Watch Your Fuel

“…as newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby.”   1 Peter 2;2. NKJV

When I was in my twenties, I was fortunate enough to have the opportunity to rebuild and restore an old 1955 Chevrolet. As you might expect, the motor I chose to put in it was quite a bit larger than the original and slightly more powerful than really necessary.  Unfortunately for me, however, it wasn’t long after I finished it that the government began to mandate a change in the formulation of gasoline which led to the removal of lead as an additive. The result of this was immediate and profound in my car as the motor needed lead and the higher octane that came with it.  As a result, with the different kind of gas in the tank, my car began to run about as lousy as an old lawn mower.

Since we have been discussing spiritual fitness for the past few weeks, it goes without saying that as with any fitness program, you need to be cognizant of the diet you choose and the foods you eat in order to fuel your efforts.  As believers, we have a fuel tank as well, and the gas we choose to put in it will dramatically affect our performance for the body of Christ. As the passage above from Peter tells us, when we begin our journey we not only need, but should desire “milk” in order to start our growth.  Yet as we progress and gain strength in our spiritual fitness, we need to add solid food as well.

“For everyone who partakes only of milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe.  But solid food belongs to those who are of full age, that is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.”   Hebrews 5:13. NKJV

As I have shared before, my new fitness routine is producing very encouraging results so far, and one of the reasons is, I’m sure, the diet I have been following along with the physical effort.  I spend time every day planning the meals I will consume and especially their makeup in relation to the amounts of protein, fiber, and carbohydrates as well as the total number of calories I consume.  One of the results of this is a newfound respect for protein, and the importance it plays in everybody’s diet.  I look at it now just as I did the gasoline I chose to put in my car back in the day, trying to find balance and the perfect mixture that fuels my physical engine.

As believers, I believe it is of utmost importance that we take note of the spiritual food we consume in order to grow our spiritual muscles and begin our work as part of the body of Christ.  Yet as you would expect, not everyone pays the strict attention to their “solid food” that the Word describes in these passages and the result of not doing so will have the same effect as it would in our daily physical diet.  The phrase “senses exercised “  teaches us that as we grow in strength we should be able to discern what spiritual food is good for us and what is bad.  Just as eating the wrong foods in the wrong quantities will have a very negative effect on our physical health, the same rule applies to our spiritual diet as well. Unfortunately, the result of not paying strict attention to the makeup of our spiritual food is a body which does not function as intended and an inability to demonstrate the power it was designed for.

Because of my interest and focus on eschatology, I have spent a lot of time over the past thirty years studying and analyzing what the Bible has to say about the Church just before the end of the age, and the unfortunate conclusion I came to is that it appears to run just about as well as my car did with the wrong gas. As most are aware, Jesus uses the church at Laodicea to describe what the Church will be like as we approach the end of this age.  If we read His description of it, we find that rather than exhibiting the power it was designed for, the performance Jesus was looking for when He built it is sorely lacking. If you find that hard to believe, just look at what Jesus says about it in His letter to the Church.

"I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot. "So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth.”      Revelation 3:15-16 NKJV

Since the issue here certainly seems to be a lack of performance, my question was what were they doing wrong to put themselves in this position? Or better yet, exactly what was wrong with the gas in their tank? The answer to that may be far more simple than you think. If we look at Jesus' own words to His disciples just before He ascended to Heaven, we might get our first clue.

"But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth."      Acts 1:8 NKJV

The power to which Jesus refers is the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, which He sent to us on the day of Pentecost just 10 days later. So if Jesus Himself told us that when we become believers we are given the gift of the Holy Spirit, and along with that gift the "power" we need to serve Him as we should, why isn't the Church "performing" as it should? The answer to that is given to us by Paul the Apostle in his letter to the Church in Rome. Notice if you will that the problem he addresses is the same, as well as his description of the reasons.

“Besides this you know what hour it is, how it is full time now for you to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believed; the night is far gone, the day is at hand. Let us then cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light; let us conduct ourselves becomingly as in the day, not in reveling and drunkenness, not in debauchery and licentiousness, not in quarreling and jealousy. But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires.”      Romans 13:11-14 RSV

You may notice that I used a different version than I usually use for this particular passage, and I did that for a particular reason. There are two parts of this passage that describes things I see happening more and more lately within the body, and I like how this particular version translates those. I want to draw your attention to the words “becomingly” and “quarreling and jealousy”. Becomingly is translated from the Greek word euschēmonōs, which simply describes the manner in which we act, or in other words what we are being told is to be sure we act as we know Jesus would want us to by exhibiting the fruits of the Spirit. 

By ignoring the importance of examining our spiritual diet in order to stay on track, we see the result is rather than focusing on serving God as an example of a people filled with the Spirit, what reveals itself is a body that begins to reflect more worldly attitudes. Two of the things described in this passage as “works of darkness” are “quarreling and jealousy”.  These two words are actually used together elsewhere in the scriptures, and it seems that it follows you can't have one without the other. The word translated as “quarreling” is eris, which is defined as contention, strife, or wrangling. “Jealousy” is translated from the Greek word zēlos, and means zeal, ardour in embracing, pursuing, defending anything. 

So if we take a step back and examine this passage in its context it appears that Paul is telling us that something we will see in the church as we approach the end is believers acting like the world by choosing to argue strongly about something or even anything rather than  demonstrating the fruits of the spirit such as gentleness, kindness, and meekness. I believe this is a direct result of not exercising our spiritual senses and consuming the “solid food” we are told to partake of. If this sounds a little strong to you, consider another place where Paul uses the same two words to describe a situation in the Corinthian church.

“And I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual [people] but as to carnal, as to babes in Christ. I fed you with milk and not with solid food; for until now you were not able [to receive it], and even now you are still not able; for you are still carnal. For where [there are] envy, strife, and divisions among you, are you not carnal and behaving like [mere] men?”    1 Corinthians 3:1-3 NKJV

So what Paul seems to be saying as he takes these believers to task is that if they are preoccupied with quarreling and arguing, not only are they “carnal” Christians, they can best be described as immature “babes in Christ”. I'm sure most of us understand that the actions of babies are for the most part entirely selfish in nature because at their age, they only know what they want for themselves. But as babies grow into children and then adults, they hopefully mature to the point where they begin to think of others first and consider their actions and how they might affect those around them. Unfortunately as we all know, there are always those few who refuse to grow up, choosing instead to remain selfish and self-centered.

As we see from what Paul writes, believers in the body can, unfortunately, make that same decision to remain immature in their dealings with others. Why a decision? As believers these people are just puttering along like my car did on bad gas because they choose to run on fuel without the high octane which comes from the Holy Spirit by way of diligent study of the Word of God. We as believers must not only make the decision to accept the salvation offered to us by God through the sacrifice of His Son, Jesus Christ, but we must also make the decision to allow the Holy Spirit to control our actions which is in essence, the process of maturity, and make the choice to carefully examine what spiritual food we consume.

To be filled with the Spirit is to receive the power to say no to self, and to say yes to obedience to Christ. We serve Him by taking in the fuel of the Word of God and letting our light shine, not by acting the same as the world. Have you asked God lately to fill your tank with more of the power for living that you need? Is your desire to study faithfully the wisdom the Bible contains and to act as a mature believer should by exhibiting the fruits of the Spirit?  All we need to do is ask, and God will give us all of the knowledge our tank can hold and we can then finish the race running as strongly as we can.

Have you made the decision to change your life direction and enter into a relationship with God? God made the choice to save us, but it is up to us to make the choice to accept it. My prayer for you today is that if you have never made the decision to believe that Jesus Christ died and rose again for you, you would choose to do it right now. Invite Jesus to come into your life and forgive your sins, and begin to experience the joy that comes from having a relationship with a living God, and the knowledge that He has promised us eternal life with Him in Heaven if we only believe.  Pray this prayer and accept the gift of eternal life God has offered you by the death and resurrection of His Son Jesus Christ.

Dear Father in heaven, I believe in your son Jesus. I believe that He died on the cross for my sins, that He rose up from the grave, and that my sins are forgiven.  Forgive me of my sin, help me to walk with you, and thank you for saving me. In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

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Flexing Your Muscle

“But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ's gift. Therefore He says: "When He ascended on high, He led captivity captive, And gave gifts to men." Ephesians 4:7,8 NKJV

Once we make the decision as a believer to grow our spiritual muscles, the question we logically ask ourselves is what should I be doing  as a member of the body. As often as we probably hear the message to be "busy" doing Gods' work, the logical question for many might be "what should I be doing?" That question is in fact, a very good one, for it should be obvious that for the body to function effectively, we can’t all be doing the same thing. Fortunately for us, God has personally taken care of the confusion that could arise by giving to each of us a special gift, or gifts, that He intends for us to use while fulfilling the responsibilities of our service to Him.

“Now you are the body of Christ, and members individually. And God has appointed these in the church: first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, administrations, varieties of tongues. Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Are all workers of miracles? Do all have gifts of healings? Do all speak with tongues? Do all interpret? But earnestly desire the best gifts. And yet I show you a more excellent way.”   1 Corinthians 12:27-31  NKJV

Now experience has taught me that the subject of spiritual gifts can be confusing, and occasionally even the source of some controversy. Our God, however, is not a God of confusion so it stands to reason that any confusion or misunderstanding about gifts comes from man and not from God. I want to spend some time discussing what the Bible has to say about the gifts He has chosen to bestow on us, and the purpose behind His instruction on how we go about exercising those gifts.

The best way to look at the subject of spiritual gifts is to look at them the same way that God does, and that is as a picture of a human body and how it works. It may be an oversimplification, but let's imagine our physical body made up of four distinct divisions. One would be the structural system made up of the bones and muscles which support the entire body. Without it, our bodies would simply collapse so obviously it's quite important. Second would be the nervous system, by which the muscles and bones are told what to do and what direction to do it. Third would be the digestive system by which we take in the nourishment we need in order to grow and receive the energy needed to fuel the body. Last would be the circulatory system which takes the fuel we consume to the rest of the body in order to sustain life.

When we look at these verses in Ephesians we see that Paul divides the gifts of the body of Christ into two distinct ministries. The first we could call the support ministries, and the second would be the working ministries. Look closely at the following verses. 

“And He Himself gave some [to be] apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ”   Ephesians 4:11,12 NKJV

You can see that Paul states there are four specific gifts given to some individuals solely for the purpose of "equipping" other saints for their specific work of ministry. Let's look at these four gifts in light of the four "systems" of the body we have already mentioned.

These verses describing the gifts seem to correspond directly the picture of the body we have already painted with its four distinct divisions. The first gift listed is that of “apostles”, whose job it was to lay the foundation or the support structure upon which the body of Christ would be built. Second are the “prophets”, who were the individuals who spoke by inspiration of God, revealing His words to men. You could compare this to the nervous system of the body which tells the structural system what to do. The third gift Paul tells us is the gift of “evangelists”, which is how the body of Christ grows larger. You could look at this as the digestive system in our bodies where all that we need in order to grow is stored for distribution resulting in the growth of the body. Last is the gift of “pastors and teachers”. In the Greek, this is actually a phrase, so Paul is using two words to describe one gift. We can see where this gift is like our circulatory system which we have already described as giving life to the body by circulating the nourishment we need in order to remain healthy.

These "supporting" gifts are the foundation of the heath and effectiveness of the body of Christ. Without them, the body would collapse and be unable to perform the work for which it was intended. Paul makes it clear that God chooses which gifts to bestow on certain people; therefore He chooses those to whom He wishes to place the responsibilities of gifts supporting the body. 

Unfortunately, many might look at this picture and ask "what more is needed"? But remember I said there are two divisions in the body. There are the "support" ministries which we have discussed here, and then there are the 'working" ministries. In order for the body to perform effectively, there is a division of responsibilities that many seem to miss when discussing spiritual gifts. You could look at the support ministries and think they would be able to do everything necessary, but this is not what Paul has described. Look closely at verse 12.

“for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ,” 

The support gifts are for the purpose of preparing the "saints" for their work.

“And He Himself gave some [to be] apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head--Christ-- from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.”   Ephesians 4:11-16 NKJV

After the support ministries, Paul now introduces us to what we call the working ministries. There are several lists of gifts to be found in the New Testament, each not quite complete, so we will put them all together and see what we find. What we find are as follows; wisdom, knowledge, faith, healing, miracles, prophecy, discernment, helps, administration, exhortation, and tongues. To help us understand each of these better, I thought I would list each separately below with their Greek definitions and usages from the Strongs concordance.

wisdom-"sophia"... wisdom, broad and full of intelligence; used of the knowledge of very diverse matters

knowledge-"gnōsis"...knowledge signifies in general intelligence, understanding

faith-"pistis"...the conviction that God exists and is the creator and ruler of all things, the provider and bestower of eternal salvation through Christ

healing-"iama"...a means of healing, remedy, medicine

miracles-"dynamis"...strength power, ability

prophecy-"prophēteia"...a discourse emanating from divine inspiration and declaring the purposes of God, whether by reproving and admonishing the wicked, or comforting the afflicted, or revealing things hidden; esp. by foretelling future events

discernment-"diakrisis"...a distinguishing, discerning, judging 

helps-"antilēmpsis"...in NT, to aid, help

administration-"kybernēsis"...a governing, government

exhortation-"paraklēsis"...a calling near, summons, (esp. for help) importation, supplication, entreaty exhortation, admonition, encouragement

tongues-"glōssa"...the language or dialect used by a particular people distinct from that of other nations

I think it reasonable to assume that some of these definitions surprise you, for when it comes to teaching about the gifts, there is plenty of disagreement within the body as to their meaning, uses, and even necessity. However, if we examine the context in which Paul writes about the gifts, we can see that controversy and misunderstanding is nothing new. In writing to the church at Corinth, Paul goes out of his way to say a lot about their use, and misuse, even going as far as to list them in order of their importance. All this obviously in response to some in the church believing and teaching that certain gifts were more desirable than others, and which could also then be regarded as an indicator of personal status within the body.

Paul addresses these problems in the course of three whole chapters, which we find in the book of 1 Corinthians, chapters 12-14. In these three chapters I believe Paul makes at least three main points.

The first is that it is God who chooses what our spiritual gift is to be, and not us.

“But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually as He wills.”   1 Corinthians 12:11 NKJV 

All too often we find those in the body trying to tell us what our gift should be, rather than encouraging us to look for and accept whatever gift it is that God has chosen for us. The point Paul makes here is that it is not we who choose our gift, but rather it is God who chooses to give us the gift He feels we need to perform the work He has chosen for us within the body.

The second is that the parts of the body, each with its own gift, must work in harmony with the others.

“For as the body is one and has many members, but all the members of that one body, being many, are one body, so also [is] Christ. For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body--whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free--and have all been made to drink into one Spirit. For in fact the body is not one member but many.”   1 Corinthians 12:12-14 NKJV

Paul now has to spend the rest of chapter 12 explaining that the body is made up of many individuals, and while all do not have the same gift, each is just as important as the next. Paul makes the point that in order for the body to work effectively, each part must perform the function it was designed for if we are to accomplish the responsibility of reaching an unbelieving world for Christ.

Third Paul tells us we can desire the greater gifts.

“But earnestly desire the best gifts. And yet I show you a more excellent way.”   1 Corinthians 12:31 NKJV

Now there are two words in this verse that explain exactly what Paul is trying to tell us, and those are "desire" and "best". Desire in the Greek is "zēloō" which means "to desire earnestly, pursue", and best in the Greek is "kreittōn" which means "more useful, more serviceable, more advantageous". Now if we look at all the lists Paul gives us, it is the "equipping" gifts we talked about which are always listed first. What Paul is saying here is that although we should not seek to have a gift which God has not given us, it is perfectly alright to "pursue" the equipping gifts.

How is that you ask? It should be clear that the equipping gifts are given as a result of spiritual maturity and come after a believer has proven himself worthy by study and application of his faith. New believers do not, and should not, try to teach other believers in the body the day after they make a decision for Christ. I believe what Paul is saying here is that if you apply yourself to attain growth and maturity, God may choose to reward anyone with the serving gifts one of the greater gifts in order to equip other believers for their service for God.

The bottom line is this; are you using your gift? If so, are you striving to grow in order to receive one of the equipping gifts? As members of the body, Paul makes it clear that the life of a believer is a life of doing.  As always, though, in order to experience this life we must first choose to become part of the body of Christ. If you are reading this and have never made the decision to accept Jesus Christ into your heart and accept the free gift of eternal life He has offered you, I urge you to do so right now. You can do that by praying this prayer and accepting the gift of eternal life God has offered you by the death and resurrection of His Son Jesus Christ.

Father, I know I am a sinner in need of salvation. I believe you sent your Son Jesus to die on the cross for my sin, and I ask you now to forgive me of my sins. I want to receive your gift of salvation so please come into my heart and help me to live and follow you as my Lord and Savior. In Jesus' name, Amen. 

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Be Still

“God is our refuge and strength, A very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, Even though the earth be removed, And though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea; Though its waters roar and be troubled, Though the mountains shake with its swelling. Selah

There is a river whose streams shall make glad the city of God, The holy place of the tabernacle of the Most High. God is in the midst of her, she shall not be moved; God shall help her, just at the break of dawn. The nations raged, the kingdoms were moved; He uttered His voice, the earth melted. The Lord of hosts is with us; The God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah

Come, behold the works of the Lord, Who has made desolations in the earth. He makes wars cease to the end of the earth; He breaks the bow and cuts the spear in two; He burns the chariot in the fire. Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth! The Lord of hosts is with us; The God of Jacob is our refuge.” Selah

Psalms 46:1-11 NKJV 

If you recall, I talked a couple of weeks ago about my fitness commitment and how the principles involved can be applied to our spiritual fitness as well.  One of the ways I have chosen to incorporate both at the same time revolves around my morning routine and the very first thing I do upon waking.  Actually it would be the second thing because I am one of those people who needs his cup of coffee first thing in the morning.  After that, however, I take my morning walk which takes about an hour or so. Because I am such an early riser, one of the most beautiful things I get to witness is the sunrise over the mountains where I live.

“I rise before the dawning of the morning, And cry for help; I hope in Your word.”   Psalms 119:147. NKJV

I have mentioned often that Psalms is one of my favorite books in the Bible and the reasons for that are many.  One of those reasons is that I get the impression David was an early riser just as I am and one of the first things he always seemed to do is start his day by talking with God.  Just as my morning walk sets me up physically for the rest of the day, being alone with God and talking with Him sets me up spiritually for the rest of the day as well so I use the time I spend walking as an opportunity to converse with my Father.

“To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David. The heavens declare the glory of God; And the firmament shows His handiwork. Day unto day utters speech, And night unto night reveals knowledge.There is no speech nor language Where their voice is not heard. Their line has gone out through all the earth, And their words to the end of the world. In them He has set a tabernacle for the sun, Which is like a bridegroom coming out of his chamber, And rejoices like a strong man to run its race. Its rising is from one end of heaven, And its circuit to the other end; And there is nothing hidden from its heat. The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul; The testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple; The statutes of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart; The commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes; The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring forever; The judgments of the LORD are true and righteous altogether. More to be desired are they than gold, Yea, than much fine gold; Sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb. Moreover by them Your servant is warned, And in keeping them there is great reward. Who can understand his errors? Cleanse me from secret faults. Keep back Your servant also from presumptuous sins; Let them not have dominion over me. Then I shall be blameless, And I shall be innocent of great transgression. Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart Be acceptable in Your sight, O LORD, my strength and my Redeemer.”   Psalms 19:1-14. NKJV

It was in my teens when I first memorized the entirety of Psalms 19, and it became my habit to recite it every morning when I walk and talk with the Lord.  It seems evident to me that David not only understood the importance of talking with God, but also realized he needed God’s guidance to live according to His precepts.  Asking God for help every day is something I not only want to do but something I need to do in order to try and avoid the trials and temptations I face on a daily basis.

“My voice You shall hear in the morning, O LORD; In the morning I will direct it to You, And I will look up.”   Psalms 55:3. NKJV

Another of the reasons that I enjoy my early morning walk is the stillness and quiet one enjoys at that time of day.  I find it amazing that I can hear sounds that I know originate miles and miles away.  One of those sounds is God’s voice as He talks with me, and I can hear Him much clearer in the stillness and quiet of the morning when there are no other sounds and distractions to interfere with our conversation.

“But to You I have cried out, O LORD, And in the morning my prayer comes before You.”  Psalms 88:13. NKJV

So all this said, if I were to give anyone advice on starting a personal spiritual fitness plan I would suggest they include the following three steps.

1. Alone.  Find a time each day where you can be alone with God without any outside distractions interfering with your conversation.  One on one time is the best way to discover what God wants you to know about your own journey and meaningful conversation between just the two of you is the key to understanding what that might be. 

2. Speak.  Did you notice how important it was to David to speak with God?  Acknowledging the importance of personal communication with our Father is the first step to growing our spiritual muscles.  As I said previously, my first action on my morning walk is to quote scripture and thank Him for another day of life.  It’s only then that I move on to what is on my mind and asking what wisdom He can share with me.

3. Listen. Now some might think this is what many would call a “no brainer”, yet believe it or not, all too many simply tell God what is on their mind but never listen to His response.  My personal revelation about listening to God is just how often He tells me something I did not expect.  Remember, what is on our minds is not necessarily what is on God’s mind and being quiet and listening is the only way to discover what that might be. God doesn’t yell, He speaks. “Be still, and know that I am God.”

“Cause me to hear Your lovingkindness in the morning, For in You do I trust; Cause me to know the way in which I should walk, For I lift up my soul to You.”   Psalms 143:8. NKJV

As I see the signs that this world is fast approaching its time of judgment this passage from Psalms 46 is a comfort to me.  Knowing I can run to God for “refuge and strength” is a comfort that nothing in this world could replace.  If I could sum up everything about my daily morning conversation with God it would be this, “Be still, and know that I am God”.  What a comfort knowing that is.

“Through the LORD’s mercies we are not consumed, Because His compassions fail not.They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness.”   Lamentations 3;22-23. NKJV

It is important to note, however, that in order to enjoy all that God has promised us, it is necessary first to have a personal relationship with Him. If you are reading this and have never made the decision to accept Jesus Christ into your heart and accept the free gift of eternal life He has offered you, I urge you to do so right now. You can do that by praying this prayer and accepting the gift of eternal life God has offered you by the death and resurrection of His Son Jesus Christ.

Father, I know I am a sinner in need of salvation. I believe you sent your Son Jesus to die on the cross for my sin, and I ask you now to forgive me of my sins. I want to receive your gift of salvation so please come into my heart and help me to live and follow you as my Lord and Savior. In Jesus' name, Amen. 

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