Whose Side Are You ON
Who’s Side Are You ON
This is a question that needs answering. Most would say I am on my side
which is unfortunately how most Christians would answer it, as well as most
people in general. Those who have been around those who read the word
might answer I’m on God’s side. Even that is not always true. We claim to be
on God’s side but what do our actions show? Are you willing to do the things
that will move the word of God? Are you one of the people when someone
suggest a change in behavior you at least consider it or is your answer I
stand approved before God and not you or any other person? That is taking
a very narrow view of what the word says. You can only take the view of what
a single verse says or you see it through the scope of the entire word of God.
Eph 4:15 talks about us growing up in Hebrews it also talks about us maturing
in the word. What the heck does that mean Don? I have been asked that
question before and many times I couldn’t answer. I will try to do that here.
As you may know we do a “Monday Night Hangout” every Monday night and
this has been a theme I have been doing in 5 minute teachings over the past
2 plus months. Here I am combining all the work I did in those small teachings
into a larger more complete teaching. Notice I said more complete not the
complete truth because I don’t know if I have a good handle on the complete
truth.
What would you do if God told you to change something about yourself
because for some reason that would help move the word. Would you hear it
when he said it or would it go over your head you know like milk
pastyoureyes as it were. Well when that happens God will send someone many
times like with Paul Acts 21:4, 9, 11. Now if someone said something would you
at least listen or would your reaction be I stand approved before God not you?
Not really very mature at all. Now remember you didn’t listen to or hear God
so he sent someone who was listening to you so that argument no longer
applies to you. You are now being a stubborn child stomping your feet. Not
very mature at all.
7 We continued our voyage from Tyre and landed at Ptolemais, where we greeted
the brothers and sisters and stayed with them for a day. 8 Leaving the next
day, we reached Caesarea and stayed at the house of Philip the evangelist,
one of the Seven. 9 He had four unmarried daughters who prophesied. 10 After we had been there a number of days, a prophet named Agabus came
down from Judea. 11 Coming over to us, he took Paul’s belt, tied his own hands
and feet with it and said, “The Holy Spirit says, ‘In this way the Jewish leaders
in Jerusalem will bind the owner of this belt and will hand him over to the
Gentiles.’ ”
The title was asked once in the bible and the answer and response may
surprise you. We will get to the verse eventually and deal with it then. In the
meantime we will start in a different place.
Okay so let’s look at this.
All scripture will be from the NIV unless otherwise noted.
2 Timothy 2:15 New International Version (NIV)
15 Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who
does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.
Now the KJV adds the word study. The question would be study what? When
this was written they didn’t have a book called the bible. They had a bunch of
scrolls letters written by Paul, Peter, John, Luke ect. Some homes may have
had a scroll or two if they had any at all. These letters were read at
fellowships there were also Hebrew and Aramaic writings and they might have
those but certainly not all 66 books. The KJV was printed around in 1611, and some
before going back to Gutenberg, when they translated the KJV and there were a
few others that had already been printed. I can see how they may have come up
with study. We are to make a diligent effort to “rightly divide” or as it
says here correctly handle the teaching of the word of God.
So here we have the word of God it is up to understand a book which can be
very difficult to understand at times. There are many verses and we need to
be able to put them together. Are there things that have to be kept in focus
for you to understand all these scriptures? This verse seems to contradict
that verse? Well it can get confusing.
So there are the basic rules for interpretation keeping in mind not everything
is written to us for instance Philemon is a book written to an individual.
Hosea 4:6 My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast
rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me:
seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children.
Now this book was not written directly to the Christian believer but the
principal still applies. People today may or may not be be destroyed. We who
have been saved will not be destroyed .
1 Corinthians 3:10 By the grace God has given me, I laid a foundation as a wise
builder, and someone else is building on it. But each one should build with care.
11 For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is
Jesus Christ. 12 If anyone builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly
stones, wood, hay or straw, 13 their work will be shown for what it is, because
the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will
test the quality of each person’s work. 14 If what has been built survives,
the builder will receive a reward. 15 If it is burned up, the builder will
suffer loss but yet will be saved—even though only as one escaping through
the flames.
Now the question becomes do you just want to just survive the flames or do
you want to get some rewards. Please don’t say that the rewards are not your
motivation, if it was good enough for Jesus Christ it should be good enough
for you as well. We do for God and not only do we get everlasting life we also
get prizes, gold stars, metals or crowns how ever you put it it comes out the
same. God rewards us for standing.
We need to put the word rightly divided into our minds and live it so we do not
become destroyed.
Let’s look at Romans 12:2
2 Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the
renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s
will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.
The word conformed in the Greek is suschématizó it is where we get our word
scheme. We are not to follow the scheme’s of this world. So it must be
possible to rise above these schemes and live a different kind of life.
So whose side are you on. All of us would say God’s or Jesus Christ’s side I
trust. Then the question comes up are you flapping your gums or do you mean
it?
Let’s look at the place where this was asked.
Joshua 5:13 Now when Joshua was near Jericho, he looked up and saw a man
standing in front of him with a drawn sword in his hand. Joshua went up to
him and asked, “Are you for us or for our enemies?”
14 “Neither,” he replied, “but as commander of the army of the Lord I have
now come.” Then Joshua fell facedown to the ground in reverence, and asked
him, “What message does my Lord have for his servant?”
Now the word captain means the prince or the one in charge since it is talking
about the armies of the lord it was probably Michael the archangel.
Now if you asked an angel that question would you be expecting that answer?
He said neither I am on God’s side. If you check out the action angels take
you will see they don’t mess around and you don’t want to defy them it could
be the last thing you do. Ask Lott’s wife. Ask anyone who defied an angel if
you can find anything left of them.
So maybe the best thing to do is to be on God’s side.
We have been given a Job to do. Let’s look at our over all assignment.
2 Corinthians 5:16 So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. 17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! 18 All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: 19 that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. 20 We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God. 21 God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
This is a question that needs answering. Most would say I am on my side
which is unfortunately how most Christians would answer it, as well as most
people in general. Those who have been around those who read the word
might answer I’m on God’s side. Even that is not always true. We claim to be
on God’s side but what do our actions show? Are you willing to do the things
that will move the word of God? Are you one of the people when someone
suggest a change in behavior you at least consider it or is your answer I
stand approved before God and not you or any other person? That is taking
a very narrow view of what the word says. You can only take the view of what
a single verse says or you see it through the scope of the entire word of God.
Eph 4:15 talks about us growing up in Hebrews it also talks about us maturing
in the word. What the heck does that mean Don? I have been asked that
question before and many times I couldn’t answer. I will try to do that here.
As you may know we do a “Monday Night Hangout” every Monday night and
this has been a theme I have been doing in 5 minute teachings over the past
2 plus months. Here I am combining all the work I did in those small teachings
into a larger more complete teaching. Notice I said more complete not the
complete truth because I don’t know if I have a good handle on the complete
truth.
What would you do if God told you to change something about yourself
because for some reason that would help move the word. Would you hear it
when he said it or would it go over your head you know like milk
pastyoureyes as it were. Well when that happens God will send someone many
times like with Paul Acts 21:4, 9, 11. Now if someone said something would you
at least listen or would your reaction be I stand approved before God not you?
Not really very mature at all. Now remember you didn’t listen to or hear God
so he sent someone who was listening to you so that argument no longer
applies to you. You are now being a stubborn child stomping your feet. Not
very mature at all.
7 We continued our voyage from Tyre and landed at Ptolemais, where we greeted
the brothers and sisters and stayed with them for a day. 8 Leaving the next
day, we reached Caesarea and stayed at the house of Philip the evangelist,
one of the Seven. 9 He had four unmarried daughters who prophesied. 10 After we had been there a number of days, a prophet named Agabus came
down from Judea. 11 Coming over to us, he took Paul’s belt, tied his own hands
and feet with it and said, “The Holy Spirit says, ‘In this way the Jewish leaders
in Jerusalem will bind the owner of this belt and will hand him over to the
Gentiles.’ ”
The title was asked once in the bible and the answer and response may
surprise you. We will get to the verse eventually and deal with it then. In the
meantime we will start in a different place.
Okay so let’s look at this.
All scripture will be from the NIV unless otherwise noted.
2 Timothy 2:15 New International Version (NIV)
15 Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who
does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.
Now the KJV adds the word study. The question would be study what? When
this was written they didn’t have a book called the bible. They had a bunch of
scrolls letters written by Paul, Peter, John, Luke ect. Some homes may have
had a scroll or two if they had any at all. These letters were read at
fellowships there were also Hebrew and Aramaic writings and they might have
those but certainly not all 66 books. The KJV was printed around in 1611, and some
before going back to Gutenberg, when they translated the KJV and there were a
few others that had already been printed. I can see how they may have come up
with study. We are to make a diligent effort to “rightly divide” or as it
says here correctly handle the teaching of the word of God.
So here we have the word of God it is up to understand a book which can be
very difficult to understand at times. There are many verses and we need to
be able to put them together. Are there things that have to be kept in focus
for you to understand all these scriptures? This verse seems to contradict
that verse? Well it can get confusing.
So there are the basic rules for interpretation keeping in mind not everything
is written to us for instance Philemon is a book written to an individual.
Hosea 4:6 My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast
rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me:
seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children.
Now this book was not written directly to the Christian believer but the
principal still applies. People today may or may not be be destroyed. We who
have been saved will not be destroyed .
1 Corinthians 3:10 By the grace God has given me, I laid a foundation as a wise
builder, and someone else is building on it. But each one should build with care.
11 For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is
Jesus Christ. 12 If anyone builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly
stones, wood, hay or straw, 13 their work will be shown for what it is, because
the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will
test the quality of each person’s work. 14 If what has been built survives,
the builder will receive a reward. 15 If it is burned up, the builder will
suffer loss but yet will be saved—even though only as one escaping through
the flames.
Now the question becomes do you just want to just survive the flames or do
you want to get some rewards. Please don’t say that the rewards are not your
motivation, if it was good enough for Jesus Christ it should be good enough
for you as well. We do for God and not only do we get everlasting life we also
get prizes, gold stars, metals or crowns how ever you put it it comes out the
same. God rewards us for standing.
We need to put the word rightly divided into our minds and live it so we do not
become destroyed.
Let’s look at Romans 12:2
2 Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the
renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s
will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.
The word conformed in the Greek is suschématizó it is where we get our word
scheme. We are not to follow the scheme’s of this world. So it must be
possible to rise above these schemes and live a different kind of life.
So whose side are you on. All of us would say God’s or Jesus Christ’s side I
trust. Then the question comes up are you flapping your gums or do you mean
it?
Let’s look at the place where this was asked.
Joshua 5:13 Now when Joshua was near Jericho, he looked up and saw a man
standing in front of him with a drawn sword in his hand. Joshua went up to
him and asked, “Are you for us or for our enemies?”
14 “Neither,” he replied, “but as commander of the army of the Lord I have
now come.” Then Joshua fell facedown to the ground in reverence, and asked
him, “What message does my Lord have for his servant?”
Now the word captain means the prince or the one in charge since it is talking
about the armies of the lord it was probably Michael the archangel.
Now if you asked an angel that question would you be expecting that answer?
He said neither I am on God’s side. If you check out the action angels take
you will see they don’t mess around and you don’t want to defy them it could
be the last thing you do. Ask Lott’s wife. Ask anyone who defied an angel if
you can find anything left of them.
So maybe the best thing to do is to be on God’s side.
We have been given a Job to do. Let’s look at our over all assignment.
2 Corinthians 5:16 So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. 17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! 18 All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: 19 that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. 20 We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God. 21 God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
Okay let’s take a look at Hebrews.
Hebrews 5:7 During the days of Jesus’ life on earth, he offered up prayers
and petitions with fervent cries and tears to the one who could save him from
death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission. 8 Son though he
was, he learned obedience from what he suffered 9 and, once made perfect,
he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him 10 and was
designated by God to be high priest in the order of Melchizedek.
11 We have much to say about this, but it is hard to make it clear to you
because you no longer try to understand. 12 In fact, though by this time you
ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of
God’s word all over again. You need milk, not solid food! 13 Anyone who lives
on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about
righteousness. 14 But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use
have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil.
Notice it says Jesus Christ had to learn “obedience from what he suffered”
Slightly off subject Who was teaching him obedience if he was God? No
charge for that one just something to ponder.
What really gets me is verse 11 it says you no longer try to understand. Now
many of us were in The Way International and I know you must know people
who still adhere to the teachings in the PFAL class even though now we know
they were dead wrong. Even some of the things that were corrected later
after the filming of “The Class”. For example
Mat 21:21 Jesus answered and said unto them, Verily I say unto you, If ye
have faith, and doubt not, ye shall not only do this which is done to the fig
tree, but also if ye shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be
thou cast into the sea; it shall be done.
The Class said whosoever meant anybody saint and sinner alike but if you
check out the advanced class syllabus it says this would be the manifestation
of belief and or the working of miracles. So whosoever is not all without
exception but all with distinction. Yet I know people who still teach it means
anyone. Yet you try and show them the correction they can’t let it go.
We don’t want to become those kinds of people. We must remain humble so if
God is trying to teach us we don’t fight with him. Read Acts 10 for a great
example of what I am talking about. You hear the expression progressive
revelation around here. That is what this is. If you said to me what I just said
40 years ago I’d have said you were nuts. Today I recognize it as the truth.
Because I grew and God was able to show me the truth of it. You can see it all
through the book of Acts. Even the apostles growing to learn the truth of
what the word said. The first 9 chapters no one but Jews and the converts by
the end of Acts afterwards Paul pens the book of Ephesians. The rest of them,
the apostles, had a tough time with it. Look at what Peter said about it.
2 Peter 3: 14 So then, dear friends, since you are looking forward to this,
make every effort to be found spotless, blameless and at peace with him. 15
Bear in mind that our Lord’s patience means salvation, just as our dear
brother Paul also wrote you with the wisdom that God gave him. 16 He writes
the same way in all his letters, speaking in them of these matters. His letters
contain some things that are hard to understand, which ignorant and unstable
people distort, as they do the other Scriptures, to their own destruction.
Look at verse 12 back in Hebrews 5 says they need someone to feed them the
milk of the word.
These people should be teaching and leading not needing to getting the milk
of the word.
1 Corinthians 2:2 For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except
Jesus Christ and him crucified.
Now some teach that this is what we are meant to teach as well. If you check
the context Paul could not go beyond this not that he didn’t want to teach more
but they were not ready for more than this.
We need to move onto the meat of the word. We need to grow.
Let me give you an example.
Let’s say you live in an area where they are fairly conservative. But you tend
to wear very loud clothing.
Sometimes this is fine When I was a WOW Ambassador we were in Lubbock
Texas the other guy in my WOW family and I both dressed in loud clothing
every now and then. What if God told us to tone it down. Would our reaction
be to ignore him? Many times when you ignore God he will send someone to
reiterate it. What is your reaction to them? Is it to at least consider what
they say or is it, I stand approved to God not you. You just told God to take
a hike. We need to grow up remember that job I mentioned to you? Are you
will to put your desires aside if it means the word will move better in your
area? It’s a choice you need to make all I can suggest is God sent his son to
die for you can’t you set aside a desire if it serves him better? I am not
talking about backing down on the word there is no compromise with the word
ever.
Now we have to change our thinking Remember Romans 12 we need to change
what we believe to what does the word say. You can tell me the word says we
stand approved before God. The thing is it does not apply in this circumstance.
If you say that can’t happen I’ll tell you to go read the book of Job. Everything
his “friends” said was true but it did not apply to Job and what was happening
to him at the time.
You know I can show you an apparent contradiction in the same chapter.
Galatians 6:2 Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.
5 For every man shall bear his own burden.
What the heck which is it?
We are to beach others burdens. If I am sick, need prayer for some situation,
maybe I need someone to just talk to unburden myself of something Those are
burdens we can help each other with.
There are things that happen within our lives that are in lock boxes. It is
things we will never talk about not necessarily bad things maybe God gave you
some info about someone and he never told you to use that info he just gave it
to you. That is something you and you alone bare.
Okay we are in the home stretch here. I was on facebook awhile back and a
guy said “You cannot be a Christian and be a racist”. I responded that if you
changed that to you cannot be a practicing Christian I would agree with that
but the statement as he put it forth was wrong. Then he told me how wrong I
was so I replied with Romans 10:9 and 10. Then he dug in his heels and said it
again so then I went to Ephesians 2
5 Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ,
(by grace ye are saved;)
8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is
the gift of God:
9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.
Oh by the way the guy was a pastor of a church. He is responsible for teaching
the truth. He refused to believe the truth, being one who don’t even try
anymore. His opinion was more important than the Word of God.
The the next day on a TLTF page someone said that the spirit had been on
Jesus from birth. I pointed out that was not true so he said chapter and verse
I showed him in Luke 1:14 And thou shalt have joy and gladness; and many
shall rejoice at his birth. 15 For he shall be great in the sight of the Lord,
and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink; and he shall be filled with the
Holy Ghost, even from his mother's womb. 16 And many of the children of
Israel shall he turn to the Lord their God. 17 And he shall go before him in
the spirit and power of Elias, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the
children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just; to make ready a
people prepared for the Lord.
That was the only place in bible that it says someone would have the spirit on
him from birth.
He told me “Come on Don your better than that!”
So I told him no I wasn’t then I went to the word again and showed him :
Luke 3:14 And the Holy Ghost descended in a bodily shape like a dove upon him,
and a voice came from heaven, which said, Thou art my beloved Son; in thee
I am well pleased.
This is how we have to be, forget politics and all the other distraction and
get back to the word.
I am not saying don’t be informed I am saying keep God in his rightful place
as first in everything in your life. All men lie it says so in the word God, he never
lies to us he is honest and truthful always the only one you can depend on.
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