God Still Speaks Part 1

The beauty of the continualist position is that all I have to do is find one instance of one of the gifts being in operation after the close of the canon to destroy the tenability of cessationalism. Thus while they must destroy the credibility of every single miracle or supernatural manifestation since the last book of the Bible was written (to be strictly within the close of the canon) or to give them a few hundred years leeway say ( c. 400 B.C. when Augustine proclaimed gifts to have ceased).
Now as a continualist I should be very clear that most of the so called miracles of the Middle Ages were either hoaxes or in some cases demonic counterfeits. That said, all I need is one genuine communication of God to man to overthrow the theory.
Here is one that I think stands in fairly good stead. Since it does not conform to Romish Dogma, is not extravagantly supernatural, and is actually in line with evangelical Protestantism. This excerpt is from the Life of Anskar written by his friend and successor Rimbert (9th century):
Two years after the vision mentioned above, he had a vision in the night in which he thought that he had turned into the oratory in order to pray, and when he had risen from prayer a man came through the door who was tall, dressed according to Jewish custom, and of handsome appearance. From his eyes a divine lustre radiated like unto a flame of fire. When he beheld Him he cast aside all hesitancy and, believing that it was the Lord Christ, lie ran forward and fell at His feet. As he lay prostrate on his face He (the Lord Christ) commanded him to rise. When lie had risen and was standing reverently before Him he could not gaze upon His face for the glorious light that flashed from His eyes. With a soothing voice He addressed him and said : " Declare thine iniquities in order that thou mayest be justified," to Whom God's servant replied, "Lord, why must I tell Thee? Thou knowest all and nothing is hid from Thee." He replied again : " I know all, but I will that men should confess their faults to Me in order that they may receive forgiveness." When he had declared to Him everything that he had done since his earliest youth, and had then prostrated himself in prayer, He (the Christ) stood erect before him and said : " Fear not, for I am He that blotteth out thy iniquities," after which saying, the figure whom he had seen in his vision retired. The man of God rose from his sleep, and, strengthened by the assurance that his sins had been forgiven, rejoiced with exceeding joy.
Notice how confession was made directly to Christ, with no mediator and also how forgiveness was granted without penance. As a Pentecostal I can state that I believe Anskar had a saving revelation of the living Christ that night. If you are a cessationist your choices as I see them are not good.
1. It was a fiction of Anskar or Rimbert. Fair enough, but why would a fiction run along so evangelical lines and so contrary to established tradition. It would almost seem to discredit Anskar rather than commend him?

2. It was a dream he had which was caused by natural stimulus working on the brain. Again, given the teaching he would have been taught concerning penance, how would he have a dream so astonishingly Sola Fidean hundreds of years before Luther?

3. It was a demonic apparition. What an amazing spirit of lies to tell him so much of the truth to trust wholly in Christ and confess only to Him!!!
Notice, this revelation was not a revealing of something that was contrary to Scripture, but was an imprinting of what is clearly taught in Scripture upon one who had studied it. To reject it is in effect to tell God when and how He may speak to us… A very Biblical position to be sure!
I realize that my efforts will fail to convince a die-hard or perhaps even many moderate cessationists, but all I ask is that you examine the evidence of Scripture, and of history. Also consider would the Holy Spirit writing through the Apostle Paul desire that the church would not be ignorant of spiritual gifts, if the gifts had a fourth century expiry date on them. Could the churches not have been orally instructed in that case and the instructions not have been placed in the Word of God which abides forever? Would the Lord who changes not, have written in His Word His desire for His people not to be ignorant of spiritual gifts when in reality for more than 1600 years He has desired us to forget about them because they are not for today?
May God lead you into His truth!

Semi-deism - Does God Have Laryngitis?

This is a post I have been goaded into making by an insanely absurd view of Sola Scriptura posted on another blog. Does God speak today, or a few years after Pentecost did the voice which shook the earth and promises to shake both heaven and earth lose aught of it's strength?

To those who would interpret Sola Scriptura as precluding God giving guidance today, let me ask a few questions. If you are honest and have a ready answer fair enough, but if not is what you believe right?

1. You do not believe that Scriptura Sola precludes preaching to expound upon Scripture, because preaching is enjoined in Scripture, but somehow all dreams, visions, etc. which are frequently used by God in Scripture interfere with it. Why?

2. If the cessation of the gifts was limited to the time of the canon of Scripture, then how do you explain Cyprian's prophecy of the soon cessation of persecution and his dream foretelling his death a year to the day before it occurred. Was the canon closed then or not?

As a pentecostal I believe that it was closed, and included in the canon are the ways in which God speaks to His people, including visions and dreams. God had already written all His inspired books, so the canon was closed. To have it close with a council is to place the church above the Bible and stand on Romish ground.

3. Does God not also speak through circumstances? If so how does this not violate your Scriptura Sola?

I would and do call this perversion of historic Scriptura Sola semi-deism. You go further than deism in that you do not deny the reality of revelation, or miracles, but yet you both deny they're possibilty today. All of the reasons given to show the rationality of revelation in the Bible also point to the speaking of God today...

Is it logical that God would create man and then not communicate at all? Is it any more logical that having created man, sought him when he fell and revealed Himself through His Son and the crucifixion and ressurection, He should no longer seek to communicate with man directly (obviously His communication would not be contradictory)? If He created man with a purpose, and far be it from Him to do anything without purpose, is it not logical that He would communicate that? If He had only a generic purpose in mind for all of us, how can He rule over history, where each small choice affects every other one? You must either deny His sovereignty, or acknowledge that God has grand purposes that are performed, but does not care about the little ones (Deism), or suffer a logical breakdown that God has specific and small oversight over our lives but only gives general guidance for us to figure it out by? Is that wisdom?

I leave all with that food for thought. God bless.

Impressed to make an Impression

Recently I was reading some of Chrysostom’s homilies on Galatians. He can be fairly thought provoking at times… even if occasionally the thought is “What???” Like when he explains Paul’s rebuke of Peter as a ruse they had cooked up to silence the Judaizers. In Homily IV, he begins by quoting, 1 Timothy 1:15-16, “This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief. Howbeit for this cause I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might shew forth all longsuffering, for a pattern to them which should hereafter believe on him to life everlasting.” The interesting thing is he applies these verses to Christ showing longsuffering TO Paul instead of as I had understood it Christ showing longsuffering THROUGH Paul. Then I got to thinking…

Ephesians 2:10 brings out that we are a masterpiece being created by God to perform tasks He has foreordained… Paul tells us in the verse we just looked at, that through his life all the following generations should see longsuffering. John was the beloved disciple who became the apostle of love. So how do you show forth something unless you have experienced it? Paul first knew the longsuffering of God by his experience of it in the realization that God had born with Paul throughout his time of persecuting the Church and waited that He might show mercy on the road to Damascus. From that realization Paul could learn to do the same and show longsuffering to others. John learned what love is as he received the love of Christ in a way beyond what the other disciples experienced it. Having received, he could also give out that love, and it became the reoccurring theme in all his writings.
In Hebrews 1:3 Christ is spoken of as the express image of the Father. “Express image” is the translation of the Greek “Charakter”. That word has a two-fold meaning much like the English words “Stamp” and “Seal”. It refers to the thing which produces the image, and also to the image formed. Christ is both the image of God and the instrument that forms that image in us. How do we show longsuffering, patience, love, joy , etc… if we have never seen them? Thus it is essential that we first experience these things from Christ (either directly or through His people) so that we can show them forth to others. We are impressed to make an impression.

Relationship for Use or Use for Relationship

Recently I was doing some studying on the Life and Epistles of Peter, which I will be teaching in a few months. I was reading in Matthew 16 of how right after the most marvelous declaration of faith that Peter makes (v16), he then proceeds to argue with the Lord and to try to prevent His going to the cross (v22) in this being used by the devil.

This led me to consider a little bit about human ambition. Peter’s problem was that he had his own agenda in following Christ. This self-seeking was used by the devil to attempt to deflect Christ from the cross. I was musing on this and I came across, what I believe is the hallmark of human ambition. Human ambition, like Luciferian ambition from which it has its root, sees relationship as a means of use. Peter viewed his relationship in following Christ as a means to achieve the goals of personal advancement that he had (Thankfully he didn’t stay that way). This is the human and diabolical way of thinking. It is unfortunately very common even in Christian circles, people view their relationship with God as a means to get what they want, pastors and leaders view people as a means to achieve their aims. This is all a worldly mentality.

God’s mentality is use for relationship. The relationship is the goal and what we do for Him is the means He uses to bring about relationship. This is shown in Psalm 68:18 “You have gone up on high; You have led captivity captive; You have received gifts for men, yes, for the rebellious also, that You might dwell among them, O Jehovah God.” Notice the purpose in Christ’s receiving of gifts; it is that God might dwell among even the rebellious. This verse is quoted with some alteration in Ephesians 4:8, where it refers to Christ giving gifts – specifically the five-fold ministry gifts. When God gives gifts, especially the five-fold ministry gifts, the purpose is that as we use these gifts we will be reliant on Him and grow in relationship with Him. God does not bring us into relationship to use us, but He uses us to bring about His purposes so that He can thereby foster a relationship based on commonality of interest and experience (as we begin to know in a small measure His sufferings and joys). This is also the mentality we should have towards others; otherwise we are just like any worldly leader.

King Saul

I was reading in 2 Samuel last night and came to the portion about the famine because of what King Saul had done to the Gibeonites. That made me think about just how inconsistent man is apart from God’s grace. Think about this:
1. When Saul was given a responsibility by God, he hides (1 Sam. 10:21-23), but shortly afterwards he boldly takes a responsibility that was not his (1 Sam. 13:9-10).
2. He is ordered to utterly destroy the Amalekites, which God had commanded hundreds of years before (Deut. 25:17-19; 1 Sam. 15), but he spares the king of the Amalekites and their cattle. However, mercy is not his strongpoint, because he tries to destroy, without provocation and in the face of a covenant of peace made before Jehovah, the Gibeonites (2 Sam. 21:1-2), and for a pretended offense against him, he also killed the priests at Nob (1 Sam. 22:11-19).
There are probably other examples of his inconsistency, but these two are the clearest. Inconsistency is the legacy of anyone who lives without God who alone is faithful. So in our world today there are some who would oppose the death penalty for those guilty of murder, and yet support the death of unborn children who have never done anything bad or good (Surely if any should receive mercy they should, their only crime is being inconvenient and unwanted). That is only one example of the inconsistency of mankind when he rejects God, there are others. For example the priests of toleration, who are exceedingly tolerant of almost anyone, except people that actually believe in right and wrong, those they will not tolerate and label them as “intolerant”. Jellyfish are wonders of nature in that since they have no back-bone they are extremely flexible, however, they also have little substance and as a result if flung make little impact.
King David, on the other hand, with all his flaws, was far more consistent than King Saul, because he was joined to Him who is faithful and true. That is the key to consistency!

Thoughts On Amos 1:2

Amo 1:2 And he said, The LORD will roar from Zion, and utter his voice from Jerusalem; and the habitations of the shepherds shall mourn, and the top of Carmel shall wither.

The interesting thing about this verse is that it is a continuation of Joel’s prophecy in Joel 3:16. No prophet was a man unto himself. They took the torch from those who had gone before and ran to hand it to those who would follow. Even though Amos was not necessarily closely connected with Joel, yet somehow he had heard or read Joel’s prophecies, and in a sense starts where he left off animated by Him by whose will prophecy came (2 Peter 1:21).

This is also seen in the contemporaries who had similar messages, Micah and Isaiah (Compare Micah 4:1-13 with Isaiah 2:2-4). Though these men had different ministries, yet because they were ministering in the same general area and to the same nation they were similar. Their ministries also complemented each other, with each containing elements the other did not have.

I think the whole thing is summed up in Hebrews 12:1-2, “Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.”

Those who have gone before can be an encouragement for us. We are part of their reward and they are our foundation. Amos started where Joel left off and thus was indebted to Joel. Joel on the other hand is rewarded for that which his ministry placed in Amos and both can rejoice before the throne of God. Also we who now read their prophecies are blessed by their ministry, and are part of their reward. Those who have run before have passed the baton to us, their part has been run and now they root for us as their team.

Tying this all together is the One who ran the perfect race, and who gives us the power to run ours – Jesus Christ, to whom be all praise and glory forever!

Faithfulness In Little Things

Luke 16:10 “He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much: and he that is unjust in the least is unjust also in much.”

Sometimes we tend to think of our character as being what we do in big things, whether or not we are involved in any big sins or not. Yet our character is really shown more in the little things and also when we are under pressure. We also tend to think (at least I did) that as long as we will know when we face a life-changing decision and that as long as we make the right choice in a big decision we will be fine.

With that said, I would like to look at a few examples of people whose seemingly small decisions had further reaching consequences than they expected. In these situations they also did not realize they were on trial, they were not on their best behavior, so-to-speak, but acted entirely within their character, just as we would in their place.

In Exodus 2:15 Moses had just been forced to flee Egypt after having killed an Egyptian he saw beating a Hebrew. His aiding one of his own people had not gotten him anywhere, it earned him no thanks from his own people and even endangered his life. Yet as he sat at the well and saw men driving away the daughters of Jethro from the well, he went to their defense. It was certainly a low point in his life as he sat there, and his past experiences would not have caused him to expect any good to come of his actions. However because he rose to the defense of Jethro’s daughters he unwittingly provided himself with a place to stay, a position of employment, and a wife. From this also came his later call back to Egypt. All this because he was willing to oppose injustice, and aid the oppressed, even in his own time of difficulty.

Rebekah also did not know she was on trial as she offered to give water to the camels as well as the man. That act of generosity, which was likely not a solitary act, but a way of life for her, opened the door for her to be partaker of the promises given to Abraham and to have part in the lineage of the Messiah (Gen. 24:15-21).

In the negative, the unknown man in Ruth (Ruth 4:1-8) did not know the inheritance he was refusing when he refused to be redeemer to Ruth. He lost the opportunity to have his name written in the eternal Word of God and instead is mentioned as, “so and so.” He lost his place as an ancestor of King David and ultimately of Jesus Christ. What cost him this place, only one small act of selfishness. He refused to do part of a redeemer, because he did not want the expense of buying the property which would go the firstborn of the union with Ruth, who would not bear his name. He had no idea he was on trial and it cost him.

Lastly, Judah had no realization that he was on trial, when he offered to take the place of Benjamin as a slave so that Benjamin could return to the father (Gen. 44). Yet somehow as he did that the focus shifted to him as the one from whom would come the kingship and eventually the Lion of Judah, who would Himself suffer for others so they could return to the Father. God looking back at that event says, “Judah prevailed over his brethren.” No one realized there was a contest, but his self-denial won him a crown he did not even know existed.

In the same way we may have many little opportunities to show forth the character of Christ, we may never know until eternity what the consequences are. So let us be faithful in the little things!

First Week of Bible School

Monday morning was an interesting beginning to our term. We start classes on Tuesday and spent Monday morning with last minute preparations and welcoming students. It began however with a power loss at 6:00 am. Power came back on at 12:30 and then went off again around 2:30 and only returned at 10:00 that night. It has been similar the rest of the week. So right now (Thursday afternoon) I am debating about going into town to do email. If it continues like this (and it should, because they had a problem with flotsam that got sucked into the hydro-turbines at the power-station) then just as I get to the internet café we will lose power. They may have it fixed by the end of the week, we all hope so. This is the hottest month of the year here so at least I’ve had power to run my fan at night. As of now (Friday afternoon) it looks like everything is working well, we’ve had power all day. Our water situation isn’t great right now, but maybe if the water board now has electricity it might improve soon. We only got in 100 litres last night and while we still have water for drinking, any other uses are going to have to be scaled back. We might get more in tonight, we pray so.
We have 22 students at last count, 2 from Mozambique who just arrived today. It has been a while since we had any from outside Malawi. I will be teaching the next 2 weeks. Dad is teaching this week and the last week. I will be teaching Romans which marks the start of the cycle I began 2 years ago.
Otherwise things are well here. We are going to be having one of our fellowship’s leaders, Pastor Tucker and his wife, here for a few days in the third week of our term. Hopefully things will be running smoothly while they are here, it isn’t nice having guests if you don’t have water for them to shower etc...

The Lord is Gracious

Recently I was thinking a little bit about the graciousness of God. His graciousness is a part of His character, and an important one since it is the second one He announced before Moses (Ex. 34:6). When we deal with attributes of God’s character, it is important to understand that God is immutable. He does not change, and His character does not change. We – humans change in character as we grow either more like God or more like the devil. Our character is mutable because we were created. It is formable because we were formed, and we will be formed, by one of two potters. God however, was merciful, before there was a need for mercy. His mercy existed before sin did, it merely lacked an outlet. Likewise God was gracious long before there were any beings to be gracious to. Graciousness can only be shown to inferiors (inferiors in morals, or in strength, or in wisdom), and thus it never had expression in the Godhead prior to the creation of other beings.
Graciousness is really what allows God to have fellowship with man. Even before the fall it was graciousness that enabled fellowship. Why should God desire fellowship with man? He desires to talk with us even though He knows what we will say and nothing we say can improve His knowledge of things. He was complete before we were formed and does not need us. Yet, He is the one that initiated the relationship, both before and after the fall. It is His graciousness and humility that cause Him to do this.
My definition of graciousness is “the art of condescending without being condescending.” Really this is only possible for a humble and selfless being. False graciousness may reach out to the needy, but it ensures that the one in need knows and feels the inferiority. It is God’s graciousness that enables Him to give wisdom to any that ask for it and to not upbraid them (James 1:5). The word upbraid here has the thought of a cutting remark made along with the proffered help. Like someone giving a homeless person the help he requests but adding something like, “you bum, get a job!” along with it. God is gracious, he knows our lack of wisdom better than we do and yet He will never rebuke us for that if we ask Him for wisdom, He will merely give us wisdom.
As in all things Jesus was a perfect image of His Father’s graciousness. Not only did He lower Himself to come as a man, yet as a man, he was gracious. To the outcast Samaritan woman at the well, drawing water at noon - a sure sign of untouchableness, He conversed freely and without prejudice.
In my own life I have at times been struck by the graciousness of God. I think of all the times when I have felt His presence, and how at ease He always puts me. There are hundreds of things He could point out that are wrong and many reasons that He should not even bother with me and yet He does anyway. And though at times He may bring conviction yet ultimately He moves the focus from me to Him and when I am in His presence it is easy to forget just how condescending He is being by being there. Why does He do it? The Lord is gracious!

Brief Review Christmas til now

For those who read my blog and wonder what I do in Malawi, I assist my parents in a pentecostal Bible School, and orphan feeding program here in Malawi. Our Bible School is a 2 year course, with three 4 week terms a year, in February, June, and October. It is a certificate level course, most of our students lack the necessary prerequisites for anything further. We teach in English and have Chichewa interpretation, all of our course material is in both languages. The bad thing about a two year course is just as you get to really know some of your students and begin to appreciate what God is doing in their lives, it is time for them to graduate.
On the orphan feeding and other assistance, we have over 1800 orphans that we assist in various ways. We help out with school uniforms, and school fees for Secondary School (Primary is free, but not Secondary), housing repair (This is done mostly from August-December when it is dry season, most of the houses are mud bricks with mud mortar, when the roof begins to leak pretty soon a wall will collapse), we also distribute food for part of the year. This time of year is the hardest as the next crop has not yet come in, and the existing harvest dwindles (the harvest will be end of March and beginning of April). We have had many daily requests for assistance, and it can get very overwhelming at times.
We recently fired one of our workers for theft. He was someone that we had known for several years and had helped out in the past. Also at the same time we had another man (former employee and Bible school student) who was staying on our property looking after our water pump, leave in the middle of the night taking the pump, the door from the house (not the security gate, he couldn’t get that off), and almost of the contents in the house he was staying in. Where he was staying is outside of our walled compound and more than 200 meters away so we didn’t hear anything. One other thing that was stolen (human greed is almost farcical, and would be funny if it weren’t so tragic) he took the lock off the outhouse we had made for him. I really fear for him, because he has heard a lot of the truth and yet has done this. We did not renew his work with us a few months ago because he had pilfered a packet or two of the beans that we distribute to orphans. He was caught and apologized, but we didn’t really sense any repentance. He was hired on a year agreement and when it came up we were going to let him go. Around the same time he had a reoccurrence of TB, and had to be hospitalized for two months. When he got out he was too weak to do what he had formerly been doing, so we could not take him back even if we had been minded to. We did however let him continue to stay where he had been staying, rent free, because even though you might have the right to turn someone out, how can you do it, when they are seriously ill like that? I really fear for him, I was worried about him before this happened because I didn’t think he had really repented for his earlier theft and with his being ill, I don’t think he has a lot of time, now he has compounded it. May God grant him repentance!
On another note, Bible school is approaching and things are busy on all fronts. We are hoping that the revealing of these thefts and some other exposing of sin that has recently happened around us will put a real fear of God in this area. May God grant it so!

Thoughts on Third John 1:11

“Beloved, follow not that which is evil, but that which is good. He that doeth good is of God: but he that doeth evil hath not seen God.”

In this verse the Apostle John shows us that we are shown to be good or evil not only by what we initiate in doing, but also in what we imitate. The immediate context is a church situation in which one man, Diotrephes, was asserting his own authority by undermining John’s and in a high-handed manner generally lording it over the flock of God. John writes to Gaius concerning this situation and asks him to look after a man whom he was sending to this area, since Diotrephes had not allowed the church to respond to John’s letter which he had already written (for anyone who has been in a church situation for any length of time this scenario should seem somewhat familiar). This verse is a good reminder to all Christians. We may be in a situation where there are leaders who lead from self-seeking motives (I thank God that I can say that’s not my situation, but I have seen enough to know that it is more common than may be realized). Our choice is in who we imitate. God may have placed me under a person, I should not rebel nor should I leave unless God gives me a release. However, nothing in Scripture tells me I have to follow a bad example. The people whom I follow, idolize, and imitate tell much about my own character. Proverbs 3:31 tells us, “Envy thou not the oppressor, and choose none of his ways.”

God allows men of varying character to have positions in the church to test us. Do we also have selfish ambition? Would we also use others for our own gain or would we rather as Christ lay down our lives for others? Who we make our hero shows who we are.

I remember reading an article about a certain Christian rock group. They were asked who their role models were. I do not remember all the names they mentioned, but their first choice was, “the Beatles.” Let’s be honest, choosing a group that directly exalted themselves against Christ is a dead give-away about both your own motives and your moral compass. Clearly you value ability and talent over character. Everyone of us has been granted some measure of ability, talent and position of leadership by God. Our test is very simple, do we use our talent for God, or abuse it to usurp glory, fame, wealth, etc… for ourself (even if like Diotrephes, we do it in a church). The one is the way of Christ, the other the way of Lucifer. Who is our role model? Beloved, follow not that which is evil, but that which is good!

The Sufficiency Of The Word Of God

Since this is my first post of the new year, I thought it would be good to look at the power of the Word of God. It is after all why I write. If I did not believe that God’s Word had power to accomplish, then there would be no reason for or point in my writing. The Word of God produces faith as it is heard and received (Rom. 10:17). Since the Word of God precedes all response on our part, it makes God the initiator and cause of everything of eternal worth. The Word of God is also able to build us up and Give us a rich inheritance (Acts 20:32).
The prophet Jeremiah gives a very interesting description of God’s Word in Jeremiah 23:28-29, “The prophet that hath a dream, let him tell a dream; and he that hath my word, let him speak my word faithfully. What is the chaff to the wheat? saith the LORD. Is not my word like as a fire? saith the LORD; and like a hammer that breaketh the rock in pieces?”

This portion of Scripture is dealing with specifically with the difference between true and false prophecy, but it can be extrapolated to show the difference between God’s Word in general and the words of all others. The first thing it mentions is that we should speak God’s Word faithfully if we have it. We must not dilute or adulterate it, but give it as close as we can to how it came to us. Next it encouraged Jeremiah with the ultimate triumph of God’s Word. He was surrounded by false prophets with a message opposite to what God had spoken to him. God said, “What is the chaff to the wheat?” The chaff may be with the wheat for a time, but when the winnowing comes it is removed by the wind, because it has no solid true substance. The wheat however remains. God’s Word, his true Word, has substance and it will remain no matter the circumstance. The chaff of man’s ideas, hopes and dreams will be swept away sooner or later.

Not only is God’s Word stable in all circumstances, but it alters circumstances, in the same way that fire alters that which it touches and like the hammer that breaks the rock. When there is opposition to God’s Word, the Word will remain and the opposition will not. Either it will change or it will break.

This leads to the next thought contained in Scripture which is our response to God’s Word. Paul rejoiced because the Thessalonians had received God’s Word as God’s Word, not as man’s word (1 Thess. 2:13). God’s Word works effectively for our good when we receive it as His Word and obey it, any other response produces a curse in our life. Noah believed and received God’s Word and obeyed it, thus he was raised in the ark by the same water that drowned those who did not believe. They had taken Noah’s preaching as the words of man and perished because of it.

We are further told to in James, “Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls.” We need to submit to the Word of God when it comes. Mankind is proud and does not desire to admit our need of help. God’s Word is directly opposed to this and it works to our good when we acknowledge that God knows best and receive whatever He says, even though it might be against what we would naturally think. It mentions “engrafted” in this verse. That carries an interesting thought, a graft is a branch that is foreign to the tree in which it is placed and produces fruit from its parent. However it is nurtured by the tree into which it is grafted. God’s Word is foreign to us and contrary to our nature, but when we receive it and give it a place in our hearts it grows and produces His fruit – the fruit of the Spirit, Praise God!

The Ten Commandments Part 11

Exo 20:17 Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbour's.

Deu 5:21 Neither shalt thou desire thy neighbour's wife, neither shalt thou covet thy neighbour's house, his field, or his manservant, or his maidservant, his ox, or his ass, or any thing that is thy neighbour's.

This command is interesting in that it is the only one for which there are no proscribed punishments in the law. This is because it deals not with outward acts, which are provable and thus able to be prosecuted, but instead with desires. It is easy enough to prove adultery or theft, but how do you prove that your neighbor is coveting?

This commandment thus shows something in an obscure way that is made open by Christ, that God deems evil attitudes and desires as sins, not just evil acts. Jesus forbade anger as being murder in the heart and lust as being adultery in the heart (Matt. 5:22-23; 27-29). Now the evil desire is the seed of sin, and is sinful in itself, but it is not as evil as the deed. Some might say, coveting is as bad as stealing. No, coveting is not as bad. People have coveted without stealing, but no one has stolen without coveting. The same can be said of lust. This does not excuse covetousness, which is a great evil, but it is to emphasize that while it is bad to want to do a sinful deed, it is worse to do it.

James gives us the progressive order of sin, “But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.” Lust or desire tempts us, we dwell on that desire and commit the act. The act carries with it a penalty – death! The key to victory over sin is in the desires. If we can put away evil desires and not dwell on them, then we won’t advance to the second stage and actually commit evil deeds. The Apostle Paul in Colossians gives lists of two different types of sins, some that need to be mortified and some that need to be put off. There are five that must be starved to death, fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and coveteousness. Passion differs from evil desire in that it denotes a will that is set on a course, like the feet that are swift in running to mischief (Prov. 6:18). Evil desire is like the heart that devises wicked imaginations. Covetousness is desiring something God has not given you, and is compared with idolatry (Eph. 5:5). Fornication and uncleanness cover the whole range of sexual immorality. These five desires must be taken captive, and starved until they are destroyed. These sins must be put to death as John Bunyan has my Lord Willbewill do unto Harmless-Mirth (Lasciviousness in disguise) in his book “The Holy War.”

There are other sins mentioned later in Colossians 3 that are to be put off, such as anger, filthy speaking, etc. When we are tempted to be angry we make a choice to not allow it, we put it off.

If we hunger and thirst after righteousness, God will change our desires from evil desires to desires of righteousness. This is part of the total redemption which Christ purchased for us on the cross, Praise God!

The Ten Commandments Part 10

Exo 20:16 Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor.
Deu 5:20 Neither shalt thou bear false witness against thy neighbor.
This commandment demands our truthfulness, not only in courts of law, but as witnesses to the actions of ourselves and others in general. While this commandment forbids all lying, I would like to focus on one specific form which is gossip and slander. It is a sad state of affairs when the children of light throw around the darkness of slander and calumny. Christ calls Himself the faithful and true witness (Rev. 3:14). For us to be anything less is to fall short of His glory.
There are several ways in which Christians can break this commandment without perhaps even realizing it. Richard Baxter in a sermon entitled “Cases Of Conscience, and Directions Against Backbiting, Slandering, and Evil Speaking” available for reading at www.puritansermons.com, mentions several thoughts concerning this commandment worth noting. I will summarize a few of them (I would recommend reading the whole sermon, he says things in a very memorable way far better than I could.):
1. Even if a man is the enemy of God and the truth we cannot go beyond the bounds of truth in attacking him. “God needeth not malice, nor calumnies nor injustice to His glory.”

Remember of Christ it is said, “In righteousness doth He judge and make
war” (Rev. 19:11).

2. Take heed that in your zeal to defend your beliefs and the beliefs of your sect, you do not cross over to calumny of others who disagree. “A siding factious zeal, which is hotter for any sect or party, than for the common Christianity and catholic church, is always a railing, a lying, and a slandering zeal, and is notably described, James 3, as ‘earthly, sensual, and devilish,’ causing ‘envy, strife, and confusion, and every evil work.’”

When we realize that it is only God that gives understanding of His Word, we should be merciful towards others who disagree with us, especially on minor matters. We cannot shy away from the truth, but we need not attack them personally. It is one thing to fight a doctrine, it is another to attack the person who holds it. 2 Timothy 2:24-25 shows us the manner we should have towards those who disagree with us. If we are right, then meekness is in order. If we are wrong, and we are the ones God has to lead to repentance it is even more needful. The more ferociously we fight the worse it will be if we are wrong.

3. Backbiting is a great evil because it destroys love. “…as it is not the natural way of winning love, to entreat and beg it, and say, I pray you love this person, or that thing; but to open the goodness of the thing or person, which will command love: so is it not the natural way to stir up hatred, by entreating men to hate this man or that; but to tell how bad they are, which will command hatred in them that do believe it. Therefore to speak evil of another, is more than to say to the hearers, I pray you hate this man…”

4. We can be guilty of lying if we repeat evil of people without sufficient proof. “They who often speak evil of others behind their backs, it is ten to one will speak falsehoods of them when they do not know it. Fame is too ordinarily a liar, and they shall be liars who will be its messengers… If you know it not to be true, or have not sufficient evidence to prove it, you are guilty of lying and slandering interpretatively, though it should prove true; because it might have been a lie for aught you knew.”

5. We should be careful not to speak before we have heard the whole of the matter (Prov. 18:17). “It is gross injustice to talk of a man’s faults, before you have heard him speak for himself. I know it is usual with such to say, O we have heard it from such as we are certain will not lie. But he is a foolish and unrighteous judge will be peremptory upon hearing one party only speak, and knoweth not how ordinary it is for a man when speaketh for himself; to blow away the most confident and plausible accusations, and make the case appear to be quite another thing. You know not what another man hath to say till you have heard him.”

It is interesting that one of things that God sets forth for those who would dwell with Him is that they should speak the truth in their hearts and neither backbite nor take up a reproach against their neighbors (Psalm 15:2-3).

Christ was tempted in all points as we are, yet He never sinned. This gives Him tremendous understanding of the frailty and failing of humanity. He never condones sin, but He sorrows for the sinner. There is no self-righteousness in Him, even though all righteousness is in Him! One of the most interesting pronouncements He made was in Matthew 23:36-38, “Verily I say unto you, All these things shall come upon this generation. O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not! Behold, your house is left unto you desolate.” Note the tenderness He had even to those who had repeatedly rejected Him and were about to crucify them. He truly warned of the judgment that would come, but without any bitterness or railing. Truly, He is our example to follow!

The Ten Commandments Part 9

Exo 20:15 Thou shalt not steal.

Deu 5:19 Neither shalt thou steal.

This commandment shows that God upholds the right of private property ownership. It is a saying that, “Possession is 9/10s of the law” and certainly in human relationships this law and its various applications make up a large part. God’s law unlike most legal codes is biased neither towards the poor nor the rich.

This commandment goes against “wealth redistribution” and other similar schemes, which in effect punish the wealthy. There is no question that some wealthy people make their wealth through dishonest means, but wealth is neither right nor wrong in the sight of God, but rather how it is acquired and how it is used. God views deprivation of property by governments as theft if it is not done in the limits of justice. Jezebel’s seizing of Naboth’s vineyard was robbery and murder in God’s eyes and He judged it accordingly (1 Kings chapter 21). In many nations were property laws are changed to deprive certain groups of their land, God views this as robbery (the application of force by the police, or armed forces raise it from mere theft to robbery, which is theft by violence or threat of violence). Often the rational given for these seizures is that the property was obtained unjustly in the beginning, if that is true, then it should be proven, and if it was unjust according to the law as it was, then why do they have to change the law to affect the seizure?

On the side of the employer, God regards it as theft if they either unnecessarily delay payment of money owed to a worker (Lev. 19:13), short-changing him in payment or otherwise changing his wages. Laban developed that scheme to perfection on Jacob, and apparently he was a role model to many in the BIA in the late 1800s. Other ways in which businesses can be guilty of theft is through dishonest scales, and similar tricks (Proverbs 11:1). In South Africa, potato chip companies will vary the amount of chips in the bag throughout the year 125g-150g, without changing the bag size or the price. While it is marked at the bottom of the packaging, they know that most people won’t notice and will pay the same price for 25g less. If that does not contravene the letter of God’s law it certainly is against the spirit. Another similar instance is when the Watt rating on speakers was changed without much fanfare to peak power output from its older standard. This allows speakers to be rated higher than they would been under the older rating.

Other forms of theft which are forbidden, are failure to return borrowed property (money included), or returning it in a damaged condition with no restitution, there are however certain limitations (Ex. 22:7-15). Damage to another’s property through carelessness also makes one liable (Ex. 22:5-6).

This is not an exhaustive list of violations. Using company time and equipment to do our own thing would also be a violation if it is not permitted by the company. We are in effect taking money without rendering the service we are obligated to render. God requires a total repentance from all stealing, and a total change in action and attitude. “Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labor, working with his hands the thing that is good, that he may have whereof to give to him that hath need” (Eph. 4:28). Instead of taking Christians should be givers, even to the undeserving even as God is!

The Ten Commandments Part 8

Exo 20:14 Thou shalt not commit adultery.
Deu 5:18 Neither shalt thou commit adultery.

This commandment is a forbidding of not only adultery proper, but all uncleanness and immorality in general.

God instituted marriage in the garden of Eden, it was one man and one woman for life. The fall caused not only a break and enstrangement in the relationship with God, but also with each other. Adam’s “bone of my bone, and flesh of my flesh”, became “that woman You gave me…” The change of the nature within was mirrored by the change of nature without. Thorns and briars were first introduced. In High School Biology I remember learning that thorns are branches that grow from mutated branch nodes. Unlike normal branches that branch out and bear leaves, thorns fold inward. In other words a thorn is a self-centered branch, and shows us something of the change in our own heart that happened as part of the fall. Plants began to produce thorns to keep themselves from being devoured, people began to put themselves first. “Looking out for number one” was introduced. This attitude was and is the bane of marriage.

Once this attitude is set in it was not long before it brought forth its first evil fruit, polygamy (Gen. 4:19). While the Mosaic law never forbade polygamy, it did seek to mitigate all its evils (Passing over the firstborn of the first wife, neglecting her, marrying sisters, etc…). If the life of Jacob shows us anything, it shows us the chaos that is created by polygamy in the home. When sins are prevalent in our culture and society we can be easily influenced, and not even see how far short we fall of God’s intentions. When Jacob was in danger of his life, he sent his wives and children, in reverse order of importance to him, out in front, with himself at the back so that he could escape. This is hardly the action of a good husband or father. It does not take a genius to see that this might have something to do with the violent hatred that some of the other children had for Joseph, who was his father’s favorite. The fact that God did not give up on Jacob in spite of his serious shortcomings in his homelife should encourage everyone that God can use even our own mistakes and the difficulties they create to perfect us if we turn to Him.

By the time of the return from Babylon, the Jews had as a whole realized that polygamy was not ideal and that God’s ideal was one man and one wife. However fallen man trying to look out for himself, changed that in effect to “one wife at a time.” Divorce like polygamy was not forbidden in the Mosaic law but it’s evils were lessened. Apparently it was not a common occurrence in the earlier Old Testament times, but became a great destroyer of family life by the time of Malachi. He explains how God views it (Mal. 2:10-16). In spite of what Malachi prophesied divorce continued to be very common up to the days of Christ some 400 years later. Asked His opinion He stated it clearly and expressly, that God joined man and woman in marriage therefore man could not dissolve the marriage (Matt. 19:3-10). God is the only one who can dissolve the marriage and He does that by death. It is my conviction that the exception clause refers to fornication proper during the engagement period in Jewish custom (Eg. Matt.1). In the second century, while the church apparently did allow divorce for immorality, they did not allow remarriage. A divorced person was to remain single or be reconciled (Hermas Book 2 Chap. 1). While I would not agree with that position, it does show what was believed by the church concerning remarriage at a very early date.

When we consider the situation that the early Church experienced as compared to the Church today, we realize that they are very similar. The people of God (then the Jews, now the Church) were better than the surrounding nations in that they did not kill unwanted babies (Exposure then, now abortion) or in all the flagrant immorality, yet there was a high rate of divorce even among God’s people. Jesus came to institute the New Covenant, which has the power not only to remit sin, but to break its power. In the immoral world we live in today it is good to remember the apostle Paul’s words to the Corinthians (1 Cor. 6:9-11). First he tells us in no uncertain terms that immoral people will not get into heaven. Then he adds some of the most comforting words ever written, the beauty of the past tense, “Such WERE some of you…” Having told them that no fornicator, adulterer, homosexual, etc… shall inherit the kingdom of God, he then shows that there may be many former fornicators, former adulterers, and former homosexuals in heaven. It is not sin that keeps us from heaven, but unwillingness to turn from it. God is willing to meet us in our sin and rebellion and change us if we are willing to forsake our sin. God often will use trouble and calamity to make us willing to repent even as He did with King David. If we repent, God will begin to restore us. David knew God as “the lifter of His head” (Psa. 3:3). When he could only hangs his head in shame of the remembrance of what he had done and could not undo, God raised his head and reminded him, “You are not the same man who did that, I have changed you, and I will continue to change you…” 1 Kings 1:1-4 shows us a different David from 2 Samuel 11, it is a wiser David, a David that has learned his lesson and been changed. If we have been involved in a particular sin and come out of it, God may at times bring us into situations that would have been tempting before, He does this not for His sake, because He already knows we have been changed. Instead He does it for our sake and the sake of others around us so that we can see the work God has done and thank Him that we are different. Praise God!

The Ten Commandments Part 7

Exo 20:13 Thou shalt not kill.
Deu 5:17 Thou shalt not kill.

The Ten Commandments form an abridgement of the law, as is seen when the law is studied as a whole. Much of the law deals with various infractions against these Ten Commandments and the corresponding punishments. I write this because some would use this command to oppose capital punishment. This is an absurd perversion of the Law of God. God gives this command because human life is precious. It is given by Him as a trust in stewardship of the one to whom it is given with a reckoning held at the end as to how it was lived. When a man’s life is cut short, God requires a life for a life, and instituted this in the covenant He gave to Noah (Gen. 9:5-6). This covenant has never been abrogated and remains in effect for all of humanity for all times.
This law is far better than any other method which man has used to punish murder throughout history. It specifically forbids the reception of money in place of the death of the murderer (Num. 35:31-34). When man is viewed merely as a producer/consumer then it becomes possible to economically compensate the family for the loss. This was a widespread custom occurring among the Germanic tribes, and the Native Americans among others. However the Biblical view of man is that he was formed in the image of God, and thus any taking of his life, or even disfigurement of the dead is an offense against God who made man in His image (Gen. 1:26-27; Amos 2:1). In our own time the tendency is to view man merely as a member of society, thus we punish murder by locking the murderer away to prevent further murder. This humanistic method of valuing man ultimately leads to euthanasia and abortion, especially of those who are not perceived as having value to society. Man’s life is valuable not because of what he contributes to society, but because of the image they bear, marred by sin though it is.
The other common way to treat the offense was to kill one of the kindred of the one responsible, if the perpetrator could not be found. This is removed in the law, because only the one responsible was to be killed. Also His death was to be done after a trial, which would prevent blood feuds.
The law of God would thus require capital punishment for murder, with some allowance made for mercy to be shown as it was to David. The main objection to capital punishment is wrongful conviction. This would be somewhat removed if the law reflected the Mosaic law and made perjury in a capital case a capital offense (Deut. 19:16-19).
The value that God places on human life was shown in that this law was applied even to a burglar (during daylight hours) and only the confusion of night and terror associated with a night time prowler permitted the killing of a thief (Ex. 22:2-3). During the day it should have been possible to subdue the man, even if he were armed, at night the whole matter would have been much harder. The Old Testament does make it clear that men are within their rights to band together and fight against others who come against them to kill them (Est. 8:11). However, as Christians we have the privilege of laying down our rights, even the right to life, on behalf of others.
This command directly forbids abortion, euthanasia and suicide. These acts all view life as belonging to ourselves rather than as being a stewardship given by God.
Jesus took the command to not kill to its source and forbade us even to be angry with our neighbors which is the source of murder (Matt. 5:21-22). Beloved let us love one another!

The Ten Commandments Part 6

Exo 20:12 Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.

Deu 5:16 Honour thy father and thy mother, as the LORD thy God hath commanded thee; that thy days may be prolonged, and that it may go well with thee, in the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.

This command actually ends the first table of the commandments. The previous four have all had to do with our relationship to God. God begins with our relationship with Him, because that is first in importance. If we do not care about offending against God we will have few scruples about offending against people. This command is a transition commandment. It belongs to the first table, because it still deals with our relationship with God as reflected by our relationship with human authority. Thus this commandment belongs to both the first and second table and forms a bridge between them.

God often tests the reality of our relationship with Him based on our relationship to others. True love of God is proved by love of the brethren (1 John 4:20). In the same way our honoring our parents is a reflection of our honor for God. Since, if we are born again, God is also our Father, we will respond to Him as we do to our earthly parents. We had no say in who our parents were, God chose that as sovereign over all things to do with human reproduction. Whatever the faults and flaws they have, they were still chosen by God for our training, so we should honor them. This holds true with authorities in general, and if we learn a right attitude to our parents we will have a much easier time with other authorities who were also placed over us by God. God often asks us to obey Him in things that go against the way we would like to do things, if we never learn to respond well to our parents when they cross our will, how will we respond to Him?

It is not always possible to obey our parents, but it always is possible to honor them. Jesus is our pattern in this as well as in everything else. When He was young He was obedient to them in everything (Luk. 2:51). As He grew older and entered His ministry, there were some things that He was unable to follow their wishes in, because He had to do the will of His Father. However, He was always respectful to His mother, though in English it may not always translate so (John 2:1-11; Matt. 12:46-50). Among His last acts as He hung on the cross was ensuring that His mother would be looked after (John 19:26-27).

If our parents are requiring something of us that is contrary to what God says in His Word, we must obey God, but be respectful towards them. If they attempt to pressure us into a vocation or other long term commitment that we have no desire towards, we should pray to see if it is God’s will for us. God can change our desires, but if it isn’t His will and we are sure that God has something else for us, we should state firmly yet respectfully that we will not pursue that course of action. Far greater than our duty to our parents is our duty towards God. Sometimes these difficulties can continue for some time, so we should pray that God would bring about His will. If our parents are set on something for us, we can not budge them, but God can give them a change of heart. He usually will do this after our own attitude improves.

This commandment is the first one with a promise. We are promised a long and blessed life if we obey it. So may God grant that we obey it!

The Ten Commandments Part 5

Exo 20:8-11 Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work: But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates: For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.

Deu 5:12-15 Keep the sabbath day to sanctify it, as the LORD thy God hath commanded thee. Six days thou shalt labour, and do all thy work: But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, nor thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thine ox, nor thine ass, nor any of thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates; that thy manservant and thy maidservant may rest as well as thou. And remember that thou wast a servant in the land of Egypt, and that the LORD thy God brought thee out thence through a mighty hand and by a stretched out arm: therefore the LORD thy God commanded thee to keep the sabbath day.

This commandment is slightly different in wording though not in substance in the two portions of Scripture where it is found. What differs more is the reason given for it which follows. We are given two reasons to keep this commandment. First, is God’s creation of the world in six days and His then resting. Second, is a remembrance of His deliverance of Israel from Egypt.

It is interesting that the seven day week is a common occurrence throughout widely divergent cultures. However unlike the 28 day lunar cycle or 365 day solar cycle it has no astronomical base. It in itself testifies to the Creator. For this reason the French tried to eliminate it when they set up their cult of reason in the French revolution (Like the Antichrist who is to come they tried to change times and seasons). They were introducing all their metric measurements at that time and tried to introduce a ten day week. This proved unworkable as people and even the animals needed a day of rest on the seventh not tenth day.

The early church began to meet on the first day of the week (Sunday) rather than on the sixth day at a very early time (1 Cor. 16:1-2). This was done in honor of Christ’s resurrection (Matt. 28:1).
The Sabbath we are to keep is a holy day. It is not just a day of rest, which is essential, which God has given us, but also a day to remember Him and think of His goodness. The bare minimum of this commandment is regular church attendance. We are not to neglect the assembling together of believers (Heb. 10:25). It’s greater purpose is to lead us to an entering into rest and a cessation from our own works in every area of our life (Heb. 4:10). If we are insistent on doing our own thing on a Sunday, how will we ever learn to do His will in the day to day details?

I think if we truly consider this commandment we must admit that the church at large violates it. The worst example I have heard of occurred when a church chose to show the Superbowl on Superbowl Sunday. Blasphemous profanation! Is that why Christ died so that He can have a people who can’t set their minds on Him as long as they aren’t sure of the current score? Before the game does the pastor preach on 1 John 2:15?

On the other hand, I would certainly not advocate the way that in the old days, this commandment was taken to an extreme. In some houses they actually would cover all the paintings they had lest someone should actually derive some pleasure from seeing it on the Sabbath! What you choose to do is between you and God. I would suggest that you consider this command and ask God how He would like you to keep it. After all, He gave the law so He knows what He has in mind!

The Ten Commandments Part 4

Exo 20:7 Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain; for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.

Deu 5:11 Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain: for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.

The third commandment forbids the use of God’s name in vain. To take God’s name in vain is to fail in the purpose for which man was created, to glorify and please the God. This commandment is violated perhaps more than any other in this age we live, both by believers and unbelievers.

We violate this commandment whenever we use God’s name as an exclamation or curse instead of an invocation of Him in Holiness. We also violate it whenever we call Him as a witness to our innocence when we are guilty.

The tenor of this whole commandment is the fear of the Lord. If we truly fear God then we will be jealous of His Name. Christ raised the bar for this commandment in the Sermon on the Mount, “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.” (Matt. 5:16). Not only should we not misuse the name of God but every word and deed should be to glorify that name. Paul wrote as a great indictment against the Jews of his day, that by their lives they caused God’s name to be blasphemed and dishonored rather than glorified (Rom. 2:17-29). The fact that the glory of God figured highly even in David’s cry for mercy in His fall shows our contemporary Christianity in an unfavorable light. His repentance and cry for restoration were more the outgrowth of a desire that God would be justified in His judgment of one who bore His name but walked contrary to Him than of a desire for personal salvation (See Psalm. 25:11; 40:2-3,10,16; 51:4, 13, 19).

The last way in which Christians often break the third commandment applies specifically to Pentecostal/Charismatic circles and is when we use the words “The Lord told me” as a cover for doing our own thing or in any other manner when God has not really spoken. To use His name as a stamp for our own agenda does not lend authority to it, because His authority only flows from His authorship. Everything which originates in Him will bear His authority and will be brought to pass. Anything that originates in us can never have His authority, no matter how good the idea may sound, or how much we pray for His blessing upon it, because it does not have His authorship. To Use His name for our own “prophecies” which we have devised, brings genuine prophecy into disrepute and makes the name of God a common and profane thing.

Let us bring glory and honor to His name!

The Ten Commandments Part 3

Exo 20:4-6 Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth: Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me; And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments.

Deu 5:8-10 Thou shalt not make thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the waters beneath the earth: Thou shalt not bow down thyself unto them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me, And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me and keep my commandments.

The first commandment dealt with our focus in worship, the second deals with the manner of worship. God does not and never has desired us to worship Him through the medium of images. Man has often swerved from this commandment. Israel often violated both this and the first commandment when they made images of Baal and other gods. In the wilderness Aaron and the people violated the second commandment without having another god per se (Ex. 32:5). Aaron called the feast that he appointed a feast to Jehovah. Jeroboam the son of Nebat likewise transgressed in this way.

Whenever we rely on a talisman, charm, statue, picture, or any other thing which is man-made to draw us into God’s presence or bring His favor and blessing upon us we are breaking the second commandment. This commandment is not a total prohibition against making statues and other works of art, because God Himself commanded certain of these things in His own tabernacle. It is however a prohibition against using these as objects to promote devotion or to be channels of worship. In the Middle Ages the stained glass windows and other art work of the great cathedrals could have been useful in as far as they often told Bible stories, and could have served as reminders of truth. However they often instead distracted the people who came from the worship of God and the hearing of His Word. The same could be said of some of the Powerpoint and multimedia presentations in churches today. They distract from worship. There is nothing wrong with having the words of the songs we sing projected to the front, and there is no reason why these words have to have plain background. However, if it gets to the point that people become more interested in these things than in God’s presence, than the second commandment is being broken. Videos playing on a screen have a tendency to catch the human eye, and distract from the presence of God. The main thing in a church service is the presence of God and the hearing of His Word, multimedia that gives illustration and aids in remembering the Word is good, if it distracts it becomes as great a curse as it could be a blessing.

May God grant us wisdom in all things.

The Ten Commandments Part 2

Exo 20:3 Thou shalt have no other gods before me.

Deu 5:7 Thou shalt have none other gods before me.

Since there are some minor variations between the two chapters which give the Decalogue, I thought it would be good to give the text of both for a fuller elucidation of its meaning.

The First Commandment is also the most important, since as we see in Romans 1:21-32, that God gives those who fail in this commandment over to break other of the commandments as a punishing of sin with sin.

This commandment shows the jealousy of God. Jealousy differs from envy. Envy desires what another has, and is linked to unthankfulness and covetousness. God is never envious for He owns everything, but He is jealous. Jealousy is properly the desire to be number 1 in position and in the hearts of the people. In man it is a sin, but in God who is alone worthy to be number one it is His right. As a husband and wife have the right to expect that in each other’s affections as far as humanity is concerned they come first, so God has the right to expect that He comes first and only in the class of God, especially since He is in a class by His own.

This commandment is broken when we cherish anything above God in our hearts. Jesus enlarged on this commandment in Matthew 10:37-38, “He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me.” When man lowers God in his estimation, God lowers the man in His. Those who do not see the worth of our Lord and become willing to forsake all for Him, have actually shown their own lack of worth. Some people speak of relationships as 50/50 propositions, but actually they are 100/100. The Christian relationship with God only works when we give our hundred percent to it, God already gave His hundred percent. We love Him because He first loved us.

This commandment is broken even by those who claim to believe in no God. They actually believe in three, matter, time and chance. These three inferior deities are claimed to have worked in conjunction to bring into being everything we see. Their reliance is on these deities to continue moving everything towards a better form of life, and their lives are controlled by these forces. This religion even has its own eschatology, whereby eventually all the stars will burn out and all life will cease. This is at least partially true for its adherents who will taste the second death and for whom is reserved the blackness of darkness forever.

This is all in contrast to the self-revelation of God, Who created the universe from nothing, with no external aid. Currently He upholds all things by the Word of His power, and is moving His creatures (the sons of God) towards a better form of existence, which will be manifested fully in the new heavens and new earth.

Whenever we take any attributes that belong to God alone and ascribe them to any created thing, we make a god of it and are in violation of the first commandment. We also violate this law when we place an inordinate confidence in any created thing as opposed to God. For example if we begin to place our trust in salvation more in our church than in Christ Himself, or when we rely exclusively on doctors when ill, to the detriment of faith in God. Our faith should always be in God, He can heal using doctors or He can heal directly without healing agency, but unless He purposes it, no healing can take place. We are also guilty of violating this commandment when we trust in our own resources, strength, wisdom, etc. and forget that all these are merely gifts of God of which we are stewards. This is one test which all mankind will face, we have all been given differing talents and abilities, and we will be tested on whether we used what was given us for God’s glory or for self-aggrandizement as Lucifer did. Let God be God in your life!

News from Malawi

The last 2 Sundays Dad and I have been out ministering in village churches. This Friday I will be speaking at a lunch hour service. We are gearing up for our Christmas distributions (Since we now have 1800+ on our list, we will be doing 5 different distributions). At the Christmas distributions we give out food, as well as a few sweets, some vasoline,clothing and blankets.

We had been working among 5 villages, we added another one, and then several more quickly requested help. We ended up taking on some people from 2 more villages, and refused other requests. The last 2 we took up are a good hour and a half walk, and since Mom visits those who are on our list to check on their needs and we have many people coming to see us with requests taking the other villages would have been overwhelming. It often isn't practicable to drive to these areas as there are streams that have no bridges that can support a motor vehicle and some of the paths are too narrow.

We also have been helping supply money for fertiliser for people in our area. Since many Malawians live by subsistance famring this is helping them help themselves. We are praying for good rains this year so that the people can have a good harvest.

The Ten Commandments Part 1

In starting a series on the exposition of the Ten commandments, it is first necessary to understand the correct place of the Law in the Christian life. There are 2 principle errors in the viewing of the law – Antinomianism and Legalism. The one views the law as abolished or at least of no importance to the believer. The other tends to emphasize it to a degree which makes it the basis of justification, or at least a source of confidence before God.
Against both of these stand the Scriptures and most especially, 1 Timothy 1:5-11, “But the end of the charge is love out of a pure heart and a good conscience and faith unfeigned: from which things some having swerved have turned aside unto vain talking; desiring to be teachers of the law, though they understand neither what they say, nor whereof they confidently affirm. But we know that the law is good, if a man use it lawfully, as knowing this, that law is not made for a righteous man, but for the lawless and unruly, for the ungodly and sinners, for the unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers, for fornicators, for abusers of themselves with men, for menstealers, for liars, for false swearers, and if there be any other thing contrary to the sound doctrine; according to the gospel of the glory of the blessed God, which was committed to my trust.”

The law is good, it was not issued out of caprice, but as part of an ongoing revelation of a holy God to sinful man. Before the law, as Paul tells us in Romans 5:14, men still died even though they had not sinned in an actual transgression of a commandment like Adam, since there was no commandment to transgress. However, death still reigned, because sin was still within man, as a latent propensity which would spring forth whenever a command was given, and thus opportunity was granted for its manifestation. In the same way that a fox kit may look harmless enough, and even be allowed into a hen house, but sooner or later it would fulfill its nature and devour the chickens. In the same way God cannot take unredeemed man into His Kingdom, even though there be no law to convict them, their nature only awaits a command, any command of God to set up their own will in opposition to His. Unconverted man would quickly re-enact the fall of Lucifer again in heaven, and were they allowed to remain there they would turn the celestial harmony of will found there into the dissonant discord of hell.

Hence God sent His law, this was and is a self-revelation of His good nature, and a revelation of the fallshortishness of humanity. Each precept was a hammer blow to drive nails into the coffin of human pride and self-reliance so that man would realize his guilt, need of redemption and utter unfitness to enter God’s kingdom in the state he is born. The law shows where we fall short and is the basis of Christ’s declaration to Nicodemus, “Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God” (John 3:3). A new and heavenly birth is essential, because it provides a new nature (Christ’s) which can enter into God’s kingdom. Using the law as a source of justification is like using a hammer to drive a screw into wood (Something many Malawian carpenters do). It is a misuse of a tool which is good for its intention, and not to be blamed for its misapplication.

With this part being given as an introduction, I desire now to look at the Ten Commandments. If we study these and look at the amplifications of these given in the New Testament, we are sure to be challenged in areas where the old nature needs to die and the new nature come forth. His law is perfect converting the soul.

Thoughts On Psalm 19

Psa 19:1 To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David. The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork.
Psa 19:2 Day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night sheweth knowledge.
Psa 19:3 There is no speech nor language, where their voice is not heard.
Psa 19:4 Their line is gone out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world. In them hath he set a tabernacle for the sun,
Psa 19:5 Which is as a bridegroom coming out of his chamber, and rejoiceth as a strong man to run a race.
Psa 19:6 His going forth is from the end of the heaven, and his circuit unto the ends of it: and there is nothing hid from the heat thereof.
Psa 19:7 The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul: the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple.
Psa 19:8 The statutes of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart: the commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes.
Psa 19:9 The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring for ever: the judgments of the LORD are true and righteous altogether.
Psa 19:10 More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold: sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb.
Psa 19:11 Moreover by them is thy servant warned: and in keeping of them there is great reward.
Psa 19:12 Who can understand his errors? cleanse thou me from secret faults.
Psa 19:13 Keep back thy servant also from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me: then shall I be upright, and I shall be innocent from the great transgression.
Psa 19:14 Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O LORD, my strength, and my redeemer.

This Psalm begins with the testimony of nature to its Creator. Then it moves to the more sure Word of Prophecy found in Scripture. It closes with a desire for purification.

Part 1

The heavens are a continual showing forth of the attributes of God. The sun rising on the just and unjust shows His impartial benevolence and the change of the seasons His faithfulness. Creation shows to an awakened soul a God who loves beauty and infinite variety, who creates every snow flake and blade of grass unique, and yet containing properties of their type. These sermons of God’s goodness and justice are spoken even where the Bible has never been read, nor the gospel preached. As Paul writes in Romans all men are without excuse.

Part 2

We have however an even better testimony as to the nature of God, His own self-revelation as written in His Word. In a similar way to a work of art which tells us much about the artist, even more revealing would be the diary of that artist where he describes what his aim in making the work was and what he was expressing through it. The Bible is the book which gives purpose to nature, or rather it reveals God who is the purpose of nature. It is only after we have seen the beginning and end of this creation in the Word that we can properly understand nature. Otherwise we tend to flounder in Nature Worship (materialism being one species, animism another).

It is the Word which converts our souls, makes us wise, and enlightens our understanding.

Part 3

This part of the Psalm would seem to be somewhat of a digression from the rest. Unless, perhaps it is to remind us that God never enlightens for the purpose of knowledge, but rather for the purpose of character. Too many times we seek knowledge of God’s Word without a desire to apply that knowledge to our lives.

This part begins with a question, “Who can understand his errors?” As humans we all labour under the difficulty of self-ignorance. Every fool’s folly seems folly but his own. We can see faults in every one but ourselves, and when our real self is manifest through circumstances we cast it out of mind as an aberration. How do we gain a true self knowledge? Like a filthy man who cannot see his own dirt, we need a mirror. We need the mirror of God’s Word.

There is no fitter ending to this post than the final prayer of the Psalmist, who having meditated on the Word of God and His thoughts now says, “Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O LORD, my strength, and my redeemer.”

A Few Stray Thoughts on the Church

Eph 5:25-27 Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.

Leaving the first part of these verses to those who have more experience that me, I would like to look at the thought of Christ and His Church. I find my mind often returning to the mystery of the Church. I think it is because in the last couple of years Christ has given me a much greater love for His Church. When you think of the awesomeness of the relationship between Christ and His Church it really changes your outlook on life.

My thoughts on this verse are more of a side note. I was recently thinking, “If Christ loved the Church enough to give His life for it, should not I be willing also to throw in my 2 cents worth of life for it?” I have been given a tremendous privilege by God, firstly to be in His Holy Church, secondly to have been called to be a minister in that Church. He loved this Church enough to die for it, and He allows me to share His Word in some measure in that Church to help wash it that it might be found acceptable before Him! Surely if it was worth the sacrifice of His life, it is worthy of every feeble effort of mine.

Another thought I had was, “If Christ laid down His life for His Church, should I not joyfully lay down my life for that Church?” In other words, can I not accept being misunderstood, or lay down my own rights, etc… for the sake of others in His Body. I often think of this as a burdensome duty, but it is a rare privilege, to allow an injustice, or bear with another’s fault, or in some other way lay down your life so that Christ can work in that person, so that He can one day have that Bride He awaits.

It is something to think about, the next time a fellow believer and you have difficulties, think of this, “Christ lay down His life for that one, should my life not also be laid down for him, that he may become what Christ desires and will have pleasure in for all eternity?

Lord Jesus, may You have a Church truly worthy of You on that day, and my You grant us the privilege of bringing it about by laying down our small insignificant lives as You laid down Your inestimable life. Amen.

Preaching Christ

Before I begin writing on this subject, let me ask you, “what do you think is meant by preaching Christ?” When Paul wrote to the Corinthians, “I determined not to know anything among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified” (1 Cor. 2:2), was he referring only to the message of salvation through the cross, or to something more? If any of His other epistles are of help in showing his message it was something more.

He preached a triumphant Christ, who had defeated every principality and power (Col. 2:15), a Christ who needs no additives or substitutes (Col. 2:10). He preached a Christ that is the Head from which all direction and nourishment flows (Col. 2:19). All of his multitude of rays of theology all found there source and purpose in the One of whom he wrote, “For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen.” (Rom. 11:36).

Could one reason perhaps why we do not see results like Paul’s, be because we do not preach Christ like he did? We speak and see little response. We preach on modesty and yet are continually confronted with immodesty. We blame the sheep for being rebellious. Some of them are, but with many that is a symptom, not the disease. The problem is we have not really, fully preached Christ.

Let me show you a scenario. Imagine a marathon. Now in this marathon there is a runner who has a trainer instructing him. Imagine if the trainer tells him that the race doesn’t matter and he can run however he feels like and even in the wrong direction. Clearly something would be wrong with that. Now imagine that this trainer is constantly running alongside this runner and sometimes holding up a chocolate bar, saying, “come on if you take that next step you can have this.” At other times he has a whip and threatens, “if you don’t take that next step this is what you will get.” This image also is absurd, the trainer would be doing more work than the athlete. It all falls into place when the trainer has convinced the athlete that the race is worth winning. Once that has happened the athlete will prepare and discipline himself to the utmost so that he can win.

Paul understood this. We lay Christ before the people, by the grace of God in His entirety. When we have done that and they have grasped Him, the race makes sense. They no longer run aimlessly any way they want, nor are they motivated only by our threats and favours. They run to win Christ. They can only do that if they see Christ though. Many of our problems originate from trying to make people who have never really seen Christ try to discipline themselves to run. If we can show them Christ our problem will be keeping them back.

Paul having already preached Christ to his churches could challenge them to walk worthy of the one who called you (1 Thess. 2:12; Col. 1:10). In order to challenge someone with that they must have a proper idea of His worth. With this key, every door begins to open. It works first in our own lives. When I battle with unforgiveness, I remind myself, I do not forgive because the person deserves it. Whoever deserves forgiveness? I forgive because Christ forgave and He deserves that I should forgive others. If I battle with sin, I look to Christ is He not able to deliver me and change my desires. I am complete in Him. His power in me can snap whatever bondage, however long it has been a habit. If my manner of dressing offends someone in the church and I am aware of it. As I stand ready to dress for service, what do I do? “That is their problem they are too critical.” That may be true, but can you not wear something else out of love for Christ. Not because their opinion matters, whose does? Instead wear it because the Christ who died for you also died for them and would be grieved if you grieved them. On the other side, if I see someone wearing something I consider inappropriate, do I berate them? Can I not for the sake of Him who forbears much with me forbear with them for a short time. Am I upset because of the shame it brings to God, or is it more from the reproach it casts upon my church? We have to be careful, because often our desire to instruct is born out of busibodiness abetted by a mistaken belief that we are the “unto Him” to whom those in Jude v24 are committed.

The answer for every problem is Christ, the difference is merely one of attributes. Do we need His healing, His love, His patience, His wisdom, etc…

What do I do if they won’t listen when I point them to Christ? At that point there is not much you can do. I can only point people to Christ and show them what He desires, if they have no fear of displeasing Him, and no desire to please Him, than unless God changes their desires they are lost. God forbid that any man who will not listen to Christ should listen to me when I speak. As an ambassador, if you are at odds with my ruler, it would be strange if you were to be pleased when I speak on his behalf.

There is an everlasting gospel that we should focus on preaching. When we are in heaven we will still be preaching that. Should I be allowed the inestimable privilege of preaching in heaven, what would I be preaching? I would not there be preaching on wives submitting to their husbands or on husbands loving their wives, there would be no need. Nor would I be preaching on modesty, or many other things that are necessary now. However, I could still preach on the incomparableness of Christ, His love toward us which sparked our love towards Him, His nature and goodness. Nothing would be better than to see Him listening as I bare my soul’s love of Him and His greatness before Him and others. If He is lifted up He will draw men unto Himself. So let us lift Him up!

Preaching Christ

Before I begin writing on this subject, let me ask you, “what do you think is meant by preaching Christ?” When Paul wrote to the Corinthians, “I determined not to know anything among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified” (1 Cor. 2:2), was he referring only to the message of salvation through the cross, or to something more? If any of His other epistles are of help in showing his message it was something more.

He preached a triumphant Christ, who had defeated every principality and power (Col. 2:15), a Christ who needs no additives or substitutes (Col. 2:10). He preached a Christ that is the Head from which all direction and nourishment flows (Col. 2:19). All of his multitude of rays of theology all found there source and purpose in the One of whom he wrote, “For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen.” (Rom. 11:36).

Could one reason perhaps why we do not see results like Paul’s, be because we do not preach Christ like he did? We speak and see little response. We preach on modesty and yet are continually confronted with immodesty. We blame the sheep for being rebellious. Some of them are, but with many that is a symptom, not the disease. The problem is we have not really, fully preached Christ.

Let me show you a scenario. Imagine a marathon. Now in this marathon there is a runner who has a trainer instructing him. Imagine if the trainer tells him that the race doesn’t matter and he can run however he feels like and even in the wrong direction. Clearly something would be wrong with that. Now imagine that this trainer is constantly running alongside this runner and sometimes holding up a chocolate bar, saying, “come on if you take that next step you can have this.” At other times he has a whip and threatens, “if you don’t take that next step this is what you will get.” This image also is absurd, the trainer would be doing more work than the athlete. It all falls into place when the trainer has convinced the athlete that the race is worth winning. Once that has happened the athlete will prepare and discipline himself to the utmost so that he can win.

Paul understood this. We lay Christ before the people, by the grace of God in His entirety. When we have done that and they have grasped Him, the race makes sense. They no longer run aimlessly any way they want, nor are they motivated only by our threats and favours. They run to win Christ. They can only do that if they see Christ though. Many of our problems originate from trying to make people who have never really seen Christ try to discipline themselves to run. If we can show them Christ our problem will be keeping them back.

Paul having already preached Christ to his churches could challenge them to walk worthy of the one who called you (1 Thess. 2:12; Col. 1:10). In order to challenge someone with that they must have a proper idea of His worth. With this key, every door begins to open. It works first in our own lives. When I battle with unforgiveness, I remind myself, I do not forgive because the person deserves it. Whoever deserves forgiveness? I forgive because Christ forgave and He deserves that I should forgive others. If I battle with sin, I look to Christ is He not able to deliver me and change my desires. I am complete in Him. His power in me can snap whatever bondage, however long it has been a habit. If my manner of dressing offends someone in the church and I am aware of it. As I stand ready to dress for service, what do I do? “That is their problem they are too critical.” That may be true, but can you not wear something else out of love for Christ. Not because their opinion matters, whose does? Instead wear it because the Christ who died for you also died for them and would be grieved if you grieved them. On the other side, if I see someone wearing something I consider inappropriate, do I berate them? Can I not for the sake of Him who forbears much with me forbear with them for a short time. Am I upset because of the shame it brings to God, or is it more from the reproach it casts upon my church? We have to be careful, because often our desire to instruct is born out of busibodiness abetted by a mistaken belief that we are the “unto Him” to whom those in Jude v24 are committed.

The answer for every problem is Christ, the difference is merely one of attributes. Do we need His healing, His love, His patience, His wisdom, etc…

What do I do if they won’t listen when I point them to Christ? At that point there is not much you can do. I can only point people to Christ and show them what He desires, if they have no fear of displeasing Him, and no desire to please Him, than unless God changes their desires they are lost. God forbid that any man who will not listen to Christ should listen to me when I speak. As an ambassador, if you are at odds with my ruler, it would be strange if you were to be pleased when I speak on his behalf.

There is an everlasting gospel that we should focus on preaching. When we are in heaven we will still be preaching that. Should I be allowed the inestimable privilege of preaching in heaven, what would I be preaching? I would not there be preaching on wives submitting to their husbands or on husbands loving their wives, there would be no need. Nor would I be preaching on modesty, or many other things that are necessary now. However, I could still preach on the incomparableness of Christ, His love toward us which sparked our love towards Him, His nature and goodness. Nothing would be better than to see Him listening as I bare my soul’s love of Him and His greatness before Him and others. If He is lifted up He will draw men unto Himself. So let us lift Him up!

The Voice of the Son Of God

There is a voice like no other, a voice that called the world into being. There is a voice which speaks truth and is Truth. There is a voice which is Life and gives life, the voice of the Son of God.
Some Scriptures speak to the mind and heart and bring forth a good assent, to hear and obey them is good and the purpose for which they have been given. Other Scriptures thunder like a clapper striking a bell and posing the question “Do you ring?” Does your heart resonate with these truths? Has the infinite abyss of sin and weakness, which is man, called out to the infinite abyss of mercy and strength which is God? John 5:25-26 is such Scripture.
Joh 5:25-26 “Verily, verily, I say unto you, The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live. For as the Father hath life in himself; so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself.”

Jesus begins this saying with what we translate in the KJV as “Verily, Verily.” Literally it is “Amen, Amen” The word “amen” when uttered by Him, who is the Amen, betokens not only the truth of what is to follow, but also the sure fulfillment of it without doubt or question.

Next in His words He reveals the time frame for what He is about to say. It is clear if you study this chapter in its entirety that it refers to the general resurrection from the dead. That is the hour that is coming. The hour that now is, however, can well apply to the personal resurrection of the soul that is dead in trespasses and sins.

Yes, praise God, the hour comes when all the dead shall hear His voice and rise again to judgment, but even now those who hear His voice shall live! He has life in Himself, not as a communicated attribute or state, and as a result can communicate this life to others. How does this communication take place? It takes place by hearing His voice.

Often today we tend to think that the life flows by saying the “sinner’s prayer” or otherwise responding to the preaching of the Gospel, but really it only happens by His voice. The “sinner’s prayer” or other similar methods are only valid if they are the response of a dead soul coming to life in response to the voice of the life-giving Son.

As seen in John 10:27-28, those who are Christ’s sheep are those who hear His voice. It is to those that hear His voice, are known by Him and follow Him that the promises made in these verses apply.

1. I give unto them eternal life. (this is not a once off donation, but is present and continuous in the Greek). The Father gave the Son to have life in Himself, we however constantly draw it from Him (John 15). It is a contemporary error that is very common to view eternal life as something we enjoy only in heaven. The life we live now is eternal so long as it is lived united to the Eternal One. Our deeds done now have an impact on our eternal reward and if we are living in oneness with Christ we should also be living with an eternal vision in our life.
2. They shall never perish. This is a very emphatic expression in the Greek. It is utterly impossible that they perish. The qualifications are hearing His voice, being known by Him, and following Him. These do not apply to those who do mighty works in His Name but practice lawlessness, because to those He says, “I never knew You.” Those who practice lawlessness can and do perish.
3. They shall not be plucked out of My hand. Jude commended those to whom he wrote “Unto Him who is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless…” The power of Christ is boundless, and when worked for our good, what great good it will accomplish! It is my firm conviction backed from these Scriptures that Christ has never and never will lose one who comes to Him hearing His voice and following Him. The ones that are lost are those who listened to other voices and followed those other voices.

What voice are you listening to today? Have you heard the voice that is incomparable in your spirit? The second Adam is a life-giving spirit and He will quicken you as you hear His voice. If today you hear His voice and you are known of Him, then follow. As you follow your end is sure!

On the Last Week Of This Bible School Term

This term I taught two weeks back to back (2nd-3rd). I taught Joshua and on Prayer. This term has been very good, we have around 19 students which is less than our more usual 30+. However, the ones we have are very good and the atmosphere has been the best we have seen since we began.

Often before in our prayer meetings some of the students would get a little carried away when God's presence came in our prayer meetings. This has not happened this term, even though some that were more prone to this are here. It seems to be a good sign that they are learning how to respond to God's presence in a positive manner.

While I was teaching Mom was busy with our on-going food distribution things and Dad was busy supervising housing projects. Today I helped finish putting the door on one that he had been unable to complete.

Other than teaching I have been doing a fair bit of reading this month. Various writings of some Ante-Nicene Fathers, and more recently things by Tauler, Eckhart and other German and Dutch Mystics. It has been interesting. Call it the rounding of an education. These are all available at www.ccel.org. If like me you can't read them online you can download the Pdf files for a fee. I just downloaded a book by Sadhu Sundar Singh and will hopefully read it soon. Devotional literature is my favorite kind, but discipline is not my strongest virtue by any means...