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James

Ask Roger

Why Do We Have to Experience Pain?

by Roger Barrier
written by Roger Barrier

Recently, my Bible study group came face-to-face with the age-old problem: “Why do the righteous suffer?” After almost an hour of discussion, a member of our group said, “I’ve recently been reading the book of James. There is a whole section about the problem of pain.” Roger, would you please unpack that for us?
Sincerely, Matt

Dear Matt,

Many passages in the Bible give us insight for handling pain. I’m thinking of books and passages like Job, many of the Psalms, Lamentations, Hebrews 12, and James.

James was facing intense persecution in the early church. In his writings, he shared his suffering and God’s work in his life. And in doing so, he addresses the problem of pain in our lives.

Note that there are many types of pain: emotional, physical, mental, spiritual, grief, guilt, loss, sin, and on and on goes the list. Fortunately, James’ principles are effective in the midst of any type of pain or problem.

So, I’d like to answer your question by using James’ insights on the matter.

1. We Solve the Problem of Pain By Approaching it with Humility, No Arrogance

The early church called James “camel knees” because of the hours that he spent on his knees in prayer. His was a life of deep humility.

I admire James because of how he begins his book:

James, a slave of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes scattered among the nations: Greetings. (James 1:1)

What you may not know is that James grew up in the same home with Jesus; but James doesn’t describe himself like that. He could have written:

James, an apostle. (Galatians 1:19a)
James, leader of church at Jerusalem. (Acts 21:18)
James, pillar of church. (Galatians 2:9)
James, brother of Jesus. (Galatians 1:19b)

He could have exalted himself in so many ways. However, James chose not to! He was too busy being on his knees in humble prayer.

So, we face our pain with humility as we understand that Jesus is Lord, and we are not. He knows us far better than we know ourselves. He knows what we need when we need it.

2. We Solve the Problem of Pain By Choosing Joy Instead of Misery

Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters whenever you face trials of many kinds. (James 1:2)

“Count it all joy!” What an unnatural reaction. It’s supernatural!

One of the most important characteristics that separates mature Christians from immature Christians is right here.

When difficulties come to immature Christians, they tend to say, “Oh, everything’s against me! I’m angry; I’m bitter; I’m disappointed. Joy isn’t anywhere in sight. I know that God never liked me in the first place! I’m bitter and disappointed, I quit.”

However, the mature Christian says, “The last time I had difficulty, I faced it, trusted God, and grew. I’ll see what God intends to teach me this time around.”

There seems to be little difference between joy and happiness according to the dictionary. But a sharp distinction is made in the Bible.

Happiness has to do with circumstances. Joy has to do with a deep sense of well-being and contentment regardless of circumstances. Joy is something we deliberately choose.

Notice James says, “Count it all joy when, not if, you fall into fiery trials.”

I’ve met too many Christians who thought that when they received Christ as their Savior, all of their troubles were basically over. Nothing could be further from the truth. In fact, God says that if we’re not having troubles, then we’re not His children—because all of God’s children have troubles (Hebrews 12).

Christians aren’t people living without problems. Christians are people who have the Problem-Solver living within.

Christians choose joy.

3. We Solve the Problem of Pain When We Recognize That the Purpose of Pain Is to Mold Us to Look Like Jesus

Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. (James 1:2-4)

In other words, troubles produce godly patience. And godly patience matures us, molding us to be like Jesus.

The author of the book of Hebrews, declared about Jesus: “Though he was a Son, he learned obedience from what he suffered“ (Hebrews 5:8).

If the Son of God matured through troubles, so can we. If the Son of God matured through trials, so can we. But we have to “Let perseverance finish its work”—that means we must choose to submit to and endure trials in order to become like Jesus.

A man with a briefcase was running through the airport, trying to get to his gate before the airplane door closed.

He was thinking that he was just going to make it, when he accidentally ran into a small boy carrying a puzzle box full of pieces. The box hit the floor and pieces scattered everywhere.

He started to run on. He had a flight to catch. But then he thought better of it. He got down on his knees and joined the boy in picking up pieces.

When the box was full and the pieces were safe, the boy looked up at the businessman and asked, “Mister, are you Jesus?”

It’s always a good time, Matt, to pause and reflect on just how much we look like Jesus!

We solve the problem of pain by submitting to an ongoing process by which Jesus molds us to look increasingly more like Himself.

4. We Solve the Problem of Pain By Yielding to the Truth That the Process Will Hurt

This is essential. “Trials and troubles” are not an elective course that we can take or leave. This course is required.

In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory, and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. (1 Peter 1:8)

A young man came to pastor and teacher Harry Ironside during Ironside’s later years when he was losing his hearing. The man asked, “Will you please pray for me that I will be more patient?” They bowed their heads in prayer, and Ironside prayed, “Jesus, please send this young man some problems.”

The young man, knowing that Ironside was hard of hearing, shook him and said, “No, no, I didn’t say that I wanted problems. I said that I wanted patience.”

Once again, they bowed their heads in prayer. Ironside prayed, “Dear Jesus, would you please send this young man some troubles and problems.”

Figuring that once again Ironside had not heard him correctly, the student raised his voice and repeated his request.

Ironside replied, “Do you not understand that troubles and problems are what produce the patience?”

God knows that the best climate for making us just like Jesus is the crucible of fire and testing. Are you willing to face it?

5. We Solve the Problem of Pain By Asking God for Wisdom When We Experience It

When you are in the midst of troubles, and you don’t know how to handle it, then ask God for wisdom. He promises to answer!

If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. (James 1:5)

Wisdom to do what? We all need wisdom to react properly to our problems by counting as joy and then handling them accordingly.

6. It’s Hard to Express Joy in the Midst of Pain When We Are Wavering in Faith and Unbelief

But when you ask [for wisdom], you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do.” (James 1:6-8)

In the midst of pain, trials, and testing, too many of us waver: Is God adequate? Is He sufficient to trust or not? Will He get me through this? Is it worth it?

James never says that we must understand everything about God’s purpose in our lives. It is simply sufficient to know that God has a purpose.

So we declare by faith, “I will trust Him. He’s my God, and I’m committed to Him, no matter what the trial or trouble. That decision has been made. It will never have to be made again.”

We will never find that trials and troubles make any sense until we come to place where we can distinguish between the permanent and perishability of things.

The house of one of our church members burned to the ground. I was on the sidewalk watching the house disintegrate, enveloped in flames. They lost it all. The kids and their father were standing beside me on the sidewalk cursing God, the fire department, their insurance company, the police, etc.

I saw the holocaust and thought, “What would I lose if that happened to my house? If tomorrow I were to lose my personal possessions or my health, or both, would I have anything left?”

Think about it. Would you?

Well, Matt, I hope this helps answer your question. Feel free to ask another one.

Love, Roger

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Choosing Joy in Trials

by Drew Anderson
written by Drew Anderson

The day had arrived. It was beyond sad. It was solemn, and it was heavy. Without hesitation we were there to support, to console, and to be present. In what seemed like a dream, we were getting ready to speak at the funeral of our dear friend who had just lost her battle to cancer. She had just rounded the corner past 25 years old, and was in every other way a healthy beautiful young lady. But, her life on this earth was over. She was surrounded by her husband who served her until she drew her last breath, she was nurtured and cared for by parents whose baby girl passed before their very eyes, and she was loved and admired by so many friends and family for not only the life she lived, but the strength exhibited in the way she died.

 

This dear friend was a Christian. She loved Jesus, and she served others. She wasn’t ostentatious, and she wasn’t callous or judgmental. She displayed dignity and compassion. Always quick to listen and slow to speak, she was endearing and she carried herself with class. You wanted to be around her, because she was characterized by joy. Her life exuded joy, and she displayed it until her Lord called her home. And it was into this untimely and tragic situation that her mom, whose name is Joy, has wisdom for us today.

 

When Joy–months after her daughter’s passing–had others praying for her to have a “better year”, she responds by saying, “A better year? You cannot give me a better year. This was the best year of my life.”

 

How can a mom–who stared down and continues to stare down the reality that her baby girl is gone–say that? This is almost too much to bear, but it is nevertheless the resolve of this mother when considering the loss of her daughter’s life on this earth.

 

What can we learn from Joy’s joy to apply to our lives today?

“Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials…”
James 1:2

  1. “Joy” is a noun that is here preceded by the adjective “all”. Thus, implying an un-mixed or unsoiled-ness to experiencing joy. But, the word is also preceded by another word, consider. Which means to think. In other words, while this joy is certainly an unmixed experience of gratefulness, it is also something that you set your mind to. It’s a conscientious choice that–after the evaluation of your circumstances–you choose to live in this unmixed joy. Hence, Joy’s resolve for joy as she considers her daughter’s life and death.
  2. “Trials” are not if, but when. The reality of our world–riddled with sin–is that we face trials of varying proportions and causes everyday. To prove this, James places the preceding word, various, before trials, which essential means manifold. In other words, the trials that are faced are not going to be the same. It’s as if we live in a world that has built-in and diverse challenges to face.
  3. Thus, we are needy. We are vulnerable. And we are unable to do this alone. And so, it was into this manifold trial-filled world that God sent His Son. It was into this world that we have One who overcame sin and death, and therefore promises those who love Him that their death won’t be the final say about their life. No, no, Joy–the mother to the dear lady who passed–knows that her daughter may not be here in person, but she lives on in her (and many other minds), and that her daughter simply passed from life to life. Joy knows that she will be reunited with her daughter because of Christ; and so, she chooses–considers it all–joy.

Glory, because of Christ there can be joy. We can have true joy beyond, outside of, and above our circumstances. Glory.

www.staffandstones.com. Used by permission.

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Awakening to the Power of Prayer

by Jan Shrader
written by Jan Shrader

Recently, my loving husband had surgery to remove a brain tumor.  When we learned of the tumor, some doctors were moving fast and some painfully slow.  I experienced two prayer miracles during this time.  While I was texting my frustration to a sincere prayer warrior, medical professionals started calling on Gary’s cell phone giving us the information and care we needed.  I have never had a prayer request answered so quickly, and it happened twice during that day.  Gary’s successful surgery was two days later.  I value the gift of praying friends. 

 

In Luke chapter 9 is the surprising story of Jesus taking Peter, John and James to the Mount of Transfiguration to pray.  We don’t think of the Mount of Transfiguration as a story about prayer, but that is what Luke was emphasizing.  But unfortunately, they fell asleep instead of engaging in prayer.  Whenever I read this story my heart is saddened for Jesus.  How could they not see the importance of a prayer invitation with Jesus?  But, if I am honest I have to admit I am more like the disciples in their prayer slumber.  

 

I often have trouble discerning the importance of and time for prayer.  Unless I am listening very closely I can miss the call to come away with Jesus.  I can easily practice a life of prayerlessness like these disciples.    

 

Peter, John and James eyewitnessed Jesus’ majesty on the Mount of Transfiguration.  God the Father called them to listen carefully to what he was revealing about his beloved son.  Sadly, the disciples failed to comprehend that this lesson was important. 

 

Deeming the prayer lesson unworthy or boring, they fell asleep.    

 

This would not be the last time the disciples fell asleep when Jesus called an important prayer meeting.  They also fell asleep while praying in the Garden of Gethsemane the night Jesus was arrested. 

 

Matthew and Mark’s version of the Mount of Transfiguration leave out that they climbed the mountain to pray.  This is foundational information if you want to understand the priority Jesus is putting on prayer.  Check out Luke 9:28-36. 

                       

            Now about eight days after these sayings he took with him Peter and John and James and went up on the mountain to pray.  And as he was praying, the appearance of his face was altered, and his clothing became dazzling white.  And behold, two men were talking with him, Moses and Elijah, who appeared in glory and spoke of his departure, which he was about to accomplish at Jerusalem.  Now Peter and those who were with him were heavy with sleep, but when they became fully awake they saw his glory and the two men who stood with him.  And as the men were parting from him Peter said to Jesus, “Master, it is good that we are here.  Let us make three tents, one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah”—not knowing what he said.  As he was saying these things a cloud came and over shadowed them, and they were afraid as they entered the cloud.  And a voice came out of the cloud saying, “This is my Son, my Chosen One, listen to him!”  And when the voice had spoken Jesus was found alone.  And they kept silent and told no one in those days anything of what they had seen.  ESV

 

 Jesus modeled the importance of prayer.

 

Sometimes in scripture Jesus teaches us what to do, but sometimes he modeled how to walk with the Father.  If the Son of God needed the refreshment of prayer, how much more do we need it?  It sometimes seems like Jesus would rather pray than eat or sleep.  Even though he was fully God, Jesus sought strength in prayer.

 

Jesus blazed a trail for us to follow by his belief in the trustworthiness of the Father. 

 

Jesus demonstrated that prayer is not about getting what we want; it is about agreeing with the Father’s plans and purposes.  On the Mount of Transfiguration and in the Garden of Gethsemane we see Jesus’ deep commitment to the Father.  He could only do that because he confidently knew the Father was trustworthy.  He knew God’s plans were good and perfect.  Prayer for him on those nights when his friends fell asleep was about surrendering to Calvary.

 

Jesus often retired to a solitary place for prayer. 

 

During these quiet moments Jesus expressed and cemented his commitment to the Father’s will.  Sometimes God’s purposes may appear scary to us, but we need to realize that doing things our own way will not satisfy. In the end God’s plans will not be thwarted and we may hurt ourselves more if we continue chasing our own selfish desirers.  When Peter awoke on the Mount of Transfiguration he completely missed that Moses and Elijah were there to prepare Jesus for his departure in Jerusalem.  This is why he was spouting such nonsense about building three tabernacles.  With a voice coming out of a cloud God’s rebuke was frightening.  When the disciples awoke in the Garden of Gethsemane they were ill-prepared for what would happen next.  On the night Jesus was arrested they fled in terror.  Peter denied he even knew Jesus. 

 

1)  What might have changed if the disciples had stayed awake, and prayed with Jesus?    

 

2)   What are some of the costs of our prayerlessness?

 

 

Luke 9:32b says,  “…but when they became fully awake they saw his glory…” 

 

We need to fully awaken from our spiritual slumber.  When we don’t heed Jesus’ call we miss more than a blessing and comfort.  We miss seeing the glory of the living God. 

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James: Are Desires Good or Evil?

by Randy Carlson
written by Randy Carlson

Desire is a very powerful force in our lives, and I am convinced it’s the root of why it’s so difficult for us to live intentionally. The reason we get into trouble is because our desires are not aligned with what God has for us.

James 1:14-15 says, “Each one is tempted when, by this own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed.  Then after desire has conceived it gives birth to sin, and sin, when it is full grown, gives birth to death.”

There are four things James notes about the word, desire, that can help us be more intentional in our lives.

1.     James says desire is personal. We are drawn away are tempted by our own evil desires. Satan is a deceiver and a liar, but ultimately, his biggest trick is to build desires within you that will draw you the wrong direction. But ultimately you choose to follow your own desires.

2.     Desire is powerful. James describes it like you are being dragged away. Have you ever experienced a desire for something, and it felt like someone grabbed you by the collar and pulled you into it?

Let’s just get real for a minute. In psychology, we talk about food filling a hole of some unmet need in your life, which is true.  We could analyze these things, but the fact is food can develop as a desire center. How about the desire for power?  We see power in politics, and how it corrupts. People go through great loss when they lose power. How about the desire for sex, which is God-given? As Christians, in marriage, should have the best sex lives. 1 Corinthians 7 is pretty clear about that, but we take things that should be normal desires that God has placed in a box, and they become distorted.

The desire for control for some people is a big issue.  I wrestle with that one. You’ve always got to know where the boundaries are in having that sense of control. Intellectually I don’t control much, but I have this desire to make sure there are things I can control.

3.     Desire is progressive after it is conceived. It is like a seed is put into the ground, growing and developing into whatever that seed is.

Desire demands more to be satisfied, but it is never satisfied. Some of us have family with an addiction – it’s a very powerful force. There’s draw that pulls people into needing more and more, even though intellectually they know the desire for that ultimately will kill them, it overtakes their life.

4.     Desire is perilous. Ultimately, according to our verses in James, left unchecked, it will lead to sin and death.

God’s intention for us to be led by His desires. His desires drive us to live.

How do you know when you are driven by your desires?

 

Our biggest enemy is ourselves.

I’m the one that gets in my own way. Have you ever noticed that you get up and you realize that our greatest enemy isn’t our spouse, our neighbors or our culture? Some days it’s not even Satan, it’s you!  For example, we:

·       Procrastinate on important things.

·       Eat what’s unhealthy for us.

·       Say things that are unkind.

·       Buy what is unaffordable.

·       Trust those who are unreliable.

·       Support rules that are unjust

·       Think what is untrue.

·

That is how many of us live our lives.  In fact, we even have a vocabulary to identify this thing of the problem of self.  We use phrases like, “I’m my own worst enemy,” or “I’m going to shoot myself in the foot.” We set ourselves up for failure.

The problems we face in life have roots that go into yesterday’s desires and into yesterday’s actions.  We become a product of the things that we desire in our lives. The desires of our heart get us into trouble. Even the Apostle Paul had this challenge in Romans 7.  He said, “For I have the desire to do what is good, but I can’t carry it out.” He admits that of all the things that he knew in his relationship with Christ, and all that he went through, the biggest problem he had was himself. He got in his own way.

We live in a world of good intentions.  Living intentionally in Christ is hard because the desires we have can be the problem.  If you change your desires, that changes your actions, and ultimately changes your life.

What is desire? From a biblical perspective, the word desire means something I long for.  It’s a deep, abiding thing that grabs hold of me, and I desire it. The world tells us we should desire – a new car, a new way of living, or a new experience.  The world constantly places things in front of us to distract us. If we pick those things up, they become the desires of our heart, and unfortunately create problems.

God’s intention for us to be led by His desires. His desires drive us to live.

Think about your desires. Where did they come from? How did your desires from yesterday impact your life today? What one thing can you do during these next 30 days that will help you align your desires to God’s desires to bring Him glory? 

The Psalmist in Psalm 37:4 says: Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart. In the Hebrew, the word delight means total dependence upon, and pleasure in. When you have total dependence, and pleasure in God, then he will give you the desires of your heart.

Take a challenge for the next 30 days. Every day, get up and say, Lord, give me the right desires in my heart that are in alignment with your intentions for my life.  Whatever the desire I have may it be in accordance with your will because I am totally dependent upon you.  

www.theintentionallife.com. Used by permission of the author.

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James: How Do We Find Joy in Our Struggles?

by Drew Anderson
written by Drew Anderson

“Count it all joy when you encounter various trials…”  James 1:2 

The day had arrived. It was beyond sad. It was solemn, and it was heavy. Without hesitation we were there to support, to console, and to be present. In what seemed like a dream, we were getting ready to speak at the funeral of our dear friend who had just lost her battle to cancer. She had just rounded the corner past 25 years old, and was in every other way a healthy beautiful young lady. But, her life on this earth was over. She was surrounded by her husband who served her until she drew her last breath, she was nurtured and cared for by parents whose baby girl passed before their very eyes, and she was loved and admired by so many friends and family for not only the life she lived, but the strength exhibited in the way she died.

This dear friend was a Christian. She loved Jesus, and she served others. She wasn’t ostentatious, and she wasn’t callous or judgmental. She displayed dignity and compassion. Always quick to listen and slow to speak, she was endearing and she carried herself with class. You wanted to be around her, because she was characterized by joy. Her life exuded joy, and she displayed it until her Lord called her home. And it was into this untimely and tragic situation that her mom, whose name is Joy, has wisdom for us today.

When Joy–months after her daughter’s passing–had others praying for her to have a “better year”, she responds by saying, “A better year? You cannot give me a better year. This was the best year of my life.”

How can a mom–who stared down and continues to stare down the reality that her baby girl is gone–say that? This is almost too much to bear, but it is nevertheless the resolve of this mother when considering the loss of her daughter’s life on this earth.

 

1.    “Joy” is a noun that is here preceded by the adjective “all”. Thus, implying an un-mixed or unsoiled-ness to experiencing joy. But, the word is also preceded by another word, consider. Which means to think. In other words, while this joy is certainly an unmixed experience of gratefulness, it is also something that you set your mind to. It’s a conscientious choice that–after the evaluation of your circumstances–you choose to live in this unmixed joy. Hence, Joy’s resolve for joy as she considers her daughter’s life and death.

2.    “Trials” are not if, but when. The reality of our world–riddled with sin–is that we face trials of varying proportions and causes everyday. To prove this, James places the preceding word, various, before trials, which essential means manifold. In other words, the trials that are faced are not going to be the same. It’s as if we live in a world that has built-in and diverse challenges to face.

3.    Thus, we are needy. We are vulnerable. And we are unable to do this alone. And so, it was into this manifold trial-filled world that God sent His Son. It was into this world that we have One who overcame sin and death, and therefore promises those who love Him that their death won’t be the final say about their life. No, no, Joy–the mother to the dear lady who passed–knows that her daughter may not be here in person, but she lives on in her (and many other minds), and that her daughter simply passed from life to life. Joy knows that she will be reunited with her daughter because of Christ; and so, she chooses–considers it all–joy.

Glory, because of Christ there can be joy. We can have true joy beyond, outside of, and above our circumstances. Glory.

What is the personal benefit to choosing joy amidst trials?

Ultimately, trials are an inevitability of what it means to live in a broken world made up of broken people. But God, in His wisdom allows trials to be the filter through which He cultivates joy in the life of His followers. Not merely for the sake of the struggle, but instead what the struggle produces.

Consider for a moment your own life. Consider the trials and struggles you have endured. Certainly, there are elements of the struggle(s) that you would eliminate, but can you nevertheless agree that it was through struggles that something good was produced in you or in those around you? Maybe you’ve said, “I’m glad I went through that, because it produced _____, but I sure wouldn’t want to endure it again.”? There are many things in my life I wouldn’t want to endure again, but I can say that those things certainly changed me–for the better.

And so, after James instructs followers of Christ to consider their struggles with joy, he then goes on to help us understand why they should do just that…

 

“…Knowing that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness.”

 

In so many words, James reveals that the trials are a testing ground of faith. It is where the rubber meets the road. Life–for the Christian–is not about the milk toast, but instead about the struggles that test one’s faith for the production of something. That something that is produced–James says–is endurance. 

The word endurance means literally to bear under. In other words, “the capacity to hold out or bear up in the face of difficulty” (BDAG, 1039). What James is instructing the follower of Christ is that the reason you should consider your various trials with joy is because the trials produce the ability to bear up in difficulties. In other words, it is through the trial that the strength is given to remain faithful. 

How Does This Apply To Us Today?

1.    It is through the trial(s) that God grows the faith of His followers–the stick-to-it-ness of His people. 

2.    Jesus endured to give us grace to endure. This grace is His free gift extended to a broken humanity to be received by us in faith. In other words, a follower of Christ is one who looks to Christ in the midst of his trials as the answer to their questions of “why me, why us, why now, etc.“. Christ’s endurance is not only an example to follow, but the means of grace through which to lay hold of and believe it is available to His followers even today. “The grace of God has appeared…” Titus 2:11.

www.staffandstones.com. Used by permission. 

 

 

 

 

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Internet Safety: Parental Controls that Build Relationships

by Luke Gilkerson
written by Luke Gilkerson

I didn’t want just a filter that was like a fence around my kids. Fences might be good for keeping dogs in, but they only provide a temptation for people. You always want to see what’s on the other side—particularly with the Internet, especially if you know nobody is really watching.” – Ron DeHaas, founder of Covenant Eyes

Two Reasons Accountability Software is Important

When it comes to Internet safety, parental controls often focus on only one method: blocking content.

But accountability software is not the same as Internet filtering. A filter blocks access to specific places online; accountability services do not. While people frequently use accountability and filtering together, accountability services monitor and report the sites that have been visited and the apps that have been used.

1. Internet accountability is important is because secrecy has become the norm. According to recent research, 71% of teens have done something to hide what they do online from their parents. This includes clearing browser history, minimizing a browser window when in view, deleting inappropriate videos, lying about online behavior, blocking parents with social media privacy settings, and using private browsing.

2. Internet accountability is important because it offers “relational” parental controls. Internet safety is not merely a matter of shielding young eyes from bad content. Internet safety is about training kids to become adults in a world without filters. Nothing does this better than having a healthy, constant conversational relationship with your child about their online choices. To do this, however, we need to know where they are going online.

Seven Steps to Internet Safety: Parental Controls in Your Home

Good parental controls begin with conversation. As you set down clear rules for using the Internet in the home, remember the importance of keeping a warm, open dialogue with your kids.

As the video stated above, here are seven steps you should take right away in your home.

  1. Adopt this policy: If I am not willing to monitor a device, I will not provide it.
  2. Review and configure all parental controls for devices in your home. Make sure you have administrative controls on every device.
  3. Review every app on your child’s devices. Make sure you can control when apps are added and deleted.
  4. Discuss Internet concerns with the parents of your children’s friends. See what protocols they have in place.
  5. Limit the times of day your child spends online.
  6. Require all computers and phones be outside the bedroom, especially at night.
  7. Install Covenant Eyes on every device in your home. Use it to monitor where your kids go online and then start having good conversations with them about the choices they are making.

www.covenanteyes.com. Used by permission.

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High-Rollers or Heart-Givers? Living with Urgency Pt. 2

by Francis Chan
written by Francis Chan

James indicts the rich for using their wealth as a false sense of security. They oppressed the poor by their hoarding and lived in luxury and self-indulgence. He warns of upcoming judgment and the urgency of repentance.  James 5:1-6

Preached at Cornerstone Church, Simi Valley California. Used by permission.

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Articles

A Special Blessing for Each Day of the Month

by Max Lucado
written by Max Lucado

The Brazilians taught me the beauty of a blessing. Here is a scene repeated in Brazil thousands of times daily. It’s early morning. Time for young Marcos to leave for school. As he gathers his books and heads for the door, he pauses by his father’s chair. He searches his father’s face. Bencao, Pai? Marcos asks. (Blessing, Father?)

The father raises his hand. Deus te abençoe, meufliho, he assures. (God bless you, my son.) Marcos smiles and hurries out the door. Father and child part for the day, a blessing requested, a blessing willingly given. The son seeks his father’s favor as he begins his day.

We should do the same. Like the child longing for the father’s favor, each of us needs a daily reminder of our heavenly Father’s love. When I returned to the United States from Brazil, I began the practice of pronouncing a blessing on our church at the end of each service. It was my way of praying for them in their presence. I’d like to do the same for you. May each day’s blessing encourage you as you seek your Father’s face.

 

One – A Blessing of Hope
May the God of peace, the eternal One and only God, grant you an awareness of his immediate return. May you be patient, may you be eager, but most of all may you be found ready when he calls.

“Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls.”
1 Peter 1:8, NIV

Two – A Blessing of Grace
Today, may you go in the grace and peace and the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. May the grace he has given you be the grace that you share with others.

“I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing.” Galatians 2:20-21, NIV

Three – A Blessing for Protection
May the God of peace and grace and truth be your guide as you begin your day. May he go ahead of you and prepare the way. May he come behind you and protect you. May he surround you and make you aware of his presence.

“I ask the Father in his great glory to give you the power to be strong inwardly through his Spirit. I pray that Christ will live in your hearts by faith and that your life will be strong in love and be built on love.” Ephesians 3:16-17

Four – A Blessing for Daily Worship
Today, may you be aware that worship is a way of life — it’s not just a once a week event. May your worship never cease. May you continue living in the Father’s presence, and may you continue being thankful for what he has done.

“Shout to the Lord, all the earth. Serve the Lord with joy; come before him with singing. Know that the Lord is God. He made us, and we belong to him; we are his people, the sheep he tends. Come into his city with songs of thanksgiving and into his courtyards with songs of praise. Thank him and praise his name. The Lord is good. His love is forever, and his loyalty goes on and on.” Psalm 100

Five – A Blessing for Encouragement
May you know the grace and peace of our Lord Jesus Christ today. Let his spirit overshadow and consume you. I pray that it gives you strength and courage and focus in everything you do today.

“God will strengthen you with his own great power so that you will not give up when troubles come, but you will be patient. And you will joyfully give thanks to the Father who has made you able to have a share in all that he has prepared for his people in the kingdom of light.”Colossians 1: 11

Six – A Blessing for Conviction
As your day begins, may the Father’s blessing be upon you. Be his quiet and holy representative. Be the one who takes a stand for that which is right. Be the one who reminds the world of what really matters in our world. Be the voice of God and the promise of eternity.

“May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father encourage you and strengthen you in every good thing you do and say. God loved us, and through his grace he gave us a good hope and encouragement that continues forever.”
2 Thessalonians 2:16-17

Seven – A Blessing for Guidance
May the Spirit which lives within you guide and convict you. Remember the message which brought you to him. Let it be the message you share with others. May peace and power be yours today.

“I pray that the God who gives hope will fill you with much joy and peace while you trust in him. Then your hope will overflow by the power of the Holy Spirit.” Romans 15:13

Eight – A Blessing of Anticipation
In everything you do today, may your spirit be one of eager expectation and patient trust. Eagerly expect your Father to return any minute, but patiently trust him to do what is right.

“Our homeland is in heaven, and we are waiting for our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, to come from heaven.” Philippians 3:20

Nine – A Blessing for the Soul
May the song within you which sings for eternity, sing loudly. Heed the songs of heaven. Dismiss the songs of earth. May the Father quiet the voices around you which tell you to settle for less than what he promises.

“Always be joyful. Pray continually, and give thanks whatever happens. That is what God wants for you in Christ Jesus.”
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

Ten – A Blessing for Eternity
Look for the Father’s face today. Seek him. Search for him. Pursue him. And may what you see cause you to long for the day you see him eternally.

“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. In God’s great mercy he has caused us to be born again into a living hope, because Jesus Christ rose from the dead. Now we hope for the blessings God has for his children. These blessings, which cannot be destroyed or be spoiled or lose their beauty are kept in heaven for you.” 1 Peter 1:3-4

Eleven – A Blessing for Faithfulness
Seek to be holy, and in seeking holiness, serve God. As you go into the world today, go in his presence, in anticipation of his glorious return. And when he returns, may he find you faithful.

“I pray that Christ will live in your hearts by faith and that your life will be strong in love and be built on love. And I pray that you and all God’s holy people will have the power to understand the greatness of Christ’s love— how wide and how long and how high and how deep that love is.” Ephesians 3:17-18

Twelve – A Blessing for Goodness
May God use you as a voice of holiness today. Seek the Father’s face and reflect what you see.

“Do not forget to do good to others, and share with them, because such sacrifices please God.” Hebrews 13:16

Thirteen – A Blessing for Quiet Time
As you spend time alone with God, allow the Lord to seed your heart with understanding. Invite him to spade and dig and shovel and fertilize those seeds so that his words will take root and bear fruit. Trust God to defeat the one who is lurking nearby, seeking to steal the seeds before they hit the ground.

“Plant goodness, harvest the fruit of loyalty, plow the new ground of knowledge. Look for the Lord until he comes and pours goodness on you like water.”
Hosea 10:12

Fourteen – A Blessing for Trust
God is strong and can help you not to fall. He can bring you before his glory without any wrong in you and can give you great joy. He is the only God, the One who saves. To him be glory, to him be greatness, to him be power and authority through Jesus Christ our Lord for all time, now and forever.

“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” Romans 15:13, NIV

Fifteen – A Blessing for Righteousness
May the Father’s blessings be upon you as you go into the world today. Carry his banner. Reflect his love; embody his spirit. Show the tenderness that he has shown you. Give the grace you have been given.

“The Lord has done great things for us, and we are very glad.” Psalm 126:3
“Live in peace with each other.” 1Thessalonians 5:13

Sixteen – A Blessing for Commitment
God has uniquely equipped you for service. Recommit to God the gifts he has given you. Use the gifts to be a breath of fresh air and to help others who are seeking the Father. May they see in you a life blessed by faith.

“So brothers and sisters, since God has shown us great mercy, I beg you to offer your lives as a living sacrifice to him. Your offering must be only for God and pleasing to him, which is the spiritual way for you to worship. Do not change yourselves to be like the people of this world, but be changed within by a new way of thinking. Then you will be able to decide what God wants for you; you will know what is good and pleasing to him and what is perfect.” Romans 12:1-2

Seventeen – A Blessing for Stewardship
Be grateful for what the Father has given you. Spend money as he would spend it. Be generous as God is generous. God loves a cheerful giver because he is a cheerful giver.

“You are rich in everything—in faith, in speaking, in knowledge, in truly wanting to help, and in the love you learned from us. In the same way, be strong also in the grace of giving.” 2 Corinthians 8:7

Eighteen – A Blessing for Focus
Today may you see Jesus and him only. May the Father have mercy upon you. Hear his voice, see his hand, and be aware that he is calling each of us home in everything he does.

“The Lord your God is with you; the mighty One will save you. He will rejoice over you. You will rest in his love; he will sing and be joyful about you.” Zephaniah 3:17

Nineteen – A Blessing for God’s Promises
Go today in the grace and peace of our Lord Jesus Christ. May the promise of your life and the promise of his return be the hope of your day.

“Keep yourselves in God’s love as you wait for the Lord Jesus Christ with his mercy to give you life forever.” Jude 21

Twenty – A Blessing from the Cross
Ponder the price God has paid to purchase you. Be aware of the blood that was shed to make you holy and righteous. Know the peace that only he can give and the grace that only he can offer. Reflect that love in every step you take today.

“You do not belong to yourselves, because you were bought by God for a price. So honor God with your bodies.” 1 Corinthians 6:19-20

Twenty-One – A Blessing for God’s Love
I pray that today you will realize the gift of God’s love—the incomparable love of the Father for his child. Such a love! A love that you sense with the passing of the breeze and coolness of the air. A love that comes not from one on earth , but the incredible love from One in heaven.

“God is love. ‘Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him. Love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment, because in this world we are like him.” 1 John 4:16, NIV

Twenty-Two – A Blessing for Peace
God has given you his son. He has given you the Word. And he has given you his promise. May all three enrich your life, strengthen your work, and bring you peace.

“As you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so continue to live in him. Keep your roots deep in him and have your lives built on him. Be strong in the faith, just as you were taught, and always be thankful.” Colossians 2:6-7

Twenty-Three – A Blessing for Sharing the Message
Because the Father never closes out his passion for reaching people, I pray that today you will pray for those in your world who have yet to meet him. As you offer up the names of family members, friends, co-workers, may God see your heart for sharing the message with them. He will hear your earnest plea.

“God is fair; he will not forget the work you did and the love you showed for him by helping his people.” Hebrews 6:10

Twenty-Four – A Blessing for Courage
May God give you the confidence of Daniel to face any crisis. May you have the assurance of Moses and Abraham that God is on your side. May you be willing to let God work things out according to his plan and in his time. Never interpret God’s silence as God’s absence.

“Lord, even when I have trouble all around me, you will keep me alive. When my enemies are angry, you will reach down and save me by your power. Lord, you do everything for me. Lord, your love continues forever. Do not leave us, whom you made” Psalm 138:7-8

Twenty-five – A Blessing for Prayer
Be a soldier of prayer. Seek the Father before, during, and after your time of struggle. May the Spirit constantly remind you of the need for prayer, and of the Father’s desire to hear your voice.

“Pray in the Spirit at all times with all kinds of prayer, asking for everything you need. To do this you must always be ready and never give up. Always pray for all God’s people.” Ephesians 6:18

Twenty-Six – A Blessing for God’s Ambassadors

Radiate the peace of God wherever you go. Speak as Jesus spoke, touch as he touched, love with the love of people who look forward to heaven. May you restore God’s love in the lives of those you meet today.

“We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us.” 2 Corinthians 5:20, NIV

Twenty-Seven – A Blessing for Gratitude
Have a grateful heart today. Everything you have comes from God and belongs to him. Share with others with a happy heart. Imitate the love of Jesus in dealing with others.

“Happy are those who respect the Lord and obey him. You will enjoy what you work for, and you will be blessed with good things.”Psalm 128:1-2

Twenty-Eight – A Blessing for Forgiveness
May you know the healing that comes from forgiving others. Relinquish any anger in your heart and remove any bitterness from your attitude. Lay these burdens at the foot of the cross. Vengeance is not yours—vengeance is God’s. Forgive others as you have been forgiven.

“Be kind and loving to each other, and forgive each other just as God forgave you in Christ.” Ephesians 4:32

Twenty-Nine – A Blessing for Revival
The father is faithful. His dreams have never died. He is the great dreamer. May be invigorate your faith today, rekindle your love for him, and renew your commitment to make a difference in your world.

“Be alert. Continue strong in the faith. Have courage, and be strong.”
1 Corinthians 16:13

Thirty – A Blessing for Joy
He is the God of peace. He is the God of joy. May Emmanuel, who came to be with us, be with you in every step of this week’s journey. May you feel his presence throughout this day. And may you reflect his joy in all you do. Go with God.

“Lord, let me live so people will praise you.” Psalm 143:11

Thirty-One – A Blessing for God’s People
Now may the God of grace and peace let his face shine upon you. Be aware of his relentless tenderness and devotion to you. Sense the power of his spirit. Be kind to others as he has been kind to you. Give grace as he has given grace to you. Grant the message of salvation to someone as he has granted it to you. Go in peace.

“This promise is for you, for your children, and for all who are far away. It is for everyone the Lord our God calls to himself.” Acts 2:39

31 Days of Blessings from Max Lucado
© 1995 by Max Lucado
Unless otherwise indicated Scripture references are from the New Century Version of the Bible, © 1987, 1988. 1991, Word Publishing.
Scripture references marked NIV are from the New International Version of the Bible, published by the Zondervan Corporation, © 1973 by the New York Bible Society. Used by permission.

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Sermons

Putting Feet to Your Faith: James

by Pete Briscoe
written by Pete Briscoe

Pete Briscoe teaches on the application of Scripture and what it means to be a “doer of the Word” instead of merely hearing it. When reading Scripture, Pete encourages us to ask ourselves “How does God want me to think differently, feel differently, and what does He want me to do differently,” as a result.

Preached at Bent Tree Bible Fellowship. Used by permission.

For Pete’s resources, go to tellingthetruth.org.

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Articles

The Power and Authority of the Christian Church

by Tom Terry
written by Tom Terry

What is the model for the Christian church? We know that Jesus said that the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. Paul tells us that as believers we will one day judge angels! How much authority should the church possess? What are the limits of the church’s authority?

Most of us have had a problem with authority at one time or another. Every person, no matter who they are, enjoys the freedom to do their own thing without interference from others. Teenagers like to be free from parental oversight. Wives don’t like it when their husbands tell them what to do. Citizens often prefer a government that keeps its hands out of personal affairs. No one wants to stop when the policeman pulls us over. Yes, it’s true, human beings have a problem with authority. We love to exercise authority, but we hate to have to obey it. Every organization from the nuclear family to corporations to governments wield some kind of authority over others. Authority is necessary for society to be ordered and stable. We recognize that authority is necessary and good, but that doesn’t stop us from resisting authority from time to time. That’s because human beings want to live life according to their own authority, and on one else’s—not even God’s. Man, by nature, is rebellious.

The Bible is a book of authority, and the Christian church is also an organization that carries authority from its founder, Jesus Christ. The authority of the church is derived from God, and as such, it exercises its authority under certain conditions.

Before we look at the authority of the church, let’s examine the authority that Paul had as an Apostle and see how he exercised his authority with the Corinthian church. Paul is an example of godly, spiritual authority. In I Corinthians Paul exercised his authority as an Apostle to order corrective measures in the Corinthian church. Paul wrote about the church’s approval of immorality, their abuse of the Lord’s Supper, their wild and out of control church services. He even gave orders regarding marriage, divorce, and the conduct of women. Paul’s scope of authority touched upon everything in the life of the church, yet unlike many in the world who hold authority, he did not issue orders that were designed to bring him personal benefit. Rather, Paul’s exercise of authority was designed to benefit his readers instead of himself. “[I am] not seeking my own profit but the profit of the many, so that they may be saved” – (I Corinthians 10:33).

In I Corinthians there were two ways that Paul exercised his authority. First, he exercised his authority in a fatherly way. Second, he exercised his authority firmly, with conviction, and did not compromise what was right. Let’s look at these two practices individually.

Paul exercised his authority in a fatherly way. “I do not write these things to shame you, but to admonish you as my beloved children. For if you were to have countless tutors in Christ, yet you would not have many fathers, for in Christ Jesus I became your father through the Gospel. Therefore, I exhort you, be imitators of me” – (I Corinthians 4:15).

Like any loving father to his children, Paul admonished the Corinthians as someone who wanted to see them succeed. A loving father expresses love and mercy to his children. This is the same way that God the Father acts toward us. God first seeks our good, even if we may be in rebellion against him. That is grace. “He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous” – (Matthew 5:44-45).

“While we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son” – (Romans 5:10).

Paul’s exercise of fatherly authority is an example of God’s care for us. God is patient and longs for those who don’t know him to come to faith in him. His exercise of fatherly qualities is designed to bring those who don’t know him into a right relationship with him, through the expression of his love. Most importantly, it was Paul’s expressions of fatherly love that would lead the Corinthian church to make the corrections they needed to reform their church.

Another way Paul exercised his authority? He exercised his authority firmly, and with conviction, and did not compromise what was right.

Paul had serious issues to address with the Corinthian church. One of the most surprising was a man in the church who was involved sexually with his step-mother. “It is actually reported that there is immorality among you, and immorality of such a kind as does not exist even among the Gentiles, that someone has his father’s wife. You have become arrogant and have not mourned instead, so that the one who had done this deed would be removed from your midst…Remove the wicked man from among yourselves” – (I Corinthians 5:1-2,13).

This sin of family incest was very shocking to Paul. Corinthian society had no shortage of immorality in the community, but incestuous relationships were frowned upon even by the most immoral of Corinthian society. That a church member would be engaged in such a terrible sin—with the church body in approval—was a terrible sign of how bad things in the church had deteriorated. Paul, while trying to be fatherly in his approach to the Corinthians, had to stand firm where morality was concerned. There could be no compromise with sin in the church.

Christians today should also have the attitude of Paul. Yes, it is important to approach one another with love and kindness. But it is also necessary that we make no compromise where sin is concerned. If a confrontation must happen it should be done not only in a loving and patient manner, but should be clear and direct—sin should not be tolerated in the church body.

As another example, Paul confronted the Corinthians about their habit of suing fellow believers in the secular court system—something the scripture forbids for believers. “Does any one of you, when he has a case before his neighbor, dare to go to law before the unrighteous and not before the saints?…Is it so that there is not among you one wise man who will be able to decide between his brothers, but brother goes to law with brother, and that before unbelievers? Actually, then, it is already a defeat for you, that you have lawsuits with one another” – (I Corinthians 6:1,5-7).

When it came to the reputation of the church, because of the sin of its members, Paul did not compromise. He was firmly convicted that the Corinthian’s behavior brought shame to the Gospel, even telling the Corinthians, “I say this to your shame.”

When it comes to divisions in the church, Paul urged forgiveness rather than revenge. Paul recognized that such lawsuits between believers were exercises in unforgiveness and revenge, which are not supposed to be marks of the Christian church. Paul told his readers, “Why not rather be wronged?” It was better, in Paul’s view, to be taken advantage of and forgive it, than to file a lawsuit against a fellow Christian and damage their reputation and witness before unbelievers.

So far we’ve seen authority exercised in a fatherly way, and with firmness and conviction. Now let’s look at one kind of authority that is supposed to be a picture of our relationship with Jesus Christ.

In I Corinthians 7 Paul addressed problems related to marriage. The Corinthians lived in a society where marriage was not highly regarded. The sanctity of the marriage relationship was not very developed. Yet marriage, as God originally designed it, was to be a picture of Christ and the church. Even the authority that was exercised by the husband and wife in their sexual relationship was to be a type for Christ and the church. “The husband must fulfill his duty to his wife, and likewise also the wife to her husband. The wife does not have authority over her own body, but the husband does; and likewise also the husband does not have authority over his own body, but the wife does. Stop depriving one another except by agreement for a time that you may devote yourselves to prayer” – (I Corinthians 7:3-5).

Elsewhere in the scripture Paul elaborated further on the authority structure within a marriage. “Wives, be subject to your husbands, as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife, as Christ also is the head of the church, He Himself being the Savior of the body. But as the church is subject to Christ, so also the wives ought to be to their husbands in everything. Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her…So husbands ought also to love their own wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself” – (Ephesians 5:22-25,28).

Paul’s meaning is very clear. The husband and wife are both equals in their relationship, but the husband possesses authority in the relationship. However, he cannot simply issue orders like a master to a slave or an employer to an employee. Rather, God has designed that the husband exercise his authority in a sacrificial and loving way—the same way that Christ exercises his authority over the church.

In the three areas of authority that we have looked at so far we have seen how Paul exercised his authority with the Corinthian church. Paul, however, did not want to exercise this authority alone. Part of his purpose was to model for the Corinthians how they should exercise their authority as a church. They were to imitate him by exercising authority in a fatherly way, with firmness and conviction. If the church would hold fast to God’s word, God’s standards, then they would see growth and blessing from God. The church of Jesus Christ has been given some basic areas of authority that should be exercised regularly. So now let’s look at four areas of authority that the church possesses.

Generally speaking, there are four areas of authority that God has granted to the Christian church. Each local church body has each of the four. These areas of authority are all derived from God, through the exercise of the standards laid out in the Bible.

The church has the authority to teach God’s word.

This is not a light matter. God requires that those who teach his word handle it carefully and truthfully. This authority was established when God gifted certain people as pastors and teachers to instruct the church in his word. Because God has given this authority to the church, the church is likewise given gifts, including special understanding of God’s word, in order to properly teach it. “We have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may know the things freely given to us by God, which things we also speak, not in words taught by human wisdom, but in those taught by the Spirit, combining spiritual thoughts with spiritual words” – (I Corinthians 2:12-13).

“Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth” – (II Timothy 2:15).

The second area of authority?

The church has authority to share the Gospel.

This authority was given to the church in Matthew 28, when Jesus spoke of the great commission for his disciples to take the Gospel to the whole world. “Go therefore, and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit” – (Matthew 28:19). The church of Jesus Christ is entrusted with the most important and life-changing news in all of history. God became a man, died on man’s behalf to pay the penalty for our sins, and rose again from the dead, never to die again, that we might be justified and enjoy eternal life with him. What other message can possibly be more important? There is none.

The church has the authority to disciple its members.

This right is also part of Matthew 28, when Jesus commanded his disciples to “make disciples” of all nations. We might also look at this as an extenuation of the authority to preach the Gospel. Simply receiving Christ as Savior is not the end of becoming a Christian. It is only the beginning. As Paul modeled for others the necessity of teaching others God’s word, so too we are commissioned with the same task—discipleship.

The church has the authority to discipline its members

This is a difficult area of authority. Members who may be publicly disciplined may avail themselves of legal rights to sue in court if embarrassed. Yet regardless of what could happen, there are those occasions when church discipline must take place. Jesus’ outlined the procedure for it in the book of Matthew. “If your brother sins, go and show him his fault in private; if he listens to you, you have won your brother. But if he does not listen to you, take one or two more with you, so that by the mouth of two or three witnesses every fact may be confirmed. If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector” – (Matthew 18:15-17).

While these three areas of authority are all relevant for us today, there are other areas where the church has not been granted authority. These are areas where mistakes have been made in the past, or the church has pushed itself too far into areas where it does not belong because here is no biblical mandate. What does the church NOT have the authority to do?

The church does not have the authority to make laws or rules on par with the scripture.

About a century before Christ the priests and pharisees were creating regulations in addition to the Mosaic law that were designed to guide the Jews in keeping the law. The problem was that the leaders regarded these man-made rules on the level of scripture.

The church does not have the authority to force conversion through coercion.

Receiving Christ as savior can only be done voluntarily. It is not possible to become a Christian “by birth,” or through political or other force. No one should ever be forced, physically, emotionally, or mentally, into receiving Christ. Such attempts never yield true conversions and only end up driving someone farther away from Christ. As in all things, receiving Christ must be voluntary on the part of the one receiving him.

The church does not have political authority.

Church members are citizens like every other citizen of a country. But the church, as an organization, is not endowed with political authority. Christians may run for political office but they must never use their political authority to force Christ upon anyone. They may persuade but never force. The spiritual and political spheres are two separate and distinct things. Remember what Jesus told Pilate? He said that his kingdom was “not of this world.”

Instead of political authority the church best serves as a conscience for a society. It stands upon moral issues of right and wrong and helps to influence society in that way, but it is not charged by God with political authority. We should take our cues about our society by applying this admonition from the prophet Jeremiah. “Seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the Lord on its behalf; for in its welfare you will have welfare” – (Jeremiah 29:7).

Let’s recap the main points we’ve learned. What are our examples in the scripture for using our authority as believers?

    1.) The Apostle Paul exercised his authority in a fatherly way
    2.) Paul exercised his authority firmly, and with conviction. Paul refused to compromise the truth even to cultural considerations.

    With these in mind, what kind of authority has been given to the church of Jesus Christ?

    1.) The church has the authority to teach God’s word
    2.) The church has authority to share the Gospel—to evangelize others in his name
    3.) The church has the authority to disciple its members
    4.) The church has the authority to discipline its members—disciplining means to rebuke, shun, or excommunicate its sinning members

    Knowing that the church has been granted authority to perform certain functions on the Lord’s behalf, what are the things that God has NOT given the church the authority to do—what is the church, as an organization, limited or forbidden from doing?

    1.) The church does not have the authority to make laws or rules on par with the scripture.

Scripture is the Christian’s highest authority on Earth. No person can or should attempt to make laws or rules to govern the Christian life that exceed the scripture’s authority.

    2.) The church does not have the authority to force conversion through coercion.

Other religions, such as Islam, may carry out conversions this way, but this must never be done by the Christian church. Entrance into the kingdom of God is voluntary.

    3.) The church does not have political authority.

Interestingly, Jesus said that ALL authority in Heaven and Earth had been given to him. Yet he chose not to pass political authority to the church as an organization. The kingdom of God, therefore, remains spiritual until the Lord returns to Earth to exercise his rule. Until that time a Christian may be involved in the political processes of his country, but the church, as an organization, must not attempt to wield power apart from exercising a godly moral influence.

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Articles

Fearing What My Future Holds: Jairus’ Faith in Christ

by Max Lucado
written by Max Lucado

When Jesus went in the boat back to the other side of the lake, a large crowd gathered around him there. A leader of the synagogue, named Jairus, came there, saw Jesus, and fell at his feet. He begged Jesus, saying again and again, ‘My daughter is dying. Please come and put your hands on her so she will be healed and will live. “So Jesus went with him….

While Jesus was still speaking, some people came from the house of the synagogue leader. They said, “Your daughter is dead. There is no need to bother the teacher anymore.”

But Jesus paid no attention to what they said. He told the synagogue leaden “Don’t be afraid; just believe.”

Jesus let only Peter, James, and John the brother of James go with him. When they came to the house of the synagogue leader, Jesus found many people there making lots of noise and crying loudly. Jesus entered the house and said to them, “Why are you crying and making so much noise? The child is not dead, only asleep. “But they laughed at him. So, after throwing them out of the house, Jesus took the child’s father and mother and his three followers into the room where the child was. Taking hold of the girl’s hand, he said to hen “Talitha, koum!” (This means, “Young girl, I tell you to stand up!”) At once the girl stood right up and began walking. (She was twelve years old.) Everyone was completely amazed. Jesus gave them strict orders not to tell people about this. Then he told them to give the girl something to eat.

—Mark 5:21-24,35-43

Faith means. . . knowing that something is real even when we do not see it.

—Hebrews 11:1

Last night I tried to teach my daughters to see with their eyes closed. I asked Jenna, the eight-year-old, to go to one side of the den. I had Andrea, the six-year-old, stand on the other. Three-year-old Sara and I sat on the couch in the middle and watched. Jenna’s job was to close her eyes and walk. Andrea’s job was to be Jenna’s eyes and talk her safely across the room.

With phrases like, “Take two baby steps to the left” and “Take four giant steps straight ahead,” Andrea successfully navigated her sister through a treacherous maze of chairs, a vacuum cleaner, and a laundry basket.

Then Jenna took her turn. She guided Andrea past her mom’s favorite lamp and shouted just in time to keep her from colliding into the wall when she thought her right foot was her left foot.

After several treks through the darkness, they stopped and we processed.

“I didn’t like it,” Jenna complained. “It’s scary going where you can’t see.”

“I was afraid I was going to fall,” Andrea agreed. “I kept taking little steps to be safe.”

I can relate, can’t you? We grownups don’t like the dark either. But we walk in it. We, like Jenna, often complain about how scary it is to walk where we can’t see. And we, like Andrea, often take timid steps so we won’t fall.

We’ve reason to be cautious: We are blind. We can’t see the future. We have absolutely no vision beyond the present. I can’t tell you with certainty that I will live long enough to finish this paragraph. (‘Whew, I did!) Nor can you tell me you’ll live long enough to read the next one. (Hope you do!)

I’m not talking nearsightedness or obstructed view; I’m talking opaque blindness. I’m not talking about a condition that passes with childhood; I’m describing a condition that passes only with death. We are blind. Blind to the future.

It’s one limitation we all share. The wealthy are just as blind as the poor. The educated are just as sightless as the unschooled. And the famous know as little about the future as the unknown.

None of us know how our children will turn out. None of us know the day we will die. No one knows whom he or she will marry or even if marriage lies before him or her. We are universally, absolutely, unalterably blind.

We are all Jenna with her eyes shut, groping through a dark room, listening for a familiar voice—but with one difference. Her surroundings are familiar and friendly. Ours can be hostile and fatal. Her worst fear is a stubbed toe. Our worst fear is more threatening: cancer, divorce, loneliness, death.

And try as we might to walk as straight as we can, chances are a toe is going to get stubbed and we are going to get hurt.

Just ask Jairus. He is a man who has tried to walk as straight as he can. But Jairus was a man whose path has taken a sudden turn into a cave—a dark cave. And he doesn’t want to enter it alone.

Jairus is the leader of the synagogue. That may not mean much to you and me, but in the days of Christ the leader of the synagogue was the most important man in the community. The synagogue was the center of religion, education, leadership, and social activity. The leader of the synagogue was the senior religious leader, the highest-ranking professor, the mayor, and the best known citizen all in one.

Jairus has it all. Job security. A guaranteed welcome at the coffee shop. A pension plan. Golf every Thursday and an annual all-expenses-paid trip to the national convention.

Who could ask for more? Yet Jairus does. He has to ask for more. In fact, he would trade the whole package of perks and privileges for just one assurance—that his daughter will live.

The Jairus we see in this story is not the clear-sighted, black-frocked, nicely groomed civic leader. He is instead a blind man begging for a gift. He fell at Jesus’ feet, “saying again and again, ‘My daughter is dying. Please come and put your hands on her so she will be healed and will live” (Mark 5:23).

He doesn’t barter with Jesus. (“You do me a favor, and I’ll see you are taken care of for life.”) He doesn’t negotiate with Jesus. (“The guys in Jerusalem are getting pretty testy about your antics. Tell you what, you handle this problem of mine, and I’ll make a few calls. . .“) He doesn’t make excuses. (“Normally, I’m not this desperate, Jesus, but I’ve got a small problem.”)

He just pleads.

There are times in life when everything you have to offer is nothing compared to what you are asking to receive. Jairus is at such a point. What could a man offer in exchange for his child’s life? So there are no games. No haggling. No masquerades. The situation is starkly simple:

Jairus is blind to the future and Jesus knows the future. So Jairus asks for his help.

And Jesus, who loves the honest heart, goes to give it.

And God, who knows what it is like to lose a child, empowers his son.

But before Jesus and Jairus get very far, they are interrupted by emissaries from his house.

“Your daughter is dead. There is no need to bother the teacher anymore” (v. 35).

Get ready. Hang on to your hat. Here’s where the story gets moving. Jesus goes from being led to leading, from being convinced by Jairus to convincing Jairus. From being admired to being laughed at, from helping out the people to casting out the people.

Here is where Jesus takes control.

“But Jesus paid no attention to what they said. . .“ (v. 36).

I love that line! It describes the critical principle for seeing the unseen: Ignore what people say. Block them out. Turn them off. Close your ears. And, if you have to, walk away.

Ignore the ones who say it’s too late to start over.

Disregard those who say you’ll never amount to anything.

Turn a deaf ear toward those who say that you aren’t smart enough, fast enough, tall enough, or big enough—ignore them.

Faith sometimes begins by stuffing your ears with cotton.

Jesus turns immediately to Jairus and pleads:

“Don’t be afraid; just believe” (v. 36). Jesus compels Jairus to see the unseen.

When Jesus says, “Just believe. . . ,“ he is imploring, “Don’t limit your possibilities to the visible. Don’t listen only for the audible. Don’t be controlled by the logical. Believe there is more to life than meets the eye!”

“Trust me,” Jesus is pleading. “Don’t be afraid; just trust.”

A father in the Bahamas cried out the same plea to his young son who was trapped in a burning house. The two-story structure was engulfed in flames, and the family—the father, mother, and several children — was on its way out when the smallest boy became terrified and ran back upstairs. His father, outside, shouted to him: “Jump, son, jump! I’ll catch you.” The boy cried: “But Daddy, I can’t see you.” “I know,” his father called, “but I can see you.”

The father could see, even though the son could not.

A similar example of faith was found on the wall of a concentration camp. On it a prisoner had carved the words:

I believe in the sun, even though it doesn’t shine,

I believe in love, even when it isn’t shown,

I believe in God, even when he doesn’t speak.

I try to imagine the person who etched those words. I try to envision his skeletal hand gripping the broken glass or stone that cut into the wall. I try to imagine his eyes squinting through the darkness as he carved each letter. What hand could have cut such a conviction? What eyes could have seen good in such horror?

There is only one answer: Eyes that chose to see the unseen.

As Paul wrote: “We set our eyes not on what we see but on what we cannot see. What we see will last only a short time, but what we cannot see will last forever” (2 Cor. 4:18).

Jesus is asking Jairus to see the unseen. To make a choice. Either to live by the facts or to see by faith. When tragedy strikes we, too, are left to choose what we see. We can see either the hurt or the Healer.

The choice is ours.

Jairus made his choice. He opted for faith and Jesus. . . and faith in Jesus led him to his daughter.

At the house Jesus and Jairus encounter a group of mourners. Jesus is troubled by their wailing. It bothers him that they express such anxiety over death. “Why are you crying and making so much noise? The child is not dead, only asleep” (v. 39).

That’s not a rhetorical question. It’s an honest one. From his perspective, the girl is not dead—she is only asleep. From God’s viewpoint, death is not permanent. It is a necessary step for passing from this world to the next. It’s not an end; it’s a beginning.

As a young boy I had two great loves— playing and eating. Summers were made for afternoons on the baseball diamond and meals at Mom’s dinner table. Mom had a rule, however. Dirty, sweaty boys could never eat at the table. Her first words to us as we came home were always, “Go clean up and take off those clothes if you want to eat.”

Now no boy is fond of bathing and dressing, but I never once complained and defied my mom by saying, “I’d rather stink than eat!” In my economy a bath and a clean shirt were a small price to pay for a good meal.

And from God’s perspective death is a small price to pay for the privilege of sitting at his table. “Flesh and blood cannot have a part in the kingdom of God. . . . This body that can be destroyed must clothe itself with something that can never be destroyed. And this body that dies must clothe itself with something that can never die” (1 Cor. 15:50, 53, emphasis added).

God is even more insistent than my mom was. In order to sit at his table, a change of clothing must occur. And we must die in order for our body to be exchanged for a new one. So, from God’s viewpoint, death is not to be dreaded; it is to be welcomed.

And when he sees people crying and mourning over death, he wants to know, “Why are you crying?” (v. 39).

‘When we see death, we see disaster. When Jesus sees death, he sees deliverance.

That’s too much for the people to take. “They laughed at him” (v. 40). (The next time people mock you, you might remember they mocked him, too.)

Now look closely because you aren’t going to believe what Jesus does next. He throws the mourners out! That’s what the text says, “after throwing them out of the house. . .“ (v. 40). He doesn’t just ask them to leave. He throws them out. He picks them up by collar and belt and sets them sailing. Jesus’ response was decisive and strong. In the original text, the word used here is the same word used to describe what Jesus did to the moneychangers in the temple. It’s the same verb used thirty-eight times to describe what Jesus did to the demons.

Why? Why such force? Why such intolerance?

Perhaps the answer is found by going back to last evening’s living-room experience. After Jenna and Andrea had taken turns guiding each other through the den, I decided to add a diabolical twist. On the last trip, I snuck up behind Jenna, who was walking with her eyes shut, and began whispering, “Don’t listen to her. Listen to me. I’ll take care of you.”

Jenna stopped. She analyzed the situation and made her choice between the two voices. “Be quiet, Daddy,” she giggled and then continued in Andrea’s direction.

Undeterred, I grabbed the lid of a pan, held it next to her ear, and banged it with a spoon. She jumped and stopped, startled by the noise. Andrea, seeing that her pilgrim was frightened, did a great thing. She ran across the room and threw her arms around her sister and said, “Don’t worry I’m right here.” She wasn’t about to let the noise distract Jenna from the journey.

And God isn’t going to let the noise distract you from yours. He’s still busy casting out the critics and silencing the voices that could deter you.

Some of his work you have seen. Most of it you haven’t. Only when you get home will you know how many times he has protected you from luring voices. Only eternity will reveal the time he:

Interfered with the transfer, protecting you from involvement in unethical business.

Fogged in the airport, distancing you from a shady opportunity.

Flattened your tire, preventing you from checking into the hotel and meeting a seductive man.

And only heaven will show the times he protected you by:

Giving you a mate who loves God more than you do.

Opening the door for a new business so you could attend the same church.

Having the right voice with the right message on the right radio station the day you needed his encouragement.

Mark it down: God knows you and I are blind. He knows living by faith and not by sight doesn’t come naturally. And I think that’s one reason he raised Jairus’s daughter from the dead. Not for her sake—she was better off in heaven. But for our sake—to teach us that heaven sees when we trust.

One final thought from the seeing-with your-eyes-closed experiment. I asked Jenna how she could hear Andrea’s voice guiding her across the room when I was trying to distract her by whispering in her ear.

Her answer? “I just concentrated and listened as hard as I could.”

www.upwords.com

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You Can Take It, But Can You Dish It Out?

by Mark Batterson
written by Mark Batterson

John 1 says that Jesus “was full of grace and truth.” Grace means, “I’m going to love you no matter what.” Truth means “I’m going to be honest with your no matter what.” Most of us tend toward one or the other. I would suggest grace with no truth has no backbone. Truth without grace is a relationship with no heart. One without the other is actually harmful. Jesus was the perfect combination of both. We need to be “grace givers” and “truth tellers.”

 

I think we are going to respect the “truth tellers” more at the end of our lives. They had the courage to say what we didn’t want to hear. They helped us to get past the blind spots in our lives. I think my prayer that our church would be a place where all experience both “grace” and “truth.” Grow into Christ-likeness. We hurt those we love by not saying something that might be hurtful. The relationship gets stuck and never grows beyond that.

 

So, how do we confront others that our relationship needs to go to another level?

 

  1. Don’t rebuke if you are not willing to be rebuked. Who likes to be rebuked? No one. We have fragile egos, but over the course of time, God gives me help in this area. The people who rebuke me are the people who are going to get me to the next level spiritually. I was praying in a chapel at college when someone touched my back and took a “kick me” sign off of my shoulders. I am not suggesting that you place a “kick me” sign on your back, but I want you to have a soft heart to being rebuked. How you handle criticism is key. What do you believe and what do you ignore? Erwin McManus said, “If the error of criticism does not pass through the filter of scripture, don’t let it pierce your heart. If it passes through the filter, then you can hear it and repent.” The moment we get past the point of receiving rebuke, we are in trouble. An intern on my staff rebuked me because he saw an area of my life where I was prideful. I remember how humbling it was. I was grateful for that. I had so much respect for this kid. I want to live and grow from exhortation and correction. If you are not ready to be rebuked, you are not in a place to rebuke others. James Houston said, “Mature individuals do not resent correction, for they identify more with their long-range selves that profit from correction than with the momentary self that is being advised.” What’s important is at the end of the day, I become teachable. Proverbs is filled with verses that encourage us to heed rebukes.
  1. Pray for someone before you rebuke him or her. If you’re not praying for them, your heart is not right. Rebuke without prayer is spiritual laziness. Prayer sets the context for you to speak into their lives. Jesus could confront Peter because he was praying for him. “Satan wants to sift you as wheat, but I have prayed for you…” What’s important here is we are focused on what we want to see changed in the other person. What I would suggest is to ask God “What would God want to change in my heart through this?” We were purchasing a coffee house and were having trouble with the zoning commission. Some neighbors were on the internet questioning our intentions and us. I was furious! Every time I got mad, I prayed for them. A couple of months later, I went to the hearing and saw those who opposed us. I was able to look my opponents in the eye, and greet them. One of those people is a regular customer at our coffee house. Thank God for this pressure valve called prayer. As I pray for others, I have a platform to speak into their lives.
  1.  Don’t talk about them, talk to them. Gossip is spiritual laziness. It’s a cop-out. Talking behind someone’s back instead of talking to someone’s face is wrong. Jesus didn’t express his frustration about Peter to John. “Can you believe Peter?” Jesus queried. Of course He wouldn’t do that. Talking to their face is the right thing to do. We have a motto with our staff that states “don’t internalize, verbalize.” It’s a good model for home, marriage and family, too. As an employer, I want to hear your issues. Come and talk to me. I want to hear them, not about them from someone else. Gossip never gets to the source of the problem for a solution. God has called us to a higher level of integrity than that. I don’t know whom you might need to rebuke, but here’s a clue. Before you confront them, you might confess your gossip to them.
  1. Don’t rebuke harshly. 1 Timothy states that we should treat older men like fathers, younger men like brothers. Proverbs 18:19 states that if we don’t rebuke someone in the right spirit, their defense mechanisms are going to go up, and the “fortified city” will place a “dividing wall” between you and them. The relationship is destroyed. Pray that God will give you discernment. I need to discern the spirit behind the rebuke. Sometimes it’s a terrible use of words, but I discern that the spirit of the person is right. I can accept that and process that. We need to be humble and gentle in the way we treat one another. If you rebuke harshly, not one is going to win here. Galatians 6:1 says that a person caught up in sin should be restored gently. But watch yourself because you also may be tempted. Carry each other’s burdens. I want to carry some of the burden with you. How can I help you? This is the right spirit for criticism. In this way, we fulfill the Law of Christ. When we are with extended family at holiday seasons, we must solve unresolved issues with loving honesty. God can give us a “word of knowledge” or wisdom. The Spirit of God can reveal something to your heart and give you the ability to speak into some loved one’s life in an encouraging and affirming way to build them up. Before I have a meeting with folks, I try to pray that God will make it a time that counts.
  1. Don’t rebuke hastily. Don’t have a license to “run over” people. Can’t wait to go home, pick up your phone and “here we go.” No! Make sure you are not reacting. Parent can do this when they discipline their children. Speaking the truth in jealousy, frustration or anger is different than speaking the truth in love. Mark Twain was almost as famous for his temper as for his books. He eventually learned to control his temper by “sleeping on it.” He’d write a scathing letter to his critic. He would put the letter on his fireplace mantle for three or four days. At the end of the fourth day, he re-read the letter. If he was still angry, he figured his anger was justified and he mailed it. If it weren’t justified, he’d throw the letter into the fire. The 24-hour rule is a good idea. Don’t rebuke people in the moment. Let your timing be sensitive to the Holy Spirit.
  1. Tell them what they are doing right before you tell them what they are doing wrong. If you aren’t offering them encouragement, you are missing the boat. Jesus called Peter the Rock first before he gave him a rebuke. Give ten words of encouragement for every rebuke.
  1. Share your own faults before pointing out theirs. If you want a transparent relationship with people, then you put “your stuff” on the table. If you aren’t transparent, don’t expect others to be.

 

 

How many of you are stuck behind blind spots or facades? No one’s ever loved you enough to speak into that part of your life? I pray that we’d be Christians who have the courage to confess. Don’t let the Enemy win a victory over you because you are dying in that secret place.  I pray we’d have the courage to confront. We would have hearts open to correction, rebuke and exhortation and may we have the courage to speak that into other peoples’ lives. Revelation 3:19, Jesus says “those whom I love, I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest and repent.” Max Lucado said, “Jesus loves you the way you are, but He loves you too much to leave you that way.” God is committed to who you can become in Him!

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Hurry Up and Wait Reconsidered

by Don McMinn
written by Don McMinn

Here I am toe-tapping again, my silent protest to waiting. My body weight shifts every few minutes as I check my watch and tap some more. I can feel the stress engulf me like a balloon pumped with air until the surface is taut.

When we wait for others, it is all about us. How we are inconvenienced, how far behind our schedule is falling, how time is wasted. But in God’s eyes, we are called to abandon our own pace, agenda, abilities, strengths and desires in order to yield to others. It is a practical and challenging manifestation of preferring one another.

In our struggle to wait for one another (1 Cor. 11:33), we encounter an ugly vice called impatience, a close relative of selfishness. We are sorely tempted with impatience when faced with delay. We just don’t want to slow down. However, the godly approach is patience, a virtue that helps define what love is. (1 Cor. 13:4) Patience is also a fruit of the Spirit (Gal. 5:22) and should be evenly applied. Furthermore, we cannot pick and choose with whom we will be patient. (1 Thes. 5:14)

Clearly, we all have weaknesses that at some point cause others to wait for us.  We may be called on to wait for others physically, emotionally, mentally and spiritually.

We all function at different levels depending on our speed, capacity, physical limitations and endurance. Some people are slow and deliberate, others fast and decisive, often just a function of how God made us. Some of us multi-task with ease. Others enjoy focusing on a single project in great depth. We can be limited by physical challenges including age, handicaps, sickness and just our general physical capabilities. This applies to our capacity for endurance as well. For some of us, a business trip can be exhausting; for others, it is just another work day.

Emotional struggles involving hurts and fears can also affect our efficiency. After a hurtful divorce, a person may be reticent to pursue another close relationship.  A child who is afraid of the dark may need us to stay with him, postponing our own agenda. In general, personality types can affect who waits on whom.  People who are more aggressive, extroverted and adventurous may be called upon to wait for those who are shy, reticent and cautious.

Mentally we wait for each based on both our mental capacity and our strengths and weaknesses. We are born with different intelligences that affect our ability to reason, memorize and learn. In certain areas we may excel while we struggle in other areas. I may have to wait for you to complete mathematical tasks, while you show me patience trying to read a map.

Spiritually we differ as well. We all experience different levels of spiritual zeal, passion and even faith. (Rom. 12:3; 14:1) When others sin, we may also be called upon to wait for repentance and changed behavior. Consider the patience of God relative to our waywardness. “He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.” (2 Peter 3:9)

Regardless of our strengths and weaknesses, we are all indispensable in God’s eyes.(1 Cor. 12:22) As we learn to accept this truth, it becomes apparent that how we respond to the weaker members is very important to God and an indication of how the love of God is being poured out through our lives.

 “We who are strong ought to bear with the failings of the weak and not to please ourselves.” (Rom 15:1)

Don McMinn, Ph.D. (with Kimberly Spring)
Executive Director of theiPlace.org
The 11th Commandment: More Insights into the One Anothers of Scripture

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Why is God Silent?

by Tom Terry
written by Tom Terry

There’s an important page in your Bible that, if you are like most people, goes completely unread. Chances are, you are like most Christians who rip past this page without a moment’s thought. In fact, in this page of the Bible might be described by some as the most irrelevant, unnecessary, useless page between its soft leather covers. Virtually no one earmarks it, thumbnails it, highlights it, or contemplates what it represents in God’s grand scheme. Yet I’ve found this page to be one of the most important reminders to me that God in His sovereignty is always at work, performing His Will in the world and in my life. Before I tell you where to find this page in your Bible, allow me to share a story.

Bob was an up and coming political star, somewhat controversial, but completely dedicated to his mission. He passionately wanted to represent righteousness in the political system but often found himself frustrated. We were on the phone one day, discussing his latest machinations with his political party and race for power when he pulled a big question out of his hat that was probably the most important question he’d ever asked me.

“Tom, why don’t I hear God speak?”

“What do you mean, Bob?” I asked.

 

“When I go to church I hear about God speaking to so-and-so, or impressing someone with something. It’s like it’s normal for God to speak to someone. But to be honest, I’ve never heard God speak to me. I want him to speak to me. But he doesn’t and I don’t know why.”

Very quickly I silently prayed for wisdom then decided to answer Bob’s question with a question of my own. “How much time to you spend reading the scriptures?”

Bob hesitated for a moment. It was the kind of hesitation that was an answer in itself. “Uh, well, things are so busy I haven’t really had a lot of time to read the Bible. There’s just so much to do.”

“Bob,” I said, “If you’re not listening to what God has already said in His Word, why would He have anything else to say to you?”

There was a long moment of silence on the other end followed by, “Yeah, I guess you’re right.” Since that conversation so many years ago Bob poured himself into God’s Word, making himself a student of its precious pages. The more he paid attention to what God said, the more God had to say to him.

There are times in our lives when God is virtually silent. In my experience, God is usually silent for two reasons. First, God is silent because we aren’t giving attention to His Word. We often fill our time with daily tasks, entertainment, and socializing, but we relegate God’s Word to a corner bookshelf. This is nothing less than a form of idolatry. Like God’s rebuke of Jerusalem in Jeremiah 6:10 we “cannot listen,” because when it comes to the scriptures we “take no pleasure in it.” When we keep God on the bookshelf rather than at the table we find that even what we may already know from the scriptures can illude us. To my friend Bob, God seemed far away. But once he began to apply himself to the scriptures, things changed. Not only did he become a student of the Bible, God began giving him influence with his party and peers that he had never before enjoyed.

The second reason for God’s silence comes when God is at work. There are times when we are listening to the Lord, keeping Christ at the table instead of the bookshelf, and yet it seems that God is not speaking to us. The heavens seem shut and God is silent. We wonder if we’ve done something wrong, if God has rejected us, or if there is unconfessed sin in our lives. Israel faced a time like this when God was silent. It was a period of 400 years represented by that single empty page in your Bible between the Old and New Testaments.

During this silent period of Israeli history no prophet walked the land. But remarkable things happened that prepared the way for Christ. The Roman Empire was being built. Instead of abandoning God for idolatry once again, responded by deepening its religious commitment. A group of dedicated Jews formed the Pharisaical order, dedicating themselves to God’s law (the Pharisees didn’t start out as bad guys). Israel finally abandoned the idol worship that had plagued them from Moses to the Exile. The temple of God was being restored. And the family line of David quietly lived their lives, passing on their dedication to God until it finally reach a young virgin willing to carry the Christ. God was silent during that 400 year period, but he was at work, laying the foundations of kingdoms and roads that would carry Christ to the ends of the earth. He would finally speak again through his Son.

So why is God silent with you? Is it because your ears are tuned elsewhere or because He is quietly at work, preparing you and those around you for the next horizon where He will take you?

When you spend time giving attention to God’s written Word, take a little extra time with that empty page between the Testaments. Contemplate the history it represents and what God was doing to prepare the world for the coming of Jesus. Let God’s silence speak to you.

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