The New Bereans

No statement ever turned the apple cart over and spoiled the produce and fruit of life greater than these words, “Hath God said?” It is a marvel how little attention we pay to the first known words of the greatest deceiver ever to tread the same soil which sops up the spilled blood of the righteous.   There is no knife of lies sharper and able to penetrate through the conscience of a human being than one honed at the wheel of circular divine doubt.   A doubt that casts a pall upon the veracity of something God hath indeed said.

In light of this, I find a very interesting parallel as it pertains to a way I commonly have heard, and have been personally guilty of, where we fail to seek council from God on particular moral issues.  The conversation usually goes something like this…”doing X is probably a bad thing…” Opponent responds by saying, “I disagree, the Bible never says that X is wrong.”  The exhorted one remains stymied and doesn’t know where to go because Opponent is ‘technically’ right. What we need to realize however is that the nature of sin prevents God from being all inclusive in His written descriptors.  The Ten Commandments cover a vast array of themes and modes of sin, but how those idolatries are articulated are as unique and complex as the array of stars in the night sky.

When faced with a moral decision in life…it is silly and pointless to approach what many would call a “gray area” with a technicians attitude.  Rather, a Christian will be a follower of Christ and this was what Christ’s attitude at all times was, according to Hebrews 10:7, “Then said I, Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of me,) to do thy will, O God.”  It was upon this foundation stone that the establishment of the New Covenant was erected (read the context) through Jesus Christ.  In so doing all of the Kingdom of Heaven is most blessed by the exhilarating power in even the merest splash of his blood.

Jesus’ life, as an example for us, was a positive demonstration of the power and might of submission to the will of God.  Rather than thinking the absence of technical exhortation against our personal self-destruction is carte blanche to live selfish lives…we ought to approach every day with a peace that simply asks, “What is thy will O Father?”

If, in contrast, we approach any moral decision with an attitude that says, “Hath God said,” we are eating fruit from the mouth of an adder blacker than the deepest singularity.  The black fangs of which will darken your hardened heart with the poison of sin, and you will be blind to the will of God…you will be hidden from His call in the cool of your day.

Recover Eden, seek the will of the Father.

“Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood.  For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock.  Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them.” -Acts 20:28-30

Possessed of an other-worldly passion for the church, Paul addresses the elders of Ephesus, warning these brothers of two particular dangers.  The first one being probably the worst of the two evils…wolves (the first half of this warning the general assembly of believers throughout history has weathered fairly well, albeit not without collateral damage.)  Wolves that tear congregations to shreds.  They enter in and bring in all sorts of visceral ham-stringing intentions.   These are those who intend to destroy, these are those whom I believe God will destroy in kind (I Corinthians 3:17.)

The second type of man Paul warns against is more subtle, and probably far more difficult to recognize as they will tend to make a bit more sense (this is the kind of individual I feel we have not dealt with as well.)   They are the type who arise from amongst those whom the Holy Spirit had appointed to be shepherds.  I am not sure I understand what catalyst causes these shepherds to go A.W.O.L. but I think the resulting damage can almost be similar to the damage caused from a festal wolf.   The pain an “ariser” inflicts is more damaging because a trust of love is broken.  In our day and age, they do not even have to be ordained.  I suspect there are scads of people who ‘congregate,’ with other believers on a weekly basis but have not a bit of desire to forbear other believers in love; rather they come into our churches with nothing but a desire to promote themselves, or the way they see things.

I think much is known by the body about wolves, but less is known and recognized about those who would make, “followers after themselves.”  They are more subtle because they appear to say all the right things.  My mind, when it reads Paul’s warning here immediately jumps to other portions of the New Testament where Paul says to follow him after he follows Christ.  I wonder, art thou being a hypocrite Paul?  Hardly!  Those who would follow Paul would be following a man who is following the God-Man Jesus Christ.  Paul’s concern wanted men to become like Jesus Christ as a result of his ministry.   These perverse men are always frustrated people, who drag others down with themselves, always filled with bitterness and with wrath and doubting.  Jealousy is their cologne, and pride is their alarm clock.

The word “perverse,” in this context probably reflects more of the idea of twisting, or making crooked.  It is not that they are pedophiles  or sexually perverse.  It means more that they twist scripture to fit their own agendas, often to such a degree as to be hardly perceptible.

Scripture twisters and me-followers are less concerned with people becoming like Christ than they are concerned with people becoming like them.   I suspect that these are more like wolf-kin…shepherds with a form of Stockholm Syndrome.  Whether they know it or not they have been hostages of the devil, and are starting to appease him.  They have completely lost sight of Christ.

We must take heed, that we do not become prisoners ourselves.  Take notice of the tears of the Apostle, and let not those tears fall to the ground in vain…

Now the chief priests and the whole Council were seeking false testimony against Jesus that they might put him to death.  Matthew 26:59

This verse is one of many which, by being familiar, we fail to notice the extraordinary content therein.  What do I mean?  Just this, the Sanhedrin needed somebody to falsely testify against Jesus in order to put him to death.  Well…you may ask, what’s the big deal about that?  Of course they would need someone to lie about him in order to get him killed.

The fascinating thing about this situation is not what they needed (false witnesses), rather it is that not one of them was willing to do it.  They wanted him dead more than anything, but none of them was willing to lie about him.  Why?  As community pillars their word would have been accepted.  So why wouldn’t one of them step up to the plate?  The answer may shock you, none of them would testify against him because they were unwilling to sin.

They had to dig up some false witnesses against him in order to avoid breaking the law.  The third commandment clearly states, “You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.”  Ex. 20:16 They refused to bear false witness because it was sinful.  Their theology forbade them from lying but did allow them to hire someone to lie for them; forbade them from putting blood money into the treasury but allowed them to pay blood money to Judas; forbade them from going into Pilate’s Palace before the Sabbath but allowed them to conspire and carry out Christ’s murder at the very same location.  The false dichotomy they created was rather stupendous.

In other words, bad theology has consequences.  If it allows us to sin in certain prescribed ways but forbids us from sinning in other ways, our theology has to go.  We must not find ways to explain away the clear teaching of scripture when it stops us from sinning as we wish.  When we tailor our theology to allow us to do whatever we want, and forbid only the things we didn’t want to do anyway, we have created an idol, one which will only crucify the Son of God afresh.

Artwork: N. C. Wyeth, The Parable of the Fig Tree

“Lay hands suddenly on no man…” – 1 Timothy 1:22a

Sorrowfully, I remember watching this verse being disobeyed more times than I wish to recall.  On occasion I have seen hands laid upon a new believer, and even upon more than a few ‘untested’ young men.  The results have been disastrous in almost every case, and though I have no intention of guiding you through the trauma ward of my memories, I do have a desire to understand at least a portion of the council of God on this topic, in order to confer to others a preventative against future disobedience.

Leviticus starts by giving us an understanding of what this means.  “Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, if any man of you bring an offering unto the LORD, ye shall bring your offering of the cattle, even of the herd, and of the flock.  If his offering be a burnt sacrifice of the herd, let him offer a male without blemish: he shall offer it of his own voluntary will at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation before the LORD.  And he shall put his hand upon the head of the burnt offering; and it shall be accepted for him to make atonement for him.” –Leviticus 1:2-4

If you notice here, the laying on of hands did not make the bullock a bullock.  The laying on of hands was rather a confirmation that the bullock was one indeed, and without blemish.  One way it could be worded, is that the Israelite whom did this was confirming that this was a worthy sacrifice. This bullock would then soon become a sacrifice ascending to God in flame at the hands of the priests.

In Acts chapter 13 the Holy Spirit said, “Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them. And when they (the church at Antioch) had fasted and prayed, and laid their hands on them, they sent them away.”  The parallel between the two passages I have drawn attention to is pristine.  The Church at Antioch did not make Paul and Barnabas who they were, any more than the Israelite made the bullock a bullock.  The Church at Antioch responded to what God the Holy Spirit had determined them (Paul and Barnabas) to be, which was, “workers whereunto He had called them.”  The church does not make God’s giftings and callings without repentance, it only confirms them.  We see in Galatians 1:15-18 that Paul says, “But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mothers womb and called me by his grace, and revealed his Son in me, that I might preach him among the heathen; immediately I conferred not with flesh and blood, neither went I up to Jerusalem to them which were apostles before me; but I went into Arabia, and returned again to Damascus.  Then after three years, I went up to Jerusalem to see Peter…”  The Church at Antioch had no authority whatsoever in the calling of God upon Paul’s life.  It could only affirm it.

Laying hands on a lay-about will not make them a bond slave.  The laying on of hands will not turn a man given to appetite into a temptation resisting compassionate man of Godly authority.  Laying hands on a man whom never leaves his house for fear of a lion roaming the streets will not give him the courage to charge the gates of Hell with the stalwart courage of William Booth.

Though it is true that a “gifting,” may and ought be imparted through the laying on of hands (1 Timothy 4:14) by the elders.   It will not change the quality or character of a person.  The laying on of hands will not drag Jesus out of heaven to procure his unrepentant calling upon a man.  Neither will it produce godly character, or godly maturity.  It can only recognize that which is, “unblemished.” Or in our case, “unspotted from the world.” (James 1:27)

I find it fascinating that Hebrews 6:1-2 says that the “laying on of hands,” is a “principle,” or beginning “Doctrine of Christ.” It is to be understood in Christian kindergarten, and yet this is so directly disobeyed, and un-apprehended.  As a result I think it speaks profoundly as to the state of our maturity.  If we cannot even grasp something as simple as this, I have deep concern for our direction and spiritual capacity as a body today.  We have to stop being so utilitarian as Christians.  We must stop offering to God un-worthy sacrifices.  The book of Leviticus said to only lay hands on the qualified and unblemished bull.

“I’ve heard that before,” or “I already know that,” are frequent complaints directed to young preachers, if interpreted wrongly, such laments have the potential to damage him greatly. These erroneous comments imply that preaching is a form of mere entertainment designed to keep the hearers attention through freshness and relevance. But if the preacher and “church” are only scant entertainment, then the point of preaching has been utterly missed. In Paul’s exhortation to young pastor Timothy he reveals what the true purpose of preaching is

I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom: preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching. For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths.

II Timothy 4:1-4

The job of the preacher is to preach the word! Not his own thoughts, ideas, opinions nor the latest avant garde heresy. He is not there to entertain, he is there to confront and correct. A much better picture is to view the preacher as a fitness instructor and the people as his class, they all have varied degrees of physical fitness but they all benefit from the exercise. So too with the preaching of the word (provided the preacher is not some godless heretic) every Christian can benefit from hearing the foundational truth’s of scripture addressed repetitiously.

Now, let us consider the critical comments at the beginning from our new point of reference…the Word. Who, in an exercise class, would be likely to object: “I’ve heard about a jumping jack before”, or “I already know about push-ups, they’re boring?” You would likely hear these objections from the pasty overweight gentleman in the back, who lives in his mother’s basement and invests most of his free time into his level 72 death troll on World of Warcraft.

There is much that physical and spiritual fitness have in common. Just as those who desire to be physically fit do not despise the lowly push-up; those who desire to be spiritually fit do not despise repetitive sermons regarding fundamental Christian truths. Here is the hinge on which the entire argument turns; such complaints do not reveal a problem in the preacher, but a  problem in the recipient . . . a hard and calloused heart.  Itching ears which desire to be scratched by the latest thing or newest “truth” do not indicate great spirituality but great carnality.

“What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind? What then did you go out to see? A man dressed in soft clothing? Behold, those who are dressed in splendid clothing and live in luxury are in kings’ courts. What then did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. Luke 7:24-26

I find an irony in Christ’s description of John the Baptist, reminding me so much of our day. People desperately need a fresh word from the Lord, desperately need a prophet, yet they often reject them, because unlike the shaking reed they are insensitive, and unlike the nicely dressed, cultured, refined men of the court, they are uncouth or plainly dressed. People want a sensitive, tolerant, refined prophet of the Lord, but they will never find one for such a creature does not exist.

What does desiring this flavor of prophet say about us, and why won’t we find him? The question is valid. Why do we want Oprah friendly prophets? We want them because we don’t want to offend anyone. Being closed-minded is nearly equivalent to murder, and intolerance to child molestation. We want divine guidance and exhortation to do things which even the hedonists, feminists, and communists will applaud. We want our prophets to injure, “Thus saith the Lord . . . be nice.” or “Thus saith the Lord . . . Recycle.”

But this friendly prophet mentality completely misses the point of the prophet’s job. The prophets’ job is not to attach God’s name to whatever is culturally acceptable, the prophet’s job is to confront society’s accepted sins and anger nearly everyone in the process. According to no less than Jesus Christ a false prophet is one whom “all men speak well of” A politically correct prophet of God will not exist because a politically correct prophet of God cannot exist! The Prophet is an emissary from a perfect and perfectly immovable God who enforces laws so righteous that no one else can possibly keep them. The only refuge from his wrath is to commit yourself to His son, be bathed in His blood, and cry out for His mercy. Any emissary for this God will declare a message guaranteed to bring hatred, slander, and often death upon himself.  After all the greatest prophet whom ever lived said to his unconverted brothers that, “The world cannot hate you; but me it hateth, because I testify of it, that the works thereof are evil.” This prophet’s name was Jesus…

Now do you see why we don’t accept this type of prophet? Here’s the dilemma, we want a prophet but godly prophets make us look narrow minded and un-cool. What are we to do? The frequent solution to this dilemma is what truly frightens me. Knowing that a true prophet will hurt our reputation but wanting a prophet nonetheless we accept a different sort of prophet altogether, one who will never offend, never challenge, and always affirm. In other words . . . a false prophet.

Situational ethics, modernism, and pluralism have infiltrated the mindsets of many who call themselves believers in Jesus Christ.  These mentalities are massive roadblocks to true biblical discernment.  If we approach the word of God predetermined to these mentalities, we will never pass through the gates of truth.  Ever they will elude us, and ever we will meander down dank pathways.

One of these pathways is paved with the word, “Massive Multiplayer Online Gaming (MMOG.)”  For years I had an addiction to this false reality, and for two years I have been praying about why it is that I am supposed to take a stand against it, and expose this darkness to the light of God’s word.

I was kept in darkness for years about this issue because I did not come to God’s word with an honest heart about it.  I placed my hands over my ears and eyes by claiming that since the Bible does not explicitly talk about entertainment like MMOG’s that I was vindicated from biblical accountability.  (As a word to the wise, you will never find any light or truth in the word of God about yourself and your circumstances if you have a prideful heart like I did.)

After fellowshipping with a dear brother in Christ today I knew it was time I finally get this off my chest and onto my hard drive.  MMOG’s operate on probably the single most cunning principle, which keeps young men (and even increasingly young women) by the droves, coming back day after day, week after week, ad infinitum to an unreal world.

This singular principle governs probably every single MMOG on the market.  I am sure I would be challenged to find even one that does not, whether it is Eve Online, World of Warcraft, or Guild Wars…or any number of others has, in the kernel of their design, a central hub of operation known as covetousness.

How is this so?  Every single decision you make within these false realities is dictated by how it will benefit you or your “avatar,” or your brood/collective of avatar friends.  Each one of these people shed whom they are in the flesh to take upon themselves a digital alter-ego, and run a nearly galactic rat race to get ahead of all competition through gaining 1.) unreal money which allows for the purchase of character modifications, and 2.) unreal character attribute upgrades.  Both of these principles of covetousness are governed by two other principles, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life.  Each upgrade or modification (mod) is more attractive to the eyes than the last was, and every attribute upgrade which applies to the avatar itself appeals to the pride of life, as the false character becomes increasingly more powerful.

So covetousness works through the lust of the eyes and the pride of life; however, these are just foundational concepts, not necessarily the fruit reaped.  Rather, it is with raging frequency that one will find ensconced within the social structure of MMOG’s an endless trail of enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, (believe it or not you can actually get your avatar drunk in many games) sexual immorality, impurity and sensuality, and if it were possible, orgies, (often imitated through raucous gesticulating) and certainly last but particularly most common…sorceries.  These happen to be listed in Galatians 5:20 as the “works of the flesh,” which Paul warns that those who do such things will not inherit the Kingdom of God.  So the game itself subjects you to the principalities of the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life…and those two principles manifest themselves through each person’s avatar toward every other avatar as the lust of the flesh.

James 4:6 says that “He (God) giveth more grace, wherefore he saith, God resists the proud, but gives grace unto the humble.”  Pride is the one element which grace cannot penetrate.  One must become humble to see the application of this truth from the word of God.  On bended knee admit your digital sin; confess that Christ Jesus the son came to deliver you from your sin, to set you free from your unreal captivity (Luke 4:18.)  If we do not repent of this we may just find ourselves gaining an unreal world, yet losing a very real soul. Do not let the principality of pluralism tell you that these things are OK because it is a gray area in scripture, or that you have the “liberty.”  Though on the outset MMORG’s may seem innocuous, I would remind you that the whole of creation was subjected to its current tyranny and slavery to sin through the fear of death, (Hebrews 2:15) by one simple bite of a seemingly innocuous piece of fruit…fruit that tasted like godhood!

It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, . . . But ye shall receive power . . . and ye shall be witnesses . . .  Acts 1:7-8

At the induction of the church age Christ clearly instructs the disciples that it is not for them to know the times and the seasons (Eschatology) but their job is to be his witnesses, to spread the gospel.  In light of this knowledge is it not ironic that the church completely disobeys His command?  We are addicted to prophesy and fascinated by the signs of the times, but apathetic concerning the gospel.

Why do we behave this way?  We flagrantly disregard our commission while simultaneously obsessing about things that are not for us to know.  Why do we love knowledge so much?  Do we so easily forget which tree was behind our first parents fall?

There seems to be some strange mix of sloth and curiosity at work in the church today.  We do not want to spread a message of hope to a dieing world, no, we would rather spend years reading mainly Daniel and Revelation, then sifting through news clippings trying to deduce the identity of the Antichrist.  We really need to heed Jesus’ warning.  Don’t obsess over prophesy at the expense of everything else, study it yes, but devote your life to the gospel.

The scripture tells of no crown awaiting the man who correctly interprets Daniel’s 70 weeks, but plenteous rewards for the man who wins souls.

All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation.  I Corinthians 5:17-18

I have come to the conclusion that we have the concept of success all wrong.  Which could be defined as the ability to reach a said goal.  In the West we may  understand the definition of success, but not the measure of it.  Though we may have the concept right, we have the goal wrong.  In America our goals are things like home ownership, retirement, or attaining happiness.  But our time-line is far too short, and our perspective is far too close, to know what our goals really ought to be, or where true success really lies.

Since it is before God that we will be judged we need to measure ourselves by His standards.  His value system is far different form ours because He is far different from us, “For [as] the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.” 1 God is all good, all powerful, and all knowing.  He measures us by our faith, which is seen in how closely we’ve followed his commands.  Jesus told us the greatest commandment is  “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.” 2 These should be our two primary success gauges; how we respond to God, and how we treat people.  If we are failing in these area’s we are failures no matter how much money we have or how high we’ve climbed our career ladder.  So we ought to calibrate our gauges well.

Are we loving God with all our heart, or with lip-service?  Are we loving him with all our soul, our favorite activities and pastimes focused on him?  Are we loving him with all our mind; is our thought life focused on sports, sex, or God?  Do we love him with all our strength?  How much effort are we putting into establishing His kingdom.

Do we value our spouse and treating them as God commands?  Are we raising up our children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord?  Are we being faithful employees?  Are we helping others practically, and not just saying “God bless you”?  These are the standards by which our “success” will be judged, and we ignore them at our own peril.

“This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.”  Joshua 1:8

1. Isaiah 55:9

2. Luke 10:27