All posts by Glen Jackman

Theology/Common Teachings

Open our eyes in Christ: See that we are One!

“But I urge you, believers, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you be in full agreement in what you say, and that there be no divisions or factions among you, but that you be perfectly united in your way of thinking and in your judgment [about matters of the faith]” (1 Corinthians 1:10 AMP)

The apostle Paul was advising the Corinthian church to uphold unity and brotherly love, reproving them for their divisions. The Church of Christ has seen many differences among various groups.

Paul focuses on the Headship of Jesus Christ He writes to them in a very engaging way: encouraging them on their common understanding, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ; if you have any regard to that worthy name by which you are called, be unanimous, speak all the same thing. Avoid divisions that alienate love for one another as far as you can.

The origin of these contentions is pride. (see Proverbs 13:10) The Corinthians quarrelled about their favourite ministers. Paul and Apollos were both called and faithful ministers of Jesus Christ helping the early church develop their faith. Hyping up ministerial leadership, various church doctrines or the founding fathers/pioneers among churches only lead to confusion, fanaticism, and fractured parties.

The worldwide witness of the Lord by his disciples is ruined when we set ministers at the head of differing factions: some claimed Paul, others puffed up Apollos, some cried Cephas (or Peter) possibly because he was the apostle to the Jews (and began fearless preaching to the early church in Jerusalem at Pentecost), and some were for none of them, but Christ only.

“…each one of you says, “I am [a disciple] of Paul,” or “I am [a disciple] of Apollos,” or “I am [a disciple] of Cephas (Peter),” or “I am [a disciple] of Christ.” Has Christ been divided [into different parts]? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized into the name of Paul? [Certainly not!]” (1 Corinthians 1:12 AMP)

Christians are to represent the Lord In the mind led by the Spirit there is a union of the affections of love, joy, and peace; though not always an interpretive unity of doctrinal sentiment. By agreeing in our unmerited salvation purchased on the cross of Calvary by our Lord, we have total agreement in our solidarity on this one thing which should extinguish all divisions among minor ones distinct to our held Christian beliefs. At the cross, all are perfectly united in our way of thinking.

GP (1)

The best things in the world can be corrupted The gospel and its Lord and those born of His Spirit, are in perfect harmony with themselves and one another. The secret Paul advises in chapter two is to focus on the wisdom of the Holy Spirit, not on the antithetical divisions of the carnal mindsets of the world. We see enough of this in politics today. Everyone has a differing viewpoint — leave that to the world, outside of the church of our Lord and our witness of Him together. When we see it in the universal church, it is sad evidence of the corruption and depravity of human nature.

Paul made it clear pride will blow away and carry Christians uselessly in opposition to one another, so far as to set Christ and his apostles at variance in the minds of one another, destroying unified peace and the Christian graces that can be evident in joyful witness. Avoid being made a viral engine of variance, discord, and contention! Focus on sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ and proclaim His grace instead.

Discernment and Thinking, Forgiveness Frees Us To Love

Jesus Heals on the Sabbath

On the 7th-day Sabbath when Jesus entered into the synagogue, he acted on the opportunity he had there, of doing some good toward the people whom he came to redeem. It was providential that He would practice what He preached confirming legal truth with a miracle of grace: “it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath” (Matthew 12:12)

The patient’s hand was withered, disabling him from doing craftsmen’s work to earn a living. Today at a civic level we understand the value of assisting a man with charity when truly in need.

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Those present were unkind, downright merciless to the disabled man, likewise to Christ the Great Physician. The design: if Christ cured him now on the sabbath day, they would accuse him as a Sabbath breaker. This is about as unreasonable as to oppose a medic, physician or surgeon while helping some accident victim – or anybody in physical misery, where you can offer them healing in the body.

By a word, Christ asked the man to stand forth (v. 3). How much of an effect did this have on the audience I wonder? Perhaps now the spectators seeing the state of the man, will be moved with compassion avoiding shamefacedness while calling his cure a crime. Appealing to their own consciences, one might allow God’s Spirit to move. All witnessing could reckon with the truth of the matter.

The law of Christ speaks itself, resounding the New Covenant by echoing the divine principles given through Moses, by the Rock that followed Him. The lawmaker spoke. Jesus asked a question that would penetrate to the motive of  their selfish disapproval to the core, “Which is lawful on the Sabbath: to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill?” But they remained silent.” (Mark 3:4) The contrast is clear in the question implying: “is it lawful to do good on the Sabbath days, as I design to do, or to do evil, as you design to do? What is better, to save a life or to kill a man?”

Our main takeaway is that we need to allow the Holy Spirit to speak to our heart via our conscience to see and acknowledge the designs of mercy that the Father puts in place for His spiritually or physically disabled children who turn to trust Him and acknowledge the Son of God’s ongoing work on earth. And He has common grace for all men including the many refugees in crisis today.

Church Assembly, Holy Spirit

Fellow citizens with God

“In Him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit” (Ephesians 2:22 ESV)

The simplicity of this verse alerts and encourages every Christian that we have the presence of the living God with us. Let us reawaken to the reality of our placement in the church of Christ on earth.

The body of believers, the church, has been joined together and continues to grow in Grace together. Each part of the building, each believer, fits perfectly into the building, all the pieces being aligned with the cornerstone, Jesus Christ.

The building’s purpose is also described: it is a holy temple for the Lord. The church becomes a holy temple because of the presence of the holy God. The word used for “temple” here refers to what was the inner sanctuary (the Most Holy Place) in the Jewish Temple. The union of God with people, and the unity of previously alienated people with one another, could only occur through Christ: “all things were created through him and for him” – all creative powers and energy and mind flow “from him and through him and to him…to him be glory forever” (Colossians 1:16; Romans 11:36)

Being part of the universal church of believers (aside from doctrine or creed), I am part of this temple wherein God dwells via His Spirit. All believers are “members of the household of God”. Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us yield to the Holy Spirit as the great unifier of His people as we praise and worship Him daily for all of His benefits. We are indwelt by the Living God!

“For through him we all have access in one Spirit to the Father. So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God” (Vss 18-19)

Law of God, Temptation, Witchcraft & Spiritualism

Macbeth: Dealing with your own sinful nature

“We know that the law is spiritual; but I am unspiritual, sold as a slave to sin. I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good.” (Romans 7:14-16 NIV)

The Apostle Paul faced the same struggle as all Christians do. We still struggle daily with an inherently evil nature, even though we are born again of the Spirt. He viewed the law with high esteem. For that reason, he made every effort to clarify the tension between the holy law and the sin when temptation comes our way.

The law comes from God, has his character, and tells his will for his people. As the majesty of the law fills Paul’s mind, along with it comes the vision of his character as a man and his daily standing for or against God’s law. Paul wants to make the point that sin does not damage the law established on God’s own loving character, will and mercy. Like Paul, every believer must clarify his ongoing relationship with the universal laws of God.

In Shakespeare’s Macbeth, the great warrior is tempted by voices he hears through witches that he sees on the battleground—the Bard’s metaphor for our own inner voices of temptation—then by his wife to use his victorious influence at war to vault his growing popularity to usurp King Duncan whom he serves. This is a classic case of a man being tempted within his mind, to break the 9th commandment “do not covet”. 1

Paul tells us the trouble is not with the law but with me because I am sold into slavery, with sin as my master. The law has a capacity for reminding us of what we once were, and of how captivating that old life can still appear in our mind’s eye. The law also warns us of our ongoing need to daily focus on Christ for inner victory over temptation. By introducing his personal dilemma, Paul invites us to consider how well we understand our behavior: “For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do” (vs. 15). As long as believers live in this world as men and women of flesh and blood, they will face a constant tension—the conflict between their sinful nature and their new spiritual life.

Paul wrote to the Galatians, “The old sinful nature loves to do evil, which is just opposite from what the Holy Spirit wants. And the Spirit gives us desires that are opposite from what the sinful nature desires. These two forces are constantly fighting each other, and your choices are never free from this conflict” (Galatians 5:17).

Macbeth’s covetous temptation on the battlefield led him to eventually murder his beloved king, lose his mind as he became increasingly paranoid in his self-loathing fearfulness of others, and became a scheming tyrant that no one could trust. In the end, it cost him not just his life, but the life of his wife, and his most trusted friends. What can we learn from the apostle Paul as we deal with our old sinful desires?

1) Knowledge of the law is not the answer (7:9).
2) Self-determination (to want to do what is right) doesn’t succeed (7:15).
3) Becoming a Christian does not stamp out all sin and temptation from a person’s life (7:22–25).

Being born again starts in a moment of faith, but becoming like Christ takes a lifetime. Paul compares Christian growth to a strenuous race or fight (1 Corinthians 9:24–27; 2 Timothy 4:7). As we live in the Spirit of Christ, we become conformed to His character of love which is the basis of the law (Romans 8:29). Only in this way can “the righteous requirements of the law…be fully met in us, who do not live according to the flesh but according to the Spirit” (Romans 8:4)

1 Macbeth Official Movie Review

Authority in Yahweh’s Kingdom, Church Leadership

Leading with your life purpose

“Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth ” Genesis (1: 26 NIV)

We realize that God the Creator is the leader of all life, over all humans on earth. If we look at the creation of man in Genesis it becomes clear that each of us have a calling, a purpose to lead with some skill that God has gifted us with.

The Lord calls every believer to lead others or use our giftedness in some way. The way he arranged His creation indicates that every man and woman needs to find his or her purpose to find significance building their life around a centre of influence about that gift. If you have the gift of teaching, you will gravitate towards the area of interest which will define the subject that you can teach well.

In His love, He has called us to participate and to lead others or apply specific skills developed to the highest potential use, in various capacities as we follow Him.

He chose to create human beings who possess spirits with a capacity to relate to Him and follow Him, yet who are not forced to do so.  John Maxwell

We see in Genesis that God made it very clear from the beginning of His creation when He commanded man to take or  “have dominion” (Genesis 1: 28) over creation — over the administration of its assets.

John Maxwell, the great Pastor/Leadership teacher, notes: “The call to leadership is a consistent pattern in the Bible.”

He called out one leader — Abraham to be the father-leader of a nation for His own. He didn’t call out thousands to do this job. He selected one man with a giftedness to hear His directives when presented to him — Abraham was called to move to Canaan as God began to lead him.

Abraham called out

He directed one leader Moses to deliver His people out of Egypt — He didn’t guide them through a thousand singular men. As they readied to enter the Promised Land, again they followed one man—Joshua. This directorial leading of leaders carries on throughout the Bible with many examples such as Joseph, Samuel, David, Gideon, and the apostles Peter, John and Paul.

Every time God desires to do something great, He calls a leader to step forward which He still does for every work—both large and small. This is particularly true of spreading the gospel as it goes out to the whole world. There are roles for everyone according to how He has gifted us.

One of the most important things to do in life is to seek the Lord asking for Him to lead you as you lead with your life purpose building your life around helping others progress. “How can I use the primary giftedness God has given me to bless others as I seek to do His will?

 

Forgiveness Frees Us To Love

Why is holding a grudge dangerous?

“the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants” (Matthew 18:23)

Jesus told the parable of the Unmerciful Servant, to help Peter understand the importance forgiveness. He had asked “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?”

The parable reveals that in our lives we are all servants, in various capacities according to our giftedness. Business people are servants to their clients, teachers to their students, doctors and nurses to their patients, husbands and wives to each other and their children. Further, each of us are to act as servants to the less fortunate we encounter, to help or assist them according to our ability and their need. “Blessed are those who have regard for the weak” (Psalm 41:1)

The parable also makes it clear that when serving, we can become indebted to one another, either above us to whom we serve or those subordinate to us who serve our needs. Though the parable deals with money, it also applies to anything which can be viewed as a debt other than financial debt, in any personal relationship we encounter which can be stigmatized by a grudge and may need you to forgive another.

We need to understand that we can also release someone from a debt of injustice. Christ makes it clear that our Father in heaven is the one whom we serve first, and that He is aware of how we treat our fellow servants, as regards to forgiving them of their offenses.

We can also be judgmental of servants who do not directly relate to us but we can hold a religious grudge. The woman caught in adultery by the Jewish leaders makes this all too clear.

Woman taken in dultery

God forgives each one of us when we ask him and He settles our account as he covers us with Christ’s righteousness. On the stage of life, though we serve or are served, we ultimately are servants of the Most High God our creator.

“But to the one who does not work, but believes in Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is credited as righteousness, just as David also speaks of the blessing on the man to whom God credits righteousness apart from works:”BLESSED ARE THOSE WHOSE LAWLESS DEEDS HAVE BEEN FORGIVEN, AND WHOSE SINS HAVE BEEN COVERED” (Romans 4:5-7)

If this is true, shouldn’t we settle our accounts with others by forgiving them? The man who was forgiven much, and did not forgive his servant was accounted a wicked servant by his master. Our heavenly Father is not impressed with an unforgiving attitude:

“You wicked servant,’ he said, ‘I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to. Shouldn’t you have had mercy on your fellow-servant just as I had on you?’ In anger his master handed him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed. “This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother or sister from your heart.” (Matthew 18: 32-35)

If we do not forgive and hold a grudge, the collateral damage is endless. For example: if a husband does not forgive his wife for an indiscretion, his grudge could lead to a separation or divorce which can damage the children and grandchildren, and future generations.

Forgiveness is the only pathway to allow the Spirit of God to build His kingdom of Grace, of undeservedly releasing each other, our fellow servant, from holding a grudge. Those who are forgiven much, are free to respond to each other ongoingly in love. Thus, the New Covenant of love can increase in the kingdom. Bear in mind, that the parable has a much higher issue as we relate directly to God when we relate to each other. As we treat others, Christ taught that in the judgment, it will be reviewed as if we have similarly treated Him in all our dealings with mankind.

“The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me'”(Matthew 25:40)

And He will “settle accounts with his servants” in the final judgment or ahead of that time now, as we confess our sins to Him and are forgiven.

Uncategorized

Biblical Principles oppose Moral Relativism

“See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the elemental spiritual forces of this world rather than on Christ.” (Colossians 2:8 NIV)

In our current culture, we have seen a huge shift away from biblical values – a shift which we are witnessing as the laws of the land rapidly change in Canada and the USA, as determined by the courts making decisions based on relativism offering more choices to groups who demand change. Often these changes begin in the USA and are soon seen in Canada.

The definition of a Relativist: Someone who holds that nothing is simply good, but only good for someone or from a distinct point of view, holds a relativist view of goodness. Concise Routledge Encyclopaedia of Philosophy

In the early days of the church after Christ was resurrected, Peter declared to the spiritual leaders “We must obey God rather than men” despite strict orders from the Jewish Council. They said, “We gave you strict orders not to continue teaching in this name, and yet, you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and intend to bring this man’s blood upon us.” (vs. 39)

I began reading the late Dr. Francis A. Schaeffer in the late 70s and found his Christian philosophy encouraging. History is repeating itself as Francis A. Schaeffer contended. We are moving deeper into biblical lawlessness. Philosophy has separated the influence of divine revelation, as found in the Bible, from man-made relativism. Schaeffer used Raphael’s painting of “The School of Athens” (c. 1510), a copy of which hangs in my home, to illustrate the separation.

School of Athens
Symbolically the painting depicts two viewpoints, one looking upward toward God, the other viewing the lower academic sources as guidance developed by man. In Europe, this gravitation toward one or the other direction took divergent paths – the Reformation (God) and the Renaissance (man). Schaeffer traced moral relativism back to the Roman Empire. Pilate caved into the Jewish leaders when they accused Pilate of not being a friend of Caesar. Of the Christians Schaeffer wrote:

They worshiped Jesus as God, and they worshiped the infinite-personal God only. The Caesars would not tolerate this worshiping of the one God only. It was counted as treason. Thus, their worship became a threat to the unity of the state during the third century and during the reign of Diocletian (284– 305), when people of the higher classes began to become Christians in larger numbers. 1

We see this occurring in society now when Christian views are advocated, if they either are opposing or disagreeing with the choices of any relative practice of a group condoned by the courts and widely popular with the masses.

As Christians, we need to be cautious not to be seduced into the world’s viewpoint which is a distinctly opposite philosophy of life. “See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition” (Colossians 2:8) Behind the worldview lies a philosophy contrary to the laws of God and Jesus Christ.

The Loss of Christian Principles
Christian principles are based on laws which are based on the love of God. We have seen many of them ruined, as the courts have now taken away the collective inalienable right to the freedoms the people have had. The court’s rulings bypass any legislative basis of wider representation of the people. In the courts and in North America, the once cherished principles are evidently lost perhaps forever in many areas, replaced by these:

  • Prayerlessness in the public schools
  • Abortion
  • Gay marriage
  • Assisted suicide

The above stated new rights are based on the deceptive principles of the world and are not biblical. Isn’t it hypocritical that the US courts disallow prayer in the school when the founding fathers’ reverent practice of opening Congress with prayer is still carried on with a presiding Christian minister?

Here is a quote from an academic address to American students. You will see that religion is viewed as unacademic, despite the fact that the many great universities such as Oxford and Cambridge in England began as Christian schools with a theological Christian focus.

This is an American public school, and American public schools were created to make better Americans. If you wish to affirm an ethnic, racial or religious identity through school, you will have to go elsewhere. We will end all ethnicity, race and non-American nationality-based celebrations. They undermine the motto of America, one of its three central values — E pluribus unum, “from many, one.” And this school will be guided by America ‘s values. This includes all after-school clubs. I will not authorize clubs that divide students based on any identities. This includes race, language, religion, sexual orientation or whatever else may become in vogue in a society divided by political correctness. 2

Apostle Paul noted regarding those not led by the Spirit of God: “When we were children, we were slaves to the principles of this world” (Galatians 4:3) Peter warned that that this conflict will continue: “Many will follow their depraved conduct and will bring the way of truth into disrepute” (2 Peter 2:2) Peter warns of the impending judgement of God based on rampant lawlessness:

“…if he condemned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah by burning them to ashes, and made them an example of what is going to happen to the ungodly; and if he rescued Lot, a righteous man, who was distressed by the depraved conduct of the lawless (for that righteous man, living among them day after day, was tormented in his righteous soul by the lawless deeds he saw and heard)— if this is so, then the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from trials and to hold the unrighteous for punishment on the day of judgment. This is especially true of those who follow the corrupt desire of the flesh and despise authority. (2 Peter 2:6-10 NIV)

In Sodom before this judgement, sexual immorality abounded. “Sodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding towns gave themselves up to sexual immorality and perversion”. (Jude 1:7) The lawless townsmen thought they could knock down Lots’ door to bring his guests out to gang rape (sodomize) them in the town square. Does this sound like something you might hear in the news today? The judgment began right there. The angels confronted them. They were all blinded, and the angels led Lot out of Sodom and Gomorrah before the rain of fire that destroyed the towns. Jesus warned us that just before His second advent the state of man’s lawlessness will be similar:

“Just as it happened in the days of Lot: they were eating, they were drinking, they were buying, they were selling, they were planting, they were building; but on the day that Lot went out from Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven and destroyed them all. “It will be just the same on the day that the Son of Man is revealed” (Luke 17: 29-29)

Schaeffer contended that Christians are to blame for not speaking up when the issues were developing. This may or may not be true in part. What is true today, is that all Christians need to be aware of relative humanism as the most profound catalyst in a society moving man to the Final Judgement, which will occur at the second advent of Jesus Christ in power and great glory.

We are witnessing more animosity from the relativists. Jesus warned of this: “Since they persecuted me, naturally they will persecute you. And if they had listened to me, they would listen to you. They will do all this to you because of me, for they have rejected the one who sent me.” (John 15:19-21 NLT) The apostle Paul’s warning makes sense today: “See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy…”

1 Schaeffer, Francis A. How Should We Then Live? The Rise and Decline of Western Thought and Culture (Crossway)

2 A Speech every American High School Principal should give. (Dennis Prager)

Uncategorized

Why love often misses the mark

“And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold.”  (Matthew 24:12 ESV)

Jesus taught that just prior to His return as judge over mankind in power and great glory with all His angels, that every form of law based on the Word of God would be abandoned. (see Matthew ch. 24)

This would result in a breakdown of love in the framework of relationships, the most important being marriage, within the family. This shift in viewpoint in law has to do with the shift in Biblical values occurring in the world. Erich Fromm explains in the Art of Loving that our viewpoint of loving others is directly related to our view of Loving God:

“the disintegration of the love of God has reached the same proportions as the disintegration of the love of man.” 1

Family is the one place where we can learn to love and grow, according to the principles of faith.

Fromm further points out that there “is a regression to an idolatrous concept of God, and a transformation of the love of God into a relationship fitting an alienated character structure.” An an idolatrous concept of God is easy to see in the world we live in. Witness the movies centering on hero worship and those based on Mythology such as Thor. Disney has made the myth its primary income model. They have purchased Marvel and Star Wars – the last movie The Force Awakens has earned well over 1 billion dollars in the first week, setting a record at the box office.

As people do not understand nor have Biblical principles or faith, they become anxious, finding themselves without an aim except the one to move ahead without principles or filters as to what they hold as life-shaping values and purpose. Fromm, one of the world’s renowned psychologists indicates a problem with personal growth without faith in God.

“they continue to remain children, to hope for father or mother to come to their help when help is needed.” 1

It is very important that husband and wife work together to raise the consciousness of the need to follow the Lord, and the need to refer to His Bible daily to be led by the insight and power of the Holy Spirit. Joshua made it clear that a choice must be made at all costs if he was to lead the families of Israel into the promised land:

“if it is evil in your eyes to serve the Lord, choose this day whom you will serve…as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” (Joshua 15:15 ESV)

1 Fromm, Erich (The Art of Loving) Open Road Media.

See The importance of who we marry

Discernment and Thinking, Holy Spirit, Wisdom & Knowledge

Only the Holy Spirt teaches the Wisdom of God

“no one comprehends the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given us by God. And we impart this in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Spirit” (1 Cor 2:11-13 ESV)

We will be looking at scripture written by the apostle Paul. I had the privilege of tracking his journey in Greece. I spent two days in Corinth photographing the old ruins of the ancient city. I met other Christians on a similar journey at the inn where I was staying. One thing all Christians have in common is the ability to perceive that Jesus Christ is Lord of heaven and earth. They also understand that they have come into a universal family of God that joins them via His Spirit and the Bible.

Corinth-Greeceb - smallweb

The gospel—God’s wisdom—is foolishness to those that do not have the Holy Spirit. “Where is the one who is wise?” and further  “Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world?” (1 Cor 1: 20 ESV)

Here the apostle Paul is simply saying that without the Holy Spirit a man cannot perceive wisdom or guidance for the scriptures:

“For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe…but we preach Christ crucified…to those who are called…Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men”. (1 Cor 1: 21-25 ESV)

The gospel message, by its very simplicity, appears foolish to those who think themselves wise by human standards. Paul was a brilliant scholar. He could have overwhelmed his audiences with arguments, statistics, and brilliant ideas. Though he may have risen in intellectual assent on the stage, he would not be motivating saving faith.

Faith that depends on clever arguments and debate will eventually be undermined if another logical argument or more influential teacher comes along. Faith grounded in the power of the Holy Spirit, however, cannot be undermined. The simple message of Jesus Christ, who had been crucified for the world’s sins is a simple, direct message that moves men’s hearts by the power of the Holy Spirit (2:4).

Preachers and teachers of the Word of God do not depend on using wise and persuasive writing or preaching to change people’s hearts. That happens only by the work of the Holy Spirit. The power of a person’s conversion occurs not because of any teacher or the preacher but through the Holy Spirit when the hearer allows Christ into His mind via the Holy Spirit by opening up ones’ heart to God’s transforming power.

A simple message dependent upon the Holy Spirit’s power for its effectiveness is what helps people see their own sinfulness, rebellion and stubbornness when standing against or ignoring the guidance of God via the Holy Spirit about His Son’s death on the cross to engage a process of reconciliation.

There are many brands of human wisdom in the world which distract from the core message to simply trust the power of God for our salvation. The Gospel message of Christ is not like teaching philosophy, not dependent on models of behaviour or demographic scores of what nationality or US state is the happiest, social media algorithms, marketing metrics, scientific theory or debating speculative notions, for these never saved anyone. The kind of wisdom that belongs to this world offers nothing. It only offers  “a regression to an idolatrous concept of God, and a transformation of the love of God into a relationship fitting an alienated character structure”. Thus, the teacher of God’s wisdom, unlike worldly wisdom is not taught in order to impress anyone.

Because of the Holy Spirit’s guidance, believers can grasp this secret wisdom of God, referring to God’s offer of salvation to all people made available through Jesus’ death on the cross. This plan was “secret” because only through God’s wisdom and the insight given by his Spirit can people begin to comprehend it. Attempting to understand this plan with human wisdom and through philosophical discussions will take people nowhere. Only God, through the Holy Spirit, can reveal it (2:10).

“And we impart this in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Spirit, interpreting spiritual truths to those who are spiritual. The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned” (1 Cor 2:13-14)

You may ask who is the Holy Spirit? God is three persons in one—the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. God became a man in Jesus so that Jesus could die for our sins. Jesus rose from the dead to offer salvation to all people through spiritual renewal and rebirth. When Jesus ascended into heaven, his physical presence left the earth, but he promised to send the Holy Spirit so that his spiritual presence would still be among mankind (see Luke 24:49). The Holy Spirit first became available to the disciples after the Resurrection on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2).

Only the Spirit can reveal to believers God’s profound nature and wonderful plan, especially that formerly hidden mystery that is now revealed—salvation through Jesus’ death and resurrection. Just as a person cannot penetrate another person’s thought processes, so “no one can know God’s thoughts except God’s own Spirit” (2 Cor 2:11) The only way to know God is to know his Holy Spirit, to have him in one’s life. The only way to obtain the Holy Spirit is to accept, by faith, the sacrifice of Christ on the cross. The Holy Spirit is a distinct person, yet one in essence and function with God the Father.

 

 

Decision Making and Guidance, Discernment and Thinking, Spirit Led Leadership Today

The importance of who we marry

“…swear by the LORD, the God of heaven and God of the earth, that you will not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I dwell, but will go to my country and to my kindred, and take a wife for my son Isaac.” (Genesis 24:1-9 ESV)

The story of Isaac and Rebekah
This is the story of a man seeking a bride for his son after his beloved mother Sarah had died. The story begins when Isaac’s father Abraham instructs his trusted servant to find a wife for his son, not from the inhabitants of Canaan where they lived, but from his native land, from people he knew were living closer to his God. This was so important to Abraham that he had his servant swear on it.

Abraham had been promised major blessings by God if he led his children also to walk with God and serve Him. This blessing was to be for all his children for all future generations. Bottom line, Abraham must “command his children and his household after him to keep the way of the LORD”. He must also position future generations to follow the Lord.

“Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him? For I have chosen him, that he may command his children and his household after him to keep the way of the LORD by doing righteousness and justice so that the LORD may bring to Abraham what he has promised him.” (Genesis 18: 18-19 ESV)

Abraham wants to make sure that he is arranging success for his son Isaac according to the promise of the Lord – and this includes future generations. We can see two important tactics that can lead to better futures for our children:

1. Protecting their Social Life That they are not allowed to mix socially with or marry those who do not follow the Lord – who have entirely the opposite interests and friends, and
2. Marry in the Lord The apostle Paul’s advice to marry “only in the Lord”— is counsel that should govern the conduct of all Christians (see 1 Cor. 7:39) and it not to be fluffed off when faced with social decisions. Parents are to govern the social connections of the children, especially regarding marriage.

The Bible teaches that Christian children need some guidance by their fathers to find a godly woman or man suitable to develop a future life with, where their children will also be taught to follow the Lord as fist priority. Future generations and their children will also be taught to follow the Lord as fist priority. Husbands and wives must collaborate to lead the family for Christ.

What if they children do not follow this counsel? Perhaps the children rebelled, or there was not Christian leadership agreement in their home when growing up. If they have married outside of the Lord, the hope now would be that both the husband and the wife (the children once married) both find and renew a relationship with the Lord and His Word. God’s love is patient and cannot be exhausted. “The Lord…is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.” (2 Peter 3:9 NIV)

Abraham’s concern for God’s promise for Isaac and his children  All children born into Christian homes have a higher purpose when they are born. The narrative moves to God allowing Sarah to become pregnant after being without child into her old age.

“Now the LORD was gracious to Sarah as he had said, and the LORD did for Sarah what he had promised. Sarah became pregnant and bore a son to Abraham in his old age, at the very time God had promised him. Abraham gave the name Isaac to the son Sarah bore him.” (Genesis 21:1-3 NIV)

Often, no explanation is given as to why God commands certain ways of living, but there is a principle that we reap what we sow. The seeds that we sow or allow to be sown into our children’s’ lives will eventually be harvested. In fact reaping is a farming law: we reap the same that we sow, more than we sow, later than we sow. If our children are exposed to others who drink unto drunkenness, share pornography (a pandemic among teenagers), have friends who commit adultery, or who disdain Christianity, it follows that this is the crop that you will see harvested in your own children’s lives. I can’t emphasize this biblical principle more: Whatever we sow we’ll reap, what we sow, more than we sow, later than we sow. We have the privilege to water and plant and God causes the increase (1 Cor 3:6-9).  And if we don’t water and plant good seed, nothing good grows.

Abraham’s desire that Isaac inter-marry with a woman who was not native to Canaan where he lived appears to be a further expression of the notion of the two lines of blessing and curse seen in Genesis 9:25–27: “Cursed be Canaan!” but “Blessed be the LORD the God…” Truly the downside of not following Jesus Christ as Lord is the final curse of eternal death. The blessing is eternal life as Jesus promised: ““I am telling you the truth: those who hear my words and believe in him who sent me, have eternal life. They will not be judged, but have already passed from death unto life.” (John 5:24 GNT) The inhabitants of Canaan were considered to be under a divine curse for their sinful lives (see Genesis 15:16). The seed of Abraham was to be kept separate from the seed of Canaan.

The servant in search for Isaac’s bride The account of the servants success was accomplished because he achieved finding Rebekah as a wife for Isaac prayerfully by faith. The lesson here is that if our intent is to follow God’s will and marry in the faith of Jesus Christ God will lead the way until it is achieved to His glory. The servant of Abraham had success by faith and praised God for finding Rebekah for Isaac. “Before I finished praying in my heart, Rebekah came out…”

“When I came to the spring today, I said, ‘LORD, God of my master Abraham, if you will, please grant success to the journey on which I have come. See, I am standing beside this spring. If a young woman comes out to draw water and I say to her, “Please let me drink a little water from your jar,” and if she says to me, “Drink, and I’ll draw water for your camels too,” let her be the one the LORD has chosen for my master’s son.’ “Before I finished praying in my heart, Rebekah came out, with her jar on her shoulder. She went down to the spring and drew water, and I said to her, ‘Please give me a drink.’” (Genesis 24:42-45 ESV)

God understands everything to do with love and how it is only able to be nurtured in full in the context of loving God first. (see The Manifesto of God’s Love)