How to Refocus on the Gifts of God For the New Year

Re-Focus on the Gifts of God For the New Year

John 3:16; Romans 6:23; Ephesians 2:8, 9; Ephesians 1:3-14; 1^st Peter 1:3; 2^nd Peter 1:2-4; James 1:17

Introduction:

Last week we spoke briefly about the whole concept of “spiritual gifts.” We observed that God structured an outline of sorts, in 1^st Corinthians 12, that there are many gifts, but one Spirit, etc.

1^st Corinthians 12:4-6 reads, ⁴Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. ⁵And there are differences of administrations, but the same Lord. ⁶And there are diversities of operations, but it is the same God which worketh all in all.

Since there are more gifts of God listed in the various scriptures we will read today, and since the majority of the gifts of God are unconditional, I would like to begin by re-focusing our attention upon the Gifts of God, as we begin the New Year.

The “Gift of God” (Singular)

All of us have heard on multiple occasions, the verse we know as “John 3:16” where it says that the manner in which God demonstrated His love toward us is “that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” That means Jesus is the Gift. He is the Central Gift that makes all others possible.

Because of that “Central Gift,” the latter half of Romans 6:23 became a reality. (The first half was already true!) “The wages of sin is death (already true!) but the GIFT of God is Eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord!” This latter half is a living reality today, for whoever chooses to place their faith in Jesus for salvation.

Salvation is not earned…at any level! If your “good works” are involved at any point in securing your salvation (getting saved or staying saved) then ultimately, your salvation depends entirely upon your works, because, without question, your works will always be the “weakest link.”

But God spells it out for us in Ephesians 2:8, 9. He says, “By Grace are ye saved, through faith, and that not of yourself, it (the salvation) is the Gift of God, not of works, lest any man should boast.”

Paul also reiterates the point, in Galatians 2:21, saying “I do not frustrate the Grace of God, for if righteousness come by the Law, then Christ is dead in vain.” (The point being that, if it is at ALL possible for our works to save us, then Jesus died needlessly.)

So, How is that “Central Gift” Implemented?

Acts 16:31 assures us that it is very simple: “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved!”

And John 1:11-13 says,“¹¹He came unto his own, and his own received him not. ¹²But as many as received him, to them gave he power (authority…the right) to become the sons (children) of God, even to them that believe on his name: ¹³Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.” (Born of God!)

Everyone who chooses to believe in Jesus: (Everyone who trusts in His finished work at the Cross, for salvation,) immediately is reborn as a child of God: they are His legitimate offspring.

1^st Peter 1:3 says that “God has begotten us again unto a living hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.” He sired you! You are his genuine offspring, in Christ! He is your REAL Father!

At that moment, another thing took place as well: The Holy Spirit placed you into the Body of Christ. (1^st Corinthians 12:13 literally says, He immersed you…baptized you…into the Body of Christ, so that you are permanently identified with Him in every area! (His righteous life, death, burial, resurrection, ascension, and enthronement. See Romans 6:3-5; Ephesians 2:6)

And then, from that moment forward, all the other Gifts of God could take hold in your life!

The “Gifts of God” (Plural)

To every believer, God says that He has already blessed you with all spiritual blessings in the Heavenly places, “In Christ.” (Ephesians 1:3) Then He lists about sixteen more things:

If you have placed your dependence upon Jesus Christ as your Savior, then:

You were chosen in Him before the foundation of the world. (v.4)
You are holy and blameless before him, in His Love. (v.4)
You are predestined to be recognized as a full heir of God. (v.5; compare Romans 8:23)
You are predestined to fulfill the good pleasure of His will (v.5)
You are predestined to be to the praise of the Glory of His Grace. (v.6)
You are already accepted in the beloved (that is, “in Christ”). (v.6)
You already have been redeemed through His blood. (v.7)
You already have full forgiveness of your sins, according to the riches of His Grace. (v.7)
God has already abundantly blessed you in His wisdom and prudence. (v.8)
He has made known unto you the mystery of His will…one piece at a time. (v.9, 10)
Your inheritance in Him is secure. (v.11)
You will eternally be to his glory and praise. (v.12)
Your position in Him is sealed by the Holy Spirit. (v.13)
The indwelling Holy Spirit is the earnest or “down payment” of the rest of the glorious inheritance promised to you.
You are absolutely secure in Christ because He says so, (John 10:27-30) and because
The Holy Spirit is your guide, your guard and your seal until the redemption of the purchased possession. (v.14) (See also John 14:16-23; 1^st John 4:4)

Precious Gifts

I count all those to be precious gifts: And the most precious thing about that list is that every one of them is unconditionally yours as a believer. They do not depend upon you walking by faith, or somehow “keeping your end of the bargain.” (Here’s some more good news for you: There IS no “your end of the bargain.” Jesus did it all at the Cross! You did not enter into Christ by good works, and you cannot leave by bad works! Your works have nothing to do with the Gift of God!

In fact, in Romans 8:38, 39, He also points out that “no created thing can separate you from the Love of God which is in Christ Jesus!” Some people suggest that “Well, while Jesus will not cast you out, you could still walk out!” My reply is to have them read Romans 8:38, 39. I ask, “Is that God’s Word?” (They reply, “Yes!”) I then ask them, “Are YOU a created thing? Are you part of the Creation?” That frequently seems to be a new idea to them, so I leave it for them to draw the obvious conclusion.

More Gifts of God (2^nd Peter 1:2-7)

Some of the Gifts of God are not unconditional: They are still gifts, but they could possibly be thought of as “goals,” in that He made it all possible for us, but we have to learn to walk in them for them to be effective.

2^nd Peter 1:2-4 says,

²Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord, ³According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue:

⁴Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.

Verse two gives us the underlying caveat: “if you want these gifts, they are only available through pursuing the (ginosko) “knowledge” of (an ongoing, experiential, living relationship with the Father and the Son.”

Verse three says that God has already given us all things that pertain to life and Godliness. No believer is re-born a “spiritual cripple” who is “lame from re-birth.” In your new self, you have been given the ability to choose to walk with Jesus. Because you have come to know Him, you have access to all the rest.

How Does it Work?

How? Verse four tells us how we are to see these realities worked out in our lives: He has given us “Exceeding Great and Precious Promises!” Peter says that by means of those promises in God’s Word, we have the privilege of beginning to partake in the character, and nature of God, Himself: And, in so doing, we escape the corruption that is in the World through the ungodly desires of our old nature. In reality, this is part of our inheritance in Christ: we are His real children, and we should expect to grow into His likeness.

Collectively, the desires of the World and those of our old natures are completely in opposition to all that God is. His Righteousness and Holiness are utterly repugnant to the World, and to our old Sin Nature.

We escape the corruption of the world and of the flesh by applying God’s Word to our lives. Diligent application of His Word produces further results: We could think of them as “goals.”

The Goals (2^nd Peter 1:5-7)

Diligence in applying the “exceeding great and precious promises” as well as the rest of the admonitions, corrections and encouragements in God’s Word will produce the following things:

⁵And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; ⁶And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; ⁷And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity.

So, There are Seven Things to Look For:

Virtue
Knowledge
Temperance
Patience
Godliness
Brotherly kindness
Charity (Agapé love)

Please note that all of these seven things are still under the condition Jesus spelled out in John 15:5, saying “apart from me ye can do nothing.” Is it possible to produce a “cheap imitation” of each of these things by our own efforts? Certainly, it is!

But all these things, if produced by the flesh, (our old sin nature) are also contaminated by the flesh. The Old Self is not only corrupt, but is continually being corrupted. So, for the realities of each of these values to be born in us, they have to be coming from an ongoing walk with Jesus, in full fellowship with Him. He has to be the source and the power. (Philippians 2:13)

God’s Perfect Gifts

In light of that truth, James 1:17 seems especially appropriate: “¹⁷Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.”

The real gift is not wavering or “on-again-off-again.” If it is from God, it is not preferential as to who and how the Love of God is applied: it simply does as the Lord directs, and with Joy.

There are other passages referencing the Gifts of God: Many of them overlap the gifts called the “Gifts of the Spirit, or Gifts of Christ.” That is not surprising: the Holy Spirit is God! Jesus is God! So, the “labels” may often overlap.

(I am not going to waste time by attempting to explain the Trinity in human terms: I do not claim to understand that mystery, But God clearly states it in His Word, so I am required to faithfully teach it.)

Next week, we hope to address the “Gifts of Christ.” If you want to read ahead, the main four are listed along with their purpose, in Ephesians 4:7-16.

Lord Jesus, Savior, God: Help us to focus on YOU, the giver of all good gifts, and not to be distracted by the “flash and glitter” of the exciting “sign gifts.” Help us to learn to walk in the unconditional gifts You have given, so that the conditional gifts and goals will also be ours.

December 20, 2025December 20, 2025

How to Understand What the Old Hymns Teach About Christmas

What do the Hymns really teach?

Genesis 3:15; Exodus 12; Isaiah 9:6, 7; Isaiah 7:14; John 1:1-5, 14; Hebrews 11:3;
Matthew 2, Luke 2

Introduction:

To begin with, even when we deliberately set aside what the World thinks of Christmas, when we, as believers, think about Christmas, we pretty much focus on Luke 2. Clearly, the entire chapter speaks of the actual birth of the Messiah, and what immediately followed. Furthermore, sometimes we mix in things that actually occurred a little later—the coming of the Magi, and the flight into Egypt, to escape the slaughter of the innocent babies in Bethlehem.

And, sadly, sometimes, when we were young, we mocked some of the early hymns, because we didn’t understand them. I remember as a child, singing, “We three kings of orient are, trying to smoke a rubber cigar: It was loaded, it exploded…Silent night!” (Very funny, to an irreverent pre-teen.)

**What do the Hymns Really Say?**

But let’s think about some of the scriptures that gave rise to those hymns.

To begin with, why did the hymnist assume there were three wise men? The ones he called kings? Undoubtedly, it was because the scripture named three gifts, in Matthew chapter 2. The magi came to worship the newborn Messiah, whom they recognized as King of the Jews. Obviously, they knew something about him that no others had guessed, yet: Those gifts, (gold, and frankincense and myrrh,) were prophetic in nature.

**The Hymnist spelled out that prophecy, in the rest of the hymn.**

Firstly, the Gold revealed His royal birth: “Born a king on Bethlehem’s plain, gold I bring to crown him again! King forever, ceasing never, over us all to reign!”

Second, The Myrrh also was prophetic, speaking of His ministry as the eternal sacrifice, that was to be given once for all. It predicted the death of the Lord: “Myrrh, have I; its bitter perfume breathes a life of gathering gloom: suffering, sighing, bleeding, dying, sealed in the stone-cold tomb!”

Finally, the Frankincense predicted His priesthood and deity. “Frankincense to offer, have I: King, and God and Sacrifice! Aleluia! Aleleuia! Worship Him, God on High!”

Not so funny, after all. And, historically, it turns out that these wise men from the east were most likely the descendants of the prophet Daniel’s disciples. He had predicted the coming King, the Messiah. Though, as far as we know, he said nothing about a star, they had combined what they knew from Daniel’s teaching with the arrival of this supernatural star. They correctly discerned that the Messiah had been born. And they took their journey on the basis of that faith. That is not only “not funny:” that is pretty amazing! Would you have taken a long journey on that evidence?

What about Charles Wesley’s Hymns?

We sing “Hark the Herald Angels Sing,” and we feel good about the Lyrics. Where did they come from, though? Charles became a born-again believer, in 1738, when he was 31 years old. His older brother, John was born again a few days later.

Charles began a Bible Study, at their college, trying to methodically study and teach the Bible, but not long afterward, John took it over. John and Charles made a powerful team: John preached sound doctrine, turning people’s hearts to Christ, and Charles wrote powerful hymns teaching the same doctrines in musical form, so that the teachings could be repeated and stick in people’s minds.

During their ministry together, they “salted down” all of England with the Gospel, so that while the French Revolution was raging in France, just across the channel, England was having its collective heart drawn into a strong relationship with God. During that time Charles wrote about 7,000 hymns. We still sing some of them today. “Hark the Herald Angels Sing” was written when Charles was experiencing his second Christmas as a born-again believer. He was eighteen months old in the Lord.

What had John preached? I can only guess at that, but the doctrines in the hymn are very clear:

The Beginning

Christ by highest heaven Adored; Christ the Everlasting Lord

Before the Creation, Jesus, Creator God, the Son, was worshipped by angels. And yet, he was already the designated sacrifice for a world that had not yet been created. Revelation 13:8 says that He was “the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.”

Rise, the Woman’s Conquering Seed, Bruise in us the Serpent’s Head

Historically, the first promise of that Savior came in Genesis 3:15, where God promised that the Seed of the Woman would crush the Serpent’s head. And Revelation 20:2 identifies just which serpent He meant: there he is called “that old Serpent, and the Devil, and Satan.”

Come, Desire of Nations, Come

Not all nations have looked forward to the coming Messiah, but believers have done so throughout History. Job pre-existed Israel, but he said, “I know that my Redeemer liveth, and at the latter day He will stand upon the Earth, and I shall see him with my own eyes!” (Job 19:25) That is referring to the second coming of the Messiah! After Job’s resurrection. But Jesus physically became our redeemer during His earthly ministry. Job looked forward through time as a prophet, and called out the death and the resurrection and the return of Jesus, his Redeemer!

Fulfillment Begins

Late in time, behold Him come, offspring of the Virgin’s Womb!

From Human perspective, it seemed late: they had been waiting over 4,000 years since the original promise. But Romans 5:6 says He was right on time! It was at the perfect time, according to God’s Timetable! Furthermore, the Virgin Birth was not an “extra detail:” it was an absolute necessity. Jesus is the only one in History who was literally “the Seed of the Woman!” Obviously, all the rest of us are the Seed of a man and a woman.

Further, if Joseph had been Jesus’s father, Jesus was automatically disqualified from being king anyway, because there was a curse on one of Joseph’s great grandfathers: Jeremiah 22:24-30 said that no offspring of Coniah (also called Jeconiah, and in Matthew 1:11, Jechonias) would ever reign in Jerusalem again. But Jesus was the King!

Veiled in Flesh the Godhead See: Hail the incarnate Deity!

In Genesis 1:1, we saw God speak the World into existence. In Hebrews 11:3, we see it confirmed that the World was created by the Word of God. And, in John 1:1-5, 14, we see that that Word not only was the Creator, but that He (the Word) was made flesh, and that He in fact was Jesus. And Colossians 2:9 says that “in Him dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead, bodily!” I am not required to understand that fact: I am only required to accept it by faith, and to proclaim it in obedience to the God who gave it.

Pleased as Man, with Men to dwell; Jesus our Emmanuel

Philippians 2:5-8, which we discussed earlier, tells how Jesus chose to become a human. But it was not a surprise. Isaiah 7:14 told us in advance that “the Virgin shall be with Child and shall bear a Son, and shall call His name Emmanuel.” That prophecy was fulfilled in Jesus.

Mild, He lays His Glory By: Born that Man no more may die,

Philippians 2:5-8 also tells how He emptied Himself of His prerogatives as God the Son, and became a human for the express purpose of dying for our sins.

Born to raise the Sons of Earth, born to give them second birth!

He said he came to offer His life a ransom for many. He told Nicodemus “Ye must be born again.” He also told him that “whosoever believeth” in Him would not perish but have everlasting life. And in Ephesians 2:6, it says that He has already raised us up as believers, to sit with Him in the throne…that we are already there with Him.

**How to Receive Him**

Hail the Heaven-Born Prince of Peace!

Isaiah 9:6, 7 called Him the Prince of Peace…(don’t forget that it also identified Him as the Mighty God, and the Everlasting Father!) But this line of the hymn is a command: it says, “Hail Him!” it means “Salute Him” as the Prince of Peace: Greet Him as Who He really is! Accept Him as your Savior and Master! Receive Him as your Redeemer and God!

Hail the Sun of Righteousness, Risen with Healing in His Wings!

Malachi 4:2 says, “but unto you who fear my Name, shall the Sun of Righteousness arise with Healing in His wings.” That is a direct quote of the prophecy!

The Result of Faith

Light and Life to all He brings

John 1:4 says that “In him was life and the life was the light of men” These are direct quotes from God’s Word! These are not the hymn-writer’s “imagination running wild!”

Come Desire of Nations, Come: Fix in us thy humble home.

In John 14:16-23, and other places, Jesus promised that the Holy Spirit would immediately and permanently indwell whoever received Him as Savior. In fact, He said that, in the person of the Holy Spirit, the entire Godhead would dwell in each believer.

Adam’s Likeness now efface; Fix thine image in its place!

God has recreated us in the image of Christ. We now have two natures. Our new nature is sinless and created in true righteousness. God will eliminate our old Sin nature at death, and it will never plague us again.

Second Adam, from above, Reinstate us in thy love!

In 1^st Corinthians 15:45-47 spells out that Jesus is the head of a new race. He is called the second Man, and the Last Adam. 1^st Corinthians 15:22 says that we are either in Adam or in Christ. That is “positional truth.” If your position is still in Adam, you are still spiritually dead. If you are in Christ, you are eternally alive in Him.

Our Marching Orders:

Joyful all Ye Nations Rise! Join the Triumph of the Skies!

We are saved to serve! How? Every one of us is called to be an ambassador of Christ. And all the nations that have rejoiced in the Savior, have also rejoiced in Missions, at least for a time. That is how we Join the triumph of the Skies. We proclaim His birth…and His death, burial, and resurrection. We can offer the Hope and Joy of Christmas every day of the Year.

With th’ Angelic Host Proclaim, Christ is Born in Bethlehem

Proclaim! That is our job! It should be our passion and our joy to share the faith! In John 4:34, Jesus said, “My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me and to finish His work!” In that context, He was talking about Evangelism! That is the Work he wants done!

The Results of the Gospel

Peace on Earth, and Mercy Mild; God and Sinner Reconciled.

We can experience the Heavenly peace God offered in Bethlehem on an individual basis. Romans 5:1 says, “being justified by faith, we have peace with God.” Obviously, if enough people possess that peace with God, they tend to also have peace between one another, as we do, here in our little church. However, the only lasting peace for the whole Earth will come when Jesus is eternally reigning on the new Earth.

Hark! The herald Angels Sing! Glory to the Newborn King!

Finally, the word, “Hark!” means listen! God calls us to hear: to give heed to the message, and to realize that we have a very temporary privilege of serving with Jesus: To Work with Him, taking the light and joy of His Gospel to the world we live in. This is our one opportunity to serve!

In Conclusion, what are we going to do about it? If we say, “Happy Birthday Jesus! But I’m not going to do what you asked!” it seems a pretty shabby response. Let’s change that into a pattern of reverence and obedience, and share His joy and peace with those around us… We can say, “Happy Birthday, Jesus! I bring myself as an offering to You!”

We all have that gift to bring.

Lord Jesus, fill us with Your love and transform us to be like You in every way. Raise us up as your soldiers and servants. Teach us to live for your Glory.

December 6, 2025December 12, 2025

How to Understand 1st Corinthians Chapter 11 Part One

1^st Corinthians Chapter 11 Part One

1^st Corinthians 11:2-16

Introduction:

Chapter Eleven has two main divisions: verses 2-16 discuss separation from the world, in the matters of grooming and clothing. Verses 17-34 discuss the Lord’s table. Remember that both passages are corrective teaching (as is virtually all of both 1^st and 2^nd Corinthians.

We remember the specific circumstances of the city of Corinth, where Paul planted this church. We remember that gross immorality ruled this city. Aphrodite’s temple was there, with all its filth, depravity and disease. That environmen heavily affected the people. They had multiple carryovers from their old life. The Spirit had released them from the extremes of the Corinthian pit. But they still had to shake free from the effect on their lives.

When we read Paul’s corrections of those behaviors, we want to “listen within the context.” Ask “what was happening there.”

Paul gives a profound, powerful command, here, in 1^st Corinthians 11:1

¹ Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ.

However, there were no chapter or verse divisions in the original manuscripts. So the command was in regard to 1^st Corinthians 10. Paul gave a long statement saying the believers must not endanger the unity of the Body of Christ. They could do so by careless, self-centered behavior. He said that he, himself, sought to “please all men.” He did not seek his own best interest (“profit”.) Rather, he tried to do what was profitable for many, for the express purpose of possibly leading them to Christ.

In that context Paul said, “be ye followers of me as I also am of Christ.”

²Now I praise you, brethren, that ye remember me in all things, and keep the ordinances, as I delivered them to you.

So, in general, the Corinthian believers tried to follow his example. Paul concludes “that is Good!” But he immediately follows up with some exceptions:

Clothing, Hair, and Head-Coverings

Remember, again, where the Corinthian church was located, and the utter corruption of the society surrounding them. Consider how the rest of their city was living. All the visitors to Corinth came specifically for the depravity that was there. That can give us some understanding of what follows.

In our present-day time, we have a city that literally advertises itself as “Sin-City!” People who vacation there are cheerfully admitting that they want to enjoy the excesses of that city. Years ago, that city briefly attempted to “re-invent itself” as a “family” city. But it did not work! Everyone knew the truth and everyone preferred the truth of that sin.

So, Las Vegas, Nevada went back to its old way, flaunting its depravity. And the people that desired it to be that way were happy to see their “return to the pit.”

Why Did People Visit Corinth?

The main attraction in Corinth was the temple of Aphrodite. With a working force of 10,000 prostitutes, male and female, they had visibility all over the city. People came there to join in the immoral behavior of that city.

If a Corinthian believer did not want to associate with that filthy lifestyle, something had to change. If they did not want to look like part of that society, they had to change their ways. They had to live in such a way as to “shine in the darkness,” not “blend in.”

Did God tell them to “crusade against the sin in their city?” No, not necessarily. But He did call them to “come out from among them and be separate.” (2^nd Corinthians 6:17)

**So, What Visible Difference Would be Most Obvious?**

Flagrant sin filled Corinth. Transvestite male prostitutes and brazen female prostitutes were everywhere. Clothing, personal grooming and hair length would be a first line of defense, as an easy way to set oneself apart.

I believe this is the primary goal, here in 1^st Corinthians 11:2-16. However, some teachers see this as a “rule for Christian living,” and have interpreted it as a “Christian Dress Code.” They exclude people from churches based on whether they “obey this rule” or not.

This rule has affected our courts, though they mainly applied it to women: Women were not allowed in a courtroom without a hat: a man was required to remove any head-covering. It is possibly instructive to note that the long hair issue was not applied to the men, and men in our colonial period wore their hair long, and in a braid.

If they had short hair, they wore a wig to court, emulating longer hair. To this day, in England there is an industry, making white wigs for lawyers and judges, called “perukes,” as a shortened form of the word “periwig.” Why does the tradition persist?? I have no idea! It would seem that law should have applied equally to men and women, but that has not always been the case. Seventy years ago, women in the USA always wore a hat in church or in court. Men were not allowed to wear a hat in either place. And the rule sprang from this passage of scripture.

What does the Rest of Scripture Say?

The problem that gives me pause is the issue of a head-covering for men being an offense, and a lack of such for women being an offense. If it were mentioned in the other epistles, it would be clear that it applies to all believers everywhere. But it is not: it is only mentioned here.

Verse three (so long as I limit it to the marriage relationship) is mentioned elsewhere. The marriage relationship is supposed to be a picture of Christ and the Church. (Ephesians 5:26-32) The relationship in marriage is clear. This passage does not clearly state that the relationship is limited to the marriage relationship, so some groups use it (and other similar passages) to declare a general superiority of men over women. (That is false teaching, by the way.)

³But I would have you know, that the head of every man is Christ; and the head of the woman is the man; and the head of Christ is God.

This teaching seems plain, but it is uncomfortable in our egalitarian society. We don’t want to admit the sovereignty of God over our lives: Far less the authority of one human above another.

Other Scripture?

But herein lies my problem: I can’t find any other place in the Bible that clearly is about the issue of hair length or the importance of veils or lack of such. As a general rule, we find that the Bible is the best commentary on the Bible: That is, we can usually find somewhere else that confirms the meaning of an otherwise obscure passage. But in this case I have found either nothing, or maybe things that are a real “stretch” to try to apply to this.

Cultural Roots

So, Why do the orthodox Jewish men cover their heads with a “tallith” (prayer shawl) when praying? Two Christian commentators said it was because the rabbinical commentators misunderstood why Moses had covered his face when he left the tabernacle. Not to confirm the authority of God: It was to hide the “fading away” of God’s glory from people watching him. Moses had not been aware that his face was glowing after he had been in the presence of God. When he became aware of it, and that it was beginning to fade, he covered up, specifically so that the watching people would not see the “fading” of that glory. (But I still have questions.)

What Does It Mean?

⁴Every man praying or prophesying, having his head covered, dishonoureth his head. ⁵But every woman that prayeth or prophesieth with her head uncovered dishonoureth her head: for that is even all one as if she were shaven. ⁶For if the woman be not covered, let her also be shorn: but if it be a shame for a woman to be shorn or shaven, let her be covered.

People interpret this to say that women should always have their hair covered with a shawl, a scarf, a kerchief or the like. Then (some) say that to her own husband, she does not wear a veil, but is free in his presence to display the glory of her hair.

The problem I see, is that Rebekah, in Genesis 24, had not been veiled when crossing the desert with Abraham’s eldest servant and ten other servants. But when she saw Isaac in the distance, and knew that it was he, she got off the camel, veiled herself, and fell on her knees before him, with her face to the ground. (I don’t know any Christians saying this is a part of Christian life!)

And the Men?

⁷For a man indeed ought not to cover his head, forasmuch as he is the image and glory of God: but the woman is the glory of the man.

Furthermore, the priesthood (at least the High Priest) had to wear a special hat (KJV says “fair mitre”…a pointed hat) when he served in the temple, bringing a sacrifice on behalf of the people and himself, and praying for the people and himself.

I can’t find anything in scripture, to explain this: I can simply accept that there is a truth here that I don’t understand, and I promise that if I ever have better light on it, then I will re-teach it according to that better understanding.

What About The Creation Testimony?

⁸For the man is not of the woman: but the woman of the man. ⁹Neither was the man created for the woman; but the woman for the man.

This is in the Creation account. We can either accept the truth of it, or deny it: or, short of actually denying it, we may attempt to explain it in some way that erases the cultural offense. The plan is for Man to be incomplete without Woman. God says so. (Genesis 2:18) The relationship between the Man and the Woman is supposed to be a picture of Christ and the Church (Ephesians 5:26-32.) That prefiguring of Christ and the Church is demonstrated where Genesis 2:24 is quoted, verbatim, in Ephesians 5:31. (Believe it, or don’t! That is what it says.)

And the Woman was created specifically to fill the lack in Man. (What kind of lack? Possibly just the ability to reproduce, as with all the rest of the animal creation. Perhaps the lack of fellowship and companionship.

Possibly it is tied to Ecclesiastes 4:9-12. (“⁹Two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labour. ¹⁰For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow: but woe to him that is alone when he falleth; for he hath not another to help him up. ¹¹Again, if two lie together, then they have heat: but how can one be warm alone? ¹²And if one prevail against him, two shall withstand him; and a threefold cord is not quickly broken.”)

**What about the Angels??**

¹⁰For this cause ought the woman to have power on her head because of the angels.

I have no idea what verse ten means, unless it is somehow related to Genesis 6:1-5 where certain angelic beings chose to “cross over” and interbreed with humans. Those fallen angels were punished by confinement in chains of darkness, awaiting final judgment. (Jude 6; 2^nd Peter 2:4) Is the head-covering a message to the angels that, “I belong to my human husband!”? Maybe, but I doubt it. Is it just a “message of submission,” as part of the things that God says the angels will learn through the church, according to Ephesians 3:10? Perhaps. But I really don’t know.

More from the Creation

¹¹Nevertheless neither is the man without the woman, neither the woman without the man, in the Lord. ¹²For as the woman is of the man, even so is the man also by the woman; but all things of God.

This still ties to the Creation: Eve was literally “taken out of man,” and formed from part of him. On the other hand, every man since Adam has been born of woman: taken back from her. But all are under the authority, protection, and sustenance of God.

¹³Judge in yourselves: is it comely that a woman pray unto God uncovered? ¹⁴Doth not even nature itself teach you, that, if a man have long hair, it is a shame unto him? ¹⁵But if a woman have long hair, it is a glory to her: for her hair is given her for a covering.

Evidently in many cultures, long hair in a man is not seen as shameful: So, I don’t know how to interpret this. Someone told me years ago that the Greek work “phusis,” here translated as “Nature,” could also be translated as, “Culture.” However, I looked up the word “phusis” in the Greek New Testament, and it is ONLY translated as “nature,” or “naturally.” So, I don’t know where they got that idea…clearly, it was not from the Bible!

Final Word on Head-coverings and Hair length:

¹⁶But if any man seem to be contentious, we have no such custom, neither the churches of God.

It seems that the final word is “Don’t allow this to become a point of division: it isn’t worth it. This is not a cardinal doctrine. In the Corinthian culture, at least, it was a needed change in their behavior, because they were too closely reflecting the evil around them. The principle of “separation from the world” remains today, but I do not believe that Head-coverings and hair length were given as “legal requirements” or “rules” for believers.

Lord Jesus, give us greater light, and help us to apply Your Word to our lives so as to honor You and draw others to Your Grace.

December 1, 2025December 1, 2025

What Have We Learned in 1st Corinthians 1-10?

What Have We Learned in 1^st Corinthians?

Return To Corinthians

We are returning to complete our study in 1^st Corinthians. We had stopped at the end of chapter ten. Subsequently, we went all the way through Ephesians, 1^st John, 2^nd John, 3^rd John and Jude. But now we hope to go back and complete what we began in our Corinthian studies.

By way of review, I will summarize what we learned, going through the first ten chapters:

In Chapter One, we Learned:

The letter is to all believers in every place and throughout all history.
There is much for which to give thanks, regarding the Church.
God Desires Unity in the Church: That is one of the three things by which the World can judge the Church. The others are the Agapé love and our behavior as believers.
We saw that Disunity can have several sources:
- Doctrinal Differences
- Personality Preferences (Who is YOUR favorite teacher? Who baptized YOU?)
- Other sources
We saw the Wisdom and Power of God as opposed to what the World thinks.
We saw that the Door to the truth is the Will, not the intellect. We choose to believe God.
We learned the nature of our calling before God. We truly are nothing Special: He is!
We learned that Jesus is the only person we can boast about.

In Chapter Two, we Learned:

That “Jesus Christ and Him Crucified” is the core issue of the Good News we have to offer. We should allow Nothing else to obscure those truths.
We see that there is such a thing as a Godly “fear,” under which we serve, fearing to do things in such a way as to obscure God’s light, by leaning on Human “wisdom.”
We learned that humans do NOT know what heaven is like, beyond the limited information God has given us. He says we can’t even imagine it.
We learned the difference between a “natural man” and a “spiritual man.”
We learned our privilege: Having the “Mind of Christ.”

In Chapter Three, we Learned:

That a third type of individual exists: the Carnal man. He is a believer, but he lives in the flesh. He is not walking with Jesus, not obeying His Word.
We learned that there are eternal results for either obedience or disobedience: Rewards or loss of reward.
We learned that Salvation is a gift: Rewards are “wages” for works.
We learned that Jesus is the foundation in our lives, and that He gives us freedom to build upon that foundation. How we choose to build affects eternal rewards.
We also learned that some “wisdom” does not come from God.
We learned that the “Temple of God” is the Body of Christ—all believers as a group.
We learned that the Lord protects His church, and will punish those who willingly defile it with bad teaching or evil influence.

In Chapter Four, we Learned:

God requires Stewards to be faithful: All servants of God are stewards at various levels. God requires faithfulness to His values and His standards. He holds us accountable.
Paul pointed out that the Apostles were nothing special…and that we are nothing special, either. Jesus is the judge, over all of us.
- Thus, we learned the Humility of Discipleship.
- We learned that pride and self-will have no place in a disciple’s life.
- We learned that we are emissaries of God.
- We learned the responsibilities of the Ambassadors of God.

In Chapter Five, we Learned:

How Paul commanded the Church to deal with flagrant, open sin.
We learned that Judgment is a command: Not all judgment is bad…Most is good.
We learned the various Greek words for Judgment. God forbids some kinds, while He requires others.
We learned what five judgments believers face, or have faced.
We learned of the Coming Judgment which will NOT affect believers.
We learned why God will exclude believers from the Coming judgment.

In Chapter Six, we Learned:

God calls the Church to handle interpersonal problems between believers.
We learned what God means when he calls the believers “righteous,” and what He means when he condemns the “unrighteous.”
We learned that we were the unrighteous, but that He has taken our sins upon Himself, transferring us from darkness into the Kingdom of Christ.
We learned that because God literally owns us, Body, Soul, and Spirit, we are no longer our own, and we are not free to choose immorality.
We learned that Sexual immorality causes Spiritual, internal damage and it has lasting effects.

In Chapter Seven, we Learned:

The principles of a Godly marriage.
- A gift from God.
- No immorality allowed.
- The marriage Covenant
- Mutual care
We learned that there is a parallel between a Godly marriage and the relationship between Christ and the Church
We learned something about the responsibilities of marriage.
We learned that God hates divorce.
We learned about the calling of God, and how it should affect us.
We learned that in certain times and places and harsh circumstances, marriage might not be a good idea.
We learned that regardless of circumstances we are not to allow either the World or our relationships (including marriage) to alter our relationship with Jesus.

In Chapter Eight, we Learned:

God says to govern Knowledge by Agapé Love. Knowledge puffs up: Love builds up.
Food sacrificed to idols remains physically unchanged.
The idol itself is nothing: It is a block of non-living material.
The spiritual issue is there, especially for unbelievers, but evil spirits cannot undo the work Jesus accomplished at the Cross.
While we are free in such matters, we are not to use our freedom in such a way as to weaken another believer. There are times when we abstain from our freedom in order not to cause a weaker brother or sister to stumble.

In Chapter Nine, we Learned:

The Burden of the Gospel as borne by God’s messengers.
We saw Paul defending his position as an apostle, though it seems unclear what the attacks were or what the motives for the attacks might have been..
We saw why Paul chose to forgo receiving pay for his teaching.
We saw that he worked to learn Christ-likeness, and to follow Jesus. He took his Christian life very seriously. And, He encouraged us to do the same

In Chapter Ten, we Learned:

We learned that all the experiences, good and bad. that the Children of Israel endured were examples from which we are to learn.
We learned that the Spiritual Rock from which they received millions of gallons of physical water, was, in fact, Christ Himself!
We learned that There is a sharp division between the spiritual life of the world religions and the spiritual life of followers of Jesus.
We learned that “Communion” means Fellowship. Shared experiences, values, and goals.
We were warned that the world does not have the same experiences, values or goals. We are not to join in fellowship with the world. We do not take part in their worship.
He says we are not to attempt to mix light with darkness.
He also says that we do enjoy freedom that others may lack. But we are not to misuse that freedom.
We want to live in such a way that others see the truth of God’s Word alive in our lives. The fruit of the Spirit is never an offensive thing.

Chapter Eleven Holds Rich Lessons, Too!

We will learn how we are to follow Paul as he follows Christ…
We will learn why the Corinthian believers were given special instructions as to hair length and head coverings
We will learn why the Corinthian believers were being chastised for their treatment of the Lord’s Supper

Next week, we will begin 1st Corinthians Chapter Eleven.

November 8, 2025November 8, 2025

Do You Know What Jude Teaches About False Teachers?

Jude: The False Teachers and Apostates (Part 1)

Judgment is Coming!

Jude 1-25 (Read it!)

Introduction:

Jude, is the writer of this epistle; he is the brother of James (per verse one) who was the half-brother of Jesus (Please compare Matthew 13:55. James and Jude are the names of two of the half-brothers of the Lord.) They are the writers of the epistles of James and Jude.

Both James and Jude introduce themselves as “the servant…of Jesus Christ.” They do not claim any special privileges or authority due to sharing half his gene-pool. Until late in His ministry, they were not even believers, so it seems fitting that they see themselves as “servants,” not “special-case super-saints.”

They finally realized that Jesus was not “just their older brother,” but truly God in the flesh. So, they repented of all they had previously imagined of Him. (They once thought that He was crazy, or that He was promoting himself as a prophet or a leader.) They abandoned all their former opinions. Therefore, they no longer knew Him from a fleshly perspective: So now they simply called themselves His servants. 2^nd Corinthians 5:16 says, “Wherefore henceforth know we no man after the flesh: yea, though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now henceforth know we him no more.” This is a good way for us to see Him, too!

These men, with ample cause to think of themselves more highly than others, did not do so. It behooves us to follow their example. In my own case, the longer I “toddle along,” trying to walk with Jesus, the more I realize that I am nobody special…I’m just a servant of Jesus!

To Whom is the Epistle Addressed?

¹Jude, the servant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James, to them that are sanctified (sanctified means “Declared holy: Set apart for His service”) by God the Father, and preserved in (kept in) Jesus Christ, and called: (Yes, you are called! If you are a believer, you are called to serve Jesus with your life. Read Romans 8:28-30, and spend some time thinking about the implications for your own life!)

Years ago, an older woman emphatically told me that “Yes, you are saved by faith, but you are kept by works!” This verse clearly refutes that false teaching: He says we are “preserved in Jesus Christ”. That is a passive truth on our part. God is the one taking action on our behalf. He does the “keeping,” as well as the calling.

²Mercy unto you, and peace, and love, be multiplied. (Notice the order in which these things are offered: You cannot have peace with God before having received His Mercy as a guilty sinner. And, after receiving His Mercy, and His peace, His Love should begin to take root in your heart.)

The Result of Genuine Faith

³Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common (that which all believers share: what we “have in common”) salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.

What does it mean to “contend for the faith?” Titus 1:9-13 makes it clear that deacons should at least be able to use God’s Word well enough to spot false teaching and show it to be false. But this passage seems to make it the responsibility of every believer to grow into that ability… taking a stand for the faith. (Compare Ephesians 6:10-18. The armor of God is definitely for all believers!)

When a verse begins with the transition word, “for,” it is giving the reason for the previous statement. (Why should believers contend for the faith? Because… false brethren and false teachers abound.)

The Subject: Men who have “Crept In Unawares:” False Teachers.

⁴For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ.

⁵I will therefore put you in remembrance, though ye once knew this, how that the Lord, having saved the people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed them that believed not.

We have this clue that perhaps not all those who came out of Egypt were actually believers. However, it may be noted that ALL of them had placed themselves under the blood of the Passover Lamb. All had left Egypt with Moses. All had crossed the Red Sea on foot. There was no one among them who did not “qualify as a believer,” by those standards.

Unbelief Among Believers

But, in Numbers 14, the LORD commanded them to go into the promised land, and they ALL believed the evil report of the ten spies, as opposed to the godly, correct report of the other two (Joshua and Caleb.) They did not believe God, when it came time to actually enter into His promises. And ALL of that (huge) group of people, who assumedly were believers, were destroyed. They died in the wilderness. The ten spies who gave false testimony, discouraging the people, died on the spot, under God’s Judgment. But, over the next forty years, that entire generation died, before God took their children into the land, and fulfilled His promises.

So, the question for us remains: Were they “under the blood?” Evidently they were! No one died in their homes. Were they “followers of God?” Evidently they were! I seriously doubt that I would have just “taken off across a desert with Pharoah’s army chasing me,” much less walked between the “walls of water” (See Exodus 14:22) to cross the Red Sea on foot. So…were they believers? I think they were! But God still judges unbelief among believers, too.

A Warning to Believers

Hebrews 4:1-11 warns us that due to unbelief of that same sort, we, too, can fail to enter into the “Rest” of God. Jesus’s finished work at the Cross should enable us to “Cease from our own works” and rest in HIS works.

If you think that your works are somehow making you righteous before God, or that they are maintaining your standing with Him, then you are not “resting” in His completed work. You are supplanting His work with your own! As a result, you can never rest, because you fear that without your continued Good Works, you may be lost. But God says we are to place our full trust in His completed work, and that, on the basis of that faith, we can KNOW that we have eternal life (John 5:11-13.)

The Israelites (in Numbers 14) should have “rested in God’s word,” and entered the land in full confidence: But they saw the question as being “Can we defeat the giants?” not, “Has God truly given us the land?” Joshua and Caleb argued that “Because God has given us the land, we cannot fail!” But, because the people completely rejected that specific promise, God judged them for their unbelief.

Judgement of Fallen Angels

⁶And the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day.

We might ask ourselves, “which angels fell into this specific judgment?” The ones we call demons evidently did not, as they were present in the time of Christ, and apparently still are today.

But, if we think of a specific group of angelic beings who “stepped across the boundary” between Angelic existence and Human existence and (Genesis 6:1-4) interbred with humans, then this comment may make perfect sense. Those angels are “in everlasting chains under darkness” waiting for the final judgment. But Satan and the rest of the fallen angels are not chained…yet.

Judgment of Specific Humans

⁷Even as Sodom and Gomorrha, and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh, are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire.

We still remember Sodom and Gomorrah as examples of God’s fierce judgment. And, ironically, the people who “go after strange flesh” in the same manner they did are still called “sodomites” today (though not very often, as public opinion has shifted to actually approve of them.) But the Law still calls the sins they commit “sodomy” in today’s legal terminology. God “set them forth as an example,” as the scripture says, and the example still stands.

Beginning A List of Examples

⁸Likewise also these filthy dreamers defile the flesh, despise dominion, and speak evil of dignities.

Once again, this is nothing new: In Romans 1:21-32 Paul describes the pattern of behavior and deterioration of morality and faith, within the Human Race. The pattern hasn’t changed. Humans still follow this pattern! We wallow in our sin, and we proudly say things like, “Ain’t nobody tells me what to do!” I had a man who claimed to be a believer tell me those exact words, angrily declaring himself to be the only authority in his life.

Additionally, and even more common: We feel free to slander politicians we don’t like, as well as other people in authority. Unbelievers even go so far as to mock the Lord himself. They mock His Word with impunity, and make gross allegations against Him, sometimes very publicly.

Jude Includes Extra-biblical Examples

⁹Yet Michael the archangel, when contending with the devil he disputed about the body of Moses, durst not bring against him a railing accusation, but said, The Lord rebuke thee.

Here is a peculiar comment…it stands alone in scripture. There is no other reference to this event. All we know about the body of Moses (other than this snippet) is that GOD buried the body of Moses, and no one has ever known where.

This is actually a quote from an apocryphal text, claiming an argument regarding the burial of Moses. We don’t see the original text as authoritative, but Jude used it as an example of treating high rank with respect. It is the concept of “we salute the rank, not the man.” That is pretty much all we can use it for. We recognize and respect the authority of the badge, for example, even when the person wearing it is acting in an unrespectable manner.

But regarding this specific incident, please read Deuteronomy 34:5, 6. God says that He buried Moses’s body, and that no human knows where it is. Make of it what you will.

This is not the only place in scripture where a writer cited an extrabiblical source to support an argument. Paul did so in Acts 17:28 as well as in Titus 1:12. We may be uncomfortable with that fact, but it remains a fact. (Jude does it again in verse 17.)

More Examples

¹⁰But these speak evil of those things which they know not: but what they know naturally, as brute beasts, in those things they corrupt themselves.

Jude says, effectively, that these people are acting as though they are animals, without a consciousness of right or wrong, without an awareness of a sovereign God’s authority over them. I have witnessed a male robin, fighting his own reflection in a shiny hubcap. It was funny to watch, but the bird was not playing. He was attacking something he could not understand.

The people Jude addresses, here, speak evil of things they know nothing about. I have had people defiantly tell me that “The Bible is nothing but fairytales!” When I confronted them with the fact that they had not read it at all, and thus they did not know what they were talking about, they were angry, but they could not respond. It was the truth! They did NOT know!

¹¹Woe unto them! for they have gone in the way of Cain, and ran greedily after the error of Balaam for reward, and perished in the gainsaying of Core.

Here are three examples in one verse:

Cain tried to circumvent his own guilt as a sinner: He avoided a blood sacrifice. When that failed, he attacked the one who had already been accepted by God on the basis of that blood sacrifice, and killed him! This has been a pattern throughout history, as well.

Balaam was a real prophet, a real believer, but he sold out and was killed. Today he is only remembered for having sold out and having betrayed Israel, in direct disobedience to God.

Core (Old Testament spelling “Korah”) in Numbers 16:1-34, defied Moses as the appointed authority, assuming that Moses was promoting himself as the leader, when in fact, God had appointed him, and had proven it over and over, in supernatural ways. It is astonishing to me that Korah and his comrades could assume that they could take over, and that God would empower them in similar fashion. But God supernaturally put to death all those who followed Korah. At the authority of God, through Moses, the earth swallowed up Korah and his comrades, so that alive, they and thier familie fell into hell. (Wow! What an awful judgment!)

We will have to continue this passage at a later date. Jude has a lot more to say about false teachers, and false brethren. But the Judgment of God is Prominent throughout this epistle.

Lord Jesus, please open our eyes to see Your truth, and to apply it to our own lives. Help us to consistently reject the false claims of the World, of our own deceitful hearts an of the enemy. Let us shine as lights in the current darkness and present You as the Only source of Light.

November 1, 2025November 1, 2025

How To Tell Good Leaders Apart From Bad Leaders

3^rd John: A Letter to a Faithful Brother

3^rd John 1-13

¹The elder unto the well-beloved Gaius, whom I love in the truth. ²Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth. ³For I rejoiced greatly, when the brethren came and testified of the truth that is in thee, even as thou walkest in the truth. ⁴I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth.

⁵Beloved, thou doest faithfully whatsoever thou doest to the brethren, and to strangers; ⁶Which have borne witness of thy charity before the church: whom if thou bring forward on their journey after a godly sort, thou shalt do well: ⁷Because that for his name’s sake they went forth, taking nothing of the Gentiles. ⁸We therefore ought to receive such, that we might be fellow-helpers to the truth.

⁹I wrote unto the church: but Diotrephes, who loveth to have the preeminence among them, receiveth us not. ¹⁰Wherefore, if I come, I will remember his deeds which he doeth, prating against us with malicious words: and not content therewith, neither doth he himself receive the brethren, and forbiddeth them that would, and casteth them out of the church.

¹¹Beloved, follow not that which is evil, but that which is good. He that doeth good is of God: but he that doeth evil hath not seen God. ¹²Demetrius hath good report of all men, and of the truth itself: yea, and we also bear record; and ye know that our record is true.

¹³I had many things to write, but I will not with ink and pen write unto thee: ¹⁴But I trust I shall shortly see thee, and we shall speak face to face. Peace be to thee. Our friends salute thee. Greet the friends by name.

Introduction:

¹The elder unto the well-beloved Gaius, whom I love in the truth.

Gaius may be one of the men who accompanied Paul in his work. Luke mentioned men with the same name (possibly both the same man) in Acts 19:29 and Acts 20:4. Is the “Gaius” in 3^rd John one of those men? Maybe. But, he is someone of whom John fully approves. In verse three we see that he was doctrinally sound, and was living the truth of the Word, not just verbally assenting to it. Read carefully: some of the passages here can be (have been) misused

The Root of the “Prosperity Gospel”

²Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth.

This verse has been used to teach that God’s primary concern is for all of us to be healthy and wealthy. That is false teaching. Hebrews 11:36-38 lists those who lost everything for the sake of the Gospel, and the name of Jesus, and it says that they were the “best of the best.” He says of them that, they were those, “of whom the world was not worthy…”

What does it mean, “to Prosper?”

I looked up the Greek word translated as, “prosper.” I had hoped to ascertain what kind of prosperity it implied. but it turns out that it is pretty much the same in Greek as it is in English: It can literally mean simply to “have a good journey,” or it can imply financial well-being.

Possibly Gaius was well-to-do, and John wished him to remain so. But, possibly his health was in question: The scriptures definitely do NOT teach that if you are walking with God you will never get sick. God says King Hezekiah was the best king Judah ever had. (2^nd Kings 18:1-6.)

Old and New Testament Examples:

And King Hezekiah not only got sick: He was told he would die of it. (2^nd Kings 20) But when he prayed and asked for a reprieve, God granted him healing and fifteen more years of life. In the New Testament, Epaphroditus was near death from sickness. He was sick, and it happened while he was faithfully serving Christ. (GOD says so! Philippians 2:25-30)

Whatever the circumstances, John wished for good health and general prosperity from God for Gaius. That is a common theme in our prayers for one another, too, but this verse does NOT teach that “If you have proper faith, you will always be healthy and wealthy.” That is false teaching, and it turns people’s eyes away from the Person of Christ, looking more to their own condition than to Him. It is becoming a widespread heresy, and it has ensnared many people, some of whom eventually become embittered and completely reject the entire message of Christ because they have been deceived by a false teacher or a false cult.

Leaning on Jesus

We are told to look to Jesus and to trust Him for our circumstances. Proverbs 3:5, 6 says: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not unto your own understanding.” A sister, here in the church, recently sent me a photograph of a power-strip, plugged into itself: The caption read, “This is what it looks like to trust in your own wisdom: there is no Power!” It is a comical picture, of course, but the message is truly serious.

Romans 1:22 says, “Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools…”

Except for the wisdom that God gives us in His Word and by His Holy Spirit, we do not have answers for the problems and questions in life. When we claim to have the answers, we are immediately ensnared in the trap of “professing ourselves to be wise.” And the result for us is the same as the result for the people in Romans 1:22. We become fools.

What Did Gaius Mean in Verse 2?

It seems that John simply extended “Best wishes” for Gaius’ life, especially based upon what he knew of Gaius’ spiritual condition. He was not stating that God’s primary concern for believers is that we should be healthy and wealthy. God gives many warnings to the rich, about their spiritual condition NOT matching their wealth. He gives none at all to the poor, suggesting that they are poor because of a lack of faith.

No! In James 2:5 God says the poor are rich in faith. (click the link and read it!)

³For I rejoiced greatly, when the brethren came and testified of the truth that is in thee, even as thou walkest in the truth.

Evidently the traveling teachers saw that Gaius was living the faith, and obeying the truth. Possibly it was because they saw that he did what John commanded in 2^nd John 4-10. He had questioned them thoroughly before choosing to house and to feed them and sending them on their way, with provisions. They knew that he was faithful to the truth because of his actions, not just his words.

⁴I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth.

This agrees with 2^nd John 4. But it also seems to imply that John considered Gaius to be his spiritual offspring…at least at some level. Whether John had personally introduced Gaius to faith in Christ, or simply had been feeding him and seeing him grow up in the faith, so that he saw Gaius as his “son in the faith,” we cannot know for sure. But we can see the sense of responsibility John felt and understand how pleased he felt to hear from others that Gaius was living the reality of His faith, and standing for the truth of the Gospel.

Fellowship in the Ministry of Missionaries

This is both in contrast and agreement with the warning and admonition given in 2^nd John 4-10. John had also commended “the elect lady” for walking in truth. But he had warned her against lacking discernment, and thereby inadvertently supporting false teachers. Here, in 3^rd John 5-8, he commends Gaius for supporting true teachers (“missionaries,” we might call them) and states that by doing so, we are thereby being “fellow-helpers to the truth.”

What questions should we ask?

How did he know they were true teachers? John gave some “litmus tests” in 1^st John 4:1-6, and in 2^nd John 4-10. The “tests” were doctrinal in nature. What were these teachers teaching? The questions had to do with the person and work of Jesus. Is he truly God in the Flesh? Is he truly virgin-born, thus fulfilling the “Seed of the Woman” prophecy? Did His blood truly satisfy the judgment and Holiness of God for the sins of the entire human race? Was he truly dead, and truly buried? Was He physically resurrected, and is He the eternal God, still today? Is His forgiveness available by faith in His blood, alone…without additional works?

I don’t know what questions Gaius may have asked. But these are the sorts of questions we ought to be asking before supporting missions. We try to only support missionaries who are faithfully teaching good doctrine and the pure Gospel of Christ.

Becoming Partners in the Work of the Gospel

⁵Beloved, thou doest faithfully whatsoever thou doest to the brethren, and to strangers; ⁶Which have borne witness of thy charity before the church: whom if thou bring forward on their journey after a godly sort, thou shalt do well: ⁷Because that for his name’s sake they went forth, taking nothing of the Gentiles.

Part of the proof of the character of these teachers is that they were not “seeking a handout,” and were only being funded by other believers who saw their work as being from God.

⁸We therefore ought to receive such, that we might be fellow-helpers to the truth.

This is God’s approval for Missionary support, and His statement that by doing so we are taking part in their ministry.

A Bad Leader: A Counterexample to Good Leadership

⁹I wrote unto the church: but Diotrephes, who loveth to have the preeminence among them, receiveth us not.

This is the only example of a New Testament church where one man had seized preeminence. All the other mentions of the church leaders stated “elders” (plural) in each “church” (singular.) But Diotrephes wanted to be the chief ruler. He rejected the authority of the apostles, and he rejected the travelling teachers, approved by the apostles. Further, he excommunicated believers who did receive the brethren.

This is a very stern warning to churches who declare themselves to be the sole proprietors of God’s truth. When WE become the standards of what is true, rather than God’s Word, we are in trouble with God.

¹⁰Wherefore, if I come, I will remember his deeds which he doeth, prating against us with malicious words: and not content therewith, neither doth he himself receive the brethren, and forbiddeth them that would, and casteth them out of the church.

Diotrephes didn’t know it yet, but he was in deep trouble! There are many religious leaders in the world today, some of them claiming to be followers of Jesus, who are in the same trouble.

God does not allow us to elevate ourselves above God’s Word, nor to elevate ourselves above our fellow-servants. We do use the Word as a filter, to decide how to respond to people claiming to be disciples. God warns us in advance that false teachers abound and that false brethren are dangerous. (2^nd Corinthians 11:26) He warns us not to be partakers with them. (2^nd John 9, 10; Ephesians 5:7)

Conclusion: Follow That Which is Good.

¹¹Beloved, follow not that which is evil, but that which is good. He that doeth good is of God: but he that doeth evil hath not seen God.

John had just warned them of an evil among them: He told them to “follow not that which is evil!” Then he said, in contrast, “Follow that which is good!” He gave his recommendation that Demetrius was a better example.

¹²Demetrius hath good report of all men, and of the truth itself: yea, and we also bear record; and ye know that our record is true.

Two “Rulers of the Synagogue” (not the Church)

It is an interesting thing to observe, in Acts 18:8, and Acts 18:17 two consecutive “chief rulers” of the Synagogue at Corinth. One, Crispus, became a believer in Jesus, and evidently abandoned his position as “ruler of the synagogue.”

The second, Sosthenes, was savagely beaten by the unbelieving gentiles, after which, he evidently also became a believer…when? We don’t know, but Paul mentioned him in his first letter to Corinth, (1^st Corinthians 1:1) as a brother in Christ. The point is that there is no mention of a “chief ruler” of a church. Perhaps Diotrephes was trying to connect to that Jewish tradition under the Law. I don’t know. But John condemned Diotrephes’s works and he commended Demetrius. I think we can learn from that contrast.

We are given to hope that Demetrius was able to stand against Diotrephes, and that the church would have flourished under a multiple elders, (Gaius and Demetrius, to start?) not that one man who sought to be the “ruler.”

Personal Contact When Possible

¹³I had many things to write, but I will not with ink and pen write unto thee:

Personal contact is important: Sometimes a letter is the best thing, but, these believers had the hope that John would meet with them soon. Did he? We don’t know. But that was his hope as well. The letter, however, stood for eternity. We learn from it today.

¹⁴But I trust I shall shortly see thee, and we shall speak face to face. Peace be to thee. Our friends salute thee. Greet the friends by name.

John’s final blessing to the believers with Gaius, through the mediation of Gaius, stands as one of the rarities among the epistles. Virtually all the epistles are addressed to the churches, NOT the leaders. The leaders are simply part of the church. This one is addressed to an individual. Verse 9 may reveal that Diotrephes had been intercepting John’s previous letters. So, this time, he circumvented Diotrephes by writing to Gaius.

But the blessings extended to the rest of the flock.

Lord Jesus, enable us to absorb the teachings in this epistle and to guide our decisions by the examples given here. Teach us to be the living examples of Jesus on Earth.

October 18, 2025October 18, 2025

How to know the Free Will of Man vs the Sovereignty of God

The Sovereignty of God and the Free Will of Man

Introduction:

Romans 9-11: an overview. (Read the whole passage in one reading. Get the context.)

There was a time when Romans 9:19, 20 defeated my every attempt to understand it, and I became angry every time I tried, so I finally told God I would skip it until He enabled me to understand. Several months later, He honored my intent. He gave me at least enough understanding to be at peace about it. I don’t pretend to fully grasp any single passage of scripture. God’s Word is eternal, and its depth cannot be probed by human effort.

In reality, the focus in Romans 9 is not the “Free will of man vs. Sovereignty of God” at all: Rather it is the question, “So; what about Israel? What about the Jews?”

Within the scope of that question, the “Freewill vs. Sovereignty” question does pop up, but the context relegates it to an issue of service, and election as a chosen vessel, NOT a salvation issue.

It deals nationally with Israel, not on an individual basis. Israel has never been barred from salvation, as witnessed by the fact that Paul, and all the other disciples, plus thousands of Jews at Pentecost and thereafter, were saved, and, initially, those believing Jews comprised the church!

For around 1700 years, prior to the Cross, God used Israel as His main vessel to reach the world. They repeatedly failed Him and rebelled against Him: They sought their own enrichment instead of His Glory. They followed other gods, and they made His Name to stink in the unbelieving world. (Does that sound familiar? Do you know of any groups of people doing that today?)

The Times of the Gentiles

Acts chapter 10 tells the beginning of the Gentile-dominated church, which owes everything to Israel, according to Romans 9:4, 5; 11:11-15. That dominance grew throughout the book of Acts, and it is reflected in many of the epistles. But Romans chapters 9-11 warns that it is NOT permanent, but passing, and that Israel’s best day is yet to come.

The Church is the Bride of Christ, and its members are distinct from all other believers, though we are saved by the same Grace, redeemed by the same Blood, sanctified by the same Spirit, and fed upon the same Bread of Life. Within the church, all other distinctions become insignificant, so that Paul could say, “in Christ there is not Jew or Gentile, bond or free, male or female,” etc. (Galatians 3:28; Colossians 3:11.) So: What about the Jews?

What Choices Did Israel Have?

Did Israel have a choice in the matter of faith? Yes! Did God know ahead of time what their choice would be? Of course! Did he further harden their hearts to provide a clear lesson to others? Apparently so: Compare Exodus 8:15, 32; 9:34, 35; 10:1, 27. In the early passages about Pharaoh, it says he hardened his own heart. In Exodus 10:7 everyone but Pharaoh saw that the hand of God was at work: They protested against the king, saying, “Don’t you understand that Egypt is destroyed?”

But, somewhere along the line, God took his already-hard heart, and extended that hardness beyond normal human capacity for stupidity, and thus took an opportunity to judge Egypt, and to set a standard for Divine Judgment that remains today, and is known throughout the world.

The Effect Upon the Unbelieving World

Pat James told me that his elderly mother, an atheist, read the secular history of the Jews, and the attempts throughout history to exterminate them. She came to see that history as proving the existence of God. She saw Him as the Savior of Israel: She could find no other explanation for their survival. Soon, shortly before she died, she chose to receive their Savior as her own!

But, God has hardened the collective hearts of unbelieving Israel, just as He did to Pharaoh. He stretches their unbelief past the logical limit, to make an example for us, the heathen gentiles.

**Unbelief is the Most Common Response Among all Humans**

Unbelievers have said, “Well, if I saw someone raised from the dead, I’d believe! I’d have no choice!” But, in Luke 16:31, God says they would not: Furthermore, He gave a living example of that truth, in John chapters 11 and 12. When the Jewish leaders saw Jesus raise Lazarus from the dead, they did not embrace the Author of Life: They plotted to kill both Him and Lazarus.

Their unbelief and hardness of heart was incredible! And not all of it was forced upon them. Mark 3:5 says Jesus was grieved by their hardness of heart. Was it foreknown? Yes! Was it predicted? Yes! Was it forced upon them? No! They were given a choice, the same as we are.

When the Magi came to Jerusalem (Matthew chapter 2) “seeking Him that is born King of the Jews,” Herod and all Jerusalem was disturbed. But not a single person cared enough to walk the six miles down to Bethlehem with the Wise Men, to see the Child! Later, though, soldiers were sent to slaughter all the children in his age-peer group. Those were some pretty hard hearts!

The Shepherds had heard the same message, of His birth, and they rejoiced. Simeon and Anna also rejoiced. They were living proof that the remnant within Israel always exists, just as God told Elijah. But the heart of Israel as a nation was already very hard.

**A Personal Choice is Offered: “Whosoever Will”**

So…what about the issues of personal decisions, free will, etc? Does the Gospel really say, “Good News, brother! You may be predestined to spend eternity in Hell! (Heh, heh! Have a nice day…!)”? Or does it actually say, “God so loved the World…that whosoever believeth in Him shall never perish…”?

1^st John 2:2 says the payment made at the Cross is full payment not only for our sins, “…but also for the sins of the whole World.” I have to believe that while God knew my response from eternity past, He still offered me the same choice as others, and He allowed me to struggle through the making of that choice.

More than 45 years ago, a teacher of mine proposed the idea that “We approach the narrow gate, and see written above it ‘Whosoever will may come’. We enter that door by faith, and having entered, we look back, and we see above the door, on the inside: ‘Chosen in Him before the Foundation of the World!’” I suspect that this idea may be pretty close to the truth.

Is God fully Sovereign? Absolutely. And does He give us choices to make, and then hold us accountable to those choices? Absolutely. But do I understand how both can simultaneously be true? Absolutely not! However, I do recognize that The Bible clearly teaches both, so I have to teach both to the best of my ability and understanding.

God Predicts Ultimate Human Failure

The Church is predestined to fail in its Great Commission. (In fact, the modern Church seems bent on following unbelieving Israel in her failure.) Does that excuse us from responsibility? No! The Great Commission stands. The church will fail (See Revelation 3:14-19). But God offers the walk of fellowship, faith and obedience to believers, one by one. (Revelation 3:20) The church at Laodicea was being judged: Jesus did not even say, “…except ye repent…” as a way to escape judgment. But in verse 20, to every individual believer, He still made the offer for personal fellowship and obedience and blessing.

God Saves People One by One

I read a story of a small boy on a Southern California beach: A storm had hit the area the night before, and many thousands of starfish had been washed ashore. Starfish are fairly mobile underwater, but on the beach, out of the water, they are helpless. As the tide receded, the boy was picking up starfish, one by one, and heaving them out, as far as he could, into the water.

A jogger stopped, and asked what he was doing, and with dignity, the boy explained. The man laughed, and said, “This beach stretches on for miles. The starfish will soon die in the sun! What difference do you think you can make?” The boy thought for a moment, then picked up another starfish and hurled it into deep water. “It made a difference to that one!” he replied, as he stooped for another. (James 2:13 seems appropriate: “Mercy rejoices against judgment.”)

We treat obstacles to faith in the same manner. Take them one by one, and make a difference to that one. Make a difference in that one place: That one situation. Make a good decision this time. Be a good witness now: today! Blossom where you have been planted, and await the Master Gardener’s direction for any transplanting that needs to happen. We can’t see the full scope of God’s program, nor could we understand it if we saw it. But we can take the challenges one by one, and daily strive to meet them with God’s Word, and by His Spirit.

**So, Again, What About the Jews?**

One by one, God calls us to love them, and to earnestly reach out to them with the offer of eternal salvation. One by one, we seek their redemption. Psalm 122:6 says, “Pray for the peace of Jerusalem.” But, as a nation, they will continue to rebel until the end of the Church Age. During the Tribulation, a remnant (144,000, to be precise) will succeed in re-evangelizing the world. But many of them and many of those they reach will be martyred for their faith and obedience. The remnant left at the end of the tribulation will be saved by Jesus’ return in glory (Revelation 19, Zechariah 14.)

Then, for the first time ever, ALL Israel shall agree that “Blessed is He that cometh in the Name of the Lord.” And all Israel shall be saved.

What Will Happen Then?

Then, Jesus will judge the living nations (the gentiles) according to how they treated his brethren. (Matthew 25:31, ff) Those He judged to have been believers, and His friends, (having obeyed, by faith, in even tiny acts of compassion to the Jews and/or the other believers) will enter into the 1000-year kingdom promised throughout the history of Israel.

During the Millennial Kingdom, Israel will be the center of the world’s political structure; Jerusalem will literally be the capital of the World, and Jesus will literally, physically, reign there in Jerusalem.

What About Today?

But for now, they (Israel, as a nation) are temporarily set aside: From outward appearances, they look withered, like a branch, cut from a tree. We don’t see the glory of God shining from Israel.

Now, some Christians may think that God has permanently set aside Israel, or even (as some teach) that the Church has somehow replaced Israel in the plan of God. They teach that the Church will now inherit all of Israel’s promises.

But Romans chapters 9-11 show that teaching to be false! The Church is not Israel. We will never inherit the land of Israel, nor their preeminent position during the Kingdom. The Church is called the Bride of Christ: We have an entirely different set of promises, which, while they may overlap in some ways, are completely separate from the promises to believing Israel.

What Choices Do We Have?

As believers, we are given some choices, too: 1^st Corinthians 3:10-16 outlines a two-choice offer always open to believers. We can build into our lives works, that are either “combustible” or “noncombustible.” ALL of those works will finally be tested by fire. The foundation, Christ himself, will be ours forever, along with a reward for that which does not burn, of all our works.

God invites us to work with him in His flock, in His vineyard, and in in His field. We are free to choose to do the will of the Father, or we can choose our own entertainment, our own enrichment and our own comfort, etc. Remember that those choices have eternal results, either way. It is worth thinking about.

Search God’s Word, and learn to make good choices.

Lord Jesus, train our hearts, day by day, and step by step, to choose to trust in You and to choose to follow Your leading. Transform each of us to be Your true Disciples.

October 11, 2025October 11, 2025

How to Choose Joy in a Discouraging World

All—and Nothing: Choosing Joy

Habakkuk 3:17-19; Ephesians 4:31, 32; Philippians 4:6, 7; Proverbs 15:13, 30

Introduction: Choosing Joy in the Face of Destruction

As we recall the destruction around the world, today, and see the continuing worldwide effects of sin, rebellion, persecution, oppression, greed, and poverty, it is easy to slide into either helpless rage or hopeless depression. I would suggest to you that neither is from God. That ALL of the wickedness and suffering we see in the world are the direct (or indirect) result of sin. And that God has provided a correct response for his people.

Please turn with me to Habakkuk chapter three. Habakkuk is a short book. It begins with Habakkuk’s complaint regarding the sin and oppression in Judah, the southern kingdom of divided Israel. God responded and told him that He fully intended to bring punishment through the invasion of a nation called the “Chaldeans”—whom we remember as the Babylonians. Israel and Judah were to go into captivity under Babylon.

A National Sin Problem

Habakkuk was shocked that God would use a nation far more evil than Judah, to punish His backsliding people, the Jews. God assured him that He both could and would do so, but that the Babylonians would transgress too far, and He would deal with them even more harshly than He did Judah. (Remember that Babylon, today, is just a ruin, while Jerusalem, though it has been destroyed repeatedly, is a thriving metropolis.)

Obviously, Habakkuk simply accepted this statement from God, and made a quietly amazing choice: There is nothing showy about it: He knew judgment was coming. But, he simply chose to find his joy in the LORD. (Read Habakkuk 3:17-19)

Finally, Habakkuk listed some the things he expected to see—the fall of Judah—destruction of the pleasant farms and plenteous crops, along with the destruction of Jerusalem’s splendor. He kept the list short, but, to an agrarian society, where the crops and flocks were the immediate, tangible evidence of God’s grace and blessing, these things were extremely important.

Habakkuk made his choice: “Yet will I rejoice in the LORD; I will joy in the God of my salvation.” How can we do that? How can we choose Joy? Let’s look at Ephesians 4:31, 32.

All? Yes, ALL!

Remember that Paul was in the middle of telling the Ephesian believers how to live. He told them (among many other things) that they were to put away from themselves ALL bitterness, ALL wrath, ALL anger, ALL clamor, ALL evil speaking (yes, that includes gossip, slander, etc.) and ALL malice.

Obviously, the problem is in the word “All.” If we misquote this as saying, “Let MOST bitterness and wrath, etc. be put away from you…” Then perhaps we would be “off the hook.” We might think we have an excuse. But that isn’t what it says! Furthermore, that passage is an imperative sentence (a command), and the word is “all”. We have no option to “play around” with evil thinking: God says to set ALL of it aside.

Learn to See Sin as “Weeds“

The biggest key to weeding a garden is to learn what weeds look like when they are very small, and deal with them immediately. Don’t wait to uproot them, until they are waist high and as thick as your finger. The same goes for sin. You need to learn what sin looks like when it is little.

Jesus gave us some hints (Matthew 5:27, 28). He said that the “weed” we call adultery looks like “lust” when it is little. And, maybe it is only known to the one doing the lusting. But that is the power of weeds. They are pretty little green plants when they are young: But they are nasty things when they grow up. And worse yet, they go to seed.

I do not have to wait until I completely fail and fall into sexual immorality before I stop that sin. I can recognize it when I am secretly “peeking” at some woman walking by.

What About Anger?

Obviously, we can recognize anger the same way. But, we can see that anger begins with irritation, indignation, frustration, or something of the sort. Things that we don’t recognize as sin. Be honest with yourself and God, and confess that “I am irritated… I am a little bit angry.” Recognize it as sin. Uproot that weed now! Don’t wait until you have ruined your testimony or your life, and that of your loved ones. Don’t allow bitterness and hatred to eat away at your heart, steal your joy, and ruin your relationship with God and those around you.

What about Fear?

What about fear? Many passages tell us not to fear. I am not going to read any of them right now. I only want to state that fear begins as “anxiety.” Anxiety is from unbelief—not trusting God. We—I—am anxious about all sorts of things. And I am commanded to not be anxious.

What do we call it when we do what God told us not to do? Or fail to do what He commanded us that we should do? We call it sin, don’t we? And all sin breaks fellowship with God. All sin keeps us from feeding on His Word. All sin makes our prayer life fruitless and empty. Fortunately, all sin can be taken to God in confession, according to 1^st John 1:9. (Sometimes that word “all” is pretty nice.)

Nothing? (Yes, Nothing!)

So, what kinds of things are OK to be anxious about? Surely there must be some things about which we can say, “Oh, I’m not anxious! I’m just concerned!” (heh-heh!)

Let’s turn to Philippians 4:6, 7 please. (These are good verses to memorize, by the way!) Paul says that we are to be anxious about very few things, right? Only a short list? One thing? No, he says we are to be anxious for nothing. Instead, by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, we are to bring our concerns to God. Did Habakkuk do that? Yes! And he had a great deal more about which to be concerned than most of us have today, though those of us who try to keep up on the world-news expose ourselves to more sources of anxiety than even Habakkuk had to face.

Anxiety is the beginning of Fear

Just like other sins, we are to recognize fear in its infancy. Anxiety is the “baby-form” of the weed called fear. This is not the good, clean, healthy kind of fear that we call the “fear of the Lord:” This is the infectious, unreasoning kind of fear that says, “God cannot take care of you—you had better take care of yourself!” This fear is from the pit.

During one of the sieges of Jerusalem, the (Assyrian) enemy captain (a fellow named “Rabshakeh”) came and told the people in those exact words, not to place their trust in God. (Isaiah 36:7, 18) Rabshakeh told the people of Jerusalem not to listen to the king who encouraged them to trust in God.

He said that none of the “local gods” had turned away his power, and that if the Jews trusted in their God, they would fall under his army, just as had the others. Rabshakeh was doing his best to instill fear, specifically unbelieving fear, in the hearts of the listeners. He even said that Hezekiah had torn down all the idols, therefore God would judge him. But Hezekiah had done so at God’s leading—God did not honor the idols, and wanted them removed. He had done a good thing! So, the people trusted in God and He saved them from the king of Assyria.

If we begin to recognize sin in its infancy, and root it out by confession and repentance, it will not gain such a deep root. If we learn to literally “pray about everything,” then we will be more focused on God than we are focused on self.

What about Human Enemies?

So, what about folks we don’t like? Do you have an enemy? Or at least, someone you think of as an enemy? In fact, maybe all you admit is that you don’t like them. How do we deal with that?

You Must Ask Yourself: “Is that person someone for whom Jesus died?”

(The Answer is “Yes!”—1^st John 2:2) If that is so, how is it that you feel free to despise them? What did Jesus say to do about our enemies? (Matthew 5:44) He said, “Love your enemies.” (And, that is the Agapé love…it has nothing to do with feelings.) He said “Bless those who curse you. Pray for those who mistreat you.” (Hmmm…. We are back to not being angry, not being anxious, and praying about everything, aren’t we?)

So, What about an Impending Disaster?

Is there something you can/should do to prevent it? If so, then do it. If not, then you have to accept that a disaster is “on your list for today,” and allow yourself to go through it with God. All of us face death. Each is born with a death-sentence. Those who have placed their trust in Jesus Christ for salvation still face death, but it has lost its sting. Death is a shadow, not a substance, and we pass through (not fall into) the valley (not the pit) of death. We travel with Jesus.

Geologists tell us that what we call “Yellowstone Park” is actually one gigantic super-volcano, one of the three largest in the world. The geologists say that if (or when) it erupts, the United States, as we know it, will simply cease to exist. It would essentially wipe out a third to a half of the continental US.

Is there anything we can do about it? Nope! The Yellowstone Caldera is capable of an eruption 1000 times greater than that of Mt. St. Helens. There was nothing we could have done, even, to stop Mt. St. Helens from erupting: Far less the Yellowstone Super-volcano. Is there any reason to be anxious, then? No, not really! God has his plan, and we will have to accept it as it comes.

Can We Act, to Avoid Danger?

But let’s say it is something more recognizable, like a hurricane or tornado, or a fire, or flood: is it OK to “get out of the way?” Of course it is! The proverbs (Proverbs 22:3) say that “the wise man sees the evil and hides himself, while the simple continues on and is punished.”

My mother and sister were crossing West Texas in a small car. A rainstorm had begun, with wind and lightning, and it soon was raining so hard they could hardly see the road, even by driving very slowly with the wipers going at full speed. They came to an overpass, and saw a cluster of vehicles crowded up under it. Being Oregonians, they didn’t know the significance, and they simply drove on, laughing: They thought, “The rain isn’t that bad!”

But, they had no radio in the car: Everyone else was taking shelter from a tornado! They drove on, and only heard about the tornado much later. I’m grateful that God kept them safe, but in truth, had they known the danger, the wise thing would have been to take cover (and they would have done so). Wisdom and timidity are two different matters. “God has not given us the spirit of fear (timidity—cowardice) but of power, and of Love, and of a sound mind.” (2 Timothy 1:7)

So, What about Depression?

There are whole books on the subject, but I would like to point out that we are each a three-part being: body, soul and spirit. All three parts affect the whole. If you allow your spirit to be unhealthy, through sin or neglect, it will affect the whole person. And, if you feed your soul on emotional trauma and unnecessary, ungodly drama, then it will affect the whole person. If you allow your physical body to deteriorate through lack of exercise, bad physical habits, lack of sleep, or bad nutrition, eventually it will affect the whole person.

Elijah suffered from depression on at least one occasion (1^st Kings 19.) He begged God to let him die. God took care of the physical needs first; he gave him sleep, food, and water, and then exercise. Then he corrected his thinking: you see, one of the things tormenting Elijah’s mind was simply an error. He did not know the facts. God straightened him out on that level. Finally, He gave him a purpose—a new assignment from God. And the depression was gone!

Can We “Alleviate” Depression?

In many (not “all”) cases, depression can be alleviated by following God’s example and getting adequate sleep, good nutrition, proper exercise and proper thought-food, or emotional-food. (What kind of music do you listen to? What kind of books do you read? Are you watching TV? What kind of shows? Do you watch Movies? What kind of movies? What kind of conversations do you engage in?) Finally, most importantly, how is your spirit being fed? Are you in the Word? And, are you feeding on the Word, or just putting in your time? Are you rejoicing in the Lord? Or just doubting him?

Proverbs 15:30 says that “The light of the eyes rejoices the heart, and a good word maketh the bones fat.” (Fat bones?) He says that I can choose the light of the eyes…I can look to the light, rather than focusing on darkness. We don’t deny that darkness exists. We simply shine the light of God’s Word on the dark things, thereby dispelling the darkness. That is healthy! It “nourishes the bones.” It makes you strong. And it rejoices the heart.

Yet Will I Rejoice in the LORD

Let’s go back to Habakkuk 3:18, 19. The all-caps “LORD” is how the translators chose to designate the YHWH of Hebrew scriptures. This is the “I AM”, of Moses’ experience. The “I AM THAT I AM:” It was God’s answer to the question, “Who are you?”

We are to rejoice in who God is. We are to rejoice in all of his attributes. Learn to list in your mind all that you know about God, and to find joy in who He is. Thank Him, and rejoice in each thing as you remember it. Can you at least look around yourself at the creation and rejoice in the incredible variety and intricacies of life? Can you take joy in the order of the creation, its beauty and the fact that the Maker thereof has chosen to reveal himself to you at all?

Habakkuk said, “I will joy in the God of my salvation.” If nothing else, can you be glad that you are saved? Can you take heart in his Grace? Ponder for a moment why God even wanted to save you. I confess that I can’t understand His love at all. I do not know why he stooped to save us all. But I am awfully glad He did. I can rejoice in that!

Hind’s Feet on High Places

In conclusion, look at verse 19. Habakkuk says that the result of finding your joy in the LORD is that He will make your feet like “hind’s feet.”. (A “hind” is a type of deer that loves high country. It is extremely sure-footed, and very seldom falls.) God says He will not only make you sure-footed, so that you will never fall: He says He will also “set you on your high places.” He will put you above the disasters of life …make it possible to see things from His perspective.

We read in 2^nd Peter 1:10 that “…if you practice these things you will never fall.” (What things??) The things he listed in verses 2-9. We are to grow in the Lord, by Bible study, prayer, and obedience. Some of the commands that we are to obey involve the words “all”, and “nothing”. We can either “learn to lay aside all the sin that so easily entangles us” and “be anxious for nothing,” or we can go on muddling along in darkness, wasting our time and our lives, and being miserable as a result. That is the choice we have to make.

Joy is a choice. It takes practice. It takes diligence. But it is a choice, and it is one we can live with. I haven’t mastered this, but I am working at it, and will continue to do so. There are those around us who have already learned to choose joy. Take their example, and that of Habakkuk….

Choose Joy.

Lord Jesus, help us to respond to Your Word in faith, and make us surefooted in our walk with You. Teach us the art of contentment and the treasures of Joy.

September 13, 2025September 13, 2025

Do You Know How to Find Your Answers From the Mouth of God?

Where Do We Find Answers? From the Mouth of God!

(Part 1)

Introduction:

We all seem to have many questions in common. How can the believer have assurance that he/she is saved? And, how can we know for sure that “peace with God” is a settled issue? How can we overcome doubts and self-condemnation? How can we know God’s will for our lives? Believerrs ask these questions over and over, and in some cases, they never find an answer. Where do we look for answers? Can human wisdom (and/or human reasoning) provide solid answers? Or, should we simply, blindly, trust that “everything will be all right?” To whom should we turn for the answers?

God Has the Answers

To a new believer, I would advise: We need to begin by establishing a confidence that God himself has all the answers. We can’t count on ourselves or any other human being to have complete knowledge, insight and wisdom. But God does have it! Proverbs 2 tells us that He is the source of all wisdom. James 1:5 echoes this idea.

But Proverbs 2:6 says that “…out of his mouth comes wisdom…” God’s Living Word links Himself to us. He prompts us by his Spirit, by other people, etc., but the written Word is our “…more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place...” (2 Peter 1:19)

So, try to establish a pattern of reading, and study, to begin familiarizing yourself with God’s Word. If you don’t understand a verse, or a passage, or a concept, don’t worry about it: just make a note of that passage, and come back to it later. When you find something that seems to speak to your particular need, write it down, and perhaps select a verse to memorize. In this way, you will keep building a supply of material and tools that God can use to teach you.

Fellowship is Important

Also, begin to regularly attend a good church. Find an assembly of believers who teach the Bible as God’s Word, and who do not teach “peculiar doctrine,” or twist the scripture to make it say something unusual. Let the Holy Spirit guide you. Additionally, you should ask for a doctrinal statement, and read it carefully. Not every group calling itself “Christian” is actually teaching the pure Gospel.

However, it is important to find believers with whom to fellowship, and from whom to receive encouragement and teaching. Then, as you study God’s Word, and as you fellowship with other believers, you should begin gaining a solid understanding of the answers to the questions most of us have. So, let’s talk about some of those specific questions:

How Can I Know I’m Saved?

This is a very common question, and probably the most important question one can ask. If you have no confidence that you are a child of God, then there is no point in trying to live like one.

A simple way to find an answer is to first ask, “What does it take to be saved?” and then, “Have I satisfied that requirement?” So: what does it take? How does salvation occur? The Philippian Jailer, in Acts 16:30, asked, “…what must I do to be saved?” Acts 16:31 says “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved…” That was Paul’s answer! It is not a complicated matter. But perhaps it bears clarification.

What Did Jesus Tell Nicodemus?

In John 3:14-16 Jesus was talking to Nicodemus, explaining to him how to be born again. He adds some insight as to the nature of belief and salvation, but still says “believe.” He said, “¹⁴And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: ¹⁵That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. ¹⁶For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

(Remember, we saw, in Numbers chapter 21, that the children of Israel were in trouble with God. He sent migrating vipers among them as punishment for sin: People were bitten, and they were dying! God commanded Moses to make a bronze serpent and hang it up high on a pole, where everyone could see it (bronze and brass were symbols of judgment.) He called for anyone who was bitten to look to that bronze serpent…confessing that this was God’s judgment, The result? They did not die. It does not say that the pain went away, or that He would heal miraculously the punctures in their flesh . But, having looked to God’s solution, they escaped death.)

A Promise From Jesus

In John 5:24, Jesus gives a conditional promise: it has two conditions to be fulfilled, and a three-clause promise. He said, “²⁴Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.” Jesus told the crowd:

If they heard his Words, and believed (placed their trust in) the One who sent him,
Then they had eternal life—right then!
And furthermore, He said that God would never condemn them:
They had permanently crossed over from death into life.

A Detailed Explanation from Paul

Romans 10:8-17 gives more detail: “⁸But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach; ⁹That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. ¹⁰For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

¹¹For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed. ¹²For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him. ¹³For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.

¹⁴How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher? ¹⁵And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things! ¹⁶But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Esaias saith, Lord, who hath believed our report? ¹⁷So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

Paul said that if a person calls upon (invokes, places their faith in) the name of the Lord, they will be saved. Then he said that one could not “call upon” someone in whom they did not believe, and they couldn’t believe what they hadn’t heard, and couldn’t hear without one to tell them. This is why we practice evangelism, and support missions!

How Important is the Gospel of Christ?

Romans 1:16 says that the Gospel, being believed, is the power of God to save people…and it is the only thing so called in scripture. Jesus’ death at the cross is “Plan A:” There is no “plan B!”

1 Corinthians 15:3, 4 defines the Gospel. “³For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; ⁴And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:”

The Gospel is the good news that Jesus died for our sins according to the scripture, that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures (in fulfillment of prophecy). This message, being believed, is what Romans 1:16 says is God’s power to save those who believe.

Two Positions

1 Corinthians 15:22 defines two “positions,” with their respective results. Paul says, “all in Adam died; all in Christ shall be made alive”. Then, we can apply these verses to our own position, to ask, “Am I in Christ, or am I still in Adam?” This is a question that only you can answer. But, according to Jesus’ promise which we already read in John 5:24, if you have:

listened to, (or have read, or heard it in some other way) the Good News concerning Jesus’ death and burial and resurrection, and have
believed that His blood sacrifice is enough to pay for all your sins, and so have truly placed your dependence on Him as your Savior,

then God says you have eternal life already, and that you now belong to Him. He wants to begin to change your life, to make you more like Himself. If you rebel against him, he will not change his mind, and take away the eternal life He promised, but you will be unhappy and unfulfilled until you correct the problem, whatever it is, because you won’t be free to fellowship with Him.

**So, What do I do When I don’t “Feel Saved?”**

Many believers occasionally feel this way. When I questioned my salvation, I went back, mentally, and reviewed what itsalvation required. I asked myself, “Was there ever a time when you placed your full trust in Jesus’ completed work at the Cross? Do you believe His Blood is sufficient to pay for all your sins?” The answer in my case is “Yes.”

So, the answer forced me to conclude that salvation was not the issue. I had to conclude that probably I was simply out of fellowship with God. (Incidentally, as I have gone through this sequence a number of times, I have more and more quickly arrived at the correct conclusion: I was out of fellowship with God.)

So, What Breaks Fellowship With God?

In a word, “Sin!” Sin breaks fellowship with God. Amos 3:3 says that two cannot walk together unless they agree; Psalm 66:18 says “if I regard iniquity in my heart, God will not hear me.”

Romans chapter 6 assures me that I do not have to sin. Romans 6:16 says that when I choose to submit myself to sin, I temporarily become a slave to it again.

1^st John 1:5, 6 says, “God is Light, and in Him is no darkness at all.” So, if we say that we have fellowship with Him, and our lives don’t match His truth, then we are fooling ourselves. We are not in fellowship.

How do we restore fellowship? By confession. 1^st John 1:9 “if we confess our sins, He is faithful and just, to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

How do we maintain fellowship? By obedience. 1^stJohn 1:7 “If we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the Blood of Jesus Christ, His Son, cleanses us from all sin.”

Walking with Jesus

Can we “eradicate” Sin from our lives? I don’t believe we can: 1^st John 1:8, 10 says that if we think we have no sin, we are fooling ourselves, and that if we simply claim we have never had a sin problem, then we are making God a liar. So, just as Paul struggled with his indwelling sin nature (Romans 7,) in the same manner, we have to fight it.

Colossians 2:6 says we are to walk in Christ in the same way we received Him (by faith). “Walking” implies a continuous action, not a one-time action. It also implies a step-by-step, relatively slow action, not an idea of moving by “leaps and bounds,” nor of coasting, gliding, or sprinting. In light of the verses listed above, and the wealth of information given to believers concerning how to live the Christian life, it seems safe to say that we will not be without sin until the day we go to be with God. Then, according to 1 John 3:2, “…we shall be like him, for we shall see Him as He is.”

The Christian life has battles, in which God expects us to stand fast. (Ephesians 6:10-18 describes the armor and tells us who the enemy is; James 4:7 says we are to submit to God and resist Satan; 1 Peter 5:8, 9 says that the enemy is deadly, and that he stalks us, but that we are to resist him steadfastly.)

How Do We Do It?

The key is to be filled with, or to walk in, or be led by the Holy Spirit. (Ephesians 5:18 “be filled with the Spirit”; Galatians 5:16-23 “…walk in the Spirit”; Romans 8:14 “be led by the Spirit.” All three are the same idea.) The Christian life is not difficult; it is impossible apart from the indwelling, presiding Holy Spirit living His life through us, moment by moment: day by day.

I trust that each of you is looking to God for the whole life He has to offer you. Please come again, next week, and we will discuss some specific issues in the Christian life.

Lord Jesus, please teach us to find our answers in You: in Your Word, by your Spirit, and always as a manifestation of your Wisdom. Help us to apply Your wisdom to each of our personal lives, so that we become the Men and Women of God that you have called us to be.

September 6, 2025September 6, 2025

Learn How to Believe that ALL of the Bible is For You

How Can I Know that ALL of the Bible is For Me?

Introduction:

I often say, “All of God’s Word is for you, but not all of it is to you.” That could sound like heretical teaching, but it is not intended to be that at all. It only means that when God says “you,” it is important that we see who He means. When He makes a promise, to whom was the promise given? Or, if He gave a command, to whom was it directed?

This is just part of careful interpretation, regardless of what you read. If we read the newspaper, a legal document, or a personal letter, the context in which a word is spoken means a great deal in interpreting any document.

Two Examples:

I like to ask, “When Jesus said, “That thou doest, do quickly,” does it mean Christians are always supposed to be in a hurry?” (But, this was Jesus’s command, given to Judas Iscariot: Judas had just then decided to betray the Lord, in John 13:27.) So, the obvious answer is “No! That command was not to everyone: it was only to Judas!”

But, then I might ask, “How about the Great Commission? To whom was it given?” If we read casually, we might say, “It was directed to the Eleven Disciples!” But a more careful reading would find that the eleven disciples were to produce other disciples across the whole world; and that they were to teach those disciples to obey all that Jesus had commanded the Eleven. (So… what had He just commanded the Eleven to do?)

Yes! The Great Commission is for all believers in the Church age. But, by extension, the Great Commission is also TO all believers! The “spiritual chain reaction” began at Pentecost in the second chapter of Acts. We see the continuing command in 2^nd Timothy 2:2. Paul commanded Timothy to teach (make disciples of) reliable, “…faithful men, who could teach others also.”

**But, We Believe the Whole Bible, Don’t We?**

Yes! We believe the Whole Bible. All of it is true. All of it is the inspired Word of God. But, in Genesis, for example, we can see that the entire book is mostly a narrative. The few commands there are usually to a single individual. We learn fundamental precepts there, about the nature of God, and we see, in “seed form,” the principles that fill the whole Word of God. We especially see the broad patterns there. Usually, though, the “commands” we find are very specific: they were given to specific individuals.

However, in the New Testament, we see that Jesus and the Apostles clearly saw the entire Old Testament as being the Word of God (not just “containing the Word of God.”) They quoted some passages verbatim, but often simply alluded to some narrative about a person or a situation, to demonstrate a concept. And, in those cases, if we were not familiar with the Old Testament history, we would completely miss the point of the New Testament teaching that’s based on that passage…and is derived from that passage. Let’s look at some examples:

Example 1: What About the Serpent in the Wilderness?

A good example of this is Jesus’s teaching (directed to Nicodemus, but still priceless to us) about why Moses “…lifted up the serpent in the wilderness.” (John 3:14-15) If we don’t know the story in Numbers 21:5-9, then we will be utterly mystified by the comparison Jesus made between Himself and that bronze serpent. (The one Moses lifted up on a pole, during the desert wanderings of Israel.) It represented God’s judgment for sin! The People were invited to “Look, and Live!”

Jesus was nailed onto that Cross as God’s judgment for the sins of the entire human race. We are invited to believe, trusting that the payment is complete, and Live! Jesus said, “It is finished!” meaning, “It is completed! I have completed the job I was sent to do!” The people were invited to look to God’s salvation from the venomous snakes, by looking to the bronze serpent. In so doing, they confessed that their sins had brought the judgment! And the result was that they did not die for their sins.

We are also invited to “Look and Live!” Jesus said, “As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but have everlasting life!” So, both the Old Testament account in Numbers 21 and the Gospel account of Nicodemus are priceless information for us, though neither was technically directed to us!

Example 2: What About “The Rock?”

When we read about Moses bringing water from the Rock (twice) during that same period of history, we might shrug and think, “Oh, yes: I know God miraculously provided water in the desert! That is wonderful, but it has very little application in my life…that was all for Israel!”

But we tend to forget that there were around 2.4 million people there, plus all their (numerous) herds of livestock. It was not just a little “spring” that God supplied: It was millions of gallons of water, coming out fast enough to supply all twelve tribes at once.

And in 1^st Corinthians 10:4, we find some really astonishing news: that spiritual Rock that followed them in the wilderness…was Christ! It is not given as an allegory or a metaphor. It is stated as a reality! And…Jesus is with me today! If He is truly that spiritual “Rock” that accompanied Israel through the physical desert, can He supply the spiritual water of life to me, today? Can He supply the Living Water to me as freely as He provided physical water to Israel?

And, the Water?

The story of “The Woman at the Well,” in John 4:4-14 helps us to link the two concepts. She thought Jesus was offering physical water, in an unending supply. But He made it clear that He offered something more. He invited her to receive that Living Water from Him!

Jesus’s promise in John 7:37-39 “completes the connection” for us! He offered that same Living Water, but the next verse explains that He meant the indwelling Holy Spirit, who was “not yet given!” Today, however, The Holy Spirit has been given. And, ever since Pentecost, He indwells each believer. What’s more, in John 14:23, Jesus makes it clear, that, in the person of the Holy Spirit, the entire Trinity has taken up residence in us. What an astounding idea!

He is still the Rock of Ages, supplying His cleansing blood for our salvation, and the endless flow of Living Water, for our continuing walk with Him. He invites the sinner to Come to Him, to Look, by faith, and to Live: To Receive His Eternal Grace and have Eternal Life today!

Example 3: What about Jonah?

In Matthew 12:39, 40 Jesus cited Jonah’s experience in the belly of the great sea creature, as a rebuke to his enemies who asked for a sign. They had demanded yet another sign, and He gave them only the sign of Jonah.

And it Does Two Things for Us:

First: It tells us that the story of Jonah is true. It truly happened, just as told. If I am uneasy with that idea, I have a problem. IfI don’t believe the book of Jonah is completely true, then I am saying that Jesus was wrong about His own Word! But many deny that the story of Jonah is true. They relegate it to the status of a “myth!” But, Jesus treated it as a fact! He treated it as history.

Second: It told us that Jonah’s experience was specifically a prophecy of the resurrection of Jesus! (Jesus called Jonah a prophet: what other prophecy did Jonah make? Or is it just the fact that he spoke for God?) But without that Old Testament prophet to read, we would be blind to the message Jesus offered. If we couldn’t go back and read the Book of Jonah, then we wouldn’t know what He was talking about. We would completely miss the prophecy!

Personal Application

Now: Were the commands in the book of Jonah directed to You? Did Jesus command you to go to Nineveh? (No…He didn’t.) But in that small book, we can see God’s compassion toward people whom we may consider our enemies. The teaching is there for us …if we are looking for it. How high is the priority you assign to the souls around us who are dying as we watch?

Last year, we heard that the president of an Islamic nation (who was the self-proclaimed enemy of Western culture, and the USA specifically,) was killed in a helicopter crash. What should our response be? Should we rejoice that one of our enemies is gone? Or should we grieve the fact that one of God’s created beings, created in His image, has perished, and is almost surely lost?

Jonah saw that Nineveh (the capital of Assyria) was filled with the enemies of his people, Israel! And God commanded him to extend God’s Grace to them! (No wonder he ran away!) And when God succeeded in bringing Nineveh to faith, Jonah was furious, saying, “I knew You were going to do this!” But God revealed the sin in Jonah’s heart, and the compassion in His own heart.

What about Me?

Do I have that same compassion? Or am I apathetic toward the lost, at best, seeing them only as enemies of the Faith? Jonah’s story may not be to me, but it surely is for me!

Jonah preached for three days and saw over 120,000 souls saved….and was furious with God for saving them. Jeremiah, in contrast, grieved and wept for the souls to whom he offered the truth of God. And only two (as far as we are told in scripture) accepted his message as truth, responding in faith. Jonah saw huge results but had a terrible attitude. Jeremiah had compassion for the lost, but saw a very small response. (And, I would still rather be “on Jeremiah’s team!”)

**But, Is it All for Us?**

2^nd Timothy 3:16, 17 says, “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness; that the man of God may be perfect, (complete) thoroughly furnished unto all good works.”

We have looked at commands and promises given to individuals in the historical narratives of the Old Testament: We saw how some of them could be applied as being “for us to live by.” But others were only for examples from which we can learn the principles of God’s righteousness.

Divinely Given Examples

In 1^st Corinthians 10:11, Paul says, “Now all these things happened unto them for examples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come.”

You remember that (in Daniel 12:8, 9) Daniel was told that the prophecy he had just received was not for him but rather for the people of the end times. The Apostle Paul saw that the church is increasingly part of that “end times” fulfillment. Today we eagerly look, hoping to see the fulfillment of the “end times” of Daniel’s Prophecy, as they happen. But we also need to look eagerly to see and obey the admonitions of the Old Testament scriptures that Paul points out.

David spoke to that effect, as well, in Psalm 119:9-11, 105, 130. “⁹Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed thereto according to thy word. ¹⁰With my whole heart have I sought thee: O let me not wander from they commandments. ¹¹Thy Word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.”

“¹⁰⁵ Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path.”

“¹³⁰The entrance of thy words giveth light; it giveth understanding to the simple.”

This is how we learn to walk with God: By feeding on His Word. (And it is all food! If you are hungry, Eat!)

What About the “Personal” Books?

In the books of Ruth, Esther, and Job, we see corroboration of the historical books, as well as “inside information” about some of the events in those histories.

The events in the Book of Ruth all occurred during the history of the Book of Judges. But it tells us some “inside information” regarding the Genealogy of Christ, and, in doing so, it paints a clear picture of the coming Kinsman-Redeemer. We could see that Boaz was a picture of Jesus, our Redeemer. We could also see that Ruth, the Moabite woman, was a picture of the Church. She was a gentile woman from a tribe (the Moabites) cursed by God, but she was “grafted into” the genealogy of Christ, as one of his human ancestors!

The events in the Book of Esther happened during the Babylonian captivity: This book links the Jews in Exile to their Redeemer: It shows that He had not forgotten them. When the enemy moved to destroy them, God intervened. (Incidentally, this book is also the origin of the Feast of Purim, which commemorates that delivery, and it is still celebrated today by Orthodox Jews.)

The events in the Book of Job probably occurred about the same time Abraham was alive, though we can’t attach a definite date. But it tells us a good deal of “inside information” about our relationship with God, the limitations of Satan’s authority, and a few details about the Creation, as well as some hints about the angelic host.We see a prophecy there (Job 19:25-27,) that reaches far into the future, to the second coming of Christ, after the Great Resurrection! Again: it is all food! If you are hungry, EAT!

What About the “Meditations and Wisdom” Portions?

The Psalms and Proverbs hold Eternal Wisdom. So do the Song of Solomon and Ecclesiastes. Some parts are more easily applicable than others, but all of them are there for us to read, and to memorize them, and to meditate on them, and always, to profit by them!

Psalms

We just quoted a portion of Psalm 119. That chapter is 176 verses long, and all but four verses refer in some way directly to the profitability and necessity of the Word of God! David used many terms other than “word” to make clear the multifaceted nature of God’s Word: “Precepts, commandments, statutes, testimonies, law, ways, judgments, words, truth, and ordinances.” All these are used to describe His Word. And the four verses that do not directly refer to His Word all speak of His faithfulness and judgment, or (in one verse) His eternal Name.

Proverbs

In the Proverbs, we find God’s Wisdom, in practical application. Proverbs chapter two says that if we want the wisdom of God, we must pursue it through His Word and ask for it in Prayer.

Ecclesiastes

In Ecclesiastes, we hear the echo of God’s Wisdom coming through a man (Solomon) who had engaged in much folly. At the end of his life, he recognized that all of it had been a total waste of time and energy. He counseled the reader to drop the nonsense and focus on the Lord!

Song of Solomon

The Song of Solomon describes a love relationship between a bride and her beloved, the King. In the time when it was written, it spoke of the king (Solomon) and his betrothed (The Shulamite girl.) But the ultimate fulfillment is in the relationship between Christ (the King of Kings) and the Church (The Bride of Christ.)

What Now?

Look again at the Word of God: Look with New Eyes! It is all food for your soul, and if you faithfully feed upon it, you will grow!

Lord Jesus, we know that we are limited in our understanding of Your Word. Please open our eyes and hearts to understand Your Word, and help us to apply it to our lives.

Re-Focus on the Gifts of God For the New Year

John 3:16; Romans 6:23; Ephesians 2:8, 9; Ephesians 1:3-14; 1st Peter 1:3; 2nd Peter 1:2-4; James 1:17

Introduction:

The “Gift of God” (Singular)

So, How is that “Central Gift” Implemented?

The “Gifts of God” (Plural)

If you have placed your dependence upon Jesus Christ as your Savior, then:

Precious Gifts

More Gifts of God (2nd Peter 1:2-7)

2nd Peter 1:2-4 says,

How Does it Work?

The Goals (2nd Peter 1:5-7)

So, There are Seven Things to Look For:

God’s Perfect Gifts

What do the Hymns really teach?

Introduction:

The Hymnist spelled out that prophecy, in the rest of the hymn.

What about Charles Wesley’s Hymns?

The Beginning

Christ by highest heaven Adored; Christ the Everlasting Lord

Rise, the Woman’s Conquering Seed, Bruise in us the Serpent’s Head

Come, Desire of Nations, Come

Fulfillment Begins

Late in time, behold Him come, offspring of the Virgin’s Womb!

Veiled in Flesh the Godhead See: Hail the incarnate Deity!

Pleased as Man, with Men to dwell; Jesus our Emmanuel

Mild, He lays His Glory By: Born that Man no more may die,

Born to raise the Sons of Earth, born to give them second birth!

How to Receive Him

Hail the Heaven-Born Prince of Peace!

Hail the Sun of Righteousness, Risen with Healing in His Wings!

The Result of Faith

Light and Life to all He brings

Come Desire of Nations, Come: Fix in us thy humble home.

Adam’s Likeness now efface; Fix thine image in its place!

Second Adam, from above, Reinstate us in thy love!

Our Marching Orders:

Joyful all Ye Nations Rise! Join the Triumph of the Skies!

With th’ Angelic Host Proclaim, Christ is Born in Bethlehem

The Results of the Gospel

Peace on Earth, and Mercy Mild; God and Sinner Reconciled.

1st Corinthians Chapter 11 Part One

1st Corinthians 11:2-16

Introduction:

Paul gives a profound, powerful command, here, in 1st Corinthians 11:1

Clothing, Hair, and Head-Coverings

Why Did People Visit Corinth?

So, What Visible Difference Would be Most Obvious?

What does the Rest of Scripture Say?

Other Scripture?

Cultural Roots

What Does It Mean?

And the Men?

What About The Creation Testimony?

What about the Angels??

More from the Creation

Final Word on Head-coverings and Hair length:

What Have We Learned in 1st Corinthians?

Return To Corinthians

In Chapter One, we Learned:

In Chapter Two, we Learned:

In Chapter Three, we Learned:

In Chapter Four, we Learned:

In Chapter Five, we Learned:

In Chapter Six, we Learned:

In Chapter Seven, we Learned:

In Chapter Eight, we Learned:

In Chapter Nine, we Learned:

In Chapter Ten, we Learned:

Chapter Eleven Holds Rich Lessons, Too!

Jude: The False Teachers and Apostates (Part 1)

Judgment is Coming!

Jude 1-25 (Read it!)

Introduction:

To Whom is the Epistle Addressed?

The Result of Genuine Faith

The Subject: Men who have “Crept In Unawares:” False Teachers.

Unbelief Among Believers

A Warning to Believers

Judgement of Fallen Angels

John 3:16; Romans 6:23; Ephesians 2:8, 9; Ephesians 1:3-14; 1^st Peter 1:3; 2^nd Peter 1:2-4; James 1:17

More Gifts of God (2^nd Peter 1:2-7)

2^nd Peter 1:2-4 says,

The Goals (2^nd Peter 1:5-7)

**The Hymnist spelled out that prophecy, in the rest of the hymn.**

**How to Receive Him**

1^st Corinthians Chapter 11 Part One

1^st Corinthians 11:2-16

Paul gives a profound, powerful command, here, in 1^st Corinthians 11:1

**So, What Visible Difference Would be Most Obvious?**

**What about the Angels??**

What Have We Learned in 1^st Corinthians?

3^rd John: A Letter to a Faithful Brother

3^rd John 1-13

**Unbelief is the Most Common Response Among all Humans**

**A Personal Choice is Offered: “Whosoever Will”**

**So, Again, What About the Jews?**