Monthly Archives: September 2014

Come Back To The Rabbi’s Yoke

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COME BACK TO THE RABBI’S YOKE

“I myself am convinced, my brothers and sisters, that you yourselves are full of goodness, filled with knowledge and competent to instruct one another. Yet I have written you quite boldly on some points to remind you of them again, because of the grace God gave me to be a minister of Jesus Christ to the Gentiles. He gave me the priestly duty of proclaiming the gospel of God, so that the Gentiles might become an offering to God, sanctified by the Holy Spirit.” Romans 15:14-16.

This short paragraph tells me quite a bit about the early church, its leaders and the way it functioned.

After his grand and masterful presentation of the gospel, Paul becomes personal. He may not have yet visited Rome, but he knew quite a bit about the people in the Roman congregation, as the final chapter of his letter reveals. How did he know so much about them?

There was no social network to exchange information, no email or even an efficient “snail mail” system. Letters were carried by individuals and delivered to the recipients personally, and yet, there seems have been constant communication going on across the empire. People travelled quite extensively from one side of the known world to the other by both land and sea.

There was a special bond between believers because of the persecution that was slowly escalating against them. They were interested in each other’s welfare. They visited each other and exchanged news when they travelled to another city where there was a congregation of believers. They stayed in each other’s homes and shared their resources because they were ostracised and alienated from the outside world.

Paul took the trouble to commend them because the news he received about them was positive. In spite of their pagan origin, they were already mature and knowledgeable in the Scriptures. That points to a group of people who diligently applied themselves to a study of the Word. They were competent to instruct one another.

That leads to another important point – the presence and activity of the Holy Spirit in them. There was no Bible School for them to attend to become “authorised” leaders. What makes one person more competent to lead than another? Not book learning, for sure! In the church, people emerged as leaders as their gifts and anointing were recognised. The Holy Spirit was the teacher. He raised up and anointed different people for different functions.

There is nothing wrong with formal training but people should not be self-appointed because of what they want to do. It is the general consensus of the body that should determine what individuals are gifted to do. In the early church, the presence and power of the Holy Spirit in a believer took precedence over skills, abilities and competence. The seven deacons chosen to serve tables in Acts 6 were all men filled with the Holy Spirit.

I notice also, Paul’s boldness in appealing to his apostolic authority given to him by God. He was no upstart apostle. He had been appointed by God as an apostle to the Gentiles and he used his authority, not with arrogance but with confidence. His was no idle boast. As an apostle of the Lord Jesus Christ, appointed by God and anointed by the Holy Spirit, he had the responsibility of interpreting and binding the Rabbi’s yoke on those who became disciples through faith.

Pastors and leaders in the church would do well to learn that they have a sacred duty to understand and correctly interpret Jesus’ yoke before they bind it on the people in the congregations for which they are responsible. Disciples of a rabbi were never permitted to add to or subtract from their rabbi’s yoke. They were immediately disqualified from being a disciple if they did.

It was their duty correctly to understand their rabbi’s interpretation of the Torah and the way he lived it, and then to follow him without question. They were to bind his yoke on their followers, loosing them from any other teaching they had submitted to and baptising them into identification with their rabbi and his movement.

The implications are obvious. There are so many fanciful interpretations of the gospel which Jesus never authorised, that the church has become a hotchpotch of beliefs and practices which have very little or nothing to do with the truth. He is calling us back to His one simple instruction, “Follow me!” and to the authorised interpretation of His yoke – recorded in the New Testament – by His appointed apostles.

Acknowledgement

Scripture taken from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

 

A Place For The Gentiles

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A PLACE FOR THE GENTILES

“For I tell you that Christ has become a servant of the Jews on behalf of God’s truth, so that the promises made to the patriarchs might be confirmed and moreover, that the Gentiles might glorify God for His mercy. As it is written:

‘Therefore I will praise you among the Gentiles; I will sing the praises of your name.’

And again it says,

‘Rejoice, you Gentiles, with His people.’

And again,

‘Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles; let all the people extol Him.’

And again, Isaiah says,

‘The root of Jesse will spring up, one who will arise to rule over the nations; in Him the Gentiles will hope.’

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” Romans 15:8-13.

It’s all very well, Paul, for you to explain the intricacies of God’s righteousness but on what grounds do we Gentiles have the right to think that we also have a share in the mercy of God? After all, God is the God of the Jews. He chose them to be His people and we were not included in His covenant with Abraham.

Oh, really! Was that God’s intention? To have a little group of people whom He could mollycoddle and leave the rest to rot in hell? Never! The whole purpose of His choice of Israel was for them to be a model for the Gentiles, so that they would see, mirrored in His people, the nature of God and believe in Him as well. Once He had sent His Messiah to earth through His people, He would throw the door open for the whole world to believe in Him.

Paul’s triumphant declaration of hope for the Gentiles was based squarely on God’s eternal plan, begun with Abraham and fulfilled in Christ, so that the people of the world, not only the Jews, would be members of His family and citizens in His kingdom of righteousness, peace and joy.

Embedded in His covenant with Abraham was the promise that through him all the nations of the earth would be blessed. The promises of God extended far beyond him and his descendants.

“I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all the peoples of the earth will be blessed through you.” Genesis 12:3.

Has God ever withdrawn His promise? On the contrary, Paul reassured his Romans readers:

“…For God’s gifts and His call are irrevocable.” Romans 11:29.

There is a warning for the nations today in God’s irrevocable promise to Abraham. The world is being polarised over the conflict between the Jews and the Palestinians in Israel. Most of the nations side with the Palestinians because they regard Israel as intruders with no right to be in the land of Israel. On the surface, without taking into consideration the promise of God, it may seem so, but from God’s perspective the land of Israel belongs to the Jews because He gave it to them forever.

“I will establish my covenant as an everlasting covenant between me and you and your descendants after you for the generations to come, to be your God and the God of your descendants after you. The whole land of Canaan, where you now reside as a foreigner, I will give as an everlasting possession to you and your descendants after you; and I will be their God.” Genesis 17:7, 8.

There is an extended prophecy in Zechariah 12:1-14; 13:1 that is yet to be fulfilled and seems on the brink of fulfilment even as I write. As the nations gather against Jerusalem, God will intervene to protect His people and destroy those who are trying to destroy them. The wars of the 1960’s bear witness to God’s protection and victory in the face of overwhelming odds.

Just as God promised His protection of His people, so He promised that the Gentiles would also have a place in His kingdom. And so, Paul could reassure all his Gentile readers, not only the Roman church then, but also every Gentile down the centuries, that our hope is based on the solid truth of God’s promise and Paul’s prayer:

“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”

Acknowledgement

Scripture taken from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

 

He Deserves The Praise

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HE DESERVES THE PRAISE

“May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you the same attitude of mind toward each other than Christ Jesus had so that, with one mind and one voice you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God.” Romans 15:5-7.

Once again, as he always did, Paul came full circle back to God as the one who works in everything and who deserves and must receive the credit for doing the work.

Our study of the Old Testament has many outcomes.

We gain an understanding of the roots of our faith. It is not a human philosophy spawned in the fertile imagination of some mystic. It is the revelation of God to real people in real human circumstances in a real geographical place through real human experiences.

We watch and listen to their responses and learn how to interact with the same God through faith and obedience. Just as He met with them then, so He meets with us now and treats us with the same mercy and compassion He had towards them. We discover that His passion for our wellbeing is the same as it was for them. We learn to hear His voice and follow Him just as they were supposed to do but failed because of their stubborn rebellion. When we obey Him, we find that His promises are true.

We uncover some of the nuances of their culture and lifestyle. Against that backdrop, His word begins to make sense, even for us with a western, Greek-based mind-set. Middle Eastern cultural practices, and especially Jewish beliefs and behaviour take on new meaning and Jesus begins to emerge from the pages of the New Testament as a flesh-and-blood person with a real family background and history.

As we blend into the body of Christ from all nations and walks of life, we learn the meaning of unity. Everything God does is to restore unity between us and Him and between one another because unity is the essence of His image. Everything God made was intended to work together in unity to reflect the oneness in the Godhead.

He created the universe as a unit; every star, planet and heavenly body was meant to interact in harmony across space.  Sin disrupted the unity, but it will be restored when all imperfection is removed at Jesus’ return.

“The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For in Him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, whether visible or invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through Him and for Him. He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.

“And He is the head of the Body, the church, He is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything He might have the supremacy. For God was pleased to have all His fullness dwell in Him, and through Him to reconcile to Himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through His blood,  shed on the cross.”  Colossians 1:15-20.

Jesus removed the reason for the disruption of unity through His death. It is up to us to live out in practice what He achieved through the cross so that the world may see the miracle of restoration in the fellowship of the church. Unity is impossible in the world because human beings are irreconcilably alienated from one another by their selfishness.  Only through God’s power at work in us by the Holy Spirit can our hearts be transformed and the image of God be restored in us.

As we reflect God’s nature by our willingness to accept one another and live in harmony, God is glorified because it can only happen through His power at work in us. Jesus said:

“By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” John 13:35.

“I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one – I in them and you in me – so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.” John 17:22, 23.

Acknowledgement

Scripture taken from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

 

The God Of The Bible

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THE GOD OF THE BIBLE

“We who are strong ought to bear with the failings of the weak and not to please ourselves. Each one should please his neighbours for their good, to build them up. For even Christ did not please Himself but, as it is written: ‘The insults of those who insult you have fallen on me.’ For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through the endurance taught in the Scriptures and the encouragement they provide we might have hope.” Romans 15:1-4.

The Old Testament, apart from being the root of our understanding of the gospel of Jesus Christ, is a rich source of examples of how God revealed Himself to His people and interacted with them. It was His purpose to show them who He was and what He required of them. As we read the stories of the ancients, we gain insights into His character and how we can relate to Him as they did, sinful beings though we are.

Imagine, for a moment, that the Scriptures began at Matthew 1. Who was Matthew and who were the people he wrote about? Where can we find information about them? What about their religion and culture? Who was this Jesus who featured so big in his stories? What about Matthew’s many quotes from a source he seemed to regard as authoritative? How did the Jews get there in the first place?  Why were they being oppressed by a power called Rome? And on and on…

So many questions remain unanswered without the first half of the book. Yet many believers start reading at the beginning of the New Testament, ignoring the fact that it makes no sense without the Old, and then wondering why they don’t understand it, or why their own interpretations don’t make sense or, even worse, lead them astray.

God gave us a story book for a very good reason. We love to read stories, not only because they capture our interest, but also because we learn things from the mistakes and achievements of their characters. We are inspired by the example of great people; we gain insights and wisdom through their struggles; we celebrate and desire to imitate their victories and we love to journey with them in their world, because it is a real world, not a world of make-believe.

How many of us would be enthralled by a book of instructions or a book of deep theology? Those kind of books gather dust in the library and are only written and read by the boffins, while biographies, autobiographies and novels circulate regularly among the readers.

Paul encouraged the people in the church at Rome, many of whom were Gentiles, to study the writings we now call the Old Testament. From it they would learn and gain understanding of the God and the people with whom they had become identified. They would be inspired and encouraged by the stories of people who were sustained, supported and led by the God who loved them and had patience them even when they disobeyed Him again and again.

Unlike the gods whom they once worshipped, the God of the Bible is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love and faithfulness, a generous God who met their needs, fought their battles and kept on giving in spite of His people’s unfaithfulness.

Their stories would be repeated in the lives of the readers as they gained knowledge and confidence in the God who is revealed in the sacred writings. Unlike the stories of the gods which were the ramblings of someone’s overactive imagination, the stories in the Bible are true and verifiable through history and archaeology. As we read, they provide us with encouragement and hope, because the same God who loved and cared about people in its stories, loves and cares about us.

The Bible is a never-ending story. God is still writing it through the lives of His people down the centuries. Your story and mine are being carefully recorded and will be read when the books are opened at the end of time. There is another book being written as well – called the Lamb’s Book of Life. It contains the names of everyone who through faith in God’s Messiah and lives that are the fruit of their faith, have crossed over from death to life.

Everyone’s name is recorded in that book and only erased if he or she fails to be trusting the Saviour  and living in righteousness when they pass forever from this life to the next.

“Anyone whose name was not found written in the book of life will be thrown into the lake of fire.” Revelation 20:15.

How sad if you neglect to read the book and obey what it teaches! Your name will be erased and will not be there when the books are opened.

Acknowledgement

Scripture taken from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

 

Growing Up Is For Real

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GROWING UP IS FOR REAL

“Do not destroy the work of God for the sake of food. All food is clean, but it is wrong for a person to eat anything that causes someone else to stumble. It is better not to eat meat or drink wine or to do anything else that will cause your brother or sister to fall.

“So whatever you believe about these things keep between yourself and God. Blessed is the one who does not condemn himself by what he approves. But whoever has doubts is condemned if he eats, because eating is not from faith; and everything that does not come from faith is sin.” Romans 14:20-23.

So there you have it! But, wait a minute. Doesn’t it put me into bondage to other people  if I have to consider their weak consciences before I can eat or drink, or do anything that another believer considers sin? It should work both ways. A weaker brother should not judge me if I am free from his scruples but, at the same time, I should not deliberately provoke him by flaunting my freedom in his face.

I have to ask. “Who has the great responsibility?” I have, because my freedom allows me to give away my rights for the sake of his soul. I will not suffer if I abstain from what bothers him when I am in his presence, whereas he will suffer if I refuse to abstain because I am free. If I cause my brother to fall because of my stubborn attitude, I will bear the guilt of turning him away from Christ because I did not love him enough to forgo my right for his sake.

“Blessed,” said Paul, “is the one who does not condemn himself by what he approves.” Blessed (“asher” in Hebrew) implies the Father’s pleasure that comes from making the right choice and doing the right thing because the Father approves of the attitude that considers another above oneself. There is no bondage in that as long as I have the right attitude. There is no place for resentment in my heart as long as I remember that it is Jesus, my Master, whom I serve when I serve others.

This leads Paul to another blanket statement that is a principle of life in God’s kingdom. Life in the kingdom of God is a walk of faith and is governed and directed by our confidence in what God has said. God’s goal for every believer is freedom from everything that hinders our faith in His word and our obedience to Him which sets us apart as followers of Jesus.

We have many slave-drivers – behaviour patterns, habits, addictions, ways of coping,   emotions, all of which interfere with the freedom Jesus bought for us so that we can walk with Him unhindered by these things. We gain our freedom, one step at a time as we learn the truth and submit to it by faith, replacing the things we believe in and do that keep us in bondage with God’s word. Paul called it “renewing our minds” (Romans 12:3).

We are set free when we believe and act upon what Jesus has said.

“To the Jews who had believed Him, Jesus said, ‘If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth and the truth will set you free.'” John 8:31, 32.

Since it is a journey, it happens gradually, not all at once. However, the operative word is faith. To the Jew, to believe something intellectually but not to act on it was a meaningless exercise. Paul said, “If you believe something to be true, even if you are wrong, but do not act on it, is sin.”

We have to trust God enough for ourselves and for our fellow believers that we allow them to walk their own path with the Lord, just as we walk ours. God will reveal truth to us and to them as and when we are able to receive it, remembering that none of us has perfect knowledge of the truth. This is the beauty of our journey – that it is a journey of discovery and a journey from bondage to freedom and God is more interested in the outcome than in the process.

Our task, if we consider ourselves mature believers, is to protect love, preserve unity and promote contentment more than it is to demand our rights. And this is really growing up into Christ because He is passionate about unity.

Acknowledgement

Scripture taken from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.