Choosing Sides: Judgment or Grace

By:  Dale Weckbacher

 

Text:  Jeremiah 5:14-31

 

Jeremiah 5:18-19

“But even in those days, declares the Lord, I will not make a full end of you. ¹⁹ And when your people say, ‘Why has the Lord our God done all these things to us?’ you shall say to them, ‘As you have forsaken me and served foreign gods in your land, so you shall serve foreigners in a land that is not yours.’”

(ESV)

 

Last night I was greeting people at the door to my Church and handing them a bulletin that contained an invitation card for the upcoming Easter services.  With all the craziness of 2020 that has continued into 2021, it is important to take time out to reflect on the grace of God extended to each of us by the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ.  We deserved God’s judgment but instead have received His grace.  While most reading this are familiar with John 3:16, I encourage those reading this to take the verse in context by reading John 3:16-18.  This context tells us that Jesus did not come to condemn and that any condemnation in our lives is a result of whether we accept the death burial and resurrection of Christ or reject it.  The choice of judgment or grace in our lives depends on whether we choose to believe in Jesus by professing Him as our savior or rejecting Him.  Before beginning this study, I want to offer the chance of accepting Jesus as savior by asking those reading this to pray 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, spent three days in the grave, and resurrected from the dead, and now declare you Lord of my life.

 

In a court of law, the text of Jeremiah 5:14-31 would represent a pronouncement of a sentence by a judge.  The pronouncement of the sentence is in two parts,

 

1)      Details about the sentence and what Israel and Judah can expect (Jeremiah 5:14-19) – Before entering the Promised Land, God had told Israel the blessings of obedience, consequences of disobedience to God (Deuteronomy 28).  The details provided in Jeremiah 5:15-17 are how God will deliver the punishment prescribed in Deuteronomy 28 by,

a.       Attacking their food supply – Israel and Judah have lived under the blessings of God with His provision of autumn and spring rains that result in abundant harvests (Jeremiah 5:24).  This will end with an invasion from the north and the invaders eating all the food harvested.

b.       Attacking their families – The thought of cannibalism is offensive to most people, especially if it involves children.  Jeremiah 5:17 may reference the sacrifices of Jewish children during exile but could also refer to the devouring of the soul and spirit of future generations.  Either one is destructive to Israel and Judah and something they must avoid. 

c.       Attacking their herds – This represents additional devastation of the food supply but also the elimination of animals necessary for sacrifice to atone for the sins of the people. 

d.       Attacking their vineyards – The vineyards and the grapes they produced were used in the making of wine.  Those drinking wine could experience a temporary joy, so this is symbolic of a loss of joy due to the nation going into exile.

e.       Attacking their fortified cities – The purpose of the fortified cities was protection against enemy attack, leaving the nation open to attack and carrying off the people of Israel and Judah into exile.  Spiritually this symbolizes Israel and Judah going into exile in a foreign land that worships the same foreign gods they worshipped in the Promised Land in rebellion against God (Jeremiah 5:19).

2)      A summary of the charges against Israel and Judah (Jeremiah 5:20-31) – Although warned in Deuteronomy 28 about the consequences of disobedience to God, Israel and Judah have chosen to turn a deaf ear and blind eye to what God says (Jeremiah 5:21).  Instead, they have fallen for the deception that God in His infinite grace could not possibly punish them.  This leaves God with no choice but to pronounce judgment that will result in Israel and Judah going into exile, not for their destruction (Jeremiah 5:18; 29:11) but their benefit as they realize the consequences of rebellion against God.  Like the Prodigal Son (Luke 15:15-19), Israel and Judah must spend time in the pigpen of exile to appreciate what they have received from God. 

 

After numerous warnings and mounting evidence of rebellion against God, God proclaims judgment against Israel and Judah.  This should not be a surprise to them for Scripture clearly states the blessings of obedience to God as well as the curses for disobedience (Deuteronomy 28).  The first commandment of the law also clearly commands God’s people to have no other Gods other than the one true God (Exodus 20:1-6).  Unfortunately, the people of Israel and Judah believe they can have it both ways believing that the grace of God will overlook the hypocrisy of saying they believe in God while worshipping pagan gods and somehow escape the consequences of God’s judgment.  Fortunately for Israel and Judah, their destruction will not be complete (Jeremiah 5:18) but a period of serving foreigners in a foreign land in exile until turning back to God and experiencing His forgiveness (2 Chronicles 7:14; Jeremiah 6:19). 

 

The Church must learn from Israel and Judah for while the Church presently lives under the New Covenant of grace, we are not to use the grace of God as an excuse to continue living in sin (Romans 6:1-4).  Instead, we are to bury that old life with Christ in the grave and live with newness of life for Christ, serving Him.  The Church is not to conform to the world and its sinful ways but experience transformation by the renewing of the mind through the truth of God’s word and the Holy Spirit (John 4:23-24; Romans 12:2).  The start of a revival in our communities and our world will begin as the Church becomes less conformed to the world and transformed through Scripture and the Holy Spirit.  The Church must become a non-conforming transformative force in the world for then it can turn the world upside down as happened with the early church (Acts 17:6).  The Church must not be a place using God’s grace as an excuse to sin but instead, be a place extending the grace of God to others so they can escape God’s judgment and have eternal life (John 3:16).  It is not a matter of choosing the side of judgment or grace but instead, choosing to serve Christ through a transformed life and inviting others to experience a similar transformation. 

What’s in Your Treasure Chest?

 

By:  Dale Weckbacher

 

Text:   Acts 16:19-24

 

Acts 16:19-20

But when her owners saw that their hope of gain was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the marketplace before the rulers. ²⁰ And when they had brought them to the magistrates, they said, “These men are Jews, and they are disturbing our city.”

(ESV)

 

Matthew 6:21 reminds us that our heart will be with whatever we treasure in our lives.  While we usually think of treasure as money or material possessions, it also involves anything we value in our lives more than God.  This pandemic has taught valuable lessons including how quickly anything we value more than God in our lives can disappear.  The only thing that will not disappear in one’s life is his or her relationship with Jesus Christ.  Before beginning the study of the text for this study, I want to invite anyone who has not already done so to ask Jesus to forgive their sins and have a personal relationship with God by praying with me now,

 

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, spent three days in the grave, and resurrected from the dead, and now declare you Lord of my life.

 

The owners of the slave girl profited from her ability to tell fortunes due to her possession by a spirit of divination (Acts 16:16), but the casting out of that spirit by Paul and Silas meant the end of any future gain from her fortune-telling (Acts 16:19).  These men so treasured the profit they gained from using a demon-possessed slave girl that they did not see the power of God demonstrated in the ministry of Paul and Silas through casting out the demon.  They failed to see that the same power that raised Christ from the dead dwelt in Paul and Silas and the value it could have in one’s life (Romans 8:11).  These men treasured financial gain that can quickly disappear and failed to see the power of the Holy Spirit that leads to eternal life. 

 

So vile was their anger towards Paul and Silas that they drag them to the marketplace, a place familiar to them where they believed they had power before the magistrates of the city (Acts 16:19-20).  The only thing these men could accuse Paul and Silas of was disturbing the city.  As of this point, the crowd had not begun attacking Paul and Silas so the only disturbing was the loss of profits these men could have earned from their slave girl’s continued fortune-telling.  The men then go on to tell the magistrates that Paul and Silas are advocating the practice of customs that are not lawful for Romans to accept or practice (Acts 16:21).  While this passage does not provide specifics about what practices the men are referring to, we can surmise that Paul was teaching that Jesus was King and Lord of all (1 Timothy 6:15). 

 

As the crowd becomes agitated, the Roman magistrates appease them by tearing off Paul’s and Silas’ clothes and beat them with rods (Acts 16:22).  After the beating, the magistrates have Paul and Silas thrown into prison and order the jailer to keep them safe.  The jailer then places Paul and Silas in stocks and places them safely in the inner prison (Acts 16:23-24).  The magistrates most likely believed the beating and imprisonment of Paul and Silas meant an end to any more disruption of the city but God is not done with Paul and Silas and is about to cause a supernatural disruption in the city (Acts 16:25-26). 

 

The city of Philippi has had an encounter with God through the ministry of Paul and Silas.  For the slave girl, the encounter was freedom from her possession by a spirit of divination (Acts 16:18).  For the slave owners, the encounter showed them something more powerful than the acquisition of wealth (Acts 16:18-19).  The city is about to have an encounter with God as well through an earthquake causing a massive jailbreak (Acts 16:25-26). 

 

When one encounters God, there will be changes in their life.  For the slave girl, the change was the casting out of the spirit of divination that held her in a spiritual prison.  For the slave owners of the girl, the encounter with God means the elimination of profits they made from the ability of their slave to tell fortunes using the spirit of divination possessing her.  Instead of surrender to God after seeing the miracle of the demon leaving the girl, the slave owners lash out at Paul and Silas in persecution accusing them of disrupting the city when all that happened was the disruption of their profits.  These men have seen Godliness in Paul and Silas and the power of God over demonic spirits but instead, choose to protect their profits by turning Paul and Silas over to the Roman Magistrates for arrest. 

 

God is real and at work all around us.  Unfortunately, in the information age, media focuses on the negative and how that affects our lives, ignoring the good God is doing in the lives of individuals.  May we as God’s people not focus on the negative, causing us to focus on guarding the treasures we have in the world and instead praise and worship our God, something Paul and Silas are about to do with miraculous results (Acts 16:25-26).  May God bless everyone reading this post. 

Refusing to Repent

 

By:  Dale Weckbacher

 

Text:  Jeremiah 5:1-13

 

Jeremiah 5:3

O Lord, do not your eyes look for truth?
You have struck them down,
    but they felt no anguish;
you have consumed them,
    but they refused to take correction.
They have made their faces harder than rock;
    they have refused to repent.

(ESV)

 

The world lost a great conservative voice this week with the passing of Rush Limbaugh.  Those that listen to Rush were praying for him as he battled the ravages of lung cancer and yet still fought for and expressed conservative values and his faith in God.  While we knew the day of his passing would come, it always seems to come sooner than expected.  My prayers are with his family as they grieve the loss of their beloved and pray for God’s peace to fill the void left in their hearts.  This blog will be part of continuing the fight to voice conservative and Godly values and truth and I pray others will join this fight for our fight is more than a political fight against flesh and blood but also a fight against forces of evil that war against Godliness (Ephesians 6:12). 

 

This fight is nothing new and is at the root of the battle faced by Israel and Judah during the time of Jeremiah.  The passage in Jeremiah 5:1-13 defines the battle faced by Israel and Judah as it outlines the challenge to find any remnant of Godliness, the consequences of ungodliness, and God’s correction for his people, and not their complete destruction.  From this passage we see,

 

1)      Challenge (Jeremiah 5:1-5) – Interestingly, this passage begins with God issuing a challenge to Jeremiah to find anyone in Jerusalem who seeks truth and does justice so he may pardon her.  It is interesting to note that the scripture says pardon her and not the man seeking truth and justice, indicating that if Jeremiah had found such a man, Jerusalem, Judah, and Israel would have received a pardon from God.  Instead of finding a truthful and just man, Jeremiah found people saying “As the Lord lives” who were swearing falsely based upon their continued rebellion against God (Jeremiah 5:1-2).  However, Jeremiah continues his search, believing he may be speaking with unlearned individuals who do not know the way of the Lord and the justice of their God (Jeremiah 5:4).  Jeremiah then inquires of the learned and educated in Jerusalem believing he may find a man of Godly truth and justice among them, only to discover they too have broken their bond with Godliness and act with hypocrisy.  This spirit of hypocrisy among the learned and educated in Jerusalem was still present in the time of Christ and was Jesus’ main argument against the Pharisees and Sadducees during his ministry (Luke 13:10-17; Matthew 15:1-9; 23:1-36).  It is crucial for the Church today, and especially those in leadership, to search their hearts and repent of any hypocrisy in their lives. 

2)      Consequences (Jeremiah 5:6-9) – The failure to find someone of Godly truth and justice in Jerusalem means there will be consequences for the rebellion and hypocrisy present in Jerusalem.  The consequences of rebellion against God should have been evident to the educated in Jerusalem (Deuteronomy 28) but conveniently ignored with them believing there would be no consequences from God for their continued rebellion (Jeremiah 5:11-12).  When God’s people search their hearts and the Holy Spirit convicts them of sin in their lives, they must repent of their sin and not use God’s mercy and grace as an excuse to continue in sin but instead walk in newness of life, united with God through Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection (Romans 6:1-11; 10:9-10). 

3)      Correction (Jeremiah 5:10-13) – Like a good parent, God must correct his children when they rebel and disobey his direction in their lives.  When one has continued in their rebellion despite many warnings, as has occurred for Israel and Judah, the correction may seem severe, but God’s correction is not designed to destroy his children but for their good (Jeremiah 29:11).  God is not going to bring total destruction to Israel and Judah (Jeremiah 5:10), but enough destruction to bring them to repentance.  Israel and Judah are about to suffer a period of separation from God as they God sends them into exile and removes from the Promised Land and Jerusalem, the place where God dwelt on earth in the time of Jeremiah.  While we now live in a time when people can enjoy the presence of God in any location for God dwells in the hearts of those expressing faith in Him, sin can separate us from intimacy with God.  It is therefore crucial for God’s people to repent of any sin the Holy Spirit reveals in their life to maintain intimacy with God (1 John 1:9). 

 

The sin and rebellion in Jerusalem have reached the point where there are none seeking truth among both the poor and great (Jeremiah 5:1-5).  The sin in Jerusalem is not just one specific act of sin but an attitude of sin that cheapens the grace of God, believing there are no consequences for sin (Jeremiah 5:11-13).  This is not a reliance on the grace of God for salvation but the use of God’s grace as an excuse to continue living in sin.  What Israel lacks is an attitude of repentance for sin, or a desire to turn from sin, and relying on, and not using, the grace of God to save them.  My prayer is that God’s people in the Church would have an attitude of repentance and quickly repent of any sin in their lives (1 John 1:9) so there are no hindrances to their prayers.  We are engaged in a spiritual battle (Ephesians 6:12) and must pray at all times without any obstacles to our prayers due to sin in our lives. 

 

While the passing of great people like Rush Limbaugh leaves a void in our lives, we must allow it to motivate us to continue the battle so revival can sweep over our lives and our nations.  I urge everyone to continue this fight by praying continually for revival in our world and living Godly lives in an ungodly world.  May God bless everyone reading this post. 

God Moves in Macedonia

 

By:  Dale Weckbacher

 

Text:  Acts 16:11-18

 

1 John 4:10

In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.

(ESV)

 

A world of hatred needs love.  God loved sinful humanity so much that he sent his sinless Son (2 Corinthians 5:21), Jesus Christ who though he knew no sin, become sin for us and died, taking our sin to the cross (Romans 5:8).  As a demonstration of victory over sin, Jesus rose from the dead on the third day and now sits at the right hand of God the Father, sending those professing faith in Jesus as their savior the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:33).  Not only is the love of God sacrificial with God sacrificing His only Son and Jesus willingly sacrificing Himself for the sins of humanity, it is also a perfect love that casts out fear (1 John 4:18).  Not only does a world of hate need love, but it is also a panicked world due to Covid19 and needs the perfect love of God to end the hate and cast out the fear.

 

The Apostle Paul and those accompanying him waste no time leaving Troas to begin ministering to those in Macedonia (Acts 16:11-12).  On the Sabbath after his arrival, Paul and those with him go outside the gate of the city to a place they supposed to be a place of prayer but instead praying, Paul speaks with the woman who were there (Acts 16:13).  One of the women there was Lydia who was already a worshipper of God and listens intently to the teaching from Paul (Acts 16:14).  After hearing Paul’s teaching, Lydia and her household are baptized and invite Paul and those with him to her house to stay (Acts 16:15). 

 

On their way to the place of prayer, Paul and those with him encounter a slave girl with a spirit of divination from which her owner profited (Acts 16:16).  The fortune-telling woman follows Paul saying,  “These men are servants of the Most High God, who proclaim to you the way of salvation (Acts 16:17).”  While this is a statement of truth, it is not a statement of faith but a demonic spirit of divination discerning who Jesus is making the statement a statement of mockery by a demonic spirit and not faith.  After this continues for many days, the Apostle Paul turned and said to the spirit possessing the woman, “I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her.” And the spirit left the woman (Acts 16:18).  Lydia and her household committing their lives to Christ through baptism and the casting out of a demonic spirit indicate that God is moving in Macedonia. 

 

The term commonly used by Christians that God is moving is interesting for God is present everywhere and does not need to move.  If anyone moves from or towards God, it is us.  Instead of saying that God moved, it might be better to say that God reached out in love through his servant Paul.  God reached out in love to Lydia so she could have a closer and more intimate relationship with God.  God reached out to the woman with the spirit of divination, rescuing her from her slavery to the demonic spirit and possibly her slavery to her owners. 

 

Paul’s immediate obedience to the vision he received from God at Troas is fruitful with Lydia and her household following through on their worship of God through baptism and deciding to provide Paul a place to stay (Acts 16:11-15).  The work is also fruitful with the casting out of a spirit of divination from a slave girl.  However, the casting out of the spirit of divination is a threat to the profitable business of those benefitting from her fortune-telling (Acts 16:16-18). 

 

As the Church continues to pray for revival to spread across the land, it will see God begin reaching out in love to the community.  This revival will bring worshippers of God in the Church drawing closer in their relationship with God as occurred with Lydia.  This movement of revival will also cast out demonic spirits and sinful activities as it did for the slave girl and the spirit of divination.  However, it is also a threat to those benefiting from these activities.  As revival comes, the demand for abortion, the acceptance of gay marriage, and transgenderism will decline, threatening those politically and financially benefitting from them.  As opposition to the Church rises on these issues, the Church has the choice of either backing down or facing the opposition knowing that no weapon formed against the Church will prosper (Isaiah 54:17).  I pray God’s people will remain strong when opposition comes by praying and wearing the full armor of God (Ephesians 6:10-18).  May God bless everyone reading this post and may revival begin in the Church as God’s people draw closer to God. 

Lamenting the Consequences of Sin

 

By:  Dale Weckbacher

 

Text:  Jeremiah 4:19-31

 

Jeremiah 4:27

For thus says the Lord, “The whole land shall be a desolation; yet I will not make a full end.

(ESV)

 

Sadly, there is rarely the mention of sin in many Churches today out of fear of driving people away and with them their contributions to the Church.  However, sin is serious with God and brings with it a death penalty (Romans 6:23), and since we are all guilty of sin, everyone lives under this death penalty (Romans 3:23).  Thankfully, God has provided a legal means of escaping this death penalty through belief in the death burial, and resurrection of His son, Jesus (John 3:16; Romans 5:8; Romans 10:9-10).  The role of the Church is not numerical growth and increased financial contributions but instead the pointing of people to redemption from sin, which cannot occur without the mention of sin from the pulpit.  This will result in numerical growth and increased contributions as people come to Christ and faithfully attend services to grow in their relationship with God and give out of love and service to God. 

 

Jeremiah 4:19-31 is a lament of Jeremiah brought about by the continued rebellion of Judah against God.  Judah has no excuse for they have seen how their sister Israel has played the whore in their rebellion against God.  However, instead of learning a lesson from what happened to Israel, Judah takes the same rebellious path and is about to suffer exile from their land due to an invasion from the North.  In the passage, Jeremiah,

 

1)      Laments the pending destruction of Judah and the ignorance of the people (Jeremiah 4:19-26) – Jeremiah is not writing his prophecies from the safety of some foreign land but is living in Judah and hears the alarm of war (Jeremiah 4:19-21).  His greatest lament, however, is not the sound of pending attack and war but the foolishness and stupidity of the people who are wise in doing evil but ignorant when it comes to doing good (Jeremiah 4:22).  From his vantage point as a resident in Judah, Jeremiah is aware of the consequences of the invasion from the north which will render the land formless and unfruitful (Jeremiah 4:23-26).  This rendering of the land to formlessness and unfruitfulness is symbolic of what continued rebellion against God does to one’s soul and consequently to the soul and spirit of their nation. 

2)      Laments the resulting destruction of Judah (Jeremiah 4:27-31) – While the destruction of Judah will not be complete or permanent (Jeremiah 4:27), it will have dire consequences.  Since Judah and Israel are God’s chosen people, their going into exile will cause the earth to mourn and the heavens to turn dark due to the absence of Godliness in the land with the rebellion of God’s people.  Instead of remaining strong in their faith in God, Judah continues to worship pagan gods while fleeing the land God has given them out of fear (Jeremiah 4:29-31).  The Church must guard against falling into the same trap by worshipping the gods of building large mega facilities and organizations, enriching themselves on contributions at the expense of preaching the Gospel, which includes calling out sin. 

 

Jeremiah 4:19-31 is not in scripture to provide a historical account of the invasion of Judah from the north for that is historically recorded in 2 Kings 25:1-21.  Instead, this passage is a warning from God through the prophet Jeremiah urging Judah to repent and turn to God by telling them the severe consequences of their sin of rebellion.  With this and many other warnings, Judah stands at a fork in the road and must decide whether to continue in rebellion or repent and turn to God.  Unfortunately, Judah chooses rebellion and goes into Babylonian exile with those remaining in the land fleeing to Egypt out of fear of the Chaldeans (2 Kings 25:22-26). 

 

This passage stands as a warning to nations like the United States today who are living in rebellion against God.  The rebellion began with the removal of prayer and the Bible from school and replacing it with a secular humanistic post-modernistic philosophy void of truth with truth defined as whatever one believes is right.  This has led to the cheapening of life in the interest of providing a means of elimination of unwanted pregnancies through abortion.  The rebellion has continued to where we now see rebellion against biblical marriage between a man and a woman through the condoning of gay marriage.  The rebellion against God has now reached a new low with the acceptance of transgenderism, which is a slap in the face of God, telling Him that he made a mistake with their created gender.  The passage in Romans 1:18-32, written by Paul to the Romans describes the United States and many other nations in the world today.  I encourage those reading this to pray for repentance in the United States and other countries of the world living in rebellion against God and that revival would sweep through the United States and the world.

While there is nothing wrong with large mega Churches, the attracting of people to the Church must be due to the drawing of people to the Church due to lifting up Christ (John 3:14-15).  This will involve the mention of sin and the need for one to repent of their sin which is the purpose of Jesus coming and dying for our sins.  For revival to occur in our world, the church must lift up Christ, trusting God for numerical growth and financial provision. 

Obeying God’s Call

 

By:  Dale Weckbacher

 

Text:  Acts 16:1-10

 

1 Corinthians 10:31

So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.

(ESV)

 

What is God’s will for my life?  This is a question many believers have asked.  The general answer to the question is that everyone accepts Jesus as his or her savior (2 Peter 3:9).  The more specific answer to the question is what believers in Christ wrestle with and is unique for each believer.  The text of Acts 16:1-10 records the account of two individuals who discover God’s specific will or their calling in life.  In both instances, each individual finds their calling in life and goes on with God using them in ministry.  However, each of these individuals finds his calling differently,

 

1)      Timothy (Acts 16:1-5) – Timothy was a young man Paul met while traveling through Derbe and Lystra.  While young, the brothers in Lystra and Iconium spoke highly of him (Acts 16:1-2).  While Scripture does not tell us if Timothy felt any call to ministry in his life, the Apostle Paul must have seen a calling in Timothy’s life, prompting him to ask Timothy to accompany him and Silas (Acts 16:3).  Paul then has Timothy circumcised because of the Jews in Lystra and Iconium who knew Timothy’s father was a Greek (Acts 16:3).  Perhaps the Apostle Paul is reflecting on the problems he had in Iconium with the unbelieving Jews and did not want to cause further division by having an uncircumcised half-Jewish man accompanying him in ministry (Acts 14:1-7).  While Paul’s ministry is to the Gentiles, his heart’s desire is for his fellow Jews to come to know Jesus as their Messiah.  Timothy then accompanies Paul as they deliver the letter from the Jerusalem Council to Churches in the cities they went through leading to the strengthening of the Churches and daily growth in numbers (Acts 16:4-5).  Seeing God’s calling in the life of young Timothy, Paul wastes no time in involving him in ministry and begins mentoring Timothy as his protégé (1 Timothy1-2 Timothy 4). 

2)      Paul (Acts 16:6-10) – Paul is a man of action when it comes to ministry, constantly on the go with a passion for sharing the Gospel as he went.  A great analogy for the ministry of Paul would be slinging as much Gospel mud on the wall wherever he went and establishing Churches wherever the mud stuck and moving to areas where the Gospel was accepted (Acts 13-14).  Paul is following the general calling on his life to take the Gospel to the Gentiles but needs more specific direction for the ministry.  God provides these specifics by the Holy Spirit not allowing Paul to speak the Word in Asia or Bithynia (Acts 16:6-7).  This does not mean that God does not want the Gospel preached to those in Asia or Bithynia but that it is not his will that Paul does it.  Instead, as they travel to Troas, God gives Paul a vision of a man from Macedonia urging Paul to come and help them (Acts 16:8-9).  Paul interprets this vision to mean God wants him to take the Gospel to Macedonia and immediately obeys this calling on his life (Acts 16:10).   

 

The passage in Acts 16:1-10 shows two ways God reveals his direction and calling in one’s life.  For Timothy who has the calling to ministry in his life that, something the Apostle Paul discerns, the discovery of a calling comes through Paul taking Timothy with him so he can begin using his calling and receive mentorship from Paul.  Timothy becomes part of the ministry, delivering the Jerusalem Council letter to the cities they visited and sees the Churches strengthened and growing daily in number.  Paul received direction in his ministry as the Holy Spirit closes doors of ministry while giving him a vision of an open door to minister in Macedonia. 

 

When one has the calling of God in their life, others in ministry may see it and ask them to go with them in ministry.  The one with God’s calling on their life should obey and go with the one seeing the calling in their life to receive mentorship and to see God at work in the ministry.  While working in ministry doors to ministry may close, the closing of these doors and directing us to where God is calling one to minister. 

The calling of God in the life of an individual is something one should immediately obey once it becomes clear.  This clarity may come through others seeing God’s calling in his or her life or the closing of doors to ministry with doors opening in other areas.  My prayer is that everyone reading this post will find their Godly calling and begin serving God in that calling.  May God bless everyone reading this post. 

Tough Love

 

By:  Dale Weckbacher

 

Text:  Jeremiah 4:1-18

 

Jeremiah 4:16-18

Warn the nations that he is coming;
    announce to Jerusalem,
“Besiegers come from a distant land;
    they shout against the cities of Judah.
¹⁷ Like keepers of a field are they against her all around,
    because she has rebelled against me,
declares the Lord.
¹⁸ Your ways and your deeds
    have brought this upon you.
This is your doom, and it is bitter;
    it has reached your very heart.”

(ESV)

 

The job of a parent is very essential.  Parents often view their role as that of raising children when their role is that of raising adults, teaching them what they should do (Proverbs 22:6).  While we would like to think of Proverbs 22:6 as a promise that children taught in the ways of the Lord will always return, every individual must decide to believe in Jesus as their savior on their own (John 3:16; Romans 10:9-10) with parents planting the seeds of the Gospel in the lives of their children.  Parents who genuinely love their children also understand the need to express that love in the form of tough love when their children continue living in rebellion.  This is the state of Israel and Judah at the time of the writing of Jeremiah 4:1-18. 

 

The text of Jeremiah 4:1-18 is in two parts,

 

1)      A plea to return to God (Jeremiah 4:1-4) – God is a loving Father and gives his rebellious children another opportunity to return to Him.  This return to God involves repentance through the removal of detestable things, a reference to the alters of the pagan Gods they worshipped, and not wavering in returning to the Lord in truth, justice, and righteousness.  The reward for this repentant return to God is that the nations that are now the enemies of Israel will come to Jerusalem, not to attack it, but to bless themselves in the glory of God (Jeremiah 4:1-2).  To illustrate the importance of repentance, Jeremiah uses the image of circumcision as an illustration of the need to remove the foreskin of sin surrounding their hearts (Jeremiah 4:3-4). 

2)      Prophecy of a disastrous invasion from the north (Jeremiah 4:5-18) – Should Israel continue to rebel against their heavenly Father, they will face an invasion by enemies from the North who will lead the nation into exile.  This is the lion coming up from the thicket and destroyer of nations (Jeremiah 4:7). 

 

The choice for Israel and Judah is clear, return to the loving arms of God in repentance or incur the tough love of God through an invasion from the north leading the nation into exile.  Israel and Judah have had ample warning and know the consequences of continued disobedience to God (Deuteronomy 28), yet continue to ignore God’s Word.  We must all search our hearts and ask God if there is any rebellion in our lives and remove it, so we too do not need to incur the tough love of God.  I encourage everyone reading this to remember that,

 

1)      God’s love is perfect love that casts out fear (1 John 4:18).  The perfection of God’s love in one’s heart comes through keeping God’s Word (1 John 2:5).  The men of Judah and Jerusalem have lived in rebellion against God, but God still loves them as evidenced by Him issuing a warning, but they continue to ignore His warnings and continue in their rebellion.  This leaves God with no choice but to exercise tough love towards His people by issuing judgment upon them through an invasion from the north that will bring them into exile.  Deuteronomy 28 provided God’s people with the blessings of obedience and the curse of disobedience, with continued disobedience resulting in exile from the Land.  However, when God’s people turn back to God, he will accept them (Deuteronomy 30:1-3). 

2)      God is the picture of perfect love (1 Corinthians 13) and wants the best for his children (Jeremiah 29:11).  While we would like this to mean a life free from cares and worries, we live in a world of evil and corruption and trouble will come (John 16:33).  However, sometimes the trouble in our lives is self-inflicted and due to sin and rebellion in our lives.  Sadly, some Churches no longer speak of sin and its dire consequences, portraying God as a permissive Father allowing his children to engage in sinful behavior believing, “I can do anything I want, and God’s grace will cover my sin.”  Those with this belief are using the grace of God as an excuse to sin (Romans 6:1-4) and require the tough love of God to bring them to repentance. 

 

I encourage those reading this who have either never prayed to accept Jesus as their Savior or who have strayed from their relationship with God in rebellion and sin to pray with me now,

 

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, spent three days in the grave, and resurrected from the dead, and now declare you Lord of my life.

While the year 2020 was a year of struggle and trial, with those struggles and trials remaining during 2021 so far and encourage everyone to join me in making the year 2021 a year of returning to God.  The world is in a state of paranoia seeking answers.  Unfortunately, they are seeking answers in institutions led by flawed men and women instead of finding answers in God and His Word.  What has occurred in our world is not a surprise to God so why would we go elsewhere for answers.  God also provides hope for Scripture tells us He is returning to straighten this mess out (Revelation 22:6-21). 

Divide and Conquer.

 By:  Dale Weckbacher

 

Text:  Acts 15:36-41

 

Acts 15:39-40.

And there arose a sharp disagreement, so that they separated from each other. Barnabas took Mark with him and sailed away to Cyprus, ⁴⁰ but Paul chose Silas and departed, having been commended by the brothers to the grace of the Lord.

(ESV)

 

The buzz word for 2021 seems to be shaping up as unity.  This is understandable with all that occurred in 2020 and the violence and political divisiveness which resulted in the most divisive election of our time.  While in his inauguration speech, President Biden promised unity, the only unity that can truly bring unification in our country is the unification that comes through Christ.  While we should expect disagreement even among believers in Christ, a unity of purpose in serving Christ can bring unity despite these differences.    

 

In Acts 15:1-35, there was a disagreement in the Church in Antioch over the doctrine of circumcision.  The Jewish believers from the sect of the Pharisees believed one’s salvation required circumcision, with Paul and Barnabas disagreeing.  Since this issue involved doctrine, the issue went to the Apostles and elders, and the Church found a resolution.  However, the issue in Acts 15:36-41 involves a personal issue between Paul and Barnabas over whether John Mark should accompany Paul and Barnabas in ministry. 

 

The issue stems from an incident in Pamphylia where John Mark left Paul and Barnabas.  No details are provided in Scripture as to why he left but the issue remained a point of contention for Paul (Acts 15:38).  The initial reaction for many reading this passage is that Paul needs to forgive John Mark and move on, but Paul must also consider the ministry and does not want to have John Mark leave them in a lurch again.  It is possible Paul forgave John Mark but is not ready to reconcile with him, allowing him into the ministry.  Later when addressing the Colossians, Paul did tell the Church to welcome John Mark in (Colossians 4:10) indicating Paul had come to a resolution on the matter. 

 

The most interesting thing to take from this passage of scripture is that Paul and Barnabas did not allow this disagreement to stop their ministry but agreed to separate with Barnabas taking John Mark with him to Cyprus, and Paul taking Silas with him to Syria and Cilicia (Acts 15:39-41).  After much success in their mission's work and after receiving encouragement at the Jerusalem council, Satan attempted to stop any further spread of the Gospel by placing a personal wedge of contention between Paul and Barnabas over whether John Mark should accompany them in their ministry.  However, instead of stopping the ministry, the disagreement leads to the separation of Paul and Barnabas and the taking of the Gospel to Cyprus through Barnabas and Syria and Cilicia through Paul.  Later, as a sign of his reconciliation of differences with John Mark, Paul would tell the Colossians to welcome Mark (Colossians 4:10). 

 

Divisions in the Church over personal matters such as occurred in Acts 15:36-41 still exist today.  Unfortunately, if left unattended to, these divisions can cause the Church to suffer and even disband.  Also, many believers in the Church may leave the Church altogether and lose intimacy with God.  Instead of a split damaging the souls of the Church congregation, a strategy like that implemented by Paul and Barnabas may be better as it allows expansion of the ministry until reconciliation of differences can occur later. 

 

If you are reading this and have soured on religion or even turned your back on God due to a disagreement in a Church that festered out of control, I pray you will come back to God and find a Church congregation where you can grow in intimacy with Christ.  The Apostle Paul and Barnabas did not let their disagreement over whether John Mark should participate in ministry stop their bringing the Gospel to the Gentiles and doubled their efforts.  God loves us and does not want personal disagreements to separate us from an intimate relationship with Him.  May God bless everyone reading this post.