Spiritual Boot Camp (Part 7): Do not be Deceived

By:  Dale Weckbacher

1 Timothy 4:1

Now the Holy Spirit tells us clearly that in the last times some will turn away from what we believe; they will follow lying spirits and teachings that come from demons.

NLT

The horrific terrorist attack in Nice France using of all things a semi-truck is unimaginable to most of us.  Most individuals have some level of morals telling them that senselessly murdering and injuring hundreds of innocent people participating in a holiday celebration is not acceptable.  However, some in our times have fallen for a false religion that justifies this level of butchery in the name of their god.  Granted, most Christians would never fall for the deception of radical Islam and begin murdering those not adopting our belief, but we can still fall for deceptive teaching.  

1 Timothy 4:3 lists two false teachings that were prevalent in the time of Paul,

1)      Wrong to be married – The forbidding of marriage is rooted in the teaching of the Essenes.  The Essenes were a Jewish sect who aspired to ideal purity.  (1)  One of the means promoted by this sect was the belief that abstaining from marriage would result in a life of increased devotion to God.  (2)  However, 1 Timothy 3:2 tells us that one aspiring to the position of elder, a high position within the church, is to be faithful to his wife.  Of course one must have a wife in order to be faithful to his wife so abstinence from marriage is not a requirement for a position in church leadership.  In fact in 1 Corinthians 7:1-2 Paul addresses this issue by at first agreeing that living a life of celibacy is good, but due to sexual immorality’s prevalence in society, marriage is good for those susceptible to giving in to temptation.  Paul reinforces this point in 1 Corinthians 7:5 teaching that total abstinence opens us up to temptation due to the lack of self-control or the lusts of the flesh.  He goes in 1 Corinthians7:6 to teach that celibacy is only a suggestion and not intended to be an absolute rule. 

2)      Wrong to eat certain foods – Even today Jews continue to have dietary restrictions.  However, in the vision of Peter recorded in Acts 10:9-13, God tells Peter that all foods are acceptable therefore lifting the dietary restrictions of the Old Covenant.  However, Judaizers in the time of Paul insisted that new converts to Christianity adopt the Law of Moses.  (3)  The Council at Jerusalem recorded in Acts 15 is a result of the disagreement between the Judaizers and Paul and Barnabas.  The result of this council was a letter written to Gentile believers only telling them to abstain from food specifically offered up as a sacrifice to idols. 

In today’s church marriage for church leaders is permissible with the exception of the Roman Catholic Church and there are no dietary restrictions in Christianity.  However, this does not mean there is an absence of false teaching that can deceive us as Christians.  However, unlike the believers in the time of Paul who did not possess the completed canon of scripture as we do today, we have no excuse for not understanding the truth and falling prey to false teaching.  Therefore, those of us engaged in spiritual battle must dedicate ourselves to

1)      Study of the Word of God – We can best discern falsehood with a vast knowledge of truth.  Once we recognize what truth looks like, falsehood will be obvious.  Truth comes from hearing the Word of God (Romans 10:17).  I have the privilege of engaging in the study of the Word when preparing these postings, which is why I provide links to the scriptural references I use so you too can engage in a deeper study of God’s Word.

2)      Prayer – Communication is a two-way street with the Word of God being God communicating with us and prayer being our communicating with God.  No army can achieve victory without communicating in both directions with its leadership, including the army of God engaged in spiritual warfare. 

3)      Regular church attendance – Spiritual battle, like military battle, can be tiring, and demoralizing.  In order to maintain high morale, we therefore must regularly meet with those engaged in the same spiritual battle in order to receive encouragement.  When attending church we also have an opportunity to corporately worship God and receive teaching from our leaders in spiritual battle.  Let us not become weak in battle by ignoring the importance of these regular meetings.

As the return of Christ approaches, and every day that passes means we are one day closer to that return, we will see an increase in false teaching as Satan attempts to cause many to fall away from truth.  Today’s church is being asked to condone and even perform gay weddings, which violate biblical marriage as outlined in the Word of God.  We see churches supporting homosexuality by electing openly gay individuals to church leadership.  (4)  It is being asked to accommodate transgendered individuals by providing non-gender bathrooms providing a green light for sexual perverts to perform their acts of perversion in churches.  Churches are also being asked to soften their pro-life values in the interest of political correctness. 

We must not allow these false teachings to creep into our churches and must stand strong with the truth for this increasingly dangerous world needs Christians standing strong on the truth and not Christians compromising on that truth in order to be socially acceptable. 

Next Wednesday we will look at how to be a good servant of Jesus Christ. 

1. Biblestudytools.com. Essenes. www.biblestudytools.com. [Online] [Cited: July 16, 2016.] www.biblestudytools.com/dictionary/essenes/.

2. www.godvine.com. 1 Timothy 4:3. www.godvine.com. [Online] [Cited: July 16, 2016.] www.godvine.com/bible/1-timothy/4-3.

3. A Study of Denominations. the "Judiazers". www.astudyof denominations.com. [Online] [Cited: December 8, 2013.] http://www.astudyofdenominations.com/history/judaizers/.

4. Associated Press. Methodists Elect 1st Openly Gay Bishop in Defiance of Ban. www.foxnews.com. [Online] Fox News, July 16, 2016. [Cited: July 17, 2016.] www.foxnews.com/us/2016/07/16/methodists-elect-1st-openly-gay-bishop-in-defiance-ban.html.

Grossly Unqualified to Lead: An Electoral Indictment of Hillary Clinton

By:  Dale Weckbacher

1 Samuel 13:13-14

"How foolish!" Samuel exclaimed. "You have disobeyed the command of the LORD your God. Had you obeyed, the LORD would have established your kingdom over Israel forever. 14 But now your dynasty must end, for the LORD has sought out a man after his own heart. The LORD has already chosen him to be king over his people, for you have not obeyed the LORD's command."

NLT

Prior to entering the Promised Land, God, knowing the time would come when the Nation of Israel would desire a king to lead them, gave them instructions on whom to select as their king.  Deuteronomy 17:15-16 tells them to select the man the Lord chooses, that the king must be a fellow Israelite and not a foreigner.  The king was also required to copy, and this was before copy machines, the law on a scroll for himself in the presence of the Levitical priests to insure he did not cheat (Deuteronomy17:18).  The reasons for these requirements are to insure,

1)      That the king has the approval of God to lead His people

2)      That the king is one of the people having a vested interest in their interests

3)      That the king has vast knowledge of the Law of God from which to lead wisely

Last week the FBI decided not to indict Hillary Clinton in spite of massive evidence, evidence uncovered during a lengthy investigation by the same FBI.  (1)  Many who hold leaders to a high standard view Hillary Clinton as grossly unqualified to be the next President of the United States.  Unfortunately, however, many voters in the United States do not hold their leaders to a high standard and unfortunately will vote for Hillary mostly due to freebies she will promise them.  (2)  Among these promised freebies are

1)      $15.00 per hour minimum wage (3)

2)      Forgiveness of student loan debt (4)

3)      Free college tuition (5)

The entire email fiasco coupled with Hillary Clinton’s incompetency in the handling of Benghazi disqualifies her from holding the position of President of the United States.  We must not allow someone demonstrating dishonesty from attaining the office of President.  The American people have had their share of dishonest leadership and in the increasingly dangerous world in which we live, demand honesty in leadership and not a leader willing to lie about the cause of Benghazi in order to protect the political ambitions of her boss.  Hillary Clinton, in the opinion of the FBI, demonstrated gross negligence and carelessness in the handling of sensitive material that could endanger the nation.  We must not allow her access to even more sensitive material by electing her President. 

During the GOP primaries I expressed my support for Ted Cruz based upon his conservative values.  Unfortunately, Senator Cruz was unable to garner enough support during these primaries to win the nomination leaving us with the presumptive GOP nominee, Donald Trump.  This circumstance left me with the choice of staying home or voting for every office on the ballot except the presidency.  I also could vote third party or write in a candidate.

However, there is not realistic path for a third party or write in to win the electoral college and since I traditionally vote Republican in presidential elections, I would be taking a vote away from Donald Trump and help insure the election of the grossly unqualified candidate Hillary Clinton.  I therefore reluctantly intend to vote for Donald Trump as a defensive vote to insure the grossly unqualified Hillary Clinton is nowhere near the powerful office of the presidency. 

We were all saddened and angered at the brutal execution of five police officers in Dallas.  However, in a hotly contested presidential election, voters can learn much by looking at how the candidates react to such tragedies.  Donald Trump, a candidate some evangelical Christians will not vote for because they believe he is not a Christian tweeted “Prayers and condolences to all of the families who are so thoroughly devastated by the horrors we are all watching take place in our country.”  (6)  Hillary on the other hand took advantage of this tragedy to advance her anti-gun agenda and played the race card citing evidence that “African Americans are much more likely to be killed in police incidents.”  (7)

These reactions provide a view into how these candidates will react in a crisis.  Do we want a leader who takes advantage of a crisis to advance an unconstitutional anti second amendment agenda, fueling the fires of racism that already divide the nation, inciting violence and murder, or do we want a leader concerned about the families of the victims of violence vowing to make our country and its citizens safe from such senseless murder?  As for me, I choose a leader with a heart vowing to end this insanity.  As for me, I choose Donald Trump.

1. McCarthy, Andrew. FBI Rewrites Federal Law to Let Hillary off the Hook. www.nationalreview.com. [Online] National Review, July 5, 2016. [Cited: July 9, 2016.] http://www.nationalreview.com/corner/437479/fbi-rewrites-federal-law-let-hillary-hook.

2. Vennochi, Joan. When Did Democrats Become the Party of Free Stuff. www.bostonglobe.com. [Online] The Boston Globe, October 15, 2015. [Cited: July 9, 2016.] https://www.bostonglobe.com/opinion/2015/10/15/when-did-democrats-become-party-free-stuff/1YmL3ZhiS3mXldHsyiPTfP/story.html.

3. Jamieson, Dave. Hillary Clinton Clarifies Her Stance on $15 Minimum Wage. www.huffpost.com. [Online] Huffington Post, April 17, 2016. [Cited: July 9, 2016.] http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/hillary-clinton-minumum-wage_us_57139f45e4b06f35cb6fd5da

4. Phillip, Anne Gearan and Abby. Clinton to propose 3-month Hiatus for Repayment of Student Loans. www.washingtonpost.com. [Online] The Washington Post, July 5, 2016. [Cited: July 9, 2016.] https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-politics/wp/2016/07/05/clinton-to-propose-3-month-hiatus-for-repayment-of-student-loans/

5. Hughes, Laura Meckler and Siobhan. Hillary Clinton Expanding College Plan to Offer Free Tuition to Millions. www.wsj.com. [Online] The Wall Street Journal, July 6, 2016. [Cited: July 9, 2016.] www.wsj.com/articles/hillary-clinton-expanding-college-plan-to-offer-free-tuition-to-millions-1467813602.

6. Michelle Jesse, Associate Editor. Here's the Trump Tweet About Dallas the Media Don't Want You to See. www.allenwest.com. [Online] Allen West, July 8, 2016. [Cited: July 9, 2016.] http://www.allenbwest.com/michellejesse/heres-the-trump-tweet-about-dallas-the-media-dont-want-you-to-see

7. Haskell, Liz Kreutz and Josh. Clinton on Week of Deadly Gun Violence: 'We Owe Our Children Better'. www.abcnews.go.com. [Online] ABC News, July 8, 2016. [Cited: July 9, 2016.] www.abcnews.go.com/Polotics/hillary-clinton-pospones-rally-dallas-shooting/story?id=40426136.

Spiritual Boot Camp (Part 6): Our Totally Qualified Commander in Chief

By:  Dale Weckbacher

1 Timothy 3:16

God was manifested in the flesh,

Justified in the Spirit,

Seen by angels,

Preached among the Gentiles,

Believed on in the world,

Received up in glory.

NKJV

The contexts of first and second Timothy are letters written by Paul to young Timothy while awaiting his execution.  In the previous verses of 1 Timothy 3:1-13, Paul outlined the qualifications of earthly leaders in the church.  Our careful investigation of these qualifications determined the importance of these qualifications and even determined that these qualifications apply to leadership outside the church as well. 

In 1 Timothy 3:14-15, Paul expresses his hope to soon be able to see Timothy.  However, in the interim, he writes this letter as a means of encouraging young Timothy while he is delayed.  His purpose is that in his absence they may know how they are to behave as the Church of the Living God which stands as a buttress and pillar of truth in a world ruled by darkness and sin.  In truth, I believe Paul knew his current imprisonment would ultimately end with his execution and wanted to insure the church remained strong after he went to be with the Lord.

In 1 Timothy 3:16, Paul states that “Great indeed is the mystery of godliness.”  While we as mortal individuals may never totally understand this mystery, Paul proceeds to give us a brief synopsis of this mystery and contained in that synopsis we see the eminent qualifications of our commander in chief, Jesus Christ.  Let us now take a more in depth look at these qualifications for in them we can begin to understand why we as soldiers engaging in spiritual warfare can confidently enter into spiritual battle following Jesus Christ with no doubts.

1)      Intimately identifies with our situation – John1:14 tells us that the Word became flesh.  This verse is not speaking of how words written on a page somehow took on flesh and blood form and dwelt among us but is instead speaking of how the Word of God, which was contained in print, took on fleshly form in the person of Jesus Christ and dwelt among us.  The power of this statement is that God living in the sinless glory of heaven, where he could have stayed for eternity, thus sentencing us to eternal death in our sins instead chose to take on fleshly form and come to live with us.  As such, God was exposing Himself to the temptations, sins, and suffering of this world, making Him relatable to us.  However, even though God was exposed to the temptations and sins of this world, he never gave in and sinned making him eminently qualified to be the Lamb of God who could once and for all cover all of our sins (2 Corinthians 5:21).  As for suffering, Jesus voluntarily endured and suffered the judgment of god for our sins, taking on our death penalty so that we can escape that judgment by choosing Jesus as our savior.

2)      Justified by the Spirit – After John baptized Jesus the heavens opened up and the Spirit of God descended and settled upon Jesus.  Then everyone heard a voice from heaven declaring, “This is my beloved Son, and I am fully pleased with him.”  (Matthew 3:16-17).  Earthly leaders seeking office seek endorsements that they believe to be a stamp of approval on their leadership abilities that will sway people to give them their valuable vote.  Jesus was about to embark on his earthly ministry and could have received no greater endorsement then that of his Heavenly Father’s pleasure with him coupled with the indwelling of the power of the Holy Spirit. 

3)      Seen by Angels – When my first son was born, my wife had to have a caesarian section.  This was in 1976 and hospitals did not allow dads in the operating room during caesarian sections.  As such, I was relegated to waiting in the waiting room for news that my son had been born.  I remember how happy I was when the doctor came out to let me know the procedure was successful and that my son had been born.  Now imagine the joy of the shepherds when they not only had an angelic visitation but that these angels witnessed the birth of their Messiah and came to declare this great news (Luke2:8-12).  We have recently witnessed the anticipation and joy of the announcement of the birth of the royal children in Great Britian.  When ones birth receives a massive public announcement, it is an indication that someone of importance has been born.  However, an angelic announcement of one’s birth indicates the birth of someone deemed important by God in heaven and therefore is someone that we should follow.

4)      Preached among the Gentiles – One would have thought Jesus, the Son of God, would have begun his ministry by preaching to the religious leaders of His time.  Instead, Jesus chose to preach to the common Jewish people in Galilee.  After ascending to God, he then allowed the preaching of the message of the Gospel to the Gentiles.  John 3:16 declares that God sent His Son to the world, not just the Jews, and that when anyone in the world, Jew or Gentile believes in Him, they shall have eternal life. 

5)      Believed on in the world – The very fact that many, including myself, have chosen to heed the message of the Gospel and make Jesus our Savior is proof that the message of the Gospel has spread throughout the world for almost 2000 years spanning thousands of generations. 

6)      Received up in glory – Not only did Jesus take the death penalty for our sins, he demonstrated dominion over death by rising from the dead.  This fact was witnessed by many including 500 in one instance alone (1 Corinthians 15:6) and then ascended to be with God the Father where he acts as an intermediary between us who serve as ambassadors for Christ in this sinful world (2 Corinthians 5:20). 

Our commander in chief in spreading the Gospel to a dark world in need of its message of light and salvation is eminently qualified to lead His church.  He is a relatable leader, endorsed by the heavenly authority of God the Father whose birth was announced by angels.  His message is for all and has been received by many.  He is also alive and seated in a position of high authority where he acts as an intermediary for his church. 

Next Wednesday we will look at 1 Timothy 4. 

Failure of Post-Modernism: A Lack of a Standard for Truth

By:  Dale Weckbacher

Romans 3:23

For all have sinned; all fall short of God's glorious standard.

NLT

The highest standard for living individuals can set for themselves is the decision to live up to the high standard of God as outlined in the Bible.  The Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:1-17) is the foundation of the standard for godly living but if each one of us is honest with ourselves, we must admit to failing at least one of these standards. 

Fortunately for us, the Bible is not about us living up to this godly standard by our own abilities but about God’s grace providing a way for us to be seen as righteous or attaining that standard through belief in God’s Son.  God did not send His son into the world to condemn the world but to, through the death, burial, and resurrection of His Son, provide a path of reconciliation with God providing eternal life (John 3:16-17).  This does not negate the need to live according to God’s standard as outlined in the Ten Commandments but hope that even though we have failed to live up to these standards, we can have salvation and live eternally with God our creator. 

Unfortunately, many justify their failure to live up to God’s standard by adopting the philosophy of post-modernism which believes in the absence of any definitive standard of truth and defines truth as what one believes it to be.  (1)  While this may have the effect of clearing ones conscience when it comes to their failures to live up to any standard, it fails to consider the consequences of failing to live up to this standard.  In effect, the belief that removing any standard in our lives relieves us of any guilt is a lie from Satan because it leads us away from salvation through Christ. 

The Apostle Paul spoke of his own personal struggle with failure to live up to God’s standard and used it as a way of teaching the purpose of the Law of God, which we have all failed to live up to in our lives.  Let us take a few moments to look deeper into this teaching for in so doing, we will discover the purpose of standards, not just in our relationship with God, but also in other aspects of our society.

1)      Standards are not evil but instead show us right from wrong (Romans 7:7-8) – The law, whether it is God’s law or secular law, shows us what is wrong.  Knowledge of right and wrong is critical to maintaining civility in both our personal lives and society.  However, the law is a two-edged sword for it also serves to reveal wrong to us and can tempt us to commit wrong (Romans 7:8).  However, simply sheathing this sword by abandoning any standard, as post-modernism attempts to do does not solve the problem or rid us of any consequences from deviating from the standard.  Fortunately for Christians, resisting temptation is not dependent on our own moral fortitude or strength but comes as we trust God to give us strength to resist these temptations.  Even Jesus was tempted and resisted temptation by proclaiming the Word of God (Matthew 4:1-11).  Therefore, the law shows us right from wrong and if the wrong revealed by the law tempts us, relies on the Word of God and our faith in its truth to resist temptation.

2)      The law is brutal and reveals our shortcomings (Romans 7:9-12) – The penalty for failing to live up to even one of God’s standards in our lives is death.  However, in spite of this, the law remains right and good.  Does this therefore mean that we are all sentenced to death due to our inability to live up to the right and good standard of God?  The answer would be yes if it were not for the atoning sacrifice of the sinless man Jesus Christ to satisfy this death sentence (2 Corinthians 5:21).  Therefore, even though the law is brutal and sentences us to death, it also points us to the source of our salvation and reconciliation with God, Jesus Christ who took our death penalty. 

3)      Standards are not restrictive but liberating (Romans 7:13) – For those who have not accepted Jesus as their savior, the Law of God including the Ten Commandments is seen as restrictive.  With the exception of remembering the Sabbath and honoring parents, the Ten Commandments are a list of restricted activities (Exodus 20:1-17).  Post modernism negates these restrictions by allowing each individual to develop his or her own standard for truth.  However, while the wording of these commandments is restrictive, they are actually liberating for they prevent us from engaging in harmful activities.  Our own personal failures to live up to these standards serves to let us know that we need help, help that only comes as we enter into a personal relationship with Jesus Christ and accept his sacrifice for our sins.

Standards serve a purpose in our lives and society for they maintain civility.  However, when it comes to God’s standard, we need help; help that only comes through accepting the sacrifice of God’s son Jesus Christ for our sins.  I therefore want to invite anyone reading this that has not accepted this gift from God to do so by praying with me,

Dear Lord Jesus, I know I have sinned (Romans 3:23) and know that the penalty for my sin is death (Romans 6:23).  I ask you to forgive me of my sin and cleanse me as you promise in your Word (1 John 1:9).  I believe you died, was buried, and resurrected from the dead and now declare you Lord of my life.

Congratulations for even though you have failed to live up to God’s standard in your life, you now have been acquitted of the death penalty for these failures and instead have the gift of eternal life (John3:16). 

1. Penfold, Michael J. Postmodernism. www.webtruth.org. [Online] WebTruth. [Cited: December 12, 2014.] www.webtruth.org/cultural-issues/postmodernism/.

Spiritual Boot Camp (Part 5): The Qualities of Godly Leadership

By:  Dale Weckbacher

1 Timothy 3:1-2

It is a true saying that if someone wants to be an elder, he desires an honorable responsibility. 2 For an elder must be a man whose life cannot be spoken against.

NLT

A leader is someone that goes out front paving a path for those choosing to follow them.  As such, we who follow these leaders rightfully hold them to a higher standard than others in our society.  As Christians, we have the privilege of leadership led by the only perfect human being to ever walk the face of the earth, Jesus Christ.  We therefore can confidently follow Jesus with complete trust in every Word recorded in God’s Word, knowing it is the highest standard in existence.

Unfortunately, churches, governments, business organizations, and even families have earthly leaders who are imperfect.  It is a plus if these leaders function under the authority of God’s Word for then their imperfections have a chance of correction, resulting in good leadership.  Unfortunately, however, earthly leaders lacking any desire to submit to God’s Word, resulting in failed leadership, often lead us. 

1 Timothy 3:1-13 is a teaching on the biblical qualifications for leaders in the Church, specifically Deacons and Elders.  In this posting, we will be looking at these qualifications.  

The offices of Deacon and Elder were the result of rapid church growth.  Initially the Apostles handled all the affairs of the church but as the numbers in the church rapidly multiplied, many became discontented because nobody ministered to them (Acts 6:1).  In order to address this situation, the Apostles called a meeting of all believers and appointed seven men to administer the operations of the church while the Apostles devoted their time to prayer, preaching, and teaching the Word (Acts 6:2-6).  The result of this administrative change was even more rapid church growth with even many Jewish priests converting to the faith (Acts 6:7).

While the position of Deacon or Elder placed one in a position of high esteem in the church, the position also exposed one to scorn or, as was the case with Stephen, martyrdom (Acts 6:8-15, Acts 7).  However, a Deacon or Elder not living up to the high standard of leadership outlined in 1 Timothy 3:1-13 will also suffer scorn within the church as well.  Those of us aspiring to join in spreading the Gospel therefore must dedicate ourselves to living up to this standard of leadership keeping in mind we are only human and will fail but also keeping in mind, our Heavenly Father will always forgive us when we ask (1 John 1:9). 

Let us now take a deeper look into the qualifications of overseers or elders, and deacons

1)      Faithfulness to their wives – In order for followers to have faith in their leaders, their leaders must demonstrate they are faithful.  In the case of Jesus Christ, he was faithful in obedience to His Heavenly Father by dying on the cross.  While hanging on the cross, those taunting Jesus told him that if he indeed was God, to come down off the cross (Matthew 27:40).  As the Son of God, Jesus possessed the power to come down from the cross and destroy his executioners but instead remained faithful to His Father, and us, by fulfilling his mission to die for our sins so we could have eternal life (John 3:16).  Likewise, earthly leaders must demonstrate faithfulness, not by dying for their follower’s sins, but by demonstrating faithfulness in their lives.  Faithfulness to one’s spouse is one way of demonstrating a high level of faithfulness.

2)      Exercising self-control – Many a leader has fallen due to some impropriety in his or her life.  The entire nation of the United States experienced this failure of leadership in the 90’s with the impeachment of President Clinton due to sexual improprieties in his life.  Scripture teaches us that the Light of God’s Word will expose our sins.  Therefore, as leaders in the church and for that matter anywhere else, leaders must avoid the embarrassment of public scorn by dedicating themselves to exercising self-control by living a life according to the Word of God. 

3)      Living wisely with a good reputation – Wisdom is the application of knowledge in our lives.  Therefore, in order for one to lead wisely, one must not only acquire knowledge but also become wise in using that knowledge.  This is why it is important for us to look at someone’s accomplishments in their lives when considering them for leadership for this gives us an indication of their ability to wisely utilize knowledge and also whether or not they have a good reputation.

4)      Enjoy having guests in his or her home and able to teach – One of the duties of overseers is teaching God’s Word.  However, if one aspiring to leadership does not enjoy having guests in his or her home, we must question whether or not they like being around others.  Teachers must have students and therefore must possess people skills that attract people that will become their students.

5)      Not a heavy drinker or violent but peace loving and gentle – Heavy drinking, or drinking until drunk, impairs ones judgment.  With one of the qualifications of leadership being the wise application of knowledge, a heavy drinker whose judgment is impaired will struggle with this requirement.  In addition, a violent person, regardless of whether their violence is the result of heavy alcohol use or just their fleshly nature, will repel people instead of attracting them as potential students.  Instead, good leadership requires one to be gentle and peace loving which will attract potential followers.  This, however, does not mean biblical leadership is weak leadership but meek leadership, which is a quiet strength.  A great recent example of meek leadership in the United States is President George W. Bush.  Many were attracted to him and voted for him because of his gentle and peace loving personality.  However, the entire world witnessed the strength of his leadership after the brutal attacks on 911 when the gentle and peace loving man became a strong leader with a resolve to protect those electing him to lead by avenging those that brutally attacked them. 

6)      Not one who loves money – The love of money is the root of all evil (1 Timothy 6:10).  Many interpret this verse to mean money is evil but the passage clearly says it is the love of money that is the root of evil.  A leader who loves money above anyone or anything else is a leader not committed to leading those that follow them.  Leaders lead people not money and therefore good leadership is leadership that leads people out of love and concern for them above all else.  Once again, Jesus Christ is the greatest example of this for he left the glory of heaven where he, as the Son of God, had everything He needed to come to earth and die for the sins of lost humanity. 

7)      Manage his household – One of the clearest indications of the ability of one to lead is how they lead their own household. 

8)      Must not be a new Christian – Wisdom is the application of knowledge.  Even though a new convert to Christianity has much emotional excitement and desire to lead others to Christ, they lack knowledge to wisely apply to their lives.  Therefore, when seeking leadership in the church we must seek leaders from among those demonstrating knowledge of God’s Word so they will have good knowledge from which to wisely lead.  In addition, a new Christian can easily become filled with pride if they are thrust into a position of leadership prematurely and fall (Proverbs 16:18). 

9)      Well-spoken of in society – While the world’s standard differs from God’s standard causing the world to often have a negative view of the church, disgrace comes to the church if one of its leaders is caught in some sort of disgraceful behavior.  Church leaders must therefore strive to maintain a good reputation in society as a whole but without compromising their Godly values.  Many in the secular world today have disdain for church leadership because it comes out against homosexuality and abortion.  However, in reality the only reason church leadership speaks out against homosexuality is because of concern for those engaging in the activity.  A recent study revealed that those in the LGBT community have a higher instance of health issues.  (1)  The procedure of abortion not only presents a risk to the mother but also results in the death of the unborn baby.  (2)  Therefore, the reason church leaders speak out about abortion is not only the preservation of the life of the unborn but also out of concern for the health of the mother.  Therefore, church leadership speaking out against homosexuality and abortion should not be viewed with disdain, but praised as leadership concerned with the health and welfare of others.  

The requirements of a deacon are similar and include,

1)      Having respect and integrity (1 Timothy 3:8).

2)      Not heavy drinkers or greedy for money (1Timothy 3:8)

3)      Demonstrating a commitment to the truths of the Christian faith with a clear conscience (1 Timothy 3:9)

4)      Testing to demonstrate good character and ability (1 Timothy 3:10)

5)      Have spouses that are well respected and do not speak evil of others exercising self-control and faithfulness (1 Timothy 3:11).

6)      Faithfulness to one’s spouse and good management of their household (1 Timothy 3:12).

The promise for those exercising godly leadership is found in 1 Timothy 3:13 where they are promised respect from others with increased confidence in their faith in Christ. 

There is currently a leadership void in our society with a shortage of godly leadership.  In order to fill that void, we need leaders who lead according to the godly principles outlined in 1 Timothy 3:1-13 in the church, government, business, and our families.  Let us therefore apply these principles when seeking leadership in any area of our lives and if we have the calling to lead, apply these principles in our leadership as well.

Next week we will look at the foundations of truth governing our faith. 

1. Facts about Youth. Health Risks of the Homosexual Lifestyle. factsaboutyouth.com. [Online] Facts About Youth. [Cited: March 31, 2015.] http://factsaboutyouth.com/posts/health-risks-of-the-homosexual-lifestyle/.

2. Kliebert, Kathy. Abortion & Pregnancy Risks. dhh.louisiana.gov. [Online] State of Louisiana. [Cited: June 13, 2015.] http://dhh.louisiana.gov/index.cfm/page/915/n/275.

Declaring the Godly Source of Human Rights

By:  Dale Weckbacher

Psalms 33:12

Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD,

NKJV

After I moved to Arizona with my family in the 60’s, I remember one of the television stations in the area signed off at night with a slide showing the American flag and this passage from Psalm 33:12.  This is foreign to many today because television stations do not go off the air at night but are on 24 hours 7 days a week.  In addition, for a secular station to cite a biblical passage would most likely offend some atheist who would file a lawsuit with some court through the ACLU and force the station to take down the offensive Bible verse.  This, unfortunately, is another example of how our culture has turned away from Godly principles.  The reason I consider this an unfortunate circumstance is because it is a slap in the face to the Godly principles that founded the United States as stated in the Declaration of Independence. 

This coming Monday is the Fourth of July, the day when people in the United States celebrate the founding of the nation in 1776.  The Declaration of Independence, passed by the Continental Congress on July 4, 1776 was a clear message to the British Crown expressing the long-standing complaints of the Colonists against the Crown and a declaration of their intention to secede from British rule.  I find it ironic that on the eve of the 240^th anniversary of the founding of the United States, the people of Great Britton have in essence made their own declaration of independence by voting to exit the European Union.  Some see this as the citizens of the Crown finally waking up and possibly the beginning of a global move to unseat political elitists.  (1)  

Please join me this Fourth of July in reading the Declaration of Independence and reflect on the reason for the founding of the United States.  Here is a link to the document in case you do not have a copy handy.  I especially want to encourage my fellow Citizens to reflect on the Godly and empowering principles expressed in this historic document such as,

1)      Rights come from God, not government – This is expressed at the beginning of the document with the often-quoted statement, “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.”  (2)  By beginning with this foundation, the subsequent list of grievances that are a usurpation of these God given rights is in essence a statement that the British Crown was guilty of going against God in how it governed its subjects. 

2)      Government’s role is the securing of these rights – The elitist crown in Great Britton ruled the colonies with an iron fist and viewed itself as the purveyor of rights as it saw fit.  However, as the Declaration continues it says, “that to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among men.”  (2)  This simple, but powerful statement in essence stripped the crown of its tyrannical rule over the colonists as the purveyor of rights and called for a government that served its citizens by securing and protecting their rights. 

3)      Government derives its power from the people – In the British Monarchy, one can only rise to King or Queen by being part of the royal family.  In other words, power comes through birth and is then exercised over the people by ruling them as subjects of the Crown.  The authors of the Declaration of Independence by declaring that, “Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed.” (2)  represented a radical statement and a real treasonous threat to the power of the British Crown. 

The remainder of the Declaration of Independence points out that there comes a time when government oversteps its role of securer of the citizens God given rights and begins to view itself as an all-powerful purveyor of rights, resulting in tyranny.  It then goes on to list specific grievances the colonists had against the Crown. 

After reading this document, we begin to see that the present course of government in the United States, and many other parts of the world is a path similar to the path taken by the British Crown against the Colonists.  Fortunately, however, unlike the Colonists who had to resort to revolution to bring about needed changes, we have the electoral process. 

By voting to exit the European Union, The UK has peacefully separated itself from the oppressive tyranny of the European Union.  Likewise, in November, the United States has an important Presidential Election where it can begin the process of dismantling the oppressive progressive and liberal policies of onerous regulation and confiscatory taxes.  My prayer is that the voters will vote in accordance with the principles of the founding of the nation and not fall prey to the emotional fear mongering of progressives and liberals whose only interest is continuing their tyrannical rule over citizens. 

In the relatively short period of 240 years, the United States has gone from a statement on a document to a world super power due to the freedom of its citizens to function freely under their God given rights to Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.  Unfortunately, decades of liberal progressive rule has threatened these God given rights, which will lead to the decline of the United States.  Let us not be the generation witnessing this decline and instead be like the generation of our founders, the generation bringing about the return to greatness of the United States through the restoration of the God given rights of Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness the authors of the Declaration of Independence envisioned. 

1. Goodwin, Michael. Britain's Vote For Freedom Proves Power is With the People. www.nypost.com. [Online] The New York Post, June 24, 2016. [Cited: June 26, 2016.] http://nypost.com/2016/06/24/brexit-strengthens-global-effort-to-unseat-unresponsive-elites/.

2. ushistory.org. The Declaration of Independence. www.ushistory.org. [Online] Ushistory.org. [Cited: July 19, 2015.] http://www.ushistory.org/declaration/

Spiritual Boot Camp (Part 4): Praying For All People

By:  Dale Weckbacher

1 Timothy 2:1

I urge you, first of all, to pray for all people. As you make your requests, plead for God's mercy upon them, and give thanks.

NLT

At the end of last Wednesday’s posting, I said this Wednesday’s posting would be on how to worship God.  I was mistaken and instead this lesson will be on who we should pray for and a very controversial topic in the church today, the role of women in the church.  However, before my female readers click on another web site, I urge you to stay with me for many misinterpret the teaching of 1 Timothy 2 because they do not take it in context and ignore the original language of the passage.

Praying for all people:

1 Timothy 1:18 urges us as children of God to fight well in the Lord’s battles.  No army can fight well in battle without communicating with its commanding general.  In spiritual battle, our commanding general is God.  Jesus death, burial, and resurrection opened the lines of communication for us by forgiving us of the sin that separates us from God.  As such, we now have the privilege of communicating with God the Father.  We can pray prayers of worship and adoration as David did in the Psalms.  We can also pray for God to meet our needs.  In fact, God says we actually have lack in our lives because we fail to ask God for what we need (James 4:2).  Therefore, never fear asking God for what you need for he is a good Father and delights in meeting the needs of his people. 

The prayer scripture speaks of in 1 Timothy 2:1, however, is a call for prayers of intercession for others.  This passage urges us to pray for all people, even those that hate us, and to pray for God’s mercy upon them and not harm.  This is what separates Christianity from many other religions that call upon their followers to wish evil or even harm upon those not adopting their beliefs.  Instead, Christianity calls for followers to intercede calling upon God to show those not adopting their beliefs mercy and for the Holy Spirit to point them to Jesus Christ the source of their salvation. 

1 Timothy 2:2 goes on to urge us to pray for those in authority over us.  This would include not only those in government, but also those we work for in our employment as well as those in church leadership.  The second part of verse 2 promises us that doing this leads to a life of peace and quiet and a life lived in godliness and dignity. 

1 Timothy 2:3-5 teaches us that these prayers of intercession please God for God wants all to be saved.  In other words, praying prayers of intercession for our leadership and for those lost in their sins brings us into agreement with the desire of Gods heart towards the lost and thus, pleases Him.  This pleases God for He paid a great price to purchase our salvation, the life of His Son Jesus Christ and is pleased when we have as the desire of our hearts sharing this message with others (1 Timothy2:6-7). 

I recommend making a list of people for which to intercede.  Include those in authority over you in government, at work, and in your church.  Also, include people on your list that need Salvation.  I then recommend setting aside time each day, even if it is just a few minutes, to lift these people up to God in prayer.

Women in the Church:

1 Timothy 2:8-15 is a point of contention for women in the Church, especially in our age of liberation for women.  In fact, many women may even refuse to become part of the church believing Christianity to be a sexist anti-women religion.  However, when we take this passage in the context of who it is written to and what was occurring in their church at the time we can begin to understand what is being taught and will realize the passage is not anti-women but anti false teaching and anti-usurping of authority. 

As we read this passage, we must remember that this letter is a letter of instruction to Timothy as he is ministering to the troubled church in Ephesus.  As we learned in 1Timothy 1, false teaching usurping the true teachings of the Gospel was attacking the church in Ephesus.  We also must remember that the chapter separations in scripture did not exist in the original writings and thus this letter to Timothy would remain consistent with what we read in chapter 1. 

With this in mind we must view chapter 1 as an introduction to the problems Timothy would encounter in the church in Ephesus and chapter 2 as beginning to offer solutions to the problems, hence 2 Timothy 2:1-7 encouraging the church to pray for all people.  With this context in mind, 2 Timothy 2:8-15 is not a blanket call for the church to forbid women from having any position of authority in the church but is instead instructions to Timothy about specific women in the church at Ephesus that were attempting to usurp the authority of church leadership through false teaching.  In other words, some women were among the false teachers and Paul is warning Timothy not to allow them to achieve a position of authority in the church. 

As evidence this is the intention of this passage, we can look at the word translators translated as authority in 1 Timothy 2:12.  The word is the Greek word auqentew, which means to dominate or usurp authority.  (1)  This is the only place where this Greek word occurs in scripture.  (2)  Therefore, to simply translate this word as authority as many translations do thus mistaking it with the authority given the church by Jesus in (Mark 16:17).  In addition, the very fact that 1 Timothy 2:11 tells women to learn submissively implies they are called to teach for why learn something and never have an opportunity to share what one learns with others.  (3)

Therefore, taken in context, the passage in 1 Timothy 2:8-15 is not a blanket command for women to have no position of authority in the church but is instead a call for the church to guard against false teaching that usurps the authority of church leadership.  This instruction to the church applies to both men and women and most likely mentions women because there were women in the church at Ephesus who were usurping authority through false teaching. 

1 Timothy 2 teaches us to pray for all people (1 Timothy2:1-7).  We are then encouraged not to draw attention to ourselves when we gather to worship but to instead devote ourselves to God (1 Timothy 2:8-10).  Finally, we are reminded not to allow anyone, man or woman, to usurp the Godly authority of the church by introducing false teaching (1 Timothy2:11-15).

Next Wednesday in 1 Timothy 3, we will look at the qualifications of leaders in the church.

1. Strongs Concordance. augentew. www.godrules.net. [Online] [Cited: June 25, 2016.] www.godrules.net/library/strongs2b/gre831.htm.

2. Blue Letter Bible. Strongs g831. www.blueletterbible.org. [Online] [Cited: June 25, 2016.] https://www.blueletterbible.org/lang/lexicon/lexicon.cfm?t=kjv&strongs=g831

3. Moo, Douglas. 9. What Does it Mean Not to Teach or Have Authority Over Men (1 Timothy 2:11-15). bible.org. [Online] April 13, 2005. [Cited: June 25, 2016.] https://bible.org/seriespage/9-what-does-it-mean-not-teach-or-have-authority-over-men-1-timothy-211-15.