A Broken Record

As a pastor, sometimes I fear that the congregation thinks I am a broken record. However, I do not apologize. Many times in messages and in Bible study I stress the inspiration, inerrancy and infallibility of the Scripture. Most recently in Wednesday night Bible study we have started studying the book of Galatians. In chapter one the Apostle Paul, as he does in many of his writings, stresses his apostleship.

1 Corthinians 1:1 Paul, called to be an apostle of Jesus Christ through the will of God, and Sosthenes our brother,

2 Corthinians 1:1 Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Timothy our brother, unto the church of God which is at Corinth, with all the saints which are in all Achaia:

Ephesians 1:1 Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, to the saints which are at Ephesus, and to the faithful in Christ Jesus:

Galatians 1:1 Paul, an apostle, (not of men, neither by man, but by Jesus Christ, and God the Father, who raised him from the dead;)

Is this important? Yes, because if Paul was not an apostle then his writing could not be included in the cannon of Scripture. That was one of the criteria for being included in the New Testament. It must be written by an apostle. This is relevant because it all has to do with the inspiration of Scripture. God breathed through the apostles his Word. If that is not true then our faith is baseless. And that is exactly the goal of the atheist and humanist. If they can get the Christians to question the authority, inspiration and inerrancy of Scripture, they have a legitimate right to get us to question all Christian principals, including evolution and the moral code.   So if I do sound like a broken record I do not apologize for it? The non believers do not tire nor miss any opportunity to promote their agenda so why should we as Christian apologize for reiterating repeatedly our stances? Is it misguided to continually preach to the "choir"? I don't think so, I hope they will take the message (music) with them to preach (sing) it to their family especially their kids and grandkids. If we fail to repeat our message they will by default pick up the non believer's message.

Summer Fun

I can remember way back when, when I was a kid, and that was a long time ago. I was always glad for summer vacation. No early morning rising, no sitting in classrooms all day and no home work. But I also remember about a week without those things I found myself, as many other kids did, saying, "I'm bored." However, the whole summer wasn't that way. Sometime during the summer we always went to Vacation Bible School. Things were a different then however, many of the Vacation Bible Schools were two weeks long. (I don't remember the last time I saw a two-week-long Vacation Bible School.) Another thing I remember was several years we attended several Vacation Bible Schools, one at our church and sometimes at churches in our neighborhood. These turned out to be the highlight of my summers. There were not as many VBS publishers back in those days so even when I attended multiple VBS's in a summer they were often the same lessons. But I didn't mind. It was something geared to me, my age, and the activities were always great.

Link To The Publisher and Program Our Church Used This Year

Years have come and gone, I'm not a kid anymore. I have graduated from the classes, I have been a teacher in several VBS's and have even been director of some. But I see the same kind of excitement on the faces of kids today that I experienced in my own life. There are many kids today whose summer highlight is still Vacation Bible School. It is my hope and prayer that publishers continue to produce quality material and that churches never become blinded to the good accomplished at VBS. It was during VBS that I memorized the 23rd Psalm, the Beatitudes, the books of the Bible (in order, both Old and New Testaments), the Lord's Prayer and the Love Chapter. Much of that I still stored in my memory today. Also I hope that parents, grandparents and neighbors will see the value of getting kids to VBS. Yeah, and it is still ok for them to attend more than one.

Politics and True Christianity

First of all notice the title of this article is Politics and True Christianity not Politics and Religion or even Politics and Christianity. That was not an accident because true Christianity is more than religion and more than an affirmation in a belief that Jesus was a great man or even a great prophet. True Christianity by definition is to be a follow of Christ and an adherent to His teachings.

That said, the motivation for this article was an article on the blackamericaweb.com website in which Bishop T.D. Jakes takes Franklin Graham to tasks for comments he made concerning President Obama. Bishop Jakes said he was insulted by comments that Franklin Graham made. My question to Bishop Jakes would be, "Did Franklin Graham's comments conflict with scripture?" It is immaterial whether or not we are insulted by Scriptural teachings. Scripture should never be compromised by our personal or political biases. If we are offended by Scripture we should repent for our wrong thinking not attack the messenger.

Bishop Jakes' beef with Franklin Graham was not the interpretation of a specific passage of Scripture however, but with Franklin Grahams comment concerning President Obama's insistence that he is Christian. Some would say that Franklin Graham was being judgemental and Scripture definitely forbids that, but I contend that calling an apple an apple is not judgemental. The apple has judged itself by coming from an apple tree, looking like an apple, smelling like an apple and tasting like an apple. True Christianity requires stewardship of that association with Christ. President Obama has made it clear on several issues that he takes a stand that is contrary to Scripture.

Bishop Jakes made a lame comment that "“We didn’t question the Christianity of President Bush when he said he accepted Christ." I don't know who he is including in the "we" because I have to question President Bush's Christianity, or anyone else's for that matter, when they believe there are "many ways to God".

In an exclusive interview with ABC News' Charles Gibson, Bush said he believes that both Christians and Muslims worship the same God.

"I think we do. We have different routes of getting to the Almighty," Bush said. "But I want you to understand, I want your listeners to understand, I don't get to get decide who goes to heaven. The Almighty God decides who goes to heaven and I am on my personal walk," he said.

SOURCE: ABC News, October 26, 2004 (Quote take from here.)

That is in direct conflict with Jesus own words in John 14:6. "Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me." How do you reconcile that conflict? You can't. Anyone who believes that is not a true Christian. Scripture calls them a heretic.

That is blunt, but Christians for far too long have tried to be politically correct when we should in fact strive for being Scripturally correct. I try to steer clear of politics on this blog but there are issues and times when I must breech that to counter Scriptural compromise.

The Christian Hope

Easter has passed just a few days ago and many will not think of it for another year. To many it is just another holiday to get together with family, have a big meal and with this one, watch the kids have fun hunting eggs and getting a basket full of goodies.

But to the Christian it is more than that. Even to many Christians when we think of Easter we often think of the descriptions of the resurrection given in the New Testament. Don't get me wrong that is not bad. They give us stirring accounts of what happened on that glorious resurrection morning. However, I have no reason to think it was Easter when the Apostle Paul wrote the first letter to the church at Corinth. Yet in chapter 15 of that letter he deals exclusively with the resurrection and its implications. It is the hope of the Christian.

First of all he tells us that it is the gospel (good news). The gospel is not the birth of Christ (Christmas) that is the gospel. He doesn't mention the gospel as being the wonderful ministry Christ had during the three and a half years of teaching, preaching, and healing the sick. It was the resurrection that was the gospel.

1 Corinthians 15:1-4 1 ¶ Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel (italics mine) which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; 2 By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. 3 For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; 4 And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:

Why is that the gospel (good news)? Because it is the Christian's hope. The atheist and evolutionist would have us to believe that we live and die as any other animal. But the Apostle Paul says that all flesh is not the same.

1 Corinthians 15:39 All flesh is not the same flesh: but there is one kind of flesh of men, another flesh of beasts, another of fishes, and another of birds.

Man is different. We have a soul and spirit. and since Christ rose from the dead we will also.

1 Corinthians 15:20-23 20 ¶ But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept. 21 For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. 22 For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. 23 But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ's at his coming.

That is exciting. I know some that believe that death is the end and the finality of that is very troubling to them. We also live in very disturbing time when it seems that the value of life is diminishing? Abortions are commonplace. You can hardly turn on the TV and not hear of killings and seemingly for almost no reason at all. Many often question why that is. I suggest it is because people believe that the cessation of breathing is the end of life. It is not.

For the Christian it is the beginning of life with Christ.

1 Corinthians 15:51-57 51 ¶ Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, 52 In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. 53 For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. 54 So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. 55 O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? 56 The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. 57 But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

That is not a passage just to comfort folks at funerals. That is the gospel (good news) of life.

Hope Against Hope

Hope against hope. What does that mean? Does it means hoping when there is nothing to base the hope upon? At first glance that might be what it would appear to be but it isn't exactly. Hoping when there is nothing to base the hope on - that is foolish. It is called false expectations. It is called ridiculous. It is called naive.
But...

If Hebrews 11:1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen is the premier definition of faith (and it is) then Abraham is the textbook illustration of faith.

Romans 4:17-22  ¶ (As it is written, I have made thee a father of many nations,) before him whom he believed, even God, who quickeneth the dead, and calleth those things which be not as though they were. {before him: or, like unto him} 18 Who against hope believed in hope, that he might become the father of many nations, according to that which was spoken, So shall thy seed be. 19 And being not weak in faith, he considered not his own body now dead, when he was about an hundred years old, neither yet the deadness of Sara's womb: 20 He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God; 21 And being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform. 22 And therefore it was imputed to him for righteousness. (italics and underscore mine.)

Abraham was an old man and Sarah was an old woman and they had no children. God made Abraham a promise in Gen: 15:5 that his seed would be as numerous as the stars of the heavens. There is no credible explanation as to why Abraham should believe such a promise. Except he believed in God and he believed that God somehow - someway could and would do what he promised he would do. It was a simplistic belief that the God who in the beginning created something from nothing was limitless in his ability to anything. Yes. anything. Even cause him in his old age to produce seed. That is amazing faith. That is hope against hope.

All Christians should have that kind of faith. Even if the world sees no reason for our faith it is not baseless. The God who created everything from nothing is able and will do anything and everything he has promised. But like his disciples we are weak in faith at times but we all have faith:

Romans 12:3 For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.

We just need to grow our faith and he has told us how to do that as well.

Romans 10:17 So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

Read the Word - it will build your faith. Give you hope against hope.