God Does Not Give Up on Us Easily

When I was young, there were two games that we would play that did not require any equipment.  Simon Says and Red Light, Green Light.  I find it strange that we never played 20 Questions or I Spy with My Little Eye.  But anyway, I want to talk about Red Light, Green Light.  For those of you who do not know, the game is a race.  But you can only run when you have the "green light."  Someone who isn't running in the race would yell, "Green light!" and you would run.  But as soon as they yelled, "Red light!" you had to stop immediately.  If you were caught running during a red light, you had to start over at the starting line.

Red Light, Green Light is a fun game.  But this is not a game we can play when it comes to our salvation.  You may ask, "How can you play Red Light, Green Light with your salvation?"  Green Light, Red Light is a game of start and stop, start and stop, start and stop, start and stop.  Salvation--on the other hand--is not a repetitious start and stop.  Some people think that at one moment you could be saved, then in the very next moment you can be lost.  Then later you are saved again, and then again later, you are lost.  Saved then lost, saved then lost.  This is called Stop and Go Christianity.  This type of Christianity leaves people thinking, "Did I sin recently?  I may have.  Is so, am I lost right now?  I'll ask for forgiveness so I can be saved again.  But what about later today?  Will I sin before the end of the day and become lost again?"  Now, have you ever asked yourself these types of questions?  I sure have.

I remember back to my baptism; it was a Thursday.  After I was baptized, I overheard someone say to someone else who was there, "Yes.  I remember when I was baptized and not wanting to commit that first sin."  Interesting concept.  Our sins are washed away when we are baptized, right?  Yes.  Therefore, I must be perfectly clean and sinless when I come up out of the water.  I remember the next week very well.  I felt renewed after my baptism.  I felt like I had a purpose--a spiritual purpose.  And through the rest of that week, I tried my very, very, VERY best not to commit that first sin.  It was about three days after my baptism when I first started asking those questions.  "Have I sinned yet?  I'm not sure.  I don't want to give up this perfection.  Will I be able to keep this up through the rest of my life?  It's been only 3 days and I still have years upon years to go."  Then that weekend, I remember sinning.  I lied to my parents.  Looking back, did I sin before that weekend?  Probably.  But that weekend, I lied.  I had failed.  I was no longer perfect.  I began asking myself new questions, "Am I still saved?  Did my baptism only last about 5 days?  Should I be baptized again?  Or should I pray that God will forgive me?  What about the next time I sin?  And the next?"  From that time on, you could say that I started to "drag my feet" as a Christian.  Sure I still tried not to sin, but I did not have the motivation in my heart to strive for sinlessness anymore.  I began viewing my degree of righteousness, or saved-ness, based on how much I knew of the Bible.  The more Biblical knowledge I had, the more righteous I was.  And that kind of thinking is wrong, but that is for another lesson.

And here's where we get to the good part: What does the Bible have to say about the Stop and Go Christianity?

1) First of all, one symptom of Stop and Go Christianity is being unsure of your salvation.  You may have heard it many times before, but we can know that we are saved.  1John 5:13 says, "I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God that you may know that you have eternal life."  Are you unsure whether or not you are saved?  Then you might have the mind-set of Stop and Go Christianity.

2) Secondly, let's look at what else the apostle John said.  When I was baptized, I believed that when I came up out of the water, I was perfect and sinless--just like Jesus Himself when He walked this earth.  But John says that isn't right.  1John 1:8 says, "If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us."  Even immediately after my baptism, I was not perfect and still had sin.  So right now as I stand before you as I have been baptized... When was the first sin that I will be accountable for?  Was it the first sin after my baptism?  No!  As I stand here before you, the first sin I committed that I will be accountable for was long, long before my baptism.  For when I was baptized, not only was I forgiven of all the sins I had committed before my baptism, but also all the sins that I will ever commit--as long as I keep my faith in Christ.  Furthermore, when was I forgiven of all the sins I have ever and will ever commit?  Was at my baptism?  Yes, in a way.  For I tell you, my sins and your sins were forgiven before we were ever born.  Because Jesus took the whole world's sin away when He died on the cross.  For John the baptist says in John 1:29, "Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!"  Did you know everyone's sins have already been forgiven?  But it is at baptism that you make your pledge of a good conscience to God (1Pet 3:21) and you enter into that forgiveness of sins (Acts 2:38).  On the other hand, Stop and Go Christianity says that God's forgiveness is given one moment and taken away each and every time we sin.  Red light; green light.  But the apostle John says that God's forgiveness is constant.  1John 1:7 says that the blood of Jesus cleanses us from all sin.  That includes the sins of the past, the sins of the present, and the sins of the future.

3) Thirdly, let's study a parable of Jesus that applies to what we're talking about.  Read Luke 13:6-9.  Jesus said in John 15:1, "I am the true Vine, and my Father is the vinedresser."  So this man in the parable (who's perhaps the vinedresser's servant) goes out and finds a tree he planted that isn't bearing fruit.  What does it mean to not bear fruit?  It means this tree isn't loving, or joyful, or peaceful, or patient, or kind, or good, or faithful, or gentle, or has self-control.  This tree is not bearing fruit!  I ask you: what's the point of planting a tree if it's not going to bear fruit?  The man, here, says he should cut it down.  I mean, why waist the soil?  Why should God bestow forgiveness on someone who is not bearing fruit?  Why would Jesus prepare a place in heaven for someone who is not bearing fruit?  Basically the tree is worthless just as a dead tree and the servant wants to cut it down.

And this is what gets me...  This is why I adore this parable...  In verse 8, the vinedresser (God) says, "Let it be a little while longer.  I'm going to dig around it and add fertilizer."  God is merciful.  God is merciful.  I'll say it again: God is merciful!  If there is anything I want you to take from this lesson, it's that God does not give up on us easily.  He does not retract forgiveness and salvation each time we sin.  God's forgiveness is not immediately removed when we are not bearing fruit.  God wants His children to bear fruit.  And He's patient with us.  Just as Peter said in 2Pet 3:9, "The Lord is patient with you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance."  And look here...  Not only is God patient with those who do not bear fruit, but He still takes care of those of us who are not bearing fruit.  For those of us who are having trouble bearing fruit, God's going to take an active role in our lives to bring us to repentance so that we may bear the Spirit's fruit.  How God helps those who are not bearing fruit, I do not exactly know.  Perhaps it's putting people in our lives that open us up to wonderful nature of God.  Perhaps it's an encouraging word someone says that motivates us into working for God.  Perhaps it's a loving brother or sister who will warn us when we have bad attitudes and that we need to bear good fruit.  Whatever is causing us to not bear fruit, God has something to help us out of that.  For Paul says in 1Cor 10:13, "God is faithful.  He will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with every temptation he will also provide a way of escape."  God can bring us out of a spiritual stupor and bring us back to bearing good fruit.

I want to talk about two reasons why a Christian may not be bearing fruit.  There may be many more than these two, but it seems that everything can fit into one of these two categories.

1) Lethargy.  This is laziness.  Many people do not bear fruit because they are lazy.  They've become comfortable and no longer want to grow spiritually.  Laziness just doesn't happen.  It usually grows over months and years.  Have you become lazy in bearing fruit and working for God?  Is working for God seem like a task that is too big for you?  Because it's not.  And is being loving, joyous, kind, or having self-control too hard for you?  Then you might be lazy in your Christianity.  Don't be lethargic.  Don't think that Christianity is something only the over-achievers can really do well.  Find someone who is loving, joyous, kind, or has much self-control.  Observe them and do what they do.  As Paul told the Corinthians, "Be imitators of me, even as I also am of Christ." (1Cor 11:1)  You'll find that living Christ-like is not something unattainable.

So to those who are lethargic, Paul says this, "That you may be filled with the knowledge of His will and in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to Him, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God.  May you be strengthened with all power, according to His glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy, giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints of light." (Col 1:9-12)  And Jesus says to the lethargic, "Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent, and do the works you did at first.  If not, I will come to you and remove your lamp stand from its place, unless you repent." (Rev 2:5)

2) Apathy.  This is not caring.  Many people do not bear fruit because they don't care enough.  Everyone cares about something.  Whether that something is Christ, our family, our jobs, our friends, our possessions, or even ourselves.  People stop bearing fruit because they value other things over Christ.  No one admits apathy, so we must step back and judge our actions.  Our actions and the things we do are the proof of what we really care about.  Do we miss the assembly of the church because of sports?  Do we never read our Bibles yet find time to watch TV?  Do we never find time to pray yet find time play video or computer games?  Do we talk about others by gossiping or do we tell others about Jesus?  The things of the world are trying to get in our way.  They are crying out, "Care about us, care about us!"  And the more we care about the things in the world, the less we care about Jesus.  Again, the more we care about the things of the world, the less we care about Jesus.  We may say to ourselves, "Sure, I care about Jesus.  He's an important part of my life."  We might care for Jesus, but do we care enough for Him?  Jesus said that He has to be number 1.  Not number two.  And you're not allowed to have two number 1s.  There's only one thing that is more important to you above everything else.  Is it Christ?  Jesus said, "Whoever loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me, is not worthy of me." (Matt 10:37)  He goes on to say in Luke 14:26, "If anyone comes to Me and does not hate even his own life, he cannot be My disciple."  Nothing in this world is even remotely as important as Christ.  Step back, think about your life, and judge the fruit you are bearing.  Does your fruit tell you that Christ is first in your life?  Or do your actions prove otherwise?

So to those who are apathetic, Paul says, "Therefore remember that at one time you were separated from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth and strangers to the covenant of promise, having no hope without God in the world.  But now in Christ Jesus you who were once far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ." (Eph 2:11-13)  And Jesus says to the apathetic, "Remember, then, what you received and heard.  Keep it, and repent.  If you will not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what hour I will come against you." (Rev 3:3)

And now we reach the last verse of the parable.  I have one more thought, then this lesson is yours.  God is merciful.  God is patient.  But there will come a time when God's mercy and God's patience will run out.  If someone is a Christian and they are not bearing fruit, there will eventually come a time when God will cut him or her down.  Just as Jesus told the churches in Revelation, "Unless you repent, I will remove your lamp stand."  God does not remove salvation and forgiveness from us each and every time we sin because He wants us to repent, but He will remove forgiveness and salvation from us if we fail to bear fruit and fail to repent.  Is your faith and Christianity bearing spiritual fruit?  Or are you a lifeless tree not bearing fruit for God?  If so, then God's digging around you.  He's giving you fertilizer.  God is working in your life so that you will repent and bear fruit.  God is faithful, but God's mercy and patience will eventually run out, and salvation and forgiveness will no longer be granted to us if we are lazy or apathetic in our Christian life.

Don't play the game of Stop and Go Christianity.  Forgiveness is not a game of Red Light, Green Light.  If you are a Christian and bearing the fruit of the Spirit, have the assurance that you are saved.  If you are not bearing fruit of the Spirit, ask yourself if it's time to come back to God and repent of your sin.

Andrew Swango, xyhelm@gmail.com

(Originally written around 2007)

Joshua's Goshen and Egypt's Goshen

If you read Joshua 10:14, 11:16, and 15:51, you will see that Joshua and the Israelites conquered a city called Goshen. You might be familiar with that name because that's where the Israelites lived in Egypt both before and while they were slaves there.

Is Joshua's Goshen the same as Egypt's Goshen?

You don't have to look too deep to find the answer.

Nearly all the maps of Egypt where scholars believe Goshen is, places Goshen pretty much right on the Nile's delta. Joshua and the Israelites would have to have conquered all the way back into the heart Egypt to reach Egypt's Goshen. Of course, the Israelites never contended with Egypt during their initial conquest of Canaan.

Secondly, Egypt's Goshen is directly west of the Sinai Peninsula. If you compare that to the maps of the areas Joshua and Israelites conquered, they didn't even approach the Sinai Peninsula. And Egypt's Goshen was beyond that.

Therefore, Joshua's Goshen and Egypt's Goshen are not the same Goshen.

God's Involvement in Our Lives

This post is a response to my friend, Leslie Taylor. He made a post asking a great question that I decided to study as in-depth as I could. This is by no means exhaustive, but I pray that it is deep enough that you will gain knowledge and be encouraged by it.

If you are looking for specifically exact ways, physically observable actions, or direct communications that God uses to be our guide today, you won't find it in this study. When it comes to these things, we have many examples of God directly making His will known to His followers (e.g. 1Sam 14:6-14, 1Kings 3:5-14, 19:3-18, Jonah 1:1-2, Acts 1:23-26, 9:3-6, and 16:6-10). These are specific examples of God being involved in people's lives and are great examples for us today. However, the scope of this study is to look at how God is involved in our lives today. I'm not saying that God is unable to do the same things today that He did centuries ago, but He has not guaranteed that He would do those things today (Heb 1:1-3). In this study, we will look at what areas God is most involved in.

I've tried to stay away from the obvious ways God helps us such as through forgiveness, spiritual blessings, and the promises of the life to come. Instead for this study, I have tried to focus as much as I can on the physical ways God is involved in our lives. This is what Leslie is asking about. Does God involve Himself in each decision we make? Does he guide us in the sense that we aren't really making the choice, but He is making it for us? Has God removed Himself from our lives so that we make our own decisions without His guidance?

At the end of each section of this short study, I pose a challenging question to help you make practical application in your life.

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God creates and sustains us

Is God still working in the world today? Yes!

John 5:17 "But Jesus responded to them, "My Father is still working, and I am working also." "

God created mankind and did not neglect us. We exist and make our decisions under God's care. He appointed when and where we would live so that we might seek Him as our guide.

Acts 17:26-28 "From one man He has made every nation of men to live all over the earth and has determined their appointed times and the boundaries of where they live, so that they might seek God, and perhaps they might reach out and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us. For in Him we live and move and exist."

We cannot do anything without God.

John 3:27 "John responded, "No one can receive a single thing unless it's given to him from heaven." "

We must have Christ in order to follow God's guidance.

John 15:5 "I am the vine; you are the branches. The one who remains in Me and I in him produces much fruit, because you can do nothing without Me."

*God and Jesus Christ gave and will give you everything in this life. Will you commit to seeking God and Jesus Christ?

God guides us

We may have frustrations and confusions about what God does. But He is with us will guides us.

Ps 73:21-24 "Thus my heart was grieved, and I was vexed in my mind. I was so foolish and ignorant; I was like a beast before You. Nevertheless I am continually with You; You hold me by my right hand. You will guide me with Your counsel, and afterward receive me to glory."

The Lord is our guide and not ourselves.

Prov 3:5-6 "Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not rely on your own understanding; think about Him in all your ways, and He will guide you on the right paths."

God's Word shows us the way to go.

Ps 119:105 "Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path."

If we follow and love God, all things will work for good. He deeply cares about us.

Rom 8:28 "We know that all things work together for the good of those who love God: those who are called according to His purpose."

*Will you commit to leave behind your own desires and follow God's Word as the guide of your life?

God lives in us

For God to guide us, we must obey him and put off our old person and be the new person according to righteousness and truth.

Eph 4:22-24 "You took off your former way of life, the old man that is corrupted by deceitful desires; you are being renewed in the spirit of your minds; you put on the new man, the one created according to God's [likeness] in righteousness and purity of the truth."

God decided to closely live with us by giving us His Spirit.

1John 3:24 "The one who keeps His commands remains in Him, and He in him. And the way we know that He remains in us is from the Spirit He has given us."

Eph 1:13-14 "In Him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation--in Him when you believed--were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit. He is the down payment of our inheritance, for the redemption of the possession, to the praise of His glory."

2Tim 1:13-14 "Hold fast the pattern of sound words which you have heard from me, in faith and love which are in Christ Jesus. That good thing which was committed to you, keep by the Holy Spirit who dwells in us."

1Cor 3:16 "Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?"

We know that we have the Spirit of God and have God's kind of love when we love one another.

1John 4:12 "No one has ever seen God. If we love one another, God remains in us and His love is perfected in us. This is how we know that we remain in Him and He in us: He has given to us from His Spirit."

*Will you commit to obeying God and His Word in order to receive His Spirit?

Our duty to God

Walking as Jesus walked is walking according to the Spirit. This is how we follow God and are guided by Him.

1John 2:3-6 "This is how we are sure that we have come to know Him: by keeping His commands. The one who says, "I have come to know Him," without keeping His commands, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But whoever keeps His word, truly in him the love of God is perfected. This is how we know we are in Him: the one who says he remains in Him should walk just as He walked."

Rom 8:5-9, 12-15 "For those whose lives are according to the flesh think about the things of the flesh, but those whose lives are according to the Spirit, about the things of the Spirit. For the mind-set of the flesh is death, but the mind-set of the Spirit is life and peace. For the mind-set of the flesh is hostile to God because it does not submit itself to God's law, for it is unable to do so. Those whose lives are in the flesh are unable to please God. You, however, are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, since the Spirit of God lives in you. But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him. So then, brothers, we are not obligated to the flesh to live according to the flesh, for if you live according to the flesh, you are going to die. But if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. All those led by God's Spirit are God's sons. For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption, by whom we cry out, "Abba, Father!" "

Gal 5:16-17 "I say then, walk by the Spirit and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh. For the flesh desires what is against the Spirit, and the Spirit desires what is against the flesh; these are opposed to each other, so that you don't do what you want."

Gal 5:25 "If we live by the Spirit, we must also follow the Spirit."

*Will you commit to following God by living according to His Spirit?

God disciplines us

God will bless us if we are obedient to Him. But if we walk according to ourselves (the flesh), He will punish us.

Is 1:19-20 " "If you are willing and obedient, you will eat the good things of the land. But if you refuse and rebel, you will be devoured by the sword." For the mouth of the LORD has spoken."

When we are found to be lacking in doing God's will, He will discipline us so that we will not be condemned.

1Cor 11:31-32 "If we were properly evaluating ourselves, we would not be judged, but when we are judged, we are disciplined by the Lord, so that we may not be condemned with the world."

Rev 3:19 God says, "As many as I love, I rebuke and discipline. So be committed and repent."

God disciplines us so that we will know His way.

Ps 119:71 The Psalmist says, "It was good for me to be afflicted so that I could learn Your statutes."

Jesus is our example. He suffered so that we could be saved. God disciplines us so that we may be glorified with Christ.

Rom 8:16-17 "The Spirit Himself testifies together with our spirit that we are God's children, and if children, also heirs--heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ--seeing that we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him."

Heb 12:4-13 "In struggling against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood. And you have forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons: My son, do not take the Lord's discipline lightly, or faint when you are reproved by Him; for the Lord disciplines the one He loves, and punishes every son whom He receives. Endure it as discipline: God is dealing with you as sons. For what son is there whom a father does not discipline? But if you are without discipline--which all receive--then you are illegitimate children and not sons. Furthermore, we had natural fathers discipline us, and we respected them. Shouldn't we submit even more to the Father of spirits and live? For they disciplined us for a short time based on what seemed good to them, but He does it for our benefit, so that we can share His holiness. No discipline seems enjoyable at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it yields the fruit of peace and righteousness to those who have been trained by it. Therefore strengthen your tired hands and weakened knees, and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be dislocated, but healed instead."

*Will you commit to accepting the Lord's discipline and repenting of your mistakes because you are guided by Him?

God works through us

When we do good, it's because God is working through us. We could not do good without Him.

John 3:19-21 "This, then, is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved darkness rather than the light because their deeds were evil. For everyone who practices wicked things hates the light and avoids it, so that his deeds may not be exposed. But anyone who lives by the truth comes to the light, so that his works may be shown to be accomplished by God."

Php 2:12-13 "So then, my dear friends, just as you have always obeyed, not only in my presence, but now even more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. For it is God who is working in you, [enabling you] both to will and to act for His good purpose."

*Will you submit to God's guidance and power in order to do good works?

God protects us

God protects us from the world's temptations.

Matt 6:13 "And do not bring us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one."

God protects us from temptations by giving us a way of escape.

1Cor 10:13 "No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to humanity. God is faithful and He will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation He will also provide a way of escape, so that you are able to bear it."

Pray to God and He will protect you.

Php 4:6-7 "Don't worry about anything, but in everything, through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses every thought, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."

*Will you commit to looking for God's way of escape for every temptation and pray for His protection?

God gives to us

Jam 1:17-18 "Every generous act and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights; with Him there is no variation or shadow cast by turning. By His own choice, He gave us a new birth by the message of truth so that we would be the firstfruits of His creatures."

God has the desire and the power to give you everything you need.

Eph 3:20 "Now to Him who is able to do above and beyond all that we ask or think--according to the power that works in you."

Matt 7:9-11 "What man among you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!"

Rom 8:32 "He did not even spare His own Son, but offered Him up for us all; how will He not also with Him grant us everything?"

We should ask God for things that further His will.

1John 5:14-15 "Now this is the confidence we have before Him: whenever we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears whatever we ask, we know that we have what we have asked Him for."

God hears you and knows what you pray for.

Rom 8:26-27 "In the same way the Spirit also joins to help in our weakness, because we do not know what to pray for as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with unspoken groanings. And He who searches the hearts knows the Spirit's mind-set, because He intercedes for the saints according to the will of God."

1John 3:21-22 "Dear friends, if our hearts do not condemn [us] we have confidence before God, and can receive whatever we ask from Him because we keep His commands and do what is pleasing in His sight."

God gives wisdom.

Jam 1:5-7 "Now if any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives to all generously and without criticizing, and it will be given to him. But let him ask in faith without doubting. For the doubter is like the surging sea, driven and tossed by the wind. That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord."

God has the power to give us a life of quality and a life of quantity.

Eph 6:2-3 "Honor your father and mother--which is the first commandment with a promise--that it may go well with you and that you may have a long life in the land."

*Will you commit to praying to God so that He will give you what you need to further His will and to bless you above and beyond?

--

From all the things I've listed that God helps us with, with the exception of Him working through us, I can sum up how God helps us in one word: father. There is an analogy in the way God helps us with the way good earthly fathers help us...

• Fathers "create" their children and sustain them (at least for the first fourth of their life). Similarly, God has created mankind and sustains us through our whole lives.
• Fathers guide us to do what is right. They teach their children how to be good and behave. Similarly, God tells us how to be good and behave in this life and how to live in such a way to gain eternal life.
• Fathers live in us in the sense that we are like them. Through genes, we carry a lot of similarities to our earthly fathers. Similarly, when we obey God, he puts a portion of Himself in us, but this portion is His power to guide and bless us.
• Children have a duty to their fathers to obey their teaching. Similarly, we as people have a duty to our God to obey Him and His teaching.
• Fathers protect their children. Fathers do not wish that their children come to harm. Similarly, God protects His children by helping them follow Him and keeping them away from things that will draw them away from Him.
• Fathers give to their children. Fathers know how to give gifts to their children. If a child asks for something, will a father give the child something else? No! Similarly, God gives to us. Since God is infinitely greater than our earthly fathers, He's able to give to us above and beyond what our earthly fathers can. God can give us unparalleled wisdom as well as a long and well-lived life.

So if you are wondering how exactly God is involved in our lives, think how a good father cares for his children. How involved would a good father be in their child's life? That's how involved God would be in the Christian's life. What exactly does God do to help us? He gives us everything we have including our lives, He gives us His presence by living in us, He disciplines us when we mess up, He accomplishes many good things through us, and He gives us whatever we ask for--according to His will.

If you read this study looking for more exact or specific ways God is involved in your life, I would say that God is as involved in your life as you allow Him to be. The more you surrender your desires and understandings over to Him, the more He will guide you. The more you pray to Him asking for wisdom and guidance, He will deliver. When those times come and you ask God which way you should go in life, it may be His will not to show you which way to go. He is leaving that decision up to you. And if you choose the wrong one, He will dicsipline you and you will know it was the wrong choice. But in most cases, God will allow you to go where you want to go, and wherever that may be, He will use you (Php 4:11-13). As a proverb says: bloom where you are planted.

Life of Christ - Lesson 5

JESUS' WORTH, COST, AND LOVE
Application: Sacrifice, Love

Memory verse: Luke 9:23-25


What is Jesus worth?
Parables = Earthly story with a heavenly meaning.

Matt 13:44 - Treasure
Don't just pick and choose what you want to take from Jesus, take all of Him.

Matt 13:45-46 - Pearl
Searching for what's important and not the things of this life.
Once finding Jesus, do all in your power to get Him.

Matt 13:47-48 - Net
We need to be able to sit down and look at the things we do, and take out the bad things.


What does Jesus cost us?
Costs of following Jesus:

Luke 9:57-58
Jesus did not have a home - You may face hardships such as not having a home.

Luke 9:59-60
The dead is not as important as the living - Devote your life to spreading the good news of Jesus.

Luke 9:61-62
Wishing you had something you aren't supposed to have - You cannot hold onto anything in the world.

Luke 14:25-33
One of the most difficult passages to do. Jesus is serious.
(Luke 9:23) This verse to take up your cross daily.


How does Jesus see us?
Everything so far is how we should see Jesus. But how does He see us?

Luke 15:3-7
The Shepherd goes to find the one lost sheep. Why go for one sheep? He still has 99!

Luke 15:8-10
Have you ever lost something in your room and could not find it after looking for hours?
Repentance = Change of mind resulting in change of action. As we have seen and we will see again, God rejoices!

Luke 11:14-24 - Prodigal Son
It doesn't matter what you have done, it doesn't matter how much you have failed.
God will always love you. When we come to Him in repentance, He always accepts us with open arms.


Application ideas:
What are some things we could give up so that we can get to Jesus? Time? Money?
What are some things to help us remember how God sees us?


Next week's memory verse: Luke 18:14, 19:10

The Wilderness: Preparation for the Cross

A couple weeks ago a friend came to me saying she was tempted to quit her current course of study. She said there were several who have quit and she is envious of their stress-free life now that they are no longer in that intensive course while she has no life slaving away in the books.

I remembered something that a professor told me while I was going through school. I was in a two year intensive Bible course. We were told that this is our wilderness. That always stuck with me. Before any sort of activity there must be a time of training. If we are going to be any good at what we do, that training is going to be intense. A sort of wilderness.

Jesus went through the wilderness as well. In fact, it was The Holy Spirit who led Him there. Jesus spent forty days in the wilderness without food and being tempted. Doctors say that 40 days is the approximate limit one can go without food before death. So, was Jesus close to death (It wasn't humans who attended to Him, but angels)? This period of time was Jesus' training to be able to resist the flesh, even to the point of death.

If Jesus didn't go through that time of fasting in the wilderness, He very may not have been able to resist the people's trying to make Him king by force. He may not have been the spotless lamb offered for us. He may not have been able to endure the cross like a lamb before his shearers is silent (Is 53).

This time is essential to Christ going to the cross. How easy would it be to lash out at those who are hitting Him, to those who are spitting on Him, to those who are nailing Him? How easy would it be to give up in the garden? The Spirit leads Jesus to a place and a time where He can suffer to make Him stronger.

My friend was not going to quit her course, but it didn't make it much easier for her. I told her that these couple of years are her wilderness and it will make her better at her job and in life after she finishes. She walked away encouraged by the thought just as I was. Jesus did something very similar to what we are going through.

We go through times in the wilderness. The Holy Spirit leads us there to make us stronger. Jesus understands the wilderness because He was there. Because of the wilderness, He took up His cross. Because of the wilderness we can take up our crosses and follow Him.

Life of Christ - Lesson 4

JESUS' BAPTISM AND TEMPTATIONApplication: Submission
Memory verse: Matt 3:11, 4:4


John the Baptist
Last OT prophet. John baptized people before Jesus ever started teaching.
Baptism = Means to submerge/immerse/fully covered.
Mark 1:4
     John baptized people for repentance and for forgiveness. They were baptized into John's baptism.
Matt 3:11
     Jesus' baptism will be greater.
Matt 28:19
     Jesus' baptism is into the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
Acts 2:38
     Jesus' baptism dealt with repentance, forgiveness, and the Spirit.


Jesus' Baptism
Mark 1:9
     Jesus comes from Nazareth.
Matt 3:14-15
     John knows Jesus is greater than he is. John submitted to Jesus.
Mark 1:10
     As soon as he came up from the water, the Spirit comes down.
John 1:32-34
     John saw it too.
Mark 1:11
     God is pleased with Jesus. Jesus submitted to God.


Temptation
Luke 4:1
     Jesus is filled of the Holy Spirit. He now has the full power of God.
     Once Jesus is baptized and tempted, He begins preaching.
     Spirit leads Him to be tempted.
Matt 4:2
     He fasted for 40 days and 40 nights, eating nothing.

1 - Turning stones to bread
Matt 4:3-4 - Temptation of physical needs
     Spiritual needs are greater!
     Submit your needs to God. Be in need of God!

2 - Jumping from the temple
Matt 4:5-7 - Temptation of safety
     Devil: "How can be sure God will save you?"
     God keeps His promises... always!
     Submit your trust to God. Trust Him!

3 - Giving the nations of the world
Matt 4:8-10 - Temptation of power
     Only God is worthy of all power. We worship Him.
     Submit your worship and praise to God. Worship Him!


Matt 4:11 - Angels served Jesus
     We are temped to do wrong things. We all have hardships. If we submit ourselves to God like Jesus did... God will take care of us!


Next week's memory verse: Luke 9:23-25

Jesus: Carpenter or Rabbi?

I think most of us have either read or head something along the lines of Jesus being a carpenter. The Bible doesn’t actually say that He was a carpenter, but it does say that His earthly father, Joseph was. In the understanding that many children often followed in their father’s vocation (James and John for example), we determine that Jesus was also a carpenter.

Recently, I have heard some evidence that this might not be the case. Much of this came from a class in Second Temple Judaism that I audited with Dr. Kevin Youngblood at Freed-Hardeman University and Rob Bell. The basis of the Second Temple Judaism class was to talk about the social and governmental changes that became after the Second Temple was built. After being ruled by the Babylonians, Persians, and influenced by the Greeks, Hasmoneans, Ptolemies, and Seleucids among others, one cannot help but have their customs changed. One of the things we discussed is the educational system.

Now that the Jews had been scattered through a larger area of the world, they couldn’t just educate in the Temple. A Synagogue was in most every town with at least one rabbi (teacher) there. All the male boys started their schooling around the age of six. From about the age of six through ten they were at the first level of education called either Beth (pronounced bait) Sefer. In this school the rabbis taught the Torah (Gen-Deut). The students memorized it and well as learning to apply the text to their lives. So, by the age of ten every Jewish boy knew the first five books of the Bible by heart! So, there was no doubt when Jesus taught scripture the people knew the text that He was talking about very well.

At this point those who were exceptional students would move on to the next level of education (similar to going from elementary school to secondary school). The ones who didn’t move on in education would go home and learn their father’s trade. The next level was Beth Talmud. Here the students learned the rest of the OT as well as some of the rabbinic literature like the Talmud and Mishnah (which discuss the oral traditions that go with the text). This level of schooling lasted until the age of thirteen or fourteen. And many of them would have all 39 books of the OT memorized. They also learned the art of asking questions.

There is a time in Jesus’ life that is mentioned when He falls into this age group. When He is 12 he is found in the Temple listening and asking questions. If Jesus grew up as a Jewish boy, Did He go through the educational system just as all the other boys? Here He is asking questions and learning in the Temple. Was He there extending His education and faith on His way to becoming a Rabbi?

At this point, once again, those who are the best students would move on to the next level of education, Beth Midrash. Here they would learn as a disciple under a rabbi. They would ask to be the rabbi’s disciple and then would be grilled on the scriptures and traditions to see if the student had what it took to be the rabbi’s disciple. If the student did, the rabbi would say, “Come follow me.” They have what it takes. Did Jesus go through a situation such as this?

It is interesting what Jesus says, to a couple fishermen. “Come follow me.” He is telling them that they have what it takes to be His disciples, to do what He does. Yet, they are following in the family trade. They were the ones who weren’t the best. They were the ones who didn’t make the cut. Yet, Jesus believes they can do everything that He does. Jesus is their Rabbi and He believes in them. He believes in us.

I would say that Jesus was a Rabbi, not a carpenter. He was in the temple because He was on His way to being a Rabbi. It is interesting when the rich young ruler comes to Jesus. He says, “Good Teacher (Rabbi).” I would think Jesus would say, “Whoa, wait, I am a carpenter not a rabbi.” But He never calls into question His rabbi status; He calls into question the fact that He is called “good.” For only God is good.

One might want to say that Jesus was a carpenter, but I think Jesus was instead a Jewish rabbi. A rabbi who calls the uneducated, the not good enoughs, the tax collectors, the zealots, the lepers, the women; He calls you and me and says we can follow Him. We can teach what He taught. We can do what He did. I think that is much more powerful!