The Carpenter's Chapel (5)

Saturday August 14, 2004

For all the Athenians and the foreigners who were there spent their time in nothing else but either to tell or hear some new thing. Then Paul stood in the midst of the Areopagus and said, "Men of Athens, I perceive that in all things you are very religious; for as I was passing through and considering the objects of your worship, I even found an altar with this inscription:

TO THE UNKNOWN GOD

Therefore, the One whom you worship without knowing, Him I proclaim to you." (Acts 17:21-23)

Athens; it will certainly be center-stage on the news as long as the Olympics lasts. And, so, it seemed appropriate to speak of Athens here today.
My concern here is not the City itself, or about the Olympic games that are back this year in the City were the Olympics were born. What I would like to concentrate on is the Athenians themselves: those who, "...spent their time in nothing else but either to tell or hear some new thing."

The people of Athens were known to be quite religious, worshipping a host of nature gods. They even had set up an altar "to the unknown god." Paul made use of this point of contact to declare unto them the God they didn't know.

He starts by laying the foundation: This God, he claims is the Creator. He not only "made the world and everything in it" (vs.24), but also is "Lord of heaven and earth." To cause to exist and then rule over all creation, one must be omnipotent. He is much too great to dwell in "temples made with hands." How ludicous to think He might need anything, including the worship of men, "since He gives to all life, breath, and all things." (vs.25)

The Athenians, "Spent their time in nothing else, but either to tell or hear some new thing." Now such talk is harmless when it concerns things of everyday life, such as sports, or a new recipe; where the danger in all of this is when some new idea comes around that concerns the basics of the faith and worse, affects Who God really and truly is. Paul would speak of this later:
"Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons." (1Timothy 4:1)

Now we have the latest "new thing" (although it is not really new) on this board, which is actually the latest of the "doctrines of demons," that is "Open Theism." This says that God is pretty good with the past and the present, but does not know everything regarding the future in general, and individuals in particular. Yet, how many times did the gospel records say that "Jesus knew their thoughts," or say, "Do you inquire among yourselves...?" In John 2 it is recorded: "But Jesus did not commit Himself to them, because He knew all men, and had no need that anyone should testify of man, for He knew what was in man." (vss. 24-25) "All men," Jesus knows everything about everyone, without exception.
John 17: 29-30: His disciples said to Him, "See, now You are speaking plainly, and using no figure of speech! Now we are sure that You know all things, and have no need that anyone should question You. By this we believe that You came forth from God." Note that they did not say that Jesus needed any man to TELL Him anything, but that there was no need to question (ask) Him about anything. Jesus knows all of the answers, before the questions! Peter spoke of those, "elect according to the foreknowledge of God." (1Peter 1:2) This is impossible for God, if He was so limited in His vision of the future.

To know all men, their race, futures, and details of their lives, God must be omniscient; past, present and future.

 

Sunday August 15, 2004

"It is not for you to know the times or seasons, which the Father hath put in His own power." (Acts 1:7)

Just before Christ ascended into heaven, His disciples asked Him, "Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel?" (v.6) Christ refrained from answering their question as they had hoped, but in His wisdom He used the occasion to teach them that some information is for God alone, including the "times and seasons." In our finiteness, we are unable to handle too much information, and should we know even a small part of the "knowledge (which) is too wonderful for me" (Psalm 139:6), we would use it improperly.

The prophet taught the same lesson many years before: "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth so are my ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts." (Isaiah 55:8-9) God has graciously revealed enough that we know He has a wonderful plan, but the details are known to Him alone. They are under His "own power," or authority. Certainly He knows the future, but more than that, He controls it.

And why not? He created time; surely He can exercise authority over it. Surely the "Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last" (Revelation 22:13) can control the destinies of individuals and nations. "Power" to work out His good pleasure rests solely with "the only wise God and Savior...now and ever." (Jude 25).

Even though this "power" is His alone, His promise to the disciples that "ye shall receive power," (Acts 1:8) has been fulfilled in the person of the Holy Spirit. We have what we need to be witnesses of that which we know of Him, to "the uttermost part of the earth."

 

Monday, 16th August, 2004

Daniel 1v8

We find out today how Daniel, Hananiah, Mishale, and Azaraih responded when offered all that the king had to offer. Remember, here we have four young men. Their nation has been defeated and carried away into captivity. They were hundreds of miles from home and now are offered a chance to eat the very best food in the land. All of their human logic must have said “Go ahead, eat. It will give us a chance to have an impact here in Babylon. Go with the flow, you don’t want to stick out, not this far from home. If you don’t eat these people are going to think you are weird or something. Hey, we are already defeated anyway, so why not eat?”

Daniel however had a different perspective. He “purposed in his heart” that they would not be defiled by partaking of the king’s meat. There were several reasons why he should not eat the food, but I want to focus on that one little phrase – “Daniel purposed in his heart.”

The idea here is that Daniel had set something solidly in his heart. He had put it in place and he would not be moved from his purpose. Nothing was going to dissuade Daniel from his decision. There is a similar challenge for us in the book of James where part of pure, undefiled religion is described as keeping oneself unspotted form the world.

This is a good chance for us to ask ourselves, “What have I purposed in my own heart?” We should all have goals and purposes for our lives, but the most important purpose which we must set forth is that we would not be defiled. Dabbling with the “kings meat” today has been to ruin of many a Christian man and woman. May we each take a few moments today to examine out own “purposes” today.

 

Amen - what a blessing that we can get just a taste of those heavenly blessings here on earth!

 

Wednesday, 18th August, 2004

Daniel 1

Daniel first purposed in his heart not to be defiled. The he proposed a plan to Ashpenaz. Ashpanez surely thought that as the kings representative he was in control of this situation. Daniel, Hanaiah, Mishael, and Azariah were captives of the king. Nebuchadnezzar was in absolute control of the situation. How word was law, his will was supreme. Therefore when Daniel made his proposal Ashpenaz had one major concern, his own head. “..shall ye make me endanger my head to the king?”

Daniel knew something that Ashpenaz did not know. God was in control of this situation and He was in control of the hearts of the government rulers. “The king's heart is in the hand of the Lord, as the rivers of water: he turneth it whithersoever he will.” Proverbs 21v1

These were dark hours for God’s people. Now the cream of the crop had been brought before the king in an attempt to amalgamate them into the Babylonian society. What would we do in that situation? Would we forget that God was in control? Would we give in or give up? “What’s the use?” we might say “It’s all over.”

Daniel had the faith to trust that God knew what He was doing. He did not protest, he did not demonstrate, he did not rebel or disobey. He meekly went to the prince and asked permission to abstain. Ashpenaz did not know what to do. Yet, his subordinate Melzar was also in God’s hands and he agreed.

At the end of the ten days God used these men to prove that He was in control. They passed the test with flying colours. Why? Because God was in control.

These are difficult days for God’s people. We are tempted to step in an try to sort things out our own. Instead of praying we protest. Instead of relying we rebel. Instead of submitting we scream.

Who is in control today? Have we forgotten that it is God?

Friends, no matter how dark the hour, no matter what the results of political elections God is still in charge.

What about you today? Are you more like Daniel, or Ashpenaz?

 

Friday, 20th August, 2004

Romans 14v11-13

We find in Romans 14 a section of scripture that seems to have been forgotten by many. This section is not dealing with obvious sins, it is not dealing with those things that are in violation of scripture. The actions in this chapter are what we may refer to as the “grey areas” of the Christian life. In Paul’s day it was what meats should or should not be eaten or what days should or should not be observed. In our day the issues are different. Today the issues may be Bible versions, dress standards, headcoverings, or any number of issues. These have sadly become the issues which have caused fights and divisions among God’s people.

The Holy Spirit knew that the issues would differ, but that men’s hearts would stay the same. These passages let us know how we should respond. Our focus should be on Christ (v11-12) and then verse 13 gives a clear instruction which we would do well to heed.

“Let us quit making judgements against each other in these grey areas. Instead, we should judge that we will stop giving our brother a reason to stumble or fall.”

A message that this missionary, and I think many of us, needs to remember everyday.

 

Hello brethren, I would like to catch up on the posts here. I find a common ground on the last two posts, and I will explain what I mean a little later.
God's Sovereignty verses man's free will: a.k.a. the Calvinism vs. Arminianism debate. Now that is something we all agree on!

As I did with Brother Dan in the Coffee House Chapel, I must dissent here. There has been many, God fearing people, even many with IQ's that would read like a zip code, and have all kinds of degrees on their wall, that have been and are on both sides of this issue. And those on both sides will say, "We must go by Scripture."
So, nothing will be solved here.
Now, does this debate fall within one of Roger's "grey areas?" Do we really need to be so devisive over this debate? I myself look forward to seeing all my Calvinist's brethren in heaven, and, I hope they feel the same way for us, on the other side.

 

You've got more guts that I do . I purposefully left that out of my list .

 

One more follow-up on this (sorry) before I talk about prayer.
C.H. Spurgeon; one can go to spurgeon.org here on the internet and read his sermon entitled "Election," and, it would seem, that it leaves no question about where he stands on this debate. Yet, he would make comments like that and, at one time said, "Whosoever will come ARE the elect." To that comment the Scripture is in complete harmony with. My concern here is for the readers of all this getting confused. Trust in the words of the Lord Jesus in that best-known of all passages, John 3:16. Come to Christ repenting and trusting Him as Lord and Savior. The whosoever will: is you!

 

Saturday August 21, 2004

Then He spoke a parable to them. that men always ought to pray and not lose heart, saying: "There was in a certain city a judge who did not fear God nor regard man. Now there was a widow in that city; and she came to him, saying, 'Get justice for me from my adversary.' And he would not for a while; but afterward he said within himself, 'Though I do not fear God nor regard man, yet because this widow troubles me I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me.'" Then the Lord said, Hear what the unjust judge said. And shall God not avenge His own elect who cry out day and night to Him, though He bears long with them? I tell you that He will avenge them speedily. (Luke 18 1-8)

James and Peter

Now about that time Herod the king stretched out his hand to harass some from the church. Then he killed James the brother of John with the sword.
(Acts 12:1-2)

Here is recorded what may have been one of the lowest points of the apostolic era. James was killed with the sword. James was one of only three disciples in Christ's inner circle. He was one of only three to witness the resurrection of the synagogue ruler's daughter (Luke 8:51-55); only one of three to catch a glimpse of Christ's glory at the transfiguration (Matthew 17:1-20; and one of only four to sit with Christ on the Mount of Olives and learn of the future (Mark 13:3-4). In Gethsemane, after their last supper together, Christ allowed him, along with Peter and John, to witness His agony in a special way (14:32-34)

He was highly trained by Christ Himself, and the fledgling church could ill afford to lose his leadership. But suddenly he was arrested and slain. A tragedy it would seem to lose such a leader. We can only speculate as to what the Lord, working through James, might have accomplished had he lived longer, much as Peter and John did. Could it be that his martydom was a blessing in disguise? Certainly God allowed this to happen, but for what purpose?

The answer may be found in the verses that follow in Acts chapter 12. Peter had been taken prisoner and was to be executed the next morning (v.6). However, perhaps, the chuch had learned a lesson: while there was no prayer for James recorded in the biblical narrative, for Peter, "...constant prayer was offered to God for him by the church." (Acts 12:5). Peter was miraculously freed by an angel and joined the prayer meeting.

What would have happened had the believers prayed for James as they did for Peter? Of course, that question has no definite answer, but prayer, such as was offered for Peter, followed the apostles and early church leaders in their work from that time on.

 

Charles - excellent thoughts! Thank you!

 

Sunday August 22, 2004

"Lift up your eyes to the heavens, And look on the earth beneath, For the heavens will vanish away like smoke, The earth will grow old like a garment, And those who dwell in it will die in like manner; But My salvation will be forever, And My righteousness will not be abolished." (Isaiah 51:6)

This scripture is typical of many Scriptures which contrast this present decaying, dying order of things (characterizing a world under God's curse) with the things which are not dying and which will survive into the next order when the curse is removed (Revelation 22:3). Even the present "Heaven and earth shall pass away," Jesus said (Matthew 24:35). God, the creator, who imposed the curse because of man's sin, is not Himself subject to it. "They will perish, but You will endure...Like a cloak You will change them, And they will be changed. But You are the same, And Your years will have no end." (Psalm 102:26-27)

As our text today assures us, God's salvation and righteousness shall never be changed, even when heaven and earth flee away. The same contrast exists in the biological realm. "The grass withers, the flower fades, But the word of our God stands forever." (Isaiah 40:8)
Human nature exhibits a similar phenomenon:
"Even the youths shall faint and be weary, And the young men shall utterly fall. But those who wait on the Lord Shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wing like eagles, They shall run and not be weary, They shall walk and not faint." (Isaiah 40:30-31)

This principle applies to the entire creation. "Because the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage corruption into the liberty of the children of God." (Romans 8:21)

 

"What know ye not that your bodies are the temple of the Holy Ghost...?"

EXCELLENT post Brother Jim!!

 

Tuesday, 24th August, 2004

(Happy 20th Birthday to my “little girl” back in Alabama)

Romans 15v7

“Wherefore receive ye one another as Christ also has received us.”


This verse is given the light of verses 1-6 –

I am not foolish enough to accept the fact that we must never separate ourselves from erring brethren. My church background since salvation has put a high emphasis in separation, and there is merit and Biblical support for the concept of separation.

I fear though that in our effort to “come out from among them” we violate the principles of Romans 14-15. We become such separatists that we forget about “receiving one another as Christ received us.”

When I think of how Christ received me, I am ashamed of how I have over and over again “received” others. From my limited language study this “receive” is to “take alongside. When Christ received me He was perfect, holy, and spotless. I was filthy, wretched, and vile. He still chose to receive me! What an example and what a challenge.

When I think of the excuses that God’s children use to refuse each other I am shamed.

“You don’t read my Bible!”
“You don’t have my same few of church government.”
“You don’t have my few of eschatology.””
“You disagree with me in spiritual gifts!”

The Holy Spirit is not calling for absolute agreement here. He is not telling us to compromise our principles and our beliefs. Yet surely He must be grieved when He sees how we receive others in the light of how Christ received us.

“Receive one another as Christ received us!”