John 15:2-8
2 "Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit...
He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit...
8 "By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples.
God "prunes" every branch that bears fruit. The Greek word refers to a gardener using a knife to trim dead, sick, and bad material off of a plant. The word refers to cleaning, cutting away, and carrying away. Jesus went on to explain that if we stay close to Him, we'll bear a lot of fruit. Why? Because He will work in that Christian to purge away anything that prevents fruit. And then in verse 8, Jesus explains that only those who bear much fruit are His dsciples.
The pastor of a large and successful church had gotten saved out of an evil life. Although a new Christian, he sometimes returned to the bars he had frequented, to play pool and gamble. One night, he had his week's pay in his pocket, when he startled gambling at pool games. He got involved with a pool shark, who won the man's entire paycheck at a single game. He told us that he promised God right then and there that he would never gamble again, and he went on to become a successful preacher and soul-winner.
Chastening is painful, but it produces fruit in a Christian's life.
Monday, July 14, 2008
Friday, July 11, 2008
Is God Gonna' Get You?
Does God go around punishing His children? If something bad happens to a Christian, is that proof that God is punishing him? Let's look at the entire passage we quoted last time:
Heb 12:5 And you have forgotten the exhortation which speaks to you as to sons: "My son, do not despise the chastening of the LORD, Nor be discouraged when you are rebuked by Him;
6 For whom the LORD loves He chastens, And scourges every son whom He receives."
7 If you endure chastening, God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom a father does not chasten?
8 But if you are without chastening, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate and not sons.
Verse 5 says "when," not "if," you are rebuked by God.
Verse 6 says that God scourges "every" son whom He receives.
Verse 8 says that "all" Christians receive this chastening, and if you don't, you are not really saved.
But aren't Christians delivered from the wrath of God? Yes, they are. Verse 5 explains that God is talking to His sons, not His enemies. A good father will chasten his children FOR THEIR OWN GOOD. God does not pour out His wrath on those who have accepted Jesus Christ as Saviour. But God, as a loving Father, does correct His children for their own good.
Heb 12:5 And you have forgotten the exhortation which speaks to you as to sons: "My son, do not despise the chastening of the LORD, Nor be discouraged when you are rebuked by Him;
6 For whom the LORD loves He chastens, And scourges every son whom He receives."
7 If you endure chastening, God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom a father does not chasten?
8 But if you are without chastening, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate and not sons.
Verse 5 says "when," not "if," you are rebuked by God.
Verse 6 says that God scourges "every" son whom He receives.
Verse 8 says that "all" Christians receive this chastening, and if you don't, you are not really saved.
But aren't Christians delivered from the wrath of God? Yes, they are. Verse 5 explains that God is talking to His sons, not His enemies. A good father will chasten his children FOR THEIR OWN GOOD. God does not pour out His wrath on those who have accepted Jesus Christ as Saviour. But God, as a loving Father, does correct His children for their own good.
Tuesday, July 8, 2008
God's Gonna' Get You!!!!!
Heb 12:6 For whom the LORD loves He chastens, And scourges every son whom He receives."
Comedy and tragedy sometimes combine when a Christian starts threatening the wrath of God on another Christian. As a Christian high school teacher, I had given a student a four-page writing assignment as punishment for talking in class. She lied to her parents about it, and her mother started hurling Scripture at me about the judgment of the wicked. She actually started shaking with joy at the thought of all the terrible things that were going to happen to me. Fortunately for me, I had been telling the truth, so none of those things happened to me.
Some people who had seized control of a good church actually called my wife on the telephone to warn her about the judgment of God on me for telling the truth. Several months later, they could be seen walking around town with enraged looks on their faces, after their fellow conspirators kicked them out of leadership.
But it is a common Christian error to believe that if something bad happens to a Christian, it proves that the Christian had sinned. Christians who are involved in a conflict, disobeying God's many commands for us to love one another, will often point to the misfortune of their opponent as proof that God is on their side.
DOES God choose sides by smiting one Christian, but not another? If something bad happens to you, is it God's way of punishing you for something? We'll be talking about this for the next few lessons.
Comedy and tragedy sometimes combine when a Christian starts threatening the wrath of God on another Christian. As a Christian high school teacher, I had given a student a four-page writing assignment as punishment for talking in class. She lied to her parents about it, and her mother started hurling Scripture at me about the judgment of the wicked. She actually started shaking with joy at the thought of all the terrible things that were going to happen to me. Fortunately for me, I had been telling the truth, so none of those things happened to me.
Some people who had seized control of a good church actually called my wife on the telephone to warn her about the judgment of God on me for telling the truth. Several months later, they could be seen walking around town with enraged looks on their faces, after their fellow conspirators kicked them out of leadership.
But it is a common Christian error to believe that if something bad happens to a Christian, it proves that the Christian had sinned. Christians who are involved in a conflict, disobeying God's many commands for us to love one another, will often point to the misfortune of their opponent as proof that God is on their side.
DOES God choose sides by smiting one Christian, but not another? If something bad happens to you, is it God's way of punishing you for something? We'll be talking about this for the next few lessons.
Friday, July 4, 2008
Why the Conflict? (Part 5)
"God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble. Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time," 1 Peter 5:5-6
It is almost inevitable that after Nicolaitans seize a church, the attendance goes down. They do not humble themselves by admitting that something is wrong, because they feel that since they are in power, things are going well. And they do not submit to authority; rather, they seize it. Since God is resisting them, their various plans and programs cannot reverse the decline of the church.
Soul-winners, on the other hand, cause church growth. Sometimes, they slow or even reverse the church's decline. But, inevitably, the soul-winners see that the Nicolaitans are cancelling them out. By submitting to authority, soul-winners receive the promise that God will exalt them at the proper time, which often means that they have to separate from a Nicolaitan church. The Nicolaitans then blame the soul-winners (instead of themselves) for the decline in attendance. When the soul-winners explain what happened, the Nicolaitans accuse them of bad-mouthing the church, and heap further blame on the soul-winners for the church's decline.
Soul-winners do not always get exalted to leadership positions. Instead, God elevates them to be better soul-winners. And since God cares about their new converts, He often leads them away from Nicolaitan churches.
It is almost inevitable that after Nicolaitans seize a church, the attendance goes down. They do not humble themselves by admitting that something is wrong, because they feel that since they are in power, things are going well. And they do not submit to authority; rather, they seize it. Since God is resisting them, their various plans and programs cannot reverse the decline of the church.
Soul-winners, on the other hand, cause church growth. Sometimes, they slow or even reverse the church's decline. But, inevitably, the soul-winners see that the Nicolaitans are cancelling them out. By submitting to authority, soul-winners receive the promise that God will exalt them at the proper time, which often means that they have to separate from a Nicolaitan church. The Nicolaitans then blame the soul-winners (instead of themselves) for the decline in attendance. When the soul-winners explain what happened, the Nicolaitans accuse them of bad-mouthing the church, and heap further blame on the soul-winners for the church's decline.
Soul-winners do not always get exalted to leadership positions. Instead, God elevates them to be better soul-winners. And since God cares about their new converts, He often leads them away from Nicolaitan churches.
Monday, June 30, 2008
Why the Conflict? (Part 4)
We have seen that the Bible promises blessings on those who humble themselves. 1 Peter 5:5 tells us "Yes, all of you be submissive to one another, and be clothed with humility, for God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble." Submission to authority produces humility, but Nicolaitans reject the idea that they, personally, should submit to authority.
Some months after I arrived in Mexico, I noticed something. Christians who were working for somebody else were getting results. Christians who "only answered to the Holy Spirit" weren't accomplishing anything. And Christians who concentrated on fighting their way into leadership were doing more harm that good.
Some months after I arrived in Mexico, I noticed something. Christians who were working for somebody else were getting results. Christians who "only answered to the Holy Spirit" weren't accomplishing anything. And Christians who concentrated on fighting their way into leadership were doing more harm that good.
Friday, June 27, 2008
Why the Conflict? (Part 3)
But he who is greatest among you shall be your servant. And whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted. Mt 23:11-12
Nicolaitans and soul-winners approach Christian service from opposite directions. Nicolaitans see Christian service as an opportunity to be leaders, while soul-winners see Christian service as an opportunity to be servants. Later, we often see Nicolaitans with unsuccessful ministries, while soul-winners are successful in theirs. The reason is that God blesses humility, but He resists pride.
2 Ch 7:14 tells us "if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land." WHY does this work? Because part of humbling yourself is admitting that something is wrong. But once a Nicolaitan has seized power, he feels that everything is as it should be.
Nicolaitans and soul-winners approach Christian service from opposite directions. Nicolaitans see Christian service as an opportunity to be leaders, while soul-winners see Christian service as an opportunity to be servants. Later, we often see Nicolaitans with unsuccessful ministries, while soul-winners are successful in theirs. The reason is that God blesses humility, but He resists pride.
2 Ch 7:14 tells us "if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land." WHY does this work? Because part of humbling yourself is admitting that something is wrong. But once a Nicolaitan has seized power, he feels that everything is as it should be.
Monday, June 23, 2008
Why the Conflict?(Part 2)
Why are soul-winners able to recognize tares, when other Christians can't? In thirty-nine years as a born-again Christian, I have been called upon to run "Children's Church" three times.
Shortly out of Bible college, I was in a church that ran about 175 kids in Children's Church, and they put me in charge. Several of us worked hard on bus routes, and we got the attendance up to 300. Then the pastor's wife stepped in, attacking me, slandering me to her followers, and demanding that she be put in charge. Her husband gave it to her, and three years later, they had about ten kids in Children's Church.
In another church, Children's Church was a failure. The woman in charge did nothing, and a handful of high school kids took turns running it. Most of it was play time. I took over, got it going well, and then the woman in charge found out about it. She quickly fired me, put her brother in charge, and abandoned it again. When she left for the mission field a year later, her brother gladly dumped the whole mess on me, and several of us were able to build it into a success.
When I retired to Mexico, our church asked me to start a Children's Church for the four kids in the church. We had a high day of 27, but we averaged around ten or twelve. The entire time, a woman in the church fought me at every step. She went around slandering me, cancelled the Children's Church service a couple of times, started a rival Children's Church service in the front lobby, and urged people not to let their children attend. On one occasion, she put a new Christian in charge, with strict orders not to let me in. She wanted to set up a system in which she would rule over a group of women who would run the Children's Church for her. Later, when a church started by her husband failed, they left Mexico.
In all three cases, a Nicolaitan saw a successful work, and felt that she should rule the people who were doing all the work. In none of those cases did the Nicolaitan contribute to the success of the work. But in all three cases, the Nicolaitan had been involved in Christian service!
Ga 5:19 tells us: Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are:... hatred, contentions, jealousies...selfish ambitions, dissensions...envy...of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.
How do soul-winners spot tares? We see them practicing the above sins when they attack us.
Shortly out of Bible college, I was in a church that ran about 175 kids in Children's Church, and they put me in charge. Several of us worked hard on bus routes, and we got the attendance up to 300. Then the pastor's wife stepped in, attacking me, slandering me to her followers, and demanding that she be put in charge. Her husband gave it to her, and three years later, they had about ten kids in Children's Church.
In another church, Children's Church was a failure. The woman in charge did nothing, and a handful of high school kids took turns running it. Most of it was play time. I took over, got it going well, and then the woman in charge found out about it. She quickly fired me, put her brother in charge, and abandoned it again. When she left for the mission field a year later, her brother gladly dumped the whole mess on me, and several of us were able to build it into a success.
When I retired to Mexico, our church asked me to start a Children's Church for the four kids in the church. We had a high day of 27, but we averaged around ten or twelve. The entire time, a woman in the church fought me at every step. She went around slandering me, cancelled the Children's Church service a couple of times, started a rival Children's Church service in the front lobby, and urged people not to let their children attend. On one occasion, she put a new Christian in charge, with strict orders not to let me in. She wanted to set up a system in which she would rule over a group of women who would run the Children's Church for her. Later, when a church started by her husband failed, they left Mexico.
In all three cases, a Nicolaitan saw a successful work, and felt that she should rule the people who were doing all the work. In none of those cases did the Nicolaitan contribute to the success of the work. But in all three cases, the Nicolaitan had been involved in Christian service!
Ga 5:19 tells us: Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are:... hatred, contentions, jealousies...selfish ambitions, dissensions...envy...of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.
How do soul-winners spot tares? We see them practicing the above sins when they attack us.
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