Quick Thought...

How would a Calvinist reconcile Paul's actions described in yesterday's post with their theology?

Paul did not witness publicly to certain people, because he knew that in open they would not receive it. However, Calvinist theology says that when God decides it will happen, the Holy Spirit will make that person born again, regenerate him, and he will receive the word and be saved. If Paul believed that, then why would it matter to him whether he witnessed publicly or privately. Either the Spirit was going to regenerate the recipient or not, right?

It seems that Paul was hoping to work the natural circumstances to better prepare this recipient for the gospel.

Anonymous comments are always welcome...

Just a thought...

Witnessing in Vain

Galatians 2:2 And I went up by revelation, and communicated unto them that gospel which I preach among the Gentiles, but privately to them which were of reputation, lest by any means I should run, or had run, in vain.

Some would argue that when a person is ready to be saved it does not need to be a private affair, but rather they will be ready to jump out and let the whole world know. Paul demonstrates, though, that there are times that presenting the gospel to someone ought to be done in private, and not in public - not for the sake of sparing the witness's reputation, but rather to be more profitable in the opportunity.

People's pride can play a big part when being witnessed to in public. I've seen that at times when out on the street. People have to act all cool when they're around their friends. Paul brought the gospel to some of them privately, so that his time would not have been spent in vain.

Could it be that we can waste our time when witnessing to the wrong people at the wrong time? By no means am I going to give me or you an excuse for our slothfulness in witnessing, but Paul sought for a better opportunity to witness to these people, and didn't waste his time by doing it at the wrong time.

Just a thought...

Moses' Focus

Romans 16:19 For your obedience is come abroad unto all men. I am glad therefore on your behalf: but yet I would have you wise unto that which is good, and simple concerning evil.

At Men's Prayer Meeting last night, Pastor Brado preached a message about seeing the glory of God, and the things that had to happen in Moses' life for him to see God's glory in Exodus 33-34. I really cannot imagine what Moses experienced when "the LORD descended in the cloud and stood with him there." But, as Brado was preaching, he made suggestion to this thought, and it was one of those things that I wish he had carried further.

As I was hearing him preach, and afterwards looking back at Exodus 32, here's what I found. When Moses was meeting with God on the mount - thunder, clouds, lightning, the whole works - God told Moses about the golden calf thing going on at the bottom of the hill. Moses great prayer of intercession, found in verses 11-13 caused the Lord to "repent" of the evil which He was going to do to the people. The thing is that Moses was meeting with God, and his prayer of intercession seemed to be entirely God-centered. He basically said, "God, spare this people so that You look good and are glorified more among the heathen." And God spared them.

However, as Moses started getting away from God, coming down the mountain, in a picture he started walking away from God and towards the people. His eyes started focusing more on the sins of the people than on the time spent in the presence of God. The end result is that his anger waxed hot, and he broke the tablets that God had written for them. Now, I'm not saying it was wrong to be angry over the sin, but I think he took it to the point of having lost control.

Too often we get caught up with all the sins and things that other people are doing, and we can spend too much time and effort trying to understand the evil, and it distracts us from doing the good. God wants us to be wise concerning that which is good, and simple concerning evil.

Now, the real thought of the day: Can you really begin to imagine what it was like in Exodus 34 when God stood there with Moses? I mean, I usually use the "zoomed-out" image in my head of this little guy standing in the midst of a big cliff with God somehow around him. But, imagine yourself in the clift of the rock, and all you can see is God's hand as He covers you as His glory passes by, and the you see His "back parts" as He goes on. I don't think at that time Moses paid too much attention to what the people were doing at the bottom of the mount!

Anyway, just a thought...

All Your Needs

Another thought that came while reading The Exemplary Husband had to do with what our needs are versus our wants. How would you define what your needs are? Really, think about that for a second - what are your needs?

Stuart Scott (that would be the author of the book) defines what are needs are, basically as this: Needs are things without which God's work cannot get accomplished. I like it.

So, what are some things that we think are needs:

Running water? I remember hearing the story of a missionary family that went to stay at a church, and the "missions quarters" where they were put up did not have running water - and it was a hot day... Running water sure would have been nice...

Two cars? I had to get a ride to work Monday because our van is in the shop. It really would have been nice to have a second car...

One car? Do we forget how new the idea of an automobile is...

Credit Cards? Television? Telephone? Microwave? Shoes? My trip to Zambia a few years back aswers those ones for me...

"Needs" are the things without which God's word cannot be accomplished. Think about what you consider to be a "need," and then think about these:

What did John the Baptist NEED while in prison? Did God fail to supply John the Baptist's needs? I mean, he was beheaded. John Baptist probably thought that he needed some way to escape, or that he needed a good lawyer...

What did the Apostle Paul NEED during his involuntary fasts? God did not provide him food for days at a time. If you had asked Paul, I bet he would have said that he needed some food. Don't we all consider daily food to be a need for us... Did God fail to supply Paul's need?

Philippians 4:19 But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.

If God will provide the needs of His faithful, and yet at times His people have gone without some of the most basic things of life, then I think we have to look back at Scott's idea of a need.

Needs are those things without which God's work cannot be accomplished.

Just a thought...

I'm Great at it

As I was reading in the book, The Exemplary Husband, the author was speaking of how husbands first need to recognize who God is, and who they are, before they will end up being the exemplary husband. In speaking of who man is, the author writes that the man needs to recognize that he is a "great sinner."

When I read that phrase in that context, it really stuck out to me - a great sinner - yeah, that's me. Unfortunately, I am really good at it. Paul wrote that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom Paul claimed to be chief. I think often we compare how we are with others, and maybe we recognize that we are just as bad and even worse than so many people, and we admit, Yes, I'm a worse sinner than so and so. But, to be willing to admit that I am a "great sinner," well, that's a bit more humbling - yet true.

Just before John Newton died, he said, "My memory is nearly gone, but I remember two things, that I am a great sinner, and that Christ is a great Saviour." And we praise Him for it!

Just a thought...