Roots by the River

“As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.” (John 9:5) “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness but will have the light of life.” (John 8:12) “In Him was life and life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness and the darkness has not overcome it.” (John 1:4-5) “The true light , which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world.” (John 1:9) “ You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.” (Matthew 5:14-16, ESV) Do others see the light of Jesus Christ in you? Is your light under a basket?

“Then the Lord God formed a man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.” (Genesis 2:7) “If it were his intention and he withdrew his spirit and breath, all humanity would perish together and mankind would return to the dust.” (Job 34:14-15) When God breathed into man, man became a living soul. If God withdrew his breath we would all die at the same time. St. Paul says it this way in Colossians 1:16-17, “For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.” (Colossians 1:16-17) God holds everything together. That is present tense. He is doing it right now. When HE will end things all he will have to do is to quit holding things together.

There is a Christian cultural expression – “sound doctrine.” There is a biblical expression – “sound doctrine.” Unfortunately the definitions are not the same. The cultural expression has been used to identify the distinctive doctrines of certain movements. The word “sound” gives these doctrines biblical authority. The word “doctrine” simply means “teaching.” There is nothing good about the word itself. The Bible speaks of the doctrines of men, devils, strange, Balaam, the Nicolaitans, and every wind of doctrine. It also speaks of the doctrine of Christ, of God our Savior, and the doctrine which is according to Godliness. When the Bible speaks of sound doctrine it is speaking of the gospel of salvation and the teaching of holiness. Here are a few examples: “As I urged you when I went into Macedonia, stay there in Ephesus so that you may command certain people not to teach false doctrines any longer…for the sexually immoral, for those practicing homosexuality, for slave traders ...

St. Paul makes a few declarations on how he teaches and how he doesn’t teach. “Therefore, since through God’s mercy we have this ministry, we do not lose heart. Rather, we have renounced secret and shameful ways; we do not use deception, nor do we distort the word of God. On the contrary, by setting forth the truth plainly we commend ourselves to everyone’s conscience in the sight of God.” (II Corinthians 4:1-2) “For we know, brothers and sisters loved by God, that he has chosen you, because our gospel came to you not simply with words but also with power, with the Holy Spirit and deep conviction. You know how we lived among you for your sake. You became imitators of us and of the Lord, for you welcomed the message in the midst of severe suffering with the joy given by the Holy Spirit.” (I Thessalonians 1:4-6) “We had previously suffered and been treated outrageously in Philippi, as you know, but with the help of our God we dared to tell you his gospel in the face of strong oppos...

All of the commands in the New Testament are in the superlative (Over the top!) the same with the prayers and the promises. Teach the text as is. Do not try to make it fit the audience. Read the text. Ask the question “Is this true or false?” If you answer “True”, then thank God for it and keep on thanking God until this “over the top” command is part of you. If this is so, then the next best teaching method comes into action. It is example . You are now living out the text and people can imitate you. “Command and teach these things. Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity.” (I Timothy 4:11-12) “Be shepherds of God’s flock that is under your care, watching over them—not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be; not pursuing dishonest gain, but eager to serve; not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock.” (I P...

There are means of teaching information to the head that are very effective and probably should be used for all secular information. One of them is Classical Education, grammar, logic, and rhetoric. The difficulty with these methods, all of them, is that they can be used to teach misinformation, falsehood. The methods are so effective that the person taught cannot discern any falsehood. It is fairly harmless in secular education. If false, the next generation will discover it but not the generation that was taught. In Christian teaching, this method is more deadly. A catechism is a use of the grammar method. In young children this repetition is used. Most of the questions are good questions and good answers. There may be a bad question and a bad answer. It is memorized along with all of the true ones. To check this out, look at the different catechisms you know and compare them with the Bible you know. Catechisms are not limited to one generation. If there is a falsehood in the c...

“Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming.” (Ephesians 4:14) “Rather, we have renounced secret and shameful ways ; we do not use deception , nor do we distort the word of God . On the contrary, by setting forth the truth plainly we commend ourselves to everyone’s conscience in the sight of God.” (II Corinthians 4:2) “For the appeal we make does not spring from error or impure motives , nor are we trying to trick you . On the contrary, we speak as those approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel. We are not trying to please people but God, who tests our hearts. You know we never used flattery , nor did we put on a mask to cover up greed —God is our witness. We were not looking for praise from people, not from you or anyone else, even though as apostles of Christ we could have asserted our authority.” (I Thessalonians 2:3-6) “...

“And the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful. Opponents must be gently instructed , in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth.” (II Timothy 2:24-25) “For what we preach is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake.” (II Corinthians 4:5)

There are many Christians who read the Scriptures sporadically in time and place. In other words, they read the Scriptures “now and then” and “here and there.” They gravitate to their favorite chapters. If asked the last time they had read the New Testament through, they would not be sure they had ever read it through. Consequently there is an appalling ignorance of the God’s Word in the body of Christ, and a consequent lack of obedience. Listening to the best Bible teachers in the world will not make up for the personal ignorance of the individual. There are several reasons why there is an unwillingness to read through the New Testament or the Bible: 1) “It is difficult to understand the “thees and thous.” 2) “I ran into the “begats.” 3) “When I don’t understand a verse, I stay with it, trying to understand it; so then I don’t progress.” 4) “It’s dull reading.” 5) “It’s too long; it would take forever.” Here are a few suggestions to overcome these complaints. First, obtain a Bi...

Occasionally I come across a person who thinks he has to crucify the sin nature (flesh), or I hear of preachers who preach it. The problem with the teaching is that it cannot be done. It cannot be done because it has already been done. “We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.” (Romans 6:4) That is past tense. “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” (Galatians 2:20) That is past tense. “Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.” (Galatians 5:24) We cannot put to death something that is already dead.

“But the angel said to them, 'Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.'” (Luke 2:10) This was not a decision of man. This was God's decision and provision. “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.” (Galatians 5:22-23) This was not a decision of man. This was God's decision and provision. “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!” (Philippians 4:4) “Be joyful always.” (I Thessalonians 5:16) Joy is in the Lord. This is not optional for the Christian. It is an imperative for the Christian. Here are some of the causes for joy: “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad , because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.” (Matthew 5:11-12) “Consider it pure joy , my...

The following list, mostly, is self evident. People are born with certain natural gifts, talents, or shortcomings. 1. Athletic ability 2. Musical ability 3. Drawing ability 4. Physical characteristics – height, weight, beauty, racial, homely etc. 5. Perfectionism 6. Non perfectionism 7. Genius 8. Not so smart None of these are virtues or sins. They just are. They are good because they were created by God. However, they are not spiritual gifts or fruit . They can be used to be virtuous or sinful. Here are very common sins among the naturally gifted. Pride and criticism are two. Assuming their gifts have a spiritual and moral quality, they can look at someone who sings off key or is not neat and think that the non neat one or the singer is in sin. The one who is critical is the one who is in sin. Criticalness is clearly sin. Singing flat and not being neat is not sin. The fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-24) is given to every Christian. The gifts of the Spirit are given t...

What is the cause of faith? First, grace and faith have very different definitions. Grace is a characteristic of God. Faith, or lack of, is a characteristic of man. Saving faith is a response to the grace of God. The verb that goes with the noun faith is to believe, or the participle, believing. A few weeks ago I was at the Big Haus for supper. Another guest said that a friend of his asked him what the “gift” was in Ephesians 2:8. He then asked Evan and me the same question. “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast.” (Ephesians 2:8-9) The predicate nominative is “It is the gift of God.” The noun that immediately precedes “it” is “faith.” I answered “faith” and Evan answered “salvation.” There was no argument, just different answers. In the middle of the night I found myself meditating on those two verses. If “faith” was the answer then “not of yourselves” and “not of work...

In thinking about the Gospel there is one point that far exceeds the other truths in the Gospel. It is who Jesus is . Notice this emphasis in the following salvation texts. “Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.” (John 1:12) “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16) “Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son .” (John 3:18) “ Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God's wrath remains on him.” (John 3:36) “The woman said, 'I know that Messiah' (called Christ) 'is coming. When he comes, he will explain everything to us.' Then Jesus declared, 'I who speak to you am he.'” (John 4:24-26) “I tell you t...

Today I received a letter from a prisoner in Oregon. He had been into drugs, alcohol, selling drugs, and carrying a weapon. He had been unfaithful; his ex-wife had been unfaithful too. His concern was not his sins against God but his concern was his wife cheating on him. This thinking seems to be normal. We are not concerned about our own or other sins against God but their sins against us . There is no solution for this thinking. It is sin in itself. “Brothers and sisters, if someone is caught in a sin, you who live by the Spirit should restore that person gently. But watch yourselves, or you also may be tempted.” (Galatians 6:1) Theses are conditions in this statement: 1. We are to restore the brother to God 2. We are to do it only if we are spiritual and do it gently . 3. We are to be careful that we do not sin. There have been times in my life where I knew of someone who needed correction. I realized that I was not qualified to do it because I was neither spiritual n...

A few posts ago I announced the Saturday subject for an Evangelism Class as “The Missing Part of the Gospel.” I was asked by one of you what that was. I replied, “The missing part was actually loving the person the gospel was being presented to.” That was true, but the most important thing is the “glory of Christ.” “The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel that displays the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.” (II Corinthians 4:4) We can present all of the truth in the Gospel message without anyone seeing the Glory of Christ . It is the Glory that the god of this age blinds the minds to so that they many not see. “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory , the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.” (John 1:14) “All who were sitting in the Sanhedrin looked intently at Stephen, and they saw that his face was like the face of an ...

I got a response to my previous post on " Trying " with a basic question asking for more scriptural background on grace. Most of the texts on grace are on salvation. Here are some of those besides the best known ones. First, there are words that modify grace, not the definition or quality of grace, but the quantity of grace. “Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will--to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves. In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace that he lavished on us with al...

Instead of my writing on the School of Practical Christianity in the Day & Night group on Facebook, we will record each session. They will be available free. If you miss sessions, they will be recorded for you. All subjects will be basic, but basics you may not have heard before. Last week's were 1. Where we are in Jesus Christ: Aspects of salvation you may not know. 2. Walking in the Light: How to maintain the joy which you had when you received Christ and have it daily for the rest of your life. This coming Saturday's 2-hour session will cover 1. Obedience by Being 2. Obedience by Doing Sessions are held at my house 114 South Howard St. Saturday 2-4 p.m. I look forward to seeing you there!

The second common sin is Anger. “Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger , brawling and slander, along with every form of malice.” (Ephesians 4:31) If you already have fits of rage and anger, you must confess it. But this verse is not telling us to confess our sins after we are bitter , or after we have fits of rage and anger . We are to get rid of it. They are not to happen in the first place. If they do happen, confess them. This is telling us that they are not to happen. “But now you must also rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger , rage , malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips.” (Colossians 3:8) “The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage , selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.” (Galatians 5:19-21) This is...

In the last few days I have been in touch with several missionaries. In addition I know several other Christians with the same problems. First: All of these people are students of the Bible. Second: They are unashamed of Jesus Christ Third: They want to Obey God The problem is that they are “tryers,” they “try.” When a person tries, whom does he trust? Himself! That’s a dumb person to trust. As long as he is trying to live the Christian life he is going to fall. It is not a question as to whether he is going to fall; it is only a question of when . The Christian life is one of “trusting,” not “trying.” Remove the word “try” from your vocabulary. It is a dirty word. “As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him.” (Colossians 2:6) How did you receive Christ Jesus the LORD? By trying? No! It was by grace through faith. How do you walk? The same way you received. By grace through faith! Forgiveness is by grace. Obedience is by grace and faith. These ...