The secret-teller

TODAY’S SPECIAL: 1 Corinthians 13-14; Psalm 147

TO CHEW ON: “But if all prophesy and an unbeliever or an uninformed person comes in, he is convinced by all, he is convicted by all. And thus the secrets of his heart are revealed; and so falling down on his face he will worship God and report that God is truly among you.” - 1 Corinthians 14:24-25

I don’t know how many times after listening to a convicting sermon, I’ve heard people say something like – Who told the minister about my life? He was talking about me!

At other times when the gift of prophecy is operating, through the leader or members of the congregation, someone will later say – That message was perfect for my situation.

This supernatural aspect of prophecy – God’s way of giving thoughts and words to a speaker that relate perfectly to a listener in the congregation or crowd – is what makes it so powerful. God does this not to show up the speaker as super-spiritual, psychic, or weird and flaky. Rather, it’s to show the listener that He is aware of his life and loves him deeply.

In addition to putting value on spontaneous and unscripted prophecies, Paul stresses the importance of orderly and peaceful church services. Churches where prophecy is encouraged support these easily conflicting values in different ways.

In our church when someone has a prophetic word, they must first go to the “front row pastor” – the pastor who is in charge of the service that morning. That pastor will look for an appropriate time to bring the speaker on stage (our church is large and the speaker needs a mic to be heard) to deliver his/her message.

Often these messages are encouragement, or a reminder of what God is like, or a recitation of His promises from the Bible. Paul's definition of what the prophet's words accomplish ("But he who prophesies speaks edification and exhortation and comfort to men" 1 Cor. 14:3), it seems to me, keep it out of the realm of modern cessationists' biggest objection to it – that it introduces new extra-scriptural material.  

Does prophecy have a place in 21st century churches? What do you think?

PSALM TO PRAY: Psalm 147


PRAYER: Dear God, make me a mouthpiece of Your words today. Amen

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Unless otherwise noted all Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Things that build up

TODAY'S SPECIAL: 1 Corinthians 9-10; Psalm 145


TO CHEW ON: "All things are lawful for me, but not all things are helpful; all things are lawful for me, but not all things edify." 1 Corinthians 18:23

We have dwelt in the past on how we as Christians may have freedoms which we intentionally restrict in order to help and not hinder or offend others. Today, let's change our focus from what we shouldn't do to what we should. Let's look at the things that "edify."

[The word edify transliterated oikodomeo, is a word for building. It is used here in the metaphorical sense for the construction and well-being of the church. Used this way it means "to found, establish; to promote growth in Christian wisdom, affection, grace, virtue' to grow in wisdom and piety."]

Edify used in this way appears often in the New Testament. As I look through verses that speak of it, I see them fitting into two categories:

1. How we are edified

• Through God's word. Paul's parting speech to the elders at Ephesis brings this out: "I commend you to God and to the word of His grace which is able to build you up…" Acts 20:32.

• Through church leaders. Again and again the visits of the early church leaders to the various congregation are described as edifying, or building up: Acts 14:22; 15:32,41; 18:23,27.

• Our leaders' authority is for our edification - 2 Corinthians 10:8.

• We're edified through the different roles in which they come to us, such as apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers - Ephesians 14:12,29

• Even their scoldings and rebukes are meant to build us up—as Paul assured the Corinthians - 2 Corinthians 13:10.

2. How we edify others:

• Like the early church did to grow, we walk "… in the fear of the Lord and the comfort of the Holy Spirit" - Acts 9:31. This works itself out in many practical ways:

• We pursue harmony and peace - Romans 14:19.

• We comfort each other - 1 Thessalonians 5:11.

• We seek to please our neighbors and pursue their well-being - Romans 15:2; 1 Corinthians 10:24 (part of our reading).

• We use our spiritual gifts - 1 Corinthians 14:3, 12.

• We take part in corporate worship: "… Whenever you come together, each of you has a psalm, has a teaching, has a tongue, has a revelation, has an interpretation. Let all things be done for edification" - 1 Corinthians 14:26.

• We love - 1 Corinthians 8:1.

Today, let's focus on building others up and being built up through God's word and the Christian community, rather than how close we can live to the line of things that are not lawful or edifying. 

PRAYER: Dear God, thank You for the reach means of edification we have in You and through the church. Help me to build up others today. Amen. 

PSALM TO PRAY: Psalm 145

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Unless otherwise noted all Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Are you a functioining part?

Image: Pixabay

TODAY’S SPECIAL: Ephesians 4:1-16

TO CHEW ON: From whom the whole body joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.” Ephesians 4:16

Is your body operating with replacement parts? Modern medicine has made amazing progress at fixing faulty body parts and replacing those that no longer work well. I would hazard a guess, though, that no matter how slick your replacement heart valve, or what a great match your transplanted kidney is, it’s not as good as a healthy original.

Each of our body parts has its own function. Toes, fingernails, eyelashes, the ability to smell, taste, feel (yes, pain too) are important and missed when absent. Even a small discrepancy in, say, the length of one’s legs can have repercussions to posture, neck, back, and foot health. Most of the time we have no clue about how interconnected our body parts are—until one of them gets ill or stops working and our whole body feels the impact.

In today’s passage, where Paul underlines the importance of Christian unity (Ephesians 4:1-4), and identifies spiritual gifts available to believers (Ephesians 4:7-12), he ends with a sort of argument for the function and cooperation of each member in the body of believers by comparing this spiritual body to a physical body (Ephesians 4:13-16).

I love these segments:

"...Christ—from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies… working by which every part does its share...” Ephesians 4:16.

This reminds us that each individual is not only important but essential for the smooth functioning of the body of believers. Of course only God in His ultimate wisdom and omnipotence would have the smarts and power to also place us in physical churches on physical earth in our place and time where we also have a unique purpose and function.

Why?

For body growth and edification (Ephesians 4:16).

[Edify: to instruct or benefit, especially morally or spiritually; to uplift.]

So, don’t absent yourself from the Christian community just because you appear (to yourself at least) insignificant or useless. You are needed and essential as one of the "every joint” and “every part” of the body of believers.

PRAYER: Dear Jesus, help me to be a healthy part, in tune and cooperating with You, my Head. Amen.

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Unless otherwise noted all Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Are you a body edifier?

Image: geralt / Pixabay.com

TODAY'S SPECIAL: Ephesians 4:1-16

TO CHEW ON: "And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers … for the edifying of the body of Christ. … every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love." Ephesians 4:11,12,16

Edify is a word we don't use much in ordinary conversation. Its appearance a couple of times in our reading had me reaching for the dictionary. [My Funk and Wagnalls defines edify: "To enlighten and benefit especially morally or spiritually."]

It's no surprise to see that God puts church leaders in place to edify the body of members (Ephesians 4:11,12).  We expect to be spiritually and morally enlightened by our prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers.

But "edify(ing)" occurs again in our passage. In this second appearance (Ephesians 4:16) it's not the leaders who edify but the body parts  themselves: "…every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love." Simply put, the body edifies itself.

Like our human body parts can edify us, or not (eyes dwell on good, uplifting images versus lingering on things that will tempt us to sin; mouths speak truth, mercy, and love, versus lies, judgment and indifference, etc.) so as parts of the body of Christ we common pew-warmers can edify the rest of the body (along with our leaders) or not.

• We can extend a hand instead of criticize. 
• We can testify of how God is working in our lives instead of just making small talk. 
• We can pray instead of gossip. 
• I could go on, but I'm sure you get the picture...

I ask myself, am I a body edifier in this way? Are you?

PRAYER: Dear Jesus, as a part of Your body and under Your headship, please help me to be a useful, constructive, building-up part of Your body today. Amen.

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Unless otherwise noted all Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

A new song

(OOPS! This post published by mistake on Oct. 6th...that's why some of you are seeing it again. Sorry!)

TODAY'S SPECIAL: Psalm 96:1-13


TO CHEW ON: "Oh, sing to the Lord a new song!

Sing to the Lord all the earth." - Psalm 96:1

My husband—an eight-year-old at the time—tells of a surprising scene the morning after his father asked Jesus into his life. His dad was at work in the barn, determinedly chewing gum (he had tossed out his cigarettes) and singing! This man who claimed he couldn't carry a tune was unable to suppress the joy of new life that bubbled up inside him. He had a new song.

Why do we, who put our faith in God, sing? The Psalms refer to singing more than seventy times.* It also plays a part in New Testament worship.

• For the Israelites it was sometimes linked to victory in battle - Psalm 27:6.

• It was an expression of gratefulness for salvation - Psalm 95:1.

• Song was a natural outflow of praise on remembering God's past work in individual lives and nationally - Psalm 126:2.

• Of course it was part of formal worship as well - Isaiah 39:29.

In the New Testament and for us:

• It is linked with prayer - 1 Corinthians 14:15.

• It is a way to encourage and build others up - Ephesians 5:19.

• And it is a way to build ourselves up - Colossians 3:16.

A "new song" is another facet of singing in general. It suggests we have found new reasons to praise. It proves we are not in a singing rut, doing it by rote or because that's what Christians do, but because there is something alive in us that needs the expression a new song brings. The new songs of Revelation imply that new melodies and lyrics will accompany the unveiling of God's plan at the culmination of history - Revelation 5:9, Revelation 14:3.

I love how a commentary article in my Bible encourages us to sing:

"Singing is a dynamic and vital part of our devotional life with God.... Even if you feel that you do not sing well, know that your heavenly Father loves the sound of your voice (Song of Solomon 2:14). It is not important how well you sing but simply that you sing. Praise is a pathway to joy" - Leslyn Musch, "Truth-In-Action Through Psalms 90-106," New Spirit-Filled Life Bible, pp. 770-1.

PRAYER: Dear God, thank You for the inner witness of Your Spirit's presence through song. Please stir up a new song in me today. Amen.


MORE: "Bein Happy" -  by Lori and Russ Taff, sung by Mark Lowry and the Gaither Vocal Band.

* Leslyn Musch, "Truth-In-Action Through Psalms 90-106," New Spirit-Filled Life Bible, p. 770.