I don't want to seem too negative, but even church people do not read and study the Bible. A young lady said to me a few years ago, "I wish I knew the Bible like your wife does." I said, "You can." She said, "How?" I said, "Read it like she does.". If you really want to know your Bible you have to read it. It doesn't suffice to just read books about the Bible. Sunday School is a good thing, but going to Sunday School will not help you to know your Bible as you should. You have to spend some time alone with your Bible carefully reading it. I don't mean that it will be enough to skip from book to book and read a verse here and a verse there. You need to read your Bible systematically. By that, I mean that you start at the beginning of a book and read it all the way through. You don't do that in one sitting, but you do it day by day until you finish the book. I suggest that if you have never read the Bible through
that you undertake to do that. If you will read it everyday, you will eventually finish the Bible. The Bible has a story to tell from Genesis to Revelation, and you cannot grasp that story if you do not read it through. You have to set aside a time to read your Bible and do it everyday. Some people have more time than others for Bible reading, but you need to carve out a time and be as faithful to it as you are to your favorite TV shows, or your favorite sports teams. You have a Bible. Read it! Bro. Joe
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Paul had a "thorn in the flesh," something that served as a constant irritation for him and, perhaps, affected him spiritually. No one knows what that "thorn" was. Because of this "thorn" Paul sought the Lord three times, ostensibly that the "thorn" might be removed. Jesus' answer in verse 9 declares the sufficiency of grace: "and He said unto me, 'My grace is sufficient for thee; for my strength is made perfect in weakness.' Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me." Paul took Jesus at His word, but do we? Are we satisfied when Jesus answers us like this - and He does or He will. I know this firsthand. I have spent the last few months - from May to now - fighting a "thorn" called cancer. I not only had one cancer. After I was in remission from lymphoma, I was then diagnosed with colon cancer and had that removed. Of course, you know that when I was told that I might have cancer I prayed for God to heal me. I didn't hear His words as Paul did, but I have spent the last few months learning that Christ's grace is, indeed, sufficient for me. I'm not philosophizing on this, or theorizing on it, or even theologizing on it; I am telling you that it is true. I have had to go through the full throes of cancer twice, and Jesus has been with me every step of the way, and His grace has proved sufficient all the way. You might ask, "But what if you had died, or what if cancer returns and you die?" Hey, then I will know the full force of His grace called Heaven! His strength is still "made perfect in my weakness." I daresay that I have grown more spiritually since I was diagnosed in May 2011 than I would have if I had spent these months in perfect health. Don't get the idea here that I am telling you that God is about to take me up in a chariot. He has convinced me that I have a whole lot more growing to do. I just want to tell you that His grace is sufficient for you too, whatever may come. If He says "no" to healing, He is saying "yes" to spiritual growth. Believe it! Bro. Joe
"He that loves silver shall not be satisfied with silver; nor he that loves abundance with increase: This is also vanity."
There is nothing on this earth than can fully satisfy us and keep us satisfied. When we were children we thought, "If I could get one of those toys (whatever it was) I would never want anything again." We really meant it at the time, but if we got the toy, we discovered that it could not satisfy us that fully. We have a hunger for more. Have you ever heard anybody say, "I've made enough money, I'm going to start giving it away?" But we don't have to look at other people, we only have to think of ourselves. Can we truthfully say that we are satisfied with what we have? If we were, we wouldn't go to Walmart (LOL). We always want something else. I remember that before I went to seminary, I thought that if I could just turn loose and go that I would be satisfied. Well, I went to seminary, and I graduated. I found that that degree was no more satisfying than the degrees from Norman Jr. College and Valdosta State. I am glad that I got all of my degrees, for I went and got one more in 1983, but degrees did not bring satisfaction to my life. Solomon, who wrote Ecclesiastes 5:10 knew what he was writing about. A man with 700 wives and 300 concubines is not easily satisfied. But I can say this: since I accepted Jesus as my Savior, I have never wanted another savior. I hope this is true of you. He satisfies us with spiritual blessings and is our only source of real satisfaction. I can truthfully say that I am satisfied with Jesus. Can you? Bro. Joe I finished reading 1 Corinthians this morning. In chapter 14 I read about keeping worship "decent and in order." I saw plenty in there to cause arguments among different Christian denominations. When I came to chapter 15, I was struck with the fact that there is nothing for any Christian to argue about there. Verses 3-6 of chapter 15 really struck me. If any Christian can find anything to argue about in these verses, he needs to examine his/her faith. Here are the verses: " 3.For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures. 4. And that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the scriptures. 5. After that, He was seen of Cephas (Peter), then of the twelve. 6. After that, He was seen of above five hundred brethren at once; of whom the greater part remain unto this present, but some are fallen asleep." Do you see what I mean? If you remove any part of these verses, you might as well say that the Christian faith is not true. I would add one thing to the inarguable facts listed here,i.e.,that Jesus Christ was God come to earth and actually existed in historical time. There is nothing as well-documented in history as
the life, death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Having defeated death, He ascended to the right hand of the throne, still lives and is coming again. You don't really want to argue about any of this do you? Bro. Joe "But meat commendeth us not to God; for neither, if we eat, are we any better; neither if we eat not, are we the worse. But take heed lest by any means this liberty of yours become a stumblingblock to them that are weak."
The issue in 1 Corinthians 8 is whether or not Christians should eat meat that has been offered to idols. This meat was on sale at the meat market (called "the shambles") and because it had been offered to idols it was usually the best cuts of meat. Paul made it plain that eating meat offered to idols was not really a sin for a mature Christian, because the mature Christian knew that an idol was not anything and that eating that meat would not contaminate him. However, mature Christians were not the only Christians. There were immature Christians who would think it wrong to eat this meat. Paul's conclusion was that if mature Christians used this liberty they might be a stumblingblock to immature Christians. If they loved these fellow Christians they would not offend them by eating this meat in their presence. Meat offered to idols is not an issue today but we can still be stumblingblocks. We need to be careful that we do not use our Christian liberty to offend immature or weaker Christians or people who are not Christians. Why? Look at 1 Corinthians 8:12 "But when you sin so against the brethren, and wound their weak conscience, you sin against Christ." It is a sin to be a stumblingblock; therefore, we need to be careful how we live our lives and not be stumblingblocks to either novice Christians or non-christians. We will be held accountable for this. Heed the words of Paul in 1 Corinthians 8:13 "Wherefore, if meat make my brother to offend, I will eat no flesh while the world standeth, lest I make my brother to offend." Bro. Joe "Receive my instruction, and not silver; and knowledge rather than choice gold. For wisdom is better than rubies, and all the things that may be desired are not to be compared to it."
In Proverbs wisdom does a lot of the speaking. In these verses wisdom tells us that it is better than accumulating things. We live in a materialistic society and it has rubbed off even on those of us who claim Christ as Savior. It is difficult not to be materialistic when we live in the midst of so many "things." What the text is tellling us is that having wisdom is superior to possessing a lot of things. We might ask ourselves what is more important to us, our possessions or God's wisdom? After all, "all the things that may be desired are not to be compared to it." What do you own that could be compared to God's wisdom? If you will think about how much you love some of your possessions, this might be a difficult question. As I write this I am looking at a ring that I received last night. The Westwood Wildcat coach and his family came by and presented me with a state championship ring. I'm the team's chaplain, but because of my fight with cancer I could not attend any of the games in 2011, and that was tough. I was so happy to get that ring. It is even personalized not just a generic ring. It looks like a Super Bowl ring to me. (Westwood has won twenty-six straight games and have won the State for the last two years.) I'm going into all of this because I realize that I could be very materialistic about that ring. I will need to put its meaning into perspective and realize that there are more important things in my life pertaining to God that are even more important than that ring. (It still makes me want to shout "Go Cats.") We need to remember that "wisdom is better than rubies, and all the things that may be desired are not to be compared to it." Bro. Joe "Wilth thou not revive us again: that thy people may rejoice in thee."
It is an understatement to say that we need revival in churches. By "revival" I do not mean a series of meetings where we call in a preacher to preach for a few days. We need a revival where people really get serious about Jesus in their daily lives. It is difficult to have great services on Sunday when we live for the world all week and attempt to worship Him on Sunday. We need a revival where people actually fall in love with Jesus and where they pray, and spend time in His word daily. We need a revival where people, because of their love for Jesus, love their fellow Christians. This does not seem to be the case in a lot of our churches, because people are more prone to argue than to pray together. We need a revival where we decide that the church, that's right the old organized church, should get priority in our lives. I know that the church does not come before family, but it should come before, let us say, the Falcons or the Braves. If we will view the church as a catalyst for Christian service instead of just the place to go on Sunday, we will learn to love her more and give her greater priority. It is important to attend church services, but it is equally important to be the church scattered in the community all week. This would give church more meaning. Let's say with the Psalmist, "Wilt thou not revive us again: that thy people may rejoice in thee." Wouldn't it be great !!!! Bro. Joe "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God."
We know that it is a fact that we are all sinners. We who are Christians are "sinners saved by grace." But I'm not sure that we take the word "sin" as seriously as we should. What I mean is that we think of sin as adultery, murder, stealing, swearing, etc. There are at least two things that we need to take into account when we think that because we haven't done any of the above we are what I will call "soft sinners." First, there are sins of omission as well as commission, and, second, there are sins of attitude. Sin can also be what we have not done that we were supposed to do. Do you remember that King Saul thought he had done enough when he killed almost all of the Amalekites but left the king alive and took bounty from them. God told him to totally destroy everything and everybody. God took what he said seriously.By that sin of omission, Saul disqualified himself as king of Israel. To not obey is a sin of omission. As to sins of attitude, we can think of false pride. The Bible tells us over and over that God exalts the humble and abases the proud. A prideful approach to life is as much a sin as lying, cheating and stealing. We need to be aware that when we say "all have sinned," it means that we have sinned in every way possible. Just because you have not been a blatant sinner in the eyes of the community does not mean that you are free from what God can hold you accountable for. It is true that "all have sinned." Count you and me among "all." What we really need to be thankful for is that God is the God of grace and that He will forgive us. Bro. Joe This is going to be an unusual blog for this site. Faith asked me to write a memorial for Bmac. We lost a good friend Monday night. Chad's little dog, a Chocolate Boston Terrier, Bmac was run over and killed last night. Chad had him for about four years and we had all learned to love him. He was a lively little fellow. Whenever we would visit Chad, he would meet us at the door with his pull toy so that we could play with him. He loved to run around and play. He had a great personality. He was almost humorous. Whenever he came to our house, he had to spend a lot of time on the sun porch. Faith brought him into the den one evening and when she started to put him back on the porch, he looked at her like "Are you crazy, I'm not going back on that porch." It was obvious that he was rebelling. Our hearts hurt for the loss of Bmac, but they are also hurting for Chad. Bmac was good company for him and they were really buddies. You might have seen pictures of him sitting next to me on the couch. He would curl up next to me and go to sleep. He loved to sit and sleep in Faith's lap. When we were all together Saturday, he made himself at home on Hope's lap. He couldn't imagine that anyone wouldn't want him on their lap. We are grieving the loss of our little Boston Terrier. He left a lot of wonderful memories behind him. We'll miss you Bmac.
1 Corinthians 15 is the greatest defense of the resurrection that there is. Everything in the Christian faith depends on the resurrection. Paul wrote that if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ has not risen and all of those who died in Christ died in vain. Without resurrection they are just dead. How could one deny the resurrection of Christ and call himself or herself Christian? Due to His resurrection, Christ is still alive. If He is not still alive then we have no one to worship, no one to preach about and no one to surrender our lives to. I don't even want to think about a world with a dead Christ. Everything around us would be dead. His church would be dead. The Bible would be useless, because it would be based on the lie that Jesus arose from the grave. 1 Corinthians 15:14-19 gives us a description of a world without a resurrected Christ: "And if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain. 15. Yes, and we are found false witnesses of God because we have testified of God that He raised up Christ: Whom He raised not up, if so be that the dead rise not. 16. For if the dead rise not, then is Christ not raised. 17. And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain, ye are yet in your sins. 18. Then they which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished. 19. If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable." If what we have on this earth is all there is, and there is nothing more to look forward, we are miserable beings with no future hope. Thank God we are not miserable beings, because Christ is still alive and we celebrate that during this season of the year.
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