Bigger isn't Necessarily Better
With all apologies to the good people of Texas, bigger is not necessarily better. Take, for instance, the process of miniaturization. Miniaturization is a continuing trend in the world of technology toward ever smaller yet more powerful scales. This process began first in the field of mechanics, then moved into optics, and most recently into electronic devices. The first wireless cell phone weighed over five pounds, while the first computers took up whole rooms and were less powerful than the average PC or even smart phones of today. There seems to be no end to the trend for smaller and more powerful technologies. With the advent of nanotechnology, the possibility exists to create molecular-sized programmable
robots that could conceivably be used to target diseases such as cancer at the cellular level, bringing hopes to untold thousands who are ravaged by this disease.
Jesus Christ was an expert at miniaturization. He summed up the entire Law of Moses by stating, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second like unto it is this, you shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments the whole law hangs, and the prophets" (Matthew 22:37-40).
While beginning His Sermon on the Mount, Jesus offered the following:
"Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven. Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted. Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the Earth. Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.
Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God. Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called sons of God. Blessed are they that have been persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of Heaven" (Matthew 5:3-10).
In these eight short verses Jesus provides His listeners with hope of the greatest magnitude. From here one can pluck the pearl of great price as life in the Kingdom of Heaven is brought forth into fruition for all who have ears to hear. From here one may grasp the golden key that will unlock the very gates of Paradise. It’s here that the Bread of life, the Manna sent from Heaven, the Rock of Living Water to quench one’s thirst everlastingly, opens up His arms and heart to those who are suffering and disenfranchised. It’s here that one finds his way even into the very Holy of Holies, no longer ostracized from the Father, cut off from Him due to one’s sin, for Jesus will later say, "Come unto Me, all you that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you, and learn of Me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and you shall find rest unto your souls. For My yoke is easy, and My burden is light" (Matthew 11:28-30). May the Lord bless you!
Claiming God’s Promises (Devotional)
When it comes to those of us who are in Christ, the Bible declares our lives no longer belong to us. Paul says, "You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore, honor God with your body" (1 Corinthians 6:19-20 NIV). Paul’s saying our lives are not our own. We belong to the Lord, for He is our Master. We have been bought with a price, and it came with a huge cost attached: the death of His Son and our Savior, Jesus Christ. So, it’s incumbent upon us to take care of what rightfully belongs to Him.
When giving the first gospel sermon on the Day of Pentecost, Peter said, "Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off — for all whom the Lord our God will call." (Acts 2:38-39 [NIV]) So by these words we can see that there’s no way we can experience God’s salvation without standing upon His promises. Whenever we are tempted to doubt this, we must go back to God’s word and ask, "What does God say?" Some may respond by saying, "But we’re saved by faith and not by works." That’s true, but James would answer this statement by saying, "Of what good is faith without works?" (James 1:14-26) Paul would agree, for he said in 1 Corinthians 13:3 (RSV), "And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing." The Bible goes to great lengths to teach that we aren’t saved by our own works, but it also goes to even greater extremes to teach us that our works are the result of a saving faith.
Paul wrote in Ephesians 2:8-9, "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast." (NIV) Paul wanted the Ephesians to understand that no matter how hard they worked they were still saved by their faith and not by their works. Salvation is through God’s power. When we begin to depend upon our works we displace the power of God. Only God’s power can salvage our lives. Works without dependency on God’s promises through faith will only lead to further incompetence.
Give yourself to the Lord and claim His promises for yourself today! Your sins will be washed away clean in that watery grave of baptism, and you will be able to have a direct line of communication with the Father through prayer as your spiritual life with Him grows and matures.
May the Lord bless you and your family today!
Deacons in the Church (Devotional)
Deacons comprise a unique office and function in the local church. God organized the church to have deacons. These men are special servants to carry out certain tasks within the work and organization of the local church.
The term deacon simply means “servant” or “minister.” Their role pertaining to leadership is unique in that on one hand, they are not leaders. While they must have certain characteristics to serve in a particular function (1 Timothy 3:8-13), they are simply servants with responsibilities. On the other hand, they are leaders, because their responsibility (and the leadership inherent within such responsibility) makes them leaders. For example, in Acts 6, the Apostles encouraged the congregation in Jerusalem to select seven “servants” to be responsible for the daily ministry to the widows, solving the problem that had arisen in the process. Did they serve? Of course, they did. Yet did they lead? The position in which the Apostles placed them inherently carried with it responsibility, and with such, an amount of leadership. Such is also true concerning elders and deacons in the local church setting.
To show such is true, deacons are to involve the congregation in their work, not simply do the work themselves. Proper delegation is very important in not only fulfilling the work of the church but also executing proper organization in the entire body of Christ working as a single unit. When the Apostle Paul described the church as a body in 1 Corinthians 12, he recognized the importance of every single individual member. Therefore, elders, deacons and ministers aren’t supposed to do all the work of the church. Deacons especially must involve the members in their work. Deacons must exercise responsibility. One cannot be a deacon without understanding responsibility and dependability. The church will greatly benefit when congregations appoint deacons who understand these and exercise them in fulfilling their appointed roles.
Therefore, while the seven men of Acts 6 were not necessarily called deacons, they do serve as a model for such an office. When the church properly utilizes deacons and they work diligently under the supervision of the elders, great things will happen! “So the word of God spread, and the number of the disciples grew rapidly in Jerusalem, and a great number of the priests were obedient to the faith” (Acts 6:7 [MEV]).
Let’s all work together with our deacons here at Mentor in harmony and peace to assure that those in need in our congregation are not overlooked. May God bless us in this endeavor!
Faith vs. Belief
There’s a difference between faith and belief. A belief can be apathetic or complacent, whereas faith cannot. Abram was a great man of faith. Hebrews 11:8 [RSV] says, “By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place which he was to receive as an inheritance; and he went out, not knowing where he was to go.” Faith is alive and active.
If faith doesn’t draw a response, it’s not true faith. We call many things faith that, in fact,aren’t faith at all. This problem isn’t new; James confronted the same problem in the early church. James began by saying (to paraphrase), you believe in one God, good for you. Even the Demons believe this and they tremble. But a demon’s belief does nothing to save him. In James 2 [RSV], he goes on to say: 20. Do you want to be shown, you shallow man, that faith apart from works is barren? 21. Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he offered his son Isaac upon the altar? 22. You see that faith was active along with his works, and faith was completed by works, 23. and the Scripture was fulfilled which says, "Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness"; and he was called the friend of God. 24. You see that a man is justified by works and not by faith alone.
True faith is active faith. When you believe, you act and thus prove your faith is real
through your obedience. God said, "Go from your country and your kindred and your father's house to the land that I will show you.” Abram didn’t begin his new life when God commanded. He didn’t get the blessings when he heard God’s promises. God calls for faith. Faith is seeing God’s promises and believing them as though they are absolutes. Faith is hearing God’s commands and valuing them as a treasure. As David stated in Psalm 119:72-73 [RSV], 72. The law of Thy mouth is better to me than thousands of gold and silver pieces. 73. Thy hands have made and fashioned me; give me understanding that I may learn Thy commandments.
Once we value God’s word, we will receive the promise of His direction. Once we’re following His direction, we will obtain every promise. Faith is strengthened by seeing. God said many times in Scripture, "You have seen the mighty things I have done, now choose to obey or not to obey." We continue to see His works. We see the lives of those following Him; we see God working in our lives as we put Him to the test by obeying. We see His works all around us. Faith is strengthened by seeing and by evidence, but faith doesn’t come by evidence. Faith comes by believing and obediently responding. Once we believe and we step into the dependence on His care, we have the promise of Psalm 37:23-25 [RSV]: 23. The steps of a man are from the Lord, and He establishes him in Whose way
He delights; 24. though he fall, he shall not be cast headlong, for the Lord is the stay of his hand. 25. I have been young, and now am old; yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken or his children begging bread. May the Lord bless you as you live a faithful life!
The Day of Pentecost: Babel is Reversed
There’s an old expression which goes, “What goes up must come down.” It’s interesting to note while reading the account of the life and ministry of Jesus that He often is depicted as going up: up to Jerusalem, up to the Mount of Olives, up to Skull Hill, up onto the Cross, up from death to life, and, finally, up into Heaven. But the story of the gospel, Luke explains, is only what Jesus began to do and teach (Acts 1:1).
The next part of His activity on Earth, which Luke focuses on in the Book of Acts, takes place through the church. And it involves a coming down. The gift of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost is often associated with the events of the Tower of Babel, and with good reason.
People are not scattering as God commanded, God comes down and works a miracle of language, people scatter throughout the world, and the fulfillment of God’s promise to Abraham begins. Pentecost, in an important sense, is Babel’s reversal.
At Babel, this scattering was an act of judgment in response to disobedience, bringing language incomprehension and confusion. At Pentecost, it’s an act of blessing in response to obedience, bringing new understanding and unity through the power of the Holy Spirit.
Yet, Pentecost also echoes the exodus of the Hebrews from Egypt, particularly the
encounter on the mountain at Sinai. Some of these connections are obvious:
The law was given to Israel about seven weeks after the Passover; the Spirit is given to the church about seven weeks after the Cross.
The anointed leader has gone up, and the divine Presence comes down.
There are tangible physical signs: a great noise came from Heaven, whether thunder and trumpets or a mighty rushing wind, and the descent of God was seen visibly in fire.
The gifts that define God’s people – first the law, then the Spirit – are given.
The people are commissioned as kings and priests, and the Tabernacle/Temple is
established.
A sermon is preached, calling for obedience.
A new covenant has started. And in this covenant, all people can be saved in Jesus Christ!
May the Eyes of Your Heart Be Enlightened (Devotional)
In Paul’s letter to the church at Ephesus, he uttered the following prayer in chapter 1 verses18-21:
"I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which He has called you, the riches of His glorious inheritance in the saints, and His incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of His mighty strength, which He exerted in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the present age but also in the one to come."
In facing the difficulties of life our worldly philosophies today encourage us to discover the power that lies within each of us. Our bookstores are lined with self-help books by the score. But is this really the best way? If you desire change, and if you are using personal strength to get it done, you will never have enough courage and perseverance to accomplish lasting change. God wants us to know in our hearts and in our minds that we are completely dependent upon Him for everything. That includes the air that we breathe, the food that we eat, the material blessings we enjoy, the blessings of our family and loved ones, our physical health, our ability to earn a living, and most importantly, our salvation. Everything! Jesus said in John 15:4-5,
"Remain in Me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in Me. I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in Me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from Me you can do nothing."
From Paul’s prayer we read above, we see that God’s power has been made available to all who seek after Him. It’s God's power that enlightens us, that gives us hope and gives us an inheritance with Christ (Ephesians 1:18-19). God's power, which is at our disposal for the asking, is realized as we see ourselves resurrected in Him (Ephesians 2:1, 6). Paul says that in Christ Jesus we who were dead in sin have been resurrected from spiritual death and have been raised up with Christ and we are seated with Him in heavenly realms with Christ. Now if Christ is raised up by God and is sitting in heavenly places far above all power and might, is Paul not saying that we who are in Christ (Galatians 3:27) are lifted up with Christ in those Heavenly realms as well? What does that say concerning the power God has given us in Christ? Isn’t this promise much better than any self-help book written by man?
May the Lord bless you and your family as He exalts you (James 4:10)! May the Lord bless you and your family!