1Co 12:7 But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all:
The context of this pasage shows that God is talking about spiritual gifts. Every single born again Christian has at least one spiritual gift. But these gifts are designed to benefit the rest of us. Often, Christians get hurt because they do not agree with the direction of the church. They will accuse the pastor of being a dictator. The church will accuse the Christian of being a rebel. Who is right?
If a domineering pastor has a church dying under his leadership, with Christians getting hurt and becoming bitter, is he using spiritual gifts in his ministry?
What if a strong pastor has a healthy, growing church, with people getting closer to God under strong preaching, but some Christians are upset at his leadership? Are those people using spiritual gifts when they attack him and his ministry?
In both cases, the answer lies in "results." The "result" of using spiritual gifts is that God's people benefit. "Feeling good" of "enjoying the sermon" are not necessarily the results of using spiritual gifts. Spiritual growth by the church is the result of using spiritual gifts.
Saturday, April 26, 2008
Friday, April 18, 2008
GUARANTEED FAILURE
Mt 4:19 Then He said to them, "Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men."
When I taught Christian high school, I gained a lot of experience dealing with liars. There was nothing unusual about a student who did wrong being able to round up a handful of "eyewitnesses" who would lie that they had seen the whole thing. Parents would sometimes spread a false report given them by a student, and we teachers would sometimes find that several parents were angry at us because of false accusations spread by another parent.
In church work, you sometimes encounter leaders who have learned that lying can be an effective tool of their "ministry." On some Christian forums, people will write in under different names, claiming to have personally observed events that never occurred; this is also a tool for moving the forum higher up on Google and Yahoo.
But I have never met a soul-winner who does this. Jesus said "I am ...the truth..." in John 14:6. Jesus never led you, me, or anyone else to use lying as a tool of ministry. Some Christians get hurt by ministries because they tried to work with them after learning that the ministry used lying as a tool of ministry.
But if you are following after Jesus, you are not being led into lying. Do you want to succeed in your Christian life? Then get out from under any ministry that uses lying as a tool.
When I taught Christian high school, I gained a lot of experience dealing with liars. There was nothing unusual about a student who did wrong being able to round up a handful of "eyewitnesses" who would lie that they had seen the whole thing. Parents would sometimes spread a false report given them by a student, and we teachers would sometimes find that several parents were angry at us because of false accusations spread by another parent.
In church work, you sometimes encounter leaders who have learned that lying can be an effective tool of their "ministry." On some Christian forums, people will write in under different names, claiming to have personally observed events that never occurred; this is also a tool for moving the forum higher up on Google and Yahoo.
But I have never met a soul-winner who does this. Jesus said "I am ...the truth..." in John 14:6. Jesus never led you, me, or anyone else to use lying as a tool of ministry. Some Christians get hurt by ministries because they tried to work with them after learning that the ministry used lying as a tool of ministry.
But if you are following after Jesus, you are not being led into lying. Do you want to succeed in your Christian life? Then get out from under any ministry that uses lying as a tool.
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
Guaranteed Success
Mt 4:19 Then He said to them, "Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men."
A common belief among Christians is that it is possible for a person or organization to "destroy" you. I have seen (and sometimes experienced) expulsions, firings, divorces, smear campaigns, etc., that happened to Godly people. In some cases, they were innocent, sometimes they were guilty, and often the truth lay somewhere in between.
In Jesus' promise, two Greek words are used for "follow." One is "Come," and it is a strong form of the word. The other Greek word is "after" or "behind." What Jesus literally said was "Come behind Me, and I will make you fishers of men."
Sometimes, a small group of rebels will seize power in a church. Jesus will have nothing to do with their sin, and if you follow after Him, you won't participate either. Sometimes you might feel that you should seize power for the greater good, but if you follow after Jesus, Who never rebelled against the authority of Rome, you won't do it.
One of the "dark secrets" of Christianity is that many Godly churches were started by people who had been cast out of other churches, or who had left other churches because of sin in the leadership. What you, personally, need to do is follow after Jesus, regardless of the consequences.
Were you run off from a church by people who were not fishers of men? Good for you. Now, study His Word diligently, so you'll know what He wants you to do, and then do it.
A common belief among Christians is that it is possible for a person or organization to "destroy" you. I have seen (and sometimes experienced) expulsions, firings, divorces, smear campaigns, etc., that happened to Godly people. In some cases, they were innocent, sometimes they were guilty, and often the truth lay somewhere in between.
In Jesus' promise, two Greek words are used for "follow." One is "Come," and it is a strong form of the word. The other Greek word is "after" or "behind." What Jesus literally said was "Come behind Me, and I will make you fishers of men."
Sometimes, a small group of rebels will seize power in a church. Jesus will have nothing to do with their sin, and if you follow after Him, you won't participate either. Sometimes you might feel that you should seize power for the greater good, but if you follow after Jesus, Who never rebelled against the authority of Rome, you won't do it.
One of the "dark secrets" of Christianity is that many Godly churches were started by people who had been cast out of other churches, or who had left other churches because of sin in the leadership. What you, personally, need to do is follow after Jesus, regardless of the consequences.
Were you run off from a church by people who were not fishers of men? Good for you. Now, study His Word diligently, so you'll know what He wants you to do, and then do it.
Tuesday, April 8, 2008
Betrayed by Christians
Robert Emmitt pastors a church running about 11,000 in attendance. Last Sunday, he stated in his sermon that they don't allow anybody on staff whose heart hasn't been gouged out and stomped on by other Christians.
The Gospels tell of two "Christians" who betrayed Jesus. One wasn't saved, and eventually, Judas came to a bad end. The other was saved, and God restored Peter and used him.
If you have never been betrayed by a Christian, you aren't like Jesus. God works in Christians to conform them to the image of His Son, and so God might actually set you up for a betrayal. Then you have to learn
how to forgive, get back into church, and continue to serve the Lord.
The idea that we should quit going to church "because of what the Christians do" is unscriptural. The idea that you should devote yourself to "warning" everybody else about the person who betrayed you is unscriptural. And as painful as it is to realize, the idea that God cannot possibly use a church or Christian that has wronged you is unscriptural.
We need to forgive. And then we need to move forward.
The Gospels tell of two "Christians" who betrayed Jesus. One wasn't saved, and eventually, Judas came to a bad end. The other was saved, and God restored Peter and used him.
If you have never been betrayed by a Christian, you aren't like Jesus. God works in Christians to conform them to the image of His Son, and so God might actually set you up for a betrayal. Then you have to learn
how to forgive, get back into church, and continue to serve the Lord.
The idea that we should quit going to church "because of what the Christians do" is unscriptural. The idea that you should devote yourself to "warning" everybody else about the person who betrayed you is unscriptural. And as painful as it is to realize, the idea that God cannot possibly use a church or Christian that has wronged you is unscriptural.
We need to forgive. And then we need to move forward.
Wednesday, April 2, 2008
A Friend Like Jonadab
Sometimes Christians will strive for something God doesn't want them to have. It might be a ruling position in the church, it might be revenge, or it might be admiration. What those people need is a friend like Jonadab.
2 Chronicles 13 tells us that Amnon fell in love with his beautiful half-sister Tamar. He knew that their father, King David, would not allow him to do anything. It seems that Amnon was kept under careful watch because he was next in line to be king. But Amnon had a friend named Jonadab. The Bible says that Jonadab was a "very" subtle man. The Hebrew word for "very" refers to diligence; Jonadab was diligent in his efforts to be a successful sneak.
If God couldn't get Amnon what he wanted, Jonadab could. He came up with a clever plan for Amnon to rape Tamar. The plan succeeded, but now Absalom, Tamar's full brother, wanted revenge.
It took Absalom two years to win King David's trust, but David finally allowed Amnon to go to a feast that Absalom had. There, Absalom had Amnon killed.
But where was Amnon's old buddy Jonadab? It turned out that Jonadab knew about the plot, but he was busy winning King David's confidence, comforting him with assurance that only one of his sons had been killed.
So why hadn't Jonadab warned either Amnon or David about the plot? Well, he was a very subtle man, and he knew how to look after himself. After hurting Tamar, David, Amnon, and Absalom, Jonadab was safe and sound.
Folks, you'll meet people who are good at church plots. They can sometimes deliver leadership positions when God won't. They're skilled at backstabbing and lying. And like Jonadab, they'll usually wind up safe when the people who listened to them get hurt.
2 Chronicles 13 tells us that Amnon fell in love with his beautiful half-sister Tamar. He knew that their father, King David, would not allow him to do anything. It seems that Amnon was kept under careful watch because he was next in line to be king. But Amnon had a friend named Jonadab. The Bible says that Jonadab was a "very" subtle man. The Hebrew word for "very" refers to diligence; Jonadab was diligent in his efforts to be a successful sneak.
If God couldn't get Amnon what he wanted, Jonadab could. He came up with a clever plan for Amnon to rape Tamar. The plan succeeded, but now Absalom, Tamar's full brother, wanted revenge.
It took Absalom two years to win King David's trust, but David finally allowed Amnon to go to a feast that Absalom had. There, Absalom had Amnon killed.
But where was Amnon's old buddy Jonadab? It turned out that Jonadab knew about the plot, but he was busy winning King David's confidence, comforting him with assurance that only one of his sons had been killed.
So why hadn't Jonadab warned either Amnon or David about the plot? Well, he was a very subtle man, and he knew how to look after himself. After hurting Tamar, David, Amnon, and Absalom, Jonadab was safe and sound.
Folks, you'll meet people who are good at church plots. They can sometimes deliver leadership positions when God won't. They're skilled at backstabbing and lying. And like Jonadab, they'll usually wind up safe when the people who listened to them get hurt.
Friday, March 28, 2008
Ganging Up on God's Man
Have you ever been in a situation in which many of God's people are united against you? Our new church in Mexico, and another small church, just concluded a successful week of Vacation Bible School. Catholic opposition to us appears to have collapsed, while Christian opposition to us is growing.
2 Ch 20:1-2 It happened after this that the people of Moab with the people of Ammon, and others with them besides the Ammonites, came to battle against Jehoshaphat. Then some came and told Jehoshaphat, saying, "A great multitude is coming against you from beyond the sea, from Syria..."
The Moabites, Ammonites, and Seirites were brethren of the Jews, and now they had united against a Godly man. Jehoshaphat wasn't perfect, but he had yielded himself to God, was being blessed by God, and now he had himself a large group of enemies.
2 Ch 20:3 And Jehoshaphat feared, and set himself to seek the LORD, and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah.
Jehoshaphat was afraid for a good reason: he was hopelessly outnumbered. But he set out to seek the Lord, perhaps remembering the promise that "If you seek Him, He will be found by you" (2 Chron. 15:2)
Gathering the people together, Jehoshaphat prayed, and was promised 2 Ch 20:17 You will not need to fight in this battle. Position yourselves, stand still and see the salvation of the LORD, who is with you...
Heading towards their enemies, Jehoshaphat called on the people to trust the Lord and His Word. Then they advanced, singing and praising God.
2 Chron 20:23 For the people of Ammon and Moab stood up against the inhabitants of Mount Seir to utterly kill and destroy them. And when they had made an end of the inhabitants of Seir, they helped to destroy one another.
Do the people of God want to unite against you? Leave them alone, and they can unite against each other. You don't need to fight God's people; you need to serve the Lord.
2 Ch 20:1-2 It happened after this that the people of Moab with the people of Ammon, and others with them besides the Ammonites, came to battle against Jehoshaphat. Then some came and told Jehoshaphat, saying, "A great multitude is coming against you from beyond the sea, from Syria..."
The Moabites, Ammonites, and Seirites were brethren of the Jews, and now they had united against a Godly man. Jehoshaphat wasn't perfect, but he had yielded himself to God, was being blessed by God, and now he had himself a large group of enemies.
2 Ch 20:3 And Jehoshaphat feared, and set himself to seek the LORD, and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah.
Jehoshaphat was afraid for a good reason: he was hopelessly outnumbered. But he set out to seek the Lord, perhaps remembering the promise that "If you seek Him, He will be found by you" (2 Chron. 15:2)
Gathering the people together, Jehoshaphat prayed, and was promised 2 Ch 20:17 You will not need to fight in this battle. Position yourselves, stand still and see the salvation of the LORD, who is with you...
Heading towards their enemies, Jehoshaphat called on the people to trust the Lord and His Word. Then they advanced, singing and praising God.
2 Chron 20:23 For the people of Ammon and Moab stood up against the inhabitants of Mount Seir to utterly kill and destroy them. And when they had made an end of the inhabitants of Seir, they helped to destroy one another.
Do the people of God want to unite against you? Leave them alone, and they can unite against each other. You don't need to fight God's people; you need to serve the Lord.
Sunday, March 23, 2008
Why Do Christians Fight Each Other So Much?
So David said to Achish, "But what have I done? And to this day what have you found in your servant as long as I have been with you, that I may not go and fight against the enemies of my lord the king?" 1 Samuel 29:8
Fleeing from King Saul, David took refuge with King Achish of the Philistines. In the Bible, Israel pictures an individual Christian, while the Philistines picture besetting sin (sin that won't go away). While serving Achish, David secretly raided Israel's enemies, while lying about his activities. Not knowing David's true motives, King Achish took David and his army with him when the Philistines went to battle agaisnt God's people. Fortunately, the other lords of the Philistines didn't trust David, and they successfully demanded that David be sent away.
Now, Brethren, EVERY commentary I can find says that David hadn't wanted to fight against King Saul, and that he lied to Achish when he pretended that he did. But there's another explanation:
David meant what he said. After years of trying to get along with God's annointed servant, David finally decided to fight him. It really is hard to believe that King Achish would take David to fight God's people without talking to him first. And Achish really did believe that David could be trusted to fight against King Saul.
In 2 Timothy, we are told "3 You therefore must endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.
4 No one engaged in warfare entangles himself with the affairs of this life, that he may please him who enlisted him as a soldier."
David was a soldier, and it was God Who had made him into one. David fought often, and he fought successfully. After years of fighting God's enemies, he finally decided to use the skills God had given him to fight God's allies.
Unknown to David, while he was on his way to fight God's people, God's enemies raided his city and took the people captive. What had gone wrong? David had gone to fight the wrong people. If he had been fighting God's battles, he wouldn't have had time to fight for the Devil.
When Christians forsake soul-wining, witnessing, teaching God's Word, etc., they have time to serve as soldiers against other Christians. As a Christian, you might find other Christians attacking you. Hopefully, you'll be too busy serving God to fight back.
Fleeing from King Saul, David took refuge with King Achish of the Philistines. In the Bible, Israel pictures an individual Christian, while the Philistines picture besetting sin (sin that won't go away). While serving Achish, David secretly raided Israel's enemies, while lying about his activities. Not knowing David's true motives, King Achish took David and his army with him when the Philistines went to battle agaisnt God's people. Fortunately, the other lords of the Philistines didn't trust David, and they successfully demanded that David be sent away.
Now, Brethren, EVERY commentary I can find says that David hadn't wanted to fight against King Saul, and that he lied to Achish when he pretended that he did. But there's another explanation:
David meant what he said. After years of trying to get along with God's annointed servant, David finally decided to fight him. It really is hard to believe that King Achish would take David to fight God's people without talking to him first. And Achish really did believe that David could be trusted to fight against King Saul.
In 2 Timothy, we are told "3 You therefore must endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.
4 No one engaged in warfare entangles himself with the affairs of this life, that he may please him who enlisted him as a soldier."
David was a soldier, and it was God Who had made him into one. David fought often, and he fought successfully. After years of fighting God's enemies, he finally decided to use the skills God had given him to fight God's allies.
Unknown to David, while he was on his way to fight God's people, God's enemies raided his city and took the people captive. What had gone wrong? David had gone to fight the wrong people. If he had been fighting God's battles, he wouldn't have had time to fight for the Devil.
When Christians forsake soul-wining, witnessing, teaching God's Word, etc., they have time to serve as soldiers against other Christians. As a Christian, you might find other Christians attacking you. Hopefully, you'll be too busy serving God to fight back.
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