A Closer Look

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Thursday, June 27, 2019

Examine yourselves to see if your faith is genuine.  Test yourselves.  Surely you know that Jesus Christ is among you; if not, you have failed the test of genuine faith.  As you test yourselves, I hope you will recognize that we have not failed the test of apostolic authority.  We pray to God that you will not do what is wrong by refusing our correction.  I hope we won’t need to demonstrate our authority when we arrive.  Do the right thing before we come—even if that makes it look like we have failed to demonstrate our authority.  For we cannot oppose the truth, but must always stand for the truth.  We are glad to seem weak if it helps show that you are actually strong. We pray that you will become mature.  I am writing this to you before I come, hoping that I won’t need to deal severely with you when I do come.  For I want to use the authority the Lord has given me to strengthen you, not to tear you down.  2 Corinthians 13:5-10

Nobody really likes examinations.  We may grow to appreciate the value of an examination to see where we stand, but who really enjoys it?  In the opening four sentences of Paul’s message he uses the word “test” or “examination” five times.  He could not have been very popular with the folks at Corinth! 

In high school, I had way too many exams for a student who thought studying was cruel and unusual punishment.  And subjects like geometry, science, and my third year taking Introduction to German…well, let’s just say breakfast on exam day seemed like what the condemned man got as his last meal.  I once had a teacher in eleventh grade who was pop-quiz-happy.  I got so sick of it that one day when he was walking into the class he hadn’t even put down his briefcase, and he began spouting the hated words:  take out a half-sheet of paper, class.  I obediently grabbed a sheet and did what he said, I took it OUT…out of the class…all the way to the General Store to drown my sorrow in a root beer float.

As much as I’m not fond of tests, I know they’re necessary; especially in the spiritual realm. 

Paul’s concern for the Corinthian believers led him to encourage them to self-test to see if their faith was genuine.  History informs us the Corinth bunch were people whose belief and behavior were hardly on speaking terms.  Paul’s not-so-subtle approach was of genuine apostolic care for their souls to remind them that saying you’re a Christian means very little if you won’t live it. 

How painfully true.  Back at Hauppauge High School, if you check the records for 1961-65, you’ll find Russell was listed as a student…but his performance hardly passed the test!

For You Today

If you get a little nervous every time you read a Scripture that deals with how your behavior ought to be consistent with your belief, it might be a good thing to follow Paul’s admonition to check how much effect Jesus’ influence is having on your daily walk.  Write it down…that’s right…take out a half-sheet of paper…

You chew on that as you hit the Rocky Road; have a blessed day.

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[1] Title Image:  Pixabay.com     Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture quotations are from The New Living Translation©

Squirrel Theology

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Monday, June 25, 2018

Now these are the gifts Christ gave to the church: the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the pastors and teachers.  Their responsibility is to equip God’s people to do his work and build up the church, the body of Christ.  This will continue until we all come to such unity in our faith and knowledge of God’s Son that we will be mature in the Lord, measuring up to the full and complete standard of Christ.  Then we will no longer be immature like children.  We won’t be tossed and blown about by every wind of new teaching.  We will not be influenced when people try to trick us with lies so clever they sound like the truth.  Ephesians 4:11-14^(NLT)

There was a pastor who had earned his doctorate in seminary, and was well-known for his doctrinal sermons, taking the exposition of Scripture through the great life-giving themes of salvation, baptism, the Holy Spirit, Jesus’ incarnation, and so-on.  He had just been extended the invitation to serve as pastor by the elders of a very evangelistic congregation. 

Not everyone on the elder board was in total agreement, however.  One cantankerous old-timer was overheard in the parking lot expressing his dismay over the decision to call this seminary-trained preacher:  I just ain’t sure this-un’s the preacher fer us; I don’t want none o’ that doctor-in-all preachin’.  Jus’ gimmie some Bible is all!  If’n I get sick I’ll a-go see me a doctor. 

It’s not easy to get past hard-headedness.  Perhaps the seminary word would be obtuse! 

Another stumbling block to understanding and communication is squirrel-headedness.  A few weeks ago, I was travelling to church on a Sunday morning and, in the space of a mile or so, I had to swerve twice to miss squirrels. 

One thing is certain – you can never be certain about which way a squirrel will turn…left, right, forward, back, or zig-zag like a gnat in a fire storm; the only thing you can count on is that it won’t be boring!

I once counselled someone who had the squirrel thing down pat.  She would ask me a question; I would answer with a suggestion as to how the Scriptural approach would take some time, but be better in the long run, and she would leave all smiles, determined that her life was going to change.  The next week she would be in shambles because she had tried to do the Biblical thing (for six minutes) and become disillusioned at how it didn’t work.  Zig, zag, left, right, forward one step, backwards two!

Grrrr.

Pastors do not know everything, whether they’ve been to seminary, or if they fell off the turnip truck one morning, bumped their head, and took it as a sign to go into the ministry that day. 

But one thing is true – when God gives a gift is isn’t lacking; pastors, may I say, are no exception.  And when it comes to the Scriptural principles we find in the church’s doctrines, a pastor worth any Biblical salt at all will show you the parallel between what Scripture says, and what’s going on in your life.  And it would pay to give it more than six minutes of try-out time.  Barring that, you could be in danger of squirrel theology, bouncing in the wind from this acorn of teaching to that twig of promise, without a shred of doctrinal reality.

For You Today

If God gave you a pastor who teaches sound doctrine, thank God, and keep measuring his or her teaching by Scripture. 

If you have a pastor that makes you wonder if the Bible has anything certain, true, and life-building to say about the way to live your life, maybe the nut has fallen a little too far from the tree!

You chew on that as you hit the Rocky Road; have a blessed day. 

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[1] Title Image:  Courtesy of Pixabay.com