Prayer

1 Timothy 2:1-6
Do you pray for your leaders (president, prime minister, boss and others in authority over you)? Some of you do. But do you also thank God for them? Do you thank God for the “bad” ones? You probably
pray for them to be saved and that’s ok but did you know that the main
benefit of praying for them and all people is not their salvation but so
that you may “lead a quiet and peacable life in all godliness and
honesty”. What is meant by a quiet and peacable life? Philippians 4:6-7
says that we should not be anxious about anything including our leaders
and what they do or think to do but that we should pray with
thanksgiving so that they peace of God which “passeth all understanding,
shall keep  your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus”. To live a quiet
and peacable life is to live a life free from anxiety.

Pray for all no matter who they are with a spirit of thanksgiving in your heart. For God
desires to save them and that they know the truth. For there is one God
and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; Who gave
himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.  So pray and thank God for those who voted for and those you didn’t for. Pray for your enemies and those who give you trouble.

Proofs of Unconditional Election

Firstly, I want to make one thing clear. I am not a Calvinist (I’m not even a 4 point Calvinist). But I believe in unconditional election. This does not mean I believe in unconditional salvation. There is a condition for salvation. God chooses people for his own purpose and glory. No where does it say that God foresees men trusting in Christ and chooses them based on that. When Ephesians 1:4 says “chosen us in him [Christ]“, what that means is Christ is the reason for choosing us. He does not say that he chose us because of our decision for Christ. I personally would never have decided to believe in Christ if it was dependent on my decision. I was happy with the way my life was and I saw no reason to change until God changed my heart through the word of the gospel.

But I want us to look at a couple of verses.

Woe unto thee, Chorazin! woe unto thee, Bethsaida! for if the mighty works, which were done in you, had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes.
- Matthew 11:21

And thou, Capernaum, which art exalted unto heaven, shalt be brought down to hell: for if the mighty works, which have been done in thee, had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day.
- Matthew 11:23

Have you ever read those verses and wondered why God didn’t have a prophet like Abraham go in and perform miracles like God did through Jesus so that they would have repented? Here it says that they would have repented and those places would have been saved if God had intervened by his mercy. God chose not to be merciful to them and gave them what they deserved – that may not be loving but it is just. It was for his purpose and glory that he did it. I believe also he did it for future generations as an example and warning.

When fear is a sin

I have a confession to make. I’m a bit of a Star Wars geek. Hardcore fans would especially remember this. “Fear leads to anger. Anger leads to hate. Hate leads to suffering”. But did you know where George Lucas got the idea for that? From the Bible – 1 John 4:18 – There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love. Now what fear is to the Jedi religion is a little different from Christianity. In Christianity fear is only cast away when a Christian has perfect love which only comes from God. Here on some other verses on what I am calling ungodly fear.

For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.
- Romans 8:15

For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.
- 2 Timothy 1:7

And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.
- Hebrews 2:15

But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.
- Revelation 21:8

If you are some who professes to be a Christian, there is no reason to fear. You don’t need fear any one or any thing in this way.  As Hebrews 13:6 says “So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me”. If you are living in fear because of what your parents or someone else might think, you need to stop. The Bible even commands us to “confess your faults one to another and pray one for another that ye may be healed” – James 5:16. You need to get into a church and especially with a group of compassionate believers who can help you. You can’t be a loner Christian and expect God to help you with every struggle you have by yourself.

A Lesson in Faith: Matthew 14:28-31

Text: Matthew 14:28-31

28: And Peter answered him and said, Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water.
29: And he said, Come. And When Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to   Jesus.
30: But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me.
31: And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?

1: Invitation of Jesus “Come”.
2: Peter expresses faith as response to Jesus invitation.
3: Peter expresses fear and doubt when he saw the power of nature and begins to sink
4: Peter expresses faith again , this time calling upon the name of the Lord to save him.
5: Jesus immediately saves Peter.

I wonder if Peter thought it was safer to walk on the water to Jesus then it was to be in the boat. I don’t think he was trying to be like Jesus or be a show off. He knew it was Jesus who would give him the power to walk on water.  However Peter showed that he was only of little faith when he took his eyes off Jesus.

I believe what Peter demonstrates here is faith that comes only from self. It was
Peter who asked Jesus “bid me to come to thee on the water”. When a person is saved
it is because God gave the faith (he is the author and finisher of our faith). Our faith
is too small to give us salvation because we don’t have the power to resist all fear and doubt.
This is why Peter cried out to Jesus to save him. When one comes to Jesus for salvation he must
be totally dependent on him. One must see the need for salvation (a sense of “sinking deep in sin” just
like it says in the old 20th Century song “Love Lifted Me” which refers back to this account of Jesus and Peter on the water and Peter sinking.

Biblical Repentance: Part 3

Although Peter and others preached repentance, I thought I’d make Part 3 about what Paul taught.

Paul’s ministry was mainly to the Gentiles and repentance to the Gentiles was different from repentance to the Jews (who needed to repent of the sin of trying to gain salvation through their own efforts and keeping commandments). In Acts 14:15 Paul is telling Gentiles who are worshiping Paul and Barnabas instead of God to “turn from these vanities unto the living God, which made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and all things that are therein:” This is what he preached to them. If he just preached Jesus to them they would probably just make Jesus one of their gods like some people from polytheistic religions do today. In Acts 19:4 we see Paul refer back to John the Baptist saying  “John verily baptized with the baptism of repentance, saying unto the people, that they should believe on him which should come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus”. Here we have repentance coming before it was possible to believe in Jesus. See also Acts 20:21. Let me just say that repentance by itself doesn’t save any one but repentance is necessary for one to believe in Jesus. If one is trust in Christ they must be looking at him. Here’s an analogy: Why did Peter sink after he walked on the water? Because he had other things on his mind and little faith? Jesus wants you to have total faith in him. This doesn’t mean giving up certain things and changing your outward appearance for example but there must be a change of mind about the old life of bondage to sin. This change of mind comes from God but only if they know that the way they were living before was wrong. And this change of mind will lead to a change of life. In Acts 26:19-20 Paul tells Agrippa “Whereupon, O king Agrippa, I was not disobedient unto the heavenly vision: But shewed first unto them of Damascus, and at Jerusalem, and throughout all the coasts of Judaea, and then to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, and do works meet for repentance.” Here he says that he preached the same message that John the Baptist preached. He didn’t just preach that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God.

Other verses about repentance taught by Paul that you may look up are: 2 Corinthians 7:10, 2 Timothy 2:25.

Biblical Repentance: Part 2

Now Jesus didn’t actually define repentance but I believe I can show from the context and by Jesus actions how he defines it. Repentance in the original Greek is a somewhat generic word that you need to study the surrounding text to determine what it means.
The first time Jesus preaches repentance is found in Mark 1:15 where he is preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God “And saying. The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel. Now what is he telling them to repent of. Is it repenting of not believing the gospel which they had never heard before. No, that’s silly. Why would Jesus tell them to repent of not believing in something that had never been preached before. Jesus said in John 15:22 “If I had not come and spoken unto them, they had not had sin: but now they have no cloke for their sin:”. In the context it says that the ones who have “no cloke for their sin” are the ones who hated Christ and his Father because of what he said and did. It’s not saying they are not accountable for their other sins just that wouldn’t have committed the sin of hating Christ and the Father if Jesus hadn’t spoken the truth to them. When Jesus was eating with the publicans and sinners (these were considered the worst of sinners), he told the scribes and Pharisees who questioned his disciples about why he ate and drank with them in Mark 2:17 “They that are whole have no need of the physician, but they that are sick: I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance”. Repentance can only mean one thing here. It cannot mean repentence from unbelief because that was not the problem with the publicans and sinners Jesus ate and drank with. It can only mean repentance from their sin. They had to leave their old sinful life to follow Jesus and that’s they did (Mark 2:15). Self-righteous people don’t see themselves as sick even though they are so Jesus doesn’t call them. If Jesus wanted people to just repent from unbelief he would be calling any one at any time whether they think they are sinners or not. When He called Matthew, it was while he was a publican and what did Matthew do? He got up and followed him and invited Jesus to his house where many publicans and sinners also sat together with him and his disciples. And they had to have repented or they wouldn’t have sat together with Jesus who is holy and separate from sinners. John 3:20 says “For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved”. Notice it says “deeds”. The light doesn’t reprove just unbelief (the only example of someone who came to faith after sinning in unbelief was Paul who was Saul) but all their deeds. Next: Part 3 What Paul taught.

Biblical Repentance: Part 1

What is Biblical Repentance? Some teach that there are 2 stages of repentance. The first stage is repentance from unbelief for salvation (i.e. Believing and repentance or the same). The second stage is repentance from sins as you grow in grace. Others teach (and this is what I believe is the correct view) that repentance is a vital component of salvation. There is scriptural support for this view. John the Baptist who was the forerunner of Christ and was endorsed by Christ (he called him the “greatest among men born of women”) preached repentance from sin. He didn’t just preach Jesus. Luke 1:17 says “And he shall go before him in the spirit and power of Elias, TO TURN THE HEARTS OF THE FATHERS TO THE CHILDREN, and the disobedient to the wisom of the just. to make ready a people prepared for the Lord. John the Baptist taught people to turn from disobedience to the wisdom of the just. He preached a message that turned the hearts of fathers to their children. He taught tax collectors (publicans) to stop ripping people off and soldiers (police) to stop using for force to get money out of people, accusing any one falsely and to be content with their wages (Luke 3:13-14). This is all I’ll say about John the Baptist. Tomorrow: Part 2 “What Jesus Said”.

Mistake or Sin?

The recent revelation of the young Bristol Palin pregnancy has prompted not only responses but questions about what Bible believing Christians actually think about premarital sex or fornication. One man who is the Dean of the School of Law at Liberty University (the one the late Jerry Falwell started) had said that what Bristol and Levi did was a mistake. This sounds familiar because some years ago before his death a pastor well known especially among Independent Baptists had once called adultery a “mistake”. The Bible is very clear that sexual sin of any kind is not a mistake but a sin. 1 Corinthians 6:18 says “Flee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth is without the body; but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body”. Every Bible believing Christian believes that premarital sex is fornication. 1 Corinthians 7:2 says “Nevertheless, to avoid fornication, let every man have his own wife, and let every woman have her own husband”. There is only one way to avoid fornication and that is to get married unless you have a proper gift of God as verse 7 says. If you are not like most people you don’t have to get married because avoiding fornication is normal for you. Bottom line is that fornication is a sin and more preachers and teachers need to teach this.