There are no Jews, Greeks, etc... Part 25

Amos 6:1-14 speaks to me of my need to follow God. As we collectively all do. We need not to take our eyes and ears away from the Father and look to other idols, especially in our services. What idols, you say? If you are saying to your self your church is not prone to that, remember that pride comes before a fall. Is there a chorus? Who makes up that chorus, the best singers, or can anyone join? If the answer is, “We want to give our best before God” then think that Jesus came to be sacrificed and he was a carpenter and could meld into the crowd. Yet God considered Him the best, and was well pleased with Him. And that there was nothing the outward appearance could save but there was something internally that people needed to change, their hearts and minds. If one gives oneself wholly before God and yet hasn’t been blessed with a good singing voice but want to sing, sing out. When directed to sing, sing out. We are not in competition amongst ourselves, (I hope not!) we are all trying to be in communication with God spiritually, mindfully, and with heartfelt gratitude and love. The warning in Amos means that we shouldn’t look to our own designs about what we think would make a better worship, but what God wants. Does He want a big band? Does He want a preacher that can entertain as well as preach? Does He want fire and brimstone from the pulpit? Does He want a chorus? None of this means anything if we do not realize that God is God and wants us just to come to Him just as we are. If one looks at the Word of God and the life of Jesus, it is a simple word, a peaceful word, a Word that causes us to stumble because we always want more, we think that we need to bring in more and the only way to do this is to entice them in a worship service. Not into, in a worship service. People begin to think of worship as a good time, a party, a time to let themselves go. While it is true, we need to bring our emotions and spirit into worship with us, service is not a party. There is a time and place for everything.

There are no Jews, no Greeks etc Part 25

So many people have asked me what about tongues, what about prophesy? Some have even said that I would not be blessed because I had not been given a tongue. To that I respond that just because tongues, prophesy, even evangelism, are spoken of biblically, that does in no way mean that 1) those are still present, 2) those are the only gifts that God can dole out. Those are examples of differences. For example, Paul doesn’t mention metalworking or carpentry or farming. Does that mean that is not those are not gifts and talents from God? No, when the focus is upon the “spiritual” gifts rather than on the purpose of diversity within God’s created human race, then people miss the point. What really matters is unity in the body. What really matters is that Christ wanted and wants His apostles to go preach, teach, evangelize, and baptize and that builds the Church. Talents are just icing and for the benefit of those without access to the written word. Jesus tore all the boundaries down making peace through His loving Spirit, and too often we, including me, want to put the boundaries back up by not being in His Spirit, by not allowing the Spirit to work in us as Christ would move in us. We are all part of His household. (Ephesians 2:14-22). He made the Church because His great sacrifice unified and provided me and everyone else here with God’s grace in order to come into the Household of God. If we follow only God, listening only to Him, resting only in Him and do what He tells us (Hebrews 12:23-29), then we can assume our place in Him and we will reside in a beautiful and precious city. (Revelations 21:9-27; Revelations 22:1-5). Numbers are unimportant to God, only to express the diversity of His creation.

There are no Jews, no Greeks, etc Part 26

What makes me strong? My relationship with my mom? No, that is at best a trying relationship, even though I love her dearly. My relationship with others? Well truly it has been so. I have gotten comfort and strength from them, but the strength that mattered was that which actually was handed down to them from Christ through the Word of God. Joel 1:26-32, says it correctly. My strength comes from Jesus, other’s strength comes from Jesus, we are to sow peace and strength in Him. In both the books of Isaiah and Micah, God through the prophets speaks of one nation to which He will gather the remnant that believe in Him. God’s nation, not Israel’s nation, not a Christian nation, but God’s nation where all people go who believe and obey God. Acts 2: 16-21 is the fulfillment of this as well as the fulfillment of Joel in which all nations gather to Him. But why Christ? Micah predicts that Christ is needed to bring peace between mankind and God, that man could never please God in his present state. As Paul says in 1 Corinthians 15:24,”Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the Kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power.” That is all things shall be under His feet, finally, much like, historically, the Romans did when they made a conquest. Not only were all things brought under their feet, but also the conquered people were often invited into their “family”. God wants all people, not just some to come into His family, to pledge faith and allegiance, and gain citizenship. Christ provides this way, of clothing oneself so that purity and faith may be attained, so that no matter how diverse a group, there is still one body, one faith, one LORD God. (See Ephesians 4). Why? God wants us to remain diverse, with various useable gifts and talents that God can use to His glory and without pride but realizing where those talents come from. He wants us all to be unified in Him, not proud of our talents, not boasting in them for sure, but humble that He chose us to even be in His Kingdom, He chose us to be heirs in His inheritance. We must if we are part of the body be with one purpose in mind, one goal to keep the one faith. And that is simply this: to remember Christ crucified, and that Christ came for all of us. This makes Jesus’ prayer of John 17:11-23 so poignant.

There are no Jews, no Greeks, etc Part 26

What makes me strong? My relationship with my mom? No, that is at best a trying relationship, even though I love her dearly. My relationship with others? Well truly it has been so. I have gotten comfort and strength from them, but the strength that mattered was that which actually was handed down to them from Christ through the Word of God. Joel 1:26-32, says it correctly. My strength comes from Jesus, other’s strength comes from Jesus, we are to sow peace and strength in Him. In both the books of Isaiah and Micah, God through the prophets speaks of one nation to which He will gather the remnant that believe in Him. God’s nation, not Israel’s nation, not a Christian nation, but God’s nation where all people go who believe and obey God. Acts 2: 16-21 is the fulfillment of this as well as the fulfillment of Joel in which all nations gather to Him. But why Christ? Micah predicts that Christ is needed to bring peace between mankind and God, that man could never please God in his present state. As Paul says in 1 Corinthians 15:24,”Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the Kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power.” That is all things shall be under His feet, finally, much like, historically, the Romans did when they made a conquest. Not only were all things brought under their feet, but also the conquered people were often invited into their “family”. God wants all people, not just some to come into His family, to pledge faith and allegiance, and gain citizenship. Christ provides this way, of clothing oneself so that purity and faith may be attained, so that no matter how diverse a group, there is still one body, one faith, one LORD God. (See Ephesians 4). Why? God wants us to remain diverse, with various useable gifts and talents that God can use to His glory and without pride but realizing where those talents come from. He wants us all to be unified in Him, not proud of our talents, not boasting in them for sure, but humble that He chose us to even be in His Kingdom, He chose us to be heirs in His inheritance. We must if we are part of the body be with one purpose in mind, one goal to keep the one faith. And that is simply this: to remember Christ crucified, and that Christ came for all of us. This makes Jesus’ prayer of John 17:11-23 so poignant.

There are No Jews, no Greeks, etc... Part 25

God created a place for me, for the person sitting next to me, for my neighbor. It is not only Heaven, which that indeed is true for He plans on returning those that believe to Himself, but also Heaven on earth. He wants us to learn here, to love here, to be unified to Him here, to be obedient here, and if we are, then we know what it will be like being able to look Him in the eye and then to humbly bow before Him and say, “Not my will but thine”. Daniel 7:13-28 describes this perfectly, a kingdom of power and peace that in my present state I know I would fall short, but because of Christ’s sacrifice and God’s grace I have an access. I can go boldly before His throne. And at the same time I know that God sits in mercy and judgment, for He is all things. But prior to this place, as outlined in Daniel 12:1-13, the Lord will come to sow peace and to take those home with Him that have been obedient servants to God. Daniel was not to breathe a word of this. Why? So that all things would be completed in His time, not ours. The bible is a completed work, and it is complete because of God and because of Christ, not because we need it, but because it is fulfilled. The hope is come, the peace, the wonderful counselor is here!