Archives for 2014

then you shall drive out all the inhabitants of the land from before you and destroy all their figured stones and destroy all their metal images and demolish all their high places. Numbers 33:52 (ESV)

God calls on Israel to not only drive the people out of the land but to destroy their idols as well. The main reason these peoples needed to be driven from the land was because of their idolatry. Idolatry brings demonic bondage to the idol worshiper, God wanted these false gods / demons cast out of the land so that the trap and alluring temptation of idolatry would be removed from his people so they could worship the true God without distraction.

We can apply this to our lives by killing sin wherever it is found in us and casting it out, see Galatians 3:5-6

But if you do not drive out the inhabitants of the land from before you, then those of them whom you let remain shall be as barbs in your eyes and thorns in your sides, and they shall trouble you in the land where you dwell. Numbers 33:55 (ESV)

When we do not firmly deal with sin in our lives the compromise we make will become like torment for us, because we can not serve two masters (Matthew 6:24)

Moses commanded the people of Israel, saying, “This is the land that you shall inherit by lot, which the LORD has commanded to give to the nine tribes and to the half-tribe. Numbers 34:13 (ESV)

God made abundant provision for Israel, although they posses much of the land they never posses all of it, not even in the times of David and Solomon. This points to God’s abundant provision for us in hearing and answering our prayers beyond what we requested and providing abundantly more thane we need or use. See Ephesians 3:20, Romans 8:32 and James 1:5. Jesus said he has come that we should have an abundant life (John 10:10)

It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body. 1 Corinthians 15:44 (ESV)

Our future resurrection is not just an idea, it is a reality, we will be raised to life, our new bodies will be empowered by the life giving spirit of Jesus who was the first to rise from the dead. We will never die again but will become immortal. This is a great hope and we should believe and look forward to it with firm and solid faith.

We won’t just float around as disembodied spirits, no, we will have life, physical yet spiritual life that will never end. John mentions that this hope will keep us walking in purity in 1 John 3:3

in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. 1 Corinthians 15:52 (ESV)

Those of us who are alive when Jesus returns will have our bodies transformed from merely human bodies to our new resurrected bodies that are immortal and we will then join the Lord along with the saints who will be raised when the Lord returns.

An interesting note is that when we die our spirit go to be with the Lord straightaway, when he returns we will all then receive the new, eternal resurrection bodies we have longed for.

Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain. 1 Corinthians 15:58 (ESV)

Our belief in the resurrection and the rewards that will be given to us in heaven should spur us on and make us firm in our faith and encouraged in our work for the Lord. We have assurance that the sacrifices and work done for God and his kingdom are not done in vain and will be richly rewarded. So lets abound in our work for the Lord and not grow weary in doing well. See Galatians 6:9, 2 Thessalonians 3:13 and Hebrews 12:3

The voice of the LORD is over the waters; the God of glory thunders, the LORD, over many waters. Psalm 29:3 (ESV)

Jesus is the voice of the Lord, see John 1:1

The LORD sits enthroned over the flood; the LORD sits enthroned as king forever. Psalm 29:10 (ESV)

Jesus sits as king, enthroned over every storm and flood. God is sovereign over everything and is still in control in the middle of the storms of life.

Moses wrote down their starting places, stage by stage, by command of the LORD, and these are their stages according to their starting places. Numbers 33:2 (ESV)

We are called to progress and grow as we journey with the Lord, the journey of the children of Israel points forward to the pilgrim like journey of every believer as we draw closer to God’s eternal promised land. As we walk with the lord our faith will be tested but we must endure till the end to receive the reward. See 2 Corinthians 3:18, Hebrews 11:16, Hebrews 12:1-2

And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. 1 Corinthians 15:17–18 (ESV)

Paul was correcting some bad teach the Corinthian church had started to believe which agains was influenced by the word around them and possibly the misinterpretation of Paul’s own teaching. They had concluded that there was no resurrection.

Paul shows them the implication of this error is that Christ too did not rise form the dead and if that were true we could not be saved and have no hope. The resurrection of Jesus and his death on the cross are both a part of one saving act by God. Without the resurrection of Jesus Christ there is no Christian faith.

When all things are subjected to him, then the Son himself will also be subjected to him who put all things in subjection under him, that God may be all in all. 1 Corinthians 15:28 (ESV)

Gordon Fee comments well stating that… “Paul’s point is that in raising Christ from the dead God has set in motion a chain of events that must culminate in the final destruction of death and thus of God’s being once again, as in eternity past, “all in all.”” Fee, G. D. (1987). The First Epistle to the Corinthians (p. 759).

Oh, save your people and bless your heritage! Be their shepherd and carry them forever. Psalm 28:9 (ESV)

Hebrews 13:20 encourages us that Jesus is our great shepherd, he will cary us forever

But if you will not do so, behold, you have sinned against the LORD, and be sure your sin will find you out. Numbers 32:23 (ESV)

As stated in Galatians 6:7 what we sow we will also reap and there is no way to pull the wool over Gods eyes. Justice for your sin will ultimately come on the day of judgement or was ultimately satisfied through Jesus on the cross.

Just because Jesus has paid the price for our sin, it does not mean we can live in sin, this is wickedness and foolishness and God will not be mocked in this way. We can not hold God to ransom, he is no fool, he is God!

For God is not a God of confusion but of peace. As in all the churches of the saints, 1 Corinthians 14:33 (ESV)

This is the main point for Paul, he was dealing with a very unruly church in Corinth where there was a lack or order in the service with tongues and prophecies being said over each other which just ended up with no one benefiting as everyone tried to say their piece. James 3:16-17 paints a picture of the problems in the church at Corinth.

Instead of this our worship should reflect the nature of our God. Mayhem and confusion are not characteristic of God (but these were the traits of the false gods) and so he is not the author or cause of it in the church, the charge for this lays at our own feet, so we must abandon self centred behaviour like this.

God desires harmony, peace and order in his church for the mutual benefit of its members and for his glory, so lets reflect him in our worship.

the women should keep silent in the churches. For they are not permitted to speak, but should be in submission, as the Law also says. If there is anything they desire to learn, let them ask their husbands at home. For it is shameful for a woman to speak in church. 1 Corinthians 14:34–35 (ESV)

Understanding the background to the problems in the church at corinth will help us to put these statements from Paul into their proper context. In the Greek tradition prophecy like the ones coming from the oracle at Delphi required questions being asked to prompt the prophetic utterance. It is likely that some married Corinthian women in the church who were likely prophetesses themselves and involved in the weighing of prophesies were influenced by their surrounding culture and asked questions as part of the service.

Paul wanted to make the point that unlike the oracle at Delphi and other forms of prophecy form the ancient world, prophecy in the church did not require priming questions but was instead completely dependant on the inspiration and direction of the Holy Spirit and so addresses these women in this context in particular to ask questions at home and not to disrupt the service. So the theme of order in the service remains.

For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, 1 Corinthians 15:3–4 (ESV)

Paul made clear the thing of first or greatest importance is the Gospel message which he summarises here

One thing have I asked of the LORD, that will I seek after: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD and to inquire in his temple. Psalm 27:4 (ESV)

God is truly beautiful, just thinking about who God is as revealed in his word is so wonderful. We should stop and savour God, his word and his presence. When we stop and look to God, then when we ask him questions we get answers

Moses said to them, “Have you let all the women live? Behold, these, on Balaam’s advice, caused the people of Israel to act treacherously against the LORD in the incident of Peor, and so the plague came among the congregation of the LORD. Numbers 31:15–16 (ESV)

In Revelation 2:14 we hear Jesus tell us through John that the church at Pergammum were in a dangerous place of compromise, which was expressed by some holding to the teaching of Balaam who taught these Midianites to put a stumbling before the children of Israel in the form of sexual immorality and idolatry. Jesus calls on the church to repent of the sins of compromise and appeasement with the world. Balaam represents false teaching while the women guilty of enticement represent compromise and sin, we must kill both of these with impunity, like John Owen said, “…be killing sin or sin be killing you”

Now I want you all to speak in tongues, but even more to prophesy. The one who prophesies is greater than the one who speaks in tongues, unless someone interprets, so that the church may be built up. 1 Corinthians 14:5 (ESV)

Paul’s main point in this section is to encourage the Corinthians who were fond of using the gift of tongues (the miraculous ability to speak unlearned human and angelic languages), to see the greater worth in prophesying (bringing a message from God under the direction of the Holy Spirit to the body of believers that is intelligible) as this builds up the body which is one of his main points in the letter as a whole.

For the immature it seems the gift of tongues was one of the things leading to pride and a false sense of maturity. We should use our gifts to build up our fellow believers. Prophesying provides insight, warning, correction, and encouragement.. tongues will do this too only with interpretation.

Nevertheless, in church I would rather speak five words with my mind in order to instruct others, than ten thousand words in a tongue. Brothers, do not be children in your thinking. Be infants in evil, but in your thinking be mature. 1 Corinthians 14:19–20 (ESV)

Paul made clear that he spoke in tongues more than everyone in the Corinthian church, but from the context it seems he did this speaking in tongues “more than them all” in private. Paul makes his point even clearer by saying he would rather speak just 5 words that were intelligible while in the public assembly of the church than 10000 words in tongues which are not intelligible (without interpretation). So the point is again made that we should seek to build one another up, this should be the motivation behind the pursuit of and use of the gifts in the church.

God made our minds not the devil, God wants our minds to be engaged and used for him and his glory, in light of this Paul calls the church to clear and mature thinking. As Christians we need to engage in the discipline of thinking, mediating on Gods word and using our God given intellectual faculties to build up and encourage one another in the Lord.

Prove me, O LORD, and try me; test my heart and my mind. Psalm 26:2 (ESV)

We should walk with a pure heart before the Lord in integrity then we can join David in this prayer asking God to examine us. The New Testament goes even further and reminds us to examine ourselves to see if we are really in the faith see 2 Corinthians 13:5

But if, on the day that her husband comes to hear of it, he opposes her, then he makes void her vow that was on her, and the thoughtless utterance of her lips by which she bound herself. And the LORD will forgive her. Numbers 30:8 (ESV)

God is our Father and we are the Bride of Christ, so in this way there is a spiritual lessons to learn. We may say or declare something which ends up being a prison or burden to us, but God can reverse the foolish things we declare in our folly and lack of knowledge because his words and decrees are more powerful than ours and we are in a relationship with him were he is our covering and head / authority. Jesus told us to avoid foolish vows but to make our conversation plain simply saying yes or no in Matthew 5:37

For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit. 1 Corinthians 12:13 (ESV)

All Christians are baptised and have the Holy Spirit living in them. We are by definition spiritual people or people of the Spirit. The Spirit is what essentially distinguishes us from the unbelievers and marks the beginning of our lives in Christ (see Galatians 3:2–3). The Holy Spirit above all is what makes a person a child of God because without the Holy Spirit we can not be born again. This common source and entry into God’s kingdom should cause us to walk in unity despite cultural and ethnic diversity. We are a new community in Christ.

But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose. 1 Corinthians 12:18 (ESV)

We should not be focused on position but purpose and function in the body, we have the gifts and position that God has given us, he has arranged the body and knows what will be the greatest blessing for the body as a whole and for the sake of the glory of his name and kingdom. So lets joyfully embrace the purpose God has for us in the body

which our more presentable parts do not require. But God has so composed the body, giving greater honor to the part that lacked it, that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another. If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together. 1 Corinthians 12:24–26 (ESV)

We have interdependence to one another in the body, God has designed the body of Christ in this way so that we care for one another

Do all possess gifts of healing? Do all speak with tongues? Do all interpret? 1 Corinthians 12:30 (ESV)

The answer to the rhetorical questions is no, we are not all prophets, we do not all work miracles or speak with or interpret tongues etc this is Paul’s point, we all have different gifts, callings and positions in the diverse but unified body of Christ.

If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. 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. If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing. 1 Corinthians 13:1–3 (ESV)

Paul is now outlining the better way, which is not to use gifts to out do each other, to build ourselves up or in a competitive spirit but to use the gifts in love for our fellow believers to build them up. Paul begins this line of reasoning by using three hyperbolic (extreme) examples of the use of spiritual gifts and endeavours and pitches them against love, concluding that without love these great feats are nothing. So the gifts should never be used aside from love, otherwise the gifts can be abused and lead the one using the gift into a false sense of security and ultimate fruitlessness (I am nothing, I gain nothing). Love is essential.

Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. 1 Corinthians 13:4–7 (ESV)

Paul gives us a wonderful poetic description of love, stating what it is and is not. Pastor Dennis once got us to replace the word love with our own name, it is a good exercise to help you meditate on the way Agape love functions in your life

So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love. 1 Corinthians 13:13 (ESV)

When the new heaven and earth come and we see God face to face, knowing as we are known the the gifts will be surpassed but love will never be surpassed but is eternal and so more important than anything else in the Christian life

Make me to know your ways, O LORD; teach me your paths. Lead me in your truth and teach me, for you are the God of my salvation; for you I wait all the day long. Psalm 25:4–5 (ESV)

This should be the humble and needy prayer of our hearts today, how deeply need god to teach and instruct us. Thank God that we now have the Spirit of Truth to guide and lead us into all truth in accordance with God’s word as Jesus tells us in John 14:15-17, John 15:26 and John 16:13

The friendship of the LORD is for those who fear him, and he makes known to them his covenant. Psalm 25:14 (ESV)

Only those who fear and obey the Lord can truly be called his friends. In John 15:15 Jesus said “No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you.”