Tuesday, October 23, 2007

WHAT ARE YOU SOWING BROTHER?

Galatians 6:7-10

“Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting. And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not. As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith.”

The logo or icon of the Bible Society in South Africa is the picture of a man sowing seed by hand. This is the same as the word picture Paul used in his letter to the Galatians. He wanted all to know that we get back what we give out. We are all aware that we do not plant wild oats and reap wheat. “He that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption.” I we spend our life seeking earthly rewards, that is what we shall reap, and only that. What does the wealthy farmer take with him when he comes to the end of life? We start with nothing and we end the same way. The ancient Egyptians filled the graves of their Pharos with every thing they believed it possible that they would need in an after life, but those things, resplendent with gold, have now ended up in the museums, along with a dried and dusty mummy. Such is the destination of any life that is set on material earthly things. The body decays and the wealth is dispensed.

But, there is a better alternative. “He that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.” He has a more lofty purpose in life. His eye is set on spiritual things, not material. All that we have that is material belongs to God. He made it all. We are but stewards, slaves mind you, entrusted to use these things for a short period of time. Even as the master of a slave is responsible for everything his slaves needed, thus God will provide for all that we need; perhaps not all that we want, but all that we need. Jesus made this clear when he said, “in my Father’s house are many mansions,” or places as some versions word it. God does, and will supply, and in heaven one is not still a servant, but a brother or sister and an heir of God’s. God will not provide for his own family that which will fall apart in the first hundred years or grow old and tattered. He will provide for eternity, even as he provided for the Children of Israel as they wandered in the wilderness, everything, water, food, and clothing and shoes that did not wear out until they reached their destination, the Promised Land.

God has a better plan. He will care for the needy though their brothers and sisters here; not directly as the manna fell in the wilderness and was harvested every morning. God wants those who he blesses with much, to assist those who are lacking, “especially them who are of the household of faith.” That is the idea behind the benevolent ministry of the church. Today’s believers have grown lax and leave this to Social Security. Unfortunately it is a fact that the poor, who have spent a lifetime earning the minimum wage or even less, have built up a very low level of investment over the years and their Social Security income is far below the “poverty level” and pushed lower every year by the required Medicare deductions. Those are the Medicaid patients and the homeless.

As far as I know, virtually all of our Benevolent Societies, orphanages, homeless shelters, nursing homes, and retirement centers are forced to turn these people, whether “of the faith” or not, away for lack of funding. This is the responsibility of the church. Missionaries should not have to operate food kitchens for Christians who are in need.

Let us look to what we are doing, and also to what we are neglecting. It isn’t only in India and Ethiopia that there are needy and hungry Christians. They are everywhere, even in our American churches if we look carefully.

WHY DO THE GOOD DIE YOUNG?

We have all wondered why children and “good” people often die young. Even, perhaps, we have blamed God and felt that this is very unfair and unloving that this should happen.

If God were so loving, should not the evil be punished by a short life, and the children all live to an old age? Actually, that is often the case. Sometimes we forget that God knows the end from the very beginning. He knows how we shall end, just as he knew that Jesus would die on the cross for the sins of all mankind even before he sent him to become our savior. Thus, we read that “God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” God knew, but still he sent him because he loves us all.

However, I recently read a scripture in Isaiah 57:1-2 that affirmed something that I had long felt to be true.

It reads: “The righteous perisheth and no man layeth it to heart: and merciful men are taken away, none considering that the righteous is taken away from the evil to come. He shall enter into peace: they shall rest 1n their beds, each one walking in his uprightness.“ The phrase I have placed in bold type, just popped out to me, and it makes all the difference in the world. For affirmation, I also looked it up in the NIV versions, which simply states it even more clearly in more modern English. “The righteous perish, and no one ponders it in his heart; devout men are taken away, and no one understands that the righteous are taken away to be spared from evil. Those who walk uprightly, enter into peace; they find rest as they lie in death.”

We were three brothers. My older brother was five years older than I, and my younger brother was five years younger. Jackie Allan lived for only two days. It seemed so very unfair and unloving that he should die so young. He had been born with a birth defect. His survival would have changed all of our lives. Five years later our farm and much of our furniture was sold and my father left for good. Mother probably could not have survived with two sons at home to raise alone. My older brother had left home years before, so we started with me mowing lawns at first and mother doing laundry, ironing, and house cleaning for others. God was aware of all this, and Jackie was safely back with him, well and loved. He was “taken away from the evil to come.” Mother has now joined him, and I look forward to that reunion to come at the time God has chosen.

God, who knows all that will or can happen to us, who knows the end from our very beginning, had a special task for me that he did not have for Jackie, and it was not there on that farm. By hind-sight, I see afterward more than I did as it unfolded. We all can if we stop to think about what has happened to us along the way. God had a purpose for each of us. We shall live and serve as long as we continue to enter the doors that he opens before us. For me: 1. We left the farm. That had served its purpose. 2. We made two important moves. First to a small town where the Lord’s church became very central in our lives, then moved to a small city where a larger faithful church continued to be a guide and strength. These two churches were to become the backbone of our prayer and financial support over many years to come. 3. I enlisted in the Navy, changing my outlook and purpose in life, and building self confidence greatly. This also paid for my education. 4. I enrolled in a new Bible School and God brought my future wife and I together there. 5. We went to Africa as new missionaries. There formation and work doors continued to open throughout the years. God was at work. Even in my retiring at the age of 72.

God has a plan for each of us, and he opens the doors and nudges the reluctant along all the way. In the case of Saul of Tarsus, Jesus said that he was “kicking against the goads.” With me it was more gentle “nudges” that I enter the doors he opened, but the result was the same. God formed us with love, for a purpose, and he guides us along to that goal.

He know from the beginning whom among us will respond, and who will not. He knows if added years will make a difference. And, if we finish our task on earth early, he like the gracious employer he is, will say, “You are finished, Take the rest of the day off.” I will return for you. Let us look forward with confidence for that “Well done, good and faithful servant.”

God’s will be done!

Tuesday, October 16, 2007

ANOTHER GOSPEL?

LET HIM BE ACCURSED!

Galatians 1:3-9

“Grace be to you and peace from God the Father, and from our Lord Jesus Christ, who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father: to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen. I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you unto the grace of Christ unto another gospel. Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ. But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached to you, let him be accursed. As I have said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed.”

The meaning of the word “Gospel” is simply “Good News,” and the source of this good news in the New Testament, is augmented by the fulfillment of the prophecies of the Old Testament. For example, there are many prophecies of the Messiah to come in the Old Testament and these are fulfilled in the New Testament many years later. The book of Matthew was written with the Jewish nation particularly, in mind. It begins with the genealogy of Jesus. This is vital for Jewish readers. The Birth of Christ, the virgin birth, and many activities of Christ, which had been prophesied many years before, are carefully recorded in Matthew. These weave into the account many facts of vital importance to them, and lead up to his sacrificial death, his burial, and his resurrection in payment for the sins of mankind. The good news is that God sent His own Son who died for our sins, and who showed his divinity by raising from the dead on the third day. These points are brought out in the teaching of the Apostles.

Early in church history, there began to rise up men who were preaching “another Gospel.” This began to take place even while the Apostles were still living and preaching. Paul struggled with these false doctrines in many of his letters to the churches. Since he was evangelist to the Gentiles, he was deeply concerned by pressures from certain Jewish Christians who felt that it was necessary for any convert to the gospel, to first become a Jew, then accept the Christ. In effect this would mean that Christianity would be a branch of Judaism. Such believers were called “Judaisers.” We should praise the Lord that Paul wrote those letters, which make up a large portion of the New Testament. In dealing with problems, he sets the example for doing the same in the church of today. He dealt with moral problems, in excessive use of alcohol, in lying, in tongues, gossip, and many other basic problems of humanity.

Not all false prophets are charlatans, preaching godly morality, but personally blatant womanizers, alcoholics, or liars. Others preach a “God wants you to be rich” or “a name it and claim it” message, when the very opposite is often the emphasis of scripture The message is that we can not serve both “mammon,” wealth and God. Jesus pointed out that it is very difficult for a rich man to enter heaven. What he meant is that we have to make a decision. Do we want to be rich in this world? or do we want to be Christians and rich in heaven’s blessings eternally?. Wealth can not be the goal of our lives. We can not seek wealth at the expense of honesty and truth. Read the “get rich schemes” on the web. They all promise great wealth, but always at the sacrifice of truth and honesty. If God blesses us, we have greater responsibility, for our true riches are revealed by where our heart is. In Christianity there is always the temptation to manipulate our worship services, as I have observed in Africa where even in the pre-service prayers which begin quietly but gradually increased in tempo and volume until they filled the building by what sounded much like a “Gregorian chant.” In the meantime, the band was doing the same, starting modestly, but building in tempo guaranteeing a throbbing headache at its peak. The apparent center of those services comes with the healing service and the altar calls near the end.

In contrast, the heart and center of Christian worship is prayer and the observance of the Lord’s memorial table. Leave Christ out of worship, and it is false. We pray through a living Lord and remember his death burial and resurrection at our weekly assembly in the body of Christ, the church.

Monday, October 15, 2007

CARING FOR THE SHEEP

John 10:1+ I have deliberately left this reference “open ended” as John has recorded for us a number of the parables of Jesus, in this chapter of his record of the Gospel. In these, Jesus chose sheep and their care as examples of his care for his followers.

Sheep were very rare in the particular area where I lived as a child, but one farmer came to live on the farm that had been my grandfather’s. This man had a flock of sheep. I didn’t really know him, but there came a time when he wanted to move his herd from one field to another across the road. This early experience taught me my first lesson about sheep. They are difficult to drive anywhere. That was why he needed help . They tended to scatter wildly. Why? Because they are basically followers, not leaders. Money was short in those days, so my wage for my help was a tiny orphan lamb, that he did not expect to save anyway. We raised that lamb on a bottle. She grew and thrived, and she became attached to me and followed me everywhere. I am sure she would have happily slept in the house, if my other would have permitted any animal in her home. I named her “Lulabelle” after a very well known singer on radio WLS of Chicago at that time. That was my first introduction to sheep.

But the people of Palestine were well versed on the subject of sheep. Jesus used them to teach many things, saying, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that entereth in not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbed up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber.” John 10:1 Now here was my second lesson. Years later, I had the opportunity to examine closely the sheepfold near an African church where we had gone to conduct services and preach the gospel. The African people there had flocks of sheep and goats, so had constructed a sheepfold, a large circle of tree branches cut from the native thorn trees. These branches were engulfed with three inch thorns and they were stacked in a four or five foot high ring, thorns out, leaving only one narrow opening to give access. After being watered, the sheep were led into this ring where they were safe for the night. Only a very determined thief or robber would try to gain access over the sides!

“But he that entereth in by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. To him, the porter openeth; and the sheep hear his voice: and he calleth his own sheep by name and leadeth them out And when he putteth forth his own sheep, he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him: for they know his voice. And a stranger will they not follow, but will flee from him for they know not the voice of strangers.” John 10:2-5

The shepherd would not need to enter the fold. He could open the door and call his sheep out by name. They all know his voice and they won’t respond to other voices. The other sheep will wait until their own shepherd calls them. They will follow him where ever he leads them.

Jesus, explained the parable saying, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, I am the door of the sheep. All that ever came before me are thieves and robbers: but the sheep did not hear them. I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out and find pasture. The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it abundantly. I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep. But he that is an hireling, and not the shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, seeth the wolf coming and leaveth the sheep, and fleeth:” John 10:7-12.

Wednesday, October 10, 2007

YOU MUST NOT MISS THIS!

When and where we happened to be born, our parents, our material wealth or lack of it all make a difference where we live for our short stay here on earth. But no matter how long we may live, it's brevity is emphasized in scripture as being like a mist that passes away, or grass that withers and is burned. It really, is simply a time granted to us as a time to prepare for the reality of the our permanent home ahead. We have this time to prepare, not with material things, but Spiritually. I think of it as being something like the accommodation we used to use for our attendance at the African church conferences. When the children were small, and where they were available, we sometimes hired small rondoval homes similar to those built by our African brothers. They consisted of a round wall enclosing a twelve foot circular room, and with a thatch, metal, or asbestos roof. The floor was concrete, and the only furniture consisted of one or two narrow cots and, perhaps, a small table and two chairs. Clearly, they were meant to be very temporary and we used them only as a sleeping shelter those days. What did it matter, as they were not meant to be permanent. Thus it is that life here of earth, when compared to eternity, in absolute perfection, becomes of no significance at all.

Jesus said, "I go to prepare a place for you." He who created all the universe and everything in it, said: "Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go to prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also. And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know. Thomas saith unto him, Lord, we know not whither thou goest; and how can we know the way? Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him." John 14:1-7.

What is important is that we make ready by accepting Jesus at his word, and obeying him in repentance, baptism and a devoted life confessing our faith in him daily. He left several parables to emphasize that fact. The chief one being the parable of the foolish and wise bridesmaids as they waited for the groom to come for his bride and the wedding to begin. The wise prepared with extra oil for their lamps, and the foolish took only the oil that was in their tiny lamps. Their lamps ran dry as they waited, and they had to go in search of more oil, thus they found the doors closed and themselves locked out of the wedding, which had already begun before they returned.

Have you made the proper preparations, or have you left that for the last minute? None of us can be certain when our groom, Christ, will come for his bride, the church. If we are not ready, the "mansions" of heaven will not be for us, only the weeping and gnashing of teeth of those who, not being dressed in the wedding garments provided by the host, are escorted out to the place prepared for Satan and his demonic angels. There they will share with them the only other place available. Please note that Hell was made for Satan and his demonic angels, not for mankind.
We are told that man can not comprehend, nor words describe what lies in store for the faithful, but the last two chapters in the Bible, make an attempt to encourage us in as much s we are capable of understanding. Read Revelation 21, and 22. You definitely don't want to miss this!