The last few days have been filled with arguments over what the bible says about this and what Jesus said (or didn’t say) about that.  It’s been quite the roller coaster as I have tried rather unsuccessfully to steer clear of some of the posts only to find myself trying to politely post a few words or bible verses, just to get sucked into debating the issues.  So as I thought about all that had gone on, I kept hearing words and phrases which usually means it’s time to write a blog.  So here it is…lol.

Have you ever taken 3 years worth of courses:  College, technical school, or any other kind of extended learning?  Imagine if I asked you to list for me EVERYTHING your professors taught you.  Do you think you could write it all down?  Do you think your professors could write it all down?  You may get a bunch of stuff written down but at some point you will just not remember anything else.  Of course if someone asks you a question on the subject you will likely remember that teaching and be able to expand on your list.  What about things the professor didn’t specifically teach you but you learned because he pointed you to books written on the subject?  Does the information in those books become invalid because the professor didn’t teach on it but simply pointed you to it?  What if the professor pointed you to said books but told you that there were a few things in it that were outdated or no longer applied because of new information, and he taught specifically on those areas?  Does it invalidate everything else in that book?

Okay, so a bunch of questions that some of you will see where I am going but others will dismiss as nonsense.  So, let’s apply this to what Jesus said or didn’t say.  Jesus taught His disciples many things but He often referred them back to the Old Testament Scriptures for answers.  He also taught them that some of the information contained in those scriptures had changed because of new information (His coming).

These days when people quote (or misquote) what Jesus said they tend to focus ONLY on when Jesus spoke about love.  Saying that it doesn’t matter what anyone does as long as they “love like Jesus did” and while that’s not completely bad, it leaves out the lessons Jesus taught on rebuking, correcting, teaching, and other areas that require us to recognize our faults and correct them.  And where Jesus did not speak we are reminded:

“Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.  For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished.”  Matthew 5:17-18

So let’s look at this another way.  How do we know that Jesus said anything at all let alone love?  For all we KNOW Jesus could have been a rebellious zealot who preached about vengeance and retribution.  After all, there is no Book of Jesus in the bible.  Jesus didn’t sit down and record all of His teachings for us to learn from.  What He DID do was teach 12 men the lessons and THEY recorded them through the guidance of the Holy Spirit so that we too can learn from them.  So…we have faith that Jesus’s words were accurately quoted when we read them in the gospels, which is where many people stop when it comes to His teachings.  But we have to remember that just because John, Peter, James and even Paul (through the spirit)  taught the church in their own words as is recorded in the New Testament, we must also realize that these lessons they taught were taught to them by JESUS.

So when we read;

“This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you…” 1 John 1:5-6

We have to recognize that they are speaking Jesus’ teachings in their own words as guided by the Holy Spirit.

Or when we read;

“We know that we have come to know him if we keep his commands.  Whoever says, “I know him,” but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in that person.  But if anyone obeys his word, love for God is truly made complete in them. This is how we know we are in him: Whoever claims to live in him must live as Jesus did.”  1 John 2:3-6

We must understand that John is telling us to live like Jesus did and obey the commands His Father had set forth for Him.

So, just because the gospels don’t record Jesus as saying something specific, does not mean He never taught His disciples about it.  After all, they lived life with Him for 3 years.  They learned from His words and His actions and THEY teach us what He taught them.  And again, where His teachings are silent we refer back to earlier lessons, taught by previous teachers (The Old Testament).

Right now some of you are saying to yourself…”okay, so tell me something I don’t already know.”  To you I say…my wife LOVES pickles!  For those of you who are still confused or stuck on “Jesus never said anything about…” I have 2 more verses for you.

“Jesus did many other things as well. If every one of them were written down, I suppose that even the whole world would not have room for the books that would be written.” John 21:25

“The person without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God but considers them foolishness, and cannot understand them because they are discerned only through the Spirit.” 1 Corinthians 2:14

I could read a physics book cover to cover several times.  Memorize every word and be able to tell you in what chapter you will find what theory.  But does that mean I can understand any of it?  Not likely…lol.  However if I had the professor there, explaining to me those theories and how they apply practically I imagine I could actually put it into practice.  The bible is the same way.  You can read it cover to cover.  You can read multiple translations.  You can memorize the entire bible and even learn some fancy Greek words to show off among friends but until you have the Spirit of the author inside you…leading you to understand and connect the words in context.  You have nothing more than words on a page in your head, not Truth of God’s Word in your heart.

Does God Test Us?

Sounds like a simple question, but as I found out today it is not.  Your individual answer is dependant on your view of trials and temptation as well as your view of God.  This morning I had the pleasure of sitting down to breakfast with a group of men who are as diverse in their viewpoints as they are in culture, but the one thing I could see is that each man had a heart for God and a desire to explore this question in the hopes that we might all grow from the discussion.  This question was posed and at first the answers seemed to be, simply yes or no, but as we dug deeper into the topic and God’s word we began to see that it wasn’t quite so clear cut.  So I decided I would pose the question here and give some of my own feelings on the topic with the help of today’s discussion.

“Some time later God tested Abraham.” Genesis 22:1

So…Does God test us?  Well, the scripture above seems quick and to the point on that, but is it?  Abraham HEARD the voice of God tell him to go and sacrifice his son and Abraham obeyed.  But I believe Abraham’s faith in God allowed him to know that if he was being tested by God, that God would not let him fail.  I also believe that it’s a test he could not have gotten the wrong answer to.  After all, if he had refused to kill his son and asked God to test him in another way, would God see protecting his son as failure?  We know that Abraham was not afraid to bargain with God.

“Then Abraham approached him and said: “Will you sweep away the righteous with the wicked? What if there are fifty righteous people in the city? Will you really sweep it away and not spare the place for the sake of the fifty righteous people in it? Far be it from you to do such a thing—to kill the righteous with the wicked, treating the righteous and the wicked alike. Far be it from you! Will not the Judge[g] of all the earth do right?” Genesis 18:23-25

Here we see Abraham barter God down to only needing 10 righteous men for Sodom to be saved.  However we know that God was well aware of the fact he would not find even 10, so why let Abraham even ask?  Was this too a test?  If so…did he fail since God still destroyed the city?

Later God would allow the Israelites to wander in the desert where the bible says:

“Then the Lord said to Moses, “I will rain down bread from heaven for you. The people are to go out each day and gather enough for that day. In this way I will test them and see whether they will follow my instructions.” Exodus 16:4

Again the bible says God tested them, but is this truly a test?  God is all knowing and would know in advance which of them would obey His commands and who would not.  So was God testing them or was He asking for an outward sign of their commitment to Him?  Perhaps doing this allowed those who obeyed to see the result of the other’s lack of faith.  So is “test” even the right word to use?  The Greek word used in Abraham’s case is nacah (Strong’s H5242) to test, try, prove, tempt, assay, put to the proof or test.  Was God testing or was He simply asking for Abraham to show PROOF of his faith so that others would see.  The word assay, to examine or analyze could be used here to say God was looking for how Abraham would ACT upon His command not necesarily if he would fail a test.  Would Abraham obey without question, would he ask God why or would he simply refuse.

Can God Test Us?

Okay…so again it seems like a simple answer, but is it?  God can do anything He wants, right?  After all He’s God!  But there is ONE things God cannot do and that is go against His own nature.  God is holy and therefore cannot do anything that would violate that holiness.

“He is the Rock, his works are perfect, and all his ways are just.  A faithful God who does no wrong, upright and just is he.” Deuteronomy 32:4

“When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; but each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed.” James 1:13-14

God by His nature is good and cannot cause us to sin.  That is why James writes God does not tempt us.  So, would it be possible for God to set before us a situation in which we CAN fail?  Take this for example…You order something from an online retailer and they ship you 2 of that item by mistake.  Most people’s first reaction is “BONUS!”, because by our nature we are prone to do the wrong thing.  For many people, this is where the temptation ends and they now enjoy the benefits of the company’s mistake and LOSS.  For others this is when the Holy Spirit begins to break through with the right thing to do, which is to notify the company of their error.  There are those few whose immediate thoughts were of returning the extra item and keeping it never crossed their mind.  Those few SHOULD be leading our country..lol.  So I ask, in this situation, was God testing you?  Was He trying to see if you would do the right thing when presented with it?  Putting aside the fact that He already knows how you would handle the situation, I don’t think it’s possible for Him to even present you with the choice because of His nature.  If He were to give you the choice and you chose to keep it, would he not be a party to you doing wrong?  I don’t think so, as this goes against His Holy nature.  I do believe however that when something in our fallen world happens He EXPECTS us to do the right thing and grieves when we don’t, but I do not believe God orchestrates situations in which we can choose to do evil.

“If you love me, you will obey what I command. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever— the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you.” John 14:15-17

Does God Still Test Us?

If you are to this point and you are still in the YES camp, let me ask this then.  Jesus has made it clear that we are indwelled with the Holy Spirit.  1/3rd of the Holy Trinity…like God he knows all and is in us to guide us to do that which Jesus has taught us.  To do good not evil, right not wrong, to be that voice that corrects us when we stumble. A life led surrendered to the Spirit should be one where ALL your decisions are correct and just.  So if you are living by the Spirit, WHY would God test you?  In fact the New Testament never refers to being tested by God at all.  The New Testament clearly states we are tempted by the WORLD and are to stand on the Truth of God’s Word in response to these temptations.

“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” Ephesians 6:10-12

“It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.” Galations 5:1

It seems to me that when God sent the Holy Spirit to live in us, he was essentially giving us the answer key to every test that could come our way.  Not so He could see how we would answer the questions but with the expectation that we ALREADY know the answers and He simply wants us to show our commitment to Him by learning how to listen to the Spirit within us when it speaks.  He allows the WORLD to tempt and test us; much like the cookie jar tempts a young child (or old).  But when the child takes a cookie, does the parent throw out all the cookies so the child can never be tempted?  Of course not.  At the same time does a good parent buy a bag of cookies and leave them on the counter just to see if their child will be tempted?  I believe God our Great and Heavenly Father operates much the same way.  He will allow the world to tempt you and tug at the desires of the sinful nature and likely sit on the sidelines cheering you on to make the right choices and to lift you up and dust you off when you make the wrong ones.  But I don’t believe he set things in your path to TEST if you make the right choices because he already knows what’s in your heart.  He simply wants you to show others.  As one of the pastors at Shepherd is prone to say, to “GET UP AND DO SOMETHING!”  So the next time you see a homeless person asking for money, don’t look at it as God testing you, because God EXPECTS you to offer some kind of help so that you can touch a life or 2, because you never know who might see that act.

If We Are Walking In The Spirit…why do we still feel tested?

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

When is the last time you heard someone say: “I was fired today, my car got a flat on the way home and I had to stand in the rain because I locked my keys in the car.  Isn’t that AWESOME!?”  Your first call might be to the loony bin, but this is how God instructs us to act.  He expects us to be joyful when things don’t seem to be going our way because only then do we get a look at the heart of Jesus.  That’s when we get to see and PROVE that the Holy Spirit is leading our lives.  Only when we can take a bad situation and see the positive or at least understand that there is a positive can we begin to understand what God had in mind when He sent His only son to die on a cross for US.

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16

Our world is MESSED UP and THAT is the reason we face trials and tests.  God in His amazing grace, however, has given us the tools to overcome the world.  Sadly, most of us simply leave those tools in the tool box in the garage instead of tapping into them and having an impact on the world around us for the good.  As a result we feel tested and tried and all too often turn to God and ask why, instead of asking for guidance.

“Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.”  2 Corinthians 3:17-18

 

God Bless,

David

 

 

Jesus said, “Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.” Matthew 4:4  He said these words as He was being tempted by Satan in the wilderness.  The devil was trying to coerce Jesus into using His own abilities to refresh himself rather than relying on His heavenly father to sustain Him. Continue Reading…

So the 2011 NFL season is almost over and we have seen some amazing play by some great players this season.  Aaron Rodgers led the Packers to 13 straight wins before losing 1 to Kansas City, then won the next 2 to end the season in first place at 15-1.  My favorite team the Steelers finished the season 12-4 with the leagues #1 ranked defense as has become common place these days.  Drew Brees and the New Orleans Saints are still rolling in the playoffs after a 13-3 regular season in which they topped the league in offense.  Topping the rankings in offense were also the Patriots, Eagles and Lions.  The Ravens and Jets made their usual showing in the top of the Defense rankings along with the Texans and 49ers. All these great teams and great stats yet the big news this season has been about a player who didn’t even have a starting job.  Indeed he was the 3rd string quarterback.  He was a backup to the backup.

Continue Reading…

Free will…  It’s what allows a follower of Christ to proclaim his love of the Savior and an atheist to deny He exists.  It’s what allows one man to live a wonderful life of innocent bliss while another lives in poverty praying for his next meal.  Free will…  God’s greatest gift to His creation and also His greatest enemy.  It’s also the answer to many of life’s most puzzling questions:

Lately there has been a lot going on in my life.  Some things have been really awesome, some things have been really stressful, and some things have been downright painful.  I have experienced times like this in the past but this season of my life is different and I think it comes down to focus.  Not just any focus however, focus on our Lord and Savior. Continue Reading…

Have you ever wanted something so bad that you asked God that if He would just make it happen you would be the best Christian you could ever be?  How many of those things worked out for ya?  There’s even a country song called ‘Unanswered Prayers’ about it.  We’ve all had those times where we look back on life and realize that God had a bigger and better plan, but that didn’t stop us from asking or praying for Him to make things happen.  Continue Reading…