Preparation 2 Part Series - Part 2 - “Preparing By Arming Spiritually”

  On April 3rd, 1965 this speech went out on the airwaves of ABC Radio. “If I were the devil … If I were the Prince of Darkness, I’d want to engulf the whole world in darkness. And I’d have a third of its real estate, and four-fifths of its population, but I wouldn’t be happy until I had seized the ripest apple on the tree — Thee. So I’d set about however necessary to take over the United States. I’d subvert the churches first — I’d begin with a campaign of whispers. With the wisdom of a serpent, I would whisper to you as I whispered to Eve: ‘Do as you please.’

“To the young, I would whisper that ‘The Bible is a myth.’ I would convince them that man created God instead of the other way around. I would confide that what’s bad is good, and what’s good is ‘square.’ And the old, I would teach to pray, after me, ‘Our Father, which art in Washington…

“And then I’d get organized. I’d educate authors in how to make lurid literature exciting, so that anything else would appear dull and uninteresting. I’d threaten TV with dirtier movies and vice versa. I’d pedal narcotics to whom I could. I’d sell alcohol to ladies and gentlemen of distinction. I’d tranquilize the rest with pills.

“If I were the devil I’d soon have families at war with themselves, churches at war with themselves, and nations at war with themselves; until each in its turn was consumed. And with promises of higher ratings I’d have mesmerizing media fanning the flames. If I were the devil I would encourage schools to refine young intellects, but neglect to discipline emotions — just let those run wild, until before you knew it, you’d have to have drug sniffing dogs and metal detectors at every schoolhouse door.

“Within a decade I’d have prisons overflowing, I’d have judges promoting pornography — soon I could evict God from the courthouse, then from the schoolhouse, and then from the houses of Congress. And in His own churches I would substitute psychology for religion, and deify science. I would lure priests and pastors into misusing boys and girls, and church money. If I were the devil I’d make the symbols of Easter an egg and the symbol of Christmas a bottle. If I were the devil I’d take from those who have, and give to those who want until I had killed the incentive of the ambitious.

“And what do you bet I could get whole states to promote gambling as the way to get rich? I would caution against extremes and hard work in Patriotism, in moral conduct. I would convince the young that marriage is old-fashioned, that swinging is more fun, that what you see on the TV is the way to be. And thus, I could undress you in public, and I could lure you into bed with diseases for which there is no cure. In other words, if I were the devil I’d just keep right on doing what he’s doing.”

Some of you might have heard this speech by the “Rest of the Story” man, Paul Harvey which first aired on ABC Radio April 3rd, 1965. The chaos that we see in our world today, is not something new, because Harvey, speaking in 1965, was living in the midst of the Vietnam war, the Cold War, the Civil Rights movement, the Kennedy Assassination, the introduction of the birth control pill which was instrumental for the sexual revolution, and the hippie movement was on the horizon. Many in our congregation grew up in these times. The things we see today, Harvey and many others saw in their time begin to flower. The flourishing of the homosexual and trans movement today, has its roots in the day of Harvey. The racial issues we have today, have it’s roots in the time when Harvey commentated on them in that radio broadcast. We are seeing the flourishing of what has gone before us. But this isn’t something that began in the 1960s; the things Harvey saw, have their roots in the decades, centuries, and millennium before it. The seed of sin was planted in the moment Adam and Eve fell in the garden, and the flourishing we see today, was known to our Savior when he said in Matthew 24:12, “And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold.”

From the time Harvey spoke these words, the devil has kept right on doing what he was doing, and now he doesn’t have to hide it. We are seeing a demonic spiritual work on the scale that has never been known in the U.S., who’s very roots are within the word of God. This past week, a political reporter made the comment, that if you believe that your rights come from God, you are a Christian nationalist. This past Super Bowl, while focusing on Taylor Swift, another musician stood next to her, wearing an upside down cross, and supposedly making occult jesters. The spiritual battle is ramping up in ways, that too easily were swept under the rug in previous generations. 

Recently this speech was played for Joe Rogan, one of the largest and most influential podcasters among young men today. Rogan, who’s an atheist, responded to this speech with, “Wow, 1965, Paul Harvey nailed it.”

Remember last week when we talked about Peter, how he was the type of person that seemed to try and find the wiggle room in Jesus’ teaching? And how Jesus responded, not with a straight yes or no, but with a choice of being the prepared wise servant or the rich man from the parable? That same Peter took Jesus’ words to heart and in his first letter relays a call to spiritual preparedness for the Church. It’s in 1st Peter chapter 4 starting in verse 1 that we turn to our topic of being spiritual prepared. So if you have your Bibles, open with me to 1st Peter 4:1, and as we do, let’s recap last week. 

In the first part of this two part preparedness talk, we looked at the need to utilize the possessions God has given us with kingdom purpose. The abundance that God has given us in the western world is not the problem, nor is preparing for the future, what is the problem is a lack of kingdom minded people who use God’s gifts for his purposes. So, we are called to be prepared wise servants using what God has given us as we move ever closer to the return of our Master. This is the physical side of preparedness, that everything we have in this world is utilized for God’s kingdom work, and we do this by the direction, not of a pastor, or human leader, but by the Holy Spirit.

It’s with the physical preparedness in our minds that we turn to 1st Peter 4:1, and the spiritual side of being prepared in times such as ours. Let’s walk through this chapter together.

“1 Since therefore Christ suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves with the same way of thinking, for whoever has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin…” 

The word “arm” is battle language. In his writings, the Greek poet Homer used the word hoplizó (hop-lid’-zo) as a way to call for taking up arms in battle. Peter is using in figuratively, not to take up physical arms, because when he did he was rebuked by Jesus, but the arms of thinking. This is spiritual arms for the spiritual battle. All the physical preparedness in the world will fail us if we are not spiritually ready for the fight. So what kind of thinking are we to take up arms in? It’s based in Jesus’ suffering in the flesh. Suffering and the realization that it is the Christian’s lot in life to encounter suffering for Jesus’ sake. And we know this because of Jesus’ words in John 15:20, “A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you (b).” Jesus’ words have embedded themselves in Peter, and so Peter is now relaying them to us as taking Jesus’ thinking on suffering, as arms in the spiritual battle all of us are in. Let’s keep reading.

“2 so as to live for the rest of the time in the flesh no longer for human passions but for the will of God. 3 For the time that is past suffices for doing what the Gentiles want to do, living in sensuality, passions, drunkenness, orgies, drinking parties, and lawless idolatry.”

This is our world, right? Living for sensuality, passions, drunkenness, sexual promiscuity, and idolatry is what our world thrives on. It’s in every part of media, from TV and movies, to billboards, to all sorts of social media and internet sites. There are very few places that reject these things and give a haven for those trying to avoid them. So the believer is one that needs to seek the will of God over these things. That means that we need to make purposeful decisions to avoid these types of things, by seeking the Holy Spirit to lead each of us. Because this is a personal relationship issue. In media, the easy ones to talk about avoiding, are things like pornography. But as an example in my own life, I avoid most news channels, because they purposefully put pretty women on their shows with revealing cleavage. Since I can get my news by other means, I do. But that’s me and what I have sought the Lord in, it’s not a hard and fast rule for the Church. The reason why we are to seek spiritual discernment in what to avoid, is because there’s purpose in the avoidance as we continued reading in verse 4.

“4 With respect to this they are surprised when you do not join them in the same flood of debauchery, and they malign you; 5 but they will give account to him who is ready to judge the living and the dead. 6 For this is why the gospel was preached even to those who are dead, that though judged in the flesh the way people are, they might live in the spirit the way God does.”

The avoidance is a testimony in and of itself to the change in purpose of the Christian to seek the will of God over the world, and as the world delves further into these areas of sin, the separation of the Christian from these things will become more apparent. Look at the backlash that is happening when Christians stand against things like the homosexual and trans movements. Shannon Kearns, a Queer Theologian, says that Christians use “clobbering passages” and then she quotes from another queer theologian, about not having “time for cheap theology (https://www.queertheology.com/transgender-christian/).” These are the nice things that are said about those who take God’s word seriously. We are to respond to such sins, by taking clear strong biblical stances, that are rooted in gentleness of speech, not responding in vitriol. 

But we know we are to give account to God for separating ourselves from these things as he leads us, and those who indulge in the things of the flesh, will also give account to God. And it’s not just the homosexual or trans issue that we’re talking about, so let’s not get it into our minds that it’s just that. Fatherless homes, unjust criminal proceedings, rampant drugs use to quail the masses, personal promiscuity, and more than we can list right now, are all things we must seek to avoid, and therefore be separated from the world. This is why Peter turns our attention away from what we are to avoid, to what we need to incorporate into our lives, starting in verse 7.

“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.”

This is the meat of what we need in our spiritual preparedness in living in the times we are. Remember all of this stems from the mindset of Jesus in suffering. In Greek, verse 7 reads like this, “Of all now the end has drawn near Be clear minded therefore and sober for the purpose of prayers.” That clear and sober mindedness is for our prayer life. Peter is speaking in alcoholic terms to convey how our prayer lives are to be. We need clear minded prayers that have purpose to them. When we can be specific, let’s be specific. We need to pray in specifics for that family member who is captured in drugs, we need to pray in specifics for that child who has fallen into the trans ideology, we need to pray in specifics for our nations and where they are headed. 

How is this done? By the specifics of what God says in his word on the subject, and the specifics of the situation. An example of this would be to pray for our government based on Romans 13, where Paul writes, “Let every person be subject to the governing authorities For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God.…3 For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Would you have no fear of the one who is in authority? Then do what is good, and you will receive his approval, 4 for he is God's servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain. For he is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God's wrath on the wrongdoer.” My specific prayer then for our government is that it conducts itself justly in using it’s authority to bringing judgment on wrongdoers, and that those that we see in media who are perpetrating riots, pedophilia, corrupt uses of the justice system, and all types of robbery would be brought to justice, and if they are not, then God would replace these current leaders and bring up the leaders that will enact his justice. 

But’s it’s not just our prayer lives that we need preparation in. Peter tells us to love one another earnestly, and constantly. The secondary quarrels of the Church need to go the way of the Dodo. Love covers a multiple of sins and we need to love each other more today than we did yesterday, and more tomorrow than today. We can start doing this by simply making it a goal to welcome every person around us every time we come together for corporate worship; and if we see someone who looks to be alone, we make it an effort to welcome them. This is a small way that bridges the loving and hospitality that Peter calls us to in verses 8 and 9; so in one swoop we have begun to accomplish two things we are called to do. 

Then we are to be utilized in God’s Church by using the gifts God has given us. The examples Peter gives are speaking and serving. But we could list a plethora of others that are found throughout the New Testament. If we don’t know our gifts, we need to take it before the Lord to have the Holy Spirit reveal them. If we know them, we need to seek the elders of our local congregations on where those gifts could be utilized in the body we attend. All this is done for the glory of Jesus, because all glory and dominion is his forever. 

It’s here, with the focus on Jesus’ forever glory and dominion, that Peter then turns our attention back to suffering, as we pick up in verse 12.

“12 Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. 13 But rejoice insofar as you share Christ's sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed.” 

Again, Peter is calling us to the take up arms of in the suffering of Christ. And since we are ready for it, we are also not surprised when the suffering comes, but instead we are to rejoice in the suffering because it’s Christ suffering that we are sharing in, and his glory is revealed in us and through us, through that suffering. Peter goes on to say.

“14 If you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you. 15 But let none of you suffer as a murderer or a thief or an evildoer or as a meddler. 16 Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in that name. 17 For it is time for judgment to begin at the household of God; and if it begins with us, what will be the outcome for those who do not obey the gospel of God? 18 And ‘If the righteous is scarcely saved, what will become of the ungodly and the sinner?’ 19 Therefore let those who suffer according to God's will entrust their souls to a faithful Creator while doing good.”

Suffering for suffering sake isn’t what Peter is talking about. Suffering because we were unfaithful to our spouse, or we were abusive towards someone, or we were rebellious to the authority over us, or we are corrupt in our financial or business dealings, isn’t suffering that brings glory to God. That kind of suffering occurs because it’s God’s judgment and discipline upon us, and we should thank God that he is correcting us, because it shows we are his. 

No, the good suffering, is the suffering that comes from taking up spiritual arms for Jesus. It’s suffering because we live out the word of God. It’s suffering that comes from pointing others to God’s word and his biblical mandate to repent and turn from sin to the Savior, and embrace his authority as our Lord. 

There will come a time when all are judged, but God’s judgment comes to his Church first. His judgment can be seen right now, when massive abuse coverups are being uncovered. The dirty laundry of the Church is being displayed for the world to see, because the Church hasn’t been the spotless bride it was called to be. But even in it’s exposer, God loves his Church, it’s Jesus’ body, it’s his bride, he loves it too dearly to let it wallow in sin. And if he does this to his Church, whom he loves, Peter asks the question, “what will be the outcome for those who do not obey the gospel of God?” This is the a subtle call to Gospel work. To let the testimony we have in suffering for Christ be what points others back to the God who saves. That more would come to Christ through our prepared lives that are set apart, which is holiness, through prayer, love, and service. And as Peter closes this thought, with that we “…entrust [our] souls to a faithful Creator while doing good.”

Brothers and sisters this is what it means to be spiritual prepared in the times that we live in. We are separating ourselves from the world’s debauchery by seeking Jesus in the holiness of his word that transforms us. We are being specific in our prayers as the world dives further away from it’s Creator. We love and serve each other, extending the grace Jesus gave us to our brothers and sisters in Christ. And we share the Gospel with the world as it moves further away. 

Joe Rogan, that influential atheist, who once said of Christianity, “The New Testament is utter horsesh*t,” has recently said, “as time rolls on, people are going to understand the need to have some sort of divine structure to things.” With the unfettering of sin in the world, people who once rejected Christ are waking up. The suffering that God is allowing into the world, that comes from what Paul said in Roman 1:24, of “God [giving] them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity…(a)”, is the very thing that is going to bring many to know the True and Living God. It’s something we need to not only embrace as Christians, but live preparedly in the Holy Spirit. 

I said this last week, if there is a pre-tribulation rapture, are we prepared to leave behind physical things for those who will go through it and come to Christ because of our preparedness? What if there isn’t a pre-tribulation rapture? What if the Church of today doesn’t get taken up in that way? Are our spiritual lives ready for such a suffering? We can live in the hope of pre-tribulation rapture, I mean who really wants to experience that kind of suffering, but we should live in such a way where we are spiritual prepared for such a suffering as the Great Tribulation. Because our brothers and sisters throughout history have suffered greatly, are we any greater than they? Let us be prepared if God calls us to such a suffering.

My challenge for you then this week, is to take an inventory of the four spiritual preparedness areas we talked about today: living holy lives that do not embrace the world’s debauchery, being specific in our prayers as much as we can, loving and serving our Church brothers and sisters, and sharing the Gospel with someone. On a scale of 1-5, with 1 being the lowest and 5 being the highest, how well are you doing in each area. If we get a 4 or lower, in any area, we need improvement and so we need to seek the Holy Spirit’s work in our lives. If we get a 5 in any area, we need to seek the Holy Spirit that we do not begin to lack in that place. 

Peter goes on to say in chapter 5 verse 8, “Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.” The devil is on a feeding frenzy right now, let us be people who are prepared for the attack, being shielded and prepared in Christ. Amen.

Preparation 2 Part Series - Preparing Without Being Perfidious (The Physical Side of Preparing)

Can anyone take a guess at what this is? It’s a bucket of dehydrated survival food that can supposedly last 25 years in the proper conditions. This particular one is made by a company called My Patriot Supply and can easily be purchased online at a cost of about $127. 

Things like this have been around for decades, but were given a boost during those infamous Covid months. Covid brought into full view how quickly supply chains can breakdown, so with the continued rise in inflation and uncertainty of the economy, the wars and rumors of wars around the world, talk about civil war here at home, and the violence that seems to be escalating daily, the question has been asked of me, what should a Christian do? How can a Christian prepare for what is possibly ahead? 

There’s a lot of ways to answer this with the first one being Jesus’ words, “Fear Not.” Eleven times in the Gospels the disciples are called not to fear. Don’t fear to take on God’s calling, don’t fear those that can physically harm you, don’t fear what hasn’t happened yet. We are called not to fear, and at the same time, we are told to know and understand what is happening around us. We are to learn the lesson of the fig tree (Matthew 24:32), and so, we are called to understand the world around us as we march ever closer to the return of Jesus. 

So the question becomes how can we balance the call to fear, and the call to prepare? In the Gospel of Luke chapter 12, starting in verse 13, that is the very conundrum that gets answered. So if you have your Bibles, we’ll be diving into Luke chapter 12:13, so that we can answer the question, how do I prepare for what’s ahead without falling into fear?

As we enter into Luke 12:13, we come upon a scene where Jesus has just told the crowd to not be like the Pharisees who cover their sinful deeds with false actions of self-righteousness. Then Jesus tells the crowd not to fear those who can destroy the body, but fear God who has the authority of eternal judgement; within that same breath reminding the people that God cares deeply for them. Then Jesus tells them to not deny the Son of Man before others, and do not blaspheme the Holy Spirit. 

It’s within this context of faithfulness to the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, and the rejection of evil, that someone in the crowd shouts their question, and it’s at this question where we pick up the passage in Luke 12:13.

“13 Someone in the crowd said to him, ‘Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.’ 14 But he said to him, ‘Man, who made me a judge or arbitrator over you?’ 15 And he said to them, ‘Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.’”

The person who shouted out their question seeks Jesus to be a mediator between them and their brother. This person probably lost their parents and feels like their brother has slighted them in not giving them the inheritance they rightfully deserve. But Jesus doesn’t fall into the quarrel. This person has earthly things in mind, so Jesus rejects the idea that he is the judge in this matter, and turns the conversation back on the person who desires possessions. Jesus does this by calling on the person to guard against covetousness or the trap of desiring excessive wealth. In his call to guard against falling into this trap, Jesus tells a parable. 

“16 And he told them a parable, saying, ‘The land of a rich man produced plentifully, 17 and he thought to himself, “What shall I do, for I have nowhere to store my crops?” 18 And he said, “I will do this: I will tear down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. 19 And I will say to my soul, ‘Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry.’” 20 But God said to him, “Fool! This night your soul is required of you, and the things you have prepared, whose will they be?” 21 So is the one who lays up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God.’”

In the parable, the rich man’s land produces a crop so plentiful that he needs more buildings to store it all in. The rich man has an idea to tear down his old barns and build new ones. Giving the benefit of the doubt, maybe the man didn’t have room on his property and needed to tear down his old barns to make way for the new. Being ungracious, he just wanted the newest and best.

But notice, that it’s not in the plenty of the harvest, nor in his building of new barns for his crops that there’s an issue. If it were the case that the plenty of the harvest and the new barns were the issue, then Jesus would be going against his own instructions to Jospeh in Genesis 41:29-35, where God placed Jospeh in a position to store away food for a coming famine. Because God has done things in the past to prepare his people for the future in such ways, it’s not the storehouses that are the problem.

The problem is the state of the heart of the rich man. In verse 19 the rich man proclaims, “Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink and be merry.” It’s at this declaration that God then speaks “Fool! This night your soul is required of you, and the things you have prepared, whose will they be? (v.20)” The man doesn’t become a fool because of his wealth, nor is he a fool because he built new barns to store his abundance. No, his folly is that he trusted in his wealth and what he had prepared for the unknown future, rather than thanking God and thinking of God’s kingdom instead of his own. 

We know this is the problem because of Jesus’ conclusion in verse 21, “So is the one who lays up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God.” This is the answer to the question of can a Christians prepare for the future. And the answer is yes, but we cannot let that preparedness become a treasure greater than God. We cannot let the fear of the world, lead to trusting in the abundance in the barn, which leads to the rejection of trust in the Lord and an embracing of trust in ourselves.

Jesus follows this parable up with two more teachings which helps us understand how to be prepared without falling to self-trust and fear. First, in verse 22, Jesus states, “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat, nor about your body, what you will put on. 23 For life is more than food, and the body more than clothing…32 Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom. 33 Sell your possessions, and give to the needy. Provide yourselves with moneybags that do not grow old, with a treasure in the heavens that does not fail, where no thief approaches and no moth destroys. 34 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.”

All types of possessions can insnare us. We can easily become anxious about food, clothes, money, so we use those things to secure our future and therefore turn our trust from God to ourselves. If our trust is in what we have built, then we should get rid of it. Jesus’ call to sell the possessions and give them to the poor is a call to avoid foolish idea that our preparedness is what can save us. Only reliance on God saves, everything else becomes meaningless if we miss that point.

In the parable, it was God who brought the abundance to the rich man’s fields. But instead of praising God, seeking how to use that abundance for the kingdom, the rich man became satisfied in himself, and in the end, lost everything he had built. And so Jesus calls us to moneybags that do not fail, and treasures that cannot be stolen by thieves or destroyed by moths. Every action we take until God calls us home, or we see him in his second coming, is to be kingdom focused. We prepare, not that we may simply weather the coming storms, but that God may utilize that preparedness for his kingdom’s work.

Jesus makes this point in verse 35, “35 Stay dressed for action and keep your lamps burning, 36 and be like men who are waiting for their master to come home from the wedding feast, so that they may open the door to him at once when he comes and knocks. 37 Blessed are those servants whom the master finds awake when he comes. Truly, I say to you, he will dress himself for service and have them recline at table, and he will come and serve them.”

The prepared servant is the one who uses what God gives him for the work of his master, with the master’s return ever in their mind. 

It’s here that Peter speaks in verse 41, “Peter said, ‘Lord, are you telling this parable for us or for all?’” It’s a question that is said on our behalf. Am I the one that is to prepare with God’s kingdom in mind? Am I the one that has to utilize those gifts, blessings, tools, and abundance that God has given me?

And instead of answering Peter’s question with a direct yes, Jesus replies in verse 42, “And the Lord said, ‘Who then is the faithful and wise manager, whom his master will set over his household, to give them their portion of food at the proper time? 43 Blessed is that servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes.” Jesus didn’t say yes or no to Peter’s question, he simply implied another question, are you the faithful and wise manager? Are you the servant who is blessed? 

That question is directed at us. Are we the rich man who trusts in his preparedness and therefore looses sight in trusting God? Or are we the prepared servant who faithfully prepares with our Master’s return ever in mind? We answer the question by the way in which we prepare. 

We show ourselves faithful when our possessions seek to further the kingdom. We show ourselves unfaithful when our possessions become what we seek in an uncertain world. 

In my own preparedness I have had to struggle with this. As a father I want to make sure that my family is good if something were to happen to the supply chains, and so I have boughten several of these buckets. But that might not be what God is calling you to, each of us has to wrestle with that. And to some, it might mean that if you were to get these buckets, you will fall into the trap of the rich man, and so you must avoid it. 

As a pastor, I want to make sure that the ones that God has called us to protect, the widows and orphans, are taken care of, so we started a pantry for them. 

In renovating our house, we designed it with the intention that if things were to really get bad, six families of various sizes could live in it. The dinning room, living room, and garage are spacious enough that a congregation could utilize them. The solar panels, generator, and well, are all meant to help with a disaster. It’s stated in our will & trust that if my wife and I were to pass, this ministry would inherit the house. We didn’t do these things because it would advance us, nor am I telling you these things so that you would emulate or praise us. We did these things so that we may honor God with what he has given us, so that it would be prepared for his kingdom work. 

But the calling of God on how we are to prepare is something that each of us has to wrestle with God about. Some of you have RVs and trailers, you have to wrestle with God on how to utilize that possession as preparation for kingdom work. It’s the same with houses, retirement plans, family responsibilities, jobs, we have to wrestle with God in all of it, that we may use what he has given us here for the work of his kingdom, and by doing so, we will show that our hearts are in eternal treasures which is in our eternal lives with Jesus.

My challenge for you this week is to make a list with three columns. In column 1 list all of all your possessions, it can be as detailed as you want. At the top of the second column write, “Prepared For Comfort.” At the top of the third column, write “Prepared for Kingdom.” Then go through your list and mark which possessions are used in which category. Is my house for my comfort or for the kingdom? Is my monies for my comfort or the kingdom? Walk through every possession and then seek the Lord in how you can move comfort to kingdom and how you can better prepare kingdom possessions for Christ’s return.

But understand what I’m not saying. I’m not saying, give your possessions to this ministry or any other ministry. I’m not asking for your money, your car, your house, your investments. What I am asking you for, is to find God’s will for your possessions that he might utilize them for his kingdom work. It might be that God is calling you to prepare your RV to gift to one of these bands; God might be calling you to will your investments to a Christian college who prepares Christian leaders. God might be calling you to prepare food supplies for those who have to go through the Great Tribulation. I don’t know, but what I do know is that God is calling each of us to prepare what he has given us for the work of his kingdom, so let’s do that.

Let us be a people, preparing, not for our own comfort in this world, but for those around us who are lost and in need of hearing the Gospel. Each of us, who have accepted Jesus as our Savior, looks forward to his return and reigning with him in eternity, let’s start that reigning now, but being good stewards and servants of the work he has given us to prepare for his kingdom. Amen.

A Response to the Current Women in Ministries Discussion in the Alliance

A Response to the Current Women in Ministries 

Discussion in the Alliance

The following paper is not an in-depth analysis of the topic of women in ministry, but rather a response of a personal nature to the topic. I will not be giving a detailed exegesis of the passages that concern the topic, nor will I cover all the passages, or arguments from both sides. The objective of this paper is to give a basic understanding on where I land on the issue and the reasoning behind this stance as concisely as I can. Also, I am not providing definitions of the two prominent sides, nor addressing their arguments. There are objects and arguments to my position, but from the starting gate, I will say that those objects and arguments have not swayed me because I do not believe they rightly divide the whole Word of God. My goal is to not create more division, but seek to be as faithful to God’s Word and his Church as possible.

Where do we start? To begin, the question is not do women have worth? I have seen this as a way to attack those who do not agree with an egalitarian position, yet, unless in a fringe group, I have never seen the argument that women are not made in the image of God, or have to go through a man/husband to be saved. Genesis 1:26-27 clearly reveals that the image bearer of God is both man and woman. Humans are image bearers from the beginning of creation and therefore have worth. Whatever issues that tarnish that worth in the eyes of other humans comes from the sinful actions of humanity in Genesis 3 and not from God’s created intention.

Following that, when writing Galatians 3:28, it is revealed through Paul that, there is no gender requirement to receive salvation through Jesus. A woman, like a man, has access to Jesus simply through faith. A man only needs to place his trust in Jesus as Savior to gain salvation, and a woman needs to do the same thing. A man/husband is not the mediator between woman and God, as Paul would later write in 1 Timothy 2:5, because there is only  one Advocate and that is Jesus himself. All of this though, needs to be placed in the context with which we find it. These passages speak to the access of a woman to the gift of salvation and their worth as a fellow creation of God. This is not the issue that we are discussing, and for someone to accuse another of denying women in ministry, is deceitful and baseless. The issue is not one of worth, nor one of salvation access, the real issue is this, is there a biblical argument to restrict ministry work, first in general, and then specifically with one of those specifics gender/sex?

There are a lot of places we could start, but before we do, I want to make a clarification, we are talking about areas of ministry within the context of Jesus’ Church, not Sinai Covenant Israel. Sinai Covenant Israel is a theocratic nation state with laws dealing with moral issues  and how to curb those issues through sacrificial and civil regulations. The Church is the people of God, indwelled and empowered by the Holy Spirit, being sanctified, through his word, with the goal of being made in the image of the Son, with the commission to be light in this dark world, until the day of the Savior’s return, for the glory of the Father into eternity. Sinai Covenant Israel can inform us, but cannot be taken as a one-to-one comparison of how the Church is to operate under the New Covenant system. If we treat the Church as a one-to-one comparison, we will follow into living under the law that Christ has freed us from. Therefore arguments can be made as to aid our understanding, but must be understood as not necessarily being for the Church.

So then, where should we begin? For this paper, I will begin by asking the question, are there general distinctions in the ministries of the Church? The answer is yes. Paul gives the rhetorical questions to the Corinthians in his first letter to them at the end of chapter 12. “Are/Do all…” is asked seven times in verses 29 & 30 (the number of completion should not go over our heads here). The answer to Paul’s questions are no, because prior to this, Paul walks us through an understanding the within the Church there are many parts that function in distinct ways. There is a one-to-one comparison that Paul is making between the distinct ways a body works, and how the Church works. This isn’t a salvation issue, it’s a ecclesiological one. In general there are distinctions within how the Church is to operate.

So what are those distinctions? Here is where a group’s interpretation of a passage begins to diverge, because up to this point we should all be in agreement. Men and women both have access to the mediator, Jesus, because they are image bears of God. The Church is not a one-to-one comparison with Sinai Covenant Israel. There are distinctions in the way ministry is done in the Church. We should all be in agreement, but here comes the divergence, and at one of these places is how one interprets Ephesians 4:11-12, “11 And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds (pastors) and teachers (shepherd teachers),12 to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ…”

One approach is to say that these are offices or roles that are established to “run” the Church at the local level. If that were the case, then we should still have an apostle role, in addition to a role of a prophet, an evangelists, a pastor, and teacher. This is called a five-fold ministry. I believe this is wrong, for a few reasons. First, this isn’t how the early Church viewed it. The early Church had the Apostles, those commissioned by Jesus himself, and except perhaps one exception in Romans 16:7, there are none. Second, the context of the passage is one of gifts. In 4:7 we begin with the gift of Jesus from which all grace stems to believers. Then in 4:8, Paul quotes from Psalm 68:18, making his point that Jesus gives gifts to humanity. It’s in the context of gift giving that we are then told Jesus gives apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers. This is consistent in Paul’s use of these in other areas, such as Romans 12:6-8, and 1 Corinthians 12:8-28. There is overlap in calling apostleship, prophecy, and teaching gifts in these passages. Therefore when Paul uses evangelist and pastor in Ephesians 4:11, there is a direct connection that they too are gifts.

When understanding that the distinctions we have within the Church are gifting, we begin to weed out some of the issues we are having in this conversation, mainly those of titles. Because the titles we use in the modern Church, are gifts repackaged as offices. Pastor is a gift of counsel and service, yet we tend to call people who fill a paid position a pastor, even if they do not have the gift that reflects that title. Can a person who doesn’t have the pastoral gift do pastoral things? Yes, but they are not a pastor, because pastor is not an office of the Church, but rather a gifting. This is why in Acts 20:28, when Paul is telling a group of people that, “Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to care for the church of God, which he obtained with his own blood…” the word care is the basically same word that we translate as shepherd/pastor (poimainó in Acts 20:28, poimén Ephesians 4:11). Paul also calls people to do work that they might not have a gifting in, because it’s a part of their calling, which he does to Timothy in 2 Timothy 4:5. What we tend to title people with, are in fact giftings that are given by Jesus, that his Church would be built with, and people can work in even without the gifting. So, because apostleship is a gift, can women be apostles? Yes, this makes the Romans 16:7 a mute issue. Because prophecy is a gift, can women be prophetess? Yes, this makes the argument for Deborah (Judges 4) and Philips daughters (Acts 21:9) a mute issue. Then because shepherding/pastorship is a gift, can women be pastors? Yes, because none of these things are offices of the Church, but rather gifts given by the Jesus through the work of the Holy Spirit to build up the people of God.

In other words, what we classify as offices of the Church, with titles such as pastor, are a misuse of the word in the biblical context, and right there we have failed as a Church to correct for hundreds of years. And because we have failed in that context, we are dealing with issues that should have never been issues in the first place. We should confess and repent as a Church for causing unneeded strife in the Body of Christ.

So then, if pastor is not an office of the church, and shouldn’t be a title, but solely recognized as a gift, who leads? Acts 20:28, Philippians 1:1, 1 Timothy 3:2 & 8, and Titus 1:7 gives us the two words of elder (episkopos) and deacon (diakonos). In every circumstance that the word episkopos is used, it is never connected to a man or women, but to a group of people. However, when episkopos is used in 1 Timothy and in Titus, in the list of qualifications for elders, there is no indication that women are considered for the role. This is not a gifting issue, because Timothy, who is an elder, is called to work out a gifting that he may or may not have in being an evangelist. In fact there are several gifting that are implied or stated in the elder qualifications, meaning that an elder should be gifted in some of the areas and should work out the others. There is another word that the New Testament use that is a relative to episkopos and that is presbuteros. This word is only used by Peter (1 Peter 5:1) and John giving it a direct connection between a male and the office of elder.

This is not the case with the second word diakonos. The word for deacon is all over the New testament as both a call to all believers, and an office function of the Church. Even though women are not specifically called out as deaconess in 1 Timothy 3:8-10, the connection word, “likewise” in verse 11 links women to the role of deacon. It is in the office of deacon that we do have a connection to a woman being addressed as a deaconess, Phoebe, in Romans 16:1, which is given by Paul no less, who wrote down the qualification for both elder and deacons.

It’s here that another conclusion can be made. In the Church, all are given gifts to minister with that they may be servants and deacons of the Church. There are also two offices, that of elder who are men that exercise their gifts as overseers of local congregations, and deacons who are either gender/sex that exercise their gifts as servants of local congregations. If we are to give titles, the two titles are Elder and Deacon. We may recognize that an elder has the gift of pastoralship, but their title isn’t such, and it may be the same of woman who is a deacon.

But should this be the norm, with men serving in eldership roles but not women? Or is this a result of the fall and we should correct it? The answer to this, finds itself in the question, were there distinctions in creation that can illuminate this issue? Paul, prior to giving the qualifications of an elder and deacon, gives us this statement in 1 Timothy 2:12, “12 I do not permit a woman to teach or to exercise authority over a man; rather, she is to remain quiet. 13 For Adam was formed first, then Eve; 14 and Adam was not deceived, but the woman was deceived and became a transgressor.” Paul uses first the pre-fall order of creation to speak about authority. In the context of Genesis 2, it is Adam who is commanded by God not to eat the fruit not Eve. Could God have spoken to Eve, yes, but that isn’t what is revealed. Therefore Paul picks up on this idea of male authority. Then Paul uses a post-fall reality of Eve being the first who was deceived (Paul does not leave Adam off the hook, see Romans 5). By using both pre- and post-fall situations, Paul is showing us that there are distinctions of authority in the Church, which leads him into the chapter on elder and deacon qualifications.

But here’s where we have again failed the Church. We have sought after titles, whether those we find real connections (elder & deacon), loose connections (pastor), or no connection at all (reverend). In seeking these titles we have caused rifts in how we serve, both God and each other. When we should be seeking no titles. Our Savior and Lord said in Matthew 23:2-12, “2 The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses' seat, 3 so do and observe whatever they tell you, but not the works they do. For they preach, but do not practice. 4 They tie up heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on people's shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to move them with their finger. 5 They do all their deeds to be seen by others. For they make their phylacteries broad and their fringes long, 6 and they love the place of honor at feasts and the best seats in the synagogues 7 and greetings in the marketplaces and being called rabbi by others. 8 But you are not to be called rabbi, for you have one teacher, and you are all brothers. 9 And call no man your father on earth, for you have one Father, who is in heaven. 10 Neither be called instructors, for you have one instructor, the Christ. 11 The greatest among you shall be your servant. 12 Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.” The squabble over titles is what Jesus warned us against. They lead to improper leadership in the Body of Christ, making some greater than others. They also lead to titles being a point of worth, rather than being simply a child of God. A distinction in leadership is not in and of itself evil, but a desire to be distinct so that one may be recognized is.

As a Church we should repent of our desire to have titles. Casting them off that we may be servants of Jesus and nothing more. To those who hold their titles in esteem, it is a shackle by which the enemy has bound the Church too long, leave it behind that we may be one body in service to one another. Doing just what God’s Word has called us to and nothing more.

There is much more that could be said about this issue. There are depths of historical, and textual analysis that I could not cover in a short form writing such as this. Yet this is where I stand on the issue, pleading with the Church that it might turn away from the trap of titles, where we try to find our worth in them, rather than being a servant, finding our worth in our Savior alone. Paul said it like this in 1 Corinthians 1:28-31, “God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, 29 so that no human being might boast in the presence of God. 30 And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption, 31 so that, as it is written, ‘Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.’” And our Lord said this of his disciples in Matthew 20:25-28, “25 But Jesus called them to him and said, ‘You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. 26 It shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, 27 and whoever would be first among you must be your slave, 28 even as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.’”

May we be only Christ’s desires and nothing more. Amen.

Forward March Week 4 - “Forward in Vision”

  For the last three weeks we’ve been talking about how God gives people vision, and when they walk in that vision, he builds upon it to bring about his good purposes even when there’s strife along the way. Every time God gives his vision and builds upon it, strife happens, because redeemed people still struggle with sin in a sinful world. And so we talked about how God called the Christian and Missionary Alliance to vision in the 1880s, and how God built upon that vision for the next twenty-five years, and how the fledgling group met strife in the early part of the 1900s. We’ve also talked about the vision that God gave a little Bible study in Quartzsite in the late 1970s, how he built upon it to join with the Alliance in 1984, and how strife hit it several times throughout it’s forty years of ministry.

So what happens after the vision of God meets the strife of sinful humanity? In the last few weeks this is where I’d give you a story to illustrate the point, but this week we’re going to look at three biblical examples of how God desires us to move forward in his vision after we’ve encountered strife. Then I’ll share with you how the Alliance, and we here at this ministry are moving forward. 

We turn first to Genesis chapter 50 starting in verse 15. Here’s the story that leads up to this moment. Joseph was a young man that experienced two dreams of future events. In them, his family bowed low to him, even though he was the youngest of the bunch. This coupled with his father’s favor towards him over his brothers, created jealousy between the siblings. In the end, his brothers sold him into slavery, telling his father that he was killed by an animal.

Jospeh was taken to Egypt, sold to be a servant of the captain of Pharaoh’s guard. There Jospeh flourished because of God’s grace, yet he met strife once again when his master’s wife made advances towards him. But Jospeh rejected and fled from her, and because of his rejection, she accused him of attempted rape. Jospeh was sent to prison, and spent a considerable amount of time there, but, again, by Gods grace, Jospeh flourished. He became an interpreter of dreams to two of Pharaoh’s servants who were imprisoned there. When the one got out, he forgot what Jospeh did for him. But one day the Pharaoh had a dream that no one could interpret, that’s when the servant remembered Jospeh. Jospeh interpreted the dream and was made second only to Pharaoh. Through this, Egypt adverted devastation from a famine, and the fledgling nation of Israel was saved as well. It’s here at the end of the story that we come to Genesis 50:15. 

“15 When Joseph's brothers saw that their father was dead, they said, ‘It may be that Joseph will hate us and pay us back for all the evil that we did to him.’ 16 So they sent a message to Joseph, saying, ‘Your father gave this command before he died: 17 “Say to Joseph, ‘Please forgive the transgression of your brothers and their sin, because they did evil to you.’" And now, please forgive the transgression of the servants of the God of your father.’ Joseph wept when they spoke to him. 18 His brothers also came and fell down before him and said, ‘Behold, we are your servants.’ 19 But Joseph said to them, ‘Do not fear, for am I in the place of God? 20 As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today. 21 So do not fear; I will provide for you and your little ones.’ Thus he comforted them and spoke kindly to them.”

Our next story brings us to the Gospel of John chapter 21, again beginning in verse 15. The story that leads up to this moment begins at the last supper of Jesus and his disciples right before Jesus is betrayed, crucified, and resurrected. Jesus speaks a prophetic word to his twelve closest disciples, that one of them was going to betray him. Of course all denied it, with Peter stating the loudest that he would go to death with Jesus if given the chance. It’s with this declaration that Jesus tells Peter that he will deny his Savior three times before the rooster crows three times. 

After the meal, Jesus takes the group, minus one, to a garden to pray and prepare. It’s here that guards come to take away Jesus. In a moment of defiance, Peter slices off the ear to one of the guards. Jesus rebukes Peter and heals the man, and Peter flees. As Jesus is taken through the city through beatings and trials, Peter fulfills the prophecy of denying Jesus three times. Jesus is sentenced, crucified, and laid in a tomb. The disciples shrink back in fear of what is to come. But on the third day, the tomb is empty! Jesus has arisen! And for the next forty days, Jesus teaches his disciples what follows strife. It’s here that we pick up Peter’s lesson in John 21:15.

“15 When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, ‘Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?’ He said to him, ‘Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.’ He said to him, ‘Feed my lambs.’ 16 He said to him a second time, ‘Simon, son of John, do you love me?’ He said to him, ‘Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.’ He said to him, ‘Tend my sheep.’ 17 He said to him the third time, ‘Simon, son of John, do you love me?’ Peter was grieved because he said to him the third time, ‘Do you love me?’ and he said to him, ‘Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Feed my sheep. 18 Truly, truly, I say to you, when you were young, you used to dress yourself and walk wherever you wanted, but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will dress you and carry you where you do not want to go.” 19 (This he said to show by what kind of death he was to glorify God.) And after saying this he said to him, ‘Follow me.’”

Our final moment comes in two parts of Scripture, first in Acts chapter 15, starting in verse 36, and then in 2 Timothy chapter 4, verse 11. The lead up to this first part in Acts 15:36, comes after Paul and Barnabas have already had a fruitful partnership in sharing the Good News of Jesus’ death and resurrection with people. But in Acts 13, one of the younger members of their party, John Mark, leaves because of the persecution they faced. In addition to this persecution from the world around, strife from within the Church itself occurred when some Jewish-Christians began trying to bring Gentiles under the Mosaic Law. In Acts 15, a council was held to address the issue and it is found that Paul and Barnabas are correct in not calling the Gentiles to the Jewish law, but to simply follow Jesus as the Lord leads. From this victory Paul and Barnabas decide to embark on another journey sharing the Gospel. It’s at the beginning of this next trip that we begin to read in Acts 15:36.

“36 And after some days Paul said to Barnabas, ‘Let us return and visit the brothers in every city where we proclaimed the word of the Lord, and see how they are.’ 37 Now Barnabas wanted to take with them John called Mark. 38 But Paul thought best not to take with them one who had withdrawn from them in Pamphylia and had not gone with them to the work. 39 And there arose a sharp disagreement, so that they separated from each other. Barnabas took Mark with him and sailed away to Cyprus, 40 but Paul chose Silas and departed, having been commended by the brothers to the grace of the Lord.”

About fourteen years after the events of Acts 15, Paul pens his final letter to Timothy, and in 2 Timothy 4:11, there is a reference that closes the chapter on the strife in Acts 15:36-40. The verse reads, “11 Luke alone is with me. Get Mark and bring him with you, for he is very useful to me for ministry.”

In each of these moments that follow strife, the response of godly people are always the same, forgiveness, grace, and faithfulness in moving forward. Jospeh, Jesus, and Paul all showed forgiveness and grace by not holding on to the sins that happened against them. Though the brothers sold Jospeh into slavery, Jospeh forgave them, and showed them grace by recognizing God’s work through their evil. Jesus forgave Peter by bringing him back into a position of leadership and teaching. Paul forgave Mark by requesting his presence. 

Each also faithfully moved forward in that forgiveness and grace. Jospeh provided for his brothers and their families, comforted them and spoke kindly to them. Jesus, called Peter to feed the sheep, not once but three times showing a full restoration to Peter’s life. Paul embraced Mark and proclaimed that he was valuable to his ministry. 

From each of these God continued to build. Under Jospeh, the nation of Israel flourished for the next hundred+ years. Peter led the early Church through it’s formative development and gave his life for his Savior. Mark, who was led by the Spirit to write the Gospel of Mark and eventually gave his life for his Savior soon after Paul’s death.

Scripture shows us that God gives vision, he builds upon that vision, sin brings strife to the vision, but forgiveness and grace picks up the pieces and faithfully moves forward with what God has said to do.

The national Alliance has had strife, and is currently going through strife, but as of today, there are over 380,000 worshipers here in the US, worshiping in over 1,900 local ministry bodies, in almost 40 languages, with 50 new local churches planted this past year. There are currently 683 international workers serving among 150 people groups, in over 140 cities, with 42 new works sent out this past year. The world-wide Alliance has 60 autonomous national churches, one being our brothers and sisters in Canada. There is a network of over 25,000 local bodies of believers, in 88 countries, with a total number of believers connected through the Alliance work of 6 million people. 

This isn’t to pat the Alliance on the back, or to diminish the work of other Gospel focused denominations. It’s to show how even through strife, God works for his good, through forgiveness, grace, and faithfulness in moving forward in his vision.

I shared with you, that back in 2013 there was group that thought we needed to cut youth expenses; things like vans and the youth pastor, because if we didn’t the whole ministry was going to collapse. Since then, God has richly blessed us to where our finances, except for one summer, have been steady, and the Lead Pastor hasn’t missed a paycheck. Our impact, and involvement through service in the community has never been higher. This ministry has experienced several years of relative peace as we move forward together to reach the unreached. And I believe God has set us on a path of continued impact, as long as we move forward in forgiveness, and grace as we faithfully implement his vision for this ministry in Quartzsite.

A part of this moving forward is the name change that the membership voted on last Tuesday. Moving forward, we will go by Arise Alliance Church, because God is calling us to arise to his Gospel work and be lights as the world gets darker and darker. It is a call to all believers to arise, standing up and moving forward as God’s people, commissioned to bringing the Gospel to the nations.

Another way this ministry is moving forward, is that we are beginning our transition from one Lead Pastor to another. This transition will take place over the course of the next two and half years, where I will be stepping down to move to a fledgling ministry in eastern Arizona and, by God’s grace, our Associate Pastor Tony will step into the position and continue the work that God has been doing for the past forty years here.

God has called us to always move faithfully forward in forgiveness and grace in what he has for us. To the nation of Israel in the book of Isaiah chapter 43 verse 19, God speaks of his future vision that culminates in the coming Messiah Jesus. He tells the nation, “Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.” 

This is what God is doing here, a new thing is on the horizon. Forty years of work God has done in Quartzsite, and we look forward to either our Lord’s return or forty more years of work. Either way, God is making rivers in this desert and in the desert of the lives that live here.

For us today, God is calling us to move forward in forgiveness and grace, and faithfully  holding onto the vision that he has for us. That we would be people marching forward in the Gospel, rolling with the strife of this life through forgiveness and grace, with our focus always on our Savior.

My challenge for you this week is to seek the Lord asking, “Lord make me your person who responds to strife with forgiveness and grace, and who always has the vision of the Gospel and your return as my focus.”

Let us be God’s people in a dying world, who point others to the life that is in Jesus, so that when God’s vision comes to a close at the judgment seat of Christ, we will be those who hear the words of our Master, “Well done, good and faithful servant.” Amen.