Watching Your Walk

Ephesians 5:15-21

As we come to this passage in Ephesians we are now being called by Paul to consider how we walk. As we have seen, he has been calling us to discern how we walk. Put off the old self and put on the new self. Be imitators of God.

Paul is commanding us to watch our walk. As believers who are in the world, why would it be important to watch our walk? We do not want to tarnish our witness, but we want to present a consistent witness before others. Think about what we want to do and not just state what we do not want to do. Paul gives three encouragements in watching our walk.

First, we are encouraged to walk as wise. Paul tells us in verse 15, “Be careful how you walk, not as unwise but as wise.” The Psalms often talk about those who do not believe in God to be foolish. They are fools. Paul is speaking on the assumption that a believer possesses wisdom. Because we believe and have faith in God we are possessors of wisdom. Why would it be true that believers possess wisdom? We possess the Spirit of God. God is the creator and originator of all life therefore he possesses the truth to all matters.

Verse 16, “making the most of your time, because the days are evil.” The KJV translations have “redeeming the time.” The idea is to buy back the time. One commentary writer states that “because the days are evil” is a reference to the fact that sin abounds in our world. The basic idea is that we must make the best possible use of our time because the time we possess is limited. We have only so much time before our lives end. We have only so much time to be used of God and serve Him in His Kingdom work before the time of others comes to an end. Why would it be important to watch our walk? Because our time is limited.

Second, we are encouraged to discern the Lord’s will. Most people at some point in their lives come to a crisis point of “what is the Lord’s will for my life?” As believers we must be able to discern the Lord’s will not just in the monumental decisions in life but even how to behave or respond in times of disagreement or conflict. Even times of “should I go on this trip without my children when I could have the time at home with them instead?” Why would it be important to be able to discern the Lord’s will?

Third, we are encouraged to be full of the Spirit. This verse is often pointed to as a command to not drink, but Paul is making a comparison between being controlled by wine and the Spirit. (Side note: this passage not verse is a strong basis for my own personal conviction to abstain from any alcoholic beverages for ‘recreation.’) The comparison is this: when you are drunk with wine you are being controlled by the drink and not your own self-control. When you are filled with the Spirit you are being controlled by the Spirit and not your own self-control. When you are controlled by wine you are not leading to more control but to losing control. However, when you are controlled by the Spirit you are being led to gain more control rather than lose it. In verse 18, it says that this is dissipation. Basically, that word means to scatter or squander. When you are drunk with wine you are squandering opportunities. How would you be able to witness to someone when you cannot control yourself? How can you speak in a spirit-filled manner when you are not controlled by the Spirit but by alcohol? The Bible is very clear that we should not be drunk, and also it makes clear some consequences of being drunk.

As we close, some comments on verse 19-21. We must watch our walk because of the witness that is entailed in how we live. There are some characteristics that Paul mentions of a Spirit-filled life. Believers will be exhorting and encouraging one another and possessing harmonious relationships with one another. Verse 19 is telling us that we should be encouraging one another not walking around singing the psalms to each other. People think Christians are weird as it is, what would they think if we were singing to each other? The basic idea is that they possessed a spirit of encouragement and exhortation. Verse 20 describes one who is thankful. This is not just thankfulness but thankfulness to the Lord. Verse 21 describes someone who is humble and servant-minded. They desire to serve one another and are not concerned merely with their own needs.

One thing is true that we have heard many times, "Every child is different." Connor would climb on the baby gates but he never tried to get over them. Brennan on the other hand is our little climber! Just before this picture was taken we had Brennan straddling the gate. We made him get down and back up he went. He also enjoys sitting on top of the boys' little table and playing up there.


Just some water splashing while Connor was filling his pool yesterday.

We will be heading to TX next Monday so between June 4 and June 21 there probably will not be many posts or pictures, but when we get back there will probably be a lot of pictures to post.

Pictures for the Week

Yes, more pictures. Today was a busy day, even though it was a holiday, but I was able to get a lot done (I will take another day off later). I am trying to accomplish a lot this week to have everything squared away before our trip to TX. Heather appears to have strep and has not been feeling well so I took Connor off of her hands today. We went to a members' home for their yard sale, and then we went home and cleaned his pool, then washed mommy's van and then played in the pool. The sun was very warm today and got my attention. So I had to take some pictures of it through the trees.



Connor had fun making the water splash in the pool as it was being filled. (Huge water bill next month!) He had fun and that was the point. (Have some other great shots of the water splashing.) He had a great time playing in the pool. We just took his socks and shoes and shirt off to play in the water, and we didn't even bother with the swim shorts. Yet, his shoes came out completely soaked! Not sure how that happened except just before we went inside he jumped in the pool with his shoes on.



Connor doesn't always share well with Brennan, but Brennan still likes Connor. He shared his snack with the little bro' this afternoon. Had to capture the moment.



Can you resist the eyes?
All I can say is, "Hey, Bright Eyes!"

Pictures

Last week, Connor was invited over to a member's house for a tractor ride. He had been looking forward to this. For a couple of weeks we had been hearing, "Want to ride Mr. Leonard's tractor." Well, we arrived at the house, found the tractor and Connor would have nothing to do with it. So we watched Mr. Leonard mow his lot with his tractor and I took pictures of a barn and windmill across a corn field. Also, that same day Connor took a nap with Froggy and puppy out on the porch.

I put the barn pictures in sepia and it helped brighten the picture, but I really liked the strong sepia because it really gave a nostalgic look to the picture.

Enjoy the pictures.

Learning Math

A funny FWD e-mail. I usually read these kinds of e-mails and then hit delete, but this was great!

Little Zachary was doing very bad in math.
His parents had tried everything.
Tutors, Mentors, flash cards, Special learning centers.
In short, everything they could think of to help his math.
Finally, in a last ditch effort, they took Zachary down and enrolled him In the local Catholic school.
After the first Day, little Zachary came home with a very Serious look on his face.
He didn't even kiss his mother Hello.
Instead, he went straight to his room and Started studying.
Books and papers were spread Out all over the room and little Zachary was hard at Work.
His mother was amazed.
She called him down To dinner.
To her shock, the minute he was done, he marched back ! To his room without a word, and in no time, he was back Hitting the books as hard as before.

This went on For some time, day after day, while the mother Tried to understand what made all the difference.
Finally, little Zachary brought home his report Card.
He quietly laid it on the table, went up to his
Room and hit the books.
With great trepidation, His Mom looked at it and to her great surprise, Little Zachary got an "A" in math.
She could no Longer hold her curiosity.
She went to his room and said, "Son, what was it?
Was it the nuns?"
Little Zachary looked at her and Shook his head, no.
"Well, then," she replied, Was it the books, the discipline, the Structure, the Uniforms?
"WHAT WAS IT?"
Little Zachary looked at her and said,
"Well, on The first day of school when I saw that guy nailed to The plus sign, I knew they weren't fooling around."

How do You Receive God's Word?

Matthew 13:18-23

Some men just think, Yeah, great, without much enthusiasm. Others, finally, I have waited long enough. Others, this is the moment I have been waiting for all of this time. Yet others, they jump and down for joy, scream hallelujah and begin crying. Yet others, are so overcome with joy, they fall over passed out. What are these men reacting to? They are expressing their reaction to the words, “You may now kiss the bride.” That should be good news, but if you have been to many weddings, that is taken with different responses. Some people look forward to their wedding and the uniting of husband and wife. Others feel forced into by improper actions outside of marriage. Yet others, they respond as though they had just won 500 billion dollars in a lottery they never entered. Why do people respond so differently to the announcement, “You may kiss the bride”?

Why do people respond so differently to God’s Word? It is the same for everyone. Why do some respond in such an aggressive and angry manner while others respond with such sweet devotion? When we look at our passage this morning we see three truths concerning the reception of God’s Word.

First we see the Word of God is the seed that gives eternal life. Today we are looking at the explanation of the parable. Why bother trying to figure it out for yourself when the answer is right there in front of you? So as we look throughout this parable we see that the seed is the Word of God. In verse 19, “When anyone hears the word of the kingdom, and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what has been sown in his heart.” Wow! If you do not understand, comprehend the word then that seed is taken away. What was being sown in the field? The seed. Here we are told that the word of the kingdom is what is sown in his heart. Why does a seed not take a hold in some places even though a farmer has intentionally placed it there? Because the soil is too hard. Because the soil does not have the proper nutrients to sustain it. Notice that even here where the seed is sown on the road where as the seed sprouts it will be completely trampled by the feet of travelers, that this seed is sown in the hearts of people. Do we take seriously that we are attempting to speak to people’s hearts, their souls? When we share the gospel it is to ultimately affect their eternal living soul! This is not just some random act of great speaking or of loving service, but this is to bring them into eternity. Do we take that seriously? Notice again in verse 19 that this is sown in their hearts. What has Christ told us must happen to a person to inherit eternal life? They must be born again according to John 3. This is about your soul. You must be born of the water and the spirit. What does John tell us about this act of being born again? As he explains to Nicodemus this mighty miraculous act he reminds him of the story of the serpent in the wilderness. He shares the gospel with him even though He himself had yet to perform the sacrifice. But it is through the telling of the word and the reception of the word, the seed, that brings eternal life.

Your disposition in life affects your reception of the Word. As we continue in our passage, we come to some words of warning to us. Now, I do not necessarily see a clear parallel between the message of this parable and salvation. There are clear implications towards salvation but the main teaching of this parable is the reception of the Word of God. The one who is the road is the one where the evil one snatches away the seed. The ones who are the rocky places are the ones who allow persecution and other hard times because of the word to kill out the joy. The ones among the thorns allow the circumstances of life to choke their reception of the word. Which one are you? Are you the ones who allow satan to take God’s Word from you. It is amazing to me how quickly we forget what our pastors say on a Sunday morning. I have been there. Some Sunday evenings I could not remember what the sermon was on Sunday morning. Some times we are too busy wondering what is for lunch. Some times we are too busy worrying about our own personal finances. Some times we stayed up too late the night before. Some times we do not take time on a Sunday morning to adequately prepare ourselves for church. This is a spiritual experience. How dare we not take the appropriate measure of prayer and reading of God’s Word to be prepared for church. Not don’t get me wrong. There is no salvation in church attendance, but there is plenty of spiritual benefit in it. Do we allow the things of this world and its burdens to choke out and push out our growth in spirituality in God’s Word? Notice that persecution wins the day because of fear. Why else would a believer allow persecution to disrupt his spiritual life? Fear. Verse 22 we are told that worry because of the things of the world, and the deceitfulness of riches. Do we allow the thoughts of financial gain to keep us from taking in God’s Word? Do we allow the thoughts of financial gain to stunt our growth as believers? During your times of spiritual decline, what prompts you from growing? Is it fear? Is it worry? Why do you fall away? What distracts you?

Spiritual change demonstrates proper reception. Verse 23 is the good verse. Or at least the verse that brings good news for some of us. The seed that fell on the good soil is the one who hears the word and understands it. Do you hear and understand the word? When you read the word on your own, do you for the most part truly understand it? What happens to the one who hears the Word? Well, look in verse 23, they bear fruit. What fruit? The fruit of the Spirit. It is only one and is manifested in different forms. Love, joy peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness, self-control. Is that in you? As you grow in the Lord it should be. What else? There is a bountiful harvest. There is a hundredfold, sixtyfold and thirtyfold harvest. Not to spiritualize this at all. There is not indication what this means other than simply the spiritual growth can be huge or not quite so huge, but the fact that there is any is grace. How many of you before your salvation saw any spiritual growth in your life? If you are honest, not a single one of you saw any spiritual growth. Why? Because you were dead and when the seed hit the soil of your heart and the Lord nurtured it then it brought forth the fruit. Apart from the love of God and the working of the Spirit there is no spiritual growth. So whether you are a slower spiritual grower or a fast one, you are saved by grace. It is grace that anyone of us ever grows spiritually.

Keep your eyes open for God’s teaching. God puts lessons in front of us throughout the day. Have you ever learned a lesson about your own stubbornness as you observe your own children or the children of others while out at the store. Where God tells you, how many times have I warned you about your sin but you are like that child and you insist on going back to it? Or how many times have I warned you about not listening to my correction as you watch a child almost get hit by a shopping cart as the parents are yelling for him to stop.

Keep your ears attentive to God’s voice. Even in the midst of a trial or stressful times, God speaks. Even in the midst of suffering, God provides for the needs. Even in the midst of near collapse and being completely extended God provides relief. Have you ever had one of those times where you knew your financial need and God provided the amount you prayed for? I remember a time where I was praying that God would provide a certain amount of money. Do you know what happened? We had been told our tax return and then after some rechecking the return became larger and the increase equaled the amount requested. Maybe you need rest, and if you will take the time to sit down God will give you that rest. Maybe you need encouragement. Quit worrying about the problems and enjoy what you have and God will provide that refreshment you so desperately long for.

Maintain sensitivity to the condition of your heart. Often times we do not recognize or notice our own hardness towards God. We think we are open when we are truly not. We must maintain sensitivity to God’s Word. We must allow the Spirit to work within us. We must allow others to sharpen us. We must have others who encourage us and uplift us in our walk. Without an open heart to the Word of God we are stunting our own spiritual growth.

AC Milan wins 7th European Title

AC Milan scored a goal at the end of the first half and went on to win the game at 2-1. Inzaghi scored both goals. The first goal was a deflection of a Pirlo free kick and scored a second goal at the 82 minute.

Liverpool made a dramatic comeback in 2005 but managed only one goal which came late in the game. AC Milan played stellar defense and took home the medals.

God's Word

Psalm 19:7-9

We desire in our lives to live to the fullest. We want what is best, and whatever provides the greatest blessings to our lives. In general we want the best in education for our children and grandchildren. We want to live where it is safe and provide relative assurance that we or our children will not meet an unexpected and early end. We want our children to have promising careers to meet and provide for their and their family’s material needs. In all of that the desire is to live and experience a full life, but do we seek the full life that Christ promised? Do we make the time to prepare our souls for the life that Christ has called us?

In Psalm 19 we see a description of God’s Word and the power it possesses to affect spiritual change within us. This evening we will look specifically at verses 7-9.

In verse 7 we see that the Law of the Lord is perfect, restoring the soul. The Word of God perfects us because as we read it, study it and meditating on it the Word is bringing out the impurities. The perfect Word convicts us of our imperfections. Do you desire to be more like Christ? Then read His Word and let Him perfect you! Do we desire spiritual purity? Then read His Word and let Him purify you! Do you desire that Christ be supreme in your life? Then let Him through the reading of His Word! Our souls are destroyed and corrupt, but God’s Word restores the soul. It not only convicts us of sin but restores us to the purity that God desires of us. Adam and Eve were in a perfected state before the fall. They were complete as God desired, but when they chose to sin they corrupted themselves and all who would follow after. Now we are struggling in this corruption and God has provided the means through the Gospel to be restored to perfection. Most people enjoy antiques of one kind or another whether you collect them or not but we enjoy them. One of my dad’s friends would collect old bikes. He would find them cheap at garage sales or antique dealers. He would take them home and sandblast the old paint and rust off and then repaint the bike. He would make a nice finish and chrome the fenders and find seats that resembled the original. Then he would repair the wheels as needed and finally, he would find some white-wall tires for the old bikes. I remember one old tricycle he restored. It looked just like the original as I had seen the pictures in magazines. Through the Spirit’s work and the Word of God we are the old bikes. God is carefully working and crafting us to be restored to original perfection. He is sandblasting away the impurities and sin. He is fitting us with original parts so that we might one day match the original picture.

The testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple. Who do we trust? Why did you believe that the Word of God was real? What about God made you desire his word and salvation? What made you trust him? In a trial testimony is needed and must be sure. If a witness contradicts themselves then the testimony is considered inaccurate and untrustworthy. The Lord’s testimony is sure. His word does not contradict itself. The Word of the Lord leads unto salvation as no other word or message can. But it says that it makes wise the simple. This is a point of salvation. The Lord provides wisdom as no other can. A part of salvation is coming to the wisdom of the Lord. Those who possess salvation posses the wisdom of the author of salvation. Our minds are opened and we can now appreciate and take in the wisdom of God. The Word of the Lord works to restore our minds as well as our spirits. One commentator is quoted as saying, “The beginning of conversion, and so all along, the increase of all grace to the end, is expressed by wisdom entering into a man’s heart.”

More quickly, the precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart. They are correct and true and because of that they bring joy and satisfaction. Have you ever had someone tell you something but it just did not settle right? You knew there was something inaccurate about their statement, but you had no proof at that point. Have you ever had someone tell you the truth in a serious situation but you had no proof yet you knew they were telling you the truth and it provided a sense of satisfaction and assurance? The truth rejoices our spirits and hearts. The commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes. We are opened through the Word of God to true purity. Purity enlightens and opens us to the truth. Do we desire truth? Do we desire to be more like Christ? I know we often say that we do, but is that what we truly desire or is there something else out there that is more important to us?

Finally verse 9, the fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever. To fear the Lord is to live in purity and cleanliness. To live in true reverent fear of the Lord is to live in true purity desired by the Lord. Because if we truly fear him then we will obey him, but when we do not fear him then we are not obeying him because we do not sense the reality of danger in living in disobedience. The judgments of the Lord are true; they are righteous altogether. The words of God individually are true and accurate but together they are a description of perfect unity leading to righteousness.

What place should the Word of God have in the church?

Should we seek fun and fellowship or the Word of God first?

What should be the foundation of all that we do?

What should be the foundation of our lives as believers?

What should we look to for the source of transformation in the lives of the lost?

May we be united in prayer that the Word of God would be proclaimed to the lost and dying?

Kaka: Milan's Superstar Remains Grounded

I borrowed the title from ESPN.com
Kaka is playing with AC Milan today to capture the UEFA Champions League trophy. He is a dedicated believer and well-respected person in addition to being a strong footballer. ESPN has a great article about Kaka. One quote really stood out to me:

'He's centred,' Cruz said of his best-known pupil. 'He doesn't think he's better than other people, he doesn't think he's special. He's humble and polite.He simply has a broader vision of the world. Kaka is the young man any father would love to have as a son.'

I am Not a Christian

One of the blogs I enjoy reading and am frequently challenged and edified by is the Internet Monk. This is the blog site of Michael Spencer and a boarding school's campus minister.

He has a new post on the senior essays of students. His basic point:

I often wonder why Christians, in building so much that is for themselves, haven’t stopped and looked at the world as Jesus did. Look at the fields white unto harvest. Look at the sheep without a shepherd. Look at the lost, needing to come home.
We could do so much for them, if we would simply allow them to not believe, but to still be loved.

Are you willing to love the lost in their lost condition?
Do you desire to see the lost loved?
May we love the lost and see the fields ready for harvest.

Chelsea wins FA Cup

Chelsea, League Champions for '05-'06, took home the FA Cup.

With 4 minutes remaining in extra time, Chelsea's Drogba scored the game-winning goal. He lifted the ball over the arms of Edwin Van de Saar for the win. A tough loss for the Reds (1, 2) who are this year's league champions but a great win for Chelsea. They ended the season on a skid, but this win gives them some hope for next season.

For Man United it is disappointing but they have optimism with a league championship to improve and do better next season.

The Church

Acts 2:41-42

Throughout history there have been numerous wars and conflicts. Our world has experienced numerous atrocities due to these wars. Though no nation or army has ever been completely innocent of abuses in these conflicts you can often determine the mindset of the nation based on the behavior of the military fighting the war. For instance, look at World War II. Germany imprisoned and systematically killed millions of Jews along with political enemies and even Christians who opposed the treatment of the Jews. When it came to war, the Germans invaded nations on false pretenses and set-ups they developed. It is said that many of the German soldiers preferred imprisonment in Allied POW camps than service in the German army because they knew their basic needs would be provided. Go to the Pacific theater of the War and the Japanese were brutal and cruel to their prisoners. The proven methods of prisoner mistreatment from the Japanese are gut-wrenching and disgusting and inhumane. The differences on average between the Allies and the Germans and Japanese are the goal of the war. The Allies were seeking to free people being held captive. The Germans and Japanese were seeking to dominate and hold others under their control. The actions of the militaries demonstrate the objective.

What we do as a church when we gather demonstrates what we hold to be important. When we gather we demonstrate our objective. When we gather together do we desire what we are doing? Do we desire to sing praises to God and Christ? Do we desire to seek the Lord and his will as we pray? Do we desire to hear his Word proclaimed and that through the Spirit we might be more conformed to his likeness? Is that what we desire? Our passage this morning gives us three signs of the church. Or we could call them marks of the church.

Mark Dever pastor of Capitol Hill Baptist Church has a ministry called The Nine Marks Ministry. His purpose in this ministry is to assist and encourage churches to return to a biblically-faithful ministry. The first mark of the church according to his ministry is Expository Preaching. From the teaching of the Word flows the remainder of the ministry. The first sign we see of the church in our passage is that the apostles’ teaching was the foundation of the church. My translation says, “were continually devoting themselves to the apostles’ teaching.” Emphasis on the continually. It was not an every once in a while thing. This was a regular part of their lives. We are not told how often they came together so this could be describing a daily occurrence. They did not bring their own personal Bible with them to church so they were likely trying to memorize the words and remember the message so that they could learn from it during the week. In the Greek “they were devoting” is one word. “Continually” helps us understand the full impact of that one word. This was ongoing, habitual action on the part of the church. This was important to them. Matthew tells us that the church will be built upon the fact that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of the Living God. He is the Chosen One. The one who was promised to Abraham. The Apostles’ teaching was based upon Jesus the Christ. Are we committed to that mindset and understanding of teaching? Are we committed to taking in the Word of God so that it might permeate our minds and our thoughts and our actions? It is through the Word of God that the Spirit works within us. The Word of God is the foundation of the church. What makes us different than the Elks Lodge? What makes us different than the Boy Scouts or Girl Scouts? What makes us different than sports enthusiasts who gather at the stadium to watch a game? We are founded upon Christ. Mark 1:45 tells us that the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve and give his life as a ransom for many. When we are devoted to the teaching of God’s Word the Spirit will work within us to make us humble, servant-minded and Christ-minded people. May we live in humility. May we place others first and seek what is best for others and not ourselves. Do you want to truly be humble? Pray for those who most offend you. Is there someone maybe in this church that you really do not wish to be around? Pray for them. Is there someone at work that you really do not wish to be around? Pray for them. Are you having a difficult time with your spouse right now or you probably will in the future? Pray for them.

The second mark we see of the church is that Christ is the foundation of the fellowship of the church. When we think of fellowship we think of fun and food. When you look at this passage, at first, it may appear that there are four aspects of the church. Devotion to the apostles’ teaching, fellowship, the breaking of bread, and prayer but notice that fellowship and breaking of bread are only separated by a comma not the word ‘and.’ When I look at this I understand the breaking of bread to be a defining phrase of their fellowship. Their fellowship was centered on Christ. The breaking of bread here signifies the Lord’s Supper. It is the remembrance of Christ’s blood being shed for us. It is the remembrance of Christ’s body being broken in death for us. Their fellowship was centered on the fact that they possessed fellowship because of Christ. It is said that the one of the most significant aspects of the early church was that they were a cross-cultural religion. There were many other religions but they were all identified with a specific nationality. The Jewish religion or Judaism was mostly identified with Jews, but Christianity was spreading among all nationalities. Jews, Arabs, Europeans, Africans. In order to be a true Christian, you must have faith in Christ. In order to be a truly great Muslim you must be Arab. Now, you can be a good Muslim and be White. To be a great Christian, you must be founded in Christ. In order for us to have true fellowship, there must be Christ.

When we come to church, what are we looking for? Are we looking to leave feeling good about ourselves or are we looking to be built up in Christ? If we are looking to leave feeling good about ourselves then we are going to miss some very important opportunities of conviction. Sometimes spiritual growth brings periods of hard facts. Sometimes spiritual growth requires the deep valleys of despair. Some call it “the Dark Night of the Soul.” Times where all seems lost but at the end of the dark night lies the beauty and majesty of Christ and his grace and glory. When you come to church, come looking for Christ and being encountered and worked on by the Spirit.

The third mark we see of the church is that the church is committed to prayer. There is not much right here in the text to help describe this action of the church, but by the other two items mentioned we know that their prayer will be Christ-centered and according to the Word of God. Every one of these items must be theo-centric. God must be the center of every aspect of the church. Notice their devotion is first to the apostles’ teaching. We see in Acts what they were teaching. They were teaching that Jesus is the Messiah. He is the promised One of God. Second they were devoted to the observance of the Lord’s Supper which is wholly about Christ. They were devoted to prayer. Notice in Acts two instances of their times of prayer where the Spirit moved mightily. At Pentecost, the Spirit came down, they went out and preached and thousands were saved that day. Another time they are praying and the place where they are praying is shaken. The focus of the church at that time is that they are united, they are one.

When we pray through our prayer cards, I am praying that we as a church are becoming united in purpose. I pray that you are committed and are actually praying through one of these cards. Through each of these items, the believers are coming together in the power of the Spirit. Are you seeking the Spirit’s working in you? Are you seeking that the Spirit will enable you to speak and act in such a way that the likeness of Christ is revealed in you? May we seek the power of the Spirit in the workings of our church. May we seek the hand of God upon us as we seek to do His work.

The Last Juror

I just finished reading John Grisham's book The Last Juror. I have been trying to read more fiction this year. It keeps my mind light and also really keeps me more down-to-earth. You can learn about people what you read in books, but it can never replace actually relating to people.

This was a great book. It moves at a good pace and easy to read. The synopsis on the back cover is not what the book is really about. The back cover says it is about a vicious murder trial and then the killings of the juror's from that trial. Those two items take about 1/3 of the book. The book is really about "The Last Juror." She is an elderly black lady who has lived to see many changes in the society of this small rural community. A great story. One of John Grisham's best. Part of his purpose in writing this book was to make people aware of some of the crazy laws on the books.

Here is a quote from the book that I think all believers should take to heart:

With rare exceptions blacks and whites did not worship together in Ford County. They fervently believed in the same Lord, but chose very different styles of worshipping him. The majority of whites expected to be outside the church building at five past noon on Sunday, and seated for lunch by twelve-thirty. Blacks really didn’t care what time the service broke up, or what time it began for that matter. On my church tour I visited twenty-seven black congregations and never saw a benediction before 1:30—3 P.M. was the norm. Several simply went all day, with a short break for lunch in the fellowship hall, then back to the sanctuary for another round.

Such zealotry would have killed a white Christian. (emphasis mine)

(Chapter 38, The Last Juror)

5 stars

Persecution in Pakistan

Christians in a town in Pakistan were given the order by radical militants to convert or face "explosions." Thursday was the deadline, and it has now past. Pray for these believers to stand for the faith. Pray that they would remain safe, and if not, that the Lord would encourage them in their faith and give them strength to withstand the persecution.

To be regularly updated on persecution around the world visit the Voice of the Martyrs. This is an organization founded by Richard Wurmbrand who was imprisoned by the Communist Romanian government. He spent nearly 14 years in prison and was tortured.

Jerry Falwell 1933-2007

Jerry Falwell passed away yesterday morning. He was found unconscious in his office, and medical personnel were unable to revive him. You can read his bio here, here and here.

He is best known by many as the founder of the Moral Majority from the 1980's. He is also the founding pastor of Thomas Road Baptist Church in Lynchburg VA. He is also the founder of a superb and fully accredited education system. Beginning in preschool a child can enter his educational system and never leave until they have a PhD. Liberty University is his most well-known school.

Though many were opposed to him and his statements, he will be missed. This was truly a man who was committed to the work of the Kingdom of God. A University of 21,500 students to a mega-church, plus an accredited seminary, and academy to the TV and Radio ministries. His influence is far and wide. How many people entered the Kingdom because of him? Only the Lord knows.

Falwell now is in the presence of our Lord. May we venture to expand the Kingdom through a similar passion and vision through the power of our Lord.

You can read articles concerning Falwell here, here, here, here, here, here, and here.

The Church's Fellowship

Acts 2:42

Tonight we are going to look at a portion of our passage for Sunday morning. As I have looked at this one verse, the phrase, “to fellowship, to the breaking of bread,” has captivated my attention. As you look at this verse there at first appears to be four key characteristics of a healthy church, but as I have looked at this more closely, there are only three. I see here in this one phrase a definition of what their fellowship.

When you look at this one verse, they were devoted to the apostles’ teaching. That is the foundation of what is to follow. But the structure says the apostles’ teaching, fellowship and prayer. What is significant about their fellowship? It is centered around the breaking of the bread. They were good Baptists. They had their KFC and some wonderful biscuits. You get your biscuits nice and hot and you break it in order to smother it with butter. You have to break it while it is hot so the butter will melt. Is that what this is saying? If you think so please see me when we are done. We hear the word fellowship and we automatically think of a church get together for fun and food. For them their fellowship was something deeper. We talk about the church edifying and encouraging us in our faith and they practiced it. We often think of edifying as encouraging us so that we won’t be so depressed about how awful our world is, but they came together to be encouraged and uplifted and edified so they would go out in strength and power of the Spirit to do the work of the church.

Their fellowship is centered on Christ. Notice that fellowship and breaking the bread are only separated by a comma instead of the word ‘and.’ The ‘breaking of the bread’ defines ‘fellowship.’ They did get together around food but it was more than a potluck. They centered their fellowship around the remembering of Christ’s sacrifice, the fact that he is Lord, and that without him there would be no fellowship of believers.

1 Corinthians 1:9 God is faithful, through whom you were called into fellowship with His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

Philemon 1:6 {and I pray} that the fellowship of your faith may become effective through the knowledge of every good thing which is in you for Christ's sake.

1 John 1:3 what we have seen and heard we proclaim to you also, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father, and with His Son Jesus Christ.

· Do we see this type of fellowship in our church?

· Do we come together in order to Honor and Worship Christ?

· How do we enter into the fellowship of the church?

· What can be done to insure that those who desire membership are believers?

· What ought to be the focus of the church during normal gathering times?

· What ought to be the response if someone were to desire something from the church that is not according to the focus of the church?

· What is the purpose of the church?

· How can we live this out?

· What is the importance of the fellowship of the church being centered on Christ?

Our Handsome Boys

The Impact of a Mother

2 Timothy 1:3-7

They were a close family. The children were truly model children. They were obedient, respectful, loving, kind, accepting. They were faithful to attending and supporting all church activities that they could. Their school was superb. Their service and love for others was beyond the level of all others their age. They served others who had need without any recognition. Their faith was deep and secure and true. What was the secret to these children’s success? Their mother. Every child has a mother, but these children had their mother teaching them every day of the week. They were homeschooled, and if you knew their mother, then you saw her in them. They were impacted by their mother.

In our text this morning, we see two results of the impact of a mother. Timothy was impacted by his mother and the results we see this morning are the results of Timothy’s mother upon his life.

First we see that Timothy was a blessing to others.

Pray that your children will be blessing to others who are in need- physically and spiritually. May we seek to be a blessing to others. Do you know someone in need, then help them. Do you want to be a blessing to others? Then in August, you have the chance to be a blessing to the congregation of Shippensburg Community Church. They are holding in late August their annual Pig Roast. The people of that church were thoroughly blessed to have us there last year. To lend a helping hand in the tasks required. Handing out flyers. Going door-to-door. Serving the food. Talking with their visitors. Allowing them to talk with their visitors. Just seeing that others care. That is an opportunity that you personally have to be a blessing. Another opportunity. July 8-13 is our VBS. There is a sign-up sheet on the back table. Sign-up and help out.

Second we see Timothy possessed a true faith. Paul says I am mindful of the sincere faith within you. This is a faith that was evident in his grandmother and mother. Paul is mindful, recognizes this faith in Timothy. What is a sincere faith? It is a true faith. In 1 Timothy 1:5 (link is ESV)Paul says (NASB), “The goal of our instruction is a pure heart, a good conscience, and a sincere faith.” This sounds like a mature faith. A mature faith would be one that holds tightly the truths of God’s Word. Listen to 1 Timothy 1:5 again, “a pure heart, a good conscience, and a sincere faith.” What does pure, good and sincere hold in common? The truth. A True faith. Do you possess a true faith? Do you desire that your children hold a true faith? Do you desire that your grandchildren possess a true faith? Do you desire that the young people of this church hold a true faith? Do you desire that the people of this church hold a true faith? I do!

Without true faith, all else is pointless. How can you develop your faith? Through the teaching of God’s Word. We have Sunday School at 9:00 am on Sunday mornings. Worship time at 10:15. The sermon is an opportunity to be taught God’s Word. Wednesday evenings we have Bible Study and prayer time. Ladies beginning Tuesday at 2:00 pm you have an opportunity to have a small group Bible Study. May we pray that those kinds of Bible Studies would expand so that others may come to faith and believers may be encouraged and uplifted in their faith.

Would you take the time each day:

· To pray for your children or if you do not have children, then pray for someone else’s children.

· To pray for you grandchildren or if you do not have grandchildren then someone else’s grandchildren.

· To pray for the young people of this congregation. This is the children and teens.

· To pray that the Word of God would be taught in each of the homes of this church.

Brennan Smooshed

The weather has really turned nice lately. (Although, the humidity and bugs are really starting to set in.) We all went out and played today, and Mommy and Brennan had to go in early to start on dinner. Well, Brennan really wanted to still be outside, but he never made it out again. BUT he sure tried. As you can see, he was trying to get through the door, but he was also just being silly. The picture above was two birds that I managed to capture. I heard them and saw them speeding down the riverbank.

The Children of Hurin

Today I finished The Children of Hurin by Tolkien. I have read the Hobbit but have not yet read any of the Lord of the Rings. This book is somewhat dark in that many of the main characters die, but the evil in the story is ultimately conquered and vanquished by the book's end.

This is a great story of struggle against evil, and the struggle personally between doing right and wrong. Turin is the son of Hurin and most of the story revolves around his life after being sent away to live with the Elves to avoid being killed or captured by the advancing Orcs. Turin learns sword-fighting among other necessary skills to live and survive in the world of that time. He becomes great but kills another man and flees to avoid the punishment. From there his adventures begin, and he becomes what he was attempting to avoid. In the end, Turin is the hero.

In this book, Tolkien continues to portray the good that is expected of all people. He portrays the evil as those would subdue and enslave others including the innocent. Tolkien's writings speak to so much of our world's issues today.

Great book. Highly recommended.

5 stars

Record Offering for 2006 Lottie Moon

The IMB is looking to celebrate the largest giving ever to the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering. Currently they have received over $144 million. May 31 is the official closing date for the 2006 offering. They are anticipating that by then we will have surpassed the $150 million goal.

If the total continues to rise they are anticipating that there will be enough financial support to send nearly 200 more missionaries in the 2007-08 year.
You will see a recommendation from the finance committee that we allocate the first $5.2 million received beyond the $141.2 million we have [budgeted from anticipated Lottie Moon receipts] in the 2007 operating budget to sending additional missionaries."

The operating budget already provides funding for new missionaries. The anticipated Lottie Moon funds could result in a net gain of an additional 200 missionaries in 2007-08. [emphasis mine]

Man United Wins the League

It doesn't matter how many goals you win by you just have to win. Man United won enough games to take a large enough lead to insure a League Title. The Reds beat Man City 1-0 on a penalty by Ronaldo and then the next day Chelsea tied Arsenal to give United a large enough table lead to give them the title.

At the Man United Website they are posting a series on how the title was won. Here are articles 1 & 2.

The Prayers of the Church

Acts 4:29-31

Over the course of the nearly two years that we have been here, I have learned a lot about ministry and about how to be a pastor and how to lead a church. I have seen that many times, people mean completely different things with the same words. I have seen that people have completely different understandings and expectations from the church. Over the next few weeks we will occasionally look at some passages that speak to the church and what its purpose and mission is and what that looks like.

We have our red prayer cards that we ought to continue to pray for those items. Prayer is an often misunderstood and very much underused tool for the church. There ought to be power in our prayers. We are facing a time in our church that if prayer is not a part of our lives then we can expect failure. I believe that we are at a clear point that must demonstrate where our loyalty and our faith lies. Prayer is a clear demonstration of our faith and trust and loyalty to God.

In Acts 4:29-31, the early church was faced with the beginnings of persecution. Peter and John had been imprisoned and beaten. They were threatened to not let this teaching spread any further. Basically, they were told go and enjoy your beliefs but do not tell anyone else. They responded we cannot do that because our God requires us to tell more people. As Peter and John gather with the church after their release and praise God and call upon Him to give them strength to fulfill His work. The passion they possessed to see God’s work fulfilled. After two of the leaders of the church were imprisoned, they did not sit around and wonder, why did that happen, but they instead go to the Lord in prayer seeking His strength to continue on. What are some areas of our church life and ministry that we need strength in? As we pray for these areas what are you going to do to see that these areas are strengthened?

In their prayers they were not seeking the acts and means that would get people’s attention, but they prayed for what would change people’s lives. Notice that in verse 29, they call for the Lord to give them confidence in their proclaiming the Word of God. Then in verse 30, “while You extend Your hand to heal, and signs and wonders take place through the name of Your holy servant Jesus." They are praying that the Lord would continue to heal people and other signs and wonders would take place, but notice, they are saying, “While You extend your hand . . . through the name of Your holy servant Jesus.” They do not ask specifically that God would do those things through them, but through His work and His acts. Their desire is for the life-changing work to be accomplished. Are we as a church praying for the life-changing work of the proclaiming of the gospel to be accomplished through all of us? I am always encouraged when I hear about people’s opportunities to share the gospel. I heard one story of someone in our church who has been talking with one of their doctors. As they shared the story, I was greatly encouraged because it was clear their doctor was very comfortable with them. They are in a position where if their doctor is in great need of any kind, the doctor will be open to turning to them. Are we praying that God would open these kinds of opportunities to us? What are some ways that we as a church could open up these kinds of opportunities? Small Groups.

Finally, notice that in verse 31 it says that the place where they were praying was shaken. Could you imagine the power that was in that place? The Lord’s power rested with them through the Spirit. The Bible says, “They were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak the Word of God with boldness.” It says they were all. Not just the apostles but all of the believers. They were filled with the Holy Spirit. Do we live in such a way that we are filled with the Spirit? Do we live in such a way that when we speak the Word of God to someone, we sense that we are filled? Do we seek to pray and be submitted to the Lord on a daily basis? We talk about living in the power of God and speaking in His power, but that is made real when we trust that He will be the one to make the change in others. When we trust in Him that in our obedience He will accomplish His will. We recognize that it is His work and not ours. Through our obedience and submission to Him, His power may be made known to all people.

It is Grace

Ephesians 2:8-10

Two full-time ministers have very different stories to tell concerning how their children turned out. One minister’s income was meager and most of the time they eat the food served at the boarding school’s cafeteria. Life in this setting is hectic and burdensome. As a minister you never know when a call might come that requires your attention and presence away from home, but here you are living with teenagers around the clock without their parents. Throughout the time when their children were in their home, they always ate a meal together. Their children were taught the Bible and disciplined. Despite the challenges that frequently arose in life, the children of this minister have turned out to be model children. The other minister did not have the burdens of a boarding school setting, but maintained many of the same practices. They always ate dinner together. There was always an effort made to keep family first. The children were disciplined and taught the Bible. They were loved and cherished. They were taught about personal responsibility. They were raised as any parent would desire to raise their children. Yet, one of the two children in this family has, in their adult years, rebelled and left the church. Why would this happen when so much was done the same? What has caused this one child to rebel and leave the kind of life they were taught to live? It is grace that any child becomes a faithful believer and adult that would make their parents proud.

It is grace that anyone ever comes to salvation. In our passage today, we see that our salvation does not rest on our works but on grace and faith. In Ephesians 2:8-10 we see two means and an end to our salvation.

First we see that salvation is extended by grace. The passage reads, “For it is by grace you have been saved . . . not by works so that no one may boast.” Grace, what a beautiful word. Very simply, you do not deserve it. To receive something through grace is to receive something you do not deserve. I am sure in this room this morning there is probably a husband or two or more who would say, I do not deserve my wife. I am sure in this room this morning there is probably a wife who would say, I do not deserve my husband. Are we willing to admit that our salvation is undeserved? That is what grace means, we do not deserve it. Charles Spurgeon, considered one of the greatest if not the greatest Baptist minister from Great Britain calls God’s grace His unmerited favor. To receive salvation is to receive God’s favor. Look at verse 8 again, “for it is BY grace.” Notice that the word by demonstrates that grace is the means of our salvation. It is BY grace that Christ died for you. It is BY grace that God extended the offer to you. It is BY grace that you survived long enough to receive the invitation. It is BY grace that God did not end your life the first time you sinned. It is BY grace that you are a believer today. It is BY grace that you lived in a country where you could receive that salvation openly. It is BY grace that God desired to even offer salvation to a bunch of prideful, sinful and rebellious people like those who inhabit the earth.

He had been crippled and lame for most of his life. For thirty-eight years, he had to lay and wait for a miracle. He prayed and waited for God to heal him. Many people told him, if you will get in the waters when the angel stirs them, then you will be healed. So he has been laying beside the Pool of Siloam waiting for his turn to be the first to enter the waters when the angel stirred them. One day as he lay there a man approaches and asks if he wishes to be healed. “Of course I do, but I have no one to put me in the pool when the waters are stirred.” “Then pick up your mat and walk.” He then picked up his mat and walked away. Later that day, Jesus finds the man again and tells him, “Do not sin anymore unless something worse should happen to you.” Was he being threatened?

What went through the man’s mind we may never know, but Christ demonstrated in words his grace. You are a sinner, but go and sin no more. You have been freed through faith, so go and sin no more. What beautiful words! Go and sin no more. When Christ entered your life through salvation it was BY grace.

Second we see that salvation is extended through faith apart from any works. “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith, not by works so that no one may boast.” Through faith. We do nothing to receive or deserve grace, but the emphasis with faith is that we are not capable of doing any work to receive or deserve salvation. We can perform all of the great and wonderful and graceful deeds in the world and we will never deserve salvation. We could sell all of our possessions and give the money to the poor, and then commit ourselves to a monastery and a life of simplicity and devotion to God, but we would still not deserve salvation. Rom 5:8-9: But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.9 Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath {of God} through Him. “Having now been justified by His blood.” We have been made to be without sin, without imperfection and rebellion through Christ’s blood. His work. We will be saved from God’s wrath upon sin and the sinner through Christ. It is Christ who has taken our place in death, in punishment and in rescuing us from our own destruction. Apart from Christ there is only death and destruction.

Imagine during the Civil War what the hopes of the slaves would have been? Many escaped the South through the Underground Railroad. Imagine knowing that for decade upon decade that your ancestors were enslaved and experienced know true freedom. Then one day, as you have already escaped your imprisonment due to the fighting, that you are walking about as another slave greets you and tells you that you are free. You have been traveling and hiding in hopes that you are not recognized and enslaved again. How can you be free? You are a runaway. “You are free my friend. Your master cannot reclaim you.” “How can this be? I have runaway. I am still enslaved by my master. His presence follows me. I fear the punishment when he finds me.” “Do not fear. The president has declared you free. He can no longer call you his. You are a free person.”

Apart from any work that we have done, we are free. There is no work great enough to have claimed your freedom and forgiveness other than the work of Christ upon the cross. The Lord is not waiting for you to become good enough nor is he waiting for us to perform the right deeds or actions. Romans 5:8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. While we were yet rebelling and living against his design and plans for us he loved us. It is through faith. Confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. Romans 10:9

Third we see that the end of our salvation is living in the good works of Christ. How many of us were saved and then we went on our own little rebellion party? You got saved and then you lived like the devil. How many of us know someone that was their tale? How many of us have known someone who tried and tried to earn their salvation by their good works? They were doing all of these great and wonderful and caring acts but they were never filled because they could not earn their salvation. We are not saved by good works we are saved for good works. Our lives as believers are to be full of the good works of Christ that will bring honor and glory to Him. The demonstration of our lives is to be actions that are from the overflow and control of the Spirit within us. As believers we are to grow in godliness, holiness and righteousness. These are the good works we are created for in Christ Jesus. In Christ Jesus we are new creations. Apart from Christ we are not living in good works because they are not works done unto Christ for his glory. When we are in Christ and controlled by the Spirit, we are a new creation and our desire should be one of willingness and desire to be pleasing to our Savior with our lives.

Our response to our Lord should be of great pleasure and therefore desire to serve Him because of His grace demonstrated and given to us. We should be willing to serve and live in the good works we are created for because of our thankfulness for His grace. Do you live in thankfulness and joy because of God’s grace?

Our response to our Lord should be one of continually living in faith. Our salvation is brought about through faith. We ought to continue to live in faith to Christ as one who will and is able to lead us into our place before the Father. Do you live daily in faith to Christ?

Our lives ought to be a clear and visible response to God’s grace and because of the faith in us. Do you live in the same manner that Christ lived in? Do you seek to be an offering poured out to God?

Intentional Doctrinal Imprecision

Jim Elliff of Christian Communicators Worldwide has a new article up about pastors who intentionally avoid doctrine in order to grow a church. I thought he must be kidding but when you read the article you know he is not.

He says,

I just visited with one friend concerning a large church in our area that has grown exceptionally well. The directional pastor of this church is a smart man who has some distinct beliefs he holds personally. I can talk with him about doctrine when alone. He reads and knows the Bible. But in his leadership and preaching he fully intends not to go beyond the most elementary issues, and appears (appearances are about all we can go on) not to be that concerned that his people differ on major doctrines, some of which are most significant.

How can a pastor think he is feeding his sheep if he will not seek to get them beyond the milk? We are to build up and edify the church. We are to lead them to our Lord in devotion and submission.

And these doctrines were to be "taught" and "preached." In other words, it was not the prerogative of those elders that were appointed by the apostles to minimize the importance of doctrinal precision. Similarly, I don't think we can be like Jesus or like the apostles in our leadership without emphasizing what they emphasized. It is, in fact, ludicrous to think otherwise. I don't think Paul would listen very sympathetically to our explanation of why we have minimized doctrine for the sake of church growth.

It is not true church growth if the people are not becoming disciples. We can track how many new members we have, but if they are not becoming disciples then we are not growing the church. Our main concern ought to be that we are building spiritually mature members.

Be sure to read the article and then pray that your church would grow in spirituality and devotion and submission to your Lord. The church is a spiritual body not a worldly body.

Stop Sinning

Ephesians 5:6-14

The previous passages we have looked in Ephesians, Paul is calling the church to put off the old self. He is pleading and encouraging them to repent from the life of sin and rebellion and to move on to the glorious new self to which God has called them.

In verse 6 Paul begins and tells them, “Let no one deceive you.” Simple enough. Do not be fooled. Hold to the truth. Do not let anyone twist the truth and cause you to believe untrtuth. But Paul continues with these words, “with empty words.” Paul is telling the Ephesians, do not let anyone deceive into believing that sin is OK. Remember in the verses just prior to this passage that Paul listed those who would not inherit the Kingdom, now he says, “Let no one deceive you with empty words.” To be a sinner is not permissible. To be a sinner is not expected nor is it the character of a believer. We are called to holiness. “Be holy for I am holy.” “Be imitators of God.” “Go and sin no more.” Paul then states that the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. God’s wrath is upon those who attempt to deceive others or call others into sinning. “Sons of disobedience” is a Semitic expression that basically means that we are sinners in our nature. Verse 7 says, “do not be partakers with them.” Do not share in their excuses for sin. Do not follow those who are sinners because it brings God’s wrath. Do not be united with or assist those who lead others into sin. What are some common excuses for why people sin? What are some sins that people regularly commit that they make excuses for? What is the best way to respond to someone when they give excuse for their sin?

Beginning in verse 8 Paul begins to call them to living in the truth. He uses the imagery of light and darkness in the remainder of this passage. Light being the truth and darkness being sin. He says, “you were formerly darkness.” You were once a sinner. You once were consumed with sin and in sin. Then he uses one of those big words in the Bible, but. You were a sinner. Now you are not. “Now you are Light in the Lord.” Now you are holy and righteous because you now belong to the Lord. You are the Lord’s. You are not sinners because you have been made righteous in the Lord. “Walk as children of Light trying to learn what is pleasing to the Lord.” Verse 9 is an aside to what he is saying. If we are walking in the Light then we desire to learn what pleases the Lord. Verse 9 tells us that the fruit of the Light is goodness, righteousness and truth. We should deal with truth. We should desire to live in goodness. We should desire to live in righteousness. We should desire to live in the truth. All of this again is founded in God’s character. We are being made to look like Christ. Verse 10, “trying to learn what is pleasing to the Lord.” The idea here is that we are through trial and error seeking to learn what pleases the Lord. Sometimes we make it, but other times we don’t. It’s like children who are testing the limits. What is the furthest that I may go? When will I get in trouble? But instead we are trying to please him instead of what can I get away with. What are your thoughts on this idea? I have heard some say the Lord doesn’t tell us which way to go or what to do, but instead we should be told. What have you experienced in your life that demonstrates that the Lord does lead us in how to live?

Verse 11 Paul states, “Do not participate in the unfruitful deeds of darkness, but instead even expose them.” We are not to be partakers with the darkness. In 2 Corinthians 6:18, “Therefore come out of their midst.” Do not belong among the unbelieving. Do not make you living among them, but instead come out of their midst and demonstrate the calling of God. Demonstrate to an unbelieving world what holiness and the love of God looks like. The second half of verse 11 states, “but instead even expose them.” Reveal the darkness in them. What are ways that we can lovingly reveal the darkness? Would living a holy life, a loving and self-sacrificing life demonstrate the darkness in them? What about giving freely of ourselves and our time? What about thinking of others first? What about insuring the best for others at the expense of the best for ourselves? May we be a clear demonstration of God and Christ to others through the Spirit.

Verse 12 states, “It is disgraceful to speak of the things which are done by them in secret.” There are all manner of understandings of this verse. Some say this means that we should never mention the sins of others to the extent that we cannot even approach others about their sins. Then there are those who would give some sort of ranking of sins and ignore the most offensive of sins. What Paul is bringing out here is the fact that the sins they are committing are shunning the Light, and we should in no way celebrate that sinfulness in them. Just as with the Virginia Tech shootings many people are upset with how the focus has so much come upon the thoughts and actions of the shooter that they are in a very real sense perpetuating his evil.

Verse 13 says that eventually all things become visible when they are exposed by the light. The darkness is exposed when compared with the light. All sins are exposed by the professing of the truth. The sinner must be regenerated in order to be holy but through the truth their darkness will be made light.

Verse 14 is a reference to the Old Testament but not an exact quote. Often times Paul would take numerous quotes and compile them in order to make his point. But here Paul is saying that the voice of Christ, the Truth, causes people to hear and to live. The truth is what brings light to the darkness. Christ, the Truth, is what brings life to the dead.

May we be faithful to regularly taking in God’s Word. Read your Bible daily. If you can buy the Bible on tape or CD and listen in your car or as you are cleaning or exercising. Memorize the Word. Meditate on the Word.