Listening to each other

It is wise to understand another's perspective before criticizing it, if for no other reason than to be able to effectively address the other person's questions and convince them that they are wrong.

They may end up proving you wrong as well . . . which is ok, because who wants to stay being wrong.

Foolishness vs. Wisdom

Foolishness is to say that there is no God, to reject His word. Wisdom is to fear the Lord, to tremble at His word.

Calling someone judgemental is simply just immature name-calling

It seems to me that now days accusing that when we accuse someone of being judgmental, it is often equivalent to saying, "hey, I really don't like what you have to say, and I don't want to hear it because I am closed minded and just really don't know what to say in response. I have already judged you to be wrong anyways, and don't feel like being tolerant. So instead of listening and trying to understand where you are coming from, and then coming up with an intelligent response, I am going to cut you off and close my ears to what you have to say, by calling you names."

We should use this accusation with care and not simply just throw it out because we are frustrated or scared or don't like another person's views. We should instead be more open minded, quick to listen, patient, and loving. Not compromising truth, but pursing God's word, and speaking the truth in love. Many people who accuse people of being judgmental these days don't understand what that term means. 

The evil of our own agenda

It does not profit a man to come to the scriptures to prove his own agenda, theology, or way of life. This is evil, and we should never take this approach. No, the scripture is our authority, not the other way around. We must come with the purpose to submit to the scripture. We must fight hard to die to ourselves, to allow the scripture to kill who we are, and then fill us with who Jesus is. The scripture is a double edge sword calling us to lay down our lives as living sacrifices, so that we might come to know the heart and mind of God.

Part 1: God has ordained that there be the poor

Part 1: God has ordained that there be the poor

Definition of the Poor

                Don’t think of the poor as just those who have little. In the scripture the idea of the poor can be extend to the orphan, the widow, the sojourner, the broken and destitute, someone taken advantage of, the low paid worker, etc. Basically it involves social justice. So as you read this don’t just think of the person who is in financial straits, but think deeper to those in need of the gifts God has placed in the church, people God has placed in your life who need you to intervene on their behalf and whom you need to be a part of your life.

God has ordained that there would be the poor

Questions:

Why do you think there are poor in this world?

Can we get rid of poverty?

What does the fact that there are poor in this world mean?

Reading:

“For the poor will never cease to be in the land; therefore I command you, saying, ‘You will freely open your hand to your brother, to your needy and poor in your land.’”

--Deuteronomy 15:11

                God is about to take his people, Israel, into the Promised Land, a land flowing with milk and honey, a land and a nation that was supposed to represent God’s Kingdom breaking through on earth, and they are told something startling and seemingly out of place, “the poor will never cease to be in the land.” Why in this nation that is called the Promised Land, and is supposed to represent the best of all nations, are they told there would always be poor in their land? This promise is given with no condition on whether or not they followed the Lord or not. It was to be. God in His providence and mercy ordained that in this great nation there would be poor. The scripture show that God has an intimate concern for the poor. So what is God doing here? Why is this so? Let’s explore this. . . .

Scripture reading:

Read these verses and discuss what they mean to you and in regards to ministering to the poor.

Matthew 26:11

For you always have the poor with you, but you will not always have me.

Proverbs 19:17

Whoever is generous to the poor lends to the Lord, and he will repay him for his deed.

Matthew 25:41-46

“Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’ Then they also will answer, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to you?’ Then he will answer them, saying, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.’ And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”

Questions:

Do you believe that God has ordained that there will always be the needy and the poor in the land?

What do you think God is doing here, when He tells Israel that “the poor will never cease to be in the land”?

The fear of the LORD is the begining of wisdom

The man who thinks he can carry on his business life, or his political life, or his social life, without God is to that extent an irreligious person. The teacher who thinks that his relation to God does not affect his teaching of chemistry, or his interpretation of European history, is to that extent an irreligious person. The consistent Christian will realize that his religion is the ruling principle of all his life, and that there is nothing in life which can be isolated from his relation to God. - Johannes Geerhardus Vos

Continuum

We often think in continuums and God, He is often not even on the continuum. For He is completely other. He is Holy.

Polarized theological views

When it comes to theological conflicts, so many people can only see a jilted perspective on the issue. They become reactionary and polarized and full of false assumptions, even if they are right on a point. The actual truth is that truth is something totally "other", then the jilted perspectives often presented. God's view on this issue is "holy". The Bible fights against the polarization of point of views and the assumptions that so many make, presents something so much more. It is our holding on to our assumptions and "our side" which are often distorted that makes the scripture unclear. And it is letting go of "our side" of the issue, and then coming humbly face to face with His heart that we find that He has for us more than we can imagine that we understand. And as a father teaches his child, He teaches us His ways. We can no what is true and what is sound theology if we are willing to lose our selves and listen to the one who is sovereign over it.

 Thus says the Lord:
“Heaven is my throne,
and the earth is my footstool;
what is the house that you would build for me,
and what is the place of my rest?
All these things my hand has made,
and so all these things came to be,
declares the Lord.
But this is the one to whom I will look:
he who is humble and contrite in spirit
and trembles at my word.

He opens our ears to hear.

A friend of mine came to me and we were talking about how sometimes I get frustrated, not so much because people disagree with me, but because people won't listen. I have known him for years, and he is a much loved brother to me. He told me that it is not so much that people won't listen, as much as they can't listen. He said that has been the case with him. Many of things I have said he was not capable of hearing it at the time. This was good for me to hear, and I hope it will help me to be more patient. God reveals His word not me, as much as I desperately long for people to hear it.

"Trust me"

I was talking with someone a while back about an issue that we disagreed on in the direction for a something. I told him that in the direction that we go we must follow scripture. Scripture must be the authority on the issue, not me and not him. I was able to point him not to my opinion, but to what the scripture said. He was unable to point me to scripture for what he believed. Despite that, he told me to trust him as a leader. I know someone else (actually many someone else’s) who have gone to a church where what the pastor taught was not to be questioned. You were supposed to trust the pastor since he was in authority. At that point these men have failed to be the leader the Bible tells him to be. They have sinned. Christ calls a leader to serve. He serves the people by serving the Word of God. It is the responsibility of a leader to be accountable to the scripture. If he refuses this he should not lead. He must be able to back up his position from scripture and is required to answer honest questions with scripture. He cannot say “just trust me”. A leader should be sorrowful when someone “trusts them”. Their ambition should be for people to trust and pursue Christ. And the only authority on how to do that is the scripture. A leader’s passion and call should be, “search the scriptures, to know Christ and obey Him. And trust Him”. I have also heard about teachings on how to interpret dreams. These teachings say in interpreting dreams “this” means “this” “so and so” means “so and so” and these are “the steps” of how to interpret dreams. The problems is that none of that teaching is found anywhere in scripture. It is unsubstantiated teaching. Unfortunately, this is only one of many examples that have plagued the church. Beloved, be wary of anyone who asks you to do anything or believe something that they cannot support with scripture. We must humble ourselves and place our selves under the Word of God. Like children, we must place ourselves under the care of our Father and under the care of His spoken Word. I don’t think anyone is perfect in this, but when we do fall, we shouldn’t run our own way or after distracting voices or be like the mule who has to be tethered to come near, not when our Father’s arms are wide open. We can crawl up into our Father’s arms and hear His voice as He speaks to us through scripture.


Now these Jews were more noble than those in Thessalonica; they received the word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so. – Acts 17:11


Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation, to teaching. -- 1 Timothy 4:13


All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work. -- 2 Timothy 3:16,17


But as for you, teach what accords with sound doctrine. –Titus 2:1


He must hold firm to the trustworthy word as taught, so that he may be able to give instruction in sound doctrine and also to rebuke those who contradict it. For there are many who are insubordinate, empty talkers and deceivers, especially those of the circumcision party. They must be silenced, since they are upsetting whole families by teaching for shameful gain what they ought not to teach. -- Titus 1:9-11


If anyone teaches a different doctrine and does not agree with the sound words of our Lord Jesus Christ and the teaching that accords with godliness, he is puffed up with conceit and understands nothing. He has an unhealthy craving for controversy and for quarrels about words, which produce envy, dissension, slander, evil suspicions, and constant friction among people who are depraved in mind and deprived of the truth, imagining that godliness is a means of gain. -- 1 Timothy 6:3-5


If you put these things before the brothers, you will be a good servant of Christ Jesus, being trained in the words of the faith and of the good doctrine that you have followed. -- 1 Timothy 4:6


Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth. 2 Timothy 2:15


I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom: preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching. For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths. – 2 Timothy 4:1-4


For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. -- Hebrews 4:12


I write to you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of God abides in you, and you have overcome the evil one. – 1 John 2:14


Whoever says "I know him" but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him, but whoever keeps his word, in him truly the love of God is perfected. -- 1 John 2:4-5a


Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. – Colossians 3:16

If God is so powerful and so good, why do bad things happen?

western philosophy

Written Saturday April 16, 2005

The original church had to deal with Plato's philosophy infiltrating and corrupting church doctrine, now we are dealing with Western culture and philosophy corrupting the church.

Will Metzer Tell the Truth, CH.7, p.108

"Lables are deadly in Christian circles. For example when it comes to the topic of the will, immediately certain views are categorized as Reformed or Arminian. The discussionthen ends because it is thought (wrongly) that as soon as you have given a name to something, you understand it. Instead, there should be continued dialogue in the Scriptures by all of us. Let's fight this labeling fallacy."

Doctrine of brothers and sisters

Written August 15 and September 2 and 13, 2007

-----My heart is broken when in upholding truth; we walk away from our brothers and sisters. We should guard truth and sound doctrine with all that we have. I believe this strongly and with all my heart. These are the words of Jesus, himself. Unity, truth, and doctrine are never separated in the Bible. And the Bible is very clear that those men who lead must have sound doctrine. But in upholding truth, we must not exclude believers. If we believe God’s word in all things, we must believe what it says about loving our brothers and sisters. We cannot neglect the doctrine of “brothers and sisters”, in order to uphold another doctrine. We must hold all of God’s word. And if one believes and obeys the Gospel, then they are our brother or sister and we must love them dearly (1 Corinthians 13). It is an unconditional acceptance along with a love that does not settle for less. If they are Christian, they are part of who we are. They are part of our body and we must not cut them off, but instead must nurture them and love them. We must pour into their lives. We must also remember that they too are part of the body and we need them. We must not let pride keep us from learning from them. I need them to be a part of my life and to pour into my life. They are there for my good. I often have told others, I need you, because you are part of my body; you are a part of who I am; you have to be a part of my life.
----- “Iron sharpens iron.” This is messy; I know in my struggle I have often felt like leaving my brothers and sisters. But it is good and sweet to walk with them. And I know for me, I often feel, how could anything part me from those I love so much and are so much a part of who I am in the Body of Christ. We are a part of this body by grace alone and have nothing to boast or be proud of.