Be Careful What You Teach

 Not many of you should become teachers, my fellow believers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly. (James 3:1 NIV)

I listen to a lot of other preachers; mostly on the internet before I go to sleep at night. Some of them have been serious reminders that we need to make sure that what we are teaching and preaching can be supported by scripture and I don't mean by cherry-picking which verses we will use because and which ones we're going to ignore.

It is way too easy to wrap our own agendas up with our favorite scriptures that support our own agendas. For instance, love your neighbor as yourself does not mean that we should ignore sin and thereby promote it. Love for your neighbor will call you to share the truth, with gentleness and patience, so that they might repent; turn to God, and be saved. 

There are also those preachers and teachers who are not unlike many of our politicians. They say whatever it is that will profit themselves the most. Begone with the truth if it will make you a buck or buy you a mansion or a new airplane! 

The truth is that we will be held accountable for what we teach and preach. Be careful to diligently study the word so that you might know the truth and not be swayed by the falsehoods of those who pretend to know the word; of those who pretend to love you as their neighbor; but, look only after themselves. 

All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. (2 Tim 3:16-17) 

Scripture is God-breathed. Listen to it! Teach it!

God's Peace - Pr. J

Come Down From the Heavens!

Oh, that you would rend the heavens and come down,
   that the mountains would tremble before you!
As when fire sets twigs ablaze
   and causes water to boil,
come down to make your name known to your enemies
   and cause the nations to quake before you!
For when you did awesome things that we did not expect,
   you came down, and the mountains trembled before you.
Since ancient times no one has heard,
   no ear has perceived,
no eye has seen any God besides you,
   who acts on behalf of those who wait for him.
You come to the help of those who gladly do right,
   who remember your ways.
But when we continued to sin against them,
   you were angry.
   How then can we be saved?
All of us have become like one who is unclean,
   and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags;
we all shrivel up like a leaf,
   and like the wind our sins sweep us away.
                                                               (Isa 64:1-6 NIV)

I know this prayer from Isaiah. No, I haven't memorized it. But, I know it. I've prayed it at least a few times: "O that you would tear open the heavens and come down, so that the mountains would quake at your presence!" And, I have a feeling that I'm probably not alone in having prayed a prayer similar to that from time to time. When life has gotten really rough; when you've felt persecuted or all alone, haven't you ever thought or prayed: "This is enough. Please, make your presence known to all people so they'd straighten out and we could live in peace already!"?

Yet, Isaiah reminds us, that it’s not everyone else, but me, too. Isaiah reminds us that we have all become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds are like filthy rags. It’s not just everyone else. We are all guilty and our sins, just as the wind, sweep us away from God’s presence.

But, we are not out of God’s presence. He is with us. In spite of the fact that we often do not hear nor do we see the answer, the prayer has been answered. For God did indeed come down to us. The great God Almighty came down to earth to meet humankind right where we are. As we drifted further and further away from God’s good will for us, He, Himself, broke open the heavens and came down, as a little child, to be one of us.

The one who formed us with his own hands, who breathed His breath of life into us, took on the form of man in order that he might live with us and that we might have whole and abundant life in Him.

Thanks be to God that our sins have been swept away by the blood of Jesus.

God's Peace – Pr. J

Study The Word

Christ Lutheran Church Adult Sunday School

But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, and how from infancy you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. (2 Tim 3:14-17 NIV)

We can never know everything. We can read the Holy Scriptures front to back many times and still not know it all. Therefore; we continue to study the word given to us. We continue to teach it.

When I was young, I was told that when we stop learning, we die. I have always enjoyed reading. But, as I have gotten older two things have happened. I do a lot of reading on my computer as I can enlarge the print and see it much easier. Books can be purchased and downloaded. There are also many free sites that one can go to. I usually read an online Bible for my devotions. And, when I need or want to go to the Book of Concord (Yes, I am Lutheran) I use an online one of that, as well, as I can find things much easier by doing a search in the book. 

The second thing that has happened as I have aged, is that I am more selective in my choices of reading material. While, at one time I read a lot of fiction, what I read now is mostly for learning or study purposes. There is enough fantasy in the world around me to make me not desire any more drama. Although, I have to say that I am finding a lot of what is being presented today as non-fiction to be very fictitious. I am more interested in truth and that is what I find in the Holy Scriptures. Therefore; the Holy Scriptures are what I read and study over and over again.

Every Sunday morning our adult Sunday School meets at Christ Lutheran prior to worship. It is an awesome group! We are presently studying Paul's letter to the Romans. We don't always care for some of the things that Paul's writings relay to us. We debate it. We even try to justify our own take on his words, at times. But, in the end, we usually come to the conclusion that we don't know it all. We don't understand it all. We must continue on studying the Holy Scriptures for whether we "get it" all or not these words we read are God-breathed and useful for teaching and training even us older children of God so that we may be more equipped to serve our God.

We would love to have you join us so that you with us we might all gain a better understanding of our salvation through faith in Jesus the Christ.

God's Peace - Pr. J