Moriah Primitive Baptist Church
Madison County, Georgia
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Articles in this archive |
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| A Stiff Necked People - April 3, 2008 | Debt Certificates - April 10, 2008 |
| Things Not Seen - April 17, 2008 | Jesus' Temptations - April 24, 2008 |
| A God Shaped Hole - May 1, 2008 | America's Culture Has Shifted - May 8, 2008 |
| Peter Couldn't Strengthen - May 15, 2008 | Depression's Symptoms and Cures - May 22, 2008 |
| Who Benefitted? - May 29, 2008 | The Me Monster - June 5, 2008 |
| Force Fields - June 12, 2008 | Isaiah 53:7 & 9 - June 19, 2008 |
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Metaphoric Genealogies - June 26, 2008 |
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(April 3, 2008)
Have you ever thought about the hardness of Pharaoh’s heart? Plague after plague
pounded the nation of Egypt, yet Pharaoh surrendered not. His magicians threw in
the towel after God’s 4th sign, but not Pharaoh. His servants raised
a white flag after God’s 7th sign, but not Pharaoh. His subjects
pleaded for mercy after God’s 11th sign, but not Pharaoh - it was
almost as if Pharaoh had no long or short term memory.
Have you ever pondered the hardness of Israel’s heart? Deliverance after deliverance blessed the nation of Israel as they escaped Egypt, yet their rebellion continued. They said,
| Lord, we’ll be your people if you will deliver us from the army which is at our heels. Deliverance was immediate; however, submission was short-lived. |
| Lord, we’ll obey all if you will deliver us from thirst. Deliverance was immediate; however, obedience was passing. |
| Lord, we’ll heed your law if you will deliver us from hunger. Deliverance was immediate; however, conformance was brief. |
| Lord, we’ll be content if you will deliver us from the monotony of our diet. Deliverance was immediate; however, contentment was fleeting. |
| Lord, we’ll look to you if you will deliver us from fiery serpents. Deliverance was immediate; however, focus was short-term. |
Perpetual rebellion leads me to believe that like Pharaoh, Israel had little or no memory.
Enough of Pharaoh and Israel, what about you and I? How many deals have we offered God? I suspect, too many. And once we’ve made our deals, how long have we kept them? I suspect, not very long. Then we must ask, how many conditional promises can we find in God’s word? A good many. How many times has God not kept His word? Not one!
My friends, Pharaoh and Israel are not the only people with poor memories. Better memories will help loosen stiff necks.
(April 10, 2008)
The documentation for borrowing is far different today than was the documentation for borrowing 2,000 years ago. Social Security numbers, credit agencies, and modern day credit reports have facilitated and expanded modern debt markets. Revolving credit lines and unsecured credit cards are common debt vehicles. However, the business world 2,000 years ago operated much differently, they used debt certificates.
Debt certificates were documents which recorded outstanding balances and were publicly displayed. For instance, a store who sold seed or tools to a farmer would record the farmer’s accounts payable balances on a debt certificate. The storekeeper would display such certificates at his shop. Another place debt certificates were posted was above the cells of inmates in debtors’ prison. Borrowers unable to pay their debts were often cast into debtors’ prison. The debt certificate showed each inmate’s outstanding balance.
The nullification of a debt certificate was a simple matter. When the farmer’s crop was harvested and sold in the market, the farmer would pay the storekeeper the outstanding balance and the storekeeper would write the word geleo across the farmer’s debt certificate. “Paid in full” is our modern day version of the term geleo. When a relative of an inmate in debtor’s prison paid off a defaulted loan, the warden would write geleo across the debt certificate. The prisoner was set free once the debt was paid.
The term geleo was translated into the phrase, “It is finished” in John 19:30. So when Jesus cried with a loud voice, “It is finished;” in essence, Jesus was proclaiming “Paid in Full.” Given the use of teleo above, maybe we’ll have an extra appreciation for Jesus’ finished work the next time:
We sing the hymn, Jesus Paid It All
We read, Jesus redeemed us - Rev 5:9
We hear, Ye are bought with a price - 1Cor 7:23
We receive a credit card bill or statement from a mortgage holder.
Things
Not Seen
(April 17, 2008)
The Apostle Peter had been fishing all night with no fish to show for his efforts. Jesus told him to cast his net out one more time. Jesus’ request made little sense to Peter, but Peter complied simply because Jesus said so. Peter said, Nevertheless, at thy word I will let down the net - Luke 5:2-7.
My friends, that’s faith: doing something simply because God said so. Faith is obeying even when we don’t have all the why’s and how’s. If we knew all the details then we wouldn’t need faith. Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen - Heb 11:1.
Three years later, Peter again had been fishing without results, and Jesus again asked a seasoned fisherman to act in a manner which made little professional sense - John 21:1-6. Does the side of a ship make a difference when fishing commercially? No! Let us consider several modern applications:
| Suppose Jesus told General Eisenhower to arm his D-Day troops with pitchers, trumpets, and lamps - Judge 7:20. How many generals would heed such advice? |
| Suppose Jesus told President Bush to have his troops circle Baghdad thirteen times before the siege - Josh 6:14-16. How many leaders would heed such advice? |
| Suppose Elijah told a parent: Don’t worry, your child will not go hungry. Now, fix me a meal with the last of your food - 1King 17:12-16. |
| Suppose Paul told saints, “be ye not unequally yoked with unbelievers” or “giving is the first step in receiving” - 2Cor 6:14, 9:6. |
The scenarios are endless. Why don’t we comply with God’s words? We have a nature that wants to know all the details before we act. We want to know how everything will turn out before we commit. But as Jesus told Thomas, “blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed - John 20:29.
(April 24, 2008)
During the Last Supper, Jesus said to His disciples, Ye are they which have continued with me in my temptations - Luke 22:28. Yes, Jesus was tempted three times by the devil in Matt 4:1-10, but the disciples were not present on that occasion. Let us consider the temptations Jesus’ disciples witnessed:
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Matt
16:1-4
- The
Jews asked Jesus to produce a miracle, tempting (testing) Jesus to prove
Himself. Jesus refused. Would Jesus have sinned if He had produced a
miracle? I think not. |
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Matt
19:2-3
- The
Jews asked Jesus’ position on divorce without a cause, tempting
(testing) His interpretation. Jesus stated His position and answered a
follow up question. Did Jesus sin by answering His tempters? Absolutely not. |
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Matt
22:15-22
- The
Jews asked Jesus’ position on taxes, tempting (testing) His submission to
authority. Jesus stated His position. Was answering a politically loaded
question a sin? Of course not. |
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Matt
22:24-40
- A Jew
asked Jesus for the greatest commandment, tempting (testing) His
understanding. Jesus answered beyond the scope of the question and
complemented His tempter. Say what? Jesus complemented His tempter? That’s
right. |
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John
8:1-6
- The
Jews asked Jesus to judge the adulterous woman, tempting (testing) Him.
Jesus quenched the temptation with a temptation (test) of His own. Did Jesus
sin by tempting the Jews? No! |
The purpose of this article is to show the Bible uses the word temptation in two manners: 1) to test, and 2) to entice. Neither the Greek nor the Hebrew help distinguish which definition is appropriate, for we must rely wholly on context and reasoning.
Two definitions of temptation is a good thing. First, two definitions glorify Jesus Christ. Yes, Jesus engaged in tests, but Jesus was never enticed. Second, two definitions reconcile scripture. Yes, God tests his saints, but He never entices them - Jam 1:13, Gen 22:1. God is good. God is great.
A
God-Shaped Hole
(May 1, 2008)
God created man and declared all He made “very good.” In the beginning, man was whole. Man had perfect communion with God - Gen 1:27-21. Then man fell. Man’s fall caused a schism between he and God. Man no longer was complete, he had a God-shaped hole - Gen 3:1-19.
Since the fall, man has stumbled about trying to fill his God-shaped hole. The problem: only one thing can fill a God-shaped hole, that’s God.
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Solomon
told us of his unsuccessful efforts to fill his God-shaped hole with earthly
things. Solomon said he tried everything from riches to wisdom and most
everything in between. Earthly things didn’t work for Solomon - Ecc 2:1-11. |
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Paul told
us of his unsuccessful efforts to fill his God-shaped hole with commandment
keeping. Paul said he was Hebrew of the Hebrews, yet came up short. Works
based religion didn’t work for Paul - Php 3:3-7. |
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Jesus
spoke of the Pharisees’ efforts to fill their God-shaped holes with
tradition. As a matter of fact, Jesus not only said tradition could not make
us whole, but widened the hole we had. Man’s religion didn’t work for the
Pharisees, nor the people they advised - Mark 7:1-13. |
The Ethiopian eunuch is an example of a man who searched to fill his God-shaped hole. The eunuch, a man in authority, asked for and received leave to travel to Jerusalem. The Eunuch was searching for truth. He left Jerusalem the same way he came, empty, unfilled. But along the way, his God-shaped hole was filled. Praise the Lord, God filled the eunuch’s God-shaped hole with Jesus. Jesus made the eunuch whole - Act 8:26-40.
We sing a hymn with the refrain, “Joy unspeakable and full of glory.” I’ve never known a person to receive “joy unspeakable” through stuff, the law, or tradition; but I’ve known several who have received “joy unspeakable” through Jesus. Praise God!
(May 8, 2008)
Suppose we could retrieve a typical American head of household from 1958 and transport him through time to America in 2008. Imagine his shock. No doubt cell phones and gasoline over $3.00 a gallon would blow his mind, but I’m thinking more about our American culture as it relates to the Ten Commandments. Think of the cultural shift we’ve experienced:
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Remember
the Sabbath - Imagine our transplant being placed in front of a mall or to a
little league ball field Sunday morning. Think he would be surprised?
Nothing was open on Sunday back then. |
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Honor thy
parents - Imagine our transplant being placed in a public classroom or made
to view a sitcom. Think he would be surprised? |
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Thou
shalt not kill - Imagine our transplant driving down a highway and seeing an
abortion clinic billboard. I suspect describing his response as surprised
would be an understatement. |
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Thou
shalt not commit adultery - Imagine our transplant viewing an advertisement
for Las Vegas in a magazine, the one where the reservation book of a
restaurant is filled with 20 couples named Smith. “The town which tells no
secrets” is the city’s slogan. I am not making this up. |
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Thou
shalt not covet - How effective would current advertising work on our
transplant. I suspect instant gratification and self indulgence strategies
would not be nearly as effective, and advertisers would have to direct their
focus back toward adults, the ones who made buying decisions in 1958. |
I also believe our transplant would be surprised at our: divorce rates, incarceration rates, drop out rates, obesity rates, debt rates, teenage pregnancy rates, the explosion of tattoo and piercing business, and the number of self help books in Christian Book Stores. Yes, America is a far different place than 50 years ago. Our culture has changed, our neighbors have changed, but God and His standards have never changed.
Peter
Couldn’t Strengthen
(May 15, 2008)
Jesus spoke the following a few hours before His crucifixion, Simon … I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen the brethren - Luke 22:31-32. Notice the order: Get converted, then strengthen. Jesus prayed Peter would strengthen the brethren after his conversion.
The events of resurrection morning were a ball of confusion. First the women reported Jesus’ body was stolen - John 20:2. Then, the women reported Jesus’ body wasn’t stolen, but risen. The disciples did not believe the women - Luke 24:6-11. Not only did the disciples not believe the women, but they disbelieved the two from Emmaus and Peter. That’s right, Peter had a private audience with Jesus before the upper room.
To the best of my understanding, the chronology of events happened as follows:
Peter had the truth, told the truth, but couldn’t strengthen the brethren. Why? Peter hadn’t been converted.
Having accurate information does not make a person converted. The first step of conversion is repentance, and Peter’s denials were not his only actions needing repentance. Peter’s broken vow (Luke 22:33), his ditch jumping (John 13:8-9), his falling asleep (Matt 26:40), his fear of man (Matt 26:58), and his pride (Luke 22:24) also needed repentance. Sure, Peter’s doctrine was accurate, but repentance was lacking. Although 47 days later, at Pentecost, we see Peter strengthening the brethren. Peter was converted - John 21.
How effective is our comfort to others? If ineffective, maybe our repentance is lacking - Ps 51:13.
(May 22,
2008)
David was
discouraged and asked himself, Why art thou cast down O my soul? and why art
thou disquieted in me? - Psalm 42:5, 11. The symptoms of David’s
discouragement were:
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tears, sleeplessness, & loss of appetite - v. 3 |
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depression and dejection - v. 6 |
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feeling alone and overwhelmed - v. 7 |
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feeling oppressed and forgotten - v. 9 |
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physical pain - v. 10 |
But David
did not simply vent feelings in the 42nd Psalm, he also listed
powerful remedies. These remedies include:
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search for & anticipate God’s appearance - v. 2 |
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gather with saints in public worship - v. 4 |
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hope in God and praise Him - v. 5 |
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remember past joy and deliverances - v. 6 |
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sing and pray unto the Lord - v. 8 |
David
experienced heartache on at least three occasions and was lifted out of his
discouragement on each occasion. However, David’s actions varied. Please
consider his cures:
Remembering past blessings, making others one’s focus, and fulfilling one’s
duties allowed David to overcome his discouragement. I suspect these remedies
would be just as effective with you and I. So when you are down, get busy
remembering and doing for others!
Excluding
the resurrections of Jesus and the many who rose shortly after
Jesus’ resurrection (Matt 27:50-53), the Bible records the resurrections of
eight saints. Eight individuals died and were raised from the dead. But
interestingly, the cure was only temporary. You see, each of these saints died
again. These were temporary resurrections, as opposed to the “eternal”
resurrection described in 1Thes 4:13-18.
If Jesus’
words to the thief on the cross were literal, (Today shalt thou be with me in
paradise - Luke 23:43), why take a person from paradise? Thinking about these
eight resurrections forces this writer to conclude, temporal resurrections were
not for the benefit of the dead, but for the benefit of the living. Consider:
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Resurrection #1:
Elijah raised a child, the only son of a widow women - 1King 17:17-24; |
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Resurrection #2:
Elisha raised the only son of the Shunammite woman - 2King 4:32-37; |
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Resurrection #3:
Elisha’s bones raised a man, the comrade of men under attack - 2King
13:20-21; |
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Resurrection #4:
Jesus raised the only son of a widow woman - Luke 7:11-16; |
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Resurrection #5:
Jesus raised the twelve year old daughter of Jairus - Luke 8:49-56; |
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Resurrection #6:
Jesus raised Lazarus, the brother of weeping sisters - John 11:33-45; |
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Resurrection #7:
Peter raised Tabitha, caregiver to weeping widows - Act 9:36-42; |
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Resurrection #8:
Paul raised Eutychus, the friend of saints who were greatly comforted - Act
20:7-12. |
Notice
the number of parents, widows, family and friends who these resurrections
comforted. No, temporal resurrections did not comfort the dead, but the living
received great comfort. Yet, eternal resurrection awaits all of God’s children.
The glory of our eternal resurrection is our hope, it’s the earthly comfort to
all God’s children. Even so, come, Lord Jesus.
(June 5,
2008)
If
eyes are windows to the soul, then the tongue is a microscope to the heart. …
for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh
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Luke 6:45. The tongue is a fire - Jam 3:6. Gossip, slander, boasting, and
lying come to mind when considering spoken sins, but let us contemplate self
centeredness. Let us evaluate the number of “me, myself, and I’s” in our speech.
Overuse of personal pronouns may not seem like a major offense, but it is
symptomatic of a much bigger problem.
Over-utilization of personal pronouns can be a function of selfishness (2Tim
3:2), discontent (1Tim 6:9), disappointment (Prov 13:12), or pride (Prov 14:3).
Below are several speeches eaten up with The Me Monster. A review of these
speeches might prove profitable to children; and I suppose adults.
How do
people react to your speech? Anger? Skepticism? Boredom? From a purely practical
standpoint, overuse of personal pronouns is not the best way to make friends and
influence people. It’s not the most effective way to communicate with a spouse,
close a business deal, or borrow the car keys from dad. From a spiritual
standpoint, it’s not the most effective way to preach a sermon, pray, or
strengthen the bonds of Christian fellowship.
(June 12,
2008)
Captain
Kirk and Dr. Spock did not invent the electric force field. God utilized an
electric force field long before the creation of Star Trek and the Enterprise -
1Sam 7:10-11.
Hedges
are the biblical term for force fields, and the Bible records many of them.
Daniel had a force field around him in the lions’ den. Three young Israelites
benefited from heat resistance force fields in a furnace. Israel had a fiery
hedge behind them while exiting Egypt. And Goshen’s force field kept out the
frogs, flies, lice, and locusts which plagued Egypt.
The Bible
also speaks of more subtle force fields. The Lord placed a hedge around Paul as
he preached in Corinth - Act 18:9-11. A hedge kept the Jews from touching Jesus
before the appointed time - John 7:30. And, those who fear the Lord are promised
similar hedges - Ps34:7.
Once upon
a time, a hedge encompassed Job, his family, and all his possessions. But in Job
1:6-12, Job’s hedge shrunk to protecting only his physical body. Then in Job
2:1-6, Job’s hedge shrunk again, protecting only his life. Job’s hedge was not
all encompassing and neither was the hedge placed around Paul and the 275 who
sailed with Paul. This particular hedge did not include the ship or dry clothes
- Act 27:14-15, 44. God never promised His hedges would be all encompassing.
Yet, we
have three hedges which will never shrink or be removed. The first, the hedge
placed around God’s word - Luke 21:33. The second, the hedge placed around God’s
church - Matt 16:18. And the third, the hedge placed around God’s elect - John
17:2.
Those whose hedges have fallen are prone to being plucked, snake bitten, eat up and trodden down - Ps 80:12, Ecc 10:8, Is 5:5. But those covered by the blood of Jesus will never be plucked, bitten, eaten or trodden under foot - John10:28-29, Gen 3:15, 1Cor 15:20-57. Praise the Lord for His eternal and earthly hedges, for we truly find security between the hedges.
(June 19, 2008)
He is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so He openeth not His mouth - Isaiah 53:7.
Isaiah prophesied Jesus would stand mute before Annas, Caiaphas, Herod, and Pilot some 750 years before it happened - Mark 14:61, 15:5. Jesus’ silence displayed an incredible amount of self control, but consider an aspect of His self control above and beyond muteness, His obedience.
A sheep or cow on its way to slaughter enters and exits a series of gates. Like many times before, the animal submissively walks the farmer’s course. But, an animal is ignorant of the fate which awaits. Jesus obediently walked God’s course - Act 2:23. Jesus walked through God’s gates, but different from an animal, Jesus was fully aware of the fate which awaited.
And He made His grave with the wicked, and with the rich in His death; because He had done not violence, neither was any deceit in His mouth - Isaiah 53:9.
Isaiah also prophesied Jesus’ speech would contain neither violence nor deceit. As a matter of fact, Jesus spoke kindness as He was: 1) wounded with hands, a reed, a scourge, thorns, nails, and a cross;
2) humiliated being stripped, spit upon, insulted, given a sham robe, scepter, and crown; and 3) wronged via perjured testimony, bogus charges, biased, apathetic, and politically motivated judges. Consider His words:
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John
13:17; Brothers, wash as I washed your feet. |
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Matt
26:51-53; Peter, put away your sword. |
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John
18:20; Caiaphas, ask the people. |
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Luke
23:34; God, forgive them. |
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John
19:11; Pilot, authority is God’s gift. |
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John
19:26-27 ; John, take care of my mother. |
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John
19:30; Saints, it is finished. |
James said, but the tongue can no man tame - James 3:8. Not only did Jesus tame his tongue during pain and injustice, but spoke love and mercy. Halleluiah, what a Savior!
(June 26, 2008)
For years I allowed myself to be baited into chasing the original manuscripts. I allowed myself to believe man’s record of truth had something to do with the existence of truth, but God has since blessed (and relieved) me to simpler faith. God said He would preserve His word forever and I believe Him - Is 30:8, Luke 21:33. I reason: God has never lied, so I believe truth is on this planet today - Titus 1:2, Heb 6:18.
Instead of digging through endless genealogies (metaphorically speaking), I simply look for His preserved word using the marks He gave me - John 10:35, 16:13-14; Prov 8:8; Matt 5:18. God gave us criteria to measure truth, and I found measuring truth much less frustrating than tracing it.
I nearly fell into the same snare with regards to the church and its doctrine. I began researching church genealogies and quickly became convinced history was written by biased historians, sometimes very biased historians. God again blessed me with simple faith. God said He would preserve His church forever, and I believe Him - Matt 16:18, 1Pet 1:25. I reason: God has never lied, so I believe His church is on this planet today - Prov 30:5-6, 1John 2:21.
Instead of digging through endless genealogies, I simply look for His church using the marks He gave me - 1Cor 2:13, 1John 4:1. God gave us standards from which to measure His church, and I found identifying His church much easier than tracing it.
Paul warned his sons in the ministry about the unprofitableness of genealogies - 1Tim 1:4, Titus 3:9. Poetic license is being exercised to parallel Paul’s use of genealogies with manuscripts and church history, but in principle, I feel the parallel is sound.
When has God ever factored man into an eternal promise? When has God ever broken a promise? Simple faith - I love it. God said His word and His church are here, and I believe Him. Where are you looking?
All Articles Written by Elder Dolph Painter, Moriah Primitive Baptist Church
This site created by Steve McCannon. This page last updated 09/21/2009