Has the persecution come?

“Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.        Matthew 5:11-12 NIV

The hallmark, yea the leading indicator of a Christian’s fully devoted life may well be the persecution that follows. Are you spoken well of in your sphere of influence? You can rest assured that you have no part with Christ. Does your manner of speaking easily translate from the world to the church? Have no fear, for your persecution will not come. The greatest danger to church is friendship with the world. Christians who practice yoga, celebrate Halloween and carry on as if there is no discernible difference between the Christian worldview and all others will never raise the ire of hell.

However, if you mark yourself as a follower of Christ, unafraid and unashamed to name his name rest assured the world will hate you. When a man denies his own deity and acknowledges his utter inability to save himself the world’s repulsion is undeniable and unavoidable. When one dares to point out the sinful condition of this world and offers the untenable dichotomy between God’s justice and a fallen world, make no mistake you will lose your respectable reputation. And yet, the servant is no better than his master. Why then Christian should you be better than our Lord?

Have you a part in his suffering? You can rejoice for you are one of his children and your reward is great.

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More Knowledge-More Love

And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, Philippians 1:9-10 NIV

The passage is clear, the Christian must not remain a babe in Christ. Under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit the apostle urges us to learn more, to gain knowledge that we may discern the best. Far too many Christians are passified with little knowledge; they remain on milk never moving on to the meat of the word. This point is often punctuated with a visit from the local cultist.

They lack the knowledge of the faith required to exalt Christ as Lord and exhibit a readiness to give an answer to the abherrent adherent of false faiths. Dear Christian you are compelled by our Lord and Savior to move in love toward more learning. Your theological training is just beginning on the day of your salvation. You want to be more pure? Learn more says the Apostle. You want to walk in holiness? Study to show thyself approved. You desire discernment, learn to use your teeth that you may ingest the meat and move off the milk.

Babes in Christ are easy pray for a faith that is impure, unstable, and ill-prepared in an onslaught of theological half-truths. You must gain knowledge from the giver of wisdom. Come let us reason bids the Lord God Almighty. Do not allow your lack of knowledge to rob you of a pure and holy faith. Seek wisdom and get understanding.

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We are Dogs!

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And she said, True, O Lord; but even the little dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their masters’ tables. (Mat 15:27) 

The exchange seems almost harsh. This woman comes to the Lord and worships him exclaiming ‘Lord, Help me!’ and yet the Lord rather than instantly commending her for her faith, further tests her profession. He says that it is not good to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs. Our passage shows that she understood the Lord’s meaning, she understands that she is a Gentile. What part do we who by birth are not children but are more properly speaking dogs have with the Lord of Glory?

Her piety was on display for all to see. She openly acknowledges who she is, an undeserving Gentile who is not an heir to the promise. And yet she does not respond to the Lord as if there was an offense. She acknowledges her lowly condition and in her meekness the good deposit of faith is clearly demonstrated. The simplicity of her confession should not indicate that the wellspring of her faith was a shallow pool. Her faith was one of depth that acknowledged her depraved and sinful condition.

Bound up in her confession was the Sovereignty of God, and in her testing the love of God in election was clearly portrayed. That we would recognize the testing of our profession as evidence that while undeserving we are lovingly adopted by our Lord and King.

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Do Nothing

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Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than themselves. (Php 2:3) 

The contrast between the world and the church is seen no clearer in any other precept than the one offered in Philippians. Quite literally vainglory means self-conceit. This is the world’s first principle; exalt you. Popular culture considers self-esteem healthy and encourages a “positive self-image”. In disputations and strife our position is to be held stringently says the world.  I confess freely that at times of controversy my “natural” inclination is to preserve my own “glory” and to esteem myself better than others. 

And yet, the church is told to do nothing through strife and vainglory. All things in the church are to be done through humility. As Gill says the grace of humility is an excellent ornament to a Christian. I can not speak for anyone but myself; but I must confess that this precept is most difficult. I want to seek after my own glory, I want to protect my reputation, my knowledge, and I want to exalt myself. When we come together as the church the sweetest fellowship is to be had where there is humility and lowliness of mind, for we are no longer concerned with our glory only the Masters.

 May God grant us the grace of humility and kindly grant us lowliness of mind.

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Give us dry bread

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Better is a dry piece of bread, and quietness with it, than a house full of sacrifices with fighting. (Pro 17:1)

This passage illustrates the difference between two sorts of homes. The first home is one where there is only dry bread, that is to say stale bread. The second home is one that is teeming with the choicest foods, the finest entertainment, and the best of the best that the world has to offer.

The first home has quietness and contentment. The second home has strife and frivolous contention. Where the Holy Ghost resides there is peace and contentment. Where the spirit of this age resides there may be great material wealth but often this is wed to the most unholy strife and discontent.

John Gill quotes an associate who used to say: ‘brown bread and the gospel are good fare’. Indeed this is true. The heart where stayed by the Holy Ghost is like the first home. The needs are few as the Holy Ghost gives contentment and peace. The heart of the unbeliever is like the second home full of strife and yet desirous of the finest appointments but never content.

Even dry bread from the Lord’s table gives peace and contentment while the choicest foods from the world brings only strife and more fighting.

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No vile thing before me

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I will set no wicked thing before my eyes. I have hated the work of those who turn aside; it shall not hold on to me. (Psa 101:3) 

In the vain imaginations of many Christians they suppose that the wicked thing is nothing less than the most heinous of sin. They falsely reason that if they avoid pornography or even nudity they have followed the word of God to the letter of the law. They reckon themselves pure in God’s sight all the while allowing images of false gods, witchcraft, and all manner of evil to fill their homes.

Hear the Psalmist; for he says he desires that no wicked thing be set before him. Wickedness is found in anything that turns a heart from the worship of the true God to the worship of idols. This is proved by the plain teaching of scripture as the Psalmist exclaims he hates the work of those who turn aside. The meaning here goes beyond what we can see, it goes to what we meditate upon. The imagination of the mind can also be set before us; thinking or even dwelling on those things that are unholy and ungodly is prohibited by this passage.

Every thought and imagination that seeks to captivate your thinking must be taken hostage by Christ. Furthermore, anything that seeks to supplant Christ is a work that is of the most detestable sort. The despicable works of the Nicolaitans are hated by Christ and therefore should be repulsive to the Christian. The Apostle Paul under the inspiration of the Holy Ghost gives us a practical reminder of what we are to meditate upon: 

Finally, my brothers, whatever things are true, whatever things are honest, whatever things are right, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report; if there is any virtue and if there is any praise, think on these things.

(Php 4:8)

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Proceed with caution!

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Do not lay hands quickly on anyone, neither be partaker of the sins of others. Keep yourself pure. (1Ti 5:22) 

The Apostle’s instructions to young Timothy are clear. Do not lay hands on anyone quickly. The context of this verse has to be kept in mind. Paul sends Timothy this letter as an encouragement and a reminder. Paul had previously begged Timothy to remain in Ephesus to correct those who were teaching false doctrines.

 This was an occasion were the temptation to lay hands quickly on someone was very much present. For all intents and purposes Timothy was by himself. He was facing false teachers and he was frequently ill. Yet, Paul under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit instructs his young charge to avoid laying hands quickly on anyone.

 If there ever was someone who needed a co-laborer in the faith it was Timothy. The outlook for his ministry was bleak. As his soul longs for a kindred spirit in the faith, the most wise and learned Holy Spirit instructs the young pastor to move very cautiously. Do not lay hands on someone quickly. Timothy was to proceed slowly in finding leaders for the church. He was to examine them to make certain that they held fast to sound doctrine (cf. Acts 2:42, Eph.4:14)

The church today would do well to give an ear to what the Spirit says; do not lay hands quickly on anyone. Spend the requisite time necessary to find men that hold fast to sound words and are prepared to defend our doctrine (Titus 1:9). We must avoid unproven and untested men lest we become partakers of their sin.

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The Schoolmaster

 

Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. (Gal 3:24)  

The law of God was a schoolmaster that drove us to Christ. The moral law has taken prisoner all of Adam’s offspring. The accusations of the law bind us and bring to light the exceeding sinfulness of our sin. Properly speaking the law is a mirror that allows us to see ourselves more truthfully in light of God’s perfections. 

The law of God is the prosecuting attorney that continues to plead for the death penalty due to our sinfulness (Romans 6:23). As our self-righteousness becomes apparent the sinner is brought face to face with his condition before a Thrice Holy God in which there exists perfect Holiness.

This is not to say that the sinner by virtue of his natural faculties will turn to God after facing the law’s indictment. The sinner is a cosmic criminal that will flee from the law of God storing up more wrath for himself unless by God’s grace he is converted by the Holy Spirit. Understanding our captivity brings into sharper focus the Torah reading that our Lord Jesus fulfilled in his hearers’ ears:

The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me; because the LORD hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound;

(Isa 61:1)

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You will receive power

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 But you shall receive power, the Holy Spirit coming upon you. And you shall be witnesses to Me both in Jerusalem and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and to the end of the earth. (Act 1:8)

 Many Christians treat witnessing in the same manner that they treat buying a car. They have in mind the make, model, color, and style and yet are going to pick and choose the options they want. The assumption is that evangelism and witnessing is just like the options on a car. Just as the new owner of a car selects whether he wants a cassette deck over a CD player many Christians believe (falsely) that we are able to select “hospitality” or “service” over “witnessing”.   

 Even more interesting is the Christian who says: “witnessing is not my gift”.  I often wonder how they mean this expression. I would agree with them that witnessing is not their gift to distribute but this verse makes plain the fact that it is everyone’s gift to receive. Christian this gift belongs to the Holy Spirit; it is properly speaking His gift. He provides the unction and the power.  He testifies of the Son, he regenerates, he empowers, and he convicts of sin.

 The power does not reside in you; the power is from on high.  All of us are called to be witnesses (Matt 28:19). Do not be unduly influenced by the cowards and defectors who by dereliction rob you of the joy that attends witnessing for Christ. The pitiful excuses dreamed up by those who are not obedient to the bible should never trump the very plain word of God. You and I are admonished by this verse to be a witness. Are some called to be evangelists and some pastors? Yes. But you are called to be a witness. You are in the grocery store, the post office, the beauty parlor, the gym. If by God’s grace you believe the good news then by the same power God calls you to share it.

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Resurrection Power

 

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And God has both raised up the Lord, and also will raise us up by His own power. (1Co 6:14)

Every true believer in Christ will experience resurrection power. The first experience of this resurrection power is experienced in salvation. The Holy Spirit calls forth the dead sinner to new life in Christ. God acts alone as he calls his elect. Theologians call this monergistic salvation whereby God regenerates the rebellious sinner who was dead in his trespasses and sins.

The second experience of this resurrection power is at the end of all things. God raised Jesus after three days in the grave. This same resurrection power is applied to the believer when that which is corruptible is raised incorruptible. This is resurrection power; the death experienced due to sin is overcome by God’s power.

Finally, we realize the importance of our Trinitarian theology. God the Father raised the Son. Some believing aberrant doctrines would contend that only the “physical” body of Jesus died on the cross. According to this error the Jesus on the cross was a mere shell, just a “mode” of God. Yet, the verse is plain God raised the Lord. Our verse would not have use believe that the Lord when raised was some kind of creature devoid of spiritual faculties, and yet the distinction is present for us to observe. God raised the Lord.

Beloved in the Lord Jesus take hope in this verse. You will experience resurrection power for the Holy Spirit has promised it. The day will come when you are changed in a twinkling of an eye. That which decays will be raised to life everlasting. All Glory and Honor to Christ for he has set the captives free and is the first born over all Creation!

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