Give thanks in all circumstances

“Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”
– I Thess. 5:16-18

As we anticipate the official beginning of the holiday season with Thanksgiving on Thursday (even though many of the retail stores think it began well over a month ago), let’s keep in mind the true reasons for why We give thanks. Yes, Thanksgiving became an official holiday by decree of President Lincoln, but giving thanks was decreed many centuries earlier by God Himself, and reiterated regularly throughout those centuries by the prophets, the apostles, church leaders, etc. And, though, in modern times, we celebrate Thanksgiving by continually attempting to break the previous year’s feasting limits, all under the guise of appreciating all the blessings we have been given over the past year, Paul gives us some activities to implement which are more to the point Of why we should be thankful: we are totally and forever blessed, in Christ Jesus! This understanding, then, should produce a different attitude of thankfulness for the Christian. It produces an attitude which causes us to rejoice in our future as well as our present, as we know that God will never leave us or forsake us. It causes us to pray continually, holding nothing back from God, but also, because we know He holds nothing back from us, we can freely and peacefully offer our prayers more faithfully on behalf other’s needs. And then, we will find ourselves giving more thanks, no matter what our situation may be, as we eagerly anticipate the miracles that God will do in our lives. 

So, this Thanksgiving day, let me encourage you to “Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” 

Anchored In

“We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure." - Hebrews 6:19

Earlier this morning, my "smart" communication devices began beeping, chirping, and buzzing with the news that Lance Armstrong, seven time Tour de France winner, will be stripped of all seven of those titles by the UCI (International Cycling Union), and he will be banned for life from all sanctioned Olympic sports. This action comes as a result of accusations and evidence provided by the US Anti-Doping Agency involving Armstrong and a doping scandal. Obviously, this is hard news for us Americans to hear, as it not only diminishes the status of a revered American icon (especially because of his hard fought victory over cancer), but also because it diminishes America's position as a champion of the sporting world in the eyes of the rest of the world. It is also disheartening as it proves out the fact that the rewards of our efforts in this world are only guaranteed if we prove ourselves to be without fault.

Now, I'm not intending to take a side for or against Lance Armstrong or the UIC through this writing. I leave that to your personal convictions. But there is a good spiritual lesson to be learned here, and it is this: when God rewards us with our ultimate prize - the promise of eternity with Him - it is a reward that will never be rescinded, no matter what evidence is brought against to prove that it was not really earned. We can rest secure in this guarantee because it was never earned by us in the first place! Our reward was earned for us, by the death of Jesus, and awarded to us as a gift, from God. And gifts are never taken back by the giver. No one can ever come along later and present to God, anything, that will change His mind about our reward. Because when Satan tries to present evidence to God of our cheating, lying, and rebellion - and he has a ton of it - Jesus steps in and confirms our innocence! I do bad for Lance Armstrong, but those titles were a reward that was never going to be anything but temporary, anyway. So I pray that he, like me, has taken hold of the guarantee of the only eternal reward. And that one is anchored securely!

But, Does God Permit It? Pt. 4

"A woman should learn in quietness and full submission.  I do not permit a woman to teach or to assume authority over a man; she must be quiet." - I Timothy 2:11-12

Many people, both scholars and  lay students of the Bible, have read, divided, debated, and disagreed over, this passage of scripture for centuries, but probably no more so than in the last 50-60 years. When taken literally, and at face value, it seems to indicate that women are scripturally banned from this ministry in this particular situation. However, when read and kept strictly within its first century context, many  in our twenty-first century churches think this passage does not require the contemporary church to limit the ministry of women. So, who's right? Well, let's again examine some facts:

Paul teaches that everyone receives specific gifts from the Holy Spirit. He outlines many of those in I Corinthians and Ephesians. But he doesn't speak of any as being gender specific. We have already seen where Paul speaks of certain women and their help to him and his ministry, with high regard. (And let's be honest, Paul probably didn't spend a lot of time setting up, and training women for, nursery schools and quilting circles). But, at the same time, we cannot just toss aside the above verse as being invalid or irrelevant to our churches today. Paul is pretty clear about how women should act in worship, learning in quietness and full submission, and their positions of authority regarding teaching. And then there is that whole child-bearing thing...

Still confused? Yeah, me too. But let me offer this, as a possible explanation:

In these verses, we are reading Paul's words to a confused group of people who are new to the whole "freedom in Christ" idea. And, to add to that confusion, we have a mixed group of Jews and Gentiles worshipping together for the first time, like, ever! The Jewish women would be used to the whole silence in worship, and male authority rule from their worship practices in the temple. But the Gentile women were a bit more free in their style of learning and teaching. They did not have the same practices, nor the same restrictions. So when coming into this new organization called the "church", they all, of course, would carry their traditions and beliefs about this along with them. Is it possible that the more free worshipping Gentile women were influencing the "enslaved" Jewish women to express their new found freedom and cut loose a little (think 1960s and 70s feminist movement)? Obviously, this would create problems and questions. And obviously, those questions came to Paul, their source of scriptural authority. But, having no true scripture to defer to for guidance, as this was new to him as well,  Paul responded the best way he knew how- guided by the wisdom of the Spirit, he demanded that they first, and foremost, maintain order, and do what would be most beneficial and edifying for the Body. To cut to the chase, submit to the authority of the male leadership. Men have always been the authority chosen by God, so let's keep it that way!

But, does this then nullify a woman's ability to teach a class with men in it? My opinion? No. Because in authority over those women, and the other men as well, are the God chosen male leaders, who are charged with guarding the flock, maintaining unity, and protecting the integrity of both the scripture, and Christ's church.
So, who's right? Maybe everybody. Maybe nobody. Maybe the better question is, who knows for sure?

But, Does God Permit It?, Part 3

"I commend to you our sister Phoebe, a deacon(deaconess, servant) of the church in Cenchreae. 2 I ask you to receive her in the Lord in a way worthy of his people and to give her any help she may need from you, for she has been the benefactor of many people, including me." - Romans 16:1, 2 "...and I ask you, my true companion, help these women since they have contended at my side in the cause of the gospel, along with Clement and the rest of my co-workers..." - Phil. 4:3

 Last week we discussed Paul's words regarding the extremely valuable asset women are to God and the ministry of His church through child-bearing. But, is child-bearing all a woman gets to do for God? Well, Paul does tell Timothy that he would not allow a woman to teach or hold an office "over" a man. Then in I Corinthians he says that women should remain silent in worship. Each of these statements might indicate that Paul doesn't have a very high regard for a woman's ability or right to serve the church. And many of our churches follow this thinking by placing women only in ministries specific to children (nursery, wee worship, SS classes, etc.), "housekeeping" duties (preparing communion, cleaning the kitchen, fixing and serving funeral meals, etc.), or women only studies and fellowships. By doing this they are "staying true to the word". Are they biblically wrong for limiting women to these areas of service? Absolutely not? But, some folks might suggest that they are allowing misinterpretation and tradition to guide their actions. Would they truly be biblically wrong for allowing women to serve in other areas? Well, look at the scriptural evidence. Does the scripture say that women cannot serve as an Elder? Blatantly, no. But, when you study all the scriptures dealing with Elders and Eldership, they are specific to men. I Tim. 3:1-6 tell us, "If anyone desires to be an Elder, he desires a noble task (vs1)...must be the husband of one wife...(vs 2)...he must(vs4)...his own family(vs5)...he must(vs6). Paul goes on to be male specific about Deacons as well. And, regarding Preachers, well, let's be honest, the Bible doesn't say anything at all about local preachers - they didn't exist at that time - but Paul does set men such as Timothy and Titus to the work of "evangelist" in the churches he helped establish. Okay, so men only as Elders, Deacons, and evangelists, right? But, wait a second. In the above passage, Paul calls Phoebe a deaconess, so he must indicating that women can serve in this capacity, right? Well, not exactly. The offices of Elder and Deacon were held by men who were chosen by the unanimous affirmation of the church populace, and then set apart by the Holy Spirit through the laying on of hands by the apostles or church leaders. It is doubtful that Phoebe, or many other women, and men, to which Paul refers in his writings, were "officially" set apart. But, Phoebe, Euodia, Syntyche, et. al. were all very important to Paul in his work, and to the work of Christ's church. In fact the indication of the above Romans passage, is that Phoebe was Paul's emissary to carry His letter to the church at Rome, which would also indicate that she might have shared with them some of his teachings. Hmm... A woman teaching? How'd that happen?

But, Does God Permit It?, Part 2

"A woman should learn in quietness and full submission. I do not permit a woman to teach or to have authority over a man; she must be silent." 1 Timothy 2:11, 12

 When last I wrote on this topic, I shared that there are no direct references in scripture where God offers a dictum regarding the ministry and work of women in the church. To answer those who would use the above scripture reference as an opposing argument to my assertion, I also shared that this was a position held by Paul which he passed along to Timothy, not a directive or command from God. But, having said that, I want to also state that, though there are no specific scriptures to which we can point regarding God's commands on the subject, there are several "on point" scriptural and cultural references which, when kept in proper context, will allow us to see God's feelings on this matter. And it is from these where Paul has formulated his personal and authoritative position. Contrary to current societal belief, neither God nor Paul were chauvinistic and/or anti-women. God created women to be a perfect help-mate for man, and appointed them as the guardians and teachers of the children who would grow into the strong leaders God would put to work for His kingdom. Paul affirms this appreciation for the important position women were given by and for God's church when he encouraged Timothy to hold to the strong, true teaching he received, "from infancy", from both his grandmother, Lois, and his mother, Eunice. In fact, Paul goes on to say that "women will be saved through child-bearing, if they continue in faith, love and holiness, with propriety." This is not Paul's way of saying that women have been relegated by God to stay "barefoot and pregnant", but rather his way of letting them know that they have been given an awesome and extremely important position to fill. They key word here, from Paul, is the word propriety. This indicates that the faithful, holy, and loving woman will understand that there are distinct, but equal, positions in the church for men and women, and they respect and accept those distinctions, graciously. You see, like it or not, God set an order to things: man was created first, then woman. But, Eve put herself over Adam, who was created first, when she took the challenge from Satan, and convinced Adam to sin, which therefore inspires Paul to use the phrase "saved through childbearing" - indicating that women have been released from Eve's disobedience of God to be of great service to God. After all, God chose a woman to carry and raise His own Son (and if you think about it, how much do we read about Joseph regarding the parenting of Jesus?). But, does this mean that women who remain single, or are childless, have no purpose or right of ministry in the church? Absolutely not! And we will look further into that issue next time...

Editor's note: This is a guide and commentary, which means that you are responsible for your own interpretation of the Bible. Each of us must walk in the light we have; the Bible, and the Holy Spirit. Use and trust these over any words of man.

But, Does God Permit It?

"I do not permit a woman to teach or to assume authority over a man; she must be quiet." -1 Timothy 2:12

 So, now for the big question which seems to never be sufficiently answered: What does the Bible say about women serving as leaders in the church? My absolute, definite, and most accurate answer: I really can't say for sure. Bear with me, please as I try to explain myself. When looking for a scripture to back up an assertion that women cannot, or even, can serve in the capacity of Elder, Deacon, or Preacher, you just won't find one. Now, before the emails begin flooding in, let me reiterate: when looking for a scripture... There are no scripture passages which explicitly state that a woman cannot serve in these leadership roles. It just isn't there. But, you may say, what about the one that has been cited at the opening of this article? Well, look at it again. It doesn't say that God forbids, or the law teaches against a woman to be a leader. Paul says that he will not allow it. There are many things that Paul discouraged or disallowed, for which there is not a scripture passage to which he defers. Keep in mind, he was leading a group of new believers, Jews and Greeks, who were vying for their proper positions in the church by attempting to conform the church to their cultural mores and societal acceptance. This was creating disharmony, disunity, in-fighting and total chaos. So Paul, as the overseer, stepped in, put his foot down, and set some necessary "rules" for proper worship and organization. We see this same thing occurring in other letters of Paul, for similar reasons. But, does this mean that, because the church is two-thousand years older, and society is more liberal (at least American society) regarding its egalitarian views toward women, that Christianity and the Church of Christ should become that way as well? We'll discuss that further next time...

The Holidays Are Here!

The holidays are here! No, not those holidays, they are still a ways off. But these are, or should be, for us as Christians, just as meaningful, and therefore just as anticipated. I'm referring to the feast and festival days that God commanded the Israelite people to set aside as "sacred assemblies". I love these holidays, or festival/ feast days. No, I am not a Jew. But I am an inheritor of all that is considered holy and sacred for the Jews, according to Romans, Hebrews, etc. I am Christ follower. And since every "Holy" day that God commanded the Jews to observe has at it's core the message of the Messiah - Jesus Christ - they are holidays that I may claim as sacred assemblies for me. And thus, for any of you who call Jesus your Lord, and follow Him! Sunday, Sept. 16, is the beginning of the first of these festivals: The Festival of Trumpets, better known today as Rosh Hashanah. Most Jewish believers celebrate it as the Jewish New Year. But it is far more than just the celebration of the turning of a new calendar page. It was, and is, to be set aside as a time of Thanksgiving to God for the bounty and grace with which we have been blessed. But notice, I said that this day was the "beginning" of the festival. The oft neglected part of this festival are the ten days which follow, the "Days of Awe". On these days they were commanded to consider their sins, how they have rejected God and His law, and how He has blessed them in spite of that. This fact should lead them, then, to a time of repentance, as Paul reminds in Romans 2: "...that God’s kindness is intended to lead you to repentance". These ten days lead into the next of the holidays: Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement. The day when their repentant hearts are covered with the blood of the sacrificial lamb, and God forgives their sins. Are you seeing it all a bit more clearly now? Let's back up a moment. Look at the name God has given to the first celebration: Trumpets. The trumpet was most often used in the Old Testament to call the people to a gathering, whether for worship, for battle, or even for a party. In this case it was to get the attention of the people to consider God and their relationship to Him. Hmmm...when Jesus arrived here on earth, there were a multitude of angels that "trumpeted" the coming of the Messiah, the one who would bring God to man, and seek a relationship with them. The scripture tells us that when Christ returns, "the trumpet will sound...", and we will all be gathered together in the sky with Him, to be escorted home. It seems to me that the Festival of Trumpets might have been a way of preparing them - us - for our coming Messiah. The one that, by the way, went to Calvary to die as a sacrificial Lamb to "atone" for our sins. I don't know about you, but I'm getting my horn out and getting this festival started. The Lord said to Moses, "Speak to the Israelites and say to them: 'These are my appointed festivals, the appointed festivals of the Lord, which you are to proclaim as sacred assemblies. (Leviticus 23:1, 2 NIV) Want to join me?