Posted in Daily Living • Law • Whole Bible Christianity book

I Don’t Hear Jesus

By Comments:

Chapter 6, Whole Bible Objections, Whole Bible Christianity

When I talk about obedience, or anything to do with the Law really, one of the big objections I get is that “I don’t hear Jesus” (in my teaching). What they mean is that I don’t say ‘Jesus’ every other word. Or that I don’t constantly refer everything back to the crucifixion, or some other point of their Jesus dogma. I usually pose this question in reply – Is it that you don’t hear Jesus, or that you don’t hear? Am I not saying, or are you not hearing?

Jesus is all about obedience. It’s His Word in the first place that we obey. He showed up all through the Old Testament preaching and reinforcing the Law He delivered, and had Moses write down at Sinai. After He was born as a human, He consistently taught repentance and a return to God’s Law. He instructed the disciples to take this gospel to the whole world, making other disciples (a word related to ‘discipline’). We have His Spirit who only repeats what He hears from Jesus (John 16:14) and leads us into all truth, which is the Word. Jesus is God’s Word, with the Law, in form and action. You can’t read more than a few verses in the Scriptures without tripping over the issue of staying true to His Word, or returning to His Word, or teaching His Word. There is nothing about obedience that is not intimately connected to Jesus.

If someone doesn’t “hear Jesus” in the Law, or in teachings on obedience to His Law, they are probably 100% correct. They don’t hear (Matthew 13:13, Luke 16:31, John 8:43).

Posted in Authority • Church • Daily Living • Law • Whole Bible Christianity book

Part Bible Church Power Failure

By Comments:

Chapter 1, A Part Bible church, ‘Whole Bible Christianity’

There are four reasons for why I call the church a part Bible kind of church. First, there’s a power failure. When we get together in groups we need a few rules, but formal organizations tend to drift, and they don’t correct easily. We’ve got a situation very similar to the first century when Jesus and the apostles contended with the Pharisees and Sadducees. Second, the teaching is empty. People are either leaving or not coming into the church because the thin gruel of watered down Bible truth doesn’t connect people to God. Third, the church by and large elevates tradition and dogma over the plain reading of the Word. We have to get endless explanations from the leaders to match what they say with the Word, and end up memorizing dogma instead of God’s living oracles. Fourth, the part Bible church literally splits up the Word and parcels it out, taking the blessings for themselves and forcing others (the Jews) to take the curses. Chapters and verses make it easy to separate teachings better left together. ‘Old’ and ‘new’ are convenient ways to ignore the parts we don’t like. ‘Red letters’ make it seem like we’re really focused on “important” pieces when really it just makes it easier to redefine words granting ourselves permission to sin.

Posted in Authority • Bible • Church • Daily Living • Whole Bible Christianity book

Form of Religion but No Power

By Comments:

Chapter 1, Part Bible church, ‘Whole Bible Christianity’

Israel transformed God’s kingdom to man’s kingdom by holding to a form of religion but denying the power of it (2 Timothy 3:1-9). The church, which started out with a good foundation in the first century, has sadly done the same thing. Organizations do this. They start off okay, but drift into self-protection and failure to speak the Word, just like Israel did. Dogma, tradition, and complicated theologies eventually substitute for the simple straight talk from God.

Some things I say in this book might sound like unfair blanket statements. Until you realize that all who claim church membership or have a Christian name tag are not all in the Body of the Christ. Around the year 325 A.D. the Roman emperor Constantine made his version of Christianity the official religion of the empire. Everyone had to convert. Or else. This conversion was often nothing more than slapping Christian labels on pagan practices and being anti-Jewish. The slapping was literal in some cases because he chiseled off idol’s names and re-chiseled on ‘saints’ names. He tried to switch the real Sabbath to Sunday, and ‘Christianized’ pagan feasts that have come to be known as Christmas and Easter. If you wanted to get the empire off your back and do some business, you had to at least look like a Christian on the surface.

Constantine’s pragmatism reared its ugly head again in the revivals of the 1800’s. Preachers and evangelists of this time thought they should reduce the biblical message to ‘whatever gets them in the door.’ So they watered down the Bible to make it more palatable, and comfortable. Perhaps we could even say ‘ear tickling.’ This is where raised hands and going forward came from, which some famous evangelists of the 20th century raised to an art form.

The result is that we have a large population of church-goers conditioned to expect this and perpetuate it, as if it really means salvation. The enemy’s tares of “seeker friendly, spiritual but not religious” teachings were sown under the cover of seeming to advance the Kingdom. But when we sacrifice truth on the altar of expediency, we fill our buildings and not our hearts.

You may recognize that Constantine’s version of “church” still exists today. When I mention the church (little ‘c’) in this book, I’m including everyone who wears the name, even though most don’t truly play on God’s side in the game.

Posted in Bible • Daily Living • Law • Whole Bible Christianity book

God’s Word is Law, Love, Light, Lamp, Instruction, etc.

By Comments:

The Bible is given to all people, but some grab hold while others let it slip away. To believers every word from God is love, light, life, a lamp, instruction, law, commands, judgments, teaching, ways, wisdom and truth.

• Love—John 12-14, 15:10.
• Light and lamp—Proverbs 6:23; Psalm 119:105; Isaiah 8:20; Revelation 21:23, 22:5.
• Life—Deuteronomy 4:1, 32:46-47; Proverbs 8:32-36; Matthew 19:16, 17.
• Instructions—Isaiah 1:10; Exodus 16:4 24:12; Jeremiah 35:13; Job 22:22, 36:10; Psalm 78:1; Zephaniah 3:1-7; Malachi 2:1-9; Proverbs 1:2,3,7,8 4:1,2; Romans 15:4; Ephesians 6:4; 1 Timothy 1:5; 1 Thessalonians 4:1, 5:12; 2 Tim 4:2.
• Law—Jeremiah 6:18-19; Zechariah 7:12; Deut 5:5, 17:11, 27:1-3, 26, 30:10,14, 32:46,47; John 15:25; Acts 6:2-4,7 13:44,48,49, 28:23; Romans 9:28,31,32; 1 Corinthians 15:2; Galatians 5:14.
• Commands, judgments, teachings & ways—Isaiah 2:3; Proverbs 5:12, 7:2, 8:10, 1:8, 4:2, 3:1, 6:20-23; Jeremiah 32:33; Deuteronomy 4:1; 2 Chronicles 15:1-7; Matthew 4:23, 7:28,29, 9:35, 13:54, 15:9, 28:20; Acts 2:42, 4:2, 18:11; Romans 12:7; 1 Corinthians 14:26.
• Wisdom and truth—Psalm 119:43,44,142, 138:2; Proverbs 23:23; Malachi 2:6; 1 Kings 2:3-4; John 17:17, 18:37-38, 8:31-32; James 1:18, 21-23,25.

Everything God says could be described by any of these terms. ‘Law’ is ‘instruction’ and also a ‘lamp’ and ‘light.’ ‘Wisdom’ and ‘truth’ is also ‘love’ and ‘life.’ Some people separate His Words into cubbyholes. They think that somehow a word from Him that is ‘Law’ is not ‘love,’ or that a word that is a ‘lamp’ is not ‘Law.’

Posted in Daily Living • Judgment • Whole Bible Christianity book

Thorough Investigation

By Comments:

From chapter 9 of ‘Whole Bible Christianity’

Our ninth guideline is where quite a few people falter in spectacular fashion. We jump to a conclusion based on what little we see. Or we react by our own set of laws instead of God’s. This is such a common occurrence now, especially in the church. It is easy to lose sight of the fact that it is a standard part of God’s Word to make a thorough investigation. After all, everyone should have a fair trial before the hanging!

14then you shall investigate and search out and inquire thoroughly. If it is true and the matter established that this abomination has been done among you, (Deuteronomy 13:14 NASB95)

18“The judges shall investigate thoroughly, and if the witness is a false witness and he has accused his brother falsely, 19then you shall do to him just as he had intended to do to his brother. Thus you shall purge the evil from among you. (Deuteronomy 19:18-19 NASB95)

I’m sure we’ve all experienced a rushed judgment directed at ourselves. We desperately wish that people would give us a chance to explain the circumstances. But they’ve already passed sentence and consigned you or me to the outer darkness for all they care. Sometimes there’s another agenda, such as someone just wanting to get rid of you or smear your reputation. This is another reason people don’t want to have an objective standard around. The standard makes it harder to railroad people.

If I am on the receiving end of this, there’s not much I can do except heave a large sigh of regret and move on. Actually, I’m quite practiced at this by now, because it seems very few people care to investigate thoroughly. But it really frustrates when people are judging you on their own personal criteria not connected with the Word.

A thorough investigation is when facts are gathered, witnesses come forward and we evaluate their testimony. We compare the facts to the Word in order to render an impartial and just verdict. At least, this is what’s supposed to happen. You and I both know how very rare this is in most congregations today.
Our God is a just god, and He expects His people to pursue justice too. But influence pedaling is a major past time. Pastors or rabbis are untouchable. Money is king with a lot of people. Real justice is scarce. Many want to commit the Law to the rubbish heap so they can pursue their agendas unburdened by accountability or humility.

And don’t try to sell me the lame concept that justice and love are separate. People try this all the time. You’ve heard it said (now where have I heard that statement before?) that we should exercise ‘justice in love.’ This is true, except that the two are not separate. Justice is love; love without justice isn’t love.

If we use the Word properly, we are doing both. The reason Jesus had to die is because justice and love both had to be satisfied. One could not be exercised by God without the other. It was a very difficult puzzle for God – how to justify sinners without merely ‘overlooking’ sin. The resolution of this puzzle was the death and resurrection of God in human form. There is such a thing as being too harsh. But that is condemnation, not justice. We condemn when we try to practice justice outside of God’s Word.

Posted in Comfort • Daily Living • God • Law • Whole Bible Christianity

Verses for Today

By Comments:

How blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, Nor stand in the path of sinners, Nor sit in the seat of scoffers! 2 But his delight is in the law of the Lord, And in His law he meditates day and night. 3 He will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water, Which yields its fruit in its season And its leaf does not wither; And in whatever he does, he prospers. 4 The wicked are not so, But they are like chaff which the wind drives away. 5 Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, Nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous. 6 For the Lord knows the way of the righteous, But the way of the wicked will perish.

The Reign of the Lord’s Anointed.
Why are the nations in an uproar And the peoples devising a vain thing? 2 The kings of the earth take their stand And the rulers take counsel together Against the Lord and against His Anointed, saying, 3 “Let us tear their fetters apart And cast away their cords from us!” 4 He who sits in the heavens laughs, The Lord scoffs at them. 5 Then He will speak to them in His anger And terrify them in His fury, saying, 6 “But as for Me, I have installed My King Upon Zion, My holy mountain.” 7 “I will surely tell of the decree of the Lord: He said to Me, ‘You are My Son, Today I have begotten You. 8 ‘Ask of Me, and I will surely give the nations as Your inheritance, And the very ends of the earth as Your possession. 9 ‘You shall break them with a rod of iron, You shall shatter them like earthenware.’” 10 Now therefore, O kings, show discernment; Take warning, O judges of the earth. 11Worship the Lord with reverence And rejoice with trembling. 12Do homage to the Son, that He not become angry, and you perish in the way, For His wrath may soon be kindled. How blessed are all who take refuge in Him!

Morning Prayer of Trust in God. A Psalm of David, when he fled from Absalom his son.
3 O Lord, how my adversaries have increased! Many are rising up against me. 2 Many are saying of my soul, “There is no deliverance for him in God.” Selah. 3 But You, O Lord, are a shield about me, My glory, and the One who lifts my head. 4 I was crying to the Lord with my voice, And He answered me from His holy mountain. Selah. 5 I lay down and slept; I awoke, for the Lord sustains me. 6 I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people Who have set themselves against me round about. 7 Arise, O Lord; save me, O my God! For You have smitten all my enemies on the cheek; You have shattered the teeth of the wicked. 8 Salvation belongs to the Lord; Your blessing be upon Your people! Selah.

Evening Prayer of Trust in God.
For the choir director; on stringed instruments. A Psalm of David.
Answer me when I call, O God of my righteousness! You have relieved me in my distress; Be gracious to me and hear my prayer. 2 O sons of men, how long will my honor become a reproach? How long will you love what is worthless and aim at deception? Selah. 3 But know that the Lord has set apart the godly man for Himself; The Lord hears when I call to Him. 4 Tremble, and do not sin; Meditate in your heart upon your bed, and be still. Selah. 5 Offer the sacrifices of righteousness, And trust in the Lord. 6 Many are saying, “Who will show us any good?” Lift up the light of Your countenance upon us, O Lord! 7 You have put gladness in my heart, More than when their grain and new wine abound. 8 In peace I will both lie down and sleep, For You alone, O Lord, make me to dwell in safety.

Psalms 1 – 4.

Always amazed at how I can pick up the Bible when I most need it, turn to whatever it is I intend to read – and it’s exactly what I need to hear this morning:).

Posted in Adultery • Daily Living • Idolatry • Whole Bible Christianity book

Idolatry

By Comments:

Again from ‘Whole Bible Christianity’

Another name for sin is idolatry. In modern times, we think of it only as bowing down to a statue or other image. This is part of it, but there is much more to idolatry than statues. Read Jeremiah 3:1-10.

Idolatry is ‘cheating’ on God. We cheat Him when we give Him less than whole-hearted obedience. In public, we might claim to be loyal spouses and appear to do what God says. But when we ignore His Word it’s just like cheating on a spouse. Any thought or action that doesn’t match His Word is idolatry. Or adultery.

We might comfort ourselves that we are not idolaters because we don’t have a statue in the living room (let’s overlook the crucifix, Christmas tree, Easter eggs and bunnies for now). But idolatry is not limited to actual images. If we reject His ways and do our own, it is idolatry. Paul says that covetousness is idolatry (Ephesians 5:5). God says the Chaldeans worship their own might, and Jesus says that Mammon is a god.

11 Then they sweep by like the wind and go on, guilty men, whose own might is their god!” (Habakkuk 1:11 ESV)

13 No servant can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.” (Luke 16:13 ESV)

The statue in the center of disobedience is the self-image. A 3-D statue is really self-will personified. Idolatry comes from inside, from the heart. The statue just gives it a physical shape. Adam and Eve were booted out of paradise, not because they bowed to an image, but because they bowed to self-will and knowledge. Obedience is the same as worship. Their obedience to their own understanding was just the same as worshiping a statue of themselves.

Posted in Daily Living • Law • Whole Bible Christianity book

Shadows and Small Things

By Comments:

Another selection from ‘Whole Bible Christianity’
Because a shadow is insubstantial, and Paul mentions that parts of the Law are a shadow, some conclude we don’t have to follow the Law.

16Therefore no one is to act as your judge in regard to food or drink or in respect to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath day— 17things which are a mere shadow of what is to come; but the substance belongs to Christ. (Colossians 2:16-17 NASB95)

Trouble is, this conclusion is false. There are many uses of the word ‘shadow’ in the Word, but the shadows are real. For instance, in Matthew 4:16 people are said to be under the shadow of death, and death is very real. Isaiah speaks of another type of shadow.

16“I have put My words in your mouth and have covered you with the shadow of My hand, to establish the heavens, to found the earth, and to say to Zion, ‘You are My people.’ ” (Isaiah 51:16 NASB95)

The “shadow of (God’s) hand” is obviously real too, and has a very real effect on us. Just because Paul used the concept of a shadow does not mean that the Law isn’t real and isn’t to be followed. A shadow can only be cast by the real thing. If you have the shadow, you have the reality too. We’ll cover more of Colossians 2 a little later in the book.

The life that we live here and now is a shadow of the next one, but that doesn’t mean it is any less substantial or real. What we do in this ‘shadow’ life will determine substance in the next life. What we do with the ‘shadows’ God gives us in His Law will be part. If we are faithful with very little ‘shadows’ it means we are faithful also in much bigger things, shadows or not.

10“He who is faithful in a very little thing is faithful also in much; and he who is unrighteous in a very little thing is unrighteous also in much. (Luke 16:10 NASB95)

If it is true that God gave a “mere shadow” of things in the Law, then why give them in the first place? Why not just say (at Mount Sinai) “Oh, just do what you want because My Anointed will make everything cool in a thousand years or so?” What kind of sense does that make? The answer is it doesn’t make any sense. Yes, some of the things God gave at Sinai could be termed ‘shadows’ of things to come. But that does not mean they are not worth doing.

Posted in Daily Living • Punishment • Whole Bible Christianity book

No Profit in God’s Law?

By Comments:

From the book ‘Whole Bible Christianity’
On the flip side of the punish coin is reward. Or lack of it. Some just don’t see the profit in following God’s laws. In fact, it looks like many who follow seem to have more problems than those who don’t. There doesn’t appear to be any big payoff for obedience.

13 “Your words have been hard against me, says the LORD. But you say, ‘How have we spoken against you?’ 14 You have said, ‘It is vain to serve God. What is the profit of our keeping his charge or of walking as in mourning before the LORD of hosts? 15 And now we call the arrogant blessed. Evildoers not only prosper but they put God to the test and they escape.’ ” (Malachi 3:13-15 ESV)

Malachi was written a long time ago, but the problem is still with us. Many think that “keeping his charge” (following His commands) is not profitable. But pay is not the issue. Of course we will have problems in this world. It isn’t our world. It’s filled with perverse people who hate God and do everything in their power to subvert and besmirch every aspect of His kingdom. They murdered the Son of God, so how much more will they revile, slander, attack, and murder us?

There are blessings that accrue to believers, some of which we get now, like peace, and some we will get later, like a new body. The pay is good, and there is lots of it, but it’s not measured in gold. It’s not even measured in time. It’s measured in love, which has no limit when you are joined together with the source of love.

Posted in Daily Living • God • Whole Bible Christianity • Whole Bible Christianity book

Fear of God

By Comments:

Another selection from ‘Whole Bible Christianity’
Our one God has a scary side that we don’t talk much about anymore.
20Moses said to the people, “Do not be afraid; for God has come in order to test you, and in order that the fear of Him may remain with you, so that you may not sin.” (Exodus 20:20 NASB95)

The Scriptures have many admonitions for His people (actually people everywhere) to “fear” Him. The Law was written down so that His people would learn fear of Him (Deuteronomy 4:10, 14:23, 17:19, 31:13). “Don’t be afraid” here means believers don’t have to fear destruction at His approach, but we should keep a little of it so “that the fear of Him remain(s) with you” (basically the same Hebrew word). Fear motivates even the most reluctant.

Jesus is not a pacifist. He was meek at His incarnation because that was what the Father wanted from Him at that time. When He comes back, it will not be with roses and chocolates. He will bring a sharp sword and a rod of iron (Revelation 19:14-16, 21). The Word will come back with His army, speaking God’s Word (the sword) and crushing resistance (rod of iron – Psalm 2:9). His rod and staff (the Word of God) will comfort His people (Psalm 23:4) and He will destroy iniquity (lawlessness). The Law will again go forth from Zion.

Lots of teachers try to soft-soap this concept. They tone down the terror part of fear and play up the ‘reverence’ and ‘respect’ aspects. All of these are part of the fear of God, but especially the terror part. Not a blind, unreasoning terror that overwhelms us. Just a healthy terror of knowing exactly what God can and will do to evildoers. “Fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell” (Matthew 10:28).

There is nothing wrong with being a little terrified of God. Usually it’s only people with faith who are capable of being terrified anyway. People with seared consciences aren’t generally afraid enough. A part of His being can and does terrify creation. If you’ve ever been in a fierce thunderstorm or an earthquake, the kind where you have to change your shorts afterwards, you know what I mean. It would behoove us to pay more attention to that part, in addition to expressing the reverence and respect He deserves.