Growing Through Mark

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, AMERICA!

Mark is the shortest book of the four gospels. It gives us a clear, concise picture of Jesus' service and sacrifice. Jesus constantly serves others throughout the book of Mark--even to the point of death (Mark 15:37).

Chapter 8 in Mark's gospel presents a pivotal event. In verse 29, Peter makes the good confession: "You are the Christ." That faith-response is a statement that each and every one of us is expected to make if we intend to become a Christian:

For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by confessing with your mouth that you are saved.--Romans 10:10

The key verses (Mark 10:43-45) in Mark's gospel provide an unequivocal challenge to all who read them! In his 1989 Inaugural Address, George Herbert Walker Bush, the 41st President of the United States of America, stated:

We meet on democracy's front porch, a good place to talk at neighbors and as friends. For this is a day when our nation is made whole, when our differences, for a moment are suspended.

And as my first act as President is a prayer. I ask you to bow your heads:

Heavenly Father, we bow our heads and thank You for Your love. Accept our thanks for the peace that yields this day and the shared faith that makes its continuance likely. Make us strong to do Your work, willing to heed and hear Your will, and write on our hearts these words: "Use power to help people." For we are given power not to advance our own purposes, nor to make a great show in the world, nor a name. There is but one just use of power, and it is to serve people. Help us remember it, Lord. Amen.

Lake Christian Church's ongoing goal to serve the world is reinforced by Christ's words in Mark 10. Let's remember the high price that was paid to gain our freedom--both our national freedom and our spiritual freedom--as we celebrate Independence Day! 

"But among you it will be different. Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first among you must be the slave of everyone else. For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many.”--Mark 10:43-45 

Growing Through Matthew

Scripture Twisting

Matthew 14:6-12--⁶ But at a birthday party for Herod, Herodias’s daughter performed a dance that greatly pleased him, ⁷ so he promised with a vow to give her anything she wanted. ⁸ At her mother’s urging, the girl said, “I want the head of John the Baptist on a tray!” ⁹ Then the king regretted what he had said; but because of the vow he had made in front of his guests, he issued the necessary orders. ¹⁰ So John was beheaded in the prison, ¹¹ and his head was brought on a tray and given to the girl, who took it to her mother. ¹² Later, John’s disciples came for his body and buried it. Then they went and told Jesus what had happened.

Jehovah's Witnesses teach that it is wrong to celebrate birthdays and holidays. They use this passage to mislead people into believing that birthday celebrations are pagan events because Herod killed John the Baptist at such a party. A person can only draw such a conclusion from the text if they employ poor hermeneutics. Jehovah's Witnesses are notorious for twisting Scriptures!

About the only thing we can say regarding this passage is that it's unwise to make rash promises. Absolutely nothing in the context leads us to think that we should not celebrate someone's birthday. (By the way, I turn 50 on August 10th!)

Paul, in 1 Corinthians 8, was inspired by the Holy Spirit to teach Christians that eating meat offered to idols was not wrong as long as doing so didn't cause another Christian to stumble. We glean from Paul's instructions to the Corinthian Christian Church that Jesus' followers are permitted to participate in birthday parties and holiday festivities as long as no one is harmed (Colossians 2:16).

Growing Together Through the Bible

I'M BACK! 

Due to hip replacement surgery in March and an untimely, painful hip dislocation in May, I have been out-of-commission for a few months. I have had to focus my energy on priority ministry items. Consequently, the Growing Together blog had to be put on the back burner.

Lake Christian Church concludes the journey through the Old Testament on Sunday, June 26th. Hopefully, you have read all the OT books beginning with Genesis and ending with Malachi. It has been an exciting faith-adventure!

LCC's Old Testament sermons are available online.

Before we open the pages of Matthew's gospel, we need to ask an important question:

"What about the four centuries without a prophet?"

The time period between the Old & New Testaments takes place between 430 BC and AD 25. This period without a prophet's message from God permitted the Old Testament to be preserved. Scribes copied the Law and the writings of the major/minor prophets. The office of scribe was valuable because, in addition to copying God's Word, they collected and protected what we now know as the Old Testament.

The writings were studied, applied, and shared (Ezra 7:10) with the people--even people living outside the Jewish community. In addition, synagogues were built throughout the known world to serve as educational centers where people gathered to learn the Word of God.

After Ezra's day, strict regulations were enacted concerning how scribes copied the Law and prophetic writings. Special inks were developed to write God's Word on animal skins. Not only that, scribes were expected to speak the words aloud as they copied them. Without the benefit of today's computers and copiers, God's Word was reproduced with uncanny accuracy!

We can grow together through the Bible because it is God's Word--authoritative and reliable!

Growing Through 1 & 2 Kings

But Rehoboam rejected the advice the elders gave him and consulted the young men who had grown up with him and were serving him.--1 Kings 12:8

Rehoboam failed to follow good counsel and rashly rejected the elders' ideas. How ironic that the son of the wisest man on earth would not take the advice of his dad's proverbs which underscore the importance of hearing and heeding the good advice or good counsel:

• Proverbs 11:14--For lack of guidance a nation falls, but many advisers make victory sure.
• Proverbs 15:22--Plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many advisers they succeed.
• Proverbs 24:6--For waging war you need guidance, and for victory many advisers.

Rehoboam listened to his buddies rather than to wise advisers--with disastrous consequences! God has provided you with a variety of sources for obtaining wisdom to assist with the decisions you must make. Sure, like Rehoboam, you can reject help so you can proudly proclaim, "I did it my way!" Or, you can use your Bible, the leading of the Holy Spirit, church leaders, and the sage counsel of older brothers and sisters in Christ to help you in your decision-making process.

It wasn't just Rehoboam that rejected the resources God provided for holy living. There were other kings who lived in opposition to the will of God. For example:

Amon was twenty-two years old when he became king...he did evil in the eyes of the Lord, as his father Manasseh had done.--2 Kings 21:19-20

Real revival didn't happen in the kingdoms until the people returned to the ultimate resource for living: The Book of the Law. God's Word is alive and active (Hebrews 4:12) and has the power to restore faith and change lives!

Hilkiah the high priest said..."I have found the Book of the Law in the temple of the Lord." ...When the king heard the words of the Book of the Law, he tore his robes. [He said]..."Great is the Lord's anger that burns against us because our fathers have not obeyed the words of this book; they have not acted in accordance with all that is written there concerning us."--2 Kings 22:8; 11; 13

Don't neglect God's Word! Read it every day. Let it restore your faith and revive your life.

Growing Through 2 Samuel

The book of 2 Samuel begins where the book of 1 Samuel ends. Saul is gone, so the people of Judah give their allegiance to King David. However, the northern tribes give their allegiance to King Ishbosheth (Saul's youngest son). David rules in Hebron for over 7 years before all Israel acknowledges him as their king. He reigns in Jerusalem for 33 years. As you read 2 Samuel, you'll learn about...

David, the Shepherd

Then all the tribes of Israel went to David at Hebron and told him, "We are your own flesh and blood. In the past, when Saul was our king, you were the one who really led the forces of Israel. And the Lord told you, 'You will be the shepherd of My people Israel. You will be Israel's leader.'"--2 Samuel 5:1-2

The northern and southern tribes of Israel unite under the leadership of David. He leads the people to shift from tribal independence to national unity. David, a man after God's own heart, brings the ark to Jerusalem (2 Samuel 6). God affirms the fact that one of David's distant descendants would always reign on his throne--realized in the Lord Jesus Christ (Acts 2:30-31).

David, the Scopophiliac

Late one afternoon, after his midday rest, David got out of bed and was walking on the roof of the palace. As he looked out over the city, he noticed a woman of unusual beauty taking a bath. He sent someone to find out who she was...--2 Samuel 11:2-3

At the peak of his influence, David abandons his principles and commits adultery with his neighbor's wife, Bathsheba. One sin leads to another as his morals continue to erode. From this point on David's life spins out-of-control. God is displeased!

David, the Sniper

So the Lord sent Nathan the prophet to tell David..."Why, then, have you despised the word of the Lord and done this horrible deed?--2 Samuel 12:1; 12:9

The prophet Nathan confronts David about his sins--adultery and murder! David had his neighbor killed. While he didn't actually "pull the trigger," he was solely responsible for the plan that led to the death of Uriah. David's elaborate murder plot was a feeble attempt to cover up his adultery. God sends Nathan the prophet who utters the infamous biblical phrase: "You are the man!"

David, the Statistician

But after he had taken the census, David's conscience began to bother him. And he said to the Lord, "I have sinned greatly by taking this census. Please forgive my guilt, Lord, for doing this foolish thing."--2 Samuel 24:10

By taking the census, David chose to walk by sight rather than faith. He expected to know the extent of his resources. Instead of placing his trust in the Lord, he put his trust in people, horses, and chariots. We live in an age of statistics. Numbers! Numbers! This is all some churches live for! Instead of focusing on quality of ministry, they focus on quantity of ministry. Far too many church leaders become obsessed with how many butts are in the seats and how many bucks are in the plate.

Here's the life lesson for today's church from 2 Samuel 24: Instead of counting numbers, may God give us numbers that count! After all, the Lord said to Zerubbabel (Zechariah 4:6):

"It is not by force nor by strength, but by My Spirit, says the Lord of Heaven's Armies."