Dusty idea is that we have to study to gain knowledge of God's Word.
In my lifetime I've noticed a trend. It's possible that it's been there longer than that but I wouldn't know. I hear people saying that they feel like the scriptures in the Bible mean this or that. Like the Holy Spirit is moving through them in some physical way to help them understand or even give new meaning to the Word of God. It's like these people are saying the Word of God is too hard to understand. I need divine help in reading and understanding the Bible.
There is a chain of authority in life. We understand it in our earthly lives. In a business setting there are several types of positions. First there are the owners. The owners wouldn't be characterized as laborers, they own the business and if you want to receive the pay or rewards you have to follow the rules and work hard. The owners are in a class all by themselves by shear virtue of being the owners, creators of the business the workers are engaged in. Then next in the chain of authority are the workers. This includes everybody else from managers to laborers. Then the unemployed. The unemployed aren't working for the company, so there is no reward or payment coming to them.
We should also understand in our spiritual lives there is a chain of authority found in the Old and New Testament. Genesis 1:1, in the beginning God created... There you have the owner, all authority naturally goes to the owner of anything. We're the managers (Christians, Overseers, Elders), and laborers (Christians). People that aren't working for God are unemployed, no reward.
In finding our spiritual authorities we find God giving his Son Jesus all authority in heaven and earth Matthew 28:18, Phil 2:9-11, 1 Peter 3:22. So the authority was passed over to Christ. Christ gave authority to the apostles John 17: 6, 18, Matthew 28:18-20. They were inspired through the Holy Spirit. What they wrote was authorized by God. No authority has ever been given to anyone else as a chain of authority, Matthew 19:28, 1 Corinthians 4:9.
So the gold standard remains the Bible. Written by the apostles and inspired men. No matter what vision or revelation someone is claiming to have. No matter if you have a pastor that tells you God was speaking to him or the Holy Spirit is speaking to him in a certain way, outside the Bible. The Bible is the final authority. The apostles aren't here anymore. That's why the apostle Paul wrote in 2 Timothy 2:15 to STUDY to show thyself approve a workman that needs not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. If the Holy Spirit is going to come and give you what the Bible says miraculously why did all the authors of the Bible waste their time? There is no miraculous revealing to people of what the scriptures say. We have to study to gain that knowledge. We can pray for wisdom, but if we never crack open a Bible we'll never have the knowledge.
1. Know who wrote the Epistle/Book/Letter.
2. Know who it was written to.
3. Know why it was written to them.
4. Put scriptures and doctrine in its proper context.
5. Read all scripture in the proper context of all these things. This point CANNOT be over stressed.
Someone might say, "Do you really mean that God would allow me to be taught by a false teacher?" Yes, God will allow you to be taught by a false teacher. Cherry picking verses from the Bible to prove a point is a major flaw in Bible interpretation. An open mind and a closed Bible at the same time can be a dangerous thing. Revelation 2:2, Jesus was writing through John to the church at Ephesus. They had tried teachers in their midst and found him to be a liars. Did God allow the church at Ephesus to have false teachers come and teach a false doctrine? Yes, He did and expected them to check what these teachers said with what had been taught by the apostles, the golden standard.
Sunday, September 9, 2012
Thursday, April 26, 2012
THE Mistake
There's a big event coming up.
What did you think of when you read that?
Well, if you're a big sports fan you might have thought of any number of things that might be coming up. The Super-Bowl, World Series, World Cup Soccer, maybe a big concert event like Bonnaroo. Maybe you're getting married soon, or have a child on the way.
The big event that no one will miss is the Judgment Day.
Dusty idea is that the judgement day is the greatest event of your existence and what takes place there is everlasting. (2 Peter 3:7-12) (Matt. 25:31-46)(I Thessalonians 4:13-18)
If you ask people what event they are looking forward to within the next year you'll get a lot of answers. If you think for one minute we're not an event driven society, look around you. We also strive for what we term Higher Education so we can attend an event called graduation. Do we have the wrong focus on what event is the most important? How would you decide what the most important focus should be on?
Something that is going to last forever should probably take center stage over something that isn't.
While I understand we need some focus on education, I would still maintain that it shouldn't be our main focus. If education gets in the way of serving God or doing his will, the education focus just needs to suffer.
Sports is something of a temporary nature even for the avid watcher. You name the sport it doesn't matter. When you leave this life or the end comes, sports is over. Music is the same way, no matter how much music you listen to or concerts you attend when time ends, its over.
Marriage is temporary and is only for this world Luke 20:35 says that the people that obtain heaven "neither marry, nor are given in marriage." Marriage ends at the end of this world or at death. There are a lot of things we could talk about being temporary and are just here while the earth stands. I don't have the time or the space to list them all. I list these so you can get the tone of what I'm trying to say.
Not having the end of time as the main event you are preparing for is THE eternal mistake. If you've ever wondered what the mistake is you just can't afford to make, this is it.
Colossians 3:2, "Set your minds on things that are above, and not on things that are on earth." (ESV)
What did you think of when you read that?
Well, if you're a big sports fan you might have thought of any number of things that might be coming up. The Super-Bowl, World Series, World Cup Soccer, maybe a big concert event like Bonnaroo. Maybe you're getting married soon, or have a child on the way.
The big event that no one will miss is the Judgment Day.
Dusty idea is that the judgement day is the greatest event of your existence and what takes place there is everlasting. (2 Peter 3:7-12) (Matt. 25:31-46)(I Thessalonians 4:13-18)
If you ask people what event they are looking forward to within the next year you'll get a lot of answers. If you think for one minute we're not an event driven society, look around you. We also strive for what we term Higher Education so we can attend an event called graduation. Do we have the wrong focus on what event is the most important? How would you decide what the most important focus should be on?
Something that is going to last forever should probably take center stage over something that isn't.
While I understand we need some focus on education, I would still maintain that it shouldn't be our main focus. If education gets in the way of serving God or doing his will, the education focus just needs to suffer.
Sports is something of a temporary nature even for the avid watcher. You name the sport it doesn't matter. When you leave this life or the end comes, sports is over. Music is the same way, no matter how much music you listen to or concerts you attend when time ends, its over.
Marriage is temporary and is only for this world Luke 20:35 says that the people that obtain heaven "neither marry, nor are given in marriage." Marriage ends at the end of this world or at death. There are a lot of things we could talk about being temporary and are just here while the earth stands. I don't have the time or the space to list them all. I list these so you can get the tone of what I'm trying to say.
Not having the end of time as the main event you are preparing for is THE eternal mistake. If you've ever wondered what the mistake is you just can't afford to make, this is it.
Colossians 3:2, "Set your minds on things that are above, and not on things that are on earth." (ESV)
Tuesday, April 17, 2012
How Fossils Form
Science News January 28, 2006
New science for dating fossils. Dusty idea is over 200 years old, that fossils don't have to be millions of years old. The link above goes to a report quoting the article from Science News magazine. Direct quote from Science News, "That information may lead to more-accurate interpretations of the fossil record and reveal new views of ancient creatures and their environments." Article written by Do-While Jones, link goes to a page on his website.
New science for dating fossils. Dusty idea is over 200 years old, that fossils don't have to be millions of years old. The link above goes to a report quoting the article from Science News magazine. Direct quote from Science News, "That information may lead to more-accurate interpretations of the fossil record and reveal new views of ancient creatures and their environments." Article written by Do-While Jones, link goes to a page on his website.
Tuesday, March 13, 2012
Becoming sensitive to sin
Dusty idea today is we should seek sensitivity to sin. Dusty ideas took a break while I was gathering information for a Bible class I was trying to teach during the winter quarter. I'll try to get back on track with a post from time to time now.
Have we allowed this culture and society to soften our responses to the sins we encounter? The prevailing problem I see around me in today's society and culture is the lack of a "sin allergy". People just don't have that allergic reaction to sin that was once prevalent in the American Society. It's hard for me to express how important I think this topic is right now. Immorality is rampant. We are bombarded with immorality, nudity, premarital sex, adultery, casual sex, lewd dancing, drinking alcohol in excess, and people in general just going pleasure mad. There is also vile language, lack of respect for elders, and parents. All this from a box we brought into our house and most of us pay money to watch, TV.
The movie industry has sought to desensitize us to sin. I have encountered people on occasion that will tell me that this movie or that movie is OK to go see because it's rated PG, or PG13. Let me say that these movies aren't rated by God or the Bible. This is a man made rating, from the people that are trying to desensitize you to the likes of harlotry and homosexuality. I've been told that just merely knowing what you're going to be going to see and deciding that it isn't going to affect you is sufficient to combat this kind of desensitizing. This doesn't fit well with something I call the "Two Ways".
There are two directions to look at with any situation. There's the way God's wants us to take then there's something else. You pick the something else. If it's not going toward God it's the wrong way. The longer we look down the wrong path and the longer you look in that direction the more its going to become the "norm". Example of this would be as follows. Someone has made us mad in some way. Instead of deciding to handle this God's way we decide to sit and stew and think about how we didn't like that. We keep thinking about this and looking at it from the revenge perspective. Soon the longer we look at it from the revenge point of view, the more that seems the normal thing. Same way with watching evil being played out, vile language and the like. The more we put ourselves in the same area, on purpose, with this type of behavior the more it will desensitize us to sin.
If you are trying to be like God you need to love what he loves and hate what he hates. If God hates it you don't need to be around it.
Have we allowed this culture and society to soften our responses to the sins we encounter? The prevailing problem I see around me in today's society and culture is the lack of a "sin allergy". People just don't have that allergic reaction to sin that was once prevalent in the American Society. It's hard for me to express how important I think this topic is right now. Immorality is rampant. We are bombarded with immorality, nudity, premarital sex, adultery, casual sex, lewd dancing, drinking alcohol in excess, and people in general just going pleasure mad. There is also vile language, lack of respect for elders, and parents. All this from a box we brought into our house and most of us pay money to watch, TV.
The movie industry has sought to desensitize us to sin. I have encountered people on occasion that will tell me that this movie or that movie is OK to go see because it's rated PG, or PG13. Let me say that these movies aren't rated by God or the Bible. This is a man made rating, from the people that are trying to desensitize you to the likes of harlotry and homosexuality. I've been told that just merely knowing what you're going to be going to see and deciding that it isn't going to affect you is sufficient to combat this kind of desensitizing. This doesn't fit well with something I call the "Two Ways".
"Two Ways"
If you are trying to be like God you need to love what he loves and hate what he hates. If God hates it you don't need to be around it.
Monday, September 19, 2011
Satanic Lie #2 - Victim
It's a dusty idea that I'm responsible for myself and no other person or group of people can make you do the things you do.
Satanic lie # 2 - You are and will always be a victim. To be pitied and accommodated by everyone you come in contact with. You're the wounded one and everyone needs to cater to you. Your every whim needs to be accommodated, and if its not everybody is going to know it.
In John 5, the man at the pool of Bethesda, was asked if he wanted to be made well. I've often wondered about that question. Some people might consider that a silly or rhetorical question. Of course I want to be healed! Is that what the man would say? He didn't just say "yes", he started with reason or excuses why he hasn't been healed yet. Some people don't want to be healed, that would stop the pity party, so Jesus asked him if he wanted to stop the pity party, stop getting the attention and follow him and serve others. Some people are in need of being healed by Jesus in a spiritual way. And a lot of us have been healed from sin and are still laying at the gate. As long as we can lay at the gate and be a victim of whatever it is we've been healed of spiritually, we don't have to get up and walk and take our share of the load. If we stop being a victim what would we be? Some of us don't understand what we'd be, because its never occurred to us that we might not be a victim any more.
Satanic lie # 2 - You are and will always be a victim. To be pitied and accommodated by everyone you come in contact with. You're the wounded one and everyone needs to cater to you. Your every whim needs to be accommodated, and if its not everybody is going to know it.
In John 5, the man at the pool of Bethesda, was asked if he wanted to be made well. I've often wondered about that question. Some people might consider that a silly or rhetorical question. Of course I want to be healed! Is that what the man would say? He didn't just say "yes", he started with reason or excuses why he hasn't been healed yet. Some people don't want to be healed, that would stop the pity party, so Jesus asked him if he wanted to stop the pity party, stop getting the attention and follow him and serve others. Some people are in need of being healed by Jesus in a spiritual way. And a lot of us have been healed from sin and are still laying at the gate. As long as we can lay at the gate and be a victim of whatever it is we've been healed of spiritually, we don't have to get up and walk and take our share of the load. If we stop being a victim what would we be? Some of us don't understand what we'd be, because its never occurred to us that we might not be a victim any more.
Saturday, September 3, 2011
Satanic Lie #1 - Repentance
It's a dusty idea that that little voice in the back of your head that you call common sense sometimes is really just the devil talking to you.
Satanic lie #1: You can't change. There's no use in you repenting of the things you want to stop doing. You're just going to do them again and you've said over and over again, "This is the last time I'm ever going to do this." You just wound up doing it again. Don't go up there and try to say you can stop, then you'll just be lying to God.
This is a lie, you can change and God can change you. Even while you are doing the things you do and think you have your closest friends and dearest relative tricked. They know you need a change in your life.
II Corinthians 7:10 - For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret, whereas worldly grief produces death. (ESV)
True repentance has to be motivated by how you offended God. Not by how you were found out or who found you out. If you repent based on who found you out and how you offended other people, you will more than likely just find a more clever way of doing it so as not to be found out the next time. If you repent because you have offended God, then you'll understand that God is everywhere and sees everything. There's no where to hide or no way to cleverly stop God from noticing what you're doing.
What works repentance is "I have offended God and I need to change of my own free will and stop doing what offends God, because I want to." It can't be because my wife, my children or my parents want me to stop and I don't really want to. That isn't repentance, that is trying to stop doing something that I really want to do and I don't want to get caught by my family again.
Luke 13:3 - Unless you repent you will all likewise perish......
This is a lie, you can change and God can change you. Even while you are doing the things you do and think you have your closest friends and dearest relative tricked. They know you need a change in your life.
II Corinthians 7:10 - For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret, whereas worldly grief produces death. (ESV)
True repentance has to be motivated by how you offended God. Not by how you were found out or who found you out. If you repent based on who found you out and how you offended other people, you will more than likely just find a more clever way of doing it so as not to be found out the next time. If you repent because you have offended God, then you'll understand that God is everywhere and sees everything. There's no where to hide or no way to cleverly stop God from noticing what you're doing.
What works repentance is "I have offended God and I need to change of my own free will and stop doing what offends God, because I want to." It can't be because my wife, my children or my parents want me to stop and I don't really want to. That isn't repentance, that is trying to stop doing something that I really want to do and I don't want to get caught by my family again.
Luke 13:3 - Unless you repent you will all likewise perish......
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
Coming In, To and After Christ
Last Sunday I was sitting in a men's leadership class and the question was asked, "Why have so many people missed church recently?" Why don't people get involved? Why do the 20% do 80% of the work? I think I know at least part of the answer as to why.
Luke 14: 16-27, - 16But he said to him, "A man once gave a great banquet and invited many. 17And at the time for the banquet he sent his servant to say to those who had been invited, 'Come, for everything is now ready.' 18But they all alike began to make excuses. The first said to him, 'I have bought a field, and I must go out and see it. Please have me excused.' 19And another said, 'I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I go to examine them. Please have me excused.' 20And another said, 'I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come.' 21So the servant came and reported these things to his master. Then the master of the house became angry and said to his servant, 'Go out quickly to the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in the poor and crippled and blind and lame.' 22And the servant said, 'Sir, what you commanded has been done, and still there is room.' 23And the master said to the servant, 'Go out to the highways and hedges and compel people to come in, that my house may be filled. 24For I tell you, none of those men who were invited shall taste my banquet.'"
25Now great crowds accompanied him, and he turned and said to them, 26 "If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple. 27 Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple.(ESV)
Three levels of invitation in the reading above. Come in, not just an invitation to church, Christ invites you to come in to hear about him. He invites all to come in. This means if they don't look like you, they're still invited. If they are tattered up we invite them to come in. This means if they're men and they got earrings in there ears, eyebrow, lip or tongue they're still invited. This means that if she's the fastest thing on the block and wearing her shirt so tight that all the men are looking strange, she's still invited. We seem to have decided that the church is suppose to attract good people. The church is suppose to attract ALL kinds of people as well as vulgar, despicable and downtrodden. We exert a lot of time and energy making sure the right kinds of people are at church. It is not your or my job to screen people coming to church. It's not your job to screen who comes to Jesus. Jesus invites everybody to come in. This is not our church. This is the first kind of invite that the Lord presents to people. Everybody is excepted to come in to Jesus. In the reading above (v.23, 25) we can see people had "come in" to Jesus and were following him. All kinds of people some looking for a miracle, some just to see what he would do next, and some to hear his message. Some I am sure were just thrill seekers and with this many people you know some were just there to socialize.
Jesus had all these people come in to him, but Jesus is not in the business of leaving people like they are. Starting in v. 25 thru 26 Jesus turns to the people that have come in and lets them know if they are going to come to him they're going to have to change. All these people that were thinking Jesus was accepting of them, and he is, now see that discipleship is going to cost them something. If you are going to "Come to" Christ there has to be a change in your primary relationship on this earth. Your primary relationship on this earth has to be Jesus Christ, not children, or parents, or spouse, or baseball, or football. I had to kind of add that in because sometimes these things are above families as well. If your primary relationship is Christ all the family relationships will be taken care of. Jesus has raised the standard of being his disciple to all this crowd to see who would still follow. He's going to thin this crowd, because when Jesus seeks to change you a lot of people resist, want to compromise, and just plain refuse.
I have said all this to try to make the point that our churches are filled with people that have come in, but have refused to come to Jesus.
The disciples that have "come after" Jesus have taken this a little deeper. They'll have to check to see what's going on in the Kingdom before they decide what they're doing on a Friday night. They're the kind of people that will have to check to see what the kingdom is like and if it exists in that town where the new and better job is. The kind of people that will move closer to their church than their job. They can't accept a better job somewhere that wants them to work three Sundays out of a month if they can't get to church sometime on the Lord's Day. When you come after Jesus you'll lose friends, and possibly some family as well. That is unacceptable to a lot of people. You'll thin the crowd around you just as Jesus did. Jesus doesn't intend for you to take up your cross and come after him unless you're willing to be hung on it. Thats what a cross is, something you carry until it carries you.
Why do 20% do 80% of the work? About 80% of the people have just come in and are content to stay there. We have to find a way to get people to come to, so their primary relationship can be Jesus and then begin the process of coming after.
Luke 14: 16-27, - 16But he said to him, "A man once gave a great banquet and invited many. 17And at the time for the banquet he sent his servant to say to those who had been invited, 'Come, for everything is now ready.' 18But they all alike began to make excuses. The first said to him, 'I have bought a field, and I must go out and see it. Please have me excused.' 19And another said, 'I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I go to examine them. Please have me excused.' 20And another said, 'I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come.' 21So the servant came and reported these things to his master. Then the master of the house became angry and said to his servant, 'Go out quickly to the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in the poor and crippled and blind and lame.' 22And the servant said, 'Sir, what you commanded has been done, and still there is room.' 23And the master said to the servant, 'Go out to the highways and hedges and compel people to come in, that my house may be filled. 24For I tell you, none of those men who were invited shall taste my banquet.'"
25Now great crowds accompanied him, and he turned and said to them, 26 "If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple. 27 Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple.(ESV)
Three levels of invitation in the reading above. Come in, not just an invitation to church, Christ invites you to come in to hear about him. He invites all to come in. This means if they don't look like you, they're still invited. If they are tattered up we invite them to come in. This means if they're men and they got earrings in there ears, eyebrow, lip or tongue they're still invited. This means that if she's the fastest thing on the block and wearing her shirt so tight that all the men are looking strange, she's still invited. We seem to have decided that the church is suppose to attract good people. The church is suppose to attract ALL kinds of people as well as vulgar, despicable and downtrodden. We exert a lot of time and energy making sure the right kinds of people are at church. It is not your or my job to screen people coming to church. It's not your job to screen who comes to Jesus. Jesus invites everybody to come in. This is not our church. This is the first kind of invite that the Lord presents to people. Everybody is excepted to come in to Jesus. In the reading above (v.23, 25) we can see people had "come in" to Jesus and were following him. All kinds of people some looking for a miracle, some just to see what he would do next, and some to hear his message. Some I am sure were just thrill seekers and with this many people you know some were just there to socialize.
Jesus had all these people come in to him, but Jesus is not in the business of leaving people like they are. Starting in v. 25 thru 26 Jesus turns to the people that have come in and lets them know if they are going to come to him they're going to have to change. All these people that were thinking Jesus was accepting of them, and he is, now see that discipleship is going to cost them something. If you are going to "Come to" Christ there has to be a change in your primary relationship on this earth. Your primary relationship on this earth has to be Jesus Christ, not children, or parents, or spouse, or baseball, or football. I had to kind of add that in because sometimes these things are above families as well. If your primary relationship is Christ all the family relationships will be taken care of. Jesus has raised the standard of being his disciple to all this crowd to see who would still follow. He's going to thin this crowd, because when Jesus seeks to change you a lot of people resist, want to compromise, and just plain refuse.
I have said all this to try to make the point that our churches are filled with people that have come in, but have refused to come to Jesus.
The disciples that have "come after" Jesus have taken this a little deeper. They'll have to check to see what's going on in the Kingdom before they decide what they're doing on a Friday night. They're the kind of people that will have to check to see what the kingdom is like and if it exists in that town where the new and better job is. The kind of people that will move closer to their church than their job. They can't accept a better job somewhere that wants them to work three Sundays out of a month if they can't get to church sometime on the Lord's Day. When you come after Jesus you'll lose friends, and possibly some family as well. That is unacceptable to a lot of people. You'll thin the crowd around you just as Jesus did. Jesus doesn't intend for you to take up your cross and come after him unless you're willing to be hung on it. Thats what a cross is, something you carry until it carries you.
Why do 20% do 80% of the work? About 80% of the people have just come in and are content to stay there. We have to find a way to get people to come to, so their primary relationship can be Jesus and then begin the process of coming after.
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