This Week's Bible Study Will Be Titus Chapter One

Hold On To The Truth

[Titus chapter one]

Today we'll be starting an in-depth study of the apostle Paul's letter to Titus, who was a well-known church founder and leader of that time. This is a short book containing only three chapters, so let's just go through one each week before moving on to other things. So without further ado, let's plunge into the warm and refreshing waters of Paul's letter to Titus, beginning with chapter one.

“Paul, a servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ for the faith of God's elect and the knowledge of the truth that leads to Godliness – a faith and knowledge resting on the hope of eternal life, which God, who does not lie, promised before the beginning of time, and at his appointed season he brought his Word to light through the preaching entrusted to me by the command of God our Savior, to Titus, my true son in our common faith: Grace and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Savior. The reason that I left you in Crete was that you might straighten out what was left unfinished and appoint elders in every town, as I directed you. An elder must be blameless, the husband of but one wife, a man whose children believe and are not open to the charge of being wild and disobedient. Since an overseer is entrusted with God's work, he must be blameless, not overbearing, not quick-tempered, not given to drunkenness, not violent, not pursuing dishonest gain. Rather he must be hospitable, one who loves what is good, who is self-controlled, upright, holy and disciplined. He must hold firmly to the trustworthy message as it has been taught, so that he can encourage others by sound doctrine and refute those who oppose it.” (Titus chapter 1, verses 1-9, NIV)

One thing is for sure – the apostle Paul had definitely mastered his considerable writing abilities, as this lengthy greeting to Titus attests. He sure could write some of the longest sentences known throughout the world of literature! The last half of verse 1 is a good starting point to this study, where Paul wrote about “the knowledge of the truth that leads to Godliness – a faith and knowledge resting on the hope of eternal life, which God, who does not lie, promised before the beginning of time...”. How do we arrive at the knowledge of the Truth in this context? By doing just what we're doing here, and that is the continued and ongoing study of the Word of God, combined with Jesus' command to, “Love your neighbor as yourself”. We nourish our spirits with the knowledge of God and the fullness thereof just as we nourish our bodies when we sit down to a nice home-cooked meal. It is this Spiritual knowledge that we ingest that gives us the hope of eternal life that can only be found with Jesus Christ. This same eternal life was promised by God, and was heralded by the prophets of old, from Abraham to John the Baptist.

Paul's instruction for Titus was to “appoint elders in every town, as I directed you. An elder must be blameless, the husband of but one wife, a man whose children believe and are not open to the charge of being wild and disobedient.” It is apparent that the apostle Paul performed the duties of founding and initializing churches, and then leave overseers behind to administer, pastor, grow and uphold those churches. Titus, like Timothy in the last book we studied, was one of those individuals. As you can see, based on the apostle Paul's criteria, churches today would be hard-pressed to find people qualified to be pastors, deacons, bishops, evangelists, and even musicians. The divorce rate among Christians is roughly the same as the secular world. I know that we don't think much of this today because divorce and the broken homes they leave behind are so commonplace, but this would have been considered scandalous at the time these words were written. (My, how times have changed!) The gospel being preached and taught by mainstream religion today is nowhere near what's actually in the Bible. Then there's the matter of the children mentioned in the above verses. The fact is even kids who grow up in Christian households are leaving the church in droves once they reach the age of the majority. The responsibility for this lies with lackluster leadership in churches as well as in the home. Meaning, it's up to us Christians to focus all our energy on rectifying this issue, starting with ourselves and, for those who have them, our kids.

“Since an overseer is entrusted with God's work, he must be blameless, not overbearing, not quick-tempered, not given to drunkenness, not violent, not pursuing dishonest gain.” The word overseer in this context is used interchangeably with pastor or bishop. Those who are entrusted to leadership within and outside of the church are called to a higher standard. Overseers must be humble, not scandalous, cool-headed, thoughtful rather than one who acts impulsively. It is their responsibility to be kindhearted, compassionate, peaceful, with a gentle disposition, and never are they to be money-hungry, greedy or substance abusers. OK, I just disqualified as many as half of all preachers, teachers, vicars or priests that are currently in charge of churches from the smallest to the biggest mega-church, and without regard to denominations or creeds either. Unfortunately, many of today's church leaders have turned their churches into profitable enterprises instead of fulfilling their responsibilities. They sell untold numbers of books, CD's, DVD's and other merchandise, raking in millions. Some even have their own airplanes! The money spent on those planes could have been used to build 200 houses for Habitat for Humanity. Or, it could have been spent in poor countries in Africa or Asia so the people could have running water and electricity. People here in the Western countries take these things for granted, but they are still considered luxuries in 3^rd world countries globally. I think it is outrageous that more isn't being done by the modern Church to alleviate these human rights issues. It is even more outrageous that so many churches are hoarding cash and goods without sharing with the poor and needy individuals in their communities!

“He must hold firmly to the trustworthy message as it has been taught, so that he can encourage others by sound doctrine and refute those who oppose it.” Stick to the Gospel, Paul wrote. Don't get sidetracked by playing a numbers game where the pastor with the most money and most membership wins. That was not the message of Christ at all! Remember what Jesus said: “No man can serve two masters. He/she must cling to one while despising the other, or serve another while rejecting the first. You cannot worship both God and materialism”. (Matthew 6: 19-21) They are like oil and water, they simply don't mix. Indeed, they are polar opposites of each other. Again, it is just as Jesus said in the four Gospels: “It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than it is for a rich man to inherit eternal life”. “But who, then, can be saved?”, asked the apostles who were with him at the time. Jesus replied, “With God, all things are possible.” (Matthew 19: 16-26) But it is by sound doctrine and Spiritual nourishing that the entire body of Christ, which is his church and the only true Church regardless of religious denomination or creed, can be saved for eternity. And now let's tackle the second half of today's study starting at verse 10.

“For there are many rebellious people, mere talkers and deceivers, especially those of the circumcision group. They must be silenced, because they are ruining whole households by teaching things they ought not to teach – and that for the sake of dishonest gain. Even one of their own prophets has said, “Cretans are always liars, evil brutes, lazy gluttons”. This testimony is true. Therefore, rebuke them sharply, so that they will be sound in the faith and will pay no attention to Jewish myths or to the commands of those who reject the truth. To the pure, all things are pure, but to those who are corrupted and do not believe, nothing is pure. In fact, both their minds and consciences are corrupted. They claim to know God, but by their actions they deny Him. They are detestable, disobedient and unfit for doing anything good.” (Titus, chapter 1, verses 10-16, NIV)

When Paul mentioned the “circumcision group”, he was referring to a group of Jewish believers in Christ who insisted on the preservation of the Old Law or the Law of Moses (as the Jewish believers called it and still do to this day), or the Old Testament as we non-Jews call it. According to Levitical law, newborn male children were circumcised when they were 8 days old by having the foreskin of their private parts removed. But the law of Christ, or the New Testament, replaced the Law of Moses and the bloody animal sacrifices as atonement for sin. In its place, it is the shed blood of Christ on the cross which fulfills the Old Law (Matthew 5: 17). Instead of offering daily sacrifices on a flaming altar as in the days of old, Jesus has made himself the Supreme Sacrifice for us all, and it is a Sacrifice that only needed to be offered up just once for the forgiveness of our sins toward God and each other. So the crux of the matter here is that the customs of old have all been replaced, rendering the Old Law obsolete. (This does not mean we should stop studying the Old Testament. On the contrary, by reading the Old Testament we get an understanding of the foundation for the new one.) It is not necessary, both then and now, to practice both faiths side by side. Anyone who is teaching that it is still necessary is adding something to the Word of God that simply isn't there. We should never do that!

“... rebuke them sharply, so that they will be sound in the faith and will pay no attention to Jewish myths or to the commands of those who reject the truth...”. If you are in a church that teaches this, and there is a Christian denomination that does (which I will decline to name), go and find a better church ASAP. God will judge those who engage in contrary teaching and false or distorted preaching of the Word. “To the pure, all things are pure, but to those who are corrupted and do not believe, nothing is pure. In fact, both their minds and consciences are corrupted. They claim to know God, but by their actions they deny Him.” What was Paul trying to say here? If you are a pure person – not by the world's standards, but rather by God's – then many things become sacred, such as the preservation of life, or showing kindness towards poor people, children, the sick, the elderly and the homeless. Our planet earth with all its abundant natural beauty is also sacred. The love we show towards one another is most sacred of all (next to our love of God) because it emulates Christ, who through his unfathomable and unconditional love has saved us all, giving us eternal life with Him. 

 

For those individuals and even entire families who will not believe, love and affection are conditional, and there is no such thing as something absolute in its nature. Being a good person – or not – is relative according to such people. There is nothing absolutely right or wrong as far as they are concerned. “It depends on the circumstances and the people involved”, they'll tell you. They will profess their Christianity every Sunday morning, but for the other six days of the week, anything goes as long as it achieves a goal and is beneficial, but only to that “believer”. Excuse me for throwing a bucket of ice water on these secular ideas (many of which are embedded falsely into Christianity), but that is not how God works at all! Because of this they deceive themselves and each other into believing a lie! If you ever spot this behavioral issue, which is actually a Spiritual issue, in any church, do not hesitate to go and find a better one. “Blessed are the pure in heart”, said Jesus, “for they will see God” (Matthew chapter 5, verse 8). This is a worthy goal for us all, so until next week let's devote ourselves to our own purification before the Lord. Your very salvation in Christ may well depend upon it.

What's Gone Wrong With Our Churches?

Three Reasons Millennials Are Abandoning Christianity

by Rev. Paul J. Bern

Chances are that if you are in your 20's or 30's, you are not a church member. Polling is now a highly sophisticated industry, and religious organizations are being fed some irrefutable numbers about what is happening among their congregations. In a single generation, the Catholic and Christian church dropout rate across all denominations has increased five-fold. The Barna Group, a leading research evangelical Christian organization based in Ventura, California that focuses on the intersection of faith and culture, says 80 percent of the young people raised in a church will be “disengaged” before they are 30. The fault for this lies with those same denominations, and particularly their leadership as far as I am concerned. These churches – and I'm not going to name any denomination in particular – and their members spend every Sunday morning being religious for an hour, and then spend the rest of the week doing whatever suits them. They call themselves Christians while isolating themselves from the very people they are supposed to be ministering to! We as believers are charged with this very duty, as Jesus has taught us: “He said to them, 'Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.” (Mark chapter 16, verses 15-16) As to whether one believes or not, that is between them and God. My responsibility lies with teaching about Jesus Christ and the Bible. I cannot force anyone to believe, since force is never the way of Christ anyway. But the outcome of disbelief is clearly spelled out.

In the past 20 years, the number of American people who say they have no religion has doubled and now exceeds 15 percent. Those numbers are concentrated in the under-30 population. The polling data continues to show that a dramatic exit is taking place from Christian churches, both in America and globally. Is it any wonder? There are too many churches I have been to that look more like fashion shows than places of worship. Many others insist that the members must “tithe” 10% of their income as specified in the Old Testament. Never mind what Jesus taught us, which was that he was the fulfillment of the Old Law (see Matthew 5: 17), the sacred Law of Moses, and that He continuously represents a new covenant between God and mankind. Yes, we should give to our churches as much as we can, when we can, but I disagree with the teaching that one's donations must be exactly 10% each and every week. If that were the case, then only rich Christians could obey the law. That's why I came to the conclusion many years ago that this teaching is a distortion of what the Bible says on this subject, meaning so-called tithing is a thinly veiled excuse for procuring the maximum amount of donations to church coffers. It's all about the money. Then there are the Christian TV stations (speaking of money), which I used to watch some of them, where some of the women have enough makeup on for three people, and where some of the musicians are obviously gay and doing a poor job of hiding it. Still others are preaching the so-called “prosperity gospel”, which is a bogus teaching if there ever was one, and a gross distortion of what the Bible actually says about that topic. 

 

While denominations across the board are acknowledging loss of membership, it is worse than they are reporting. Many churches report numbers based on baptized members, yet actual Sunday morning attendance doesn’t come close to those numbers. Once baptized, always a 'listed' Christian! Simply put, denominations are no longer a reliable source of membership information. If they can't even be trusted for something as basic as accurate reporting regarding their attendance, is it any wonder good Christ-seeking people are leaving in disgust? The mega-church movement also has flattened, with people leaving as fast as they are recruited. The only real growth among Christians appears to be in the home church movement in which small groups of independent believers gather in a house to worship. While the polling numbers are in, the debate about the reasons for lack of attendance is only just beginning. When a pollster asks if a person has left the Christian Faith and a church, the answer is answered “yes” or “no.” However, when the pollster asks “why?,” the answers become mushy and the numbers lose their significance. Why, then, are people leaving churches so fast?

I am not a pollster, but rather an observer of the religious scene looking in from the outside. Speaking as an independent minister who is unaffiliated with any denominations, entirely too many churches today – from the pastor on down – have a credibility problem because of all the things that I mentioned above. My impressions are anecdotal and in no way scientific. I receive personal responses to my blogs and other postings, and I carry on conversations with a steady flow of people by e-mail. I strongly believe we Jesus worshipers and especially the clergy need to look at ourselves for at least some of the reasons for the decline in membership, and probably most of them. Allow me to offer three observations:

[1] Churches are no longer intellectually challenging, if they ever really were to start with. I can still remember being sent to Catholic school as a child and being “taught” not to think for myself, or to just obey. Christians who think for themselves are considered weird at best, or dangerous at worst in today's churches. Obedience is good and personal independence is (allegedly) bad. Organized religion has always been like this and critical, independent thinkers like myself are shown the door without just cause way too often. More and more of our young people are college-educated, and in the future an overwhelming majority and will accept the challenge of post-high school education. They are thinking people who are expanding the limits of their curiosity and knowledge. Some of them will be the first American generation to establish outposts throughout our solar system, and eventually beyond. I have often wondered what will happen to organized religion when life is inevitably discovered on other planets and their moons. It is no surprise to me that these young people often conclude that they are not willing to accept the Church’s rigid catechism, an educational method that teaches all the right religious questions and the correct answers. As an educational tool, private religious schooling has become outdated and provides no challenge to students eager to question and discuss. Ministers must take the responsibility to re-establish themselves among the leaders of the intellectual community.

[2] Churches are no longer leaders in moral and ethical discussions. Young people have grown weary of churches that cannot get past issues such as homosexuality and abortion. Although I personally am not in favor of either abortion or gay marriage, God has given me enough wisdom to know I can't persuade everybody to think like myself. Instead, I choose to follow the Bible, which warns us not to judge others (see Matthew 7: 1-5; James 2: 12-13; James 4: 11-12) and to “work out our own salvation with fear and trembling” (Philippians 2: 12)! My job is to bring the good news message of Jesus Christ to everyone I can. I cannot 'save' souls, only Christ can do that. Once I have presented the message of the Gospel, I have fulfilled my responsibility. If the Gospel is presented any other way but that, it starts to sound like a sales pitch. Moreover, millennial Christian drop-outs are still very interested in alternatives to the selfish, hedonistic and violent society we live in. More and more, they are catching on to something I have been preaching and teaching for years – namely the unilateral rejection of materialism and the trappings of wealth, and a rejection of violence and hate. Success in life is not defined by how much money and possessions we have accumulated! That type of “success” is only an illusion. Instead, success in life depends on what kind of legacy we leave behind when we're gone. Justice, fairness and compassion are supposed to be high on our agendas, and looking for opportunities to serve as a way of worshiping God should be the priority of people of good conscience. Life is all about how we treat other people as well as how devoted we are to serving the less fortunate. It's not just about religion. Today's generation of young people want to be involved in solving environmental problems, ending poverty and homelessness and their root causes, and in peacemaking. “Blessed are the peacemakers”, Jesus said, “for they shall be called 'sons of the living God'.” (Matthew 5: 9)

In contrast, pizza parties and rock concerts – techniques that have been used to make churches appear more relevant to the young – are not high on the agenda of young people concerned about society’s deep-seated problems. In other words, too many churches are concerned about the hot-button issues of today, such as same-sex marriage or abortion, when the preachers should be talking about the extreme immorality of waging war! Or, how about pointing out the extreme immorality of 50,000 children per day dying of starvation globally? What about the fact that fully one fourth of the world's population has no access to clean drinking water or electricity?? If the same amount of passion were devoted to protecting and upholding the living as has been said and written about protecting the unborn, the world would be a markedly better place in which to live. As for same-sex marriage or abortion, Jesus never said anything about either. The Bible does teach that being gay or bisexual is wrong, but it also warns us repeatedly not to judge other people. I don't hang around gay people, nor do I approve of their “lifestyle” – as they call it – but that does not give me the right to hate gay people, nor is it an excuse to hold them in contempt, and never to condemn them. “Love your neighbor as yourself”. By showing disdain for gay people, I would lose all hope of ever persuading them to believe in Jesus and all he stands for.

[3] Churches are no longer visionary for the reasons I have stated above. They have remained focused on offering rituals, dogma, pomp and circumstance, tied to perpetuating theologies while not bothering to explain to people how they should live once they have left church for yet another week. That's because many of these theologies aren't based on what the Bible says, and can even contradict it, and people who take the time to pick up their Bible and read it see right through that. Too much religion today is taught from the perspective and viewpoint of the extreme right-wing of American politics, and as before it is a glaring contradiction of the teachings of Christ. If the teachings of Jesus could be compared to modern political ideology, its closest comparison would be to what we call socialism today (see Acts. 2: 42-47; Acts 4: 32-37; 2nd Corinthians 8: 13-15). This is one Biblical fact that invariably infuriates the conservative extremists who have invaded America's pulpits. Read the above passages of Scripture and you'll see what I mean. (If you have no Bible and want one, send your email address to webpreacher@pcmatl.org and I'll send you a free one. Seriously.) People are figuring out that God is not a conservative Republican, and that he never was. For all these reasons, churches are no longer significant players in shaping the life of our communities. If priests, ministers and their churches will not lay out what the kingdom of God on earth might actually look like, young people will continue to look elsewhere for other models. In that sense, I don't know who to be concerned about more – the young adults who are leaving churches, or the churches they are leaving behind. In the meantime, the rest of the world is rushing at top speed towards World War 3. Millions will be killed instantly in what is bound to be a nuclear conflagration, and then they'll be out of time. Maybe we all will, who knows? The best we can do for now is to start praying – a lot – for peace.

NF - Can You Hold Me (Audio) ft. Britt Nicole Music Video Cover

This week's Bible study will be Philippians chapter four

Don't Worry, Be Happy

[Philippians chapter four]

Last week when we concluded our in-depth analysis of the third chapter of the book of Philippians, we obtained comprehension about rejoicing in the Lord, as well as comparing our walk with Christ to running in a marathon race of endurance in order to win first prize. We don't do so like a sprint or a 100-yard dash, but rather as a marathon race where all participants must be in that race for the long haul. The principal difference between running this particular marathon, a race that comprises entire lifetimes, is that everybody who finishes wins. Contrast that with sporting or Olympic events, where there is one winner and one loser, or where only first, second and third prizes are offered. But when we run towards a personal, 1-on-1 relationship with Jesus Christ, instead of medals made of gold, silver or bronze, we receive the ultimate prize of eternal life with the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Rather than being here on earth, our trophies are in heaven, in New Jerusalem (see Revelation chapters 21 and 22 for details). Regarding the act and the lifestyle of rejoicing in the Lord no matter what our circumstances, the apostle Paul continues and enlarges on this topic, beginning in chapter four and verse one.

“Therefore, my brothers, you whom I long for, my joy and crown, that is how you should stand firm in the Lord, my friends! I plead with Euodia and I plead with Synteche to agree with each other in the Lord. Yes, and I ask you, loyal yoke-fellow, help these women who have contended at my side in the cause of the Gospel, along with Clement and the rest of my fellow workers, whose names are in the book of life. Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition,with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable – if anything is excellent or praiseworthy – think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me – put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.” (Phil. 4, verses 1-9, NIV)

Paul was pleading with two women church members who apparently had an argument or strong disagreement of an unknown nature. The names and the argument are unimportant. What matters the most here is that Paul wants them to rally around Christ and himself (in that order) for the sake of the Church and the Gospel. Instead of arguments and contention among themselves, Paul wrote, they should be contending together for the cause of Jesus Christ. In order to do this, Paul wrote, we can all start by rejoicing in the Lord. I can easily put this into perspective. If Jesus walked into the room or into your church right in the middle of worship, what would you do? Would you sit in your chair with your arms folded? Of course not! You would be jumping up and down like children on Christmas morning! You would be running up to Him in order to thank him for saving your soul and your life, or trying to touch him for his healing, or falling down on your knees and crying out to him in worship as the Son of God. Everyone would be quite emotional, to say the least, and I dare say that would include myself as well. Rejoicing in the Lord and praising him should come as naturally to us as breathing or walking. Well guess what? Jesus is already there with us all, not just at church on Sunday (or Saturday, depending on your beliefs and your faith) but at every waking moment of our lives, even when we are fast asleep. Jesus never leaves us, as he said: “Never will I leave you or forsake you”.

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” “The Lord is near”, Paul wrote, and it's ever so true. Therefore, whatever is lovely, admirable, kind, generous, truthful, loyal, patient, kind, excellent or praiseworthy, let's all make these things the focus of our lives as we re-double our efforts to become all of the above to the best of our abilities. I said this before and I'll include it in this lesson once again – Jesus is with us all the time. He is watching what we do and He's listening to everything we say. Act as if Jesus is right beside you, because he is. Practice all these things, Paul wrote, and the “peace of God” that is beyond all human comprehension or understanding will be with us wherever we go. So now let's conclude our study of the book of Philippians starting at verse 10.

“I rejoice greatly in the Lord that at last you have renewed your concern for me. Indeed, you have been concerned, but you had no opportunity to show it. I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through Him who gives me strength. Yet it was good of you to share in my troubles. Moreover, as you Philippians know, in the early days of your acquaintance with the Gospel, when I set out from Macedonia, not one church shared with me in the matter of giving and receiving, except you only; for even when I was in Thessalonica, you sent me aid again and again when I was in need. Not that I am looking for a gift, but I am looking for what can be credited to your account. I have received full payment and even more; I am amply supplied, now that I have received from Epaphroditus the gifts you sent. They are a fragrant offering, an acceptable sacrifice, pleasing to God. And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus. To our God and Father be glory forever and ever. Amen. Greet all the saints in Christ Jesus. The brothers who are with me send greetings. All the saints send you greetings, especially those who belong to Caesar's household. The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Amen. (Philippians 4, verses 10-23, NIV)

“I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through Him who gives me strength.” Let's pause right here and ask ourselves these key questions: Are we content no matter what? Do we let bad situations and bad people ruin our day? If we're broke and hungry, unemployed, or distraught, do we handle these types of circumstances well? Conversely, if we're rolling in money and good fortune, or if we get a job promotion or a pay raise, or a better job, do we gloat about it in the presence of others who are less fortunate than we are? Do we “cop an attitude” and let our good fortune go to our heads? If so, any person who does these things is simply not walking in the Spirit of Christ. Those people can tell me all day long about their alleged Christianity and it won't matter because they're lying to me and to themselves. “I can do all things”, Paul wrote, “through Jesus Christ who strengthens me”. Christ is the focal point, not ourselves. As Christian author Max Lucado wrote, “It's not about me. It's all about Him.” This is something that I must work at every day, and so it is with all of us. Depending on Jesus when we were formerly accustomed to being self-sufficient, self-reliant and independent individuals does not come easily to anyone. I grew up in foster care, with no real family of my own, so I became a fiercely independent person by the time I was a teenager. From that standpoint alone, depending on Christ and waiting on him was difficult for me, and some days it still is. But I focus on doing better one day at a time, because it's easier that way and it allows me to have a closer walk with Christ. And I pray that you all have an equally closer walk with Him who strengthens you as well. I will close this study by quoting the apostle Paul – “To our God and Father be glory forever and ever.... The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Amen.”

LAST DAYS - THE END DRAWS NEAR -- Changes & Signs In The Earth Worldwide...

Of Bogus Prophets and the Truth

Wars, Rumors of Wars, and the Truth

by Pastor Paul J Bern

One of the things I did on my own behalf five years ago as I was looking for ways to cut my expenses was canceling my cable TV subscription. My reasons were partly economic, partly practical, and partly because of my Christian faith. I also had practical reasons. I was just getting started with my writing and blogging, so I no longer had time to watch TV. To me at least, there's really nothing much on there worth watching, so why bother? Plus, the news and information channels such as Fox, CNN, the Discovery Channel, the History Channel and so many others are filled with misinformation at best, and propaganda at worst. So, I started streaming videos off the Web, mainly from You Tube, Mypeace.tv and a few others. I have intentionally cut myself off from much of the world, just as it is written: “Jesus said, 'My kingdom is not of this world....” [John chapter 18, verse 36]. It is also a fact mainly known to Jesus followers that real Christians define intelligence differently than anyone else, as it is written: “Do not deceive yourselves. If any of you thinks he is wise by the standards of this age, he should become a “fool” so he may become wise. For the wisdom of this world is foolishness in God's sight.....” [1^st Corinthians chapter 3, verses 18-19]. The apostle John, the half-brother of Jesus Christ, also had a comment or two in this regard when he wrote, “Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For everything in the world – the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does – comes not from the Father but from the world. The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever.” [1^st John chapter 2, verses 15-17, NIV]

These are the underlying reasons, my dear readers, why I have disconnected from the world (I no longer own a radio for the same reasons). There is one very noticeable difference between cable and network television and what's being shown on the internet, besides the fact that much of it is free. I can sum it up in one word – truth!! The contrast between the news, information and even the entertainment on the Web compared to commercial TV and the movies is pretty stark. One of the most worrisome trends I'm seeing on the internet, however, is those who go overboard in search of the truth to such an extent that they damage their own credibility due to excess speculation about humankind's future. The wild speculation about the timing of World War Three and with regard to End Times Prophecy are the two examples of what I mean by “worrisome trends”. Never mind all the misinformation. Let me set a few things straight.

First, and much to the discredit of organized religion, or “Christianity, Inc”, I often wonder why some of the answers to these questions are not being discussed in churches. All I hear in the majority of them are false doctrines such as the “pre-tribulation rapture” and the bizarre idea that Jesus wants us all to be rich. I can hardly find a church these days that teaches the truth of all these things except on the internet. The ugly truth is far worse than what is currently being 'taught'. No wonder the church is not mentioned in Revelation directly, just the tribulation saints (see Rev. chapter 7, verses 9-14). The rest are being consumed in the great apostasy that will hit a peak once the Antichrist governmental system gets into full swing, and that will be happening in the near future. Have any of you other Christians brought up these subjects in church? I have and it does not go over well, but that doesn't matter to me. Now is the time to speak out and expose false teaching on these subjects. One prime example of what I mean can be found in scripture in Revelation chapter 13, verses 1-5: “And I saw a beast coming out of the sea. He had ten horns and seven heads, with ten crowns on his horns, and on each head a blasphemous name. The beast I saw resembled a leopard, but had feet like those of a bear and a mouth like that of a lion. The dragon gave the beast his power and his throne and great authority. One of the heads of the beast seemed to have had a fatal wound, but the fatal wound had been healed. The whole world was astonished and followed the beast. Men worshiped the dragon because he gave great authority to the beast, and they also worshiped the beast and asked, 'Who is like the beast? Who can make war against him?' The beast was given a mouth to utter proud words and blasphemies and to exercise his authority for forty-two months.”

 

Don't worry, I'm not going to confuse or confound anyone with any long, drawn out explanations because none is necessary. “The Beast” symbolizes an extremely powerful nation. “The Sea” is a biblical metaphor for the sea of humanity. The “10 horns, 7 heads and 10 crowns” refers to a large international organization, most likely the countries that are the primary or founding members of the United Nations. “The beast I saw resembled a leopard, but had feet like those of a bear and a mouth like that of a lion.” What modern countries use those animals as their national symbols? Germany, Russia and Great Britain, in that order. The “fatal wound that had been healed” is presumably Germany, who lost WW2 but has since been rebuilt and revitalized. “The Dragon” is a synonym for the devil, or Satan. And who is “The Beast”? What does it say? “'Who is like the beast? Who can make war against him?” This is a clear reference to the largest and by far most powerful military force the world has ever known – the United States!

What else could this be? “The beast” in the Book of Revelation is none other than the United States military, the American Empire, the US military-industrial-incarceration complex, or all of the above! I mean, it does not take a seminary or a university graduate to figure this stuff out!!

There is much talk today about war being imminent. Granted, when it comes to the Middle East, war could break out at any time, nobody knows for sure. So you can forget about those who say they know the date of Jesus' return, or that WW3 or a colossal economic crash is going to occur on a certain day. They either don't know what they're talking about, or they have ulterior motives for saying such things (like selling books, for example). Let's not forget what Jesus taught: "No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels of heaven, or the Son, but only the Father". (Matt. 24:36) But there are several other quotes directly from our Savior that may offer a clue about a certain time frame regarding Christ's return. Jesus also said, "The day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night", and, “The Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect Him". Moreover, when Jesus taught the parable of the wedding feast (see Matthew 22, verses 1 to 14), the groom arrived at midnight, and everyone had fallen asleep. When I combine the above quotes, the message is clear. He will arrive in the middle of the night to take his Bride home, and the world will have fallen asleep because it's taking 2,000 years for this scenario to play itself out so that all prophecy can be fulfilled. Problem is – and this is where it gets interesting – if Christ comes in the middle of the night in Jerusalem, when I add up the time zone changes from Israel to the US, He would arrive here during afternoon rush hour. Wouldn't that be something!

This week's Bible study will be Philippians chapter three

Attaining the Ultimate Goal

[Philippians chapter three]

Today we will continue our study of the apostle Paul's letter to the church at Philippi, which was located in what is modern Turkey today. As you recall from last week's lesson, Paul is exhorting and encouraging the Philippian church to do whatever is required – first for the Church and second for themselves – without complaint or excuse, and to be “shining like stars in the universe” as a testimony to everyone we know or come into contact with, that the Spirit of Christ dwells within each of us. They were, Paul wrote, living in a “crooked and depraved generation”, and he strongly urged them to “continue since He loves us all” so very much, but we need to be sure and fear the consequences of disobedience. All we have to do is look around us, and we can see the consequences of rejection of God and of Jesus Christ, his teaching and instruction. Wars, disease, addiction, broken marriages, fractured lives and shattered people, and even premature death can be attributed to willful disobedience or refusal to believe in the salvation of Christ. Granted, there are always other factors regarding these things as well, and just because such things happen, that doesn't necessarily mean that anyone going through such difficulties in life has somehow been condemned. On the contrary, sometimes God steps back and allows hardship to take place in our lives because He is building our moral character, our inner strength and our Spiritual fortitude. Having written this, let's take up where we left off last week with the first half of chapter three.

“Finally, my brothers, rejoice in the Lord! It is no trouble for me to write these things to you again, and it is a safeguard for you. Watch out for those dogs, those men who do evil, those mutilators of the flesh. For it is we who are the circumcision, we who worship by the Spirit of God, who glory in Christ Jesus, and who put no confidence in the flesh – though I myself have reasons for such confidence. If anyone else thinks he has reasons to put confidence in the flesh, I have more: Circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; in regard to the law, a Pharisee; as for zeal, persecuting the church; as for legalistic righteousness, faultless. But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the Law, but that which is through faith in Christ – the righteousness that comes from Christ and is by faith. I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection of the dead.” (Philippians 3, verses 1-11, NIV)

“Rejoice in the Lord”, Paul wrote. Our salvation is assured, not only for ourselves but for all who believe in Christ and who trust him implicitly. There is no point in being unhappy or discontented due to this priceless gift that we all possess. It is a well-known fact that it takes more facial muscles to frown than it does to smile. That clearly applies here. We do not worship a grumpy God, nor is our Lord Jesus Christ ever in a “bad mood”. These are frivolous human emotions, and as such they are far beneath our Lord and Savior. Religion will not save us either, as the apostle Paul pointed out when he described himself before he was saved on the road to Damascus (see Acts chapter 9 for the full story on that). Although he obeyed the Law of Moses and was a member of the religious elite of his day, the Pharisees, he wrote that “whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ”. All his religious beliefs, which he had learned and memorized from his youth, he now considered to be “rubbish”. He even called those of his former faith “dogs”, which is actually a watered down and diluted way of calling them SOB's! That would be the modern equivalent of calling the Pope an expletive, or of referring to your pastor, priest or rabbi by using profanity. As you can now see, this was really radical stuff in Paul's day to say the least, as it would be in modern times too.

“I consider everything a loss”, Paul wrote, “compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things”. As you can clearly see here, having religious knowledge – knowledge even to the point of persecuting the early church as Paul did – pales in comparison to having a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. If translated literally from the original Hebrew in which Paul wrote this letter, “having knowledge” meant having intimacy with Jesus, not in a physical way as between man and woman, but in a Spiritual way. Paul had lost everything he had – not just his material possessions, but also his good standing and reputation from within the Hebrew establishment of his day. This is the equivalent of walking away from one's entire life, including our careers, our families and friends, and even our homes. When Paul traveled from church to church, he would arrange for accommodations with one or more of the members of that particular congregation, since he had no money to pay for lodging anywhere. This makes me stop and wonder whether any of us would be willing to make such an extreme personal sacrifice for Christ. But, consider the fact that this is what it will take to remain a follower of Christ during the coming tribulation prophesied in the book of Revelation, in Matthew chapter 24, Luke chapter 21, and numerous other places. Having said that, I think we're ready to finish up chapter three, beginning at verse 12.

“Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already remained perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. All of us who are mature should take such a view of things. And if on some point you think differently, that too God will make clear to you. Only let us live up to what we have already attained. Join with others in following my example, brothers, and take note of those who live according to the pattern we gave you. For, as I have often told you before and now say again even with tears, many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is on earthly things. But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they may be like his glorious body.” (Philippians 3, verses 12-21, NIV)

“I press on toward the goal”, Paul wrote, “to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus”, which was and should still be “to attain to the resurrection of the dead” for all of us. This is a clear reference to the resurrection of Christ on the morning of the third day after he was crucified. In so doing, Jesus conquered death itself and attained eternal life seated at the right hand of the Father (“Where, O death, is your victory; where, O death, is your sting?”, wrote the prophets of old who foresaw the coming of the salvation of Christ centuries before it occurred). By this alone we are saved from eternal death and condemnation, as I have already presented to you numerous times, and so we too have attained eternal life in the presence of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. That's what Jesus meant when he said, “If I am lifted up from the earth I will draw all men (and women, because equality is Scriptural) unto me”.

“And if on some point you think differently, that too God will make clear to you.” Never mind all the little details that can get us bogged down in minutia, but be very clear on the main points of your Christianity and your salvation which is found only in Christ. Jesus Christ is the Son of God, the “author and finisher of our faith”, and our “kinsman redeemer”. He alone made the Supreme Sacrifice, offering up himself for the sins of humankind. Otherwise, we would never be able to stand in God's presence and live within his anointing. Without Jesus Christ, none of us would stand even the slightest chance of being able to spend eternity with God in heaven. “Join with others in following my example”, Paul wrote. I find this to be a very good illustration of leadership by example. Anybody can stand in a pulpit on Sunday morning and point his or her finger at everybody and say, “Thou shalt not” or whatever. Whereas Paul wrote that the Philippian church should not just do as somebody says, but instead we are to be following the example of the apostle Paul and do as he did as he followed Christ.

“Our citizenship is in heaven”, Paul wrote, “and we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they may be like his glorious body.” We are not of this world. We live within it, I grant you that. But I have noticed, as have most of you, that the closer I draw myself to Christ, the more that the rest of the unbelieving world pushes me away. This in no way means that Christians don't have a social life, or even a love life (provided that it is monogamous). But it does mean that we should regard ourselves as separate and as being set aside so we can keep ourselves detoxified by the impurity and idolatry of the world and all the useless junk that the world has to offer to us and so tempt us to sin against Jesus. Upon our physical death, our former bodies are left behind so that we can take on the pureness and the glory that is Christ Jesus, and these will be immortal bodies that will last forever, beyond the reach of the passage of time as we now know it. This is the ultimate victory that awaits us, and it is the “prize” that the apostle Paul wrote about in the above passage of Scripture. Follow the example of Paul as I do. Press onward toward the prize that can only be found in the eternal life of Jesus Christ, who sits at the right hand of the Father while he waits for just the exact right moment to transform us into celestial beings that live forever. That very moment is forthcoming, and it's the most worthy goal we can ever achieve.

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What Does the Bible Say About the Role of Government?

Dispensing Justice and Promoting Healing

Are the Government's Biblical Obligations

by Rev. Paul J. Bern

This week I want to write about why implementing single-payer national health care is so important, and what the Bible says about that. The passage of so-called “Obama-care” a couple years ago makes this issue worse, not better. All the US government had to do was put the whole country on Medicare, and include all those on Medicaid as well. Then, we could just do away with Medicaid, saving the country roughly $650 billion per year! There is hardly a more controversial political battle in America today than that swirling around the role of government. The ideological sides have lined up, and the arguments rage about the size of government: How big, how small should it be? But I want to suggest that what size the government should be is the wrong question. A more useful discussion would be about the purposes of government and whether America's is fulfilling them in a Christlike manner. So let's put the politics to the side for the moment and look at what the Bible has to say about this topic.

The words of the apostle Paul in the 13th chapter of Romans are perhaps the most extensive teaching in the New Testament about the role and purposes of government. Paul says those purposes are twofold: to restrain evil by punishing evildoers and to serve peace and orderly conduct by rewarding good behavior. Civil authority is designed to be "God's servant to do you good" as it is written: “For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong. Do you want to be free from the fear of the one in authority? Then do what is right and he will commend you. For he is God's servant to do you good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword for nothing. He is God's servant, an agent of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer. Therefore, it is necessary to submit to the authorities, not only because of possible punishment but also because of conscience.” (Romans 13, verses 3-5, NIV)

Today we might say 'the common good' is to be the focus and function of government. The Declaration of Independence defines this as being life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Thomas Jefferson famously said, “The primary function of government is the care and welfare of its citizens”. According to the apostle Paul, the purpose of government is to protect from evil and promote the good, to punish the 'takers' while rewarding those who freely give. We are also obligated by law to pay taxes for those purposes. So to disobey, disrespect or circumvent good government is simply not a biblical position. Jesus summed this up very well during his ministry, as it is written: “Then the Pharisees went out and laid plans to trap Him in his words. They sent their disciples to him along with the Herodians. 'Teacher', they said, 'we know you are a man of integrity and that you teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. You aren't swayed by men, because you pay no attention to who they are. Tell us then, what is your opinion? Is it right to pay taxes to Caesar or not?' But Jesus, knowing their evil intent, said, 'You hypocrites, why are you trying to trap me? Show me the coin used to pay the tax'. They brought him a denarius, and he asked them, 'Whose portrait is this? And whose inscription?' 'Caesar's', they replied. Then He said to them, 'Give to Caesar what is Caesar, and to God what is God's.' When they heard this they were amazed. So they left Him and went away”. (Matthew 22, verses 15-22)

First, government is supposed to protect its citizens' safety and security. Crime and violence will always be a real and present danger in this world, and that's why we have the police, who are meant to keep our streets, neighborhoods, and homes safe. Governments also need to protect their people judicially, and make sure our legal and court systems are procedural, just and fair. The biblical prophets regularly railed against corrupt court decisions and systems, in which the wealthy and powerful manipulate the legal processes for their own benefit and put the poor into greater debt or distress. The prophet Amos speaks directly to the courts (and government) when he says, "Hate evil, love good; maintain justice in the courts" (Amos 5:15 NIV). Again it is written, “Do not deny justice to your poor people in their lawsuits. Have nothing to do with a false charge and do not put an honest or innocent person to death, for I will not acquit the guilty. Do not accept a bribe, for a bribe blinds those who see and twists the words of the righteous. Do not oppress an alien; you yourselves know how it feels to be aliens, because you were aliens in Egypt.” (Exodus 23, verses 6-9)

But along with protecting, what should governments promote? The Law of Moses holds kings, rulers, judges, and employers accountable to the demands of justice and fairness, therefore promoting those values. And the Scriptures say that governmental authority is to protect the poor in particular. The biblical prophets are consistent and adamant in their condemnation of injustice to the poor, and frequently follow their statements by requiring the government to act justly. That prophetic expectation applies today to the governments of all lands and peoples. Jeremiah, speaking of King Josiah, said, "He defended the cause of the poor and needy, and so all went well." Psalm 72 begins with a prayer for political leaders and the entire population: "Give the king your justice, O God, and your righteousness to a king's son. May he judge your people with righteousness, and your poor with justice. May the mountains yield prosperity for the people, and the hills, in righteousness. May he defend the cause of the poor of the people, give deliverance to the needy, and crush the oppressor." 

 

There is a powerful vision here for promoting the common good — a vision of "righteous" prosperity for all the people, with special attention to the poor and to "deliverance" for the most vulnerable and needy, and even a concern for the land. The biblical understanding of justice is that the procedures must be fair and it demands unbiased courts (Exodus 23:2-8; Leviticus 19:15; Deuteronomy 1:17; 10:17-19). Immediately after denouncing Israel and Judah for the absence of justice, the prophet Isaiah condemned the way rich and powerful landowners have acquired all the land by pushing out small farmers when he wrote: “Now I will tell you what I am going to do in my vineyard: I will take away its hedge, and it will be destroyed; I will break down its wall, and it will be trampled. I will make it a wasteland, neither pruned nor cultivated, and briers and thorns will grow there. I will command the clouds not to rain on it. The vineyard of the Lord Almighty is the house of Israel, and the men of Judah are the garden of his delight. And he looked for justice, but saw bloodshed; for righteousness, but heard cries of distress. Woe to you who add house to house and join field to field till no space is left and you live alone in the land. The Lord Almighty has declared in my hearing: 'Surely the great houses will become desolate, the fine mansions left without occupants.' (Isaiah 5:7-9, NIV). It is important to note that even though in this text the prophet does not say the powerful acted illegally, he nevertheless denounces the unfair outcome.

The real truth is that fair outcomes do not always match equal outcomes. The historical attempts by many communist governments to create equal outcomes in terms of social and economic status have dramatically shown the great dangers of how the concentration of power in a few government hands leads to totalitarian results. The theological reason for that is the presence and power of sin, and the inability of such fallible human creatures to create social utopias on earth. Yet the biblical prophets do hold their rulers, courts, judges, landowners and employers (even slave owners!) accountable to the values of fairness, justice, and even mercy. The theological reasons for that are, in fact, the same: the reality of evil and sin in the concentration of power — both political and economic — and the need to hold that power accountable, especially for the protection of the poor and the sick. So fair outcomes, and not necessarily equal ones, are the goal of governments. Governments should provide a check on powerful people, institutions, and interests in the society that, if left unchecked, might run over their fellow citizens, the economy, and certainly the poor. And coming to a better moral balance in achieving fiscal responsibility, while protecting the poor, should be a bipartisan effort. The radically anti-government ideology of the current right wing Tea Party/Republican ideology is simply contrary to a more biblical view of government. The need for checks and balances, the sinfulness of too much concentrated power in either the government or the market, and the responsibilities we have for serving the common good, are all the Biblical definitions of good and just government. Anything less is the same as poking your finger in God's eye.

Terrifying Anonymous Message for US Elections 2016

This week's Bible study will be Philippians chapter two

Every Knee Will Bow and Every Tongue Confess

[Philippians chapter two]

Brothers and sisters, today we will continue our study of the apostle Paul's letter to the Philippians by examining chapter two. In keeping with my commitment to this ministry and to Christ, and since there is so much in here to contemplate, I'm committed to reaching as many people as I can. So rather than rush through this and risk losing anybody, let's take our time with this slightly longer, power-packed letter from the apostle Paul, beginning at verse one. 

 

“If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to their own interests, but also to the interest of others. Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death – even death on a cross! Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him a name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee shall bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed – not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence – continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose.” (Philippians 2, verses 1-13, NIV)

Have comfort in and through God's unlimited love, and have fellowship in the Holy Spirit so we can develop tenderness and compassion! Remember the words of the apostle John, who wrote that, “it doesn't matter how much we love God, so long as we remember that God loved us first” by sending his son Jesus to be a living sacrifice for all of us. Tenderness and compassion towards others is a hallmark of those who work continuously at being better Christians, as well as being full-time “ambassadors for Christ”. Jesus said, “I desire mercy, not sacrifice”. Don't tell Jesus how often you go to church, or how much you put into the collection basket. He is far more interested in, first, how well we treat others, and second, how did we serve other people.

“Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves.” If we spend our lives devoted to our own comfort, and that of our immediate families, then that is worth very little in God's sight. That's why everyone will have to stand before God and be judged according to how well they served others, first as ambassadors for Christ, and second with a life well lived by putting others ahead of ourselves in importance. “Whatsoever you do for the least of my brethren”, Jesus famously said in all four gospels, “that you do for me”.

“Your attitude”, Paul wrote, “should be the same as that of Christ Jesus”, who humbled himself to the extreme of lowliness by allowing himself to be executed as a common criminal, only to rise again on the morning of the third day. In so doing, He achieved eternal life for himself, as well as for all who call upon his name. That means us, people, so that when our lives are finally over we can be with him in Paradise. Without the supreme sacrifice of Christ Jesus, nobody would be saved, that's for sure! “At the name of Jesus every knee shall bow, ... and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” Jesus conquered everything, even death itself. Moreover, when Jesus lay in the borrowed tomb in which he was buried for three days, he went on a search and rescue mission for every lost soul who has ever lived or whoever will live. Meaning, He liberated hell itself and all those who were in it who were not destined to be there forever like Satan and his demonic minions who wreak havoc upon the earth and its inhabitants. Jesus swept them all up and took them home with him, like a parent coming to the rescue of a kidnapped child!

“Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling”, Paul wrote, but what did he really mean here? Having fear of the Lord, in its original context, meant to have extreme reverence towards God, who chose to make us in his image and likeness even though He didn't have to or feel compelled to. It doesn't mean that we should be afraid of God as we would, say, a bully or an armed criminal, or an abusive parent or spouse. God operates out of love, not fear, as the apostle John wrote when he said, “Perfect love drives out fear.” If anyone comes to you and claims to be a servant of Christ while making you feel apprehensive or intimidated, get away from that person or that church (yes, unfortunately there are churches like that) immediately. Sometimes knowing God's will is mainly common sense, and in cases like this there is no need to inquire of the Lord. The obvious answer can sometimes be right in front of us. The flip side of this coin is the mention of the word “trembling”, meaning that we don't have to fear God, but we should fear the consequences of sin if we are doing so deliberately. (Yes, unfortunately there are Christians like that, and they are jeopardizing their salvation in and through Christ if they continue and do not repent!) Now that we have examined this treasure trove of Spiritual material, we can move on to the second half of our study of chapter two.

“Do everything without complaining or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars of the universe as you hold out the word of life – in order that I may boast on the day of Christ that I did not run or labor for nothing. But even if I am being poured out like a drink offering on the sacrifice and service coming from your faith, I am glad and rejoice with all of you. So you too should be glad and rejoice with me. I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy with you soon, that I also may be cheered when I receive news about you. I have no one else like him, who takes a genuine interest in your welfare. For everyone looks out for his own interests, not those of Jesus Christ. But you know that Timothy has proved himself, because as a son with his father he has served with me in the work of the Gospel. I hope, therefore, to send him as soon as I see how things go with me. And I am confident in the Lord that I myself will come soon. But I think it is necessary to send back to you Epaphroditus, my brother, fellow worker and fellow soldier, who is also your messenger, whom you sent to take care of my needs. For he longs for all of you and is distressed because you heard he was ill. Indeed he was ill, and almost died. But God had mercy upon him, and not on him only but also on me, to spare me sorrow upon sorrow. Therefore I am all the more eager to send him, so that when you see him again you may be glad and I may have less anxiety. Welcome him in the Lord with great joy, and honor men like him, because he almost died for the work of Christ, risking his life to make up for the help that you could not give me.” (Phil. 2, verses 14-30, NIV)

“Do everything without complaining or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure...”. One thing is for sure – nobody likes those who constantly complain, and that goes double for those who bicker and quarrel constantly over every tiny little thing. Such people are negative people who take offense at everything and everybody they dislike, and often for trivial reasons, as you know. Such people can and do profess their faith in Christ all day long, but they are in danger of not being saved because their faith is polluted with negative human emotion, not to mention the fact that such people are inherently ungrateful and often mean-spirited individuals. No matter how much they receive and how much they benefit, they are never satisfied – they always want more. Under no circumstances will any person who is greedy, ungrateful, hateful, argumentative or combative make it into heaven when their physical lives are over. This was what Jesus meant when he said, “Not everyone who says 'Lord, Lord', will see the kingdom of God”. As it was then, so it remains to this day.

“Shine like stars of the universe as you hold out the word of life”, is exactly what those who complain and argue should be doing instead. So if there is anyone like this who wishes to repent – and it's a commendable thing when one recognizes the error of their ways and repents – this would be an excellent place from which to begin. Jesus taught something similar to this during his famous and beloved sermon on the mount when He taught, “You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven (Matthew 5, verses 14-16.)” There is your answer in a nutshell – be a shining light for all to see. Not everyone can do this in exactly the same way, so there is no perfect one-size-fits-all method that applies uniformly to all persons. Instead, we should be doing just as the apostle Paul wrote earlier when he referred to “working out your own salvation with fear and trembling”. 

 

“For everyone looks out for his own interests, not those of Jesus Christ”. As we saw in another recent study, those individuals who become ministers as a career choice – meaning they are in it for the money – are entering the ministry for all the wrong reasons. As a well-known evangelist said fairly recently, “The only way I could start this ministry was to mortgage my house to the hilt. But things got off to a really slow start, so I asked God why the ministry wasn't doing any better at that time. I protested to the Lord that I had already given my house for start-up money, and that I had nothing left to give. But God answered my prayer by saying that He didn't want or need my house, but what he really wanted was me. I had totally surrendered the house and the money, but I forgot to include myself.” So it is with the rest of us, and this is what Paul was referring to when he wrote what he did.

The apostle Paul finishes up this chapter with some comments about the business of the early church. On the surface, at least, most of this seems to be rather mundane stuff. But there is one final thing I wish to point out in closing this week's study. A nearly forgotten minister in the early church was a gentleman by the name of Epaphroditus. Paul notes that this person became ill to the point of nearly dying while performing his service to the church at Philippi. This makes me wonder how many modern preachers, teachers, evangelists and overseers (see 1^st Corinthians chapter 14) would go to this extreme for the sake of the Gospel of Christ. So let us ask ourselves, “Would I be willing to serve Jesus Christ even to the point of nearly dying, like Epaphroditus did? Would I be faithful even unto death?” 

 

Whether you believe it or not, we are very close to our Lord and Savior's second and final coming. As we get ever closer, there can be no doubt that the infamous Antichrist will soon make his appearance on the world stage. As you know or have heard, he will force everybody “both great and small” to receive his mark on the hand or forearm or forehead. How this will occur is still open to debate, and it currently includes what I see as excessive speculation. Two things I know for sure, and that is that no one will be able to buy or sell unless they have the mark of the beast, and those who refuse to allow themselves to wear his mark will be killed, and this may well include myself if I am still living then. Paul prophesied about this when he wrote in another letter, “a day is coming when no man will be able to work”. Are you prepared to become a living sacrifice for Christ by refusing to take the mark of the beast? I am, and you should be too. Jesus sacrificed himself for us on the cross, so we should all be prepared to do the same. This is tough to contemplate, I know. But the reward will be eternal life in Him. Amen.