Thoughts on Church Growth

Posted on November 21, 2014 by Bryan Hodge

In my personal reading, I’ve found a few thoughts I wish to share with you:

1.  The church needs to be among society.

Alexander Campbell: “That the church may have an influence upon society at large, there is wanting a fuller display of Christian philanthropy… care for the poor… the expression of the most unfeigned sympathy for the distresses of mankind, not only among the brotherhood, but among all men… an ardent zeal for the conversion of sinners. The full display of these attributes is the most effective means of causing to sound abroad, and to achieve new conquests among our fellow citizens.” (The Christian System, page 254).

 Flavil R. Yeakley Jr.: “Someone once said that the way to build a strong church is to find the hurt in a community and heal it. The source of all the hurt, of course is man’s alienation from God. But many people are not interested in being saved. They do not even know that they are lost. However, they do know other hurts: alienation from other people, the break down of the husband-wife relationship, and the alienation of older people from society in general.   We must start with people where they are in order to lead them where they ought to go” (1977, Harding Lectures, p. 262).

Folks, we need to be out in the world (John 17:15-16). We are to be the salt and light of the world (Matthew 5:13-16), the pillar and ground of truth (1 Timothy 3:15), holding forth the word of life (Philippians 2:16). We need to be looking for opportunities to let out lights shine.

2.  Christians need to be involved in one another’s lives.

 Flavil R. Yeakley Jr. cites a survey of new converts who fell away.   He says, “What was counted… was the number of new friends the person had made in the church and the number of former non-Christian friends the person no longer counted as being close friends. The more changes a person had in his friendship pattern the more likely he was to remain a faithful convert. In this study, 100% of the people who had zero, one or two changes in friendship pattern dropped out… three changes 88% (dropped out); four changes 66% (dropped out); five changes 50%; six changes 11%. The drop out rate was zero for those who reported seven or more changes in their friendship patters.” (ibid, p. 349-350).

God’s people should be a part of each others lives (1 Thessalonians 5:14; Hebrews 3:13; Galatians 6:1-2; James 5:20). We should be provoking each other on to “love and good works” (Hebrews 10:24). We should “greet the friends by name” (3 John 14).

An unknown writer has penned these words – “If this is not a place where tears are understood, where do I go to cry? / If this is not a place where my spirit can wing, where do I go to fly? / If this is not a place where my questions can be asked, where do I go to seek? / If this is not a place where my feelings can be heard, where do I go to speak? / If this is not a place where you will accept me as I am, where do I go to be me? / If this is not a place where I can try and fail and learn and grow, where can I be – just me?” ~ Jimmy Jividen, Koinonia, page 119. Fellowship in Christ is helpful to spiritual health. Love should richly flow through the assembly.  “Let all that you do be done with love” (1 Corinthians 16:14). “Let all things be done for edification” (1 Corinthians 14:26).

3.  All member should be included in the work.

Alexander Campbell: “Too long has it been considered the duty, the almost exclusive duty, of the preacher to convert the world… while (others) have only to look on and pray for his success… the work of the Lord will never progress… the regenerating influence of the church will amount to little or nothing – so long as it is thought to be not equally the duty of every member… All are called to labor for the Lord. I hold that every citizen in Christ’s kingdom is bound to take up arms for the King, as much as I am” (The Christian System, p. 254).

It is our duty to “proclaim the praises of Him who  called (us) out of darkness into His marvelous light” (1 Peter 2:9). The early church “went everywhere preaching the Word” (Acts 8:4). There comes a time when we each “ought to be teachers” (Hebrews 5:12). It is unimaginable the results which would be achieved if every child of God took serious their responsiblity to proclaim and teach the Gospel. This is the key to realizing growth potential.

4.  Our giving should be liberal.

V.P. Black wrote a book in 1969 entitled “My God and My Money.” In the book he gives figures from the year 1944 on how much Americans spent on this or that. He records that the sum total of all American giving (in all types of churches) to mission work amounted to only half what they spent on dog food each year. He wrote, “If this does not indicate that the people of America care twice as much for dogs as religious people care for the souls of those outside our own land, what does it prove?”(p. 57).

Again, he wrote, “Money is not filthy lucre. It is not the devil’s coin, it is stored up human power. It is so much of myself which I can keep at work furthering the purposes of my Lord through His church… My money is an indispensable factor in advancing the purpose of my God…” (p. 56)

Folks, let us always keep our treasure in heaven (Matthew 6:21). Let us keep our priorities in order (Matthew 6:33). What we spend our money on may indicate what it is we truly value

Also remember in the work at hand, “He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully” (2 Corinthians 9:6). How much are we investing into reaching souls?

5.  Money is no substitution for work.

Jerry Jones: “We cannot reach the world with dollars (alone) but with people” (1982 Harding Lectures, p. 58). Sometimes people use their giving to excuse themselves from true involvement.

It takes both. Paul said, “Woe is me if I do not preach the gospel” (1 Corinthians 9:16). The love of Christ should constrain us (2 Corinthians 5:14), also the terror of the Lord (2 Corinthians 5:11).

6.  We need to put into practice what we know.

Carl Mitchell said, “I know of a brother that was asked for the third time to teach a personal evangelism course in the local church. The first evening he went to class and saw the same people who had been there in the prior classes he had taught, so he dismissed the class saying he refused to teach the same people the same thing for the third time! The did not need another class on personal evangelism! The needed to do what they already knew how to do!… When we cooperate with the effort to turn the church inward, we join the force of him who opposes it being turned outward” (ibid, p. 119).

Let us be “doers of the word and not hearers only” (James 1:22).   “Lead me to some soul today/ O teach me Lord just what to say/ Friends of mine are lost in sin/ And cannot find their way/ Few there are who seem to care/ And few there are who pray/ Melt my heart and fill my life/ Give me one soul today (song: Lead Me to Some Soul Today by Wendell P. Loveless).  How long has it been since we taught another the Gospel?

 

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Christians Do The Same

Posted on November 20, 2014 by Bryan Hodge

There is frequently a cry of moral equivalency between Islam and Christianity. “Muslims have been violent, but so have Christians. Muslims are waging jihad, but what about the crusades, the Spanish Inquisition, and the Conquistadors? The Quran teaches warfare, but so does the Bible.”

How do we respond? Is Christianity on par with Islam? Is Christianity a violent religion? Does the Bible cause a violent world?

It is not our aim to critically assess Islam or the Quran in this writing. Instead, we just want to examine whether the Bible and Christianity teach and promote wide scale violence. Does true Christianity use the sword to defend and promote truth?

Here is our response:

1. It is true that God instructed the cleansing of the Promised Land of the Canaanite people. He enjoined this on the Israelites of the Old Testament. Their moral depravity was “full” (Genesis 15:16). “They had slumped to such an immoral depraved state, with no hope of recovery, that their existence on this Earth had to be ended – just like in Noah’s day when God waited while Noah preached for years but was unable to turn the world’s population from its wickedness” (Dave Miller, The Quran Unveiled: Islam and New Testament Christianity in Conflict, p. 193). Now let it be pointed out that this was not an annihilation of all unbelievers, only these Canaanites whose society had become so corrupt. “Unless you happened to be a Hittite, Girgashite, Amorite, Canaanite, Perizzite, Hivite, or Jebusite these Biblical passages simply do not apply to you” (Robert Spencer, The Politically Incorrect Guide to Islam, p. 29).

2. The nation of Israel was a nation. “Since the nation of Israel was also a civil entity in its own right, the government was also charged with implementing civil retribution upon lawbreakers. However, with the arrival of New Testament Christianity – an international religion intended for all persons without regard to ethnicity or nationality – God has assigned to civil government (not the church or the individual) the responsibility of regulating secular behavior. God’s people who lived posterior to the cross of Christ… are not charged by God with the responsibility of inflicting punishment on the evildoers. Rather civil government is charged with the responsibility of maintaining order and punishing lawbreakers – Romans 13:1-7; Titus 3:1; 1 Peter 2:13-14″ (Miller, ibid).

3.  All was not fair in love and war, according to the Old Testament. The Israelites were given rules of engagement. Read Deuteronomy 20. Cities (with the exception of the Canaanites) were to be given opportunity in war to surrender (Deuteronomy 20:10-18). There was to be no scorched earth policies (Deuteronomy 20:19-20). Moreover, we know that unjust practices were frowned on (Genesis 34:6-30a cf. 49:5-7).

4.  Another issue is imprecatory Psalms. Things to understand: (a) The Psalms are not narratives calmly recording history. They are poetry and the nature of oriental poetry is that it often contains strong emotion and flowery language. (b) These are prayers directed to God. God was petitioned but things were left in His hands. Steve Wiggins has written, “The imprecatory Psalms can be of tremendous assistance to the Christian. They teach us when we feel anger and hostility we should verbalize it in prayer to God rather than expressing it through actions” (Firm Foundation, Oct. 2003 article “A study of Imprecatory Psalms” by Steve Wiggins). We all need to vent from time to time. (c) We should understand who many of these enemies were. They were not just personal enemies, but enemies of God and justice. The Psalmist was not merely wanting vengeance on his personal enemies –  but, in many cases, but upon God’s enemies and injustice (Psalm 5:10; 59:13; 109:13, 15, 16, 17). Steve Wiggins adds, “The key to solving this… seems to lie in understanding that the imprecations are grounded in the Abrahamic covenant in which God promised to curse those who cursed Abraham’s descendents. The Psalmist then, merely appealed for God to fulfill his covenant promise to Israel” (ibid).

5.  The New Testament clearly, does not teach violence. It teaches things like: “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God” (Matthew 5:9). “Turn the other (cheek) also” (Matthew 5:39). “Repay no man evil for evil… if it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men” (Romans 12:17, 18). “Pursue peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord” (Hebrews 12:14).

However, some have wrested some New Testament passages from their context in order to claim moral equivalency. (a) Luke 19:26-27. The fallacy here is that these words are about the coming judgement upon Jerusalem set forth in a parable, and are not Jesus instructions to wage jihad. (b) Matthew 10:34-35. Jesus is not saying that He wants such things to happen, but He is warning that they will happen. He is not instructing His disciples to wield the sword; He is warning of the cost of discipleship.

6.  What about the crusades, the Spanish Inquisition, and the Conquistadors? The only sword the Christian is authorized to use in the promotion and defense of the Gospel is “the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God” (Ephesians 6:17). Jesus said, “My kingdom is not of this word. If my kingdom were of this world, My servants would fight…” (John 18:36). True Christianity does not “wrestle against flesh and blood” (Ephesians 6:12).

The crusades are a much misunderstood period of history. The crusades were not unprovoked attacks by Europe against the Islamic world. There were years of aggression, hardship, and persecution that had happened to the west by Muslims. Moreover, the crusades weren’t made to force Jews and Muslims to become Christians, it was over 100 years after the first Crusade that Europeans organized a missionary effort to convert the Muslims. A Spanish Muslim, Ibn Jubayr, wrote in the 12th century that the Muslims had it better in lands under control of Crusaders than in lands under Islamic control. True, there were many atrocities during these years of the crusades. It is true that much anti-Semitic violence existed in Germany and Hungary by Crusaders. It is worth noting that in spite of this, most Jews still chose to live in the west and not in Islamic land. [For a study of the Crusades, see The Politically Incorrect Guide to Islam (and the Crusades)].

The Inquisitions were brutal, torturous, and bloody. I would suggest that they did not get such from reading God’s instructions to the church. God has stated how false teachers, and heretics are to be handled (see Acts 20:28-32; Romans 16:17; 1 Timothy 6:3-5; Titus 1:7-11; 3:10; 2 John 10-11). We are in the market of ideas. We are to reason with people and try to change them. We are not to support false teachers. We need to mark and avoid them. There is a time to withdraw from such. But we are never told to torture and punish them physically.

The Conquistadors, I have read, justified their taking of land in the “New World” and their treatment of the natives by appealing to God’s giving the Promised Land to the Israelites, and by what the Israelites did (or were to do) with the Canaanites. If this is true this is a great misuse of scripture. There is a big difference: Israel was so instructed of God; the Conquistadors, nor we have been so instructed in the New Testament.

Some have appealed to Timothy McVeigh and others as an example of modern Christian terrorism. Now, I am not saying that one could not zealously do terrorist activities and try to defend them by appealing to the scriptures, but to my knowledge Timothy McVeigh never did this. I know of no scripture he ever appealed to, yet many want to classify him as a Christian terrorist and cry for moral equivalency. I guarantee you this if McVeigh, or any others, appealed to the New Testament to justify their terror – they took the passage out of its context. Read the New Testament It is not a book of violence.

7.  Some have acted as if Christianity and religion in general would just go away then all violence would just disappear and there would be utopia on Earth (just ponder the words of John Lennon’s atheistic anthem “Imagine”).

Man is violent without religion. In truth, anti-Christian and atheistic governments have unquestionably murdered more people in the last hundred years than all other movements. Mao is responsible for the deaths of an estimated 40 million, Stalin 20 million, Hitler 15 million (figures go as high as 34 million if you count the war). Pol Pot killed about 2 million, almost one-third of his country. Which of these did their deeds due to their Christian beliefs? It is said that communist tyranny has killed a minimum of 94 million this last century and perhaps as high as 150 million (figures from Deliver Us From Evil, Sean Hannity; and surfing the internet). As Benjamin Franklin once said, “If men are so wicked with religion, what would they be without it?”! In a letter to the editor of The American Spectator, a Peter Skurkiss of Stow, Ohio well said, “Just as the former Soviet Union has been discredited, so has its religion of materialism. The experiment has been tried and has been a colossal failure. Instead of freeing man from God and being a route to utopia, atheism has brought unimagined grief to the world.” (Sept. 2007).

Christianity has done much to lift this world to a higher level (Recommended reading Wayne Jackson, Apologetics Press article, The Benevolent, “Leavening” Influence of Christianity by Wayne Jackson).

Whether a book be classified as violent or not must be determined by the book itself and not by what some associated with it may or may not do. The New Testament is a religion of peace.

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Does God Hear the Prayers of Sinners?

Posted on November 17, 2014 by Bryan Hodge

This is not a question which can be answered with a simple “yes” or “no.” The terms need to be defined before answering.

What is meant by “hear”? The word “hear” can mean “to hear a sound without understanding” (e.g. Acts 9:7), or it can mean “to hear with understanding” (e.g. Acts 22:9). It can mean “to hear with understanding whether favorably or unfavorably received” (e.g. Acts 17:32), or it can mean “to hear favorably or receptively” (e.g. Matthew 18:15; 1 Timothy 4:16).

God certainly hears with understanding all that men say. Consider: 1) Job 42:7, “The LORD said to Eliphaz the Temanite, “My wrath is aroused against you and your two friends, for you have not spoken of Me what is right, as My servant Job has.” God knew what they had said. 2) Psalm 139:4, “There is not a word on my tongue, but behold, O LORD, You know it altogether.”   3) Matthew 12:36-37, “Every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment. For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.” 4) James 2:12, “So speak and so do as those who will be judged by the law of liberty.”

Therefore, let us clarify the issue. The issue is – does God favorably receive the prayers of sinners? Do sinners have a welcomed audience before His throne? Are they favorably received?

What is meant by “sinners”? Some may mean “those who sin, or have sinned” (e.g. Luke 18:13-14). However, the term “sinner(s)” is frequently used in the Bible in contrast with the righteous (e.g. Psalm 1:5; Proverbs 11:31; Matthew 9:13; Luke 5:32; 15:7), and in contrast with those who are sons of God (Luke 6:32-36).

It must be clarified that the term “sinners” is being used in the second sense. If not, who could pray (Romans 3:23)?

1.  The Bible is clear that the unrepentant sinner will not be heard (Psalm 34:15-16; 66:18; Proverbs 15:8; 15:29; Isaiah 1:15-17; 59:12; John 9:37; 1 Peter 3:12). Do not pursue a life of sin and rebellion before God, and then think that you can petition Him in prayer. A child of God needs to repent and pray for forgiveness when he sins (Proverbs 28:13; Acts 8:22; James 5:16). Such is the only kind of prayer which should be given. One will not have a successful prayer life so long as he refuses to repent and confess his sins to God.

2.  The Bible warns the Christian that a bad home life will hinder prayers before God (1 Peter 3:7). A good home life is not just about tranquility in the home. It is about maintaining a good relationship with God.

3.  The Bible teaches that it is the prayer of the righteous which avails much (James 5:16). Man today can be counted righteous only in Christ (Philippians 3:8-9). The alien sinner is never instructed to pray for salvation. There is no example of “the sinner’s prayer” in all of the New Testament. The alien sinner’s pray for salvation will not be heard. One must believe, repent, confess and be baptized to be saved (Mark 16:15-16; Luke 24:47; Acts 2:38; Acts 8:36-37).

Is God receptive to any prayer offered by the alien sinner? Wayne Jackson speculated, “If an alien sinner sincerely seeking to know and do the will of God, and praying that somehow he might come in contact with the truth so that he could ascertain the Lord’s will relative to being saved, it is surely possible that God, consistent with His providential means, could work matters out where the individual would be exposed to the preaching of the Gospel” (A Question From A Reader, Christian Courier, Dec. 1981). Perhaps so (cf. John 7:17; Acts 10:1-6). However, the fact remains that prayer alone will not save the alien sinner.

What about Cornelius? Didn’t God receive his prayers before he became a Christian? Yes, he did (Acts 10:3-4; 30-31). I believe that Cornelius lived in a transitional time. Michael Hatcher has written, “The application of what Jesus did was not seen for the Gentiles until Cornelius (Acts 10). During that time (between Christ’s death and Cornelius), if a person was faithful to the Law of God given through the fathers (Patriarchal Law), then he would have been in a right relationship with God and thus have a right to pray… Now the Law of Christ was coming into effect for the Gentiles he needed to hear the word of Christ and obey it…” (2000 Bellview Lectureship, p. 303-318, quoted in Apologetics Press article, Does God Hear and Respond to the Prayers of Alien Sinners?)

4.  The Bible teaches that God cares about one’s attitude (Psalm 51:17; Luke 18:10-14), motive (Matthew 6:5), and genuineness (Matthew 6:7) in prayer. He is not impressed with self-righteousness. He does not want a performance for men. He does not want vainly repeated words.

May we, at the Youngsport church of Christ, truly be a people of prayer. Let us offer the kind of prayer that ascends like incense before Him (Psalm 141:2).

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Hospitality

Posted on November 14, 2014 by Bryan Hodge

Three men appeared before Abraham in the heat of the day, as he sat in the door of his tent (Genesis 18:2).  These, though they had the appearance of men, were no ordinary men.  At least two of these men were angels (Genesis 19:1 cf. 19:12-ff.). It seems that the third man was a Theophany, visible appearance of a member of the Godhead, in this case in human form (Genesis 18:1,2,13,22 cf. 19:1), though I do recognize that this may simply be language of agency whereby the LORD is said to have said or done something when actually He performed through the agency of another.

How would we behave if we knew that before us stood was an angelic being, or even God Almighty Himself?  Abraham, without even knowing Who stood before him, demonstrate himself to be a man of hospitality (Genesis 18:1-8).  Lot likewise did (Genesis 19:1-4). We would do well to emulate them in this regard.  We are to be hospitable people (Romans 12:13; 1 Timothy 3:2; Titus 1:8; Hebrews 13:2; 1 Peter 4:9). Jesus said that how we treat our fellow-man is how we treat Him (Matthew 25:31-46).  “In as much as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me… In as much as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me” (Matthew 25:40, 45).

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Sent Feet, Beautiful Feet

Posted on November 12, 2014 by Bryan Hodge

“And how shall they preach, except they be sent?  As it is written, ‘How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace, Who bring glad tidings of good things!” (Romans 10:15).

Let’s look more closely at this text.  In the first part of this verse, it speaks of the sending of preachers.  Man does not need to take an odyssey to some far away place, nor does man need to journey into the spirit realm to learn the Truth (Romans 10:6-7; Deuteronomy 30:11-13).  God has sent forth inspired preachers to reveal the Truth of His will (Matthew 28:18-f; Mark 16:15-16; Acts 1:8; Acts 9:15).  God made sure man had the opportunity to hear (cf. Romans 10:18).  This is the context.   Listen to brother Franklin Camp, he says, “The question Paul asked in Romans 10:15… was not ‘How shall one preach unless a church sends and supports him?’  He is speaking of chosen, selected ones commissioned by God and inspired to preach or proclaim the word of God.  This kind of preaching had to do with receiving the revelation of God’s Word.  Suppose Christ had not selected the twelve and endued them with the power of the Holy Spirit to preach the Gospel?  Who would have been able to call upon the name of the Lord?” (The Work Of The Holy Spirit In Redemption, p. 203). I do believe such to be the true context; But still, it should cause us to think about those in foreign lands.  We still should ask, “How shall they hear without a preacher?” and “How shall they preach except they be sent?”

Now, let us continue by looking on to the second part of the verse.  Let’s discuss beautiful feet.  It too, primarily in context, concerns inspired preachers of the first century. However the words may have originally had to do with some thing else.

When Jerusalem fell to Babylon, one Israelite made that long arduous journey to those who had already been taken captive in order to break the bad news (Ezekiel 33:21 cf. 24:26-27).  No one likes to hear bad news.

However, when Babylon fell, some escaped out of Babylon to declare these things to those still in Zion (Jeremiah 50:28).  What joyous news.  Babylon had fallen!  No doubt the people must have thought that these bearers of good news had beautiful feet, in bringing such good news. Isaiah 52:7-8 reads, “How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news, who proclaims peace, who brings glad tidings of good things, who proclaims salvation… Your watchman shall lift up their voices,  with their voices they shall sing together… When the LORD brings back Zion.”  Paul applies this to the apostolic message.  However, it seems to me that the original meaning refers to those bearers of good news long ago. A return was made possible!  Curtis Cates has written, “No obstacle would deter or obstruct God’s messengers… not even mountains.  Just as the runner’s feet would be beautiful who would announce  to captive peoples that deliverance had been secured,  just so would the running, sore and dusty feet of the apostle be beautiful as they brought the message of complete freedom (possible) through the grace of God from the taskmaster of sin… Now what makes beautiful feet?  Is it not the message they bear?” ( 1996 Denton Lectures, Studies In Romans, p.345).

Are your feet beautiful?  You may have corns or bunions on your feet.  You may suffer from athlete’s foot, or from toe fungus.  You may have a club foot, or no feet at all.  But if you have helped convert a sinner, if you have told someone of the good news (the Gospel) of Jesus Christ, and that they need not remain in the land of captivity, if you have helped them return home to God – no doubt to them your feet are beautiful!   And to God also!

Let us all strive to have beautiful feet!

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The Devil Tempts Jesus

Posted on November 10, 2014 by Bryan Hodge

“We do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin” (Hebrews 4:15).

Let us consider how the devil tempted Jesus and how Jesus handled the temptations.  This may well help us to overcome temptations which we face.

1.  The lust of the flesh (fleshly appetites).

“And the devil said to Him, ‘If you are the Son of God, command this stone to become bread'” (Luke 4:3).

Jesus had fasted forty days and forty nights.  He was hungry (cf. Matthew 4:2).  The devil used His natural, God-given bodily appetite to tempt Jesus.

We live in a physical world.  We have physical bodies.  Our physical bodies have bodily appetites, involuntary bodily appetites.  This is how we were made.  The devil will use such to tempt us to do things contrary to God’s will.

Jesus responded by saying, “It is written ‘man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God'” (Luke 4:4).  God evidently had communicated to Jesus that He was not to feed Himself this way.  Very likely, the issue was that God did not want Jesus to use miraculous powers for self benefit.  Never did Jesus or the apostles use miraculous powers for self benefit.

Application for us – “Man’s craving for food is an inherent drive.  Wish though he may that this drive did not exist, man cannot escape the need for food.  But though the desire itself is not of man’s choosing, his response to it is.  In fact, how man handles physical hunger is indicative of whether he exercises a basic Christian virtue: temperance or self-control.  God places appetite within man and expects him to control it” (Kerry Duke, God at a Distance, p. 87).  Doing God’s will is even more important than caring for the physical body.

2.  The lust of the eyes (earthly ambitions).

“Then the devil, taking Him up on a high mountain, showed Him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time.  And the devil said to Him, ‘all this authority I will give to You, and their glory… if You will worship before me, all will be Yours” (Luke 4:5-7).

I believe that the temptation is for Jesus to take a different path to Kingship than the cruel cross.  James Snowden commented, “What does this mean but that Jesus was tempted to use the devil’s means and methods of getting the kingdom…?” (The Coming of the Lord, p. 90).  If Jesus chose to abandon God’s plan including the cross, and to become an earthly king, no doubt such would have been immensely popular.  After all, He could feed the multitudes.  Moreover, the Jews were desiring a king (John 6:15). The devil used that which was appealing to the eyes to tempt.

However, Jesus responded – “Get behind me Satan!  For it is written, ‘You shall worship the LORD your God, and Him only you shall serve” (Luke 4:8).  Jesus answered Peter similarly when Peter tried to keep Jesus from His own death (Matthew 16:21-23).  Thus, many conclude that Satan, like Peter, was trying to interfere with God’s plan of the cross.

Application – If we are going to successfully deal with temptation, then we must determine whom we will worship and serve.  This must be clear in our minds.  Moreover, we must be bold enough to respond “Get behind me Satan!” to anyone who would stand in our way of serving our God (cf. Matthew 16:21-23). “Satan” means “adversary.”  Anyone oppressing our service to God is an adversary on that point.

3.  The pride of life (ego).

“Then He brought Him to Jerusalem, set Him on the pinnacle of the Temple and said to Him, ‘If you are the Son of God throw yourself down from here. ‘For it is written: ‘He shall give His angels charge over You, to keep you.’ and, ‘In their hands they shall bear you up, lest you dash your foot against a stone'” (Luke 4:10-11).

Satan quoted scripture.  He said in effect, “Show me how God protects You,” or “Let’s test Him.  Let see if God will rescue You.”  This is an appeal to pride.

Jesus responded, “It has been said, “You shall not tempt the LORD your God'” (Luke 4:12).  He responded by quoting Scripture.  Three times Jesus was tempted.  Each time He responded by quoting Scripture (Luke 4:4 cf. Deuteronomy 8:3; Luke 4:8 cf. Deuteronomy 6:13; Luke 4:12 cf. Deuteronomy 6:16).

Scripture must be taken together.  “The sum” of God’s word is truth (Psalm 119:60 ASV).  Dave Miller has written, “Psalm 91, though intended to convey the care and concern which God manifests for the faithful, was not intended to apply to deliberately placing oneself in peril in order to force God to come to one’s rescue… Satan inferred that Psalm 91 implied divine care under every possible circumstance.  But this inference was unwarranted and incorrect.  Jesus, therefore, gathered additional scriptural evidence to show that Satan’s inference was incorrect.  In the context of Deuteronomy 6:16, God was referring to the kind of testing/tempting which the Israelites did when they murmured, grumbled, and challenged Moses to produce water – as if God was unable or unwilling.  For Jesus to have complied with Satan’s challenge would have placed Jesus in the same condition as the weak, unbelieving Israelite” (On Inferring What the Explicit Statements of the Bible Imply, p. 8).  H. Leo Boles commented, “The quotation of the devil was a scriptural quotation and applicable to himself (Jesus B.H.) and would be fulfilled in due time, but to throw oneself into unnecessary danger in order to ‘tempt’ (test B.H.) God would be a sin..” (Gospel Advocate N.T. commentary series, The Gospel According to Luke, p.95)

Furthermore, the ESV Study Bible comments, “Such a spectacular display as jumping from this great height unharmed would have gained him an enthusiastic following, but it would not have followed the Father’s messianic and redemptive plan of suffering and proclaiming the Kingdom of heaven” (Notes on Matthew 4:6-7).  What He did needed to be in harmony with God’s will.

Application for us – If we are going to successfully deal with temptation, then we must know the book, and be able to properly reason from Scripture.  The Psalmist said, “Your word I have hidden in my heart, that I might not sin against You” (Psalm 119:11).

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“When It’s Your Time to Go…”

Posted on November 7, 2014 by Bryan Hodge

At times, I have been in a conversation with someone talking about death, and they say, “It was just his time to go.  When your time is up, it’s up,”  This is fatalism.  Fatalism is a doctrine that God has an exact set time for each person to die, and if they didn’t die the way they did, they still would have, somehow, died at that exact time.  It was all predetermined.

Now, it certainly is true that if God wants to bring someone down, He, through His providence can do so. Man can’t escape if such is what God wishes (cf. Ahab in 1 Kings 22:28-35 or look at Amos 5:19).

But, where is the passage that teaches that God has an exact time that He has preset for each one of us?  Where is that passage?

If fatalism is true, why is it that smokers die on average 5 – 8 years before non-smokers?  If fatalism is true, why is it that people who wear seatbelts are less likely to die in an automobile crash than those that don’t?  And I am certain that blind-folded jay-walkers trying to cross major streets and highways at night in dark clothing are more likely to die than others!! Consider the words of  Psalm 90:10, “The days of our lives are seventy years; and if by reason of strength they be eighty years…”  Watch the fact that the passage says strength, not God’s preset timetable!  Why is it that the Bible tells us how to avoid shortening our lives (Exodus 15:26; Proverbs 3:1-2; Proverbs 4:10; Proverbs 9:10-11; Proverbs 10:27; Proverbs 13:2-3; Proverbs 14:30; Proverbs 16:24; Proverbs 17:22; Proverbs 18:21; Proverbs 19:23; Ephesians 6:1-3;  1 Peter 4:15)?

God is all-knowing.  But, His all knowingness does not take away man’s ability to make wise and unwise choices, even righteous and sinful choices.  I find no passage in the Bible that teaches fatalism.  Let’s not be foolishly reckless. Let us be good stewards of our lives, and let us use such for His glory.

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Onward Christian Soldier

Posted on November 5, 2014 by Bryan Hodge

In the tenth chapter of Matthew, Jesus sent the twelve out on a mission that is commonly called the limited commission.  He told them that for their preaching they would be: hated (v. 22), verbally abused (v. 25), rejected and ostracized by family (v. 21, 34-37), persecuted (v. 23), delivered up to councils and government authorities (v. 17), beaten (v. 17), and even put to death (v. 21).  In other words, there will be difficulties in this life after Christ (cf. 2 Timothy 3:12).

How were they to handle these difficulties?  First, they were instructed to recall what Christ endured (v. 24-25).  He has asked them to endure nothing above what He Himself had endured.  Second, they were called to remember that they were valuable to God (v. 31).  Regardless of how difficult things might have been, they were asked to remember that God loved them.  Third, they were to be alert and wise, yet gentle even in persecution (v. 16-17).  Four, they were to remember that this life is not all there is to man (v. 28).  There is a part of man that survives, even physical death itself.  There is an unending afterlife. Five, it was pointed out to them, that if they endured these difficulties to the end, a reward would be given them in Heaven (v. 22, 32-33).  Sixth, they could find encouragement from the fact that those that did receive them, would be rewarded (v. 41-42 cf. 1 Timothy 4:16).  “How shall they hear without a preacher?” (Romans 10:14) was their battle cry and motivation to go on.

When we face difficulties in life, let us remember these six points.  God has not promised to remove all difficulties in this life, but He certainly has given us abundant principles to help us go onward.  These seven points still apply to us today.  “Onward Christian soldier, marching as to war, with the cross of Jesus going on before. Christ, the royal Master, leads against the foe; forward into battle see His banner go!  Onward Christian soldiers, marching as to war, with the cross of Jesus going on before” (Song: Onward Christian Soldier by Sabine Baring-Gould).

 

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What Do I Say? (2)

Posted on November 1, 2014 by Bryan Hodge

The Muslims try to use certain Bible verses to say that the Bible foretells of Muhammad. For example: Deuteronomy 18:15, 18 – “The LORD your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from your midst, from your brethren.  Him you shall hear… (The LORD said) I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their brethren…”  The context is talking about an Israelite. The reference is to Jesus (Acts 3:22-23), and not to Muhammad.  However, the point I am making is that they are reliant on the Bible when they think it helps them.

However, when one appeals to the Bible to defend what he believes as a Christian, Muslims will quickly dismiss such, claiming that the Bible has been corrupted.  They do not tell you when it was corrupted.  They do not provide you with evidence of the passage in question being corrupted.  They simply assert such without proof.  This is actually a relatively new approach.

What do you say?  (1) Ask them, if they believe that the Bible was God’s word, but has now been corrupted.  They will affirm such.  Then read from the Quran 18:27, “Proclaim what is revealed to you in the Book of your Lord.  None can change His words.”  Can man change His words?  (2) Ask them if they would agree to view the Bible as Muhammad and the Quran does.  Most likely they will not object.  Then read from the Quran 5:46-47, “We sent forth Jesus, the son of Mary, confirming the Torah already revealed, and gave him the Gospel, in which there is guidance and light, corroborating what was revealed before it in the Torah, a guide and admonition to the righteous.  Therefore, let those who follow the Gospel judge according to what God has revealed there-in.  Evil doers are those that do not base their judgments on God’s revelation.”  5:68, “Say ‘People of the Book, you will attain nothing until you observe the Torah and the Gospel and that which is revealed to you from the Lord.”  6:48, “We send forth apostles only to give good news to mankind and to warn them.  Those that believe in them and mend their ways shall have nothing to fear or to regret.  But those that deny our revelations shall be punished for their misdeeds”  Muhammad did not view the Bible as corrupted.

Do not misunderstand.  The Bible and the Quran have irreconcilable differences.  Consider a couple of differences: (1) The Bible indicates that the Messiah was God in the flesh (John 1:1, 14).  The Quran denies this (5:17, 75).  (2) The Bible indicates that He was crucified for us (1 Peter 2:24).  The Quran denies the crucifixion (4:157).

However, Muhammad did not attack the Biblical text.  The only way around this is to say that it was corrupted after Muhammad.  However, such will not hold up to the textual evidence.

Why should one believe the Quran?  Consider: (1) According to the Quran Jesus provided sign, miraculous evidence (5:114; 19:29-f; 61:1-8).  This evidence confirmed that Jesus’ message was from God.  However, the Quran seems to deny such evidence for Muhammad.  Quran 29:46: “They ask: ‘Why have no signs been given  him by his Lord?  Say: ‘Signs are in the hands of God.  My mission is only to give plain warning.'” (cf. 17:90-91).  (2) The Quran claims that Jesus prophesied of Muhammad (61:1-8).  However, all we have is the Quran’s word for this.  The Bible never mentions such a prophecy from Jesus. Extra-Biblical writings from near the time of Christ do not mention this.  (3) The Old Covenant spoke of a coming New Covenant (Jeremiah 31:31-34 cf. Hebrews 8:7-13). Where does the New Covenant ever speak of another system to come?  The Bible is complete.  The apostles were “guided into all truth” (John 16:13).  Hundreds of years before Muhammad the Bible indicates that man had been given “all things that pertain to life and godliness” (2 Peter 1:3).

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