When the Government Bleeds Us Dry

I have two vehicles which are completely paid for. So when I moved from AL to LA, I wasn't expecting a huge SALES TAX on my vehicles. Evidently, I paid 4% tax in AL on my cars, so Mandeville, LA, has an 8% tax. According to their books, I owe them the difference (another 4% sales tax) on an item I bought in another state. I thought of a few choice words when I discovered this, such as "extortion," "corruption," "unfair," and "you've gotta be kidding."

But then I remembered something my Lord taught years ago. He was approached by the Pharisees, who asked:

Matthew 22:17-21
17 "Tell us then, what do You think? Is it lawful to give a poll-tax to Caesar, or not?"
18 But Jesus perceived their malice, and said, "Why are you testing Me, you hypocrites?
19 "Show Me the coin used for the poll-tax." And they brought Him a denarius.
20 And He said to them, "Whose likeness and inscription is this?"
21 They said to Him, "Caesar's." Then He said to them, "Then render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's; and to God the things that are God's."

God expects me to pay taxes! I am subordinate to this government. Paul wrote in Romans 13:5-7: "Therefore it is necessary to be in subjection, not only because of wrath, but also for conscience' sake. For because of this you also pay taxes, for rulers are servants of God, devoting themselves to this very thing. Render to all what is due them: tax to whom tax is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honor to whom honor." We teach the principles of submission all the time. When it comes time to LIVE the principles we realize why they had to be taught - because sometimes it's just not easy.

Of course, I'd be cool if the government would STOP bleeding us dry. But until then, I'll pay what I owe.

God bless,
Nathan

REMEMBER: Tomorrow's reading is LUKE 1

Gearing Up To READ!

Does the thought of reading excite you or bore you? You may be among those who don't salivate when they walk into a library. Then it may depend on the type of book as to your level of excitement. I have a close friend who is an avid reader, but she mainly reads fiction. I should say, she DEVOURS fiction. But when it comes to things like self-help books, non-fiction, and the Bible, she slows way down. I have another friend who reads self-help books exclusively.

There are several obstacles to overcome when starting to read the Bible. I'd like to share three with you. Perhaps some of these are holding you back. I'll also offer some encouragement on how to overcome each obstacle.

1. I don't know where to start reading the Bible. This is daunting, to be sure. There are 66 books in the Bible. There's an Old Testament with 39 books and a New Testament with 27 books. Do I start in the Old or the New? Do I start in the beginning and work forward from there? Since I can't figure out where to start, I'll just throw up my hands and wait until later...I'll wait until I receive some sort of epiphany, that eureka! moment that tells me the best launching point. "One day..." And I never get around to reading the Bible. Well, my friends, I'm hoping to help with this question by presenting the attached "Reading through the New Testament in three months" schedule. I can't say there is any ONE perfect starting point in reading the Bible, but starting in the New Testament is often a good idea, especially for those who don't have a habit of reading. Please take the time to look over the reading schedule. We will not be reading from Matthew through Revelation in that order, but we will cover every verse in the New Testament over the next three months STARTING ON WEDNESDAY. Who is with me?

2. I don't understand what I read in the Bible. This presents a basic obstacle as to the PURPOSE of reading the Bible. If you have ever finished a chapter of the Bible and had that "HUH?" moment where you looked back and realized yo had no clue as to what was going on there - you know what I mean. The temptation is to set the book down and say, "If I can't understand this stuff, why am I spending so much time reading it?" That's where this discussion group will come in handy. I plan to post comments on verses we come across in our daily readings. Anyone can post questions or comments at any time, which the whole group can consider and answer, if they wish. This will facilitate a greater understanding of what we read. God INTENDS for us to understand His word (Ephesians 3:4: "when you read you can understand").

3. I don't see how the Bible is useful to me today. Even when I understand what was going on, sometimes I don't know how to APPLY it to my life. This is the highest level of study - translating what we read to daily life application. Again, I hope this e-mail group to be useful in discussion those applications, as well. Just know the Bible is USEFUL to us. "All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correcting, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work" (2 Timothy 3:16-17).

I hope the next three months will be a wonderful growing process for all of us! I look forward to STARTING ON WEDNESDAY :-)

God bless,
Nathan

P.S. Let me know if you have any questions about this.

If It Never Rained

In the middle of the night, rain pouring down outside, beating on the window just feet from where I lay, I heard a PING...PING...PING coming from the hall. There's a little door in the hall which accesses the air conditioner unit. The sound was coming from inside. I opened the door to find quite a volume of water dripping from a hole above the air conditioner. You know, if it never rained, I never would have noticed the leaky roof. There would have been no problem.

1 Peter 1:6-7 says this:
6 In this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials,
7 so that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ;

How do you know you have faith in God? How do you know you have faith which will stand up under pressure? How do you know your faith isn't full of holes and leaks like a sieve? Your faith must be tested. Remember Abraham. He was justified by faith, but his faith was tested in extreme ways. He was told to leave his homeland and go...somewhere, he didn't know where. He was told to sacrifice Isaac, his only son. After he raised his knife to slay his child, God said, "Now I KNOW that you fear God" (Genesis 22:12). His faith was tested, and it passed inspection.

Our faith is constantly being tested in small ways. Every once in a while, we get a big test. Some great temptation stands before us; we have a big choice to make. We might lose our job. We might lose a friend. We might get in trouble. We might be miserable for a long time. But when we make the RIGHT choice on these tough questions, we prove our faith towards God.

If it never rained, we would never find the leaks.

God bless,
Nathan

Check Engine Soon

I have a 1998 Ford Windstar, and my "check engine soon" light has been on for a couple of years. Yes, I said "years." I had it checked out when it first came on and the mechanics hooked up a little computer to the van and ran diagnostics. They told me it was a valve which controls the oxygen richness mixing with the fuel. They said I would get better gas mileage if I got it fixed...and at some point my van would just start dying on me. Well, now it's dying more and more often. Sometimes in traffic, which is not a good thing.

Isn't it interesting how we can let problems slide for long periods of time, especially when we think we know what they are and "it's really not that bad"? The problem with my "check engine soon" light is that there are OTHER problems which could turn on that light. If it's always on, how will I know when another problem surfaces? It also does not tell me the SEVERITY of the problem. As it gets worse, the light is just as bright as always. I've gotten used to seeing the warning light, and it doesn't bother me any more.

We get used to warning signals in our spiritual lives, too.

We stop reading our Bibles for extended periods of time. We realize from time to time that our Bible knowledge is slipping (if you don't use it, you lose it). We are not as able to discuss spiritual matters with our brethren, let alone with our co-workers, neighbors, and friends. But after a few years of that, we think, "it's really not that bad - I've been going like this for a while, and I still seem to be okay." Remember 2 Timothy 2:15: "Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth."

We stop praying for extended periods of time. We are not as close or connect to our God, the giver of life, the sustainer of our spirits. It starts affecting our relationships with our family and friends. We become more anxious about life. And after a few years of it, we still thing, "it's really not that bad - I pray enough to get by." Remember Philippians 4:6: "Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God."

We stop meeting with the saints for extended periods of time. At first, it's "just Wednesdays." Then it's "just Sunday nights" because, after all, God didn't command us to come together twice on Sundays, right? After a while we miss Sunday's entirely from time to time. Our brethren are concerned, and they call us to say they missed us. We start getting mad because they are so pushy. After all, "it's not really that bad - Christianity is between me and my God, and I can worship Him from my couch at home just as easily as with the brethren." Remember Hebrews 10:24-25: "Let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near."

We need to "check our engines" regularly.

God bless,
Nathan

Interpreting Signs

So my family has been sick for about three weeks, off and on. What's the deal? Are we allergic to our new house? Are our immune systems shot from the stress of moving? Or is there a deeper issue at work here?

Some might be tempted to look at our health situation as a SIGN. Some well-meaning brother or sister might say, "Don't you think this is God telling you it was a mistake to come here?" Isn't it tempting to interpret life situations in this way? Things are going well, so we believe God approves of everything we're doing. Things hit rock-bottom and we just know there is sin involved or, at best, errors in spiritual discernment.

But I could turn the tables just as easily and claim this is Satan working against us. Yes, I might like to think the forces of evil are at work attempting to discourage the work here on the North Shore. Perhaps coming here was the best thing for the kingdom of God, and the devil doesn't like it.

Paul faced a similar circumstance when shipwrecked on the Island of Malta in Acts 28. Notice the following event.

Acts 28:1-6
2 The natives showed us extraordinary kindness; for because of the rain that had set in and because of the cold, they kindled a fire and received us all.
3 But when Paul had gathered a bundle of sticks and laid them on the fire, a viper came out because of the heat and fastened itself on his hand.
4 When the natives saw the creature hanging from his hand, they began saying to one another, "Undoubtedly this man is a murderer, and though he has been saved from the sea, justice has not allowed him to live."
5 However he shook the creature off into the fire and suffered no harm.
6 But they were expecting that he was about to swell up or suddenly fall down dead. But after they had waited a long time and had seen nothing unusual happen to him, they changed their minds and began to say that he was a god.

Here is a group of men whose opinions change with each situation. They have no firm truth on which to fasten their faith. They have no anchor. But we have an anchor. When our life takes ups and downs, we still constantly assess ourselves to make sure we are doing exactly what we should be doing. If we are doing our best to follow God and His plan, we have no reason to worry about "signs" in our life.

Caveat: Realize, I am not dealing with situations where we PRAY for God to lead us in certain directions, or to work in some way in our lives. Then we SHOULD be looking for His guidance.

May we bless each other and bless the Lord today,
Nathan

Don't Run In The Dark

Last night my little girl threw up...all over me...all over the carpet in her room. Yes, it was nasty and it smelled really bad. Yes, I had to clean it up. My wife took care of the little girl while I took care of the mess. I turned off the lights in the hall and headed back to the living room.

My wife said, "Nathan, can you get me a towel? I think she's about to go again." So I dashed down the dark hall to grab a towel. I had just been cleaning up the hall, so you'd think I would have remembered that empty box blocking half the hallway, but, no - I ran smack into it. I chipped a toenail. I scraped my ankle. I was pretty mad at myself.

Don't run in the dark.

Ephesians 5:8-14
8 for you were formerly darkness, but now you are Light in the Lord; walk as children of Light
9 (for the fruit of the Light consists in all goodness and righteousness and truth),
10 trying to learn what is pleasing to the Lord.
11 Do not participate in the unfruitful deeds of darkness, but instead even expose them;
12 for it is disgraceful even to speak of the things which are done by them in secret.
13 But all things become visible when they are exposed by the light, for everything that becomes visible is light.
14 For this reason it says, "Awake, sleeper, And arise from the dead, And Christ will shine on you."

God is light, and in Him there is no darkness (1 John 1:5). We are children of light because we are children of God. We walk as He walks. His light illuminates our path. His word is a lamp to our feet and a light to our path (Psalm 119:105).

We are like the moon - we reflect the light of the Son. We do not generate the light, but we reflect the great light that Christ shines upon us. He shows us how to walk. He has prepared a path where we can SEE WHERE WE ARE GOING. We won't stumble as to fall on His path.

Don't run in the dark. Walk in the light!

God bless,
Nathan

A Lesson from an Old Man in Congo

Yesterday I was listening to a radio program on human rights issues in Congo. There's a lady who works over there to discover and document warlords who are raping, murdering, and plundering to their hearts' desires. One of the stories she shared was horrifying. An old man was late getting to a village celebration. As he approached, he saw a group of men with guns surrounding all the villagers. He hid in the bushes to see what was going on. They made everyone take off their clothes and then separated the men and boys from the women and girls. They tied up the men and boy's hands and led them away into the jungle. The old man followed because he had to know what they were going to do. They made all the males lie face down and then proceeded to bash in their skulls with clubs. The old man returned to his village badly shaken and crying.

The next morning he went back to the spot. His wife had not come home that night. He was hoping against hope that she was alive. What he found was that those murderers had raped all the women and then killed them, too. He found his wife, age 68, dead with nothing but her skirt on. Here is what he said:

"They killed my old friend. Now I'm all alone."

Aside from all the atrocities and the anger I felt towards those murdering scum, there is a wonderful picture of marriage in those words. An old man in the jungles of Congo knew more about marriage and contentment than most of the men and women in the "civilized" world. We are living in the age of divorce. There was a time, years ago, when divorce was shameful. It brought shame to the whole family. It was a coward's way out, not to mention ungodly. It was because families were built around the Biblical model of marriage that they hung together "in good times and in bad."

Jesus said, "Have you not read that He who made them at the beginning 'made them male and female,' and said, 'For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh'? So then, they are no longer two but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate." (Matthew 19:4-6)

I am ONE FLESH with my wife. God joined us together. I have no right to separate this divine arrangement. She is my closest friend, and one day I hope to say she is my "old friend." We've seen some rocky times. Our relationship has been stressed and strained from time to time. But God expects us to stick it out.

God bless you guys,
Nathan

Chosen to Obey

Let's consider one more point about God's choosing...and then I'll let it rest, unless someone has further questions or comments.

1 Peter 1:1-2
To those who reside as aliens, scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, who are chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, by the sanctifying work of the Spirit, to obey Jesus Christ and be sprinkled with His blood: May grace and peace be yours in the fullest measure.

Those who are Christians have been chosen (1) according to the foreknowledge of God, and (2) by the sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit. Today, let us consider a third point in this verse:

We are chosen to obey Jesus Christ and be sprinkled with His blood.
The REASON we are chosen is so we can be saved from our sins through the blood of Christ and so we can live for Him.

Notice how obedience and salvation are tied together in this verse. The idea of being "sprinkled with His blood" reminds us of Exodus 24:8: "So Moses took the blood and sprinkled it on the people, and said, 'Behold the blood of the covenant, which the LORD has made with you in accordance with all these words.'" Also Isaiah 52:15: "Thus He will sprinkle many nations." Under the old covenant, the blood of a sacrifice was sprinkled on things and on people to cleanse them of impurities and sins. This is how the blood of the sacrifice was applied. Under the new covenant, the blood of Jesus is sprinkled upon all nations allowing all men who call upon His name to be saved. Of course, only those who OBEY are cleansed by His blood. Our obedient faith is what accesses His blood today.

This is not a doctrine of "once saved, always saved," where a Christian is always in the safety of the arms of His Savior no matter what choices he makes. This is not a doctrine of "grace alone," leaving out any work of obedience on the part of man. No, a Christian is called to a life of obedience. If he ceases to obey, he ceases to be cleansed by the blood of Christ. Hebrews 10:26, 29 puts it this way: "If we go on sinning willfully after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins...[he] has trampled under foot the Son of God, and has regarded as unclean the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and has insulted the Spirit of grace."

Our Lord chose us so that we would obey Him!

Praise be to God who sprinkled us with His blood to cleanse us from all unrighteousness! May we walk in His paths.

God bless,
Nathan

Chosen by the Sanctifying Work of the Holy Spirit

1 Peter 1:1-2
To those who reside as aliens, scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, who are chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, by the sanctifying work of the Spirit, to obey Jesus Christ and be sprinkled with His blood: May grace and peace be yours in the fullest measure.

Yesterday we discussed being "chosen according to the foreknowledge of God." Today, let's look at the second statement which pertains to God's choosing us: "chosen...by the sanctifying work of the Spirit."

We are chosen by the sanctifying work of the Spirit.
How does the Spirit sanctify us? I don't fully know. I know "the Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God" (Romans 8:16). I know "you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him" (Romans 8:9). Somehow the Holy Spirit dwells in us, and His presence with us is a sign to God that we are His children! He makes us alive. He makes us righteous. He makes us holy (which is what sanctification is all about). This is God's METHOD of choosing - through the sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit.

May God bless and sanctify you today,
Nathan

Chosen According to the Foreknowledge of God

Last night we had a good question about God's "choosing" us. The verse we were considering was 2 Peter 1:10: "Therefore, brethren, be all the more diligent to make certain about His calling and choosing you..."

The fact that we are chosen by God to be Christians is a completely legitimate and true teaching in Scripture. There are many verses which teach this. However, this teaching has been taken out of context and twisted. Let's examine 1 Peter 1:1-2 for a moment:

To those who reside as aliens, scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, who are chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, by the sanctifying work of the Spirit, to obey Jesus Christ and be sprinkled with His blood: May grace and peace be yours in the fullest measure.

We are chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father.

There is a difference between KNOWING and CONTROLLING. It has been stated by some Calvinists that God controls every detail of the earth down to the molecular level. They call this the doctrine of the sovereignty of God. In the minds of many, if God KNOWS the future, then He must CONTROL the future. But it does not logically follow.

Is it not possible for God to KNOW the future without CONTROLLING the future? Just because God knew Jesus would be killed by crucifixion doesn't mean He made those men hammer the nails into the flesh of His Son. Just because Jesus knew Judas would betray Him doesn't mean He controlled Judas' heart in order to make him sin. Just because God KNOWS who will obey doesn't mean He MAKES us obey.

God chose us according to His foreknowledge. He chose those He knew would accept Christ. He can look through the future, even to the end of time, and know who will bend their hearts to His will and who will reject Him. This does not take away my freedom to choose right and wrong. This does not mean my life has already been written and I can't do anything about it. It just means HE KNOWS!

Over the next couple of days I'd like to look at two other points concerning God's choosing us from 1 Peter 1:1-2.

God bless,
Nathan

Another Thought on Desk-Building

As I was "following instructions" putting together that desk, I installed three desk-drawer slides in the wrong places. It was a simple mistake - I just got them upside-down. I was installing them on two side pieces, and I didn't have the correct picture in my mind on how the BIG pieces would fit into the desk. I didn't know which end of the sides would be up and which would be down. So that messed up my orientation of the SMALL pieces.

That got me thinking. As we follow the pattern of God's word, it's imperative to understand the BIG principles (the basics) first. The smaller details (applications) of the pattern all hinge upon the bigger principles. This is why there are so many false doctrines around today. I think folks do one of two things:

1. They start from an incorrect understanding of God's main principles, which messes up their interpretation of the rest of God's word.

2. They start building from the small details, and they hinge the larger principles upon an incorrect interpretation of they smaller details.

Both of these approaches to God's pattern will send a person to the same end: a corrupt understanding of the word. Paul warned Timothy about "men who forbid marriage and advocate abstaining from foods which God has created to be gratefully shared in by those who believe and know the truth" (1 Timothy 4:3). Here were men who taught incorrect doctrines, just as man do today. I cannot help but think of certain churches which teach abstinence from earthly appetites as a way of becoming more spiritual. They forbid marriage to clergy. They encourage men to torment their bodies by eating only bread and water, living apart from the world, and spending every waking moment either in prayer or meditation or reading. Indeed, "These are matters which have, to be sure, the appearance of wisdom in self-made religion and self-abasement and severe treatment of the body, but are of no value against fleshly indulgence" (Colossians 2:23).

We must understand the BIG PICTURE before we can truly understand the details. Too many want to discuss the book of Revelation before they know anything about the teachings of Christ in the Gospels or the spread of the church in Acts.

So...on Wednesday nights I plan to start a little series of classes on FOUNDATIONS OF THE FAITH. Hopefully, next Wednesday I'll have an introductory lesson to that study.

Have a great Friday!

God bless,
Nathan

Building a Desk

For a couple of hours yesterday morning I worked on putting together a new desk from Office Depot in the back room of the church building. There is this great book that has drawings and detailed instructions on how to put the thing together. Did you know you have to carefully follow all the instructions to come out with a good-looking desk? For the most part, the instructions are easy, but every now and then there is a more obscure instruction which takes more time and effort to figure out. If I want a good-looking desk, I have to be patient and put in the effort necessary.

It struck me that I was following a pattern. If I stick to the pattern as the pattern designer intended I will come out with the final product.

The NKJ says: "Hold fast the pattern of sound words which you have heard from me, in faith and love which are in Christ Jesus." (2 Timothy 1:13)

God has given us a pattern of sound words to which we are to hold fast. He is the designer of the pattern. If we follow the pattern we will come out with the finished product He intends - godly children made righteous by the blood of Jesus Christ! There are many instructions which are easy to understand. There may be some instructions (principles) which take much more time and effort to digest. But if we want the benefits and blessings of the final product, we will put in the effort to understand the pattern of sound words.

So...building a desk...building a godly life...follow the instructions.

God bless,
Nathan