Spiritual Children, Spiritual Parents

In Titus 1:4, the Apostle Paul addresses Titus as "my true child in a common faith." Apparently Titus had come to faith under the influence of Paul's ministry and as he grew became a trusted co-worker. But there was a lasting relationship established between them of spiritual father and spiritual son.

Whose spiritual child are you? Who led you to faith in Christ as one of God's elect (Titus 1:1)? It may have been a Billy Graham or a pastor or a parent or a co-worker. Whoever it was, why not take a moment as you read this and THANK God for His mercy in bringing that person with the gospel into your life. I thank the Lord for a pastor's preaching and a scarey gospel tract and night time discussions about spiritual things with my older sister over 35 years ago.

Do you now have a spiritual father or mother in your life? That is, is there someone who cares for you spiritually with the care of a loving parent? If so, THANK God for that person, as well. Perhaps it is the same one who led you to Christ. Perhaps it is a new person God has brought into your life. I thank God for a pastor who lives over an hour from me who prays for me regularly and makes time every couple of months to meet for a couple of hours and be a spiritual mentor and father to me. If you DO NOT have someone in your life like this, why not begin to ASK the Lord for such a person?

Do YOU have spiritual children? Are there folks you have been used by God to bring to faith in Christ? Perhaps it is your very own physical children. Perhaps it was some campers when you were a counselor one summer years ago. Perhaps it was your spouse. If you DO NOT have spiritual children, or it you have one or more and really desire God to use you again, why not begin to PRAY for them? ASK the Lord to bring you to the folks around you who have been prepared by God to receive the gospel. Perhaps you'll need to love them and do some relationship building for some time before they will really hear the gospel. WHAT can we do to be used as spiritual parents?

• PRAY for God to use you in the lives of those around you. PRAY for Him to bring new folks into your life. PRAY for your family members who are not converted. PRAY for Him to give you gospel words that fit the folks you are with.
• SHARE this glorious gospel. No one will be converted by your testimony unless it contains the gospel of Christ. God's law, their failure to meet it, deadly consequences, gracious provision by a loving God in His perfect and dying Son, repentance and faith in this One...share THAT gospel and watch the Holy Spirit do His work.
• INVITE folks to church to sit under the Word of God and to be loved on by your fellow body members.
• Be HOSPITABLE to the lost in your own home. Love them up close...REALLY love them.
• Give them something to READ...a gospel tract, a good book like Ultimate Questions by John Blanchard.

Are YOU a spiritual parent? Are there spiritual children God has given you that you could also be helping to grow in godliness? See Titus 1:1: Paul was a servant of God for the elect's "knowledge of the truth, which accords with godliness." The truth of God leads ALWAYS to godliness, or at least IT SHOULD! It will if those who have trusted Christ have a MODEL of godliness and someone who TEACHES them how it works out in real life and real relationships. Perhaps there are folks who came to Christ under the influence of someone else but have no one coming up close to be a spiritual parent to them. Could God be calling YOU to come alongside them? What a blessing and boon that would be to their growth.

Oh friends, let us pray for, work for, look for, share with, and come alongside those who might indeed become our own spiritual children by God's mercy and the Spirit's work. And let us cry to God to give US spiritual fathers and mothers for our own growth in godliness.

Are You A Doulos?

The NT Greek word for SERVANT, sometimes also translated SLAVE, is doulos (doo-los). In Titus 1:1 the Apostle Paul uses two primary words to identify himself. One of them is doulos, "Paul, a servant of God..." In Paul's day the doulos was the bottom rung on the social ladder. The doulos was totally given to fulfill the will of another. He was often a household slave.

There is nothing lowly about being a doulos of GOD. It means, as it did for Paul, to be totally given up to the will, the wishes, the commands of God. No longer Paul's will...but God's will. However, we need to remember that Paul's slavery to God was WILLING. This willingness to submit to the will of another when all of life was about PAUL was the result of the gospel in his life. Here are some of the things Paul wrote in his letters about what it meant to be a doulos of God (and what it will mean for US):

• Galatians 1:10: being God's servant or Christ's servant means we live to PLEASE GOD not man. As we serve our heart's eye is on God...will HE be pleased with what I am about to do, say, think...?
• Philippians 2:7: being God's servant means to IMITATE JESUS. Jesus was the supreme doulos...the one who descended from the worship of angels to be made in the form of servant. No one could humble himself further than Jesus. I must remember that the next time I think that some service is BELOW me.
• Romans 9:19: being God's servant means that I WILLINGLY make myself a servant of OTHERS. The true test of being God's doulos is how I serve those around me, not how passionately I worship or pray or how much I devour the Word alone. And the ultimate service of others is becoming like them in every way I can to WIN them to Christ.
• Colossians 4:12: Paul uses Epaphras to give the Colossian church a picture of a real servant: he WORKS HARD and STRUGGLES for the growth of others in Christ. The doulos of God will often be found working hard in prayer and supplication and intercession for the discouraged brother and the wandering sister and the bitter fellow saint and for the new believer who is a natural target for Satan.
• 2Timothy 2:24f: God's servant is: gentle, not quarrelsome, kind to everyone, and patient.

To Paul, being God's servant meant all of these things and more. Being His servant will mean the same things for us. How's your "doulos-ity"? How do you measure up?

Why are we servants of God?

• Christ died and rose that those who live should no longer live for themselves, but for Him: 2Corinthians 5:15
• We have been bought with a price, the blood of Christ. We are NOT our own: 1Corinthians 6:20

Are YOU a servant of God?

Encouragement for Notorious Sinners

Jesus was crucified on the center cross between two criminals. These criminals, as condemned as they were, as hopeless as their situation was, as gasping as they were for breath to live another moment, nevertheless found the air and voice to join in the chorus of mockers throwing up verbal abuse against the Lord (Mark 15:32).

But ONE of those thieves stopped his blasphemy, rebuking his fellow thief for his wicked insanity. "Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? And we indeed justly, for we are receiving the due reward of our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong" (Luke 23:40-41).

His next words were words of perfect sanity. The repenting thief realized that indeed Jesus MUST be who He claimed to be and who he was accused of being on the placard above His head, the King of Israel, the Messiah, the Savior. So he turned his attention to Jesus and said, "Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom" (Luke 23:42).

WAIT A MINUTE! Does this hardened criminal think he can get out of the judgment due him from God with a last minute "on the cross" conversion? Can a heart change that quickly? Are a few supposedly sincere words going to undo the eternal consequences of a life of wicked rebellion?

Jesus answers the thief and us: "Truly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise" v.43.

Jesus, Himself dying in utter agony, hears the man, knows his heart, and forgives him...instantly, completely, forever. This kind of forgiveness does not compute in human ways of figuring forgiveness. The man who moments before was blaspheming in now savingly repenting and believing in Jesus. The man on the fast track to Hell is now a few hours from Heaven (Paradise is apparently Heaven...look at its other NT uses).

Friends, this is absolutely sovereign grace. What Jesus was in the midst of accomplishing as He hung there next to this man was counted as accomplished for the man before Jesus had even finished His redemptive suffering. Both Jesus' finished work and this complete gracious forgiveness were certain. FREE GRACE.

The thief:

• Had no time to do any "good works"
• Didn't pray the perfect biblical prayer

And yet:

• He was counted righteous in the Christ he trusted
• Instantly
• Completely
• Forever

And if Jesus could forgive that "just a moment before blaspheming criminal" he can forgive YOU and your family member and your obnoxious neighbor and the guy or gal at work that is on the fast track to Hell IF you or they too, SIMPLY LOOK TO JESUS IN FAITH as the SAVIOR of WICKED SINNERS.

We are great sinners. He is a greater Savior.

Biblical Thoughts for Threatening Times

Biblical Thoughts for Threatening Times

Remember who your God is
-Sovereign over all things. Psalm 135:6; 1Timothy 6:15. He is sovereign over all things in all places at all times in all ways and always for GOOD.
-Owns all things. Psalm 50:10; Philippians 4:19. Therefore His heavenly storehouse always has plenty.
-Loves His children enough to give His Son for them and therefore will withhold nothing else they need. Romans 8:32. He gave the Son for you. The rest is the small stuff. The greater guarantees the lesser.
-Provides for His children in lean and dry times. 1Kings 17:8-16; 18:4; Psalm 37:25. Neither drought nor stock market failure dries up God’s resources nor His caring provision for His own.

Remember what Christ has done
-You are God’s possession forever through the work of Christ. 1Peter 3:18; Ephesians 1:13-14. Nothing can separate you from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. NOTHING. Romans 8:38-39.
-All power and wisdom needed for life and godliness is in Him. 2Peter 1:1-4. The great question in threatening times is: “Will we have what we need?” What DO we really need? What we really need is CHRIST and what CHRIST PROVIDES. We have Christ. Therefore we will have all we need.

Remember who you are
-God’s child. 1John 3:1. Not a distant relative waiting against the dining room wall for crumbs from the Master’s table. He HAS prepared a banqueting table for you in presence of whatever enemy that may come. Psalm 23:5.
-Christ’s disciple. Luke 9:23-25. You are not on vacation. You are fighting a war. You are not commander-in-chief. Jesus is. Take up your cross and follow Him…daily. This is REAL living.
-One indwelt by God the Holy Spirit, whose fruit is the character needed for threatening times (Galatians 5:22-23) and whose armor is all the protection and weaponry needed for the fight of faith (Ephesians 6:10-18). The Father will give His Spirit’s help just for the asking (Luke 11:13).

Test yourself to see whether you are in the faith
-Have you trusted in Christ as absolute Lord or as provider of the good life? One is saving faith and the other isn’t (2Corinthians 13:5; John 6:26-27; Romans 10:9-10). Salvation is ALL of God’s undeserved GRACE (Ephesians 2:8-9) but this salvation FROM sin is FOR good works (Ephesians 2:10).

Understand God’s Purposes in threatening times:
-His Glory. He shows His glorious character as He provides for His children in perilous times. Psalm 50:15. He WANTS to deliver us. Threatening times give us something more visible to be delivered from.
-Your holiness. God would use tough times to make us like His Son. Romans 5:3-5; 8:28-29. Therefore we should rejoice not in the pain but in the PURPOSE of the pressure or threat.
-The Great Commission. What looks like a blow to God’s worldwide plan for the salvation of the nations is really a turbo charge forward as the church lives more sacrificial and streamlined lives (Acts!) This attracts unbelievers who are desperately in search for hope. 1Peter 3:15. Lack of Money will NEVER stop Jesus from building His Church.
-The purifying and strengthening of the Church. When the church is forced to cry to God day and night, it becomes more the church against which the gates of hell cannot prevail. Acts 1:14; 4:24; 12:5.

Remain faithful
-In the Word and prayer. All we need is in the inspired Word of God (2Timothy 3:15-17). You need to hear from God? It’s in there. All we need is also available through Bible-instructed, Jesus-trusting prayer (Matthew 7:7; John 14:13-14; 1John 5:14). If you have not been faithful, now’s the time to start. Then keep on.
-At your work. Don’t allow fear or worry to distract you from what God has given your hands to do. Philippians 4:6-7.
-To your family and church. Love and serve your physical and spiritual families. This is what the life of a disciple is about. This is following in the path of our great Servant-Redeemer (Mark 10:45). Don’t allow the threat of financial upheaval to turn you inward to a life of self-absorption. DO NOT give up fellowshipping together (Hebrews 10:24-25).
-In evangelism to the lost around you. There will be folks around you in whom God is working and therefore who are beginning to question all they’ve lived for. The gospel is good news for threatening times because it is for sinners who will turn “…to God from idols to trust the living and true God” (1Thessalonians 1:9). Be clear on the gospel and pray for lips to speak it with love, clarity, and boldness.

Be prepared
-To suffer, if the Lord so wills. The early Christians were schooled from conversion that suffering WOULD be a part of their discipleship to Christ (Acts 14:22). The “feel good” and “have plenty” theologies of the TV preachers and paperback writers is not the sturdy, soldier-like mindset of New Testament Christians (2Timothy 1:3-7). In the way of suffering is a fellowship with Christ that is deep (Philippians 3:10).
-Discipline yourself for the purpose of godliness (1Timothy 4:7-8). Put yourself in training for godliness if you have not already. God’s Gym, not Gold’s Gym, is what is needed here. Ask the Lord what He would have you do to deepen the soldier heart within you.
-Reduce/eliminate debt. Travel as financially light as possible. Live by a budget. Cut back on non-essentials. Make a plan for paying off debt that is wise and aggressive.
-Let your generosity overflow. We should aim to imitate the believers in Macedonia in 2Corinthians 8:1-5, “…In a severe test of affliction, their abundance of joy and their extreme poverty have overflowed in a wealth of generosity on their part. For they gave according to their means…and beyond their means.” Seek to give MORE, not less, to God’s Kingdom work. If possible under God, don’t cut your mission’s giving. Be ready to give to help those suffering around you.

Long all the more for Christ’s appearing but don’t think that it’s necessarily tomorrow. There are always prophets announcing “the end” with every successive crisis. Christ will return when Christ returns. How shall we be prepared? Be holy (Hebrews 12:14). Be faithful (Matthew 25:14-30). He will be looking for faithful servants when He returns, not frantic, fear-crazed folks holed up in their homes.

We are Just Like Them

In Mark's account of Jesus' "trial" before Pilate (15:1-20) and what follows we can see three definite groups who took part in the betrayal, conviction, and brutal treatment our Savior suffered. Each displays the raw, savage, insane wickedness of the human heart in a different way. WE ARE JUST LIKE THEM.

Someone has put the "scale" of wickedness-to-love like this:

• To return EVIL for GOOD is DEVIL Like
• To return EVIL for EVIL is MAN Like.
• To return GOOD for GOOD is MAN Like.
• To return GOOD for EVIL is GOD Like.

Note the DEVIL LIKE evil of each group below. See yourself (before or apart from the new life the Savior gives) in each.

Group One: The Chief Priests. They rejected Christ because He EXPOSED them as the religious hypocrites they were (Mt 23). When they confronted Christ He called for change...HEART change. He shined the heavenly light of holiness into their temple-coated darkness. It was unacceptable in His presence to remain the same. So...They chose to KILL HIM rather than REPENT.

It is our hearts, as well, to choose to reject and do away with Christ rather than repent and follow Him.

Group Two: Pilate. He gave Jesus over to death to SAVE HIS NECK. Pilate was already on shaky ground in terms of the Jews in Jerusalem. He could not afford a riot or his position would be taken away along with all the privileges that Rome granted. He knew Christ was not guilty of death in a Roman court. But when the cry to "Crucify" came and the cry to release Barabbas instead of Jesus rose to a frightening pitch, he gave Jesus over to be flogged and taken to the cross. At the heart level, Pilate loved Pilate, not truth or justice or the true God...or Jesus.

In our unredeemed hearts, as well, we love us and not Jesus. We'll give Him up to save our necks.

Group Three: The Romans Soldiers. They imposed the most crass and wicked mockery of Jesus as FAKE ROYALTY. They raised their hands and spit against Him in a soldier's game of cat and mouse. They dared in the blind insanity of their hearts to raise their hands against the King of Heaven. Blind, wicked insanity. They opened his flesh to the bone with their cat-o-nine-tails and beat his head and face beyond recognition (Isaiah 52:14).

We, as well, before INFINITE MERCY transformed us, raised our fists and hearts and did violence to the King of Heaven. We mocked His divine royalty with every choice we made to be lord of our own lives. We set ourselves up to be his antagonists. And there was no trembling.

Do you see yourself in these three groups? If not, try Romans 3:9-20 or Jeremiah 17:9 or Isaiah 53:6. When we see our sin more as God sees our sin we can see our SAVIOR more as He is and we can glory in our great forgiveness and we can be set free to LOVE HIM with all our heart and soul and mind and strength. A light view of my sin leads to a heart that loves with no might.

Jesus WILLINGLY Went to the Cross

10 ways the Gospel of Mark makes plain the truth that Jesus went to the cross INTENTIONALLY and WILLINGLY:

• 3 times in this gospel Jesus tells his disciples in no uncertain terms that he is heading to Jerusalem to die: 8:31; 9:31; 10:33-34. No surprise, just knowing certainty.
• His ministry moves through many locations ultimately heading for Jerusalem during Passover, when he will die. 10:33
• He presents Himself publicly and clearly as the Messiah during His Triumphal Entry. Whereas Jesus normally stayed out of the public and avoided crowds seeking to tag Him as Messiah, he PURPOSEFULLY does this at the front end of His last week, KNOWING it will hasten his steps a few days later to the cross. 11:1-10
• He KNOWS Judas will be his betrayer and allows him to proceed with his treacherous work. 14:17-21
• He fully submits to the Father's will to die just before He is arrested in the Garden. 14:32-42
• He allows the chief priests and temple guards to arrest Him and carry Him off to the high priest for the mock trials that will decide his death sentence. He COULD HAVE called more than 12 legions (72,000) of angels to His side for rescue, Matthew 26:53 (note: one angel killed 185,00 soldiers in 2Kings 19:35!). But He called for no help except the Father to strengthen His soul.
• Jesus makes it clear that what is happening is in fulfillment of Scripture (14:49) and therefore He intends to let it happen.
• Jesus refuses to appeal to Pilate for release. 15:1-15
• He allows the utter injustice of the cries to "crucify him!" to continue with no defense. He knows this will lead first to scourging, the dreaded flogging with cat-nine tails where his flesh would be laid open, perhaps to the bone. Some prisoners died at this point, never proceeding to their cross. 15:15:13-15
• He submits to the mockery and cruelty of the Romans soldiers who clothe him as a fake King and beat Him with His pretend septer. 15:16-20.

These 10 reasons and MORE make it clear that our SAVIOR went to the cross NOT as a victim, but as one fully in control and fully aware of what is happening and what He is doing. He goes to the cross for the Father and for US. What INTENTIONAL, WILLING LOVE!