Verse for the Week

A quick thought on Proverbs 13:10. If only by pride cometh contention, would it not follow that only by humility comes reconciliation.

I'm Back

I apologize for the lack of posts over the past couple weeks. We had a great time traveling around the panhandle of FL and southwest GA with the boys on August 2-7, then through the mountains of NC with girls on August 9-15. We praise the Lord for the opportunity to spend some time with these young people and for the people of THE BIBLE Baptist Church who make it possible for us to devote our lives to ministering to them.

A couple items I'd ask you to keep in prayer if you could:

1. A group of 9 will be flying out next Wednesday (August 26) to spend 5 days with Matthew Moris in Hinckley, MN. Matthew was the first graduate of the DeLand School of the Bible and is faithfully pastoring a small church in a small town relatively near where he grew up. We'll stay busy on the streets and door-to-door with the gospel. Please pray for a safe journey, open doors for ministry, and that we could be an encouragement and a blessing to Bro. Matthew and the congregation in Hinckley.

2. I'll be flying to Guyana on September 21st to preach at a Wednesday-Sunday youth meeting hosted by our missionary Dean Runyon. I'm very excited, and very nervous. What a great opportunity to have a life-changing impact for the cause of our Savior on some young people down in the jungle. Pray that many will be saved and that many would surrender their lives to God's will.

3. Fall is always an exciting time here at THE BIBLE Baptist Church. Bible school will be starting back up the first Sunday of September. The Lord has blessed us with 3 new students, 2 of which have already moved their families to DeLand. Pray for good health for the students and teachers; for many of those students who are seeking employment; for dedication and perserverance throughout the course of the semester; and for application of the truths taught and learned. We're also gearing up for some special evangelistic activities, including public preaching and tract distribution at the football games of University of Florida in Gainesville and the University of Central Florida in Orlando. Pray for God's blessings on these endeavors.

4. Lastly, a rare personal note. My wife and I have recently learned that she is pregnant with out first child. Praise God! The baby is due the first week of April. Needless to say, we are VERY excited. Please pray for the health and safety of mother and baby throughout the pregnancy and delivery. And please pray that God will enable us with the wisdom to be godly parents and raise this child for His glory.

Thanks for your prayers. May the Lord richly bless your service in His name.

Tell No Man – 7.31.09

Matthew 9:28-31 And when he was come into the house, the blind men came to him: and Jesus saith unto them, Believe ye that I am able to do this? They said unto him, Yea, Lord. Then touched he their eyes, saying, According to your faith be it unto you. And their eyes were opened; and Jesus straitly charged them, saying, See that no man know it. But they, when they were departed, spread abroad his fame in all that country.

On the surface, it seems strange that Jesus would tell the blind men He just healed not to tell anybody about it. But as you read the gospels, you find that this was His common practice. He gave the same charge to the cleansed leper (Matthew 8:4; Mark 1:44; Luke 5:14); the healed multitude (Matthew 12:16; Mark 3:12); His disciples (Matthew 16:20; Mark 8:30; Luke 9:21); Peter, James, and John following the transfiguration (Matthew 17:9; Mark 9:9); and the family of Jairus after the healing of his daughter (Mark 5:43; Luke 8:56). [One notable exception would be the maniac of Gadara (Mark 5:19; Luke 8:39).]

There are actually several good reasons for Jesus' doing so. These 4 are listed by Dake in his reference Bible:

1. He did not want to set forth His claim to Messiah-ship this early in His ministry and hasten the controversy He knew that His works would cause. Even later He forbade His disciples to make it known (Matthew 16:13-20). He made no public claim of it at first, but simply did the works that the prophets had predicted the Messiah would do (Matthew 11:1-6).

2. He wanted people to fulfill the law and offer the testimony that Moses commanded in such cases (Leviticus 14:4-22). In each case it would have to be known to the priests how one was cleansed and this should be sufficient proof of His Messiah-ship to the priests. The Jewish rabbis taught that cleansing lepers should be characteristic of the Messiah, so His very works proved it before He was forced by opposition to make such claim for Himself.

3. He wanted to shun popularity and human acclaim and the evil effects of mob clamor to make Him King. When this did happen He got away from it all (John 6:15-21).

4. Jesus set an example of putting healings to the test before testimony is given for them. Any real healing will stand any kind of test. Any person maintaining he is healed when he is not is unscriptural.

In addition to this, Bro. James gave us this note on John 2:24-25 But Jesus did not commit himself unto them, because he knew all men, And needed not that any should testify of man: for he knew what was in man. The fact of the matter was that He couldn't trust these people to represent Him properly – because unlike us, they didn't have the indwelling Holy Spirit (yet). Remember when He gave the Great Commission to the apostles, He also commanded them to tarry in Jerusalem until they were endued with power from on high (Luke 24:46-49; Acts 1:8).

Now, what's amazing about all this is the fact that in every case the persons healed and instructed not to spread it abroad just couldn't help themselves. They jumped over Jesus' command to keep it quiet in order to go tell people what He had done for them.

On the other hand is us. What Jesus has done for us (save our souls) is so much better than what Jesus did for them (heal their bodies). We have the Holy Spirit; they didn't. We have a command to tell; they had a command not to tell. They couldn't keep quiet about it; we can't seem to get motivated enough to tell hardly anybody. Brethren, it seems as if we just really don't appreciate what Jesus has done for us like we should.

Mark 5:19 Howbeit Jesus suffered him not, but saith unto him, Go home to thy friends, and tell them how great things the Lord hath done for thee, and hath had compassion on thee.

Continue – 7.29.09

2 Timothy 3:14 But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them;

Having a great time making our way through the book of 2 Timothy in our young men's Tuesday night Bible study this summer. The book is all about enduring hardness as a good soldier of Jesus Christ despite the promised persecutions from without and discouraging departures from within.

Timothy was instructed to be a partaker in the afflictions of the gospel (1:8); he was reminded of the sufferings of the Apostle Paul (1:12; 2:8-10; 3:10-11); he was told that perilous times shall come (3:1); he was promised persecution (3:12); he was told of a time when believers would not endure sound doctrine (4:3); and he was warned of those who had and would depart from the faith (1:15; 2:17-18; 3:8; 4:4; 4:10).

In light of all this, the main thrust of the letter is this continual admonishment to CONTINUE – to stick with it, to keep doing right. What was right yesterday is still right today, so do right. What was right yesterday will still be right tomorrow, so keep doing right. No matter what the world does, no matter what the brethren do, no matter how it turns out, no matter what results you do or do not get, CONTINUE doing what you know is right.

Because God will keep you (1:12; 2:10; 2:19; 3:11; 4:17); because God will reward you (2:12; 2:15; 4:2; 4:8); because God won't lie to you (3:14) – CONTINUE!

This line of exhortation runs throughout the book from start to finish (1:6; 1:13; 2:1; 2:15; 4:2; 4:5). And it's a good reminder for us today. There is never any good reason, there is never any good excuse to stop doing what's right.

1 Timothy 4:16 Take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine; continue in them: for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself, and them that hear thee.

Acquainted with God – 7.24.09

Job 22:21 Acquaint now thyself with him, and be at peace: thereby good shall come unto thee.

Bro. James brought an excellent lesson yesterday evening on the subject of peace. In one statement, the gist of the message was that the God we serve is the source of peace (He never lacks or loses control of any situation!), and if we are to have peace, we must obtain it from Him by loving His law (Psalm 119:165) and trusting in Him (Isaiah 26:3-4). Now, there was much, much more to it, and it'd be worth taking the time to listen to when you have a chance (click here).

One of the many verses we turned to was the above passage in the book of Job, and this one stuck out in my mind, especially that first phrase, Acquaint now thyself with him. The book of Job tells us that the way to have peace and blessing it to get to know the Lord.

Now, as a believer I both know God and am known of Him (John 10:14; Galatians 4:9). That's my standing; my eternal, unchanging position before God in heaven (Ephesians 2:6). But as far as my state – that is, my temporal, oft-changing condition before men on the earth – is concerned, I need to know God better. That I may know Him was Paul's desire (Philippians 3:10).

Recognizing that I need to know God better, how should I go about it? How do I acquaint myself with Him? The answer would obviously be the same way you get to know anybody. Spend time with Him. Talk to Him. Talk with Him.

And if you're a good Christian, you do those things. You read your Bible. You pray. You go to church and hear preaching from God's word. But if you're anything like I am, how often do you do those things without any thought or effort toward getting to know God any better? How often do you go through your prayer list without ever actually talking with the Lord? How often do you mark off your daily Bible reading without having much of any idea about what you read or what it meant or what it said about the author?

Let's be careful to remember the real reason we do so many of the things we do as Christians. Let's strive to acquaint ourselves more with our Lord, to draw nigh to Him (James 4:8), and to please Him more (Hebrews 13:20-21).

Sons of Zadok – 7.17.09

Ezekiel 44:15 But the priests the Levites, the sons of Zadok, that kept the charge of my sanctuary when the children of Israel went astray from me, they shall come near to me to minister unto me, and they shall stand before me to offer unto me the fat and the blood, saith the Lord GOD:

Ezekiel 48:11 It shall be for the priests that are sanctified of the sons of Zadok; which have kept my charge, which went not astray when the children of Israel went astray, as the Levites went astray.

Ezekiel 40-48 deals with the glory of the future kingdom that Israel will enjoy once the nation is reborn (chapter 37) and her enemies defeated (chapters 38-39) at the second coming of Jesus Christ. Twice it is repeated that the sons of Zadok will enjoy special blessings and special privileges in that kingdom because they remained faithful to God despite the apostasy and idolatry of the nation.

Zadok was a priest who lived and served during the reigns of David and Solomon. He was of the line of Eleazer, Aaron's son (as opposed to the line of Ithamar; 1 Chronicles 24:3) and became the fulfillment of God's judgment upon the house of Eli (1 Samuel 2:35) at the outset of Solomon's reign over Israel (1 Kings 2:27, 35). As a young man, the Bible says that Zadok was mighty of valor (1 Chronicles 12:28). He remained true to the Lord and the king when others were carried away by the rebellions under Absalom (2 Samuel 15) and Adonijah (1 Kings 1). His progeny served faithfully in Judah's great revival under King Hezekiah (2 Chronicles 31). Because of this steadfast commitment, the Lord will richly reward Zadok and his sons when Jesus Christ returns to rule and reign on the earth.

There's an important practical lesson for us to learn from this interesting statement in the book of Ezekiel. Just like Zadok and his sons, we find ourselves in a time when God's people on a massive scale are going astray. Despite the apostasy and the apathy and the ignorance and the lukewarm condition of today's church, God calls on us to stand fast, be faithful, and remain true to the charge He's given us. And there are ETERNAL blessings and privileges that await those who will answer the call.

Allow me to correct a common misconception. The Bible clearly teaches us that (1) all saved people will live forever in heaven (2) and heaven will be a wonderful place (3) where we'll all have a new, glorified body (Philippians 3:20-21; 1 John 3:1-3) (4) and will be forever delivered from the very presence of sin.

What the Bible never teaches is that everything will be equal for everybody in heaven. There are rewards God has promised to those who serve Him faithfully! There are crowns to be won; there is gold, silver, and precious stones to be gained; there are positions in Christ's kingdom to be filled. God wouldn't have told us about all those things and held all that out to us if it didn't matter. Fact is, it will matter, and it will matter for all eternity! God will make it worth your while THERE to obey and stand and serve and give Him all you've got while you're HERE.

Now, for the sake of those who would over correct and swerve off into the ditch on the other side of the road, the Bible also never says anything to even indicate that if you don't serve God while you're HERE He'll beat you or send you to purgatory or make you sit in a corner for 1,000 years when you get THERE.

But you might just miss out on some special blessing like the one He has reserved for the sons of Zadok.

1 Corinthians 3:15 If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.

Honest Inquiry – 7.14.09

Ezekiel 14:7-8 For every one of the house of Israel, or of the stranger that sojourneth in Israel, which separateth himself from me, and setteth up his idols in his heart, and putteth the stumblingblock of his iniquity before his face, and cometh to a prophet to enquire of him concerning me; I the LORD will answer him by myself: And I will set my face against that man, and will make him a sign and a proverb, and I will cut him off from the midst of my people; and ye shall know that I am the LORD.

Ezekiel picks up in Babylon right where Jeremiah left off in Judah. And the people haven't changed a bit. In this 14th chapter, the elders of Israel come to the prophet to "enquire" of the Lord. They're seeking direction. They're asking for guidance. They're looking for help.

Problem is they have set up idols in their heart. They want God's blessings, they're just not all that interested in His commandments. They want God's direction, they're just not about to pay any attention to His instructions. They're seeking for His leading in their situation, but they've failed to consult the scriptures wherein God has clearly revealed His will.

The answer that comes back from the Lord is, "REPENT!" Here's your help, elders. Here's your direction, leaders. Here's your guidance, men of Israel. Get rid of your idols. Turn away from your iniquities. Fall down on your face before me and get your heart right. Then we'll talk.

Here's an important principle that runs throughout the word of God. God generally doesn't give out additional information to those who aren't already making the most of what they've got.

When we need direction from the Lord, we need to be able to approach Him as an "honest enquirer" – following His word to the best of our knowledge, and coming to Him with a heart that is clean, a mind that is pure, and a will that is resolved to do whatever He says.

As we study the scriptures and go to God for more light, let's make sure to take a moment to examine our lives and ask, "Am I, to the best of my knowledge, doing all I can to walk in the light He has already given me." Jesus said, "He that doeth my will, he shall know of the doctrine…" (John 17:17).