Epaggelia

Who do I really focus on when I worship? If we call our time together on Sunday a “worship service”, who are we serving with love? Isn’t love the heartbeat of worship?. If my focus is on human performance rather than on the good news of Christ, it is not worship of Christ. If anyone other than Jesus is receiving my heart’s applause, it is not God that I really worship. The Apostle Paul believed that a human heart could “see”, (Ephesians 1:18). When my heart is filled with gratitude, why can’t it applaud? Perhaps that is what is happening on the inside when we sing with grace in our heart (Colossians 3:16) while on the outside our tongues are singing out loud.

If my attention is on the good news, I’m headed the right direction, but if I end up loving the messenger instead of the author of the message, what was my attention really on? What message is the church offering the world? If a visitor is offered a call to feel good about their potential and self worth, did they hear Christ call them to carry a cross, or do we call them to have fun in His name? The living fact of the good news is this: Jesus went to the cross because of his love for our forgiveness of my so-called worldly fun. While he hung on the cross, the only entertainment was in the people who mocked him.

If the heart of worship service gives visitors the impression that we are fun-filled instead of Spirit-filled, what are we winning them over to? To cross-carrying? To self-denial? To separation from the world?  To holy living? To self-discipline? To love for Jesus Christ as our God or love of self-fulfillment?

A Company may celebrate its grand opening by giving prizes to the first 100 customers or awarding the one millionth customer many gifts. But have we ever given much thought for what will happen when the very last person on Earth comes to trust & obey Jesus as Lord and Savior? In that hour, Christ will come for His church. “And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air.” (I Thessalonians 4:16-17). This will be more glorious than any one can imagine, the inheritance is larger than life and out of this world! But it is reserved exclusively for that very last person who was just added to the Church, belonging to Christ. Every faithful child of God from the beginning of Adam’s family to that very last person will inherit eternal glory. Then, for the rest of the story and everyone that does not belong to God in Jesus Christ, an awful judgment will follow…one in which everyone else meets condemnation & a fiery end to this life. The Apostle Paul makes it clear that those who do not believe will be punished “because they refused to love the truth and so be saved.” (II Thessalonians 2:10) It is necessary to examine our own heart. Have we really trusted in Christ’s promise to forgive and been born again by faith in His baptism? If not, now is the time. Do we feel the urgency to tell people about Christ and His love. Please prayerfully intercede for this society. God is still waiting for lost people to come to Him.

The word “Bible” means “book” i.e, document, bill or sheet, in Heb. 10:7, It is unique to Jesus as God’s sole & supreme supplier of His truths.

B—Buy a Bible (Proverbs 23:23). The Bible is readily available to all! The Bible is the best selling book of all time. The Bible is the most translated book in the world. There are more than 4,500 languages in the world today. The United Bible Society announced in December 2007, the complete Bible was available in 438 languages, 123 of which included the Old Testament and New Testament. The New Testament (NT) was available in an additional 1,168 languages, that leaves the work of making at least 3,300 NT translations still to be done as of 2007. The Intl. ministry of Wycliffe Bible Translators announced Vision 2025—a project that intends to commence Bible translation in every remaining language community by 2025. They currently estimate that around 209 million people, representing 2.95% of the world’s population, speak 1,100 languages where translation work still needs to begin. In Mexico alone, there are over 40 languages and only about 14 have a translation. Everyone needs a Bible for it alone tells the plan of salvation! Here in the USA, can you understand Hopi, or can a Navajo understand the Chippewa? How much is the Bible worth to you, in view of Philippians 3:8, it should be worth every penny and more of what you have invested in it in the past, because it helps us grow into the future to become a better Christian. Christians should buy one for someone else, or invest in the work of translation.

I—Investigate the Bible (2 Timothy 2:15). Knowledge is power and Biblical knowledge is eternal power. Cf. 2 Peter 1:3-9. If we store up what we investigate, we will help eliminate sin, Psalm 119:11. If we do not investigate then ignorance alienates us from God, but knowledge & grace help us grow, 2 Pet. 3:18.

B—Believe the Bible (Romans 10:17). “Trust what you read and obey what you trust,” We cannot believe God and refuse His word (John 3:4,5). The Bible is living, active and sharper than any double-edged sword, Heb. 4;12. Therefore God uses it’s message to change us and empower us to do what is right. Faith is the victory, 1st John 5:4.

L—Love the Bible, Psalm 119:97. King David loved the Law more than anything! We should give God’s Law our attention & affectionate care, Psalm 119:97/ It can keep you from sin, and sin and keep you from the Bible. Love the message, but most of all love the Author, if we do not love the Author, we are not wholly accepting His message. We cannot love God and reject it (1 John 5:3). Love is a great motivator for learning & living God’s truths, Eph. 4:15. The Holy Spirit loves us, Romans 15:30, we should love the message he wrote, maintains & uses.

E—Exemplify the Bible (1 Timothy 4:12). The is the guide for our life in faith and practice, Psalm 19:14. We often ask, “Can Jesus be seen in me?” The Bible is our guide for living (Ps. 119:105); it is called a “light.” Can God’s Word be seen in my actions to enlighten others?

Abraham, Noah, Moses, Elijah & David were very efficient conductors of the power of God’s Word. God’s authority was in the message He gave them, and they were motivated to obey God’s message, because of God’s love, wisdom & grace within the message. There is nothing more powerful in our universe than divine love issuing God’s perfect grace, mercy & justice, Psalm 19:7, His word in the Bible is the epitome of authority. But to usher in the New Superior Covenant of His Word, He used Mary. Jesus embodies God’s presence, and after his resurrection, he proclaims that all authority is his, Matthew 28:18-20. From the very beginning of Scripture, God has proclaimed an affinity within Light, Life and His purpose in bringing them into humanity. Jesus knew this put Him in a position of authoritative power. The following passages make a logical conclusion that we dare not reject, or face eternal punishment. His grace gives us life, enlightenment and countless opportunities to accept His wisdom, word and love (Genesis 1:1-3, John 1:1-4 & 12:48-49, Ephesians 3:1-5 & 2nd John 9-11) According to 1st Corinthians 1:24,

the power of God is __ __ __ __ __

The ability to promise, reveal & fulfill, Ephesians 3:1-5 & 5:15-17. According to Acts 3:22-23, the

promising Prophet of God is __ __ __ __ ___

The ability to guide, counsel and deliver a repentant sinner to forgiven salvation, 2nd Timothy 1:5, 3:14-17, Romans 1:16-17. According to

Luke 2:29-30, the Salvation of God is __ __ __ __ __

The ability to instruct, warn and condemn an unrepentant sinner to punishment, 2nd John 9-11 & Revelation 22:18-19, Romans 1:18-2:2. According to 2nd Timothy 4:8,

the righteous Judge is __ __ __ __ __

___________________________________________________________

For in __ __ __ __ __ the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily, and you

have been filled in __ __ __ __ __, who is the head of all rule and authority.  ~ Colossians 2:9-10.

Are you in Jesus Christ?

Do you know of your need for authoritative power?

Jesus did much more praying while here on earth, than he did, singing.  Isaiah prophesied the Messiah would be a “man of sorrows”, Isa. 53:3-4.  Therefore it is not surprising that the only direct reference we have to the Son of God singing is when he was facing his greatest sorrow. This is a lesson for us to learn and put into practice. When we face trials, Christians should look for blessings to rejoice in. God’s word is a great place to start! Jesus set an example of singing with his disciples while facing a crisis! The only time it is recorded is on the night he was betrayed. Matthew 26:30, Mark 14:26. We know by Jewish tradition and history during the feast of unleavened bread, what he surely sang, (Psalms 113-118, Psalm 136 & 145:10) but we do not know for sure how he sang it. Most likely it was a solemn chant, rather than a boisterous melody.  The reason God is silent on the melody of Jesus singing is that He obviously does not want Christians to feel led or pressured into practicing Jewish praise. The same mindset was in the writers of the New Testament, which were mainly Jewish. The use of praise while under duress is shown by the apostle Paul and Silas in Acts 16:25, while imprisoned. Which is a clear example of Christ within the disciples of Jesus. From the beginning of the Church’s existence we praised God, Acts 2:47, when we were blessed & growing, but also the mature Christians among us praise God when we suffer for Christ. The instruction of James to sing when we are happy is obvious, (James 5:13), but it shows that no matter what our circumstance, in Christ we are able to find a way to rejoice, Philippians 4:4.

The only other time we know Jesus must have sung, was when he was a boy, at the Feasts in Jerusalem, which we know his parents took him to annually, Luke 2:41. Christian parents should teach their children to sing, and take the opportunity to sing seriously. It is not the harmony of voices which God is pleased with and hears, but rather the melody of the heart. (Eph. 5:19)

Jesus loved the Psalms, they were so much a part of his nature, he quoted them as part of his dying words on the cross, Mat. 27:46 (Psa. 22:1) & Luk. 23:46 (Psa. 31:5).  Therefore, we need to derive God’s strength from using the words, rather than get confused about how to sing them.  It helps to know what they are about and for what purpose they are still with us.   The Psalms were not written for just our reading, they were written to help shape our prayers, they are better described as divine praise, instead of poetical lyrics.  Yet they are educational too, as Jesus used them, Luk. 24:44. The clearest instruction for praise in the midst of suffering as a Christian comes from Peter, 1st Peter 4:12-16. But if we are not prepared to praise Him, and we are not fully convinced of God’s purpose in praise for us, then we will find it very hard to take full advantage of praise in sufferings, this is even included in the finale of the beatitudes of Jesus during his sermon on the mount, Matthew 5:10-12. Just do it!

In and around the second largest city in Iraq is not only a historic site for current events now, but the city of Mosul held thousands of people who had a love for Christ, The city fell to Islamic extremists this past summer. These Christ-loving people feared for their lives and ran away, losing everything but their faith in Christ. In some areas, they were forced to convert to Islam, pay a tax or face death. Well documented stories are emerging of many of them executed for not renouncing their faith in Christ.

Regardless of what the Bible says about the necessity of baptism, and whether or not I believe it, does not change the fact that the majority of these Christ-loving people were slaughtered without ever being baptized into Christ. This fact speaks volumes about how faith in Christ can be very strong before a person is baptized, because had they been told about it, their self-sacrifice proves they would have done it. But instead of writing about hypothetical situations, I propose to you that their cruel deaths speak to us Christians who have been baptized and shy away from even speaking the name of Christ at work. What has happened to our faith after we were baptized? That question is answered by the reason we were baptized, and also what our purpose for being a Christian is today.

If I was baptized (immersed) for the sole reason of having my own spirit washed clean of sins by the blood of Christ, why would my faith grow weak? Because the absence of sin does not produce any fruit or conviction in what I believe in my spirit. There must be something or someone within me, taking the place of sin. Which introduces the whole subject of God’s Spirit being a gift within a Christian’s spirit. Take time to read Acts 2:37-39 carefully and look at the promised gift. Is it spiritual cleanliness, or is it Christ’s Spirit?

The apostle Paul wrote, “Those who are in the flesh cannot please God. You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him. But if Christ is in you, although the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness.” (Romans 8:9-10) These words teach us that a Christian’s spirit envelopes the Holy Spirit. Our purpose for being baptized should be to live with him, not with the flesh. This purpose results in God being very pleased with us!

Do we have any idea what the Spirit of Christ feels or where He is when any Christ-loving person takes on cruelty and death for refusing to renounce Christ? Do we know that strength in the churches of Christ? Lots of people in Iraq don’t just believe in the presence of Christ, they know Him. Do you? What exactly is your purpose for becoming a Christian?