LIVING THE LORD'S PRAYER

Living the Lord’s Prayer

    [”For samples of vain repetitions, see I Kings 18:26; Acts 19:34.” McGarvey]

    For many people the “Lord’s Prayer” represents the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  Jesus gave it as a pattern of how people may approach GOD in prayer.  We pray as God’s children!

    1. A PATTERN FOR PRAYER.

    “Pray like this: Our Father in heaven, may Your Name be kept holy.  May Your Kingdom come soon. May Your Will be done on earth, as it is in heaven.  Give us today the food we need, and forgive us our sins, as we have forgiven those who sin against us. And don’t let us yield to temptation, but rescue us from the evil one.  For Yours is the Kingdom and the Power and the Glory forever.  Amen.”  Matt 6:9-13 (NLT)

    [Some add: In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, Amen.  Matt. 28:19-20.  New people are being born every day and need to be added to the Kingdom.]

    a) Our Father.

    “And He has made from one blood every nation of men to dwell on all the face of the earth, and has determined their preappointed times and the boundaries of their dwellings, so that they should seek the Lord, in the hope that they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us; for in Him we live and move and have our being, as also some of your own poets have said, 'For we are also His offspring.' “ Acts 17:26-29

    b) May Your Name be kept holy.

    “For I am the Lord your God. You shall therefore consecrate yourselves, and you shall be holy; for I am holy. Neither shall you defile yourselves with any creeping thing that creeps on the earth. For I am the Lord who brings you up out of the land of Egypt, to be your God. You shall therefore be holy, for I am holy.”  Lev 11:44-45; 1 Peter 1:15-16

    c) May Your Will be done.

     “Instead you ought to say, "If the Lord wills, we shall live and do this or that."  But now you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil. Therefore, to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin.”  James 4:15-17

    d) Give us this day the food we need.

    “For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things.  But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.  Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.”  Matt 6:32-34

    e) And forgive us our sins.

    "For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.  But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.”  Matt 6:14-15

    f) Don’t let us yield to temptation.

    “Now all these things happened to them as examples, and they were written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the ages have come.  Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall.  No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.”  1 Cor 10:11-13

    g) Rescue us from the evil one.

    “Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might.  Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.  For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.”  Eph 6:10-12

    h) Yours is the Kingdom, the Power, the Glory, Forever!

       “Then I looked, and I heard the voice of many angels around the throne, the living creatures, and the elders; and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands, saying with a loud voice: "Worthy is the Lamb who was slain To receive power and riches and wisdom, And strength and honor and glory and blessing!"  And every creature which is in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, I heard saying: "Blessing and honor and glory and power Be to Him who sits on the throne, And to the Lamb, forever and ever!"  Then the four living creatures said, "Amen!" And the twenty-four elders fell down and worshiped Him who lives forever and ever.”  Rev 5:11-14

      The angels of heaven join the Created and the Redeemed to praise Jesus for His act of death which sets men free from the results of sin. Christ demonstrated that He is “worthy” by His heroic sacrifice (Eph 3:8-11).  Every being joins in the chorus of praise to God and the Lamb. It is God’s act in Jesus the Lamb, which allows God to give the verdict of “not guilty” in regard to those who were “paid for” by the death of Christ. The total Universe shares in the benefits of this act.  (Romans 8:19-22).

THERE IS A TIME

THERE IS A TIME

     The Old Testament is part of the Bible because it is still important.  Paul writes: “Such things were written in the Scriptures long ago to teach us. And the Scriptures give us hope and encouragement as we wait patiently for God’s promises to be fulfilled.” Romans 15:4 (NLT)

     THE WISDOM OF SOLOMON AND THE PSALMS

     The wisdom of Solomon and the Psalms will speak to our human existence as long as the world stands.  Life is a never- ending cycle as we experience and learn.  We repeat the past, and the future will bring more of the same.  But God does love us, and He knows what He is doing.  So we confidently come to Him and praise Him for His blessings.

     SOLOMON SAYS: “These are the words of the Teacher, King David’s son, who ruled in Jerusalem.  ² “Everything is meaningless,” says the Teacher, “completely meaningless!”³ What do people get for all their hard work under the sun?⁴ Generations come and generations go, but the earth never changes.⁵ The sun rises and the sun sets, then hurries around to rise again.⁶ The wind blows south, and then turns north. Around and around it goes, blowing in circles.⁷ Rivers run into the sea, but the sea is never full. Then the water returns again to the rivers and flows out again to the sea.⁸ Everything is wearisome beyond description. No matter how much we see, we are never satisfied. No matter how much we hear, we are not content.”  Eccl 1:1-8 (NLT)

     “Everything’s so totally boring, mind-numbingly dull. But you keep looking, listening as if something new’s going to happen. What’s gone down will go down again; what’s been done will be done again: there’s nothing new, original – it’s all repeats.”  Lacey [Word On The Street]

     SOLOMON’S GREATNESS AND SUCCESS

     “I communed with my heart, saying, "Look, I have attained greatness, and have gained more wisdom than all who were before me in Jerusalem. My heart has understood great wisdom and knowledge."  And I set my heart to know wisdom and to know madness and folly. I perceived that this also is grasping for the wind.”  Eccl 1:16-17 (NKJV)

     “Where’s the pay-off? What’s the point? All this back-breaking, brain-aching work that people do day in day out – why? God’s set seasons for everything – at the right time everything can work. But he’s also programmed us with the huge questions of ‘life, the universe and everything’ echoing round our brains. But we can’t know! How can we? It’s way too deep, like trying to get to the bottom of the ocean when all we’ve been given is a plastic snorkel and flippers.” Lacey

     “The Teacher begins by observing that each natural and historical activity is accentuated by its circular repetitive rhythm of coming and going, being and not being. This can lead to the despairing cry that everything is meaningless. The Teacher moves rapidly from subject to subject and finishes this section with the topic he started with, using a literary pattern that mirrors the circularity he describes in nature and in human history.”—NLT Study Bible

     SOLOMON IS SEARCHING

     “I buried myself in work, took on worthy projects. Built houses, set up businesses, made gardens and parks, planted every fruit tree you can think of.”  Lacey

     “Then I mulled over the word wisdom for a while, grappled with insanity and stupidity, trying to make some sense of it all. What’s the next king going to do that I’ve not already done? I made some progress: wisdom outguns stupidity, like light overpowers darkness. Wise people use the eyes in their heads, while the stupid grope around in the dark. Some progress. But then – they both die in the end, so what’s the point?”  Lacey

     THE CYCLE OF LIFE

     “To everything there is a season, A time for every purpose under heaven:  

A time to be born, And a time to die;

A time to plant, And a time to pluck what is planted;  

A time to kill, And a time to heal;

A time to break down, And a time to build up;

A time to weep, And a time to laugh;

A time to mourn, And a time to dance;  

A time to cast away stones, And a time to gather stones;

A time to embrace, And a time to refrain from embracing;  

A time to gain, And a time to lose;

A time to keep, And a time to throw away;  

A time to tear, And a time to sew;

A time to keep silence, And a time to speak;  

A time to love, And a time to hate;

A time of war, And a time of peace.

Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 (NKJV)

     “Yes, remember your Creator now while you are young, before the silver cord of life snaps and the golden bowl is broken. Don’t wait until the water jar is smashed at the spring and the pulley is broken at the well.  For then the dust will return to the earth, and the spirit will return to God who gave it.”  Eccl 12:6-7 (NLT)

     WISDOM FROM SOLOMON

     “The words of the wise are like cattle prods—painful but helpful. Their collected sayings are like a nail-studded stick with which a shepherd drives the sheep.12 But, my child, let me give you some further advice: Be careful, for writing books is endless, and much study wears you out.13 That’s the whole story. Here now is my final conclusion: Fear God and obey his commands, for this is everyone’s duty.14 God will judge us for everything we do, including every secret thing, whether good or bad.”  Eccl 12:11-14 (NLT)

     “Remember the God who made you, while you’re still young, before the hassles of adult life kick in and you too end up saying, “Where’s the fun gone?”  Now it’s out in the open; now I’ve had my moan. Here’s my conclusion: respect God and live his way – this is our role, our responsibility. For God’ll judge everything we do, secret or known, good or evil.”  Lacey

GOD FIRST LOVED US

GOD FIRST LOVED US.

    The Real Scandal Is A Fear of Love.  The Church is a Church of the poor in spirit and of sinners seeking forgiveness, not simply of the righteous and the holy, but rather of those who are righteous and holy precisely when they feel themselves poor sinners.  The Gospel continues to be a vital source of eternal newness, against all those who would “indoctrinate” it into dead stones to be hurled at others.

    “Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom.”  Luke 12:32 (KJV)

    “And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.”  1 Cor 13:13 (KJV)

    “Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world. There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.  We love him, because he first loved us.”  1 John 4:17-19 (KJV)

    17. The purpose. “Love is an official heavenly visitor who stays with us and claims our loyalty.  He has been ‘made perfect in us’ when we are facsimiles of Jesus - His visible portrait!” Compare Matt. 5:16; Gal. 2:20; 2 Cor. 3:18.

    18. No fear in love.  Note that John uses (worldly) fear as the opposite of love. One type of person lost eternally is the coward (fearful), as we see in Rev. 21:8. [We fear God in the sense of  our reverence and respect to Him.]  Fear of punishment never goes along with love; but perfect love to God and man drives out all fear of punishment from our mind! One who truly loves God and man will know that he has left death and come over into life (1 John 3:14), and will have no reason to fear punishment!”

    Love has not been made perfect. “The one who fears the Judgment has not been made perfect in love to God and man! For this he has no excuse!” Bengel says there are four possible conditions of a human soul: (1) without either fear or love: (2) with fear, without love; (3) with fear and love: (4) with love, without fear. This verse shows that only the forth describes the true and mature Christian.  "Without worldly fear, with Christian love."  19. Because God. God’s unique love for us in Christ, fills us with love for Him and for our fellowman.

    What is love?

    “Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.”  1 John 3:16 (KJV)

    “What is love anyway? Not the tripe you’ve been force-fed! No, love gives people space and time; it does people good. It’s not jealous, loud-mouthed or big-headed. It’s not vulgar; it doesn’t look after No. 1. It’s not got a short fuse – it forgives and forgets. Love doesn’t smile when dark stuff goes on, but throws a party when the truth gets out. It protects more than a blockbuster hero; it trusts more than a toddler. It’s always positive; it always hangs in there. Love doesn’t let you down.”  Lacey on 1 Cor. 13.

    “For Paul, love is more important than any of the spiritual gifts and the most important virtue. Love "binds us all together in perfect harmony" (Col 3:14). Without love, ministry has limited value (13:1-3). Paul summed up the whole of the Christian ethics as "faith expressing itself in love" (Gal 5:6). Love is the central ethical expression of Christian faith, the primary fruit of the Spirit (Gal 5:22), and one of the most important motivations for ministry. The most important thing for believers to value and seek is to become a faithfully loving person.—NLT Study Bible

    “And we know that the Son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding, that we may know him that is true, and we are in him that is true, even in his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and eternal life.”  1 John 5:20 (KJV)

      20. We know. Not came, but has come and has given us. The Eternal Logos (Word) has come as a human being. The world can never be the same, because this fact stands in history and nothing can take it away.  God spoke to us through His Son (Heb. 1:2 and note), and this understanding will never be removed from the human scene.  The true God. Jesus revealed the true God! Contrast this with the false god of the false teachers (1 John 2:9). See Introduction to Acts. Our lives. Again the emphasis that we are in the true God by being in His Son Jesus Christ. See 1 John 2:23 and note. This is the true God. In Christ the true God is revealed to us and in Christ we have eternal life. [Some think this says that Jesus Christ is the true God. A monotheistic-trinitarian can say this is true (see note on Rom. 16:27).  [A monotheistic-trinitarian – one who believes in Jehovah the Father, Jehovah the Son, Jehovah the Holy Spirit.]

God's Church Lives On

GOD’S CHURCH LIVES ON!

    On the News.  “Christianity is dead in Europe.  Islam is the new reality.”  [But God may have other plans.  “Horses & chariots of fire.”  2 Kings 6:16-17.]

    John wrote to suffering Christians to strengthen their faith at a time they were being destroyed.  The God of Heaven is in control even when He seems not to be.  The “gates of hell” cannot prevail against Christ and His church.  Paul wrote:  “A final word: Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.  Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil. For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.”  Eph 6:10-12 (NLT)

    Christianity may seem to be dying.  John wrote in Revelation. 

“When they finish their testimony, the beast that ascends out of the bottomless pit will make war against them, overcome them, and kill them.  And their dead bodies will lie in the street of the great city which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified.”  Rev 11:7-8 (NKJV)

    1. The gates of hell cannot prevail against the one Spiritual Kingdom.  Satan is allowed to oppose the church through the antichristian world.  He seems to defeat the church, and the dead bodies lie on the street.  But God the Holy Spirit sends a life-giving breath and Christianity is reborn – again and again!

    a) Righteousness comes from God.

    “Then he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the Angel of the Lord, and Satan standing at his right hand to oppose him.  And the Lord said to Satan, "The Lord rebuke you, Satan! The Lord who has chosen Jerusalem rebuke you! Is this not a brand plucked from the fire?"  Now Joshua was clothed with filthy garments, and was standing before the Angel.  Then He answered and spoke to those who stood before Him, saying, "Take away the filthy garments from him." And to him He said, "See, I have removed your iniquity from you, and I will clothe you with rich robes."  And I said, "Let them put a clean turban on his head." So they put a clean turban on his head, and they put the clothes on him. And the Angel of the Lord stood by.”  Zech 3:1-5 (NKJV)

    b) Come Up Here!

    “Now after the three-and-a-half days the breath of life from God entered them, and they stood on their feet, and great fear fell on those who saw them.  And they heard a loud voice from heaven saying to them, "Come up here." And they ascended to heaven in a cloud, and their enemies saw them.  In the same hour there was a great earthquake, and a tenth of the city fell. In the earthquake seven thousand people were killed, and the rest were afraid and gave glory to the God of heaven.”  Rev 11:11-13 (NKJV)

    “The death of the two witnesses is not the end of their ministry. God was not defeated in the death of Jesus and he will not be defeated in the slaughter of his witnesses. The God of the resurrection breathed life into the dead so that they stood up (see Ezek 37:3-5,10), leaving no doubt about God's power. • Terror struck: It is a fearful experience for sinful humans to face the power of the living God (see Heb 10:31).  they rose to heaven in a cloud: The event is reminiscent of the ascent of Jesus (see Acts 1:9) and others (see 2 Kgs 2:11-12; 1 Thess 4:17).”  —NLT Study Bible

    c) Central idea.  Evil cannot permanently conquer good.  God is the Power and the Glory.  Rev 11:7-13 shows a continuing cycle of events.  Satan himself fights against the church of Christ [through the antichristian world] and seems to destroy it.  But after 3½ days, God sends a life-giving breath into it.  The church seems to die and is reborn again and again.  The one spiritual church does not terminate.  It is taken up to God and continues to be with Him forever, in the eternal Wedding Feast of the Lamb (Rev 19:7-9).  God’s eternal purpose in the first Coming of Jesus Christ is stated in John 3:16-17.  “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.  For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.”  John 3:16-17 (NKJV)

    “The truth that God loved the world is basic to Christian understanding (1 Jn 4:9-10). God's love extends beyond the limits of race and nation, even to those who oppose him (see "The World" at John 17:5-26, p. 1807). • The Son came to save—not condemn (John 3:17)—men and women who habitually embrace the darkness (John 3:19-21).  As light penetrates and exposes the world's darkness, God's judgment on the world has already begun. Those who see this light and recognize the tragedy of their own situation have the responsibility of believing in God's... Son.”  —NLT Study Bible

We Preach Christ

WE PREACH CHRIST!!!

        Gospel Meetings used to be called Protracted Meetings in the 1940s, and were called Revivals by many.  These are times of evangelistic outreach, lifting up and honoring Christ Jesus and letting His Light of Truth shine. “That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world. He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not.”  John 1:9-10 (KJV)

        “For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.  Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this.”  Isaiah 9:6-7 (KJV)

        “For unto which of the angels said he at any time, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee? And again, I will be to him a Father, and he shall be to me a Son?  And again, when he bringeth in the firstbegotten into the world, he saith, And let all the angels of God worship him.”  Heb 1:5-6 (KJV)

        “According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon.  But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon.  For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ. “  1 Cor 3:10-11 (KJV)

      In the year of 1794, on August 4th, Rice Haggard stood in the meeting at Old Lebanon Church, Surry County, Virginia, with a New Testament in his hand, and said: "Brethren, this [New Testament] is a sufficient rule of faith and practice.  And by it we are told that the disciples were called Christians. And I move that henceforth and forever the followers of Christ be known as Christians simply."  This proved to be the beginning of the "Stone-Campbell Movement" in America.  [The Lord's Church dates from Pentecost.]

        Salvation unites the believer with Christ.  Said Stone: "We urged upon the sinner to believe now, and receive salvation...No previous qualification was required, or necessary, in order to believe in Jesus, and come to Him - that if they were sinners, this was their divine warrant to believe in Him and to come to Him for salvation...When we first began to preach these things, the people appeared as just awakened from the sleep of ages - they seemed to see for the first time that they were responsible beings, and that a refusal to use the means appointed [for salvation] was a damning sin.”

        Walter Scott, who came to be thought of as The Evangelist  used the "five-finger exercise" to help people remember: Faith, Repentance, Baptism, Remission of sins, Gift of the Holy Spirit."  These were man's response to God's offer of salvation.  Christ is preached: His Death and Resurrection. Sinners are to believe in Christ, repent of sins, and be baptized into Christ for remission of sins and the gift of the Holy Spirit [Acts 2:38].  With this message, Scott led thousands each year [in the 1800's] to "obey the gospel." 

        Unity  is a command of Christ. 

      “Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word;  That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.  And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one:  I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me.”  John 17:20-23 (KJV)

        In 1832, Stone and Campbell joined the right hand of fellowship. Stone wrote in 1833: "How vain are all human attempts to unite a bundle of twigs together, so as to make them grow together and bear fruit.  They must first be united with the living stock, and receive its sap and spirit, before they can ever be united with one another.  The members of the body cannot live unless by union with its head - nor can members of the church live united, unless first united with Christ The Living Head.  His Spirit is the bond of union.  Men have devised many plans to unite Christians - all in vain.  There is but one effectual plan, which is, that all be united with Christ and walk in Him."

        We "stand on the shoulders" of those who have gone before us.  Their work of faith is very important to us.  Read Paul's teaching in 1 Cor. 15:1-8; Titus 2:11-14; 3:3-8; Col. 2:11-14.         

CHOOSING ELDERS AND LEADERS

CHOOSING ELDERS AND LEADERS  Matt Proctor

     If it’s true the redemptive drama being played out here hinges on the quality of the church’s leadership, then each congregation must pay close attention to what makes for a good church leader. A fresh look at 1 Timothy 3:1-7 is needed.

     In that hope, I’ve tried to summarize Paul’s description of the ideal spiritual leader in a list of 10 questions a congregation could ask of potential elders. Keep your Bible open to the text as you read through the following descriptions. As you seek those men who will lead your church, perhaps these questions will serve as a helpful test:

     1. Is this man respected in the community? The first quality listed is above reproach, literally meaning “not able to be held.” In other words, if charges were leveled against this man, he wouldn’t even be held for questioning because his reputation is so solid. He’s Teflon, not Velcro. His integrity is such that accusations just won’t stick.

     By the way, in verse 7 Paul bookends this list with another call for a good reputation with outsiders. Why this emphasis on how well others think of a man? Simply this: the reputation of Christ is tied to that of the church, and the reputation of the church is tied to that of its leaders.

     2. Is this man committed to his wife? A husband of but one wife literally reads “a one-woman man.” It describes a man completely devoted to his wife not only in body, but also in mind and heart. Why is this important? A strong marriage helps protect an elder from moral failure, provides needed support when he faces draining church challenges, and offers a powerful example to younger believers (1 Peter 5:3).

     3. Has this man shown wisdom in decision-making? Temperate means “clear-headed,” and self-controlled could actually be translated “prudent or thoughtful.” These words picture a man who has his head on straight. Why? Because an elder must often think his way through thorny relational, financial, and doctrinal questions—all of which can have eternal consequences. (Perhaps this is why spiritual leaders are called “elders,” suggesting a certain amount of life experience. Wisdom doesn’t always come with age, but it rarely comes without it.)  Look for evidence that a man is mature enough to avoid shoot-from-hip, impulsive, or careless decisions.

Whether you call it common sense, horse sense, or “coon dog sense,” you want your spiritual leaders to demonstrate wise decision-making.

     4. Has this man shown the ability to keep his temper in check? Paul describes an elder as a man who is not violent, but gentle and not quarrelsome. Church leaders will face volatile situations in which a soft word will turn away anger, but a harsh word will stir up wrath (Proverbs 15:1). If a man is known to have either an explosive anger (“losing it”) or a slow, simmering anger (“carrying a grudge”), the church will suffer. When conflict and criticism arise, the man who will make a good elder will have a tough skin, a tender heart, a short memory, and a long fuse.

     5. Is this man willing to be inconvenienced for others? When we hear the word hospitable, we picture inviting someone over for an evening of lasagna dinner and conversation. In the ancient world, where inns were notoriously filthy and even dangerous, the word pictured someone opening his home for guests to stay days or even weeks on end. Hospitality involved sacrifice and cost a great deal in time, space, money and effort. In other words, Paul’s question is: will this man think of others before himself?  After all, an elder is to shepherd the flock of God, and having raised sheep, I can tell you these frustrating animals need constant care. Their problems always seem to come at inconvenient times—I’ve spent a late night or two in the sheep barn. Plus, they smell baaaaad. (Sorry.) In other words, sheep require unconditional love.  A good elder recognizes, however, that these frustrating folk are beloved of God and are “bought with his own blood” (Acts 20:28).

     6. Is this man capable of teaching Scripture to others? An elder must be able to teach. Why? Biblically, the primary strategy for personal and corporate transformation is not excellent programming or even quality relationships, but rather the patient teaching of Scripture (2 Timothy 4:2). Is Paul telling Timothy to look for effective public speakers? Not necessarily. While delivery matters, the first requirement of a good teacher is not presentation skills, but mastery of content. Has this man given himself to study of Scripture and to filling himself with the Word of God?  You’re not simply looking for a man who knows how to say something, but rather a man who has something to say—something from God

     7. Has this man established wise personal habits? The word respectable pictures a man who is self-disciplined and orderly in his behavior. It describes the ancient church father who once prayed, “Father, help me be master of my self that I may be servant of others.” To serve the church, an elder certainly must not be given to drunkenness, but he must also avoid other habits that can damage reputation and distract focus—workaholism, gambling, smoking, overeating, or even watching too much television.  Ask of a potential leader: Do his habits reveal a man who is able to supervise his own life well? Self-control is not only the fruit of the Spirit, but also the mark of a good elder.

     8. Does this man have a strong sense of stewardship? Phrased differently, he is not a lover of money. Phrased positively, he is a lover of God with his money. Paul is describing a leader whose life will be marked by generosity and simple contentment. (See 1 Timothy 6:6-10, 17-19.)   Why? A man who lives under the love of money might let in the door of his life such sins as embezzling, extravagance, or even hoarding, and I’ve seen spiritual leaders who then let these sins in the door of the church. On the other hand, a man who lives under the love of God will steward his own money and the church’s finances with God’s glory and the church’s mission always in mind.

     9. Does this man have a track record of discipling leadership? Has this man shown the ability to lead others to greater maturity in Christ? To answer that question, look at his family first. When Paul says an elder must manage his own family well, he means a man’s family is his first little congregation, and “whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much” (Luke 16:10). But if three of his four children have no use for the church, what does this say of his spiritual leadership?

     10. Has this man been a Christian long enough to maintain humility? Paul says he must not be a recent convert, or he may become conceited. The chief occupational hazard of spiritual leadership is pride, and too much visibility too soon in a man’s Christian pilgrimage can inflate his ego.  You’re looking for a man who won’t believe his own church newsletter press clippings and instead has the humility that comes when you’ve walked a ways with Jesus.

Christ Transformed In A Resurection Body

Christ Transformed In A Resurrection Body

    In His Resurrection Jesus had a real immortal and imperishable body.  Luke 24:40.  So will we.

    1. Death is defeated.

    "Do not be afraid; I am the First and the Last.  I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen. And I have the keys of Hades and of Death.” Rev 1:17-18     

     He has authority even over death and Hades [the world of the dead].  He will raise eveyone from death at His Coming!  See John 5:27-29.

    “Although He eternally existed as the Son of God, Jesus' resurrection demonstrated Him to be God's Son, revealing Him in all His power and glory. —NLT Study Bible

    “O Death, where is your sting? O Hell, where is your victory?  Christ is risen, and you are overthrown. Christ is risen, and the demons are fallen. Christ is risen, and the Angels rejoice. Christ is risen, and life reigns. Christ is risen, and not one dead remains in the grave. For Christ, being risen from the dead, has become the first-fruits of those who have fallen asleep. To Him be glory and dominion unto ages of ages. Amen.”  Chrysostom

    “Only in the resurrection do we have the message that God has given us the provision of His life in order that we might be man as God intended man to be; in order that the resurrection life of the risen Lord Jesus might become the essence of spiritual life in the Christian; in order that we might live by His life and the expression of His character. The resurrection is the positive provision of life in Christ Jesus, around which all other theological topics must be oriented.”  J.A.Fowler

    2. Resurrection events.

    “Now when He rose early on the first day of the week, He appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom He had cast seven demons.  She went and told those who had been with Him, as they mourned and wept.  And when they heard that He was alive and had been seen by her, they did not believe.  After that, He appeared in another form to two of them as they walked and went into the country.  And they went and told it to the rest, but they did not believe them either.”  Mark 16:9-13

    “Mary thought that with the resurrection, Jesus would resume normal relations with His disciples. She was trying to cling to the joy she discovered in Her resurrected Lord. But His fellowship with her would come in a new form (John 20:22). Jesus had not yet ascended to complete His return to the Father, but the process was underway. Before His final departure, He would give the Holy Spirit (John 20:22; see John 14:15-21, 26; 15:26-27; 16:5-15).—NLT Study Bible

    “He shewed unto them his hands and his side.  The Lord showed his wounds to convince them beyond a doubt that it was not a fantasy or an apparition. A week later he shows his wounds to Thomas. The resurrected body still bore these proofs of his suffering and love. Sixty years later, when John, at Patmos, saw the Lion of the Tribe of Judah, he beheld “a Lamb as it had been slain.” Perhaps our Lord in glory continues to bear the marks of the cross. Perhaps these will forever, as we gaze in glory, remind us of the story of our redemption.”—People's New Testament, Johnson’s Notes

    “It was fitting for Christ’s soul at His Resurrection to resume the body with its scars. In the first place, for Christ’s own glory. For Bede says on Luke 24:40 that He kept His scars not from inability to heal them, “but to wear them as an everlasting trophy of His victory.”  Aquinus

    3. We shall be raised!

    “But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.”  Romans 8:11

    Though the body be doomed to death “because of sin,” it shall be “quickened” for those who have God's Spirit dwelling in them. Even our mortal bodies shall be raised, not in corruption, but in incorruption.

    “Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed--in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.”

1 Cor 15:51-52

    “For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ,  who will transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to His glorious body, according to the working by which He is able even to subdue all things to Himself.”  Phil 3:20-21 

     "Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a Man attested by God to you by miracles, wonders, and signs which God did through Him in your midst, as you yourselves also know-- Him, being delivered by the determined purpose and foreknowledge of God, you have taken by lawless hands, have crucified, and put to death; whom God raised up, having loosed the pains of death, because it was not possible that He should be held by it.”  Acts 2:22-24

    “For early Christians, resurrection was seen to consist of passing death and out the other side into a new sort of bodily life. As Romans 8 shows, Paul clearly believed that God would give new life to the mortal bodies of Christians and indeed to the entire created world: “If the Spirit of the God who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised the Messiah Jesus from the dead will give life to your mortal bodies also through his Spirit who lives in you” (Romans 8:11). This is a radical mutation from within Jewish belief.  Resurrection hope (as one would expect from its Jewish roots) turned those who believed it into a counter-empire, an alternative society that knew the worst that tyrants could do and knew that the true God had the answer. But the Christians had an extra reason for this hope, a reason which, they would have said, explained their otherwise extraordinary focus on, and sharpening of, this particular Jewish belief. For the Christians believed that the Messiah had already been raised from the dead. Passages such as Job 19:25-27, which in the King James Version seems to predict bodily resurrection more solidly than the Hebrew warrants, may have gained this meaning when read in the Septuagint.”  N.T Wright