In this section we will examine a couple of Jesus parables. He spoke in parables almost exclusively to the crowds and then usually explained their meaning to His disciples. The reason for this was that the truth would be hidden except from those whose hearts hungered for truth whereas most people are looking for something to benefit them without any cost on their part.
As it was then so it is now in our day, nothing has changed, neither has God changed who has hidden these things from the wise and revealed them to babes, Matthew 11:25
In Matthew 13:44 Jesus told of a treasure which was hidden in a field. A man found it and rather than telling anyone about it he hid it more securely, and with joy went and sold everything that he possessed,
took the money and bought the property. So often this story is ignored or offered as an extreme example of committment to a cause and it is overlooked that Jesus said that the kingdom of heaven is like this. I would ask my readers to consider this question, "is it possible to be a Christian but not be in Christ's kingdom"? I believe a careful search of scripture would produce a definite "NO". The entire message in this parable is that of the necessity of giving up everything we hold dear to obtain something of infinitely greater value. Also it is said that the man did it with joy which means that he understood the value of what he was doing.
So often these days it is said that someone has "accepted Jesus" this is a sharp contrast to someone who deliberately pursues in order to obtain something. The parable does not say that someone offered the man a field with buried treasure in it and he accepted it but rather that he went to great lengths to secure something that he discovered and did not want to risk losing.
Another familiar parable is that of the sower found in Matthew 13:1-23
I invite the reader to use their bible and read the entire parable but here I will only focus on the "good soil" because please note that only the good soil produces anything at all. All other types of ground that the seed fell upon failed to produce anything that lasted. What good is salvation that does not last? The good soil is soil that has been prepared properly to receive seed and to nurture that seed to maturity. Such is the true Gospel. It is carefully presented to a heart that has been prepared with knowledge and understanding so that it has a chance to take root and go deep. Anything less is not acceptable. There's also much to be said about the quality of the seed that is planted since bad seed produces bad fruit and good seed produces good fruit.
Much more will be added later but we are preparing to go to celebrate Thanksgiving with our children in another city.
Comments or questions are always welcome either on this site or by email to acts2216@eoni.com
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
A Counterfeit Gospel Part 2
Here is a quote from the famous evangelist Charles Finney "Some view the Gospel as a mere convenience to mankind,
where God is not as strict as He was under the law. They think that they can be as worldly as they want to be and the Gospel will come in and make up what they lack and save them. Others view the Gospel as a divine provision from God, having as it's main purpose the destruction of sin and the promotion of holiness. Therefore, far from making it acceptable for them to be less holy than they should be under the law, it's whole value consists in it's power to make them holy."
Let me repeat that; The whole value of the Gospel consists in it's power to make us holy.
Now we will look at what Jesus had to say about the Gospel, remember, everything Jesus had to say about salvation, the kingdom of heaven or the kingdom of God is part of the Gospel and must be taken into account if one is to be truly saved. Some would say "but the scripture says he who believes will be saved" and I agree but we must then examine what Jesus said about believing;
John 5:24 (New International Version)
24"I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life.
John 8:51 (New International Version)
51; I tell you the truth, if anyone keeps my word, he will never see death."
Please notice that in the first scripture Jesus says if one hears His word and believes it he has eternal life yet in the next scripture He adds the requirement of OBEDIENCE.
This is where the burden of my heart gets heavy, no one, almost no one is explaining to believers old or new, how does a person keep the requirements of a true disciple of Jesus. To this end is my labor for I believe it is quite literally a sin to point out Jesus as Savior and not provide clear understanding of all that Jesus had to say concerning this new life we are supposed to be receiving. Jesus asks nothing of us for which He will not provide the power but it seems that many even among Pastors and other leaders there is little understanding of these principles. What we wind up with is "the blind leading the blind and as Jesus said they will both end up in the ditch.
As I have previously stated the answer to all this can be summed up in two words "Total Surrender". However most people have no clue what total surrender is according to Jesus. I will explain but it is going to take some time so please be patient with me.
This concludes part 2, part 3 will follow in a couple of days.
Comments are welcome on this site or you may email me at acts2216@eoni.com
where God is not as strict as He was under the law. They think that they can be as worldly as they want to be and the Gospel will come in and make up what they lack and save them. Others view the Gospel as a divine provision from God, having as it's main purpose the destruction of sin and the promotion of holiness. Therefore, far from making it acceptable for them to be less holy than they should be under the law, it's whole value consists in it's power to make them holy."
Let me repeat that; The whole value of the Gospel consists in it's power to make us holy.
Now we will look at what Jesus had to say about the Gospel, remember, everything Jesus had to say about salvation, the kingdom of heaven or the kingdom of God is part of the Gospel and must be taken into account if one is to be truly saved. Some would say "but the scripture says he who believes will be saved" and I agree but we must then examine what Jesus said about believing;
John 5:24 (New International Version)
24"I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life.
John 8:51 (New International Version)
51; I tell you the truth, if anyone keeps my word, he will never see death."
Please notice that in the first scripture Jesus says if one hears His word and believes it he has eternal life yet in the next scripture He adds the requirement of OBEDIENCE.
This is where the burden of my heart gets heavy, no one, almost no one is explaining to believers old or new, how does a person keep the requirements of a true disciple of Jesus. To this end is my labor for I believe it is quite literally a sin to point out Jesus as Savior and not provide clear understanding of all that Jesus had to say concerning this new life we are supposed to be receiving. Jesus asks nothing of us for which He will not provide the power but it seems that many even among Pastors and other leaders there is little understanding of these principles. What we wind up with is "the blind leading the blind and as Jesus said they will both end up in the ditch.
As I have previously stated the answer to all this can be summed up in two words "Total Surrender". However most people have no clue what total surrender is according to Jesus. I will explain but it is going to take some time so please be patient with me.
This concludes part 2, part 3 will follow in a couple of days.
Comments are welcome on this site or you may email me at acts2216@eoni.com
Friday, November 6, 2009
A Counterfeit Gospel
Nothing disturbs me more than to meet someone who says he’s become a Christian and is trying to live a better life or trying to give up old habits and turn away from a life of sin. Invariably when his experience is related in this way I know that it is only a matter of time till he returns to his former life of sin.
It is heart breaking because when I discern his spiritual condition and try to speak to him about the true Gospel his eyes glaze over and his heart is closed because persons who he trusts and views as having spiritual authority have given him a false gospel.
The key to discerning his true spiritual condition is in listening to his words and observing his expressions and body language. He uses terms such as “trying to do this or that like give up sin or please God”. Artificial expressions of joy are very transparent and it is clear that he is in a tremendous struggle to overcome what he thinks to be displeasing to God or to those in the church he may be attending. He does not know or understand that what pleases God the most is our admission that we are totally corrupt and are powerless to change. It has never been explained to him that the very reason Christ came and died on the cross was because of the impossibility of man ever pleasing God through trying to keep a set of rules that no one in history had been totally successful in doing.
It was never explained to him that we must come to Christ as a helpless child totally surrendering to His love and care knowing that if we will but surrender He will do the impossible for us “for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure” Philippians 2:13
Can a brand new baby feed himself, change his diaper, comfort himself when his tummy hurts or put himself to bed or dress himself? Of course not, this is the job of loving parents and God is truly a loving parent and the newborn Christian is just as helpless but the one who has been given the false gospel does not know this and therefore instead of placing himself in the loving arms of our Loving Heavenly Father, he goes about trying to do all these things himself and it is only a matter of time till he discovers the power of sin is greater than his power to overcome and he gives up in discouragement.
The gospel as most perceive it is simply this statement that I found on a google search “The core message of the Gospel is simply that Jesus Christ died for our sins and rose again.”
While this is a true statement it is not complete. The true complete Gospel must include and embrace everything Jesus had to say concerning salvation and the kingdom of heaven and the kingdom of God as they are all inextricably linked as surely as God the Father, Christ the Son and God the Holy Spirit are linked.
This subject is going to be rather lengthy and involved therefore I will break it up into 2 or more. Be sure to check back for part 2.
May God give you discernment as you read. Comments are welcome either in the comment section of this blog or by email to justjohn@eoni.com
It is heart breaking because when I discern his spiritual condition and try to speak to him about the true Gospel his eyes glaze over and his heart is closed because persons who he trusts and views as having spiritual authority have given him a false gospel.
The key to discerning his true spiritual condition is in listening to his words and observing his expressions and body language. He uses terms such as “trying to do this or that like give up sin or please God”. Artificial expressions of joy are very transparent and it is clear that he is in a tremendous struggle to overcome what he thinks to be displeasing to God or to those in the church he may be attending. He does not know or understand that what pleases God the most is our admission that we are totally corrupt and are powerless to change. It has never been explained to him that the very reason Christ came and died on the cross was because of the impossibility of man ever pleasing God through trying to keep a set of rules that no one in history had been totally successful in doing.
It was never explained to him that we must come to Christ as a helpless child totally surrendering to His love and care knowing that if we will but surrender He will do the impossible for us “for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure” Philippians 2:13
Can a brand new baby feed himself, change his diaper, comfort himself when his tummy hurts or put himself to bed or dress himself? Of course not, this is the job of loving parents and God is truly a loving parent and the newborn Christian is just as helpless but the one who has been given the false gospel does not know this and therefore instead of placing himself in the loving arms of our Loving Heavenly Father, he goes about trying to do all these things himself and it is only a matter of time till he discovers the power of sin is greater than his power to overcome and he gives up in discouragement.
The gospel as most perceive it is simply this statement that I found on a google search “The core message of the Gospel is simply that Jesus Christ died for our sins and rose again.”
While this is a true statement it is not complete. The true complete Gospel must include and embrace everything Jesus had to say concerning salvation and the kingdom of heaven and the kingdom of God as they are all inextricably linked as surely as God the Father, Christ the Son and God the Holy Spirit are linked.
This subject is going to be rather lengthy and involved therefore I will break it up into 2 or more. Be sure to check back for part 2.
May God give you discernment as you read. Comments are welcome either in the comment section of this blog or by email to justjohn@eoni.com
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
The Secret of the Yoke.
The secret to knowing that you are saved and doing the Lord's will is to get to know Him intimately.The scriptural way to do that is found in Matthew 11:28-30
Matthew 11:28-30 (New International Version)
28"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."
Let me explain what this scripture means; first of all we are all burdened with all kinds of cares and concerns and when we get tired enough we call out to the Lord asking for help. He is there and responds and we feel relief but it may be only temporary and when the pressure is off we go back to our old ways.This is known as backsliding and eventually we are convicted and hopefully recommitt our lives to Jesus, but time is lost and we have sinned and feel regret and wish we hadn't backslidden at all.
Now as I first said, the scripture above is the antidote to backsliding. First step is to take up Jesus yoke, and that means to literally cast off all of the old and surrender to His control. Consider what a yoke is in the natural since Jesus is using a natural object to make his point. In bible times a yoke consisted of wooden collars for two oxen to put their heads in then they were pinned there and came under the control of the plow master. In spiritual terms it is Jesus yoke, He is in one side and you are in the other and because He is the stronger one you become subject to His will without question.In order to submit to His yoke you need to turn from everything in your old life that gets in the way of your life in Jesus, including turning away from friends that drag you down instead of building you up and giving up personal habits that do not reflect a life in Christ. You will find that if you will do this that He will quite literally deliver you from addiction even from drugs, alcohol and smoking or whatever else is your stumbling block. Remember that it is not your strength but His that is now in effect in your life. Next in the scripture it says "Learn from me" which is different than "learning about Him". If you will surrender to His yoke then He Himself will teach you through many amazing life experiences and as you read His word and He makes it come alive to you. As you read, pray for understanding and He will give it to you. I realize that this is a bit different than the normal teaching that you just go to church and listen to the sermons and everything will be fine. I do recommend finding a good church but ultimately Jesus, through the Holy Spirit will teach you and guide you into all truth, John 16:13
Philippians 2:12-14 (New International Version)
12Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, 13for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose.
The key word for all that I have said here is "TOTAL SURRENDER"you will never regret it.
Matthew 11:28-30 (New International Version)
28"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."
Let me explain what this scripture means; first of all we are all burdened with all kinds of cares and concerns and when we get tired enough we call out to the Lord asking for help. He is there and responds and we feel relief but it may be only temporary and when the pressure is off we go back to our old ways.This is known as backsliding and eventually we are convicted and hopefully recommitt our lives to Jesus, but time is lost and we have sinned and feel regret and wish we hadn't backslidden at all.
Now as I first said, the scripture above is the antidote to backsliding. First step is to take up Jesus yoke, and that means to literally cast off all of the old and surrender to His control. Consider what a yoke is in the natural since Jesus is using a natural object to make his point. In bible times a yoke consisted of wooden collars for two oxen to put their heads in then they were pinned there and came under the control of the plow master. In spiritual terms it is Jesus yoke, He is in one side and you are in the other and because He is the stronger one you become subject to His will without question.In order to submit to His yoke you need to turn from everything in your old life that gets in the way of your life in Jesus, including turning away from friends that drag you down instead of building you up and giving up personal habits that do not reflect a life in Christ. You will find that if you will do this that He will quite literally deliver you from addiction even from drugs, alcohol and smoking or whatever else is your stumbling block. Remember that it is not your strength but His that is now in effect in your life. Next in the scripture it says "Learn from me" which is different than "learning about Him". If you will surrender to His yoke then He Himself will teach you through many amazing life experiences and as you read His word and He makes it come alive to you. As you read, pray for understanding and He will give it to you. I realize that this is a bit different than the normal teaching that you just go to church and listen to the sermons and everything will be fine. I do recommend finding a good church but ultimately Jesus, through the Holy Spirit will teach you and guide you into all truth, John 16:13
Philippians 2:12-14 (New International Version)
12Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, 13for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose.
The key word for all that I have said here is "TOTAL SURRENDER"you will never regret it.
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