The Door of the Church – Not the Door of the Heart

     “Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me” (Revelation 3:20).

       Revelation 3:20 is one of, if not the most often taken out of context verses in the Bible. I will be blunt – this verse has nothing to do with “soul winning.” Let me say here that being a soul winner, an evangelist for Jesus Christ, is one of the foundational stones of being a New Testament Christian. God did not ask Christians to win the lost – He commanded them to do so. This fact is easily seen in the New Testament.

Matthew 28:19,29 -  ”Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.”

Romans 10:13-15 – “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!”

       Christians are commanded by as well as expected by God to evangelize the lost. Understanding this, Christians also need to understand that the New Testament contains a plethora of verses, passages and illustrations that are there specifically for the purpose of winning the lost to Christ. At the top of this page there is a tab that reads, “Salvation: Plain and Simple.” This page contains the “Romans Road.” The Romans Road is a sequence of Scripture, found in the book of Romans, that is used all over the world by literally tens of thousands of Christians to lead people to Christ. John 3:16, possibly the most well known verse in all of the Bible, has been used to lead countless souls to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ.
       I could go on and on but I will not. The purpose of this article is not to show that Christians  need to be soul winners nor is it to instruct in the area of soul winning. The purpose of this article is to convey the correct teaching of Revelation 3:20, “Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me” which has nothing to do with soul winning.

       If Jesus, in revelation 3:20, is not “knocking on the door of the lost” then whose door is He knocking on? A simple look at the Revelation of Jesus Christ, up through 3:20, will show the answer.
       First, I think the importance of understanding all of the Revelation should be pointed out. Note the words of Revelation 1:3, “Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand.” There is a blessing, promised of God, for those who both read and hear the words of this prophecy. The Greek words employed for “readeth” (anaginosko) and “hear” (akouo) each carry the implication of understanding. There is, however, a stipulation that is put in place. The reader and or hearer must “keep those things which are written therein.” It may be that many Christians are missing a blessing that is promised to them because they simply mistake Revelation 3:20 to be a soul winning verse. No aspect of the Bible should be taken for granted. The Word of God, especially common verses, needs to be understood.
       Second, an understanding of the recipient of this letter, the Revelation, must be acquired. Jesus Christ, through John the Apostle, is writing to Christian people – directly to the seven churches in Asia but also indirectly to Christians anywhere at anytime. Revelation 1:1 states, “The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to shew unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass; and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John:” Revelation 1:4 states, “John to the seven churches which are in Asia: Grace be unto you, and peace, from him which is, and which was, and which is to come; and from the seven Spirits which are before his throne.” Revelation 1:11 and 20 also stress to whom the Revelation is sent.

       Now a closer look at the verse in question, Revelation 3:20. As stated above , this verse is often employed in the area of soul winning. This is not at all what the Lord had in mind when He said, “Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.” Remember first, in the Revelation, Jesus is writing to the seven churches in Asia. Second, know that chapters 2 and 3 contain the Lord’s personal salutation to each of the seven churches as individuals. The last church Jesus addresses is the church in the city of Laodicia.
       The church at Laodicia is characterized by its indifference, selfishness and “wishy-washy” view of Christianity. This church seems to be made-up of people who were more concerned about their selves than they were about the things of God. They were indifferent. Note the Lord’s words in 3:15 and 16, “I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.” Simply put the Lord is tired of their indifference.
       Jesus goes on to point out another problem with this church. Jesus says in verse 17, “Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked.” Jesus is saying here that because they thought they had everything they needed (and wanted) they felt they had no need of the Lord. Can you imagine, people who only turned to God when they needed something.
       Jesus, as is always the case, does not just leave it at that. He continues to explain exactly what the Laodicians need to do to get these problems straightened out. Jesus instructs them to open their eyes and see that true riches and beauty are found in heavenly places – not the materials of this world. See Jesus’ encouraging words in verse 18, “I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see.” If one will but listen, he can almost hear the fatherly tone in the Lord’s voice as He explains to His children in verse 19, “As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.” It is almost as if the Son of God is begging them to repent and to turn back to Him – not for salvation but for fellowship.
       So there is the answer – fellowship. When Jesus says in Revelation 3:20, “Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me,” He is not seeking the lost to be saved, He is seeking the saved to be in loving fellowship with Him. Jesus immediately, verse 21, explains the reward of this fellowship. Jesus says, “To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne.” You see, if Jesus is refering to salvation in verse 20 then in verse 21 Jesus must be saying that He too was lost at one time and we know that this is most definately not the case. Jesus overcame the world to return to the throne of the Father. He is asking, pleading Christians to also overcome the world. Overcome the world and join into sweet fellowship with the Father and the Son.
       Do take notice of the Lord’s final specific words to the Laodicians, “He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches,” and remember – It’s the door to the church not the door to the lost.

Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.

CBRaper
Psalm 29:2

Stupid Decisions and Bad Situations

       “David therefore departed thence, and escaped to the cave Adullam: and when his brethren and all his father’s house heard it, they went down thither to him.” (1 Samuel 22:1)

       We say it and we hear it,  “fear God.” We are supposed to fear God.  As a matter of fact, we are commanded to fear God, “And the LORD commanded us to do all these statutes, to fear the LORD our God, for our good always, that he might preserve us alive, as it is at this day” (Deuteronomy 6:4). Not only is the fear of God commanded it is expected, “Then had the churches rest throughout all Judaea and Galilee and Samaria, and were edified; and walking in the fear of the Lord, and in the comfort of the Holy Ghost, were multiplied” (Acts 9:31). However, this article is not a study on the fear of God. It is a look at what happens when we move that fear from God to man.

       “And David arose and fled that day for fear of Saul, and went to Achish the king of Gath” (1 Samuel 21:10). There can be no question as to the courage of David. But just like you and me, he did experience times of weakness. It is one of these times in the life of King David that we are going to look at. As seen in the verse above, “David had fled for fear of Saul“. David took his eyes off the LORD and as a direct result moved from a “fear of God” to a “fear of man”. The result seems always to be the same – when we move from a “fear of God” to a “fear of man” 1) we make stupid decisions and 2) we end up in bad situations.
       David is running from Saul and he is not sure why. In 1 Samuel 20:1 David asks Jonathon, “What have I done? what is mine iniquity? and what is my sin before thy father, that he seeketh my life?” David, at this point, is scared and rightly so. He should have taken the matter before the LORD but the text of 1 Samuel 20, 21 gives no indication that he does so. This leads to the first of what often becomes a series of stupid decisions, stupid decisions that lead to bad situations. Both of which, are experienced when the “fear of God” is replaced with the “fear of man”. Let’s take a look at these verses and at these stupid decisions and see the bad situation David finds himself in. Perhaps in doing so, we can avoid some of life’s more treacherous roads.

1) We decide not to take our troubles to the LORD. David, of all people, knows what it is to fully trust in the LORD. Example after example of his trust in the LORD is seen in David’s life. Other than his humanity, we see no explanation as to why David, here, fails to immediately take his trouble to God. David, as we so often do, decides to take matters into his own hands. This is never good. I have heard it said many times, “When all else fails take it to God.” Fact is, if we take our problems to God first “all else” will not fail.

2) We decide not to acknowledge God – even though He is so very close. The first place David runs to as he flees in fear of Saul is to Ahimelech the priest at Nob. This is where the Tabernacle and, thus subsequently, God is residing. David asks for food and weapons. I can relate. If I am on the run from someone who is trying to kill me I, too, would want food and a weapon. I would like to think I was in tune with God also. David is right there at the Tabernacle and does not even inquire of the LORD.
       We have the promise of God that he will never leave or forsake us. God does not move. It is up to us to acknowledge Him, especially when we need Him most.

3) We decide to lie about our situation. Ahimelech ask David, “…Why art thou alone, and no man with thee?” Instead of telling the priest the truth, David lies and does so without hesitation. 1 Samuel 21:2, “And David said unto Ahimelech the priest, The king hath commanded me a business, and hath said unto me, Let no man know any thing of the business whereabout I send thee, and what I have commanded thee: and I have appointed my servants to such and such a place.” Notice that once this first lie is told how easy it is for David to lie further.
       After David acquires bread from Ahimelech he asks for a weapon – but he doesn’t just ask, he throws in another lie! 1 Samuel 21:8, “And David said unto Ahimelech, And is there not here under thine hand spear or sword? for I have neither brought my sword nor my weapons with me, because the king’s business required haste.” Fearing man instead of God, if you admit it, is embarrassing. Lies will often be employed to cover the fact that fear has been moved from God and placed on man.

4) We decide to make stupid decisions. David asked Ahimelech, “…is there not here under thine hand spear or sword?” Now, this (I think) is a good and logical question, David needs a weapon. 1 Samuel 21:9, “And the priest said, The sword of Goliath the Philistine, whom thou slewest in the valley of Elah, behold, it is here wrapped in a cloth behind the ephod: if thou wilt take that, take it: for there is no other save that here. And David said, There is none like that; give it me.” Two things here to make note of. First, we know from 1 Samuel 17:4 that Goliath was 6 cubits and 1 span in height. This is approximately 9 feet and 6 inches tall. He was a trained warrior – a champion, the champion. Let me try to illustrate the point. I had a friend in college who wore a 5E that’s EEEEE width shoe. Of course he had to have his shoes special made. 
       Now, I am certain it was the same with Goliath, not his shoes but his sword. To a man that was 9′ 6″ the regular sword of the day would be no more than a knife. Goliath had a sword that was especially designed for his mammoth frame, he had to. Note the words of David in reference to Goliath’s sword, “There is none like that; give it me.”  This was a stupid decision. Being generous, I will put David at 6′. When David walked away with Goliath’s sword hanging on his side you can believe it was dragging the ground in a comical fashion.
       The second thing we need to make note of is where David goes. 1 Samuel 21:10 states, “And David arose and fled that day for fear of Saul, and went to Achish the king of Gath.” Are you kidding me! To Achish the king of Gath? Remember where Goliath is from? 1 Samuel 17:4, “And there went out a champion out of the camp of the Philistines, named Goliath, of Gath, whose height was six cubits and a span.” Picture this. Here comes David, strolling into town, with a big long stupid looking sword dragging in the dust behind him. No, not just any town but the town of Gath. And no, not just any strangely long sword but the sword of Goliath. The very Goliath who was not only from Gath but just a short time ago was the undisputed heavy weight champion of not only Gath but of all the Philistines. Goliath was the home town hero, the champ who had been killed – by David. You can believe that the people of Gath knew exactly who David was, even without Goliath’s sword dragging in the dirt behind him. 1 Samuel 21:11 reads, “And the servants of Achishsaid unto him, Is not this David the king of the land? did they not sing one to another of him in dances, saying, Saul hath slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands?” Yes, they knew exactly who David was. Stupid decisions are often hard to stop once we start making them.

5) We decide not to realize the stupid decisions until it is often to late. Here is David, smack-dab in the middle of some of his worst enemies. Just imagine the empty feeling in David’s gut when he heard, “…Is not this David the king of the land? did they not sing one to another of him in dances, saying, Saul hath slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands?” I can almost taste the fear that must have entered David. The cold fear he felt when he realized the hilt of the sword upon which his trembling had rested had once belonged to the mighty Philistine Goliath – of Gath. 1 Samuel 21:12 says it plain, “And David laid up these words in his heart, and was sore afraid of Achish the king of Gath.” Loosing his fear of God and replacing it with a fear of Saul led to a series of stupid decisions – and to his present bad situation.

The bad situation. Stupid decisions indeed lead straight into bad situations. 1 Samuel 21:13 sadly reads, “And he changed his behaviour before them, and feigned himself mad in their hands, and scrabbled on the doors of the gate, and let his spittle fall down upon his beard.”  See him, David, anointed one of the LORD, God-chosen king of God’s chosen people. David, sweet psalmist of Israel, poet and musician. David, the man from whom the Lord Jesus Himself would one day come. David, the mighty warrior of God who once stood before the giant and declared, “Thou comest to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a shield: but I come to thee in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom thou hast defied.” Now, look at him again, David, scared and all alone. David, crawling around on the ground scratching at the walls like a dog. David, eyes wild with fear, spit running through his beard as he acts out the role of a fool and a mad man. All in his attempt to escape the lonely death into which he stares. One of the saddest scenes in all of God’s Word played out because David began to fear a man and ceased to fear the LORD. This is a bad situation, brought about by a series of stupid decisions. But glory to His holy name - God is always there when we are ready to return.

There is always forgiveness and hope in the LORD. 1 Samuel 22:1 says, “David therefore departed thence, and escaped to the cave Adullam: and when his brethren and all his father’s house heard it, they went down thither to him.” Notice if you will, the colon in 1 Samuel 22 verse 1. It is located after the name of the cave – Adullam. It represents much more than just the average colon. Between the two parts of verse 1 David got his heart back in tune with the LORD and God saw to it that we could see just how. You see, while David was in the cave Adullam, his quite place, he penned the words that we know as Psalm 34. The now restored sweet psalmist of Israel writes:

       “I will bless the LORD at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth. My soul shall make her boast in the LORD: the humble shall hear thereof, and be glad. O magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt his name together. I sought the LORD, and he heard me, and delivered me from all my fears” (Psalm 34:1-4). We know David wrote Psalm 34 while in the cave Adullam because the title of Psalm 34 tells us so. David seems to have realized that his problems stemmed from his misplaced fear – the “fear of man” instead of the “fear of God”. David came to understand that Stupid decisions lead to bad situations. We too, can come to that same understanding.

CBRaper
Psalm 29:2

A New Page – A New Blessing

       First let me apologize for my absence the past few days. I have had important personal matters to attend to. And let me say that God has (as always) been faithful. I have seen much prayer answered in the past 5 days. PRAISE THE LORD!

       As today’s title states, I have added a new page. I have been led to ask some of my closest and dearest brothers and sisters to contribute to the “Plumbline”.

       Today’s guest writer is Brother Steve Francis. I will never forget my first impression of Brother Steve – “Blond headed pretty boy who sings.” It did not take me long to realize that this “blond headed pretty boy singer” was much more. I soon found him out to be a young man who had a heart sold out for God, a man with a God-given musical talent that he sought only to give back to God and a man with a heart heavy burdened for today’s youth. We soon became friends. In college we played ball together, studied together and prayed with and for each other. In grad school we lifted each other up in prayer often and by God’s grace we made it through. After grad school it was my honor to minister along side Steve at Pensacola Christian College for 6 years.
       Steve has his BA in Bible and Music and his MA in Education Administration. Brother Steve is currently the Youth and Music Pastor at Southland Missionary Baptist Church in Cincinnati, OH. He is joined in the ministry by his both lovely and godly wife Joy,there 2 boys and brand new baby girl. Steve’s insightful article on worship was a blessing and convicting to me and I am sure it will be to you. Just click on the tab above and enjoy.

God Bless,

CBRaper
Ps. 29:2

Brother, You Will See the Glory of God

       “Jesus saith unto her, Said I not unto thee, that, if thou wouldest believe, thou shouldest see the glory of God?”

       Last night I heard a preacher, a husband and a father pour his heart out before God and before those of us who were blessed to be in the service. He preached from Acts 16 on this thought, “Take your family with you.” He preached with Holy Ghost power, passion and fire but what struck me most was the obvious burden with which this man preached. At the end of the message he told us that he had two sons. One of his sons I know to be a godly man, he is our Youth Pastor. The other, I have never met. The preacher said that both his sons had the calling of God on their lives – one had answered God’s call and the other had turned from it. It was this preacher’s burden that led to this article. My dear friends, based squarely on the Word of God, if you will continue to believe – you will see the glory of God.”

       One of my favorite chapters in the Bible is John 11. Here we are given not only the account of Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead but an amazing lesson on believing. It can rightfully be said that it is the promises of God that keep us going through this life. Perhaps you are thinking,”We get through life in the power of the Holy Ghost.” Yes we do – just like He promised, “Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you” John 16:7. My point is this – when God makes a promise, bank on it.

       In the beginning of John 11, Mary and Martha send word to Jesus that Lazarus, their brother, is gravely sick. Upon receiving this news Jesus says, “….This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God might be glorified thereby.” Let us not forget that God is in control. It is well said that, “Nothing has ever occurred to God.” Romans 8:28 encourages, “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.” Even when we can’t see it or refuse to see it, God is in control – working things to and for His glory.
       To enhance the lesson Jesus is teaching His disciples and subsequently us, Jesus does not immediately leave to go and help Lazarus. It is two days later when Jesus finally says to His disciples, “….Let us go into Judaea again” John 11:7. (I think tomorrow I will write on the next several verses, John 11:8-16, which are some of my personal favorites:) For now, I will just say that in these verses Jesus informs His disciples that Lazarus is dead and says concerning His delay, “And I am glad for your sakes that I was not there, to the intent ye may believe; nevertheless let us go unto him.” Note:  Jesus teaches that sometimes we are going to have to wait for the things that we think we should have now. This being done in order to build up and/or strengthen our belief.
       When Jesus finally arrives at Bethany, Lazarus had been dead 4 days. The news of Jesus’ arrival is given to Mary and Martha. At hearing of His coming Martha went to meet Him. John 11:21 states, “Then said Martha unto Jesus, Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died.” Two observations here 1) Martha clearly has belief in Jesus but 2) she doesn’t seem to think there is anything He can do now that Lazarus is dead. I am reminded of Mark 9 where a man brings his possessed son to Jesus, “Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth. And straightway the father of the child cried out, and said with tears, Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief.” This is often the problem that we have – we believe but we just don’t seem convinced.
       Note how, even after Jesus assures Martha that Lazarus will rise again,verse 23, she completely misses what Jesus is telling her. She jumps from the “here and now” to the “ultra-spiritual,” “Martha saith unto him, I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day” (John 11:24). Again Jesus tries to tell her. Verses 25 and 26 state, “Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?” And still she refuses to use (what I like to call Dirt Road Belief) and ops for the ultra-spiritual, “She saith unto him, Yea, Lord: I believe that thou art the Christ, the Son of God, which should come into the world” (John 11:27). Amazingly, even after Jesus commands them to remove the stone from the grave Martha says, “….Lord, by this time he stinketh: for he hath been dead four days” (John 11:39).
       Here in lies one of, if not the greatest problem Christians have had for the past 2,000 years. We find it difficult to express dirt road belief. It is easy to say “I believe that Jesus was crucified for my sins” or “I believe Jesus rose from the grave.” It is easy to say because it has already happened and no one can show us differently – we can not be proved wrong. Likewise, it is easy to say “I believe that one day Jesus is coming to claim His bride, the Church” or “I believe that after the Time of Jacob’s Trouble, Christ will reign for 1,000 years.” It is easy to say these things because Christians have been waiting for these things to take place for 2,000 years. If they do not take place in our life time, well, that’s just God’s plan and His timing. Again, we can not be proved wrong. We like and need comfort and being wrong is uncomfortable. The ultra-spiritual is a comfortable place to believe - Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief.
        It was hard for Martha not to see Lazarus as a four day old rotting corpse. Jesus said “Get that stone out of my way.” It was hard for Martha to see that Jesus was going to call her brother out of death’s cold hands. Jesus cried with a loud voice “Lazarus, come forth!” It was hard for Martha to use a dirt road kind of faith. Jesus did not hold it against Martha at all, He said, “loose him, and let him go.”
       Excuse me as I jump up and down for a second – Hallelujah! Praise God!Thank-you Jesus! He does not, will not, and never has kicked His people when they were down! It is hard for us to believe that lost loved ones are going to be saved. Jesus says, “I died for you, come unto me.” It is hard for us to believe that crippled bodies will ever move again. Jesus says, “Take up that bed and walk unto me.” And it is hard for us to believe that the prodigal will ever come home. Jesus says, “My sheep hear my voice and I know them.”
       We have a promise from God. A promise that says if we will believe – we will see the glory of God. There are times when our belief will be strong and there are times when our belief will be weak – we just have to believe. He will never leave us or forsake us. We can all take Him at His word and never forget – Brother, we will see the glory of God.

CBRaper

Frogs – God’s Sense of Humor

       Anyone who says or thinks God does not have a sense of humor has not read Exodus chapter 8:1-15, not carefully anyway. In my opinion these 15 verses contain one of the funniest stories one will ever read. The fact that it is a true story makes it even funnier. 
       Now, there are a couple of things that need to be pointed out before we get started. First, it needs to be remembered that the 10 plagues God employed against Pharaoh and the land of Egypt were real and took place exactly as described in the Book of Exodus, chapters 7-12. Second, these 10 plagues were much more than just a way to convince Pharaoh to let God’s people go. God did not choose these plagues randomly. Each individual plague is a direct assault against one of the gods in ancient Egypt’s pantheistic religion (For an in depth study see Dr. John Davis’ Moses and the Gods of Egypt.) Here we go.

       And the LORD spake unto Moses, Go unto Pharaoh, and say unto him, Thus saith the LORD, Let my people go, that they may serve me. And if thou refuse to let them go, behold, I will smite all thy borders with frogs: (Exodus 8:1,2). Did God say, “frogs?” At first glance one might think, “What in the world kind of threat is this coming from the God of all the earth?” Even this early in Israel’s history, God had employed such things as: the cursings handed out in the Garden of Eden, the confusing of tongues at the Tower of Babel, Lot’s wife being turned into a pillar of salt, the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah with fire from Heaven and who could forget the Flood?  The first of the 10 plagues, turning all water into blood, would fit just fine into this list. God clearly had overwhelming destructive forces at His command, so what’s up with the frogs?
       As stated above, each plague (frogs included) was a direct, frontal attack on a specific god found in the Egyptian Pantheon of the 18th Dynasty. One of the gods of this pantheon was “Heqt”. Heqt was the Egyptian god of the resurrection and supposedly had the power to bring the dead back to life. And, as you may have already guessed, Heqt was a frog or at least his representation or likeness was that of a frog.
      Exodus 8:3,4 “And the river shall bring forth frogs abundantly, which shall go up and come into thine house, and into thy bedchamber, and upon thy bed, and into the house of thy servants, and upon thy people, and into thine ovens, and into thy kneading troughs: And the frogs shall come up both on thee, and upon thy people, and upon all thy servants.” When the frogs came they really came. If the above description were written in today’s vernacular it would read, “The frogs were in the houses, they were in the bed room and on the bed, in the ovens and microwaves and in the fridge. The frogs were not only all around the people they were also on all the people!”
       Frogs are everywhere – now get the funny part. It was a capitol offence, death penalty, to kill a frog (Davis, Moses and the Gods of Egypt). Now if you think about it, this only makes sense. The Egyptian ruler that put together this religious system, the one who first said, “The god of the resurrection will be called Heqt and he will be a frog” must have tried it out. My guess is he killed a frog and fully expected it to come back to life. Now, I was not there, but I would be willing to bet the frog remained dead, very dead. How to get around this “little” problem? Simply make it against the law to kill a frog and involve a harsh enough penalty to keep people from killing frogs. (Remember, the people we are talking about lived over 4,000 years ago. They knew nothing of science as we do and explained everything by the super-natural.) Now see the picture. Frogs from the beds to the ovens and everywhere in between, including on them, and they dared not kill them. I think that’s pretty funny.

       “And Moses and Aaron went out from Pharaoh: and Moses cried unto the LORD because of the frogs which he had brought against Pharaoh. And the LORD did according to the word of Moses; and the frogs died out of the houses, out of the villages, and out of the fields. And they gathered them together upon heaps: and the land stank” (Exodus 8:12-14). The story only gets better. As if it were not bad enough that there were frogs all over everything and against the law to kill them, look what happens when the frogs are finally killed off. Pharaoh can not stand it. He calls for Moses and asks him ”to entreat the LORD, that he may take away the frogs from me” (Exodus 8:8). Moses does just as Pharaoh asks – and look what happens. The frogs, all of them, died all over the land, “And they gathered them together upon heaps: and the land stank.” The entire land of Egypt had piles, heaps of, not just frogs, but of Heqt, the Egyptian god of the resurrection. And all that Heqt could do was lay there and stink. Now that, my friend, is not only funny, it is out right hilarious!

       I’ll leave you today with two thoughts. 1) God has a sense of humor, the tale of Heqt is proof of that. 2) Most important of all. There is a God that has power over death and He is the God of the Bible. I am sure glad that He is my God.

CBRaper

Satan

       Let me start by saying this is not a systematic study of angel or demonology.  However, I do need to lay some ground work so you can get a feel for my position and where I am writing from. Here goes.

       I believe in a literal, fiery, burning Hell. As a historical dispensationalist, I also believe that, at the end of the literal 1,000 year reign of Christ, death and Hell will be cast into the Lake of Fire – a very real place as seen in Revelation 20:14,15 – “And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.” I also believe that, just before this takes place, Satan will be cast into this same Lake of Fire. This is seen in Revelation 20:10 – “And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.” I write all the above to say, “I believe that Satan is a very real created being.”

       Many would say that our greatest enemy is ourselves. I concede that this may be our most evident enemy but our greatest enemy is Satan. He is a relentless foe. The Bible says in 1 Peter 5:8, “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour.” Without going to far into it, I believe Satan (Lucifer) is one of three archangels. I believe that Satan, because of pride and jealousy, fell from grace and the continual presence of God. Satan is one of God’s three most powerful created beings.
       I also believe Satan retained all of his cunning, intelligence and strength when he fell. Jude 9 states, “Yet Michael the archangel, when contending with the devil he disputed about the body of Moses, durst not bring against him a railing accusation, but said, The Lord rebuke thee.” In this verse we see that Satan is able to contend or fight with Michael and that even the archangel Michael had to employ the Lord to rebuke Satan. In Daniel 9, the archangel Gabriel, comes to explain Daniel’s visions. In Daniel 10, Gabriel is delayed 21 days because he is doing battle with Satan (here refered to as the prince of the kingdom of Persia) and Michael has to come and help Gabriel – Daniel 10 13, “But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me one and twenty days: but, lo, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me; and I remained there with the kings of Persia.” Satan is very real, very intelligent and very powerful. He is our adversary. I think it best that we have some understanding of the enemy.

       There, now that I am done with one of the longest introductions I have ever written, let’s gain some practical knowledge about our enemy so we can be better prepared for our own battles. For this I turn to Job chapter 1. In Job 1 there are several things that we can learn about Satan. Remember, the more we know about our enemy – the better our chances. Let’s make some observations.

1) Satan has access to God. Job 1:6 states, “Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan came also among them.” This is not a one time event for we see the same thing take place in Job 2:1. Remember this – anything or anyone, evil or not, that can stand in the very presence of God is something to be reckoned with.  We, too, can be “something to be reckoned with.” Hebrews 4:16 says, “Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.” If Satan goes before God (though it be for the wrong reasons) should we not (for the right reasons) go before Him?!

2) Satan not only has access to God, he converses with God. We read in Job 1:7, “And the LORD said unto Satan, Whence comest thou? Then Satan answered the LORD, and said, From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it.” Satan not only comes before God but he converses with God. Now, if Satan talks with God do you not think we should? Again I am reminded of Hebrews 4:16 (see above). One of the clearest teachings that Jesus gives is found in Matthew 6 – prayer. Jesus does not say if you pray but rather when you pray. If Satan talks to God we had certainly better be talking to God.

3) Satan has a freewill just as we do. Job 1: 7,8a reads, “And the LORD said unto Satan, Whence comest thou? Then Satan answered the LORD, and said, From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it. And the LORD said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job…” When God asks Satan where he had come from Satan’s reply is something like this, “walking all over the world.” When God asks Satan if he had considered His (God’s) servant Job, by default we see that Satan can choose to consider or contemplate whoever he wants to.

4) Satan does not seem to rest or to cease in his diabolical quest against us. Again, job 7, “And the LORD said unto Satan, Whence comest thou? Then Satan answered the LORD, and said, From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it.” When Satan is asked where he was coming from he claims that he had been walking all over the place – coming and going, to and fro. When asked about Job Satan knew exactly to whom God referred. It is almost like Satan is some sort of evil Santa Clause going all over the world and making a list. Satan works hard against the things of God. How much harder should we be working for the things of God? A great deal harder – I am certain of it.

5) Satan has the ability to reason. Job 1: 8 states, “And the LORD said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil?” One of the ways that we are set apart from the rest of the animal kingdom is our ability to reason. Satan is much more than just some animal. Remember, he is one of Gods 3 most powerful created beings and he needs to be regarded as such. Satan is no dummy.

6) Satan is not only aware of individuals, he targets those who are trying hardest to live for God. Read Job 1:8, “And the LORD said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil?” Satan’s response to God’s question is seen in the following verses. In essence, Satan says, “Yeah, I’ve considered Job and he only fears and serves you because you are protecting him. Take away the protection and see what happens.” Job, though he had faults like all men (perfect = complete), was trying as hard as anyone to live for God. Satan knew exactly who Job was. Job had a target on his back. Do we? I am reminded of Acts 19. There were certain Jewish men who had decided that they were going to cast out demons like Paul. They command demons to come out of some who were possesed in the “name of Jesus who Paul preaches”. In Acts 19:15 we read, “And the evil spirit answered and said, Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are ye?”  I wonder, do Satan’s demons know who we are? It is strange to say but we should have a target on our back.

7) Satan is stopped by a hedge of protection. Job 1:10 – “Hast not thou made an hedge about him, and about his house, and about all that he hath on every side? thou hast blessed the work of his hands, and his substance is increased in the land.” We have all heard someone pray something to this effect, “God put a hedge of protection around….” Do not laugh. It works. Just ask Job what happened when his was removed.

8 ) Satan has a good understanding of fallen man. We read in Job 1:11, “But put forth thine hand now, and touch all that he hath, and he will curse thee to thy face.” We have all known people who have had tragedy strike and when it did they turned their backs on God. This is not how we should respond but sadly, all to often, this is our response and Satan knows it. James 1:2-4 states, “My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.” Satan knows man. Man had better do what he can to know a bit about Satan.

9) Satan does, at least sometimes, ask God for permission to come strongly against God’s people, do not miss this, God sometimes grants permission. As strange as it sounds, it happens. Job 1:12 says, “And the LORD said unto Satan, Behold, all that he hath is in thy power; only upon himself put not forth thine hand. So Satan went forth from the presence of the LORD.” We have all heard it and most of us have said it, “The devil made me/them do it.” As God works to make His children more conformed to the image of Christ, I can not help but to wonder, “How often are we giving credit to Satan for what God is trying to accomplish in our lives?”

10) Satan obeys God. From Job 1:12 through all of chapter 2 we see this stunning fact played out. Satan does no more or no less than God has allowed. Think about this the next time the Holy Ghost of God is working in your heart – and you resist.

       Today’s article has been longer than normal. My heart felt prayer is that it helps. Daddy always said, “The best way to beat an opponent is to have a good understanding of him.” Satan is relentless and is no joking matter. I do not write these things lightly, knowing that my target just got bigger. My faith and trust is in Jesus Christ, therefore, I will fear no evil. I, just as you, have all the promises of God which do include, “…and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen“

CBRaper

Temptation – A Joyful Road To Maturity

       “My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.” James 1:2-4

       The blessings of God often come at the strangest of times, in the strangest ways and in the strangest of forms. I mean, well, just consider; Balaam is blessed by a talking ass (Numbers 22), Naomi and Ruth are blessed because of a famine (Ruth 1), Job is blessed because he looses everything (Job), the woman taken in adultery because she had been taken in adultery (John 8 ) and the greatest blessing of all is given to all mankind because the Son of God is crucified!
       In light of all this, perhaps it shouldn’t seem so strange that one of our greatest blessings comes through temptations. The blessing is maturity through patience. James 1:2-4 is a wonderful passage. Let’s take a closer look.

James 1:2 “My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into divers temptations.” James is writing to fellow believers who, as seen in verse one, have been scattered and as such are facing great trials and temptations. It must be remembered that the trials associated with the first century Christian, more times than not, meant imprisonment or even death. Loss of job, poor economy and Tar Heels with two losses – not so bad now huh?
       When James (by the Holy Ghost) writes, “count it all joy” it is not a suggestion, encouragement or something we should consider. It is a command. In fact, the verb “count” in the original language (Koine Greek) is expressed in the imperative mood. This is the mood of stern command. The voice of the verb is middle. The English language does not have a middle voice and in the Greek of the first century it was rare. The implication of the Greek middle voice is to do something to or for ones self – that is to say “count it all joy – for your own good!”
       “…When ye fall into divers temptations,” it is important to notice here that “when” is used and not “if”. Rest assured that trials and temptations are here and will keep coming – but this is a good thing.  We also have the word “divers”. This does not mean under water temptations or temptations that come to those who dive. This word stems from “diversity” and means that we can expect all shapes, sizes, types and levels of temptations to come – the NIV employs “many kinds” here.
       Concerning temptations 1 Corinthians 10:13 is a great verse to keep in mind “There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able: but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.” Even though temptations are coming and we are commanded to count them as all joy we have the assurance from God that they will never be more than we can handle. Remember, “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.” Phil. 4:13

James 1:3 “Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.” First, we are to “know this” not contemplate it or assume it but “to know”. Know that the “trying of your faith worketh patience.” “Trying” is from the word “dokimion” which in its adjective form means “genuine or without alloy”. Thus, the noun form used here means “a test to prove genuine and pure” much like metal being tried by fire. Here, it is our faith that is being tried in this manner. The biblical concept of a trail, as James uses it here, is one that does reveal the genuineness of the person’s faith; but James says the trial is also designed to develop something that is not yet present in full measure, patience.
       The result of this trying of our faith is patience. And it is patience that God is trying to get into us. This means, first, that God will give us the ability to endure patiently. Having this quality of faith, we will not give up trusting and praying even when the need continues much longer than expected. Second, ”patience” carries the idea of discipline. If we posses this quality of faith then we can continue in a disciplined obedience to Christ even when we are facing trial after trial. Third, the term has the idea of a steadfast faithfulness. With this quality of faith we can be more than just a part-time servant of the Lord, we can finish the race. The Apostle Paul makes much the same point in Romans 5:3 where he writes, “And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience“.

James 1:4 “But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.” Why is it that God places such importance on patience? It would seem that patience is not an end but rather a lifestyle where by we as Christians are able to become mature, more complete, more like Jesus. I believe, that it is in this way, that we are to be different from the person seen in verse 6 ”…for he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed.”

      We all go through trials and temptations and we should do so joyfully. This is God’s way of bringing patience into our lives and patience makes us more like Jesus. Trials and temptations are often hard but we are promised that they will never be harder or more than we can stand. Remember, temptation is simply a joyful road to maturity.

CBRaper