Tag Archives: Christian living

An obedient servant of Christ

Posted on December 8, 2014 by | Comments Off on An obedient servant of Christ

study-better-800x800All it takes is a quick trip to the local Christian book store to see the number of publications that claim you can become an obedient servant and experience God’s blessings on your life. At one point in my own Christian walk and while going through my own personal struggles and crises of faith, I admit that I did buy one of those books. Although the author meant well when writing the book, within its pages were the claims that if we say a certain prayer, do certain deeds, and attended church regularly, then I would be an obedient servant of Christ. While I will not say that the entire book was wrong, a one-size-fits all approach does not work because we are all not called into the same area of Christian service.

One of the saddest yet most interesting things that I study as a part of my job is the role of religion within the ancient societies and within the United States. It fascinates both myself and college students to learn how far many people will go to prove their love and adoration of certain deities, or even within certain Christian denominations. To show their obedience, some faiths require that some great feat be performed or that the believer must give a great sacrifice, sometimes of wealth, sometimes of self-denial, and sometimes even a human sacrifice is required. It is only within Judaism and true biblical Christianity where we see God tell us: Wherewith shall I come before the LORD, and bow myself before the high God? shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves of a year old? Will the LORD be pleased with thousands of rams, or with ten thousands of rivers of oil? shall I give my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul? He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God? (Micah 6:6-8). Jesus even simplified this during His earthly ministry as he told the disciples and all who were around that day, If ye love me, keep my commandments (John 14:15).

The apostle Paul understood the simplicity and the beauty of what our relationship of Christ is to be like. Paul referred to himself as a servant of the Lord Jesus Christ; he chose to use the relationship of being a servant of Christ because during the lifetime of Jesus and the apostles, servitude for debt was a common practice and one of the main ways that Jews fell into the role of being a servant. Paul considered himself owing a debt to Christ for which he could never repay, as all Christians do.

Becoming a servant of Christ

There are many things that we can learn about this relationship we have with the Lord. Our status as a servant of Christ must be a status that we choose for ourselves. God desires that we serve Him as an exercise of our own free will. Throughout the times of the Old Testament and throughout the New Testament, God has clearly taught that all people have to make a choice – to both serve and love God with all our heart or to reject Him. Jesus told Nicodemus, 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. He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God (John 3:16-18).  Jesus is reiterating what He had already told the Hebrew people during the Exodus from Egypt: I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live (Deuteronomy 30:19). The beginning of being an obedient servant of Christ starts here with this decision. You either choose to follow Him or you reject Him. Joshua, the man who would take on the leadership of Israel after the death of Moses, put it best: And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD (Joshua 24:15).

As a Christian, we willingly put ourselves into the position as a servant of the Lord Jesus Christ when we accept Him as our Savior. The very nature of the personal relationship that we share with the Lord should cause a desire within us to be an obedient servant of Christ. Within the Old Testament, there was a provision made for servants that wished to stay with their master even after their indebtedness had been repaid: And it shall be, if he say unto thee, I will not go away from thee; because he loveth thee and thine house, because he is well with thee; 17Then thou shalt take an aul, and thrust it through his ear unto the door, and he shall be thy servant for ever. And also unto thy maidservant thou shalt do likewise. 18It shall not seem hard unto thee, when thou sendest him away free from thee; for he hath been worth a double hired servant to thee, in serving thee six years: and the LORD thy God shall bless thee in all that thou doest (Deuteronomy 15:16-18). Our obedience to God must come from our own love for the Lord and not because we feel that we have to. Just as the passage in Micah teaches, when we are obedient to God out of our love for him our obedience makes us valuable to God. Although God does not use an awl to punch our ear, he does bless us and set us apart for Himself. We become a servant that is close to God’s own heart.

Continued on next page.

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A trip to the potter’s field

Posted on October 8, 2014 by | Comments Off on A trip to the potter’s field

hour glassFor the last few entries, I’ve shared some on my Bible study on anger, as I shared it with my Sunday school class. Although there are still a few lessons I plan to share on the topic, I felt the need to change topics with today’s entry. As many of you know, I teach at a local community college and sometimes the Lord will bring things into a perspective that I never really thought about before. Yesterday I experienced one of those trips to the potter’s field where the Lord uses something common to teach me something profound. Before class, I had a student tell me that she had let time slip away from her and she was concerned if she was going to be able to get anything done.

At one point in the conversation, she actually said, “I can see the last day rapidly approaching and there is still so much I must get done…” Immediately, my mind thought of the verse, Say not ye, There are yet four months, and then cometh harvest? behold, I say unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest (John 4:35). As she continued to share her feelings and frustrations, my mind immediately began comparing what she was saying to what the scripture teaches. When she registered for the course, she understood it was a bi-term class; instead of it being a normal 16 week college course, I cover the same materials in eight weeks. The course is compressed, requires a lot of personal investment, and students must remain engaged in the course to get all the required assignments done. Now the eight weeks is almost over and she is very concerned about what she still has to do to make a decent grade in the class.

As I was leaving the campus, I began to think about how the conversation with my student had a spiritual lesson that is easy to forget.  Jesus told his disciples, Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When her branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is near: So ye in like manner, when ye shall see these things come to pass, know that it is nigh, even at the doors. Verily I say unto you, that this generation shall not pass, till all these things be done. Heaven and earth shall pass away: but my words shall not pass away. But of that day and that hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father. Take ye heed, watch and pray: for ye know not when the time is. For the Son of man is as a man taking a far journey, who left his house, and gave authority to his servants, and to every man his work, and commanded the porter to watch. Watch ye therefore: for ye know not when the master of the house cometh, at even, or at midnight, or at the cockcrowing, or in the morning: Lest coming suddenly he find you sleeping. And what I say unto you I say unto all, Watch (Mark 13:28-37). Jesus was telling the disciples, and through faith in the scriptures, telling us that the day of His returning is rapidly approaching!

There are times when I honestly believe we do not take this warning of the Lord Jesus seriously. Just as my student was aware of the approaching end of the course, all the Christian has to do is to look around the world today and through the lens of scripture, it becomes apparent that the day Christ warned us about is rapidly approaching. The gospel of Matthew records the same teaching of Jesus but from a different perspective: But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only. But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left. Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, and the other left. Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come. But know this, that if the goodman of the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be broken up. Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh. Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his lord hath made ruler over his household, to give them meat in due season? Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing (Matthew 24:36-46). What is fascinating to realize is that everyone will be doing something when the Lord does return. The question becomes “what will the Lord find me doing when He does return?”

I know that someone out there may be asking why I think that many Christians forget that the day is rapidly approaching. To be honest, imagine how much different all of us would be, how much more serious and active we would become towards our faith if we believed that the Lord was coming again on Saturday! How many times would you be praying for the salvation of family and friends? How many people would you willingly share the gospel with? How serious would you be about ridding your life of the temptations you willingly keep around?

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A biblical study of anger: the sins of spreading strife and contention

Posted on October 6, 2014 by | Comments Off on A biblical study of anger: the sins of spreading strife and contention

reading-bible_2316_1024x805Unjustified anger is fleshly based and usually is a reaction to others when we feel they, or  someone they are associated with, or something has caused embarrassment to us, or our best made plans to fail. This unjustified anger is not only a sin, but if we do not learn how to scriptural manage it, it will lead us to commit other sins that are totally out of our character or we normally would not even think to do. This flesh-filled and flesh-centered anger and the wrath that accompanies it has a natural tendency to bring out the very worst in our character even towards those that we love and so much more towards those outside our family circle and closest friends. In the previous installment of this series, the real possibility of cruelty and the spreading of gossip and lies out of our anger and our strong desires to “get even” with the object of our wrath was considered from a scriptural viewpoint.

It is easy when we are angry to immediately retaliate by spreading contention and strife to others around us. There’s an old expression that we all know too well – “misery loves company” and the same can be said when we are angry. No one likes to be angry alone and if we are honest with ourselves, the first thing we do is to share what we are angry about with others. We do this for a variety of reasons including wanting others to feel our pain, to have others justify our anger, or to even provoke others into action on our behalf. Solomon, the man who asked God for wisdom, wrote, It is better to dwell in the wilderness, than with a contentious and an angry woman (Proverbs 21:19). Although Solomon focused on women, a contentious person is not gender specific – there are contentious men and women. A contentious person is someone who enjoys creating conflict. They thrive when there is a fight or argument around and do not hesitate to start a fight over things that at times, do not matter in the scheme of things. They especially enjoy this when they are already angry. Bringing others into their anger allows them to have what they perceive as control over the situation. It allows them to feel justified as others seem to agree with them. Later within that same book, Solomon wrote, An angry man stirreth up strife, and a furious man aboundeth in transgression (Proverbs 29:22). There are some people that just enjoy being angry. They enjoy the raw emotion and they also enjoy pitting people against each other and watching others fight if they can. When our anger grows and becomes fury, it becomes blinding, meaning that we can no longer distinguish between right and wrong. We become bent on revenge and seeking what we believe and see as “justice” often not realizing that we’ve made things worse.

Solomon was extremely wise when one considers the various topics that he wrote upon. Regarding anger and wrath, Solomon was led by the spirit of the Lord to write, Surely the churning of milk bringeth forth butter, and the wringing of the nose bringeth forth blood: so the forcing of wrath bringeth forth strife. (Proverbs 30:33) There are two important observations about wrath in this verse. The first is the obvious – wrath will always bring forth strife just as if you twist someone’s nose it will cause a nosebleed. If you allow your anger to grow into wrath to the extent you begin to convince others you are somehow justified, you will soon be spreading strife to others. The second point, a subtle warning, is the danger of the forcing of wrath; this phrase refers to simply trying to convince others that our anger is justified because of certain circumstances. When we try to bring and inflame others about our perceived injustice, we are actually setting the stage for more conflict. Sometimes this new conflict will be against the one we believe deserves it; but then again, there is always a chance that our attempts to get others to see our side could backfire. In either case, it pushes us farther from the Lord, can damage our relationships, and simply leads to more problems.

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