CHILDREN OF GOD: The Need for Purity

Posted on April 2, 2014 by revdans

1 John 3:4-6 NIV Everyone who sins breaks the law; in fact, sin is lawlessness. 5 But you know that he appeared so that he might take away our sins.And in him is no sin. 6 No one who lives in him keeps on sinning. No one who continues to sin has either seen him or known him.

Dear Fellowship of the Burning Heart:

In this epistle, John has already dealt with the issue of sin extensively at the beginning. Putting it in a new perspective, he now deals with sin in the light of the coming of Christ and the need to pursue purity in order to please Christ at his coming.

SIN IS LAWLESSNESS – From the very first sin in the Garden of Eden to those today, we see that sin is rebellion against the commands of God. God had forbidden the eating of fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. The sinning couple took the fruit from the tree and ate against his will. Sin is not accidentally doing something that you later find out is wrong. It is a conscious choice. It is a wilful opposition to God’s will. Of course, the opposition doesn’t have to be flagrant, hostile, or open. Rebellion can seethe within, like with the little boy who was told repeatedly to sit down. Finally, he conceded to his father’s will, but proudly proclaimed, “I may be sitting on the outside, but I’m standing on the inside.” Many rebels are standing on the inside, while seeking to appease God by sitting on the outside. Rebellion is an attitude as much as an action.

HE APPEARED TO TAKE AWAY SIN – He didn’t sacrifice himself on the cross so that we might continue in our sin without guilt or remorse. The purpose of Christ’s work on the cross is to deal with sin decisively and conclusively. His death not only provided for our pardon and redemption, but it also provides a supply of grace to live victoriously in the present. By continuing to live in sin as before, we show that we do not understand the purpose for Christ’s atonement.

KEEP ON SINNING OR KEEP FROM SINNING – John paints these in black and white as polar opposites. You can’t live in Christ and keep on sinning. If you keep on sinning, you show that you have neither seen nor known him. The Bible clearly identifies the main problem with the human race – SIN! Jesus’ work stands in opposition to this ENEMY and strikes the lethal blow to it that will be fully realized at his appearing. So, where do you stand – with Christ or with sin. You can’t stand with both!

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CHILDREN OF GOD: EMBRACE THE LOVE

Posted on April 1, 2014 by revdans

1 John 3:1-3 ESV See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him. Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is. And everyone who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure.

WHAT KIND OF LOVE – He doesn’t want to be a tyrant, dictator, or boss; he wants to be our loving Father. I have met people over the years who find it hard, almost impossible in fact, to believe that God can love them. Because of the circumstances of life and the flawed relationships they had experienced (or endured), they could not believe that they were worthy of such love. Or they could not believe that a loving God would allow such pain and suffering in their lives. He did not cause our pain, although he may have allowed it by giving us the ability to exercise our freedom of choice. But he did not leave us to suffer alone. He entered into our suffering, even bore our suffering, and stayed with us through our suffering, suffering right along with us. Like a loving parent hovering over a child, seeking to relieve the pain, to minister to them in their suffering, he stays right by our side, though we may not even be aware of his presence. This is the way he loves. A compassionate, caring, enduring love. The extent of his love is to go all the way with us and for us, to give his all for us, to pay the ultimate price for us. We should embrace the extreme privilege and awesome blessing of being called the children of God, for that is exactly who we are, if we have truly been born again.

THE WORLD DOES NOT KNOW US – We no longer share the world’s values (what’s best for me), the world’s goal (get all I can while I can), the world’s desires (enjoy all that I can while I can), and the world’s morality (what action in this situation will benefit me most). We are different. I learned, as a child, that being different can be a blessing, but it can also be a curse. Some will punish people who are different, some will mock people who are different, and some will simply ignore or push away people who are different. It took some time for me to embrace my differences as blessings to be appreciated, rather than as embarrassing defects to be hidden, minimized, or rejected. Remember that the world which rejects you also rejected our Savior.

WHAT WE SHALL BE – Although we are children now, the full benefits of our relationship with God have not yet been revealed. The best is yet to come. He has not yet returned, but when he does return, he will change us into his own likeness.

What we will be means having glorified bodies that will never be sick or grow old or die, and being completely without sin. No one like that has yet appeared on earth (except Christ himself after his resurrection). we shall be like him. In eternity, Christians will be morally without sin, intellectually without falsehood or error, physically without weakness or imperfections, and filled continually with the Holy Spirit. But “like” does not mean “identical to,” and believers will never be (e.g.) omniscient or omnipotent as Christ is, since he is both man and God. (ESV Study Bible note on 1 John 3:2)

EVERYONE WITH THIS HOPE PURIFIES HIMSELF – What are you living for? Today and the little pleasure you can wring out of it? Tomorrow and what you may be able to gain from it? Or will you decide to live with eternity in view? Will you look for that city which has foundations whose builder and maker is God? What we choose as a goal becomes a motivation for the present. What we choose as our goal becomes the driving force, informing our decisions and choices, guiding our thoughts, words, and deeds, empowering us to discipline ourselves, as an athlete works out to attain the prize. We will seek “to be holy as he is holy.”

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CHILDREN OF GOD: Look to the Future

Posted on March 31, 2014 by revdans

1 John 2:28-29 ESV And now, little children, abide in him, so that when he appears we may have confidence and not shrink from him in shame at his coming. If you know that he is righteous, you may be sure that everyone who practices righteousness has been born of him.

CONFIDENCE – Only those who abide in the Father understand the joy and blessing this confidence in knowing him brings to our lives. Those who struggle with feelings of inadequacy, insecurity, and fear know that these are not only debilitating in our service to Christ, but also are inhibiting in our relationship with God. Living in confidence allows us to enter fully and completely into the relationship, not holding back any area, any corner, any hidden crevice. Children long to please their parents and love to hear words of praise from them. They also know the sadness that comes when they disappoint their parents. When we seek confidence in a relationship, we focus on what will please and avoid what would disappoint.

UNASHAMED – When I was growing up in Arkansas, my dad impressed on me the importance of not letting the family down or bringing shame on the family name. Getting caught doing something shameful that would give our family a bad name was a strong deterrent from youthful indiscretions. I don’t want to let my heavenly Father down either. I want my life to be a testimony of his grace and love. I want to hear, “Well done!”

RIGHTEOUSNESS – We know God’s character. He has revealed that character in his Word. He is righteous. Because we know what he is like, we know how to please him. Imitation is not only the sincerest form of flattery, but it is also the way to assure that we please him, live in confidence, and greet him at his coming unashamed.

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Common Mistakes Churches and Church People Make

Posted on March 29, 2014 by revdans

10 Things Holding You Back from Enjoying Church

Okay, I’m going to confess up front that this comes in large part from the inspiration of an article by Jeff Haden, 10 Things Holding You Back from Being Happy at Work. I encourage you to look up and read this article.

http://www.inc.com/jeff-haden/10-ways-youre-spoiling-your-professional-and-personal-life.html

I am adapting, making up, and presenting ideas that came through the inspiration of his article.

1. Judging the ministry by the size

“Judge me by my size, do you? And well you should NOT!” – Yoda, Star Wars

What do people need from a church? Crowds of strangers, lots of programs, professional and orchestrated music and worship, a multitude of options? People need discipleship which combines teaching with personal training, including encouragement, correction, discipline, affirmation, and a strong bond of support. They need a fellowship where they can be themselves, learn to love and forgive, experience acceptance and encouragement, and where they can share their lives with others. They need an opportunity to worship with people who encourage them to connect with God through Christ. They need apprenticeship in a place where they are encouraged to discover their spiritual gifts, learn to serve in a supportive environment, and begin to share their faith with others.

 2. Serving out of duty rather than calling

A lot of pressure is placed on people to fill a church’s needs rather than finding where people are called, equipped and enjoy serving. When people feel forced to serve in a particular role or ministry, either by others or by themselves, they resent the service. When they are miserable, they invariably spread their misery, purposefully or inadvertently, to others. No one is blessed by this situation, not the church, not the person, not those served. Don’t feel tempted to say “Yes” when you mean “No.”

3. Allowing gossip to be presented as “sharing”

NEWS FLASH: Gossip really is a sin. “Besides that, they learn to be idlers, going about from house to house, and not only idlers, but also gossips and busybodies, saying what they should not” (1 Timothy 5:13 ESV). Gossip is often based on misinformation, lack of information, speculation, intuition and embellishment but is presented as factual information. We should consider the various kinds of problems caused by gossip (Psalm 41:7-8; Proverbs 11:13; 16:28; 17:9; 20:19; 25:9, 18). And we should remember that the same person who is sharing gossip about others with you will, no doubt, be sharing gossip about YOU with others.

4. Trying to seem super-spiritual to fit in

Even Noah, who was righteous in his generation, was not a perfect man or perfect follower of God. He had faith, but even he had moments of failure. We get the idea that we have to have a certain type of personality or be a certain kind of Christian to fit in. God created your personality and wants you to express it (within Biblical limits). Don’t think that you have to have a certain language (“O ye of little faith”) or a certain expression (always smiling in a saintly sort of way) to fit in with the faithful. Yes, the church is a hospital for sinners, not a trophy hall of saints (or, if you like, museum for saints).

5. Allowing ourselves to consistently be late to services

Okay, I’m officially meddling. However, when we consistently show up late for services, we are making several value statements about God and His church that we need to consider. Are we saying, “My time is more important than my worship of God”? Are we communicating that the church is not that important to us? We certainly miss out on information that might be needed or make a difference in our involvement. Do we want people to think that we are not that interested in really being a part? The truth is: I’m glad when I see people show up for services, whenever that is. But they do miss out by not being on time. They often come in irritated and rushed. They may not be in a frame of mind to receive the greatest benefit from the service.  They may arrive frustrated, angry, agitated and incapable of entering into spiritual activity. As Jeff Haden reminds us: You allow yourself to be late.

6. Lagging behind or jumping ahead

We often lag behind the leading of the Spirit, wanting overwhelming proof and unfailing confidence that our course is right, is going to be successful, is without error in planning or judgment. Walking by faith means that we must move as God leads without demanding those things. We allow fear to paralyse us and keep us from moving forward under the leading of the Spirit. We also find ourselves tempted, at times, to jump ahead and move without God’s leading. Again, we are motivated by fear, fear that we will lose an opportunity, that we will be backed into a corner, that we will miss out, even that we will get bored. Impatience can be our undoing. Keeping in step with the Spirit is always the answer to these two extremes.

7. Not making time for spiritual life and growth

Just making a commitment to follow Christ is not enough. As in marriage, the relationship must grow and develop, which demands effort (sometimes, more effort than we thought would be necessary). Spiritual growth doesn’t just happen; it isn’t just automatic. Time must be allowed and energy expended to do what is necessary to grow spiritually. When we don’t make the time, or decide we don’t have the time, we are saying that it isn’t worth spending time developing this area of our lives or this relationship with God.

8. Harboring resentment

Jeff Haden quotes Nelson Mandela: Resentment is like drinking poison then hoping it will kill your enemies. The same applies to bitterness, jealousy, strife, and envy. We must embrace the full message of the gospel about love, forgiveness, mercy, and grace. Why do we allow ourselves to continue to be miserable (and, at times, even make ourselves miserable) by harboring these poisonous feelings about others. We are the only ones who suffer from them.

9. Undervaluing people

When we interrupt others, or refuse to give them an opportunity to speak, or ignore them, their opinions, their ideas or their concerns, we subtly (or not so) communicate that people are not that important around here. When we don’t give them an opportunity to serve, or to make a contribution, or be a part, we are saying, “You don’t matter.” Our most important asset, our most valuable resource, is our people. We must find ways to communicate their value and importance in our church.

10. Overvaluing our contribution

Some people say, “This is my church!” and mean by it that they feel a sense of belonging, a feeling of acceptance, a gratitude for the experience. Others say, “This is MY church!” and mean by it that this church belongs to them and it’s THEIR way or the HIGHWAY! I’m thankful that God chooses to use us in his service, but I must never get the idea that he NEEDS ME in order to get it done. When everything has to be done my way or to please me, I become miserable (partly because nothing ever goes exactly my way, or I get tired of fighting to make it go my way).

Let’s find ways to jettison these inhibitors!

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REMOVING THE BARRIER: Trust Your Anointing

Posted on March 27, 2014 by revdans

1 John 2:20-21 ESV 20 But you have been anointed by the Holy One, and you all have knowledge. 21 I write to you, not because you do not know the truth, but because you know it, and because no lie is of the truth.

1 John 2:24-26 ESV 24 Let what you heard from the beginning abide in you. If what you heard from the beginning abides in you, then you too will abide in the Son and in the Father. 25 And this is the promise that he made to us—eternal life.

26 I write these things to you about those who are trying to deceive you. 27 But the anointing that you received from him abides in you, and you have no need that anyone should teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about everything, and is true, and is no lie—just as it has taught you, abide in him.

Dear Fellowship of the Burning Heart:

You have an anointing. May I suggest, then show, that this anointing is the Holy Spirit, who was promised by Christ when he talked with his disciples in the closing chapters of John’s gospel. This is not a special anointing that only the privileged receive, it is not an anointing in addition to the reception of the Spirit at the moment of conversion, but it is the anointing that they received when the Spirit brought new birth at the beginning of their spiritual life with Christ. Some commentators suggest that John talks about anointing because the false teachers (of the pre-Gnostic sect) probably taught that they needed a special ritual anointing to receive all of the truth or all that they needed to progress. The Bible does present instances where the anointing of the Holy Spirit is received. Here is what John says about this promise of the Spirit.

John 14:16-17 ESV And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you.

John 14:26 ESV But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.

John 15:26 ESV “But when the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, he will bear witness about me. And you also will bear witness, because you have been with me from the beginning.

John 16:13 ESV When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come.

We see that the Holy Spirit, the Helper or Comforter, is the Spirit of truth who will teach us, help us remember, and guide us into all the truth. Jesus sent his Spirit because he did not want to leave us as orphans. He wanted us to have the help we need to live for him. Now, if we are not careful, we will arrive at the notion that we don’t need human teachers, we don’t need to study, we will just acquire all that we need to know from the Spirit. However, we know, as we put all the information from the New Testament together, that the Spirit uses human teachers, enlightens our understanding of the Holy Scriptures, and helps us to recognize and accept the truth. Without the Spirit’s help we would easily be deceived.

The challenge is to allow the gospel which we have heard and received remain in us. The gospel is not just a message; it is a message which embodies a set of core values, an approach to live, a certain understanding of the truth. We not only accept the gospel, we live it. When we allow the gospel to abide in us, we will enjoy the presence of the Son and the Father as well.

You are not alone. You have what you need to live with God, to live for God, to enjoy what he has promised – eternal life. Hold fast to what you know is true, hold fast to what you have received, hold fast to the relationship you have with God through Christ. Your anointing will not let you down.

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REMOVING THE BARRIER: Prepare for Spiritual Warfare

Posted on March 26, 2014 by revdans

1 John 2:18-19 NIV  18 Dear children, this is the last hour; and as you have heard that the antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come. This is how we know it is the last hour. 19 They went out from us, but they did not really belong to us. For if they had belonged to us, they would have remained with us; but their going showed that none of them belonged to us.

Dear Fellowship of the Burning Heart:

It is a precarious time for the people of faith. Why? Because of the monumental shift in the beliefs and values of our culture. It is becoming ever more obvious to me, as I have heard others suggest, that the time is coming when this “tolerant” culture will no longer tolerate people with strong faith and strong convictions. Some have even suggested that groups with strongly-held beliefs and convictions will either need to adjust their stance to align with cultural values, especially where gender and sex are concerned, or face the loss of members who either do not share the group’s values or who agree with the values but not with holding strong convictions.

To compromise the doctrinal foundation of our faith is to release it and set it adrift in the moral and spiritual chaos to soon be shattered on the rocks of doubt and unbelief. We will either stand for something, or fall for anything (as I have heard others profess). A choice will have to be made, for in this cultural battle, neutrality will prove to be impossible to maintain. We will have to leave the valley of indecision and take a stand, either with the culture or with Christ. We will take a stand or be forced into a corner.

The Apostle John’s congregation was facing just such a choice. Many were facing pressure from the Jewish community to conform to Jewish traditions and standards. Many more were facing, and would face in the future, the mounting pressure of the state religion, emperor-worship, to conform to its standards, which also involved political, social, and economic pressures. How were they supposed to understand what was transpiring? What were they to do about this pressure?

The hour is at hand – The word hour is used by John in two ways. It sometimes refers to a particular hour of the day. However, it often refers to a particular event. Jesus tells his mother and later to others that his hour has not yet come. Toward the end of his earthly life, he proclaims that his hour has come. He tells the woman at the well that an hour is coming when people will worship God in spirit and in truth. The hour is coming when the dead will hear his voice and live. There is an hour for the Son to be glorified, an hour of judgment, his hour of death, his hour to depart from this world to be with his Father, an hour when people will kill his disciples thinking they are serving God,  the hour of prayer, the hour of his coming, the hour of trial, and an hour to reap. Here hour should be understood in the say way we say “the moment of truth” or “the hour of my suffering” or “the day of opportunity.” We are not speaking of 60 minutes or 24 hours. We are referring to a specific event that we expect of uncertain duration.

There are two plausible explanations of “this hour” in this letter. One is that it refers to the time between Christ’s first and second returns, often called the Church Age. A second is that it refers to the period of time between Christ’s ascension and the destruction of Jerusalem. Perhaps, rather than spend time arguing for a particular position, I might wisely quote another commentator, who has expressed the relevance for us today.

In summary, John presents in great detail the nature of the deception that is being perpetrated by those who have left the community, and by so doing he passes on to every successive generation of believers “a study in the dangers, origin, and effects of the counterfeit teachings which constantly threaten to destroy the church. <Culpepper, 1, 2, 3 John, 43.>

The antichrist is coming/many antichrists have come – We have here the form of the attack. There are those who oppose Christ and his church. Because they stand opposed to him, they may be rightly judged antichrists. John identifies these antichrists for us through his epistles until we get to the book of Revelation and see the ultimate manifestation of evil, the Antichrist. Here are their marks of identification:

1. They deny the incarnation (1 John 4:2; 2 John 7 and that Jesus is the Christ, the one sent from God as the divine Son (1 John 2:22).

2. They deny the Father by denying the Son, for these two are related in a way that is impossible to acknowledge one without acknowledging the other (1 John 2:22).

3. They are liars like their father, Satan, the father of lies and a liar from the beginning (1 John 2:22) and because of their nature as liars, they are also deceivers (2 John 7).

4. They were many and seemed to multiply, revealing it was the last hour (1 John 2:18).

They went out from us, but they did not really belong to us – Although I am tempted to think of people who leave the local church and wander to another or stop attending any church at all, I don’t think that is exactly what John has in mind here. Now I know that church attendance has fallen out of favor as people continue to lose confidence in institutions and organizations in general and in religious institutions in particular. I will seek to lay no guilt trip here, except to say that if we are truly seeking to be obedient to Christ, we will “not forsake the assembling of ourselves together” as the church, expressing the love of God and care for each other.

Here in the context of the passage John is, no doubt, referring to those antichrists, false prophets and teachers, who separate themselves from the Apostles and their teachings. They creep in through IDENTIFICATION. They use name-dropping and other techniques to appear to align themselves with the Apostles and other servants of Christ. They seek to seem genuine and caring, but they veil secret motives and selfish desires and hidden agendas. Thus Satan masquerades as an angel of light, seeking to deceive even the elect. His servants practice the same deception. They also practice INFILTRATION. They, like a weed spreading out roots and entangling itself with the good grain, seek to become integrated into the church and thus begin to undermine it from within. They also utilize SEPARATION and DIVISION as tactics designed to “divide and conquer.” They besmirch the characters and reputations of good men and women serving Christ, maligning their motives, values and goals. Using slander, innuendo, character assassination, accusation, and ridicule, they seek to undermine the work of Christ and his servants. By their teachings, which contradict the “faith once delivered unto the saints”, and by their acts (actions, deeds, and works) they reveal their true character and intentions (“by their fruit you shall know them”).

Their separation from the believing community and especially from apostolic authority and doctrine only reveals that they were not really a part and did not really belong. They cannot conceal their desires and devices for long. It is obvious that they don’t fit with the apostolic model of servant hood and spiritual authority, nor do their lives, motives and attitudes match the shining example of the apostles.

Please understand that spiritual warfare is real, that false teachers and deceivers (antichrists) exist among us, and that we must remain constantly vigilant and on guard, if we are to remain true and faithful. The battlefield is here and now. We must refuse to remain complacent in the face of forceful spiritual opposition. The temptation that is presented is one of compromise. Can’t you just give a little, adjust this belief, drop that doctrine, make yourself more attractive to the world? NO! ABSOLUTELY NOT! The one quality that a steward must possess is FAITHFULNESS! We MUST remain true to Christ and his Word. It may set us apart from the world, but it will also point the world to HIM!

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REMOVING THE BARRIER: Put Away Worldliness

Posted on March 24, 2014 by revdans

Do Not Love the World – 1 John 2:15-17 ESV

  15 Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
  16 For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride in possessions—is not from the Father but is from the world.
  17 And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.


Dear Fellowship of the Burning Heart:

The Apostle John is one of my favorite biblical authors. He uses words with more than one meaning to broaden the scope of his message. For instance, in John 3 Jesus is telling Nicodemus that he “must be born again” but “again” can also mean “from above.” Of course, both meanings are accurate and equally apply. In John 1:5, John is telling us about the light shining in the darkness, “but the darkness has not understood it.” The word “understood” can also mean “overcome.” Here as well, both meanings fit. The light is neither understood nor overcome.

Now the word “world” is often used by John as well. And it can have a range of meanings too. It could refer to the world as we think of the earth or creation. It could refer to world of people inhabiting the earth, as it does in John 3:16. Or it could refer to the world system, a system diametrically opposed to God, his plan, and his Son. Here in this little epistle, in this context it is obviously referring to the latter: the world system.

This world system is given a name in Scripture. It is called Babylon, the harlot. Throughout the Bible Babylon stands for a culture set against God and his plan. It begins in Genesis 11 with the people of the earth gathering together in the plain of Shinar to build a civilization and culture “in their image.” Their communication system was not marred with a language barrier: “the whole world had one language and a common speech.” They had developed the technology to construct something functional, durable and lasting. In fact, we see this technology transported to various parts of the planet and duplicated in the form of ziggurats or pyramids.  Their purpose was squarely opposed to God’s purposes, for they were building “for ourselves” a city and a “tower that reaches to the heavens” to “make a name for ourselves” and “not be scattered over the face of the whole earth.” However, God had commanded that they “fill” the earth and “subdue” it.

So, from that point, we see that Babylon is often used as the symbol of rebellious men and women who seek to create a system that does not include God or his plans. Whether it is the Babylon of Daniel’s day, or some other world empire like it (i.e., Rome), the name Babylon sums up the philosophy and methods of godless men and their godless society.

We are told to love the world of people, but here we are told NOT to love the world system that is opposed to God. And we are to refuse to become attached to the “things that are in the world.” It’s not that the things of the world are necessarily bad. Possessions are not the problem; possessiveness is. When we, like Adam and Eve, want what is forbidden, what is destructive, what is addictive, what is bad for us, we discover that the consequences are as disastrous and far-reaching as their sin. The lure of lust is powerful and controlling. We begin to allow the desire for things to consume us, thus worshipping what has been created rather than the Creator, who alone deserves and is worthy of our worship. This is THE LIE that the Apostle Paul talks about in Romans 1. Replacing the truth of God with THE LIE that we can do our OWN thing, find our OWN way, decide for our OWN selves what is important, what to value, what to worship, and live our OWN lives without any outside help or interference, is the our problem. Remember 1 John 1 and the propensity we have to deceive ourselves.

There are three areas of problem for us in the world:

1. The desires of the flesh – our flesh yearns, our flesh groans, our flesh screams for satisfaction and fulfillment. Anyone who has sought to exercise self-control understands the struggle with the flesh. How many times have we failed to control it. How many times have we fallen to its stranglehold and, sadly, discovered just how far toward destruction it can take us. The Apostle Paul describes the power of “I” in graphic detail:

“I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate” (Romans 7:15 ESV). “For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out. For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing” (Romans 7:18-19 ESV).

2. The desires of the eyes – What catches “our eye” must effectively capture our attention. Advertising has long sought to appeal to the eye. They spend billions of dollars each year just to get us to look. The eye gate is a very powerful entry point into the thoughts and desires of the heart. How many times have we caught ourselves desiring something to eat because we see it, not because we are hungry. How many times have we made a purchase of something we saw, whether we needed it or not, whether we planned to or not. To control our thoughts we must learn to guard our sight and control what we give attention to. A part of the problem of focusing on sight is that it tends to be captivated by the outward, visible pomp and circumstance of life. We judge by outward appearance, but “the Lord judges the heart.” Living by sight neglects a more important truth. The real world is invisible, spiritual, and beyond sight. It must be perceived through faith. “We walk by faith, not by sight.”

3. The pride of life – What defines my identify, to what do I turn to feel important or show importance, what do I use to “lord it over” others? My educational accomplishments or degrees, my annual income, my status in the community, my reputation among others, my impressive possessions, my groomed appearance, ad infinitum, ad nauseum? According to James, “all such boasting is evil” (James 4:16). Jeremiah the prophet tells us that, if we feel we need to boast, the only boast that matters is this: we know the Lord.

The desires, choices, decisions, and pursuits of life have eternal consequences. The problem with focusing on the world and its values is simply that these are temporal. The world is going to end. The world system is going to crumble and be replaced with the eternal kingdom of our God and of his Christ. “And he shall reign forever and ever.” Placed against the eternal values of the Bible and the glorious hope of the future, the fading and temporal glory of the world system holds less and less appeal. Now is the time to make the decisions of a lifetime. We must reject the world system to follow Christ, or we must reject Christ and his eternal kingdom to embrace the world. There is no middle ground and the choices determine an eternity of bliss or doom.

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REMOVING THE BARRIER: Reject Hate

Posted on March 22, 2014 by revdans

1 John 2:9-11 Whoever says he is in the light and hates his brother is still in darkness. Whoever loves his brother abides in the light, and in him there is no cause for stumbling. But whoever hates his brother is in the darkness and walks in the darkness, and does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes.

Dear Fellowship of the Burning Heart:

Hate – what an ominous word! It strikes at the core of our being. It is strongly connected to anger, revenge, bitterness, spite, rage, and animosity. It be found lurking in the dark recesses of our mind and will pounce out in overwhelming force at the slightest invitation. When it takes hold, there is no telling the damage that it can inflict. It is diametrically opposed to love.

You can tell that this is John the Apostle, the author of the Gospel of John, the three letters (including this one), and Revelation. The buzz words that give us the clue include: light, darkness, love, hate, live or abide or remain (same word in the Greek), and know. These words carry great meaning to faith for the Apostle. He also connects them often, as here with love and light, darkness and hate. Walking in the light is walking in love and walking in darkness is walking in hate. The antitheses stand in stark contrast.

Also, we see another false claim. Just as before, talk is cheap. This apostle wants you to show it if you know it – to produce what you profess, to convey what you claim. It is utterly incompatible for someone to claim to walk in the light and live with hatred in the heart. In Matthew 25 we see that the actions of those who inherit the kingdom and those who won’t. The kingdom seekers gave food to the hungry, drink to the thirsty, a welcome to the stranger, and clothes to the needy. The kingdom opposition did not. In other words, love is very practical. It is not enough to claim to be loving, to feel loving, to be proclaimed loving. We must reveal a loving heart in loving deeds.

A loving approach does not cause us to stumble. We stumble when we are unaware of an obstacle over which we trip. Now, if we harbor hatred in our hearts, we will invariably stumble into situations where its venom seeps out. Hatred is an obstacle in our lives, and we will continue to stumble over it as long as it is allowed to remain. We also will cause others to stumble, because our hatred will be an obstacle over which they stumble and will turn away from us and the faith.

Proverbs 10:12 ESV Hatred stirs up strife, but love covers all offenses.
Proverbs 17:9 ESV Whoever covers an offense seeks love, but he who repeats a matter separates close friends.
1 Peter 4:8 ESV Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins.

Love covers offenses or sins is another way of saying that love promotes forgiveness, that it finds a way to overlook faults, that it refuses resentment and grudges (See 1 Corinthians 13). Hatred stirs up strife and hostility, shares the faults and failures of others to bring hurt and pain, and refuses to forgive.

Blinded by hate and blind with rage are expressions which could have come from the Apostle John, because that is the picture he presents of the person who allows hate to control him. Darkness has blinded him and he stumbles around in the dark.

We are not children of the darkness but children of the light. We must walk in the light and love one another.

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REMOVING THE BARRIER: Embrace Love

Posted on March 20, 2014 by revdans

1 John 2:7-8 ESV  Beloved, I am writing you no new commandment, but an old commandment that you had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word that you have heard.  (8)  At the same time, it is a new commandment that I am writing to you, which is true in him and in you, because the darkness is passing away and the true light is already shining.

Dear Fellowship of the Burning Heart:

I read in Christianity Today Online that Fred Phelps, founder of Westboro Baptist Church, has died. His church is best known for its spewing of hate messages at military funerals and other kinds of events. That they have sought to be a messenger of the Christian faith is such a tragedy, because their message flatly contradicts the main commandments of the Bible. Love God and love others is the summation of what God expects from us, according to our Savior.

John is not writing something new to these believers. The message about love is as old as the Old Covenant. The law commanded that Israel love God (Deuteronomy 6:5) and their neighbor (Leviticus 19:18). The law expounded how love and justice were to be expressed within the community of faith. God expresses his love for his people and he encourages them to love him and each other. In this sense the commandment is old.

But he is also giving them a new commandment concerning love, not because it is new in time as much as new in expression and enablement. The new expression of love is found in the example of Jesus, expressing his love by giving his life for us. The new enablement is found in his provision of the Spirit, enabling  us to love as he loves. A new day is dawning, the darkness is fleeing, and this truth is being manifested in our lives, as it was in his.

Now, I believe that it is easy to talk about love, but I have served churches long enough (38 years) and been a part of churches long enough (all of my 58 years) to realize that the church can be a very unloving place. This saddens me and I believe it grieves our Lord, because love is our core value. God is love and we must show his love to a lost and longing world. As Francis Schaeffer put it, we must stop showing the world the ugliness that some call Christianity.

Let me be practical here. We must live in love. This means that we must stop the physical or verbal abuse we dish out when we are frustrated, disappointed, discouraged, agitated, or upset. We must find more appropriate ways to express these feelings, instead of taking them out on others. We must also learn how to communicate in loving and caring ways. Often, we talk to others in a tone or with an attitude that communicates more than our words that we do not love or care for those we address. It’s not that we aren’t loving or caring. It’s not that we are trying to hurt others. But when we use words thoughtlessly or carelessly, we fail to communicate love. We are also guilty of reacting without seeking to understand another person’s responses. We think we know what they mean and we respond accordingly, but I have learned that we often misunderstand others more than we realize. And we must reject harshness and rudeness as well.

Maybe we reject the loving approach, because we are afraid of being taken advantage of, being abused, not being taken seriously. The tough-guy approach (adopted just as readily by many women) says: “I will not be soft or vulnerable. I will be strong and stand against anyone who seems to be a threat. I refuse to be used, abused, disadvantaged, or dismissed.” We don’t even listen to ourselves, nor do we think about the example of our Savior. He was abused, despitefully used, ridiculed, mocked, abandoned, and maligned, yet he responded in love anyway. Neither can we use the excuse that this is just the way we are. He has come to change that, to make you a new person.

We who are repulsed by the messages and attitudes of the Westboro church are often just as guilty of casting an unloving cloak over the message of the Gospel. Maybe we purposefully act in unloving ways at times, but more often we do so inadvertently and thoughtlessly. But when others, especially the unbelieving world, perceive that we are unloving, unkind, or uncaring, we have failed to present the very message we say we stand for, and more especially, the very attribute our Savior most clearly manifested.

Maybe these thoughts will help you understand more clearly how to obey this command:

Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God.
(1 John 4:7 ESV)

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REMOVING THE BARRIER: Follow Your Guide

Posted on March 19, 2014 by revdans

1 John 2:6 ESV  whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked.

Dear Fellowship of the Burning Heart:

WWJD (What Would Jesus Do) was a popular slogan back in the day (a few years ago). Some had a problem with it, but I always thought that it was an appropriate question to ask. I do miss the T-shirts, necklaces and bracelets, bookmarks, and other paraphernalia. What can I spend my money on now to show I’m a follower or what can I give to a young person now to help them become disciples? Oh well, aside from my personal problems (which are many) I do miss the slogan. However, nothing prevents me from asking the question now (if I can remember to do so).

John says that the person who abides (remains or lives) in him must walk as Jesus walked. WWJD? The question is appropriate, because we are to be followers of Christ and imitators of his way of life. So, WWJD?

Looking at the Gospels we find several important things to keep in mind.

  1. He was concerned about doing the Father’s will.  “I can do nothing on my own. As I hear, I judge, and my judgment is just, because I seek not my own will but the will of him who sent me. (John 5:30 ESV)  Jesus said to them, “My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to accomplish his work. (John 4:34 ESV) Thus, WWJD? He would do the will of the Father even if it meant he had to sacrifice all for him. “And going a little farther he fell on his face and prayed, saying, ‘My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will.’” (Matthew 26:39 ESV)
  2. He was concerned about pursuing the life of a servant.  “Even as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” (Matthew 20:28 ESV) “For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.” (Luke 19:10 ESV) Jesus showed us what a life of service looks like: feeding the hungry, healing the sick, offering encouragement to the downtrodden. But he served humanity best when he offered himself as our substitute, sacrificing himself for our sin and providing for our salvation. WWJD? He would give till it hurt.
  3. He was concerned about showing the love of God in the face of hostility and adversity. “Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted.” (Hebrews 12:3 ESV) WWJD? He would pray, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” (Luke 23:34 ESV) WWJD? He would tell his disciples to “love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.” (Matthew 5:44 ESV)

Can you walk as Jesus walked? WWJD still makes a lot of sense when seeking to face the hard choices and dilemmas that come our way. How can you know WWJD? You need to stay in touch with the Scriptures, especially the Gospels, to answer this question. But once you have the answer, you have no excuse. You should walk as he walked. The Lord is watching to strengthen and encourage. Believers are watching to see if you are one of us. The world is watching to see if your faith is real. WWYD?1

 

 

 

1What Will You Do?

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