The Church, Part Five – 1 Timothy 5:23-25

By Pastor Lee Hemen
July 13, 2008 AM

Recently, on one of the web blogs, someone asked what people thought about Christians drinking alcohol.  After reading comment after comment that tried to make all kinds of excuses as to why some thought it was perfectly okay to drink as a believer but not get drunk, most failed to address the real issue: If you have to make excuses as to why you should be able to partake in something of the world, as a believer in Christ, then what does that tell you about it? This is exactly what Paul is trying to convey to Timothy. Evidently Timothy had made some mediocre choices as a young pastor and he needed to rethink his Christian witness before he continued in his ministry. Timothy, like all Christians do, needed to realize that Christ comes first in life, not making excuses as to why you as a Christian should be able to join in the world’s activities. It is Paul’s continued instruction on how the church should be the church.

While the Scriptures were written during a time when alcohol was seen as a part of the meal, today it is seen in our society as a part of having “fun,” of being fashionable, or a way to “relax.” Why does a Christian need to relax, have fun, or be fashionable this way? Paul addresses these areas in the lives of early Christians that can also help us in our day be the church we are supposed to be in a sin-fallen world. Let’s discover what Paul wrote Timothy about Christian living for the church…

READ: 1 Timothy 5:23-25

When I read Paul writing to the church at Corinth he writes that “’Everything is permissible for me’—but not everything is beneficial. ‘Everything is permissible for me’—but I will not be mastered by anything.” (1 Corinthians 6:12) He is relating that just because something seems innocuous as a believer in Christ, that does not give the Christian the excuse they need to participate in it. He continues by asking, “Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ himself?” (v. 6:15) He is writing about sexual promiscuity with Christians, but his admonishment is just fine for any area of the believer’s life. In fact, for Timothy and for Jesus’ church today we discover that…

I. There is a time and place for everything! (1 Timothy 5:23)
1. Christians need to watch themselves! Timothy should have been taking care of his own health in a proper way. He must have been prone to indigestion or was having problems with the tainted water of the time. Paul therefore cautions Timothy by telling him to “Stop drinking only water, and use a little wine because of your stomach and your frequent illnesses.” (v. 5:23) The water of that day was usually infested with bacteria. It often created stomach problems for people. However, we cannot make the mistake in thinking that this is an encouragement by Paul for Timothy to drink booze anytime he wanted! In fact, public intoxication was seen as ungodly for the Hebrew and this is why the Priest Eli rebukes Hannah because he thought she was publically drunk! (1 Samuel 1:14-15) Historically, the Hebrews saw wine as a crop and blessing of God. It was never to be abused. Isaiah the prophet related that people who claim to know God should be ashamed at considering themselves “heroes at drinking wine and champions at mixing drinks.” (Isaiah 5:22) Why?  Because it leads to the contemptuous pride of, “Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die!” (Isaiah 22:13) Pleasing oneself for a moment’s pleasure is not a Christian lifestyle. This is why it is convoluted thinking that because Jesus drank wine, Christians can too! This is juvenile reasoning like a child who declares, “Billy does it!” They forget that Jesus never drank alcohol to relax or be in vogue. In fact when people incorrectly called Him a “drunkard” Jesus angrily retorted that “The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Here is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and “sinners.”’ But wisdom is proved right by her actions.” (Matthew 11:19) What did He mean? Jesus compared that generation to a group of selfish little children sitting in the marketplaces who could not be pleased by anything. They derisively tried to say He was a drunk, when He was not. Jesus came to witness to those in need of a Savior and went to whoever would listen, and while He was willing to eat with tax-collectors and prostitutes, He never joined in their sin. So, they falsely tried to say Jesus was a “glutton and drunkard” in order to throw suspicion on Him instead of their own ungodly actions. Timothy was to take care of his health in a godly way, not as an excuse for him to drink wine anytime he saw fit. There is a time and place for everything, but it should always give glory to God!
EXAMPLE: Christians in America need to remember that over 5,000 young people ages 16 to 25 will be killed on our highways because of alcohol. More than in both Iraq wars. Also, “alcohol is estimated to be the cause of more than 23,000 motor vehicle deaths and is implicated in more than half of the nation’s 20,000 homicides” annually! (NYT) Alcohol is the number one abused drug for elementary-aged school children. More money is spent on alcohol in one year by “Christians” than all missions, ministries, or church giving combined. Why would Christians want to participate in something that is totally unnecessary for their lives and causes so much social destruction? This is why Paul would write the Ephesians, “Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is. Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit.” (Ephesians 5:17-18) There is a time and place for everything, and alcohol is not one of them for the believer.

We live in a society that brags about its individual freedoms. So much so Christians often begin to think they have certain “rights” that are guaranteed by God. This is simply not true. We have certain responsibilities. While we are free in Christ because we are set free from sin’s consequences, Christians are not free to do whatever they want, whenever they want to. Peter would remind us that as Christians we are to “Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.” (1 Peter 2:12) Peter, like Paul, knew that in living out our faith…

II. Our actions speak louder than words! (1 Timothy 5:24-25)

1. Your actions should match your passion for Christ! This can be a good or bad thing depending upon your actual passion for Christ! Some feel that the next two verses should be connected to verse 21, but I do not believe so. I think Paul was continuing his thoughts to Timothy about Timothy’s own personal habits. I believe Paul did not want Timothy to fall into what many in our day and age try to incorrectly deduce from these verses, that namely Paul was telling Timothy to drink wine anytime. The pagan Romans did that, why would a devout Jew who is now a devout Christian, want to teach someone who was supposed to be a pastor and leader to emulate an ungodly habit? He would not. This is why he writes, “The sins of some men are obvious, reaching the place of judgment ahead of them; the sins of others trail behind them.” (v. 5:24) Alcoholism does just this. So does the Christian who readily compromises their faith at a moment’s notice in order to “fit in” with the world instead of being steadfast for Christ! Paul is tacitly warning Timothy about his personal conduct. His actual witness. However, Paul notes that “In the same way, good deeds are obvious, and even those that are not cannot be hidden. (v. 5:25) This is why Paul would write the Christians at Rome, “Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.” (Romans 12:1-2) Your actions speak louder than words!
EXAMPLE: Christians do not live in a vacuum. If we say we love Jesus, yet do not live like we do, people will know it. Being a nice person is not the same as living a holy life for the Lord. I cannot relate to you how many times I have counseled well-meaning Christians who allowed the world to dictate their actions and were now suffering the consequences of them. Children who rebelled because they watched their “pious” parents kneel in the pew and then beheld their hypocrisy at home. How a father wept because his child was killed while drinking and driving, only to discover that she got the beer from his refrigerator in the garage. Paul was telling Timothy that if you are going to be a Christian leader, live like one. Live like you love the Lord you say you follow. Your actions speak louder than your words! Vacation Bible School this year had a song entitled, “Let My Actions Match My Passion.” We sang it earlier in our worship as it was lead by our youth. Remember what it states? “Gonna let my actions match my passions for what my God has done, He’s given me salvation through Jesus Christ His Son. I believe in His authority and that He loves me, so I’ll stand on His commands and let my actions match my passions. I’ll love the Lord, my God with all my heart, my soul, and my strength; and with my mind and I will love my neighbor like I love me.” Isn’t that what a Christian is called to do? To let their actions speak louder than their words?

Conclusion:
To drink or not to drink is not the question here. What is the question to consider for the believer is what Paul was expressing to his friend Timothy. Namely, in the life of a Christian… There is a time and place for everything, and our actions should speak louder than our words.
—
NOTE: This article is copyrighted by Pastor Lee Hemen © 2008 and the property of Pastor Lee Hemen. You are welcome to copy it, email it, or use it but please if you copy it, email it, or use it you must do so in its entirety.

Barack Hussein Obama’s New Paradigm

By Lee Hemen
July 12, 2008

So Barack Hussein Obama is “embarrassed” that our children are not bi-lingual? He recently related that “It’s embarrassing when Europeans come over here, they all speak English, they speak French, they speak German. And then we go over to Europe and all we can say is merci beacoup, right?” What he fails to tell his mind-numbed audience is that most of the nations he listed have an “official” national language, except of course the United States. Which, by the way, he has voted against as a Senator. What is “embarrassing” is a newbie Senator thinking he knows what is best for my children. However, that is Barack Hussein Obama’s opinion of America in general: We are “children” to be molded into his new paradigm.

I find it interesting that all of sudden in order to be more palatable to more people in general and to do anything in order to win the election in November, Barack Hussein Obama now has done what all Democrats do during the summertime while swimming in the political pool: A John Kerry ten point dive. Belly flops are the norm and Barack Hussein Obama is not the exception, except wasn’t he supposed to be exceptional and well, different from all other politicians before him? His messianic swimsuit is slipping.

Dick Morris and Ellen McGann recently listed several areas where Barack Hussein Obama has hit the water with a big-belly splash:

“The list of issues on which Barack Obama has flipped now that the primaries are over is long and growing rapidly.

• He says he believes in a Second Amendment right to bear arms.

• He now opposes late-term abortion.

• He suddenly is a devotee of using faith-based institutions to deliver public services.

• He now says that he won’t raise Social Security taxes on anyone making less than $250,000 a year. In the primary, he said he’d eliminate the threshold entirely, including on people making as little as $100,000.

• He recently opposed the Fairness Doctrine for talk radio.

• Now he says he’s going to consult with the military before pulling out of Iraq.”

Wow! Not since John “I am a Vietnam Veteran” Kerry has the political water been hit so hard with such a resounding thud. But what is most surprising is Barack Hussein Obama’s silence as far as the oil crisis he and his Democratic minions have created. Hugh Hewitt got it right on when he wrote that “The economic mess the country confronts can be laid at the feet of Barack Obama, Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid. The Don’t Drill Democrats are forcing deindustrialization through depression brought about by soaring energy costs. This is a man-made meltdown, and make no mistake: The Democrats could halt and reverse the skyrocketing cost of oil, but they are choosing not to.” Why? Because they would rather have you suffer for their reelection than to actually solve the issue, which is in their power to do almost immediately. Thinking they will gain Brownie-points with uber-liberals, Bush Derangement Syndrome is alive and well within the Democratic ranks and Barack Hussein Obama has jumped on the election say anything that does not mean anything to get elected bandwagon.

Does this mean McCain is a resounding success in these areas? Sadly, no. His shuffle leaves us more than a little at odds with his utter compromising lameness. However, we must focus on who we can elect and that is a Congress that will not be so lame and anti-American. I agree with Hewitt when he writes: “Energy is freedom. Energy is prosperity. Every Democrat on the fall ballot is part of the anti-energy party which is wrecking havoc on the economy and every family’s budget. A vote for any Democrat is a vote for shortages, rising gas prices, rising unemployment, and falling production. A vote for any democrat is a vote for failing airlines and collapsing financial institutions and for the shuttering of car plants and large manufacturing…. A growing, vibrant economy needs energy. The Democrats are anti-energy.” They are also anti-American, believing in killing our unborn children, redefining marriage, open borders, multi-cultural claptrap, promoting promiscuity, endorsing political correctness, and environmental national sabotage. A vote for Barack Hussein Obama and his minions is a vote for the same old same old neo-communism. He is not an agent for “change,” but one for getting as much change from your pocket as possible for his political party’s brand of social engineering.

Whether American children are bi-lingual or not is not the issue, however, if you vote for Barack Hussein Obama and liberal Democrats in November your children may need to know Mexican-Spanish sooner than you think.
—
NOTE: This article is copyrighted by Lee Hemen © 2008 and the property of Lee Hemen. You are welcome to copy it, email it, or use it but please if you copy it, email it, or use it you must do so in its entirety.

To Drink Or Not to Drink, Is that Truly the Question or An Excuse?

by Pastor Lee Hemen
July 2, 2008

Recently, on one of the web blogs someone asked if Christians felt it was okay for you to drink as a Christian. After reading post after post that tried to make all kinds of excuses as to why these folk thought it was perfectly okay to drink in bars or taverns, but not get drunk as a believer, they failed to address the real issue here. So, I will…

Here is the problem so many dance around here: If you have to make an excuse as to why or why not do something, then what does that tell you about it? While the Scriptures were written during a time when alcohol was seen as a part of the meal, today it is seen in our society as a part of having “fun,” of being hip or a way to relax. Why does a Christian need to relax, have fun, or make excuses this way? And for what… the ability to drink booze in a bar? If even one of those who make excuses were involved in an automobile accident after only having a “few” and having some enjoyment with fellow “Christians,” what happens to their witness of Christ then? To your witness as a drunk behind a wheel?

I was raised in a denomination that did not see any problem with drinking on Saturdays and showing up on Sundays. With the same mouth the night before that they were sopping down booze in a bar and getting tipsy, they now were trying to show their godliness by reciting their prayers to God. While my folks were hardly ever drunk, their actions taught me what it meant to be a Christian hypocrite. Alcohol is a drug in our day and is not seen as a part of the meal. Wine was seen as a blessing of God and a food crop. Relatively few in our day see it this way. And if you do, you do not need to go into a filthy dirty ungodly atmosphere like a tavern or bar to enjoy a good wine. Eating a few wings in a bar does not excuse it as a meal either. And while Jesus drank wine with a meal, He never drank whiskey, beer, gin, tequila and other hard liquor. In fact, public drunkenness or drinking hard alcohol, like the pagan ungodly Romans did during the time of Jesus, was seen as one of many reasons that these pagans were ungodly by devout God-fearing Hebrews.

A pastor friend of mine at one time sold air purifiers for taverns and bars. He had to go into these places during the daytime to install and sell them. He related to me, “Lee, few folks would enter into any of even the ‘better’ of these places if they had ever seen them in the light of day.” They were dirty, unkept, unclean, and filthy places. He quit selling them after being called of God into the ministry. We are called to be the salt and light of the world, not the dirt and filth of society and to make excuses as to why we should be able to do whatever the world does as well.

I doubt seriously that we can make the excuse that Jesus did it so we can too. Not only is that tacky, it is ungodly reasoning. Why then do you not only wear leather sandals, a robe, under robe, and a sash that you use to sleep in at night as well? And if you truly believe this silliness, then why are you not constantly on the move, sleeping out in the open even in the winter, and telling everyone you see about the gospel? Come on, you know you do not do any of these things. You are simply trying to make the childish excuse of your ungodly actions by saying, “Jesus did it too and so it must be okay!”

Please, while Jesus may have gone into a tavern to witness, we do not find Him doing so even though they did exist in some of the regions He visited. I do not see Him turning to His disciples on a hot dusty dry day and like John Wayne saying, “Come on boys, lets go into this filthy worldly place and have a few cool ones to relax and witness about the holy things of God!” While He went into the homes of “sinners,” ate with publicans (tax collectors), and those who were seen as prostitutes, He did not frequent places of ungodliness such as brothels, bars, pagan temples, and taverns to have fun and eat buffalo wings.

Just my own thoughts…
—
NOTE: This article is copyrighted by Pastor Lee Hemen © 2008 and the property of Pastor Lee Hemen. You are welcome to copy it, email it, or use it but please if you copy it, email it, or use it you must do so in its entirety.

Today’s Thoughts, Psalm 33:21

by Pastor Lee Hemen
July 2, 2008

In him our hearts rejoice, for we trust in his holy name. (Psalms 33:21)

What does your heart rejoice over? Love of country? The flag snapping in the breeze? An old soldier’s love of country? The return of a loved one? A good game of football or baseball? The love of your children, spouse, or others? Laughter of children, the cry of birds, the singing of a choir? Wind in the leaves? The smell of the ocean? A crisp clear autumn day? The smell of evergreens during Christmas? What does your heart rejoice over?

When I look into the word of the Lord, my heart rejoices. It rejoices over the fact that His Son knew He would face a horrible death, yet sat at a table calmly teaching His disciples spiritual truths to hold them and the heart together after He was killed. My heart rejoices over reading about Him standing in a synagogue and telling His hometown, “Today in your sight this passage has been fulfilled.” My heart rejoices over knowing that He loved me before the creation of the world, of the universe, before anything was made! My heart sings over the fact that my selfishness, my rebellion, my ungodliness was not enough to keep my Lord from loving me and going to the cross. I rejoice over Him, my Savior and my God.

Dear child of the Lord, what does your heart rejoice over today? Do you trust in His holy name? Oh, I pray that you know what that means and that you truly do.
—
NOTE: This article is copyrighted by Pastor Lee Hemen © 2008 and the property of Pastor Lee Hemen. You are welcome to copy it, email it, or use it but please if you copy it, email it, or use it you must do so in its entirety.

Celebrating Our Independence! - Luke 4:15-30

By Pastor Lee Hemen
June 29, 2008 AM

What does independence mean? For some it is the ability to do what you want, when you want to do it. For others it means the ability to vote, to peacefully protest or assemble. Still others see it as a means to be able to speak your mind openly and honestly about any issue or the pursuit of life, liberty, and happiness. And there are those that see it as a means to worship as one desires without the government telling you where to go to church, what to believe, or by taxing  you to support a state-run church. No matter how we view independence it could not have been possible without one man, and that is the man Jesus. Why would I say that?

When we as Americans celebrate our independence we are celebrating our nation’s decision to free itself from the tyranny of a king and to have a government that was of the people, by the people, and for the people. This is why the Declaration of Independence states, “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” Where did our forefathers get the crazy notion that this ideal was true? From the Bible and specifically from Jesus’ own words and the words of those who He spiritually changed. Independence for the Christian means so much more than a free government of the people. It means a celebration of spiritual freedom! Let’s discover what this means as we celebrate our independence…

READ: Luke 4:15-30

How would you like to follow a strict set of rules in order to try and please God? The clothes you wear, the food you eat, the way you wear your hair, the very steps you take and the offerings you make would all be bound by a strict code. And if you broke just one of the least of the rules, you would be held accountable for all of them! The weight of the legal system would fall on you like a ton of bricks and you would feel its burden day in and day out. You would live your life in fear that perhaps you had not done enough for God to love you or that you had somehow someway broken or displeased Him. Welcome to the horrible world of legalism. However, here in this passage of Luke, Jesus teaches us about independence from all of that. In fact we learn that in celebrating a believer’s independence it means…

I. Independence from legalism!

1. Liberty is secured not in the rules you follow, but in the One you believe in! Jesus proclaimed that God had sent Him “to preach the good news to the poor.” What does He mean by this? (The words “heal the broken hearted” are not found in many manuscripts and this is why the NIV and others do not retain it as the KJV does.) The “good news” the gospel was a message of hope to the impoverished souls of the day. Those who were caught up in Jewish legalism that had left them begging at God’s door for freedom from all the rules and regulations the priests and scribes had tied around their necks. Jesus offered a new hope. A hope that was based on the grace of God. Which He had already planned in Jesus and not on what man could do for Him. Legalism binds men’s souls to the false system of trying to appease God. Of making sure every jot and tittle is accounted for and that every “t” is crossed and every “i” dotted of manmade spiritual law. People in our day and age still think that by somehow following a set of rules they will please God. Jesus related that “No one sews a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment. If he does, the new piece will pull away from the old, making the tear worse.” (Mark 2:21) After all “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath.” (Mark 2:27) Jesus said that those who the rules to be followed instead of believing in the grace of God, “tie up heavy loads and put them on men’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to lift a finger to move them.” (Matthew 23:4) Liberty is secured not in the rules you follow, but in the One you believe in! Celebrating a believer’s independence means independence from legalism!

EXAMPLE: H. W. Robinson wrote that “We are all accustomed to contracts. We are often required to sign them, whether we’re closing a business deal, taking out a bank loan, buying a car, leasing an apartment, or purchasing a major appliance. Contracts, formal or informal, specify what happens if one of the parties fails to live up to an agreement. When we put our trust in Christ for salvation, however, we do more than sign a contract [or by following a set of rules.] We enter into a binding relationship with God whereby He makes us His children by the new birth and by adoption (1 Peter 1:23; Ephesians 1:5). Because of this close family relationship, we are permanent heirs of an eternal inheritance reserved in heaven for us (1 Peter 1:4). Contracts can be broken if one of the parties fails to keep his part of the promise. Fortunately for us, our eternal destiny is based on more than some legal agreement we make with God. Rather, we are secure because of our family relationship with Him. If a youngster fails to show up for dinner, the parent’s obligation isn’t canceled. The parent starts a search for the child. One member’s failure doesn’t cancel the relationship. How thankful we can be that eternal life is based on our relationship with God through Christ.” Liberty is secured not in the rules you follow, but in the One you believe in! Celebrating a believer’s independence means independence from legalism!

There are those in our world who actually think that good looks, brains, or brawn make them better people that others around them. Some believe that because of their ‘talent” they have arrived. The idea of celebrity has so influenced our world, conversation, and outlook on life that even children as young as preschool use it to get what they want. However, let me share with you something, God sees everyone in sin. It does not matter to Him how fast, strong, smart, or good looking you are – you are in sin. The Bible teaches, as does reality, that all mankind is depraved and full of sin. When Jesus stood up in that synagogue and read the passage from Isaiah He was proclaiming mankind’s freedom. He knew that celebrating a believer’s independence means…

II. Independence from sin!

1. Freedom is found when your sins are forgiven! The NIV relates that Jesus came to “proclaim freedom for the prisoners.” All people everywhere are prisoners of sin. Paul would say, “As it is written: ‘There is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who understands, no one who seeks God. All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one… for all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God!”  (Romans 3:10-12, 23) However, we “are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.” (v. 24) When Jesus proclaimed freedom for the prisoners, He meant that sin no longer held its sway over mankind! We had a choice! Jesus told those who refused to believe in Him, “I told you that you would die in your sins; if you do not believe that I am the one I claim to be, you will indeed die in your sins.” (John 8:24) We now can choose: Freedom or slavery! Paul would declare, “That if you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” (Romans 10:9) Choose this day whom you will follow is the echo from the past to the present. It is the choice every freethinking individual must make for themselves. No one can make it for you. Not a parent, politician, or professor. The choice is yours and yours alone. You will stand on your word of faith or you will die for lack of it: “For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned.” (Matthew 12:37) Freedom is found when your sins are forgiven! Celebrating a believer’s independence means independence from sin!

EXAMPLE: Julie A. Link writes that “After being kidnapped, held hostage for 13 days, and released, New Zealand news cameraman Olaf Wiig, with a broad smile on his face, announced, “I feel more alive now than I have in my entire life.” For reasons difficult to understand, being freed is more exhilarating than being free. For those who enjoy freedom every day, Olaf’s joy was a good reminder of how easily we forget how blessed we are. This is also true spiritually. Those of us who have been Christians for a long time often forget what it’s like to be held hostage by sin. We can become complacent and even ungrateful. But then God sends a reminder in the form of a new believer who gives an exuberant testimony of what God has done in his or her life, and once again we see the joy that is ours when we are “free from the law of sin and death” (Romans 8:2). If freedom has become boring to you, or if you tend to focus on what you can’t do, consider this: Not only are you no longer a slave to sin, but you are freed to be holy and to enjoy eternal life with Christ Jesus! Celebrate your freedom in Christ by taking the time to thank God for the things you are able and free to do as His servant.” Freedom is found when your sins are forgiven! Celebrating a believer’s independence means independence from sin!

Why is it we can look right at something and not see it? I do it all the time. Perhaps there is a disconnect between my brain and my recognizer or something. As funny or sad as that can be, it is a horrible thing to look at the truth of God, recognize it and yet refuse to believe it. It is called spiritual blindness. Jesus related to His listeners that day in the synagogue that they had been looking intently at the Scripture and were now blind to its truth standing right in front of them. Were they glad to be given the spiritual spectacles they needed? Nope. Quite the opposite happened. Jesus relates that celebrating a believer’s independence means…

III. Independence from Spiritual blindness!

1. Independence is found in the sovereignty of God! Most people would never choose to be blinded, yet this is exactly what many do. Jesus came not just physically heal people, that really was a secondary occurrence in His ministry. Rather, he came “to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” (v. 19) The favor of the Lord shown on the darkness of mankind. Light had come into the world, but the world loved darkness instead. Jesus related that He came to “proclaim… recovery of sight for the blind.” Why then would people love the shadows? Jesus said that “This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil.” (John 3:19) Why would they continue to love darkness after seeing the truth of God in Jesus Christ? John wrote that “In him was life, and that life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it.” (John 1:4-5) The idea here is that they deliberately misunderstand it because they love the darkness instead! WOW! How stupid is that? This is why John would later declare that “If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth.” (1 John 1:6) However, the wonderful truth is that “if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.” (1 John 1:7) when Jesus stood up in the dusty stuffy little synagogue and spoke this truth it startled the people who heard it. He calmly rolled up the scroll of Isaiah and told them “Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.” (Luke 4:21) From this day on they could be free from spiritual blindness. Celebrating a believer’s independence means independence from Spiritual blindness!

EXAMPLE: We will be taking a trip to Ape Caves in August. There in the complete darkness of the cavern one little match lights up the entire darkness, but the same light of a small match would be lost in the brightness of the sun’s light. That is the way it is with spiritual blindness. When the light of the truth of the gospel of Christ shines even a little, many run from its glare. They fear their lives will be exposed for what they truly are, darkness. They do not realize that the One who shines the light also knows their lives.  Every intimate detail. Every word, action, and thought is exposed in the light of the Savior Jesus. Yet, when we come to the light, as he is in the light then the truth floods our soul and overpowers the darkness and in that light thee is no fear. Celebrating a believer’s independence means independence from spiritual blindness.

Conclusion:
Celebrating our independence means, independence from legalism, independence from sin, and independence from spiritual blindness!
—
NOTE: This article is copyrighted by Pastor Lee Hemen © 2008 and the property of Pastor Lee Hemen. You are welcome to copy it, email it, or use it but please if you copy it, email it, or use it you must do so in its entirety.

Today’s Thoughts, 1 Peter 1:3-8

By Pastor Lee Hemen
June 26, 2008

His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires. For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. (2 Peter 1:3-8)

God has given us everything through Jesus Christ. In fact, Peter says He has given us everything we need in life! Wow! And yet we run after so many things we do not need. We think that by acquiring things we will be happy, but when they break, run down, or are out-dated, we are left feeling empty. However, if we look to Jesus we have everything we need. Plus, we have everything we need for “godliness.” We do not have to go to a priest. We do not have to try to earn our righteousness. We do not have to appease an almighty being into placidity in order that he just might smile on us today. NO! In fact, “through our knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and goodness… He has given us his very great and precious promises!” The promise of eternal life, the promise of never leaving nor forsaking us, the promise of heaven and home! WOW! But there is more! MORE!? Yes! It is “so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires!”

There is a way for us to be victorious over the evil that exists in this world. The sin that so permeates society. The falseness of thinking that human beings are good enough to pay their way into God’s presence by thinking good thoughts, being good once in a while, or doing good things! Because it is seen for what it truly is – EVIL! It is evil because it is trying to say that human beings can be good on their own merit, when they want to, and how they want to. Evil. It leaves out the very One who created us and died for us. It is evil. Christians can be evil when they do not grow in Christ. Oh yes they can! Because they begin to try to live their lives by trying to be good enough, holy enough, or by doing things instead of allowing God to mature them.

It is “for this very reason,” that we are to “make every effort to add to [our] faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love.” Each one builds on the previous. For out of faith comes goodness, out of goodness knowledge, out of knowledge self-control, out of self-control perseverance, out of perseverance godliness, out of godliness brotherly kindness, and out of brotherly kindness love! That is our effort. We are to mature in Jesus. This is exactly what Peter is writing about: “For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.” It is not by our being good we become like Jesus, we become like Jesus as He makes us good through Him! As we mature in His presence as it is active in our life!

In our world we have been sold a bill of goods, thinking that all we have to do is read a book, follow a prayer, spend 40 days, or simply enjoy worship and we have arrived. We are being commercially “promoted” into the presence of God instead of actually experiencing His presence for ourselves. We want all the benefit without any of the sacrifice. We want a purpose driven life without any investment and we want it in a few lessons. The fewer the better. Yet what Peter is describing for us is not a way to follow, a mantra to learn, or a prayer to pray but a way of life. Discipleship. Faith comes from giving your life to Christ completely without any reservations. Goodness comes from a life lived in faith. Knowledge of God comes through your self-control that you practice each and every day. Self-control is realized as you persevere in Jesus. As you persevere in Christ you become godly and out of that bubbles forth brotherly kindness which is manifested in the active sacrificial love of God in your life.

Dear brother and sister in Christ, today walk with Jesus. Walk in Him and grow in Him daily. As you do you will experience exactly what Peter writes here. You already have all you “need for life and godliness through [your] knowledge of him who called [you] by his own glory and goodness.” All you need, now grow in Him today.
—
NOTE: This article is copyrighted by Pastor Lee Hemen © 2008 and the property of Pastor Lee Hemen. You are welcome to copy it, email it, or use it but please if you copy it, email it, or use it you must do so in its entirety.

Today’s Thoughts, Genesis 8:9

by Pastor Lee Hemen
June 25, 2008

But the dove could find no place to set its feet because there was water over all the surface of the earth; so it returned to Noah in the ark. He reached out his hand and took the dove and brought it back to himself in the ark. (Genesis 8:9)

I love reading some of the old commentaries concerning Scripture. You know, like Matthew Henry’s or such. Now I know that Matthew Henry was not a Baptist, but he could turn a good phrase. In his day they were not afraid to see Jesus in every line of Scripture. Now, while it was poetic and wonderful to read, it was not necessarily biblical. They were what is called “Christ-centric.” I have to confess that when I read this verse, I diverted back to being Christ-centric. Here’s what I mean:

I see in the dove, many of us. I find in Noah the Lord who is safe in the ark of God. Lots of symbolism there! The dove is set free to fly to find its way back to dry ground but finds none and after tiring itself, returns to the safety of the ark of Noah. The ark of the Lord. Safety.

There are so many things in our world today that attract us away from our Savior and safety. He allows us to fly free and when we tire of our fluttering around here and there finding nothing that truly satisfies, He reaches out His hand and takes us back into the ark of safety. Now I am not talking about those who are unsaved but those who are saved and fly away to other things instead of Jesus.

Chris Rice, a wonderful Christian singer and song writer has a song where he sings:

Weak and wounded sinner
Lost and left to die
O, raise your head, for love is passing by
Come to Jesus
Come to Jesus
Come to Jesus and live!

Now your burden’s lifted
And carried far away
And precious blood has washed away the stain, so
Sing to Jesus
Sing to Jesus
Sing to Jesus and live!

And like a newborn baby
Don’t be afraid to crawl
And remember when you walk
Sometimes we fall…so
Fall on Jesus
Fall on Jesus
Fall on Jesus and live!

Sometimes the way is lonely
And steep and filled with pain
So if your sky is dark and pours the rain, then
Cry to Jesus
Cry to Jesus
Cry to Jesus and live!

O, and when the love spills over
And music fills the night
And when you can’t contain your joy inside, then
Dance for Jesus
Dance for Jesus
Dance for Jesus and live!

And with your final heartbeat
Kiss the world goodbye
Then go in peace, and laugh on Glory’s side, and
Fly to Jesus
Fly to Jesus
Fly to Jesus and live!

I know that Chris Rice is speaking about finally returning to Jesus after our death, but it also speaks to me about our flying home to Him now. Just like that dove who was set free to find dry ground, dear child of the Lord, if you are tired of fluttering here and there, finding no real place of rest – fly home to Jesus. Enter back into the safety of His arms today. Now I know He never leaves us nor forsakes us, but we have to take the steps back to Him in order to be back where we belong. Therefore, “fly to Jesus, today.
—
NOTE: This article is copyrighted by Pastor Lee Hemen © 2008 and the property of Pastor Lee Hemen. You are welcome to copy it, email it, or use it but please if you copy it, email it, or use it you must do so in its entirety.

The Church, Part Four – 1 Timothy 5:17-22

By Pastor Lee Hemen
June 22, 2008 AM

I have to be honest with you because it is difficult for me, as a pastor, to share with you exactly what Paul was trying to teach Timothy. Why? Because I do not want you to think I am saying our church does not treat me well as your pastor. I believe our church does a fine job. However, not every church does such a good job in making sure their pastor is cared for, and this is a disgrace. Sometimes, churches are run by the pastor and the congregation has no idea what the pastor earns or how he is paid. This too is ungodly and is not taught in Scripture. For the church to be the church, it is supposed to hire and care for its pastor, and if that pastor strays biblically, the church is supposed to discipline him as well.

We spent some time talking about what the qualifications are for a pastor, but now Paul delves into some areas that some would rather ignore. However to be the church that God has established this part of the lesson cannot be ignored as a church. Let’s discover what Paul teaches Timothy about churches and their pastors.

READ: 1 Timothy 5:17-22

If a church is not actively praying daily for their pastor they fail themselves, the Lord, and their pastor. Pastors face all kinds of temptations, spiritual attacks, and the daily hardships and blessings of life. However, if you want your pastor to be well equipped, ready to preach the word in season and out, then as a church you had better make sure you take care of your pastor and his family well. In fact, Paul related to Timothy…

I. How a church should take care of its pastor! (vv. 17-18)

1. Great preachers require great congregations! Pastors and their families live in a fish bowl where Church members often scrutinize everything from the color of their leaders’ socks to their children’s behavior. Yet there are some pastors that remain untouchable, aloof, and separated from the congregation they are supposed to serve, seeing themselves as kind of spiritual CEOs. The word for “pastor” is derived from the word for a shepherd. The sheep are to hear and know their leader’s voice. He is to be among his sheep. Many pastors remain on call day and night, they carry burdens and secrets they cannot tell anyone, and they often do so with grace and compassion. Churches far too often take advantage of a pastor’s availability and misuse his servant heart. They should be ashamed of their ungodly behavior. Paul writes that “The elders who direct the affairs of the church well are worthy of double honor, especially those whose work is preaching and teaching.” He was speaking about those who work hard at their job. Pastoring is not just a calling, it is also a job. If some churches were to take a serious look at the  compensation levels of their pastors and contrast them to the compensation levels of other professionals, many pastors live a sacrificial lifestyle! This should not be! The job of pastor has received both praise and condemnation in our day and age. Why? Because churches fail to be the churches they should be. As Paul related, “For the Scripture says, ‘Do not muzzle the ox while it is treading out the grain,” and “The worker deserves his wages.’” A hard-working, honest, holy man of God is worth double honor and worth the salary a church pays him!

EXAMPLE: The oxen of Paul’s day were tied to a post where they would literally walk around and around in circles, hour after hour. Deuteronomy, God’s law, made provision for even this beast of burden to be able to eat a little of the grain he helped to produce. Could a church do any less for a man of God who had sacrificed everything in order to lead God’s people? While pastor’s work can often be just as tedious as that of an ox going around and around in circles, especially with a congregation that fails to learn the biblical lessons he is trying to impart, they need to be both honoring to their pastor and to the Lord who placed him there. A church should take care of its pastor.

Paul encouraged Timothy to lead the church in honoring pastors who work hard. What a difference it makes when a church appropriately honors its pastor and staff! Such honor can be given in various ways, including the provision of an ample honorarium. But when a pastor needs to be disciplined, often churches are embarrassed to do so because often they were the ones who picked him in the first place! Instead, they do not do the godly thing and resort to foolishness by either ignoring the problem or trying to leave it for someone else to fix. We find here that Paul related to Timothy…

II. How a church should treat a pastor who has strayed! (vv. 19-22)

1. While correction does much, encouragement does more! Before a church gets to the point of having to discipline its pastor, it should have spent time investing in his life. However, Paul gives us four guidelines to consider if discipline is necessary: First, “Do not entertain an accusation against an elder unless it is brought by two or three witnesses.” Make sure that when you accuse a servant of God of doing something wrong that you have witnesses to back up your accusation! Remember, you chose him in the first place to be your leader! It is not a light thing to discipline those whom God has chosen for leadership. Remember what happened to those who thought that they could speak for God just as well as Moses could! They and their entire families were swallowed up! When you accuse one of God’s leaders falsely, you are also accusing God if you are wrong. Secondly, “Those who sin are to be rebuked publicly, so that the others may take warning.” If the pastor is guilty of doing something evil enough to be rebuked, do it publicly. Why? The church elected him publically and shouted to the heavens he was “God’s man” for your church, now rebuke him publically as well. But remember to do it with humility, grace, and mercy, always looking for redemption. And thirdly, Paul says do not hold favoritism above spiritually in doing the righteous thing: “I charge you, in the sight of God and Christ Jesus and the elect angels, to keep these instructions without partiality, and to do nothing out of favoritism.” Picking pastors or rebuking them should not be done like a popularity contest. And finally, help your pastor and church to “not be hasty in the laying on of hands, and do not share in the sins of others. Keep yourself pure.” (1 Timothy 5:19-22) Too many churches are quick to pick pastors, deacons, or elders that are not morally, spiritually, ethically, or familially qualified. To pick someone that is immature spiritually or ungodly ethically brings disdain to the church and to the Lord. In fact, all of the members of the church of Jesus, His body, should “keep yourself pure.”

EXAMPLE: Often a church has a poor pastor because they were willing to settle for a poor pastor. Sometimes, they ignore the warning signs. If you have visited Alaska, you have no doubt seen warnings about the bears that roam the wilderness. Experienced old-timers who know the habits of bears offer these suggestions for safety: 1) Don’t climb a tree. Bears climb. 2) Don’t run. Bears can run faster. 3) If the bear is brown, curl up and play dead. If it’s black, move wildly and make lots of noise. 4) Never, never offer food to a bear. 5) Above all, don’t get between a mother bear and her cubs. Here are some suggestions for a church and their pastors: 1) Don’t climb all over your pastor if he makes a mistake. He is human too. 2) Don’t run your pastor down in front of others. Support him just as you would want him to support you. 3) If your pastor is young help him to mature through prayer and encouragement. If your pastor is older and gray, help him to continue being mature through your prayer and encouragement. 4) Always offer food to your pastor, especially if you are a Baptist church! 5) Above all do not get in between a pastor and his family. Give him time alone and unhindered with his family and insist that he take days off and vacations. Do these things and you probably will not have to end up disciplining your pastor.

Conclusion:
We learned from Paul how a church should take care of its pastor and how a church should treat a pastor who has strayed. Let me ask you something this morning: Are you praying for your pastor? How do you encourage him and his family?
—
NOTE: This article is copyrighted by Pastor Lee Hemen © 2008 and the property of Pastor Lee Hemen. You are welcome to copy it, email it, or use it but please if you copy it, email it, or use it you must do so in its entirety.

Today’s Thoughts, Mark 1:18

By Pastor Lee Hemen
June 20, 2008

At once they left their nets and followed him. (Mark 1:18)

I like this verse. It is simple. It shows loyalty. It gives us a picture. “At once,” it says. No time to debate. No thinking it over. No weighing of options. Simple. Quick. That’s how God often works. He gives us a choice. We have to respond. They “left their nets.” Everything they owned. Worked for. Their families. Friends. Job. Way of life. And they “followed Him.” They followed Jesus. A new way. A new way of life. A decision to make. A new life to live. A Messiah to follow. They would be changed. Forever. From that day on. Andrew and Peter. Two brothers on a journey. A spiritual one. It would lead to a cross. A new decision. A new life. Faith. Devotion. Martyrdom. I like this verse. It is simple. It shows loyalty…
—
NOTE: This article is copyrighted by Pastor Lee Hemen © 2008 and the property of Pastor Lee Hemen. You are welcome to copy it, email it, or use it but please if you copy it, email it, or use it you must do so in its entirety.

Today’s Thoughts, Acts 2:4

By Pastor Lee Hemen
June 19, 2008

All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them. (Acts 2:4)

There is so much utter unadulterated garbage taught concerning the Holy Spirit it should make one absolutely want to run around and scream, “Doesn’t anyone ever actually read and study the Bible!?” Imagine my surprise when I first came to know the Lord that all of sudden I found out that I may not be truly saved until I had received some kind of jolt of the “second blessing”? So I did something that made the person who told me this mad, I began to study the Scriptures to see if he was correct. He wasn’t. Not only was he entirely wrong in his theology, but in his view of Christian history as well. (He loaned me a book about how to get the “second blessing,” and it gave all of these quotes and comments by early church fathers. However, as I studied actual church history and the actual complete letters of many of those church fathers quoted in the book, I discovered that the author had conveniently left out the intent of the writer and often edited its context and content! None supported a “second blessing,” and in several cases actually out right condemned it!)

People forget that God actually does things for a purpose. Not to give us a ritual or guidelines on how to do such and such in order to be more holy or more Christian. In fact, because of this I can safely say that there will never be another Pentecost as described in the Scriptures. There will never be another parting of the Red Sea, prophets of Baal challenge vs. Elijah, Noah’s ark, bringing down the house at Jericho, or empty tomb incident! When we actually read Scripture we find that God allowed some folks to utter “tongues” at specific times for specific reasons and each time was often decades apart! In fact we know that if God is three personalities in one godhead: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit – you receive all three when you receive Christ as your Savior and Lord! We know that God the Father is in control and exists everywhere all the time, that Jesus the Son is in heaven making intercession for the saints, and that the believer is sealed and empowered with the Holy Spirit when he believes! How difficult is that?

I like what Spurgeon says concerning the Holy Spirit and this verse: “As sacred oil, he anoints the head of the believer, sets him apart to the priesthood of saints, and gives him grace to execute his office aright. As the only truly purifying water he cleanses us from the power of sin and sanctifies us unto holiness, working in us to will and to do of the Lord’s good pleasure.”

It is the presence of the Holy Spirit that illuminates God’s Holy Word and helps the believer to understand it for the first time. It is the presence of the Holy Spirit that shows the truth of spirits, people or dogma, we need to test in order to actually understand if they are from God or not. It is the presence of the Holy Spirit that enlightens the soul and enlivens the heart of a sinner and makes him a delight to God. It is the believer’s God-housekeeping seal of approval!

Oh I know there will be some of you who just will not be able to resist in trying to set me straight as to the teaching of a second blessing, but it is a sad fact indeed if you actually need a second blessing because the first one was not sufficient enough for you! Why would I say that?  Because that is what you are accusing God of. The sacrifice and the cleansing power of His Son’s blood was not good enough and you need one more jolt. To this heresy I say, “Holy hog wash!”

Those on Pentecost were filled because the crowd needed assurance of God’s presence in the lives of those early believers. And was it gibberish they spoke? Nope. It was actual known languages that were understandable to the listeners. While some thought the disciples drunk because they did not understand other people’s language, what they experienced was the power of God for a specific purpose of multiplying the church and not a ritual or guideline to follow in order to receive some convoluted second blessing. They had already received the first and that was all they needed. Just like you.
—
NOTE: This article is copyrighted by Pastor Lee Hemen © 2008 and the property of Pastor Lee Hemen. You are welcome to copy it, email it, or use it but please if you copy it, email it, or use it you must do so in its entirety.