A Restoration Plan

 

If a church, or an individual believer’s life has fallen into disarray, the NT tells those who are walking faithfully with the Lord to call on Him and do their part to make things right:

Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted. Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. (Galatians 6:1–2)

This is no easy task. Those who are spiritual cannot be judgmental or critical of those who are caught up in sin, not other persons and not even an entire church. All are tempted at times and all are vulnerable, but how can anyone restore them? Noticing the need is one thing; repairing it is the challenge, and sadly, it is easier to gossip rather than show mercy.

In reading Nehemiah today, I recall sermons where this man’s actions are similar to the battle to restore broken lives, even broken congregations. The Lord uses this to show steps that can be taken to repair small or large needs.

First, Nehemiah confessed his own sins and the sins of his people. This is vital. Then he asked God to hear his prayer and grant him success and mercy as he went for permission to do something about the damage that existed.

O Lord God of heaven, the great and awesome God who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments, let your ear be attentive and your eyes open, to hear the prayer of your servant that I now pray before you day and night for the people of Israel your servants, confessing the sins of the people of Israel, which we have sinned against you. Even I and my father’s house have sinned. We have acted very corruptly against you and have not kept the commandments. . . . (You said) “but if you return to me. . . . I will gather them and bring them to the place that I have chosen. . . .” O Lord, let your ear be attentive to the prayer of your servants. . . . and give success to your servant today, and grant him mercy. . . . (Nehemiah 1:5–11)

When he asked the king about doing this, he was granted not only to have a look but whatever he needed to do the job. But he didn’t tell anyone until he saw for himself the dire need. In other words, he didn’t listen to any talk or gossip until he had first-hand knowledge. A wise choice. Only after seeing it for himself did he speak to the leaders and others what the Lord had put on his heart. They responded and said, “Let us rise up and build.” So they strengthened their hands for the good work." (Nehemiah 2:18)

Enlisting support was only one step. Nehemiah explained what needed to be done and how to do it, encouraging them with, “Our God will fight for us.” He gave them the plan and they went to work, each taking care of the part of the task that related to who they were and where they lived. I look at that plan and see that this leader recognized their gifts and desires and put them to work where their hearts would give them the most desire to fix the problem.

Nehemiah also realized that opposition would come, so had a plan for that too. He told the people that this would be hard work, just as Jesus tells me that serving Him in any capacity would involve sacrifice:

And calling the crowd to him with his disciples, he said to them, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. (Mark 8:34)

At the same time, he also encouraged them, as Jesus encourages me, with:

And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:19)

PRAY: Lord, You have put something on my heart too, a plan that could involve restoration of that which has fallen into disrepair. However, as with Nehemiah, the first step is prayer, including confession of sin (mine and others) and worship of all that You have done. This step includes keeping quiet until You grant the go-ahead, or perhaps say this is not for me. I wait on direction from You.

Living in a Pandemic

Leviticus 11–12; Psalms 13–14; Proverbs 26; 1 Thessalonians 5

How are Christians supposed to live in days like these? Some are supposing that this is just the beginning of what they call “the end times” without realizing that the Bible says since Christ ascended to heaven, we are already in the end times. This pandemic is raising many fears and many questions for everyone yet as God’s child, I am supposed to be aware of what will be going on when “the end” draws near. From these verses, I’m given clues and also instruction and comfort regarding my behavior and thoughts.

Now concerning the times and the seasons, brothers, you have no need to have anything written to you. For you yourselves are fully aware that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. While people are saying, “There is peace and security,” then sudden destruction will come upon them as labor pains come upon a pregnant woman, and they will not escape. But you are not in darkness, brothers, for that day to surprise you like a thief. For you are all children of light, children of the day. We are not of the night or of the darkness. So then let us not sleep, as others do, but let us keep awake and be sober. For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk, are drunk at night. But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and for a helmet the hope of salvation. For God has not destined us for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us so that whether we are awake or asleep we might live with him. Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing. (1 Thessalonians 5:1–11)

According to this, Jesus will not show up when everyone is agitated and fearful but when they feel at peace and secure. That means this pandemic likely is not it. He is going to return, but His Word says it will be unexpected, not predictable. However, that gives me no excuse to not think about it or be oblivious to these words. He can show up anytime, and for that reason, I’m supposed to be always ready — as if today is the day.

Faith, hope and love are to be my garments, worn every day, virus threat or not. I’m to be deeply aware that my salvation is real and when I die, no matter what causes that death, I will live with Jesus forever. In the meantime, I’m to encourage others — not with platitudes or witty cartoons or anything else but the truth that one day, whether the virus gets us or something else, we who believe will spend eternity with Jesus Christ.

This passage says to build one another up. That refers to encouraging faith and hope. Here is the Bible’s instruction on how to do that:

And now I commend you to God and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up and to give you the inheritance among all those who are sanctified. (Acts 20:32)

We who are strong have an obligation to bear with the failings of the weak, and not to please ourselves. Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, to build him up. (Romans 15:1–2)

This is clear to me: God’s Word builds me up (brings me closer to completion) and I can build others up by using it, and by doing things that help others move closer to the maturity of any Christian — which is to be like Jesus. Do it this way:

. . . respect those who labor among you and are over you in the Lord and admonish you . . . esteem them very highly in love because of their work. Be at peace among yourselves . . . admonish the idle, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with them all. See that no one repays anyone evil for evil, but always seek to do good to one another and to everyone. Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. Do not quench the Spirit. Do not despise prophecies, but test everything; hold fast what is good. Abstain from every form of evil. Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it. (1 Thessalonians 5:12–24)

APPLY: I’m not sure how to react to those who think helping others means giving them some inane information other than hitting the delete button, but God makes it clear what I’m supposed to do. Maturity means being like Jesus, loving others and directing them to the promise of eternal life, the joy of walking in the Spirit and being fruitful in this life. It means caring about the heart and nourishing the soul with truth that is eternal. For this, I need the grace of God and the fullness of His Spirit.

No hierarchy in the kingdom of God

Are pastors held to a higher standard than those who sit in the pews? As teachers of sound doctrine and for wisdom in leadership they are to stand tall:

“He must hold firm to the trustworthy word as taught, so that he may be able to give instruction in sound doctrine and also to rebuke those who contradict it.” (Titus 1:9)

That said, we once were members of a church in California that a writer of an article in a Christian magazine called “the church with 700 pastors.” By the time we attended, the membership was larger but the teaching was the same. The senior pastor held firmly to the following passage, particularly the part I’ve italicized:

“I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call— one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. But grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ’s gift. Therefore it says, ‘When he ascended on high he led a host of captives, and he gave gifts to men.’  . . . . And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.” (Ephesians 4:1–16)

This passage reinforces the importance of pastors, yet clearly indicates that the rest of us in the Body of Christ are just as important. We must all do our part for the entire congregation to grow and grow up. We also must speak sound doctrine and rebuke those who contradict it. We are also priests because we have a responsibility to pray and care for, teach and help one another grow and become more like Jesus.

That church and many others call this doctrine ‘the priesthood of all believers’ and believing it sets a high value on every person who attends. It also plays a part in helping church members live the way God’s Word describes. We need one another and God gifts us to fill those various needs.

^^^^^^^^^^^

Jesus, while each Christian has different gifts, different roles, different energies, and even different ways of looking at things, we realize that by following Your word, we are stronger in our faith and practice and more mature because of it. Reinforce this to my heart. May I be a better servant, but also a better learner.

____________________________________________ 

Note: we are on vacation for the next couple of weeks in a place where the Internet is not completely reliable. I will have devotions each day, and write my thoughts. Whether they get posted that day or not is anyone’s guess!

____________________________________________

Prophecy or encouragement . . . is there a difference?

Ezekiel 3:16–5:17, Revelation 2:1–11, Job 32:11–22

A Christian told me she is interested in “prophetic ministry” and explained it as being how Christians ‘listen to God’ so they can tell others positive things about themselves. While this could be pleasing to the person on the receiving end, I’m not certain this kind of ministry is biblical or from God.

In the OT, God’s prophets hardly ever praised other people. Their message was usually full of rebukes and strong warnings from God about their sin. Sometimes they ended with promise of God’s blessing in the future.

For example, God said to Ezekiel, “Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel. Whenever you hear a word from my mouth, you shall give them warning from me. If I say to the wicked, ‘You shall surely die,’ and you give him no warning, nor speak to warn the wicked from his wicked way, in order to save his life, that wicked person shall die for his iniquity, but his blood I will require at your hand. But if you warn the wicked, and he does not turn from his wickedness, or from his wicked way, he shall die for his iniquity, but you will have delivered your soul.” (Ezekiel 3:17–19)

This prophetic message shows how involved the prophet was with his message. Perhaps God designed it this way so he would be sure to obey God and tell people exactly what he heard. This particular message was typical in that it was for those living in disobedience in “the house of Israel” rather than outsiders with no knowledge or relationship with God. 

God even added, “. . . they are a rebellious house. But when I speak with you, I will open your mouth, and you shall say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord God.’ He who will hear, let him hear; and he who will refuse to hear, let him refuse, for they are a rebellious house.” (Ezekiel 3:25–27)

This and other commands given to prophets indicate that God gives the words to say. Most of the prophets were not eager to speak and had to be compelled by God because their words would make them very unpopular. Not only that, God’s anger and His chastening would make Israel unpopular also:

“You shall be a reproach and a taunt, a warning and a horror, to the nations all around you, when I execute judgments on you in anger and fury, and with furious rebukes—I am the Lord; I have spoken— when I send against you the deadly arrows of famine, arrows for destruction, which I will send to destroy you, and when I bring more and more famine upon you and break your supply of bread. I will send famine and wild beasts against you, and they will rob you of your children. Pestilence and blood shall pass through you, and I will bring the sword upon you. I am the Lord; I have spoken.” (Ezekiel 5:15–17)

This type of prophetic ministry describes the work of those OT prophets. However, Elihu, one of Job’s friends claimed to speak for God also. He said, “For I am full of words; the spirit within me constrains me. Behold, my belly is like wine that has no vent; like new wineskins ready to burst. I must speak, that I may find relief; I must open my lips and answer. I will not show partiality to any man or use flattery toward any person. For I do not know how to flatter, else my Maker would soon take me away.” (Job 32:18–22)

Elihu was angry with the other three ‘friends’ because Job insisted he was not being punished for sin and their words could not make him admit that he was. While Elihu seemed to think suffering could be God’s way of protecting the righteous against a greater sin, or for moral betterment and warning, or even to elicit greater trust and dependence on God in the midst of adversity, most of his words accused Job in the same way the others did. God later told Job that these friends did not say the right words. Elihu did not fit the description of a prophet.

Those who speak for God could be called prophets, yet making the claim does not make it so. As I read both passages, the message is clear: if I am going to speak to anyone and claim that “God says this to you . . .” I’d better be careful that what I am hearing is from God. He warned about false prophets then, and He still does.

In the NT reading, the Apostle John was approached by the Lord and told to write letters to seven churches. These were definite prophetic messages, yet after Jesus came and died for our sin there is a change in His prophetic announcements. Here is what He told John to write in the first letter:

“To the angel of the church in Ephesus write: ‘The words of him who holds the seven stars in his right hand, who walks among the seven golden lampstands. “ ‘I know your works, your toil and your patient endurance, and how you cannot bear with those who are evil, but have tested those who call themselves apostles and are not, and found them to be false. I know you are enduring patiently and bearing up for my name’s sake, and you have not grown weary. But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first. Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent, and do the works you did at first. If not, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent. Yet this you have: you hate the works of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who conquers I will grant to eat of the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.’” (Revelation 2:1–7)

God commends and rebukes His people without sugar-coating His words. He speaks to me like that too, but the main difference is that it is almost always about my own sin. If He is pointing to someone else, I’m to make sure my life is in order and pray much before talking to another person about their sin.

As for praise, I’m strengthened far more when someone praises Jesus than if they tell me how good I am.