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Intentional VS Circumstantial Happiness

Study Guide, September 20, 2020

Pastor Clay Olsen

https://www.facebook.com/120524531293140/videos/1578567375680428

No doubt you have noticed that ever since the pandemic hit, we, here at the Chapel, have made a concerted effort, especially in our Bible discovery times together, to offset the many conflicts and problems going on around us with a Biblical mindset in order to overcome these conflicts and problems. And one reason that this has been the focus of our studies together is that we believe that one of the services of the church is to assure people that God’s people are ‘Overcomers’ of the things that seek to ‘overcome’ us. And we are committed to offering Biblical resources to then equip us all to fight the good fight of faith against those things that attack us all, like this pandemic and the many other persistent problems in our world. So that’s the theme that we have been following…just wanted to emphasize that.

All right, with that said, you may have also noticed that this ‘discovery lesson’ concerns ‘Intentional VS Circumstantial Happiness’. And the difference between these two are gi-normous. I love that made-up word – ‘Ginormous’. There’s ‘enormous’ and then there’s ‘ginormous’, right? But why do we say there is a ginormous difference between intentional happiness and circumstantial happiness? Well, one obvious reason is because for most people, their happiness is circumstantial; their happiness is based upon whatever is happening in the circumstances of their lives. But what a precarious basis that is, right? They have connected their happiness to some notion of ‘when everything will be all right’ in their lives. But just when is ‘everything all right in this world?’ And what in the world does ‘everything all right’ mean anyway? We live in a world where most things are ‘all wrong’ with all kinds of things, from the weather to health to relationships, and with simply all of the many difficult circumstances in our lives. All of that is like the constant ebb and flow of the tides, constantly switching back and forth.

The point is when we connect our happiness with the ‘happenings’ around us, or connect them to the circumstances around us, we become disconnected from the source of true happiness, as well as become a slave to false happiness. Did we say ‘false happiness’? Yes, and actually we should say ‘counterfeit happiness’. ‘Counterfeit’? Does that ring a bell? 2 Cor 11:14-“…even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light.” NASU

We are to fully realize that Satan has a ‘counterfeit’ for nearly every good and true thing that God created. And this is especially true for such highly prized treasures in life, such as ‘happiness’. As Disciples of the One who is the Truth, we have come to know that any kind of ‘happiness’ that is based upon things such as favorable ‘happenings’ or preferred circumstances and such, while much appreciated, still, is not really true happiness at all. For even when these things are good, still, the Counterfeiter, Satan, can even use those things as a counterfeit happiness that he can use in order to maintain control over so many people. Remember what the Apostle John said about that? 1 John 2:15-17- “Do not love this world nor the things it offers you, for when you love the world, you do not have the love of the Father in you. For the world offers only a craving for physical pleasure, a craving for everything we see, and pride in our achievements and possessions. These are not from the Father, but are from this world. And this world is fading away, along with everything that people crave. But anyone who does what pleases God will live forever.” NLT Again, there are many physical pleasures, and remarkable achievements, and valuable possessions that are good. And not only are they good, they are blessings to us from God to enjoy…to be happy about. So that’s fine, and faithful believers can enjoy these things and be happy about them. But on the other hand, as the Apostle pointed out, there are also the cravings for ungodly pleasures, and self-centered pride, and the craving of selfish possessions. And those things are destructive individually and socially. And, again. we know who is pushing these things; the Pusher, the Counterfeiter.

However, and here is the key, even though these good things are blessings, still, none of these are the source of true happiness. And until you identify the source, you have no idea if you are dealing with a true happiness or a false happiness…or a counterfeit happiness that is being dangled in front of you by the Counterfeiter himself. Remember, ‘Angel of light?’ But the source of true happiness is of course, the Creator of happiness Himself; our Maker and Redeemer. And He gave us eight qualities to look for in identifying true happiness…eight things that will not only reveal ‘the genuine happiness’ from ‘the counterfeit happiness’, but will also release the very blessings that are part of this God given experience we call ‘happiness’. Let’s explore.

Actually, we should probably inject something else here before we explore. And the reason we say that is because there is a general understanding that ‘happiness’ and ‘joy’ are two different things. And the specific response to that general understanding is: ‘Yes and No’. What do we mean by that? Well, yes, there is a difference if we are talking about circumstantial happiness, because that kind of happiness is related to things that are ‘happening’ in your life, favorable and unfavorable and so on. And we are generally comparing that with the kind of ‘joy’ that the Scriptures describe as the ‘fruit of the Spirit’ joy. So, yes, there is quite a difference there. For this ‘joy’ is not dependent upon the circumstances of our lives, but upon yielding our lives to the control of God the Holy Spirit. We think of that kind of ‘joy’ as the ‘strength attitude’ that Nehemiah talks about: Neh 8:10- “Do not be grieved, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.” NASU

That kind of ‘joy’ is the ‘joy’ that Jesus said that He gives to us: John 15:11- “These things I have spoken to you so that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be made full.” NASU That’s the ‘joy’ that we need and want to be working in our minds and hearts and lives. We want ‘Jesus’ joy’ working in our lives. And even that is not conditioned by favorable circumstances or happenings either. No, that kind of ‘joy’ is a spiritual strength that comes from the power of the Holy Spirit working in a yielded will that, in favorable or unfavorable circumstances, enables you to say with the Prophet: Hab 3:17-19- “Though the fig tree should not blossom And there be no fruit on the vines, Though the yield of the olive should fail And the fields produce no food, Though the flock should be cut off from the fold And there be no cattle in the stalls, Yet I will exult in the Lord, I will rejoice in the God of my salvation. The Lord God is my strength, And He has made my feet like hinds’ feet, And makes me walk on my high places.” NASU That’s Jesus’ Joy, and it is not dependent upon the circumstances of this world, because it is entirely dependent upon the Person of God Himself. Plus, that’s why Paul reminded us to: “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice! Phil 4:4 NASU The key to all of these things; joy, rejoicing, blessings, happiness, is the ‘source’ to which you are looking or from which you are drawing, in order to either have joy or to be happy.

Which brings us to the ‘No’ part of the answer; meaning: When we are talking about joy and happiness that are both connected to the ‘source’ of Jesus Himself, then we find that the Scriptures often use them interchangeably. Like in Jer. 31:13 where two different Bible versions interchange the words: Jer 31:13- “I will turn their mourning into joy. I will comfort them and exchange their sorrow for rejoicing.” NLT Jer 31:13- “I will change their sadness into happiness. I will comfort my people, making them happy instead of sad.” ERV

So again, Yes, there is a world of difference between worldly happiness and Biblical joy, just like there is a world of difference between worldly joy and Biblical happiness. And again, there is a world of difference between the world’s counterfeit happiness and the Bible’s genuine happiness. But there are a lot of similarities between Biblical joy and Biblical happiness. And we can rejoice and be happy about that! Just remember: The key is the source; the center. When both our joy and our happiness are centered around Jesus, Jesus then produces both in our lives. [JOY-JESUS-HAPPINESS] Keep them connected to Jesus and you can experience both in your life. It’s like when a woman was saying to Jesus how happy must be the woman that bore Him. Here’s what He said: Luke 11:28- “But Jesus answered, “Rather, how happy are those who hear the word of God and obey it!” TEV (And notice that Jesus also revealed the real secret of ‘happiness’ here… ‘obedience’.)

Which brings us back to ‘Intentional Happiness’. The kind of happiness you are going to experience depends upon what kind of happiness you are looking for: Intentional or circumstantial. If you are looking to experience genuine happiness instead of counterfeit happiness you are going to have to be ‘intentional’ about it. And the most detailed passage describing ‘intentional’ and ‘genuine’ happiness is: Matt 5:1-12. So now let’s explore. Look at verse 1 and 2: “Jesus saw the crowds and went up a hill, where He sat down. His disciples gathered around him, and He began to teach them…”TEV By the way, those of you that have visited the Mount of Beatitudes in Israel probably were given an unusual demonstration of an amazing physical property of that hillside. One of the amazing features of this hillside is that there is a natural acoustic phenomenon that enables people sitting all over that hillside to hear the speaker standing in the midst of them. It’s really something to experience. Just thought you’d enjoy that little trivia there.

But now notice the qualities of true happiness. The first is a humble spirit. 3- “Happy are those who know they are spiritually poor; the Kingdom of heaven belongs to them!” TEV Now, being ‘spiritually poor’ or ‘poor in spirit’ means ‘spiritually poor in and of themselves, or apart from God; that they have nothing of their own to deserve God’s wealth of His salvation. Now, and just like they have come to God in order to be saved by God’s grace through their faith, and not of their own works; in the same way they now walk with God, in humble faith and dependence upon His sufficient grace in their lives. That is a quality on which God then bestows ‘happiness’.

So what then is the counterfeit of that? The counterfeit of humility is self-pride and self-centeredness. And the Counterfeiter makes sure that the ‘Proud’ experiences some sort of ‘happiness sensation’ with it, but he never reveals what the consequences will be from being filled with ‘self-pride’. But God has. Note what God has revealed about the proud of heart…and this is just a small sampling of the warnings: Prov 16:5- “The Lord detests all the proud of heart. Be sure of this: They will not go unpunished.” NIV

Zeph 3:11-12- “I will remove all proud and arrogant people from among you. There will be no more haughtiness on my holy mountain. Those who are left will be the lowly and humble, for it is they who trust in the name of the Lord.” NLT

James 4:6-10- “But He gives us even more grace to stand against such evil desires. As the Scriptures say, “God opposes the proud but favors the humble.” So humble yourselves before God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come close to God, and God will come close to you. Wash your hands, you sinners; purify your hearts, for your loyalty is divided between God and the world. Let there be tears for what you have done. Let there be sorrow and deep grief. Let there be sadness instead of laughter, and gloom instead of joy. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and He will lift you up in honor.” NLT

Whatever kind of happiness the ungodly and proud are experiencing, it is a counterfeit happiness that is about to turn into genuine sorrow and genuine regret when it comes time for their appointment with God. And everybody has an appointment with God.

But remember this: Satan wants to keep people occupied with just the ‘sensations of a counterfeit happiness’, and he wants to keep them disconnected from the source of genuine happiness. But God wants to bestow on the humble child of God both the sensations of genuine happiness and the rewards that accompany it. Remember: Right blesses twice: It blesses in present joy and it blesses in future reward. Wrong may give pleasures once; but it will give sorrows forever after. And when you understand this, it doesn’t take much deciphering to determine which is the wiser course of action.

All right, what’s the second quality and evidence of genuine happiness? And here we’re going to turn to the Amplified Version in order to really get a grasp on the kind of ‘happiness’ that is being conferred upon God’s people here. 4- “Blessed and enviably happy [with a happiness produced by the experience of God’s favor and especially conditioned by the revelation of His matchless grace] are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted!” By the way, it’s fascinating how both of the words ‘blessed’ and ‘happy’ come from the same Greek word “Makarios”. So again, when the Scriptures use the words ‘blessed’ and ‘happy’ the key is to remember that what makes for both is one source: Jesus, our Savior and Redeemer. And you know what? This is right where we probably need to break for now, since we have these next seven qualities to walk and talk through. So, we’ll do that in our next discovery service.

But how good of our great God to want His people to be blessed, to be happy, to be joyful. And He has shown us exactly how that works, when we work with Him so that He can work in us and then through us.

Assorted Lessons for Us Life-long Learners, Pt. 6

Study Guide, September 13, 2020

Pastor Clay Olsen

https://www.facebook.com/watch/live/?v=601460443881398

Recently we have been treated to a special show because Jupiter and Saturn have been on display in the night skies. How many of you have been looking to the skies for that? They are located in the southern skies now. And, how amazing that we can see these planets as clearly as we can without even using any telescopic helps. One reason for that is because of how enormous these planets are, especially Jupiter. Jupiter is 318 times larger than our planet Earth. It’s also the fastest spinning planet. The Earth spins at 1,000 m.p.h., but Jupiter spins at 28,000 miles per hour. So, even as big as it is, its day is only 10 hours long. However, its year is eleven of our years…of Earth’s years. And you know that big red spot that images show us from some of the seven fly-by visits made by spacecraft? Yeah, that big spot on Jupiter is the Goliath of all hurricanes. It is one continuous gigantic storm that would engulf our entire planet. Plus, get this: The Earth has the Moon, but Jupiter has 67 Moons. Why is that? I guess we’ll have to ask God about that.

But one of the coolest features of all about Jupiter that you and I ought to be really thankful about concerns Jupiter’s most important service in space, and especially to our planet, and that is, that it serves as the giant Vacuum Cleaner of our Solar System. That’s right. Due to its massive gravity field it catches and collects space rocks and all kinds of other space debris so that these objects won’t come crashing into our beloved planet. How amazing is that? Jupiter has been taking the hits for us and solving problems for us that we didn’t even know about! So next time you are stargazing, you might just want to give a shout out to good old Jupiter… “Hey Jupiter, Thank you very much!” Really, Thank you Lord!

So, where are we going with this? You know, since we experience life linearly, or within a time scale, we also tend to think about our life linearly, just going from one day to the next, living within one day at a time, and just pretty much thinking about our life like each thing that happens is new to us and pretty much to everyone else. However, what we don’t often think about are all of the amazing things that have been going on behind the scenes in our lives in which our great God has been working on in delivering us, protecting us, guiding us, and providing for us…kind of like how Jupiter has been doing for the Earth, but way…way more, of course.

Take a look at what the Psalmist said about that in Ps 103:1-4 “Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless His holy name. Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget none of His benefits; Who pardons all your iniquities, Who heals all your diseases; Who redeems your life from the pit, Who crowns you with lovingkindness and compassion.”NASU I often marvel over the way the Psalmist talked to himself like a Coach…a sort of ‘Soul Coach’ to himself. It’s like he was saying, “Self…now listen up. Here’s your next move…Bless the Lord with everything you’ve got. And, Self, don’t forget any of God’s benefits and blessings and things that He has done and is doing for you, like; pardoning all your sins, and healing all your diseases, and redeeming your life from the pit, and crowning you with His lovingkindness and His compassion.” The Psalmist coached his own soul and self and instructed himself on how to think and how to act.

What a great ‘help’ and ‘practice’ for us to follow. A lot of people talk to themselves. Do you talk to yourself? That’s okay. It’s actually pretty normal. But we can also learn to ‘coach ourselves’, coach our souls to think and act in ways that reminds us and reveals to others these great realities about our God; like God’s love and compassion, and God’s countless benefits and blessings, and God’s redeeming work of salvation for us, and God’s ongoing ministry of healing us from all our diseases.

So, yes, how about you and I practice more of this ‘Art of Soul Coaching’; instructing our ‘natural selves’ not to act naturally, but to step it up a notch, and to act ‘super-naturally’, or to think and act according to the truths and realities that God has been doing for us and is doing for us, and then what we should then be doing for God on account of all that He is doing for us!

But back to one of the amazing statements embedded in what the Psalmist said that God has been doing and is doing: “Who heals all your diseases…” How we praise God for His many and His miraculous mercy healings for our lives through the years. But there is even far more to it than that; more than we can even imagine. What do we mean by that? Some parents were meeting with a Doctor about their little girl who was very sick. And the Father stated how surprised he was that a child so young could be that ill. And the Doctor consoled them about it, but then also said: “Actually, when you come to find out just how much the human body is constantly being bombarded with, from bacteria and viruses and contagions all of the time, sickness is not what surprises me. What surprises me is that anyone is well at all!”

How does that change the picture of life on planet Earth? We live in a sick world, and we live on a sick planet. And in a similar way that most Earthlings have no idea about how much they are being protected by Jupiter from the bombardment of space debris, most people have no idea of how much they have been and are being protected by God from the bombardment of so many sicknesses and diseases in their lives day after day, and year after year. The fact is that God has been protecting us and healing us from sicknesses and diseases that we haven’t even known about. Again, praise God for all of the healings and miracles that we have known about, but praise God also for the many healings and miracles that we had no clue about! So again, we can coach our self like the Psalmist and remind our soul: “Soul, bless the Lord! Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless His holy name. Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget none of His benefits; Who pardons all your iniquities, Who heals all your diseases; Who redeems your life from the pit, Who crowns you with lovingkindness and compassion.”

So practice this habit of ‘Soul coaching’ that the Psalmist taught us and watch what difference it makes in your attitude and in the experiences of your day to day lives.

But…there is a question in the air, and this question has to do with that one word in that passage in Psalm 103:3- “…Who heals all your diseases.” All? Again, we all know about some of the healings we’ve experienced over the years, thank the Lord. But then we also know about other sicknesses…and know about others with sicknesses who weren’t healed, or are still waiting to be healed. How does that fit into the ‘all our diseases’ of what the Psalmist revealed? And the answer to that is found in the answer to another question: What does it mean that mankind is a ‘mortal being’? What does it mean to be mortal? The standard definition of ‘mortal’ is ‘subject to decay’. But ‘mortal’ means even more than being ‘subject to decay’; for to be ‘mortal’ is to already be in a ‘state of decay’. Mortality is being in ‘a state of decay’. That means ‘sick’! That means ‘not in a condition of complete health at all’. And yet Christians would add: ‘Not in a state of complete health YET!’ That’s because for those who are Christians, for those who are ‘in Christ’, their spirit has already been healed and resurrected to complete spiritual health, and their body is soon to be resurrected to ‘complete physical health’ as well. All healings while in this mortal body are still ‘incomplete’. But one day they will be complete and immortal! And that is also the key to what the Psalmist was talking about.

But again, every living human on Earth is ‘mortal’, and thus is already in a state of decay…some both physically and spiritually. We should clearly understand what the prophet Jeremiah revealed about the heart of man, or the soul of man: Jer 17:9- “The heart is deceitful above all things, and it is exceedingly perverse and corrupt and severely, mortally sick!” AMP That is the condition of the soul of one who has not yet been born again. But, praise God, for all who have been spiritually born again, they are no longer in a state of decay spiritually…only physically.

Now, note how the Apostle Paul described this condition to the Christians in Corinth, and really to all Christians everywhere on Earth. 2 Cor 4:16- “Therefore we do not lose heart, but though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day.” NASU Friends, this ‘decaying process of the outer man’ or ‘the physical body’ is the present reality for every human being. But again, praise God, it is not the only reality for the child of God, for each of us who have been spiritually raised up, spiritually resurrected, our inner man, our spiritual self is not only being renewed day by day and will live forever, but even this mortal body will one day be transformed into an immortal body. Notice what the Apostle revealed about that: 1 Cor 15:53-55- “For our dying bodies must be transformed into bodies that will never die; our mortal bodies must be transformed into immortal bodies. Then, when our dying bodies have been transformed into bodies that will never die, this Scripture will be fulfilled: “Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?”NLT

Are you totally looking forward to your new resurrected body that will be immortal and will never die, as well as it will be so amazing that we can’t even imagine all of the new talents and abilities we will have to enjoy in our immortal bodies forever? Oh yeah!

But again, we need to be clear about what the Scriptures are revealing to us about the present state of the mortal body. Everyone on Earth has a terminal illness called ‘mortality’. Paul informed us that our bodies ‘are dying’. By God’s mercy and grace, our dying bodies will be transformed into bodies that will never die, but the fact remains: These mortal bodies of ours are dying. What we call ‘death’ is just the completion of the dying process. It’s like Dr. Norman Geisler said before he went home to Heaven when he was asked if he was dying. He said: “We’re all dying. It’s just a matter of when.” That is the Biblical reality of what mortality means.

So when it comes to sickness and disease, to clarify the human condition, the root disease is mortality…everything else is a symptom of mortality. Every named sickness, every named disease is actually a symptom of the root disease of mortality. Which, again, is a key to what the Psalmist was talking about. For ‘mortality’ is ‘the process of decay’. So even when we experience healings of individualized sicknesses or compounded diseases, they are not the root illness; mortality is the root disease that became that way due to the presence of sin in the world, which is what brought death to the physical body of mankind and separation from God in the soul of mankind. Rom 5:12- “Therefore, just as through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men, because all sinned. NASU

This is the bigger picture behind sickness and disease that most of the world does not understand. For instance: What does the word ‘disease’ mean anyway? The word ‘disease’ means ‘a condition of abnormal functioning’. ‘Mortality’ itself is ‘a condition of abnormal functioning’, for remember; God did not create mankind to be mortal. Mortality is not normal functioning in God’s plan and design for mankind. Immortality is normal functioning in God’s plan. God created mankind to be immortal and to live with Him forever. But when sin entered the world of mankind, so did this ‘condition of abnormal functioning’, this diseased state of mortality. And ever since sin entered the world, ever since mortality entered the physical body, every sickness and disease has been a symptom of the root disease of mortality.

So back to the Psalmist’s statement: “Bless the Lord O my soul, who heals us from all our diseases.” This includes the diseases we know about that God has healed us from, and all those that we didn’t know about that God has protected us from and healed us from, and especially this ultimate disease of our mortality; this dying, decaying, condition of mortality that He will ultimately heal us from with the ultimate healing that we receive when we are delivered from this disease of mortality. The ultimate healing is the deliverance from mortality. Plus, God not only delivers us from this ‘condition of abnormal functioning’ or mortality, He also surgically removes that old nature from our soul; that ‘condition of abnormal functioning’ of the sin nature. And we are escorted into the land of Heaven and into ‘a condition of perfect functioning’; perfect functioning of the spirit and perfect functioning of the body when God clothes us with a body of immortality. Oh yes, we will be healed of ‘all our diseases’!

Brothers and Sisters, remind yourself, coach yourself: “Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless His holy name. Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget none of His benefits; Who pardons all my iniquities, Who heals all my diseases; and one day from even that source of all my diseases, my mortality…because He has redeemed my life from the pit, and has crowned me with lovingkindness and compassion and eternal life.”

Assorted Lessons for Us Life-long Learners, Pt. 5

Study Guide, September 6, 2020

Pastor Clay Olsen

https://www.facebook.com/120524531293140/videos/756104811902183

So, how many T-shirts would you guess that you have in your closet? T-shirts are pretty much the ‘go to’ clothing item. Apparently, it was the Navy that began making the ‘T-shirt’ popular, back in 1913. And then it was in the 60’s that the practice of putting slogans on T-shirts began. And ever since then the T-shirt became the ‘go to’ way to promote both slogans and sayings about all kinds of things in life. I remember one saying I saw on a little kid at a park that said: “I Have Issues!” I’m sure he did! Then I recently saw one I could wear that said: “Hang on…let me overthink this.” Then a recent one I saw said this: “I already ate all of my quarantine snacks!” That’s pretty good.

Nate and I, and Roger, too, often talk about coming up with a list of sayings for a line of T-shirts. Years ago, a band named ‘Stellar Kart’ had a song that said: “Life is good…Eternal life is better.” That’s a terrific saying. But here is an idea kind of like that, and it would really cause people to think about it. So how about this for a saying on a T-shirt? “Logical is good….Theo-logical is better!” Maybe we would have to add…. “Think about it.”

But really, think about it. It is good to be logical. And ‘logical’ means: ‘Capable of reflecting and using correct and valid reasoning.’ It also means: ‘Marked by an orderly and aesthetically consistent relation of parts.’ That makes you feel good just thinking about it. And it sure does sound a whole lot better that being ‘illogical’, because do you know what ‘illogical’ actually means? It means to be ‘confused, disconnected, disjointed, disordered, scattered, and garbled.’ So there is ‘logical thinking’ and then there is ‘garbled thinking’. And ‘garbled’ is not good at all. But it’s pretty apparent that there is a whole lot of ‘garbled thinking’ that is going on in most places across the globe.

But why do we bring this up? We bring this up to stress just how critical it is to clearly understand that even more important than ‘what’ we think is ‘how’ we think, because ‘how’ we think will often determine ‘what’ we think. So let’s think about that! In one of the clearest instructions from the most logical and ‘theo-logical’ book in the world, the Bible, we are instructed: Prov 3:5-7- “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight. Do not be wise in your own eyes; Fear the Lord and turn away from evil.” NASU And the Amplified Bible puts it like this: “Lean on, trust in, and be confident in the Lord with all your heart and mind and do not rely on your own insight or understanding. In all your ways know, recognize, and acknowledge Him, and He will direct and make straight and plain your paths. Be not wise in your own eyes; reverently fear and worship the Lord and turn [entirely] away from evil.”

Most people suffer their entire lives from this self-inflicted psychosis of: ‘leaning on their own understanding’. And psychosis means: “Any severe mental disorder in which contact with reality is lost or highly distorted.” How surprising that this definition of ‘psychosis’ is an exact description of any kind of human reasoning that leaves God and God’s revelation and God’s reasoning out of their worldview. Any reasoning that is disconnected from God’s reasoning really is a loss of contact with reality; and is completely distorted reasoning. And not only is it distorted; it is damaging.

Do you remember the warning of Prov 15:32-33- “If you reject discipline, you only harm yourself; but if you listen to correction, you grow in understanding. Fear of the Lord teaches wisdom; humility precedes honor.” NLT You see, the neglect of fearing God is harmful to yourself. It is self-inflicted harm. The neglect of the discipline of learning from God is self-inflicted harm. And the neglect of injecting God’s reasoning and injecting God’s logic into how you think about life and do life…all of this is simply self-inflicted harm. And this self-inflicted harm then spreads to others around you and simply exacerbates the harm that is being done to them as well. And all of that is the description of not only foolishness, but of rebellion against your Creator. And that is the essence of ‘sin’… ‘rebellion against the Creator’. Leaning on and trusting in your own understanding and reasoning instead of learning and then trusting in God’s revelation and reasoning is the sin of rebellion against God. And, as Proverbs 15 pointed out, we are simply inflicting unnecessary harm on ourselves. And that is not wise at all…ie. ‘foolish’!

Now then, if you connect what Proverbs says about being careful to not trust in or not rely on our own reasoning with what we find God also saying to Isaiah about it, it gets really fascinating. God said this to Isaiah: Isa 1:18- “Come now, and let us reason together,” says the Lord…” NASU And the Lord then went on to give further revelation to Isaiah. In other words, God said to Isaiah, “Come now, and let us reason together” and Isaiah’s response was basically… “Yes Lord, but let’s just use Your reasoning, okay?!” We know that was Isaiah’s attitude because of all the other things he said to God and then revealed to us about our need to use God’s reasoning above anything that we think. Remember this one: Isa 55:8-9- “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways,” declares the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways And My thoughts than your thoughts.” NASU

That’s a pretty big difference, don’t you think? So the next time you think about just trusting in your own thoughts and your own ways about things…trusting that they are probably on the same level as God’s….well, just step outside and look up, and then do a little comparison! Yeah…now we see the difference, right?

So now, it’s time to inject the T-shirt: ‘Logical is good…Theo-logical is better!’ Fortunately, God has written His law upon the hearts of mankind. God has imprinted the witness that we have a Creator upon our hearts and has imprinted the witness that we live in a created order and universe upon our minds. And because God has imprinted this in the heart and conscience of man, man is thus capable of thinking about life according to a system of order, which is the basic definition of ‘logic’; ‘a system of order’. And by the general grace that God gives to all mankind, people can use basic logic to think and reason about life. However, man’s logic and God’s logic are still as distinct as the heavens are from the earth. Or, we could put it like this: ‘For as high as the heavens are above the earth, So is God’s ‘theo-logical’ reasoning higher than man’s ‘logical reasoning’.

Fortunately, and once again, because of God’s general grace to all, the mind of mankind is drawn toward logic. But even though the mind of mankind is drawn toward logic, the soul of mankind craves God’s logic. The soul of mankind longs for more than the ‘logical’ aspects of life; it craves the ‘Theo-logical’ realities of God. Augustine put it like this: “God has made us for Himself, and our hearts are restless until they find their rest in Him.”

Therefore, our souls long to find their ‘rest’ in a relationship with God, which comes when we turn to God in repentance and trust in Jesus Christ by faith to be our Savior. And then our minds find their ‘restoration’ or their ‘re-formation’ by injecting God’s ‘theo-logical’ reasoning into our ‘logical’ reasoning. And the way that we do that is that we come alongside of Isaiah, and we ‘reason together with God’ about everything in life. In other words, we have to inject ‘God’s logic’ into our logic. Remember, part of walking with God is ‘thinking with God’, thinking about life with God’s thoughts about life, using His reasoning and His logic.

Plus, and since we know that God’s reasoning is as different from human reasoning as the heavens are above the earth, we also then should be totally clear on the fact that God’s reasoning is the only reasoning that makes any sense at all concerning life here, and in the life hereafter. And, we should also be really clear on the fact that to the degree that we fail to go with God’s reasoning, or to the degree that we fail to inject the ‘theo-logical’ of God’s Word into the ‘logical’ of our life, to that degree we will fall into being ‘illogical’ about everything…meaning: ‘confused, disconnected, disjointed, disordered, scattered, and garbled in our mind and emotions and experiences throughout life! Solomon simply described that as both ‘a wasted life’ and ‘foolish to the max’. He didn’t say ‘to the max’, but we know that’s what he meant, right? Why be ‘foolish to the max’ when God will help you be ‘wise to the max’! Again, that’s what we mean by ‘Logical is good…Theo-logical is better!’

Let’s just point out one example of how injecting the ‘theological’ into the ‘logical’ of life plays out. Look at this: Eph 5:15-17- “See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is.” NKJV That’s a great passage! Now, the word ‘circumspectly’ carries the idea of ‘precision and accuracy’. So we could say, live life carefully and live it with purpose. Otherwise, a person that is living carelessly and without guidance is basically just living ‘aimlessly’; living without aim and without ‘purpose’. And, as my College Pastor liked to say: “When you aim at nothing, you hit it every time.”

But you see, now we have something to ‘inject’ into our daily lives…or inject into the here and now. Remember last time we talked about the past, present, and future, or we could put it in terms of ‘yesterday, today, and tomorrow’. The interesting thing about that is that in terms of ‘life’ itself, life is not yesterday, and neither is it tomorrow, because ‘tomorrow’ is only a way to describe time. Rather, life will always be ‘here and now’. Life is ‘the eternal now’. Therefore, regardless of whatever life was like for you yesterday or what it will be like for you tomorrow…wisdom is making life whatever God intended life to be like for you ‘now’…today. You can’t live in yesterday…for that is the past. And you can’t live in tomorrow…for tomorrow is always ‘future’. And even when the future comes, when tomorrow comes, it will then be ‘today’. So what we are saying is: You can only and will only ever live in ‘today…for today is ‘now’; it is the ‘here and now’. Even when you get to Heaven, it will no longer be the ‘hereafter’ to you, it will be the ‘here’ to you. Life in Heaven won’t be the hereafter to you, it will be the ‘here and now’. Every ‘tomorrow’ will be a ‘new today’.

(And so we might ask, “So, does that mean there will be ‘time’ in Heaven after all?” Well, we don’t have time to get into that today…maybe sometime later we can.)

Back to injecting ‘theology into our thinking’: We are called to ‘redeem the time’. And ‘redeem’ implies a purchase. Which means that it will cost something of us. And what is the cost? “Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is.” The cost is this: ‘Not my will, but Thy will be done.’ To redeem the time will cost us choosing God’s will over our own, and then doing God’s will instead of our own. But this cost is not just an expense. No, remember, this cost is also a glorious investment. For we are to know by now, that every good thing we do, every ‘God thing’ we do is an eternal investment that God has promised to reward us for, even more than we can imagine. And so we are called to redeem the time, or to make the most of every opportunity to do the things ‘today’ that God will reward us for ‘tomorrow’ and forever. And those are things like: sharing the Gospel with the lost; and discipling the saved; growing in the grace and knowledge of God’s Word; doing good to others…especially to those of the household of faith; caring for the widows and the poor; interceding for others in prayer; and seeking first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness.

So in wrapping it up, if we are going to inject the ‘theological’ into the ‘logical’ of our lives, that means we are going to have to inject ‘God’s purposes’ into our present day lives. We will each need to live each day with ‘God’s purposes’ in mind. And in order to do that we will have to practice, not just thinking logically about the things of life; we will have to commit ourselves to thinking ‘theo-logically’ about everything in our lives.

I like to think of it as though every morning God says to us: “Come now; and let us reason together.”

Assorted Lessons for Us Life-Long Learners, Pt. 4

Study Guide, August 30, 2020

Pastor Clay Olsen

https://www.facebook.com/watch/live/?v=335504597636403

How many really like riding Roller Coasters? I used to like them when I was young, but then they just made me turn green and feel yucky…But what’s different about a roller coaster is that you get to choose to get on or not. Plus, if you do get on…in a few minutes, it’s over…sort of… Whereas with the roller coaster of life, you don’t get to choose to get on and you don’t know when it’s going to stop. And sometimes you’re not sure if it’s ever going to level out, right? Here’s the encouragement: Although you can’t control the roller coaster of life…you can control how you ride it and even its effects on your life.

It’s kind of related to what we talked about in a previous study…but we can put it like this: You don’t have to ride the roller coaster of life by fear, but by faith, which sometimes can also include fun. But in this ‘faith’ factor here, you’re not trusting in the safety of the roller coaster…you are trusting in the sovereignty of your Savior. Remember: Rom 10:17- “So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ.” NASU Our faith is in the unchanging Word of God and the Sovereign God of the Word.

So this means that unlike the world’s idea of faith, which is completely subjective, or subject to people’s own personal ideas, inclinations, and opinions, a Biblical faith is objective. Biblical faith is based upon a particular object, or person really, and that person is not you or me or anyone else except the one Person of Jesus Christ. And Jesus Christ is: “I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.” Rev 1:8 NASU

Jesus is: “Do not be afraid; I am the first and the last, and the living One; and I was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of death and of Hades. Rev 1:17-18 NASU

Jesus is: “…fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Heb 12:1 NASU

Jesus is: “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me. John 14:6 NASU

Jesus is: “…And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,

Eternal Father, Prince of Peace. Isa 9:6 NASU

Jesus is all of this and more! This is the One in whom our faith is in and upon whom our faith rests. So, even though we don’t live by our feelings, are you feeling a little better about living by faith now? Are you feeling a little more confident about walking by faith now, instead of walking by sight, or by your feelings? Do you believe that you can better deal with the twists and turns and the drops and spins of this roller coaster of life now…now that your trust is in this One who is Sovereign over all of life and who is your beginning and end, who was dead and is alive forever more and has given His ‘forever more life’ to you, to share with you? Absolutely! Brethren, because your faith is now resting in this Person who is the Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, and Prince of Peace, you have every reason to even feel a whole lot better about whatever life has in store yet ahead of you! Again, you and I not only can now walk by faith…we can walk by faith with the Person in whom our faith stands!

Now then, since our faith is based upon a Person, that also takes our faith to another level. We could say it takes our faith to another dimension, too, one of which is ‘the Present’. What do we mean by that?

We often talk about life in terms of the past, present, and future. The problem is, we don’t often deal with any of them very well. One of the quotes from Charles Swindoll that came out of this recent PK conference was this: “Your past just ended one second ago.” And instead of elaborating very much on that statement, they just sort of paused, and let it sink in. So we’re going to pause a moment and let that sink in: “Your past just ended one second ago.”

How about if we ask a question at this point? And the question is: Where do you live? And we’re not talking about your address. We’re talking about your attitude. And by ‘attitude’ here we mean the actual definition of attitude: ‘A complex mental state involving beliefs and feelings and values and dispositions to act in certain ways.’ You mean ‘attitude’ means all of that? Yeah, that’s quite a load, right? But it does expand what we mean by our ‘attitude’. So now, let’s ask the question again: Where do you live? Or: What is your mental state involving your beliefs and your feelings and your values and dispositions that causes you to act in certain ways?

Anyway, the point is this: And let’s just narrow it down to this: What is it that is mostly causing you to think and act today in the certain ways that you are thinking and acting? And how much of that is related to Swindoll’s statement: “Your past just ended one second ago”? Well, yes, it is said that we are a product of our past, but for the Christian there’s a whole lot more to that picture than just that…for we may be a product of our past, but we are never a prisoner of our past, nor are we a finished product either! Our God is continually working in us and on us because His plan is to work through us in order to bless others and us.

Here is a verse that you should carry to encourage you about that: Phil 1:6- “For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.” NASU God began a good work in you and will complete what He started. And so you see, Every day we open a new door for what God has in store for blessing others and us, too.

Remember, as Christians, our past does not define us. Nor do our interpretations of our past, nor do other’s interpretations of our past define us either. In fact, we need to understand that all of those interpretations, ours and others, are all filled with faulty interpretations that rises out of faulty human reasoning.

In other words, you can’t trust either your own or other’s interpretations of who you have been or who really are. In fact, you simply need to let go of whatever image it is that you have of yourself or whatever image someone else has of you and fix your eyes on another image, that ‘image’ which is also included in this ‘wonderful work’ that God began in you and is continuing to do. So what do we mean by that?

Here’s a verse that you ought to do some serious meditation on…like if you are looking for something for your relaxation exercises…dwell on this wondrous truth: 2 Cor 3:18- “But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit.” NASU

Pretty marvelous, right? And what a ‘yank on the chain’ of mankind’s inherent obsession over our own self-image? Man is obsessed with his own self-image, and obsessed with even comparing that image with the images of others. But friends, That’s not a wise thing to do, you know? Remember what the Apostle Paul said about comparing ourselves with others? 2 Cor 10:12- “But they are only comparing themselves with each other, using themselves as the standard of measurement. How ignorant!” NLT

The point here is that when humans compare their image with the image of other humans, or use other people like the mirror in order to reach some sort of image that they feel good about…well that is utterly foolish! And why is that? Because, do not forget that the image of man was terribly marred by sin in the Fall of Man, and that image has become even more corrupted, and man’s image has never recovered. In fact, man’s image is beyond repair. Each person is in need not of a complete make-over, but of a complete regeneration, a completely new creation…a new creation in Christ. And that new creation is what God does in our salvation. 2 Cor 5:17- “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.” NKJV

And along with this creation of a new spirit from Christ comes this work of God, with us working with Him, to form a new image in us, Christ’s image in us. In other words, our goal is not a good self-image of ourselves; no, our goal is now a godly image that is more and more like that of our Savior’s image! Which means, this is a whole new focus in what we are now trying to see formed in our lives. Our focus is now not on our self-image, but on forming our Savior’s image in us. Which, also by the way, is a very liberating way to think and to live, and is just another example of how our God is trying to help make our lives more peaceful and soul satisfying. You see, most people are mentally bound up and emotionally shackled from this focus on trying to feel good about their own self-image. That’s not freedom…that’s bondage. It’s like continually walking through the briar patch of self-pride or self-pity. And either one or the other of these thorny sins is going to stick you over and over. And that’s why a self-focused life is never at peace, never satisfied, never content.

Again, in spite of how innocent this concept of a good self-image sounds, a good self-image is not the goal of discipleship. A godly image of your Savior’s image is the goal of discipleship. And along with that focus comes what our soul is actually longing for anyway…spiritual fulfillment, which is far better than self-fulfillment. To be filled with the Spirit instead of filled with the ‘self’ is far more fulfilling! Thank you Lord, Amen? Remember, our old self is the part that we are supposed to be emptying out day by day! You empty your ‘self’ so that you can make room to now be filled with the Spirit. Again, spiritual filling is far more fulfilling than any kind of fulfillment you can ever experience through self-fulfillment.

(You might have observed by now that one thing we are focusing on here is that we are trying to unravel faulty human concepts so that we can think about these things with more Biblical clarity.)

This will help, and then we’ll have to wrap it up for this time: What Paul told the Galatian believers about the goal he was striving and laboring toward is exactly what we are talking about: Gal 4:19-20- “My children, with whom I am again in labor until Christ is formed in you — “ NASU And the ERV puts it like this: “My little children, I am in pain again over you, like a mother giving birth. I will feel this pain until people can look at you and see Christ.” That’s our goal! That is the image we are to be seeking to build and to form in our lives; this image of our Savior so that others can see more of Jesus in us and through us.

This is also a clear way to evaluate your spiritual growth in your Christian life. Where are you in your spiritual growth? You can measure that. For example: You can measure your spiritual and practical maturity by this simple test: Children say “Look at me, look at me.” But Disciples are to say: “Look at Christ, look at Christ.” Which is your wish? You see, our focus is to see the image of Christ formed more and more in us, so that others will see something of Jesus more and more through us. A maturing Disciple wants to be more and more like Jesus! When that is your focus, you will know that you are growing more and more mature in your Christian life…however, not until that becomes your focus. Remember, Jesus said you can’t serve God and mammon…well, neither can you form God’s image and man’s image. One Bible version puts what Paul said about it like this: “Indeed, I have been crucified with Christ. My ego is no longer central. It is no longer important that I appear righteous before you or have your good opinion…Christ lives in me. The life you see me living is not “mine,” but it is lived by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me. I am not going to go back on that.” Gal 2:20-21 The Message Bible

One more thing: In order to form Christ’s image more and more in us, we also have to switch mirrors so that we can look more, not at ourselves or others, but at our Lord. Look at what James says about that: James 1:25- “But if you look carefully into the perfect law that sets you free, and if you do what it says and don’t forget what you heard, then God will bless you for doing it.” NLT This ‘perfect law that sets you free’ is the Word of God. This is the mirror to use….the Bible…This is the mirror which shows us what to correct, what to change, what to continue, and what to call our attention to in order to conform more and more to the godly image of our Savior Jesus Christ.

And get this: Today is a new day to begin again. In fact, your past just ended one second ago. Today is a new day to look into the mirror of God’s Word and to see His smile looking back at us, along with His new mercies and loving-kindnesses, which are new every morning. Sure, we might look pretty rough in the mirror in the morning, but when we look in the mirror of God’s Word, that’s where we can see the face of God, who loves us and is willing and anxious to work with us to form His image a little more in us day by day. And again, it’s not a good self-image that brings fulfillment and satisfaction to your life and soul, but a godly image in ourselves that gives us inner joy and peace and fulfillment. Remember, in our daily Christian walk, what we are trying to do is that we are trying to replace what’s messed up with that which is marvelous. What’s messed up is our old self…and what’s marvelous is the Spirit of Christ indwelling our new self. And you’ll know which one you are working from by ‘whose image’ you are focused on…yours or your Savior’s.

One of the greatest compliments anyone can ever give you is for them to say: “You know, I can see a lot of Jesus in you.” That’s like hearing, ‘Well done, thou good and faithful servant.”

Assorted Lessons for Us Life-Long Learners, Pt. 3

Study Guide, August 23, 2020

Pastor Clay Olsen

https://www.facebook.com/watch/live/?v=1168296970194138

So here is another gift I received last week along with the chocolates…a can of kippered herrings. They are German Bratherings or Fried Herrings. Many people love these things. I learned that this was one of Martin Luther’s favorite dishes…fried herrings with green peas and mustard. That would help power up the Reformation, right?

Actually, herrings are like a ‘super food’. One filet has 33 grams of protein…that’s more than in a protein shake. And herring lowers bad cholesterol and raises good cholesterol, along with lowering blood pressure. Plus, they are filled with antioxidants, omega 3’s, vitamins D and B-12. So you can add this to your diet and power up!

Assorted illustrations for assorted lessons…that’s how we are rolling in our recent studies of some great lessons from the Promise Keepers Conference. So let’s consider some more together.

If anyone is going to challenge you to a deeper devotion and a higher commitment in your discipleship, it’s going to be Dr. Tony Evans. Tony Evans has been leading, teaching, and inspiring men and women for years and years to step up the pace in their Christian walk. And in the recent conference he did so again by exhorting Christians to refocus their attention. Here’s what we mean…

Throughout the Bible the word ‘Christian’ is mentioned just two times. Yup, two times. While the word ‘Kingdom’ is mentioned 321 times! Now, not all of these times are in direct reference to the Kingdom of God, but many are. And the point is that the Christian life is not all about just being a Christian, as crucial as it is to become a Christian. But the Christian life is not all about just being a Christian….rather, the Christian life is all about living for the Kingdom because you now are a Christian! It’s not just what you are living ‘as’…living ‘as a Christian’; it’s about what you are living ‘for’ as a Christian…what are you seeking first as a Christian. Life is not just about living your life as a Christian man or Christian woman. No, life is about becoming a Christian and then living your life as a ‘Kingdom’ man or ‘Kingdom’ woman.

Once a person becomes a born again Christian, their priority focus is to then be fixed on living for the Kingdom of God…or…seeking first the Kingdom of God. Remember that? Matt 6:33- “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.” KJV By the way, that’s quite a division of life represented here. Life is made up of two aspects: ‘The kingdom of God’ and ‘Things’. After the kingdom of God, everything else is just ‘things’. So we could ask it another way: “Are you seeking first the kingdom of God” or “Are you seeking first the ‘things’ of this world? The Kingdom of God or Things…that simplifies the picture, don’t you think?

So much of our focus is locked onto the ‘things’ of this world. And sure, there’s nothing wrong with enjoying all the good things that God has given us to enjoy. There is even a Bible passage that points this out: 1 Tim 6:17-19- “…they should place their confidence in God who richly provides us with everything to enjoy. Tell them to do good, to do a lot of good things, to be generous, and to share. By doing this they store up a treasure for themselves which is a good foundation for the future. In this way they take hold of what life really is.” God’s Word Version

So our loving and generous God gives us many good things to enjoy. Thank you Lord. And, of course, good things are even made better when we share our good things, and do good things with our good things, which then become rewardable things that God gives to us to enjoy forever in the Kingdom of Heaven.

So again, ‘Things’ are not a problem, unless….unless the ‘things of this world’ replace the ‘kingdom of God’ in our priorities of what we are seeking ‘first’! And we can even partially measure that by how we answer this question: Do you just see yourself as a Christian, or do you see yourself as a Kingdom Christian? You see, By the grace of God you have become a Christian. But for the glory of God, have you become a Kingdom Christian? Making you a Christian is God’s work. But making yourself a Kingdom Christian is your work. The conversion of your soul is the work of God in you. But the conversion of your service is your work for God. Like Joshua said: “Choose you this day who you will serve!” Actually, we have to choose everyday…we have to make the choice that- “Today, I will serve my King and seek first His kingdom and His righteousness!”

Would you describe yourself as a Kingdom man or a Kingdom woman? That means that you are seeking to be a Matthew 6:33 man or woman. And in being a Matthew 6:33 man or woman, that means that you are now seeking to be a ‘first things first’ Christian man or Christian woman. And a ‘first things first’ Christian man or Christian woman is one that is now living as one who is seeking first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, which come first, as in, before anything and everything else in life; like all of the things of life.

A lot of the Christian life is about re-orienting your thinking about life. We even have to re-orient our understanding about life itself and then re-purpose our life according to that. In fact, a ‘Kingdom Christian’ even thinks about this world in ‘kingdom’ terms. For example: When it comes to thinking about this world, we naturally think in terms of ‘life on planet Earth’. But while ‘Earth’ does represent a physical planet…it more so represents a present kingdom. And it is a kingdom that is passing away. And it is not only passing away…it is also about to be overcome by another kingdom. Remember what Jesus told Pilate? John 18:36-37- “Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, then My servants would be fighting so that I would not be handed over to the Jews; but as it is, My kingdom is not of this realm.” Therefore Pilate said to Him, “So You are a king?” Jesus answered, “You say correctly that I am a king. For this I have been born, and for this I have come into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice.” NASU

By the way, in that last statement by Jesus we are given a clue as to what marks a person who, in their state of ‘pre-conversion’, is responding to the work of the Holy Spirit in drawing them to Christ and salvation. The clue is this: “Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice.” ‘Of the truth’ refers to someone who, by the power being supplied to them by the Holy Spirit, is seeking to find God as their Lord and Savior. Remember the promise of Jer 29:13- “You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart.” NASU What an amazing and loving promise of God, which friends, also comforts us in that we can rest assured that everyone who is seeking God with all of their heart to find God as their Lord and Savior will find Him. Yes, we do have to be vigilant and urgent about getting the Gospel out to others around us, but at the same time, we can also be assured that none will be lost who seek the Lord with all of their heart. God knows the hearts of people, and every heart that seeks to know Him as their Lord and Savior will find Him as such.

But, again, what all of life comes down to is that it comes down to two kingdoms. Note carefully Col 1:13-14- “For He has rescued us from the kingdom of darkness and transferred us into the Kingdom of His dear Son, Who purchased our freedom and forgave our sins.” Two kingdoms: the kingdom of darkness and the kingdom of Christ; the kingdom of death and the kingdom of life. And every person belongs to either one or the other of these kingdoms. Praise God, part of our salvation was that God transferred us out of the kingdom of death and into His kingdom of life. But now as citizens of this kingdom of life…and now as servants of the King of the kingdom of life, and as royal sons and daughters of the King who is about to impose His kingdom upon this world and establish His kingdom over the whole world, we are to be serving our King day after day by seeking first the Kingdom of God and promoting the righteousness of the King, who is our God.

Men, there is something within you that can only be satisfied by one thing, and that is; service to your King. Like the Knights of old, who found their joy and even their identity in serving their King, who found their sense of significance and their purpose in living by serving their King, who would live for and even give their life up for their King, so every man was made to serve a King…King Jesus.

Many men are wandering through life wondering what it is that seems to be missing, no matter what they accomplish or no matter what they achieve. There is still something missing. Well, it will always be missing until they find what that one thing is; it is their need for a King to serve and a Lord to love above themselves. Every man needs a King to serve and a Lord to love above themselves, and that King and Lord is Jesus.

It’s the same kind of longing within women. Ladies, there is something within you that can only be satisfied by one thing, and that is, your need for a Lord to love and a King to serve above yourself., love and service for your King and your God. We see it most clearly in Mary, and in what Mary revealed: Luke 1:38- “I am the Lord’s servant,” said Mary; “may it happen to me as You have said.” And the angel left her.” 46-50- “Mary said, “My heart praises the Lord; my soul is glad because of God my Savior, for He has remembered me, His lowly servant! From now on all people will call me happy, because of the great things the Mighty God has done for me. His name is holy; from one generation to another He shows mercy to those who honor Him.” TEV

Yes, God has made you a princess to honor your value as His own child. But like Mary, you are now to make yourself His servant…and when you make yourself His servant, you then honor His value to you as your Lord and your King.

Many women are wandering through life wondering what it is that is missing, even if they seem to have everything they could want. Still, it is the same thing they are looking for, and what Mary found. Mary found her joy and even her identity in loving and serving her Lord and King. She found her sense of significance and her purpose in living by loving and serving her King, whom she would live for and would even give up her life for if it came to that.

Every woman was made to love and serve her King…King Jesus. And nothing can ever take the place of that or eliminate that need. And it will always be missing until they find that one thing: It is their need for a Lord to love and a King to serve above themselves. Every woman needs a Lord to love and a King to serve above themselves, and that Lord and King is Jesus.

So add that to your identity about yourself; either, ‘I am a Kingdom man’ or ‘I am a Kingdom woman’. And then think about this world around you as a kingdom that is passing away and is about to be replaced by your King’s kingdom. Which also means that as Kingdom Christians, we are on assignment by our King to be promoting the very things that are about to replace this passing kingdom; like that ‘righteousness’ that Matthew 6:33 pointed out. And here, we know that we have been given Christ’s righteousness for our salvation, but Matthew 6:33 is stressing our need to now live righteously, as a saved Kingdom believer. Notice again: Matt 6:33- “Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and He will give you everything you need.” NLT

Along with our salvation we were given a new standard of living; righteousness. That’s another difference in how a Kingdom Christian thinks from the world. When the world thinks about their ‘standard of living’, again, they think in terms of the things of this world; their physical standard of living. But when a Kingdom Christian thinks about their standard of living, their first focus is not on their physical standard of living, but on their spiritual standard of living, not foremost on the things of this world, but foremost on now ‘living righteously’ in this world, for ‘living righteously’ is now their first ‘standard of living’!

And the thing is, unlike a person’s physical standard of living that can be out of their control because of the hard circumstances of life, a Kingdom Christian’s spiritual standard of living is outside of the circumstances of life. And therefore, the Kingdom Christian, by the power of the Holy Spirit, can control his or her spiritual standard of living. Like, again, “As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” And friends, it is not only a great blessing to our King when we live for His kingdom and His righteousness, but it is also satisfies that inner craving in your soul, like nothing else can do, to be of great service to your King.

Brothers and Sisters, by God’s grace you have become a Christian. And now for God’s glory, live as a Kingdom Christian, seeking first the kingdom of God, and living righteously for the sake of your King.

Assorted Lessons for Us Life-Long Learners, Pt. 2

Study Guide, August 16, 2020

Pastor Clay Olsen

https://www.facebook.com/watch/live/?v=303010087711014

So, how much do you think the chocolate industry takes in each year in sales? How about 100 Billion dollars! Chocolate is an annual 100 Billion dollar industry. And worth every penny, right? Well, chocolate has always been viewed as super valuable throughout its history. In fact, the Mayans loved it so much they even gave it the name that the word ‘chocolate’ is derived from. They named it ‘xocoatl’, and it meant ‘food of the gods’. The Mayans even worshipped a god of cacao. Now that’s a serious chocolate addiction, don’t you think? Yes, and they reserved chocolate for rulers, warriors, priests, and nobles at sacred ceremonies. Well, there’s a special place in my heart for chocolate, too, but obviously, they got a little carried away with it all.

However, the cacao bean does seem like one more evidence that this world was created by a very loving God…Coffee is the other evidence that settles that matter.

But, as an example of just how valuable chocolate has been throughout history, it is recorded that on one of the Spanish conquistador’s explorations to Mexico, Cortez was supposedly bringing back gold and silver. But on one trip all he brought back was chocolate. And everybody was happy with that! You could try that….you could do that with your presents for others. Just tell them you were going to give them gold and silver, but then you decided to go with chocolate instead. If it worked for Cortez…it could work for you…

Actually, chocolate has some benefits that gold and silver can’t give you. That’s right, chocolate has been found to have several benefits for your heart, with all its antioxidants. Other studies show how beneficial it is for the brain, assisting in improved cognitive functions. Chocolate is also called ‘good mood food’. That even has a nice ring to it. But really, it has substances that interact with dopamine and serotonin to assist with good mood regulation.

Anyway, before I get this box yanked away from me, we’d better move into some of the other wonderful assorted chocolate truths we began studying last time from the recent Promise Keeper’s Conference. And, of course, the benefits of these even far surpass the benefits of our beloved chocolates.

There’s a fascinating verse in the Proverbs which states: Prov 28:1- “The wicked run away when no one is chasing them, but the godly are as bold as lions.” NLT And the reason why we can be bold, and also what we are to be bold about, is the same thing: Truth. We can be bold because of God’s truths, and because God’s truths have also set us free from sin and death. And therefore, we can be bold with others about God’s truths, and bold in sharing His truths with others, as long as we are careful to be something else as well…for the Benham brothers were particularly burdened about pointing out this particular ‘something’: They said we must remember that “boldness apart from brokenness makes a bully. But boldness with brokenness make a bridge…a bridge between God and others.” If our boldness before others is not connected with our brokenness before God, then others will be ‘put off’ by our proclamations because they will see us as ‘puffed up’. And when others see you as ‘puffed up’ they won’t see you as a ‘bridge’ to anything. In fact, the Apostle Paul warned us of this very thing. I love how the King James puts it: 1 Cor 8:1- “Knowledge puffeth up, but charity edifieth.” KJV So to be ‘puffed up’ is one thing, but to be ‘puffethed up’, that’s a real problem. Another version puts it like this: We know that “we all have knowledge,” as you say. But this knowledge puffs a person up with pride, while love helps the church grow stronger.” ERV

The Greek word is ‘phusioo’, and it does mean ‘to inflate’ or ‘to be inflated’. That’s quite a description of self-pride: to be ‘inflated with yourself’. No wonder they say that arrogant people are full of hot air. They sort of are…they are inflated with their own puffed up self-importance. That’s why we have the dual duty of speaking truth in love and loving in truth. It can’t be either-or because truth without love is legalism..and love without truth is licentiousness…but truth with love is liberty!

People around us need you and me to be their ‘bridge’ to truth…their ‘bridge’ to Christ. They have enough bullies around them, at their jobs, and in their social circles, and such. And they have enough bad influences around them, too, who just enable them to continue in their distorted opinions about right and wrong and such. What they need is someone who neither condemns them nor coddles them, but carries them…carries them like a bridge from where they are to where God is. Speaking truth in love and loving in truth is being that bridge. And that’s all that God is looking for you and for me to be. Remember, God is the One that draws people to Himself over the ‘people bridges’ He has put in their way. And He draws them to the Cross, which is the final bridge between people and God. And that is the final bridge of the Cross of Christ is where they can be set free from sin and saved with God. We are like small bridges helping people get to the final bridge of the Cross.

And that’s always what we are trying to accomplish with others…to help them become set free, to liberate them from the bondage of falsehood and sin and death. The goal in our relationships with others is not winning a debate, but helping them become free from their captivity to sin and death and the snare of the devil. Remember, others around you who have not yet been set free by embracing Jesus as the One who is the Way, the Truth, and the Life are all living in a condition of bondage. They live each day as a captive. Regardless of how they look on the outside, they are in bondage and captivity on the inside. Regardless of how alive they look physically, they are dead in trespasses and sin spiritually.

They live from a position of being spiritually dead, whereas, because Jesus has given us new life in Him, we live from a position of being spiritually alive. And as such, you and I are meant to be a bridge between others and God. And the way that you are perceived as a bridge by others is by staying broken before God. Now, not broken, as in unstable emotionally or unstable mentally or anything like that, but broken in the sense that the Psalmist described it: Ps 51:17- “The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; A broken and a contrite heart, O God, You will not despise.” NASU

By the way, did you know that those are part of the sacrifices that God is looking for you to offer Him day by day…a broken and contrite heart? Yeah, so be sure and add that to the sacrifices that you are to offer to God as a New Testament priest…offer your own broken and contrite heart. And that refers to a heart that is bowed down to the Lordship of Christ over your life and is ‘contrite’ or cognizant and ever aware that it is only because of God’s mercy and grace that you are a now forgiven and a forever child of the Heavenly Father. And you see, this attitude that we lift up before God is to be the same attitude that we live with before others. And how that looks to God is as ‘homage’ before God. How that looks to others is as ‘humility’ before others. You see, the only place for self-pride is at the foot of the Cross. And that’s where you and I need to keep ours.

Friends, our need in life is to identify what God will use in our lives to accomplish His purposes in our lives, as well as to also identify what God will not use in our lives because it does not accomplish His purposes for our lives. And what we have clearly identified that God uses for His purposes is that He uses a broken and contrite spirit. And we have also clearly identified something that He will not use, and that is a proud and arrogant spirit, a self-inflated spirit. So remember, you gain nothing by not loving in truth. You gain nothing by not speaking and living out truth in love. But you gain much every day by speaking truth in love and by loving in truth.

All right…now, speaking of being bold for truth’s sake, really for Christ’s sake…another principle was brought out that went like this: ‘You can either see a giant as too big to fight, or you can see a giant as too big to miss!’ The Benham’s talked about David’s attitude in his fight against the Philistine warrior ‘Goliath’. Where most saw this giant as a foe that was too big to fight, David saw him as a target that was too big to miss. Now, that’s not to say that David never experienced any fear about any of it. But like was also pointed out – you can’t take a step of courage if there is no fear to face. Courage is the noble response to the reality of fear. The existence of fear is the opportunity for the experience of courage. Or like John Wayne, the Duke, used to put it: “Courage is being scared to death, but saddling up anyway.” But the great thing about it all is that the Spirit of God is the great Encourager in our lives. God pours courage into us so that we can even make fear produce something else besides just fear…we can make it produce courage and good works for God.

But it’s also important to notice something else in the background of that scene of David fighting Goliath, because it reveals why David had the courage that he had when it came to this giant. Notice: 1 Sam 17:34-37- “But David said to Saul, “Your servant was tending his father’s sheep. When a lion or a bear came and took a lamb from the flock, I went out after him and attacked him, and rescued it from his mouth; and when he rose up against me, I seized him by his beard and struck him and killed him. Your servant has killed both the lion and the bear; and this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, since he has taunted the armies of the living God. And David said, “The Lord who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear, He will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine.” NASU

Before David ever went to battle with Goliath he had gone to battle against lions and bears…oh my! Whenever I read that account I am always amazed that David was not only courageous, he must have been really quick, too…grabbing the lion by its mouth and then clubbing it at the same time. But the point that was being made about this is that David had already been fighting against other giants before he ever had to face this giant. But even more, David had been fighting for victory when no one was watching, and that prepared him to fight for victory when others were watching. It’s what you do when it’s just God and you that determines what God will do through you when it now includes others and you. Remember what is said about your character? Your real character is who you are when no one is watching. That’s one of the reasons we each need our ‘quiet times’ with God and in God’s Word, because it’s what we learn about God and what God forms in us through our quiet times that determines what we will know and how we will fight when it gets loud all around us. And the world always gets loud around us, so we need quiet times with God before us.

I have also been impressed with something else, too, about that fight between David and Goliath. It was not only the skills that David had in the fight…it was the attitude David took to the fight. Remember? 1 Sam 17:45- “Then David said to the Philistine, “You come to me with a sword, a spear, and a javelin, but I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have taunted…” 47- “…for the battle is the Lord’s and He will give you into our hands.” NASU Whatever battles we have to fight, whatever giants we have to face, we are not to fight them in our name or for our glory, but to fight them in the name of the Lord of hosts, and for God’s glory, and to then realize that we are never alone in any battle, for the battle is the Lords, and He will give the enemy into our hands.

And in knowing this, we can then also act on this: 1 Sam 17:48- “Then it happened when the Philistine rose and came and drew near to meet David, that David ran quickly toward the battle line to meet the Philistine.” NASU David didn’t wait for the battle to finally reach him. No, he ran to the battle to fight the good fight for the Lord. Friends, we are already on the battlefield. We were born onto a battlefield. And we are called to fight the good fight of faith, knowing that our Lord has already won. And since Christ has already won, whatever fight it is that we face, we fight it as victors, not as victims.

Sooner or later, all enemies of God, even sin and death will be defeated. Plus, anyone who has made himself or herself an enemy of God’s by not bowing before Jesus and repenting and becoming saved, while they stood in this life, will one day bow as one who is unsaved and will be made to confess that Jesus is Lord. Phil 2:9-11- “For this reason also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus EVERY KNEE WILL BOW, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” NASU

Assorted Lessons for us Life-long Learners

Study Guide, August 9, 2020

Pastor Clay Olsen

Click here to watch on Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/watch/live/?v=769179160577350

Whether it’s your birthday or an anniversary or Christmas, or any special day, one gift that you cannot go wrong with is right here: Assorted Chocolates! If you are ever in doubt about what gift to get someone just pick up a box of assorted chocolates! It just goes from good to very good to really good to super good…but the thing is; it’s all good! That’s the way the national Promise Keeper conferences are whenever they have one. It’s just ‘all good’! And we simulcasted the last one here at the Chapel the end of July. All the sessions and all the teachers just have good and very good and really good and super good lessons that they shared with us. And so we wanted to share an assortment of some of those good lessons with you, too.

For instance, the Benham brothers reminded us all that the way that you see yourself is going to be the way that you act. Look at this passage from Prov 4:18-23- “The path of those who live right is like the early morning light. It gets brighter and brighter until the full light of day. But the path of the wicked is like a dark night. They trip and fall over what they cannot see. My son, pay attention to what I say. Listen closely to my words. Don’t let them out of your sight. Never stop thinking about them. These words are the secret of life and health to all who discover them. Above all, be careful what you think because your thoughts control your life.” ERV

Think about this: If you don’t have a focused and objective identity that you carry and then conduct yourself by then both your identity and your actions will pretty much be fuzzy and subjective…as in basically ‘feelings driven’ rather than ‘faith defined’. And notice, we didn’t say ‘faith-driven’. Why not? I like the way that Dr. Bill Bright used to say that our life is like a train, where the engine symbolizes ‘facts’, and the car symbolizes ‘faith’, and the caboose symbolizes ‘feelings’. And right away we can see why our lives dare not be driven by our feelings, because a caboose makes a terrible engine. Rather, a caboose doesn’t make an engine at all. A caboose is not going to take you where you need to go, and neither will your feelings. By being feelings driven, you may indeed experience a lot of life, but you will not have gone where God intended to take you. By being feelings driven, you may even experience an abundance of things in life, but you will not have have experienced ‘the abundant life’ that God intended for you. By being feelings driven, you will have even grown in age and even knowledge, but you will not have grown in maturity and wisdom.

There are a lot of driving forces in life, but make sure that ‘feelings’ is not thee driving force in your life. Like a caboose, ‘feelings’ are meant to follow…for they have no ability to lead, nor were they ever intended to lead your life. And to trust in them, or as our culture puts it; ‘just trust your own heart’…that is a sign that you have defaulted to a seriously faulty way to think and live. And most people are rather surprised when they learn this verse: Prov 28:26- “He who trusts in his own heart is a fool, But he who walks wisely will be delivered.” NASU We do not need to be directed by our feelings, or by our heart. No, what we need is that we need to be delivered from being directed by our heart, and then be directed by our Maker’s heart…directed by our Creator’s heart and revelations about life…or, directed by God’s wisdom, not by our foolish thinking or inclinations and such.

Which brings us to a fascinating point, because we also said that our life should not be ‘faith driven’ either. Interesting, huh? And this can be a little tricky because many of us know the passage that reminds us: 2 Cor 5:6-9- “Therefore, being always of good courage, and knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord — for we walk by faith, not by sight; we are of good courage, I say, and prefer rather to be absent from the body and to be at home with the Lord. Therefore, we also have as our ambition, whether at home or absent, to be pleasing to Him.” NASU

By the way, how wonderful to know that for a born-again Christian, as soon as you become absent from the body you are immediately at home with the Lord. Plus, how amazing was Paul’s faith! He says he preferred to become absent from his body so that he could be at home with the Lord. And, you know, as wacky as this world has become, I’m hearing that sentiment a whole lot more coming from many believers today. You know what I’m saying? It’s like there’s a whole lot more ‘Rapture practicing’ going on these days…people trying to catch some air…It’s coming, we will be ‘caught up’ together, to meet the Lord in the air. It’s coming. So keep your eyes on the skies, brothers and sisters!

And do you remember in Philippians Paul also said: “For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.” Phil 1:21 NASU So here, Paul even teaches us a whole new way to think about death! He said ‘to die is gain!’ What? Has that truth sunk into your attitude about life and death yet? Do you think about death that way, your death? Like: “One day I will die. And when I die, it will not just be my death, it will be my gain!” Like, not just the day of my death is coming, but the day of ‘my gain’ is coming.

What a reality check about death, right? For most people, the concept that surrounds death is ‘loss’. But Paul reveals that for the one whose life is united to Christ, the concept that is to surround death is ‘gain’! Yes, the day that you die will be your last day on this present Earth, but it will also be your first day in Heaven…in your real Home! Praise God!

So, yes, we are to walk by faith, and not by sight, or by feelings and such…however, like the car in the train, faith itself is not the driving force. No, faith is also meant to follow something…faith is to follow the engine. And what is the engine? Rom 10:17- “So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ.” NASU So ‘faith’ is based upon the Gospel of Christ and the words Christ. Faith is based upon the revelation of Christ and the teachings of Christ. Or, faith is designed to follow the facts. The engine is the facts of life…the revelations of Christ. That is what God intends your life and my life to be driven by…driven by the facts of God’s Word. Every day make a course correction so that you will neither be feelings driven nor faith driven, but facts driven…driven by the facts of God’s Word. Remember what God said to Joshua about that? Josh 1:7-8- “Only be strong and very courageous; be careful to do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, so that you may have success wherever you go. 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 success.” NASU Let the engine of the Scriptures drive your world, and form your identity, and control your conduct. And when your feelings try to take over, remember to take them back to the caboose where they belong.

So back to the Benham Brothers…they reminded us Christians that # 1 – We are Ministers of the Lord; # 2 – We are on Mission for the Lord; and #3 – Our work is our worship. Now that’s some good chocolate teaching to chew on right there, right? But how about that? Every member of the Body of Christ is also a Minister of the Lord Jesus Christ. When you were converted in your soul, you were also given a new identity, several really, but this is a really good one: ‘Minister of the Lord Jesus Christ’. Do you think of yourself that way? Certainly, your vocation might be labeled something different; Chemist, Teacher, Computer Analyst, Pastor, and so on…but as to who you actually are in the Body of Christ, you are a Minister of the Lord Jesus Christ. And what do Ministers in the Body of Christ do? Ministers in the Body of Christ do ministry for the Body of Christ. Gal 6:9-10- “Let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we will reap if we do not grow weary. So then, while we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, and especially to those who are of the household of the faith.” NASU

You know something? ‘Burn-out’ is really over-rated. It really is…what we really need to watch out for is ‘Rust-out’. Now certainly, there is a balance. Even Jesus once told His disciples, “Come apart and rest awhile.” One application of that is that, yes, if you don’t rest once in a while, you will just come apart. So, be smart…don’t come apart. But on the other hand, some people have sort of made this their ‘life verse… ‘Come apart and rest awhile…as in, as much as possible! That’s called a mis-application. Rather, Jesus’s ministry was characterized by this: “Jesus went about doing good.”

Remember, Jesus was the Chief Minister to the Body of Christ, who like the Scriptures pointed out, at every opportunity Jesus went about doing good to all people, and especially to those in the household of faith. Friends, Jesus’ lifestyle is our example for ministry in our lives. Those are our marching orders. And we do not have to be worried about becoming weary, because God has promised to fill us with the power that comes from the fruit of the Spirit to do ‘the good’ that God intends for us to do to all people, but especially to those in the Body of Christ. Remember, it is God who is able. We just have to be willing. It is God who supplies the power. We just have to provide the will. We just have to remember to be willing to answer the call each day and say to God: “Lord, not my will, but Thy will be done.”

Now, that’s some good chocolate truth right there, right? So now, what about that 3^rd part: Your work is your worship? What is worship? Maybe we should ask it differently: “What isn’t” or “what can’t be”? Maybe it would help if we opened up another window to a familiar passage in order to see what is not often seen. 1 Cor 10:31- “Whether then, you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.” NASU The Greek word Paul chose for ‘glory’ here is ‘doxa’. ‘Doxa’? That sounds familiar, right? As in ‘doxology’? When we think of ‘doxology’ we think of the worship chorus of the ‘Doxology’: “Praise God from whom all blessings flow. Praise Him all creatures here below. Praise Him above ye heavenly host. Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Amen”

I remember the Baseball pitcher for the Los Angeles Dodgers, Orel Hershiser, or his nickname…Bulldog. The year they won the World Series, Johnny Carson was interviewing him on his show and asked him how he maintained his focus while he was pitching. And he said that he often sang the Doxology in his mind, and it really helped him concentrate and focus on his work. And then Johnny Carson asked him if he minded singing it. So on the Johnny Carson show Orel Hershiser sang the words to the Doxology. It was a terrific testimony! It was also an example of no matter what your work is that you are working on, whether it be pitching for the Los Angeles Dodgers or plowing a field on a farm, God did not intend for our work just to be a way we make a living…no, God intended our work to also be a way that we offer our worship to our God, as well as to be a witness to others. So when you offer your day to God, and commit your day to God…offer and commit your work to God as well. And offer it as a form of worship to God. In fact, we could inter-change that word ‘glory’ in the verse so as to also be: “Whether, then, you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the worship of God.”

How does that expand your field of view as to what it means to ‘worship’ God? Whatever you do…be sure to connect ‘worship of God’ with it, and then offer it to God, and watch the changes it makes in doing whatever it is that you do. Remember, ‘worship’ is part of your make-up, part of your very being. You and I were created to worship. And that involves responding to our Creator with a daily recognition of His Lordship over our lives. Remember, God alone has the sole right of rule in our lives and over our lives. When Thomas realized Jesus’ full identity he said, “My Lord, and My God.” “My Lord” is the recognition of Jesus as absolute Ruler and as such calls for our full surrender. “My God” is the recognition of Jesus as our Creator, and as such calls for our commitment and service to the One who owns us. But “My Lord and my God” also is a recognition of Jesus’ amazing love for us as our Redeemer, and as such calls for our devotion and adoration and daily expressions of gratitude for such a love as this for us.

The object of our adoration; the foundation of our confidence; the source of our significance…this is what makes up ‘worship’, and makes up ‘Who’ we worship, and makes up ‘why’ we worship. So whatever you do today and tomorrow… “Whether, then, you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the worship of God.”

Kindness: The Make or Break Virtue

Study Guide, July 26, 2020

Pastor Clay Olsen

Sometimes we think we’re helping ourselves…but we’re really not. But let’s face it, if you really want to do yourself a favor…if you really want to do something that will be of a real help in your life, here it is: Prov 11:17- “You do yourself a favor when you are kind. If you are cruel, you only hurt yourself.” TEV Does that surprise you? What an amazing principle for life: Kindness to others is one of the most rewarding things you can do for yourself as well. On the other hand, cruelty to others, rudeness to others, harshness with others is one of the most damaging things you can do to yourself as well. There is no gain in rudeness…only loss. And there is great gain in kindness. And that is really good to know.

In fact, did you know that by developing and practicing the art of kindness that it even has physical benefits? For example: practicing kindness increases the serotonin levels in your brain. Being kind and doing kind things for others boosts this chemical in your body. Now, serotonin is a chemical that has a wide variety of functions in the human body. It is sometimes called the ‘happy chemical’ because it contributes to well-being and happiness. The scientific name for serotonin is 5-hydroxytryptamine, or 5-HT. Just thought you’d want to know that.

But go figure, by extending kindness in thoughts and words and deeds, your own brain is designed by God to reward you with greater feelings of satisfaction, well-being, and happiness. Kindness also increases the production of endorphins as well. And endorphins are often called “feel-good” chemicals because they can act as a pain reliever and a happiness booster. This entire reaction in the body for these acts of kindness is commonly called ‘the helper’s high.’ That’s right…the ‘helper’s high’. And that’s a legal kind of high! You don’t get into trouble for having this kind of ‘high’. It’s like kindness is intoxicating, in a really good way!

Well, and no wonder, because it’s also one of the fruits of the Spirit. Gal 5:22-23- “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control…” NASU And we are called to be filled with the Spirit. I love how the Amplified Verson puts this: Eph 5:18- “And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery; but ever be filled and stimulated with the [Holy] Spirit.” AMP ‘Be stimulated with the Holy Spirit…or be under the influence…like intoxicated with the Holy Spirit. How like our loving God to create us in such a way that when we obey His will by seeking to be filled with His Spirit, and under the control of His Spirit, and then growing holy fruit and doing holy things, like being kind to others…doing ‘kind’ things for others…treating others with kindness…that God has made us in such a way that it sets off chemical reactions in our brains to make us feel good things! How amazing is our God!

But that’s not all…for God has made us in such a way that kindness is also a natural stress reducer. Really…kindness releases the hormone ‘oxytocin’. Yes, and oxytoxin, dopamine, and serotonin are often referred to as our ‘happy hormones’. And so this helps with things like relaxation, positive social relationships, and just overall psychological stability.

So, are we done with the benefits? Not quite…for God has also made us in such a way that thoughts and acts of kindness assists the actual chemical balance of our heart. Nitric oxide is released in our blood vessels, which expands them. And so this reduces blood pressure and acts as a protective measure for our heart. Really, kindness strengthens the human heart physically and emotionally.¹

Pretty amazing, right? But wait…there’s more…and this is not a commercial! Helping others and practicing kindness toward others also helps reduce inflammation in the body. And inflammation is associated with all sorts of health problems. And while some are simply caused by genetics or hereditary factors, still, although kindness is not a drug, this ‘fruit of the Spirit’ can help us in our health battles. Thank you Lord!

We could even go further in listing further benefits of kindness in our lives. But there’s an even greater motivation than what we just revealed here about why we are to give such priority to this great virtue in our lives. Many people who visit Emerald Isle are impressed by a lot of things about this blessed community. But one of them is that Emerald Isle has an unusual motto: ‘Nice Matters’. That was a great vision by our Town Leaders to choose this motto, because it sets the tone and identifies the target that this community is aiming toward in how they are to treat one another and the attitude that its businesses and residents are to practice in dealing with each other on a day to day basis. It’s really good. Way to go Town Leaders.

But while this is a really good motto, the Scriptures even take it up a notch, because they reveal to us that not only is it true that Nice Matters, but it is also true that Kindness is Commanded. Kindness is commanded! Actually, the reason that nice matters is BECAUSE kindness is commanded. Kindness is not something that has anything to do with a person’s personality or their heritage or their up-bringing or their down-bringing or anything else…No, kindness is a virtue that is simply a command to act upon and to act out, due to the fact that God created us in His image, and His fundamental image includes this fundamental virtue of ‘kindness’. In other words, to be godly, you must be kind, for our God is kind.

Remember, when Moses asked to see God’s glory, God also proclaimed to Moses what His fundamental virtues were as well. And notice what He pointed out: Ex 34:6- “Then the Lord passed by in front of him and proclaimed, “The Lord, the Lord God, compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in lovingkindness and truth…” NASU The Hebrew word for ‘lovingkindness’ is also translated as ‘mercy’. God also emphasized this particular characteristic about Himself in the New Testament as well. And, again, it’s not a suggestion, but a command. Luke 6:36- “Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.” NASU

So this virtue, mercy…lovingkindness…kindness is a make or break virtue. Mark that down. You can have abilities, capabilities, talents, and gifts…but none of these will make up for a refusal to practice kindness. On the other hand, if you’re merciful, if you show lovingkindness, if you practice kindness in your relationships with others, then regardless of your abilities, capabilities, talents, or gifts, your usefulness and your significance is great in the family of God and you will be rewarded greatly in the Kingdom of God.

So again, not only is the development and practice of ‘kindness’ the best thing that you can do for yourself and others, it is one of the central commandments that God requires of His people. And how do we know that? Mic 6:8- “He has told you, O man, what is good; And what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?” NASU

‘To love kindness’…that’s an interesting combination of words. And why would God put it that way? Well, remember, by the power of the Holy Spirit, God’s people get to choose what they will love. It can be an acquired taste you know, like learning to love some foods that you used to not want at all. No doubt you can think of a few of examples of those foods that were like that for you. But, it’s like the difference between those deeds of the flesh from the fruit of the Spirit. Or, like we often say, the ‘weeds’ of the flesh from the ‘fruit’ of the Spirit. Converted Christians learn to love the fruit of the Spirit instead of some of those weeds that their old nature once loved. For example, look at the differences: Gal 5:19-23- “Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions, envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn you, just as I have forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control…” NASU

For those who have become followers of Christ, Christ is now looking for the formation of more and more Christ-like traits and virtues and habits in their lives. God even expects that we grow to ‘prefer’ these things in our lives; like remember; to ‘love kindness’ and to delight in showing kindness to others in your life. God expects that there would be less and less preference for those deeds and weeds that the flesh used to default to and used to treat others according to those damaging things like strife and jealousy and dissensions and such. Instead, God expects, even requires, as He said in Micah…He expects and requires us to come to the place where we prefer, even love showing kindness to others…mercy to others, just like our God does.

So, if we are not or have not come to the place in our lives that we love kindness, or that we prefer to show mercy to others in our lives, the question arises – Why not? What are we doing or what are we not doing that is interfering with the development of kindness in our lives? What is this barrier or barriers to becoming more Christ-like in our Christian life? Is it self-pride? Is it a critical spirit? Is it a bad habit of being rude? Is it a love of self before the Savior? You need to get it figured out!

Again, kindness is not an option for Christians. Kindness is a command. Certainly, it doesn’t rule out justice, since that is also required. It doesn’t rule out tough love, as we sure saw demonstrations of Jesus’ tough love when He overturned tables in the Temple and drove out those religious criminals. There’s a time for tough love and a time for tender love, right? But as far as the temperament that God expects us to develop and to practice in our day to day relationships with our family and our community, that is one that is to be characterized by ‘kindness’.

So there’s no wiggle room when it comes to how God expects His people to act toward, and treat, and deal with others. In fact, God has even worked it so that other things that we long for are dependent upon the development of this key virtue of kindness. Take ‘wisdom’ for example. Who doesn’t want to develop wisdom in their life? And yes, we know that the Proverbs reveal that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. It starts there, but guess what is next in line? And if you neglect the development of this one, then you have just limited yourself on developing the wisdom that God desires to give you, but He will with-hold if He doesn’t see us acting upon what He has required.

So here it is: Wisdom begins with the fear of God, but it’s conditional upon the development of kindness. That’s what the Apostle James reveals to us in 3:17-18- “But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, unwavering, without hypocrisy.” NASU This is a formula that needs to be precisely followed in order to develop godly wisdom. If you neglect, say, morality, or being peaceable, or being gentle and humble, or if you neglect seeking to grow in the practice of being merciful…of being kind to one another, then you will forfeit the very wisdom you desire and need in order to live a wise life.

Remember, you can have all kinds of knowledge, but very little wisdom. For knowledge is based upon the acquiring of information, but wisdom is based upon the development of character…Christ-like character. And your ‘character’ is the most important thing there is about you. In fact, when it comes to God’s evaluation of His children’s faithfulness in their lives for the purposes of their rewards for service assignments in the Kingdom of Heaven, godly character assures God’s rewards, but ungodly character cancels out God’s rewards. You gain nothing and lose much by not developing and practicing the character of Christ in your life. But you gain everything and lose nothing by seeking to form and practice the character of Christ in your life. And God has told us exactly what to do about doing that: “He has told you, O man, what is good; And what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?”

And, Praise God, by the grace of God and the power of the Holy Spirit we can not only choose to do what God requires us to do, but we can even learn to love it. We can come to the place where we prefer to treat others with kindness, because it’s the way our Savior treated people as well. Plus, we even feel better and are happier when we practice kindness.

1. Maile Proctor, 6 Science-Backed Ways Being Kind Is Good for Your Health, quietrev.com

Defined by Destiny

Study Guide, July 19, 2020

Pastor Clay Olsen

Because of the times we are now in and the extra challenges we all face because of them, we thought it was time for a heavy dose of God’s hope. What do you think? You can’t purchase ‘hope’ at your nearest pharmacy, but it is one of the most powerful drugs in the world.

Recently I was reviewing an update on one of the most remarkable people our family has ever met. He is now a pastor and evangelist in Los Angeles. He’s originally from Australia. Some of you may know of him and may even follow his ministry. The thing is, he was born with ‘tetra-amelia syndrome’, which causes a person to be born without any limbs…without arms or legs. I remember listening to his story and thinking, “And why am I griping about anything?” But what Nick Vujicic has done with he has been given is beyond inspiring.

Not only is he a remarkable Christian communicator, he is a remarkable Christian man. For by the grace of God, he doesn’t focus on what he doesn’t have. For what he does have enables him to deal with what he doesn’t have. He has Christ as his Savior and the indwelling Holy Spirit growing the fruit of joy and peace and love, which enables him to deal what he doesn’t have. In fact, the guy has so much joy that he says he’s a hugger. He can’t shake hands, so he gives hugs. The only thing about that though is he says he’s always a little worried that someone might pick him up and take him home.

But he often reminds people, “If God can use a man without arms and legs to be His hands and feet, then He will certainly use any willing heart!” And he tells others, “When you don’t get a miracle, it doesn’t mean that you can’t be one for someone else.” Isn’t that great? Actually, we are each a miracle, and, yes, we can also be a miracle in someone else’s life…especially as we share the miracle message of the Gospel of the New Birth in Christ. And you see, this is something that we each need to particularly focus on in these confusing times, because we so often wonder what’s going on, and why are things so hard, and so on. But the helpful focus, the hopeful focus is to think, “In the midst of all the mess, how can I be of service to God today?” And be assured of this: If you ask that question day after day, God will show you day after day, and God will then use you day after day to be a blessing to others day after day, because it has always been part of your destiny to be of great service and of great use and of great blessing to God and others, day after day. Remember, you are His masterpiece and you have been appointed for such a time as this. Eph 2:10- “For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things He planned for us long ago.” NLT

One of the things Pastor Nick said that he has learned is that although there were things he could not grow, like arms and legs, there were things that he could grow, like the fruit of the Spirit and the character of Christ. Although, he said that he does keep a pair of shoes in his closet, just in case God does miraculously give him some arms and legs and feet. But either way, he says he is going to serve God with all he has.

I was thinking of that great quote by William Boothe, the founder of the Salvation Army. After thinking of how Christ gave His all to save him, he said he was going to live his life in such a way that Christ would have all there was of William Boothe. Have you ever said something like that to God? “Lord, whatever there is, and however much there is, You can have all there is of me.” Give that a try, day after day, and watch what happens!

These are the kinds of commitments that cause changes in your life, changes for God’s glory, others’ blessing, and your gain. When you decide that your life is going to be all about letting God have all there is of you, you have then decided your best destiny. Remember, it’s not how much you have to put on God’s altar; like how much talent or ability or capability or anything else…no, it’s how much you give God of whatever it is that makes you – You! How much of ‘you’ have you placed upon God’s altar for Him to use as He wills?

Sometimes we ask: “What does God want of me?” Answer? He wants whatever there is of you that you call ‘You’. The best use of your life is your willingness to be used by God. When that becomes your attitude, success becomes your destiny! Success equals usefulness to God. Remember that? Listen to what the Apostle Peter says about that: 2 Peter 1:8, 10-11- “If all these things are in you and growing, you will never fail to be useful to God. You will produce the kind of fruit that should come from your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ….My brothers and sisters, God called you and chose you to be His. Do your best to live in a way that shows you really are God’s called and chosen people. If you do all this, you will never fall. And you will be given a very great welcome (an abundant entrance) into the kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, a kingdom that never ends.” ERV

The pressures of life can be very distracting and confusing. But you never have to yield to the pressures of life by having to figure out all of the things that are going on around you. Plus, you don’t have to succumb to the pressures of all of the things going on within you. No, all you ever need to do is, like the Apostle Paul, just focus on the ‘one thing’ that God has put before you: Phil 3:13-14- “…one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” NASU

How encouraging, how refreshing, how inspiring to know that every day, any day, you only have ‘one thing’ to do; and that’s to just ‘press on’ toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.’ And what’s the prize? Surprisingly, the prize is not ‘Heaven’, because, remember, Heaven is a gift. Your forever home of Heaven is Jesus gift to you. Praise God! So what’s the prize? The prize is all about what you are now giving to Jesus in your worship and service for Him because of His great gift to you. And that is what makes up your ‘destiny’. The prize is the plan of rewards and Kingdom service privileges that God has prepared for those who like Paul, like Peter, like Nick, and like any believer…that now seek to be and try to do what God created them to be and to do. The ‘prize’ is your ‘destiny’ of your rewards and service in the coming Kingdom of Christ. Plus, it’s in this process of preparing for your destiny that the Holy Spirit then grows His fruit in you and you then experience more of Jesus’ joy that He wants you to experience, right in the here and now.

By nature and by cultural pressures and by Satan’s deceptions we tend to focus on what we don’t have and we get down and defeated and go off track. But all the while the victory lies in dedicating all that we do have to God’s service and glory! That’s how you get up in your spirit…that’s how you get victory over defeats…that’s how you experience the growth of spiritual fruit and strength…we repeat – by letting God have and use whatever there is of you, in your body and soul and possessions; to serve God and live for His glory with whatever you do have.

Satan wants you to look at what you don’t have and says, “there’s not much to you…not much to offer…why bother?” But that’s a lie! When God looks at us do you remember what God sees? What did He say? God sees a masterpiece, and says, “You are blessed with all spiritual blessings in the heavenly places.” So now, you just need to offer some of these blessings in your earthly places, and then watch what God does with them through you!

Have you seen what God can grow from the seed of an oak tree? Do you remember what God can grow from a mustard seed? You don’t need lots of things in order to serve God and bless others…you don’t need lots of talents and gifts and abilities to serve God and bless others. No, All God needs is whatever you’ve got. Again, you just have to put what you’ve got on God’s altar…offer whatever you have to God, even if it’s a mustard seed…and God will grow things with it that will bless others and you throughout eternity.

So don’t focus on what you don’t have…give God whatever you do have, and then get ready to be amazed…for “God is able to do above and beyond all that we ask or think—according to the power that works in you.” Eph 3:20 Holman Bible

Plus, as we have often pointed out, God always compensates His children for the hard things they have had to endure in this life. And one way He compensates is through His comforting and equipping ministry in you, so that you can have a comforting and equipping ministry to others who are having to endure similar hard things in this cruel world. Look at 2 Cor 1:3-7- “Let us give thanks to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the merciful Father, the God from whom all help comes! He helps us in all our troubles, so that we are able to help others who have all kinds of troubles, using the same help that we ourselves have received from God. Just as we have a share in Christ’s many sufferings, so also through Christ we share in God’s great help. If we suffer, it is for your help and salvation; if we are helped, then you too are helped and given the strength to endure with patience the same sufferings that we also endure. So our hope in you is never shaken; we know that just as you share in our sufferings, you also share in the help we receive.” TEV

So remember, troubles are normal; problems are the norm in this troubled world. But our problems become our platform from which to testify to others of the grace and promises of God.

Now, here’s another help and reason for great hope in the midst of all the messes going on around us. The way you see yourself is the way you will pretty much see everything else around you. Some of the lines of a recent Contemporary Christian song go like this:

“You lifted my head up, I was keeping my head down
I didn’t know love, But I do now;

‘Cause you stood right there and then you broke apart the lies
You told me I had something beautiful inside
You brought to life the part of me I thought had died
‘Cause you stood right there until I saw me…I saw me through Your eyes.”

(song by Britt Nicole)

In order to really see what is real, even about our own lives, we need to develop the habit of seeing life and even ourselves through our God’s eyes. We need to determine our value not by what we have produced or by what we have achieved, but by what God conceived when He created us for Himself. Remember this – Your value does not lie in what has happened to you or what you have been through. Sometimes when the world has dumped on you and others have thrown words of dirt on you or the disappointments of your life have discouraged you, you can easily lose sight of your true value to God and your value in God’s world.

Perhaps you’ve seen this illustration of the $100 dollar bill. Now if I offered to give it to you, but I first crumpled and mangled it all up, would you still want it? What if I stepped all over it and mashed it up, would you still want it? What if I rubbed dirt all over it or even got mud on it, would you still want it? Why? Right, because regardless of what has been done to it, the value of this $100 dollar bill is still the same in our government’s eyes. It’s still worth a hundred dollars no matter what has been done to it.

Regardless of what has been done to you in your life…if your ideas or plans or feelings have been crumpled and mangled by people around you…or if you’ve been stepped on by others at school or at work, or if the world has thrown dirt on your hopes or dreams or reputation…your value is still the same in the eyes of God. Your value remains the same. Actually, your true value is even more than you can imagine. Really, do you know how much you are worth to God? God gave His only Son in order to buy you back…and His Son is priceless. That’s how much you are worth! ‘Priceless’ You are of more value than all the treasures of the world put together. The treasures of the world are like a handful of change compared to the value of ‘you’. Nothing else even in all creation can compare with the value of ‘you’.

Many people struggle with a sense of self-worth, with their value in this world. I often hear from conscientious Christians, especially if they have become physically or mentally unable to do what they wish they could do, that they just don’t feel like they are of much worth or value to anyone anymore, especially to the Lord and His service. But that’s not how God sees them. Your value cannot be taken away by time or by trials or by hardships or by suffering or anything else. Your worth is beyond description. God created each of us as a unique masterpiece even among all the stars of the heavens. We are meant to rejoice in our intrinsic value, rejoice in our God given value. And we are also then to pursue and to press on to live out our God given destiny. And by the grace of God and your daily commitment to give God whatever there is of you, you can rejoice in that fantastic destiny that awaits you.

Portrait of the Cross from Psalm 22

Study Guide, July 12, 2020

Pastor Clay Olsen

We pray that this will be a very special service for you in your worship experience with our Lord. Even for those of you not able to be with us to share in the Lord’s Supper, perhaps you have some elements similar to those we use in our communion, and you could partake along with us when we get to that part.

But we are going to first walk through one of the most remarkable prophetic pictures in the Scriptures. As we mentioned, we are going to look at a portrait of the Cross from Psalm 22. How amazing that from the Psalms we get pictures of the Messianic ministry of Christ! Psalm 2, you recall, is a portrait of Christ’s character and sovereignty as King over the whole Earth. And here in Psalm 22 Christ is portrayed as the suffering servant who sacrifices His life for all. So let’s look into this picture of the passion of Christ, and then we’ll partake of the Lord’s Supper together.

The Gospels record the historical facts of Christ’s death and some of the events of the crucifixion. But in Psalm 22 Jesus’ very thoughts are revealed for us. It has been the belief of many scholars that the Lord Jesus, while on the cross, quoted the entire 22^nd Psalm. This could very well be since the last seven sayings of Jesus that we find in the Gospels either appear in this Psalm or the background for them is all there.

Listen to this: Ps 22:1-6- “My God, my God, why have You forsaken me? Far from my deliverance are the words of my groaning. O my God, I cry by day, but You do not answer; And by night, but I have no rest. Yet You are holy, O You who are enthroned upon the praises of Israel. In You our fathers trusted; They trusted and You delivered them. To You they cried out and were delivered; In You they trusted and were not disappointed. But I am a worm and not a man, A reproach of men and despised by the people.” NASU

At Jesus’ trial He was silent. When they beat Him He said nothing. When they nailed Him to a cross, He uttered not a word. But when God forsook Him, He cried out! This Psalm opens with that desperate cry of Jesus as He was sin laden and forsaken of God. We also see the Trinity in view here, as the Son of God calls out to the Father and the Holy Spirit, “My God, My God”. And the attributes of God’s holiness and love are demonstrated as well – His love, in that His Son was being offered as mankind’s sacrifice for sin; and His holiness, as the Son, the Son of love, was then forsaken while bearing the sin penalty of the world.

No one has, or ever could experience that degree of anguish. From eternity past there had been perfect unity within the Godhead. But now, even as Jesus was reconciling the world to Himself, He was being forsaken by God the Father and God the Holy Spirit. The Father was with Him when He was praying in the Garden; the Father was with Him when He was being rejected by many; the Father was with Him when He was on trial, but when He went to the cross and bore the sins of us all…He died alone. The Cross was His own. Note this reading by an anonymous author about that…

The Cross Was His Own

They borrowed a bed to lay His head When Christ the Lord came down;
They borrowed the colt in the mountain pass For Him to ride to town;
But the crown that He wore and the Cross that He bore Were His own–
The Cross was His own.

He borrowed the bread when the crowd He fed On the grassy mountain side,
He borrowed the dish of broken fish With which He satisfied.
But the crown that He wore and the Cross that He bore Were His own–
The Cross was His own.

He borrowed the ship in which to sit To teach the multitude;
He borrowed a nest in which to rest–He had never a home so rude;
But the crown that He wore and the Cross that He bore Were His own–
The Cross was His own.

He borrowed a room on His way to the tomb The Passover Lamb to eat;
They borrowed a cave for Him a grave, They borrowed a winding sheet.
But the crown that He wore and the Cross that He bore Were His own–
The Cross was His own.

Remember in Heb 13:5 where we are told that the Lord said this: “For He Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”” NKJV Jesus was forsaken so that we would never have to be forsaken. Amen to that? You see Brothers and Sisters, you never have to be troubled about being forsaken by God, because Jesus was forsaken in your place. This judicial sentencing, this relational forsaking by God, was included in what Jesus pronounced from the Cross when He said, “It is finished”. Jesus was forsaken ‘for us’…forsaken in our place. Part of the gift of eternal life is the fact that you and I will never be forsaken by our Heavenly Father because Jesus paid it all! Amen?

And Rom 8:32-35 reminds us: “He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things? Who shall bring a charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?” NKJV

Now, in that 6^th verse it says, “I am a worm…a reproach of men.” The word used for ‘worm’ here referred to the ‘coccus worm’, which was used at that time for dying cloth. And note, it was especially used for dying all the curtains in the Tabernacle ‘scarlet red’. Even in the natural world, the larvae of this worm are permanently colored scarlet red from birth. Think about it: You see, when God looks at His born again children, having received Christ and His sacrifice, it’s as though God sees the scarlet covering of Christ on us; we are covered with the sacrificial blood of Christ. Our sins are forgiven, but like the blood over the doors at Passover, we are under the covering of the blood of Christ. As Rom 4:7-8 tells us: “Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven,

And whose sins are covered; Blessed is the man to whom the Lord shall not impute sin.” NKJV

Ps 22:7-8 says, “Everyone who sees me mocks me. They sneer and shake their heads, saying, “Is this the one who relies on the Lord? Then let the Lord save him!

If the Lord loves him so much, let the Lord rescue him!” NLT Usually when the mob had followed the prisoner to the cross, while he was being executed the crowd would disperse; tempers would cool, and emotions would settle. But not this crowd! One of the lowest descriptions of the hatred of these religious, but unrepentant Pharisees is found when while Jesus was dying the Gospels say, “And sitting down, they watched Him there.” You can’t get any lower than that. The vileness of the human heart poured out as they remained there and ridiculed Him in His death. Yet, it is also here where Jesus said, “Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.” And it’s from this that we, too, are to learn about practicing forgiveness with others.

Let’s move ahead to an absolutely amazing prophetic picture of the crucifixion. Ps 22:14-15- “I am poured out like water, And all my bones are out of joint; My heart is like wax; It is melted within me. My strength is dried up like a potsherd, And my tongue cleaves to my jaws; And You lay me in the dust of death.” NASU This description of crucifixion is remarkable when you consider that this Psalm was written 1000 years before crucifixion was even known. Rome instituted the practice of crucifixion, and the Roman Empire was not even in existence when this Psalm was written. Yet here is a picture of one dying by crucifixion. “I am poured out like water…” This is speaking of the excessive perspiration of a dying man. “All my bones are out of joint…” The horrible thing about crucifixion was that when a man began to lose blood, his strength left him, and all his bones would slip out of joint. That’s a terrible kind of suffering. Then He said something very strange – “My heart is like wax.” Doctors have cited that a ruptured heart would have produced what the Apostle John meticulously recorded – “I saw that Roman soldier put the spear in His side and there came out blood and water – not just blood, but blood and water”…that would be something like ‘wax’!

Speaking of the spear in His side and the wounds in His hands…Isa. 49:16 tells us, “Behold, I have inscribed you on the palm of My hands.” In ranching they burn a mark into the animal’s skin. It’s a permanent mark; and we know it as a ‘brand’. Jesus let Himself be pierced, pierced with our sin. It, too, is a permanent mark. Of all the glorified bodies in Heaven, Jesus will have the only scars. It will be our mark in His skin. When you see Jesus’ hands and feet, you will be looking at your mark; it’s our brand upon the King and our Savior. It is our brand that Jesus wears. It’s our mark upon Him. And yet, it will be Jesus’ permanent message to each of us of… “This is how much I have always loved you and love you still.”

Ps 22:17-18- “I can count all my bones. They look, they stare at me; They divide my garments among them, And for my clothing they cast lots.” NASU During crucifixion while the weight of the body drags, suffocation combines with the agony. The soldiers would often break the legs below the knees so that they couldn’t push themselves up to get another breath. But in keeping with the prophecy here none of Jesus’ bones were broken. Plus, we remember the soldiers also cast lots and divided up Jesus’ clothing, exactly as this Messianic Psalm prophesied would happen. Again, how precise a prophecy…and how amazing!

But let’s go back a couple verses and point out something else: Ps 22:15- “My strength is dried up like a potsherd, And my tongue cleaves to my jaws; And You lay me in the dust of death.” NASU At the time of death in a crucifixion, hardly a whisper could be heard from the one dying, but with Jesus, this was unique: “And when Jesus had cried out with a loud voice, He said, ‘Father, into Your hands I commit My spirit.’ Having said this, He breathed His last. So when the Centurion saw what had happened, he glorified God. Mark 15:34 tells us this: “When the centurion, who was standing right in front of Him, saw the way He breathed His last, he said, “Truly this man was the Son of God!” NASU

Here is something we are to clearly understand: No one took Jesus’ life from Him. Jesus voluntarily gave it up. Jesus wanted everyone to understand that He was not dying as a mere human being. He was human, but He was also God. This so startled the Roman guard that he said something for which he could have been killed on the spot: “Surely, this man was the Son of God!”

Ps 22:30-31 – “Posterity will serve Him; It will be told of the Lord to the coming generation. They will come and will declare His righteousness to a people who will be born, that He has performed it.” NASU “…to a people who will be born…” That’s you and me! Christ’s righteousness would become part of the gift to be given to us; Christ’s forgiveness and Christ’s righteousness, the best gifts you can ever receive! Amen? In Phil 3:9- Paul said, “…and may be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own derived from the Law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith.” NASU

Remember, we are to practice righteousness in our discipleship, but as far as having perfect righteousness from having fulfilled the Law, of having done the Will of God, no human being who has ever lived has fully done the Will of God, except Jesus. So in our salvation, Jesus takes our garments of sin off of us and puts His garment of righteousness upon us, and we are thus declared ‘righteous’ and right with God forever!

And, yes, we still sin and fall short, but Jesus garment of righteousness stays on us because of something else the Psalmist prophesied about the Messiah… “…that He has performed it.” From the cross Jesus proclaimed: “It is finished!” The programmed plan from eternity past had come to completion. The phrase is actually one word: “Tetelestai – Finished!” Greek businessmen used it in business transactions that signified “Paid in Full”. Brother and Sister, your redemption is a completed ‘paid in full’ transaction.

I was thinking…you know the bracelets we often wear for different causes and such? Maybe we should wear a couple more that say “Paid in Full” and another that says, “Christ’s Righteousness”. This is all part of the Gospel message, and reasons for our joy.

Psalm 22 reveals the heart of our Savior as He was lifted up on the cross and made a sin offering on our behalf. He completed the transaction in triumph! We will never be worthy of it, we cannot earn it, we cannot achieve it, but we can receive it! And receive it we must, in order to be forgiven of our debt of sin and given Christ’s gift of His own righteousness. We trust that each of you have received Christ as your personal Savior. And then encourage others to make sure they have as well.

Righteousness Exalts a Nation

Study Guide, July 5, 2020

Pastor Clay Olsen

Let’s take a patriotic song poll. So out of these five favorite patriotic songs: 1. My Country, Tis of Thee, 2. America, the Beautiful, 3. Battle Hymn of the Republic, 4. The Star Spangled Banner, and 5. God Bless America, which is your favorite? Let’s do a show of hands….#1, #2, #3, #4, or #5?

Each of these are great songs with great messages. So what we thought we’d do today is to take a closer look into the message of one of those great songs that was written from on top of a mountain…Pikes Peak. How many of you have traveled up to the top of Pikes Peak in Colorado? It’s an amazing sight and experience. Did you know they even have a Pikes Peak marathon? Yeah, and the runners have friends along the route handing them gloves and hats and shirts as they get closer to the top, since it gets colder. And then on the way down they toss them aside. I guess after the race you can get a lot of free clothes that way.

But an English teacher from Wellesley College was on vacation in 1893. And from the vantage point of 14,000 feet, Katherine Lee Bates, wrote this: “It was there, as I was looking out over the sea-like expanse of fertile country spreading away so far under the ample skies, that the opening lines of this text formed themselves in my mind.” Actually, she wrote ‘America, the Beautiful’ as a poem, without the intention of it becoming a song. In fact, it didn’t become a song until 25 years later. But it was a special blessing when it came out because America was in the difficult days of World War I at the time, and the song was a great inspiration for people.¹

But open your hymnbooks and let’s take a deeper look at the message of this beloved song. It’s number 572. And we won’t have time to get through it all, but you’ll see just how inspired Miss Bates really was…Biblically inspired we should say.

Actually, this song has at least 8 verses that have been found, but one of the interesting things about the song is that each verse begins with a praise and ends with a prayer. And that’s only fitting when you think about the abundance of God’s grace in our lives, and in the history of our country. God’s bounty and blessing should inspire our praise for our God and our prayers to our God…especially prayers that we would be a blessing to God in our service for Him. That’s really the key to God blessing America anyway…it’s for America to bless God.

And in connection with that, you know what I keep hearing in my head? Do you remember when the people around Jesus were looking to Him with, “Lord, would You do this”, and, “Lord, would You do that for them? And He paused and said to them: “Why do you call me Lord, but do not do the things I say?” Jesus is to be ‘Lord’ of all, right?…‘Lord’ of all the things in life and in our lives. Jesus is Lord, and He expects to be recognized as such and respected as such. He even expects that from nations. Do you remember in that Psalm to the nations where God says this: Ps 2:10-12- “Now therefore, O kings, show discernment; Take warning, O judges of the earth. Worship the Lord with reverence and rejoice with trembling. Do homage to the Son, that He not become angry, and you perish in the way, For His wrath may soon be kindled. How blessed are all who take refuge in Him! NASU Wow! God is not talking to clergymen here, but to civil servants in national and state governments, and to employers in businesses, and to citizens on the streets, and to everyone in every nation. And we’ll get into that a bit more in a moment.

But notice what the song points out about one of the things that God’s grace is intended to create… “God shed His grace on thee, And crown thy good with brotherhood, From sea to shining sea.” How about that? One of the reasons God grants His ‘common grace’ to a nation is to create a ‘common brotherhood’ within a nation. It’s important to realize that nations, like people, also have a destiny to fulfill, not only within that nation, but to other nations. America was blessed in order to be a blessing to others. And we can celebrate the fact that, in many ways, America has been a blessing to our world over and over. What other country has given humanitarian aid before, during, and after to the people of a country while going to war with that country’s government and military. Just think of some of the wars America was called into, where our country gave massive contributions to rebuild and assist the very countries that were fighting against us. Remember, we need to give credit to our country where credit is due, as in all of the true attempts that have been made in our country to ‘crown thy good with brotherhood’, and all the attempts that have been made to pass on God’s common grace to others. Remember, the role of government is to promote civil righteousness, which leads to civility among the people, in how they treat one another and deal with one another. And that leads us to another inspiring thing in the song, but it may also be a surprising thing. Let’s read the second verse.

Surprised? ‘Thy liberty in law?’ Isn’t that a surprising place to find liberty? What do you think many people would say that ‘liberty’ is anyway? Many people would say that liberty is the right to be free. Well, not really, because liberty is not the right to be free; no, liberty is the freedom to do what is right.

Next question: Who determines what is right? As you probably recall, many of our Founding Fathers also practiced Law. And no young man in the colonies became a lawyer without be well read in William Blackstone’s ‘Commentaries on Law.’ Now, here is the key to what Miss Bates was referring to by saying that liberty was found in law. Blackstone’s Law Commentaries defined ‘law’ as ‘The Will of God.’ That’s right. Law is the Will of God. Check this out: Blackstone wrote: “God, when He created man, and endued him with free will to conduct himself in all parts of life, God laid down certain immutable laws; whereby that free will is regulated and restrained…and, being infinite in wisdom, He has laid down only such laws as were founded in those relations of justice. These are the immutable laws, to which the Creator Himself, in all His dispensations, conforms.” When you would ask a Colonial Lawyer, ‘What is law?’ He would say, “Law is the Will of God. Law is the revelation of the teachings of the Redeemer.” No wonder so many Colonial Ministers were also Lawyers…because they were dealing with the same set of laws…divine Law!

And notice this as well, America’s foundation was built upon this understanding that America’s laws must be a reflection of the laws of God. Again, Blackstone identified God as the source of law. He wrote: “Man must necessarily be subject to the laws of his Creator, for he is entirely a dependent being…. This will of his maker is called ‘the law of nature’. Blackstone went on to express the primacy of God’s law: This law of nature, being dictated by God Himself, is of course superior in obligation to any other. It is binding over all the globe in all countries, and at all times: no human laws are of any validity, if contrary to this; and such of them as are valid derive all their force, and all their authority, mediately or immediately, from this original.” And let me read you just a bit more, because it’s really amazing. So “In addition to the law of nature, Blackstone identified “the revealed or divine law,” defined as those specific legal rules and principles found in the Bible.’ He concluded, “Upon these two foundations, the law of nature and the law of revelation, depend all human laws; that is to say, no human laws should be suffered to contradict these.” Not surprisingly, it is reported that the Bible was Blackstone’s “constant companion” while he wrote the Commentaries.’ ²

This was the common understanding of law and government in America when America was founded. This is the common understanding that framed the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution. But our Founders warned future generations about departing from the laws of mankind’s Creator by reminding us that mankind’s reasoning, because of the Fall of man, has been corrupted due to his sin nature. That’s why man is not sufficient for the establishment of laws to govern mankind. The only laws that are sufficient to govern mankind are the divine laws found in the Scriptures.

Oh, how we need the voices of Blackstone and the Founders in America again. You cannot separate laws for life from the Law-Giver and the Creator of all life…because whenever you do, you lose something…it’s called ‘Liberty and Justice for all’.

Let me just read the last part of verse 3 in Miss Bate’s song. Do you know what’s more important than success in a nation? Righteousness! For what exalts a nation, what is the strength of a nation…even more, what God expects of a nation is righteousness. Prov 14:34- “Righteousness exalts a nation, But sin is a disgrace to any people.” NASU

Now, this Scripture is not referring to ‘Salvation righteousness’, but to ‘Civil righteousness’. And it’s important to understand that God has commissioned the Church to proclaim ‘Salvation righteousness’ to all nations and all people, and has commissioned Government to promote ‘Civil righteousness’ to its nation and its people. Salvation righteousness is how an unconverted person can become saved…can become born again into God’s eternal family. Remember, Christ’s forgiveness and His very own righteousness is His gift that He gives to all who give their life to Christ in repentance and receive Him in faith. And we pray that each of you have received this eternal gift of Christ’s eternal life. If not, don’t put it off. Give your life to Christ in repentance and receive Christ’s life by faith, while it’s still called ‘Today’. Remember, you don’t have tomorrow…you only have today. So make sure of your Salvation today.

But now, and this is where many people get confused, for even though an unconverted person is not saved, they can still be civil. Mark it down: Even the unconverted has the God given ability to practice civility. Every person still needs a Savior, but God still expects every person to be civil. In fact, it’s when sinners seek to practice civility that they discover how much they need a Savior. When sinners seek to practice civil righteousness they become sensitive to their failings and their faults, and realize that they are unrighteous before God, and they become more and more aware of their need to be forgiven and saved and given Salvation righteousness…the gift of Christ’s righteousness and life. That’s how God uses even this cultural commission to draw sinners to respond to the Great commission and look to Christ to become saved.

But again, even though an unconverted person has not been saved by the conversion grace of God, they can still be a civil person because of the common grace of God…the common grace of God, and the inner law of God, that God has written, has imprinted upon the hearts of all people. God expects civil righteousness of all people on Earth. Remember His command in Psalm 2 to all the rulers of Earth? “Do homage to the Son!” Do homage to the Son of God! Do homage to the Redeemer of mankind. Do homage to the Teachings of the Redeemer of mankind. And ‘doing homage’ to God is to fear and to respect and to submit to the laws of God. That is what God expects of every government, every court, every institution…it’s what God expects of every nation on Earth. And that is what is known as ‘Civil righteousness’. And when a government and its people do homage to the Creator, that is also when their nation is ‘exalted’. That is when their nation is built up. That is when their nation experiences the kind of peace and order where people can be civil towards one another, and respectful and considerate and helpful to one another. And here is the major thing that civil righteousness does: It sets the stage for the Church to do its work of carrying out its commission to proclaim Salvation righteousness to all people.

That’s why the Apostle Paul said: 1 Tim 2:1-7- “I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone— for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all men — the testimony given in its proper time.” NIV

Make special note of this Brothers and Sisters, because it explains why we don’t give up praying for and trying to help our country become more and more civil towards one another. Again, it’s because God uses ‘civil righteousness’ in a nation to create a cultural atmosphere for the church to do its work of sharing the gospel of ‘salvation righteousness’ to all people in every nation. And that’s why we as both citizens of Earth and citizens of Heaven work and pray for both!

1. Kenneth W. Osbeck, 101 More Hymn Stories, pp 34.35
2. Douglas H. Cook, Sir William Blackstone; A Life and Legacy Set Apart for God’s Work, regentparents.regent.edu

Reproduceable Traits of our Heavenly Father

Study Guide, June 21, 2020

Pastor Clay Olsen

Dads are to be celebrated for their special care for the family, their hard work, their service, provision, and protection. You can even see some of these qualities in the various sayings Dads are known for. See if you have heard any of these sayings from the Dads you’ve known.

“Measure once, cut twice…measure twice, cut once.”

“If you drive up to our house, park in the driveway and honk the horn, you’d better be delivering a pizza, because you won’t be taking out my daughter!”

“No, I’m not yelling at you. I’m helping you hear!”

“God gave you two eyes and two ears and one mouth. And so you need to look and listen twice as much as you talk.”

“Can’t’ never did anything!”

“Well, go ask your Mother.”

“You just need to go outside and run around and blow the stink off you.”

And then when the day is done, some of the most consoling word kids hear from Dads, and Moms are: “Good night…love you…see you in the morning.” That right there just assures kids that they’re loved, they’re secure, and that their parents are going to be there for them when they wake up.

Actually, if we tune in, we can hear our Heavenly Father saying that to us every night, through His promises that He has given to us: “Good night…love you…see you in the morning.” God is always there for us, reminding us that we are loved, we are secure in our relationship with Him, and our God is going to be there for us, whether we wake up on this side on Earth, or on the other side in Heaven. He’s there…He’s Immanuel…He’s got us covered…He’s even got all of our tomorrows all settled and ready to go for us. And that’s what we wanted to talk about with Dads today, some of these reproduceable traits of our Heavenly Father.

Let’s just identify a few reproduceable traits and then we’ll flesh out a couple in particular. Here’s a great one from Ps 127:3-4- “Behold, children are a gift of the Lord,

The fruit of the womb is a reward. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior, so are the children of one’s youth.” NASU Just like God views you as gift in His family, help your children understand who they really are to you: They are gifts from the Lord in your family. Help them incorporate that into their identity: A gift from God, placed into your particular family for a particular reason and for a particular season….but a ‘gift’ foremost, and in particular.

Another reproduceable trait is found in Josh 1:9- “This is My command—be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” NLT God calls us to live a life of courageous faith, based upon trust and assurance of our God’s supply and His strength and His promises. Trust in God that way yourselves Fathers, and then encourage your children to trust Him, too.

And some more reproduceable traits, or virtues, are from 1 Cor 13:13- “And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.” NIV So Dads, try to be a ‘FHL’ guy yourself: Try to be a ‘Faith-Hope-Love’ Father. For those of you who love ‘acronyms’ or ‘abbreviations’ just try to think and live by this pattern of ‘FHL’. Be a ‘FHL’ man…a man of faith, hope, and love example for your family. And to illustrate that, let’s dig in a little further together.

When Mark Stuart, the once lead singer for the Christian band, Audio Adrenaline, was growing up, his family served with the Northwest Christian Mission in Haiti. He often heard the children at the Mission singing one particularly catchy song. And so he asked his Haitian friend what they were singing in Creole. He said it was a song called: ‘Lakay Papa Mwen’…meaning, ‘My Father’s House’. And some of the lyrics were: “Come and go with me, to my Father’s house. There is joy, joy, joy, in my Father’s house.” Mark said that this song was about those who believed that in this fallen world there was a good Father who had a house big enough to hold their joy. The door was sized for children. And you could only get in on your knees.” ¹

That song became the inspiration for the song that Audio Adrenaline became known for, “Big House”. We have sung it a bunch of times here at the Chapel, especially at the end of celebrating various Youth Mission trips. But one of the most appealing and encouraging things about the song is not just the celebration of the joy in the Father’s house, but the celebration of the joy in the Father about us! The picture is of our Heavenly Father’s joy over His children…over us.

I don’t know how often you think about one of the most remarkable descriptions of God that there is in the Bible, but there is one verse that can change your entire understanding of the character of God. Look long and hard at this: Zeph 3:17- “The Lord your God is with you, He is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, He will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing.” NIV Do you ever think about your Heavenly Father this way…and think about God doing that, rejoicing over you with singing?

Some Christians have a hard time letting themselves think about God this way, because it’s like with what Bruce Wilkinson once pointed out, that many Christians go around each day thinking that God is always just a little bit miffed at them all the time. You know what he’s saying; like God is always a little bit mad at them? And since they think that about God, then they don’t think about God as a ‘rejoicing God’, since they are thinking of Him more of as a ‘reluctant God’, like ‘Yeah, God has forgiven them, but He’s still holding a bit of a grudge about it all.’

Brother or Sister, if you have been carrying around an image of God that is anything like that, then you’ve been carrying around a completely distorted image of our God. And it’s long past time that you let go of that image and then start carrying around this clear Biblical image where God Himself shows you a picture of what your Heavenly Father is really like and how He really feels about you, as in: Your Heavenly Father is so glad to have you as His saved child, and in His forever family, that He not only rejoices over you…He even rejoices over you with singing…God sings about you! Did you know that God sings about you? Can you image how God sounds when He sings…the Creator of singing and song?

Again, this one verse about our Heavenly Father is life changing. And a great thing for Fathers is that, in a similar way, their rejoicing attitude toward their children can also be life changing for their children. This is to be a reproduceable attitude for us earthly fathers. As Fathers communicate their joy over having their son or daughter as their child, as they display their rejoicing love and not a reluctant love, as they show by their attitude and their words and their works that they are glad to be the Father of their children, it creates a settled assurance and a security in their children’s lives that becomes a strong foundation upon which children can then grow and build their lives. Again, our Heavenly Father’s attitude towards His children, towards us, is a reproduceable attitude for Fathers to have towards their children.

Plus, remember that saying that you can’t give to others what you don’t have? Yeah, you can only give to others what you have. Much of the lack of the display of love and the sharing of love and the demonstration of love to others by believers is due to their lack of having fully received from God the kind of love and quality of love and experience of love that God has been trying to give them. And He will give it to them if they will only let Him.

Fathers, we have to let our Heavenly Father give us what He’s been trying to give us. And this major thing that He’s trying to give us is this understanding and this experience of our Heavenly Father’s love. But, in order to know and to experience this love of God, we have to let go of our pre-conceived notions about it. We have to let go of any previous bad experiences, and let go of any personal habits that are preventing us from coming to better understand and to then receive and experience this love of God that He wants us to experience. Understand this: What changes our lives for good is God’s love in us. And subsequently, what changes other’s lives around us is that love of God that is now working through us! And Fathers, know this: There is nothing more valuable nor virtuous to pass on to your children than the love of God flowing through you. There’s nothing even close to matching this priceless treasure of the Universe!

Now, here is another reproduceable trait of God’s that is closely linked to this life-changing gift of love. It is another gift; it’s just that we don’t often think about it as a gift. Let’s look at the commandment: Eph 4:32- “Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.” NIV Did you know that kindness, compassion, and forgiveness have nothing to do with what kind of temperament or personality any of us have? No, since these virtues are ‘commanded’ by God, it means that the demonstration of kindness, the practice of compassion, and the giving of forgiveness supersedes all temperaments, supersedes all personalities, and supersedes all personal feelings about it all. It is a matter of objective obedience. Obedience to Ephesians 4:32 is not based upon a suggestion by God, but by a personal commandment by God to each of us.

But now, also remember something else that is very important about God’s commandments, but is so often overlooked, and that is this: God’s commandments are for our good! Remember that? Translation?…God’s commandments for us are not only for the purpose of rightly relating to and glorifying God, but also for the purpose of bringing about good in our own lives and good through our lives to others! Living by God’s commandments is the best and highest and most rewarding way to live.

Fathers, if you can communicate that fact to your children and help them understand that you cannot improve upon God’s commandments, you cannot experience a more blessed life than the life of obedience, and you cannot reap any greater benefits than by doing what God says to do, then, again, you will have equipped them even further with the skills needed to tap into the treasuries of Heaven. Now, you can’t obey God’s commandments for them, but you can obey God’s commandments ‘before’ them. You can demonstrate ‘The Obedient Christian Life’ before them…before their very eyes and lives. And your obedience to God will become gifts to them, whether they recognize that now or later, but surely in time.

And speaking of time, we just have time for one example of that. Here it is: One of the greatest gifts that you can give to others, that you can give to your family, next to love is: forgiveness. Oh yeah, forgiveness is a gift…that’s why it’s called ‘for-give-ness’. Think about it: When God ‘for-gives’ us, it’s a gift from God to us. And as daunting as it can be to forgive, God even gives us His help for us here as well. The key is found in that Eph: 4:32 command. And surprisingly enough, the help is found in just two words; and those two words are: ‘just as’…as in; “…forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.” And the ‘just as’ here means ‘according to’, or ‘according to this pattern’. You see, forgiveness is not a personal preference for you to consider. No, forgiveness is a preset pattern for each of us to follow… “just as in Christ God forgave you.” It’s a preset pattern that is based upon this profound gift that you have already received from God; ie. God’s forgiveness; God’s gift for you. ‘For-give-ness’ is God’s gift ‘for’ you. In fact, it’s an underserved gift. And that is the key to ‘for-give-ness’…it’s undeserved. The other word for that is ‘Grace’, which means ‘unmerited favor’, ‘undeserved favor’. And ‘grace’ is the key to ‘forgiveness’.

Remember that, and it will help you in your own practice of ‘forgiveness. We were saved by God’s grace, we live by God’s grace, and we are to live with others according to, or according to this pattern of God’s grace. And that frees us up from having to keep track of who deserves what or who doesn’t before we will deal with them the way God dealt with us. ‘Just as in Christ God for-gave you’… Just pass that on. Just pass on the grace that we didn’t deserve either, but we received it anyway because of who God is and not because of what we had done or not done.

Fathers, if you will practice this one pattern of forgiveness, this ‘grace-filled for-give-ness giving’ habit with your family and others, it will be one of the greatest gifts you could ever give them. And it is completely reproduceable, because you yourself already received this ‘grace-filled for-give-ness’ gift from your Heavenly Father.

If you want to be a good Father to your children and your children’s children, just give to them what your good, good Heavenly Father has given to you.

1. Mark Stuart, Losing My Voice to Find It, pp. 30,31

God’s World…God’s Solution…God’s Church

Study Guide, June 14, 2020

Pastor Clay Olsen

Watch Video (click here)

When I say the word ‘strategies’ what comes to mind? Right, Satan’s strategies, because that’s one thing we pointed out in our last study about understanding what’s going on in this upside-down world of ours. And one strategy that we need to clearly know about is the strategy of ‘confusion’. Satan is often referred to as the author of confusion. And so, how do you think he’s doing in these times in which we live? Where is our society on the ‘confusion scale’? Off the charts, right? Yeah, it appears that this ‘strategy of confusion’ of Satan’s is working pretty well in this world…because the things going on in our world around us are about as confusing as can be! And although these confusing times are really distressing, they are certainly not unusual.

Confusion is simply the identifying mark of the enemy. Realize that right there…realize that when you see confusion, you know that you are witnessing a key strategy of the enemy going on, and many are falling prey to this strategy. Even so-called religious leaders fall prey to this strategy of confusion. You recall that the Pharisees made a living by keeping people in a constant state of confusion as to their responsibilities toward God and toward others. Somehow they had come up with 613 rules and regulations that they lorded over others. History tells us that this particular number of 613 wasn’t finally tabulated until the 3^rd century. But the Pharisees knew there were hundreds that they could use. And they found that they could use them or, we should say, abuse them to their advantage, by holding them over people’s heads…claiming that if the people really wanted to be right with God and others then then had to abide by these 613 commandments, as they interpreted them, since they were all according to the law and the prophets.

Now, even the Apostle Paul reminded us that there is no problem with the Law, when it is used lawfully and used for the purpose it was given. Jesus even came to fulfill the Law on our behalf, remember? But, again, they were not using these laws lawfully, nor for the purposes they were given. So Jesus took their claims and turned them upside down on their heads by essentially telling them that what the Law and the Prophets message really came down to was actually just Two commandments! “Jesus said…, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.” Matt 22:37-40 NKJV

It was like saying, “You know all those hundreds of rules and regulations and commandments that you continually twist and confuse and discourage others with? Well, it’s time to clarify all of that and simplify all of that by condensing them into two: The first is: Love the Lord your God like your God loves you. And secondly then: Love your neighbor like your neighbor was you.”

There it is…simplicity. And right there, simplicity…profound simplicity…is the identifying mark of God’s works and words. Whereas confusion is the identifying mark of Satan’s works and words, simplicity is the identifying mark of God’s works and words. God simplifies the complicated in all of life!

Here’s another example: Since these Pharisees loved rules, Jesus gave them another rule. But this rule was also meant to superimpose all other rules. In fact, it was to be the gold standard of all rules for inter-personal relationships. That’s why it’s called ‘The Golden Rule’: “Whatever you would have others do unto you…do unto them.” Our society has that utterly backwards in that they say: ‘Do one to others, before they do one to you!’ Right, it sounds kind of funny, but isn’t that pretty much the way many people treat each other?

Think about it: Our culture is flailing around in the quicksand of confusion. So many so-called ‘governing authorities’ are formulating rules and regulations and commandments as fast as they can dream them up. They even surpassed the Pharisee’s 613 number a long time ago. And all that they have done…all they have accomplished in doing so is to create a culture of confusion and chaos. And Satan loves it! But what if they just broke all their rules down into two; into two commandments: One: Love the Lord your God like your God loves you. And Two: Love your neighbor like your neighbor was you. And then to help in doing that second one, round it out with this: Just go for the gold…just go for the Golden Rule, which is: ‘However you would want your neighbor to treat you, treat them that way, too.’

Just think what those two commandments and that one rule would do to change this country…to change this world! Like “Hey World! Here are Two commandments and One rule will mend and repair what right now is all messed up and in ruins. One: Love the Lord your God like your God loves you. Remember, God loved you first. And God loves you with all His heart, with all His soul, and with all His mind. So that’s how you need to love God in return; with all of your heart, with all of your soul, and with all of your mind. And Two: Love your neighbor like your neighbor was you. In other words, since you love and care for your own self, your own life, your own well being…do that for the people around you…love the people around you like that; serve and care for your neighbor, too. And ‘who’ is your neighbor? Your neighbor is basically whoever is in front of you and around you and within your reach of your influence. Just do whatever you can to help them with their needs and concerns, just like you would want their help with your own needs and concerns. Just go for the real gold in life; just go for the Golden Rule: Do unto others what you would want others to do unto you. Meaning, you start it! You start…by treating others around you with kindness…treat them with the same sort of kindness that you would want them to show to you. You start…you start by speaking to them with the same consideration and with the type of words that will build them up and not tear them down instead. Use the kind of words toward them that you would want them to use when speaking to you. You start…you start by showing them the kind of respect and dignity that you would want them to show to you. You start…You be the one to start it! Don’t wait for someone else to start the Golden Rule, because they probably won’t. And many don’t even know what it is. They have probably never discovered this golden rule of relationships in the first place. But you have. Jesus helped you discover it. So whatever you have discovered from Jesus, like in how Jesus loves you, and in how Jesus deals with you, and in how Jesus works with you…just pass that on to others…just do that with others. Remember, WWJD? Two commandments and One rule…just do it! And then watch what God does with what you do! God changes a confused and chaotic world by changing one person at a time. And He can do that through you!

Don’t let the enemy make this life so confusing. God didn’t make it confusing. Remember, God simplifies the complicated and the confusing. Always look for this, for, again, simplicity is God’s identifying mark, even though God’s simplicity is, at the same time, the most profound and awesome and wonderous thing in the world…like the simplicity of John 3:16- “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.” NASU There is nothing complicated about John 3:16, but it is the most profound truth in the Universe. God loved us…God gave the Son of God to save us…and when we believe in Him, trust in Jesus to save us…He saves us from perishing…and He gives us the gift of eternal life!

Amazing, yes! But no religious hoops to jump through…no confusing requirements to try to live up to…no need to doubt how much faith to ‘faith-up’ or how many works to ‘work-up’ in order to qualify for Heaven…Nope, none of that. Just – God loves you and Jesus gave His life to save you. Now do you want Jesus to save you? Then believe in Him…put your trust in Him alone to save you from perishing. And Jesus will forgive you and give you His own eternal life! How amazing! How eternal-life changing! What a great God and what a great gift!

And naturally then, the question is: “So, what have you done with John 3:16? Have you trusted in Jesus to save you? Have you told Jesus that, yes, you want Him to save you? Have you told Him that you know that there is certainly nothing you can do to save yourself, so you are turning to Him alone as your God and trusting in Him alone as your Savior? If not, then do you know what that means? It means exactly what John 3:16 says it means. It means that you are still ‘perishing’ and will continue to perish for eternity. Everyone who has not believed in Jesus, who has not asked Jesus to save them is in the process of perishing. But you don’t have to perish. No one has to perish. Jesus told us so in John 3:16. So make sure you have asked Jesus to save you from perishing…ask Him for His saving gift of sharing in His eternal life in union with Him forever. God promised to give you eternal life, and God always keeps His promises.

Now then, since we are simplifying the confusing. Not only does God simplify the relationship between people with God, but He also simplified the relationship between people with people. Take ‘government’ for example: Remember, God is the one who created ‘government’ in the first place, not man. Man has simply, once again, complicated the process of government so badly that even the Pharisees would be amazed at how today’s governments have out-phariseed the Pharisees. And when you out-pharisee the Pharisees, wow…you have really messed up!

But think about it: What is the purpose of government? What is government supposed to do? Many of those in governments across the world would answer that by getting out their files of about 613 rules, just to begin with! But remember those ‘two commandments’ and ‘one golden rule’ we talked about. Isn’t is amazing how our Triune God loves to work in groups of ‘Three’? So, again, how about with Government. How many things are governments really supposed to do anyway? How about ‘three’?

Check it out: Rom 13:1-7-“Every person is to be in subjection to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those which exist are established by God. Therefore, whoever resists authority has opposed the ordinance of God; and they who have opposed will receive condemnation upon themselves. For rulers are not a cause of fear for good behavior, but for evil. Do you want to have no fear of authority? Do what is good and you will have praise from the same; for it is a minister of God to you for good. But if you do what is evil, be afraid; for it does not bear the sword for nothing; for it is a minister of God, an avenger who brings wrath on the one who practices evil. Therefore it is necessary to be in subjection, not only because of wrath, but also for conscience’ sake. For because of this you also pay taxes, for rulers are servants of God, devoting themselves to this very thing. Render to all what is due them: tax to whom tax is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honor to whom honor.” NASU

So the purpose of a government is really threefold: One: It is to promote moral order and behavior; Two: It is to carry out protective justice for the sake and for the safety of its citizens; and Three: It is to collect just enough taxes to do both of those services, or to carry out the first two responsibilities. That’s it! 1, 2, and 3…that’s what God designed government to do. But here is the key: So where are these governments supposed to get the laws and morals by which they are supposed to govern the people? And the answer is? Every government on Earth is accountable for acquiring their laws and defining their morals from the Law-Giver and Morals Designer; the one Creator and Lord of all the Earth! And any government that doesn’t get that right is automatically in rebellion against the Law-Giver of the Universe whom they have abandoned. And they are thus also automatically under His judgment. And what is the identifying mark of a nation that is under God’s judgment? Any nation that abandons God is under God’s judgment of ‘abandonment’ by God. And the result of that is; confusion, chaos, lawlessness, immorality, and destruction. And, unfortunately, that is the description of most nations of the world right now, including our own.

But, there is always a ‘remnant’…a remnant of God’s people who are praying and who are serving and who are working for the glory of the Creator and Law-Giver of the Universe and for the sake of their neighbors around them in their nation. And that remnant is you…it’s us. It’s God’s Church! And my, do we ever have work to do? But even this work that we each have to do is not complicated…it’s not confusing. We already have the Owner’s Manual. All we have to do is just follow it. Just do what the Owner says to do. And as we do what the Owner says to do, then we can then rest in knowing that we have done all that we could do and were supposed to do. And whenever you do what God says to do, God says to you: “Well done, good and faithful servant.” And those are the only words we ever need to hear anyway.

God bless you ‘Remnant’! We have a lot to pray about and a lot to do for the glory of God and the blessings of others, but by the grace of God and the power of the Holy Spirit, we can do it. We can do ‘what Jesus would do’. Go for the gold, remember?

Dead ‘And’ Alive

Study Guide, May 24, 2020

Pastor Clay Olsen

So how has that ‘reset’ button been working for you this last week? Right, it does take more effort than pushing a button, but hopefully this reset process has helped you enjoy the blessings of living day by day with a raised-up mind-set. But we didn’t have time to explore what else the Apostle Paul revealed to us about just how we are to go about doing that. So, since you are here today or out there today or wherever you are today, let’s look into what Paul said about that today.

And by the way, this might sound like an odd question, but, did you know that you have already died? Did you know that you are already dead…and I’m already dead? In a very real sense, a part of you is dead. We’d better get right to the passage to see what we’re talking about. Look at this: Again, we explored this first part: Col 3:1-4- “Therefore if you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth” Okay we walked through that. But then Paul reveals this: “For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory.” NASU

Again, did you know that you had died? The story goes that while Mark Twain was once in London a rumor started in America that he had died, and a newspaper printed his obituary. When Mark Twain learned about this he wrote back: “The reports of my death have been greatly exaggerated.” But this report in Col 3:3 is no exaggeration at all about your death and my death. In fact, the fact that part of us is already dead is so important that the Apostle wrote about it over and over throughout his letters to the churches. For example: To the Romans he wrote: Rom 6:6-9- “We know that our old sinful selves were crucified with Christ so that sin might lose its power in our lives. We are no longer slaves to sin. For when we died with Christ we were set free from the power of sin. And since we died with Christ, we know we will also live with Him.” NLT

How amazing is that? “We were crucified with Christ”, Paul says; “We died with Christ”, Paul says; “Since we died with Christ”, Paul says…You see, when we look at the Cross we see Christ there, of course! But Paul said we are to also see ourselves there, because we were crucified and died with Christ! When Jesus went to the Cross, He took us with Him! When Jesus was crucified and died, we were crucified and died with Him!

How are we to understand this earth-shaking truth? Well, yes, practically, you and I are still alive here and now. But positionally and spiritually, your independent natural self, or sinful soul was actually there…actually there at the cross with Jesus. Think about this: As our Substitute, Jesus went to the cross alone, without us, to pay the penalty of our sins. But as our Representative, Jesus took us with Him to the cross, and there, in the sight of God, we all died together, with Christ. Therefore, we can be forgiven of our sins because Jesus died in our place. And now we can even be delivered from ourselves because we died with Him. God’s way of deliverance for us is to put us away in the cross of His Son, and to then make a new person by recreating us in union with Jesus, the Risen, Ascended, Living Lord and Savior! ¹

What Paul is revealing to us is that in order for you and for me to set our born-again minds on the things above, we also have to also see our old sinful self on the cross with Christ…for that is where our old-independent from God-sinful self, died with Christ. And that’s right where our old-independent from God-sinful self needs to stay. And that’s why Jesus said we should carry our cross around with us day by day. Mark 8:34- “And He summoned the crowd with His disciples, and said to them, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me.” NASU

This was surely a very startling statement for the people to hear. For every person living under Roman rule in Judea knew exactly what the cross was all about. They knew that a cross was a thing on which a person was put to death. People often talk about their crosses; like in terms of, their crosses that they have to bear. And they mean things like their burdens and their problems and their struggles, and like the kinds of things that we are going through with this pandemic crisis and such. And all of these are certainly heavy burdens. But that is not what Jesus is talking about here. Nor is it what we are supposed to be doing with our heavy burdens in the first place. In fact, we are never commanded to carry our heavy burdens around with us anyway. Jesus said this in Matt 11:28-30- “Then Jesus said, “Come to Me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.” NLT

One of our problems is that we so often are trying to carry around the wrong burdens. Now, having concern and having compassion and seeking to do something about our burdens and other people’s burdens is a good thing and a blessed thing. But Jesus said that there is a particular way that we are to deal with all of these burdens. And that is, that we are to first cast these burdens, cast those cares upon the Lord, and then let Him carry the heavy load of them, all the while He then works through us and we work with Him on doing something about those burdens. But it starts with transferring those burdens onto Him through prayer and in faith. Remember that Identity re-set? Jesus is the Vine…we are His branches. Remember – ‘Through us and not from us.’ And what did Jesus say that we could do about anything apart from Him, that is, anything of lasting value apart from Him? Jesus had one word for that: ‘We can do…NOTHING!

So Jesus calls us to bring our heavy burdens to Him and to then let Him carry the heavy weight of those burdens. And then He calls for us to take His yoke, or to place ourselves beside Him in His yoke, and then carry the one burden in particular that He does give to us instead. Again, we are to exchange our burdens with His burden, and do that over and over day by day.

The Jewish people spoke of the yoke as the ‘yoke of the Torah’. So we would think of this in terms of the Word of God. And so, if the ‘yoke’ is the Word of God, what then is His burden? Well, what was Jesus’ burden? Jesus’ burden was to do the ‘Will of the Father’. So the yoke is the Word of God, and the burden is the Will of God. And that’s why Jesus began with calling people to ‘deny themselves’, so that they could now think in terms of: ‘Not my will, but Thy will be done!’

The point is; denying oneself is not the same as self-denial. We practice ‘self-denial’ when, like, for a good purpose, we occasionally give up things or activities. But we ‘deny self’ when we surrender ourselves to Christ and determine to obey His will. We exchange our will with Christ’s will. And this is then followed up with a daily “dying to self’ as we take up our cross and follow Him. And get this: from the human point of view, we are losing ourselves, but from the divine perspective, we are finding ourselves.²

When we live for Christ, we become more like Him, and, amazingly enough, this brings out our own unique individuality, a ‘new self’, a new-dependent upon God-spiritual self! And this new-dependent upon God-spiritual self is exactly what we are to be raising-up and living out as we practice thinking according to this new mind-set!

The one thing that Jesus told us to carry was our cross. And the one thing on that cross is not our trials, not our troubles, not our burdens, but just ‘us’…meaning our old-independent from God-sinful self that was positionally crucified and died with Christ, and now needs to practically and daily stay attached to the Cross so that we can now experience our new-dependent upon God- spiritual self as we follow our Lord and Savior day by day. Again, what we are to be carrying around on our cross each day is our self…our old-independent from God-sinful self. For that is the old part of us that needs to stay on the cross.

Many people wear crosses of some sort…often as jewelry, or even as a way to share their faith. And it is a great way to show your thankfulness to Jesus and to remind you of your great salvation. The Apostle Paul said that he even gloried in the Cross. But he also added another focus point that we are pointing out today. Let’s look: Gal 6:14- “But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world.” KJV

On that Hill of Calvary were three crosses; one with Jesus, and on either side were two others…two thieves. One thief remained unconverted and the other thief became converted. The historians didn’t record their names, but the Apostle Paul did. He said one was named ‘the world’, and the other was named ‘and I’. You see, the whole world was on that hill that day…everyone who has ever lived was on one of those crosses. There was Jesus, and then an unconverted thief, and a converted thief. Again, the whole world was on that hill that day. You see, even if you are now converted, now saved, you and I are still converted thieves. We have each stolen from God’s sovereign authority over our lives by living not by God’s will, but by our own will. We have each stolen from God’s right to be loved with all of our soul, and all of our heart, and all of our mind. We have each stolen from God’s leadership by instead of following His ways, we have gone our own ways, with sins of commission, as well as sins of omission. We have each stolen from God’s Lordship over the use of our time, and our talents, and our treasures. Oh yeah, we are each and everyone a thief. But because of God’s great love and mercy, and because we have a great Savior, and by God’s grace and through our faith, we are now converted thieves…we are saved thieves!

But now, think about this: That converted thief died on the cross that same day with Jesus. So his old-independent from God-sinful self, died with Christ that day, and stayed dead. But his born again new-dependent upon God-spiritual self was raised-up with Jesus to Paradise that day. But what if he had lived? What if this converted thief had lived? What would Jesus’ words to him have been? They would have been exactly what Jesus told all of us who have chosen to follow Him… “You must deny yourself, and take up your cross and follow Me.”

You see, as long as you and I are still living, converted thieves that are still living, we each still carry that old-independent from God-sinful-self with us, even though God created a new-dependent upon God-spiritual self that is united to Christ’s own life. And so that is why we need to carry our cross in order to carry our old-independent-sinful self on it, as we daily die to that old self and then walk in our new self as we follow Christ in dependence upon Him and live out our life that is a ‘shared life’ in union with Him.

You recall that Jesus gave Paul that new name after he was converted. Before his conversion he was named ‘Saul’. Jesus did that with Peter, too, from Simon to Peter; Jacob was changed to Israel, and so on. Several Scriptures indicate that every born again person has or will have a new name as well. Actually, this would be very helpful for you and for me to think about, and to think about it because of this: It’s like if Paul would have carried a cross with him, and someone were to ask him: “So, Paul. What’s on your cross that you are carrying?” And Paul could have answered, “I am. That is, Saul is on this cross. The person I was is on this cross. Actually, that part that is still with me till I go to Heaven, my old-independent from God-sinful self is on this cross, because I’m trying to be less and less of Saul each day, and more and more of Paul, or the new-dependent upon God-spiritual self each day.”

In order to live a raised-up life with a raised-up mind-set we are going to have to stop trying to revive what’s already dead, our old-independent from God-sinful self, and keep focusing on and discovering and experiencing what God is trying to do in our new-dependent upon God-spiritual self, which is in union with Christ. Remember, our very name ‘Christian’ means ‘one who is In Christ’! Amen? ‘In Christ’…united to Christ’s life. That’s not just semantics, that is the reality of the fact that a Christian is one who now has a ‘shared life’ that is indissolubly united to Christ’s life.

And that’s what the Apostle Paul is calling us to do: to keep our old Saul on the cross each day and keep raising up and building up the new Paul of our life, by setting our minds on the things of God day by day.

Maybe you could add that concept to your wearing of a cross…you can let people know that it not only reminds you of the work of Jesus on the Cross to save you from your sin, but it also reminds you that Jesus is now working on saving you from yourself; that is, saving you from your old self, as in: “I’m trying to keep my old-independent from God-sinful self on the cross so that God can develop and use my new-dependent upon God-spiritual self.”

By the way, you no doubt have noticed that we keep contrasting ‘independent’ and ‘dependent’. And the reason for that is because it is a clear way of contrasting the difference between our will and God’s will. And, remember, that was the whole problem to begin with; from our first parents in the Garden of Eden to us; all living according to our independent self-will instead of living according to a devoted dependence upon and to the will of God. That’s why Jesus had to come; to pardon our sins by His own sacrifice, and to reverse the curse and convert our souls, so that we could now live a shared life with God, in dependence upon Him, whereby we now say to God; ‘Not my will, but Thy will be done!”

So you and I have something to carry each day, don’t’ we? We have a cross to carry. And we also have something to keep on that cross that we carry each day. And that is – ourselves; or the old part of us, our old-independent from God-sinful self. Or, the old Jane or the old Fred or whatever our name is. And then we need to set our mind to follow Christ, letting Him transform and lead the new part of us; or the new Jane or the new Fred and such, that new creation of the new-dependent upon God-spiritual self that Christ raised up in us and truly is the ‘real us’; the ‘real you’. And as we do this day after day, well friends, not only will we be pleasing and useful to God, but we will also be satisfied and successful in life…because true success is ‘usefulness’ to God. Plus, this simply is the greatest adventure you can have in your life…to ‘deny yourself, and take up your cross, and follow Christ!’

1. Miles J. Stanford, Principles of Spiritual Growth, p. 73

2. Notes on ‘Denial of Self’ gleaned from: The Bible Exposition Commentary. Copyright © 1989 by Chariot Victor Publishing, and imprint of Cook Communication Ministries.

A ‘Raised-Up’ Mind-Set

Study Guide, May 17, 2020

Pastor Clay Olsen

Here’s a question: So how many days are we into Easter-tide now? Remember, Easter-tide is the 50 day period following the Resurrection that culminates in Pentecost Sunday. So that means we are into day 36 of Easter-tide. It also means that we are four days away from when the Ascension of Jesus took place. Which is another wonderful truth that should encourage us immensely, because it reminds us that this same Jesus who was taken up into Heaven is coming back!

But this 36 days since the Resurrection also means ‘something else’. And that ‘something else’ is what the Apostle Paul instructed us to now practice every day since we, too, have been raised up with Christ. And what that ‘something else’ is, is this: That ‘something-else’ that we are supposed to practice every day a ‘raised-up mind-set’. And friends, if there was ever a time when God’s people need to be practicing and thinking according to our ‘raised-up mind-set’, it’s now! We are living in such a troubled time, a stressful time, a confusing time…that of all people, we, as God’s people, can actually be redeeming the time, or making the best possible use of this time, starting by thinking about this time and acting in this time according to a ‘raised-up mind-set’.

And so, again, what is this ‘raised-up mind-set’? This ‘raised-up mind-set’ is how the Apostle Paul describes how resurrected people are supposed to think and to then live. So let’s look: Col 3:1-4- “Therefore if you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth. For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory.” NASU

If you have been born again, if you have been resurrected in your spirit, if your once ‘dead in trespasses and sin spirit’ has been united to Christ’s Spirit by God’s grace and through your faith in Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior, well then, if and since you have been raised-up in your spirit, then you and I need to now think and live according to a new mind-set. We basically need a ‘re-set’ of our ‘mind-set’ in order to set our minds on the things above, and not on the things that are on earth. In fact, every day your mind and my mind needs a ‘re-set’, if we are going to develop a right mind-set, a Biblical mind-set.

I love the way the book of Proverbs starts out in the ERV Bible version. It says in Prov 1:1-3- “These are the proverbs of Solomon, the son of David and king of Israel. They will help you learn to be wise, to accept correction, and to understand wise sayings. They will teach you to develop your mind in the right way.” ERV Think about that: ‘They will teach you to develop your mind in the right way.’ What does that imply? It implies that the only way to develop your mind in the right way is to seek to learn and to practice and to live by the revelation and the reasoning of the Words of God, the Scriptures! God once said to Isaiah, “Come now, let us ‘reason’ together”…which was like God saying, “I am going to reveal some things to you. And after I reveal these things to you, the only reasonable thing for you to do is to then use it all in your own reasoning for everything that you do. For to do anything else would be completely unreasonable.” God’s revelation about everything is the most reasonable and logical information there is about life and living.

Now then, when Proverbs instructs us to use the revelation of God in order to develop our mind the right way, that also directly implies that unless a person seeks to learn and to practice and to live by the revelation and the reasoning of the Words of God, then he or she will not be able to develop their mind in the right way. In other words, a mind developed apart from the revelation and reasoning of the Words of God will be a mind that has been developed in the wrong way, which then reasons wrong and thinks wrong and believes wrong. And then many people wonder, “What’s wrong?” You can’t input ‘wrong’ and output ‘right’!

It really is about ‘input-in and then input-out’, or ‘out-put’. It’s not complicated, but it is very precise! We cannot expect a computer to out-put what has not first been put into it, or programmed into it. And if we realize that our mind is like a super-computer then we have to also realize that whatever we program into our minds is what’s going to dominate the output of our minds. It is only logical to understand that if we spend 16 hours daily of our waking life in thinking about the affairs of the world, and only 5 minutes thinking about God, then this world will seem 200 times more real and important to us than God! If we are going to develop our mind right, that is, if we are going to develop our mind according to the truth and justice and righteousness and revelation of actual reality, then we are going to have to practice Col 3:1-3! We are going to have to develop a right mind-set, a raised-up mind-set, where the priorities of the revelation and reasoning of the Word of God become the priorities of the things we daily dwell upon and daily use to make decisions and to take actions and to just do whatever it is that we have to do as we live out our daily lives. If we don’t get our mind right, then we should just expect that the rest of our life is going to go wrong.

We are instructed to develop a raised-up mind-set, by setting our minds on the things above. In other words, we need to practice superimposing Heaven over Earth so that we can then look at life through the lens of truth…the lens of the Word of God. It’s like with those chart books of Human anatomy. It starts with the skeleton. And then each page adds more understanding to what the human anatomy is all about, as you add the circulation system, and nerve system, and then muscle tissue and organs, and then the features of skin and so on. If all you had was the first page, the skeleton, you wouldn’t have much of an understanding at all of how the human anatomy was in reality. Now, this is a limited illustration, but think about it: it’s like the skeleton is human life on earth and the Bible is what contains the rest of the pages that give understanding about everything else. And as you lay the truths of the Bible over life, a page at a time, it then reveals to us what human life is really all about. And so you see, without the revelation of the teachings and truths of the Bible, all a person can see and understand about human life is limited to like only having that skeleton; it’s like just looking at bones and then guessing about everything else. It’s like that old saying, “You can’t know what you don’t know, until you find out what there is to know”.

But the point is, we have to seek to know what we don’t naturally know. That’s why we have to keep seeking the things above; we have to set our minds on the things above, on the realities of God’s Word. And then daily superimpose these realities of God’s Word over our present world; superimpose ‘the things above over the things below’, superimpose Heaven over Earth. When you look at life apart from God’s Word it’s like only looking at the skeleton of Earth…the skeleton of the people of Earth…the skeleton of the issues of Earth. In order to rightly understand this world and the people of this world and know how to rightly live in this present world, it requires developing a right mind-set about the world. And that requires developing a right habit; the habit of re-setting your mind day by day on the truths of God’s Word, which then develops a raised-up mind-set.

Actually, every day you and I need a ‘re-set’ of our minds. Wouldn’t it be nice if there was a button…like a re-set button on the side of our heads we could push each morning and get a Biblical re-set? Anyway…the reason that we say we need to re-set our minds every day is because the command to ‘set your minds’ is connected to the command to ‘keep seeking’, which is in the ‘present active’ tense, meaning ‘continually’, or day by day. Of course, that’s another reason why developing a daily Bible reading and devotional habit is essential. And, another help is by having some ‘go to’ verses to daily review in order to help ‘re-set’ your mind. We suggest you have a list on your desk or in your notes on your phone or someplace where you can go to right away every day and turn to and review several key promises or instructions from God in order to help get your mind right for the day.

And another reason we need to make this a habit is because of this: ‘We are what we dwell upon!’ Yes, of course, we have to deal with all kinds of things that life throws at us day by day. But what you dwell upon will determine how to deal with the things that life throws at you. And how you deal with things in life is often more important that what things you’re dealing with anyway. And the thing is; those who think that they can neglect dwelling upon the truths of God’s Word and still deal rightly with the things in their life are completely deceived. Remember this; left to our own reasoning, we tend to default to our own faulty human reasoning. We need to develop the discipline of focusing on God’s revelation so that we can use Biblical reasoning in everything that we do. That’s why God told Joshua: Josh 1:7-8- “Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the instructions Moses gave you. Do not deviate from them, turning either to the right or to the left. Then you will be successful in everything you do. Study this Book of Instruction continually. Meditate on it day and night so you will be sure to obey everything written in it. Only then will you prosper and succeed in all you do.” NLT

Now, lets give some examples of what we mean by some ‘go-to’ verses to help re-set your mind each day. And you can use these or pick several yourself. But the thing is, be sure to review them every day in order to then be able to dwell upon them and then set them into motion in helping you set your mind on the things above all the while you live here below. Here we go.

Every day you can:

Re-set your Identity: 2 Cor 5:17- “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.” NKJV

Re-set your Purpose: Gal 2:20- “I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.” NASU

Re-set your Attitude: Phil 2:5-9- “Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.” NASU

Re-set your Goal: 1 Cor 10:31-“…whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.” NASU

Re-set your Assurance: Rom 8:1-2- “Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death.” NASU

Again, these are just some examples, and you can select others if you like. These will be posted on our website in our study guide if you would like to check into this further. But this habit, this discipline will assist you in training your brain to think Biblically about life. And remember, the Bible wasn’t given just for our information; it was given for our transformation. And transformation is something that happens one day at a time. So make sure you are transforming your mind each day in order to honor God and live your life with a raised-up mind-set, which God can then use for His glory and for other’s blessing and for your gain! That’s the trifecta of a successful life: God’s glory, other’s blessing, and your gain!

Mothers: Wonder Women

Mother’s Day, May 10, 2020

Pastor Clay Olsen

We look forward each year to celebrating Mother’s Day. It’s a chance to highlight how remarkable Mothers are and to review how much these ‘Molders of men and women’ invest in our lives and thus influence our lives for good. A Mother also goes by other titles such as: Motivational Speaker, Teacher, Chef, Party Planner, Domestic Engineer, Handywoman, Taxi Driver, Guidance Counselor, Intervention Specialist, and then also that all round title of: Wonder Woman! Yeah, a Mom is a Wonder Woman all right. Really, it’s pretty remarkable, all the different skills and talents Mothers have and that they develop in order to go about doing their day to day service.

In fact, a new survey by Salary.com gathered a handful of jobs that reflect a day in the life of a Mom and estimated that the medium annual salary for all of that would be $160,000 a year. Actually, they had it at $162,581. But as far as this pay goes, I think we’d better contact Washington D.C. about another stimulus plan for Mothers, right? But again, think of all of these ‘hybrid’ roles of Educator, Interior Designer, Tax Accountant, Staff Nurse, and so on…No wonder every Mother is a ‘Wonder Woman’!

We’ve been hearing a lot about heroes recently, with all the different people giving of themselves to help those in need during this pandemic crisis, and rightly so. But godly Mothers also deserve that place of honor as well, as heroes. Through a Mother’s sacrifice children are nurtured and taught, girls become women, boys become men, husbands become mature Fathers. A godly Mother can be spotted by all of the sacrifices she has made and the lives she has enriched. That’s what makes a hero. It’s why the Scriptures say, “Her husband and children rise up and bless her saying, ‘The woman who fears the Lord, she shall be praised.’” (Prov 31:28-30)

So Mother’s Day is a day to thank Moms for all of these roles they have had in our lives and for all of the ways they have blessed our lives. It’s a day to thank them for all of their prayers, too. And if we were to put a price on that, Salary.com would have increase that pay figure exponentially. If you have been reading through our Chapel By The Sea Bible reading calendar, then you just recently read about Hannah and Samuel. Of course, I can’t help but always laugh when I read her husband’s comments when she was discouraged about not yet having any children. Elkanah thought he had the solution to her sadness by saying, “Well, you have me! Isn’t that better than having ten sons?” What a guy, right?! Problem solved, don’t you think? Elkanah didn’t suffer from low self-esteem.

But one of the powerful parts of Hannah’s life was her prayer life. She both prayed for Samuel before his birth and throughout his life. Notice: 1 Sam 1:27-“For this child I prayed, and the Lord has given me my petition which I asked of Him. So I have also dedicated him to the Lord; as long as he lives he is dedicated to the Lord.” NASU What a powerful prayer! And her words have been used for centuries for child dedication ceremonies as well.

But we ought to also note from this account that this godly Mother used her pains to develop a rich prayer life. You see, pain should make us better, not bitter. Pain can drive you to prayer, so that you might obtain pain-relieving answers, along with the pain-relieving power of God’s presence and God’s peace. Remember, very often significant events begin in hearts that ache, but then find sweet relief in prayer. It’s like that even in these trying times that we are going through now with this coronavirus crisis. It’s interesting that embedded in the very definition of ‘crisis’ is the word ‘opportunity’. Every crisis is both a problem and an opportunity. An opportunity for what? Well, by the grace of God and the leading of the Holy Spirit, we can make even pain produce something for the glory of God and the gain of God’s people. And prayer is how you work the wheel of the pottery of pain and gain. And as we work the wheel of prayer, the Potter, our loving God, produces something of lasting value out of our prayers, even in the midst of crisis and pain. Even birth itself is a powerful example of that…how even the pain of childbirth produces the arrival of a new gift into a family. Gain is produced even from pain.

Plus, words that are spoken in prayer echo on throughout life and on into eternity. Praying Mothers become powerful vessels that God uses for His works and His will. Praying Mothers become a source of hope and peace not only to those in their family, but to others beyond their family. Again, their prayers put works into motion that impact many for generations to come. And just knowing that should be a great encouragement for praying Mothers and should also a great inspiration for them in their prayer ministry.

And think about this: What an amazing revelation it will be in Heaven when we learn about all of the ways our lives were helped and blessed because of the prayers of our Mothers! One such Mother told her son who had turned his back on his early Christian training, “My boy, when you come to the darkest hour of it all, and everything seems lost, if you will honestly call on your Mother’s God, He will not fail you.” That man did come to his darkest hour and he remembered his Mother’s words and was influenced by his Mother’s prayers and he recommitted his life to the Lord. That man was named R.A. Torrey. He became an associate with D.L. Moody, and held world Bible conferences in the early 1900’s. His preaching in Wales was instrumental in the great Welsh revival. He later was the first superintendent of Moody Bible College, or Moody Bible Institute at the time. But this is just an example of how the faith and the prayers of a godly Mother were used by God to change a young man and reach countless others for Christ.

Plus, godly Mothers have a way of reminding you of your true identity. Like with Solomon’s mother, who also referred to him as Lemuel in Proverbs 31. She reminded him that the ways of the culture around him were not to be his ways, for it was not the way of a king. As Christians, we are King’s Kids. And godly Mothers have a way of reminding us of who we are: that our identity as a King’s Kid means that our standards of living are based upon our King’s commandments, not our culture’s habits.

They challenge their children to remember that the great privileges they possess as King’s Kids requires them to live out their great responsibilities. Godly Mothers raise the bar for their children in order to help them see that what they do matters. And in reality, this high standard is also what gives young people a sense of great security and a sense of their great significance. For they will then reason: “If what I do matters, then who I am matters.” Praise God for Mothers who remind their children of their true identity as children of the King, and of their great responsibilities to live as representatives of the King of kings and Lord of lords.

And here’s something else really inspiring: In that Proverbs 31 chapter that speaks about that godly Mother, in the Jewish Talmud, the word that is used for Mother is the same word that means ‘The Home’. So when a Jewish person thinks of ‘Home’ they think of their Mother. And while much of the responsibility for the Torah teaching rests on the Father, the Mother is the one who brings the quality to the home. In other words, it is her character and her temperament and personality and devotion to the Lord that creates the atmosphere in which they live.

Often in our culture the home tends to take on a ‘structural theme’ in which the home is thought of as a place; a place where you live, the kind of house, the kind of possessions, the kind of clothes you have, and the kinds of things you do. It’s a structural kind of thinking. But in the Jewish mind the home is not the kind of house you have, but the kind of Mother you have. And if your Mother is one of virtue and knowledge and kindness, then you come from a wealthy home. That’s why you often read of one asking about the parents of those they would meet, because when they would tell them the name of their Mother, then they would then know if they were a wealthy person or not.

Isn’t that a great way to determine your wealth? And isn’t that a great way to think about your life? If someone asks you, “And who is your Mother?” When you answer they would think, “Oh yes”, and they would realize that you are a rich and blessed person to come from a home, to have a home, to have a Mother that has made you a wealthy person!

And Fathers need to often remind the children of this reality about their Mother. Their wealth is measured not by the things that they own, but by the virtues of their Mother. And do you see how liberating that is for children to grow up knowing that? They don’t have to be stressed out and troubled over obtaining the right possession or the right position or having the right status in order to be somebody, or to try to chase riches, because they already have that sense and understanding about them. They are able to rest in the reality of; “I know who my Mother is, and therefore I am rich!” So be sure to thank Mothers for this heritage of wealth that you have because of the riches of their virtues and values.

And then, here is one more name for Mothers that we see on display over and over…and that name is ‘Sacrifice’. And the reason that Mothers so willingly sacrifice is because they so willingly love. And when you think of that, a Mother’s demonstration of sacrificial love is the demonstration of the nurturing aspect of God. In Isa 66:13 we see God saying this to His people: “As one whom his mother comforts, so I will comfort you; And you will be comforted in Jerusalem.” That unique comforting ministry of a mother is also seen in what Jesus said in Matt 23:37- “…How often I wanted to gather your children together, the way a hen gathers her chicks under her wings…” So as a Mother nurtures and comforts her children, she is actually demonstrating those same qualities of God to her family and to a watching world.

In fact, this comforting ministry is so profound that one of the titles assigned to God the Holy Spirit is ‘The Comforter’. In Jn 14:16-18 we find this: “And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that He may abide with you forever; Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth Him not, neither knoweth Him: but ye know Him; for He dwelleth with you, and shall be in you. I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.” KJV Actually, this ministry of the Holy Spirit has several similarities with the ministry of Mothers. The word ‘Comforter’ here in the Greek is ‘Paraclete’, which means ‘one called alongside’. This kind of ministry is a ‘protect, defend, and promote’ kind of ministry, as God comes alongside of us and does life with us. And God the Holy Spirit certainly does all of that and more with His children. And guess what? Godly Mothers also do all of that and more with their children as they come alongside of them and do life with them.

Even our English word ‘comfort’ comes from two Latin words meaning ‘with strength’. We usually think of ‘comfort’ as soothing someone, and consoling someone, and it certainly is, but true comfort also strengthens us to face life bravely and to keep on keeping on, you know? True comfort strengthens and encourages us in the face of hardship and struggle. It imparts courage. And Mothers are great at imparting courage to their children, as well as to their husbands; believing in them and assuring them of being loved and appreciated and supported and so on. Yes, godly Mothers just really specialize in this comforting and encouraging ministry.

So Mothers, we thank you for all of the ways you teach us and lead us. We thank you for all of the ways you serve and sacrifice for us. We thank you for all the ways you comfort and encourage us. And we thank you for all of the ways you come alongside of us to assist us and share your life with us. You are to know that your works live on, and to know that everything you have done and are doing and will do for others has lasting value and has eternal rewards awaiting you. God bless you Mothers!

Eastertide Study Guide
May 3, 2020
Pastor Clay Olsen

Guess what? It’s still ‘Eastertide’! It’s still Easter time or Easter season. Last week Pastor Robert had a great message walking through some of the amazing things occurring during that 50 day period from the Resurrection to Pentecost, which we celebrate as the birthday of the Church. Our Brother always has really good insights from the studies he shares with us. Actually, you can also listen into further things Pastor Robert shares in the weekly radio program on the Talk Station with Faith Matters. So tune into that.

But we don’t often think of Easter as Eastertide or Resurrection Season that covers 50 days each year. So let’s think about it! Again, Easter is really not just one day – it’s a 50 day period that begins at sunset on the eve of Easter and ends on Pentecost, or the day we celebrate the gift of the Holy Spirit and the birth of the Church. Plus, you recall, 10 days before that, or 40 days after the Resurrection of Jesus was His ascension into Heaven.

No doubt some of you have visited Israel and have stood on the Mt. of Olives. And the wonderful thing about standing on the Mt. of Olives is that it is still the same Mount of Olives where Jesus once stood when He ascended into Heaven and His disciples watched Him go. Sure, there is some different dirt there by now, but it’s the same mountain. And think about the disciples watching Jesus go. You know that they sure wanted to go with Him.

But why did Jesus not take them with Him? The reason Jesus didn’t take them with Him was because of what He told them right before He left them: Acts 1:8- “…you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth.” NASU Jesus left them on Earth, left them in their mortal bodies, in order that they would be His witnesses everywhere on Earth and to everyone on Earth. It’s basically the same reason that any of Jesus’ disciples are still in their mortal bodies on this present Earth. If you are a disciple of Jesus Christ, you are also a Witness of Jesus Christ’s. It’s part of your God given identity. You and I are Christ’s Witnesses of the joys of these Resurrection truths…Witnesses to the truths of the Gospel of salvation, Witnesses to the truths of the wonders of eternal life, Witnesses of our coming immortality in union with Christ, and Witnesses to the need to live life according to instructions of God’s Word, which is God’s Owner’s Manual for life.

Again, the fact that you are still here, that you are physically sitting in a physical vehicle or a physical chair in a physical body on this physical Earth, is because you still have more work to do as a Witness for Jesus Christ wherever you go in your own Jerusalem, and your own Judea and Samaria, and your own journeys to even the remotest parts of the Earth. That’s who Resurrected people are: Witnesses of Jesus Christ…and that’s what resurrected people are commissioned to do: to witness for Jesus Christ in their worship and in their service for their King and Savior.

And one thing that helps us to act on who we are is that, as Witnesses of Jesus Christ, we are convinced of the truths of everything about our Lord Jesus and His Resurrection. Think about that: we don’t have to convince anyone here of the reality of the Resurrection. You wouldn’t be out here if you didn’t believe that Jesus Christ actually rose from the dead. In fact, if the same Angels were here this morning that were at the tomb on that Resurrection morning, they would say to us the same thing they said to the women in Matt 28:5-6- “ …I know that you are looking for Jesus who has been crucified……, for He has risen, just as He said.’ NASU

You’re here because you are looking for Jesus. You’ve come looking for Jesus, the Risen Lord Jesus, not so much as to find Him in His resurrected body, but to find Him in your focus of worshipping Him, because you have already found Him as your Lord and Savior. You are looking to worship Him each day, as in…Monday through Saturday, as well as on Sunday! You believe Jesus Christ actually arose from the dead, and is alive today, and is seated at the right hand of the Father, and yet because the Holy Spirit is present with us today and everyday…you believe He is our Immanuel, our God who is always with us. And you believe that He is who He says He is: He is the mighty God, the Wonderful Counselor, the Prince of Peace, our Eternal Father… He is your healer, your Savior, your King, and your Lord. You are here because Jesus not only died, rose again, and ascended, but He’s also coming back!

Eastertide is a celebration not only of the Resurrection of the Lord Jesus, but also a celebration of His promised return. Do you remember what the angels also said to the disciples at the ascension? Acts 1:9-11- “And after He had said these things, He was lifted up while they were looking on, and a cloud received Him out of their sight. And as they were gazing intently into the sky while He was going, behold, two men in white clothing stood beside them. They also said, ” Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into the sky? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in just the same way as you have watched Him go into heaven.”

Oh yes, this Jesus, this same Jesus is coming back to walk the earth just as He did before He left the earth, only this time this world will be His kingdom and He will be the Sovereign King over all the earth. He’s coming back. Or, perhaps you’ll go to Him first, but either way, as sure as we are looking at each other here this morning, soon, maybe very soon, soon and very soon, you’re going to be looking at this same Jesus that the disciples were looking at when He left.
Now, just what does the Resurrected Lord Jesus look like? Well, neither the prophets nor the apostles attached any photo images of Jesus in the Scripture writings, so we don’t have His physical image. Yet we do have some descriptions. Remember Jesus’ words to Thomas, “Reach your finger here, and look at My hands; and reach your hand here, and put it into My side. Do not be unbelieving, but believing.” John 20:27

One of the unique things about Jesus resurrected body is that He retained His scars from the cross. It seems that Jesus will be the only one in heaven with scars. But for all eternity we will be able to look at those precious scarred hands and remember what it took for us to get there, what it took for you and for me to get to live in heaven. Those scars could have been ours, you know, but He took them for us. Isa 53:5-6 is a passage we should think about over and over, just as we have been sharing it recently in our study times together: “But He was pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; The chastening for our well-being fell upon Him, And by His scourging we are healed. All of us like sheep have gone astray, Each of us has turned to his own way; But the LORD has caused the iniquity of us all To fall on Him.”

Again, what caused the scars? My sins, your sins; What is sin? Essentially, sin is my will instead of God’s will…sin is your will instead of God’s will. Isaiah says sin is going our own way instead of God’s way, sin is being in charge of our own life instead of turning charge of our life over to God. Our refusal to surrender to God is what caused Jesus to have to suffer the consequences that should have been ours. But Jesus chose to suffer, so that He could save you and me; save us from that spiritual death penalty…from eternal separation from God, and give us spiritual life, eternal life; life without end in union with Him.

Just think; If you were the only one that had ever sinned, if everyone else were like the holy angels and without sin, if it had only been you that had sinned, God would have sent His Son just for you, to die just for you, in order to rescue you. And we know that God would have done just that, just for you. And how do we know that? Because God told us so, remember John 3:16-17? And we’re going really personalize this passage this time. And as we do so, maybe you’ll see this familiar passage in a whole new way…a new ‘family’ way. Let’s look: 

John 3:16 “For God so loved the world. Loved who? Loved the world. Who is the world? The world is you and me and each human being made by God. The world is one person at a time. I don’t know if you have ever done this before, but what we’re about to do should change everything you think about God and your relationship with God. So as we read John 3:16 and 17, put your name, your full name where we pause for that. “ For God so loved……….. now put your name right there ………………, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever, …..put your name in there again, believes in Him, shall not perish, but have eternal life. “For God did not send the Son into the world to judge………. put your name there again, but that…………. your name once more……. might be saved through Him.”

Try writing John 3:16 and 17 out on a card or maybe in your notes on your phone or tablet or somewhere, and put your name in those places, and read it over and over and see what effect it has on you and your relationship with Jesus.

You need to see your name all through John 3:16 and 17 because, again, the world is made up of one person at a time. Plus, remember the reason Jesus gave His life to save you… “For God so loved the world”…You see, you mean the world to Him, and you always will. He didn’t just come to save everybody else…He came to save you. He didn’t just want to save everybody else…He wanted to save you. Remember, He loved you before you loved Him.
This is why we celebrate the Resurrection. This is why we gather for these church family services and sing and pray together, and even shout together…“Thank you Jesus”!

Remember this: Jesus is the Risen Lord, He is alive. This historical truth is a present reality. And just because we have not yet seen the Resurrected Lord like the disciples did, still, because He is God, through the presence of the Holy Spirit, He really is here with us and is with us wherever we are. Jesus said: “I will be with you always”.

We could say that what we really need to do is to look at the truth of the Resurrection, and the truths of God’s presence through Resurrected eyes. In fact, the unseen realities around us are actually the greater realities. Listen to Paul’s words about this: 2 Cor 4:18 … we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal. NKJV

We believe the Spirit of Jesus Christ is here, but we don’t see Him, yet. We believe He forgave our sins and gave us a new spirit. We believe He resurrected our spirit from being dead in trespasses and sin to being alive together with Him. We believe He’s preparing a place for us in the better country of Heaven. We believe our saved loved ones and friends are now living in Heaven with Jesus, seeing Him in His resurrected body, with His scars and all. We can’t see all of this yet, but all this and more are all part of reality, the greater reality, because the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal. The question is; Which are you looking at most this morning, or most mornings, or most days?

Again, you are here this morning because you believe the Resurrection of Jesus Christ is true, even though you cannot yet see Him. You believe in Resurrection truths. And that’s exactly the way the Angels and the Apostles are telling us to now look at everything in our lives, through Resurrection truths. Your sight will catch up, sooner or later, but Resurrection truths stand alone. If you have surrendered your life to Christ in repentance and received Jesus into your life by faith then your very soul has been resurrected. And if you don’t look all that much different from before you were converted, well, give it time, you will. And I don’t mean because of aging. But one day you’re going to look very different, you’re going to have a resurrected body that is like that of Jesus. 1 John 3:2- Yes, dear friends, we are already God’s children, and we can’t even imagine what we will be like when Christ returns. But we do know that when He comes we will be like Him, for we will see Him as He really is. NLT

Friends, that’s Resurrection truth. Whatever trials and problems, whatever infirmities, disease, sickness, or difficulties you’re dealing with now in your body, or in your life, it’s only a temporary condition. You’re not going to have that body you have now for very long….you’re going to get a resurrected body, that will have no pain, no sickness, no arthritis, no allergies, no viruses or anything like it…

The point is, these are resurrection truths, and one day, what we are celebrating here by faith, we will one day, maybe one day very soon, we will be celebrating these truths by sight. Sight will catch up, but truth leads. Remember that! Sight will catch up, but truth always leads. Truth leads…and Jesus is Truth. So let the truth of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ, and the truths of the Scriptures lead you to continue to celebrate your Risen Lord, and to live according to God’s word every day of your life as you look for His return or for your trip home to Heaven to see Him.

Life Lessons from Nehemiah, Pt. 4

Study Guide, February 16, 2020

Pastor Clay Olsen

One of the Missionaries that the Chapel had the privilege of supporting was a dear Sister named Olivia Branch. Many at the Chapel here remember her with great fondness. She served in a place that was, to say the least, not very open to the Gospel…Islamabad, Pakistan. But she had a burden for the Muslim people and had an amazing ministry for many years in Pakistan. And even when she retired and moved to Raleigh, she spent much of her time reaching out to international students from Pakistan and other Islamic countries. What a remarkable lady, who had an abundant entrance and an amazing homecoming celebration when she arrived in Heaven.

But I will always remember her reminder to us when she was visiting the Chapel. She reminded us to understand the reality of this world; that this world is hostile to the Gospel and to everything godly. And therefore, we should always remember that wherever there is building there will be battling. What an important truth to know and to keep in mind about whatever good thing, whatever godly thing, that you are trying to build up for God’s glory and the blessing of His Church. And we see that truth on display in the book of Nehemiah. So let’s return to our journey.

And we pick it up with a prayer of Nehemiah’s that may surprise you. Check it out: Neh 4:4-5- “Hear us, O our God, for we are despised. Turn their insults back on their own heads. Give them over as plunder in a land of captivity. Do not cover up their guilt or blot out their sins from Your sight, for they have thrown insults in the face of the builders.” NIV You talk about tough praying! These mockers apparently didn’t realize who they were messing with: Nehemiah, a servant of God. Nor did they realize that in mocking the people of God they were also mocking God. And no one gets away with mocking God, the God of justice and righteousness! Do you remember what God said about that? Gal 6:7-8- “Don’t be misled—you cannot mock the justice of God. You will always harvest what you plant. Those who live only to satisfy their own sinful nature will harvest decay and death from that sinful nature. But those who live to please the Spirit will harvest everlasting life from the Spirit.” NLT

God will not be mocked without consequence. You cannot mock the justice of God without consequence. Nehemiah understood that, and so his prayer was not about personal revenge or anything like that, but Nehemiah was praying for God’s justice to be both honored and acted upon by God. Through prayer, he was placing these mockers into the hands of God. And for anyone who is mocking God, that’s a terrible place to be, as in: Heb 10:31- “It is a terrible thing to fall into the hands of the living God.” NLT

As disturbing as it is to us, when we hear worldly people scoffing at truth and righteousness, or mocking the teachings of God and the people of God, or dishonoring the Gospel of God, like Nehemiah, we can’t let that stop us from doing the works of God. We need to keep on doing good works for God. But we discover here in Nehemiah, that there is also something we need to do about mockers and scoffers of God’s works and words and people. By prayer, we need to put them into the hands of the living God. And then, by faith, we need to not only see them as now in the hands of the living God, but to also see and realize that if they continue with their mocking and scoffing, God’s justice will be done, and their future days will not be days of rejoicing, but they will be days of regret, as they reap what they sowed against God and God’s people.

No doubt Nehemiah learned about this ‘justice praying’ from the recorded prayers of one who often prayed these types of ‘justice prayers’, the Psalmist. These types of prayers are called ‘Imprecatory Prayers’. One of the benefits of many Study Bibles is that they include a section in their introduction to the Psalms that identifies these ‘Imprecatory Psalms’. And they have the numbers of the chapters that are ‘Imprecatory Psalms’. The word ‘imprecatory’ refers to a ‘calling for justice and judgment’. And the purpose for this kind of praying is to demonstrate the justice and righteous judgment of God, to show the authority of God in all things on Earth, to remind others that they are accountable to the living God, and to move people to repent while there is still time.

Just one example of an imprecatory prayer is from Ps 35:1- “Contend, O Lord, with those who contend with me; Fight against those who fight against me.” 5 – “Let them be like chaff before the wind, with the angel of the Lord driving them on.” 8 – “Let destruction come upon him unawares, and let the net which he hid catch himself; into that very destruction let him fall.” NASU Both the Psalmist and Nehemiah were praying as servants of God concerned for the glory of God. Nehemiah’s enemies had blasphemously provoked God to the builders, who were building according to God’s will. And this was a terrible sin. This opposition of Sanballat and Tobiah and others against the Jews was, in reality, direct opposition against God.

And as far as what scoffers and mockers say against God’s people…against us, well, something we can remember here is that the things people say may hurt us, but they can never harm us, unless we let them get into our mind and spirit and let it poison us. If we spend time dwelling on the enemy’s words, we just give Satan a foothold from which he can discourage and keep us from doing the works God has for us to do. So the best thing to do is to pray and commit the whole thing to the Lord; and then get back to your work; just press on with the good works of worshipping and serving God!

But also, do be prepared to do battle. Let’s look. Neh 4:8-9- “All of them conspired together to come and fight against Jerusalem and to cause a disturbance in it. But we prayed to our God, and because of them we set up a guard against them day and night.” 14 – “When I saw their fear, I rose and spoke to the nobles, the officials and the rest of the people: “Do not be afraid of them; remember the Lord who is great and awesome, and fight for your brothers, your sons, your daughters, your wives and your houses.” NASU Two things to note here: One is to remember that ‘Prayer’ is a salve and a sword. Prayer is a salve for the soul, but it’s also a sword for the battle. Like when you do ‘imprecatory praying’ you are wielding the sword of justice. Yes, be sure and use it for the honor of God, but also be sure and use it to do justice and carry out righteousness. Don’t be afraid of praying like Nehemiah and King David. But do so out of fear of God and out of the desire to see God’s will be done.

Then a second thing to see here is that self-defense is a Biblical good work. The Scriptures have always instructed God’s people not to be the aggressors toward others, but God’s people are always to be the defenders of others. One of the most overlooked teachings of Jesus is His second set of instructions to the disciples after their initial mission. What do we mean? Take a look: Luke 22:35-36- “And He said to them, “When I sent you out without money belt and bag and sandals, you did not lack anything, did you?” They said, “No, nothing.” And He said to them, “But now, whoever has a money belt is to take it along, likewise also a bag, and whoever has no sword is to sell his coat and buy one.” NASU

On their first mission, Jesus sent them out to their countrymen. They were proclaiming the Kingdom of God and showing others that they were not the aggressors in any way. But now they were being sent into all the world to proclaim the Kingdom of God, where even though they were not to be the aggressors, still, they were certainly to be prepared for defense, and to be prepared to defend others from this dangerous world. Nehemiah’s call to defend against those who would do harm to brothers, sisters, wives, homes, and country is a timeless call for God’s people to do justice in this world. Again, God’s people are not to be the aggressors of battles, but God’s people are commanded to be the defenders of all who need defense against the attacks of the wicked. As the Scriptures remind us; ‘There is a time for war and a time for peace.’ And God’s people are to be prepared for both, and ready for whichever the time calls for.

Notice further how the people worked. Neh 4:15-18- “When our enemies heard that we knew of their plans and that God had frustrated them, we all returned to our work on the wall. But from then on, only half my men worked while the other half stood guard with spears, shields, bows, and coats of mail. The leaders stationed themselves behind the people of Judah who were building the wall. The laborers carried on their work with one hand supporting their load and one hand holding a weapon. All the builders had a sword belted to their side.” NLT

When Charles Spurgeon started his church magazine in 1865, he borrowed the title from Nehemiah and called the publication The Sword and Trowel. He said it was “a record of combat with sin and labor for the Lord.” You see, It is not enough to build the wall; we must also be on guard against the attacks of the enemy against God’s works. Again, building and battling are both a normal part of the Christian life. Many times Christians get ready and they get enthused about doing building for the Lord, which is great, but they neglect getting ready to do battle against the enemies of the Lord, or against the enemies tactics and strategies. We all need to realize that, especially now in our country, we are living in a period of a cultural war going on. There are Sanballats and Tobiahs in every sector, every city, every community in our country, who are hostile to the Word of God and are against the works of God. Wherever they see and hear disciples of Jesus trying to please God by building His church, seeking to honor the authority of the inerrant Word of God, and seeking to save the lost and dying, they are going to do whatever they can to fight against that and to break down those walls of the church of Jesus Christ. But that does not change our commission to continue the work of building up God’s Church for His glory and the gain of Gods’ people. Building and battling are all part of the work of carrying out the Great Commission.

Another amazing lesson from Nehemiah is that, in this battle of righteousness against unrighteousness, we also have to remember that the battle is not only with the one that comes against us, but also with the one that comes from within us. That’s right! Remember that we fight not only the world and the devil, but also the flesh, or our old sin nature. And one of the central sins of the sin nature is ‘self-centeredness’. It’s like with Nehemiah; just when Nehemiah gets the people settled and centered to fight against the enemies outside the walls, he then finds that there’s another battle going in inside the walls. It was basically the battle of ‘self-centeredness’. Take a look: Neh 5:1-5- “About this time some of the men and their wives raised a cry of protest against their fellow Jews. They were saying, “We have such large families. We need more food to survive.” Others said, “We have mortgaged our fields, vineyards, and homes to get food during the famine.” And others said, “We have had to borrow money on our fields and vineyards to pay our taxes. We belong to the same family as those who are wealthy, and our children are just like theirs. Yet we must sell our children into slavery just to get enough money to live. We have already sold some of our daughters, and we are helpless to do anything about it, for our fields and vineyards are already mortgaged to others.” NLT

How strange, that while the people rallied together to do battle against the enemy outside the walls, they ended up battling against each other inside the walls. There were people taking advantage of one another, instead of serving and helping one another…and all for just self-centered…selfish gains. Of course, whatever gain comes by being selfish sooner or later turns into a loss anyway. Plus, since self-centeredness, or selfishness is a hole that can never be filled, the selfish person is never really satisfied anyway, because it’s never enough.

D.L. Moody used to say that his biggest enemy was the one that looked back at him in the mirror every day. We need to realize that we are more occupied with ourselves than we can imagine. Since we each have a sin-nature that is bent toward being self-centered, that means that we are going to have to take action day by day in order to get re-centered; to get ‘Christ-centered’. As Bill Bright put it: ‘We have to daily move off the throne of our life and give Jesus His rightful place on the throne of our lives.’ We have to re-center on Christ and then take our rightful place as servants of our Lord Jesus; and then get on with serving others who need our service. Our focus is to be on building God’s church alongside of God’s people, all the while being ready to do battle against the mockers and scoffers and any who’s intention is to harm the work of God or the workers of God. We are simply called to follow the Nehemiah principle for building and for battling; and all to the glory of God and the blessing of others.

God Created Them Male and Female…and Really, Really, Different!

Study Guide, February 9, 2020

Pastor Clay Olsen

Since we are enjoying a special Sunday where the guys get to honor the ladies we thought it would be enlightening and inspiring and just plain amazing to think about some of the ways that God made males and females really, really, really…yes, really different. Both Biblical revelation and just everyday reality bears this out pretty clearly. Even the Apostle Peter instructs married men to make it their continual pursuit to seek to understand their wives. 1 Peter 3:7- “You husbands in the same way, live with your wives in an understanding way…” NASU Certainly, the context is a caution to not take advantage of the wife and to honor and serve the wife as a fellow heir of the grace of God. But this ‘understanding way’ is a key to the fact that there are real differences. Even children pick up on these differences early on.

Some time ago Dr. Dobson received some feedback from girls and boys who each said that girls were ‘more better’ than boys and that boys were ‘more better’ than girls. That’s how they put it: ‘more better’. Here’s a few of the reasons the girls gave that girls were more better than boys. [Girls chew with their mouths closed. Girls have better hand-writing. Girls don’t smell as bad. Girls don’t eat as much. Girls put deodorant on more often. And Girls have more manners.] Well, then the boys said they were more better than girls because…[Boys are proud of their odor. Boys aren’t afraid of reptiles. Boys don’t take two million years to get ready. Boys don’t wake up with bad hair. Boys can climb trees better. And…Boys learn to make funny noises with their arms faster.] That seems to be very important to boys.

But the evidence is clear that even from a young age these differences are very pronounced. And one of many benefits of seeking to be Biblically correct instead of some other imagined idea of correctness is that it frees you to discover and to celebrate the many ways that God created men and women with many and marvelous differences. And we can also then understand that these intentional differences were designed by God in order to promote our need to learn from one another and to assist one another as we serve God together.

So instead of being frustrated by these differences, we are to draw on these differences, like drawing water from a well, in order to build up one another and to then communicate to the world the wonder of our Creator, and to also then work together to communicate to our world the message of our Redeemer. But all of this requires seeking to better understand and to serve one another.

For example: So, how many languages do you speak? Some speak one or even more languages than English. Some might just think they only speak one, English. However, each one of us speaks more than one language, or English. For if you are a man, you speak both English and Manglish. And if you are a woman, you speak both English and Womanglish. And so the challenge for men and women is that in order to better understand and relate to one another, you will have to learn, and continue to learn each other’s language.

In fact, you may have already noticed that, in general, there’s even a difference in the amount of language. Studies have shown that men speak an average of 9,000 words a day, and women speak an average of 16,000 words a day. Thus, comes the old joke about when the work day is over and men have used up most of their words, women still have 7,000 to go. That’s a joke of course…of course it is. But think about it, men tend to speak in short phrases with few details, whereas women enjoy giving story-like details. Men like to have the ‘bottom line’ result of whatever the subject is. They are more ‘report’ inclined, or results driven. Whereas women want and need to include details in conversation before any ‘bottom line’ is reached, as they are more ‘rapport’ oriented…or more relationally driven. For example: When a woman asks her husband how his day went, since he is ‘report driven’ he gets to the bottom line and says, “Fine”. But since she is ‘rapport driven’, she’s not just looking for ‘bottom line’ information, but for some details in order to bond together in their conversation. So while the husband is content with just being together and doing activities together, the wife also desires to converse together while they are together and hopes to talk about whatever it is that they are doing.

And in just understanding this simple example about each other helps us to also better understand the Biblical counsel for husbands and wives to seek to better understand each other, and to take steps in serving one another, and to work at even this very practical art of communication. And so you see, when a husband understands that communicating with his wife is as much about building the relationship as it is about just sharing information, then he can understand why he should commit to serving her needs by communicating more than what just comes naturally for him. And when a wife understands that being together and doing things together really is like communication and bonding to a man, then she can understand why she should commit to serving his needs by realizing that even in his unspoken deeds he really is speaking affections to her. To men, deeds are words. To women, deeds also need words. But either way, since each are trying to serve and meet the needs of one another, this means that each has to do, not just what comes naturally to them…rather, they are to seek to do what doesn’t come naturally to them, but whatever they can do by faith to better meet the needs of one another.

I was thinking of an example of how after a husband and wife watch an old cowboy show. And afterwards the wife says, “They hardly said anything in this film.” But to the husband, with all the action and even the nonverbal looks going on, he was hearing all kinds of communication happening. Why, He even understood what the horses were saying to each other just by how they acted. But then a husband watches a show about relationships with his wife, and afterwards says, “There was hardly any action in this film.” But to the wife, with all the spoken words in all the various scenes and different settings, she saw all kinds of action happening. Actions are words to men…but to women, actions also need words.

So make it your mission to learn all you can about these marvelous differences in order to better understand how to better serve one another. Note this: Studies have shown that even men and women’s brains are different. Men generally have a thicker skull. Now watch out here! Be careful what you do with that information Ladies! Then, men also have thicker skin. And guys, watch out what you do with that information, too! And men have heavier blood…20 percent more red blood cells, which explains why women are more prone to fainting. Women’s hearts beat more rapidly than men’s, but blood pressure is generally lower.

Now then, let’s go back to the brain. Men tend to think ‘compartmentally, while women think more ‘globally’. Meaning, men tend to compartmentalize their thinking. They can sort of ‘zone out’ of one area and go into the next area. Part of this is due to what has been discovered in researching the development of the brain in a baby boy. Note this: “… about the eighth week a male brain is washed by a huge surge of hormones. It is then transformed radically and even takes on a different color. This male hormone eliminates some of the communication cells, including a portion of the bundle of nerves called the ‘corpus callosum’. This ‘corpus callosum’ is a rope of fibers that connects the right hemisphere, where emotion is processed, with the left, where language is focused. Although the corpus callosum survives this hormonal bath, the male brain will never be able to “cross talk” as effectively thereafter, which has major implications for future masculine behavior. This hormone also causes an increase in the volume of neurons and circuits located in the boy’s aggression centers. A male has up to twenty times more testosterone than a female, which is why his play often involves running, jumping, roughhousing, grabbing hair, making loud noises, and playing with trucks and tanks and such.²

That explains a lot right there. The result is that, for the girls, both sides of their brains work in stereo with each other, working in concert together, while for the guys, their brains now function more like in mono mode, as on working on one side at a time…not completely, of course, but more so than in a woman’s brain. And just that research reveals why men do tend to think more in terms of ‘one thing at a time’. It’s been compared to a house, where to a man, his house is broken up into rooms, and he can fully be in one room at a time. Whereas to a woman, her house is more like one big room, and so she is in every part of it at the same time. Now, there are advantages and disadvantages to each, of course, but it also explains why women are so adept at multi-tasking, while that’s more difficult for men. But it also explains why it’s easier for men to deal with one task at a time…not thinking about the others. If they would say to a woman, “Well, just don’t think about it” like how they can just flip the off-switch on that subject, the woman would be confused as in, “How can you not think about it? And I don’t see an off-switch anywhere.” Some women have explained that by saying that sometimes in their thinking they even interrupt themselves.  

Let’s give one other example of these differences of which we can act upon right away. Included in Paul’s counsel for husbands and wives in being subject to one another and serving each other, he points out a very different basic need of one another. And the amazing thing about this is that this basic need for the woman is different from that of the man. Take a look: Eph 5:33- “Nevertheless, each individual among you also is to love his own wife even as himself, and the wife must see to it that she respects her husband.” NASU So there are two commands here, but they are different. The husband is commanded to love his wife, but the wife is commanded to respect her husband. And one important thing to understand here is that this kind of respect referred to here is not what is commonly thought of as, ‘respect is something that you earn.’ Although respect should be something we should be focused on earning, still, the Greek word for ‘respect’ here is related to that of ‘showing honor’. It’s not about waiting until a person rightfully earns it, but it is showing honor to another because that is the right thing to do. It’s like when you show love to another that either has or hasn’t rightfully caused you to feel loving. Loving others is simply the right thing to do. You see, Love is showing compassion either in connection with or in spite of your feelings. In the same way, respect is showing honor either in connection with or in spite of your feelings. This showing of love and showing of respect is just the right thing to do.

Wives need love shown to them and husbands need respect shown to them. In a remarkable and insightful book called Love and Respect the author points out that wives are made to love, want love, and expect love. Whereas, husbands are made to be respected, want respect, and expect respect. And so get this: as they then relate to one another, without love from him, she reacts without respect; and without respect from her, he reacts without love. And around and around it goes. The author called it: The Crazy Cycle.

This Scripture in Ephesians has been in the Bible for over two thousand years, but many men and women keep on relating to each other with little understanding about it. In commentary on this verse the author went on to point out that a husband is to obey the command to love even if his wife does not obey the command to respect, and a wife is to obey the command to respect even if the husband does not obey the command to love. And as you can see, we have just moved up to the level of ‘living by faith’ rather than just ‘living by feeling’, because when a husband feels disrespected, it is especially hard for him to love his wife. And when a wife feels unloved, it is especially hard for her to respect her husband. That’s why we are called to live by faith rather than by feelings.

Think about it further: When a husband feels disrespected, he has a natural tendency to react in ways that feel unloving to his wife. But that is when this demonstration of love is most powerful, and needed, and thus it is why this command is based upon faith, not feelings. And when a wife feels unloved, she has a natural tendency to react in ways that feel disrespectful to her husband. But here, too, that is when the demonstration of respect is most powerful, and needed, and thus it is why this is a command based upon faith, not feelings.¹

And so right away, we see another example here of another big difference in how men and women are created differently, and thus the need for men and women to humbly seek to understand each other better, in order to serve one another better, and to thus honor God better, and to let Him do His work in and through their lives. Plus, especially as Brothers and Sisters in Christ do seek to better understand and serve one another, God then uses that to mightily speak to a confused world around us that understands little and little appreciates these remarkable differences in those God created male and female. And, as we celebrate these differences and learn more how to benefit from them we can then speak these things to the world around us about our amazing Creator, and about His plans He has for us all, and especially His plan to save all who will receive their Savior, Jesus Christ, so that they can be a part of His forever family.

1. Dr. Emerson Eggerichs, Love and Respect, pp 15,16

2. Dobsonlibrary.com, A Woman’s Brain (Research on brain development in Women and Men)

Life Lessons from Nehemiah, Pt. 3

Study Guide, February 2, 2020

Pastor Clay Olsen

Some of you that have visited Jerusalem were no doubt impressed by the massive gates around the Old City; gates like the Damascus Gate, Zion’s Gate, and the Golden Gate. The remarkable thing about the Golden Gate is that it is sealed over. It has been sealed since 1541 when an Ottoman Sultan named ‘Suleiman the Magnificent’ had it sealed up. History records that he sealed up this Golden Gate, or Eastern Gate, not only as protection from those who might invade the city from that direction, but even more because of the prophecy of the end times from Ezek 43:4- “And the glory of the Lord came into the Temple through the east gateway.” NLT This Muslim Sultan thought that sealing up the gate would keep this Jewish Messiah from fulfilling that prophecy. What he and so many others failed then and fail now to realize is that the Messiah is not only fully human, but He is also fully divine…He is God. And no sealed gate is going to keep the Messiah from entering that gate or fulfilling all prophecy!

But another interesting thing about this Eastern Gate is that it faces the Mount of Olives, where there is a massive Jewish Cemetery. And the tombstones there all face the city, as Jewish tradition says that when the Messiah returns those buried there will be resurrected and will enter the city with the Messiah. Well, if they received the Biblical Messiah, Jesus Christ, as their God and Savior, then yes. But as John 1:11-13 states it, some received Him, but others didn’t. “He came to His own, and those who were His own did not receive Him. But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.” NASU

But the gates have always had great significance. And in the time of Nehemiah, there were ten gates as part of the wall that the people worked together on to rebuild. So let’s return to this amazing work and see what things we can take away from it.

Chapter three gives us a record of some of the work, along with some of the names of the workers. Here are some selected examples of this: Neh 3:1-2 -“Then Eliashib the high priest and the other priests started to rebuild at the Sheep Gate. They dedicated it and set up its doors, building the wall as far as the Tower of the Hundred, which they dedicated, and the Tower of Hananel. 2 People from the town of Jericho worked next to them, and beyond them was Zaccur son of Imri.” 10- “Next Jedaiah son of Harumaph repaired the wall across from his own house…3:12- “Shallum son of Hallohesh and his daughters repaired the next section. He was the leader of the other half of the district of Jerusalem.” NLT

What we see from this sampling is the remarkable example of service and fellowship among and between the people of God. You have priests in Jerusalem, who usually served in the temple, to those who lived outside of Jerusalem, as in Jericho here, to Shallum and his daughters, all serving together to build for the glory of God. What a picture of how God has always wanted His family to serve together. And not just in their own areas of interest, but in serving wherever there was a need for service; and serving with a humble attitude, like the priests getting dirty and sweating alongside the others. Remember, Jesus taught that those who are considered great in His kingdom are those who are the servants of all. A humble attitude about yourself and a willingness to serve others is more important than any title that you carry or is given to you.

Plus, what a great early picture of what the Apostle Paul would later point out as what characterizes the people of God today, the church today, as a body of parts all working and serving together to build up God’s kingdom and one another as well. Eph 4:16- “He makes the whole body fit together perfectly. As each part does its own special work, it helps the other parts grow, so that the whole body is healthy and growing and full of love.” Rom 12:4-5- “Just as our bodies have many parts and each part has a special function, so it is with Christ’s body. We are many parts of one body, and we all belong to each other.” 1 Cor 12:25-27- “This makes for harmony among the members, so that all the members care for each other. If one part suffers, all the parts suffer with it, and if one part is honored, all the parts are glad. All of you together are Christ’s body, and each of you is a part of it.” NLT

So not only is every member of Christ’s body significant to God, but every member is to give some significant effort to working on God’s works of building up His Kingdom, building up His church, building up whatever the body of Christ is in need of, along with their own family’s works and concerns. And we at the Chapel here are blessed because this ‘Body’ gets that, and does just that…humbly serves the Lord and one another in whatever service is needed.

We also notice that God is a recorder. Not only does God record the work going on, He also gives us a record of names of those who did the work. And just like their names in Nehemiah’s time were recorded, along with the work they did, so God has a record of your name and all the works that you have done to honor Him and to bless others. That’s something that God wants you to know; that our God is a recorder. Every good thing, every good prayer, every good effort that you have done for the glory of God and the blessing of others is recorded by God. And He wants us to know this not only to motivate us to get on with doing whatever we can do to honor Him and bless others, but to encourage us by realizing that no good work goes unnoticed by God, but rather each one counts and will be rewarded far more than we can even imagine.

Another interesting thing is that in many places it points out that oftentimes the work they were doing on the wall was right across from their houses where they lived. That was a pretty wise plan, don’t you think? If you are working on the wall that is just across from your house, you’re probably going to do a pretty good job in making sure that the wall is really strong in that section, right? The word ‘repair’ is used thirty-five times in this chapter. And the intention of these ‘repairs’ was to make them even better than before.

And what a key attitude that is in serving God. Often there are things in our lives that get attacked, or even just worn down. And like those damaged walls around Jerusalem, although we can’t do anything to change what happened, we can always put our hands to the plow to repair and to seek to make things around us even better than before, whether it is in repairing wood and stone in church buildings or repairing words and service in church relationships. As the Apostle Paul pointed out to us, Rom 12:17-18- “Never pay back evil for evil to anyone. Respect what is right in the sight of all men. If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all men.” NASU Now, the trouble may not be from you, but as far as the peace, that can be from you. And in none of any of even the most modern translations can you find, “Blessed are the trouble-makers”…no, it’s always “Blessed are the peacemakers.”

So not only was the work they were doing together to build up the wall important to God, but also ‘how’ they were working together was important to God. Friends, in whatever we are doing we always have to factor in how God is looking at what we are doing…is He pleased with our attitude toward both the work and toward the workers as we work on whatever work it is that we are working on? Don’t let your attitude cancel out the reward of the work you’ve done. That is just not wise at all.

But now, whenever you do try to build something good to honor God and bless others, you can count on opposition. Take a look at this: Neh 4:1-3- “Now it came about that when Sanballat heard that we were rebuilding the wall, he became furious and very angry and mocked the Jews. He spoke in the presence of his brothers and the wealthy men of Samaria and said, “What are these feeble Jews doing? Are they going to restore it for themselves? Can they offer sacrifices? Can they finish in a day? Can they revive the stones from the dusty rubble even the burned ones?” Now Tobiah the Ammonite was near him and he said, “Even what they are building — if a fox should jump on it, he would break their stone wall down!” NASU

We have to realize is that although this may not sound like much to us, to the Jewish people these statements really were very serious charges and these adversaries were harshly mocking the people. When they called them ‘feeble Jews’ that was a direct attack on their faith and on the strength that came from their faith. Feeble means weak and withering. How often have the mockers of Christianity said that our faith was a crutch, like something only needed by weak people who can’t make it on their own? That’s what they were saying to these people. And yet, what a foolish claim. Plus, people who say things like that, who claim that Christians can’t make it on their own, why, they don’t even know what they mean by that. What does that mean…to ‘Make it on their own? Make what on their own?’ Make a self-centered life that’s lived for your own glory instead of Gods? ‘Make it on your own’, like in living as though you are the master of your own life, when in reality you are either a repentant servant of God’s or you are an unrepentant servant who is under judgment from God? And then when your life is over you will have wasted your whole life, and you will have lost your own soul for eternity? That’s what ‘making it on your own means!’ How utterly foolish is that?! Jesus called a person like that, one who tried to live life like they were in charge of their own life ‘A fool!’…one who gains the whole world, but loses his or her own soul.

But what the mockers of God’s people and of God’s work fail to realize is that they are simply being used as pawns of the devil to do his will. Like ridicule: ridicule is the language of the devil. The devil used Goliath to ridicule David by asking if he was only a dog that they were sending out to come and hit him with a stick. Well, he was hit with something all right, but it wasn’t a stick…David hit him with a stone. And that’s all it took to bring Goliath down. And many others, too, in the Old and New Testaments were ridiculed and mocked for their faith and their works. But one thing we need to remember in connection with this is that when the enemy mocks what God’s people are doing, it is usually a sign that God is doing a significant work through them and is going to bless His people in a wonderful way. When you are mocked or scorned by others because of your faith, you should know that you are really being a blessing to God and others. You can tell that by how riled up the enemy is.

Even during the greatest offering of all time, the Lord Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross, some of the calloused soldiers and rabble in the crowd were ridiculing Him. But also remember, the Psalmist had something to say about that as well in Ps 2:10-12- “Now then, you kings, act wisely! Be warned, you rulers of the earth! Serve the Lord with reverent fear, and rejoice with trembling. Submit to God’s royal Son, or He will become angry, and you will be destroyed in the midst of all your activities—for His anger flares up in an instant. But what joy for all who take refuge in Him!” NLT

So remember the warning of this Psalm whenever you encounter the mockers and scoffers and doubters and those who ridicule God’s work or God’s Word or God’s people. They have been warned. People either choose discipleship or they choose destruction: those are the only two options in life. You either become born again and then only die once – or you remain unrepentant toward God and thus die twice; physically and spiritually. God will not be mocked. What a man sows, that he will reap.

But before we wrap this part up, one other tactic we should point out that the devil uses against God’s people is ‘discouragement’. Like we see in Neh 4:10- “Thus in Judah it was said, “The strength of the burden bearers is failing, yet there is much rubbish; and we ourselves are unable to rebuild the wall.” NASU Discouragement is one of the devil’s most powerful weapons. Know that and be on the alert for that. And one reason discouragement is so effective for the devil is because there are so many different things humans get discouraged about…and he knows what they are. And one of them is what the people said. Look at it again: Neh 4:10- “And so at that time the people of Judah said, “The workers are becoming tired. There is too much dirt and trash in the way. We cannot continue to build the wall.” ERV This very literal version reveals that when we are weary, when we’re right in the middle of a project or a work, when all around us is the dirt from it, the trash because of it….or just so much rubbish…that is the time to watch out! Because that is exactly what the devil wants you to be focused on…to be focused on the rubbish instead of on what you are building…to be focused on the problems in your world and not focused on the promises in God’s Word. Problems can either produce discouragement or diligence. It all depends on your focus. It’s like one of my favorite sayings of Dr. Warren Wiersbe: “If you look to yourself, you’ll be discouraged; if you look to others, you’ll be distracted; but if you look to Christ, you’ll be delighted.”

Remember something very important: There’s a lot of rubbish even in the best works. That’s why we have to keep focused on what we’re building and even rebuilding for the glory of God, and even our own gain because of God’s grace.

Life Lessons from Nehemiah

Study Guide, January 12, 2020

Pastor Clay Olsen

 

Are you ready for an adventure? We are about to embark on a journey through Nehemiah. And if you have been using our Bible Reading calendar you just recently read through the book of Nehemiah on December 22^nd – 27^th. So you are all primed and prepared and ready to roll, right? And what’s interesting about having just read Nehemiah is that in the order of the Old Testament, Nehemiah comes even before you get to the book of Job, which may have even been written before Moses recorded the first five books of the Old Testament. But the calendar readings are laid out in chronological order, for the most part, and so chronologically the events of Nehemiah and Esther and Malachi are the last events of the Old Testament. The order of the Old Testament was determined by category rather than chronology, as in the books of Law, History, Poetry, and then the Major Prophets and the Minor Prophets.

What we are about to explore are lessons that speak to all of us as we look into things like leadership, and the rebuilding of people while the people rebuild the wall around Jerusalem, and lessons in dealing with resistance from a hostile culture. Can you relate to that? Also we see the sovereignty of God at work, which reminds us that we, too, are secure in the hands of God who is always working in our lives and in our world. It’s like Jesus reminded us that the Father is always working, and the Son is working with Him, and the Spirit is working through it all. And that’s a reminder to us to pray and to look for where God is working and to listen to what God is working on, and to then join Him in the work. Remember, God is the Master Builder. He is always building something. It’s just like while the people were working on building the wall, God was working on building them. Guess what? He is doing the same with us.

That’s one of the amazing lessons we are always to be aware of, that, for the follower of Christ, every project is actually two projects; the project ‘itself’ and the project ‘yourself’. In every work, there is the work ‘itself’ and there is also the work ‘yourself’; or the work that God is doing in you while you are doing the work itself. In other words, in everything that you are building, God is using it to build you. And that is a theme that we are going to see throughout this wonderous book of Nehemiah; God working on the workers while the workers do the work. Plus, if you will inject that understanding into everything that you are working on, from your vocational life to your family life to your social life, it will profoundly affect your whole attitude toward all of it, and it will change your whole life in the process of it.

Did you know that in the Hebrew Bible the books of Ezra and Nehemiah are together, as in one book? A Christian scholar by the name of Origen, in the 3^rd century, divided them into two books. But you can see why they were considered together since the scribe, Ezra, wrote them both. Plus, the combined work of rebuilding the temple and then of rebuilding the walls was the fulfillment of one of the most amazing prophecies that God gave to the people through the prophet Jeremiah. Take a look: Jer 25:11-12- “This entire land will become a desolate wasteland. Israel and her neighboring lands will serve the king of Babylon for seventy years. Then, after the seventy years of captivity are over, I will punish the king of Babylon and his people for their sins,” says the Lord.” NLT And then God goes on to tell them about their return.

So, over a hundred years earlier the prophet Jeremiah prophesied that after God would return the people to their homeland from their exile in Babylon following this judgment upon them from turning away from following God. And catch this, over a hundred years before Jeremiah gives this prophecy, the prophet Isaiah records this for us: Isa 44:28-45:1- “He says to Cyrus, “You are My shepherd. You will do what I want. You will say to Jerusalem, ‘You will be rebuilt!’ You will tell the Temple, ‘Your foundations will be put in place!’ “This is what the Lord said to Cyrus, His chosen king: “I took you by your right hand to help you defeat nations, to strip other kings of their power, and to open city gates that will not be closed again.” 4- “I do this for My servant, Jacob. I do it for My chosen people, Israel. Cyrus, I am calling you by name. You don’t know Me, but I know you.” ERV

This prophecy was given through Isaiah about 150 years before Cyrus was even born! Talk about a specific prophecy! God even named this Persian King. And don’t you love it where God says to Cyrus: “You don’t know Me, but I know you.” Can you imagine Cyrus learning about this prophecy and finding out that God had even called him by name before he was even born? Fantastic! Plus, this prophecy, along with the exact number of 70 years that the people would be in captivity, is so specific and so detailed that anyone who has any doubt about the historical reliability and accuracy of the Scriptures can become completely convinced of it by just this one prophecy about the return of the people and the rebuilding of the temple, let alone the other hundreds of prophecies.

But the thing is, the reason that people don’t accept the Bible as the absolute words of God is not because they have honestly examined the Bible. No, the reason they don’t accept the Bible as the absolute words of God is because the Bible examines them, and honestly, they don’t want to become accountable to what God’s words are telling them to do about this examination. Remember, it’s not until people become willing to let God be their God, and to yield to God as their God, that they find that God’s words are not only absolutely true, but they find that God’s words are also everything they have always needed and everything their souls have always longed for.

So God fulfills this prophecy of the people returning to the land after 70 years and under Ezra’s leadership rebuilds the temple in Jerusalem. But God’s presence, as symbolized by the temple, now needs God’s protection, as symbolized by the wall. The problem is, the wall was in shambles. Which brings us to this: Neh 1:1-10- “These are the memoirs of Nehemiah son of Hacaliah. In late autumn, in the month of Kislev, in the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes’ reign, I was at the fortress of Susa. Hanani, one of my brothers, came to visit me with some other men who had just arrived from Judah. I asked them about the Jews who had returned there from captivity and about how things were going in Jerusalem. They said to me, “Things are not going well for those who returned to the province of Judah. They are in great trouble and disgrace. The wall of Jerusalem has been torn down, and the gates have been destroyed by fire.” When I heard this, I sat down and wept. In fact, for days I mourned, fasted, and prayed to the God of heaven. Then I said, “O Lord, God of heaven, the great and awesome God who keeps His covenant of unfailing love with those who love Him and obey His commands, listen to my prayer! Look down and see me praying night and day for Your people Israel. I confess that we have sinned against you. Yes, even my own family and I have sinned! We have sinned terribly by not obeying the commands, decrees, and regulations that you gave us through your servant Moses. Please remember what you told your servant Moses: ‘If you are unfaithful to Me, I will scatter you among the nations. But if you return to Me and obey my commands and live by them, then even if you are exiled to the ends of the earth, I will bring you back to the place I have chosen for My name to be honored.’ “The people you rescued by your great power and strong hand are your servants. O Lord, please hear my prayer! Listen to the prayers of those of us who delight in honoring You. Please grant me success today by making the king favorable to me. Put it into his heart to be kind to me.” In those days I was the king’s cup-bearer.” NLT

What a magnificent prayer. We could develop a series on prayer from just this! But before we get to that, think about what magnificent builders these people were. Some of you that have been to Jerusalem and went down under the Western Wall remember the guides talking about the wonders of how these people could make such massive stones and then build such massive buildings and walls with them. Archaeologists tunneling along the Western Wall in Jerusalem have discovered 5 enormous building stones that helped form the foundation of the temple that stood during Jesus’ time. The largest is 44 1/2 feet long, 11 feet high and 14 feet wide, and weighs 570 tons. That’s one gigantic stone! How they did this is one of the engineering marvels of the ancient world. Even today’s cranes can only lift about 250 tons. But again, the walls were also massive because they protected the temple, which was itself majestic. But the majesty of the temple pointed to the majesty of God.

Do you ever think about, or often think about how wondrous it is that the temple of God is now not a building of stones, but a building of bones? God’s temple is now made up of God’s people…you and me and every born again person in the world. 1 Cor 6:19-20- “Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself, for God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body.” NLT

We are God’s temple on Earth today. What are the implications of that? Imagine you could go back to Ezra and Nehemiah’s day and were able to go through the walls of the city and then on into the temple. How would you conduct yourself inside the temple, inside the holy place and then inside the holy of holies, where the Ark of the Covenant once stood before the captivity, with the Cherubim on either side covering the Mercy Seat, which was on the top of the Ark, which all symbolized the very presence of God? Would you be careful of what you did in this temple, and give second thoughts about what you said in this temple, or be, let’s say, on your best behavior while in the temple? Well guess what? Like Paul reminded us: You and I are always in the temple, because the presence of God moved out of that temple of stones and moved into our temple of bones. So yes, we are always in God’s temple. And therefore, everything we do and say, we do and say in the very presence of God, who shares the temple of our body with us. And our temple is not a duplex…with God living on one side with walls and a door between, with us on the other side. No, when you invited Jesus into your heart and life, Jesus moved into the very center of your house, your temple. In fact, as Paul also reminded us; not only did the Spirit of Christ move into your body with you…He bought it! Jesus owns your body. He purchased your body and made it His temple. You and I now live in our bodies not by ownership, but by stewardship. The master of your body is not you; it’s Jesus. You are the steward of it, the manager…or…you are the priest that lives in the temple along with the Lord, your Savior and Owner of your temple…Owner of your body.

And so what are the implications of that? Like a priest in the temple of God, we, too, are to now honor our God in whatever we do in our temple and in whatever we say in our temple, as well as then carry out our priestly duties of offering sacrifices of praise and service and thanksgiving to God in and through our temple. That’s another series right there, but back to Nehemiah’s prayer.

“O Lord, God of heaven, the great and awesome God who keeps His covenant of unfailing love with those who love Him and obey His commands, listen to my prayer!” To rightly pray to God, you must include abundant praise to God. Before you talk to God about any problem, it needs to be preceded by praise when you come into God’s presence. How often do we just start with “Lord, I need this…or, can you do that…or, would you work out such and such?” Yes, we can ask and expect great things from God, but be careful of your expectations of God. And remember, God always deserves our praise before we ask Him to deal with our problems.

Next, although Nehemiah was not a priest officially, he prayed priestly prayers. He prays for himself and also intercedes for others. How remarkable that we, too, are to pray priestly prayers. That’s one of our duties as New Testament priests. And we are to realize that it’s through the power of prayer that we change the course of our own lives, and we impact the well-being of our families, and we influence the works of even those in our country. As Paul reminded us here:

1 Tim 2:1-4- “I urge you, first of all, to pray for all people. Ask God to help them; intercede on their behalf, and give thanks for them. Pray this way for kings and all who are in authority so that we can live peaceful and quiet lives marked by godliness and dignity. This is good and pleases God our Savior, who wants everyone to be saved and to understand the truth.” NLT

Have you been praying priestly prayers? This adds a whole new dimension to our praying when we understand that God is particularly pleased when we stand in the gap for others and carry out our responsibilities as priests of God, interceding for those around us. What a great honor God has given us. Why, God even uses our prayers to put ideas and intentions into the hearts of people we pray for, like Nehemiah asking God for favor with the King and putting it in his heart to be kind to him.

Nehemiah was praying through the work and praying over the work before he ever went to work on this great mission. That’s another great example of priestly praying and even priestly thinking. To pray like a New Testament priest, we have to practice thinking like New Testament priests. And next time, we’ll see one powerful way to do that, as we go further in our journey through Nehemiah.

Our Great High Priest

A Devotional Communion Service

Study Guide, January 5, 2020

Pastor Clay Olsen

The Bread

As we continue our offerings of worship to our great God and the observance of the Lord’s Supper together, there are so many wondrous things we find in the Scriptures that cause us to worship our great Savior more and more. One of those wonders is an identity that we find in 1 Tim 2:5-6- “For there is one God, and one mediator also between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself as a ransom for all, the testimony given at the proper time.” NASU

A question we could ask others concerning their salvation is not only who their Savior is, but also who their Mediator is…as in – “Who is your Mediator?” Everyone needs a ‘Mediator’. Many people do not realize or ever think about the fact that no one on earth can come directly to God on their own merits. That privilege was lost in the fall of mankind in sin. That, of course, is why we all needed a Mediator. We all needed a Savior. But still, even many who have received Christ Jesus as their Savior don’t think about the fact that the only reason they now have open access to God is because Jesus is still their Mediator, or as we would more commonly refer to it – Jesus is our High Priest, our Great High Priest, who as Heb 7:23-25 reveals, is still our Mediator, or our High Priest. Notice: “The former priests, on the one hand, existed in greater numbers because they were prevented by death from continuing, but Jesus, on the other hand, because He continues forever, holds His priesthood permanently. Therefore He is able also to save forever those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them.” NASU

Even when we pray, we pray in Jesus’ Name, meaning, in Jesus’ Merits. We have the privilege of prayer because we are with Jesus and Jesus is with us. It’s like Jesus says to the Father, “He or she is with Me”. A group called NewSong wrote a song about that called ‘This One’s With Me’ where it has Jesus saying: “Father, this one’s with me, Part of the family, One of the reasons I died on Calvary. Father, welcome him inI paid the price for him, Father, oh Father, this one’s with me.” What a great comfort.

Jesus is the One who brought us to God as our Mediator and Savior, and Jesus is the One that still brings us to God as our High Priest in His special intercessory ministry on our behalf, cleansing us from our daily confessed sin in order to have deeper fellowship with God with whom we have an eternal relationship. Again, this is all because of Jesus. Our union with Jesus as our Savior is what gives us union with God as our Father. You see, even though Jesus brought to an end the temporary Old Testament procedure where the people came to God through an offering of a priest on their behalf, Jesus is our eternal high priest, who intercedes for us based upon His offering for our sin once for all. Notice how Heb 7:26-28 explains that: “For it was fitting for us to have such a high priest, holy, innocent, undefiled, separated from sinners and exalted above the heavens; who does not need daily, like those high priests, to offer up sacrifices, first for His own sins and then for the sins of the people, because this He did once for all when He offered up Himself. For the Law appoints men as high priests who are weak, but the word of the oath, which came after the Law, appoints a Son, made perfect forever.” NASU

Jesus is our Mediator, Savior, and Great High Priest forever. By His sacrifice He ransomed us from the penalty of our sins, and by His intercession He removes from us the power and the presence of our sins as we come to God confessing and forsaking our sins. We were once for all time converted by our Great Savior and we are day by day cleansed by our Great High Priest who forever lives to make intercession for us.

Actually, that’s another wonder that the Apostle wanted us to understand about Jesus, as he connects Jesus to a unique figure whom we know of as ‘Melchizedek’. Take a look: Heb 6:18-20- “So God has given both His promise and His oath. These two things are unchangeable because it is impossible for God to lie. Therefore, we who have fled to Him for refuge can have great confidence as we hold to the hope that lies before us. This hope is a strong and trustworthy anchor for our souls. It leads us through the curtain into God’s inner sanctuary. Jesus has already gone in there for us. He has become our eternal High Priest in the order of Melchizedek.” NLT

For one thing, how soul assuring to hear God say to us in His word: “…it is impossible for God to lie”? That is one impossibility that calls for rejoicing every day: It is impossible for God to lie! That means that we can count on every promise God has made in His word to us about His gift of salvation to us, and His love and concern for us, and His daily care and consolation for us, because God cannot lie to us. That is an impossibility.

But then we see that God wants us to know about this person with that very peculiar name, Melchizedek. Who was he and why is it important for us to know about him? Well, let’s first partake of the Bread portion of the Lord’s Supper together and then we’ll explore. But while we prepare, this would be a good time for each of us to dwell on the wonder of Jesus as being our Mediator…our Savior, and our great High Priest. And a time to thank Him for the daily blessings we receive because He is all of these and more to us.

The Cup

In one of the Messianic Psalms we often read in our Congregational readings it has this amazing revelation about the Messiah, about Jesus: Ps 110:1- “The Lord says to my Lord: “Sit at My right hand Until I make Your enemies a footstool for Your feet.” And there the Psalmist reveals the position of the Messiah, the God-Man, as King over all. And then he goes on to reveal another identity of the Messiah as also a priest forever, a priest over all. 4- “The Lord has sworn and will not change His mind, “You are a priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.” NASU

This is one of the most intriguing people you will find in the Scriptures. He is the first priest mentioned in the Bible. His name means ‘King of Righteousness’ and also means ‘King of Peace’. So this would also be the first reference of ‘peace’ in the Bible. Here’s the summary statement about him from

Heb 7:1-3- “For this Melchizedek, king of Salem, priest of the Most High God, who met Abraham as he was returning from the slaughter of the kings and blessed him, to whom also Abraham apportioned a tenth part of all the spoils, was first of all, by the translation of his name, king of righteousness, and then also king of Salem, which is king of peace. Without father, without mother, without genealogy, having neither beginning of days nor end of life, but made like the Son of God, he remains a priest perpetually.” NASU

You may recall that Salem was a name previously given to Jerusalem. And Salem was occupied by Jebusites in the land of Canaan. The point being, this pagan region was hardly a place you would find a priest who was identified as being King of righteousness and King of peace. Nor would you expect this priest to come out of this Canaanite city and then do and say what he did and said. Gen 14:18-20- “And Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine; now he was a priest of God Most High. He blessed him and said, “Blessed be Abram of God Most High, possessor of heaven and earth; And blessed be God Most High, Who has delivered your enemies into your hand.” NASU Again, what a remarkable encounter that Abraham has with this person, such that Abraham offers a tithe of all that he gains in the battle from rescuing Lot and the people.

Of course, Melchizedek is often described as a type of Christ, since the Apostle uses his unique priesthood to help explain to the Hebrew believers that Christ’s priesthood was also unique and superseded the temporary Aaronic priesthood. Remember; part of the New Covenant was that the temporary system of bringing sacrifices to the temple and priests was had been fulfilled. Jesus was both the final High Priest and the final sacrifice for removing the penalty of sin by offering Himself. Jesus was both High Priest and sacrificial offering. Plus, the temporary order of the Aaronic priesthood also ceased when Jesus became the last high priest after this unique order of Melchizedek, which would remain in effect ‘forever’.

Now then, here’s where it gets even more intriguing. And we put this in terms of what is Scripturally possible, but we need to wait until we’re finally home to let God fill in what He chose to not fully reveal to us at this point. And what we are getting at here is that in the Old Testament there are several times when Christ appeared to people long before He took on human form in the body of Jesus. Remember Abraham later met with the Lord in human form before the judgment of Sodom. And Jacob wrestled with a man, who told him he had just wrestled with God. Also, Samson’s parents, as well as Gideon witnessed an appearance of the Angel of the Lord, or a Theophany, which is an appearance of Christ on Earth before His incarnation.

Therefore, when we come to the identity of Melchizedek, the Scriptures state unique things about him that also fit with the possibility that Abraham, too, witnessed this coming aspect of the Messiah as being our great High Priest in the form of a Theophany. In Hebrews the Apostle went on to say this about Melchizedek: Heb 7:3- “Without father, without mother, without genealogy, having neither beginning of days nor end of life, but made like the Son of God, he remains a priest perpetually.” NASU Now that’s a very strange description of a person, even if it was meant to be symbolic of Christ. As Dr. Henry Morris pointed out in his commentary on Genesis: Melchizedek appears on the scene suddenly, and then disappears again as suddenly. There is no genealogy listed, no record of his parents or children, no record of birth or death (as is such with other priests in the Scriptures). Instead the Holy Spirit records for us that Melchizedek was made like unto the Son of God and that he remains a priest forever.¹

Fascinating possibility. And although neither alters Bible doctrine on our salvation or Jesus high priestly ministry or anything else, we point it out because over and over the Scriptures do call for us to look for the wondrous ways God has come to us to demonstrate how much He wants to personally interact with us, and to go deeper with us in our relationship with Him. And how God, like the way God we know that God likes to put His puzzle pieces together for us, that when Jesus sits with His disciples, He introduces this memorial of the Lord’s Supper by offering bread and wine, like a High Priest would do. Again, we wait for the full revelation on this, but for the disciples, as those who knew the Torah, you wonder if their minds went back to the first time the Torah introduces a priest offering priestly service. And the first thing this priest does is this: “And Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine; now he was a priest of God Most High.” What we know is that this offering of bread and wine once represented the provisions for their daily lives as given by this unique Priest. And now, as High Priest, Jesus offers this bread and wine and reveals to them, and us, that it represented the very provisions for their eternal lives, since it represented the offering of Jesus own life for them and for us.

Again, whether Melchizedek was a type or a Theophany, it is all so wonderous, and our God is so marvelous, that it all calls for our worship, and it calls for our service to our Savior, who loves us more than we can comprehend, and our Great High Priest who intercedes for us forever, because…as Jesus says to the Father: “This one’s with me.”

1. Dr. Henry Morris, The Genesis Record, pp. 318-321

Biblical Ways to Make 2020 a Great Year

Study Guide, December 29, 2019

Pastor Clay Olsen

So, how does it feel to be on the cusp of a New Year? There is always something especially encouraging about each New Year. And there have certainly been a lot of ‘New Years’! According to the Jewish Calendar, the year is not 2020, but 5780! That has even a better ring to it. And you would think that after all these years mankind would have pretty much figured out how life on Earth is supposed to be lived. But no…as far as human nature is concerned, the wrong beat just goes on and on and on. Although many do take some shots at redirecting people’s ships with those motivational sayings, like: ‘Gotta learn how to fall before you learn to fly’, or ‘Every journey begins with a single step’, or ‘You never fail until you stop trying’, or ‘The best way to get something done is to begin’, or Sometimes you win, sometimes you learn’. That’s an interesting twist on that one.¹

But really though, life was never supposed to be complicated. But it was always supposed to be very well ordered. And right away, that is the essence of most people’s problems. Each day of their life that they live, they are simply living it ‘out of order’, and thus, the rest of their life is simply ‘out of order’ as well.

Many around the world just finished the celebration of Christmas. Many rejoiced over the fact of Jesus’ coming into the world as God Incarnate, God in the flesh. In the first chapter of John the Apostle John describes the sheer majesty of it all. John 1:1-4- “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being. In Him was life, and the life was the Light of men.” NASU So John takes us back to the beginning. And right away, we have a clue to life and living life…you have to go back to the beginning. In the beginning, or really in eternity past, the One whose birth in Bethlehem that we just celebrated was the Word, and the Word was God Himself.

John starts the same way that Genesis starts: “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” Gen 1:1 NASU We usually put the emphasis on connecting the beginning with creation there, but we first need to put the emphasis on connecting the beginning with God there…as in, “In the beginning….God…” The point is that everything in life is connected to this beginning; “In the beginning…God!” God is the beginning! And then John says, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” So the written introduction of God to mankind starts with “In the beginning…God”, and the written introduction of Jesus to mankind starts with “In the beginning was the Word…and the Word was God.”

No matter where you are in your life now or what you are doing in life now, or whatever you are planning for your life, everything in life and everything in your life needs to be connected with God, because God is the beginning of everything! Therefore, the first order of every decision, the first order of every plan, the first order of every start of every New Year is to go back to the beginning…go back and make sure that you have connected it with the beginning, or to be more precise, connect it with God. Again, everything started with God and everything will end with God. Remember, this One whose birth in Bethlehem we just celebrated also later declared: Rev 22:13- “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.” NASU

Let’s go to what Paul added to all of this about Jesus and the picture will become very clear. Col 1:15-17- “He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities — all things have been created through Him and for Him. He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together. He is also head of the body, the church; and He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that He Himself will come to have first place in everything. NASU

Did you catch that part about the ‘beginning’ again? Both the Prophets and the Apostles were always taking us back to the beginning…or making sure that we got it; that Jesus Christ was not only in the beginning, but that He is the beginning. He is the source of our very existence.

Again, no wonder so much of the world is so disjointed in it’s thinking, so disconnected in it’s understanding, so out of order in its worldview. If you don’t start at the beginning, with God, you are left to wander aimlessly for the rest of your life. If you don’t start with Jesus then no matter how you order your life, your whole life will be completely out of order. If you don’t start with the ‘Alpha’ in your life, then when you get to the ‘Omega’ of your life, then no matter what you have experienced from life or acquired in life or accomplished in life, what have you really gained? Jesus spoke directly to this issue in Matt 16:26- “For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?” NKJV That is the question every person in the world needs to answer. Actually, one day they will, when they come to the ‘omega’ of their life.

But then, for those of us that have received the ‘Alpha and Omega’ of life…received Jesus Christ as our God and Savior, how then are we to order the rest of our lives? Or what place is Jesus to have in all of our lives? Remember Paul’s words… “He is also head of the body, the church; and He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that He Himself will come to have first place in everything.” So by revelation we see that Jesus is to have supremacy over all things. He is to have first place since He is head of the body, head of the church. But also, by application, you and I are His body. You and I are the body of Christ. Therefore, what place is Jesus to have in our life, or in what is Jesus to have first place in our life? What about in our family? What place is Christ supposed to have in that? First place! What about in our vocation…in our job? What place is Christ supposed to have in that? First place! What about in our relationships in our church and in our community? What place is Christ supposed to have it that? First place! Of course! And so, you see, Jesus’ place as first place is the only right order there is by which you and I are to then order our lives. And when we order our lives according to giving Jesus first place in everything then Jesus turns that carol of ‘Joy to the World’ into ‘Joy to your world, and my world.’ I love that acrostic of ‘JOY’ that reminds us that the secret to real joy is when your joy is based on Jesus – Others- and then You. Amen to that? Keep that order in place.

So now, let’s say you have committed yourself to order your life based upon this order of looking to Jesus as having first place in your life. What will that look like? Or, what follows a life or flows out of a life that is ordered by Jesus having first place in your life. Well, let’s let John tell us about that too, for after John tells us that the Word became flesh he then tells us this: “And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.” John 1:14-15 NASU So When the Word became flesh, became incarnate, God in the flesh, there were two particular attributes that characterized Jesus’ life: grace and truth. On constant display in Jesus’ daily treatment of others and in His daily teaching with others were these two virtues: grace and truth.

Suffice it to say, these two attributes were natural to God, but they are hardly natural to mankind…or natural to us. So the question before us is: If we are to commit to ordering our lives to set Jesus apart as Lord of our lives, having first place, first consideration in all things, what then will be the evidence that we are actually following through with that commitment? Here’s a hint: And it’s not this: All you’ve got to do is act naturally…No way! No, what we’ve got to do is act ‘un-naturally to us, but rather to act ‘supernaturally’, as ordered by our new spiritual nature, or as directed by the Holy Spirit! Which is another aspect of the order…we are to order our lives to live by the very two attributes that characterized Jesus’ life: grace and truth.

Whenever Jesus is having first place in our life, the first evidence of that is His grace will be shown through our life. On the flip side of that, wherever there is not the evidence of His grace, that is then evidence that we are not giving Jesus first place. And we remember what Paul said about that? Speaking of grace as love he said: 1 Cor 13:1-7- “If I could speak all the languages of earth and of angels, but didn’t love others, I would only be a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. If I had the gift of prophecy, and if I understood all of God’s secret plans and possessed all knowledge, and if I had such faith that I could move mountains, but didn’t love others, I would be nothing. If I gave everything I have to the poor and even sacrificed my body, I could boast about it; but if I didn’t love others, I would have gained nothing. Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.” NLT

What would our world be like if we ordered our lives by this passage? What would our churches be like if we ordered our lives by this Biblical love, this Biblical grace? We are to remember that grace means ‘unmerited favor’. As in ‘we are saved by grace’ and not by our works or our merits. But human nature, or let’s personalize it…our old nature, operates on the merit system. Our natural habit is bent toward only dispensing out our favor after we have judged that our favor has been merited or earned by someone or by others. And while there might be natural reason for that, there is no spiritual power in that. No, the power to change lives comes through when we give the grace of God to others. The power to change people’s lives is when the unmerited favor that we have been given by God is then given to others by us through the power of Christ working in us. That’s when people experience the power of Christ’s Spirit; when they experience the grace of Christ given through us. Remember something here that’s very important: It’s God’s grace in the first place. So we’re not to trying to work up some of our own grace, because it’s not ours to begin with. Remember, we are the branches, not the Vine. Just let it flow…and try not to plug up the flow by going with how you feel instead of by what God has revealed.

And then the other evidence that we really are giving Jesus first place in our lives is this evidence of truth that we are declaring through our lives. And of course, this, too, is guided by the order that Paul revealed to us, as in: ‘Love in truth, and speak truth in love. Or, ‘Love others in truth, and Speak truth to others in love’. That’s another great thing about it all: it’s never one or the other, or one without the other. Jesus came in grace and truth, not either or, but both. Both are to be our passion…in being generous with others in extending grace and in being faithful to God by proclaiming truth to others. And our world is in desperate need of truth, Amen? The closer this world gets to our Lord’s Second Advent, the more the Deceiver is pushing his deception of falsehoods on our world. And God warned us to watch for these falsehoods seeping into the cracks of the church around the world as well. And they are more and more. This is just another reason that you and I need to give Jesus first place in our mind and in our heart, because our natural reasoning is no match for the Devil. But we win out with living out the truth that has been planted in our mind and heart, as we order our day to day commitment to feed on God’s Word, fill our mind with God’s truths, and then share His truths with others as often as we have opportunity.

So, to be a great year ahead, make it a grace year ahead. To make it a triumphant year ahead make it a truth filled year ahead. Be faithful with sharing God’s truth and be generous with extending God’s grace. You rightly order your world by giving Jesus His rightful place in your life: First place!

1. Janie B. Cheaney, The Beginning at the End, World Magazine, Dec. 2019

Embedded Truths from Beloved Carols

Study Guide, December 1, 2019

Pastor Clay Olsen

In a couple of weeks we’ll be going out on our annual Christmas Caroling tour, which is always an adventure in many ways. The weather is one of them. Thankfully we don’t have to deal with the kind of weather we had one Christmas in South Dakota. One of our members had a tractor and a flatbed trailer that we all stood on to go around town caroling. The problem is that it was way below freezing. So we kidded the people where we caroled that we would go ahead and sing, but they might not hear the words until they thawed out some.

But one of the remarkable things about many of the Christmas carols is how many wonderful truths are embedded in the lyrics. So we’re going to take a little journey pulling out some of these embedded truths and marveling over them together.

One of the most beloved carols is ‘O Holy Night’. In the first verse we find this: “Long lay the world in sin and error pining, till He appeared and the soul felt its worth. A thrill of hope the weary world rejoices, for yonder breaks a new and glorious morn.” Actually, this world has been weary ever since Genesis chapter three. ‘Long lay the world in sin indeed’. It was several thousand years before the appearance of the long awaited Messiah. But the waiting world was not without promise. There are more than 300 prophecies in the Old Testament about Jesus, beginning with the first book of the Bible. And these prophecies are so specific that it is mathematically impossible that Jesus would fulfill them all…but He did. In fact, the odds of Jesus fulfilling even a portion of them has been illustrated this way. Suppose you could cover the entire state of Texas with silver dollars two feet deep. Then put a mark on one of the dollars. Then blindfold a man and have him walk around the state and let him pick up one silver dollar. The odds of him finding that marked silver dollar is even less than the odds that Jesus would fulfill the vast number of prophecies of Jesus’ first coming, let alone His second coming. But Jesus fulfilled all of the prophecies of His first coming and will fulfill all of the prophecies of His second coming.

We have been studying prophecy in our Men’s Life Group and talking about how important it is to pay attention to what God has revealed to the world about His works and His plans for this world that belongs to Him! One of the charges that Jesus made against the nation of Israel when He came is that, as Jesus put it: “You did not recognize the time of your visitation!” Jesus expected them to pay attention to the prophecies so that they would recognize Him at His first coming, but they didn’t. They weren’t looking for Him…and they certainly didn’t recognize Him when He came. They were supposed to be looking for Him through the prophecies about Him.

Think about this: The Apostle Paul personified creation itself and stated that even the natural world around us looking for Jesus coming, this time it’s His second coming. Rom 8:19-23- “For all creation is waiting eagerly for that future day when God will reveal who His children really are. Against its will, all creation was subjected to God’s curse. But with eager hope, the creation looks forward to the day when it will join God’s children in glorious freedom from death and decay. For we know that all creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time.” NLT

Pretty amazing to think about, right? One of our members was talking about how even though the Earth is weary and groaning under the curse, still, even every sunrise and every sunset is like this weary world rejoicing in God, looking for its redemption when its Creator returns. Creation gets it! And remember when Jesus was entering the city on Palm Sunday? Luke 19:37-40- “Then, as He was now drawing near the descent of the Mount of Olives, the whole multitude of the disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works they had seen, saying” “‘Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord!’ Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!” And some of the Pharisees called to Him from the crowd, “Teacher, rebuke Your disciples.” But He answered and said to them, “I tell you that if these should keep silent, the stones would immediately cry out.” NKJV How ironic that even rocks recognize who Jesus really is, more than many people do. Rocks recognize their Creator, but many people don’t! Again, Creation gets it!

Creation is looking forward to their Creator liberating it from this curse of sin in the world. And if rocks, and animals, and sunrises, and sunsets are looking forward to the coming of their Creator, how much more should those creatures made in the very image of the Creator be looking forward to His coming…His second coming. But to be looking forward to His second coming a person needs to have responded to what His visitation in His first coming was all about. When you receive the gift of Jesus’ forgiveness and His eternal life which accompanied His first coming, then you’ll be ready, along with all creation, to experience the joys of His second coming.

“Till He appeared and the soul felt its worth.” Another Hymn speaks directly to that. It’s not a Carol, but it says this: ‘And can it be that I should gain an interest in the Savior’s blood? Died He for me, who caused His pain? For me, who Him to death pursued? Amazing love! How can it be that Thou, my God, shouldst die for me?’ Amazing indeed that our Creator loved us that much to become one of us and then die for us so that any of us could become one again with God, united with God’s spirit through receiving the gift; the gift of Jesus and His eternal life living in us. Amazing indeed!

Jesus has many titles. But one of them is linked with that other phrase in the song; ‘A thrill of hope the weary world rejoices’. How interesting that the remedy for real weariness is renewed hope. Actually ‘hope’ is one of the keys to life. The famous Russian Christian writer Fyodor Dostoevsky said: “To live without hope is to cease to live.” And Hal Lindsey, author of ‘The Late Great Planet Earth’ put it even stronger… “Man can live about forty days with food, about three weeks without water, about eight minutes without air…but for only one second without hope.” That’s pretty striking…And of course, the Scriptures put it this way: 1 Cor 13:13- “And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.” NKJV

So faith, hope, and love are the trinity of the three key attributes necessary to not only deal with the weariness of this world, but also to counter the emptiness of our own sinful nature. Praise God that each day His mercies are new. In Him we have pardon from sin and purpose for living. And because He daily cleanses us from confessed sin, we can live in hope; a Biblical hope, a hope that is a settled confidence that it is well with our soul and God is pleased with our service, and He is about to change this weary world into a wonderful world, the way He created it to be…and the way He created us to be.

Actually, what the world needs to learn about ‘hope’ and what believers need to be continually mindful of is that real hope is more than a concept; hope is a Person; the Person of Jesus Christ. The Scriptures refer to Jesus’ return as the ‘Blessed Hope’, but in essence, Jesus Himself is our ‘Blessed Hope’. Jesus is the reason anyone of us can have any hope at all! Remember, Jesus is the only reason that we have any ‘life’ at all; both physically and spiritually.

All right, when was the last time you found yourself singing the Christmas Carol called ‘O Hearken Ye’? Maybe you could just start using that as your greeting to others this Christmas season: “O Hearken Ye!” Has a good ring to it, doesn’t it?

Anyway, a great truth embedded in ‘O Hearken Ye’ is in its third stanza where it says: “The angel’s song the wonder tells: Now Love Incarnate with us dwells!” Love Incarnate with us dwells? How awesome is that? ‘Incarnate’, of course, means ‘existing in bodily form’, or existing as a physical entity. So how can ‘love’ exist as a physical entity? Nearly everyone the world over only thinks of ‘love’ as being metaphysical, or as just this human virtue that is linked with the mind and emotions. But here in this carol we are reminded that there is a ‘Love’ that is more than an emotion; there is a ‘Love’ that is a physical person, an Incarnate Person, and His name is ‘Jesus’.

And once again, just like with Truth…just like you can’t really know what is ‘truth’ until you know ‘Who is Truth’, or who is the Person that is ‘Truth Incarnate’; likewise, you can’t really know what is ‘love’ until you know ‘Who is Love’, or who is this Person that is ‘Love Incarnate’. Remember, the Apostle John revealed this power point to us: 1 John 4:7-10- “Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. The one who does not love does not know God, for God is love. By this the love of God was manifested in us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world so that we might live through Him. In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.” NASU

One thought here: Just like you really can’t understand nor operate in the sphere of truth without connecting everything about truth with Jesus Christ, who is the very source of truth, in the same way, you can’t really understand nor operate in the sphere of love without connecting everything about love with Jesus Christ, who is the very source of love. In other words, in all of life, you can’t just start with truth to know truth and act on truth. No, you have to start with God, who is the source of real Truth itself. In the same way, you can’t just start with love to know what love is and to act on love. You have to start with God, who is the source of real Love itself. And so in this carol where we hear that in the angel’s song the wonder tells: ‘Now Love Incarnate with us dwells’, well, now we see that ‘Love’ is Jesus Christ Himself.

In order to really know what love is, you have to come to know ‘who Jesus is’, because Jesus is God and God is love. Jesus is the source of truth and Jesus is the source of love. So, again, until you have come to the source of truth and the source of love and come to know Jesus as your Creator and your Savior, whatever you think you know of real truth or think you know about real love…think again…because it’s not real truth or real love at all. Apart from the source it can’t be, because it’s coming from some other source…a false source or at least a faulty source. It’s coming from the world, or from our own faulty nature, or even from the devil, the one that counterfeits everything that God has made. In other words, even the world’s love is a counterfeit love. Only in ‘Love Incarnate’, only in Jesus Christ can one find true love, for Jesus is God and God is love!

Let’s ‘harken together’ on one other embedded truth before we wrap up our study today. It’s found in the carol ‘Good Christian Men, Rejoice’. In the first stanza we find the words ‘Calls you one and calls you all to gain His everlasting hall; Christ was born to save! Christ was born to save!’ Wonderful words…wonderful truths. If you think about it, even the heavens are calling out to one and all. Remember the words of the Psalmist: Ps 19:1-2- “The heavens proclaim the glory of God. The skies display His craftsmanship. Day after day they continue to speak; night after night they make Him known.” NLT That’s a lot of calling and proclaiming and speaking…night after night!

So if people are not hearing from God it’s not because He is not calling; it’s because they are not listening. One of the side effects of sin is loss of hearing…loss of spiritual hearing. And the longer you let that go the worse it gets. But still, there is always hope because God continues to call one and all to gain His everlasting hall.

That’s a fascinating way to think of Heaven, as the Halls of Heaven. My Viking ancestors called the afterlife ‘Valhalla’, although it was not the Heaven of the Bible, nor the God of the Bible, as they falsely worshipped many mythological gods like Odin, Thor, and Frey. Valhalla was imagined to be an enormous hall located in Asgard, where the Viking warriors also feasted on wild boar that miraculously became whole again each evening. (No wonder I love bacon so much…) But to a Viking a battle had two potential outcomes; either victory to live and fight again or Valhalla, dying and being accepted into Viking heaven.

Again, I pray that many of the Nordic people found the one true God, Jesus Christ, but it’s interesting that for followers of Jesus, we too, either have victory over every battle of life and live to fight again, or we have the halls of Heaven, our final victory in Jesus. Either way, we have a Savior who was calling out to us, and by the grace of God and the power of the Holy Spirit, we accepted our Savior’s love and life and gift of salvation.

We pray that each of you have responded to the calling of Christ to receive Him into your life. And then we need to each be part of the ‘calling’ this Christmas, helping others, through spoken word or printed word, to get the Gospel out to others, praying that they will respond to Jesus’ calling; calling them to repentance and faith and to new life in Christ.

Gratitude: What a Blessed Attitude!

Study Guide, November 17, 2019

Pastor Clay Olsen

I read where a Pastor always began each Sunday service with thanking the Lord for something. One Sunday was a particularly nasty weather day, and some were wondering what he would be thankful for in the midst of a mess like that. And so the Pastor paused and then said, “Lord, we’re thankful that it isn’t always like this!” The Scriptures do say, ‘in’ everything give thanks’, but not ‘for’ everything. There’s a big difference.

But since this is the season for focusing on giving thanks, let’s look into some of the amazing and maybe surprising blessings that are embedded in the practice of ‘Gratitude’. And how like our great God to create us in such a way that when we do obey His commandments to practice gratitude we are the ones that get built up and blessed up! That’s right. Gratitude has a powerful effect on us physiologically, psychologically, and spiritually.

In other words, gratitude is just really good for you. Like good medicine: we each need a daily dose of it. Instead of a ‘carbon offset’, we need to practice ‘gratitude’ to act like a ‘crabby offset’ in our lives. Isn’t it strange what a huge capacity we all have for crabbiness? It’s like what we see with the Israelites in the wilderness, and what they showed us about human nature…human nature tends to default so easily to the dark side of ‘grumbling’. But God calls His people to a higher standard than that…a higher habit…to the light side, to the bright side of developing and practicing the habit of gratitude. And when God’s people do that, that’s when a dark world looks at this light of gratitude and sees something more than just human nature going on…they see the Spirit of Light, the Spirit of Christ at work in our lives.

God’s people are just meant to do basically everything different than the world anyway. That’s what the Apostle meant about being a ‘peculiar people’. We do life differently than the citizens of Earth, because we are also citizens of a land beyond Earth. Or like the chemical company BASF, that made the commercials where they said: “We don’t make the products you buy, we make the products you buy better.” By the grace of God and the power of the Holy Spirit, we are to make the daily things we deal with in life ‘better’. And one of the powerful ways to make things in life better is through practicing ‘gratitude’ throughout your day.

In fact, this habit of gratitude is so amazing that it even has the power to alter the very structure of our brains! Really? Really! Research has shown that our thoughts have the power to shape our brains. Actually, all they had to do was to read the revelation of God to learn this: Prov 4:23- “Above all, be careful what you think because your thoughts control your life.” ERV That’s how powerful our thoughts are. And that’s why we are instructed to control what we think about, because what we think about will then control what we think. Think about that! Why, the book of Proverbs even starts out by saying this about the need to think on and meditate on God’s Words: “They will teach you to develop your mind in the right way.” Prov 1:3 ERV

What this also implies is that without learning God’s revelation about life and living, the human mind will not be developed the right way. It will be developed a distorted way and a damaged way. Which also reminds us of how Jesus stated it when He said: Matt 4:4- “It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.” KJV Jesus made it clear that mentally feeding on the revealed Scriptures is even more important than feeding on physical food. And that explains much of the problem with the way people think and live right there.

Most people are mentally and spiritually malnourished! No wonder they are so weak when it comes to lifting the heavy matters of righteousness and justice and godliness and mercy and practicing Biblical love. They are so mentally and spiritually malnourished that they give into the weak things of unrighteousness and injustice and ungodliness and bitterness and selfishness. It doesn’t take any mental or spiritual strength at all to be ungodly. But it does take mental and spiritual strength to be godly. But that strength only comes from feeding on the Word of God and exercising with the Words of God.

And again, one of the exercises or practices that God commands is the practice of ‘gratitude’. Did we say commands? Yes, it’s not a suggestion. Being grateful is a command to obey. And when we do daily and obediently practice gratitude, we find that this godly habit is a blessed habit, even in our own lives. Gratitude strengthens our body, our soul, and our mind. We could think of ‘gratitude living’ like ‘weight-lifting’…it will ‘pump you up’! And, interestingly enough, like weight-lifting, or just exercising in general, just like you don’t always feel like exercising, similarly, you don’t always feel like giving thanks or expressing gratitude. But when you exercise anyway, or when you give thanks and practice gratitude anyway, the endorphins of your physical, mental, social, and spiritual life kick in and lifts you up, and strengthens you, and just out-right blesses you. It’s simply how God made us to function. Or, as the old VBS ‘Give Me Oil for My Lamp’ song might put it: Gratitude is the ‘umption in our gumption that helps us function, function, function’. Remember that one? We all need some daily ‘umption in our gumption’!

How about if we just listed some of the benefits or blessings that the habit of gratitude has on us? Here’s some research: Expressing gratitude: improves mental, emotional, and social well-being; improves ability to deal with instances of loss or crises; strengthens the heart, immune system, and decreases blood pressure; expands the capacity for forgiveness; decreases stress, anxiety, depression, and heightens one’s sense of spirituality. Gratitude is touted by Doctors as one of the best health choice habits that exists!

Research also shows that the practice of gratitude can literally rewire the human brain. That happens by the brain creating new neural pathways and even alters existing ones by training the brain to develop a more grateful outlook on life and expressing gratitude more often in our day to day experiences of life. That’s another way to describe what the Scriptures call for us to do in passages like: Ps 1:1-3- “How blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, Nor stand in the path of sinners, Nor sit in the seat of scoffers! But his delight is in the law of the Lord, And in His law he meditates day and night. He will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water, Which yields its fruit in its season And its leaf does not wither; And in whatever he does, he prospers.” NASU ‘Meditation’ is another word for ‘brain training’. And our brains definitely need training throughout our lives. An untrained mind is a terrible thing to waste. But even more, God wants to be the primary ‘Trainer’ of our brains in order to enable us to be more useful and effective in the plans that He has for us… especially in blessing others and in Him blessing us. Again, this ‘training of our brain’ to think thankfully and think gratefully is one of the major things God is seeking to develop in you and in me…to train our brain so that gratitude is so ingrained into our thinking that God can use us for the purpose of blessing.

Think about it: A grateful person is a great person to be around. A grateful person tends to know a great deal more about the goodness of God and the steadfast love of God than others. Think about the ‘King of Giving Thanks’, the Psalmist. Look at what he understood about God. “Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good…who alone does great wonders…who made the heavens with skill…who made the great lights…the sun to rule by day…the moon and stars to rule by night, for His lovingkindness is everlasting. Ps 136:1-9 NASU A grateful believer will turn your eyes upon your great Creator, as well as inspire you to trust in your great Deliverer. Ps 30:4-5- “Sing to the Lord, all you godly ones! Praise His holy name. For His anger lasts only a moment, but His favor lasts a lifetime! Weeping may last through the night, but joy comes with the morning.” And then verses 11-12- “You have turned my mourning into joyful dancing. You have taken away my clothes of mourning and clothed me with joy, that I might sing praises to You and not be silent. O Lord my God, I will give you thanks forever!” NLT Gratitude literally opens a new door to learning more and more about our great God and understanding more about His wonders and His works and His ways. And on the contrary, ingratitude is like shutting the door yourself on learning more about God and understanding His works and ways. Ingratitude severely restricts spiritual growth.

Plus, think how refreshing it is to be around a grateful believer? A grateful person also helps you learn how to deal with hard circumstances. Through practicing thankfulness you become stronger than you ever thought you could be. Through practicing a ‘gratitude attitude’ you experience a better aptitude for problem solving. You develop better social skills than you would have ever experienced without developing a habit of gratitude. You also generate more social capital, as they call it. You become more trustworthy in the eyes of others, more likeable to be around, more sought out for counsel, more appreciated by those who have been blessed by the experience of your gratitude. And in God’s amazing and benevolent ways with us, He sees to it that in your giving of this gratitude that you receive great blessing from Him from it all and through it all. As Jesus put it: “It is more blessed to give than to receive.” And the spiritual principle and astounding truth about that is that God sees to it that you will receive even more than you gave; in everything from your time, to your talents, to your treasures. And when these are given with thanksgiving, the results expand exponentially in blessings to you. That’s how God’s ‘blessing economics’ works!

We should also know that ‘gratitude’ protects us from self-inflicted miseries, as well as protects us from the consequences that self-pride and self-centeredness set into motion. If we were to walk back through all of those benefits that result from practicing gratitude and talk about the negative side of each of those, well it’s not anything that anyone would choose to experience. Who would choose to be more stressed, more depressed, more miserable, more troubled and worried and bitter…oh my?! Deliberately, no one of course. But logically? Note: By not choosing to practice gratitude you will default to grumbling. We have a plethora of Scriptures and human experience proving that!

Every day there are countless things that we could grumble about naturally. We live in a muddled up, troubled up, grumbled up world! But as redeemed people, who are to ‘do life differently’ from the ‘natural man’, there are also things that we are to count…we are to ‘count our many blessings!’ Do you remember that great hymn? “When upon life’s billows you are tempest tossed, when you are discouraged, thinking all is lost, count your many blessings, name them one by one, and it will surprise you what the Lord hath done. So, amid the conflict, whether great or small, do not be discouraged, thinking all is lost, count your many blessings, Angels will attend, help and comfort give you to your journey’s end.”

What a great hymn and what great truths! The Psalmist put it like this: Ps 103:1-2- “Bless the Lord, O my soul, And all that is within me, bless His holy name. Bless the Lord, O my soul, And forget none of His benefits. “NASU In other words, ‘Count them one by one’.

Remember, we also stated that God is counting on us…counting on using us to be useful in reaching out to others for His purposes. But to be deeply useful people we first have to be deeply thankful people. Every useful and effective witness for Christ has first been a deeply thankful Christian. The more grateful we are to Christ for His amazing grace the greater our passion will be for the Great Commission. And remember, the greatest thing in life is to be useful to God. And being useful to God not only blesses God greatly, but that is what will bless you greatly as well. But it starts by being grateful, being thankful. Brothers and Sisters, be a man or a woman that is characterized and known by others as one whose attitude is filled with gratitude. And when you are filled with gratitude, then get ready to enjoy the blessings that grow out of gratitude. That’s just the way our God has designed it all…it’s the way He designed us! What an awesome God we have!

Some research findings gratefully found at:

Popmn.org/gratitude

Njlifehacks.com/gratitude-benefits

Gotquestions.org/gratitude

To Live Is… Pt. 2

Study Guide, November 10, 2019

Pastor Clay Olsen

Last week we identified a great Biblical theme for living. Actually, the Apostle Paul gave it to us. You remember: ‘To live is Christ, and to die is gain.’ You talk about having an amazing focus for living…you talk about having a powerful purpose statement in your life…you talk about having an overcoming attitude, even in facing death…okay, we can talk about it if you want to…I’m glad you want to, because I’ve got all these notes here…

So here’s one thing: The Apostle Paul wrote this letter of Philippians while he was in prison, it seems in Rome. In Phil 1:12-14 we find this: “And I want you to know, my dear brothers and sisters, that everything that has happened to me here has helped to spread the Good News. For everyone here, including the whole palace guard, knows that I am in chains because of Christ. And because of my imprisonment, most of the believers here have gained confidence and boldly speak God’s message without fear.” NLT One thing we need to notice about Paul, and not only notice, but then make a note to self about it, is that Paul found ways to find ‘triumph’ in every ‘trial’. Even in prison, they could shut the gates on Paul, but they could not shut down Paul’s message. He says, ‘even including the whole palace guard’.

So get this: the Roman palace guard was about 9,000 strong. And Paul says that they all knew that he was in chains there because of Christ and the message of the Gospel of Christ. Fascinating! He was the one that was in prison, but the guards were the ones that were Paul’s captive audience! You’ve got to love it, right? In fact, because of his courageous attitude and example, other Christians began to also be more open and proactive about sharing their faith. They got actively involved in carrying out the Great Commission. They decided that sharing their faith was even more important than the chance that they might have to suffer in prison for it. What a wonderful example for us all! Meet all resistance with persistence…especially persistence in sharing the truths of the Gospel.

But think about it: In all the situations that Paul faced, by the grace of God and the guidance of the Holy Spirit, Paul found ways to make the best out of every bad situation. One of the key principles in all ‘leadership studies’ is this very thing: ‘Seek to make the best of every bad situation.’ By God’s grace, carry a ‘try to make the best of everything attitude’ toward everything! What an attitude to carry! Or we should say: What a Biblical attitude to carry! And for the Christian, that’s not just a good motivational motto, that’s another Biblical mindset we find Paul talking about in 2 Cor 4:8-10- “We have troubles all around us, but we are not defeated. We often don’t know what to do, but we don’t give up. We are persecuted, but God does not leave us. We are hurt sometimes, but we are not destroyed. So we constantly experience the death of Jesus in our own bodies, but this is so that the life of Jesus can also be seen in our bodies.” ERV After every trouble, trial, or hardship we need to add – ‘but God’; but God will see us through it and enable us to triumph over it!

When a jeweler displays gems on a counter, what does he put behind them? A dark cloth. The dark backdrop makes the gems shine even more. Now, God is not the source of the dark backdrops in our life, for our battles are because of and against the world, the flesh, and the devil. But if and whenever we do have to walk through a dark experience, it can become the dark backdrop against which your faith and faithfulness shines out to others around you the brightest. For every trial is also a test. Make sure to turn the test into a testimony of your faithfulness to God. And let God’s ‘Golden rule’ be your ‘rule’ in how you handle the test. And remember, by doing so God promises to make your trials produce rewards for you, and you can count on God greatly compensating you for anything you’ve had to go through in your battles against the world, the flesh, and the devil.

And yet, to make sure of that, you and I have to adopt and to practice this overcoming attitude of Paul’s, like we also see in 2 Cor 4:16-18- “Therefore we do not lose heart, but though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day. For momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison, while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal.” NASU

Sometimes when people ask me, “So, how are you doing?”, I have responded: “You mean the outer man or the inner man? The outer man has some issues, but the inner man is good.” Now, if you say that to those who don’t know their Bible, you’ll probably have to explain that a little. Of course, there’s your opportunity for some ‘faith sharing’!

Which brings us back to that second part of Paul’s triumphal attitude: “For to me to live is Christ…and to die is gain.” Again, Paul wrote this letter from prison around the year 61 AD. But about twenty years before this Paul experienced something that profoundly impacted the rest of his life and everything that he wrote about in all his letters to the churches. And we go to 2 Cor 12 to see it. He wrote his second letter to the Corinthians about fourteen years after this life changing experience. Let’s look: 2 Cor 12:2-5- “I know a man in Christ who was taken up to the third heaven. This happened 14 years ago. I don’t know if the man was in his body or out of his body, but God knows. And I know that this man was taken up to paradise. I don’t know if he was in his body or away from his body, but he heard things that he is not able to explain. He heard things that no one is allowed to tell. I will boast about a man like that, but I will not boast about myself. I will boast only about my weaknesses.” ERV

Not long after Paul’s conversion the Lord Jesus takes him on a tour of the third heaven. God takes him on a personal visit of Paradise. In our Life Group we noticed that one striking thing about this was the fact that the Greek word that Paul later used when revealing the prophecy about the coming Rapture of the church is same word that is found here to describe what had already happened to Paul. He chose the word ‘harpazo’, which means ‘caught up’. So what this means is that before Paul ever wrote to these Corinthians, and later to the Thessalonian believers, and to us all, about the Rapture of the Church, he had already experienced the ‘Rapture’ himself! God had raptured Paul to Heaven and there Paul saw Jesus face to face, along with the kind of wonders he couldn’t even put into words. But then, since God had more work for Paul to do, and since he had more Scriptures to record, Paul was taken back to Earth to continue his service.

And although from just this experience of Paul’s we could explore all kinds of amazing realities that fall out of this, back to our point: So now factor this experience of Paul’s into his proclamation of Phil 1:21- “For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.” NASU Paul had already been to Heaven. He already knew what it was like to die…to depart…to be ‘caught up’ to Paradise. In fact, as soon as he made that statement he then said this: Phil 1:22-25- “But if I live, I can do more fruitful work for Christ. So I really don’t know which is better. I’m torn between two desires: I long to go and be with Christ, which would be far better for me. But for your sakes, it is better that I continue to live. Knowing this, I am convinced that I will remain alive so I can continue to help all of you grow and experience the joy of your faith.” NLT

We should inject here: Who is he talking to? Paul was not just talking to those Philippian Christians…He is talking to us…to you and to me. He’s letting us know that Jesus took him to heaven to show us that you and I can now also believe and say: “For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain.” The same thing is going to happen to us. One day we are going to be ‘caught up’, and we will be home with the Lord in Paradise. Paul was even anxious to go. He had been there! No doubt, he probably didn’t want to come back. I wonder if he said to Jesus something like; “What? I have to go back? But I want to stay here!” Of course, that was what he preferred.

But God had more work for him to do in serving God and blessing others before going home. And friends, if you ever wonder why you are still here…still on Earth, there’s your answer as well: God has more for you to do here in serving God and blessing others before you go Home…home to Paradise. And you don’t have to know what it all is, you just have to be willing to do whatever it is that you can do to serve God and bless others. And as long as you carry that attitude with you, you can be sure God is going to guide you in doing whatever it is that He has for you to do. If you make yourself willing and available for God’s use, you can count on being used by God to do His works through you.

Many of you probably have a T-shirt that says: ‘Life is good’. That’s a really popular line of clothing. A Christian band called ‘Stellar Kart’ wrote a song that said: ‘Life is good – Eternal life is better’. Based on what Paul said we could make t-shirts that say: ‘Earth is good – Heaven is better, far better!’ How about how he put it: “I long to go and be with Christ, which would be far better for me.” Again, Paul had already been there and was so anxious to go back. He longed to go back, to go back to Paradise, to go Home.

So what if we rephrased the statement? ‘For to me, to live is Christ, and to ‘go Home’ is gain.’ There is a timeless saying that says it so well: ‘There’s no place like Home’. Paul had already been Home. So when God escorted him back to Earth from Paradise to take the Gospel to new lands and new people and to record the Scriptures that we would need in order to come to know Christ and to follow Him faithfully, Paul still longed to go Home. Going ‘home’ would still be ‘far better’ for him; going ‘home’ would be ‘true gain’.

When Jesus Christ conquered ‘death’ He also changed it from being an ‘end’ into being ‘a new beginning’. The day that a Christian dies is the day that he or she experiences what Paul experienced even before his final death when he said, “I know a man who was ‘taken up’ to the third heaven, ‘caught up’ to be with Christ forever.” On every Christian’s day of death, the Christian is also ‘taken up’, ‘caught up’…his or her spirit is ‘raptured’ to Paradise, and they begin the most wonderous experience of their life. They are ushered into the very presence of Jesus, and reunited with all of their believing loved ones, along with all of the believers throughout history. And they begin to experience the countless wonders of their new Home. Certainly, they will miss their loved ones that will join them later, but they will be completely overwhelmed by the Person of God and the Paradise of their new Home.

One other thing about Paul’s visit to Paradise before he finished out his life and work on Earth…It’s clear that God intended that whatever Paul looked at for the rest of his life that he would also see Heaven in the background. Every valley of Paul’s life would now be surrounded by the Mountains of Paradise. Paul no longer just saw problems around him or prison bars in front of him or even his persecutors before him…no, now he saw Paradise all around him. Heaven was on his every horizon. And he knew that he was always just one step away from walking through that door we call ‘death’ and then he would be Home. And that would be ‘far better’; that would all be ‘gain’.

That’s what God intends for us to see as well. That’s why He recorded all of this for us. That’s why when Paul wrote about the outer man decaying and the inner man being renewed he connected it with this: 2 Cor 4:17-18- “For momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison, while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal.” NASU

Just think, through the lenses of the Scriptures we can see things that are not seen. We can see eternal things. Why, we can even see all the way into Heaven! We can see all the way Home! And even the temporary troubles and trials of this life that grieve us now, God promises to turn them into gain…gain for us, reward for us, along with all of the gain that will forever be ours in the glorious land of Paradise, where Jesus now is and where we soon will be when our spirit is ‘raptured’ to be with the Lord. Yes, the Rapture of the church could also happen at any moment…but so could the ‘rapture’, the ‘catching up’ of your spirit. But either way, along with Paul we can say: “For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain!”

To Live Is…

Study Guide, November 3, 2019

Pastor Clay Olsen

In our recent Life Group we gave a couple of suggestions on investments…in a ‘not really’ sort of way. Or, maybe, who knows? But anyway, it was in connection with some start-up companies in the UK and in the US that some investors are pouring millions of dollars into because of what these companies are working on. And what they are working on is ‘age-reversing gene therapies’. These companies are supposedly developing ways to regenerate tissues that deteriorate in old age, and therefore allowing people to live longer. Which is certainly a good thing, right? Regenerating damaged parts sounds pretty good. I would have much preferred regenerated cartilage of the original joints over replaced hips, that’s for sure.

Also, anything that increases life spans and a healthier existence throughout life is great. But the old adage remains: It’s not how many years that are in your life that counts – it’s how much life is in your years. And as Christians, we would add: What really counts is if Christ’s life is also in your life. And really, if Christ is not in your life, then regardless of how many years of life you have, you’re actually already dead while you live.

But it’s also kind of ironic about how consumed many are about extending their mortal lives. Like, let’s say they were able to extend life spans to 125 years or 150 years or 175 years. Here’s the irony: Recall before the flood, like in Genesis 5, we have the accounts when life spans were…well…you find this: ‘and all the days of Seth were 912 years’, and ‘all the days of Enosh were 905 years’, and all the days of Kenan were 910 years, and then of course the oldest man that ever lived… ‘and all the days of Methuselah were 969 years’! That’s a whole lot of years in a life, right? But I can imagine these guys getting up into their nine-hundreds and going: “You know, life seems so short. If we could only figure out a way to extend our lives a bit more…like maybe to 1500 years. That would be great!” And we were joking about some of these 900 year old guys saying things like: “Man, if only to be 500 again! I was feeling really good in my 500’s! Oh, to be young again!”

But really, when would it ever be long enough to satisfy anyone? And the answer is? 1 Cor 15:53-57- “For our dying bodies must be transformed into bodies that will never die; our mortal bodies must be transformed into immortal bodies. Then, when our dying bodies have been transformed into bodies that will never die, this Scripture will be fulfilled: “Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?” For sin is the sting that results in death, and the law gives sin its power. But thank God! He gives us victory over sin and death through our Lord Jesus Christ.” NLT

We can count on the immortality of the body one day. It is coming, but it’s not for this world, it’s for when we are living in the land of the new world…in the New Heavens and New Earth. But for now; there is no escaping mortality. But the real issue about how ever many years anyone has in this mortal body in these short years on this dying planet is: Of however many days and years you have of life now, what are you doing with them? How are you living out your mortal years now? What are you living for now? Or, rather, how would you fill in the blank of this statement? “To Live Is __________?” What would you say?

Some might say, “To live is fame”, or to make a name for themselves. Some might say, “To live is fortune”, or to attain great wealth. Some might say, “To live is power”, or to have a powerful position in life. Some might say, “To live is pleasure”, or to experience the pleasures of life. And some might just say, “To live is happiness”, or to just be happy. And most people want to be happy. Actually, there is nothing wrong with any of the others as well, as long as they are the result of doing honorable things to bless others, of course. But if they are seeing these things for the purpose of self-pride and self-centered living, well then that’s a big problem.

But back to the blank…so what really is the best answer to how would you fill in the blank of the statement: “To live is _______?” Or, let’s put it this way: If you want a bottom line summary statement and an all-encompassing theme by which to live and think about your life, the Apostle Paul gave it to us when he said: Phil 1:21- “For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.” NASU

In the movie, ‘Paul, Apostle of Christ’, when Paul said to Luke “For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain”, Luke said, “Oh, that’s good!” And Paul said to him, “Write it down”. Friends, when that is your purpose and the goal of your life…when that is your focus and the conviction of your life, then it will also become the joy and even the motivation of your life, as well as your peace and assurance in your death. And we are going to explore both. But for now, let’s explore: “For to me to live is Christ.”

What if we were to ask how you would fill in another blank? What if we said: ‘Life is ___________?’ What would you put in the blank? What do you think Paul would put in the blank? He would put ‘Christ’. ‘Life is Christ!’ Remember what Jesus said to the Disciples? “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life.” What is the source of ‘life’ in the first place? Christ! And since Christ is the very source of life, Christ should also be at the very center of everyone who has been given life. And how strange is it really, that so many who do not acknowledge Christ as Creator of life or as Savior for their life, are still living out a life that has been given to them by Christ? In fact, each day of their life is even being sustained by Christ through His general grace to all people.

That was the passage that Sam Bruce pointed to when he talked about helping the Asmat people come to better understand that Christ was both Creator and Savior. Col 1:15-17- “Christ is the visible image of the invisible God. He existed before anything was created and is supreme over all creation, for through Him God created everything in the heavenly realms and on earth. He made the things we can see and the things we can’t see— such as thrones, kingdoms, rulers, and authorities in the unseen world. Everything was created through Him and for Him. He existed before anything else, and He holds all creation together.” NLT So people the world over need to come to realize who Jesus Christ really is: He is the only Creator of physical life itself, and He is the only Savior who can give us eternal spiritual life.

But then, for those of us who have come to know our great God and Savior, and have received the gift of eternal life from Christ, then like Paul, we are to also commit to a new focus in life and about life, as in… ‘For to me, to live is Christ!’ And of course, this is not only the most rewarding way to possibly live life, it is also the most logical and reasonable way to live life. Think about it: Since we have received eternal life from Christ, and since we forever have a life that is in union with Christ, and since it is Christ who is now sustaining the very life that we are living; it simply just makes sense to now live our life FOR Christ. Or, we could put it this way; to live our life for any lesser reason would not only be foolish…and not only be faithless…and not only be unfruitful…it would also just not make good sense at all! It would actually be living a form of ‘nonsense’. Again, just think about the sheer logic of it all. The Apostle Paul explained it like this: 2 Cor 5:14-15- “For the love of Christ controls us, having concluded this, that one died for all, therefore all died; and He died for all, so that they who live might no longer live for themselves, but for Him who died and rose again on their behalf.

NASU That just makes sense.

The most important decision to make about living out your life is not to first decide what you will live for, but to first decide ‘who’ you are going to live for! And if that decision is anyone or anything but Christ, or even if you fail to decide, then you have already defaulted to live your life for the messed up mixture of both your conflicted self and the confusing world around you that will pressure you to conform to it, instead of to Christ, your Lord and Savior. And conformity to the world instead of conforming to Christ results in exactly what Solomon said about that: ‘Vanity of vanities’…wasted efforts and meaningless attempts.

On the other hand, when you seek to live your life ‘for Christ’, then the results of that is that all your works to bless God and to bless others in your marriage and family, in your church, in your community, and in your career all count for now and eternity. Living a life of purpose in blessing God and others is what builds up an eternal portfolio of rewards and joys for you. But again, all of this not only just makes good sense, but it is simply the proper thing to do, since we owe it to our Lord to now live for the One who lived and died for you and me. “For to me, to live is Christ…and to live for Christ.”

Now then, it’s very helpful to Biblically describe just how that is done…or to describe how a believer is to go about ‘living for Christ’. And the reason we say that is because it doesn’t come naturally. Rather, we tend to naturally default to faulty thinking about it. For example: Many Christians tend to think that living out their lives for Christ means that Christ is now going to help them live out their lives. Well, thankfully, our Lord does help us wonderfully in all things. But here is the big thing, or the 180 degree difference: Christ did not come into our lives to help us experience more of ‘our life’. He came into our life to empower us to experience more of ‘His life’ in us. Some might say… “And what’s the difference?” Friends, the difference is the difference between us living out our purposes for our lives or us living out God’s purposes for our lives. Yeah, it’s that big of a difference. Let’s let Paul explain more about that as well.

We see Paul describe it in another purpose statement of Paul’s in Gal 2:20- “My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.” NLT Do you see it? It’s a complete change of focus, particularly about one’s personal identity. Let’s think this through…

There is often confusion in many Christian’s thinking about their ‘new self’. They understand that the problem with their old self was that they were thinking and acting like a ‘separate self’…and they were separated in trespasses and sin from a relationship with their Creator. They were ‘independent’ of God we could say. But then, through repentance toward God and faith in Jesus Christ, they received new life in Christ, along with a new spirit, a new self, as the Scriptures put it. However, and here’s the new problem, they then started thinking of their new self in terms of almost like a ‘new me’. But the focus was still on themselves, or on this ‘new me’, when the Biblical focus for their life was not to be one of a ‘new me’ focus and attitude about life, but one of a ‘new We’ focus and attitude about life.

Do you see where we are going with this? You see, when the focus is still on yourself, even your new self, then you are still thinking like an independent person, rather than as one who now shares their life in union with Christ. Plus, again, they are thinking of Christ more like His role is to be their ‘Helper’ in living out ‘their life’. But that is not only a distortion of what the Scriptures reveal, but it detracts from God’s intention to restore and to remake you and me more and more into His image and character…or – to form Christ in us.

The reality is that Christ did not create another independent new self in us. He created a new spirit self that is now in ‘union’ with His Spirit, which, by design, is completely dependent upon Christ. Christ is not enabling you to experience more of your life independently from Him. He is enabling you to now experience more of His life as you live in dependence upon Him, yielding the control of your life each day to the presence and the power of the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Christ now living in union with your new spirit, which is your new self.

That’s part of why Christ used the picture of ‘marriage’ to illustrate the relationship of the Christian with Christ. Just like a husband and wife are not to think in terms of you and me, but in terms of ‘we’, in a similar way, in your relationship with Christ, you are no longer to think in terms of ‘me’; you are now to think in terms of ‘We’. In fact, the leading side of that is really to fall on Christ’s side, as Paul pointed out by saying, ‘It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me.’ Paul daily deferred to Christ to be in charge in his life.

And so now, as to how that looks in practical terms is something like Paul basically saying to Christ; “Even though I am now in union with Your Spirit, I’m going to just go with Your preference on everything! I’m going to go with what You say about what I should say, and with what You say about what I should do, as well as reforming my character by letting You form Your character in me.”

You see the difference? That is how the ‘new self’ in union with Christ is supposed to think…thinking in dependence upon Christ’s Word and deferring to Christ’s Lordship in all things, instead of thinking independently from Christ’s Word and guidance, and just looking to Him to be our helper in living out a life where we are still acting like we are in charge. And so, in practice, like Paul put it, this life that you and I are now living is now one where we are no longer in charge. Christ is now in charge of you and me. And Christ’s Spirit is now living in us and through us, and is directing us in how to live by His Word and with His Spirit guiding what we say and what we do for however many days and years we have on our way to what Paul said was ‘Gain’. And we’ll explore more of that in our next study.

Clearing Some Doctrinal Air/Error

Study Guide, October 27, 2019

Pastor Clay Olsen

There are many things in life that we know some things about, but it would be really good if we knew even more about them. One of the surprising things in the natural world that is good to know more about is with this little mammal we know of as ‘a bat’. What we don’t often think about is just how amazing these little creatures really are and just how beneficial they are to our well-being. They have kind of gotten a bad rap over the years…or a ‘bat rap’ we could say. We could actually spend the rest of our time pointing out all the benefits, but let’s just list a few. Did you know that without these little guys our mosquito problem around the world would be far worse than it is? Each bat can consume 1,200 mosquitoes in an hour. They can eat their weight in insects every night. That would be like a teenage boy eating 200 quarter-pound hamburgers in one night. Or, we could put it like this: The agriculture industry would have to spend nearly 25 billion dollars more in pesticides to equal what bats do for free.

They are also major pollinators for agriculture…for everything from fruits to nuts. In fact, just one example will cause you to have a whole new appreciation for our little friends. They especially pollinate cacao trees, from which we get our beloved ‘chocolate’! So the next time you see a bat…thank him for the chocolates!

Plus, their very design has inspired research on everything from learning more about echolocation to even the invention of ‘drones’. They have even become big business in Texas, where people visit a bridge near Austin to watch thousands of bats fly out each night to feed. That attraction alone generates over 10 million dollars in tourism each year.

You can show your own new appreciation for these little helpers by putting up your own bat house on or near your house. They will help clear your yard of more of those pesky bugs each night.

I got a little carried away with these fun little creatures, but it leads us to some other issues that we can also clear the air on, like some doctrinal issues…clear the ‘air’, and also clear out the ‘error’. Like the question that comes up about the unpardonable sin: Some people, even Christians, have from time to time feared that they had committed some sin that they thought may be that ‘unpardonable sin’ and would keep them out of Heaven. Some people have been in despair of worrying if sins like premeditated sins or suicide, for example, might be the unpardonable sin. Of course, the Accuser, the Devil, especially uses ideas like that to confuse and discourage people in the faith. But even if we just logically think about the Gospel of the Cross of Christ, that would mean that there was some sin or sins that Jesus didn’t die for…as though when Paul said in 1 Cor 15:3- “For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures…” NASU, that he meant to say, ‘except for a few sins that He left out.’ But no, Jesus’ sacrificial death provided for a full atonement, a complete pardon from our sins. Like the Prophet Isaiah recorded God’s comforting words to us about this: Isa 1:18- “Come now, and let us reason together,” Says the Lord, “Though your sins are as scarlet, They will be as white as snow; Though they are red like crimson, They will be like wool.” NASU

So no, the unpardonable sin is not a reference to some sin or sins that would cause a believer to lose their salvation. Jesus identified it as a particular sin of blasphemy and unbelief against the very deity of the Messiah, when the Jewish leaders attributed to the devil the divine powers of the Holy Spirit that were working through Him, the Messiah. Take a look: Matt 12:24- “But when the Pharisees heard about the miracle, they said, “No wonder He can cast out demons. He gets His power from Satan, the prince of demons.” But then Jesus said: “Every sin and blasphemy can be forgiven—except blasphemy against the Holy Spirit, which will never be forgiven. Anyone who speaks against the Son of Man can be forgiven, but anyone who speaks against the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven, either in this world or in the world to come.” Matt 12:31,32 NLT

So actually, in a practical sense, this was a not only a particular sin, but it was also a unique sin when Jesus was present on the Earth. Again, the false teachers were not just speaking sinfully about Jesus as a man, they were saying that it was the devil that was working in Him and not the Holy Spirit, thus denying He was one with God and the Divine Messiah. That of course, was unpardonable. But in principle, any unbelief in Jesus as the Messiah, in whom all the fulness of God indwells and through which all must believe and receive in order to be saved, well…there is no pardon of sin apart from faith in Jesus Christ alone as Lord and Savior.

Now then, this concern about if there is some sin that God cannot forgive or will not forgive is also often connected with other confusions that some Christians have about their position in Christ. They confuse their position in Christ, as to their salvation, with their practice as a Christian, in terms of their sanctification. In other words, they are confusing their spiritual birth with their spiritual behavior. And right away, by putting it this way, or putting it in these Biblical terms, it helps us all a great deal as to being much more at ease about our salvation, since it is our birth that determines our relationship with God. Our behavior might fluctuate, but our birth relationship remains permanent.

In the Christian life it is as important to understand things that differ as it is to understand things that are the same. And again, one of the things that differ is this difference between our position and our practice, or again, between our spiritual birth and our spiritual behavior. In fact, most unbelievers continually think that having a relationship with God is based upon spiritual behavior. Our spiritual behavior is certainly essential and Jesus will evaluate the faithfulness of His children. But Jesus made it clear that a relationship with God is based upon spiritual birth.

Think about this: In the same way that once you are physically born you cannot become unborn, so also once you are spiritually born again, you cannot become spiritually unborn. To be even more precise, in the same way that once you are physically conceived you cannot become physically unconceived, so also once you are spiritually conceived you cannot become spiritually unconceived. So just like in physical conception, that the union creates a permanent soul and body, so in spiritual conception, the union of the Spirit of Christ with our human spirit creates a permanent new spirit in our soul.

Paul also talked about this in that passage in 1 Corinthians 15. Notice: 1 Cor 15:45- “The Scriptures tell us, “The first man, Adam, became a living person.” But the last Adam—that is, Christ—is a life-giving Spirit.” In the new birth, when a repentant person receives Christ as their Savior, the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Christ, joins His eternal life with the believing person’s human spirit that had been spiritually dead in trespasses and sin. And that new spiritually conceived person is then eternally one with the eternal God. Note that in 1 Cor 6:17- “But the person who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with Him.” NLT

Plus, this spiritually born again person is now among the saved family of God to whom Jesus said: “For He Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” Heb 13:5 NKJV Remember, Jesus was forsaken when He took our sin penalty and paid for our pardon on the Cross. He was forsaken for us, or ‘in place of us’. He was forsaken so that we would never have to be forsaken, nor ever will be forsaken. That is God’s promise to us, and God’s promises cannot be broken, and will always come to pass.

So remember, salvation is not a behavioral issue. Salvation is a birth issue, a spiritual birth issue. And once you are born again, it is both logically and theologically impossible to be spiritually unborn. Plus, to be spiritually born again means to have been spiritually conceived by the union of Christ’s Holy Spirit with your human spirit. And once you are spiritually conceived, you can no more become spiritually unconceived than anyone who becomes physically conceived could become physically unconceived. These are both physical and spiritual laws of the natural world and the supernatural world.

And speaking of natural and spiritual laws, that leads to another point of confusion by some people concerning if by chance there is some chance that after this life people might get a second chance at salvation. And one overlooked point about that is the fact that anyone who neglects or rejects God’s great salvation has already passed up second, third, fourth, and on and on chances already. Jesus doesn’t just knock once on the door of a person’s conscience and heart and then go away. The Bible pictures Jesus standing at the door ‘knocking’ throughout a person’s life, giving them chance after chance to heed His knocking and open the door of their life and invite Him in as their Lord and Savior.

Remember, anyone’s failure to repent is not because God did not supply them with enough chances, it’s because they neglected or rejected all the chances God gave them. Paul says they ‘suppressed the truth’. Notice: Rom 1:18-21- “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, because that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse. For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks…” NASU

When people respond to God’s witness of Creation and His witness of conscience because of His law, or His truth, already written in the heart of man, then they will come to know the One who is the Truth, the Way, and the Life, the Messiah and Savior. But if they are unrepentant, or are suppressing the truth God has already given them, then, like Abraham told the unsaved man who wanted Lazarus to return from the dead to witness to his unsaved brothers, like if they only had a second chance, Abraham reminded them of this: Luke 16:29-31- “But Abraham said, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them hear them.’ “But he said, ‘No, father Abraham, but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent!’ “But he said to him, ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be persuaded even if someone rises from the dead.'” NASU Remember: Resistance to repentance begins as a ‘volitional’ problem, not an informational problem. It starts as a problem of ‘the will’ not ‘the mind’.

Also, the fact is that it is appointed once for man to die, and the next appointment after that is the Judgment. Heb 9:27-“…it is appointed for men to die once and after this comes judgment…” NASU The unsaved man that Abraham was speaking to was already confined in Hades, the temporary place of the unsaved awaiting their final sentencing at the Great White Throne Judgment of the unsaved. And that’s another reason that the Apostle Paul said: 2 Cor 6:1-2- “As God’s partners, we beg you not to accept this marvelous gift of God’s kindness and then ignore it. For God says, “At just the right time, I heard you. On the day of salvation, I helped you.” Indeed, the “right time” is now. Today is the day of salvation.” NLT

So if anyone ever brings up the notion of a second chance at salvation on some ‘tomorrow’ or maybe even after death, help clear the air on that by stating that no one is promised a tomorrow here on Earth. But God does promise a tomorrow and even an eternity in Heaven with Him. Yet, that promise is for those who receive His gift of salvation in Jesus Christ before they leave Earth, and while it’s still called ‘Today’. And today is all we have, and ‘Today is the day of salvation.’

There is so much confusion around us and error in teachings and beliefs. But as we freely share the truths of the Gospel and God’s Word, it will help others come to know the Truth, and the Truth will set them free.

Serving From Our Salvation – Not For Our Salvation

Study Guide, October 13, 2019

Pastor Clay Olsen

Every once in a while I get requests to clarify certain Bible teachings so as to help all of our Chapel family have a clearer understanding of these teachings and to then be able to better communicate them to others in our community or in our families that are still confused about such matters. So by the grace of God and the revelation of the Scriptures and the guidance of the Holy Spirit let’s look further into some of these matters.

One of the most helpful things you can share with others, even with some who have been in Bible believing churches for many years, is the inspiring and liberating teaching of the Bible of the difference between serving God from our salvation and not for our salvation. Many have historically and naturally confused service with salvation and have therefore confused our works with God’s grace. And many have not yet come to realize or understand that in relation to salvation, or in relation to us having a saved relationship with God, our works and God’s grace are complete opposites. Notice the Apostle Paul’s clear words on this: Rom 11:6- “But if it is by grace, it is no longer on the basis of works, otherwise grace is no longer grace.” NASU

There are only two ways to approach God for salvation: either by our own merits and works or by Christ’s merits and works on our behalf. And of course, Paul makes that as clear as can be made when he said: Eph 2:8-9- “For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.” NASU And the NLT also helps clarify it all by putting it this way: “God saved you by His grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it.”

Right away we see crucial things to understand about our salvation. Salvation is not a reward for our works. Salvation is a gift based upon Christ’s works on our behalf, or in our place. He lived a substitutionary life for us. He obeyed the Law of God perfectly for us and of course He then died to remove our sin sentence from us.

Sometimes, even in Biblical Gospel teaching churches, when talking about Salvation and Heaven, from time to time you hear someone say, “Well, I hope I’ll make it.” Wait a minute! What are they hoping in? Our only hope of salvation is Jesus Christ alone. Again, our only hope is certainly not in our own works, but only in the grace and mercy and merit of Jesus Christ alone as our Savior. Remember, when it comes to our salvation, ‘Hope’ is a ‘Person’, not a ‘work’. Hope is the Person of Jesus Christ, not a work of ours. If your trust for your Salvation is in Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, you can have a ‘know so’ assurance about going to Heaven, not a ‘hope so’ attitude about it. So, help others better understand that key teaching.

But also notice, often you hear people say that we are saved by faith and not by works. And while that sounds clear, even this can begin to cloud up the clear Biblical picture of salvation, because Paul made it clear that we are saved not by faith, but we are saved BY GRACE through faith. God’s salvation comes to us through faith, but it’s by God’s grace. God’s grace is God handing His gift of salvation to us. Our faith is simply us opening up our hands to receive His gift. Or, has been aptly stated: The moving cause of salvation is Grace. The meritorious cause of salvation is Christ. And the instrumental cause of salvation is Faith. Faith is understanding and agreeing to the truth about what God has said about our sin and about our Savior. Faith is acting upon this truth by believing and committing oneself to this truth. So again, it is not faith in Christ that saves, but it is Christ through faith that saves. Keep the focus on Christ as doing the saving and on you as doing the receiving…receiving Christ and His gift of salvation. The Apostle John specifically equates believing with receiving in John 1:12- “But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name.” NASU

Also remember to keep salvation separate from rewards. Salvation is not a reward for our good works, remember, otherwise grace would no longer be grace. No, Salvation is God’s gift to us. And then as saved children of God our service is our gift to God. Our service works are our gifts to God and of course God will examine and then reward us for our faithful works in His Kingdom. Our works are very important, but in their place after our salvation. Notice that in the very next verse after Paul speaks about God’s gift of salvation to us he then states this: Eph 2:10- “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.” NASU

Within every human being is the knowledge in our conscience and a deep sense in our soul that we ought to be doing good works for God. And the reason for this is because God created us to do good works. By our very nature we know that we are supposed to do good works for our Creator. But everyone forfeited their privilege to serve their Creator because everyone sinned against their Creator. Their sins separated them from a relationship with their Creator and God. Their sin actually killed their human spirit. And that’s why Christ came, to give spiritual life back to our human spirit and restore our broken relationship with our Creator, so that we could then live in a saved relationship and then do the service works that we were created to do. But again, everyone needs to first be pardoned from their sins against God in order to then offer their service to God. That’s why everyone needed and needs a Savior. But if anyone ignores or neglects or rejects their only Savior and their only salvation, then their good works are not gifts to God from a saved child of God; because their works are still stained with sin and they are still dead in trespasses and sin and are still under sin’s sentence of eternal separation from God.

Again, we were created for service to God, but we first needed salvation from God. And once we do receive the gift of salvation from God then we can offer our gifts of service to God. And every gift of service we offer to God, then becomes a good work that God will turn into a reward from God to us, His children, rewards that are basically privileges within the New Heavens and New Earth because of our faithfulness and service works for God on this present Earth.

Now then, another way to understand why good works cannot save anyone comes from what Paul said in Gal.3:22- “But the Scriptures declare that we are all prisoners of sin, so we receive God’s promise of freedom only by believing in Jesus Christ. NLT Remember this critical point: Every unsaved person on earth is already in prison, on spiritual death row, awaiting the day when they will be transferred to their permanent confinement of Gehenna Hell. And no amount of good works can remove their eternal sentence of their debt of sin. Regardless of how good a prisoner on death row treats other inmates or what good works he does while in prison, the only way that his death sentence that he is under can be removed is if he is offered and then receives a complete pardon from the crimes he committed that called for the death penalty.

Last week we suggested that you begin looking at everyone around you through the lens of them either being ‘lost’ or ‘saved’, and to then see how this reality changed the way you saw people. We suggest that you also begin looking at people around you through this other Biblical lens of seeing people as either still in prison because of their sin and on spiritual death row awaiting their final sentencing, or as people who have received their pardon from the Judge who stepped down from throne of Heaven and took their death sentence for them and died in their place.

And so the question is: Have they received this pardon that God is offering to them by receiving Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior? This is the only way a spiritual prisoner on spiritual death row gets a pardon. And that’s what it means that Christ died for me; died because of me, and died in my place, so that I could be pardoned and be free to now live eternally.

Again, no one can work their way off spiritual death row. The only way off spiritual death row is to receive the gift of pardon from the One who took your place and died for you. And when you do receive Christ’s gift of His pardon, you receive His pardon and Jesus’ own life that brings renewed life to your once dead human spirit.

So when people answer why they think they are going to Heaven with something like, “Well, I’m trying to be a good person”, remember that’s the equivalent of a person that is in prison on death row thinking they will escape their sentence of the crimes that called for their death penalty by trying to be a good person ever since they got to prison. No, only a pardon removes their penalty.

Earth is a penitentiary…and everyone who has not received their pardon from Christ is already on spiritual death row. That’s what the Apostle John revealed in John 3:18- “Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.” NIV Add that to your picture of how you look at unsaved people around you, at those who have not received Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior: ‘Condemned already’. The more we think Biblically about people around us the more we will be motivated to get the Gospel of Salvation to those around us who are lost, imprisoned in sin, and condemned already.

Now, that leads us to handling some other matters that come up since mankind has historically tried to attach works of some sort to God’s gift of salvation. But again, any attempt to add anything to the gift of salvation then falls under Paul’s warning about grace no longer then being grace, as well as the fact that to try to add a work to salvation is the same as subtracting grace from salvation. It is then no longer a gift, but something that is owed, which, again, cancels out grace and cancels out salvation.

One thing that man has tried to attach or add to salvation is baptism. Now we are not talking about churches that practice different modes of baptism or practice baptism at different times. Throughout history there have been born again teaching and Bible believing churches that have understood ‘baptism’ to have different purposes. Some churches have historically understood the purpose of baptism as being like the sign of a covenant relationship with God, like circumcision was a covenant sign to Old Testament believers that they were in a covenant relationship with God and they were dedicating their children to God as such. Other born again teaching and Bible believing churches throughout history have concluded that the purpose of baptism was to be a personal dedication by one who had already personally believed and received Christ as their Savior. That’s why this view of baptism is referred to as a ‘Confessional’ sign of baptism. It is a confession to serve the Lord Jesus because He has saved you. Here at the Chapel we practice the Confessional sign of baptism for those who have been born again, but we do honor our Brothers and Sisters that believe the purpose of baptism was to be a Covenant sign, not for salvation, but as a commitment that their children would be brought up in the teachings of the gospel so that their children can then later make a profession of faith in Christ and become born again.

The problem is that some false teachers early on in the Church’s history began twisting this Covenant sign of baptism and taught that baptism was the actual Conversion time of a person’s salvation. And among the many problems that came along with that, this false teaching did two things in particular. One: It distorted the Biblical teaching that a person is spiritually born again when he or she makes a personal decision to receive Christ as their own Lord and Savior. And Two: It created a false fear in families who then believed that their child’s very salvation and conversion was dependent upon them getting their child baptized, since they equated baptism with conversion. Plus, this fear was also then used by those false teachers as a powerful way to build a following, along with their position.

The unfortunate reality is that even today there is much false teaching that still misleads people into thinking that being baptized is the same thing as being ‘born again’, whether they were baptized early in life or later in life. But again, baptism is separate from salvation. Baptism is an ‘obedience-work’ issue, whereas Salvation is a ‘receiving of a gift’ issue; receiving the Person of Christ and becoming born again’. The New Birth has to do with a person coming to Christ with a repentant heart and mind and, by God’s grace and through their faith, they trust in Christ alone and receive God’s gift of salvation. And with God’s gift comes Christ’s life, His spiritual life placed into them which causes them to become spiritually ‘born again’.

We do have a few more points that we have been requested to examine so we’ll continue this study. But we pray that this teaching will help and equip each of us more to more clearly help others understand our great salvation and the place of our service works for God. And how inspiring and assuring it is to know that we serve God from our salvation, not for it. Salvation is God’s great gift to each of us. Praise His Name forever and ever!

The Lord’s Supper – Our Security

Study Guide, October 6, 2019

Pastor Clay Olsen

The Bread

As we walk through our devotional Communion time we like to slow it down a bit, and reflect on and wonder over and offer up praise to our Lord about our great Salvation…or really, God’s great salvation to us, along with the security and assurance that comes along with this gift.

So think about it: As Jesus was explaining the symbols and the significance of this Memorial, the Lord’s Supper, He was also summing up all the truths that He had been proclaiming to everyone about what His sinless life and His sacrificial death meant to all who would receive Him as their Lord and Savior. Let’s look: Luke 22:19-21- “And when He had taken some bread and given thanks, He broke it and gave it to them, saying, “This is My body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of Me.” And in the same way He took the cup after they had eaten, saying, “This cup which is poured out for you is the new covenant in My blood.” NASU

In explaining this ceremony, this communion, that both they and all His followers afterwards were to remember, or memorially practice, Jesus was giving meaning to the many things He had been saying about the purpose of His coming. Strangely enough, so many then and even today are still confused, or deceived, or many outright ignore the purpose of Jesus’ coming. So we could put it this way, ‘Why did the One that Created us then become one of us and then die for us?’

Notice Jesus’ words about this: Luke 19:10- “For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.” NASU You talk about having a purpose statement for your life! This was unique and powerful and poignant! That’s why Jesus came, because people are lost, and without His coming…without His dying…without His seeking…without His saving…the lost remain lost. Odd isn’t it, how all of life comes down to two things: Lost or Saved? Every person around you, every person in the markets and in the malls and in the halls of everyplace on Earth is either ‘lost or saved’. Begin looking at people you meet and people you know through these lenses, as either ‘lost or saved’ and it will change your whole perspective on everyone, because everyone around you is either eternally saved or they are still eternally lost, unless they become saved. But if they are lost, they cannot say they are not sought, because Jesus came to seek and to save the lost.

We often hear the concept of ‘seeker services’ or ‘seeker churches’, which means they are giving a special emphasis to reach those who are seeking answers to their questions about faith. Which is great, but even more, Jesus revealed to everyone that He’s the One that started the ‘seeking’ in the first place. Jesus came to seek out the lost. So if the lost begin seeking as well, it’s because they are responding to the knocking upon the door of their soul by the One who has come to seek and to save them.

We need to keep that in mind even in our attempts at witnessing…that even before you say a word or share a tract, Jesus has already been knocking on the door of their heart and soul and mind. So if they are receptive to you, it’s because they have started to respond to the knocking of Jesus. They are starting to seek the One who has been seeking them. You and I are simply the delivery service between our seeking Lord and the seeking lost.

Also, Jesus had told them this: Mark 10:45- “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.” NASU

We often focus on the example of our need to carry a servant attitude about ourselves, especially in light of the fact that since the Son of Man did not come to be served by others, then we certainly shouldn’t expect to be served, but to be servants to God and others. The is crucial to know and understand.

But then there is that additional and rather startling statement that Jesus said about why He came. And if we just focus on that, well again, it is very startling and sobering: “For the Son of Man came to give His life a ‘ransom’ for many.” ‘Ransom’? A ransom is a price that has to be paid in order to purchase the release of someone being held captive. We usually don’t associate our salvation with a ransom price that had to be paid in order to purchase our release from captivity. But that is exactly what salvation is also about. A ransom had to be paid in order for you and for me to become saved. Without the ransom you and I would still be lost.

Much of religious teaching about how to have a relationship with God is based upon a merit system of some sort. Most of the world’s religions are basically ‘behavior based’. Oddly enough, the Bible reveals that a relationship with God is not about ‘bad or good’, but about ‘lost or saved’, actually about ‘dead or alive’. But here Jesus revealed that a having a relationship with God is also about still being held captive or having been ransomed; ransomed and now set free.

We have talked about it before, but recall that we suggested that in your faith talks with others that you sometime ask: “So, how much does it cost to go to Heaven?” And most will answer something like, “Well, you can’t buy your way into Heaven?” And most will be really surprised if you tell them – “Well actually, that’s the only way anyone can get into Heaven. There is a specific price that has to be paid in order to go to Heaven, but only One Person is able to pay it. And it can only be paid with one thing, and it’s not gold or silver. 1 Peter 1:18-19- “For you know that God paid a ransom to save you from the empty life you inherited from your ancestors. And the ransom He paid was not mere gold or silver. It was the precious blood of Christ, the sinless, spotless Lamb of God. God chose Him as your ransom long before the world began, but he has now revealed Him to you in these last days.” NLT

What it costs to go to Heaven is sinless blood, and no one on Earth has ever had sinless blood except Jesus Christ. And that was the price that was paid to the Justice Courts of Heaven to set you and me free from the captivity of our sin.

We rightly think of Jesus in terms of ‘my Savior’. But try adding this picture to it and see how it affects your thinking about your relationship with God: “Jesus is also my ransom”. Jesus paid my ransom and set me free. If Jesus had not paid the ransom price of His sinless blood to set you free, you would still be enslaved in the captivity of your sin, as well as lost forever. But because of Jesus’ great love, He gave His great life, and now we have His great salvation. We have been set free from our captivity in sin by the ransom price that Jesus paid of His own sinless blood.

The Cup

Speaking of that ransom price that had to be paid for our salvation, we know that it was paid. We often point to Jesus’ Resurrection as being the proof that all of His works for our salvation worked! Praise God, they did! But also, as Jesus said in the Lord’s Supper, His broken body and shed blood were going to be given for us, meaning, given as a substitute, or as we talked about in our Men’s Life Group Tuesday night, given as our ‘propitiation’ for our sins. What a majestic word. It’s John the Apostle that tells us that: 1 John 2:2- “…He Himself is the propitiation for our sins…” NASB Propitiation refers to the satisfaction of an offense fully forgiven and of a debt completely paid in full.

Did you know that there was one other thing hanging on the Cross with Jesus? Paul points it out to us in Col 2:13-14- “When you were dead in your transgressions and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He made you alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our transgressions, having canceled out the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us, which was hostile to us; and He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross.” NASU Now this certificate of debt consisted of the righteous standards of the Law and the charges against us for having sinned against the Law and fallen short of fulfilling these righteous standards. The New Living Translation also helps us understand that this certificate included the charges against us because of not fulfilling the Law. Notice: “You were dead because of your sins and because your sinful nature was not yet cut away. Then God made you alive with Christ, for He forgave all our sins. He canceled the record of the charges against us and took it away by nailing it to the cross.”

So now when you think about the Cross of Christ also picture this record of the charges against you, this certificate of your debt. It’s nailed to the Cross. Therefore, both your ransom to set you free from your captivity from the bondage of sin was fully paid, and your debt of your sins against the righteous standards of God’s Law was paid in full. And in one of the most amazing words ever heard by the hosts of Heaven and proclaimed to the people of Earth, just before Jesus gave up His spirit on the Cross He said, “Tetelestai!” In English it is translated: “It is finished”. John 19:30- “Therefore when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, “It is finished!” And He bowed His head and gave up His spirit.” NASU

That same word was often found on receipts from merchants in the Greek world, and it meant ‘Paid in Full’. What Jesus was proclaiming was that all of His redemptive work was completed. He had been made sin for sinners. He had suffered the penalty of God’s justice which sin demanded. He had lived a perfectly obedient sinless life and therefore could share His righteousness with us. He had completely paid for our salvation. And now His gift of salvation was all ready as a gift to all who would open up the door of their life and receive Him as their Lord and Savior.

‘Tetelestai’. That is the one Greek word that we should each know and love and tell others about because it is God’s assurance to each of us that the price of our ransom, the payment of our debt, the cost of our redemption has all been paid in full by our Savior, Jesus. Talk about ‘Blessed Assurance’!

Paul reveals in Rom 6:23- “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” NASU Salvation is a free gift of God to us, but it cost Jesus everything. Yet, because of His great love for us He was willing to pay it all. And He paid the price of our salvation in full. ‘Paid in Full’…Those three words should be on our mind and in our heart every day. It will cause us to better understand our great salvation. It will cause us to better worship our great Savior. And it will help us to better explain to the ‘lost’ what it means to become ‘saved’.

“The End Time Bucket List”

Pastor Tyson Schoch

 9/29/2019 

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1. “Be self-controlled and sober-minded for the sake of your prayers”
2. “Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins”
3. “Show hospitality to one another without grumbling”
4. “As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace”

 

1 Peter 4:7 The end of all things is at hand; therefore be self-controlled and sober-minded for the sake of your prayers. 8 Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins. 9 Show hospitality to one another without grumbling. 10 As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace: 11 whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God; whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies—in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. To him belong glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.

Great Chapters in the Bible – New Chapters in Our Lives

Study Guide, September 15, 2019

Pastor Clay Olsen

As Disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ, we are also ‘Discoverers’. Even the life of discipleship is to be a life of discovery…discovering more and more about our great God, about His great plan, and about nearly everything else. And all for the purpose of glorifying God and blessing others, which will also bless us as well, remember. And one of the things we discover is that our life is really like a story…with different ‘chapters’ in our life story. Thankfully, since we are born again children of God, our story is an eternal life story that is going to keep getting better and better forever. Amen? But the point is, we are writing our story every day. And we often refer to our lives as beginning new chapters, as with new experiences or new understandings, and such.

And so, because of that, we are going to embark on a discovery journey through some of the great chapters of the Bible, for the purpose of adding new chapters to our lives of deeper understandings and higher experiences with our great God and Savior. Sometimes the discoveries may not be as much ‘new’, in the sense they are new for the first time, but perhaps ‘new’ in the sense of a new focus or a new perspective or a new passion. You can decide that part for yourself.

Actually, we ought to remind ourselves about the absolute wonder of the Bible over and over again anyway, because it is the very revelation of our God to God’s world, and personally, to each of us. And so our love for learning the Scriptures and our appreciation of the Scriptures ought to grow stronger and stronger throughout our lives. Just think about it: As described in an article on the ‘Unity of the Bible’ on the Answers in Genesis Web page, the author pointed out: “Among all the books ever written, the Bible is absolutely unique. Actually, it is not just a book—it’s 66 books. And one of its most remarkable qualities is the complete unity of the overall message despite having so many different authors writing over many centuries on hundreds of controversial subjects. Natural explanations fail to account for the supernatural character and origin of Scripture.

The Bible was written over a period of roughly 2,000 years by 40 different authors from three continents, who wrote in three different languages. These facts alone make the Bible one of a kind, but there are many more amazing details that defy natural explanation. Shepherds, kings, scholars, fishermen, prophets, a military general, a cup-bearer, and priest all penned portions of Scripture. They had different immediate purposes for writing, whether recording history, giving spiritual and moral instruction, or pronouncing judgment. They composed their works from palaces, prisons, the wilderness, and places of exile while writing history, laws, poetry, prophecy, and proverbs. In the process they laid bare their personal emotions, expressing anger, frustration, joy, and love.”¹ And still, all with the theme of God’s love and His redemptive plan for man.

Yes, absolutely unique and amazing. Plus, since the Spirit of God attends His Scriptures, this is why God can speak to us through His Scriptures. How often do you hear others say, or you have said it yourself: “You know, I’ve read that passage many times, but I just saw something in it I’ve never discovered before.”

So again, of the things we regularly thank God for, remember to thank God for His wonderful Scriptures, and pray for more and more people around you and around the world to not only have access to these wonderful words of life, but to also let them change their lives for now and eternity.

Speaking of chapters, you probably know that the Scriptures were originally written without any dividing sections in them. Chapter divisions were introduced into the Bible in the early 13^th century, and verses were introduced into the Bible in the mid 16^th century. So really, chapters and verses are fairly recent to the Bible, as far as world history is concerned. But they were done so for the purpose of being able to more accurately reference and quote the Scriptures. And that surely is a great help for us all.

So let’s go to a chapter in Isaiah where it’s clear that the Lord wanted to make it perfectly clear to the whole world that the whole world needed to be clear about the fact that not only is this world not filled with other gods, or with many gods, but to be clear about the fact that no other God even exists! God is the only God that exists! Isa 44:6-8- “Thus says the Lord, the King of Israel and his Redeemer, the Lord of hosts: ‘I am the first and I am the last, And there is no God besides Me. Who is like Me? Let him proclaim and declare it; Yes, let him recount it to Me in order, From the time that I established the ancient nation. And let them declare to them the things that are coming And the events that are going to take place. Do not tremble and do not be afraid; Have I not long since announced it to you and declared it? And you are My witnesses. Is there any God besides Me, Or is there any other Rock? I know of none.'” NASU

God is pretty adamant about this! Plus, since God is also ‘omniscient’, meaning that He knows all things, when God, who knows all things, says that He does not know of any other god, well, again, that makes it crystal clear that we and the whole world ought to know that there is no other god except for the God of the Bible, the Creator and Lord of all.

But here’s the thing…throughout history humanity has had a really bad habit of insisting that there are other gods. In fact, God’s own chosen people of Israel picked up this bad habit themselves from some idol worshiping nations around them. And they even made images of these so-called gods, just like these other nations had been doing. But listen to God’s own comments about the foolish irony of what they were doing. Isa 44:13-19- “The carpenter stretches a line; he marks it out with a pencil. He shapes it with planes and marks it with a compass. He shapes it into the figure of a man, with the beauty of a man, to dwell in a house. He cuts down cedars, or he chooses a cypress tree or an oak and lets it grow strong among the trees of the forest. He plants a cedar and the rain nourishes it. Then it becomes fuel for a man. He takes a part of it and warms himself; he kindles a fire and bakes bread. Also he makes a god and worships it; he makes it an idol and falls down before it. Half of it he burns in the fire. Over the half he eats meat; he roasts it and is satisfied. Also he warms himself and says, “Aha, I am warm, I have seen the fire!” And the rest of it he makes into a god, his idol, and falls down to it and worships it. He prays to it and says, “Deliver me, for you are my god!” NLT

Again, how utterly foolish. And God is pointing out to everyone how foolish this is. God points out that the idol worshiper uses half the wood to make a fire to roast his supper and uses the other half to make a god, but never stops to think: “You know, this is actually pretty foolish.” But therein lies the problem: How strange that people usually insist that things in life need to be logical or reasonable before they will believe them. But when it comes to religion, mankind tends to throw logic and reason out the window. Why is that? Well, here’s the reason, and it’s very important to understand. Part of the reason for this is something that we should clearly understand about human nature, and that is this: Ever since the rebellion against God’s Word in the Garden of Eden mankind has always had this rebellious habit of wanting their god or gods to be made more in their own image…more in their own likeness, rather than bow to the authority of God’s Word alone and worship the One God that made mankind in His own image.

Mark it down, the human heart is an idol factory. The sin nature of man is an idol factory. According to recent statistics they have concluded that there are now 4,200 religions in the world. And many of these religions have their own god or set of gods. That’s why witnessing is so hard with some people groups. Since they are so accustomed to having many gods that they worship, they don’t mind adding Jesus, or some facsimile of Jesus to their growing collection…such as with Hinduism. Although some Hindus believe that there was one god that began all creation, still they believe that this god then created a pantheon of gods to assist him. And that number of gods is now somewhere about 300 million. So what’s one more?

But remember what God said? God is not one of many gods. He is the only God in existence. Oh yes, there are certainly many spirits, many unholy spirit beings that people think of as gods, and that deceive people into thinking they are gods, but there is only one God, one Holy God. And so what we have to be perfectly clear about is understanding that, yes, other people or people groups may have a different religion, but they do not have a different god, because there are no other gods beside the one true God. All of mankind has only one God…but what many in mankind do not have is that they do not have a saved relationship with their one and only God.

Again, the question to be settled is not; is the God of the Bible the one God of all people? Of course He is the one God of all people, because the God of the Bible is the only God that exists. He is the only Creator that has given life to all things that have life. People of other religions might insist that they worship someone or something different than the God of the Bible, but it’s not a god at all that they are worshiping, because no other god exists. The fact is, they only have one God, who is Creator and Lord of all. They may not worship Him, but He is the only God there is!

So the question to be settled in every person’s life on Earth’s is not do they have a God…they do…everyone has a God…we all have one God. The question is: Do they have a saved relationship with the One God of all mankind? The issue is: Have they repented toward the one God of mankind and placed their faith in the only Savior of mankind?

And that is the other point that God wants all the world to understand, and that is: Neither is there any other God in existence than the God of the Bible, but also there is no other Savior in existence than the Savior of the Bible; the Messiah. Notice what God says about that: Isa 43:10-11- “…Before Me there was no God formed, And there will be none after Me. I, even I, am the Lord, And there is no Savior besides Me.” NASU

Think about it: Hindus don’t have a different god to whom they will one day give an account. Muslims don’t have a different god to whom they will one day give an account. Universalists do not have a different god to whom they will one day give an account. No, regardless of whatever religion a person claims or whatever name they have given to a so-called god that doesn’t even exist, the fact remains that every person on Earth has one God to whom they will one day give an account, and this one God’s name is ‘Jesus’. Phil 2:9-11- “Therefore God has highly exalted Him and bestowed on Him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” ESV

Jesus is the only Messiah that mankind has, for He is the only God that mankind has, regardless of what anyone claims or whatever name someone has come up with that he or she claims is the god that they worship. Again, there are no other gods in existence. There is no such thing as another god besides the God of the Bible. Yes, there are deceiving spirits. And yes, there is a devil, who acts like the god of this world (a ‘little g’ god), and who wants to be worshiped like God, and who is the ‘pusher’ behind every false religion.

But when you hear of other religions and other gods, we have to think clearly and we have to clearly realize that these people are being deceived by some some spirit that is working for the same spirit that deceived mankind’s first parents in the Garden of Eden.

And not only are they being deceived, they are also being held captive and they need to be rescued. And we are the rescuers. God has appointed us to be His rescuers of those being held captive by the devil and false beliefs. They need to be rescued by the Gospel of truth and be saved by the Lord of truth, the one and only God and Savior, Jesus Christ.

And how all of this should affect us is the same way that it affects God. 2 Peter 3:9- “The Lord is not slow in keeping His promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.” NIV We don’t want anyone to perish either. We should have compassion on people around us…on people around the world, who may be caught up in false religions and false beliefs, who have not yet been born again into a saved relationship with Jesus Christ.

The world around us needs to know that there is only one God, and there is only one Savior, and there is only one way to have a saved relationship with the one God and one Savior. And that is to give your life to the one God in repentance and to receive the one God, Jesus Christ, into your life as your Savior.

So let’s each find ways to help others find out how they too can have this saved relationship with the one and only God and Savior in this world.

1. Tim Chaffey, Unity of the Bible, answersingenesis.org

Stepping Through Storms

‘Storm’ Study Guide from September 8, 2019

Pastor Clay Olsen

Since we just had a really bad storm last year, you would think we would get a break from storms for a while, right? But that’s the thing about living in a storm filled world…it’s full of storms. And, as has been said, “We don’t get to pick all the battles we must fight…only how we fight them.” Exactly! And we fight them as we do anything in life; remember; Not for victory, but FROM victory! We fight as overcomers, alongside the One who has overcome the world. John 16:33- “These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world.” NASU

And notice that Jesus said our peace will be found ‘in Him’. What will be found in this world? Tribulations. So we are not to expect peace from a tribulation filled world. But we can expect to overcome the tribulations in this world since Jesus has overcome the world and we are ‘overcomers’ with Him.

But we do have to fight, and we do have to deal with the stresses, as well as the messes. So since we have had to deal with the mess of this storm and the fall out of it, let’s think of some helps to keep walking on, stepping on through the storms, by faith of course. And pardon the bit of random organization to this…prepping for the storm kind of buffeted my prepping for this message.

One of the great helps in every storm or battle of life is to dwell on who you are. Those of you that saw the recent film ‘Overcomer’ remember that a key point of the film was to be clear of your real identity – to be clear about who you are. One of the challenges given to the young girl in the film was to read through the first couple chapters of Ephesians and record all the things God says about our real identity. If you have never done that, you may be surprised, pleasantly surprised, and powerfully surprised. Therefore, we are not going to list them now, since we’ll leave that for you to walk through it. But we will say that once you walk through learning more about your real identity, the better equipped you will be to step through any challenge or storm that comes your way. Actually, the first principle in handling stress or storms in your life is this: Know who you are!

We’ll give you key part of your identity…remember when Jesus was going through the storm of criticisms about who He was, He said: “I and the Father are One!” What a powerful statement! And though we are certainly not part of the Trinity, we belong to the Trinity of God! We actually are in union with God through Jesus Christ. I belong to God. You belong to God.

Plus, remember, we don’t belong to this world. We don’t even belong ‘in’ this world. We belong to be in Heaven with our Heavenly Father. That’s one reason this storm filled world feels so foreign to us. We don’t belong in a world of storms. We are strangers and pilgrims here. Our real Home is Heaven. That’s where we belong?

Also, since we belong to God, whatever or whoever touches us will have to account for that to our God. Think about that, sooner or later, whatever or whoever has troubles us will have to deal with our God about it. And it will be retribution for them and reward for us, for whatever wrong was in our life God will make it right for us. You can count on that. And so right there, that should ease the stress of whatever mess you may have to face or are facing now. God will make it up to you!

Speaking of stress…no matter what kind of storm you will have to face, be it health or safety or financial or a relational storm…wouldn’t it be great to know that nothing can ever happen to you that can stop you from seeking and accomplishing your highest goal? Matt 6:33- “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.” KJV No storm of life can mess with God’s things; such as seeking to glorify the Lord, seeking to carry out the Great Commission, and seeking to do the Great Commandment, and seeking to grow in the grace and knowledge of the Savior, and so on. Nothing in this world can stop us from that! And all of that, and any of that is super pleasing to our God. And whatever pleases God will also bless us!

Again, when you are seeking to please your Creator and your King, then nothing or no one can stop you from doing that. Plus, it’s in knowing who you are trying to please that you are then free from the pressures of trying to please others and even yourself. Remember this great truth from the Psalmist? Ps 37:4- “Delight yourself in the Lord; And He will give you the desires of your heart.” NASU Or, the Lord will fill your heart with everything your soul really desires after all; like the fruit of the Spirit. It’s like that full cup that the Psalmist talked about. When God fills your cup, then neither is anything more needed, but also nothing can be taken from you what God has given to you. But we must remember to seek the right things to fill our cup. If we don’t, then of course we will strain under the pressure of things like: Conflicts, like the kinds of conflicts that come from storms and struggles and such. Or we will cave under the pressure of criticisms, since we will be worried about what others think of us, or if others are getting ahead of us, and so on.

So again, seek ye first to please the King first, and in seeking this you’ll find yourself seeking very little else from this world, since your cup will already be full. Remember, it’s hard to tempt or trouble a person who is already full. So let God fill your cup each day with His fruit and you can then face the storms and even the struggles of life already satisfied with everything that really matters anyway. Sometimes we call that: Simplifying your life. It’s really more like ‘satisfying’ your life with the truly ‘significant’ things in life. And those things are things that the storms of life can never take away from you.

And know this: God cares more about everything that you care about more than you can even imagine. Look again at that great passage that we know, but may not know it the way we should know it. 1 Peter 5:6-7- “Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time, casting all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you.” NASU Now let’s expand it even more in the Amplified Version: “Therefore humble yourselves [demote, lower yourselves in your own estimation] under the mighty hand of God, that in due time He may exalt you, Casting the whole of your care [all your anxieties, all your worries, all your concerns… on Him, for He cares for you affectionately and cares about you watchfully.” AMP

If you are ever tempted to wonder if God cares what you are going through, here is your answer: “He cares for you affectionately and cares about you watchfully.” We may not always understand the works and the ways of God with us, but we can always trust the affection and the care and the heart of God for us.

Remember: Trusting in God’s care for us is the path of deliverance from the cares of this world. Plus, remember what Peter is revealing to us here: that God has promised to carry whatever we care about. ‘Cast you cares on Him for He cares for you…and He even carries your cares.’

You know something? We were never meant to carry our cares with us, alone. God intended us to cast our cares, on Him, or share them with Him, as in ‘yoked’ with Him, remember? Matt 11:28-30- “Then Jesus said, “Come to Me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you. Let Me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.” NLT

I can always tell whenever I’ve left the yoke. I can tell by how heavy my burdens are and how hard the pull is. For if I am properly yoked with Jesus, casting my cares upon Him and following His lead in them, then He is doing the heavy lifting and doing the hard pulling, with me walking closely by His side. And this doesn’t mean that we don’t feel the weight of our cares or feel how hard the burdens are; it’s just we are neither crushed nor crumpled under the weight of it all.

Again, whenever the yoke is not easy and the burden is not light, you can know you have left the yoke. Get back in the yoke…link up again with the Lord…cast your cares upon the One who cares even more about your cares than you do and can do more about your cares than you ever could anyway.

So praise God for the fact that no storm can ever change who you are, or change what you’re trying to accomplish, or change who you are trying to please, or change what God has in store for you in the eternal days to come. Those things are all secure from the storms of life. And we can all rest secure in that!

 

Does Not Wisdom Call Out? Pt. 7

Study Guide  September 1, 2019

Pastor Clay Olsen

So, it’s Labor Day weekend. I was thinking: It’s actually pretty neat that we would have a holiday such as Labor Day. It’s been a national holiday since 1894. For a lot of Americans it represents the end of Summer and a return to school. But the U.S. Department of Labor states that Labor Day is a celebration and honor of the greatest worker in the world – the American worker. Now those are just simply encouraging words right there. Labor Day is like saying to all the hard working people in our communities: “Way to go! This day is a celebration of you, for all of your hard work and your contributions in making life better for everyone.”

So again, pretty great holiday. And we also point this out because as we pointed out in our last study, one of the ways to encourage good work is to commend good work that has already been done. And then you can exhort them to excel still more, like we saw with the Apostle Paul in commending his fellow believers for what they had already done in their works as followers of Christ and then encouraging them to excel still more. And not only is that just a wise way of inspiring others around us, it is also a wise way to sharpen others around us, which wisdom is calling out for us to do: We are called to sharpen one another.

Now, we have already focused some studies on this so we just kind of want to wrap it up by pointing out a couple of really helpful concepts in connection with this discipline of wisdom – of becoming sharpened as a way of life for the glory of God and the gain of others, including ourselves. So let’s explore.

Whenever we deal with this discipline of sharpening some wonder how you ever get to a place in your relationship with others where this can really take place. Well, as we stated earlier, most often you will have to initiate it. And surprisingly enough, one of the ways you gain others confidence whereby you then can have a level of freedom in helping each other in this discipline of sharpening is by developing with others what has been called – ‘The Encouragement Connection’. In a book called ‘Lord, Give Me Wisdom’, by Terry Powell, he talks about how powerful words of encouragement really are, and what a powerful impact they can make on others. Some more verses from Proverbs show this:

Prov 12:25- “Worry weighs a person down; an encouraging word cheers a person up.” NLT

Prov 15:4- “Kind words bring life, but cruel words crush your spirit.” TEV

Prov 16:24- “Kind words are like honey—sweet to the soul and healthy for the body.” NLT

The point is to realize how amazingly powerful encouraging words really are. And not only are they powerful, but we are actually commanded to practice this discipline of encouragement with others. Note 1 Thess 5:11- “Therefore encourage one another and build up one another, just as you also are doing.” NASU So this discipline of encouragement, or this ministry of encouragement, is a command that we are to practice in our relationships with others, especially with our brothers and sisters in Christ. We are commanded to be ‘people builders’, and this tool of encouragement is crucial in order to do just that.

Note also what the Apostle Paul directed us to be doing as a discipline in our life: Gal 6:10- “Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.” NIV And so again, one of the best ways to do good to one another is to encourage one another about the good that they are doing. And in doing so, they will become much more inclined to excel still more.

Therefore, to encourage one another is just one of the disciplines that we are to practice in our lives. And we can use it to sort of ‘jump start’ this sharpening process with others, simply by using, we could call them, ‘the cables of encouragement’.

Whenever you think about this command to ‘sharpen one another’, do connect it with this principle of the ‘encouragement connection’ and it will help you develop this holy habit in your life. Actually, Terry Powell does give some examples of how you can encourage others, or give them a jump start by: Complimenting a character trait or course of action that you have noticed about them; (remember: last week we gave a list of positive and negative character traits that you can use to assist you in this), or, another example is by letting them know about how something they said or did spurred you on spiritually; or by defending them against unjust criticism; or by reminding them of how you are there for them in any time of need; or also reminding them to let you know how you can pray for them about anything, and so on.¹ These commendations or encouragements are a great way to carry out our God-given mission to ‘build up one another’.

But before we move on from this discipline of sharpening, there is one more helpful way that each of us can make a mental adjustment about it all in order to help make it become a regular part of our life. And actually, this is simply a transferable concept that is Biblically based, but many have started using it in business and in their personal lives with great benefit, and it’s this: It’s the concept of Coaching; Life Coaching. It has really caught on in the business world.

Did you know there is a National Life Coaching Academy where you can become a certified Life Coach? They claim that some of the top Life Coaches earn over $300 an hour. And there are many different types of coaches including: General Life Coaches, Life Balance Coaches, Health Coaches, Small Business Coaches, Executive Coaches, Personal Finance Coaches, Relationship Coaches, and more. And, as they state, ‘these Coaches work with all types of clients from people who are full of momentum and want to take life to the next level to people who are stuck and need a coach to nudge them in the right direction.’ They also state: ‘Life Coaches work with their clients to help them achieve goals, overcome obstacles and make changes or shifts in their lives. The coach works with the client as a partner…to create the changes they seek. The client can be an individual or a group and the topic can range from life balance to restructuring a fortune 500 company.’

They went on to state: ‘Through specific strategies and skills, the coach helps you define yourself and create the life you envision. Coaches help you focus, provide direction, challenge you, support you, motivate you and celebrate with you. Life coaches help you create a plan, detail action steps and hold you accountable for following through. They use skills that include observing, listening deeply, asking empowering questions, challenging and motivating.’²

As I was reading this mission statement of this National Life Coaching Academy I thought: “You know, in relation to what we are focusing on in the Church, this is called ‘Discipleship’! It sounds like they are describing the process of Discipleship; assisting one another as ‘Life Coaches’. Really, how remarkable that ‘Discipleship’ really is a commission to each of us to serve as a ‘Life Coach’ for one another.

Now, if you think about this in relation to sports, athletes, or players, naturally carry an attitude of being open to sharpening. They carry an attitude of being willing to be sharpened. They actually want the Coach to help sharpen them. Why? Because they have set their goal to develop the skills necessary to become as effective of a player as they can be for the sake of the team. And since this is their goal, not only are they open to being ‘coached’, they expect it. And so they are not offended when the Coach corrects something they are doing and instructs them on how to do that skill more effectively and so on. That’s what they hope the Coach will do for them and will keep doing so that they can improve as a team player!

One of the reasons even believers tend to be resistant or defensive about being sharpened, or receiving counsel or constructive criticism or helpful advise from one another, is that they have not clearly established in their mind and attitude that a priority goal of theirs is to develop their skills in order to become as effective as they can be as a player or disciple for the sake of the Team; which is Christ’s Church. So no wonder so many Christians go through life kind of just sort of doing what they’ve always done, instead of seeking out continual coaching for doing what God has called them to do even more effectively than they have done it before!

So, why don’t we transfer that attitude into the other areas of our lives…why do we stop looking for Coaches or stop being open to others who, like a coach, would help us be a better team player as a disciple in God’s church, or as husband or wife, or as a servant in our community, or as a witness to our world, and so on? Part of the answer to that is that you and I have to make it become a priority goal of ours in our thinking and attitude to become sharper in our character and conduct as Disciples of Christ and His church. If we don’t make it a priority goal, well then it will neither be a priority of ours nor a goal of ours, and we will then neglect being and doing what God really intended us to be and intended us to do as a team player in His service.

Again, this is a clear and direct transferable concept for our Discipleship. Even my role as a Pastor is really just a Spiritual Life Coach. In Church I’m like a Player-Coach. I need to be doing what the other Brothers and Sisters are doing, and I also am to be Coaching others in doing what our Lord has instructed us all to do. Actually, in a similar way, every member of Christ’s body, Christ’s church, is to be an active player-coach as well. And as such, we are to then carry the kind of attitude that athletes have either on the practice field or the game field. Athletes are not surprised when a fellow player or their coach comes up and says something like: “Hey, that’s a good hit, but if you’ll adjust your stance just a bit this way, it will open up your sight to the ball even better”… or give some coaching help like that. You see it? The players are looking to their coaches and even fellow teammates to give them some tips and show them some ways that they can do their part on the team even more effectively than before. Again, not only are they not surprised by the coaching they are getting on the field, they are expecting it! And they are expecting it because their goal is to grow in the skills and knowledge of their sport.

So each of us can transfer that good open-minded attitude toward instruction and correction in our own walk of discipleship into the further development of our character and our conduct, as well as in growing in our knowledge and understanding of God’s Word and God’s plan for us all. And we can then look to others around us as both fellow players and coaches that we want to come alongside of us and say – “Hey, you’re doing this really well, but if you would make this correction or this adjustment…it would really help you and others, and so on. Think about that in relation to what the Apostle Peter said in

2 Peter 3:18- “…but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory, both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.” NASU And how are we supposed to grow in this grace and knowledge?

Look at this game plan from the Apostle Paul in Eph 4:11-13- “And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ; until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ.” NASU

This sounds just like a team of coaches and players, of ‘player-coaches’ working together, practicing together, learning together, helping each other sharpen their skills in order to be as useful as they can be and effective as they can be in serving the Owner of the team…our Lord Jesus Christ.

We are called by God to do life together. And this will require that we learn to think like a team player, and that we become open to one another and are willing to be sharpened by one another in the skills of Biblical living, and become eager to learn more and more from each other about the truths and realities of God’s world. We are to do this with the goal of building each other up, not tearing one another down…and with a personal goal of improving in each arena of our life in the wisdom skills that we need in order to honor Christ as best we can and serve others as well as we can.

Remember: Discipleship is a team sport…but it’s not a game. It’s life! And we’re called to play it as best we can for the sake of our King!

1. Terry Powell, Lord, Give Me Wisdom, p. 47
2. nationalcoachingacademy.com, What Does a Life Coach Do?, by JILL

Does Not Wisdom Call Out? Pt. 6

Study Guide, August 25, 2019

Pastor Clay Olsen

This was the 50^th year of the celebration of the Moon landing. It’s still amazing when you look at the Moon to realize that space crafts have landed there and astronauts have walked around up there. Some have even driven around on the Moon with a lunar rover. And do you remember those famous words of Neil Armstrong? “That’s one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind.” The audio was a little weak, so most thought he had said, “That’s one small step for man…but he had said ‘a man’. Either way, it was a giant leap for mankind. And on the next flight to the moon, Apollo 8, as the astronauts orbited the moon on Christmas, they took turns reading from Genesis chapter one. And on the Apollo 16 mission to the moon, astronaut Charlie Duke played a most appropriate song for the occasion; ‘How Great Thou Art.’ And in remembering what he saw in space he said this: “The heavens declare the glory of God.”

And that’s one of the ways that ‘Wisdom’ has been and still is calling out to everyone; even the heavens are declaring the glory of God. And they are calling out for every person to recognize the glory of God, along with the fact that He is Creator and ruler of all things created. And in response to that, then every person should call out to God and submit their lives to Him and order their lives according to the rule of God. And in doing so, a life of wisdom will be lived out, along with all of the joys that wisdom brings to life.

In our last study on wisdom we saw that one of the key disciplines of living wisely, or of wisdom, was this ‘discipline of sharpening’. And one great help right away in how to activate this discipline of sharpening in your life is to recognize the great benefits that come from being sharpened. You know, these astronauts were not only willing to receive any instruction or correction from the ground crew in Houston that they could, but they also knew that there very lives depended on it…depended on making any flight adjustments or instrument corrections necessary for a successful flight.

So again, if we will adopt an attitude of seeking instruction and of being willing to receive corrections and sharpening, we will not only benefit greatly from it in our own lives, but even more…we will be of much greater usefulness to God, both now and in our rewards to be given to us in the coming Kingdom. And remember, usefulness to God is true success in life.

So let’s return to one of the keys we pointed out in this great discipline of sharpening. It’s was the key of ‘initiating’…initiating the sharpening process. It’s really just letting others become aware that you have this ‘goal’ in your life to be sharpened in order to be as useful to God as you can be, and you could really use their help in doing so. Plus, remember that if you will adopt the identity of being a ‘useful tool in the hand of God’ then a continual goal of yours will naturally be to become a sharper tool for God’s use. But, again, in order for this to happen you need the assistance of others around you, like in those five arenas of your life that we pointed out in our last study. We won’t describe them each again, but we’ll just list these arenas – the arena of your relationship with the Lord and your walk of faith, your family, your church, your community, and your world. So if your goal is to be sharpened and to become sharpened in each of these arenas then you will need the feedback and the assistance from others in each of those arenas. And it’s not like you have to put people on the spot about it, but again, you can simply ask others from time to time if they would help you with this goal of yours, or with this discipline of sharpening, by giving you some feedback on anything that would help you be more useful to God and helpful to others.

They might even be fascinated to learn that there is such a thing as this ‘discipline of sharpening’, as the book of Proverbs so often talks about and instructs us to practice in our lives. Just an example of this is from Prov 15:31-33 – “If you listen to constructive criticism, you will be at home among the wise. If you reject discipline, you only harm yourself; but if you listen to correction, you grow in understanding. Fear of the Lord teaches wisdom, humility precedes honor.” NLT

Unfortunately, we live in a culture where there is so much destructive criticism going on that it has created a very defensive society. And as a result, people have become very resistant to correction and instruction. And as a result of that, even Christians have neglected the benefits that come from seeking out and receiving constructive criticism and helpful correction. And as a result of that, many of God’s people are not, as the Proverbs point out, growing in the kind of understanding and wisdom that only comes from the ‘corrections of discipline’.

If wisdom was a house, there would be a part of the house that could only be reached by going through ‘the hallway of correction’. There is no other way to get to it. And so if a person refused to walk down that hallway by refusing correction or resisting instruction or not being open to constructive criticism, well then they would never get to that part of the house, nor benefit from the knowledge and blessings that are found waiting for them there.

That’s kind of a limited illustration, but it does show us that unless we are open to correction, we are the ones that are harming ourselves, or we are the ones that are stunting our own development, or we are the ones that are limiting our usefulness to God. That’s what the Proverbs are telling us, like

Prov 12:15- “Fools think their own way is right, but the wise listen to others.” NLT You see, it doesn’t require any sharpening from others to become foolish. People can accomplish that on their own. But it does take the sharpening of others in order to become wise. Actually, the first verse of Proverbs 12 states it even stronger. Are you ready for this? Prov 12:1- “To learn, you must love discipline; it is stupid to hate correction.” NLT

So one of the disciplines we need to add to our life is this discipline of seeking out and being open and willing to receive the corrections or constructive criticisms of others. But at the same time realize that this discipline or this desire to be sharpened and receive sharpening is an acquired discipline, like an acquired taste. You see, We don’t naturally crave correction. But when we come to better understand how necessary correction is in order for us to develop wisdom we will feel a whole lot better about seeking it out. And actually, if our goal is to be sharpened for the purpose of being as useful a tool in the hand of God as we can be, then we will become even more receptive to correction from even those that we didn’t seek out, but came to us anyway.

An example about that is from a guy in a Bible Study group where I served as a Prison Chaplain. I once asked him how he dealt with the trash talk he got from other inmates about his commitment to living as a disciple of Christ’s. And he said that for one thing, he would just consider the source, but then he would also try to listen to see if there was anything that they said that he could use to make any changes he needed to in order to be a better witness for Christ. I thought, “Wow. This inmate could teach us all something about how to become sharper followers of Christ.”

But now back to an example of initiating sharpening: As the initiator, you can simply let others know something like this: “Hey, one of the continual goals of mine is to become a sharper tool for God to use. But in order to do this I need some feedback and assistance from others around me…to help with the sharpening. So I’d really appreciate it if I could ask you from time to time for some help in this.”

Now, If it’s someone close to you, like a family member, after they’ve picked themselves up off the floor from fainting… you can then talk with them about it further. Seriously though, our goal is to increase in the things that make us more useful to God and to decrease in the things that make us less useful to God. And does that cause you to think of what John the Baptist said about that as he thought about Jesus? John 3:30- “He must increase, but I must decrease.” NASU And that was not only concerning ministry, but also concerning things like character and conduct.

So what we should do now is give some examples of things that we can focus on as to what kind of things should be increasing or decreasing in our lives; like in our character and conduct. Let’s list them like this: Our goal is to be:

Increasing in being: Decreasing in being:

Teachable Not teachable

Cooperative Negatively Critical

Helpful Selfish

Friendly Indifferent

Humble Proud

Courageous Fearful

Patient Impatient

Considerate Uncaring

Generous Materialistic

Forbearing Unforgiving

Compassionate Calloused

Agreeable Easily Offended

Kind Rude

Tactful Offensive

Objective Obsessive

Christ centered Self-centered

And so on… But what we see from this list is that in order to increase, or to develop the kind of things in our character and conduct that God can use, we first have to identify what it is that we are seeking to grow in, and we also have to identify what it is that we are seeking to guard against. And that’s where enlisting or seeking the help of others comes into the picture. We need the help or the counsel or the correction of others to help sharpen us in ways, such as these, that will increase righteousness and godliness in us, and will decrease unrighteousness and ungodliness in us. And here’s the deal: If we don’t have a plan to do just that, then we have already planned not to do it. You see, it’s just human nature to naturally be defensive about being sharpened, particularly about our character and conduct. That’s why we have to intentionally choose by our new spiritual nature to overcome our natural defensiveness and begin seeing any opportunity to be sharpened as a Disciple for Christ as something that is both useful and valuable.

It’s not like we’re going to say to others: “Hey, lets look for ways to criticize each other, okay? The snarkier the better, you know?” No, that’s not sharpening…and that’s not going to build you up. That’s going to tear each other down. But it is like saying to one another: “Hey, how about we help sharpen each other to be even more useful to God by helping each other with things like; our blind spots, or something we can adjust in our character or conduct?”

You can word it differently if you like, but you get the point. We have to be intentional about being sharpened or else we will just naturally default to dullness in our spiritual usefulness to God.

Another important point to make in connection with this is to clarify that sharpening has nothing to do with being judgmental. These are completely different. Being judgmental is judging others by your own standards, rather than God’s standards, which are revealed to us in the Word of God. Remember, when it comes to things like different personalities, and different looks, and having different tastes in things like music and arts and vocations and so on, God loves the variety of it all. Just look at the variety in nature and people that God made. So we are to also appreciate the variety in all of these things as well. So sharpening is not coming against one another, but more like coming alongside of one another, with an attitude of appreciation and commendation for them, and then sharing some insightful instruction and some encouraging correction whenever that would be helpful.

It’s like in the book of Acts, when two disciples heard a new convert named Apollos teaching the Scriptures, they came alongside of him to help deepen his understanding even more. Acts 18:26- “When Priscilla and Aquila heard him preaching boldly in the synagogue, they took him aside and explained the way of God even more accurately.” NLT You see, that’s part of this discipline of sharpening. And then when the Apostle Paul saw that there was a need to exhort the believers at Thessalonica, notice how he put it: 1 Thess 4:1- “Finally then, brethren, we request and exhort you in the Lord Jesus, that as you received from us instruction as to how you ought to walk and please God (just as you actually do walk), that you excel still more.” NASU

The Biblical method of sharpening is: Commendation before correction. As we act on this discipline of sharpening with another brother or sister in Christ, we are to begin with commendation before we offer correction. Like with these disciples and like with the Apostle Paul, the commendation assured them that they were being honored for their good works already, and so the correction was then viewed as a helpful service and a benefit for them, as well as it would also then benefit others whom they were serving. Why, even when God had to deal with hard things and chasten some of the seven churches of Revelation we see Him saying things like: ‘I know of your good deeds, I see how hard you have worked, I see how you have endured suffering for My sake…but I have this against you…’ And then He would give the correction.

So the point is that we are to see this discipline of sharpening as one of the most valuable disciplines of our lives. And then act on this discipline by using the method we see that the Lord and the followers of the Lord in the Scriptures used to sharpen others in their walk of faith and in their growth of wisdom. Remember: Commendation before correction, but correction with an attitude of humility and love for your fellow Brother and Sister in Christ. And start with yourself – initiate the sharpening by seeking out others to help sharpen you for the sake of being ‘a sharpened tool in the hand of God’ to use for His glory and others gain…even your own.

Does Not Wisdom Call Out? Pt. 5

Study Guide , August 18 2019

Pastor Clay Olsen

Perhaps you have noticed that Kids often have a different perspective on matters of faith and the Bible. For example: One little guy was overheard praying: “Lord, if you can’t make me a better boy, don’t worry about it. I’m having a real good time like I am.” Then, after a child dedication service of a little brother, the older boy was really upset on the way home. When his parents asked him what was wrong, he said, “Well, the preacher said that he wanted us to be brought up in a Christian home…but I want to stay with you guys!” Then a Sunday School teacher asked the children why it was important to be quiet in church and one little girl said, “Because people are sleeping!”¹

Our focus in the past several studies has been on the acquiring of wisdom…wisdom for the purpose of honoring and serving our King and of genuinely being able to bless others along our journey of faith. And just like these kids were in need of some ‘tweaking’ in their understanding of Discipleship, so are we all…we each need continual sharpening in our understanding and in our demonstration of faith before the eyes of God and a watching world. So let’s take a look at this essential need of the ‘discipline of sharpening’ as we pursue and seek to practice wisdom.

Perhaps the most direct statement in Scripture about this need is from Prov 27:17- “Iron sharpens iron, So one man sharpens another.” NASU Now this is probably one of the most well known, yet at the same time, least practiced proverbs in the Bible. And why is that? Well, for one thing, it is because we live in a very confusing culture. On the one hand, concerning things in our culture that are not okay, our culture pushes an attitude of ‘I’m okay and you’re okay, and so anything you or I do or say is also okay’; okay?!’…and so on. But, ironically, we also live in one of the most rude and critical cultures of all time. So many people are so critical about the things that really are okay, it’s just that they are not okay with them. And so when you try to promote these things that are okay; such as faith and values and virtues and character…especially Biblical character, that’s when the critics lash out at you. So, yes, there is a great deal of confusion about what’s okay and what’s not okay in our culture today. And the thing about confusion is that ‘confusion’ is never a confident motivator for seeking to accomplish that which is good…especially in a Biblical sense. Confusion doesn’t motivate us to righteousness…but commitment does; especially when we’re committed to being sharpened more and more for God’s use.

But this condition of our culture does partly explain why this proverb about this ‘discipline of sharpening’ is one of the least practiced. However, we want to try to explain how this proverb can become one of the most practiced and one of the most profitable proverbs we can practice in our own lives, and help others around us practice it, too. And part of the surprising help here is to simply come to a better understanding of who this person really is that is helping to sharpen us. Look at how the New Living Translation states Prov 27:17- “As iron sharpens iron, so a friend sharpens a friend.” NLT Whoever this person is who can help you sharpen your understanding, sharpen your behavior, sharpen your character, sharpen your attitude, and so on, is not to be viewed as just some buggy kind of person that you hope to avoid whenever possible…no, not at all. Rather, this sharpening person, or rather, this God-given ‘sharpening tool’ that has come into your life is ‘a friend’, and you and I need to consider them as ‘a friend’. That is, unless you discover or discern that they are not trying to sharpen you at all, but are trying to just stab you…stab you with their critical spirit and condemning words. And that is very important to differentiate, because friends don’t stab you if they are trying to sharpen you. No, remember; a friend is not a stabber, but a sharpener. You are to defend against ‘stabbers’…but you are to open up your life to ‘sharpeners’. And ‘wisdom’ is knowing the difference. As the old song says… “You’ll know them by their love”…or lack of it.

But notice some more counsel on this wisdom of being open to the ‘sharpeners’ in your life.

Prov 1:5- “A wise man will hear and increase in learning, And a man of understanding will acquire wise counsel…” NASU

Prov 6:23- “For these commands are a lamp, this teaching is a light, and the corrections of discipline are the way to life…” NIV

Prov 9:9- “Instruct the wise, and they will be even wiser. Teach the righteous, and they will learn even more.” NLT

Prov 9:12- “If you become wise, you will be the one to benefit. If you scorn wisdom, you will be the one to suffer.” NLT

Prov 12:15- “Fools think their own way is right, but the wise listen to others.” NLT

Prov 28:23- “In the end, people appreciate honest criticism far more than flattery.” NLT

These truly are remarkably wise proverbs. And we would each be remarkably wise to practice them. But one thing we notice right away is that the impetus on this whole sharpening process lies with who? It lies with US!

The point is that when it comes to the things that really matter in our discipleship, like growing in the grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ, and becoming more and more conformed to the image of Christ in our daily character and actions and attitudes, we tend to assume that these things will just somehow happen in our lives. But they don’t…and they won’t, unless we initiate a process for them to happen in our lives. In other words, we are to try to make sure these things are happening in our lives by initiating help from others with this goal of ours.

So mark it down: if we don’t act on this goal to become sharpened in these areas of discipleship we will most likely become or remain dull in each of them. Like if you wait for a tool to be sharpened it will just remain or even become more dull than it was. Just like we have to initiate the sharpening process for the tools we use in order to build things, we also have to initiate the sharpening process in our own lives in order to be useful tools in order for God to use us in building whatever He intended to build through us, or through our lives.

Look at how the Apostle Paul put this: 2 Tim 2:20-21- “In a large house there are things made of gold and silver. But there are also things made of wood and clay. Some of these are used for special purposes, others for ordinary jobs. The Lord wants to use you for special purposes, so make yourself clean from all evil. Then you will be holy, and the Master can use you. You will be ready for any good work.” ERV

You talk about having a sense of significance in your life…Paul reveals to us that the Lord wants to use you and me for His special purposes! You are a special vessel…a special tool that God has chosen to use in building His Kingdom and in carrying out His plans that He made from even before the foundation of the world. You want to be ready when He is ready to use you! You want to be as available of a vessel as you can be for what He wants to accomplish through you! You want to be as sharp of a tool as you can be in the hands of God to do what He intended to do with you!

Of course we do. But in order to be ready and available and sharp we must consider or reconsider what it is that we are really trying to accomplish in life. Am I trying to be a useful vessel, a useful tool for God to use in order for Him to build what He intended to build in, through, and with my life? Again, without setting the right goal, or shooting at the right target, we will be hitting everything but the target.

Remember what true success in life really is: True success is usefulness to God. Remember, God made plans for each of our lives long before any of us even started making plans for our own lives. Success then is seeing to it that we become as fitting of a vessel as we can be, or as sharp of a tool as we can be, in order for God to use us in His plan that He had for us, and yes, even before the foundation of the world. And that in itself shows how anxious God was for you to arrive on planet Earth, and to then become born again into His family, and to then become useful for Him to use you in such a way as to bless others, as well as for Him to bless you and reward you in return! How significant is that? As we have said before: You can’t get anymore significant than that!

But again, this all implies ‘sharpening’. And this sharpening requires initiating; it requires that you and I initiate the sharpening process in our lives. And the reason we say that you and I are to initiate it is because most people are rather hesitant to sharpen us, at least the conscientious and caring kind of people that we really need to help sharpen us. Yes, there are the other kind, the critical and uncaring kind, that are more than ready to criticize us about things like our looks and our performances and our personalities and so on. But, again, that’s not Biblical sharpening; that’s worldly stabbing. And we don’t need that! We can refuse that! Although, strangely enough, sometimes we can even positively use others negative criticisms, if we will humbly look at it to see if there is anything that we can use from it to help us sharpen something that needed sharpening in our lives anyway. For example: One of the habits of the founder of the Navigators Christian Ministry, Dawson Trotman, was to review any of the criticisms he had recently received to see if there were any truths in them so that he could make any adjustments he needed in order to be more effective for Christ. Pretty amazing attitude, right? It’s like sifting through the chaff of unjust criticisms to see if there is any wheat we can use out of it. If not, then just let the winds of truth blow the chaff away. But if so, let even the kernels of wheat help sharpen you more, since part of our overall goal really is to become more useful to God as we intentionally seek to be ‘sharpened’ for God’s use.

To help with this, let us suggest that you practice thinking of yourself as ‘a tool in the hand of God’. Yes, there are other great Biblical depictions for our self image, like ‘vessels’ and ‘branches’ and such, and each of these have their own amazing implications. But in connection with this ‘sharpening process’, try to think of yourself as a ‘tool in the hand of God’, since this readily prompts us to then think about our need of staying sharp and regularly being sharpened in order to be as useful as we can to God and for God’s use.

What are some examples of areas we can initiate this sharpening process in our lives? There are five, let’s call them, ‘arenas’ of our lives that regularly need to be sharpened. And these arenas are like what Hebrews 12 talks about as like having a great crowd of witnesses watching and cheering us on to do the best we can in these things for the glory of God and the gain of others and ourselves.

So Let’s list them and then we’ll suggest some ways to initiate the sharpening process.

1. The arena of our knowledge of God and our walk of faith. Review and initiate help from others in becoming sharper in the knowledge of God and in your obedience of faith.

2. The arena of your family. Review and initiate feedback in becoming sharper in your relationship with your wife or husband and with each of your children as well, if you are married and have children. Otherwise, seek to be sharpened in how you relate to your siblings or parents.

3. The arena of your church. Review your service and initiate help from others concerning your service in the family of God.

4. The arena of your community. Review your relationships with friends, co-workers, and neighbors, and initiate constructive help from them on ways to become sharpened in these relationships.

5. The arena of your world. Review your involvement with your country and the impact you are having. Since we citizens of both Heaven and this world, we are to have an impact on both for the good of others and the glory of God. And we can initiate help in this by seeking the counsel of others on how to do just that.

So, these are the five arenas of our lives that we can target for becoming sharper and initiate help or counsel from others to do so. We can even let others know that our goal is to become a sharper tool for God to use in each of these arenas of life, and their feedback or assistance will really be helpful. And even right there…God may even use that to help them catch this Biblical vision of the ‘discipline of sharpening’ and put it into practice in their own lives.

We’ll resume unpacking these five arenas for sharpening in our next study.

1. Kids Illustrations from God’s Minute, August 10, 2019

Does Not Wisdom Call Out? Pt. 4

Study Guide , August 11, 2019

Pastor Clay Olsen

A question was asked to people of different age groups to give an example of what they had learned over the years. One person age 52 said: “I’ve learned that you can tell a lot about a man by the way he handles three things: a rainy day, lost luggage, and tangled Christmas tree lights.” Another person age 82 said: “I’ve learned that even when I have pains…I don’t have to be one!” This one was clever from a 46 year old: “I’ve learned that children and grandparents are natural allies.” And this little person age 7 said: “I’ve learned that you can’t hide a piece of broccoli in a glass of milk.” And how about this one from a 15 year old: “I’ve learned that although it’s hard to admit it, I’m secretly glad my parents are strict with me.” And then one more from a 92 year old who said: “I’ve learned that I still have a lot to learn.”

We all still have a lot to learn, and thankfully, the Lord loves teaching His people. And when His people have a desire to learn, then God is also please to grant them wisdom, or the skills by which they can apply what they have learned. So let’s continue our journey of learning more about this discipline of wisdom since we are assembled here this morning as God’s church. Actually, there are some wise ways to think about a ‘church assembly’, too. It’s like a hospital for sinners, a training camp for soldiers, a worship gathering for believers, a service facility for ministry…and a church assembly is also a ‘learning center for disciples’. The very word ‘Disciple’ itself means: ‘A learner’. Learning is to be a continual activity and reality in each of our lives. And the Scriptures link genuine learning to godly wisdom. And the gaining of godly wisdom is really to be the goal of whatever it is that we are learning.

All right, but when it comes to acquiring wisdom there are first a couple of critical steps. And one is that in order to have wisdom in the present you have to give God your future. And similarly, in order to count on having wisdom in your future you have to give God your present. The point we’re trying to make is this: The amount of wisdom that you will acquire for living is directly connected with how much of your life or how much of yourself that you have given to God today and how much of your plans that you have committed to God for tomorrow. And the point within that point is this: If you are with-holding any part of your present from God’s rule or with-holding any part of your plans for your future from God’s rule, well then, to that degree, and more, wisdom is being and will be withheld from you.

Do you remember this principle from what Jesus said? It’s one of the most important things we are to understand about genuine learning. Luke 8:18- “So take care how you listen; for whoever has, to him more shall be given; and whoever does not have, even what he thinks he has shall be taken away from him.” NASU Remember, we previously pointed out that wisdom and understanding are conditional. And they are conditional in the sense that they are linked to how intentional we are about it all. They are conditioned upon what we intend to do with what God enables us to learn. In other words, our intention to practice what God enables us to learn is directly related to what God will actually enable us to learn. So here’s the deal: When we hear God’s Word and hear God’s truths taught without intending to then act on what we have heard, then we won’t understand even what we think we know, nor will we have the spiritual strength to apply the power of those truths.

We could say it’s like having spiritual atrophy. Muscle atrophy is when there is disuse of a muscle or muscle group. When the muscles are no longer in use, they slowly become weaker, and even begin to shrink. We see this normally in the case of an accident where an arm or leg has been in a cast for a long period of time. Fortunately, this atrophy can be reversed when the muscles become active again. On the other hand, if the disuse continues there can be a permanent loss of skeletal muscle fibers, and when that happens there may be a need for surgery and a full rehabilitation plan. Either way, the thing is, whatever muscular strength the person once had is no longer there, even if the person thinks it’s still there.

Do you see how similar this is to the spiritual atrophy that Jesus describes? If a believer doesn’t act on spiritual truths, then they set this spiritual atrophy or spiritual weakening into motion; a weakening of understanding, a weakening of discernment, and especially a weakening of wisdom, or a weakening of the skills to make godly decisions and do godly actions.

Do you remember what James said about wisdom? James 1:5-8- “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.” NKJV

On the one hand, this passage is very encouraging. It assures us that our God is a generous God, and God is more than willing to grant us wisdom. Thank you Lord! But on the other hand, this passage is very specific about one particular caution. And that is what? Right: ‘Watch your loyalty!’ That’s what the ‘doubting’ refers to here…divided loyalty. You do not want your loyalty to become divided between God and this world. For that is like being double-minded. And a double-minded anything is a real problem.

Even the Psalmist had to get his mind right in order to unite these divided forces going on within him. He put it this way: Ps 86:11-12- “Teach me Your way, O Lord; I will walk in Your truth; Unite my heart to fear Your name. I will give thanks to You, O Lord my God, with all my heart, And will glorify Your name forever.” NASU There it is again…intention and commitment. But it was also a call for help. We are similarly to call upon God for help to unite our divided heart. For our hearts are so easily pulled or tossed by the waves and winds of the world, as James put it.

That’s another quality and evidence of wisdom…wisdom is not divided in loyalty to God. Wisdom is united in both loyalty and purpose. Wisdom is focused not on whatever is temporarily pleasing, but on what is eternally productive. And the amazing thing about that is if whatever we are doing is, in fact, eternally productive, as we stated before, it will also be presently constructive; as in – fulfilling, satisfying, and even pleasing and soul gratifying.

So again, remember the importance of ‘intention’ in connection with wisdom – for what you intend to do with wisdom will determine the degree of wisdom you will be given.

But we should also point out another thing about wisdom is that, as we previously saw, wisdom is calling out to everyone in the world to respond to it; all people are commanded to respond to wisdom…to respond to the wisdom of God. And yet we know that so many of the world are not heeding this call. But as Paul put it – ‘They are without excuse for doing so.’ Notice: Rom 1:18-20- “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, because that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse.” NASU

God has made it clear to the world that He is God, Creator, Lord, and Savior. He has imprinted His law in people’s hearts and impressed this knowledge upon people’s conscience. And so a lack of people’s understanding about everything from Creation to Salvation is not because they have not heard; it’s because they have not listened…not listened with a repentant heart and a receptive mind. And since they have not listened with a repentant heart and a receptive mind that’s why their knowledge has become genuine foolishness instead of true wisdom. That’s why those who ignore the Creator then default to the falsehoods of Evolution when trying to explain the natural world around us. That’s why those who reject that Jesus is who He said He is: the One who is the Way, the Truth, and the Life, then deny that Jesus Christ is the only way of salvation. And so they default to the lies of false religions. That’s why those who reject the rule of God in their lives embrace immorality in their lives, even though they claim to use the Bible as their guide. They default to following their own reasoning, which is simply the foolishness of this world. They are resisting or refusing to listen to God with a repentant heart and a receptive mind.

Remember Jesus said: Luke 6:46-47- “Why do you call Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say? Everyone who comes to Me and hears My words and acts on them, I will show you whom he is like… “ NASU And then Jesus went on to tell about building of your life either on the rock of truth or on the sand of falsehoods. So again, remember that the revelation given to us in the Bible is as much intentional as it is informational. Let me say that again: ‘The revelation given to us in the Bible is as much intentional as it is informational.’ Even understanding the Bible is conditioned upon if the information given is being received with the intention of living it out. If it’s not, then wisdom has just been canceled out.

Many religious leaders who have not in repentance and faith become ‘born again’ are really not Scripture teachers; they are Scripture twisters. Since they have not bowed before the authority of the Scriptures they then bend and twist the Scriptures as though they had the authority to teach others what others should believe or do, or can believe and do based upon their own faulty human reasoning instead of divine revelation. But they are just teaching further falsehoods.

Remember, Jesus spoke to this issue as well when He said in Mark 7:6-9- “Jesus replied, “You hypocrites! Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you, for he wrote, ‘These people honor Me with their lips, but their hearts are far from Me.’ Their worship is a farce, for they teach man-made ideas as commands from God. For you ignore God’s law and substitute your own tradition. Then He said, “You skillfully sidestep God’s law in order to hold on to your own tradition.” NLT

And this understanding helps us understand a lot of other things, too. Like, many wonder why even in Christendom that there can be so many different interpretations about the issues of life, especially about the value issues…the moral issues of life. Well, Back to the fact that the Bible is conditional. For one thing, the Apostle Paul revealed to us that unless one has the Spirit of God indwelling him, which occurs through being spiritually ‘born again’, then this person can’t understand the Scriptures, even if they think they do. Now, yes, without being born again people can understand things like; the history in the Scriptures, and the commandments in the Scriptures, and the warnings in the Scriptures, and the Gospel in the Scriptures: their need to repent and trust in the Messiah as Savior. Remember, Paul said that everyone is without excuse for not understanding these realities. But when it comes to understanding things like; the character of God, and the plans of God, and the marvelous ways and workings of God with His children and the glories of the world to come, and such…well, these things are only understood by those who have received the Spirit of God into their lives.

Look at 1 Cor 2:12-16- “And we have received God’s Spirit (not the world’s spirit), so we can know the wonderful things God has freely given us. When we tell you these things, we do not use words that come from human wisdom. Instead, we speak words given to us by the Spirit, using the Spirit’s words to explain spiritual truths. But people who aren’t spiritual can’t receive these truths from God’s Spirit. It all sounds foolish to them and they can’t understand it, for only those who are spiritual can understand what the Spirit means. Those who are spiritual can evaluate all things, but they themselves cannot be evaluated by others. For,“Who can know the Lord ‘s thoughts?Who knows enough to teach him?” But we understand these things, for we have the mind of Christ.” NLT Or, we have the indwelling Spirit of Christ now within us, helping us understand these wonderful spiritual realities.

So again, this revelation explains a lot! For even those in some religious circles or some religious centers, some religious cemeteries…or seminaries…unless these teachers have been ‘born again’ they do not have the Spirit of Christ indwelling them, and therefore what they teach others concerning what they think is wisdom, is actually just more human foolishness. And whatever they teach about the Bible is just more twisting of the Bible; twisting it into further falsehoods about God and further falsehoods about how to have a relationship with God and further falsehoods about this world and further falsehoods about the world to come.

So when it comes to genuine wisdom, wisdom is first calling out for all to become spiritually ‘Born again’. And then wisdom is calling out those who are ‘Born again’ to daily bow to the Lordship of the One who spiritually birthed them. And to the degree that we do this day by day, this will determine how much of our life was lived wisely or lived foolishly. And of course, that will also determine the degree of our inheritance rewards that we will experience in our life without end in the Kingdom of God.

Does Not Wisdom Call Out? Pt. 3

Study Guide , July 28, 2019

Pastor Clay Olsen

In our study today we want to look into what we introduced last time. We want to consider some evidences of wisdom. And one thing about looking at any evidences of wisdom is noticing that they are preceded with good planning. Even like we have stated – As disciples of our Lord Jesus, before we make any decisions in particular about life we need to make one particular decision about our life overall. Actually, it’s pointed out to us by the one who is often referred to as the wisest man that ever lived: King Solomon. Here is what he concluded: Eccl 12:13-14- “The conclusion, when all has been heard, is: fear God and keep His commandments, because this applies to every person. For God will bring every act to judgment, everything which is hidden, whether it is good or evil.” NASU

Of course, the unique thing about King Solomon is that God used him as the ultimate of example of both wisdom and foolishness. Remember that in the first part of Ecclesiastes Solomon is the ultimate example of the the futility of living for personal pride, personal pleasures, or personal possessions. He tested each of these to the ultimate human degree and concluded that the findings were: Vanity of vanities, emptiness and a wasted life. The really strange thing is that so many human beings are still testing out the findings of his test! But it wasn’t meant to be repeated! It has already been tested and it doesn’t work. But that is the ultimate evidence of foolishness…or insanity actually. Remember: Insanity is doing the same things over and over, but expecting different results. But that’s what so many people in our world are doing; they are just repeating Solomon’s experiment with self-pride, pleasures, and possessions, but expecting that the results will not be the same ones that he already found out…but they always are. And that’s why Solomon gave the world another conclusion, a different conclusion, a final conclusion to his experiment: “The conclusion, when all has been heard, is: fear God and keep His commandments, because this applies to every person. For God will bring every act to judgment, everything which is hidden, whether it is good or evil.” Solomon found that living according to ‘self-rule’ is the depths of foolishness, but living according to ‘God’s rule’ is height of wisdom.

And do you recall what it means to ‘fear God’? To fear God is to love the things that God loves and to hate the things that God hates. It also means that we will then live wisely as a result of loving the things God loves and hating the things God hates. But in order to live wisely we have to live our lives very differently than the natural world around us lives; which is another way of saying that King Solomon’s conclusion was: “Do not live your life forwards…live your life backwards!” Don’t live your life testing out the three ‘P’s’ of ‘Pride-Pleasure-and Possessions’ for yourself to see if this time they might result in something different than vanity of vanities, emptiness, and a wasted life…when they won’t and never will. Rather, live your life knowing that the future rewards of having lived a faithful life will also be your present joys, due to experiencing God’s pleasure on you as you live faithfully right now. That’s one of the keys to present joy – knowing that what pleases God in the present will also bring joy to you in the present, and will reward you in the future as well. It’s the ‘double blessing’ of obedience. And it’s just the way our Heavenly Father is. He is so pleased when His children seek to please Him in what they think, say, and do, that He bestows present happiness on them and also marks it all down for future rewards when He establishes His new Kingdom on Earth. You can call obedience a ‘win-win’ response to God. That’s wisdom friends!

On the other hand, you can call any disobedience or selfishness or self-willed living a ‘lose-lose’ response to God. It’s emptiness now and it’s loss later. And that equals total foolishness. Realize that disobedience cancels out personal peace and happiness now and it also forfeits personal rewards for the Kingdom. That’s another reason for Solomon’s conclusion. Again, when the wisest man who ever lived gives his final conclusion about how to live life, for one thing, it means that no one is supposed to try to come up with another one! So live your life each day the way you will wish you had lived each day when you stand before Jesus and He reviews what you did with each day of your life that He gave you for the purposes of worshiping and serving Him. That’s what a wise follower of Jesus Christ does.

Another evidence of wisdom follows from Solomon’s conclusion, and it is basically this: Choose the consequences that you want before you choose whatever it is that you want. In other words, there are always consequences to everything we think, say, and do. Therefore, find out from God’s Word and from the examples of others throughout history what those consequences are and then choose what you do based upon what the consequences will be from what you have done. An example of this counsel to us is from what the Apostle Paul pointed out in Rom 15:3-4- “For even Christ did not please Himself; but as it is written, “the reproaches of those who reproached you fell on Me”. For whatever was written in earlier times was written for our instruction, so that through perseverance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.” NASU

We don’t have to try to reinvent the wheel of human experience and its consequences. God has recorded all of that for us. We know exactly what the consequences will be for whatever choices we make concerning either living to please our God or living to please ourselves. There are plenty of examples of people who have already been there, done that! We now just have to make the choices that will result in blessed consequences. And to help with that, again, first find out what the consequences will be, then choose the action.

Like with ‘wisdom’; even wisdom itself is a consequence…it’s a consequence of having chosen those things which make for wisdom. For example, back to Solomon’s counsel in Proverbs 2. Here he points out that wisdom is conditional. It’s conditioned upon having chosen certain things. In order to get to wisdom you have to choose the things along the path to wisdom. Notice: Prov 2:1-6- “My son, if you take my words to heart and treasure my commands within you, if you pay close attention to wisdom, and let your mind reach for understanding, if indeed you call out for insight, if you ask aloud for understanding, if you search for wisdom as if it were money and hunt for it as if it were hidden treasure, then you will understand the fear of the Lord and you will find the knowledge of God. The Lord gives wisdom. From His mouth come knowledge and understanding.” Gods’ Word Version

And the key word is? ‘If!’ And it’s a really big “IF”! So if we would choose to be wise people we first have to be people who choose to love God’s Words and choose to treasure God’s Words above all other words, and be people who choose to seek understanding, and be people who choose to search for God’s wisdom like we were searching for gold…which is what God’s Words are – gold and precious gems that make one rich in this life and forever! So the question is: Are you that kind of people, or person? Is Proverbs 2 a description of you?

Or let’s put it another way: What if you don’t take God’s words to heart and you don’t treasure His commands within you? What if you don’t pay close attention to wisdom, and you don’t let your mind reach for understanding? What if you don’t call out for insight, and don’t ask aloud for understanding? What if you don’t search for wisdom as if it were money and you don’t hunt for it as if it were hidden treasure? What is the consequence of all of that? One consequence of that is by failing to choose this path to wisdom you have already chosen another path – the path of foolishness. Plus, you have already chosen the consequences that come from a life of foolishness. And one consequence in particular is that we will then find that we won’t understand the fear of the Lord and we won’t find the knowledge of God. Therefore, we will find that the Lord will not give us wisdom. We will find that He will withhold from His mouth knowledge and understanding that we could have had ‘if’ we had only made the right choices. Again, through Solomon, God is trying to keep people, even keep His children from living a foolish life, a life where, for the unbeliever, all of it was wasted, and for the believer, that you don’t waste your opportunities to make your works count for both now and for eternity!

Everything we think, say, and do has consequences. That is an unchangeable law of the Universe. And so again, part of being wise is to choose the consequences of your actions before you choose your actions. Actually, it’s been pointed out that we live our lives in fluidity. The point is that our lives are not made up of independent – stand alone actions or deeds. Rather, all of our works and all of our ways flow together and continue to move and affect things for eternity. Like was said of Abel, that after he was gone, his works lived on. So do ours! Our works live on; good or bad, but our works live on; and Praise God our good works live on blessing others and blessing us for now and eternity. Know this: Every day you are setting things into motion that will have ripple effects all through eternity; every prayer you pray, every thing you say, every work you do, every deed that is done; each and everyone sets consequences into motion that flow on and on into eternity. So again, choose what consequence you want to set into eternal motion before you choose to act on what you want, or whatever it is that you decide to do; because whatever it is that you do or say will be transformed into a consequence in which we no longer have any say. And remember, we always reap what we sow. And foolish choices do not create wise consequences, they only create foolish consequences. But, Praise God, wise choices do create wise consequences…they create rewardable consequences…and joyful consequences for both now and for eternity.

Another evidence of wisdom is choosing to be careful about what is being produced in our lives; is it fruit or is it weeds? That’s something else we are to understand, and that is: We are always producing either fruit or weeds. Notice: Gal 5:19-23- “When you follow the desires of your sinful nature, the results are very clear: sexual immorality, impurity, lustful pleasures, idolatry, sorcery, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissension, division, envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and other sins like these… But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.” NLT

You remember that even some of the Corinthian believers whom Paul identified as ‘saved saints’ were living carelessly and were committing some of these very sins. Or, these sins were being produced out of their old sin nature, which was still active in their lives, as it is in ours. So ‘Watch out!’ In other words, the root of sin, or our self-willed sin nature, will always show up in the sins that grow out of it; or the weeds that grow out of it. The key here is to understand that ‘what’ or ‘who’ you are following will then form what grows out of you. Remember what Paul said? “When you follow the desires of your sinful nature, the results are very clear…” So there it is: You will form whatever you follow; or whatever you follow or whoever you follow sets the formation of either these weeds of sin or this fruit of the Spirit into motion.

Often in Christian circles you hear the subject of ‘Spiritual Formation’ being talked about. And sometimes it sounds like a deep or complicated process. But spiritual formation is actually just the process of becoming formed more and more by who or what you follow. In essence, if we are following our Great Shepherd, we will become formed more and more into the image and actions of our Great Shepherd. If we look away from the Shepherd and follow other sheep more than our Shepherd, we will then find ourselves becoming formed more into the likeness of those other sheep. That’s why even in good solid Bible churches we say, “Don’t follow each other…follow Christ alone.” Yes, learn from one another and serve with one another, but only follow Christ, our only Great Shepherd.

Or then, there is this: if we stray and follow goats, what happens then? Well, then we will find ourselves becoming formed more into the likeness of those goats. And the problem there is that those goats, or unbelievers, are actually following a Wolf, that may even be in sheep’s clothing or even a shepherds clothing, but it is still a Wolf. And therefore, those goats are really becoming formed more and more into the Wolf’s image.

So the point again is this: Be very careful who you are following and how close, because you are being formed by whom you are following; be it in theology or in education or in entertainment or in medicine or in music or in government or in anything and everything else. One help here is to watch for is ‘what is being formed’ in you? The evidence will show up as either spiritual fruit or worldly weeds. And it might even take the observations of others to help you see the difference.

And that last point is also some more evidence of ‘wisdom’…seeking out the counsel of others and being teachable and open and receptive to correction. So it appears that we will need to continue this study.

Does Not Wisdom Call Out? Pt. 2

Study Guide, July 21, 2019

Pastor Clay Olsen

As we were saying…perhaps you have heard of some of these pithy quotes: ‘He who kneels before God can stand before anyone.’; ‘God promises a safe landing, not a calm passage.’; ‘He who angers you, controls you.’; ‘Most people want to serve God, but only in an advisory capacity.’; ‘We don’t change the message, the message changes us!’ And that is what we are seeking to have happen as we listen to Wisdom calling out to us from the Scriptures. So let’s return to our study.

Does the word ‘khokma’ ring a bell? That’s the Hebrew word for ‘wisdom’ that we introduced in our last study. And the fascinating thing about it is that ‘khokma’ describes wisdom as a skilled craftsman. And that puts concepts like ‘Discipleship’ in a whole new light, because it pictures the Christian life as one in which we develop skills with which to build our life and to also help others build their lives as well, like a craftsman uses his skills to build valuable works for his use and to assist others also.

Let’s do something fun…I’ll just start the sentence and you finish it. Here we go: “The wise man builds his…house upon the rock”. And: “The foolish man builds his…house upon the sand.” Notice something that is often overlooked in this terrific teaching. Matt 7:24- “Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts on them, may be compared to a wise man who built his house on the rock.” NASU Let’s stop with that. Of course we know that the ‘rock’ is a reference to Jesus Christ, our Rock and Lord and Savior. So we certainly have to make sure that our life rests securely upon the foundation of the Rock of our salvation, Jesus Christ. But here’s what we are getting at: The foundation of our salvation is Jesus Christ, yes, but the house is – you! And the Scriptures reveal to us the truly wise man not only builds his house, builds his life upon the Rock of Christ, but he is then very careful to go on building up his house following the instructions of the Rock! Because if we do not carefully build our house according to the instructions of the Rock, then even though we have wisely chosen the right foundation we will have foolishly built our house with the wrong materials. And although our house will stand firm in our ‘great salvation’, it will suffer loss when it comes time for our ‘great evaluation’ before the Judgment Seat of Christ.

Notice what Paul says about this: 1 Cor 3:9-15- “And you are a house that belongs to God…The foundation that has already been built is Jesus Christ, and no one can build any other foundation. People can build on that foundation using gold, silver, jewels, wood, grass, or straw. But the work that each person does will be clearly seen, because the Day will make it plain. That Day will appear with fire, and the fire will test everyone’s work. If the building they put on the foundation still stands, they will get their reward. But if their building is burned up, they will suffer loss. They will be saved, but it will be like someone escaping from a fire.” ERV What ‘Day’ is the Apostle referring to here? And what kind of evaluation of these building materials is he talking about?

Here’s another question: How much or how often you think about the Judgment Seat of Christ, or about the appointment each one of us has with Jesus when He reviews our life with us to evaluate what we did with our life after we were saved? And another question: Does the Judgment Seat of Christ drive or direct the way in which you are now building your house…or constructing your life? That evaluation is going to reveal specific things about us like; what we did in our lives that honored God, and how much we obeyed His instructions…His Word, and what we did about serving Him, and what we did about blessing others for His sake, and even ‘why’ we did what we did. And of course, the purpose of this testing is to reveal the degree of our faithfulness to Him in this life, which will then determine the degree of our rewards and privileges in our service assignments in the Kingdom of God. Again, most Christians hardly ever think about this Final Evaluation and what it will mean for their experience in the Kingdom of God. But that’s just another example of the fact that we are not ‘wise people’ by nature. We are wise in choosing our foundation, our salvation in Jesus Christ, but many are foolish in how they are going about building their house; building their life. What materials are they using to build their house, build their life?

The point is this: when it comes time for Jesus to inspect our house, will He find that we have built with eternally lasting materials, like the gold, silver, and jewels of obedience and faithfulness and service? Or will He find that we have mostly built our house with the temporal materials of the wood, grass, and straw of disobedience and unfaithfulness and self-will? And of course, those won’t stand the test, and that’s why it’s called ‘loss’. It’s not a loss of salvation, but it is a loss of rewards. Again, our works after we are saved do not affect our ‘destination’ of Heaven, since our salvation is based upon Christ’s saving works for us, but our works do affect our ‘destiny’ in Heaven, since our privileges in Heaven are based upon our service works for Christ after He saved us. Our destination of Heaven is about Christ’s gift to us. Our destiny of service in Heaven is about our works for Christ; our gifts of worship and service for Him. And if you haven’t learned much about this crucial area of teaching on the Judgment Seat of Christ, then spend the rest of your life learning all you can about it, since it will affect your whole experience of eternity.

But again, ‘wisdom’ is directly linked to ‘building’ – directly linked to using the right skills and choosing the right materials in building up your life and in helping others build up their lives as well. And when you consider the fact that the Bible refers to this need for developing wisdom, or these living skills, some 216 times throughout the Scriptures, then we have a pretty good idea of just how much we need to pay attention to it, right? Like we saw in our last study that ‘Wisdom’ is calling out, not only to us, but to the whole world. Why? Because without the ‘wisdom’ of God given to us through the Word of God we are left like sheep without a Shepherd…wandering through life and going astray, as well as being vulnerable to destruction from outside of us and from inside of us. Remember…our main enemy is us…you and me!

So recall that in Proverbs 8 we see, or hear, ‘Wisdom’ calling out to us with this: “Listen to me! For I have important things to tell you. Everything I say is right, for I speak the truth and detest every kind of deception.” Prov 8:6-7 Wisdom is connected with truth and righteousness. No one who does not love truth nor love righteousness can ever be considered a wise man or wise woman. One of the central measurements of your wisdom is the measure of your morals, for your mental development of wisdom is directly related to your moral development in wisdom; for wisdom is as much ‘moral’ as it is ‘mental’.

For example: Many people are pretty familiar with the proverb that states this: Prov 9:10- “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.” NASU Even a lot of just religious people who yet do not have a saved relationship with Jesus know of this proverb about the fear of the Lord being the beginning of wisdom. But something that not many people, saved or unsaved, know about what is really involved in fearing the Lord is what is revealed to us in Prov 8:13- “The fear of the Lord is to hate evil…” NASU That’s quite a revelation! This is like a formal definition of the fear of the Lord: ‘The fear of the Lord is to hate evil.’ And, you see, this takes us way past just fearing the consequences of evil. Many people fear the consequences of sin, but they don’t really hate the sin itself. But then, that is not really ‘fearing God’, according to the Scriptures. Again, this is going way past fearing the results of sin, for there are many who claim to fear God, but they still seem rather fond of sin. But this is still another indication that they really don’t fear God at all, rather they fear what God might do in relation to the sin they still love. And that is not only deception, that is derangement.

No, what this Proverb reveals about what it really is to ‘fear God’ is when a born again follower of God not only comes alongside of God seeking fellowship with God, but also now takes his or her stand with God, seeking to be in agreement with God against the very things that God is against…or that God hates. To fear God means you choose to feel like God feels about the things God loves and you choose to feel like God feels about the things God hates. And to the degree that you do feel like God feels about the things God loves and hates…that then, is the real measurement of the degree to which you really fear God.

And not only is it the measurement of how much you fear God, it is also the measurement of something else. How fascinating that right in the middle of a praise Psalm of David’s we find him saying this: Ps 97:9-12- “For you, O Lord, are supreme over all the earth; You are exalted far above all gods. You who love the Lord, hate evil! …May all who are godly rejoice in the Lord and praise His holy name!” NLT It’s like a call for the way that those who say they love the Lord can demonstrate their love to God: “You who love the Lord, hate evil!” It’s like another measurement of how much we really do love the Lord; for it’s as Spurgeon pointed out: “We cannot love God without hating that which God hates.” And the more that we do love God the more we will hate evil, for evil is everything against what God is – Holy. Plus, we will hate it wherever we find it, even in ourselves. Remember Paul’s words about that? Rom 7:24- “O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? I thank God — through Jesus Christ our Lord!” NKJV ‘Wretched man?’ The point is, because of our love for God we are taking our stand against sin wherever we find it, even in our old sin nature. And when we find it, because we love our God, we hate the sin. And therefore we don’t just feel remorse about it, we seek to remove it, by the grace of God and the indwelling power of the Holy Spirit.

But still, what both the Psalmist and the Apostle reveal here is that we now have a way to actually measure how much we really do love God; how much we really do fear God, and it’s this: How much do we really love the things God loves and how much do we really hate the things God hates? And that’s the measurement of how much you love and fear God.

Strangely enough, oftentimes even some believers are a bit uncomfortable talking about the fact that there are actually things that God hates. But that’s where we have to adjust our understanding to a Biblical reality instead of being unduly influenced by our culture’s virtual reality. Case in point: In Proverbs 6 God tells us there are seven things in particular that God hates. Notice: Prov 6:16-19- “There are six things which the Lord hates,Yes, seven which are an abomination to Him: Haughty eyes, a lying tongue, And hands that shed innocent blood, A heart that devises wicked plans, Feet that run rapidly to evil, A false witness who utters lies, And one who spreads strife among brothers.” NASU

These have sometimes been referred to as ‘the seven deadly sins’, as though other sins aren’t deadly. All sin is deadly, as sin is what killed the human spirit in mankind in the first place. But it is important to note that in the list of the sins that God says that He hates, it starts with ‘haughty eyes’ or ‘self-pride’. The eyes are like the window to the heart or soul, and we know that self-pride is like the deepest taproot of sin. Self-pride was the sin in the fall of Satan…so right there we should be really clear about how much we need to resist and root out this sin that is number one on the list of what God hates.

And how utterly bizarre that our culture glories in the sin of ‘self-pride’! And what a clear commentary about how hostile our contemporary culture really is toward the holiness of God. No, for any who wish to become more like God, humility is the virtue that moves you closer to God. Self-pride is becoming more like the one that started the ‘self-pride’ sin in the first place: Satan. He put himself before God, or himself above God. But whenever you put yourself; self importance, self-promotion, self-pride above God, there’s only one way you can go after that; and that is down. God lifts up the humble, but He brings down the proud.

Actually, all the rest of these sins are really the fall-out of this base root of self-pride, each one doing more damage and destruction. And remember, Satan is also called ‘the Destroyer’. So in all of life, people are either becoming more like their Creator, or they are becoming more like the Destroyer; especially in acting on any of these sins in the list of the sins that God says He hates. And while the Creator desires to build up a person’s life and relationships with others, the Destroyer desires to tear down every person’s life and destroy relationships, first with God and then with others. Remember something here: Sin is basically siding with Satan. And there is no gain in that…there is only loss and destruction. There is no ‘win’ in ‘sin’; only loss.

Again, how strange that those who choose to live as they please instead of finding out what is pleasing to God think they are wise when God says something far different. Remember 1 Cor 3:19-20? “For the wisdom of this world is foolishness to God. As the Scriptures say,”He traps the wise in the snare of their own cleverness.”And again,“The Lord knows the thoughts of the wise; He knows they are worthless.” NLT

Next time we’ll consider some evidences of true wisdom; Biblical wisdom.

Does Not Wisdom Call Out?

Study Guide , July 14, 2019

Pastor Clay Olsen

Sister Paige graciously sends me the ‘God’s Minute’ emails, and they are very good. A recent one had a collection of sayings that they called, ‘Backyard Philosophy’ or ‘Nutshell Philosophy’. Have you ever heard any of these helpful sayings like: ‘Exercise daily…walk with the Lord’; or ‘Be fishers of men…you catch ’em, God will clean ’em’; or ‘A lot of kneeling will keep you in good standing’; how about – ‘Give God what’s right, not what’s left’; or this is pretty much right to the point – ‘God loves everyone, but probably prefers “fruits of the spirit” over “religious nuts!”

Speaking of ‘philosophy’…that’s an interesting word. One way it is defined is as ‘a discipline comprising as its core logic; aesthetics, ethics, metaphysics, and epistemology’. That clears it up right there, doesn’t it? But a more practical way, as well as understandable way of thinking about ‘philosophy’ is to understand that the original meaning of the word ‘philosophy’ comes from the Greek roots of ‘philo’, meaning ‘love’, and ‘sophos’, meaning ‘wisdom’. So philosophy really just means ‘the love of wisdom’. So in this sense we should all view ourselves as ‘philosophers’. We are all to be ‘lovers of wisdom’.

The odd thing is though, that so many in our world that either do call themselves or think of themselves as ‘philosophers’ actually do not love wisdom at all. They seem to love human reasoning that is completely detached from divine reasoning. But whenever you detach human reasoning from divine reasoning you no longer have wisdom…you have ‘foolishness’! Therefore philosophers who base their views and their beliefs on human reasoning alone are not lovers of wisdom, they are by default: lovers of ‘foolishness’!

Actually, the battle going on in the minds of everyone is between these things: the ‘foolishness’ of human reasoning and the ‘wisdom’ of God’s reasoning, as found in God’s revelation. And since so few in our world are in pursuit of true wisdom it should be no surprise to any of us that we live in a world where most of the world’s governments, its’ educational systems, the media centers, the social centers, and it’s entertainment centers, and so on, are all voices of foolishness; voices of human reasoning detached from divine reasoning. In fact, we should say that it is really human reasoning under the dominant influence of demonic reasoning. And that should really shake people up world-wide, because they are either serving the purposes of the God of Creation or they are serving the purposes of the little ‘g’ god of this world; the Devil. But the strange thing is that oftentimes statements like that pretty much just result in a ‘yawn’ from most people instead of a surrender in repentance to God. But that’s just the world in which we find ourselves.

Since we are talking about strange things, here’s something else very strange…only this time, it’s something ‘wonderfully strange’. What are we talking about? Well, in the book of Proverbs an entire chapter is devoted to ‘Wisdom’. And here’s the ‘wonderfully strange’ part about it. It doesn’t begin with us pursuing wisdom, rather, it begins with ‘wisdom’ pursing us! Really! Look at this: Prov 8:1-11- “Listen as Wisdom calls out! Hear as understanding raises her voice! On the hilltop along the road, she takes her stand at the crossroads. By the gates at the entrance to the town, on the road leading in, she cries aloud “I call to you, to all of you! I raise my voice to all people. You simple people, use good judgment. You foolish people, show some understanding. Listen to me! For I have important things to tell you. Everything I say is right, for I speak the truth and detest every kind of deception. My advice is wholesome. There is nothing devious or crooked in it. My words are plain to anyone with understanding, clear to those with knowledge. Choose my instruction rather than silver, and knowledge rather than pure gold. For wisdom is far more valuable than rubies. Nothing you desire can compare with it.” NLT

Every nightly news program, every day at school, every morning at Congress should all begin with this reading of Proverbs 8 as a reminder that ‘wisdom’, actually ‘God’, is calling out to everybody to listen to their Maker and Creator! Wisdom is pursuing every person! Again, how amazing…and how encouraging and comforting!

Yet even many followers of Christ often fail to realize or forget that the beginning point of their faith or relationship with God is based upon the fact that God was the One that started this pursuit of them in the first place. God began pursuing you and me before we ever started the pursuing Him in return. And why this is so encouraging and comforting to know is that it assures us that however much we are now seeking God and pursuing God, it is all because we are simply responding to this relationship that God started with us. The reason you are now seeking God is because God was seeking you first! The reason you want to deepen your relationship with God as a child of God is because God wanted to have a relationship with you first and become your forever Father. The only reason you now love God is because God loved you first. Plus, the only reason you are now pursuing wisdom by which to live your life as pleasing to God is because God, as personified by ‘wisdom’, has been pursuing you first, and God is easily pleased by your every response to His wisdom!

Again, how great it is to know that you don’t have to persuade God to love you or like you or lead you or teach you, or persuade God to help you live life, or try to convince Him to never forsake you. No, not at all, because God is the one who started the pursuit of a relationship with you in the first place! You don’t have to convince God to love you. God was already convinced that He loved you and would save you and wanted to spend eternity in Heaven with you before you ever said “Yes” to Him! God’s part in our great salvation was Him saying to us: “Will you take Me to be your Lord and Savior?” And our part in our salvation was simply responding, “Yes Lord, I will”. Why do you think God chose the analogy of a Bridegroom and Bride as a way to illustrate ‘salvation’? When you said “I do” to receive Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior – it was done, because that’s what God wanted you to do before you ever did it!

One thing that we are seeking to clearly communicate here is something that we are to clearly understand about our God, and that is, that He is the pursuer of us! He is the seeker, He is the One calling out to us, and not only to us, but to all who will listen to Him…to all who will respond to His voice, respond to His Spirit, respond to His revelation of His words to the whole world. “Listen as Wisdom calls out! Hear as understanding raises her voice!… “I call to you, to all of you! I raise my voice to all people…Listen to me! For I have important things to tell you…Choose my instruction rather than silver, and knowledge rather than pure gold. For wisdom is far more valuable than rubies. Nothing you desire can compare with it.” God is calling out to us! God’s Word is God calling out to His world!

Most people don’t even think realistically about the Bible. They think of it primarily as a ‘book’, when the Bible is primarily a ‘Voice’. It’s like whenever you walk into a room where there is a Bible, you ought to stop and say: “Do you hear something? It’s coming from over there on that shelf. Yeah, It’s like a ‘voice’ calling out to be heard.” Well, of course it is! The ‘voice’ is coming from the Bible! You see, the Bible is a ‘living book’. It’s the only ‘living book’ on earth. Notice Heb 4:12- “For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.” NASU All other books are inanimate objects made up of pages and covers, but the Bible is animate, it’s the ‘Living Word of God’ because the Spirit of God attends the written Word of God.

So The Bible is the voice of God calling out to the whole world to be heard. The problem is that most of the world is simply spiritually hard of hearing. But the thing is, this ‘spiritually hard of hearing’ problem is self imposed. It’s the result of them hardening their heart and turning away from the spiritual sound of this knocking of God on the door of their lives. And the more they turn away from the knocking of God, turn away from the sound of His voice speaking to their soul, the harder of hearing they become, spiritually speaking. The danger is, and the sad result of this is, that after a while they may no longer hear God’s knocking at all.

That’s one of the reasons we see God in the Bible so often reminding people, “He who has ears to hear, let them hear what the Spirit is saying!” And the striking thing about that is that sometimes He is saying that to His own people. That’s right, because even God’s children tend to not pay attention to His voice as they should, not pay attention to His Word as they should, and they, too, can get spiritually hard of hearing. Just read the first three chapters of the book of Revelation as God calls out to the seven churches: “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches!”

So now back to Proverbs 8, and back to this particular battle between wisdom and foolishness. One way to gauge where we are in these areas of wisdom and foolishness is to think of it like an Air Pressure Gauge. Wouldn’t it be great if we had a ‘Wisdom and Foolishness’ meter? It’s important to understand that in our daily perspectives or decisions or discernment that we, too, can fluctuate from time to time between wisdom and foolishness. But something like this would be really helpful wouldn’t it, to be able to just hook that meter up to our head and then check to see how wise or foolish we are being in any given instance or action? Like, “Hey, just give me a minute before we make this purchase or make this decision or carry out this action, and so on… I need to check my wisdom and foolishness meter before we go on here!” That would be helpful! Maybe our IT guys can invent one of those…

Anyway, notice some of the requirements of wisdom. One of the requirements of wisdom is a realization that by nature we are not wise. We are not inherently wise. You can be a ‘wise-guy’ by nature, but not a wise man or wise woman by nature. Those are way different… Actually, the book of Proverbs tells us that it’s not wisdom that is bound up in the heart of a child, but it is foolishness that is bound up in the heart of a child. Meaning, that from the git-go we each have a lot to work through and to work on in order to drive out our foolishness and instead develop wisdom. And even after developing some wisdom we even have to be careful to not revert to foolishness. We need to check our meter, remember?

What we are saying here is that a key requirement of developing wisdom is humility…or an admission that by nature we are not wise people. So back to the call of Wisdom: “I raise my voice to all people. You simple people, use good judgment.” It’s fascinating that in Jesus’ sermon on the mount that He also begins with a similar call. Notice: Matt 5:3- “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” NASU The ‘poor in spirit’ means those who realize their spiritual need and their complete dependence upon the mercy and grace of God to meet their need. Our very relationship with God begins with humility; with a humble admission of our need that can only be met by God, or again; our need for God’s mercy in His forgiveness and His grace in granting us new life in union with our God. So humility is key to our very union with God and then it is also key to our communion with God, or our development of the skills we need to rightly worship God and serve His purposes for our lives.

And knowledge in all of this is certainly important. But remember, ‘knowledge’ comes with a warning: 1 Cor 8:1- “…Knowledge puffeth up, but charity edifieth.” KJV One thing you do not want in your life is to be ‘puffethed up’! Being ‘puffethed up’ is not good for you or anyone else. So be careful; just the acquisition of ‘knowledge’ without the guidance of love and wisdom will leave you ‘puffethed up’, or puffed up, or proud…arrogant. And James tells us the Lord resists the proud; He distances Himself from the proud, but He draws near to the humble, and to the wise.

Let’s identify another key point about wisdom and then we’ll flesh it out more next time. But how interesting that the Hebrew word for ‘wisdom’ is ‘khokma’. And ‘khokma’ refers to ‘skills’, as in skills in crafting and building. An example of that is what God said about two of the men chosen to oversee the building of the Tabernacle and all of its furnishings. Notice: Ex 31:3-6- “I have filled him with the Spirit of God in wisdom, in understanding, in knowledge, and in all kinds of craftsmanship, to make artistic designs for work in gold, in silver, and in bronze, and in the cutting of stones for settings, and in the carving of wood, that he may work in all kinds of craftsmanship.” NASU The word for ‘wisdom’ here is that word ‘khokma’ which means ‘highly skilled’ in all kinds of craftsmanship. How amazing is that?

So in the same way that a highly skilled craftsman works to make and build valuable works in life, so a wise follower of Jesus Christ is actually a highly skilled craftsman in building valuable works for God in his or her service to God. How about that? I think we’re on to something here! And we’ll unpack it further next time.

What Our Founding ‘Heavenly’ Father Meant by ‘Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness’

Study Guide , July 7, 2019

Pastor Clay Olsen

One of the many unusual things that happened during America’s war for independence happened during a battle near a Presbyterian church where the colonial Pastor there was engaged in the battle. During the battle the colonists were running out of wadding for their guns, which meant they were not going to be able to fire their ammunition. So Reverend Caldwell came up with a solution. He ran inside the church and came back with a stack of Watts Hymnals with many of Isaac Watts songs, like: O God Our Help in Ages Past, and Joy to the World, and so on. And as they passed out the Hymnals and tore out the pages for wadding Reverend Caldwell called out: “Give em Watts, boys! Give em Watts!”

It’s often been said that the War for America’s Independence was a religious war. One example of that is from a common motto of the Revolution. Many wars had mottos to inspire those fighting for our country. Like, World War 11 had ‘Remember Pearl Harbor’, and in World War 1 the motto was ‘Remember the Lusitania’, and most everyone knows the motto of ‘Remember the Alamo’.

One of the mottos of America’s war for Independence was specifically directed at calling attention to the tyranny of a King who thought he controlled their lives, and it was also a reminder to the colonists of who it really was that controlled their lives…and it was neither an earthly king nor any human power. Their motto was “Jesus Christ the King”! That was their motto and battle cry… “Jesus Christ the King”!

One historian of the American Revolution, David Barton, pointed out in one of his articles that the spiritual atmosphere of the Americans was so strong during the Revolution that in a letter sent to Great Britain by a crown appointed British governor, he stated this: “If you ask an American who is his master, he’ll tell you he has none. And he has no governor but Jesus Christ.”¹ That’s just how prevalent so many of the colonist’s faith was in Jesus Christ as their King and Savior. What an amazing time that was in our country where not only was there a national revolution going on, but there was also a spiritual revival going on. We are certainly in need of a spiritual revival in our country today!

But the point is that one of key things that marked the thinking and the lives of so many who gave us this country that we call America is the fact that religion was central to every part of their lives; from their home life to their business life to their government life. Religion was life to them. And all of life was to be guided and based up the principles and morals of religion, from the living room to the court room. And not just ‘religion’ but an understanding that their true king in all of life was ‘Jesus Christ the King’. And it’s not that there weren’t other faiths in this new land around them, but that they realized that in order to have a land where life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness could be experienced and enjoyed that it would have to be founded upon what their ultimate Founder meant by ‘life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness’. And their ultimate Founder was their Creator and Lord, who was also their Heavenly Father. That’s why they put it in their very declaration – The Declaration of Independence: “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.”

And when they said, ‘Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness’, what they meant by these is what their Creator meant by these. And what their Creator meant by these are what He revealed to them and to all people in His Word, the Scriptures, which the Founders looked to as a basis for their civil lives and their civil government. And as an example of that consider these amazing statements from:

John Adams: “The Bible contains the most profound philosophy, the most perfect morality, and the most refined policy that ever was conceived upon earth.”

John Quincy Adams: “The Bible is of all books in the world that which contributes most to make men good, wise, and happy.”

Elias Boudinot: “Were you to ask me to recommend the most valuable book in the world, I should fix on the Bible as the most instructive, both to the wise and ignorant.”

John Jay: “Let us therefore persevere steadfastly in distributing the Scriptures far and near…We are assured that they “are profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness (2 Tim. 3:16).’”

Thomas Jefferson: “The doctrines of Jesus are simple, and tend to all the happiness of man. Had the doctrines of Jesus been preached always as pure as they came from His lips, the whole civilized world would now have been Christian.”

Benjamin Rush: “The Bible contains more truths than any other book in the world.”²

The point is how clear it is to see that those who gave us our country also gave us the one Book that was intended to guide our country, again, in all matters of life, from the school house to the courthouse. And as an example of that, political science professors at the University of Houston did a 10-year study collecting quotes from the Founding Fathers to see from whom they quoted. 94 percent of their quotes were based upon the Bible. 34 percent were directly from the Bible (Deuteronomy was the most quoted). 60 percent were from men using the Bible to write their conclusions. And in reading from the early records of Congress, as congressmen would speak from the floor they would often state something the Bible said, and then Congress would vote to put it in the government.³

So in this country, in America, any understanding about what it meant that all men are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, was based upon and was forever to be based upon what our Founding Heavenly Father meant by these. And what our Founding Heavenly Father means by these is found in His revelation to us all in the Bible…like our unalienable right to life. Unalienable means; ‘cannot be taken away or transferred to another’. And so right away this shouts like through a megaphone that when life is created, when life is conceived, when human life is begun, no one else has the right to take it away or transfer that right to another. No terminology could be clearer to people about the fact of the sanctity of human life. Add Nehemiah 9:6 to this: “You alone are the Lord. You have made the heavens, The heaven of heavens with all their host, The earth and all that is on it, The seas and all that is in them. You give life to all of them And the heavenly host bows down before You.” NASU

God is both the ‘Giver of all life’ and the ‘owner’ of all life; God owns all human life. So the real question for those who use the terms ‘Abortion rights’ is: Since God is the giver of all human life and the owner of all human life, and since each human being has the unalienable right to live, and ‘unalienable’ by definition means that no one has the right to take that life away, how can you say that you do have the right to take a life away that is given and owned by God?” Did you get God’s permission to take away this human being’s life?” Think about it: God hasn’t even given us permission to take our own life away, let alone someone else’s life, unless that person has committed crimes against life. Then it’s a war crime. But no unborn child is guilty of war crimes.

No, the right that God has given to parents of children that are owned by God is the right to care for them and the right to teach them about their Creator and to instruct them to worship and serve their Lord and receive Him as their Savior. That’s the right that God has given to parents. But since parents did not create, nor give life to their child, nor do they own their child, they do not have the right to take their life away. And that is a timeless and universal law given by God.

Then, when it comes to the concept of ‘liberty’, that, too, has been twisted by many in our culture from what our Founding Fathers meant by ‘liberty’. And since we are talking about history, let’s remember the one lesson that we learn from history, and that is; when it comes to history, most people fail to learn from it! Instead, many people just keep repeating the same old mistakes of history over and over. And one of the worst mistakes from history that you can make is the mistake, or the sin really, of doing whatever you think is right in your own eyes instead of what God says is right. Notice: Judges 21:25- “In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes.” NASU That was a condemnation against people choosing to live according to their own opinions and wishes rather than by God’s standards and truths. And then there is this condemnation from Prov 12:15- “The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, but a wise man is he who listens to counsel.” NASU What a condemnation this verse is on those in our country who think that liberty means the freedom to live according to their own wants and wishes and opinions and preferences. But again, by definition, that is not a nation of freedom, that is a nation of fools.

Our forefathers understood liberty to mean exactly what their Founding Heavenly Father revealed that liberty was: James 1:25- “But one who looks intently at the perfect law, the law of liberty, and abides by it, not having become a forgetful hearer but an effectual doer, this man will be blessed in what he does.” NASU And then in James 2:12- “So speak and so act as those who are to be judged by the law of liberty.” NASU

You mean that ‘liberty’ is a ‘law’? Exactly! How many people on the streets of America would ever answer: “So what is liberty?” with “Well, liberty is primarily a law.” Most people think that these would be opposites, not the same. But our forefathers knew that liberty was law, actually, God’s law. Just think of what that great patriotic song America, the Beautiful says right in the song: ‘O beautiful for pilgrim feet, whose stern impassioned stress, A thoroughfare for freedom beat across the wilderness. America, America, God mend thine every flaw, confirm thy soul in self-control, thy liberty in law!” They got it! They understood it!

Personal liberty and God’s law are inseparable. And so, whenever you do separate personal liberty from God’s law you no longer have personal freedom; you have personal bondage. And most people in America today are living their lives in personal bondage to sin because they have thrown off or are ignoring God’s laws and are choosing what is right in their own eyes. And as a result, they are destroying their lives in the process…all the while thinking they are free and living in liberty. But liberty is not the freedom to do what you want; rather, liberty is the freedom to do what is right. And again, God is the only one that determines and defines what is right. Plus, God is the only One who can set us free from the bondage of our sin, and can then empower us to live according to His law, which is true liberty.

And then that fascinating phrase: the pursuit of happiness. And, once more, what our founders meant by ‘happiness’ and what many in our culture today mean by it is about 180 degrees different. Many in our culture think that personal happiness is connected with personal preferences, personal wants, personal likes, personal accomplishments, personal possessions, and so on. In other words, they think that happiness begins with them personally. But again, right there is the fundamental problem, because they are looking to the wrong source, and they are focusing on the wrong ‘person’. Our founding fathers knew that true happiness had a different source than any of these ‘personal things’ in life; they knew that the true source of genuine happiness, like everything else that is good in life, was found in the Person of God Himself. They knew that ‘happiness’ is not something acquired by you, but something ‘bestowed upon you’; like a blessing from a King upon a faithful servant. Again…King Jesus! And they were ‘servants of the King’!This blessing of happiness is something that is bestowed on you when you seek to first please your King and Lord, not first please yourself. That only results in deception and further bondage. We could turn that motto of TGIF of – ‘Thank God it’s Friday’ to – ‘Today God is First!’ That was on a Church sign…good one!

Our founders had studied the course ‘Happiness 101’ from out of the Textbook of Matthew 5 and therefore they knew that this ‘pursuit of happiness’ was directly tied to personal obedience to the One who was the real source of true happiness – their Creator and Lord. Any pursuit of happiness that leaves out the pursuit of obedience to God results in what Solomon found: Vanity of vanities…emptiness, meaningless, pointlessness…restlessness. Wow! Does vanity and restlessness describe much of our culture today to a ‘T’? It’s a counterfeit happiness, and a poor counterfeit at that!

Personal happiness, genuine happiness, is actually the result of finding that what you ought to be doing and what you are doing is the same thing…meaning, pursuing obedience to your Creator and Lord. And as we seek to personally be pleasing to our Creator and Lord, He then ‘bestows’ this blessing upon us that we call ‘happiness’, which contains the things our souls actually do crave like; peace, fulfillment, satisfaction, significance, contentment, and so on. Those are gifts that come from a personal God to those who are personally pursuing Him first, seeking to please Him first. To them God bestows genuine happiness.

And so this is what our Founding Fathers meant by life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, because they knew what their Founding Heavenly Father meant by them.

1. David Barton, 4^th of July Article, wallbuilders.com
2. 6 Quotes About the Bible from the Founding Fathers, news.americanbible.org
3. Ibid

The Redemption of Relationships

A Devotional Communion Service

Study Guide  June 30, 2019

Pastor Clay Olsen

We usually have a separate devotional section between the bread portion and the cup portion of the Lord’s Supper. But today we’re going to have our devotional all together and then partake of the Lord’s Supper all together afterwards. And the Lord’s Supper is open to all who have received the Lord Jesus as their personal Lord and Savior.

In the Lord’s Supper Jesus revealed many wondrous things to us; like we learned how it spoke to the fulfillment of the Passover, as Jesus was the Lamb of God that all the previous Passover feasts symbolized. We learned that as we partake in the Lord’s Supper that we become ‘proclaimers’, like Paul said in 1 Cor 11:26- “For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes.” NASU We are testifying to the fact of the actual historical death of Jesus the Messiah on an actual Roman cross at an actual place in time. We proclaim that His death was a substitutionary sacrifice for our sins and the sin penalty that resulted from them. We proclaim that Jesus’ death removed our spiritual death penalty and pardoned us from our sins. We also proclaim His life, that because Jesus now lives we will also live with Him, having been saved, sealed, and given eternal life in union with Him.

So you and I are ‘proclaimers’. And we are to proclaim the light of these truths to a world that lives in darkness and falsehoods, so that they, too, can have the opportunity to turn their lives over to Christ and trust in His great salvation for them.

And we also proclaim His coming. We proclaim that He came to redeem us in His first coming and we proclaim that He is coming to reign over a New Earth and New Heaven in His second coming; Jesus will reign in the Kingdom of God forever.

In other words, we are to proclaim to the world and to remind each other that things are about to change. And some of the things that are about to change have to do with this ‘redemption’ of our lives and what it all implies. And the more that we dwell on some of these wondrous things that our redemption provides the more we will not only praise our great Redeemer, but the more we will look forward to His Kingdom that is coming, and the better we will be able to deal with this present kingdom, or this present world in which we now live.

What do we mean? Well, it has to do with something else that our redemption includes and will include. Let’s explore: In our Prophecy series we studied the great revelation of the Rapture of the Church. And one of the passages was 1 Thess 4:16-17- “For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord.” NASU But again, what we see here is the next step in God assembling His forever family in Heaven. And later in the book of Revelation we see God assembling more for His family from out of the last period of the earth as we know it: Rev 5:9-10- “And they sang a new song, saying,“Worthy are You to take the book and to break its seals; for You were slain, and purchased for God with Your blood men from every tribe and tongue and people and nation. You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to our God; and they will reign upon the earth.” NASU

Again, God is redeeming a family for His own to live with Him and to enjoy His New Earth and New Heavens with Him for eternity. And in providing for this very redemption, what is also included in this redemption is not only the redemption of all of these souls to live together, but also the redemption of their relationships, so that they can live together as God intended.

Think about it, this great assembly will be made up of saved people from all ages of world history and from all previous relationships throughout world history, now redeemed from their sins against God and redeemed from their sins against one another; redeemed from all previous problems and schisms and differences and conflicts and wars. And this redemption of relationships extends not only from ethnic groups and nations, but also to family and friends. Remember, in our salvation the Lord not only removes our sin penalty from us, but will one day remove our sin nature from us, so that we can live in His Kingdom together forever in real peace and unity and love.

You recall in our last study we gave Jesus’ spiritual X-ray of the sin nature of man, with all the things which cause the division and strife and jealousies and malice and pride and conflicts in relationships. Well, guess what our Great Physician is going to do about that? He is going to spiritually surgically remove our old sin nature from us when we leave this earth, and all that will remain will be our new nature that we share with our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ!

So now, what does that imply? It directly implies and reveals that all the redeemed people in Heaven will also have redeemed relationships with everyone in Heaven! Just think of the relationship betweem the Apostle Paul and Stephen. Remember, as Saul, he was in agreement with the stoning of Stephen. But when Paul met Stephen in Heaven, their relationship was all changed, all forgiven, all restored, all redeemed. Or think of Jim Elliot and Nate Saint, two of the five missionaries killed by the Auca Indians in Equador in 1956. In the years that followed many Aucas gave their lives to Christ, and some of those redeemed Aucas now live with Jim and Nate in in a redeemed relationship in Heaven; all changed, all forgiven, all restored, all redeemed.

Or even consider this: whoever got saved from the families of the Hatfields and McCoys will have completely redeemed relationships with each other. Will they remember the feuds? Of course they will remember the feuds. Memories in Heaven remain, but the thing is; they will think completely differently about it all now, for their minds and hearts are completely filled with the fruit of the Holy Spirit now, and all the harmful things of their old nature are completely gone.

Still, every revelation in Scripture of someone already gone from this earth clearly shows that memories of Earth are all intact. Both the saved and the unsaved will retain their memories of Earth, as Abraham’s discussion with the unsaved man in Luke 16 demonstrated. Or when God permitted the Prophet Samuel to speak to Saul from the other side, Samuel clearly remembered what had been going on in the nation of Israel. And in Revelation 6 the martyred souls clearly remembered their lives and the conditions of things upon the earth. Even our own very examination at the Judgment Seat of Christ will be a review of our life on Earth, which we will clearly remember. And the scars on Jesus hands will be an eternal testament of His loving sacrifice for our sins, and we will forever remember and know that we are in Heaven because it was His shed blood and His great love that paid the wages of our sins. The memories of our times on Earth that were blessed memories will remain, and our memories of times that were not so blessed will inspire our thanks and praise to God even more for our great redemption.

So yes, we will remember our lives as we lived them on Earth, but here’s the thing; we will think about it all completely differently, because we will think of it through the mind and the thoughts of a new godly nature, and we will think about it through the peace of now completely healed and blessed relationships with others. That peace will be part of what’s all included in the experience of this:

Rev 21:4- “…and He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be any death; there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away.” NASU

We live in a world of broken relationships. And not just in relationships between people of the world, but even in relationships between the people of God in God’s own family. Even in families, even in the Bible, history is filled with broken relationships; in children to parents, children with each other, family members with extended family members, church family members with other members, and so on. And many believers live their lives wishing things could have been different, could have been better, could have been what they had always hoped they would be, but weren’t.

Once again, that’s one of the miracles that the Redemption accomplished, especially including the redemption of relationships. Because of who our Redeemer is, and what His redemption accomplished for us, everything that has been ruined by sin will be restored in the Kingdom. Or, as Randy Alcorn put it in his book on ‘Heaven’, “We will experience all the best of human relationships, with none of the worst.” Think about that a moment.

Perhaps we have known Christian friends or relatives that now live in heaven, with whom we had some conflicts. Maybe when we knew them, we knew them as not so nice individuals or not so nice people to be around. Well, guess what? If you could know them now, now that they really are the person God created them to be…now that all the old nature is completely gone and they are complete in their new spiritual nature…well, now they are one of the nicest people you could ever know. Every divisive thing, every hard thing, every harsh thing, every rude thing, everything that made a relationship with them here on earth difficult is completely gone in heaven.

What does that mean for us now? For children, if your parent was a believer, yet things were still hard or hurtful, everything you always wanted in a Mother or a Father, you will one day have. For they will now be exactly who God created them to be. Your relationship will be completely redeemed…fully restored to the way God intended it to be. If they weren’t believers, our God, who has promised to compensate us for losses in this life, can provide an experience that will make up for it. For remember, our God is able to do beyond what we can even think or imagine. And for believing siblings or church family members, who still had conflicts or difficulties in your relationship with each other, everything you always wanted in that relationship you will one day have. Your relationship with each one will soon be completely redeemed and fully restored to the way God intended it to be.

Remember, sin interrupted God’s original plan for the way He intended human relationships to be, but sin did not eliminate His plan. Oh no! God’s redemption of all things includes His original plan for how He intended parents and children, brothers and sisters…really, just all of God’s family members to treat one another and enjoy one another. And they were intended to treat one another based upon the virtues of the fruit of the Spirit…the virtues of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, and so on. And so everything that you ever hoped to have or that you ever hoped to experience on earth in a relationship with your parents, with your children, with your siblings, with other brothers and sisters in Christ, but was broken by sin, you will experience it with them in the New Earth because it will be restored to you through the redemption. No experience of enjoying wonderful relationships with other believers, no matter how they are or were related to you in this world has been lost. It has only been postponed till the day when we each are who God created us to be, and intended us to be, when we are in our real home, and together with our God and one another.

Again, because of Jesus’ redemption, not only is our relationship restored with God, our relationship is being restored and will be fully restored with every other child of God, because that’s the kind of world God is preparing to finally have and for us to eternally enjoy. And the next time Jesus partakes of the Lord’s Supper with us all, that’s exactly the way it will be.

Some Helps for Earthly Dads from Our Heavenly Father, Pt. 2

Study Guide, June 23, 2019

Pastor Clay Olsen

We didn’t have an oil spill last week, but we did have an information spill. Like with Mother’s Day, we had more information for Father’s Day than we had service time for, so we are having a 2^nd study on some helps for earthly Dads from our Heavenly Father. Actually, the principles are for each of us children of our Heavenly Father. So here we go.

You know how when you get a new credit card or a new debit card in the mail, you first have to call into the company that issued it to you in order to activate the card, in order to use the card. You can’t use it until you activate it.

In our salvation God issued us a new nature. The Apostle Peter reveals this to us: 2 Peter 1:4- “Through His glory and integrity He has given us His promises that are of the highest value. Through these promises you will share in the divine nature because you have escaped the corruption that sinful desires cause in the world.” God’s Word Version

This ‘sharing in the divine nature’ is also what is described as being in ‘union with Christ’ or ‘born again’ in our spirit. So, as children of God, we now have a new nature. However, God has not yet eliminated our old nature, or sinful nature from us. And therefore, we have to learn how to contend against it.

In other words, in keeping with our point here, God has issued us a new nature, but it doesn’t automatically take over our thoughts, feelings, and actions. No, God requires that we call upon Him in order to activate it. And this ‘calling upon’ our Heavenly Father in order to ‘activate’ our new nature involves things such things as; prayer, abiding in Christ, consecrating ourselves to His Lordship, and seeking to be pleasing to our God and Savior. Take prayer for an example, since we readily understand prayer as like ‘calling upon our God’ in order to activate our new nature.

In a fascinating insight from the dedication of the temple by King Solomon, he was pronouncing a blessing on the people, but it was really a continuation of his prayer. And he speaks directly to this need, to our need, of calling upon the Lord in order to activate our new nature. Look at what he said:

1 Kings 8:57-58- “May the Lord our God be with us, as He was with our fathers; may He not leave us or forsake us, that He may incline our hearts to Himself, to walk in all His ways and to keep His commandments and His statutes and His ordinances, which He commanded our fathers.” NASU

And then from God’s Word Version: 1 Kings 8:57-58- “May the Lord our God be with us as He was with our ancestors. May He never leave us or abandon us. May He bend our hearts toward Him. Then we will follow Him and keep His commands, laws, and rules, which He commanded our ancestors to keep.” God’s Word Version

What an amazing appeal to God; an appeal for God to essentially activate their hearts or to incline or bend their desires, turn their disposition and their nature to do His will. It was like an appeal for God to help them overcome their own inclination or their own natural bent to do their own will.

Dads, one thing we need to teach our children about is their nature…about their two natures…about their dual natures. One is the natural self, which in inclined toward…or is bent toward sin…bent toward selfishness, self-pride, self-promotion, self-satisfaction, just basically self-will. We have an inclination toward sin…Or, another helpful way of thinking about it as we have previously mentioned; we have a sin-clination! We are naturally inclined toward sin. And we don’t just mean overt or really bad sin, but just basically our stubborn self-will. We just naturally get on the throne of our life each day and take over our thoughts and deeds, instead of asking God to be on the throne as we pledge our allegiance to serve Him each day. That is the natural bent of all human beings. And the thing is; most people in the world do not understand this about themselves and about all human beings. This is something that is only understood through God’s revelation about the sin nature of human beings. And because most people do not understand this about themselves they also then do not think about themselves as ‘enemy number one’, nor do they guard against themselves, as to their bent toward self-will; their bent toward self-will instead of God’s will. My self nature, my sin nature is the most destructive force in my life. And guess what? It is the most destructive force in your life, too, and in everyone’s life. But again, most people in the whole world do not understand this, and as a result, their lives are being destroyed foremost by themselves. It’s being destroyed from within their own nature, and they do not even realize it.

One of the most important diagnosis that every person needs to see, especially believers, who now also share in the divine nature, and yet, still have to contend with their old sin nature, is the X-ray of the human heart that Jesus revealed to us in Mark 7:20-23. Everybody in the world needs to see this X-ray of their human heart. Note carefully: “That which proceeds out of the man, that is what defiles the man. For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed the evil thoughts, fornications, thefts, murders, adulteries, deeds of coveting and wickedness, as well as deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride and foolishness. All these evil things proceed from within and defile the man.” NASU

Now that would make a horrible picture if we could somehow depict that X-ray of the human heart. But I sometimes think that somehow we should develop one, because even as Christians, we so easily forget just what does lie within us, in our old sin-nature. This is the stuff that Jesus had to die for, had to pay the penalty for, had to go to the altar of the cross for, to die as our substitute in order to remove the penalty of these offenses against God.

And our point here is that this kind of stuff is still in us, in each of us, by nature, and this old nature is still active, and thus is activating these destructive things in and through our lives. Yes, by His mercy He has imparted or implanted a share of His divine nature, His own holy moral nature, within us. But we need to understand that just like we chose to receive Christ and this new nature into our lives to become born again, we also now have choose to act on this new nature in order to ac-ti-vate it! And then we have to choose it again and again, every day, day by day. The Apostle Paul tells us that we are to ‘be being’ filled with God’s Spirit’. That’s like saying we are to daily be ‘re-filled’ with God’s Spirit…or re-committed to God’s Spirit, as to looking to Him to rule our spirit and to activate our new nature. And so in this blessing of Solomon, which was really a teaching on what the people should be praying, was like an appeal to God to incline their heart toward Him…to bend their will toward His will, and to activate all of His resources for them in order for them to follow Him. It was a purposeful surrender to God to rule in their lives.

So our daily need is to call upon God to activate our new nature; to rule and take His rightful place as Lord over what we do and say. Remember, obedience to God is not automatic. Like activating a new credit card…you have the card, but you have to call in to activate it. We have the new nature, but we have to call in through prayer and submission to God. You have to let God know that you intend to act on your new nature. For if you do not intend to act on your new nature, you will by default, revert to acting on your old nature. But we are also to understand that it is only by God’s grace that we can actually act on our new nature; or it is only by God’s enabling grace that we can follow Him and keep His commands, laws, and rules for doing right; doing righteous works and deeds.

That’s something else that Dads can help their children understand. They can tell them that God, their Heavenly Father, helped them understand that they can’t follow God on their own either. Let your children know that you can’t do what you need to do in obeying God in your own might or in serving God in your own power. Let them know that you also have to ask God and look to God’s Spirit, to God the Holy Spirit, for the ability to do God’s will. Notice this key teaching from Zech 4:6- “Then he said to me, “This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel saying, ‘Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,’ says the Lord of hosts.” NASU

By the way Dads, this is another great name for a boy…Zerubbabel! Somebody needs to get in on that one. But how crucial it is to understand that we are not to act naturally by our own might or on our own power; rather we are to act supernaturally, or ‘beyond our natural way’ of handling things, by asking God to activate His Spirit through us. What you are doing is that you are asking God to work through you. It’s like you are asking God to be the hand and you’ll be His glove.

That was exactly Jesus’ point in His teaching in John 15 about ‘abiding in Him’; abiding in the Vine and acting like His branches. Again, we ‘activate’ our new nature by ‘abiding’ in Christ, by seeking to let God use us like a channel for Him; like a branch for Him to work through us. We are to seek to let God grow His fruit in us so that we can then bear His fruit through us. Remember; it’s not from us, but through us. That’s a good reminder to dwell on for how to live the Christian life: ‘Not from me, but through me.’

Help your children know who they are: They are branches, not vines. And branches bear the fruit, but they don’t grow the fruit. The Vine, Jesus, grows the fruit, and the branches…us, bear the fruit. And not only is this distinction very important for all of us to understand, it is also very liberating to understand; because it frees us all from the burden of trying to be what we are not, and are not supposed to try to be; and that is, the Vine. That is only setting yourself up for one long exercise in frustration and discouragement, because branches don’t grow fruit; they bear fruit. And, if we could animate the analogy: Branches aren’t burdened about bearing fruit or frazzled about working up the fruit, or stressed out about producing the fruit. Branches don’t worry about bearing fruit, because they know that the fruit simply grows through them as they simply abide in the Vine. Abiding is the branch’s part; growing is the Vine’s part.

We would all save ourselves a lot of worries and burdens and angst about what we are producing in our lives or how we are performing in our lives if we would simply keep our focus on who we really are and what branches really are to focus on; abiding in the Vine and cooperating with the Vine in order to let the Vine grow His fruit through us branches.

And so you ask, “Well, what does ‘abiding’ look like?” It’s not complicated, but it is very specific. Notice what the Lord says in Deut 5:29- “Oh, that they would always have such a heart for Me, wanting to obey My commandments. Then all would go well with them in the future, and with their children throughout all generations!” TLB Do you find yourself ‘wanting to obey God’s commandments? Just how do you come to the place where you want to obey God’s commandments over wanting to just do your own thing everyday? Well, notice carefully: It’s like we highlighted earlier; it doesn’t happen automatically. In other words, obedience is an acquired taste. Holiness is an acquired taste. Remember how the Psalmist put it? Ps 34:8- “O taste and see that the Lord is good; How blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him!” NASU So you taste of the Word, or you eat of the Bread of Life, and then you do the Word, or as James says, ‘become a do-er of the Word. And the more you ‘do the Word’, the more you develop a desire for the Word, a taste for the Word, and find yourself more and more wanting to obey the Word. And the more you obey the Word the more you discover God’s secret’. And this is a secret that, again, most people in the world do not know or understand, and that is, that the very key to happiness in life is obedience to God. Personal obedience to the Word of God is the key to personal happiness. Remember what God said? “Oh, that they would always have such a heart for Me, wanting to obey My commandments. Then all would go well with them…” In fact, in the Sermon on the Mount Jesus spends the very first part of it revealing to us all what the key to happiness really is, that we crave in life anyway. Personal happiness is the direct result of personal obedience to God.

Dads, give your kids and grand-kids and other kids the Beatitudes of Jesus and you will give them the keys to happiness in life. Teach them how to be happy. And teach them that in order to activate these keys to happiness that they will have to act upon them. But in order to act upon them they will have to call upon their Heavenly Father and ask Him to fill them with His spirit. And in order for Him to fill them with His spirit they will need to make room in their heart and life for Him by emptying out the stuff that’s already there, already in their old nature, like what we saw in that X-ray of the human heart. Again, that’s not pretty stuff. But if kids don’t learn what’s inside their sin nature, or if anyone doesn’t come to learn what’s inside their old nature, then they won’t know what they are supposed to be emptying out in the first place. They won’t know what they are supposed to be trying to get rid of day by day. Nor will they ever make room for God to fill them and grow His stuff, His fruit in them.

There’s an ancient motto that most of us have heard; it’s ‘Know Thyself’. But it’s really incomplete, because it should be: ‘Know Thyself, and then empty Thyself out!’ Empty Thyself out and be filled with God’s Spirit Himself! The last thing we need more of in life is more of ourselves and the first thing we need most of in life is more of Jesus and more of Himself activated in our life.

So Dads, Kids need a plan, we all need a plan. We all need God’s plan for how to activate the works and joys of the new nature that God has placed within us, birthed within us. It’s a share of God’s very own holy moral nature. And as we act on this nature, as we put His will in front of our will, as we obey His word, we discover what we always wanted anyway; happiness. And the way to be happy is to trust and obey.

Some Helps for Earthly Dads from Our Heavenly Father

Study Guide , June 16, 2019

Pastor Clay Olsen

So Dads, you get a whole day to enjoy the good of what you’ve done, who you are, and what you mean, not only to your family, but to others beyond number, and for time without end. So way to go, and press on Brothers.

And have you noticed, that Dads tend to come up with a lot of just practical stuff to say and pass on to their kids. They just cut right to the chase, as they say. Here are some examples. And perhaps you heard your own Dad say something like these, and maybe even said them yourselves.

Like: “Measure once, cut twice. Measure twice, cut once.” Or – “Don’t make me stop this car”. Or – “I’m going to cloud up and rain all over you!” Or – “Don’t wrestle with a pig. You both get dirty, but the pig likes it better.” Then – “As long as your feet are under my supper table, you’ll follow my rules.”

Then here was some counsel from a Dad to a guy wanting to date his daughter: “If you drive up to our house, park in the driveway and honk the horn, you better be delivering a pizza because you won’t be taking out my daughter.”

This is a good one, too- “I’m not yelling at you. I’m helping you hear.” Or – “God gave you two ears and one mouth, because you need to listen twice as much as you talk.” I remember hearing that from my parents!

How about this practical help? “Right to tight and left to loose.” And this is good: “No matter what happens, you can always come home.” Sounds like the father of the prodigal son on that one.

Anyway, those are some helpful helps from Dads, wouldn’t you say? Of course, the best helps for all of us earthly Dads come from our Heavenly Father. So let’s ponder some of them for a bit.

We’re not going in any particular order, rather, we want to just make some key observations about our wonderful Heavenly Father, and then by the enabling grace of God’s Spirit, we are to then try to be more and more like our loving God in all things…here in being a father, or grand-father, or even a father figure to others.

I have often carried a card that lists the attributes of God. And one of them says, ‘Because God never changes…my future is secure and eternal.’ That’s great. But because God never changes, not only is my future secure, my present is also secure as well, especially in knowing just what my Heavenly Father is like. In fact, since Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and forever, it enables each of us to be secure in knowing just what our God is like. And not only can we know what our God is like, but we can then also know what He will do in different situations, as well as what He won’t do, and so on. We know how God dealt with His people in the past and thus we know how He will deal with His people in the present. Or to personalize it, God has basically let me know how He is going to deal with me, as well as how He thinks about me, and how He will treat me at all times, when I’m faithful and even when I fall short, and so on.

The point is; it’s by knowing this unchanging nature of God, as well as His unchanging nurture toward His children, towards me, that it then gives me great security, assurance, and peace in my relationship with my God. And the thing is Dads, this same attribute of this unchangeableness will do the same for your family.

Kids need to know what their Dad is like, and what He will be like with them, in good times and in bad. They need a Dad that is unchanging in his love for them, unchanging in his care for them, unchanging in his treatment of them and dealing with them. In other words, Dads need to be consistent. Dads need to let their kids know, let their family know, who you will be and what you will be like, regardless of whatever the situation is. When Dads are unstable, inconsistent, unfair, and uncontrolled in their actions and reactions and treatment of their children, it creates a continual stress and tension and confusion in the relationship. And that has damaging effects on everyone, and can ruin a relationship for a lifetime, as well as dishonor the Lordship of Christ over your family.

Basically, Dads are not to be moody. There’s no place for ‘moodiness’ in Fatherhood. Do not allow yourself to be moody. Fatherhood has a higher calling. It’s called ‘Duty’. So Dads: ‘Don’t be moody, just do your duty’. ‘No moody – just duty.’ Even if it’s not something you’re troubled about with your children or wife; like even if it’s something you’re disappointed about in or with yourself, say, in how you dealt with your kids or your wife, or handled some situation. Being down on yourself is like trusting in yourself. Who are you trusting in really? Remember, to be disappointed in yourself is to have trusted in yourself. But God hasn’t called us to trust in ourselves; we are called to look away from ourselves and fully place our trust in Him. That’s exactly what the Apostles did in all things: 2 Cor 3:4-6- “Such confidence we have through Christ toward God. Not that we are adequate in ourselves to consider anything as coming from ourselves, but our adequacy is from God, who also made us adequate as servants of a new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.” NASU

So our trust is to continually be in the Lordship of Christ and in the adequacy that God supplies us with through the power of the Holy Spirit. Again, what your family needs is your consistency in trusting in the grace and the guidance and the adequacy that comes from God. Remember: “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me”, not ‘I can do all things in and of myself’. If you’re going to distrust anything, distrust yourself. Don’t get down on yourself, just distrust yourself. None of us are adequate in and of ourselves to be the men, the husbands, or the dads that we are called to be. We need to be realists about this, but also then be optimists about this, knowing that through Christ we can be more and more the person God created us to be…as long as we trust in His ways and not ours; and look to His adequacy, not ours.

This counsel from Prov 3:5-6 is also some of the best counsel for Dads: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.” NASU

So again, remember: ‘No moody – just duty’. Do not permit yourself to be moody, but rather, commit yourself to be consistent in your attitude and in your emotions and in your treatment of your family. And as you do so, you will help grow security and stability in your family, as well as the blessings of victory for you as you enjoy overcoming your old self and becoming your new self in Christ more and more, just like our memory verse talked about.

Next, in one of the most remarkable things God ever said about Himself is what He said in Jer 3:19. And we actually get to hear God thinking out loud about one of His deepest longings. Listen to what God says: “I thought to Myself, ‘I would love to treat you as My own children! I wanted nothing more than to give you this beautiful land—the finest possession in the world. I looked forward to your calling me ‘Father’, and I wanted you never to turn from Me.” NLT Isn’t that amazing? God looked forward to having children who would call Him ‘Father’. God wanted a family. That’s really why He created mankind in the first place. You knew that, right? God wanted sons and daughters that He could call His children forever, and He wanted them…He wanted you and me to call Him – ‘Father’.

Now then, what this also reveals, and what all of us Dads can be helped by here, is that as our Father, God wanted to care for us and to take care of us. Just think about what He said: He looked forward to us calling Him “Father”. He didn’t resist the idea of being needed, no, instead, He relished it. And not only did He relish the idea of being needed, He took delight in being our Father and in doing the things that a Father would do.

Before we go on we need to stop right here a moment to let ourselves be stunned a little bit more…meaning; Do you ever think about the fact that God looked forward to being your Father, and looked forward to you calling Him your ‘Father’? How many of us, when we think about our relationship with God, we still think about it as though God is still a little bit reluctant about it all, still a bit reluctant about this relationship He has with us. Bruce Wilkinson put it this way; he said that many of us live our lives with this lingering idea that God is always a little bit miffed at us. You know what he’s saying here? Brother….Sister…you need to drop that thought, drop that falsehood as soon as it pops into your head, because God has always looked forward to being your Father. He has always looked forward to having you call Him ‘Father’, and to then relating to you, and taking care of you as your Father, now and forever. Remember how amazed the Psalmist was about this fact? Ps 103:11-13- “For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is His lovingkindness toward those who fear Him. As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us. Just as a father has compassion on his children, So the Lord has compassion on those who fear Him.” NASU

It’s like the Psalmist saying to us: “You really need to get a grasp on this. However much you think God loves you…you need to think again, because you haven’t even come close to how much He really does love you. It’s like trying to measure the height of the heavens above the earth.” Or like he’s saying: “However compassionate you think God feels about you…you need to think again, because you’ve only just scratched the surface of the depths of how God delights in being your own Father…your perfect Father, who only wants good and peace and joy for you.”

If you will let yourself get a handle on how God really feels about you it will be life changing, as it was for the Psalmist. Remember what Jesus told the Disciples? John 14:2-3 – “In My Father’s house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you. If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also.” NASU

Guess what? Jesus said that to you. Sometimes we miss the powerful truths of what God is saying to us because we tend to think that it’s just something He said to others. Jesus was not just saying this to the twelve…He was saying it to the ‘ones’ as well. He was saying that to everyone who is His disciple; to everyone who is a child of God the Father. Listen again as God says to you, by paraphrasing it: “I’m going to prepare a place for you in Heaven. And then I’m coming back to get you. (And why?) I’m doing this because I want you to be with Me forever.” Did you just hear what God said to you? Are you catching more and more of how God really feels about you?

Now here’s the thing: Part of what we are saying here Dads, is that we can only pass on to our children what we have received from our Heavenly Father. Therefore, the more we will seek to learn about how our Heavenly Father really feels about us, and what He wants to do for us and is trying to do for us, and the more we let ourselves experience what God want us to experience in our relationship with Him, who is our perfect Father, that is when we will be more equipped to pass on some of that kind of love to those who call us ‘Father’.

Thankfully, God created us to naturally love and naturally share many caring virtues with our families. We see the remnants of these qualities even in many unconverted parents around the world. But the thing is, we don’t naturally have the ‘fruit of the Holy Spirit’. These qualities and virtues are of God. And they are intended to be developed and matured through our relationship with our God and then through growing this special fruit of the Holy Spirit in order to ultimately connect children to our Perfect Parent, our Heavenly Father, who longs for us all to call Him: ‘Father’.

Remember, part of the frustration and weariness in parenting is trying to pass on what you don’t naturally have much of…the fruit of the Holy Spirit. No wonder so many Dads are weary. We need to regularly go to the source of Fatherhood; we need to continually commune with our Heavenly Father Himself, and then let ourselves drink from the fountain of His love. We need to regularly draw from the well of His joy, His peace, His patience, His goodness…and so on. And when we let ourselves believe what God is actually telling us and let ourselves receive what our God actually has for us; His fruit of the Spirit; then we’ll have something of that to pass on to those who call us ‘Father’.

Interesting isn’t it, how parenting basically comes down to one principle? ‘Pass it on’. We look to our Creator who says to us: “I want you to call Me, ‘Father’.” And then we watch what our Heavenly Father does for His children, and we listen to what our Heavenly Father says to His children, and we receive what our Heavenly Father gives to His children. And so then when it comes to our children, God basically just says to us: “Now then, just pass it on. Just pass on to them what I have passed on to you.”

Promises Over Problems, Pt. 3

Study Guide , June 9 2019

Pastor Clay Olsen

Some of you have probably gone through some obstacle courses, especially if you were in the military you no doubt did the obstacle course training. One interesting thing is that we are all in the military.

2 Tim 2:3-4- “Suffer hardship with me, as a good soldier of Christ Jesus. No soldier in active service entangles himself in the affairs of everyday life, so that he may please the one who enlisted him as a soldier.” NASU So every Christian is also a Christian soldier. And even though every Christian soldier will face hardship, hardship is not to be our priority focus. Rather our priority focus is to be on pleasing our Lord who enlisted us…redeemed us. And we’ll focus more about that in a moment. But the other interesting thing about all of this is that all of life actually is an obstacle course. Really, if we could look at life all at once, we would see it as one long obstacle course from end to end. We usually refer to obstacles as ‘problems’. Or, life has been described as a long series of problems; and as one gets solved the next one in line steps up. Usually though, several seem to step up at a time…or they cut in line, you know what I mean?

But before you get too bummed out about what we’re saying here we need to say this: Just remember: Our problems are not permanent, but God’s promises are! And we’ll talk more about that in a bit, too. But lets go back to the focus point now. Although life is one long obstacle course, where we will face one problem after the next, we have been given the key to enduring it all and to overcoming it all. And it has to do with this ‘priority focus’. Here it is: Heb 12:1-2- “Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” NASU

There are several powerful points we could unpack from this passage, but what we are going to point out here is this priority focus for our lives. Again, problems are not permanent, however, problems tend to have a strange effect on us. Meaning, problems tend to create a problem within the problem…and this problem within the problem is the problem of ‘fixation’. Again, problems are not permanent, but we tend to fixate on them as though they were. But they’re not. It’s like the guy who went to the Doctor and said, “Doc, whenever I do this my leg hurts.” And so the Doctor said, “Well, don’t do that!” Now, this is not as simple as that, but what we are getting at is whenever we face a problem, we definitely do have a choice to make; because every problem triggers a choice – a choice to fixate on the problem or to fixate on something else. And here is where the Christian has this amazing provision for dealing with problems, especially this push from problems to fixate on something, because as Christians, in all things we are called to fixate on Christ. We are counseled to ‘fix our eyes on Jesus’, the author and perfecter of faith.

Think about that a moment; ‘the author and perfecter of faith’. We know that Jesus is Himself the ‘way’ to life eternal, as in: John 14:6- “…I am the way, and the truth, and the life…” NASU So Jesus is ‘the way’ to having a relationship with God and eternal life. But in addition, we learn from this passage in Hebrews that Jesus is also ‘the way’ to ‘live life’. Jesus is both the beginning of our new eternal life, and He is also the perfecter or the provision for our life in the present. Remember, in our first study on this topic we pointed out that as those who are Christians, those who are ‘In Christ’, our life is now a shared life, or Christ shares in whatever we have to endure or experience in life. And therefore what this also means is that we now get to share in what Christ can provide us with in whatever it is that we have to deal with in this life. Remember: Phil 4:13- “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” NKJV

Now then, in order to do all things through Christ we first have to look ‘to Christ’. And not just look to Christ now and again, but we are to ‘fix our eyes on Christ’, who is the way to have eternal life and the way to live life in the present…even the way to handle the inevitable obstacles and hardships and problems that are all part of life in this present world. Again, thank the Lord they are not permanent, but they are persistent. And that’s why, when these problems arise, and as they demand that we choose to fixate on them, we take our stand and say: “NO! I am choosing to fix my eyes on Jesus, who strengthens me, and through whom I can do all things, such as dealing with this problem!” Again, don’t let trying to fix the problem turn into another problem; a fixation on the problem, a fixation and a continual dwelling on the problem, or surrendering to the problem…No, rather, we are to choose to have our fixation be upon our Lord and Savior, who has overcome all things and will share His victories of overcoming all things with us. But we have to ‘fix our eyes on Jesus’.

So the question that arises from this is: So just how do we ‘fix our eyes on Jesus’? We sort of imagine us walking around looking up, but then running into things or tripping over things and such. But it’s not where you are looking, but to Whom you are looking…to Whom you are looking to lead you and guide you in all things. To ‘fix your eyes on Jesus’ is to develop the habit of focusing first on Jesus and the promises of Jesus over and above everything else, including those pesky problems that try to demand all of our attention. Don’t give in to the demands of your daily problems. Problems want to be served like they are the master of your life. But they are not! Yes, seek to solve problems, but don’t serve them. We have a Master who we serve, the Lord Jesus Christ. And Jesus knows how to solve problems. Jesus knows how to deal with problems. And as we choose to serve Him, He will guide us in solving problems. Why, Jesus will even make our problems serve us!

You mean we can make our problems serve us rather than us serving our problems? Yes, and that’s just another feature of our amazing relationship with Jesus, who strengthens us, and through whom we can do all things. Even with the problems of life that seek to demand that we serve their agenda, we can make them submit to our agenda, or rather, submit to Christ’s agenda for our lives, and make our problems serve us.

Remember, we earlier pointed out that Paul made even his imprisonment turn out for the greater good of the gospel. Factor that concept into this whole concept of problems and tribulations. If problems are going to barge into your life, be sure to let them know they are going to have to serve your agenda, not theirs. If problems are going to be a pain for you, make them produce something of a greater good for you. If problems are going to make you go through the process of dealing with them, make problems go through your process of producing good for you. For example: We had Rom. 5:1 as our memory verse for the week, but notice what follows it: Rom 5:1-4- “Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope. Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.” NKJV

Yes, problems are a pain, but you can make them produce something productive for you! Yes, we would prefer that problems would just pass right on by our house, but if they do stop at your door, make them produce more PCH for you…Perseverance, Character, and Hope. Make problems serve your agenda of conforming more and more into the image of Christ. And by the grace of God, and through the power of God’s Spirit working in us, we can make struggles, sickness, sorrow, or suffering produce perseverance, character, and hope…PCH. And the result of producing more perseverance, character, and hope is both blessings for going through these problems and obstacles of this life, and also rewards in our coming experience of the joys of the Kingdom in our life that is yet ahead of us. So God has given us a way to make even the problems of this world produce greater blessings and greater rewards for His children; for us.

Here’s another concept in connection with this goal of making problems serve you and produce a greater good for you. And it’s this: By having this focus you will also learn how to turn the tables on Satan’s schemes against you. What do we mean? Well, there is something that Satan does understand about humans, and that is, he understands ‘human nature’. In other words, Satan knows what buttons to push. He knows that outside problems can be used to exacerbate our inside problems; and thus make things even worse in people’s lives. For example: Satan knows what tempts human nature. He knows that human nature has a bent toward self-pride and toward envy and toward immorality and toward ingratitude and toward grumbling and toward blame and anger and on and on.

But the point is that part of Satan’s schemes is to use the trials outside of us to trigger the troubles that are inside of us, and thus then make even more of a mess of us than the mess that is already in us. In other words, he attempts to make our problems even worse than they already are by tempting us to react to them according to our human nature rather than according to our new nature; the new nature that we now share with Jesus Christ. But, once again, praise God, God has already provided a way to have victory over any and all of the things that tempt us to react wrongly or to choose wrongly. Rather, God has already planned steps of victory over Satan’s schemes against us. Notice 1 Cor 10:13- “No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it.” NASU

Talk about encouragement from God! And talk about promises from God! First, God promises His faithfulness in helping us overcome any and all temptations. Then God promises that He will make sure that there will be a limit placed upon whatever temptation it is. He promises that we will never be tempted beyond what we are able to bear. It reminds me though of what one Christian guy said about that. He put it this way: “Lord, I know You said You wouldn’t permit me to be tempted beyond what I was able to bear…but I just wish You wouldn’t think so highly of me.” But really though, that’s one thing we can know for sure, that not only is victory possible over any and all temptations, but through Christ victory is assured, if, and again, we will fix our eyes on Jesus and act on what Jesus instructs us to do about it.

And yet, there is still another promise and big time encouragement in this passage and it’s this: In every temptation there is also a way of escape. Praise God! You know, sometimes temptations come at you from many sides, like an ambush. But now we know that in every ambush God has already provided a way of escape, a way out of the mess. So as far as the problems that come with temptations we know that there is a promised way of escape in this immediate world. It’s like with what is said about Moses in Heb 11:24-26- “By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, choosing rather to endure ill-treatment with the people of God than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin, considering the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt; for he was looking to the reward.” NASU So Moses chose the way of escape in this immediate world from the passing pleasures of sin, even though he would endure some ill-treatment for the time being. Still, even from that, he knew that his reward in the eternal world would be greater than anything he had to endure from this present world.

Which points out that we are to understand that since we live in a world of tribulation, some trials and tribulations will dog us until we leave this temporary world. Now as far as temptations, we can have immediate escape from them in this world…if that’s what we are looking for. Yet for some, it’s like John Walvoord put it: He said the problem with temptations and some believers, like some of those Corinthians, is that they are not looking for endurance, they are looking for indulgence. But that’s another problem.

Now, it’s important to note that this passage differentiates between temptations and tribulations. It’s like with the tribulation of persecution of the followers of Christ over the years, like with John the Baptist and the Apostles for example. Their escape from persecution was an ultimate escape of this temporal world and into the eternal world. So we need to be clear about that: Since Christ died for us in this world, we need to be willing to die for Him in this world. We also need to be willing to die to this world, even while we live, and to die because of this world, if need be. But as far as temptations go, they escaped every temptation immediately in this temporal world, because God provided the way and they took it! But, again, be careful for what you expect God to do and in which world He has promised to do it. Remember, rewards for running the race of faith are given after the race has been run, not before you finish running. Yes, praise God, there are certainly blessings in this present world, and blessings of the fruit of the Spirit and the strength and joy of experiencing Christ’s power and His presence all throughout the race in this present world. But again, this present world is the time for running the race. The finish line is yet before us, along with rewards of running it faithfully.

And our example on how to run our race is our Lord Himself and how He ran it, as we saw in the last part of that passage of Heb 12:1-4- “…since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting Him, He endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now He is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne. Think of all the hostility He endured from sinful people; then you won’t become weary and give up. After all, you have not yet given your lives in your struggle against sin.” NLT

Fight sin, run the race of faith faithfully, fix your eyes on Jesus, put God’s promises on top of your problems, and that will let you master your problems by making them serve your Master and produce reward for you.

Promises Over Problems, Pt. 2

Study Guide , June 2, 2019

Pastor Clay Olsen

So, what surprises you? Maybe something like when you are asked a question about ‘what surprises you’? No, but we are usually surprised by things like, a loud noise or a flash of light or a slithery creature in your yard. Or, we can be surprised even by good things, like an unexpected present or a friend you haven’t seen in a long time, and so on, right? But here’s something that we are told that is not to surprise us, even though it’s kind of surprising to find out what it is. Here it is:1 Peter 4:12- “Dear friends, don’t be surprised at the fiery trials you are going through, as if something strange were happening to you.” NLT

So one thing that shouldn’t surprise us is trials, or problems; especially when we are trying to do good things. Remember, we live in an oppositional world. Sometimes you hear some people described as having an ‘oppositional disorder’. And they mean that these people seem to have a strong bent to taking the opposite side or opposing point or opposite action against anything, even against good things. So whether they are children or adults, they just tend to be oppositional; they just tend to be quite contrary about nearly everything.

Guess what? We live in a world that has a serious ‘oppositional disorder’, especially against everything that is godly and everything that is of God; like truth and righteousness and holiness and godly authority and God’s commandments. We live in a contrary world that opposes what it true and right and godly, including God’s people. In fact, the Apostle John even said: 1 John 3:13- “Do not be surprised, brethren, if the world hates you.” NASU

So we are not to be surprised by the trials and problems of this world, nor even be surprised that some people of this world who have not surrendered their lives to Christ hate those that have. Instead, we are to get ready for all of this and be ready for all of this, just like the world is at war or something. And speaking of war; in the research done on this, it was discovered that in the 3,440 years of world history that were examined only 268 of those years could be described at years of peacetime in the world. That is quite a commentary on the nature of mankind. But actually, it’s even worse than that, because ever since the entrance of the toxin of sin, the poison of sin in the hearts of man and into the environment of the world, and especially with the presence of the evil spirits as well, this world has been ‘at war’ ever since the Fall of Man! Outside of Adam and Eve, before they sinned, no one has ever lived in a world at peace…no, everyone has lived their entire lives in a world at war…at war spiritually and physically. And so the basic answer to one of the most common questions asked, about ‘why bad things happen in this world?’ is because bad things happen in war; and that is what this world is in; a war. This world is in a constant state of war…war between the animal kingdom, war between the human kingdom, and war between the spirit kingdom. That’s why we have Eph 6:10-14- “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might. Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm.” NASU

Now, we’ve examined the details of this passage in other studies, so we’re not going to expound on each of these. The point is, one thing that the Scriptures particularly inform us about and warn us about is that this present world is basically a war zone. And therefore, we dare not forget that we live in a world at war, nor neglect to remember that we live in a world at war, otherwise we will begin to mistakenly expect peace from this world. Now, praise God, one day there will be peace in the world, but it is not this world! It is the world that is coming, when our King returns and imposes His peace upon His world.

But the point is, since we live in a war zone it means that hardship, trials, sufferings, and just everyday problems are not to surprise us. Rather, we are to expect them and thus, prepare for them, but also be assured, that we will overcome them through the grace and power of God.

And this is all very important to both remember and to regularly remind ourselves about, because when these inevitable trials and struggles and problems hit us, even faithful and noble believers can get knocked off balance a bit in their faith. And they start thinking that something is wrong with either them or with their faith, and they just sort of get thrown for a loop. You know what we’re saying here, right? Remember, even John the Baptist got thrown a bit by the trials that hit him and he then needed some reaffirming by Jesus. So each of us needs to be careful not to add to whatever struggle or problem that you are dealing with by beating yourself up on top of it all. Instead, make sure that you grab hold of the right tool to deal with it all. Listen to how King David handled his afflictions. Ps 119:92- “If I had not found joy in Your teachings, my suffering would have destroyed me.” ERV

Not only for King David, but for each of us, our hope in the midst of hardship is the joy that is found in the promises of God’s Word. And this joy, that has it’s source in the Scriptures, then becomes the strength that we need to strive against our struggles. Like with John the Baptist, Jesus’ words assured him that his sufferings were not in vain, but rather, they were because he was doing exactly what he was commissioned to do as he fought the good fight for his Messiah and King. You see, God’s promises are what supply us with the power to prevail over the problems of this world, whether they come from people or from pain or from whatever the trial is.

Again, that is what the Psalmist went on to point out in Ps 119:143- “As pressure and stress bear down on me, I find joy in Your commands.” NLT Problems create pressure, don’t they? And unless you have a relief valve for the pressure, something’s going to blow! God’s promises are the relief valve.

For example: When enemies apply pressure against you, you can fight and relieve it with this:

Ps 27:1-3 – The Lord is my light and my salvation; Whom shall I fear? The Lord is the defense of my life; Whom shall I dread? When evildoers came upon me to devour my flesh, My adversaries and my enemies, they stumbled and fell. Though a host encamp against me, My heart will not fear; Though war arise against me. In spite of this I shall be confident.” 6 – “And now my head will be lifted up above my enemies around me, And I will offer in His tent sacrifices with shouts of joy; I will sing, yes, I will sing praises to the Lord.” NASU

So our confidence is in God’s promises and in His working out His promises in the midst of our problems. And once we place our confidence in God’s promises then we can become committed in our actions. And once we become committed in our actions then we can become contented in our attitude. But you see, one problem with problems is that when problems arise we tend to relinquish control of our attitude to the problem. We let the problem have control of our attitude. And once we give up control of our attitude to anything or to anyone except to God the Holy Spirit, then our confidence in how its all going to work out then begins to crumble. And when our confidence in how its all going to work out begins to crumble, then our commitment to acting in faithfulness begins to flag. And when our commitment to acting in faithfulness begins to flag, then our contentment in our attitude becomes discontentment in everything. You see, It’s all about who or what you let control your attitude. Friends, Do not relinquish control of your attitude to anyone or anything, but to God the Holy Spirit and the Word of God’s Spirit; the Scriptures. Because God’s Word is the source of truth. And truth is what sets you free, but error binds you up; binds up your mind and spirit and emotions.

Here’s another example: When the pressure of confusion comes against you, you can take your seat with Job and relieve it with this: Job 42:1-6- “Then Job answered the Lord, “I know that You can do everything and that Your plans are unstoppable. You said, ‘Who is this that belittles My advice without having any knowledge about it?’ Yes, I have stated things I didn’t understand, things too mysterious for me to know. You said, ‘Listen now, and I will speak. I will ask you, and you will teach Me. ‘I had heard about You with my own ears, but now I have seen You with my own eyes. That is why I take back what I said, and I sit in dust and ashes to show that I am sorry.” God’s Word Version

As Job came to understand: There is no peace looking for ‘why’. There is only peace looking for ‘Who’, looking to ‘Who’…looking to the One who Himself is our peace. Job learned that peace is a Person, not an explanation. And unless we learn that as well, we will always have a restless soul. Even if we do find some reprieve now and again from the relentless problems of life, we will never experience true peace in our soul, peace in our mind, and peace in our emotions. But by putting God’s promises on top of our problems and in trusting in the Person of Peace, the Prince of Peace, we can have both relief from the pressures created by our problems and have that peace that passes all understanding.

Sometimes we wonder why God just didn’t explain all of Job’s ‘whys’ about his problems. Again, understanding could have provided some relief, but understanding can’t provide peace to your soul, because that is something that is beyond understanding.

Think about trying to explain what you feel when you fall in love. There are about

10,000 songs trying to explain love, but the reality of love is something that is beyond explanation, but not beyond experience. What’s required is trusting that the love will be reciprocated, or essentially, trusting that the love you are experiencing also exists in the one that you love. Well, rest assured, for what have we learned about God? 1 John 4:16-17- “We know how much God loves us, and we have put our trust in His love. God is love, and all who live in love live in God, and God lives in them.” NLT So God is love. And though we cannot explain it, we can experience the love of God when we receive God in Jesus Christ, who is Himself…the essence of ‘Love’, just as He is the essence of ‘Peace’.

Again, thankfully, God has already explained volumes of things to us; about His creation and about our great salvation, and even about His coming Kingdom. But in the things that are beyond understanding, like His peace and His love and even many of the confusing trials and problems of life…He has given us His promises to deal with those. And as we trust in His promises, and put His promises over our problems, we then experience His love and His peace. But we have to realize that God’s promises first lead us to God, lead us into communion with God, lead us to an experience of God, not just to an explanation about God or an explanation about problems. Point being, if you are only looking for explanations about God or explanation about problems without having the desire to commune with God and to experience God, you will still be left out in the cold, spiritually speaking.

For example: It’s good to intellectually understand something about why and how the Sun creates heat, but that’s not how you experience how it feels. It’s only when you step out into its presence that you then feel the warmth for yourself. If you want to experience the promises of God and the power of God and the peace of God you have to do more than just try to intellectually understand it; no, you have to step by faith into the very presence of God, with the intention of communing with the Person of God and with the intention of committing yourself to reciprocate this love of God; and commit yourself to trusting in His love for you. That’s when you experience the peace that passes understanding and the power of His promises over the pressures of your problems.

Now, thankfully, there are some really helpful works that have connected God’s promises with topics of many of the problems and trials that we deal with in life. And you will find that these various ‘Bible Promises’ books can be of great help. But again, the only way to get these promises off the pages of the books is by getting into the presence of Christ; seeking to walk with Christ and to then work with Christ in dealing with these problems. Remember, to activate the promises we have to activate our faith, or act in faith by looking to Christ as our Lord and looking at ourselves as His servants, ready and willing to do what He says to do, all the while trusting in what He tells us to trust, and then letting go of what He tells us to let go of, along with holding onto what He tells us to hold onto.

So our focus has to be on the Person of Christ in order to experience the promises of Christ. And when our focus is on Christ, when we put Christ in front of our problems, then we begin to see more of Jesus and less of our problems. And that’s just how the world should look to us…more of Jesus and less of everything else.

Promises Over Problems

Study Guide , May 26, 2019

Pastor Clay Olsen

You know how when you sit around a campfire and you take a stick and stir it up a bit? What happens? Right, when you stir it up or when the wind blows on it, the sparks fly up from it. Well, listen to this: “For man is born for trouble, As sparks fly upward.” Job 5:7 NASU

One of the most natural, normal, and common things that characterize this world in which we live is – trouble, or troubles. Troubles are to be as expected as the sparks that fly up from a fire whenever you stir it up or the wind blows onto it. Jesus especially pointed this out as something that we were to expect to deal with in this world: John 16:33- “These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world.” NASU Essentially, Jesus said: ‘Expect tribulation…expect troubles.’ But, and praise God, He also said to expect something else: Expect overcoming them all!

In many industries they have what they basically call ‘Trouble Shooters’, from Electronic to Automotive to Financial industries: They employ ‘Trouble Shooters’. And these Trouble Shooters then look for the inevitable troubles in these industries and plan for and prepare for dealing with them as they arise. So how about this: Another identity of Christians is that we, too, are – ‘Trouble Shooters’. We are to plan for and to prepare for dealing with the inevitable tribulations, trials, and troubles that regularly fly up, as do sparks from a fire.

So now when people ask you what you do in life you can tell them: “Well, I am a Teacher and a Trouble Shooter”, or a “Mechanic and a Trouble Shooter”, or a Commercial Fisherman and a Trouble Shooter”…and so on. Of course, you will need to be prepared to explain that last part a bit, since they will have probably never heard anyone say that before.

But, again, the deal is that one particular thing about Trouble Shooters is this; they expect trouble! And not only do they expect trouble, but they are continually planning for ways to most effectively deal with these troubles that they are expecting. And thankfully, as those who have been redeemed by the Lord God, who has already overcome the world, we have the assurance that, as ‘overcomers’ with our Savior, we will also overcome all these troubles as well. And we’ll get into more about how we do that when we start describing the most effective tool God has given us to overcome troubles, and that is – the Promises of God. But we first need to clarify the reality of this world a bit more, and even more important – clarify our understanding of our Lord and God, who has overcome this world.

Actually, let’s start with a powerful promise from God before we examine this ‘problem’ aspect of it all. I know I’d feel better about talking about problems if we first laid a promise over the top of it all. How about you? And one of my favorite go-to promises is this: (And if you don’t mind I’m going to give it in three versions to get the impact of it)

Isa 41:10- “Do not fear, for I am with you; Do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, surely I will help you, Surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.” NASU

Isa 41:10- “Don’t be afraid, for I am with you. Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with My victorious right hand.” NLT

Isa 41:10- “Don’t worry—I am with you. Don’t be afraid—I am your God. I will make you strong. I will help you. I will support you with My right hand that brings victory.” ERV How wonderful is that promise from God? God tells us we can have victory over our fear or fears through His presence, we can have victory over our weakness or weaknesses through His strength, and we can have victory over our foe or foes through the help of His victorious right hand.

So part of the point we are making is that because of God’s precious promises to us, such as this powerful one from Isaiah, we are never to let any trouble that comes our way go uncontested. In other words, whatever fights against us, we fight back in the good fight of faith and with the promises of God’s Word! What we mean here is that whenever a trouble, trial, or problem steps up we are to lay a promise on it…as in ‘lay one on it’…like a ‘whack a mole’ lay one on it! In other words, as God’s children, we are to let the problem know that it is going to have to deal with our God as well, since whatever touches us touches our God, and so our God is surely going to be in on this fight, or this battle, or whatever the trouble is that has come to us. So when trouble does come to us, it’s going to have to contend with God’s presence, God’s strength, and God’s working in us and for us.

And this is also a key reality that we are to understand about how we do all of life, ever since God united His life to us and us to Him through our forever union of salvation. Meaning, that whatever is happening to us is also happening to Christ, since we are united with Christ. For example: Remember when Paul was persecuting the followers of Christ before he became a follower of Christ himself? Do you remember what Jesus said to him about what he had actually been doing? Acts 22:6-8- “But it happened that as I was on my way, approaching Damascus about noontime, a very bright light suddenly flashed from heaven all around me, and I fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to me, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?’ “And I answered, ‘Who are You, Lord?’ And He said to me, ‘I am Jesus the Nazarene, whom you are persecuting.’” NASU You see, Jesus made it very clear that whatever is done to one of His people is as if it was actually being done to Him, since His people are His body…His church…His earthly temple in which He dwells.

Clearly understand this: Now that you are in union with Jesus Christ, from here on out, whatever is done to you by the world, the flesh, or the devil is also being done to Christ. Whether it is social persecution, or physical persecution…or whether it is physical illness or emotional trials or mental stresses…whatever it is, it is also being experienced by Jesus, since Jesus and you are living a shared life both now and forever. God has also revealed to us that even our physical body has become His temple in which God the Holy Spirit dwells. So, again, know that whatever you are experiencing becomes the experience of Christ, with whom you are forever united.

And the implications of this reality are simply astounding. For example: Like whenever we are suffering through an illness, we sometimes wonder why it is happening to us. But since our body is now the temple of the Holy Spirit, the bigger question is; why is God permitting this illness to happen to Him, to happen to His temple…to happen to His body that we share with Him? Just like Jesus experienced the persecution of His people in the book of Acts, He experiences the persecution or the pain or the illness or the suffering in His people today, since He has united His spirit with His children. Again, that is simply astounding!

For one thing, this reveals to us that, yes, God does know exactly what we are going through in any trial or illness or whatever it is that we are enduring because He is actually going through it with us and enduring it with us as well. That’s what being in union, present and eternal union, with Christ actually means. Remember Jesus’ words: “Whatever you have done to the least of these, you have done to Me”? That’s what Jesus said and that’s exactly what Jesus meant! He sensed what they were sensing! He experienced what they were experiencing. In fact, Jesus experiences whatever we have to experience as we suffer hardship, tribulation, afflictions, and suffering. God is revealing to us all that He really does feel our pain.

And once you get a grasp on that reality, it will change your thinking about all of your trials and troubles and sufferings, as from: “Lord, help me understand why I am suffering from this illness or disease or trial?” to “Lord, help me understand why ‘We’ are suffering from this illness or disease or trial?” Remember, God is going through it right along with you. Or even more, “Lord, help me understand why You are letting Yourself experience or suffer through this struggle?” Or, “Lord, how should ‘WE’ handle this trouble that has come to ‘us’? How are ‘WE’ going to deal with this struggle or conflict or pain?” The point again is that whatever you are going through, God is going through it with you. And therefore you and I are to think in terms of ‘WE’, not just ‘me’, whenever we face a trouble and then begin ‘shooting’ the trouble, or ‘trouble shooting’.

And, yes, sometimes we find out why…other times, we will have to wait to find out. But at all times we can trust in the fact that God is with us in it and is working on it and working through it. And we can rest in that. We can trust in that. And therefore we can also make sure that whatever problem it is does not get in the way of what brings honor to God and true joy and happiness to us; and that is, obedience to the Word of God. Remember, obedience to God’s Will and God’s Word is the key to both happiness in this world and to victory over this world…over the problems of this world. So as we trust in the working of God on our behalf we can get on with obeying everything else we have found out so far as to how we can best honor and serve the One who is also going through everything that we are going through in this world right alongside of us.

And remember, that’s one of the biggest troubles with ‘troubles’…is that ‘troubles’ tend to turn our attentions away from our main pursuit. Troubles tend to distract us from disciplines that define our life, like pursuing Christ-likeness. But once again, here is where we can turn the tables on troubles. And man is it satisfying turning the tables on troubles! Again, remember God can overcome anything this world throws at us to accomplish His ultimate purposes in us. Do you remember what Paul said about that? Phil 3:10- “All I want is to know Christ and the power that raised him from death. I want to share in His sufferings and be like Him even in His death.” ERV

Paul’s ultimate purpose was to be more like Christ, which is the ultimate purpose for all Christians. And Paul understood that even the sufferings that the world and the enemy intends for evil could be used in his pursuit of producing more and more of the image of Christ in him. And with that goal and that pursuit, sufferings lose every time, and God’s people win every time; they gain every time. Again, that’s all part of the ‘overcoming’ that God is making sure that comes to us, since we have to walk in this world of tribulation.

Yes, tribulation affects what happens to us, but it does affect who we are and what will become of it all. Look at this: “But we are citizens of heaven, where the Lord Jesus Christ lives. And we are eagerly waiting for Him to return as our Savior. He will take our weak mortal bodies and change them into glorious bodies like His own, using the same power with which He will bring everything under His control.” Phil 3:20-21 NLT In fact, we are more of a citizen of heaven than we are a citizen of earth. We are actually pilgrims and strangers on earth and true citizens of heaven. And with that being the case, the way to walk through this world is with one foot in Heaven and one foot on Earth. In other words, connect the two…connect the purposes of the two…even remember that every step we take on earth is one step closer to heaven. Heaven is where we are heading, and therefore we can make everything that happens here on earth produce something of lasting value for heaven. Even the sufferings of this world can be turned into offerings to God, which God will then compensate us for in the world to come, and even sometimes in this present world. And certainly, we have to trust Him for how that all works out, but remember, it always works out because God’s promises always come to pass. Amen? Very early on God’s people learned about that great truth: Josh 21:45- “Not one of the good promises which the Lord had made to the house of Israel failed; all came to pass.” NASU

So we are to clearly know that now, even what is bad in our lives can be transformed into a greater good that produces glory to God and gain in our lives, as well as for others! So as we go about as Trouble Shooters dealing with the continual troubles of this world, one thing we can be certain of is that these troubles are going to be turned into gain one way or another, especially, when like Paul, we make them submit to our overall pursuit of becoming more and more like Christ, even in the things we suffer.

We have great and precious promises from God to ensure this will be the case, so we can get on with pursuing what matters most…2 Cor 7:1- “Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all defilement of flesh and spirit, perfecting (pursuing) holiness in the fear of God.” NASU

Moms of Bible History – Wisdom for Eternity, Pt. 2

Study Guide – May 19, 2019

Pastor Clay Olsen

So Moms, how was your Mother’s Day? Hope is was special for you. But it probably went by pretty fast, right? So how about having another one today? Really, what we’re getting at is that last week we found out that we had some more wisdom to glean from some more Bible Moms, so we thought we needed to continue on for another study time. So here we go.

Say, do you know what kind of man Boaz was, from the Old Testament, before he got married? He was Ruth-less! Ruth-less…he was without Ruth…before he married Ruth…remember we were talking about Ruth in our last study. But before we talk more about Ruth…do you know what they call Pastors in Germany? German Shepherds! Makes sense, right? And do you what kind of car the Apostles drove? It was a Honda, because we’re told they were all in one Accord! We’re not really sure about that…

But what we are sure of is that Ruth, this later mother of Obed and grandmother of King David, was a godly woman from whom we all can learn great lessons. Like, last time we pointed out her virtues of initiative in servant-hood and her remarkable humility, from which God then exalted her in several ways; which, again, is one of the key things that we should all learn about the workings of God with people. He works according to the principle of – exalting the humble, but resisting the proud. That’s a fundamental principle to understand…He resists the proud, but exalts the humble.

So now, another example of Ruth’s virtuous ways is pointed out to us in an exchange between Ruth and her soon to be husband, Boaz. Look at this: Ruth 2:10-13- “Why have I found favor in your sight that you should take notice of me, since I am a foreigner?” Boaz replied to her, “All that you have done for your mother-in-law after the death of your husband has been fully reported to me, and how you left your father and your mother and the land of your birth, and came to a people that you did not previously know. May the Lord reward your work, and your wages be full from the Lord, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to seek refuge.” NASU

We need to know and also remember that each day that we live, we are not only saying things and doing things…not only working and serving…not only accomplishing things or assisting others and such…No, we need to understand that every day we are also writing more of the story of our lives. Your life is also your story, that is being read now, but will also be read forever when it becomes your ‘forever story’. Like with Ruth, everything that she did, especially like all the good things that had been fully reported to Boaz, became part of Ruth’s story.

Moms, everyday you are writing more of your story. Even the things that you do for others in your prayers and in your works, and even the things you would do if you had the opportunities or the resources to do them…they are all being recorded in your story. Everyone’s life is on record. Sometimes we read these stories of people in the Bible and we think they are the only ones with their life on record. Oh no! They are the ones we’ve been able to read about so far, but everyone’s life is on record. Even the unsaved have their entire lives on record, and the books of their lives will be opened at the last Judgment. But Believers lives especially are on record for the very purpose that Boaz pointed out: “May the Lord reward your work, and your wages be full from the Lord.” It’s also pointed out to us in Malachi 3:16 that God has what is called, a Book of Remembrance. And this, of course, is similar to what the Apostle Paul later reveals about the record that is being kept of our lives for the purpose of rewarding all of God’s children for their good works and good efforts and good prayers and such. Matthew Henry, a greatly esteemed Bible commentator, described this Book of Remembrance like this: “Not that the Eternal Mind needs to be reminded of things by books and writings, but it is an expression after the manner of men, intimating that their pious affections and performances are kept in remembrance as punctually and particularly as if they were written in a book, as if journals were kept of all their conferences. Great kings had books of remembrance written, and read before them, in which were entered all the services done for them, when, and by whom. God, in like manner, remembers the services of His people…God has a book for the sighs and tears of His mourners (Ps 56:8), much more for the pleadings of His advocates. Never was any good word spoken of God, or for God, from an honest heart, but it was registered, that it might be recompensed in the resurrection of the just, and in no wise lose its reward.”¹

Is that not only absolutely amazing, but also extremely encouraging to know? And even here, in talking about the works and the ways of Mothers, often the thoughts go up about so many of the things that Mothers do that seemingly go unnoticed. On the contrary, no good thing ever goes unnoticed. In fact, it’s even recorded in God’s Book of Remembrance. It becomes part of your inheritance, like Boaz stated…inheritance of your rewards from the Lord and your full wages from the Lord.

But Boaz wasn’t done with describing Ruth’s virtues and pointing out her character qualities, for when the situation develops to where there is then an opportunity for marrying Ruth he says this: Ruth 3:11- “Now, my daughter, do not fear. I will do for you whatever you ask, for all my people in the city know that you are a woman of excellence.” NASU

‘A woman of excellence’. The word ‘excellence’ means – ‘wealth of virtue, valor, strength, and character!’ So real ‘wealth’ in life has to do not with possessions, but with character and virtue. As Abraham Lincoln put it: “No man is poor who has had a godly Mother.” Ruth’s godliness was her ‘wealth’ even before she met and married this wealthy landowner. Her godliness was also her beauty, because what makes a woman beautiful is godliness. Remember that. And so every Christian woman who chooses to be godly also becomes beautiful.

There are certainly other virtues that we could glean from Ruth’s story, but lets move to another godly woman who was the Mother of John…John the Baptist. Her name of course was Elizabeth. And what we learn from the character of Elizabeth is also one of the strongest character traits that can be demonstrated in the life of a mature disciple of the Lord Jesus. You recall the account when Gabriel announced to Mary that of all the women in Judea that she had been chosen to be the earthly mother to the Messiah, the Savior of the world. No greater privilege or honor could be imagined or experienced than to be selected to be the earthly mother of the Son of God.

So Mary travels to see her cousin, and when she arrives we see this remarkable response from Elizabeth. Luke 1:42-43- “And she cried out with a loud voice and said, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! And how has it happened to me, that the mother of my Lord would come to me?” NASU

A reporter once asked the celebrated orchestra conductor Leonard Bernstein what was the most difficult instrument to play. Given Bernstein’s experience, and expertise, the reporter was eager to hear the great conductor’s valued opinion. To the reporter’s surprise, Leonard Bernstein replied without any hesitation whatever: “Second fiddle! I can always get plenty of first violinists, but to find one who plays second violin with as much enthusiasm, or second French horn, or second flute, now that’s a problem. And yet if no one plays second, we have no harmony.”

The ability to play second fiddle is not only a wonderful trait in the world of music; it is a necessary and noble role in life. A person’s success in life, a company’s growth in business, a church’s ministry impact will invariably be built upon the back of many who are willing to play the second fiddle well. Unsung heroes who do their work without complaining, who find joy in others success, who are willing to remain in the shadows or retreat from the spotlight so that others might shine.²

And before we point out some more thoughts about that, we need to highlight something else that happened in this encounter between Mary and Elizabeth, because on either side of Elizabeth’s joy, someone else’s joy is also described. Notice: Luke 1:41-44- “When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. And she cried out with a loud voice and said, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! And how has it happened to me, that the mother of my Lord would come to me? For behold, when the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby leaped in my womb for joy.” NASU

This is one of the most remarkable revelations we have describing the response abilities of the unborn child. While in the Mother’s womb the unborn John the Baptist, by the aid of God the Holy Spirit, recognizes the voice of the Mother of the Messiah and senses the presence of the Savior of the world, and leaps with joy! Not only is that an amazing encounter, but it’s also a powerful testimony of the personhood of the unborn and an absolute rebuke to abortionists. Only a living human being could experience the emotion of joy at the sound of the Messiah’s Mother and sense the presence of God the Savior. Tissue doesn’t leap with joy…only a baby, only a human child could do that!

So again, think of what an amazing mark of true discipleship Elizabeth demonstrated here. She demonstrated the ability to rejoice when good comes to others. And that is a key mark of a mature disciple. Certainly, Elizabeth was incredibly privileged to bear the one Jesus called ‘the greatest among men’, but the point again was how happy she genuinely was for Mary, and felt genuine humility and blessing that Mary would come and share that revelation with her.

And actually, that’s something that is really special about godly mothers, in that they teach us all how to better practice this essential ‘body life’ concept, or the ‘church life’ experience that we see being explained to us by Paul in Rom 12:15-16- “Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. Live in harmony with one another…” NIV Mothers show us all how to rejoice in the joys of others; as in with the joys of their children. And when their children suffer, they show us how to suffer together with them. They are a picture of what Paul is trying to communicate to the church about how discipleship is centered on others…on other brothers and sisters in Christ, and in doing life with an ‘others’ mindset, a ‘doing life together’ mindset instead of a ‘living for self’ and having just an ‘individualistic’ mindset.

That’s one of the hardest disciplines for the American church to develop, building a ‘one another – body life’ mentality and approach to doing life, since we live in such a ‘just live your life for yourself’ society. We live in a culture of the trinity of ‘me, myself, and I’. We are indebted to godly mothers who demonstrate how to live this ‘shared life’ mindset, where we can learn to share in the joys of others and to share in the suffering of others; where we learn to think of our own lives as being directly connected to the body of Christ…connected with His church…where we look at God’s children as our very own brothers and sisters, really, as extensions of ourselves, as we live in union with our Savior. Good lessons, Mothers!

And then we wanted to point out one other powerful lesson we glean from godly mothers and it’s described this way: 2 Tim 1:5- “I have been reminded of your sincere faith, which first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice and, I am persuaded, now lives in you also.” 3:14-17- “But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, and how from infancy you have known the holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” NIV

Timothy had the blessing of having a mother and a grandmother who were committed to the Scriptures. And they were committed to the Scriptures because they were committed to the Lord of the Scriptures. And they knew that the best thing they could do for this child, for Timothy, was to impart to him this greatest treasure the world has…the Word of God.

Godly mothers are especially gifted at teaching…teaching their children the Scriptures. And, of course, that’s what also makes them godly, because in loving God they then give those they love this great gift that God has given to us all…His very ‘Words of Life’. And godly mothers also know that through these ‘Words of Life’ their children can, like Timothy, come to faith in the source of Life, the Savior. For as Rom 10:17 reveals: saving faith comes by learning the words of Christ, the Scriptures. “So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ.” NASU

So mothers are great teachers, and when they teach the words of God, they become godly teachers. And then not only their children, but everyone around them benefits from that! These Moms from Bible history really do show us the wisdom to learn and the wisdom to then live by for eternity. So we are thankful for godly mothers and all of these life long lessons and life long blessings we have because of them.

1. Matthew Henry’s Commentary on the Whole Bible, PC Study Bible Formatted Electronic Database Copyright © 2006 by Biblesoft, Inc. All Rights reserved.

2. Playing Second Fiddle, knowthetruth.org

Moms of Bible History – Wisdom for Eternity

Study Guide , May 12, 2019

Pastor Clay Olsen

I came across a few things that some famous Mothers might have said…we don’t know, but they might have said it. Like: Michelangelo’s Mother: “Mike, can’t you just paint on walls like other children? Do you have any idea how hard it is to get that stuff off the ceiling?” Or Abraham Lincoln’s Mother: “Abe, can’t you just a wear a baseball cap like the other kids? Does it have to be that stovepipe one all the time?” Or Albert Einstein’s Mother: “It’s your senior picture Albert: Can’t you do something about your hair?” And then Jonah’s Mother: “That’s a nice story Jonah, but now tell me where you’ve really been for the last three days.”¹

Well, no, it’s not likely that they said these things…maybe, but we don’t know…What we do know is what we find that some Mothers from Bible history actually did say and do. And we can all glean a lot and benefit a lot from those wise words and deeds. So in honor of our Moms let’s look at these thoughts and deeds from some of your fellow Mothers.

Do these words sound familiar? Prov 31:2-9- “What, O my son? And what, O son of my womb? And what, O son of my vows? Do not give your strength to women, Or your ways to that which destroys kings. It is not for kings, O Lemuel, It is not for kings to drink wine, Or for rulers to desire strong drink, For they will drink and forget what is decreed, And pervert the rights of all the afflicted. 8-9- “Open your mouth for the mute, For the rights of all the unfortunate. Open your mouth, judge righteously, And defend the rights of the afflicted and needy.” What a powerful amount of counsel in a just few words! Actually, it starts with: “The words of King Lemuel, the oracle which his mother taught him.” NASU

Amazing counsel from a wise Mother, to be sure. King Lemuel is generally identified as Solomon, and the mother then being Bathsheba. However, it could have applied to a later King as well, but either way, the counsel is certain and sure, particularly in how striking the beginning is: ‘the oracle which his mother taught him.’ Is that not a cool way to describe a mother’s counsel? You know, whenever parents have some instruction or advice to give to their kids, Dads could really help set the scene by using this. Like, “Now listen kids. I want you to hear what your Mother has to say: She has an ‘oracle’ to teach you.”

But this Mother’s counsel is like bullet points of wisdom. And notice how she bases her counsel by first reminding her son of his identity: “It’s not for kings, O Lemuel; it’s not for kings.” Moms; one of the most powerful truths and motivators parents have to instruct our children about their choices and their behaviors is based on their identity. It is absolutely crucial that Christian children come to learn and understand their true identity. Now, our King is King Jesus, who is both Lord and King of Creation. But as children of the King, we are by birth, spiritual birth, royalty as to our very identity. And since we are royalty by our very birthright as born again children of our God and King, God’s children are to then act and to live before the world as a king or queen would act and live and serve. And the more we reinforce this true identity to our children that we are God’s royal children…essentially kings and queens of this world, the better our children can then come to understand both their great privileges and their great responsibilities in this world.

Plus, it clears up any ideas they naturally have about living and acting based upon what their peers or others around are doing or choosing. Their identity of royalty immediately separates out that kind of thinking; of just choosing things and doing things because that’s what everyone else around them is doing. No, that thinking is replaced with; ‘Yes, that’s something others might do, but it’s not for kings, and it’s not for queens. And because you belong to King Jesus you are His king and queen in this world.

Every child of King Jesus is called to a higher level of living…a higher standard…a higher responsibility, because we are endowed with higher privileges. Our Savior is also our King, and therefore we live not for ourselves and we’re not to be controlled by others. We live for our God of creation and our Savior of our souls, and be controlled by the Holy Spirit. We are King’s kids, and so everything we do is now to be done in light of who we are and what we have been assigned to do in this world by our King.

So what we find here is this wise mother then giving principles about character and morality and duty for kings. And the great thing about principles is that they are like pilings that form the foundation of a tall house or like a strong pier. You can build on them…you can stand on them. For example: King Lemuel’s mother was essentially teaching him about goodness. And godly Mothers are especially advantaged in this counsel. They radiate goodness and their ‘goodness’ becomes a powerful influence on children, even if children do resist it from time to time. Which is something Moms are also to be reminded about, and that is, just like with Lemuel or Solomon…we know from history that he made some bad choices that he alone was responsible for. He had some definite problems with his morality later on, with his 700 wives and 300 cucumber vines…but the point is; Mothers are responsible for their counsel to their children, but not for the choices their children make. Each person is responsible for his or her own choices…although we know that a Mom’s heart is still affected by them. As has been said, ‘A child outgrows your lap, but never outgrows your heart.’ But when the choices they make are godly choices then the Mother receives the blessings from those, too.

This Mother’s counsel was both tender and tough. Out of love for God and love for her son she warns him of things like dangers of adultery and dangers of alcoholism. She calls for him to have a passion for the needs of others rather than giving in to the passions of his natural self. And she reminds him that he is responsible to not only deal with others with compassion but to also dedicate himself to doing justice. As a leader of others he was to stand up for the protection of others. Which, for boys, that’s another key identity, that they come to learn that a man is a ‘Protector’; a protector of not only his loved ones, but to any and all who need protection from a cruel world around them.

So, yes, pretty remarkable counsel for sure. And of course, the challenge is then in communicating these things in ways that children of all ages can understand. But that’s something that Moms also excel in…communication, so Moms, you just know how to say things…which is great!

Now then, does this next statement sound familiar? “Entreat me not to leave you, or to turn back from following you. For wherever you go, I will go; And wherever you lodge, I will lodge; Your people shall be my people, And your God, my God. Where you die, I will die, And there will I be buried. The Lord do so to me, and more also, If anything but death parts you and me.” Ruth 1:16-17 NKJV Right, that has often been quoted in weddings, but actually those were the words of a daughter-in-law to her mother-in-law…Ruth to Naomi. And, of course, that was after both of Naomi’s sons had died and the daughters-in-law were deciding about returning to their homeland. Do you remember Ruth’s sister’s name? Orpah, which is close sounding to another name. Some of you probably know that Oprah Winfrey said that her first name was originally spelled Orpah on her birth certificate, after this woman in the Book of Ruth, but people mispronounced it so often that it became ‘Oprah’ from then on.

Anyway, back to Ruth. When it comes to Mothers Day, it’s Naomi that is often talked about, and what she did to help Ruth, and in caring for Ruth and assisting her in her survival and later marriage to a wealthy landowner named Boaz. But we can also focus on the things that made Ruth the kind of person she was that later made her into the honored wife of Boaz and the esteemed mother that she was. And you know who Ruth was both mother and grandmother to? She was the mother of Obed and the grandmother of King David!

There are many ways to describe Ruth’s character and commendable qualities, but something that we should really point out about Ruth is that in every challenge and every situation she faced, by God’s grace and her faith, Ruth took it to the next level. She took every low point in her life and stepped it up to the next level of faith and action. It’s like what I remember Dr. Howard Hendricks saying one time to a guy who was really low. He said, “So how are you doing?” And the guy said, “Oh, not bad under the circumstances.” And Dr. Hendricks said: “Well, what are you doing under there?!”

By the grace of God we don’t have to live under our circumstances…we can by faith step up…and step on top of them…step up to the next level of walking by faith and not by sight.

It’s like when Ruth had to make the decision about returning to Moab and her familiar surroundings: Instead of letting her circumstances dictate her actions she turned her eyes upon the Lord and committed herself to helping Naomi, even though she had just lost her own husband after ten years of marriage. So even though we do see that Naomi was caring for her, Ruth was actually caring for Naomi as well. And the first thing that Ruth does after returning to Israel is that she offers to go and work in the fields in order to provide for her mother-in-law and herself. Notice: Ruth 2:1-3-“Now there was a wealthy and influential man in Bethlehem named Boaz, who was a relative of Naomi’s husband, Elimelech. One day Ruth the Moabite said to Naomi, “Let me go out into the harvest fields to pick up the stalks of grain left behind by anyone who is kind enough to let me do it.” Naomi replied, “All right, my daughter, go ahead.” So Ruth went out to gather grain behind the harvesters. And as it happened, she found herself working in a field that belonged to Boaz, the relative of her father-in-law, Elimelech.” NLT

How amazing it that? Now, although Naomi was related to this wealthy landowner, it does not appear that Ruth knew about that since she said she was willing to work where anyone was kind enough to let her. So this faithful woman, let’s call her…this ‘mother in the making’, was an industrious woman. She took the initiative of being a servant and was willing to work hard and do whatever she could to be a blessing to Naomi. And not only was she industrious, she was also humble. She just wanted to help and do whatever it took to be a blessing. She asked if there was a field around them where she could pick grain and glean from. In other words, we aren’t told if Naomi had said anything about having a wealthy relative or not, but we do know that Ruth didn’t start with her eyes on the wealth…she started with a willingness to work. And she didn’t make demands on anyone in self-pride…rather she demonstrated to everyone her genuine humility. And in doing so, just like the Scriptures say…James 4:10- “Humble yourselves in the presence of the Lord, and He will exalt you.” NASU Ruth committed herself to humbly serving others and God then committed Himself to exalting her. That’s they way God has always worked. When God sees us humbling ourselves before Him and others, He sees to the exalting of us…sooner or later, but surely.

And that is a powerful truth about humility and exaltation that Mothers can demonstrate and teach to their children about these wonderful ways of God. And humility does have to be demonstrated and does have to be taught, because in the natural self, in the sinful human nature, self-pride grows naturally, like a weed in the soul. But humility is a fruit of the spirit that has to be cultured like a fruit on a vine. Children have to be taught to regularly spray some spiritual ‘Roundup’ on their weeds of self-pride. And spray it again and again, because it keeps trying to grow up through the cracks of your character, right? And then they need to be taught to nurture the fruit of humility…to seek to grow the fruit of a humble spirit by watering it with the Word of God and faith. Also, children need to learn that just like weeds are common and are of little value, on the other hand, fruit is rare and admired and very valuable. Again, like Ruth, virtuous Mothers become virtuous Mothers because they have cultivated these virtues of having a servant spirit and a humble attitude long before they became Mothers.

But notice another way that Ruth went to the next level. She simply acted in faith by going to this field where she just trusted that Naomi’s God, whom she had also made to be her God, would guide her. I love how the passage says: “…and as it happened, she found herself working in a field that belonged to Boaz…” Right, ‘as it happened’ or it just so happened…like, what are the odds of that? Just another one of those ‘providential co-incidences’!

And I also like how when Boaz met the workers he said this: Ruth 2:4- “Now behold, Boaz came from Bethlehem and said to the reapers, “May the Lord be with you.” And they said to him, “May the Lord bless you.” NASU How’s that for a great way for an employer to talk to his employees as they start the work day? What a great example of a godly employer.

But the point here is that, as Ruth stepped up in faith to do whatever she could do to help and serve, the Lord made sure that He would direct her steps. Prov 16:9- “The mind of man plans his way, But the Lord directs his steps.” NASU How wonderful is that promise? Ruth was walking by faith, but the Lord was directing her steps…directing her into His plan for her life because she wanted to follow her God and to be a blessing to her family. And those lessons from her life became the very life lessons that she would later teach to her children and to her children’s children, like King David.

God is greatly pleased with the the virtues of godly Mothers and has promised to greatly reward all your works and service as you bless your family and bless us all. Thank you Moms!

1. Sayings of Mothers from: humormatters.com