, it is Jesus' words. The big question is what will you do with His invitation? If you are interested in learning more, I encourage you to contact me by responding to this blog or go to www.wilkes.worldbibleschool.org and sign up to begin learning what the Bible says about you and eternity. My prayers are with you as you consider your response.

Check out what Francis Chan has to say on the subject.... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Is8QnxviOI



Tuesday, May 7, 2013

The Word of God

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4LcEDPRfHMY&feature=player_embedded

First things first... watch the YouTube video above.

A friend of mine, no... a brother of mine put this on his wall on Facebook. In 57 seconds I was reduced to tears. Why don't I feel that way about the Bible? Why am I not moved to tears when I hold the Creator of the Universe' love letter to His creation?

My spiritual alarms started going off and I knew that a change had to happen! I believe the old adage is correct... "Familiarity breeds contempt". I have access with such ease to His words. They are on my book shelf (bunches of copies), they are on my computer, my cell phone, my Ipad, in my car in my CD player... God's word is everywhere in my life. I hear it proclaimed and I study books about it. I think all of that is good and I am thankful for the abundance of it.

However, I believe that when you have something around you all the time, it can lose it's importance. In nations where food is overly abundant, the people are wasteful. In a nation where food is scarce, they treat every morsel with care.  If I have lots of money, I tend to not watch my expenditures like I did when every dollar counted. You get the idea.

So, the question for us is how do we live with the abundance of His word in our lives, yet still treasure it like those in the video? My first thought is that we need to recognize it for what it is. That book is unlike any other book on this planet. It contains the thoughts of the almighty God of the universe. If I can open it and have that thought present, then maybe I will give it the respect that it deserves. Let's meditate on that for a moment... God has spoken to us, we get to have His words in a book that we own and we can open it and read His revealed message whenever we want to.

To quote my wife... "Boom"! May we wake up to the understanding of what we have. And when we wake up to that, may it forever change the way we read it. It is not God's opinion on a topic, it is purely and simply ... TRUTH! Nothing else matters. What I say, what you say, what your preacher says, what Billy Graham says... none of that matters. What HE says settles everything. And we get to read and understand His will for our lives and the entire creation. One word comes to my mind... privilege. What an awesome privilege that we have to hold His words in our hands.

Take a few minutes to read some verses that talk about His word...

For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. (Hebrews 4:12)

All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work. (2 Timothy 3:16-17)

Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. (Psalm 119:105)

You shall not add to the word that I command you, nor take from it, that you may keep the commandments of the Lord your God that I command you. (Deut 4:2)

Thursday, May 2, 2013

Romeo, Juliet and Christian Marriages

It has been a few years since I read the story, so if I get some details wrong... please forgive me. My recollection is that the young man and woman were from two different families, the Montagues and the Capulets. These families had been feuding for years, so when Romeo and Juliet, each from one of these families, "fell in love" the problems soon began. The end of the matter is the death of both of the young lovers. So, what does this have to do with anything on a Bible blog. Well...

The idea that love conquers all leads people to make decisions they often regret. Interfaith marriages are on the rise these days, but the statistics show that they are also failing at the same rate. So, what does the Bible have to say on the matter and should we even care? Let me deal with the second question first... We should care! As a Christian, we understand that marriage is for life, so who we marry is a very big deal. We join with that person (the two become one) before God and pledge to live the rest of our lives with them. We will most likely have children with them and raise these children to have some set of spiritual beliefs. If we disagree with our spouse about what those beliefs are, trouble is not far behind. We should care, because God cares. He created the family unit with a very specific purpose in mind.

So, if it matters (and it does), what does the Bible teach about interfaith marriages? The Old Testament is crystal clear on the subject. God's people were not to marry those that were not of the same faith.
Do not intermarry with them, giving your daughters to their sons or taking their daughters for your sons, for that would turn away your children from following me, to serve other gods. Then the anger of the Lord would be kindled against you, and he would destroy you quickly. (Deut 7:1-4)
God did not want His people to marry anyone that might draw them away from their relationship with Him. (other OT scriptures that include this thought are Ex 34:12-16; Ezra 10:2-3; Neh 13:25-27; Mal 2:11)
The New Testament is equally as clear on the subject. Keep in mind that at that time there was only one church, so the discussion is never about different groups that follow different belief systems, it deals with Christians and non-Christians. Paul gives us clear insight into his teaching on the matter in two locations. First, 1 Corinthians 7:39 tells the Christian that is married to a non-Christian that they may remarry after their spouse has died, but only to another Christian. The idea behind the scripture is that the person became a Christian, while their original mate did not. They were to remain with them as long as they were alive, but if their spouse died, they should only marry a Christian.

The second teaching comes from 2 Corinthians 6:14-15, Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness? What accord has Christ with Belial? Or what portion does a believer share with an unbeliever? Here, Paul is very clear that the believer was to only marry another believer. He paints a picture of these two people being complete opposites, how can light and darkness co-exist? You get the idea.

I believe most people, most Christians understand this teaching; however, many do not abide by it and they suffer the consequences of their choice. (if Christ is truly their Master) The big rub is what to do with so many different "churches" and all the differences that exist in them. A young man and a young woman meet, date, develop a relationship and move towards marriage and all the while serious differences remain on spiritual matters. They are in love, and love concurs all... right... wrong! They may agree to disagree so that they go along to get along. But, what happens when Jr. comes along. Dad wants him taught one way, Mom wants him taught another way. What then? To often, the marriage is destroyed, lawyers enter the situation and a judge decides what the child will be taught.

What's my point? Simply this... don't give your heart away until the spiritual differences are settled. It is far easier to make the decision to walk away before "love" enters the relationship. Once the relationship reaches that stage, clear heads no longer rule and bad decisions are made. How do I know this? Because my wife and I did just that. We were in love and nothing could get in the way of that. We tried compromise churches... didn't work. We tried no church... didn't work. I give her full credit. She decided to study the Bible and determined to let the Word be the final say in the matter. Not family. Not friends. Not tradition. Not heritage. She was courageous and I am thankful for her determination to get to the truth of the matter. We were able (after the marriage) to put our spiritual marriage together. She would tell you the same thing... get it settled before you walk down the aisle and say "I do".

My encouragement to young people (and old), make Christ first in your life and settle the problem before it grows into something that can only be settled by divorce. Study your Bibles together and let His Word rule in every matter. Always! Your future together depends on it. Your children's future depends on it. Your future in heaven depends on it. Next to the decision to become a Christian and make Jesus your Lord and Master, who you marry is the most important decision you will ever make. It is that important. May you treat it that way!

Imagine a different ending for Romeo and Juliet... they worked out the family differences and lived happily ever after.  I like that better, don't you?