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Editor's Blog...

By What Authority?

One of the most powerful questions in the New Testament is the one posed by the chief priests and elders of the people to Jesus after he rebuked the fig tree on his way from Bethany to Jerusalem, "By what authority do you these things?" (Matthew 21:23, Mark 11:28, Luke 20:2).

The question is powerful not because of who asked the question, or the circumstances leading up to the question, but because it is core to our understanding of the Word of God.

In His earthly ministry, Jesus taught with authority, with conviction, and without hesitation or wavering.  Matthew 7:28-29 records, "And when Jesus finished these sayings, the crowds were astonished at his teaching, for He was teaching them as one who had authority, and not as their scribes" (English Standard Version).

In Mark 1:21-28, soon after Jesus had called his first disciples to follow Him, "Jesus and his disciples came to the town of Capernaum, and on the next Sabbath Jesus went to the synagogue and began to teach.  The people who heard him were amazed at the way he taught, for he wasn't like the teachers of the Law; instead, he taught with authority.

Just then a man with an evil spirit came into the synagogue and screamed, 'What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth?  Are you here to destroy us?  I know who you are – you are God's holy messenger!'

Jesus ordered the spirit, 'Be quiet, and come out of the man!'

The evil spirit shook the man hard, gave a loud scream, and came out of him.  The people were all so amazed that they started saying to one another, 'What is this?  Is it some kind of new teaching?  This man has authority to give orders to the evil spirits, and they obey him!'

And so the news about Jesus spread quickly everywhere in the province of Galilee"  (Good News Bible).

As God in the flesh (Colossians 2:9) and Creator of all things (John 1:3), Jesus had power over the spirits – power that the religious leaders of His day (or since) did not have.

As Christians today, we accept the complete authority of Jesus.  We do not question it, and as Peter said in John 6:68, To whom [else] could we go?  No one speaks with the authority of Jesus – no other teacher – no preacher, pastor, priest, prelate, pontiff or pope, church president, or latter-day prophet of any faith.

As Jesus was returning to His Father following his resurrection from the tomb, he addressed his disciples one last time.  He declared to them that all authority in Heaven and in earth was given to Him (Matthew 28:18).

Earlier, he had said, "Truly, truly, I say to you, an hour is coming, and is now here, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live.  For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life in himself.  And he has given him authority to execute judgment, because he is the Son of Man" – John 5:25-27, ESV.

Only the Son of Man, Jesus, will judge the world at the end of time.  So we could ask modern-day Pharisees and learned men, "By what authority do you do and teach these things?"

If they do not teach the uncorrupted Word of God with authority, then we need to turn back to Jesus.

Wolves in Sheep's Clothing

Marie and I were talking about problems in the local church and discussing the events of the day between catching up with emails and Facebook messages when we came across an interesting blog site.

The writer, discussing false teachers and "wolves" within the church, made the point that because "Satan is continually trying to undo what God is doing... we know that Satan is also at work in the church.  Jesus warned us about such people when He said, 'Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves'” (Matthew 7:15, NIV)."

He went on to ask:  "So what do these wolves look like?

1. Wolves gossip. They go around talking about people they are offended with and don'’t actually talk to the person they are offended by. This may involve lies and slander. Always beware of those who gossip. They are bad news.  (2 Timothy 3:1-5; 2 Peter 2:3; i John 4:20)

2. Wolves are easily offended. (Proverbs 18:19; 2 Timothy 3:1-5)

3. Wolves misuse the scriptures. (2 Timothy 4:3; 2 Peter 2:1-2, 12)

4. Wolves speak against the spiritual authority God has placed over the church. ... (2 Peter 2:10)

5. Wolves are always right. They have the attitude: “it is my way or the highway.” (2 Timothy 3:1-5; 2 Peter 2:14)

6. Wolves are argumentative.  It is as if they look for fights. (Proverbs 18:19)

7. Wolves do not seek all the information needed to make a decision.  They will only listen to what supports their opinion. (2 Timothy 4:3)

8. Wolves vie for power. (2 Peter 2:14, 19)

9. Wolves undermine the work of the church as commanded by Jesus, to make disciples through discipleship and evangelism. (Matthew 28:19-20; 2 Peter 2:1-2, 12)

10. Wolves are unwilling to admit when they are wrong and never apologize or ask for forgiveness. (2 Timothy 3:1-5)

11. Wolves are proud. (2 Timothy 3:1-5)"

As Christians, we need to be constantly on the look out for false teachers and for those who would destroy the Lord's Church from within.

May God help us grow and thrive as His people.
 

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Are You Too Busy Being Angry To Listen?

With roughly half of all marriages now ending in divorce, we all know family or friends who have made the decision to separate or to divorce.

Sometimes it is easy to take sides, especially when we assume that we know "what really happened".  With this "knowledge" often comes anger.  We blame the one we think is at fault.

But why do we react this way?  Perhaps we need to stop and question our own emotions.  Are they really justified?  Is our anger really righteous or Godly?

Firstly, what is the source of our "knowledge"?

How much do we really know about the situation?  Do we know this because we were there in person and heard and/or saw it first-hand?  Or are we relying on somebody else's recollection of events?

If we were there, do we still know the whole story?  Is there a background setting that we do not understand?  Remember, only God sees all things.

On the other hand, if our "knowledge" is from somebody else, is it really true or is it just that person's opinion?  Is it objectively true, or is it just perception?  Remember, it is easy to jump to conclusions when we only have some of the information.

Secondly, do we have a Godly reason to be angry?

If only God knows all things, should we be this angry that someone else has "stuffed up"?  Is our feeling of anger really justified, or are we just venting someone else's poison?  What has this person done to us to "deserve" this feeling of wrath?

If Godly anger needs to be resolved on a daily basis, why are we letting this continue?

Thirdly, who are we to be angry?

The apostle Paul taught, "As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one", for everyone of us has sinned and fallen short of the glory of God (Romans 3:10, 23).  Not one of us is perfect.  Not one of us, even if we have grown up in a Christian home, can claim to be righteous before God.

Fourthly, what have we done to make peace?

Have we shut someone out of our life because we think they have sinned or are to "blame"?  How is that righteous or fair?  Only false religions do the opposite to what God has commanded.  Not one of us has the right to judge another person, so why are we excluding someone or treating them poorly?

Unresolved anger just destroys.

It serves no useful purpose.  It is unscriptural and sinful.  Are we going to let it destroy our relationships or are we going to sort things out?  Are we even looking for a solution?  Or have we woven ourselves into the problem?

What people choose to believe is for them to decide, but is it based on facts or hearsay?
Does it build up and edify or does it tear down and destroy?

What have you personally done to bring about a resolution or a reconciliation?

Or are you just adding to the mythology and the gossip, and giving power to a psuedo-Victim?  When was the last time you personally spoke to the person you have been working against or complaining about?

Let's remember the words of the apostle Paul, in Ephesians 4:31, "Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice".  Amen.

 

 

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Knowing When to Leave

Recently we were confronted with a situation which forced us to make some serious decisions and to take a new direction in our spiritual lives.  For me, personally, it was the second time in less than six years that I had found myself asking "How can I stay any longer?"

No matter how much we wish things could be different, there will be times when we know that there really is no point staying any longer in a church.  Staying would mean confrontation with people who are not willing to be confronted or challenged.

I remembered the words of the Israelite Joshua.  Faced with a situation in which others were vacillating and undecided, Joshua declared his loyalty to the God who had brought them up out of slavery in Egypt, "As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord", Joshua 24:15.

Slavery can take many forms for folks today:  being held captive by family customs or religious traditions, being trapped by our own false ideas about what the church is about, being caught up with worldly possessions and interests, being shackled by ungodly habits or practices, and more.

In the earlier situation, the church I had been a part of all my life had drifted over time and was no longer what it claimed to be, the undenominational church of Christ.  It had lost its local autonomy.  Outside influences were dictating the thinking of people who should have known better.  There was also no Godly leadership within the group.  Gossip, tale-bearing, slander, even lying, were rampant within the church.  Decisions were being made based on hear-say, not on truth.  God's laws were being ignored every day by souls who were quick to judge and quick to condemn.

In the recent situation, there was no commitment to following the teachings of the Scriptures, even amongst the "leadership team" of the church.  People had taken roles God never intended for them to have or for which they simply were not qualified.  The doctrines being taught and the practices of the group did not match the name on the sign outside their meeting place.

So when the preacher openly lied to us and to others, and behaved as a bully or taught false doctrine, there was no willingness to address his sin.  Instead "the Board", or "leadership team", remained silent, pretending not to hear or see, and choosing to collude with the "pastor" rather than address his sinful behaviour.

Others, quite knowledgeable and experienced in church leadership, acquiesced to cover his wrong-doings rather than risk having the whole sorry arrangement "blow up in their faces".  Calls for a congregational meeting to discuss the issues were instead ignored or denied.  A long-established tradition of "shooting the messenger" rather than dealing with the problem was perpetuated one more time.

In short, no effort was made to address the sinful behaviour of the "pastor" even though it was obvious to many that something was seriously wrong within the church.

In both situations sin was being "swept under the carpet" in the name of congregational unity.  Did either group think that God could not see?

As Joshua declared, "we will serve the Lord".  Surrounded by men who were unwilling to whole-heartedly commit to God's work, he boldly set his own course.  At times like these, it is not about traditions or customs.  It is not about "keeping peace" or "agreeing to differ".  It is about standing up for Christ Himself.

Was Jesus a hypocrite? or a liar?  Was Jesus caught up in religious offices or titles?  Was Jesus someone who did His "own thing" and ignored "His Father's business"?  Of course not.

It is interesting that all four Gospel writers recorded the occasion of Jesus going to the temple and overturning "the tables of the money-changers and the seats of them that sold doves".  Matthew 21:12-17, Mark 11:15-19, Luke 19:45-48, John 2:13-17.

Sometimes, we need to accept that "God's house" has become "a den of thieves", the home of hypocrites or just a comfortable "place to worship each Sunday".

That is the time for good people to leave.

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