"THE EPISTLE OF JAMES" The Sin Of Partiality (2:1-13) by Mark Copeland

"THE EPISTLE OF JAMES"

The Sin Of Partiality (2:1-13)
                                 
INTRODUCTION

1. In the first century, A.D., polarized conditions governed society;
   people were either rich or poor, slaves or free, Jew or Gentile,
   Greek or barbarian

2. However, part of the good news of the gospel was that in Christ
   Jesus social barriers lost much of their strength
   a. As Paul wrote to the Galatians:  "There is neither Jew nor Greek,
      there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female:
      for ye are all one in Christ Jesus. (Ga 3:28)
   b. Again, in writing to the Colossians:  "Where there is neither
      Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian,
      Scythian, bond [nor] free: but Christ [is] all, and in all.
      (Col 3:11)

3. But it took a while for this truth to sink into the hearts of those
   who were Christians; even the apostle Peter had to be told this
   truth through a vision and then a special outpouring of the Holy
   Spirit - cf. Ac 10:34-35

4. From the second chapter of the epistle of James, it is apparent that
   showing partiality was still being practiced and its sinfulness
   needed to be pointed out

5. Because "The Sin Of Partiality" is still prevalent in some forms
   today, let's examine Jm 2:1-13 and consider what James has to say
   on this subject

[Consider, first of all, exactly what is...]

I. THE SIN OF PARTIALITY

   A. AS MANIFESTED IN JAMES' DAY...
      1. We know from other scriptures that Jewish Christians often
         showed partiality in regards to the Gentiles
      2. But in this epistle, the problem was one of showing partiality
         between the rich and poor - Jm 2:2-4

   B. TODAY, WE CAN ALSO BE GUILTY OF PARTIALITY...
      1. By showing partiality between rich and poor
         a. For example, giving preferential treatment to visitors at
            our assemblies based upon their apparel
         b. Or showing hospitality towards our rich friends, while
            ignoring those who are poor (sometimes, it is the poor who
            despise the rich)
      2. By showing partiality between people of different races (again,
         this can easily go both ways)
      3. Even by showing partiality between friends and visitors to our
         services

[Sadly, the sin of partiality (i.e., being biased, prejudiced, racist)
is probably just as prevalent if not more so than it was in the days
when James wrote his epistle!

This makes the words of James very relevant and worth our consideration.
Let's therefore notice...]

II. WHY CHRISTIANS CAN'T SHOW PARTIALITY

   A. JESUS CHRIST IS A "GLORIOUS" LORD! (2:1)
      1. It is possible that this point was being implied by James in
         using his appellation of Jesus to introduce the subject
      2. What does OUR partiality have to do with the LORD OF GLORY?
         a. As Christians, we profess to be Christ's disciples, or
            followers, whose goal is to imitate Him - Lk 6:40
         b. As such, our actions are likely to be considered by others
            as a reflection of what Christ teaches
         c. If we show partiality as Christians, we leave the impression
            that Jesus Himself is partial (prejudiced, biased, racist)
      3. Therefore, if we are not careful, the glory of the Lord can be
         tainted by OUR partiality!

   B. WE BECOME JUDGES WITH EVIL THOUGHTS (2:4)
      1. God has always hated unjust judges
      2. Jesus Himself warned about:
         a. The dangers of judging - Mt 7:1
         b. The need to make righteous judgment - Jn 7:24
      3. If we judge against the poor due to our prejudice against them,
         we will find ourselves fighting against God! - Ps 109:31

   C. WE DESPISE THOSE GOD HAS HONORED (2:5)
      1. Both then and today God has chosen to honor the poor
         a. The gospel was proclaimed to the poor - Lk 7:22
         b. The majority of those who responded were from among the poor
            - 1Co 1:26-29
      2. Both then and today God has chosen to honor ALL men - Ac 10:
         34-35
         a. Therefore, when we show partiality because of a person's
            race...
         b. Or because they are a stranger we do not know...
         ...then we despise those whom God has honored by His offering
            to them salvation through the gospel!
      3. Do we want to face God on the Day of Judgment guilty of such
         a crime?

   D. WE HONOR THOSE MOST CAPABLE AND LIKELY OF OPPRESSING US (2:6-7)
      1. The rich were doing this to the Christians in James' day
      2. Who are the ones most likely to oppress Christians today if it
         ever came down to "push and shove"?
         a. Those who have the resources to do so
         b. And most likely that would be the "majority" and the 
            "affluent"

   E. WE BREAK "THE ROYAL LAW" (2:8-11)
      1. Which is "You shall love your neighbor as your self"
      2. This is one of the most fundamental laws that God has ever
         given!
         a. As proclaimed by Christ - Mt 22:36-40
         b. As taught by Paul - Ro 13:8-10
      3. And, as emphasized by James, by breaking one law, we become
         guilty of ALL the Law!
         a. I.e., to show partiality is to make one as guilty as if they
            committed adultery or murder!
         b. This illustrates just how terrible any sin is!

   F. WE WILL ONE DAY BE JUDGED BY "THE LAW OF LIBERTY" (2:12-13)
      1. This refers to the law of Christ, or the gospel
         a. A law that has set us free from the bondage of sin through
            the mercy shown in Christ - cf. Jn 8:31-36
         b. And a law that sets us free from man-made restrictions 
            - cf. Col 2:20-22
      2. But if we:
         a. Apply man-made restrictions upon others (like showing
            partiality)
         b. Do not show mercy toward others
         ...then NO MERCY will be shown toward us! - cf. Mt 6:14-15

CONCLUSION

1. In view of all these things, we can understand why James would say:

   "My brethren, have not the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, [the
   Lord] of glory, with respect of persons." (Jm 2:1)

2. We can also better understand Peter's reasoning why he had to accept
   the Gentiles:

   "Forasmuch then as God gave them the like gift as [he did] unto us,
   who believed on the Lord Jesus Christ; what was I, that I could
   withstand God?" (Ac 11:17)

3. And we are more likely to heed the prayer and admonition of KPaul:

   5  Now the God of patience and consolation grant you to be
   likeminded one toward another according to Christ Jesus: 6  That ye
   may with one mind [and] one mouth glorify God, even the Father of
   our Lord Jesus Christ. 7  Wherefore receive ye one another, as
   Christ also received us to the glory of God. (Romans 15)

Brethren, we serve A GLORIOUS LORD, we serve to do things to His glory;
may we NEVER allow the sin of partiality, bias, prejudice, or racism to
taint that wonderful glory in any way!

[And a concluding word for the NON-Christian:

   1) Notice that in our text James speaks of:
      a) The terribleness of even one sin (2:10)
      b) The fact of judgment (2:12)

   2) Won't you accept the mercy God offers to you in the gospel of His
      Son Jesus Christ?
      a) Remember, God is not a partial judge - cf. Ro 2:4-11
      b) Why should He show mercy to you when you despise His mercy
         just as much as the vilest sinner?

Accept His mercy in obedience to the gospel today!]

Executable Outlines, Copyright © Mark A. Copeland, 2016

 

God and Katrina by Dave Miller, Ph.D.

http://apologeticspress.org/APContent.aspx?category=12&article=1556

God and Katrina

by	Dave Miller, Ph.D.

In the early morning hours of August 29, 2005,

Courtesy of ORBIMAGE

hurricane Katrina made landfall, devastating the Gulf Coast of the United States from New Orleans to Mobile, earning for itself recognition as one of the worst natural disasters in U.S. history. Though the city was placed under a mandatory evacuation order, many residents remained due to lack of transportation, health, or age. The furry of the hurricane created three breaches in the Lake Pontchartrain levee system—causing a second, even greater disaster: heavy flooding inundated 80% of the city, making it uninhabitable. While the final death toll is still unknown, thousands are believed to have been killed. More than a million people have been displaced, creating a humanitarian crisis on a scale unseen in America since the American Civil War (“Hurricane Katrina,” 2005).

As shocking and heart-rending as this event may seem, many other natural disasters have occurred in human history that exceed Katrina and even the 2004 tsunami in their toll of death and destruction. For example, throughout China’s history, extensive flooding has occurred countless times as a result of the mighty 3,000-mile-long Hwang Ho River. Several of the most terrible floods, with their ensuing famines, have been responsible for the deaths of more than a million people at a time. The southern levee of the river failed in Hunan Province in 1887, affecting a 50,000 square mile area (“Hwang Ho,” 2004). More than 2 million people died from drowning, starvation, or the epidemics that followed (“Huang He,” 2004).

In reality, such events have occurred repetitiously throughout the history of the world, and continue to do so—constantly: hurricanes, cyclones, earthquakes, tornados, floods, tsunamis, droughts, and volcano eruptions. In fact, natural disasters kill one million people around the world each decade, and leave millions more homeless, according to the United Nation’s International Decade for Natural Disaster Reduction (“Disasters...,” 1997).

This circumstance inevitably elicits the pressing question: “WHY?” “Why would God allow such loss of life, inflicted on countless numbers of seemingly innocent people?” The number one argument marshaled by atheists to advocate their disbelief in God is the presence of widespread, seemingly purposeless suffering. They insist that if an infinite Being existed, He would exercise His perfect compassion and His omnipotence to prevent human suffering (e.g., Lowder, 2004; cf. Jackson, 2001). Even for many people who do not embrace formal atheism, the fact that God apparently seems willing to allow misery and suffering to run rampant in the world, elicits a gamut of reactions—from perplexity and puzzlement to anger and resentment.

THE BIBLE HAS THE ANSWERS

But the Bible provides the perfect explanations for such occurrences. Its handling of the subject is logical, sufficient, and definitive. It sets forth the fact that God created the world to be the most appropriate, suitable environment in which humans are enabled to make their own decisions concerning their ultimate destiny (Genesis 1:27; Ecclesiastes 12:13-14). We humans have been provided with the ideal environment in which we may freely accept or reject God’s will for our lives. Natural disasters and nature’s destructive forces are the result of specific conditions that are necessary to God’s providing humanity with this ideal environment.

God is not blameworthy for having created such a world, since He had a morally justifiable reason for having done so. Human existence on Earth was not intended to be permanent. Rather, the Creator intended life on Earth to serve as a temporary interval of time for the development of one’s spirit. Life on Earth is a probationary period in which people are given the opportunity to attend to their spiritual condition as it relates to God’s will for living. Natural disasters provide people with conclusive evidence that life on Earth is brief and uncertain. God has even harnessed natural calamities for the purpose of punishing wickedness (see Miller, “Is America’s Iniquity...?”, 2005). [NOTE: For further study on this thorny issue, see Thompson, 1997 and Warren, 1972.]

Christians understand that no matter how catastrophic, tragic, or disastrous an event may be, it fits into the overall framework of soul-making—preparation for one’s departure from life into eternity. Likewise, the Christian knows that although the great pain and suffering caused by natural disasters may be unpleasant, and may test one’s mettle; nevertheless, such suffering is not intrinsically evil. Nor is it a reflection on the existence of an omnibenevolent God. The only intrinsic evil is violation of God’s will. What is required of all accountable persons is obedience to God’s revealed Word (given in the Bible)—even amid pain, suffering, sickness, disease, death, and, yes, hurricanes.

REFERENCES

“Disasters: A Deadly and Costly Toll Around the World” (1997), FEMA News, [On-line], URL: http://www.fema.gov/pdf/library/stats.pdf.

“Huang He, or Hwang Ho” (2004), Britannica Student Encyclopedia, [On-line], URL: http://www.britannica.com/ebi/article?tocId=9274966.

“Hurricane Katrina” (2005), Wikipedia, [On-line], URL: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hurricane_Katrina.

“Hwang Ho” (2004), LoveToKnow 1911 Online Encyclopedia, [On-line], URL: http://32.1911encyclopedia.org/H/HW/HWANG_HO.htm.

Jackson, Roy (2001), “The Problem of Evil,” The Philosopher’s Magazine Online, [On-line], URL: http://www.philosophers.co.uk/cafe/rel_six.htm.

Lowder, Jeffery (2004), “Logical Arguments From Evil,” Internet Infidels, [On-line], URL: http://www.infidels.org/library/modern/nontheism/atheism/evil-logical.html.

Miller, Dave (2005), “Is America’s Iniquity Full,” [On-line], URL: http://www.apologeticspress.org/articles/305.

Thompson, Bert (1997), “Divine Benevolence, Human Suffering, and Intrinsic Value,” [On-line], URL: http://apologeticspress.org/apcontent.aspx?category=12&article=229.

Warren, Thomas (1972), Have Atheists Proved There Is No God? (Jonesboro, AR: National Christian Press).

Geography as the Most Important Predictor of Religion—Revisited by Kyle Butt, M.Div.

http://apologeticspress.org/APContent.aspx?category=12&article=4133

Geography as the Most Important Predictor of Religion—Revisited

by	Kyle Butt, M.Div.

On September 29, 2011, I debated Blair Scott, the Director of Communications for American Atheists, Inc. During the debate, he suggested that one of the primary reasons (if not the only reason) that people are Christians is because they were born into a society that is predominantly Christian. He contended that this fact cast doubt on the legitimacy of Christianity and the sincerity of the person who claims to believe in Christianity based on the truth of its claims. Blair is not the only atheist who has used this line of reasoning. When I debated Dan Barker on February 12, 2009, he stated basically the same thing as Blair, when he said, “there are other reasons besides reason and truth that people come to their faith.” He continued:

The most obvious one is geography. Geography is the greatest single predictor of what religion a person will have. If you were born in Baghdad, you can pretty much predict what religion that person will have. If you were born in Tennessee, you can pretty much predict what kind of person you are going to be with your religion, generally. It’s the highest predictor (Butt and Barker, 2009).

While it may be true that geography is the highest predictor of a person’s religion, it is important to understand what Scott and Barker are trying to say, and why it has no bearing on the truth of the proposition that God exists. The implication is that if most people in an area hold a certain religious belief, then the mere fact that it is the “traditional” belief of that area should cast disparaging light on the belief, or at least should call into question the honesty and intellectual rigor of those who hold the belief. This is a classic example of a logical fallacy known as the genetic fallacy. The genetic fallacy is committed when a person attempts to discredit an idea based on its origin, not based on the merits of the idea itself. In this instance, Barker, Scott, and other atheists are suggesting that a belief in the God of the Bible should be questioned merely on the basis of the fact that the idea stems from certain cultures or regions.

When this accusation against belief in God is studied critically, however, it becomes apparent that these atheists are making a moot point. What does it matter if the biggest predictor of a person’s religion is geography? Does that mean that the information is necessarily false? If that were the case, we could simply lump atheism in with all other “religions” and say that geography is the single biggest predictor of whether a person will claim atheism. Polls indicate that those born in China or the former Soviet Union, and certain other areas of Europe, are much more likely to be atheists than other areas of the globe (“Major Religions of the World…,” 2007). So what does that mean about atheism? Should it be rejected soley on the basis of geography? We are forced by rationality to understand that it means nothing—other than the fact that most people, including atheists, adopt the beliefs of the people nearest to them. It says nothing whatsoever about the truth of the beliefs.

Suppose we were to suggest that geography is the single biggest predictor of whether a person will know his or her multiplication tables by age 12. Would that mean that all those who learned their “times tables” hold an incorrect view of the world? Of course not. Would it mean that the local knowledge of multiplication casts suspicion on the truth of the math being done? No. It has absolutely no bearing on the accuracy of the multiplication tables. Again, suppose that we said that geography is the single most important indicator of whether a person understands how germs are passed. Does that mean that all those people who wash their hands because that is “what their mothers taught them about germs” have been taught wrong? Certainly not.

In truth, we intuitively know that geography has nothing to do with truth claims. Is it the case that truth seekers often break away from their culturally held beliefs, forsake false ideas, and embrace the truth that God exists, the Bible is His Word, and Jesus is His Son? Yes. It is also true that many forsake the cultural truths that they were taught as children, reject the reality of God’s existence, and exchange that belief for false worldviews like atheism and agnosticism. That happens as well.

The atheistic objection that ideas concerning the God of the Bible should be questioned because they are held by more people in certain regions has no merit and can easily be dismissed. It should, however, make us stop and think about why we hold the beliefs that we do. The apostle Paul admonished all people to “test all things; hold fast what is good” (1 Thessalonians 5:21). It is true that many people are guilty of clinging to a belief simply because their family or culture is closely tied to it, and the Bible explicitly cautions against doing so (cf. Mark 7:8-13). The fact that many people blindly cling to tradition says nothing whatsoever about the truth or falsity of the belief, but it does say something about the sincerity of the one who holds those beliefs without having truly “tested” them. If all the people in the world were to honestly assess their core beliefs based on truth and reason, they would become New Testament Christians regardless of where they were born or where they currently live. As Jesus explained to Pilate: “I have come into the world, that I should bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice” (John 18:37).

REFERENCES

Butt, Kyle and Dan Barker (2009), Butt/Barker Debate: Does the God of the Bible Exist? (Montgomery, AL: Apologetics Press).

“Major Religions of the World Ranked by Number of Adherents” (2007), http://www.adherents.com/Religions_By_Adherents.html#Nonreligious.

Geography as the Most Important Predictor of Religion? by Kyle Butt, M.Div.

http://apologeticspress.org/APContent.aspx?category=12&article=2789

Geography as the Most Important Predictor of Religion?

by	Kyle Butt, M.Div.

Seven and a half minutes into his 10-minute rebuttal speech during our February 12, 2009 Darwin Day debate, Dan Barker noted that “there are other reasons besides reason and truth that people come to their faith.” He continued:

The most obvious one is geography. Geography is the greatest single predictor of what religion a person will have. If you were born in Baghdad, you can pretty much predict what religion that person will have. If you were born in Tennessee, you can pretty much predict what kind of person you are going to be with your religion, generally. It’s the highest predictor (Butt and Barker, 2009).

While it may be true that geography is the highest predictor of a person’s religion, it is important to understand what Barker is trying to say and why it has no bearing on the truth of the proposition that God exists. The implication is that if most people in an area hold a certain religious belief, then the mere fact that it is the “traditional” belief of that area should cast disparaging light on the belief, or at least should call into question the honesty and intellectual rigor of those who hold the belief.

When Barker’s statement is studied critically, however, it becomes apparent that his point is moot. So what if the biggest predictor of a person’s religion is geography? Does that mean that when geography is the biggest predictor of those who will hold a certain belief, then that belief is false? If that were the case, we could simply lump atheism in with all other “religions” and say that geography is the single biggest predictor of whether a person will claim atheism. Polls indicate that those born in China or the former Soviet Union, and certain other areas of Europe, are much more likely to be atheists than other areas of the globe (“Major Religions of the World...,” 2007). So what does that mean about atheism? We are forced by rationality to agree that it means nothing, other than the fact that most people, including atheists, adopt the beliefs of the people nearest to them. It says nothing whatever about the truth of the beliefs.

Suppose we were to suggest that geography is the single biggest predictor of whether a person will know his or her multiplication tables by age 12? Would that mean that all those who learned their “times tables” hold an incorrect view of the world? Of course not. Would it mean that the local knowledge of multiplication casts suspicion on the truth of the math being done? No. It has absolutely no bearing on the accuracy of the multiplication tables. Again, suppose that we said that geography is the single most important indicator of whether a person understands how germs are passed. Does that mean that all those people who wash their hands because that is “what their mothers taught them about germs” have been taught wrong? Certainly not.

In truth, everyone knows that geography has nothing to do with truth claims. Is it the case that truth seekers often break away from their culturally held beliefs, forsake false ideas, and embrace the truth that God exists, the Bible is His Word, and Jesus is His Son? Yes. It is also true that many forsake the cultural truths that they were taught as children, reject the reality of God’s existence, and exchange that belief for false worldviews like atheism and agnosticism. Yes, that happens as well.

In logic, there is a common fallacy known as a “red herring.” The term comes from the idea of dragging a fish across an animal’s scent trail in an attempt to throw the hounds off the scent. In logic, a “red herring” is a device used to divert the attention of the audience from the real point that is being addressed. When we look at Barker’s use of the “geography” idea, something smells very fishy.

REFERENCES

Butt, Kyle and Dan Barker (2009), Butt/Barker Debate: Does the God of the Bible Exist? (Montgomery, AL: Apologetics Press).

“Major Religions of the World Ranked by Number of Adherents” (2007), [On-line]: URL:http://www.adherents.com/Religions_By_Adherents.html#Nonreligious.

David (Part 2) A man after God’s own Heart – what it is. (By Ben Fronczek)

http://granvillenychurchofchrist.org/?p=1595

David (Part 2) A Man After God’s Own Heart

David (Part 2) A man after God’s own Heart – what it is.

(By Ben Fronczek)

Last week we started a series of lesson on what it means to be a man (or woman) after God’s own heart, which is part of a larger series of lesson I would like to do on David.

First of all, in the last lesson, I talked about an individual that was not a man after God’s own heart, and that being Saul, the first Jewish king. What was his problem? He was more concerned about doing things his way, the way he wanted and not necessarily the way God wanted things done. Simply put he was out right disobedient by not obeying God’s will for him, and by disobeying the Holy laws God put forth in the Mosaic covenant. And when Saul was confronted with his sin, he made excuses and tried to blame others. He claimed he was sorry, but in all reality God could see something different in his heart. Maybe God saw that he was more sorry about getting caught than he was about disobeying God’s will.

Then we read where Samuel is instructed to go and anoint another who would eventually take Saul’s place. In Bethlehem, the little town where Jesus the Christ was born more than one thousand years later, lived a man named Jesse, who was the grandson of Ruth. Jesse had eight sons, and God told Samuel that He would choose a successor to Saul from among them.

God told Samuel to go to Bethlehem and offer a sacrifice, and invite Jesse to be present. He told Jesse to have his sons pass in front of him, that he might see them.

The first son was a tall, handsome man, and Samuel thought he must be the one who was to rule over Israel. But God told him that “man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” Then one by one seven sons of Jesse were brought forward, but Samuel said, “The Lord has not chosen these.”

It think the lesson in this for us is that we need to remember that God is more concerned about what’s in our heart than with how we look, what we say, or do.

Then Samuel asked Jesse if he had any more sons; and Jesse replied that he had seen all except David the youngest, who was in the fields, tending the sheep. Samuel ordered David to be brought to him. The text described David as “ruddy with a fine appearance and handsome features.” The Lord told Samuel to anoint him, for this was the one He has chosen.

Many years prior, God had prepared another shepherd boy for a special work in connection with His chosen people, Joseph. And now He had selected David, another shepherd boy, to rule over them. The same was true for Moses having spent 40 in the wilderness shepherding before God sent him to Egypt.

The Bible says little of what happened to David immediately after than memorable day, but we can assume he went back to his flock and continued to take care of them. How much he was affected by the ceremony through which he had passed, we do not know, but we are told this: “The Spirit of the Lord came upon David from that day forward.”

David grew up strong and brave, not afraid of the wild beasts which prowled around and tried to carry away his sheep. All alone most of the day and with not much else to do, he probably practiced throwing stones with his sling, until he could strike the place he aimed for.

He also must have loved music and learned to play the harp during this period, because shortly after he is called into the kings service to play for him We read that after Spirit left Saul, another spirit tormented him, and music help make him feel better and David was chosen because of his talent.

This young man was to be the one to replace Saul, the one God considered a man after His own heart, and now he got to see the inner workings of the royal palace.

But the Question I posed in the last lesson was, “How could David be considered a man after God’s own heart knowing what we know about him?” We read that he went on to become a man of war spilling blood, and later he would also go on to commit adultery and murder?

His story can be read 1 and 2 Chronicles and 1 and 2 Kings. Even in the book of Acts, the Apostle Paul is speaking before the men of Israel, tells them about God’s feelings for David. Speaking first of King Saul the Apostle Paul states, “After removing Saul, he made David their king. He testified concerning him: ‘I have found David son of Jesse a man after my own heart; he will do everything I want him to do’” (Acts 13:22). Maybe this was the key!

Where we find the most about his character and heart is actually seen the book of Psalms. There he opened up his life for all to examine. David’s life was a portrait of success and failure, and far from perfect. But what made David a cut above the rest was the fact that God was almost always at the center of his Heart. He did his best to obey Him.

When we look at his story, you soon realize that all David’s early life was a preparation for kingship. Beginning as a shepherd was certainly training for one who would one day shepherd the flock of God, Israel. Then he has time to learn the inner workings of the royal court.

If David was divinely destined to be a king, is it possible that he also was destined to first be a shepherd? Or did God leave the first thirty years of David’s life up to chance?

Or was the Lord just killing time waiting for David to grow up and reach the right age to fulfill his divine destiny to be king, or was he meant to learn something from that early life in the wilderness?

We can apply this to ourselves. Often, what we perceive as wasted periods of time in our life are actually part of God’s training process—periods that prepare us for His ultimate purpose for our lives. These period of time may just be divinely determined. God can use these period of time to mold us in ways we may not understand at the time.

So how did God prepare David for the big challenges he would face one day as king? Just as you may have guessed. He used the same method He used to prepare Israel to take Canaan and the same method He used to train Jesus’ twelve disciples, and ever us. God permitted small difficulties, one after the other, to challenge David as a shepherd. He was tested over and over; and so are we.

We know that as a boy David had an opportunity to exercise his faith when he fought with a lion and a bear to protect his flock (see 1 Sam. 17:34-36). Could God have stopped that lion and bear before they got near enough to stalk David’s sheep? Of course He could have, but He didn’t because He was preparing David for the greater challenges that He would ultimately face.

David’s next trial recorded for us in Scripture was a giant one—literally!          It wasn’t so much his skill with a sling and stone that brought down Goliath. Rather, it was his faith. Every challenge we face can serve as a stepping stone in our personal growth. It all depends on if we will trust God or not.

And that’s the first thing we need to be a man or woman after God’s own heart; First of all, David had absolute faith in God.

Nowhere in Scripture is this point better illustrated than in 1 Samuel 17 where David as a young shepherd boy fearlessly confronts and slew the Philistine giant, Goliath. Shortly before the duel, we see direct evidence of David’s faith in his words to King Saul. Read 17:32-37 “3 As he was talking with them, Goliath, the Philistine champion from Gath, stepped out from his lines and shouted his usual defiance, and David heard it. 24 Whenever the Israelites saw the man, they all fled from him in great fear.  Now the Israelites had been saying, “Do you see how this man keeps coming out? He comes out to defy Israel. The king will give great wealth to the man who kills him. He will also give him his daughter in marriage and will exempt his family from taxes in Israel.”    David asked the men standing near him, “What will be done for the man who kills this Philistine and removes this disgrace from Israel? Who is this uncircumcised Philistine that he should defy the armies of the living God?”  They repeated to him what they had been saying and told him, “This is what will be done for the man who kills him.”  When Eliab, David’s oldest brother, heard him speaking with the men, he burned with anger at him and asked, “Why have you come down here? And with whom did you leave those few sheep in the wilderness? I know how conceited you are and how wicked your heart is; you came down only to watch the battle.”   

“Now what have I done?” said David. “Can’t I even speak?” He then turned away to someone else and brought up the same matter, and the men answered him as before. What David said was overheard and reported to Saul, and Saul sent for him.

David said to Saul, “Let no one lose heart on account of this Philistine; your servant will go and fight him.”

Saul replied, “You are not able to go out against this Philistine and fight him; you are only a young man, and he has been a warrior from his youth.” But David said to Saul, “Your servant has been keeping his father’s sheep. When a lion or a bear came and carried off a sheep from the flock,  I went after it, struck it and rescued the sheep from its mouth. When it turned on me, I seized it by its hair, struck it and killed it.  Your servant has killed both the lion and the bear; this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, because he has defied the armies of the living God.  The Lord who rescued me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will rescue me from the hand of this Philistine.”

Saul said to David, “Go, and the Lord be with you.”

David was fully aware that God was in control of his life, and he had faith that God would deliver him from impending danger. How else could one venture into a potentially fatal situation with such confidence?

David knew early on in life that God was to be trusted and obeyed. But it’s one thing to talk the talk, but quite another to walk the walk. David did both. After talking the talk before Saul he boldly went out and confronted Goliath. And then the giant Goliath curse him on the battle field David approached the giant, listen to his confident words starting in verses 45-50.

“David said to the Philistine, “You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the LordAlmighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. This day the Lord will deliver you into my hands, and I’ll strike you down and cut off your head. This very day I will give the carcasses of the Philistine army to the birds and the wild animals, and the whole world will know that thehttps://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm+27%3A1-6&version=NIVre is a God in Israel.  All those gathered here will know that it is not by sword or spear that the Lordsaves; for the battle is the Lord’s, and he will give all of you into our hands.”

As the Philistine moved closer to attack him, David ran quickly toward the battle line to meet him.  Reaching into his bag and taking out a stone, he slung it and struck the Philistine on the forehead. The stone sank into his forehead, and he fell facedown on the ground.

So David triumphed over the Philistine with a sling and a stone; without a sword in his hand he struck down the Philistine and killed him.”

From these verses, we know exactly why David had so much courage and how he was able to approach Goliath with such confidence. It was because his confidence, and courage, and strength was fully grounded and based on his faith in God’s protection. That’s faith in action! David’s faith pleased God, and he is rewarded for it with success.

There was nothing wishy washy about his faith. He didn’t kinda believe and hope one minute and doubt the next. He absolutely trusted the Lord. If you are going to be a man or woman after God’s own heart that’s the kind of faith in God that you need to have. I’m not only talking just about saying the right words, it’s more about what you REALLY believe in your heart. David believed and proved his faith in God that day.

As you read David’s psalms, over and over they declares David’s faith in the Lord. Read a few examples Psalm 3:1-6, 16:7-11, 23, 27:1-6, 34,…

David learned to trust and have faith in the Lord early on in life. The more he leaned on the Lord and saw the Lord active in his own life, the more faith he had. As little challenges were overcome by faith and trust in the Lord, it strengthen him for even greater challenges that would come later. I believe this is how we grow as a Christian; from one act of faith to another.

Continually putting faith in the Lord is an essential part of being a man after God’s own heart. The same will become true for us. We not only need to believe in God and His deliverance from the bottom of our heart, we also need to back that up with steps of faith as David did so long ago.

You say that you believe and trust God. Good.

Do you believe in Him enough to help you overcome a particular challenge or maybe a particular sin or bad habits in your life? Do you believe in Him enough to step out by that faith to do something you’ve never tried before, maybe something His Spirit is prompting you to do? I challenge you to stand firm in your faith in God and you too like the Apostle Paul will be able to say, “I can do all things thru Christ who give me strength.” And then you will have taken your first step in becoming a man or woman after God’s own heart!

For more lessons click on the following link: http://granvillenychurchofchrist.org/?page_id=566

All comments can be emailed to: bfronzek@gmail.com

“There will be false teachers among you” (2 Peter 2:1) by Roy Davison

http://www.oldpaths.com/Archive/Davison/Roy/Allen/1940/falsetea.html

“There will be false teachers among you” (2 Peter 2:1).

Jeremiah lived 600 years before Christ. Jacob’s descendants had divided into two kingdoms: Israel in the north and Judah in the south. The people worshipped idols and were immoral.

God called Jeremiah to make His message known. He was a true prophet of God. There were also many false prophets in the land, who told the people what they wanted to hear. In Jeremiah, chapter 23, God warns the people not to listen to the false prophets. And He warns the false prophets, that they will be punished. From this chapter we learn important truths to help us avoid false teachers today.

God’s word contains many warnings against false teachers!

Peter warns Christians: “But there were also false prophets among the people, even as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Lord who bought them, and bring on themselves swift destruction. And many will follow their destructive ways” (2 Peter 2:1, 2).

In our time, false teachers abound.

Jesus warned: “Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many” (Matthew 24:11). The fact that there are many false teachers among us and that many people listen to them is a fulfillment of the prediction of Christ.

He also said: “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves” (Matthew 7:15). False teachers are false not only in doctrine but also in their appearance. They pretend to be something they are not. On the inside they are vicious wolves who kill and scatter the sheep. But they present themselves as innocent and harmless. They wear a sheepskin to trick the sheep. Yet, discerning eyes can tell the difference. As Little Red Riding Hood said, “But grandmother! What big teeth you have!”

John warned: “Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world” (1 John 4:1).

Paul told the elders at Ephesus: “For I know this, that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock. Also from among yourselves men will rise up, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after themselves” (Acts 20:29, 30).

How can we recognize false teachers?

These warnings of Christ and His apostles would be meaningless if there were no way to distinguish between those who speak the truth and those who teach error.

When one considers the thousands of preachers and priests in the world, it is obvious that most of them are not speaking for God because they teach conflicting things.

One man I baptized started reading the Bible because different priests in his own church were teaching contradictory things.

His reaction was: “Since the priests say different things, I will read the Bible for myself. What it says will certainly be right.” The first time I met him he said: “I don’t know where it will lead me, but I have decided to do what the Bible says.” I thought, “If he really means that, he will become a Christian.” And he did. Have we decided to do what the Bible says?

God’s word enables us to distinguish truth from error.

What does God think about false teachers?

“Woe to the shepherds who destroy and scatter the sheep of My pasture!” (Jeremiah 23:1). They will be punished for their evil deeds: “You have scattered My flock, driven them away, and not attended to them. Behold, I will attend to you for the evil of your doings” (Jeremiah 23:2).

In verses 9 and 10 Jeremiah laments the terrible state of the land “because of the prophets.” “For both prophet and priest are profane” (Jeremiah 23:11). Profane means ‘secular’, ‘not holy’. The prophets and priests were supposed to be spiritual and holy. Instead, they were secular, they were worldly.

A tourist visiting a monastery hospital in Italy was astounded by a sign in botched English: “We harbor all kinds of diseases and have no respect for religion. Please donate some small arms for our hospital.”

False teachers do indeed harbor all kinds of spiritual diseases and have no respect for true religion.

Beware of false prophets, preachers and priests. They are more concerned about worldly things than spiritual values. Jesus said to religious leaders: “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you cleanse the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of extortion and self-indulgence.” ... “Even so you also outwardly appear righteous to men, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness” (Matthew 23:25 and 28).

In Jeremiah 23, God says that He will bring disaster on the false prophets. The prophets of the northern kingdom caused Israel to err through idol worship. (Do some religious leaders today encourage people to bow down before images?) Of the prophets in the southern kingdom, God says: “Also I have seen a horrible thing in the prophets of Jerusalem: they commit adultery and walk in lies; they also strengthen the hands of evildoers, so that no one turns back from his wickedness. All of them are like Sodom to Me, and her inhabitants like Gomorrah” (Jeremiah 23:14).

False teachers want to be popular with the people of the world.

But whoever “wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God” (James 4:4).

False teachers strengthen the hands of evildoers: “They continually say to those who despise Me, ‘The Lord has said, “You shall have peace”’; and to everyone who walks according to the dictates of his own heart, they say, ‘No evil shall come upon you’” (Jeremiah 23:17).

This explains why false teachers are popular! They are politically correct. They go along with the times. They adapt their message so it will not be offensive. They tell people what they want to hear.

Are people who follow their own heart in our time told by some religious leaders that no evil will come upon them? Do some religious leaders condone the sins of Sodom and Gomorrah? Do some preachers say that no evil will come upon those who Jesus says commit adultery because of unscriptural divorce and remarriage (Matthew 5:31, 32; 19:9)?

Beware of false prophets, preachers and priests who tickle the itching ears of evildoers (2 Timothy 4:3, 4).

“For from the prophets of Jerusalem profaneness has gone out into all the land” (Jeremiah 23:15). They were profane themselves, and profaneness spread from them to the whole country.

We live in a secular society, a society that wants freedom from religion rather than freedom of religion. We must be careful that we do not become a secular church by listening to bootlicking false teachers.

“Thus says the Lord of hosts: ‘Do not listen to the words of the prophets who prophesy to you. They make you worthless; they speak a vision of their own heart, not from the mouth of the Lord’” (Jeremiah 23:16). False teachers tell you what they think, rather than what God says.

Because of the neglect of the false prophets, the people did not repent: “I have not sent these prophets, yet they ran. I have not spoken to them, yet they prophesied. But if they had stood in My counsel, and had caused My people to hear My words, then they would have turned them from their evil way and from the evil of their doings” (Jeremiah 23:21, 22).

We have been warned.

We must distinguish between what comes from God and what comes from man: “‘The prophet who has a dream, let him tell a dream; and he who has My word, let him speak My word faithfully. What is the chaff to the wheat?’ says the Lord. ‘Is not My word like a fire?’ says the Lord, ‘and like a hammer that breaks the rock in pieces?’” (Jeremiah 23:28, 29).

If a man has a dream and wants to tell it, ok, but he should not claim that it came from God. Man’s word is chaff. God’s word is nutritious grain. They who have God’s word must speak it faithfully. It is powerful, like a burning fire and a hammer that pulverizes rocks.

Peter said: “If anyone speaks, let him speak as the oracles of God” (1 Peter 4:11).

How can we distinguish between the word of man and the word of God? Through Isaiah, God commanded the people: “To the law and to the testimony! If they do not speak according to this word, it is because there is no light in them” (Isaiah 8:20). We recognize false teachers by comparing what they say with the word of God.

There are false teachers among us, just like there were false prophets in the Old Testament. Do not listen to them. False teachers are secular, more concerned about popularity than purity. Their profaneness spreads like cancer. False teachers strengthen the hands of evildoers, comforting them in their sin rather than calling them to repentance. God has given us the Scriptures so we can know the difference between the word of man and the word of God. “To the law and to the testimony!”

“Now I urge you, brethren, note those who cause divisions and offenses, contrary to the doctrine which you learned, and avoid them. For those who are such do not serve our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly, and by smooth words and flattering speech deceive the hearts of the simple” (Romans 16:17, 18). Beware of false teachers! Amen.
Roy Davison

The Scripture quotations in this article are from The New King James Version. ©1979,1980,1982, Thomas Nelson Inc., Publishers unless indicated otherwise. Permission for reference use has been granted.

Published in The Old Paths Archive
http://www.oldpaths.com

The plumb line by Gary Rose

Today, people want to make everything “fuzzy”. By doing this, right and wrong become a matter of opinion; therefore , everyone can be guiltless. Reality is a different matter. A lady can not be a little bit pregnant; either she is or isn’t, period. And when a person dies and is left unattended, there will be a stench after three days. In other words, some things are absolutely right or wrong. Judgment can be made. That is why we make plumb-lines; to determine if something is straight or not. Now, plumb-lines are mentioned in the Bible, in the book of Amos…

Amos 7 ( World English Bible )

Amo 7:1, Thus the Lord Yahweh showed me: and behold, he formed locusts in the beginning of the shooting up of the latter growth; and behold, it was the latter growth after the king’s harvest.

Amo 7:2, It happened that, when they made an end of eating the grass of the land, then I said, “Lord Yahweh, forgive, I beg you! How could Jacob stand? For he is small.”

Amo 7:3, Yahweh relented concerning this. “It shall not be,” says Yahweh.

Amo 7:4, Thus the Lord Yahweh showed me and behold, the Lord Yahweh called for judgment by fire; and it dried up the great deep, and would have devoured the land.

Amo 7:5, Then I said, “Lord Yahweh, stop, I beg you! How could Jacob stand? For he is small.”

Amo 7:6, Yahweh relented concerning this. “This also shall not be,” says the Lord Yahweh.

Amo 7:7, Thus he showed me and behold, the Lord stood beside a wall made by a plumb line, with a plumb line in his hand.

Amo 7:8, Yahweh said to me, “Amos, what do you see?” I said, “A plumb line.” Then the Lord said, “Behold, I will set a plumb line in the midst of my people Israel. I will not again pass by them any more. (emphasis added)

Amo 7:9, The high places of Isaac will be desolate, the sanctuaries of Israel will be laid waste; and I will rise against the house of Jeroboam with the sword.”

The plumb-line is presented last in a series of judgments. It represents the standard of judgment; a measurement of right and wrong. Israel will be measured and apostasy removed.

Sooner or later everyone will be judged by God. Walk the straight and narrow to avoid punishment. Jesus has shown the way to do this; listen to him and LIVE!