11/30/13

From Gary... Being a criminal...

























As we are led towards a progressively socialist society, I have been thinking about how I would fare in the future.  A good place to start is with a famous socialist country, so I thought about Germany and its short, disastrous experiment with National Socialism (Nazism).  I have seen pictures like this before, but until today, never knew who the circled individual was.  So, I looked him up on Wikipedia and that information is listed below...

August Landmesser

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Detail of the famous photograph in which one man, believed to be August Landmesser, refuses to give the Nazi salute.
August Landmesser (born 24 May 1910; missing and presumed dead 17 October 1944; declared dead in 1949) was a worker at the Blohm + Voss shipyard in Hamburg, Germany, best known for his appearance in a photograph[1] refusing to perform the Nazi salute at the launch of the naval training vessel Horst Wessel on 13 June 1936.[2]

Biography

August Landmesser was the only child of August Franz Landmesser and Wilhelmine Magdalene (née Schmidtpott). In 1931, hoping it would help him get a job, he joined the Nazi Party. In 1935, when he became engaged to Irma Eckler (a Jewish woman), he was expelled from the party. They registered to be married in Hamburg, but the Nuremberg Laws enacted a month later prevented it. On 29 October 1935, Landmesser and Eckler's first daughter Ingrid was born.
A now-famous photograph, in which a man identified as Landmesser refuses to give the Nazi salute, was taken on 13 June 1936.
In 1937, Landmesser and Eckler tried to flee to Denmark but were apprehended. She was again pregnant, and he was charged and found guilty in July 1937 of "dishonoring the race" under Nazi racial laws. He argued that neither he nor Eckler knew that she was fully Jewish, and was acquitted on 27 May 1938 for lack of evidence, with the warning that a repeat offense would result in a multi-year prison sentence. The couple publicly continued their relationship, and on 15 July 1938 he was arrested again and sentenced to two and a half years in the concentration camp Börgermoor.
Eckler was detained by the Gestapo and held at the prison Fuhlsbüttel, where she gave birth to a second daughter Irene. From there she was sent to the Oranienburg concentration camp, then the Lichtenburg concentration camp for women, and then the women's concentration camp at Ravensbrück. Their children were initially taken to the city orphanage. Ingrid was later allowed to live with her maternal grandmother; Irene went to the home of foster parents in 1941. After her grandmother's death in 1953, Ingrid was also placed with foster parents. A few letters came from Irma Eckler until January 1942. It is believed that she was brought to the so-called Bernburg Euthanasia Centre in February 1942, where she was among the 14,000 killed; in the course of post-war documentation, in 1949 she was pronounced legally dead, with a date of 28 April 1942.
Meanwhile, Landmesser was discharged from prison on 19 January 1941. He worked as a foreman for the firm Püst, a haulage company. The company had a branch at the Heinkel-Werke (factory) in Warnemünde.[3] In February 1944 he was drafted into a penal battalion, the 999th Fort Infantry Battalion. He was declared missing in action, and presumed killed during fighting in Croatia on 17 October 1944. Like Eckler, he was declared legally dead in 1949.
The marriage of August Landmesser and Irma Eckler was recognized retroactively by the Senate of Hamburg in the summer of 1951, and in the autumn of that year Ingrid assumed the surname Landmesser. Irene continued to use the surname Eckler.

The thing is, this man seemed to be quite ordinary, but in his society, he was a criminal, however.  His crime was a race crime.  Sounds ridiculous, doesn't it?  All he did was to try to innocently marry a woman who was Jewish (and they didn't even know it).  He must have loved her greatly, for he was willing to go to a concentration camp rather than break it off.  Eventually he was released and later drafted into the army and subsequently died in Croatia.

For some, history is boring.  Many people will simply not care about someone who died about 70 years ago.  However, when a person understands what is correct to do and does it for the right reasons, is he a criminal?  Technically, that is defined by the laws of the nation- so yes, he was a criminal.  But, what if the laws are simply WRONG?  Consider- just because someone is in prison, does that automatically make them an evil person?  Let the Scriptures speak for themselves...

Genesis, Chapter 39
 20 Joseph’s master took him, and put him into the prison, the place where the king’s prisoners were bound, and he was there in custody.  21 But Yahweh was with Joseph, and showed kindness to him, and gave him favor in the sight of the keeper of the prison.

1 Kings, Chapter 22
 26  The king of Israel said, “Take Micaiah, and carry him back to Amon the governor of the city, and to Joash the king’s son.  27 Say, ‘Thus says the king, “Put this fellow in the prison, and feed him with bread of affliction and with water of affliction, until I come in peace.”’”

Jeremiah, Chapter 37
  15 The princes were angry with Jeremiah, and struck him, and put him in prison in the house of Jonathan the scribe; for they had made that the prison.  16 When Jeremiah had come into the dungeon house, and into the cells, and Jeremiah had remained there many days;

Ephesians, Chapter 3
 1 For this cause I, Paul, am the prisoner of Christ Jesus on behalf of you Gentiles,

Philemon
23  Epaphras, my fellow prisoner in Christ Jesus, greets you,

 Colossians, Chapter 4
10 Aristarchus, my fellow prisoner, greets you, and Mark, the cousin of Barnabas (concerning whom you received commandments, “if he comes to you, receive him”), 

 Revelation, Chapter 2 (to the church at Smyrna)
 10  Don’t be afraid of the things which you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested; and you will have oppression for ten days. Be faithful to death, and I will give you the crown of life.   11  He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the assemblies. He who overcomes won’t be harmed by the second death.

Daily, I see our freedoms being eroded and our government becoming more antagonistic towards Christians.  It seems to me that it just a matter of time before a Christian becomes a "criminal".  If that does happen, it happens- so what?  Look at the above list for a few of your companions.  The highlighted portion of verse 10 tells of your reward.  Believe it, because it is true!!!!!
 

From Ben Fronczek... Are You in a Fog (1 Peter 4:7)


Are You in a Fog (1 Peter 4:7)

Are You in a Fog?      1 Peter 4
By: Ben Fronczek

This past week I read a story of what it was like for a resident of Poland when the Nazis came in and occupied their land. Someone interviewed a man by the name of Charles Pierce. Here is a section of that article:
“In 1939, Pierce was teenager looking to start his life as an adult. His father, a successful businessman, wasn’t overly concerned when the Nazis first invaded Poland.                                                                             
“My father was comfortable. No one expected things to change so quickly or so horribly,” Pierce said.
It took Germany eight days to occupy Poland. It wasn’t long before Pierce’s hometown fell under Nazi influence. Soldiers marched prisoners down the town’s main street, right past his father’s shop.
Soon, the Nazis came for Pierce’s family. Armed teenagers ordered them out onto the streets, stripping them of their material possessions and handing the family business over to a Nazi. The family moved into a newly established ghetto where 20,000 people lived in a few square blocks.
“They saw us as sub-human. Soldiers used us for target practice,” Pierce explained.   Pierce would be transferred through multiple ghettos, forced-labor camps and death camps throughout Poland and Germany…”

This man would go on to talk about horrible things to follow that he saw and experienced that I don’t even feel comfortable talking about in our setting here today.
I thank God that so far none of us have ever had to experience such cruelty by and occupying force. But if that were to happen. What advice would God want to share with us. How would He want us to live and treat one another.
To put it into a historical context, as Peter wrote his first letter, we need to remember that, as Peter wrote these words, it was on the eve of the destruction of the Jewish state by the Romans.  Although the Romans had already occupied and controlled the Holy Lands, soon the Temple along with the Levitical system, and the Jewish economy, and many Jews would come to a brutal end with the destruction and fall of Jerusalem. Unfortunately the Roman persecutors would not distinguish between the Jews and Christians. They would also suffer the consequences of the doom soon to befall the Jewish state. And what we have next is what Peter writes to prepare and advise fellow Christians concerning the end.  Think about that as we look at what he writes here.

“7 The end of all things is near. Therefore be clear minded and self-controlled so that you can pray. 8 Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. 9 Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. 10 Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms. 11 If anyone speaks, he should do it as one speaking the very words of God. If anyone serves, he should do it with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen.”

We may not be entering into an age of persecution as these people were, but Peter’s advice is just as relevant for Christians of any age.
In the next few lessons I would like to look at the advice Peter gives here in this text and make it practical for us today. First of all let’s look at what he suggests in verse 7:

#1. Be clear minded 

I’d like to ask you, what fogs up your brain? Are there things that mess with your mind, that distract you, that get you off track? Maybe you let certain people or certain events or circumstances get the best of you and you let it mess with your judgment. There are all kinds of things that mess with our mind.(for example, worry, work, fear, fatigue, entertainment, loneliness, a bad relationship with someone,  and so many other things, It’s all about focusing on the wrong priorities in life).
So how does one clear up their mind? Well first of all we may need to clean up our act (it’s like cleaning a dirty window or lens). There may be things in our life we just may need to get rid of; maybe a sinful practice, maybe you need to stop watching certain programs on TV, or stay away from certain people, whatever is having a negative influence on how you look at things. And then we need to focus on the right things. Get our priorities right and do what is right. In Philippians 4:8  

8 Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.” 

How often do you think about or focus on good things like this? Do you look at the cup ½ empty or ½ full? Balance is also important. Getting proper rest and having a healthy diet also makes a big difference on how clear we can think.   That leads to Peter’s next recommendation….

#2  Being Self Controlled  

How much self control do you have? And you might say ‘Well it depends on what you are talking about. Certain things I can resist but other things, well, I struggle with’.

You want to know something, I hate being a slave to my own desires. And I go on these rants where I decide I am not going to eat this or do that. Sometimes I can do it and other time I’m too weak and give in and that frustrates me.

I’m not quite sure if that’s what Peter is talking about here, rather, I think Peter is emphasizing having a sound mind and a sober disposition because of that which is about to befall them (trials and severe persecution).  Why? Because he tells that they need to be clear minded and in control….

So that they can pray. Minds that are foggy, preoccupied, and out of control have a hard time focusing on Prayer. Believe me I know.  When we become self absorbed by so many different things it’s hard to pray. But prayer is important, very important. Talking to our Lord and our God is necessary if we are going to remain strong. Prayer is something that we can do to help us keep our strength up, our faith strong especially when those storms hit.
Do you remember what the apostle Paul wrote the Philippians while in prison? In Philippians 4:4f he wrote, 

“Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! 5 Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. 6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

Isn’t that what we want; some peace of mind no matter what the circumstance? The question I have for you today is, ‘Have you been Praying? Have you been talking to God enough?’’
So what are some things that we can do to improve our prayers life?  Here are just a few suggestions:

a) Have a regular time and place of prayer. For each of us that time and place will be different, with the exception of those times when we pray together.  Paul said that we should pray without ceasing. But I think that’s more like being in a prayerful spirit at all times. But I also believe there are times that we should set aside for some specific prayer.
I‘ve heard how some people pray in the shower in the morning after they get up. Others take a cup of coffee sit in a favorite chair read some scripture and then pray. You can pray in the barn, or on the drive to work each day. I think it’s important to have specific times to pray; preferably more than once a day.
For many of us if we don’t make a plan to do something we won’t.  Next:

b) I think it’s also important to have a list of specific things we are going to pray for.                                                                                                                        
- A time for praise and thanksgiving.

- We also need to express repentance and ask for forgiveness

- We need to ask for insight, help and guidance

- And of course pray for others and their specific needs

Maybe you can follow certain formulas to remember what to pray for like ACTS:
A = Adoration    C = Confession,   T = Thanksgiving,   S = Supplication

In praying we also need to remember that we are talking to God and not just doing an exercise. It is important to strive for a relationship with God in prayer and not just develop a ritual.
If we can learn to clear our minds and get a little self control so that we can pray like this on a daily basis, I can’t help but believe we will have the peace of mind that Paul promised those early Christians; even when trials come our way.

Challenge:   After hearing a sermon, the president Lincoln companion asked, “What did you think of tonight’s sermon?”  “Well,” Lincoln responded, “it was brilliantly conceived, biblical, relevant, and well presented.”   “So, it was a great sermon?”   “No,” Lincoln replied. “It failed. It failed because it did not ask us to do something great.” Inspiring communicators always expect a lot from their listeners.

My challenge for you today is this:

#1 Honestly ask yourself if there is anything that is getting to you, that is preventing you from having a clear mind and do something about it.

#2 Think about some things you personally can do to improve your prayer life.

#3. Decided where and when you plan on praying

#4. Decide what you are going to pray about and keeping it fresh

#5. Don’t let your prayers become just an exercise; use your prayers to talk to God to develop a closer relationship with Him

If you actually make a personal commitment to do this I promise you, you won’t be sorry. You will be blessed by God Himself.

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

From Jim McGuiggan... Media Hypocrisy

Media Hypocrisy


The hypocrisy of the media hardly knows bounds. AOL goes on and on about parental control and protection of the minds of children from sexual predators and yet when we open the welcome page they have raunchy headlines and pictures of and about football “babes”. There for kids to check out are scantily dressed women tugging at the precious little clothing they have on so that they can show more flesh while looking at the viewer with looks full of sexual suggestion . Children already caught up in a sex-obsessed culture are offered more by AOL. They’re so concerned about the children. Yeah right! It isn’t really the showing of the pictures that guts me (you come to expect that muck, don’t you?) it’s the oily hypocrisy of the company that turns my stomach.

Then there’s The Sun, a UK daily newspaper that attacked the former wife of Paul McCartney. It told of topless photos she had made and called them “obscene” and “pornographic”. Topless photos are a steady diet dished out by The Sun. Again, you expect nothing better from these sheets—it’s the moral outrage they show, it’s the way they present themselves as the defenders of public decency, that’s what makes you want to throw up.

©2004 Jim McGuiggan. All materials are free to be copied and used as long as money is not being made.

Many thanks to brother Ed Healy, for allowing me to post from his website, the abiding word.com.

From Mark Copeland... An Exhortation To Walk In Diligence (1 Thessalonians 4:11-12)

               "THE FIRST EPISTLE TO THE THESSALONIANS"

             An Exhortation To Walk In Diligence (4:11-12)

INTRODUCTION

1. In his "apostolic instructions", we have seen Paul exhort the church
   at Thessalonica...
   a. To walk in holiness - 1Th 4:1-8
   b. To walk in love - 1Th 4:9-10

2. His next instruction (1Th 4:11-12) is an exhortation to "diligence",
   to ensure that...
   a. They walk properly toward those who are outside - cf. 1Pe 2:12
   b. They lack nothing - cf. Ro 13:8

3. That this requires diligence is evident from the word "aspire"
   (study, KJV) in verse 11...
   a. A word meaning "to be ambitious"
   b. As translated in the NASB (to make it your ambition)

[In three particular areas does Paul want them to be ambitious, the
first being...]

I. TO LEAD A QUIET LIFE

   A. AN APPARENT PARADOX...
      1. For the phrase "quiet life" suggests a calmness, a serenity
      2. Yet for this we are to be "ambitious", apply diligent effort, 
         which seems to be contrary to the idea of quietness, calm
      -- The "quiet life", like many good things, does not come without
         concerted effort

   B. AN ADMIRABLE GOAL...
      1. As much as possible, to live peaceably with all men - Ro 12:18;
         14:19; He 12:14
         a. Though such is not always the case
         b. As Paul found out even in Thessalonica - cf. Ac 17:1-6
      2. For which we are to diligently pray - 1Ti 2:1-2
         a. That we might live quiet and peaceful lives
         b. That we might live such in all godliness and honesty
      3. A quiet and peaceful life is more likely if we:
         a. Seek first the kingdom of God - Mt 6:25-34
            1) Which requires setting our priorities
            2) Which requires saying no to many distractions
         b. Learn contentment in Christ - Php 4:11-13; 1Ti 6:6-10
         c. Overcome anxiety through prayer - Php 4:6-7   
      -- The search for "simplicity" is a popular trend today; for the
         Christian, it is to be more than just a trend, but a way of
         life conducive to godliness and honesty

[As we "aspire" to lead a quiet life, we cannot do so unless we also
give diligence...]

II. TO MIND OUR OWN BUSINESS

   A. THERE IS A PLACE FOR LOVING CONCERN...
      1. As we watch out for one another's welfare - Php 2:4
      2. As we seek to help each other overcome our weaknesses - Ga 6:
         1-2
      -- Therefore we should not construe the words in our text to mean 
         that we should not seek to reprove, rebuke, or to restore an 
         erring brother - cf. Jm 5:19-20

   B. THERE IS NO PLACE FOR NOSY INTERFERENCE...
      1. Paul is warning against becoming "busybodies", people who have
         nothing to do but interfere in the affairs of others
      2. A problem that often existed in the early church
         a. Even at Thessalonica - 2Th 3:11-12
         b. Which Peter lumped together with murderers, thieves, etc. 
            - 1Pe 4:15
      3. A danger especially when one is not focused on their own 
         business
         a. Which is why Paul refused to let churches support younger 
            widows - 1Ti 5:11-14
         b. Which is why Paul instructed the older women to properly 
            teach the younger women their responsibilities - Tit 2:3-5
      -- The peace and quiet we desire in our lives and in our churches
         cannot exist unless we maintain a proper distinction between
         brotherly concern and becoming "busybodies"

[It certainly helps to maintain that distinction if we "aspire"...]

III. TO WORK WITH OUR OWN HANDS

   A. THE PURPOSE OF THIS COMMAND...
      1. To provide for our families - cf. 1Ti 5:8
      2. To help the less fortunate - Ep 4:28; Ac 20:34-35
      -- Through example and precept, Paul taught the early Christians 
         to support themselves and not be dependent upon others

   B. THE SERIOUSNESS OF THIS COMMAND...
      1. Failing to provide for our families makes us worse than 
         unbelievers - 1Ti 5:8
      2. Refusing to work was grounds for church discipline, just like
         adultery, extortion, etc. - 2Th 3:10-14; 1Co 5:11
      -- While we may occasionally need assistance from our brethren 
         (even our government), we are not to make it a practice to 
         "live off welfare"

CONCLUSION

1. With diligence, therefore, we are to "aspire"...
   a. To lead a quiet life
   b. To mind our own business
   c. To work with our own hands

2. Again, the purpose behind these instructions is two-fold...
   a. That we might walk properly toward those who are outside - 1 Th 4:12a
   b. That we might lack nothing - 1Th 4:12b

For the sake of our reputation as Christians, as well as for own well-
being while we sojourn here on earth, we must heed this exhortation to
walk in diligence!

Executable Outlines, Copyright © Mark A. Copeland, 2011


11/29/13

From Ben Fronczek... Hidden Treasure in 1 Peter 3

Hidden Treasure in 1 Peter 3

A Hidden Treasure  I Peter 3   
By Ben Fronczek

Trash or Treasure? A fellow by the name of Craig Randall drove a garbage truck to Wendy’s restaurant where he pick up their trash. One day he got a surprise that he did not expect.  One day when he stopped at Wendy’s, he rummaged through the garbage and pulled a contest sticker off a cup and he won a free chicken sandwich. The following week he found another cup and figured, “Hey, I’d like to get some free fries to go with my free chicken sandwich.”  When he pulled the sticker off, it read: “Congratulations! You have won $200,000.” Someone who had eaten in the restaurant hadn’t taken the time to pull off the sticker before throwing it away. To one person it was trash. To another, treasure.

The riches of God’s Word many times are like that. We can read it and occasionally we come across a real treasures. I’ve seen that in 1 Peter 3.

In our text today in 1 Peter 3, I believe I found more treasure that many of us may overlook when we read through these verses. In the context so far the apostle Peter has been instructing his reader that we should remain faithful and do our best to endure persecution that comes along with being a Christian. In our last lesson I discussed what Peter had to say in chapter 3:15-16 where he said,  

Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander.”

The people he wrote to were being persecute and abused because of their faith in Christ. It wasn’t easy to live the Christian life. Many had already lost their lives and loved ones because they put their faith and hope in Jesus. People were suffering for doing the right thing. Here in the text Peter goes on to write down something wonderful yet mysterious, and herein lies our hidden treasure for today. Let me read this to you starting with verse 17.

It is better, if it is God’s will, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil.” NIV  

 The NLT put translate this verse like this, it says.   

17 Remember, it is better to suffer for doing good, if that is what God wants, than to suffer for doing wrong!”

You mean to say that God wants us to be punished for doing good? I don’t think God necessarily wants us to be punished for doing good, as much as He doesn’t want us to be doing wrong or evil and getting punished for that.   Would you rather see your child given a hard time because they told the truth or because they lied? I don’t want my kids to be persecuted at all, but if they are I hope that it’s not because they have done something wrong. The sad reality is, some people are going to persecute us and give us a hard time whether we are in the right or wrong and Peter goes on to give us a perfect example of that in the following verses, he writes,  

18 For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive by the Spirit,”

As one reads over this, we read that Peter again lets us know that Jesus Himself was not doing anything evil yet He was persecuted. Even Jesus was not exempt for getting in trouble for doing the right thing. 

But as you read into this verse and the next, there is so much more revealed;  hidden treasure

Did you see it? He said,  

18 For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive by the Spirit,”  The NLT says it this way;  “Christ suffered for our sins once for all time. He never sinned, but He died for sinners to bring you safely home to God. He suffered physical death, but he was raised to life in the Spirit.” NLT

There are 2 precious jewels that I see here:                                                                     

#1) His trials and death had purpose. All that He endured and went through was ultimately meant to bring us safely home to God. What can be any more precious than that? Even knowing that our love one’s who loved Christ are now safely home with God.

#2) Even though He was put to death, this text clearly indicates that He was raised to life in the Spirit. Some versions say that He was raised by the spirit.   

Now there is a big controversy as to whether the text says that Jesus was raise ‘in’ the or ‘by’ the spirit. Unfortunately, based on my understanding, the original Greek text does not contain either word, but was added in translation based on context.

I lean more toward those who feel that the text implies that Jesus was, ‘raised to life in the Spirit’ .
In his commentary scholar and former professor Dr. Guy Woods discusses significance in his commentary on 1 Peter. Here is what he writes on the subject. 

“Two things are affirmed of the Lord in this statement; 

#1) He was put to death in flesh,   
#2) He was made alive in spirit.  

In death and in spirit are locative and indicative of the sphere in which the action occurred.  The meaning is, the sphere of death, for our Lord, was in the flesh; the sphere in which He was made alive was in the spirit. (The point is) death affected only His flesh.

The spirit alluded to in this verse is, therefore, that inner part that stands in contrast with the flesh – the divine spirit which Jesus possessed which all men possess, was not affected by the death which He suffered.
Why should it be asserted that in this spirit He was made alive? It should be remembered that it was Peter’s  purpose to show that though Christ suffered death, this, far from terminated His existence or destroyed His influence, it  merely enabled Him to be energized, brought to active life in the realm of spirit. His spirit, instead of perishing in death, was clothed with renewed and enhanced powers of life. At death, this spirit passed into a new sphere of existence, hence was said to have been made alive”
In laymen terms, Jesus’ body died, but as we know it was not the end for Him, nor is it for us when our physical body stops functioning. I believe the moment after He took His last breath on the cross His spirit was released into a new and greater realm, a spiritual realm, one which we understand very little about, one which defies of time and space.  (On the cross Jesus told God  

”Into your hands is commit my spirit)

I believe Peter wanted to reassure those Christians it did not end there on the cross. As a matter of fact the moment after we take our last breath, we likewise enter that eternal spiritual realm without skipping a beat.  Do you remember what Jesus told the faithful thief on the cross in Luke 23:43? He told him that 

“today you will be with me in paradise.”

 Not in a 100 or 1000 years, but rather that very day; in fact just a few hours later.  (In Acts 7:54-60 Stephan told the Jews as they stoned him that he could Jesus stand at God’s right hand)
Just because your body dies it doesn’t mean you die dead; part of you does die; the flesh. But the rest of you enters a realm of wonder and majesty, that is if you are a Christian.

Do you remember the story of the rich man and Lazarus? In that Parable which Jesus told we read that the both died, but that wasn’t then end of the story. One went to paradise, signified by Abraham’s bosom, and one went to a place of suffering. (Luke 16:19-31)
In our text Peter even indicates that Jesus did something after He died on the cross and came alive in the spirit. Listen to what Peter says next concerning what Jesus did.

He was put to death in the body but made alive by the Spirit, 19 through whom (or ‘in which’) also He went and preached to the spirits in prison 20 who disobeyed long ago when God waited patiently in the days of Noah while the ark was being built. “

 So what exactly did Jesus do in after He died in the flesh and was made alive in that spiritual realm?  Again, commentators are divided over what Peter is saying here. Most agree that rather than preaching to these individuals mentioned here a better phrase would be that ‘He went and made a proclamation to them.’

Exactly who they were, there are many opinions.

- Some say, the fallen angels which Jude talks about.

- Some say He went back in time to speak to the disbelievers during the time of Noah.

- Some think Jesus spoke through Noah.

- Some think Jesus went and talk to those individuals who drown in the flood who are now in Hades.

I don’t think anyone actually knows who He talked to, when, or even what He said. I sure don’t. But the encouraging point that Peter is making here is that even though Jesus was persecuted and put to death for doing what was right, that is not the end.  It wasn’t for Him and it won’t be for us.  Isn’t that good to know! There inlies our 2nd treasure seen in this text.
As an added bonus we also have a brief discussion on Baptism and its significance. He writes, 

In it (that is the ark) only a few people, eight in all, were saved through water, 21 and this water symbolizes baptism that now saves you also—not the removal of dirt from the body but the pledge of a good conscience toward God. It saves you by the resurrection of Jesus Christ, 22 who has gone into heaven and is at God’s right hand —with angels, authorities and powers in submission to him.”

Over the years I have read and heard people down play the significance of water baptism. Some say that it is an outward sign of something that has already happened in one’s heart. One should do it because Jesus got baptized and He said we should do it as well. I even heard one lady say that if it was good enough for John the Baptist and Jesus, it was good enough for her; but if you arn’t baptized for some reason you can still be saved without it because you are saved before you do it. But what does Peter say in this text? The water that cleansed the world and save Noah and his family is symbolic of baptism that now saves us. Isn’t that what it says?

In Acts 2, Peter told the believing Jews when they asked what to do when they realized that they were lost in sin, that they needed to repent and be baptized

for the forgiveness of their sin.”

When I read this I can’t help but believe that something happens in the baptismal water because of the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Even Jesus said in Mark 16:16  

 Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.”

Ananias told pertinent Paul in Acts 22:16 

Get up, be baptized and wash your sins away, calling on his name.”

And then in Romans 6, Paul himself later wrote that when we go down into the water and we are buried, something dies, but when we come up and out of the baptismal water we are raised to a new life; we are born again.
What did the flood do back in Noah’s time. It washed away and destroyed all the sinful disbelievers. When Noah and his family exited the ark they entered a world cleansed of sin and began a new life. It was like they were born again or had a new beginning.

Now here is something very important. Peter does not say that Noah and his family were saved by water, nor in water, nor from water, he said that they were saved through water. That is, water was the means through which God exercised his saving power because of what Jesus did on the cross.
 
Likewise, baptism saves now, not because it is the savior,    rather it is the medium or the instrument through which God exerts His saving power. Because of what Jesus did on the cross.
In 2 Kings 5:1-14, when Naaman was led finally to dip in the river Jordan to be cleansed of his leprosy, he did not attribute the miraculous healing to the muddy water, rather he recognized that it was God who healed him. Yet it was not until he entered the water and dipped himself that he was cleansed.

Likewise, when one is properly and intelligently baptized today, we need to recognize the fact that the power of forgiveness does not reside in the water, but rather in God because of what Jesus did. And baptism is something we must do to receiving salvation from God’s hand.
I’ve made a careful study of this over and over for the past 3 decades and what I keep coming back to is that the Bible teaches that a person is not forgiven or delivered from their sin until they allow Jesus to personally remove them, or circumcise away, while buried in baptism.

In Colossians 2:11-13 it specifically says,  

11 In him (Jesus) you were also circumcised, in the putting off of the sinful nature,] not with a circumcision done by the hands of men but with the circumcision done by Christ,  having been buried with him in baptism and raised with him through your faith in the power of God, who raised him from the dead.  13 When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your sinful nature] God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins,”

This verse is saying that Jesus cut away (or ‘circumcised’) our sin from us when were are burried in the baptismal water.
You are not save when you first believe in Jesus. Those sins just don’t disappear if you offer up what is called the Sinner’s Pray. There is no such prayer in the Bible and that’s not what the Bible teaches. Our sin is removed when we trust in Jesus, and accept Him as the new Lord of our life and then allow Him to remove our sin in the waters of baptism. That’s why Peter said ‘baptism now saves us.’ It’s because of what Jesus did on the cross and what He does to us if we have the faith to enter that water.

Thus the act of baptism becomes an act or a pledge of a good conscience’ knowing we are doing what God desires us to do.

So the gems in today’s text: 

Death is not the end. It was not the end for Jesus and it will not to be the end for us as well. So Peter is encouraging those of his time and ours, keep doing what is right, what is good, what pleases God, even if we are persecuted. 

And #2,
Don’t worry what others think because Jesus died so that He could bring you safely home to God.

And concerning baptism; for the life of me I just can’t understand why so many people are confused and argue about it. It is something the early Christians understood and had no problem doing in response to faith in Jesus. Thousand obeyed Peter’s call to repent and be baptized in Acts 2 because they saw why it was so important.  I hope you do as well because God has a wonderful treasure just waiting for you.

If you have not done a serious study on baptism I encourage you to do so. Do you want to take a chance that you weren’t baptized properly, or for the right reason? I have personally re-baptized people who had been baptized 2 or 3 times earlier in their life but then wanted to make sure they really did it for the right reason; not as a baby, not because it just seem like the right thing to do. Rather doing it because we trust that Jesus will save us from our sin.

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

From Jim McGuiggan... Disease & the Cross

Disease & the Cross


It’s no surprise that the disciples of Jesus Christ could make no sense out of much that Jesus said and did during his earthly ministry. And I don’t say that they ever fully understood the truth about him. But certainly after the cross, the resurrection and his glorious exaltation they put some twos and twos together and got four.

Matthew 8:16-17 describes one astonishing healing session and I’m going to guess that Matthew was there when it happened. Like everyone else he would have been happily mesmerised as God’s reign showed itself in Jesus as he dealt with paralysis, cancer, heart disease, mental illness and such. He would hardly have been completely ignorant of what was happening before his eyes as unclean spirits were thrown out with just a word from the Christ. But later, when under the supervision of the Holy Spirit he wrote about the incident, he connected it with the  atoning/redeeming/reconciling cross of Christ. He connects it solidly with Isaiah 53.

Explain the text how we will, human disease and death are intimately connected with something only the cross could deal with. To become Lord of Life Jesus bore humanity’s disease and death. Matthew says he healed by bearing. Jesus Christ took upon himself and shared with us the curse of Genesis 3:17-19 and by this he has the kingdom authority to heal us and obliterate the curse. To sever the suffering and death of humanity from the cross of Christ is to rob humanity of what it can’t afford to lose. Matthew 8:16-17. for more.

©2004 Jim McGuiggan. All materials are free to be copied and used as long as money is not being made.

Many thanks to brother Ed Healy, for allowing me to post from his website, the abiding word.com.

From Mark Copeland... An Exhortation To Walk In Love (1 Thessalonians 4:9-10)

               "THE FIRST EPISTLE TO THE THESSALONIANS"

                An Exhortation To Walk In Love (4:9-10)

INTRODUCTION

1. In his prayer for the Thessalonians (1Th 3:11-13), Paul asked the
   Lord to...
   a. Make them increase and abound in love
   b. To one another and to all

2. As Paul continues with his "apostolic instructions", he proceeds to
   help answer his own  prayer by exhorting the brethren regarding
   brotherly love...
   a. Though not really necessary in their case - 1Th 4:9-10a
      1) For they have been taught by God to love one another
      2) And they love the brethren throughout Macedonia 
   b. Yet he urges them to increase more and more in their love - 1 Th 4:10b 
      1) Note yet again the emphasis on an ever increasing service 
         - cf. 1Th 3:12; 4:1
      2) So they were to increase in this grace as well

[What is it about "brotherly love" that would prompt Paul to first pray
for and then to urge the church at Thessalonica to increase in this
virtue?  As we consider Paul's "Exhortation To Walk In Love" let's
first notice...]

I. THE DEFINITION OF BROTHERLY LOVE

   A. THE GREEK WORD...
      1. The Greek word is transliterated "philadelphia"
      2. It is a compound involving two words:  "phileo" (love) and
         "adelphos" (brother)
      3. It literally means "the love of brothers"

   B. AS USED IN THE NEW TESTAMENT...
      1. "philadelphia" describes the love which Christians cherish for
         each other as brethren (Thayer)
      2. Ro 12:10 reveals that it is through brotherly kindness we can 
         have "kind affection" toward one another

[Brotherly kindness is what provides a true sense of family in our
association as members of the Lord's body.  Now let's consider why this
virtue is so necessary...

II. THE DEMAND OF BROTHERLY LOVE

   A. IT IS EVIDENCE OF SPIRITUAL LIFE...
      1. It is one way we know that we have truly passed from death to 
         life - 1Jn 3:14
      2. If we do not have brotherly love, we remain in a state of
         spiritual death - 1Jn 3:14-15

   B. IT IS EVIDENCE OF A TRUE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD...
      1. It is one way that we demonstrate we have truly come to know 
         God - 1Jn 4:7-8
      2. Without brotherly love, any claim to know God or love Him is a
         lie - 1Jn 4:20-21

   C. IT IS EVIDENCE OF TRUE DISCIPLESHIP...
      1. It is an identifying mark by which the world can know we are
         Jesus' disciples - Jn 13:34-35
      2. Right doctrine is certainly important (2Jn 9), but the world 
         pays little attention to what they may perceive as minor 
         doctrinal differences
         a. What people do notice is love in a world filled with hate,
            especially when such love is observed among individuals who
            come from various social, economic, and racial backgrounds
         b. Any attempt to proclaim New Testament Christianity, 
            therefore, will fail to appeal to those in the world unless
            it is accompanied by a visible demonstration of true
            brotherly kindness among Christians

   D. IT IS EVIDENCE OF CONCERN FOR UNITY...
      1. Unity among brethren is very important to Jesus - Jn 17:20-23
      2. Through His death on the cross, Jesus attained unity - Ep 2:
         13-16
      3. This unity is maintained through diligent endeavor - Ep 4:3
      4. Crucial to this endeavor is "bearing with one another in love"
         - Ep 4:2
         a. There will be times when brethren sin against one another
         b. Where brotherly love prevails...
            1) There will be forbearance and forgiveness
            2) There will time for repentance and opportunities for
               reconciliation
         c. Unless we develop brotherly love, churches will be prone to
            split at the earliest sign of conflict

[Can we appreciate why Paul was concerned that the Thessalonians
increase in brotherly love?  Do we see why we ought to excel in this
grace as well?  Presuming that we do, here are some thoughts related
to...]

III. THE DEVELOPMENT OF BROTHERLY LOVE

   A. THE HELP GOD PROVIDES...
      1. When we first obey the gospel, our souls are purified so that
         sincere and fervent love of the brethren is now possible 
         - 1Pe 1:22-23
      2. We are then "taught by God" how to love one another - cf. 1 Th 4:9
         a. The Father teaches the meaning of love by the manner in 
            which He offered His Son as the propitiation for our sins
            - 1Jn 4:9-10
         b. The Son demonstrated true love by freely offering His life 
            - 1Jn 3:16

   B. THE THINGS WE CAN DO...
      1. As Peter implied, brotherly love is a virtue that must be
         developed - cf. 2Pe 1:5-8
      2. One thing we can do is reflect often upon the love and 
         sacrifice of Jesus
         a. The more we do so, we come to understand the true meaning 
            of brotherly kindness
         b. As Jesus said, "as I have loved you, that you also love one
            another" - Jn 13:34
      3. I find two other things helpful in developing brotherly love
         a. Spend time with your brethren
            1) The more I am around people, the more I come to know 
               them personally, the more I share experiences (both good
               and bad), the easier I find it to "fall in love" with 
               them
            2) It is not much different than with one's own physical 
               family
               a) I had no choice who my three physical brothers would 
                  be
               b) But as we experience life together our love and 
                  appreciation for one another deepens
               c) I find it to be the same with my brethren in Christ
         b. Pray fervently for your brethren, especially those whom you
            dislike
            1) It is hard to remain angry or maintain a strong dislike 
               for someone when you spend time praying for them
            2) As you pray seeking God's love and forgiveness for 
               yourself, it becomes so much easier to love and forgive 
               others 

[Finally, a thought or two about our relationships as brethren in
Christ, and...]

IV. THE DISPLAY OF BROTHERLY LOVE

   A. WHEN BRETHREN DIFFER...
      1. A brother who is strong in faith must be considerate of his
         brother who may be weak - Ro 15:1
      2. A brother with liberty in Christ must be willing to limit that
         freedom if it is beneficial to the spiritual well-being of
         his weaker brother - 1Co 8:13; Ga 5:13
      3. It is brotherly kindness that makes one cautious about judging
         a brother, or what they say about them - cf. Jm 4:11-12

   B. WHEN BRETHREN ARE WEAK...
      1. It is brotherly kindness that leads Christians to truly care 
         for one another - 1Th 5:14
         a. To warn the unruly
         b. To comfort the faint-hearted
         c. To uphold the weak
         d. To be patient with all
      2. It is brotherly kindness that will prompt us to pursue the 
         things that make for peace and the things by which we may 
         build up one another - Ro 14:19

CONCLUSION

1. The importance of developing the spirit of brotherly love cannot be
   stressed too highly...
   a. It is evidence of spiritual life
   b. It is evidence of a true knowledge of God
   c. It is evidence of true discipleship
   d. It is evidence of concern for unity

2. Even if we excel in brotherly love like the Thessalonians...
   a. We need to pray that the Lord make us increase and abound in love
      - 1Th 3:11-13
   b. We need to urge one another to increase more and more - 1Th 4:
      9-10

It is evident the Thessalonians heeded Paul's exhortation to walk in
love, for in his second epistle he wrote:

   "We are bound to thank God always for you, brethren, as it is
   fitting, because your faith grows exceedingly, and the love of
   every one of you all abounds toward each other"  (2Th 1:3)

May the same be true of us as well!

Executable Outlines, Copyright © Mark A. Copeland, 2011