If you have not checked out the Berry Bunch Family already, then I strongly encourage you to do so. i’m truly excited to hear more of their testimony and about gods faithfulness in their lives and ministry.
It was something of an honour to be mentioned in this post as well!
Do give it a read, and start following their site. you won’t regret it!
I’ve written, edited, and scheduled our first #TestimonyTuesday post. This is an exciting new, and regular, output for us, and we have Nicola to …
Jesus came to them and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth. 19 Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all things that I commanded you. Behold, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.
Matthew 28:18-20 (WEB)
The substance of our Christian lives ought to be different from that of the world. If we talk the same, act the same, think the same, and do all the same things that the world does, then we must question whether we are truly born anew. Disciples are not meant to be the “same” as those who follow their own fleshy or sinful desires.
If that is a shock to you, then perhaps the Great Commission has yet to be fulfilled in your life. Maybe you have believed in Christ, accepting Him as Lord and Saviour, yet no one has taken the time to teach you to obey.
And so, we come to the third part of the Great Commission which Jesus gave to us. To teach disciples all that He commanded.
Obedience may not seem like a very exciting topic to you, yet it is crucial we learn to observe what Jesus told us to do. It will lead us to God’s kind of success, blessing and most importantly, the glory of God.
Having made disciples, and baptising them in the name of the Father, Son and Spirit, we must then teach them. This task will take a lifetime, and most people (myself definitely included) are slow learners!
Where do we begin? I suspect there is no right or wrong answer to this, and it might be different for everyone.
Firstly, we are to teach people to obey all that Jesus commanded. We might strictly interpret this to mean following only the red letters in our Bible, and thus dismissing most of the epistles and the entirety of the Old Testament… I do not think this is so however!
Every Scripture is God-breathed and[a] profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for instruction in righteousness,
2 Timothy 3:16 (WEB)
The entirety of Scripture, the totality of God’s Word in both the Old and New Testaments, the letters, the history and the prophecy are all inspired by the Spirit of Christ. In my opinion, it is all to be taught and learned.
Now can you see why it might take a lifetime?
How can we teach the entirety of the Bible ourselves? Again, I believe it is a team effort. If you are a pastor, or are called to teach, then it might be more obvious how you can fulfil this part of the Great Commission. Use your pulpit, wherever it is, and teach the people to obey Christ. You may lead a church or be privileged to speak at one, you may write a blog or books, or you may be recording and sharing videos on YouTube or other media platforms. All of that contributes to the teaching of God’s people.
For the rest though, who do not have such platforms, or who do not feel called to teach, how can they comply with Christ’s instruction to teach?
Parents can and should teach their children. Older members of the church family may instruct the younger. The members of a small group will encourage and challenge one another, whether they are leading the discussion or just participating. As we do life together, the church ought to be helping each other to grow in faith and obedience.
Even if you personally have little opportunity to teach someone with your words, let your actions be the lesson.
If you have little opportunity to #teach someone with your words, let your actions be the lesson. #Bible #Jesus #Christianity
Here, the apostle Paul, urges the Corinthian church to follow him, as he follows Jesus. Imitate me, he cries, as I imitate Christ. This is not easy, and if we take a hard look at ourselves, we may not feel like the best examples of Jesus’ lifestyle. But each of us should be striving forward to observe what Christ has taught us, and as we do, let us bring others along for the ride.
Sometimes we think of the Great Commission as only relating to evangelism. I hope these words have shown you that it is not so. Fulfilling this Commission does, of course, involve telling others about our faith, but it also encapsulates our journey into maturity as believers. I do not think there is one Christian who can claim to observe all that Jesus commanded us, and so we are all to keep walking with Him, bearing fruit and growing in faith.
What will you do?
I want to ask you:
How well do you feel you obeying Jesus at the moment?
What is your “pulpit”? i.e. in what ways can you be a teacher and encourage others to obey Christ?
What one thing can you do to be a better example for Jesus?
Jesus came to them and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth. 19 Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all things that I commanded you. Behold, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.
Matthew 28:18-20 (WEB)
Jesus gave three primary instructions to His eleven followers on the mountain.
Make disciples of all nations
Baptise them in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit
Teach them to obey all He commanded
We now consider number two on the list, namely the instruction to baptise.
In some respects, I feel this is a forgotten element of the Great Commission. I have said previously that simply telling others about Jesus is not quite enough to fulfil the task at hand, and this particular instruction is relevant. Telling others about Christ and the Gospel does not equate to baptism.
We must not neglect the command of baptism in the Great Commission.
We must not neglect the command of #baptism in the Great Commission. #Bible #Jesus #Christianity
For the individual, this may feel somewhat difficult to fulfil. It is clear that we ought not to run around throwing holy water on people, baptising them with a super-soaker! For the most part, we tend to leave this instruction to be fulfilled by the church, rather than us as members of it.
To be clear, baptism is a symbolic event where water is sued to indicate the new life of a believer seeking to follow Christ. It is a public declaration of an internal change. When we surrender ourselves to Jesus, He gives us a heart of flesh instead of stone, and gifts us with His Holy Spirit to dwell with us. Baptism, then, is an outward sign of that commitment.
Different church traditions do this in a variety of ways. Some will completely immerse an individual in water, using a pool or even the ocean. Others simply sprinkle water over them as a symbol of cleansing. Some church traditions baptise children or infants, while others only adults.
On that last point, it is clear that as an infant, you cannot make the promises required for a real commitment for Christ. Instead, it is the parents and godparents who make those promises on the child’s behalf, and later in life it is hoped the child will make the promises for themselves. In the Anglican tradition, a baptised infant, when they reach an age of understanding, can then go forward for “Confirmation” which is essentially adopting the baptismal promises for themselves.
Whatever your tradition, and whatever your views on infant baptism or total immersion, the command from Jesus is clear – we are to baptise.
A friend of mine came to faith in his twenties, but was never baptised. He had not been baptised as a baby, and his church had not emphasised the need for it. When he moved home and thus changed to a different fellowship, he became involved in serving at the church. One day when the pastor was teaching on the subject of baptism, he came to the decision that he must be baptised as a sign of his belief.
Did it enhance his faith in any particular way? Was he not “properly” saved until he was immersed? Was it just a good excuse for a get-together? The likely answer is no to all of these (although some may disagree) but the point is it was a definite step of obedience. Baptism is a command of Christ, and this man fulfilled it.
As he climbed down the steps into the water, it represented the death and burial of his old life of sin. As he emerged from the surface of the water, it depicted his freshness as a “new creation” in Christ. This is what baptism is all about.
The Father, Son and Holy Spirit
Jesus instructs His followers to baptise in the Name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. To be honest, there is some debate about this point. Are these not titles, rather than names? Some will ask. Is it not sufficient to baptise in the “name” of Jesus?
There is something of a rabbit hole to avoid here. The issue is not unimportant of course, and I urge you to investigate it for yourself. We do not have time in these brief words to give the topic justice.
The critical point for me here is that we are not baptised into any old name. We are not pinning our colours to any random mast. Instead, we are dedicating ourselves to the Triune God – Father, Son and Holy Spirit. This is the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. He is the God of the Bible, and the One who raised Christ from the dead. You cannot easily separate the Father from the Son, nor the Spirit from Jesus. They are One God, in three Persons. To fully understand this is to comprehend God Himself, which is beyond any of us.
How we baptise is a matter for study and debate, and various church traditions have grown up over time with differing views. The point is we are to baptise.
Having gone out, as Jesus told us, and sharing the Good News about Christ, a natural step for those who believe is to be baptised. For many people, it is a key event in their lives of faith. Often it marks the beginning of something too.
Jesus was baptised by John in the River Jordan, which you can read about in Matthew 3. This was not to cleanse Jesus from sin, as He was without it, but instead marked the coming of the Spirit and the beginning of His earthly ministry.
In a similar way, perhaps you need to experience baptism for yourself, or renew the promises you or others made for you?
What will you do?
Some questions for you today:
Have you been baptised, and if not, does this encourage you to explore it?
Does your church teach about baptism and encourage it?
If you were baptised as a child, why not review the promises that were made on your behalf today, and commit yourself to keeping them?
Jesus came to them and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth. 19 Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all things that I commanded you. Behold, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.
Matthew 28:18-20 (WEB)
In the full power of His authority, Jesus tells His disciples to go. Giving specifics now, He instructs them to complete three primary tasks – the first of these being to make disciples. In subsequent posts, we will look at the other two instructions which are to baptise and to teach.
Firstly, what is a disciple? We cannot hope to “make” them if we are not clear what they are.
A disciple is simply a “follower.” A disciple of Jesus therefore, is one who follows Him.
Following someone is most commonly used in physical terms. We follow someone when they are showing us the right way to go. Perhaps you are going to a new place and you do not know the way, if you follow a friend then they go on ahead and you tag along behind.
We can follow in many more ways than just physical however. You may, for example, follow your favourite sports teams; keeping up with their scores, team news and key stats. Likewise, you might follow a singer or band, streaming their latest music and “following” them on the socials.
To follow Christ means something rather deeper. It implies a firm commitment to Him, and not to be a mere “fan” of His, but instead to devote your life in His service. Following Jesus is to follow in His footsteps, and again, I do not mean physically. We aspire to be more and more like Him; walking in love, being unselfish, caring for others, but most importantly, bringing people into a deeper relationship with the Father.
To be Christ’s disciple is to put aside all else, and follow Him with your whole heart.
To be Christ’s disciple is to put aside all else, and follow Him with your whole heart. #Bible #Christianity #Jesus
We learn about Him yes, but we learn with Him. We do what He asks of us, and we put Him first above all else. We follow Jesus into blessing, and we follow Him into troubles and trials. We sacrifice what this world has to offer and instead choose His glory. We put our trust in Him, relying on Him for our life in this world and the next. That is what it is to be a disciple.
So how do we “make” them?
Earlier on, I asked how you would sum up the Great Commission, and pointed out that many might answer by saying “Telling others about Jesus.” Sharing the Good News about Christ is the first step to making disciples.
For, “Whoever will call on the name of the Lord will be saved.”Joel 2:32 14 How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? How will they believe in him whom they have not heard? How will they hear without a preacher? 15 And how will they preach unless they are sent? As it is written:
“How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the Good News of peace,
who bring glad tidings of good things!”
Romans 10:13-15 (WEB)
They cannot call on the name of the Lord and begin to follow Him unless they are first told. To begin making disciples, we must tell them the truth. We tell them the Gospel, which is that Christ came, He lived and died, and on the third day He rose again to new life. Whoever believes in Him will live and have eternal life! Praise His Holy Name!
Is telling those who do not know Jesus enough to make disciples? For some it might be. They hear the word preached to them, and the Spirit of God stirs up their hearts to make a lifelong commitment to Him. For others, they may start to accept and believe the truth of the Gospel, but will then need love, support and guidance. For all of us, there is a substantial journey between the moment we give our lives to Jesus, and the time we reach maturity in the faith.
This is why God has given the church a variety of gifts and offices:
He gave some to be apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, shepherds and teachers;
Ephesians 4:11 (WEB)
Our goal in making disciples is not simply to get someone to mouth the words “I believe in Jesus,” but rather we want them to experience the changed life that comes from being a true follower of Christ. At times we need to be taught the truth, and at other times we need the care of the shepherd or pastor. There are times we may need the warning or encouragement of the prophet, and many begin our journeys responding to the call of the evangelist. All are involved in making disciples.
All Nations
Carefully reading Jesus’ words again shows us that “make disciples” is not the full command, instead He tells us to “make disciples of all nations.” This shows us that no one is excluded. God wants His Gospel preached everywhere, and to have disciples present in all places. You might consider the collective disciples as the global church, which is God’s hands and feet, reaching every corner of the globe.
No one person can do this. If you are worried you might have to travel far and wide to begin making disciples, then let me reassure you. There are plenty of opportunities on your doorstep. Perhaps God may call some of us to go to far off places and make disciples there, but for the most part we are to do it in our own backyard.
We can make disciples in our own family. We can make disciples of our work friends. We can make disciples of our neighbours. We can make disciples of our followers on social. And if we write, we can make disciples of Christ of our readers.
One of the great things about writing a blog is that the stats tell you where your readers come from. I live in the UK, and many of my readers come from there, but I also see readers from places I am never likely to go. It is humbling that my words, such as they are, reach such places. It remains my continued prayer that those who do read will become more and more like Christ. That is, surely, what making disciples is all about.
What will you do?
Some questions for you to think about:
How well are you following Jesus?
What is your role in making disciples, do you think?
Can you think of someone who may need encouraging in their walk with Jesus today?
Jesus came to them and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth. 19 Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all things that I commanded you. Behold, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.
Matthew 28:18-20 (WEB)
Having established His authority, the Lord Jesus begins to command His Eleven disciples. Jesus is neither vague, nor unclear. He sets out for them several things they must now go and do to fulfil this Great Commission, and we will examine each in turn in the coming days.
Every journey must begin with the very first step. For the Great Commission, the first step is to simply “Go!”
To go is an action. It is not standing still and letting the world pass you by, but it is to move, and move forwards.
The Eleven would never fulfil this mission if they had set up camp on that mountainside. Had they stayed there, discussing what Jesus had told them or all the things that had happened, then we may never have heard of them again. Had they formed a committee to decide the best course of action, taking a vote on the right direction to travel in or what was the best approach to teaching, then they would have been paralysed on the spot.
There is a place for discussion, planning and committees, don’t get me wrong, but there is also a time for action. I do not advise you to jump into something without prior thought, but neither do I suggest you sit around shooting the breeze.
Go! Says the Lord, move out and together we will change the world.
It does not matter how far you go, as long as you do go. Whether you walk a dozen steps to your neighbour’s house, travel half a mile to the local town square, or cross the globe to a far flung nation, go and take the message of Christ with you.
Using a Bible search engine, the word “Go” appears over 1400 times in the KJV version of the Scriptures, whereas the word “stop” only occurs 7 times! Clearly God wants us to get the message that we are to go, pressing on and doing the work He has called us to.
Philip was told “Go!” and he went to Samaria:
Philip went down to the city of Samaria, and proclaimed to them the Christ. 6 The multitudes listened with one accord to the things that were spoken by Philip when they heard and saw the signs which he did. 7 For unclean spirits came out of many of those who had them. They came out, crying with a loud voice. Many who had been paralyzed and lame were healed. 8 There was great joy in that city.
Acts 8:5-8 (WEB)
Paul followed the command to go, and he went to the Gentiles, Peter did likewise, but to the Jewish people:
Then after a period of fourteen years I went up again to Jerusalem with Barnabas, taking Titus also with me. 2 I went up by revelation, and I laid before them the Good News which I preach among the Gentiles, but privately before those who were respected, for fear that I might be running, or had run, in vain.
but to the contrary, when they saw that I had been entrusted with the Good News for the uncircumcised, even as Peter with the Good News for the circumcised— 8 for he who worked through Peter in the apostleship with the circumcised also worked through me with the Gentiles
Galatians 2:1-2, 7-8 (WEB)
Moses was told to go to Pharoah. Jonah was instructed to go to Nineveh. God told Joshua to go and conquer the land. Elijah told the widow of Zarephath to go, and bring him a cake, and she went, receiving a miracle. Likewise, Elisha told another widow to go and get empty jars that they might be filled with oil, and she, too, went.
Where is God telling you to go?
The point of my post today is not some deep theology, but rather to encourage and inspire you. I am not revealing some great doctrinal truth, but instead am directing you to action. We will never fulfil the Great Commission without it.
For you to go may mean a shift in your attitude, habits or thinking. It may not mean a change in physical location, but a definite decision to alter your mindset and do whatever Christ is calling you to.
When you go, you may need to leave certain “baggage” behind you. Gossiping friends, TV addiction, the comfort of familiarity or just plain old worries may need to be discarded so you can fully go for the Lord.
The word “go” means to move or proceed, as I think I have emphasised above. It can also mean to start or begin, as in to fire the starting gun on the race track.
This exclamation – Go! – is a trigger for us to begin. When that starting gun fires, the runners do not amble along, enjoying the sunshine and having a chat! No, they leap forward with energy and vigour, and that is precisely how we ought to launch into the Great Commission.
I do not want you to proceed without haste; to just quit your job, up sticks and charge ahead without clear direction from God. That is not wise. I do want you to proceed with urgency, energy and excitement however, giving this all you have.
Make a firm decision today that you are going to follow Christ and all He commands with everything you have. Join me, and let’s go!
What will you do?
My questions to you today are:
What does it mean for you to “go?”
Is there anything hindering you, or holding you back from going?
Can you think of anyone else from the Bible who was told to go, and what can you learn from them?
I read this post over the weekend, and really wanted to share it with you. I perhaps should have done so yesterday (on the Sunday) or even waited until next weekend…
But here it is, and I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.
Morning friends and welcome to the weekend. I had a different post for this morning but I think the Lord had other ideas so I have put it back into …
I want to spend this week on the blog focusing on the Great Commission left to us by Jesus Himself. Matthew’s Gospel records a set of commands which Jesus gave to His disciples, and these extend to us as well. They have become very familiar words, and the phrase “Great Commission” is famous among churches. But do we really know what it means?
If I asked you to sum up the Great Commission, what would you say? I wager that most would answer by saying, “Telling others about Jesus!” This is true, in a broad sense, but the Great Commission is rather more specific than that.
Matthew’s Gospel records the following:
But the eleven disciples went into Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had sent them. 17 When they saw him, they bowed down to him; but some doubted. 18 Jesus came to them and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth. 19 Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all things that I commanded you. Behold, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.
Matthew 28:16-20 (WEB)
Bowing and Doubting
After Jesus’ death and resurrection, He makes an appointment with His disciples to meet Him in Galilee. This is a town in the north of Israel, and meant the disciples having to travel up from Jerusalem after Jesus’ death.
Before we examine Jesus’ commands,, let us first look at the important words leading up to them.
Verse 16 shows us that they went to Galilee, and then up the mountain as agreed. There, Jesus appears to them, and it records that they bow down. This, to me at least, implies that all eleven of them did indeed bow to the Risen Lord. They recognised Him, and not just the Person of Jesus, but His now revealed power and stature as the Risen Christ. Recognising His divinity will be important when we consider Jesus’ authority in a moment.
Then, verse 17 makes a note that many of us may skip over. Some of them doubted… This is astonishing to me. This is not some large group barely familiar with Jesus, but the Eleven, the inner circle. They have travelled with Jesus for three years, seeing Him heal and raise the dead. They watched as He was crucified, and yet now stands before them, alive and well. Still, some of them doubted.
They all bowed, but some of them doubted. Faith and doubt are not mutually exclusive it seems #Bible #Jesus #GreatCommission
What this says to me is that faith and doubt are not mutually exclusive. We can have faith at the same time we are wrestling with doubt. Putting it another way, faith is not the absence of doubt, and nor is doubt the absence of faith.
We know that these men went on to die for what they believed, and some in horrendous ways such as Peter who was crucified upside down. Despite having “doubts” they did not allow them to hamper their world-changing faith.
For us, I think the lesson is that it is ok to have questions. There is much we do not understand, and it is simply not possible to have all the answers before we commit to Jesus. We should take our questions to the Lord and prayerfully seek the truth.
All Authority
Jesus came to them and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth.
Matthew 28:18 (WEB)
Before we examine Jesus’ commission to us in the coming days, we must first understand His authority. Here, He states quite clearly that all authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Him. That means, simply put, He is in charge.
Jesus does not offer guidance here, nor advice, nor encouragement. Instead, He sets out His total authority over all things and then tells us what to do. It is not optional, and we cannot ignore it.
Consider if you went to court and the judge ordered you to do something. It is not optional for you, but the authority of the court now compels you to follow its instructions. To not comply could lead to hefty fines or worse incarceration.
When Jesus gives us these commands, He expects them to be followed and He is backed by all authority under heaven. Do we treat His words accordingly?
The point I want to make, as we begin this series, is to understand that Jesus sets out His authority because He expects us to do what He says. We will look at what is involved in this in the coming days, but let us begin by submitting to His authority, and deciding in our hearts that we will do whatever it is He is about to ask us.
What will you do?
At the end of each post on the Great Commission, I will ask you this question: what will you do in response to what you have read?
Today, I ask:
How can you bow down to the Risen Christ?
Do you have doubts? If so, how can you bring them to the Lord?
Are you prepared to fully submit yourself to Jesus’ authority? Be honest, and take the answer to God in prayer.
This Sunday, after church of course, why don’t you take a walk around your neighbourhood and pray for those living there. You could focus on your own street, or else wander a little further afield. Ask the Holy Spirit to guide you, and see if He will lead you to pray over a particular house or area.
Prayer walking is a great habit to get into. Not only does your physical body get some exercise, but it also gives you the chance to stretch those spiritual muscles. There are many practical ways to bless your neighbour, but only prayer allows you to invite God into their lives and do His miracle work.
Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ 31 The second is this: ‘Love your neighbour as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.”
Mark 12:30-31 (NIV)
Love your #neighbour as yourself #Bible #Jesus #Christianity
The chances are that the most popular name on your prayer list is your own… I know that’s true for me, I’m ashamed to admit. Yet verse 31 tells us to love our neighbour as we do ourselves. Well, if we pray mostly for our own needs, then let us each love our neighbour that way, and lift them before the Lord.
Perhaps it just isn’t possible for you to prayer walk right now, and that’s ok. If you can, pray at home for those living near you, as that will be beneficial too.
Finally, if you live in the UK, don’t forget your raincoat!
Next week on the blog, I want to think about the Great Commission as given to us by the Lord Himself in Matthew 28.
Here’s the text:
But the eleven disciples went into Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had sent them. 17 When they saw him, they bowed down to him; but some doubted. 18 Jesus came to them and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth. 19 Go[b] and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all things that I commanded you. Behold, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.
Matthew 28:16-20 (WEB)
Do spend some time reading it through and thinking about what it says. On the whole, how well do you feel like you are fulfilling it in your life? I hope that as we study the passage together over the coming days, we will all be encouraged and challenged to share our faith more and more.
Lord,
As we study this Great Commission which you gave us, please open our eyes to its truth and power. Show us how we can fulfil it in our corner of the world. Give us the desire, the discipline, the faith and the tools we need to do the job for and with You.
We thank You that You are with us, and that no one comes to the Father except through You. May we present all that You are to a world which needs You so much.
In my younger days, I was never much of a fan of country music. In more recent times though, I must admit to enjoying it much more. Not all of it is particularly edifying of course, so I’d advise you be selective (as with all things) if you tune in to country radio.
I heard a song the other day called “Buy Dirt” by Jordan Davis and featuring Luke Bryan. I will put a link below in case you are not familiar with it.
The song is about a younger man sitting down and sharing a coffee with an older gentleman, perhaps a grandfather. Over the course of their beverage, the older man shares some wisdom with the younger, and I thought I’d examine the wisdom given in light of Scripture with you today.
Chasing the dollar
When the older man asks the younger what he’s been up to, the younger replies that he’s been “chasing the dollar.” This is what prompts the wisdom sharing.
We cannot deny that all of us need money, and earning it takes up no small amount of our lives. Chasing after it though is a dangerous thing.
The Bible says:
For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some have been led astray from the faith in their greed, and have pierced themselves through with many sorrows.
1 Timothy 6:10 (WEB)
This does not say that money is evil, but that loving it is a root of all kinds of evil. Having too much or too little money can lead us into temptation. Loving money can even lead us away from our faith, so let each of us have a proper relationship with it.
Some devote their lives to earning and having more. To do this, they can sacrifice their health, their families, their friends and even their relationship with God. The thing is, when you are on your death bed, you are unlikely to ask for your accountant. Instead, you will be wanting the comfort of family and faith.
Do What You Love, But Call It Work
The older man advises the younger to do what you love, and call it work. This is a great nugget of wisdom in my view. It has been said that if you love what you do, you will never have to work a day in your life. This is so true!
There have been times in my life where I really did not enjoy my job, and those days were hard indeed! In more recent times, I have loved doing my job, and when that is the case, it does not feel like work at all.
We must remember it is a privilege to enjoy one’s job, as there are many who work to pay their bills and support their family, and “enjoyment” does not even come in to it.
As with all things, it is a balance. If you are doing a job you hate, then prayerfully consider a change. If you have little choice because of financial demands or to support those you love, then clearly I am not telling you to quit, do a job you love and face bankruptcy. Do what you need to do of course, but also do not feel trapped where you are. And look for opportunities to move towards a job that you love.
Throw a Little Money
At one point in the song, the advice is given to throw a little money in the church offering. While I do not want to overthink such a line, as it is clearly not a theological song, it does give you pause to think.
It is good advice to give, no question about that. The Bible is full of instruction for us to give to God’s work. Throwing a little money in the collection plate though is not the way we ought to be giving. That smacks of someone who is unprepared and just grabbing whatever they have in their pocket at the time. Our giving should be more purposeful than that.
Paul says:
Now concerning the collection for the saints, as I commanded the assemblies of Galatia, you do likewise. 2 On the first day of every week, let each one of you save, as he may prosper, that no collections are made when I come.
1 Corinthians 16:1-2 (WEB)
This instruction suggests planning on our part, and deliberate giving. Notice it is on the first day of the week, so that God is given to first and does not end up with whatever we have left over at the end.
Giving is also connected to the points above about working. We work, not for our own pleasure, but rather so that we might have something to share with the church.
In Ephesians, Paul states:
Anyone who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing something useful with their own hands, that they may have something to share with those in need.
Ephesians 4:28 (NIV)
We work to support ourselves and our families yes, but we work primarily that we might have something to give to the family of believers.
Send Your Prayers Up and Your Roots Down
This gem of wisdom needs little explaining. Indeed, we ought to be sending up our prayers regularly. In fact, not just regularly, but at all times.
And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word[a] of God; 18 with all prayer and requests, praying at all times in the Spirit, and being watchful to this end in all perseverance and requests for all the saints:
Ephesians 6:17-18 (WEB)
Likewise, putting down roots, in the context of the song at least, is about building your family in the community. As I write, I cannot think of a specific verse to quote here, but believe it is biblical for us to be a positive force in the place where we live. You could point to the Great Commission for instance on that one. I also feel that Christians should have a good level of commitment to the place where they live.
It All Goes By Real Quick
It sure does! Need I emphasise this point to you? Life is short, and goes by very quickly indeed! We must make the most of it, and never forget it is the preparation for all eternity.
In the psalms, we read:
You have made my days a mere handbreadth;
the span of my years is as nothing before you.
Everyone is but a breath,
even those who seem secure
Psalm 39:5 (NIV)
It may seem negative to point out the shortness of life, but I do not mean it to be. Even a life of 100+ years is short in comparison to all eternity. God is Eternal, unending and beyond time itself. Our handful of decades here is a mere blip next to the infinite life to come. Ensure you make the most of it while you are here, and be ready for the next!
Buy Dirt and Thank the Good Lord For It
The song is titled “Buy Dirt,” and says although you cannot buy happiness, you can buy a home and build a good life for yourself and your family. This is true, and while a nice house does not make a home, we can all do the best with what we have and make our lives worth living.
Throughout it all, when times are both good and bad, we thank the good Lord for it all. He has given us life, and our very breath is dependent upon Him.
Join me in thanking Him today for all the good things in our lives, and for what we have learned from the bad.
Rejoice always, 17 pray continually, 18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.
You will be aware from my previous posts on – Word Count – that I am endeavouring to complete several book projects this year. In a recent flurry of writing, I was thinking about the topic of biblical meditation. I always make sure I define this term, as meditation can mean different things to different people. By meditation, I mean the constant study and review of God’s Word.
I share below a brief extract of the chapter I have been working on. I hope that it blesses you, and ideally, what’s your appetite for the entire book when it is ready!
There are some references to points I make earlier in the chapter, not here given, but I hope that will not detract from the post.
I am reminded of these verses from Joshua:
Be strong and courageous; for you shall cause this people to inherit the land which I swore to their fathers to give them. 7 Only be strong and very courageous. Be careful to observe to do according to all the law which Moses my servant commanded you. Don’t turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may have good success wherever you go. 8 This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it; for then you shall make your way prosperous, and then you shall have good success.
Joshua 1:6-8 (WEB)
This is God speaking to Joshua after the death of Moses, and just prior to him (Joshua) leading the people of Israel to capture the land.
Having emphasised Joshua’s need to be strong and courageous (more than once), the Lord tells him to be careful to observe all the commands that Moses gave them. This, known as the “Law” is never to depart from Joshua’s mouth.
The idea of the Law not departing from Joshua’s mouth implies a constant; to “not depart” means it is ever present. God’s Word must be at the centre of our lives at all times. We cannot hope to observe all that it commands us to do unless we keep it before us.
In our human weakness, if we do not maintain a persistent effort to keep the Bible at the forefront of what we do, it will easily slip in priority to second, third or subsequent place – behind other less important matters.
The book of the Law must not depart from where? From Joshua’s mouth. This can only mean that he is to speak it out loud time and again. As we discussed above, one meaning of “meditation” is to mutter or utter, and so here we see another instruction to keep the Word on our lips.
The phrase in verse 8 – “shall meditate on it day and night” – is almost word-for-word the same as that of Psalm 1:2. There is no time outside of day or night, and we always find ourselves living in either the day light or the night hours. To meditate day and night is another way of saying all the time. Occasionally is not enough; neither is most of our time. Success and blessing come from day and night meditation on the Scriptures.
The Lord reminds Joshua that if he is careful to do all that is commanded of him, then his way will be prosperous and he will enjoy good success. Psalm 1 tells us we will be blessed if we delight in God’s Word, meditating on it day and night. To be blessed in this way is to enjoy good success, and not the world’s kind, but God’s kind of success.
I read the Bible regularly, but I cannot admit to frequent nor constant meditation. Too often do I use tiredness as an excuse, or pick up the TV remote. I will never have biblical success filling my mind with the world’s entertainment.
Day and night, I must meditate on God’s Word, and must speak it freely from my mouth. Instead of complaining and grumbling, I ought rather to speak out the Word of life.
Studying this subject has been a real conviction to me. I share some of it here with you, and hope you too will step more deeply into the Bible. Let it not depart from your lips, and let your way be prosperous. In Jesus’ Name! Amen
Andy Brown 