cheap gas and your testimony before a lost world

today i got a text message and voicemail that told me about cheap gas.

apparently a gas station on the east side made a serious error on their machine and was selling premium gas at $1.24 a gallon.

the first thing that popped into my mind was, "BRYCE! GET TO THAT GAS STATION!!"

the next thing that popped into my mind was how easy it is to take advantage of people's mistakes and misfortune by our selfish actions.

i remember reading an article about gas stations not long ago. in it, the writer made the interesting point that gas stations really don't make much money on selling gas. they make their money selling other things. cokes, candy, milk, cigarettes, etc.

the point the author was making was that although we do pay high prices at the pump, the main money makers are the oil men and industry; not the stations.

i decided not to go. although it was an interesting thought process getting to that conclusion.

one friend told me that he got a half tank of gas for 7 bucks. right now, half a tank for me costs 21 bucks. thats 3 times 7. ouch.

i'm sitting at my house, searching the bible, looking for a way to be, "as shrewd as snakes" like Jesus commands in Matthew 10. i'm trying to convince myself that saving money on gas by the mistake of some gas station worker is really a shrewd way of making more money available for the work of the Lord. "I can give more if i save more" i tell myself. its a very good argument.

as im looking for my keys, the rest of that great command of our Lord comes to my mind..."but be as innocent as doves." SMACK! POW!

in Matthew 10, the Lord Jesus is sending out the 12 disciples to do some ministry. in verse 16 He says He's sending them out as sheep among wolves. thats when He makes the statement, "be as shrewd (wise) as snakes and as innocent as doves."

the Lord knew and was telling them about the hard times to come. persecution. beatings. arrests. betrayals. all for one reason, "to bear witness."

they were being sent to suffer so others could hear the Gospel of the Lord Jesus.

there was a point to the sins of others against them: the glory of God.

in Romans 12 paul says, "repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all."

christians are called to live righteously for the sake of the Gospel being preached. we are called to be above reproach in all things. even when no one will find out. we don't steal when we're hungry. we don't lie when it gets us out of trouble. we don't date or marry non-christians.

and we certainly don't take advantage of someone's mistake to save some money on gas. the world does those things. we're not the world. whats sad is that SOMEONE will have to pay the difference in cost: the owner of the gas station.

but thats ok right? you saved some money as you drove to church tonight. i wonder if the Lord will say, "well done." i don't wonder; He won't.

our testimony is based on Christ's righteousness within us. we are called to live blamelessly before the world. we do sin. we fall short. but willful disobedience requires rebuke and correction and repentance.

be as innocent as doves, repay what you've stolen and in doing so, honor the Lord Jesus.

bryce

thoughts on early morning earthquakes

1. Glorify God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit...everything happens for God's glory so make sure you give it to Him. Romans 11:36 says, For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen."

2. Jesus said earthquakes would happen, so don't be surprised when they do. Mark 13:8 says, "For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be earthquakes in various places; there will be famines. These are but the beginning of the birth pains."

3. Repent because you could have died and you might not have been ready. Read Luke 13.

4. Preach the Word. In season and out of season. Tell people about the Lord Jesus Christ and beware of pastors who say otherwise. Faith comes by hearing, not by doing or inviting. 2 Timothy 4:1-2 says, "I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom: 2preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching. AND Romans 10:17 says, "So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ."

How to soundly interpret the Bible part 4

How to soundly interpret the Bible part 4.

this is a 5 part series on how to soundly interpret the Bible. i learned these points in my hermeneutics class but this particular list comes from Bible teacher John MacArthur.

The Synthesis Principle.

The Reformers [the guys who started and worked through the protestant reformation] used the expression “scriptura scripturam interpretatur,” or “Scripture interprets Scripture.” By this they meant that obscure passages in Scripture must be understood in light of clearer ones. If the Bible is God’s Word, it must be consistent with itself. No part of the Bible can contradict any other part. One Divine Author—the Holy Sprit—inspired the whole Bible, so it has one marvelous, supernatural unity. The synthesis principle puts Scripture together with Scripture to arrive at a clear, consistent meaning. If we hold to an interpretation of one passages that does not square with something in another passage, one of the passages is being interpreted incorrectly—or possibly both of them. The Holy Spirit does not disagree with himself. And the passages with obvious meanings should interpret the more arcane ones. One should never build a doctrine on a single obscure or unclear text.

We I teach a passage of Scripture, I often guide the congregation to different parts of the Bible to show how the passage under study fits into the total context of Scripture. In his fine book, God Has Spoken, J.I. Packer said:

“The Bible appears like a symphony orchestra, with the Holy Ghost as its Tocanini; each instrumentalist has been brought willingly, spontaneously, creatively, to play his notes just as the great conductor desired, though none of them could ever hear the music as a whole…The point of each part only becomes fully clear when seen in relation to all the rest.”

Peter said much the same thing when he wrote, “As to salvation, the prophets who prophesied of the grace that would come to you…made careful search and inquiry, seeking to know what person or time the Spirit of Christ within them was indicating.” (1 Peter 1:10-11) Even the Bible writers did not always know the full meaning of what they wrote. Today, because the New Testament is complete, we see how the Bible connects into one glorious comprehensive whole.

How to soundly interpret the Bible part 3

how to soundly interpret the Bible part 3

this is a 5 part serious on how to soundly interpret the Bible. i learned these points in my hermeneutics class but this particular list comes from Bible teacher John MacArthur.

part 3: The Grammatical Principle

Often the syntactical construction of a passage is the key to its meaning. Sometimes, for example, the meaning of a sentence can hinge on something as simple as a preposition. It obviously matters a great deal whether a passage says "because of," "through," "into," "in," "by," or "with." And in some cases the original Greek word used can be translated by two or more different English words. It is important to know whether the word appearing in your English Bible has a possible alternative translation. Also, if a sentence refers to "this" or "it," it is important to know the antecedent of the pronoun.

Grammar may not be your favorite subject--it certainly isn’t mine--but we need to grasp the basics when interpreting the language of Scripture. We have to follow the sequence of the words and phrases to know precisely what the Word of God says. An accurate understanding of the passage may depend on it.

People sometimes ask me, "What is the first thing you do when you prepare a message?" I tell them that I study the biblical text in the original language--Greek or Hebrew. I note the proper order of the words and sentences. I go over the sentence structure and the grammar. I want to know exactly what is being said.

This can be done by anyone willing to invest a little time and effort. Even if one does not know Greek or Hebrew, an interlinear translation, which shows the Greek or Hebrew text with corresponding English words above the original language, can be used. At the very least, a good Bible commentary can be consulted. Take note of those writers and speakers who seem to pay attention to grammar--and watch out for those who do not. Learn to do inductive Bible study by breaking down the English verses into phrases, showing nouns, verbs, modifiers, and other parts of speech to see their meaning more clearly.

How to soundly interpret the Bible part 2

how to soundly interpret the Bible part 2

this is a 5 part series on how to interpret the Bible. i learned these principles in my hermeneutics class. this particular list comes from the Bible teacher John MacArthur.

part 2: The Historical Principle

As we have noted, one of the crucial steps in understanding what a text means is to have some grasp of the cultural, geographical, and political setting in which the passage was written. If one understands the historical context, the passage often will practically interpret itself.

As we come to any book of the Bible, we have to understand the history involved. If it is an epistle to one of the churches, what were some of the characteristics of the city in which those believers lived? What were the political and cultural conditions at the time? Who was ruling where? What social pressures were involved and to what degree? What were the tensions, problems and crises of the community? What was the culture of the day really like? What were the customs of the people?

For example, it is virtually impossible for the modern reader to make sense of Peter’s admonition in 1 Peter 1:13: "Gird up the loins of your mind." But when you realize that soldiers in New Testament times wore long flowing tunics, and they had to tie them up around their waists so that they wouldn’t trip over them when they went into battle, Peter’s meaning becomes immediately clear. He is saying, "Prepare your minds for battle. Trim up whatever is holding you back or slowing you down."

To answer the cultural and historical questions we can use Bible dictionaries, Bible handbooks, commentaries, history books, and books about Bible customs. They enable us to reconstruct the setting of a Bible passage, and from the historical context will usually flow the clear meaning.

How to soundly interpret the Bible part 1

how to soundly interpret the Bible part one

this is part one of a five part series. if you read it, take your time and think about what is being said and how you can apply it to your bible reading. i learned these things in my hermeneutics class but this particular list comes from Bible teacher John MacArthur.
bp

1. the literal principle
When we speak of interpreting Scripture literally, we are not talking about a slavish, rigid literalism. Literal interpretation means we understand Scripture in its normal sense, including figures of speech like the parables, hyperbole, simile, metaphor and symbolism.

Scripture is to be read naturally. In years past theologians spoke of the usus loquendi, meaning that the words of Scripture are to be interpreted in the same way words are understood in ordinary daily use. God has communicated His Word to us through human language, and there is every reason to assume he has done it in the most obvious and simple fashion possible. His words are to be understood just as we would interpret the language of normal writing. Although there is occasional figurative language and symbolism in Scripture, those things are quite evident in the places they are used. The first thing a careful interpreter looks for is the literal meaning, not some mystical, deeper, hidden, secret, or spiritualized interpretation.

Some of the apocalyptic passages, such as those in Zechariah, Daniel, Ezekiel, Isaiah or Revelation, contain obvious figures and symbols that must be studied carefully to see the literal truth they are conveying. That kind of symbolic language, however, is not the norm in Scripture and it is obvious where employed. Sometimes the symbolism is hard to interpret, but by studying the historical setting, one can usually discern a clear meaning. Even the figurative language conveys clear, literal truth. Scripture is not the kind of puzzle some people seem to want to make it.

Parables are another form of figurative language sometimes used in Scripture. Parables are stories that illustrate a spiritual truth but whose details may not be actually historical. The details-people, events, times, and places-may be hypothetical, metaphorical, or simply unidentified. But the spiritual truths illustrated by parables are always literal and real.

Those who have abandoned literal interpretation in favor of mystical or allegorical interpretation discard all hope of achieving accuracy and coherence. Instead, they have a free-for-all, where only the imagination rules. When they deny the literal meaning, they are not serving Scripture by trying to understand it but make it their slave by molding it to say what they want it to say.

Some rabbis in the inter-testamental period (the period between the old and new testaments) interpreted scripture by numerology. That is, they would use the numerical equivalent of each letter in the Hebrew alphabet to glean mystical meanings out of words. Their brand of interpretation led to some bizarre explanations of certain passages. For example, in the Hebrew alphabet the numerical value of the letters in Abraham’s name adds up to 318. This was supposed to mean that Abraham had 318 servants! It is easy to see that when we violate the simple purpose of language, ANY interpretation is possible.

my heart for the rich

lately some dear friends have asked me why i say the things i do about the american church. specifically, about how i believe american church goers spend most of their money on themselves for comfort and ease and luxury while the rest of the world dies from poverty, hunger and disease only then to be cast into eternal fire.

yesterday i was asked why i hate the rich.

let me be clear: i do not hate the rich.

although i do hate what the rich do with their riches. and let me be clear as to whom i am referring to as rich: if you're american, then you're rich.

as i understand the Gospel in orientation terms, it changes a person's life from being centered on me to being centered on the Lord Jesus Christ.

it creates a Copernican shift that one never falls away from.

in other words, the things that one used to care about:

-success
-reputation
-sex (outside of the marriage bed)
-advancement
-comfort
-rights
-personal dignity
-pride

are thrown at the foot of the Cross of Jesus Christ and those sins of self are atoned for.

my objection to the ruling (rich) class within the american church is this:

even though there is a "public profession of faith", there is no regenerate change within the heart and the desires of old do not die with the old self. what this means is that they look moral on the outside, but a simple following of their money trail ends in a pretty headstone over a grave filled with dead bones. they look like born again believers, but there is no real fruit of the Spirit, only dead moralism.

why do i know this? here is a sampling, by no means an exhaustive list, of some of the new testament commands and teachings about money and wealth:

Blessed are you poor, for yours is the kingdom of heaven . . . Woe to you rich, for you have received your consolation. (Luke 6:20)

They are choked by the cares and riches and pleasures of life. (Luke 8:14)

The Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head. (Luke 9:58) (Jesus was poor from start to finish. His life was totally streamlined for the work of the kingdom.)

A person's life does not consist in the possessions that he has. (Luke 12:15)

Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. (Matthew 6:19-20)

Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? (Matthew 6:25)

Seek his kingdom and these other things (the basics of life) will be yours as well. (Luke 12:31)

But God said to him, 'Fool! This night your soul is required of you, and the things you have prepared, whose will they be?' So is the one who lays up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God. (Luke 12:20-21)

Sell your possessions and give alms; provide yourselves with purses in heaven. (Luke 12:33)

Whoever does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple. (Luke 14:33)

How hard it will be for those who have riches to enter the kingdom of heaven. (Luke 18:24)

They sold their possessions and goods and distributed them to all as any had need. (Acts 2:45)

No one said that any of the things which he possessed was his own, but they had everything in common. (Acts 4:32)

In a severe test of affliction, their abundance of joy and their extreme poverty have overflowed in a wealth of liberality on their part. (2 Corinthians 8:2)

We brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world; but if we have food and clothing, with these we shall be content. But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and hurtful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction. The love of money is the root of all evil. (1 Timothy 6:7-10)

You had compassion on the prisoners and joyfully accepted the plundering of your property, since you knew that you yourselves had a better possession and an abiding one. (Hebrews 10:34)

If any one has the world's goods and sees his brother in need yet closes his heart against him, how does God's love abide in him? (1 John 3:17)

John Piper says,

A decisive turn happened in redemptive history with the coming of Jesus that makes it invalid to use the lavish temple of the Old Testament as a model for contemporary church buildings. The Old Testament was, by and large, a "come-and-see" religion, while the New Testament is largely a "go-and-tell" religion. This revolutionizes the way we look at the use of our resources. Maximizing our giving to finish the Great Commission and to evangelize Minneapolis and to show love to our neighbors should thus govern our lifestyle and our church building and its appearance and expense.

"The New Testament is relentless in pushing us toward simplicity and economy for the kingdom and away from luxury and affluence and finery."

the new testament says about 10 times more about financial sin then it does about sexual sin. this is paramount for us to understand so i'll say it again: the new testament says about 10 times more about financial sin then it does about sexual sin.

does this mean that we don't love the Lord Jesus if we spend money on ourselves for comfort and ease? this is probably not the right question. the real questions should be: what are our priorities? what are our affections leaning to?

does God give us money to make our lives easier? or to help alleviate suffering in the world? does God give us money to increase our comfort or to help send men and women to proclaim the only true Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ to a lost and dying world that remains under the horrible wrath of a Holy God?

this is a heart issue. and a heart bent towards being obedient to the Lord Jesus would do well to heed the commands He spoke in His word about how to deal with money.

maybe today we should pray that God would transform us in this matter.