Tommy Mitchell / The Rurban Church Blog

Avoiding the Judas Syndrome!

Last night in Bible Study, we explored the life of Judas! Using all four Gospels and the book of Acts, one gets an amazing amount of information about Judas and what others knew of him. 

One of my subpoints dealt with the fact that Judas' betrayal of Jesus was not a sudden thing - the patterns of betrayal were already visible in his daily life.  As a summary, I shared these points about Judas.......

Judas was called - but was not committed!

He was trusted - but was not trustworthy!

He was concerned - but not compassionate!

He was knowledgeable - but not able to discern truth!

He got what he wanted - but lost all he had!

It is incredibly easy to slip into "Judas mode" even today! Be careful - stay very close to Jesus!

Through the Ears of a Child!

When children are little, they don't always know what they are hearing - but they will tell you what they think they heard!  The following are children's "uncensored" commments - mostly about the Bible!

In the first book of the Bible, Guinessis, God got tired of creating the world, so he took the Sabbath off.

Adam and Eve were created from an apple tree.

Noah's wife was called Joan of Ark.

Noah built an ark, which the animals come on to in pears.

Lot's wife was a pillar of salt by day, but a ball of fire by night.

Samson was a strongman who let himself be led astray by a Jezebel like Delilah.

Samson slayed the Philistines with the axe of the Apostles.

Moses led the Hebrews to the Red Sea, where they made unleavened bread which is bread without any ingredients.

The Egyptians were all drowned in the dessert.

Afterwards, Moses went up on Mount Cyanide to get the ten amendments.

The first commandment was when Eve told Adam to eat the apple.

The fifth commandment is to humor thy father and mother.

The seventh commandment is thou shalt not admit adultery.

Moses died before he ever reached Canada.

Then Joshua led the Hebrews in the battle of Geritol.

The greatest miracle in the Bible is when Joshua told his son to stand still and he obeyed him.

David was a Hebrew king skilled at playing the liar.

He fought with the Finklesteins, a race of people who lived in Biblical times.

Solomon, one of David's sons, had 300 wives and 700 porcupines.

When Mary heard that she was the mother of Jesus, she sang the Magna Carta.

When the three wise guys from the east side arrived, they found Jesus in the manager.

Jesus was born because Mary had an immaculate contraption.

St. John, the blacksmith, dumped water on his head.

Jesus enunciated the Golden Rule, which says to do one to others before they do one to you.

He also explained, "A man doth not live by sweat alone."

The people who followed the Lord were called the 12 decibels.

The epistles were the wives of the apostles.

One of the opossums was St. Matthew who was also a taximan.

St. Paul cavorted to Christianity. He preached holy acrimony, which is another name for marriage.

A Christian should have only one spouse. This is called monotony.

Salome was a woman who danced naked in front of Harrods.

The Pope lives in a vacuum.

Paraffin is next in order after seraphim.

Today wild beasts are confined to Theological Gardens.

The patron saint of travelers is St. Frances of the sea sick.

A republican is a sinner mentioned in the Bible.

Abraham begat Isaac and begat Jacob and Jacob begat twelve partridges.

It is sometimes difficult to hear what is being said in church because the agnostics are so terrible.

 

Learning Lab with Christ!

This year I am reading through the four Gospels!  In January I read all four.  This month I am just reading Mark and making some light notes. I will do the same with the remaining three over the next three months - and then start over again reading each book through in a commentary! and so on!

I have been blessed beyond measure already!  Spending a year reading the Gospels is to spend a year studying the life of Christ! It is very worthwhile.  Just a few thoughts thus far:

1. Busy! Jesus had days that at times, just never ended!  Healing, teaching, discussing, defending, and at times - running for his life!

2. Prayerful!  Jesus was never far from prayer!

3. Repetitive!  Jesus taught important principles and realities over and over to His disciples!  Not unlike folks today - the disciples did not always get it!

4. The Disciples did "get it" when they were filled with the Holy Spirit and focusing on Christ!

5.  Parallels!  This is my favorite!  Reading the Gospels helps you see the truthfulness of this verse in
      Hebrews 4:15 For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin.
       Jesus lived a life that in some ways was not so different than ours!  He was challenged for living
      to a higher standard!  He was criticized for "new methods!"  He was run out of town for telling
      the truth!  He was assualted regularly by the devil for being who He was!  He got weary and
      tired!  He expressed feelings of astonishment, amazement, and disappointment - usually in
      response to people and their unbelief or great faith - their dull hearts or receptive ones!

    I could say much more on that one - but studying the life of Christ is a great encouragement because He was the pioneer example of living "Christ" in and to this world!  And He did it without sin - without giving up!

6. There are endless short phrases in the Gospels worthy of great sermons! 

7. Spending a year of your life reading the Bible is never a bad thing! Last year I read the Bible through Chronologically!  I wanted a more narrow focus this year - and I know no better one than
the life of Christ in the Gospels!

God Answers Prayer!!!!!! Surprised??

Last week, Pastor Nick and I talked briefly about the need to have a prayer meeting for rain! Sunday morning I felt really impressed by God's Spirit to announce a prayer meeting for Tuesday night at 7:30 pm.  About 45 people came to pray!

We briefly reminded everyone of three very important realities:

    1. God is the Creator!  Therefore, He controls, in His Sovereignty, the creation!  There are abundant scientific (and accurate) descriptions of weather patterns and why it has been dry in the southern most parts of our state.  However, while those observable weather patterns may explain our dry weather, the Lord God controls the patterns!  He created them! Therefore, we should praise Him for His might and His ability to control the elements.

  2. Biblically, the lack of rain is most often associated with sin!  Do your own research - but I was reminded by spending some time in the Word of God Monday and Tuesday looking at rain in the scripture - that most often it is withheld from the land because of sin.  So we spent some time confessing and repenting of sin - and corporate sins of the church and the people in our land.

3. Finally, we observed that God does know our need, and responds to the prayers of His people! So we prayed for the people most hurt by dry weather. 

So, two days later, God abundantly answered our prayers.  This is quite significant.  Several days ago, as has happened a few times this spring, we have had about a 30 - 40 % chance of rain - and got none of it.  Today the official chance in the morning was 30%.  As it began to rain - and rain quite well - they raised the chance to 40%!!!!!   However, we got 100% of that chance!   God sent us wonderful rains today.  This morning when it first hit - the weather service had to issue a Severe Thunderstorm warning for SOUTHEAST George County! That is where we are at ABC!!!  Then it spread over more of the area - and fired up more as the day went on! 

I believe God answered our prayers!  I do not believe that it was because we are better prayer warriors than others - nor did the quality of prayer outshine everyone else.  I think two things were involved in this rather striking answer to prayer today!  We acted obediently to do what He instructed us to do - hold a prayer meeting for rain!  (I had already encountered a few "snickers" for doing that by last evening!)  Secondly, God loves to bless His children!  He blessed our obedience out of His grace! 

There are more things we need to be praying about - lostness - the need for awakening - the economic pain!  And in our Deacon Mentoring last night - I informed them to expect more "special" prayer meetings to come! We need to pray - because we need the practice - and God desires to bless a praying people!

Version Woes!

Up until the end of 1994, I preached using the King James Version or the New King James Version of the Bible.  Since then, I have regularly preached using the New International Version.  I did this primarily because the King's English is just not how any of us talk.  It is interesting that I still mostly quote scripture from memory in a KJV to NKJV version. 

Well, after having preached from the NIV for years, I am still not quite satisfied with a few translation issues within it. Anything I have a problem with, I just adjust on the fly based on my understanding of Greek and Hebrew.   SO - I am at a point of decision.

I have been looking again at the New American Standard and the English Standard Version.  The English Standard Version is promoted as being a very literal translation of Hebrew and Greek into English.  I have it as one of my Bible versions in PC Study Bible. However, I do not have an actual hard copy ESV Bible just yet. 

The big deal is that if I change to the ESV, it sort of pushes the congregation to go in that direction.  So, to change is a big deal for me. My NIV Bible that I have used for study is marked up pretty good from years of use. I would certainly keep it - but would feel that I would need to start over marking up a new copy in a different version.

Be interested to hear your thoughts and your preferences!

Observations from the Book!

This year, as part of "the Radical" challenge, I am reading the Bible through chronologically.  I read about David and King Saul in the last week.  Some things stood out to me.....

1. Though David had great courage, he also encountered fear!

2. He took his fears to God! (the chronological approach weaves the Psalms into narrative)  When I read what David wrote in some of those selected Psalms, I realize just how fearful David was of his enemies - yet he feared and trusted God more! 

3. David turned his enemies and his fears over to God!

4. God, as one often sees in the Old Testament, took care of business!

5. Through worry, we cannot change reality - but we can make it worse - or at a minimum, seem worse!

God is working! He opens up His word so beautifully to those who will read it and learn.  The blessing from The Book never end!

It's What We've Got!

Without a doubt, the world is far from a perfect place!  Without a doubt, evil exists in the world! And without a doubt, if you a doing your best, living for the Lord, and trying to be a blessing - you are going to encounter some "blessing busters" out there!

It is what we do in the face of the "blessing busters" that pretty much determines what kind of life we will have! Living for Jesus means that we have His blessing! It does not always follow that living for Him means we escape the trials of life.  I do think that when we live for our Lord, we avoid most of the "self-inflicted" wounds.  But we certainly don't escape the rough and tumble of a fallen world.

What kind of life we have is largely a matter of our choices.  When things don't go our way, and I would guess that for the average person that amounts to about 15 - 20% of the time, we can either make that our WHOLE world, or we can go on living for Jesus!  About 85% of the time, my life is pretty good! More than 90% of the people in our church love me, help me, pray for me, forgive me, and have compassion on me.  Less than 10% do the opposite.  I have to choose to be encouraged by the 90+% instead of being blown apart by the less than 10%!    Mine is not some special case - we all face this wherever we live and work.

Focus on the good! I'm not saying just ignore the bad, but we do need to be discerning as to what we can realistically do about the negative people in our lives.  We can either spend all our time responding in kind, trying to "one-up" the opposition, and basically losing all the joy in our lives - OR - we can just love the Lord, speak well of all people, and place the burden for bad talk on those who are given to that sort of thing. The Bible tells us to pray for our enemies - and I believe it tells us that so that if we pray properly, we will no longer see them as enemies.  

Most people in our lives who are "thorns in the flesh" are actually "wounded" people!  They need love, possibly correction, and the Lord!  They will not receive correction and the Lord until we treat them with love - in spite of what may be going on! 

As I reflect back over my life to this point and consider the people who have been more difficult and some who were downright ugly, I realize that most of them never accomplished much towards diminishing my life and my life opportunities.  Where they did, it was because I allowed those things to become my focus. 

FOCUS ON THE 85% - 90% that is good with life - and really live out LOVE with the Lord!  God is good! All the time!  And our lives here are too short to spend in constant battle with other folks!

Easter!

So, as the morning progresses, much will be happening! Some churches are already feeding their flock - getting ready for an about to start sunrise service! Some families will awaken to this curious creation of ours - the Easter "Bunny" will have come, to the kids delight!  Candy and in some cases, small gifts will accompany the coming and going of this odd tradition.

I have a Bible that I purchased several years ago. A preacher named James Armstrong in Kentucky wrote a message in the cover of that Bible. I remember some unique about Bro. James.  He told me that one Easter morning, he was up early and decided to read the entire account of the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ.  That went well - and he was moved by it.  The next Sunday, however, he awakened to the realization that every Sunday is a celebration of Easter. From that day, in a different book of the gospels each Sunday, Bro. James began reading the passion of Christ.  He said that week after week, something new would pop out at him as he read.  But overall, he said the greatest impact was the fact that even after reading the story of the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ for years each Sunday, he could still not get over God's amazing gift of love.

It would seem that the more we read and study about the passion of Christ, the more we would be passionate about Christ and telling His story to the world! I think Bro. James was on to something.

By the way - this is what he wrote in my Bible:

Tommy, when God saved me He gave me a love for His Word that has not left after 45 years. It seems to deepen as the years come and go. I am sure that this love for His Word is with you,Tommy. May God continue to bless and use you. In Jesus' dear Name.               James R. Armstrong   (Philippians 4:19)

Where Will You Worship? (Today!)

Being a long time pastor, I have heard volumes of "homespun" theology when it comes to the matter of worship.  In far more instances than I can count, I have been told by folks that they can worship God just fine at... (fill in the blank)..... as they can at a church!   Usually, this (fill in the blank) place is connected to something else they also like to do - like fishing, hunting, shopping, or spending time at family gatherings.

One time a friend of mine went visiting with me - we sat down in this lady's living room and encouraged her to once again become faithful in attending Bible Study and worship.  She pointed to a Bible on the coffee table and said, "you know preacher, it says in there you can attend too much!"  That so raised my curiosity that I picked up the Bible, handed it to her - and said, "show me!"

Well, it is partially true that I can worship God anywhere!  As a matter of fact, I pray that I do worship God EVERYWHERE!  For, you see, worship is not just praying, singing, and listening to the Word preached.  Worshiping God is obeying Him, following Him, and acting on His commands and desires for us!

But there is another truth!  We can't worship Him corporately sitting on a creek bank or in the middle of a river. We can't worship Him corporately sitting in a ski boat!  We can't worship Him corporately in a deer stand!

And God is funny that way!  He commands us to worship together!  You are probably familiar with the command!  Hebrews 10:25 not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching. 

The Lord would certainly think that this would not be a stretch for believers - a task too hard to accomplish! After all, if we are truly worshiping Him all through the week, then our hearts will be set on gathering together to report the joyful, wonderful, meaningful things that have been happening all week.  If we are truly in fellowship with Him, then we are in fellowship with our brothers and sisters in Christ and are looking forward to sharing with them and being a blessing and a bearer of the burdens folks have.  If we are truly worshiping God wherever and whenever, one of our stops for worship will be the congregational, corporate service. For there, hopefully with a dozen to hundreds or maybe even thousands, we will lift our voices in majestic praise, bend our knees in humble prayer, open our hearts in anticipation of learning, and worship Him together in a spirit of love and joy.

Note that even back at the time of the writing of Hebrews, there were "some" who just did not get it! We are to "exhort" (which means vigorously encourage) one another to be present and gathered for worship.  And as the coming of Christ draws nearer, we are too be even more vigilant to gather together.

Throughout the years, I have been amused at times and somewhat angered at other times, at how people are so obvious about the love of their heart!  I have had members that could endure any hardship, including sickness and pain, to attend any and every weekend flea market - but could not make it to a worship service because it was too wet, too cold, too hot, too.... you get the picture.  Some could attend any family gathering, sit through any sports event, endure any hardship and every type of weather to be involved in what they dearly loved to do.  These same folks could make any and every excuse to stay away from corporate worship while proclaiming they loved God and worshiped Him as well as anyone else.

I guess I am old school.  I agree with Charles Spurgeon who said, "A man's religion that will not carry him to church will not carry him to heaven!"   I realize a lot of people take exception to that statement - but I fully agree!  Christ died to establish the church, the body of Christ.  Christ is coming for His body, the church.  The church is commanded through scripture to gather together for worship.  And for those who truly love God -the gathering is a blessing, a privilege, an opportunity, a time for rejoicing, a time for sharing blessings and burdens, a time for learning.

It really is not that important what I think or say about this matter of faithfulness and devotion to worship. It MATTERS completely what God thinks!   All of this is something to think about on a Lord's Day when it is a little cooler and a little rain is in the area!  Perfect weather for whatever you really love to do!

Packaging a Message!

Sunday's message, Learn Humbly, is from Romans chapter 12.  We do the passage great injustice by only looking at the first two verses of Romans 12.  When we leave out the remaining verses, we miss the heart of the message and lose the context.

Anyway, I am trying to figure out how to give meaningful treatment to all the verses while maintaining some regard for time.  I'm thinking this is going to result in me "learning" how to present this message in a different format.

Looking forward to the Lord's Day!