To my readers.
To better evaluate my readership, I would appreciate it if you could either follow my blog by clicking the button on the left ( you must have a Google account) or if you want to have my new posts sent directly to your email, click the link to the left that says "Subscribe via Email". This takes you to a place called FeedBurner, where you enter your email and click Subscribe.
That's it.
One of those simple steps, and you can stay updated with The Man in the Pew.
Thank you in advance.
The Man in the Pew
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
The Carpenter or the Christ?
Sometimes we have to take a step back and think about how we view Jesus.
To most people, Jesus is simply a vending machine--put a few prayers in and you can get the miracle of your choice.
To others, He is just a good teacher. They see Him as a mere man who lived a long time ago who had some good things to say.
I was reading my Bible and I ran across a passage where it says that Jesus "marvelled".
I was curious, so I did a little research...and I found that only one other time does it say that Jesus "marvelled" at someone. These two accounts are so entirely different.
The first is in Matthew 8:5-13. It's the story of the Centurion who comes to Jesus and asks Him to heal his servant.
Matthew 8:5-13 KJV
5) And when Jesus was entered into Capernaum, there came unto him a centurion, beseeching him,
6) And saying, Lord, my servant lieth at home sick of the palsy, grievously tormented.
7) And Jesus saith unto him, I will come and heal him.
8) The centurion answered and said, Lord, I am not worthy that thou shouldest come under my roof: but speak the word only, and my servant shall be healed.
9) For I am a man under authority, having soldiers under me: and I say to this man, Go, and he goeth; and to another, Come, and he cometh; and to my servant, Do this, and he doeth it.
10) When Jesus heard it, he marvelled, and said to them that followed, Verily I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel.
11) And I say unto you, That many shall come from the east and west, and shall sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven.
12) But the children of the kingdom shall be cast out into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
13) And Jesus said unto the centurion, Go thy way; and as thou hast believed, so be it done unto thee. And his servant was healed in the selfsame hour.
First of all, it is important to note that Romans and Jews hated each other. And a Centurion (basically a General) was not exactly known for his loving, generous nature. But here a Roman Centurion is coming to Jesus--a Jew--and asking him to heal his servant.
When Jesus says that He will come and heal him, the Centurion says that he isn't worthy to have Jesus come to his house.
Once again, this is completely foreign for the times. He probably could have ordered Jesus to do it, but first he asks, then refuses to let Jesus come to his house.
He calls Jesus "Lord", an expression that essentially means "supreme in authority". He states his view of Jesus. The centurion could've seen Jesus as a Jew or a Carpenter, but instead he sees Jesus as the Christ.
When the Centurion says that, Jesus marvels and proclaims that, "I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel".
The result of his great faith? His servant was healed that exact same hour.
The second time that Jesus "marvelled" was in Mark 6 : 1-6.
Mark 6:1-6 KJV
1) And he went out from thence, and came into his own country; and his disciples follow him.
2) And when the sabbath day was come, he began to teach in the synagogue: and many hearing him were astonished, saying, From whence hath this man these things? and what wisdom is this which is given unto him, that even such mighty works are wrought by his hands?
3) Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary, the brother of James, and Joses, and of Juda, and Simon? and are not his sisters here with us? And they were offended at him.
4) But Jesus said unto them, A prophet is not without honour, but in his own country, and among his own kin, and in his own house.
5) And he could there do no mighty work, save that he laid his hands upon a few sick folk, and healed them.
6) And he marvelled because of their unbelief. And he went round about the villages, teaching.
Here, Jesus goes back to his childhood home, and instead of welcoming Him back like the Healer and Teacher He was now famous (or infamous) for, Jesus' neighbors were offended. They were basically asking, "Who the heck does He think He is? He's just a Carpenter!"
They view him as nothing more than a Carpenter. Jesus, the King of Kings, the Lord of Lords is viewed as nothing more than a simple Carpenter in His home country.
Jesus marvels and he could do "no mighty work"..."because of their unbelief".
So we must ask ourselves...How do you see Jesus? Do you see Him as nothing more than a Carpenter? Do you have any faith in Him?
Or do you see him as the Christ, in whom you can place all of your faith?
One results in a mighty work, with results that benefit everyone around you.
The other comes with no results...
No mighty works.
So...Faith=Results...No Faith=No Results
How do you see Jesus?
As a Carpenter? Or as the Christ?
To most people, Jesus is simply a vending machine--put a few prayers in and you can get the miracle of your choice.
To others, He is just a good teacher. They see Him as a mere man who lived a long time ago who had some good things to say.
I was reading my Bible and I ran across a passage where it says that Jesus "marvelled".
I was curious, so I did a little research...and I found that only one other time does it say that Jesus "marvelled" at someone. These two accounts are so entirely different.
The first is in Matthew 8:5-13. It's the story of the Centurion who comes to Jesus and asks Him to heal his servant.
Matthew 8:5-13 KJV
5) And when Jesus was entered into Capernaum, there came unto him a centurion, beseeching him,
6) And saying, Lord, my servant lieth at home sick of the palsy, grievously tormented.
7) And Jesus saith unto him, I will come and heal him.
8) The centurion answered and said, Lord, I am not worthy that thou shouldest come under my roof: but speak the word only, and my servant shall be healed.
9) For I am a man under authority, having soldiers under me: and I say to this man, Go, and he goeth; and to another, Come, and he cometh; and to my servant, Do this, and he doeth it.
10) When Jesus heard it, he marvelled, and said to them that followed, Verily I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel.
11) And I say unto you, That many shall come from the east and west, and shall sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven.
12) But the children of the kingdom shall be cast out into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
13) And Jesus said unto the centurion, Go thy way; and as thou hast believed, so be it done unto thee. And his servant was healed in the selfsame hour.
First of all, it is important to note that Romans and Jews hated each other. And a Centurion (basically a General) was not exactly known for his loving, generous nature. But here a Roman Centurion is coming to Jesus--a Jew--and asking him to heal his servant.
When Jesus says that He will come and heal him, the Centurion says that he isn't worthy to have Jesus come to his house.
Once again, this is completely foreign for the times. He probably could have ordered Jesus to do it, but first he asks, then refuses to let Jesus come to his house.
He calls Jesus "Lord", an expression that essentially means "supreme in authority". He states his view of Jesus. The centurion could've seen Jesus as a Jew or a Carpenter, but instead he sees Jesus as the Christ.
When the Centurion says that, Jesus marvels and proclaims that, "I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel".
The result of his great faith? His servant was healed that exact same hour.
The second time that Jesus "marvelled" was in Mark 6 : 1-6.
Mark 6:1-6 KJV
1) And he went out from thence, and came into his own country; and his disciples follow him.
2) And when the sabbath day was come, he began to teach in the synagogue: and many hearing him were astonished, saying, From whence hath this man these things? and what wisdom is this which is given unto him, that even such mighty works are wrought by his hands?
3) Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary, the brother of James, and Joses, and of Juda, and Simon? and are not his sisters here with us? And they were offended at him.
4) But Jesus said unto them, A prophet is not without honour, but in his own country, and among his own kin, and in his own house.
5) And he could there do no mighty work, save that he laid his hands upon a few sick folk, and healed them.
6) And he marvelled because of their unbelief. And he went round about the villages, teaching.
Here, Jesus goes back to his childhood home, and instead of welcoming Him back like the Healer and Teacher He was now famous (or infamous) for, Jesus' neighbors were offended. They were basically asking, "Who the heck does He think He is? He's just a Carpenter!"
They view him as nothing more than a Carpenter. Jesus, the King of Kings, the Lord of Lords is viewed as nothing more than a simple Carpenter in His home country.
Jesus marvels and he could do "no mighty work"..."because of their unbelief".
So we must ask ourselves...How do you see Jesus? Do you see Him as nothing more than a Carpenter? Do you have any faith in Him?
Or do you see him as the Christ, in whom you can place all of your faith?
One results in a mighty work, with results that benefit everyone around you.
The other comes with no results...
No mighty works.
So...Faith=Results...No Faith=No Results
How do you see Jesus?
As a Carpenter? Or as the Christ?
Monday, June 21, 2010
Preaching Christ
What is the deal with the world today?
We--that is, Christians--are obsessed with seperating ourselves from others among us who believe differently. I hate to be blunt, but do you honestly think that when we get to Heaven, God is going to ask us whether or not we believed in Immersion or Sprinkling? Or Speaking in Tongues? Or whether contemporary Christian music is evil and we should only listen to Hymns (by the way, Hymns were once looked down upon, even classics like "Power in the Blood")?
No!
He's going to ask us how many people we brought to his kingdom!
In the glorious, early days of the church, the days when thousands upon thousands were added each day, do you know what they preached? What Jesus Himself preached?
Mat 4:17 From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.
Mar 1:4 John did baptize in the wilderness, and preach the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins.
Mar 16:15 And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.
Luk 4:18 The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised,
Luk 4:43 And he said unto them, I must preach the kingdom of God to other cities also: for therefore am I sent.
Act 5:42 And daily in the temple, and in every house, they ceased not to teach and preach Jesus Christ.
1Co 1:17 For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel: not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of none effect.
I could go on and on, but I think you get the point. We are not to ignore the preaching of the gospel (means "good news"), or the "kingdom of God" or "Jesus Christ", or "deliverance".
Honestly, who cares if the Pentecostals believe that you have to get saved every day? They are probably some of the best behaved and Godliest people I have known, and I'm a Baptist, so maybe they're on to something? I do not claim to be a professor of the Bible, or a great Bible scholar, but I do try to study the Bible as best as I can.
As far as I can tell, we are to simply preach Jesus Christ.
And, for those of you who think that I am talking to ministers, pastors, or reverends, I am not. Preach simply means to "herald, proclaim or publish". We are simply to let others know, and this means EVERY Christian is meant to proclaim the good news to EVERYONE.
Everyone includes your best friend, your coworker, even the guy three cubicles down who always smells of body odor, and the girl across the hall who is always trying to tell you how to do your job (I've learned that these people exist everywhere, including online college classes...don't ask!).
America is a great nation. I hesitate to say the greatest nation (we are, after all, over $13 TRILLION in debt!!!). We are one of the very few countries founded on Christian values and principles.
And yet we argue among ourselves, while the world around us is going to Hell. We are so concerned with trying to be right, to be the "Godliest" that we have forgotten our true mission; the only reason we are still on this earth and not in Heaven with Christ: We are to lead as many as possible to Jesus Christ.
So, to recap:
Save a soul...STOP ARGUING!!!
We--that is, Christians--are obsessed with seperating ourselves from others among us who believe differently. I hate to be blunt, but do you honestly think that when we get to Heaven, God is going to ask us whether or not we believed in Immersion or Sprinkling? Or Speaking in Tongues? Or whether contemporary Christian music is evil and we should only listen to Hymns (by the way, Hymns were once looked down upon, even classics like "Power in the Blood")?
No!
He's going to ask us how many people we brought to his kingdom!
In the glorious, early days of the church, the days when thousands upon thousands were added each day, do you know what they preached? What Jesus Himself preached?
Mat 4:17 From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.
Mar 1:4 John did baptize in the wilderness, and preach the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins.
Mar 16:15 And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.
Luk 4:18 The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised,
Luk 4:43 And he said unto them, I must preach the kingdom of God to other cities also: for therefore am I sent.
Act 5:42 And daily in the temple, and in every house, they ceased not to teach and preach Jesus Christ.
1Co 1:17 For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel: not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of none effect.
I could go on and on, but I think you get the point. We are not to ignore the preaching of the gospel (means "good news"), or the "kingdom of God" or "Jesus Christ", or "deliverance".
Honestly, who cares if the Pentecostals believe that you have to get saved every day? They are probably some of the best behaved and Godliest people I have known, and I'm a Baptist, so maybe they're on to something? I do not claim to be a professor of the Bible, or a great Bible scholar, but I do try to study the Bible as best as I can.
As far as I can tell, we are to simply preach Jesus Christ.
And, for those of you who think that I am talking to ministers, pastors, or reverends, I am not. Preach simply means to "herald, proclaim or publish". We are simply to let others know, and this means EVERY Christian is meant to proclaim the good news to EVERYONE.
Everyone includes your best friend, your coworker, even the guy three cubicles down who always smells of body odor, and the girl across the hall who is always trying to tell you how to do your job (I've learned that these people exist everywhere, including online college classes...don't ask!).
America is a great nation. I hesitate to say the greatest nation (we are, after all, over $13 TRILLION in debt!!!). We are one of the very few countries founded on Christian values and principles.
And yet we argue among ourselves, while the world around us is going to Hell. We are so concerned with trying to be right, to be the "Godliest" that we have forgotten our true mission; the only reason we are still on this earth and not in Heaven with Christ: We are to lead as many as possible to Jesus Christ.
So, to recap:
Save a soul...STOP ARGUING!!!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)