1 Peter 2:1-3

Wherefore laying aside all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil speakings, As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby: If so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious.

·         Wherefore: there are a few words I like to see one is Selah, another is wherefore.

It ties back this chapter to the previous chapter. Let’s see what the why the wherefore:

o       The source of our redemption: The blood of Christ, a Lamb without spot or blemish (remember our perfect Passover lamb?)

o       He purified our souls by His obedience, the death on the cross.

o       Our salvation is of an incorruptible seed (Jesus) by the word of God (Romans 10:17)  

·         In consideration of this:

o       Lay aside malice (NT:2549 kakia (kak-ee’-ah); from NT:2556; badness, i.e. (subjectively) depravity, or (actively) malignity, or (passively) trouble: KJV - evil, malice (-iousness), naughtiness, wickedness.),

o       Guile (NT:1388 dolos (dol’-os); from an obsolete primary verb, dello (probably meant to decoy; compare NT:1185); a trick (bait), i.e. (figuratively) wile: KJV - craft, deceit, guile, subtilty),

o       Hypocrisies (NT:5272 hupokrisis (hoop-ok’-ree-sis); from NT:5271; acting under a feigned part, i.e. (figuratively) deceit (”hypocrisy”):KJV - condemnation, dissimulation, hypocrisy),

o       Envies (NT:5355 phthonos (fthon’-os); probably akin to the base of NT:5351; ill-will (as detraction), i.e. jealousy (spite): KJV – envy), and

o       Evil speaking (NT:2636 katalalia (kat-al-al-ee’-ah); from NT:2637; defamation: KJV - backbiting, evil speaking).

o       Desire the sincere milk of the Word

1 Peter 2:4-5

To whom coming, as unto a living stone, disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of God, and precious, Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.

• Is Jesus really precious to us? (DEAR entimos NT:1784, “held in honor” (time, see above), “precious, dear,” is found in Luke 7:2, of the centurion’s servant; 14:8, “more honorable”; Phil 2:29, “honor” (KJV, “reputation”), of devoted servants of Christ, in 1 Peter 2:4,6, “precious,” of stones, metaphorically. See HONORABLE, REPUTATION, PRECIOUS.[i])
• Spiritual house= Tabernacle or Temple. Where God dwells. Where His presence is manifested.  Moses at the Mount of God ,  God in the tabernacle tin the wilderness, Isaiah in the temple. WHERE IS THE PRESENCE OF GOD NOW!
• Priest. What is a priest? A servant to God and an intercessor for men. Holy NT:40 hagios (hag’-ee-os); from hagos (an awful thing) [compare NT:53, NT:2282]; sacred (physically, pure, morally blameless or religious, ceremonially, consecrated): KJV - (most) holy (one, thing), saint.[ii] )

A priest in the Old Testament did sacrifices on behalf of men and served God in the Holies. They did both. We need to do both.

·         Spiritual Sacrifices

o       What is a sacrifice? NT:2378 thusia (thoo-see’-ah); from NT:2380; sacrifice (the act or the victim, literally or figuratively): KJV - sacrifice.[iii]

o       Our own offerings in and of themselves are not enough; Jesus makes them acceptable to God.

o       If we have no passion, lost our fire and zeal for the things of God it may be because our altars are empty, fire will not fall on an empty alter. (Cf. Elijah & the prophets of Baal in 1Kings 18?)

o       The first thing on the alter? Us! (Rom 12:1-I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.)

o       The language here is from the OT, and reminds us that Jewish believers presented sacrifices to the Lord. But Christian believers, instead of giving something outside themselves, are to offer their own bodies to God as living, holy, and acceptable sacrifices. This type of sacrifice is a spiritual service involving all of their rational powers.[iv]

o       There are other sacrifices to be offered but until God has us, and our will, sacrificed to Him and His will we will be like the priest in the time of Jesus who while serving God missed the Messiah.

o       This means service on His terms and not ours. This may mean going out of our comfort zone to do things God’s way.  Not come and see but go and tell.

·         Spiritual Service 

·         Intercession on behalf of others: pray & teach: (1 Sam 12:23) Moreover as for me, God forbid that I should sin against the LORD in ceasing to pray for you: but I will teach you the good and the right way. God is looking for men to stand in the gap between heaven and hell and tell people they are going the wrong way! You have a choice! You don’t have to die! 

1 Peter 2:9-10

But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light: Which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.

• Peculiar not in how we dress, or act but that we are a purchased possession by Jesus
• Showing forth praises to God. Technically to publish & celebrate the valor and excellence of God.

1 Peter 2:11-14

Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul; Having your conversation honest among the Gentiles: that, whereas they speak against you as evildoers, they may by your good works, which they shall behold, glorify God in the day of visitation. Submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord’s sake: whether it be to the king, as supreme; Or unto governors, as unto them that are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers, and for the praise of them that do well.

• This is not our home! We are just traveling through, as visitors we need to act accordingly:
• Be honest! As become children of God.
• Do good works as become priest of God
• Submit to the laws of the land

1 Peter 2:15-18

For so is the will of God, that with well doing ye may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men: As free, and not using your liberty for a cloke of maliciousness, but as the servants of God. Honour all men. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honour the king. Servants, be subject to your masters with all fear; not only to the good and gentle, but also to the orward. –1 Peter 2:15-18

• Our actions can silence our adversaries and glorify our God or give them fodder to run down the name of our Lord! (Taking the Lord’s name in vain is not just what we say!)
• Our freedom in God should bring out the best in us not the worse. We need to realize that what we do is in response to what He has done and look at our role in it then His role…
• Four thing rapid fire:
  • Love the brotherhood! This is a mark of a disciple of Jesus
  • Fear God: We have a special relationship that allows us access but we should always show reverence to God. (compare to pastor or Mom/Dad)
  • Honor the King
  • Be subject to masters will all fear/respect that we would show to Jesus. When I got to this I got the feeling “Now that is just plain meddling!” I equate this to the employer/employee relationship..

1 Peter 2:19-23

For this is thankworthy, if a man for conscience toward God endure grief, suffering wrongfully. For what glory is it, if, when ye be buffeted for your faults, ye shall take it patiently? But if, when ye do well, and suffer for it, ye take it patiently, this is acceptable with God.

For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps: Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth: Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously: -1 Peter 2:19-23

• Persecution or prosecution? We need to take check of what is happening in our lives and react accordingly. We need to endure, prosecution with humility and repentance and persecution with humility and longsuffering. 
• Following in His steps…

I remember as a child in NJ in the winter we would get some snow and I would see my Dad waking out to the cars to clean them off and I would follow him but his steps were too big and too far apart for me to walk in each step but I could follow in his path hitting as many of his steps as I could. So how do we follow Jesus example?

·         He did no sin. What is your attitude towards sin? Does it grieve you or is it a casual daily, hourly or a minute-by-minute thing. I know we are not perfect but it should be our goal not to sin and should strive against sin.

·         No guile (NT:1388dolos (dol’-os); from an obsolete primary verb, dello (probably meant to decoy; compare NT:1185); a trick (bait), i.e. (figuratively) wile: KJV - craft, deceit, guile, subtilty.)[v] There should be no deceit in our mouths as befitting Christians. What is in our hearts should come out, like a sponge when squeezed what is inside will come out when we are squeezed.

·         Reviled He reviled not again. When they lied about Him, He did not respond, like a sheep to the slaughter He did not even open His mouth.

·         When suffering he threatened not. Instead He said “Father, forgive them for they know not what they do.”

·         Committed Himself to the Righteous Judge. Vengeance is mine sayeth the Lord.

I do not pretend these are easy thoughts to implement; they go against our fleshly nature. We are men after all and we were wronged and I will stand up for myself. But if we are save we have a new nature within us and the Holy Spirit will help guide us if we yield to His leading. We can also draw closer to God by spending time with Him getting closer through prayer and study, letting His Words not settle not in our heads but travel all the way down to our hearts God can give us peace and the victory over the flesh even in the hard times. We have a great high priest who we can call on in our time of need who will whose example we can follow. He was tempted in all ways without sin (Hebrews 4:14-16)

For what glory [is it], if, when ye be buffeted for your faults, ye shall take it patiently? but if, when ye do well, and suffer [for it], ye take it patiently, this [is] acceptable with God. For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps: Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth: Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed [himself] to him that judgeth righteously -1 Peter 2:20-23

There is a great confusion out in the realm of Christianity saying if you are saved and living right you will be blessed with happiness, wealth and anything you ever wanted. That sounds good to me but it does not measure up with scriptures.

Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution. -2 Timothy 3:12

So goes the example of our Saviour: Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also. -John 15:20

We need to start in verse 20; we need to separate persecution and prosecution. If we sin and suffer the consequences of it we cannot cry out they are persecuting me! You get pulled over for doing 50 mph in a 35 zone and you get a ticket, you broke the law and that defiantly falls under the later not the former.

So how do we deal with the real trials that come along in life? I know recently at work I have been dealing with a situation that just plain crossed the line into harassment. I was so severe that a manager that witnessed it asked me if I wanted to pursue harassment charges against this individual. For some reason, I didn’t want to at that time. As it continued I wondered if I did the wrong thing. Then I came across the verses in 1 Peter 2 listed above and while not easy, it was the way God wanted me to deal with it: To follow in His steps.

The phrase follow in His steps is thought provoking. I think of my childhood where it would snow in the winter and my Dad would go out to clean the driveway and I would follow him out. I could see his footprints in the snow, and would hit as many as I could but I could not hit them all, but I followed them as close as I could and stayed in his path. We are not God but we can be obedient and follow as close as we can. We are given a few commands (don’t you hate that word, but these are not written as suggestions!):

• Did no sin: He is the Great High Priest that was temped in all ways yet sinless! this should be our goal. While we do sin, it should be our goal not to sin.
• No Guile in His mouth: There was no deceit. He was honest and forthright and so should we, as becoming the saints of God.
• Did not exchange evil for evil. As we are commanded we should bless our enmies and pray for them that despitefully use us.
• Took His sufferings without threatening. How unlike us! When we feel the slightest injustice we want vengeance! Our feelings were hurt and that is not right! How dare they! They are unsaved, how do we actually expect them to act? They crucified Jesus, do we expect them to love us? (See verses above).
• Committed Himself to the Righteous Judge. God will deal with it, so we can relax. He may not do it in the way we would (Get them now! They looked at me funny, they were mean to me!) but may use the situation (and us) to draw them closer to Him. Not what I would choose, but He did have compassion on me when I was unsaved.

I did not say this is easy, just right. And fortunately we do not have to do it alone. God within us, the Holy Spirit, will guide us if we let Him.

Just something to think about.

Did you ever listen to a good sermon or read an interesting book or article on the Christian faith and have it go from “hey, that is an interesting thought” to “they are just meddling now!” or in other words they are just sticking their noses in where they do not belong. After all how dare those hypocrites with all their problems start throwing out their opinions on topics they know nothing about!

You know what just happened? You were just convicted about something in your life and we just plain don’t like when that happens. It goes like this:

Preacher: “sin is bad”

Congregation: “amen”

Preacher: “we should not sin”

Congregation: “amen”

Preacher: “The Bible says we should tithe”

Congregation “now you’re just meddling!”

It does not matter where your personal fault is (and we all have them: for if we say we do not sin, we make Him (God) a liar -1 John 1:10) when that time of conviction comes up we have two choices: Repent and turn toward God or rebel and turn from God. I know, I’m meddling now but thing about it, there are things I know I do every day and I have to stop and thing and repent:

Like a 17 min 15 min break (Servants, be obedient to them that are [your] masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in singleness of your heart, as unto Christ; Not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but as the servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart; -Ephesians 6:5-6) I should strive to be my best every day regardless of personal circumstances (more about that on my next post) not just because I owe it to them because they pay me but it brings glory to my God.

That is just one example from my life, and I am sure you can think of examples from your own as well. It is not a matter of meddling but letting God lead us by His Spirit (who is doing the convicting) by His Word (weather preached or read) we need to realize Who is speaking and give proper heed. I know it is easier said than done but fortunately I do not have to do it alone. The same Spirit who convicted me can lead me also.

Just something to think about. 

I used the word intimacy to provoke thought. What do you think of when the word intimacy is spoken? How can we apply this to our relationship with God?

I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman. Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit. Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you. –John 15:1-3

Vine & Branches: A unique relationship.

The production of grapes is unique in one fact: what other fruit do you get branches with the fruit. Think of the haas avocados. (You know the bumpy green one) all the trees came from one mother tree in California by cutting off branches and grafting them into other trees so they could get the same fruit with the same characteristics while grape branches are worthless.

Pruning & Casting

The branches seemed destined to be cut somehow. If not fruitful they are cast off as a branch and into the fire. The fruitful branch is cut back to produce more fruit. It needs to be, have you ever seen a grape leaf? They can get very large and left to themselves they will spend all their time and energy producing leaves and not fruit. It seems to me there should be a spiritual application here.

There are things that can draw our strength, energy and can take up all our time and efforts if we let them. Some of these are obvious: TV, video games, novels, and etc. Some are not so obvious and my even be a good thing but not if carried too far, like what can be termed “ministry” and if we get so involved in what we are doing and lose sight of why we are doing it and it can become a large leaf. We need to keep the focus on what God wants it on: bearing fruit.

Abiding: One key to intimacy

Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing. –John 15:4-5

Abide-NT:3306 meno (men’-o); a primary verb; to stay (in a given place, state, relation or expectancy): KJV - abide, continue, dwell, endure, be present, remain, stand, tarry (for), X thine own.[1]

Intimacy comes from (what is the word I am thinking of here, it is more than just proximity but a desire to know); this is just as true in our relationship with God as with our human relationships. The thought that “hey, I love you” but I don’t desire to spend time with you or learn anything about you. The question is “if you demonstrated your love toward your mate the same way you show your love toward God how would he/she feel?”

When I dated my fiancé we spent so much time together that it would get to the point where we could look at each other and almost sense what we were thinking. This could not have developed if we did not want to spend time with each other and have the desire to please one another so we would look for little ways to make each other happy.

Now we know God is infinite and we are finite so we not ever know everything about God this side of heaven but if we are honest with each other and ourselves there is a lot of room for improvement.

Abiding allow us to be Fruitful 

 So what exactly is fruit?

We must be fruitful. From a vine we look for grapes (Isa 5:2), and from a Christian we look for Christianity; this is the fruit, a Christian temper and disposition, a Christian life and conversation, Christian devotions and Christian designs. We must honour God, and do good, and exemplify the purity and power of the religion we profess; and this is bearing fruit. The disciples here must be fruitful, as Christians, in all the fruits of righteousness, and as apostles, in diffusing the savour of the knowledge of Christ.[2]

Looking for peace and joy? Abide and be fruitful (But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. –Galatians 5:22-23) these cannot be taken from us but can be given away by us if we choose not to abide.

Abiding is a key to answered prayer.

If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you. Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples. –John 15:7-8

Think about it what caused prayer not to be answered?

Unconfessed sin (If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me: -Psalm 66:1

Discord between husbands and wives (Likewise, ye husbands, dwell with them according to knowledge, giving honour unto the wife, as unto the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life; that your prayers be not hindered. –1 Peter 3:7

All married people should take care to behave themselves so lovingly and peaceably one to another that they may not by their broils hinder the success of their prayers.[3]

Improper motive (Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not. Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts. –James 4:2-3)

We can minimize these things if we are abiding in Christ. Think about it if we are staying as close to God as we can we will be more conscience of our sins and the terrible consequences of them and less likely to hold onto them and let them fester in our souls. If a husband and wife are both abiding and desiring to be closer to God they will almost by default draw closer to each other. (Think of a triangle). If we are close to God and abiding we will be looking at glorifying Him more and ourselves less (I think of John the Baptist here: He must increase, I must decrease) and our motives will become more pure in our prayer life and we will find our prayers being answered more because we are more aligned with God as we abide in Him.

If We Abide:

There will be an outward showing that will manifest itself two ways

• Outward

In service to others

• Upward

In praise and worship to God

Thought:

Sometimes God tries to get our attention by revealing where He is at work. We see it, but we do not immediately identify it as His activity. We say to ourselves “I do not know weather or not God wants me to get involved here. I had better pray about it.” And by the time we pray, the opportunity to join God is gone.[4]

By abiding in God we will be in a better position to recognize when the chance to serve God comes along. This point was driven home this week when I went to go to work and started to drive when I heard the thumping of a flat tire and I did not have a spare when this guy from the neighborhood stopped by and asked if I needed a tire. I did not have any money on me to pay him and he told me not to worry about it. 30 minutes later I was driving off on a Eagle GT tire and while I was late, I did not have to miss work. This has made me more sensitive to the situation of those around me in need. I get them all, sadly no, but it is moving me in the right direction.

Worshiping To God

The attitude of an abiding heart:

OT:7812 shachah (shaw-khaw’); primitive root; to depress, i.e. prostrate (especially reflexive, in homage to royalty or God): KJV - bow (self) down, crouch, fall down (flat), humbly beseech, do (make) obeisance, do reverence, make to stoop, worship.[5]

NT:4352 proskuneo (pros-koo-neh’-o); from NT:4314 and a probable derivative of NT:2965 (meaning to kiss, like a dog licking his master’s hand); to fawn or crouch to, i.e. (literally or figuratively) prostrate oneself in homage (do reverence to, adore): KJV - worship.

The actions of an abiding heart:

NT:4576 sebomai (seb’-om-ahee); middle voice of an apparently primary verb; to revere, i.e. adore: KJV - devout, religious, worship.

NT:3000 latreuo (lat-ryoo’-o); from latris (a hired menial); to minister (to God), i.e. render, religious homage: KJV - serve, do the service, worship (-per).

NT:2151 eusebeo (yoo-seb-eh’-o); from NT:2152; to be pious, i.e. (towards God) to worship, or (towards parents) to respect (support): KJV - show piety, worship.

Worship is an act and an attitude.

The attitude of humility (the word humble is to take a knee, worship is to lay prostrated. One cannot worship unless they are first humble.)

 We can worship God in song, giving, service in the church, raising of hands (I will therefore that men pray every where, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting. –1 Timothy 2:8 & And Ezra blessed the LORD, the great God. And all the people answered, Amen, Amen, with lifting up their hands: and they bowed their heads, and worshipped the LORD with their faces to the ground. –Nehemiah 8:6

This may seem odd to us Baptist. I remembered the first time I was in a church and someone raised there hands and I thought, “Why is she trying to ask a question in the middle of church!” and when her other but hand went up I thought “now she has two questions!” But this is not about questions or getting something from God but a reaction showing a desire to grow closer to God.

Illustration: I was at Pastor’s new house last Tuesday and along came little Molly and she saw Daddy and up went her little arms. She did not need to say anything the message was clear, she wanted to be close to Daddy and get some attention from him and he picked her up. It is the same desire being shown by the children of God to God the Father when we lift up our hands to Him.

And lastly we worship God by showing our love towards others. Remember what Jesus said:

Matt 25:37-40

37 Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink?38 When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee?39 Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee? 40 And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.

Closing Thoughts

Are we a branch, have we been put into the vine by a decision to accept Jesus as Saviour. If not, why not?

I never liked jazz music because jazz music doesn’t resolve. But I was outside the Bagdad Theater in Portland one night and I saw a man playing the saxophone. I stood there for 15 minutes and he never opened his eyes. After that I liked jazz music.[6]

Are we abiding to the point that the fruit of the spirit is showing in our lives and the love of God flowing through us as believers that others are moved toward our Saviour by our very presence?

Intimacy with God is a conscience decision and the outflowing of that is going to be a fruitful life (and a spirit of worship) that will be attractive to non-believers and an encouragement to believers to the glory of God, no matter what situation we find ourselves in.

 You know,  I am getting tired of all the retoric from the presidental campains. We are by one candidate being promised hope. No specifics, no plans, just some vauge form of “hope” coming through some undeifned change that I get a feeling will cost me (and most of you) a lot of our money, but I digress. I would like to give you true hope, something you can count on and here it is:
Hope: expectation of good, hope; in the Christian sense: joyful and confident expectation of eternal salvation; on hope, in hope, having hope: the author of hope, or he who is its foundation, or as Paul said it under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit:

Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works. –Titus 2:13-14

My hope does not come from the government, my job, my family (though I love them dearly) nor my friends (though I am thankful for them). My hope is in a future that has been secured by the death, burial, and ressurettion of my Lord, Jesus Christ and that He is coming back for all those who have trusted Him sa Saviour. That hope is as sure and true and trustworthy as the God that made the promise that:

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. –John 3:16-17

And that is a promise you can place your hope in, because the One that made is true and will keep it.

Just something to think about

The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. -2 Peter 3:9

In my Sunday School class we has started a study about covenants. Do you realize that God does not lie. Every promise He made He either has or will keep. And that is something to rejoice about. Our salvation is secure, our future bright and safe. God kept his promise to Noah, to Abraham, and He will keep His promise to us as well.

Compare that to man. There was a time where a man word was his bond and a handshake was as good as a contract. You did not want to have the repuation as being someone who did not keep his word. Boy have times changed.

Now it is commonplace to hear ads on radio or TV about if you have more than 10,000 in debt you can have it reduced by up to 65% or so under the law. Think about it, we spend and spend and then just write it off because we can under the law and it is just the big, bad banks who have to take the loss. After all, they deserve it look at all the interest they were charging me (Don’t get me wrong, I know there are occasions when there are turns in circumstances that are unavoidable and I have been there myself, but they are the minority). We need as much as possible to be people of our word. What people see in us, they think of our Saviour. Some men may be slack in their promises but we need to be forthright as children of the king. We need to be people of integrity.

Just something to think about.

It was with a sad heart I heard of the passing of William F. Buckley, Jr. Outside of my immediate family and closest friends nobody influenced my thought pattern more than he did. I remember watching him on his show Firing Line and how I was fascinated by his speech and ideas (even though I would have to watch his show dictionary in hand!)  He slowly helped to mold my mind to the conservative ideals I hold today (I know he called himself a Liberian journalist but he got me to stop thinking the world owes me everything and it is lucky to have me kind of thinking and no I did not agree with everything he said but he did cause me to stop, think and evaluate). 

I pulled out a copy of a book I have of his, Happy Days Were Here Again, a wonderful collection of his thoughts on a wide range of topics and am again amazed at his wit and intelligence. Thank you Mr. Buckely, you will be missed.

And one of the scribes came, and having heard them reasoning together, and perceiving that he had answered them well, asked him, Which is the first commandment of all? And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments [is], Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord: And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this [is] the first commandment. And the second [is] like, [namely] this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these. –Mark 12:28-31 (emphasis mine)

When I think of these verses I usually come at them from the thought of how we are to love God. And we should love God with all of our being. This impacts all areas of our lives including our relationships because as we grow closer to God we will naturally grow closer to each other.

But there came a couple of troubling thoughts as considered the second part of the commandment:

• If I loved my neighbor as myself, how would he feel?
• Is the problem with my relationships with friends, family, neighbors is that I am loving them as myself?

Consider:

• I am not just talking about money. In the parable of the Good Samaritan it cost in time and effort so it is not just about the Benjamin’s as the saying goes.
• If I spoke to my neighbor as I speak to myself would he feel loved? I don’t know about you but I can be tough on myself and will talk myself down if feel I fell short of my standards.
• If I forgave my neighbor as I forgive myself, how would he feel? If I feel spoke out of turn or tersely to someone I care about (even someone I don’t know) I can feel guilty about it for weeks even after I repent to God and speak with the person. (nine times out of ten they did not even notice or it did not appear that way to them) but when someone is that way to me it rolls off like water off a duck’s back.

This is important and I struggled with this for over a week so here is the application:

If I cannot receive love from God or others, how can I show it? Fact is I cannot. How can I forgive others if I am not able to receive it myself? Again I cannot. These flow out from what is within a man as Jesus said:

But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile the man. For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies: These are [the things] which defile a man: but to eat with unwashen hands defileth not a man.  –Matthew 15:18-20

So what goes out shows what is within, then if we have that love, we have experienced that love we can show it and likewise if we really have been forgiven then that will come out too. And I also learned it is ok to forgive myself. After all God loved me enough to forgive me and He knows a lot better than I do.

Just something to think about.

Below are the notes I used when God gave me the privilege of teaching a message on The Church and the power point presentation I used is attached.

”One of our greatest allies at present is the Church itself. Do not misunderstand me. I do not mean the Church we as we see her spread out through all time and space and rooted in eternity, terrible as an army with banners. That I confess, is a spectacle that will make our boldest tempters uneasy. But fortunately is quits invisible to these humans. All your patient sees is the half-finished, sham Gothic erection on the new building estate.

-Screwtape to Wormword in CS Lewis’ Screwtape Letters.

The begs the question what is the church is, but before we go there let’s look at a few things the church is not:

Not the building, the church meets in the building

Not tradition

Not programs

Not our minsitries

I am not saying these things are bad in and of themselves but does not define the church

There are three things to look at today:

What is the Church anyway?

What is the vision of the church, what is her purpose?

Benefits of Church Membership: Why do we belong?

Prov 29:18

Where there is no vision, the people perish…

A business that loses it vision will go bankrupt…think of ADT

A government that loses it vision will go out of control

A church that loses it vision, people die.

What is The Church?

It is an assembly

NT:1577

ekklesia (ek-klay-see’-ah); from a compound of NT:1537 and a derivative of NT:2564; a calling out, i.e. (concretely) a popular meeting, especially a religious congregation (Jewish synagogue, or Christian community of members on earth or saints in heaven or both): KJV - assembly, church.[i]

The church has lost her vision, we need to be reminded from time to time what it is, the consequences can be dire if we don’t.,

 The Church is the Body of Christ. 

Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular. –1 Corinthians 12:27

Paul spends some time comparing the body of Christ to a human body. Why is this significant?

What are some signs of a healthy body?

How can we apply some of these to the church?

We need to belong. Can a foot, heart or brain survive on it’s own,.

We each do have a role.

A healthy body grows: Praising God, and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved. –Acts 2:47

The Purpose of The Church

Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen. –Matthew 28:19-20

And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: -Ephesians 4:11-12

Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching –Hebrews 10-25

The body must go to grow

• Maturing or completing of believers
• Work of the ministry: toiling for the master to aid or serve.
• Edify: an architectural term for a structure, fig confirmation
• Exhort:  NT:3870 parakaleo (par-ak-al-eh’-o); from NT:3844 and NT:2564; to call near, i.e. invite, invoke (by imploration, hortation or consolation):KJV - beseech, call for, (be of good) comfort, desire, (give) exhort (-ation), intreat, pray.ⁱ

Church Membership

Eph 4:16

6 From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love. –Ephesians 4:16

Paul does not mean idle worship where we just show up but involves a commitment and effort to God and each other.

Commanded in Hebrews 10:25

Belonging to a church family identifies you as a genuine believer

By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another. –John 13:35

A church family keeps you from self-centered isolation

And whether one member suffer, all the members suffer with it; or one member be honoured, all the members rejoice with it. –1 Corinthians 12:26

I have been reading Blue Like Jazz and it has an odd way of convicting even though it’s theology is a bit off but he spoke of having a house in the country where he was alone and how he experienced a disconnect with people. When he moved into a house with other believers he had trouble reconnecting with people.

One problem is that he said it is easy to get wrapped up in yourself when your not around other believers..

Will help keep you from backsliding

But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. –Hebrews 3:13

What are some of the most common reasons people give for not going to church? How can we answer them?

What barriers keep us from loving & caring for other believers?

Gives needed fellowship

That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ. And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full. This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. –1 John 1:3-7

What do you think of when you think of Fellowship?

What is the bases of biblical Fellowship?

• Salvation first.
• Common cause moving forward
• Waking honestly in accordance w/God’s Word

Does my level of involvement at church demonstrate that I love and am committed to God’s family? 

Sometimes when you get to the end of the rope, you need to tie a knot and just hang on.

This simple philosophy from a 1970’s poster featuring a cat on a rope I remember seems quite cute and uplifting till you get to that dark night of the soul I hear so many people talk about. I have had some bad days, even some bad weeks but never experienced anything that could be described as this dark night till recently.

The Dark Night of The Soul is from St. John of the Cross, a 16 century catholic that Wikopedia describes as a treatise written by Spanish poet and Roman Catholic mystic Saint John of the Cross. It has become an expression used to describe a specific phase in a person’s spiritual life, a metaphor for a certain loneliness and desolation. Though typically associated with a crisis of faith in the Roman Catholic tradition, it is referenced by spiritual traditions throughout the world.[i]

Over the last two months I have had a decline in health beyond my imaginings. A degenerative nerve disease that is causing a great deal of pain; couple this with a return of my depression in force and I started doubting quite a lot. It lead to a spiritual crises in my life that came to a head last Sunday while I was watching an evangelist named Tim Lee. I have heard Tim Lee before and it wasn’t so much what he said but what he was doing. He was preaching. You may not think too much of this till you realize Tim Lee is a double amputee who is going on with what God had called him to do. (More information on Tim Lee is at his website).  I realize I had no excuse before God. I needed to get back what God has called me to do: Teach, preach and write my blog. I have been negligent in all these areas. For this I apologize. There is a mild case of blogrot here from neglect so I have been working on some updates. First the name is changed. There is good reason for this. When I first felt lead to do an online ministry I was given the name Unto the Hills and it is from the 121^st Psalm:

I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help. My help [cometh] from the LORD, which made heaven and earth. He will not suffer thy foot to be moved: he that keepeth thee will not slumber. Behold, he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep. The LORD [is] thy keeper: the LORD [is] thy shade upon thy right hand. The sun shall not smite thee by day, nor the moon by night. The LORD shall preserve thee from all evil: he shall preserve thy soul. The LORD shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in from this time forth, and even for evermore.

The thought in this is that the Lord is our source for our strength, hope and help. Since 1996 Unto the Hills has been around through several resurrections (at least 4 now) and I have also had a statement of purpose:

To reach the lost and encourage the Christian through Gods Word.

I remembered both of these recently and will keep them in mind moving forward. I am looking forward to a great 2008 with you.

God Bless

Bro Tom