Some Pictures from Peru

Good-O-Meter

For all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God...this video really helps paint a picture of how much we need Jesus...

Ready Or Not - Here I Come (Part 2)

As a soldier in the Army we were told to always be ready for surprise barracks inspections by the commander. We usually were but one time the commander decided to inspect at 2:00 AM in the morning after we had just completed maneuvers and shifts of fourteen hours a day for two weeks. We were unprepared and it seemed unfair for the commander to inspect at such an inconvenient and unexpected time so some soldiers complained but the commander just said, "You are to always be ready."

This is the same thing that Jesus is communicating to us; always be ready. Jesus may come when it is inconvenient. He may come when there are other things in your life that could consume your attention. He may come when you’re busy with relationship issues, business issues, or money issues. All these things must be taken care of but they must never cause take priority over our spiritual lives and service. We must all be careful to make sure that nothing in this life distract us from being prepared for Jesus return. He expects to find you ready whenever he comes even if it is in "the second or third watch of the night."

Jesus uses another analogy to emphasize one of the reasons we need to always be prepared; He will come suddenly- "like a thief." Thieves do not make announcements about when they will arrive. They do not RSVP. The only way to be prepared is to always be prepared because you can never know when they will show up.

As a former police officer I cannot tell you how many times I’ve responded to a home burglary only to find that the doors were left unlocked or that the alarm had been turned off in the house. When I would ask why the owners of the house did not lock their doors or turn on the alarm they would say things like, "I did not expect a thief to rob my house in the middle of the day!" Or "I thought it would be too cold out for a thief to be prowling around." Thieves come in the day and they come at night. They come in the cold, rain and the heat. Thieves do not come when you expect them to, so always be prepared.

Of course Jesus is no thief but he will come like one. He coming will be unannounced and suddenly he tells us "you must also be ready because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him." Do not wait until later to get ready. This is one time when bad timing can really hurt you!

Jesus seems to especially emphasize the accountability of those in a leadership position. They are referred to as "managers" whose responsibility it is to give the other servants their "food allowance." This may be a reference to leaders faithfully feeding God’s flock with the word of God. If leaders do that faithfully and diligently they will be rewarded

Some people do not see ministry as an opportunity to serve others but rather as an opportunity to "fleece the flock" rather than feed it. They are described as foolish because they do not really expect Jesus to come at any moment and therefore they use their position abusively. They use their leadership position to pad their own bank account and look at others as people to be used and deceived rather than served. Certainly we have our share of such people in leadership positions today. Jesus will come on the day they do not expect and despite their Christian leadership position he will punish them severely. The Bible tells us he will "cut him to pieces and assign him a place with the unbelievers." This is certainly a reference to being sent to hell, as the parallel passage in the Gospel of Matthew makes clear. The person being referred to here may not have been a true believer at any point in their life; certainly their character is not consistent with the true children of God.

Jesus is giving us a principle that is applicable to all Christians. We will all be held accountable for being ready by being faithful. Those who know the most about the Father’s will, i.e. Christian leaders, but do not do it will be punished more severely than those who are not in the same position or have the same understanding. As it says in James 3:1 "Not many of you should presume to be teachers, my brothers come because you know that we who teach we’ll be judged more strictly."

I expect more from my 16 year old than from my nine year old though they both will be punished or disciplined for doing wrong or failing to do right. The sixteen year old will receive a greater punishment based on her knowledge.

As children most of us played the game of “hide and seek” In this game we would say, "Ready or not here I come!” I believe that Jesus is announcing to us today , "Ready or not here he comes! "But this is not a game; it is a serious call for us to be ready and prepared for his return.

Are you ready?

See You Tonight @ 7

Ready Or Not - Here I Come (Part 1)

It is a common and wise practice in our society to prepare diligently for the most important or significant events in our lives. For example, we prepare for our wedding day with careful planning and rehearsals. We also prepare for retirement (if we are wise) with careful investments and savings. We prepare for natural disasters with the appropriate responses. These preparations are all prudent and good but it is rather ironic that we can be so careful about being prepared for these important events and not be ready or prepared for the most significant and life impacting event in history. I am, of course, referring to the return of Jesus Christ.

An event that is sometimes referred to in many ways: The Second Coming, The Rapture, The Second Advent, or the Parousia (which means arrival or presence.) Technically these terms do not all apply to the same exact event but I wanted you to be aware of them because people often use all of them to refer to Jesus coming in one fashion or another.

There are 260 chapters in the New Testament, and Christ’s return is mentioned no less than 318 times in those chapters. Statistically, one verse in twenty-five mentions the Lord’s return.

In fact the very last recorded word of Jesus are “I am coming soon!” (Revelation 22:20) It’s clear that Jesus return is a major topic in the Bible and as such should be a major concern for Christians.

This passage refers to the return of Jesus and the need to be prepared for that event. Now some of you are very familiar with what the Bible teaches about the return of Jesus but others may know little or nothing at all so I want to take a couple of minutes and share a little of what the Bible says about the return of Jesus.

It should be noted that all true Christians agree that Jesus will physically return and rein in power, but Christians do differ as to the timing and sequence of events regarding his return. At New life in Christ we hold to and teach the pretribulational and premillennial viewpoints. Do not be too concerned if these terms are unfamiliar to you. They simply mean that we believe the Bible teaches the following sequence of events concerning the Lord’s return. First we believe that the church, that is all true Christians, will be raptured (caught up) to meet the Lord Jesus in the air. Read 1Thessalonians 4: 16,17.

Now all orthodox Christians believe that this will take place but they differ about when it will take place. We believe that it will take place before the tribulation - hence we are pretribulational. The term tribulation usually refers to the last seven years of time, as we know it, when God will pour out judgment upon the whole Earth for their sins. These seven years are described in the Book of Revelation as a time of trouble and tragedy like has never been seen before. During this time a world leader will arise who is known in the Bible as the Antichrist. He will lead many astray so much so that people actually worship him.

At the end of the seven years and tribulations Jesus will return with his church. This is sort of like a stage two of the second coming. The first stage being the rapture of Christians. Jesus will destroy the Antichrist and set up his kingdom on earth to rule for 1000 years. This epoch of time is referred to as a millennium. Now we teach a premillennial viewpoint which means that we believe that Jesus literally comes back before (pre) the 1000 year reign. Some people believe that Jesus does not come back before the thousand year reign and some people believe that the millennium teaching is only figurative.

Any teaching on end time events is known as eschatology. You have just received a very short course in eschatology. I it was more helpful than confusing. I wanted you who may be unfamiliar with the Bible teachings on this subject to have some understanding before we dealt with today’s topic which deals with being prepared for the return of Jesus.

We Need To Always Be Prepared For Jesus Return Because It Will Be Sudden And Significant.

In other words, this is a life impacting, significant event that will happen so suddenly you will not be able to prepare later so you need to get ready now.

Most men laugh at the Ameritrade commercial on television where the lazy husband is reclining on the couch and his wife tells him to do one thing that day - establish an online investment account. He says, "Sure." Then he watches television and goes to sleep. He hears her car pull into the driveway and jumps up and runs to his computer. With a couple of clicks he’s signed up. He rushes back to the couch just as she enters. Her first question is, "Did you set up the account?" His indignant reply is "Of course!" Now maybe you can wait for the last possible second to establish an online account, but you cannot act that way with God.

You cannot wait for the last second and suddenly get your life in order. You will not here Jesus pull into the driveway. His return will be unexpected and sudden. Some people are like this man with their spiritual lives and service for Jesus Christ. They put off getting their lives in order and think that they can get ready or do their part right at the very end.

Jesus says that the proper and prepared servant will be so ready that that the moment the master knocks they can "immediately open the door for him." There was no last minute, mad scramble to get things ready.

In practical application to our lives this means that everything in our lives is always ready for Jesus. There is no sin that we have not repentant of. There is no active service our ministry that we always intended to do but never did. There is no apology we never made and no prayer we never said.

Jesus tells us that we can be prepared if we have the attitude "those servants whose master found them watching." Watching does not mean a literal looking up to the sky but rather it refers to an attitude of constant expectancy. The attitude that says that Jesus may come today so I am not going to leave anything undone and I am not going to have anything in my life that I would regret or be ashamed of if Jesus came today.

Are you prepared for Jesus return? Is everything in your life what it should be? We’ll Jesus be able to say to you "well done my good and faithful servant?"

Pastor Chuck Smith on NBC

Pastor Chuck talking to NBC about gay marrige and the Christian perspective on it...

Such a Beautiful Day...

And he awoke and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, "Peace! Be still!" And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. He said to them, "Why are you so afraid? Have you still no faith?" And they were filled with great fear and said to one another, "Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?"
(Mark 4:39-41)

Defining Discipleship (Part 2)

There is a commercial that has run on TV recently that has a man sitting in the chair at a tattoo parlor expressing his love to Donna by getting her name tattooed on his arm. Halfway through the procedure he asks how much it will cost - $50.00. He pulls out his cash, and says, “Oh, I only have $41” Cut to the couple on the sidewalk, Donna storming off, with the guy yelling after her, "I’ll get it fixed." Zoom into the tattoo which reads, "I love Don!”

That commercial shows the foolishness of considering the cost of something so irrevocable halfway through. One should consider and make sure one is willing to pay the cost prior to making the commitment. Jesus wants us ask ourselves, "Am I in this for the long haul?" Jesus is asking us, "Are you willing to follow me no matter what happens or what you’re required to give up?" There is only one way to truly follow Jesus!I. To be a disciple of Jesus you must be committed to him above everything else Unlike many people today, including many preachers who are only interested in large crowds, Jesus wasn’t interested in numbers. Large crowds didn’t impress him but what he wanted was totally committed people. Jesus doesn’t want crowds, he wants commitment! The condition of much of the church today indicates that we have many who are just part of the crowd and not true disciples. There are many who have not listened to Jesus and considered the cost.

That total commitment is lacking even though a profession of faith is present. This is why recent polls show little difference between the way the world lives and professed Christians live.For example, recent polls show that those who call themselves Christians are just as likely as non-Christians to have been divorced, bought a lottery ticket, watch MTV or have subscribed to cable television like HBO. Professed Christians are also just as likely to watch PG-13, R, and even X rated movies as non-Christians. Another example that demonstrates a lack of true commitment happened in Washington DC on Palm Sunday this year. The city had scheduled a marathon on Palm Sunday, which greatly interfered with normal traffic. The leaders of various churches were upset and made their feelings known in local papers. Many churches reported attendance down 50-70 % on that day. Why, was it not possible to get to church on that day? No, but the race did delay traffic about 15-30 minutes and many regular church attendees were by their own admission unwilling to take the extra time and fight the traffic to get to church. Such an attitude doesn’t seem fitting for true disciples who are supposed to be willing to give their lives to follow Jesus.

These kinds of things, moral compromise and half-hearted commitment, would not be happening if people really understood what was required of disciples and they had considered the cost as Jesus instructed.

Jesus makes clear the cost of following him. He says the disciple must be willing "to give up everything." Everything is a fairly inclusive word! Everything means everything! Everything means your cushy job, favorite hobby, most prized possessions, free time, money, goals and dreams, and more. Now we may not literally "give up everything" but Jesus is referring to an attitude of the heart in which these things don’t have priority over obeying Jesus in our lives. The Greek word translated as "give up" can also be translated as "say goodbye or renounce." In other words, Jesus says that we must be willing to renounce or forsake anything when it interferes with following him faithfully and completely.

Leadership magazine once ran a cartoon that showed a church building with a billboard in front that said: “The LITE CHURCH: 24% fewer commitments, home of the 7.5% tithe, 15 minute sermons, 45 minute worship service; we have only 8 commandments—your choice. We use just 3 spiritual laws and have an 800 year millennium. Everything you’ve wanted in a church … and less!”

This cartoon may present what people are looking for in a church but to follow Jesus one must be totally committed. I want you to understand what a Christian is as Jesus defined it. The question we need ask ourselves is not "Am I able to follow Jesus completely?" But rather "Am I willing to follow Jesus completely?" We are all human and sometimes we will fail in our commitment but the thing Jesus is confronting here is not our ability but our willingness to follow him with our whole hearts. For those of you who are not Christians you need to understand what following Jesus really means before you make that commitment. For the majority of you in here who are already Christians let this lesson be a reminder of what being a Christian and a disciple truly entails.

Pictures From Youth Group- Back to School Party

Tuesday- From Peru

We had an incredible day yesterday. At first it looked like all doors were being closed to us. The school wouldn't let us in and no one came to the park because of the weather & a public function. But - God had an even greater plan than ours.
We decided to do one on one evangelism in the town. Groups of people were outside so we shared - about 12 were saved.
Then we went again to the school. This time the highest official was there & we received permission to come 2 times for Tuesday. This same official had said no to the previous team.
God then used some unusual circumstances to bring the whole town out & we distributed 1000 tracts & shared the gospel with 100's.
One of the most exciting things that happened is that a door was opened for us to perform the drama & presentations to the military squadron who are here keeping the peace. We will do this on Wed. @ 3:00pm (4:00pm est). Please pray!
We see God's hand on all we do & are confident that what He has planned will occur.

The Team

Defining Discipleship (Part 1)

The following are actual responses from comment cards given to the staff members at Bridger Wilderness Area in 1996:

Trails need to be reconstructed. Please avoid building trails that go uphill. Too many bugs and leeches and spiders and spider webs. Please spray the wilderness to rid the areas of these pests. Please pave the trails…Chair lifts need to be in some places so that we can get to wonderful views without having to hike to them. The coyotes made too much noise last night and kept me awake. Please eradicate these annoying animals. A small deer came into my camp and stole my jar of pickles. Is there a way I can get reimbursed? Please call… Escalators would help on steep uphill sections. A MacDonald’s would be nice at the trailhead. Too many rocks in the mountains.

Citation: Mike Neifert, Light and Life (February 1997), p. 27

These comments and complaints indicate that the people who made them do not really understand what it means to stay in a "wilderness area." They were looking for something convenient and comfortable, but not truly a wilderness experience. In a similar way, many people today do not understand what it means to be a genuine Christian. There are multitudes that often follow Jesus or claim to be a Christian but they do so on their terms and not his. They do not truly comprehend the biblical definition of discipleship.

Because of this ignorance there are many who consider themselves to be followers of Jesus who are not, even though in many ways they do look like followers of Jesus. They go to church, have a profession of faith, read their Bibles, pray, even give in the offering, but they are not the real deal or at least are not living and thinking like the real deal. Jesus confronts this problem in our text today. He makes very, very clear what it means to be a Christian, and therefore there is no reason for anybody to be ignorant or self deceived.

A disciple is a true follower of Jesus Christ. In other words, what we would call a "Christian." If you are a Christian, you are a disciple; if you are not a disciple as Jesus defines it then you are not a Christian. These two terms (Disciple and Christian) mean the same thing in the same way that I mean that the same thing when I speak of my "spouse" or my "wife."

In fact the term "disciples" occurs 269 times in the New Testament, while the term "Christian" only occurs three times. In the Book of Acts we’re told that "The disciples were first called Christians at Antioch (Acts 11:26)." This makes clear that the terms are interchangeable. I wanted this to be clear because I believe it greatly clarifies the seriousness of what Jesus was saying. For instance, Jesus words in verse 27, "Anyone who does not carry his cross and follow me cannot be my disciple" could also be phrased as "Anybody who does not carry his cross and follow me cannot be a Christian." That phrasing somehow gets our attention more and clarifies the seriousness of the issue or subject Jesus is teaching about.

To be a disciple of Jesus you must be committed to him above everything else

In our hearts Jesus must come before our loved ones, self-interest, possessions, careers, hobbies, goals in life, and even our very lives. In practice this commitment to Jesus will be tested and sometimes, in a moment of weakness, Jesus will not come first in our choices, but genuine disciples have made a sincere commitment in their hearts and will not continue to put other things before Jesus.

Jesus says that this commitment level applies to "anyone who comes to me. . ." In other words, Jesus is not speaking exclusively to a special group of Christians such as apostles, evangelists, missionaries, pastors, or even mature believers. He is saying that this principle applies to everyone who would be one of his followers.

Jesus goes on to say, "Anyone who comes to me and does not hate his father, mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters,-yes, even his own life cannot be my disciple." Now the word "hate" here is not meant to be taken literally but is rather used figuratively to express a point. It is hyperbole or exaggeration similar to what we use when we say, "That man was as big as a house. . ." In Jewish culture the word "hate" was used to express lesser love, so Jesus is saying that we must love him much more that we love our closest family relationships or even our own lives. We must love him more than our hobbies, more than our goals in life, more than our careers, and more that our self interest.

Jesus is not speaking of our emotional feelings toward him or our families but rather he is speaking of our level of commitment. He is saying that our commitment to obey and following him must be greater than any other commitment in our lives. In other words, Jesus must be first in our priorities and loyalties. Is this true in your life?

For instance, if following Jesus obediently results in problems or interferes with your closest relationships, will you still follow him? This is no mere hypothetical situation. In other countries following Jesus can sometimes mean being kicked out of the family, losing your children, etc. In our own country, many relationships have encountered problems because one spouse was a committed Christian and the other was not. In such cases Jesus wants us to know up front what it means to be a disciple. He must come before even your closest relationships.

Now some of you may think that this requirement of total commitment to be a follower of Jesus is contradictory to scriptural truth that salvation is a free gift of God. An illustration may help to clarify this issue

Suppose I had a desire to climb Mount Everest. (I don’t have such a desire and I think that those who do are lacking in common sense.) But suppose that I did desire to climb Everest. But it costs about $70,000 to do it and I don’t have that kind of money. Suppose a wealthy businessman heard of my desire and offered to pay for the entire expedition. He would buy all the expensive clothing and gear; he would pay for my transportation, the guides, and the training. It’s totally free for me. But if I accept his free offer, I have just committed myself to months of difficult training and arduous effort. It could even cost me my very life, because many good climbers die trying to climb Mount Everest. It is free and yet very costly.

Are you a Disciple?

Monday- From Peru

We had a great experience on Sunday as we worshiped with & ministered to the churchof San Andrez PiscoThe community is still a disaster area with many destroyed buildings & piles ofdebris. The church has orphans & widows. They are a tired & discouraged people.

Ourhostel is across the street from the beach. It has been fun watching the fishermango out in their boats. Today we are going to a school in the morning and then to a park in the afternoon.We have had several challenges. We found out the bus lines were partially closeddown. At first it looked like our path was temp. Blocked; but God opened the door &we arrived in Pisco as planned.

Then while on the bus, Chris' backpack was stolen which contained his passport. Heand an interpreter took the bus back to Lima @ 3:00am today. 10:00am this morning hewas able to get his passport replaced and will be with us again this afternoon.(Praise the Lord!)

Please pray for the church and pastor Marco as the community is opposing them. Praythat our visit is an encouragement. Pray for the continued health of the team.

Thank you-God is good.

The Team

Update from Peru

Flight out of Miami was delayed slightly, but we arrived in Lima safe and sound. Spent some time at the Bible college and even had some time to go to the Pacific Ocean. Now we are on a four hour bus ride to Pisco  Everybody is happy and doing well...!

When God Seems Unfair Remember This...(Part 2)

God is not arbitrary in his decisions or actions

“What if God, although willing to demonstrate his wrath and make his power known, endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction?” God was willing to punish those who rejected him but decided instead to be patient. This means that God was patient with the people of Israel even though they only deserved destruction. This is important because it shows us that God’s actions and decisions are not capricious or arbitrary but are rather governed by mercy and grace.

God always acts with a good purpose even if it is unknown to us. God had been very patient with Israel in the past and has now removed them from their prestigious spiritual position and he has done both of these things with a good reason.

These vessels, which represent either the nation of Israel as a whole or individual people - it is not clear which, were “prepared for destruction.” The word “prepared” makes it sound like God simply chooses and arbitrarily prepares some people for eternal destruction. This is not the case. The Greek word for “prepared” can also be translated as “suitable” or “fitting” and the word is in the passive rather than the active voice, which indicates that it is something they did to themselves rather than God did to them. Here’s the point, God has been very patient with those who were only suitable for destruction because of their own choices and actions. God’s choices were based on their choices.

God is not unfair! God is not capricious! God is not arbitrary in his decisions! In fact God has been very merciful and patient to those who do not deserve mercy. Every decision he has made has been governed by his mercy and grace. Why has God been so patient in withholding judgment? One reason is given in Romans 2:4 which says that God is patient in order to lead people to repentance. Romans 9:23 gives us a second reason why God has been so patient with rebellious Israel.

Paul says God did this to “make the riches of his glory known to the objects of his mercy. . .” The “riches of his glory” refer to the greatness of his grace and mercy. In other words, we look at Israel with all of her rebellion and see that God must indeed be “rich in mercy.” The history of Israel that we have in the Old Testament glorifies God and encourages us because he has been so patient with those who been so rebellious. Some people misunderstand God’s patience as being unwillingness to judge or as lacking in goodness when actually just the opposite is true.

Contemporary Christian singer Chris Rice has a song that speaks to this issue. The song is entitled “Am I Naive?” Some of the lyrics to the song are:

I hear that a God who is good Would never let the evil run so long But I say it’s because you’re good You’re giving us more time Because I believe you love to show us mercy But when will you step into our sky blue And say that’s quite enough, and your time is up.

Chris Rice is saying the same thing as Paul was saying. God has not poured out judgment not because he is unwilling but because he is merciful, but the day will come when God will judge. In either case, whether God pours out judgment or shows patience and mercy, it is not an arbitrary decision. He does so for a good reason.

Christians are referred to as “objects of mercy” and indeed we are, but we are not “objects of mercy” because of God’s arbitrary choice. God chose us for a reason, albeit not a meritorious reason, but for a reason nonetheless. God did not show us mercy because we deserve it, worked for it, or were born of a certain nationality or ethnic group, but rather we are now objects of his mercy because of trusting in Christ and his righteousness.

Every one of us will encounter times when God seems unfair. We will all run into tricky theological questions and actions that seem to call God’s fairness into question.

Will you trust Him?

When God Seems Unfair Remember This...(Part 1)

Romans 9:18-29

As a father of four children, I sometimes have to make decisions that affect their lives. Decisions such as: friendships, dating, bedtime, entertainment choices, allowances, etc... Very often these decisions seem unfair to one or more of the children. In rare cases they will grow angry and demand that I, the father, explain myself. In those situations, the first thing I do is make very clear that because I am the parent and they are the child, I do not have to explain or justify any of my decisions or actions to them. This does not mean that their criticism of me being unfair is valid. It does not mean that I do not have good reasons for the decisions and actions I take. It just means that I don’t have to answer to the demands of a child.

In Romans Paul explains how God chooses to show some people mercy, while at the same time hardening the hearts of others, in particular the people of Israel. Their reaction was similar to my children’s in the aforementioned illustration. They accused God of being unfair and demanded that he explain himself. In response to this, Paul writes these verses. In them we learn two things we all need to know when God works in ways that seem unfair to us.

God is not answerable about his decisions or actions.

The first thing we all need to understand is that God does not owe us an account of why he does what he does, whether in his dealings with Israel and the Gentiles or any other matter. God is not answerable to us about his decisions or actions, yet an accusation against God and the demand for explanation from God is exactly what some people were seeking.

“Why does God still blame us? For who resist his will?” In other words these people are saying, “God hardened our hearts to reject the Gospel and no one can resist his power so what right does he have to hold us accountable for rejecting the Gospel?” Clearly implied in these questions is an accusation that God is unjust and unfair and that he should explain himself.

Keep in mind that this question is not asked with a humble attitude, but with a “talking back to God” attitude as verse 20 states. God is not opposed to us seeking genuine answers to perplexing questions, provided we do so with humility, submissiveness, and an acknowledgement of his right to decline to answer. This is why many Old Testament prophets could sincerely ask God tough questions and not be rebuked while at the same time Job was rebuked by God for demanding an account from God. When we don’t understand God’s ways we need to remember that. . .

Paul asks an important and enlightening question, “Who are you, O man, to talk back to God?” In other words, what right have you to question God or demand explanations from him? You’re just a man and he is God. Could you imagine in the Army a soldier with the rank of private going to the commanding General and accusing him of being unfair for rescinding his unit’s pass privileges and then demanding that he explain himself. The General’s response would be “Who are you O private to talk back to a General?”

God is God and we are not, therefore we have no right to accuse God or question God. Remember your position and God’s position. He is the highest general and we are the lowest private. He is the Father and we are the children, or as Paul explains in verse 21, he is the Creator and we are the creation.
In verse 21 Paul uses the analogy of God as a potter and people as the clay to make the point that we are not in a position to question God. The analogy should not be taken too far since humans are not entirely like clay. We have the ability to make choices, to resist God’s will, and even to talk back to God unlike clay. In other words, we shouldn’t think that every aspect of our lives, including our eternal destiny, is determined by God alone. That would be taking the analogy way too far and beyond the scope of what Paul intended. One thing that will become clear in chapters 10 and 11 is that God’s choices concerning our lives are determined by our choices concerning God.

The imagery of the potter and the clay is also used in Jeremiah Chapter 18 in which God said he was like a potter preparing Israel, the clay, for judgment, but then he call Israel to repent so that he can mold them differently and do good to them. (Jeremiah 18:1-11) This passage and other Scripture verses make clear that God has given us limited free will. Our choices affect God’s choices by his own design.

Does this mean that God doesn’t have good reasons for his decisions and actions? No! Paul never said that, he only said that people had no right to demand that God defend or explain his actions. As a parent I may tell my children that they have no right to question me but that in no way indicates that I don’t have good reasons for doing what I do. Of course I have good reasons for the choices I make and so does God....

Is God in control of you?

How to Maintain Spiritual Purity (Part 2)

Spiritual impurity should not be responded to with apathy or fanaticism.

There is a stark contrast between the way Jacob responded to spiritual impurity and the way Jacob’s sons responded. Jacob we’re told "kept quiet." He was apathetic about this great sin. It is probably not the he did not care at all, but rather that he did not want to deal with the problems that would come by dealing with Dinah’s defilement. He apparently was willing to overlook this terrible sin and corruption. His lack of action reminds me of how so many Christians respond to spiritual impurity (immorality, false doctrines) in the church today. When many become aware of other Christians, including leaders, engaging in sinful behavior (adultery, greed, lying, etc.) or teaching false doctrines such a New Age teachings , they simply keep their mouths shut. It is the easy thing to do, but it is not the right thing to do. It conveys the message that moral and doctrinal impurities are unimportant.

Jacob’s sons are anything but apathetic. They are rightfully angry. They recognize that they are a distinct people and therefore spiritual purity must be maintained. They are Israel and they are filled with fury because "Shechem had done a disgraceful thing in Israel." At this point their reaction is appropriate, but we will soon see that they cross the line in their response to Shechem sin. First though, Hamor (Shechem’s Father) wants to make a deal with Israel and get them to accept this moral impurity and compromise peacefully.

Hamor offers the people of Israel the same proposition the world offers Christians. He basically says, "Relax your standards of purity, don’t be too upset, and I will make it worthwhile. You can have peace, prosperity, and property, etc. but only if you don’t insist on doing the right thing." Christians we need to keep in mind that we’re called to be a distinct and holy People and Satan is always looking for opportunities to entice us to compromise on God’s holy standards, which leads to spiritual impurity. Satan will promise us the world if we only give in a little. It should be noted that everything that Hamor promises to the Israelites, just like everything this world and Satan promise to us, is a lie. (Genesis 34:23)

The Christian today faces the same danger that the nation of Israel faced long ago. We face the danger of not maintaining our distinctiveness and blending in with the world by basically believing and behaving the same as they do. This is why we need to remember how to maintain spiritual purity.

Sometimes the same type of fanaticism has been seen in Christians. History is replete with those who have crossed the line in seeking moral and doctrinal purity. We have had the Catholic and Protestant Inquisitions, the Salem witch trials, protesting at funerals for homosexuals who died of AIDS, blowing up abortion clinics, and murdering abortionist. These are extreme examples of the type of fanaticism that is an unacceptable response to spiritual impurity. It is good to be zealous, but we must be careful not to go too far.

As Christians we’re called to maintain spiritual purity and respond appropriately to spiritual impurity.

Are you?

How to Maintain Spiritual Purity (Part 1)

God’s people are clearly called to be a distinct, separate people. Christians are to maintain a clear identity as a separate people, both in what they believe, and in how they behave. As 1 Peter 2:9 says, "You are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a people belonging to God, the you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light." The same calling to be a distinct and separate people was also given to the nation of Israel. As the Bible says to both the Christian and Israel, "Be Holy (separate) because I am Holy." (1 Peter 1:16, Leviticus 19:2)

In keeping with this biblical injunction to be a distinct and separate people who maintain spiritual purity, God also gives us several warnings in the Bible about spiritual impurity, which could also be called spiritual corruption or spiritual defilement. For instance Romans 12:2 says, "Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world. . ." In 2 Corinthians 6:14-16, Paul reminds believers that righteousness and wickedness have nothing in common, and therefore there should be no spiritual corruption or defilement in the Believer’s life. In verse 17 of that same chapter he then quotes an Old Testament scripture which instructs God’s people to "Come out from them and be separate. . ." Two verses later in 2 Corinthians 7:1 Paul says, ". . . Let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit. .

Spiritual purity can only be maintained by being fully obedient and alert.

When I use the term "spiritual purity", I’m speaking of people’s behavior and beliefs. Spiritual purity is when our beliefs and our behavior are consistent with those which are presented as acceptable in the Bible. To maintain that standard of morality, separation and purity of doctrine, we must be fully obedient to God and alert to the dangers of worldly contamination. With that said let us look at this passage verse by verse.

Consider the story of Jacob. Jacob had vowed to return to Bethel and had been instructed to do that by God. Instead of doing that, he lingered near the city of Shechem, which is one day’s journey from Bethel. He did not just stay there overnight or stop to replenish his provisions. He actually purchased land there “within sight of the city.” In some ways this story is similar to that of Lot in Sodom. Both Lot and Jacob settled or lingered where they should not have been and they both brought harm to their families as a result.

Jacob was not fully obedient and that led to Dinah’s defilement. He did part of what he was supposed to do, but not all. He even acknowledged Yahweh as his God for the first time. He worshipped him there (Genesis 33:20) but did not fully obey God. Just because Jacob built an altar and did spiritual things did not mean he was where he was supposed to be. Just because a Christian acknowledges Jesus or does spiritual things (Church, Prayer, Tithing, etc) does not mean they are where they are supposed to be either. In some ways, Jacob was doing what many Christians do today. They obey God partially, acknowledge and worship him, but don’t do everything God has said; they don’t go all the way. They try to hold on to some of the sins or the ways of the world, but that ultimately leads to corruption.

If Jacob had fully obeyed God and had been where he was supposed to be, he would never have been in a place where Israel could be defiled. When Christians don’t fully obey God in matters such as attending church, spending time in the Word, are ridding your home and lives of evil (worldly entertainment, video games, unethical business practices, etc.), they also will be in danger of being more and more corrupted by this world.

We must be fully obedient and alert to the various temptations that could lead to spiritual corruption for us or our families. We have a responsibility; we can’t just let the kids make their own decisions. We must keep in mind that our choices affect many others.

How well do you maintain spiritual purity?