All or Nothing

I just started reading through the book of Numbers in my devos. I cannot say that I was jumping up for joy to begin with. Numbers is one of those books of the Bible that you put off reading usually. However, I had made a Bible reading plan a few months back, and this was my next book to read. I thank God for making His Word alive and powerful to me. Here is just what I have learned in chapter 1 and 2.

Both chapters entail God giving Moses some specific command which may seem a bit too detailed and tiring. The first chapter contains the command to number all the men who were of fighting age. (20 years or older). Chapter 1 tells us exactly how many men were counted from each tribe. (603,550) The second chapter is a command of how they are to arrange the camps of all the people. Obviously, they do it by tribes and the Levites camp in the middle of all the people with the tabernacle.

What challenged my heart was the response of the people to God and His commands. Both chapter 1 and 2 end with the same phrase:

"Thus did the people of Israel; they did according to all that the Lord commanded Moses" (1:54;2:34)

This may not seem that important to you, but I believe that it was important to God and it should be important to us. Despite these seemingly trivial commands, the people obeyed all that God commanded them to do. Why was this important to God and why should it be important to us, to do according to all that the Lord commands us?

1. God's commands are for our greatest good.

Taking a census of all of Israel was preparing Moses and the people to be ready for the battles that were ahead of them. Imagine Moses and the people marching off to war without knowing their number exactly and having a battle plan.

2. God's commands obeyed ensure His presence in our lives.

This may seem wrong to say, since God is omnipresent, as the Bible clearly teaches. I believe God is present everywhere, but not His presence of blessing. I even believe He is present in Hell, not to bless, but to punish. He specifically commanded Israel how the people were to encamp and march. The Levites along with the tabernacle, which I believe represented God's presence, were supposed to encamp in the middle of all the tribes and march in the middle as well (2:17). If they chose to disobey what seemed like an unimportant detail of God's command, they were hindering God's presence of blessing in their lives.

This last truth greatly challenged me. I see myself constantly asking for God's blessing on my ministry, my family, and personal issues. However, there are many times when I am not doing all that the Lord has commanded me to do. I want God's blessing in my life. I want to have personal victories over certain addictions. I want to lead people to Christ. I want my ministry at church to grow numerically and spiritually. BUT I do not want to obey Him in all things. I want Him at my terms. What I believe God is saying to my heart today is that if I really want Him in my life, I must accept His commands as well. If I refuse to accept His commands, I lose the power, the blessing of a powerful, wise, loving God. It is All or Nothing--all His blessing and commands or none of them.

JT

My Comments on Cross-Referencing Truth

I believe God's Word is one. This includes unity and diversity at the same time. There are 66 books or sections or divisions, or whatever you may want to call them. These books must be studied within their historical and cultural background to capture the truth that God intended to convey. However, they must also be studied within the bigger picture of the whole Bible since they are God's Word. Your comments were excellent in pointing that out to me.

The last blog was treating the issue of "correlation", which I do believe to be of great value. I agree with Mayhue's statement: "So it is important when we study a text that we ask what else has God said about a certain theme or subject." It is important that we ask, but I'm not so sure that it is important that we search for every cross reference on the passage we are studying. Since God's Word is one, we will find that the cross references many times are innumerable and we end up preaching 5 or 6 messages in 1.

I also agree with this statement from Mayhue: "Correlation allows us to see the part (the text we study) in the light of the whole (the entire Bible)." This is obviously important and I think that with time one will improve on his ability to study the parts of passages in the light of the whole. Mayhue suggests cross referencing to make sure that correlation is done. The danger in cross references is preaching the whole Bible in one message. This is exhausting! Not to mention impractical, because the people will not benefit from this much knowledge. We are finite beings. This picture of this man who ate a 15 pound burger is a great illustration of this. It took him 4 hours to down all that meat, but did it profit him? I think it probably hurt him more than helped him.
So, here is my view on how to use cross references. They certainly have their place.

1. If no cross references come to mind, don't seek them.
2. If cross references come to mind or there are some in the margin of your Bible, look them up.
   
3. If the passage uses a cross reference, for example from the OT, then definitely study it out and very possibly use it in the message.
4. If the cross reference strongly supports the passage you are studying and in fact says something in a different way or stronger way that would enhance your passage, use it.
   

I have learned a very awesome truth about God's Word as a whole, but especially the parts. The parts are much clearer than we think, more powerful than we can imagine, and self-sufficient in many cases. Therefore, not always, but many times these passages do not need or warrant help from other passages, despite the fact that they are all connected.

Haddon Robinson says, "Since the Bible stands entire and complete, no passage should be interpreted or applied in isolation from all that God has spoken." I certainly agree with that as well, but when we give the message of God's Word to people in the congregation, I want to give them something they can chew and enjoy and profit from. I would much rather give them a quarter-pounder than a 16 pound burger.

JT

Preparing to Preach Truth

I have just begun reading "How to Interpret the Bible for Yourself" by Richard Mayhue. It is one of my Bible college books that I never really read very carefully, and I want to improve my interpretation skills a lot more. I read a section entitled, "Correlation" and I really wanted to know your thoughts on this.

"In reality the Bible is actually one Book, not sixty-six. All thirty-nine books of the Old Testament and twenty-seven of the New are parts of the "The Book" we call God's Word.
So it is important when we study a text that we ask what else has God said about a certain theme or subject. How else has a certain word been used in Scripture? What else has happened in a location in biblical history? Is there anything else about the passage I can learn elsewhere in the Bible?
Correlation allows us to see the part (the text we study) in the light of the whole (the entire Bible). It provides the way to gain a proper biblical perspective--to major on majors and minor on minors. Once the whole is understood, the part will take on added meaning.
One of the best ways to do this is by using the cross references in your Bible to get a broader understanding. Chain reference Bibles are also helpful. The ultimate in tools to do this is the The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Revell).
Psalm 13 raises the question, Is David the only person to question God with doubt? By correlation we discover David is in good company.
The prophet Habakkuk called out, "How long, O Lord, will I call for help, and Thou wilt not hear?" (Habakkuk 1:2). John the Baptist despairingly queried, "Are You the Coming One, or shall we look for someone else?" (Matthew 11:3). Even Christ anguished, "My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken Me?" (Matthew 27:46).
David was not the only saint who had to wait a considerable time for God's plan to fully unfold. He joined the elite ranks of Noah, who waited 120 years for the judgment of the flood (Genesis 6:3); Abraham, who waited 25 years for Isaac (Genesis 15-17); Moses, who waited 40 years to be rescued (Exodus 2:23-25; Acts 7:30); Joseph, who waited over a decade to be vindicated (Genesis 37:2; 41:46); Job, who waited an indefinite period for restoration (James 5:11); and Daniel, who waited 70 years for God to intervene in Israel's history (Daniel 9:2).
If you want to expand on the idea of death's appearing to be like sleep, you can look at Jeremiah 51:39; Daniel 12:2; John 11:11-13; 14:12; I Corinthians 11:30; and I Thessalonians 4:14.
Correlation helps flesh out the text. It provides depth and is a great source of illustration. Also it prevents us from drawing wrong conclusions from only part of what the Bible says. This expanded or theological emphasis constantly allows us to understand the part in light of its whole."

Agree or Disagree? And on what points exactly? Please explain your answers. I will be giving my thoughts on this section later after I have heard your thoughts. Thank-you for helping me.

JT

Subordination to the Truth

sub·or·di·nate: Subject to the authority or control of another. Paul warns Titus that there are many who are insubordinate to the truth. (1:10) Paul mentions that some of these people were of the circumcision party and then tells Titus to rebuke these people so they will avoid turning away from the truth. He says something interesting about how a person comes to turn away from the truth, which is possible for believers and unbelievers alike. Titus 1:15 says, "To the pure, all things are pure, but to the defiled and unbelieving, nothing is pure (specifically the knowledge of the truth); but both their minds and their consciences are defiled.

John MacArthur says, "If the mind is defiled, it cannot accurately inform the conscience so the conscience cannot warn the person." Paul says these people are "unfit for any good work." In case you have not noticed, good works is a huge theme in the book of Titus.

• "zealous for good works" (2:14)
• "be ready for every good work" (3:1)
• "be careful to devote themselves to good works" (3:8)
• "learn to devote themselves to good works" (3:14)

So, I see a process here which is crucial to the life of a disciple of Christ and it involves truth, which is what we say we are about. Here it is:

1. The mind must subordinate (subject to the control of) to truth.
2. The conscience uses this truth to control us.
3. The knowledge of the truth (1:1) embraced qualifies us for every good work.

What we must admit and remember is that just because we read about and listen to truth, does not mean that we have subordinated to this same truth. We still have to make a choice--subordinate or not subordinate to the truth.

JT

"The Long Silence"

"At the end of time, billions of people were scattered on a great plain before God's throne.
Most shrank back from the brilliant light before them. But some groups near the front talked heatedly--not with cringing shame, but with belligerence.
'Can God judge us? How can he know about suffering?' snapped a pert young brunette. She ripped open a sleeve to reveal a tattooed number from a Nazi concentration camp. 'We endured terror...beatings...torture..death!'
In another group a Negro boy lowered his collar. 'What about this?' he demanded, showing an ugly rope burn. 'Lynched...for no crime but being black!'
In another crowd, a pregnant schoolgirl with sullen eyes. 'Why should I suffer' she murmured, 'It wasn't my fault.'
Far out across the plain there were hundreds of such groups. Each had a complaint against God for the evil and suffering he permitted in his world. Hos lucky God was to live in heaven where all was sweetness and light, where there was no weeping or fear, no hunger or hatred. What did God know of all that man had been forced to endure in this world? For God leads a pretty sheltered life, they said.
So each of these groups sent forth their leader, chosen because he had suffered the most. A Jew, a Negro, a person from Hiroshima, a horribly deformed arthritic, a thalidomide child. In the centre of the plain they consulted with each other. At last they were ready to present their case. It was rather clever.
Before God could be qualified to be their judge, he must endure what they had endured. Their decision was that God should be sentenced to live on earth--as a man!
'Let him be born a Jew. Let the legitimacy of his birth be doubted. Give him a work so difficult that even his family will think him out of his mind when he tries to do it. Let him be betrayed by his closest friends. Let him face false charges, be tried by a prejudiced jury and convicted by a cowardly judge. Let him be tortured.
'At the last, let him see what it means to be terribly alone. Then let him die. Let him die so that there can be no doubt that he died. Let there be a great host of witnesses to verify it.'
As each leader announced his portion of the sentence, loud murmurs of approval went up from the throng of people assembled.
And when the last had finished pronouncing sentence, there was a long silence. No-one uttered another word. No-one moved. For suddenly all knew that God had already served his sentence." (Taken from "The Cross of Christ" by John Stott, pg. 327-328)

The Life of a Disciple

In relation to my last blog, God has been challenging my heart in the area of discipleship and what it really means to be a disciple of Christ. In studying all the gospels, but especially Mark 8, here are 7 characteristics that I found should be true in the daily life of a disciple of Jesus:

1. A Life of Suffering (Mark 8:31)
In teaching His disciples, Jesus spoke about how it was necessary that He must suffer many things. Peter did not like this and Jesus rebuked him and called him Satan! Why? I believe that Peter's thoughts on suffering were wrong and were actually Satan's thoughts on suffering. Satan would have us avoid suffering at all costs. This idea of suffering is setting our mind on the things of man and Satan, and not on the things of God. (v.33)

2. A Life of Rejection (Mark 8:31)
Dietrich Bonhoeffer says in his book, The Cost of Discipleship, "There is a distinction here between suffering and rejection. Had he only suffered, Jesus might still have been applauded as the Messiah. But in the passion Jesus is a rejected Messiah." So, as I understand it, to "take up his cross" has this idea of both suffering and rejection, which means that Christ was not talking about the normal difficulties of life which everybody has. I believe that Christ was talking about taking radical risks for His cause and the gospel's which would incur suffering and rejection upon us. Therefore, if I'm not experiencing suffering and rejection ever, then it must mean that I am not living as a disciple of Christ. Of course, the kind of suffering and rejection that each disciple faces varies, depending on what God sovereignly chooses.

3. A Life of Complete Imitation of Christ (Mark 8:34)
A true disciple of Christ seeks to follow Christ in every area of his life. This will look different for each disciple, based on the amount of knowledge that he possesses. The question here is, Are you doing and being all that Christ would do and be, if He were you? Many Christians are picking and choosing in what areas they want to follow Jesus, but this means they are not true disciples of Christ.

4. A Life of Hate Toward Ourselves (Mark 8:34-35)
"Let him deny Himself." How is this going to happen? He must hate himself. "Whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life." (John 12:25) I appreciate Jesus' words here, because they indicate an all-out war on our old nature which seeks to love itself and preserve itself. Mark 8:35 says that "whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel's will save it." This is the 2nd expression most used by Jesus in the gospels. The old nature fights against losing one's life for Jesus and seeks to preserve itself. "Whoever seek to preserve his life will lose it..." (Luke 17:33)

5. A Life Without Shame (Mark 8:38)
"For whoever is ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him will the Son of Man also be ashamed..." A true disciple is not ashamed of Christ and His words, but is actually bold and proud of His Master.

6. A Life of Love for Christ (Mark 8:35)
"For my sake..." This is the key to being a true dedicated disciple of Christ. My love for Christ is the only way I can suffer and be rejected for His sake. My love for Christ is the ultimate motivation for following him completely. The reason I hate myself is because I love Him so much and I don't want myself to get in the way of my love for Him. I am not ashamed of the One that I love more than anything and anyone. Matthew 10:34-39 is an interesting text because it states that Christ came to "set a man against his father". Basically He has come to cause division. Why so? He explains that "whoever loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me..." In other words, the reason why He would cause division is that He calls for us as His disciples to love Him more than our family, which can cause division. In Luke 14:26-27, Jesus uses even stronger language to emphasize our love for Him. "If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sister, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple." Obviously He is not teaching us to hate our family, but that our love for Him should be so strong that our love for family seems like hatred.

7. A Life Without Regret (Mark 8:35)
"For whoever would save his life WILL LOSE IT..." If we are not willing to pay the actual costs in following Christ we will lose our life. I believe this is saying that we will waste our lives. I like how Luke 9:25 puts it: "For what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses or forfeits himself." I have forfeited many opportunities for Christ and the gospel and I regret this. I don't want to look back at my life anymore and have more regrets. The life of a true disciple of Jesus Christ is a life without any regrets because of how it was lived. It is a life well-lived.

JT

Challenged by My Own Message

This morning I had the opportunity to speak to about 100 teenagers about being a "Hot Christian", taken from Revelation 3:14-22. This was one of those times when I really felt like I did a poor job of communicating the message which God had burdened my heart with. But I am not so concerned about how I did as much as I am concerned that I really live this message that I preached. Most of us as preachers know how easy it can be to preach a message but not live it. This message was so convicting that I want to share it, not to preach again at you, but to ask you to pray for me that the reality of this message would be actively present in my life. I say this with the most sincerity that I have ever asked anyone to pray for me.

The Author of these Words:

• "the Amen, the faithful and true witness" (v.14)
• "beginning [origin] of God's creation"

The Opinion of Jesus about these Christians

• "neither hot nor cold" (v.15-16)
  
• "you are lukewarm" (I believe this describes me)
• "I will spit you out of my mouth" (disgust and sickened)

Part of the Problem

• You say, "I need nothing." I am fine spiritually and do not need more of Christ. (v.17)
  
• They said this because of the riches and stuff they possessed and how much value they put on such things instead of Jesus Christ.
• The real truth according to Jesus: "You are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked"

The Counsel of Christ

• "Buy from me" (v.18)
• So, how can we buy anything from Christ, especially when we are "poor"?
• Christ already paid for it through his body on the cross, so we can be "overcomers" and apply the benefits of His sacrifice.

• Buy "gold refined by fire" [I Pet.1:7-speaking of trials that purify our faith like gold]
• Buy "white garments" so that you will be clothed and not naked [I think this refers to practical righteousness]
• Buy "salve to anoint your eyes, so that you may see" the glory of Christ!

The Love of Christ
The love of Christ is demonstrated in that He rebukes us for our lukewarmness. But not only that; it also is demonstrated in that Christ tell us what is for our greatest good--zeal for Him.

Christ's Solution
Let Christ come into your heart and dominate your heart. In other words, seek an intimate relationship with Christ which will give you a heart on fire for Him, a "Hot Christian".

My problems to pray concerning:

• I am lukewarm toward Christ
• I am spiritually ignorant of my condition and spiritually satisfied with Christ and my walk with Him
• I run away from difficulty and when I encounter it, I do not allow God to purify me.
• There is much righteousness that I do not put on daily.
• I am blind to the glories of Christ because I have my eyes fixed on the inferior pleasures of this world.
• I do not have the intimate relationship with Christ of which I spoke today.

I want to be a zealous, hot Christian because of who Christ is--Supremely Valuable!

JT