Give Thanks to God For…

Posted on by brettyamaji

As with many folks in America, this week is all about preparation to celebrate a holiday.  Now that might mean a bunch of different things.  From packing a suit case and hitting the road or getting on an airplane.  Or just going to the store to get all of the ingredients for the Thanksgiving holiday feast.  Whatever your plans are this week, for most people it seems to pass by with little sincere consideration of thanksgiving.  Sure, we give a passing gesture of what we are thankful for, a brief thought of thanks, and the traditional thanks for the banquet feast we are about to overstuff ourselves with.  We will give thanks for the family and friends that we will share it with and we might even let God in on the festive moment of thanks with a placated prayer and then we set Him back in a box.

Perhaps I exaggerate, but I hope you get the idea that we more often fail to come to the Holy Day – holiday – of Thanksgiving with a heart full of thanks.  A heart ready to give thanks, not for the things that fill our table, or house, or garages, but to the One who has filled our hearts.  Yes, it is good and right to acknowledge Him and give thanks to Him for filling our table and house and all of those things.  But all these things should not be the first that come to mind when we gather in celebration of Thanksgiving.  Let’s look at a particular Psalm to get an idea of how we ought to approach this particular Holy Day, Psalm 95:1-5:

O come, let us sing for joy to the Lord, let us shout joyfully to the rock of our salvation. 2 Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving, let us shout joyfully to Him with psalms. 3 For the Lord is a great God And a great King above all gods, 4 In whose hand are the depths of the earth, the peaks of the mountains are His also. 5 The sea is His, for it was He who made it, And His hands formed the dry land.

The opening verse speaks to everyone coming together in a communal gathering to sing prepared songs with great joy to the God of the universe.  This is not a haphazard, “let’s throw something together right at the last second as we go to grandma’s house.”  It is prepared worship; we have thought things through.  We know what we are thankful for, but above all we know Who we are thankful to.  It is not some mystical abstract force, or chance, or luck that you are saved or blessed of the Lord.  It is by His gracious hand that all is accomplished and all are blessed, we would be wise to remember all that He these blessings.  Even the unbelievers that are living on this world He blessing, that should be demonstrative enough of His goodness and His lovingkindness. Verse 2 reminds us that we are in the very presence of this great God, and if we have forgotten His credentials, take a look at verse 3.  He is a great God and a great king above all gods.  There is none like Him, nothing to compare Him to.

He is a consuming fire, and when the Israelites heard Him speak from the mountain in the desert they shook with fear.  This is the very same God that we are to be giving thanks to.  This is the very same God that parted the Red Sea.  His power is the same today as it was then and it is the same as when He said let there be light and there was light.  He does not change.  We may not see a physical manifestation of Him in our time like a burning bush or a pillar of cloud by day or a pillar of fire by night, but we have something far greater.  We have the precious blood of Christ, the Rock of our salvation.

The last 2 verses remind us of His majestic reach of what belongs to Him on this world.  It does not even go into the great expanse of the rest of the universe but remains on planet earth.  The depths of the earth and the peaks of the mountains are in His hands; they belong to Him and all that they contain.  It goes on, the seas are also His and I love how verse 5 ends, “for it was He who made it, and His hands form the dry land.”  It was by Him, and through Him, and for Him that creation was created.  It was not for our benefit alone that He did what He did.  We do benefit, yes, and we should give much more thanks that He created us, that He redeemed us for Himself and by Himself, and much more than we should give thanks for a holiday meal.

Why Do We Celebrate Easter?

Posted on by brettyamaji

As the title suggests I am writing about Easter.  Is it wrong for a man of God to allow his family, or in a broader sense, any Evangelical Christians to celebrate Easter?  If you have read, that you might have already answered that question, but we cannot give a clear answer to that until we have a clear understanding of the context.  You see, the name Easter, like so many words in the modern English language, are loaded with multiple means.

So where did the name Easter come from?  The history is not as strong as some would like and I am by no means highly educated in this matter, but I wanted to give some insight into some possible historical lineage.  The Saxons of Northern Europe worshipped a goddess of the east called Eastre or Eostre.  She was referred to the goddess of spring with her symbol being the hare which happens to be the symbol of fertility.  However, there is very little, if any, physical evidence that there was truly a group of humans that ‘worshipped’ a goddess called Eastre.  There are several other examples that I can give, but they are the same.

It appears that the Easter celebration that Christians celebrate, which is the rising of Jesus Christ from the dead, has been taken over by the secular world.  Could it be that simple, that quick, and that easy?  In the last 100 years, do more Americans look forward to an imaginary man-sized rabbit hopping into their houses to seal their hard-boiled eggs (or hollow plastic eggs) and hide them outside, rather than the rising of a Jesus Christ?  The secular world says we cannot tell our children about Jesus Christ because that has not been proven true. It might negatively impact how they see the world.  But we actively promote the Easter Bunny on TV and in stores and in our schools, and sadly in some churches.

That last one is really a sad one.  The church should truly be counter cultural and should not allow something like that to creep into it.  Should a church have an Easter Egg Hunt? Some will outrightly say no, others will say yes, and I will say with caution: it depends.  Definitely no bunnies, but if you want invite the kids of the neighborhood and share the gospel in a friendly and inviting environment, sure.  But the gospel message must be the focal point, not the eggs, or candy, or the fun.  It is the message of the gospel.  Jesus did not rise from the dead so that we might worship a bunny and enjoy chocolate on this particular Sunday.  He defeated death so that we would no longer be slaves of sin.  And no bunny, chocolate, or egg will ever give hope of defeating the death that waits for those who are still under sin.

So why do we celebrate Easter?  Let me rephrase that.  Why do we celebrate Resurrection Sunday?  Because it is the day that Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior defeated death.  He declared to all that death no longer had power over Him and those that would be found in Him.  If Jesus had not been raised from the dead, well, He still would be dead, showing that He was not God, and as Paul puts it in 1 Corinthians 15:14-19:

14 If Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain, your faith also is in vain. 15 Moreover, we are even found to be false witnesses of God, because we testified against God that He raised Christ, whom He did not raise, if in fact the dead are not raised. 16 For if the dead are not raised, then not even Christ has been raised; 17 and if Christ has not been raised, your faith is worthless; you are still in your sins. 18 Then also those who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. 19 If we have hoped in Christ only in this life, we are of all people most to be pitied.

But Paul does not stop there.  He continues on with the good news with verses 20-22, especially at the end of verse 22:

20 But the fact is, Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who are asleep. 21 For since by a man death came, by a man also came the resurrection of the dead. 22 For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive. 

I started with a question and I want to get back to it.  Is it wrong to celebrate with the hiding of eggs?  While I would say no it is not and Scripture does not say that it is forbidden.  How does it seem to you?  Is it too close to the secular celebration of Easter and the hoppy man-sized bunny?  Then I will suggest to you what was recently suggested to me – hide lambs with Scripture verses inside.  Your children will find the treasure of the wisdom of God instead of the foolishness of men and all to His glory.  Resurrection Sunday is coming – He has risen! He has risen indeed.

The Disciplined Man of God

Posted on by brettyamaji

When we think of people who are disciplined, we think of professional athletes, and one reason is that they are the pinnacle of their respective sport.  Pick your favorite athlete and consider the amount of time that goes into them practicing, studying, and working out.  They have a very specific, regimented diet that they keep, not to mention the fact that they have been working in their sport for all of their lives. We must also be disciplined in order to be leaders and protectors of our wives and children.  Paul wrote about this in 1 Corinthians 9:24-27:

24 Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may win. 25 Everyone who competes in the games exercises self-control in all things. They then do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. 26 Therefore I run in such a way, as not without aim; I box in such a way, as not beating the air; 27 but I discipline my body and make it my slave, so that, after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified.

In verse 26 Paul is not talking about running an actual race or literally boxing.  He is using an illustration to tell us that there is a purpose to being disciplined.  This discipline is keeping ourselves in control of what we do with our time and our energy.  Use it wisely to maximize our efforts so that we can excel in the things of the Lord.  The apostle is also saying in verse 27 that he must live out what he is preaching to others, and that is where the discipline comes in.

We are to live a disciplined life so that it does not invalidate our testimony.  It should give proof of the power of the One who redeemed us.  There will be outward evidence of a new life, but not what most people think it should be.  We should never be confused about this simple truth.  It is not the discipline within us that will lead us to salvation.  Instead, it is through salvation and being transformed that brings us to want to be disciplined.

So, what does it mean to be disciplined and in what shall we be disciplined?  That is a difficult question to answer as there is not a hard and fast list in Scripture.  We can, however, gather a list of things that we know we ought to have control over and be disciplined in.  Keep in mind that this is not an exhaustive list.  You can find several other lists out there, many books have been written regarding Spiritual Disciplines.

1. Emotions (Proverbs 29:11)

We are to be in control of our emotions at all times.  Not just emotional outbursts, but the emotions that course through us.  Emotions can be so damaging to those around us, but also to ourselves.  They can leave us bitter and feeling unworthy or unloved.  We must be on guard against rampant emotional outbursts or rampant emotional swings that we hide from one another and never deal with.

2. Words (Ephesians 4:29)

The words that we use can do one of two things.  They can edify, or they can tear down.  They will build up, encourage or challenge someone.  However, they can also tear them apart, deflate them, and cause them to withdraw from the fellowship.  Be careful with the words you use.

3. Thoughts (1 Corinthians 6:18)

Our thoughts are to be pure.  It is, of course, is impossible to keep every impure thought out.  However, when a lustful thought enters our mind, it is not sinful at that moment.  It is sinful when we dwell upon it and toy with it.  Like when King David first laid eyes on a bathing Bathsheba, that glimpse was accidental; it was not sinful.  But the second view and the ensuing lust was.  Sinful thoughts will have an impact on our emotions and on our words.

4. Bible Study (Psalm 119:97, 2 Timothy 3:16)

This is by far one of the most important aspects of discipline for a man of God.  This can be broken down into 2 parts: Bible intake (regular Bible reading) and Bible memorization.  We must be filling our minds with the Word of God so that we might know Him better and meditate on His word (not the empty mindedness of Eastern religions). We are to be filling our minds and thinking on His word, pondering the depth and truth of it.  We are also to hide it in our hearts so that we do not sin against Him.  He has provided a means of escape for every temptation.  And I tell you, if you quote an appropriate verse for a particular temptation in the time of struggle, along with prayer, you will overcome that moment of temptation.

5. Prayer (Hebrews 4:16, Luke 18:1-8, Matthew 21:22)

Speaking of prayer, we should not be lacking in prayer.  Right behind Bible study, we should be known for our prayer life.  The danger is never that we pray too much, but that we pray too little.  One way to jump start your pray life is whenever you get even the smallest inclination to pray, stop and offer up a prayer to God.  It does not need to be a great orated 10-minute prayer.  A simple prayer praising God for being God and for providing you salvation is the greatest prayer.  Communion with your God, that is what prayer is.  The most intimate relationship you should have is between you and your God, not you and another human sinner, even if you are married.  How much and how often you pray tells you how intimate that relationship is.

6. Fasting (Matthew 4:2-4, Matthew 6:16-18)

Yes, fasting is commanded in Scripture and fasting is expected.  Sometimes we fast for health reasons and sometimes we give up things for a time for other reasons.  But I am talking about Biblical fasting, not eating for a day (or longer) and spending that time in prayer or Bible study.  Fasting is about giving something up that is a physical need to demonstrate our spiritual dependence on God.

7. Confession (Proverbs 28:13, 1 John 1:9)

We are commanded to confess sin.  First and foremost, we are to confess our sins to Christ.  He is our Great High Priest who has been tempted in every way that we are, yet without sin, so He knows our struggles.  We are to confess sin to someone else, a trusted fellow Christian who can help and pray with and for us, especially if it is a sin that we are repeatedly falling into.  Along with confession comes repentance.  We are called to repent, but again repentance does not happen in a vacuum that no one is supposed to know about.

8. Worship (Matthew 4:10, Matthew 28:17, Philippians 2:6, 1 Chronicles 16:29)

God has declared how He will be worshipped.  He is a God of order; He is a God of Holiness.  He will be honored as God, and He expects us to come to Him with offerings of praise from our lips and from our hearts.  We do not get to choose how we will honor and worship Him, for He has declared the how.  But because God has created us with creative minds, we have been granted some leeway in the means of worship.  That is to say, we can choose the style of music, the instruments, the furniture, the lights, and even our attire.

9. Fellowship (Acts 2:42, John 10:24-25)

I am separating fellowship and worship as I believe they are two different disciplines.  Fellowship is about being engaged in the lives of one another; worship is about being united together to honor and praise Jesus Christ.  We cannot be engaged with one another unless we are around one another and having everyday conversations.  But it also requires us to have more than just everyday conversations as well; we must challenge one another in the things of the Lord.

10. Rest (Psalm 127:2, Proverbs 10:5, Proverbs 6:9-11)

This is a strange one as we do not think we should need to be disciplined in getting rest.  But we humans are the worst in all of creation in getting proper rest.  We either get too much (and become lazy) or do not get enough rest (and get burned out).  Improper rest leads to other issues with our thoughts and emotions, which lead to other issues with our service, worship, and fellowship.  God created us to work 6 days and rest 1 day.  We must balance how much we work and how much we rest.

11. Celebration (1 Corinthians 10:31, Matthew 11:19)

Celebration is the fun that we have.  It is also those life events that we truly celebrate, weddings, births, graduations, etc.  I have never known such events where there was not food present.  Sometimes there is alcohol present, and it is easy to get caught up in eating too much or drinking too much.  But do not forget that the sin of gluttony is not limited to just consuming too much food.  This sin is about obsessing over food too much, so do not make food or the drink too big of a priority to the celebration.

12. Service (Colossians 3:23-24, Mark 10:45)

Service to the people of God is important.  It is important because it demonstrates our love and devotion to the Lord by our love for His people.  It also demonstrates our submission and obedience to His command to serve one another; it takes discipline to do it.  Serving others stings pride, but through our serving, it can also build pride.  So we must be mindful and disciplined to be watchful of that.  Also, I want to point out that we are commanded to serve, but our service should never, ever replace corporate worship.  When serving in a capacity during a time of corporate worship service, we are removed from that worship.  Serving is a type of worship, but it cannot replace corporate worship.

13. Evangelizing (Mark 15:16, Matthew 28:19-20)

Evangelizing is not just for missionaries in far off countries, and it is definitely not for Pastors on Sunday mornings.  Sunday mornings are meant for the proclamation of the Word of God and the Worship of Jesus Christ.  In general, unsaved people do not come to a church service to hear the truth about God.  That is up to all of us.  We are to go and preach the gospel to all of creation and to share the truth about people’s condition without Christ, but that they have eternal hope with Him.  This is the first step in making a disciple, sharing the good news of Jesus Christ, and not just our personal testimonies of coming to faith.

14. Disciple-Making (Matthew 28:19-20)

Disciple-Making is an important discipline for the man of God.  I am not merely speaking of sharing the gospel and getting a confession of faith.  What I am saying is a long-term relationship of making a disciple of Jesus Christ.  This is a multi-year long relationship, where one mature man of God works with a young in faith man of God (and disciple making is not limited to men only) to teach him the things of the Lord.  We are not gifted spiritual disciplines and Biblical understanding upon conversion.  There will be questions and problems that the new Christian will face.

As I have stated before, this is not an exhaustive list, and even the descriptions are not as deep as we could have gotten into. I really wanted to get your minds working so that you could evaluate our own walk.  How are you doing in these disciplines, are you as disciplined as you think you are?  If you need something more, there are plenty of good books out there.  The one that I would recommend is “Spiritual Disciplines” by Don Whitney.