Rusty Kuhn's Blog, page 9
July 18, 2014
Supremely Selfish
Paul said of the unregenerate man in Ephesians 2:3 that they live in the lust of their flesh, indulging in the desires of the flesh and of the mind. In this description we find one who is supremely selfish. They are living a life of self gratification with little or no though of God’s will for their life. They are only concerned with what pleases and benefits them.
In II Timothy 3:1-4 Paul gives a graphic description of the heart of man in the last days, “For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self-control, brutal, haters of good, treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God.” He began this description of the heart of man as being lovers of self and ended the description as these men being lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God. Clearly this is the culture of which we currently live.
We live in a violent culture, a culture of partisanship, a culture of splits, separations, and stalemates, a culture of tolerance so long as you agree with me, and a culture of throwing a fit until I get my way. James 4:1-2 says, “What is the source of quarrels and conflicts among you? Is not the source your pleasures that wage war in your members? You lust and do not have; so you commit murder. You are envious and cannot obtain; so you fight and quarrel.”
This is the heart of the man of flesh; the unregenerate man. Unfortunately, the church so often appeases this fleshly selfishness rather than opposes it calling it into repentance. They appease it with their seeker sensitive services in hopes that the sinner will never be uncomfortable. Did God Himself not create our bodies to have pain and fever alerting us that something is wrong? Pain and fever is not comfortable. That was intentional by design. A sinner should always feel welcome in church but never comfortable.
When one reads the sermon Peter preached to the Jews in Acts 2 one can hardly say his intention was to make them comfortable. His intention was clear. It was to make them aware of their selfish motives that led to their sin resulting in them being in hostility towards their creator. His intention was for their hearts to be pierced with the truth of God’s word leading them to ask, “Brethren, what shall we do?” This question then led to the conclusion, “repent.”
The gospel of the selfish man tells us to come to Jesus to get healthy, wealthy and prosperous. The gospel of Jesus says, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me.” (Matthew 16:24). Are there benefits in following Jesus? Absolutely! However, we must “seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” (Matthew 6:33). If our heart is what we can get out of God rather than God Himself we stand in need of repentance of our selfishness and rebellion towards God. Jesus said, “An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign; and a sign will not be given it, except the sign of Jonah.” (Matthew 16:4). In Matthew 12:40 Jesus told them what the sign of Jonah was, “For just as JONAH WAS THREE DAYS AND THREE NIGHTS IN THE BELLY OF THE SEA MONSTER, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.” In other words Jesus was telling us that the only sign we need is the gospel which is the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus. Our only need is Jesus; anything else is selfish.
Jesus said repeatedly throughout the gospels to deny ourselves and to put ourselves in last place. Jesus said of John the Baptist, “Truly I say to you, among those born of women there has not arisen anyone greater than John the Baptist!” Then He said, “Yet the one who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.” (Matthew 11:11).
Selfishness is sin. It is a mindset of the fleshly man. It is the sin that divides, splits, and stagnates churches; it is the sin that destroys marriages, the sin that neglects the spiritual, physical, and emotional needs of a child, and the sin that causes the world to be at war within itself. It must not be appeased. It must be called into repentance whether in our hearts or the hearts of our hearers.
It is Jesus of whom the bible calls us to have the mind of. It is Jesus who showed the ultimate act of selflessness “by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.” (Philippians 2:8). The man of the flesh can never be a man of God until he becomes likeminded with Paul where he said, “I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.” This is the message of which we live. This is the message of which we preach. Rusty Kuhn
In II Timothy 3:1-4 Paul gives a graphic description of the heart of man in the last days, “For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self-control, brutal, haters of good, treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God.” He began this description of the heart of man as being lovers of self and ended the description as these men being lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God. Clearly this is the culture of which we currently live.
We live in a violent culture, a culture of partisanship, a culture of splits, separations, and stalemates, a culture of tolerance so long as you agree with me, and a culture of throwing a fit until I get my way. James 4:1-2 says, “What is the source of quarrels and conflicts among you? Is not the source your pleasures that wage war in your members? You lust and do not have; so you commit murder. You are envious and cannot obtain; so you fight and quarrel.”
This is the heart of the man of flesh; the unregenerate man. Unfortunately, the church so often appeases this fleshly selfishness rather than opposes it calling it into repentance. They appease it with their seeker sensitive services in hopes that the sinner will never be uncomfortable. Did God Himself not create our bodies to have pain and fever alerting us that something is wrong? Pain and fever is not comfortable. That was intentional by design. A sinner should always feel welcome in church but never comfortable.
When one reads the sermon Peter preached to the Jews in Acts 2 one can hardly say his intention was to make them comfortable. His intention was clear. It was to make them aware of their selfish motives that led to their sin resulting in them being in hostility towards their creator. His intention was for their hearts to be pierced with the truth of God’s word leading them to ask, “Brethren, what shall we do?” This question then led to the conclusion, “repent.”
The gospel of the selfish man tells us to come to Jesus to get healthy, wealthy and prosperous. The gospel of Jesus says, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me.” (Matthew 16:24). Are there benefits in following Jesus? Absolutely! However, we must “seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” (Matthew 6:33). If our heart is what we can get out of God rather than God Himself we stand in need of repentance of our selfishness and rebellion towards God. Jesus said, “An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign; and a sign will not be given it, except the sign of Jonah.” (Matthew 16:4). In Matthew 12:40 Jesus told them what the sign of Jonah was, “For just as JONAH WAS THREE DAYS AND THREE NIGHTS IN THE BELLY OF THE SEA MONSTER, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.” In other words Jesus was telling us that the only sign we need is the gospel which is the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus. Our only need is Jesus; anything else is selfish.
Jesus said repeatedly throughout the gospels to deny ourselves and to put ourselves in last place. Jesus said of John the Baptist, “Truly I say to you, among those born of women there has not arisen anyone greater than John the Baptist!” Then He said, “Yet the one who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.” (Matthew 11:11).
Selfishness is sin. It is a mindset of the fleshly man. It is the sin that divides, splits, and stagnates churches; it is the sin that destroys marriages, the sin that neglects the spiritual, physical, and emotional needs of a child, and the sin that causes the world to be at war within itself. It must not be appeased. It must be called into repentance whether in our hearts or the hearts of our hearers.
It is Jesus of whom the bible calls us to have the mind of. It is Jesus who showed the ultimate act of selflessness “by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.” (Philippians 2:8). The man of the flesh can never be a man of God until he becomes likeminded with Paul where he said, “I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.” This is the message of which we live. This is the message of which we preach. Rusty Kuhn
July 16, 2014
Understanding the Lost
Before we can effectively witness to the lost we need to understand who they are. Once we understand who they are and how they think we can be more effective witnesses. A good coach will study the opposing team to try and figure out their strengths and weaknesses so he can train his team to better observe them and therefore overcome them.
Naturally, everyone is an individual, therefore everyone is unique. They have different cultures, religious influences, and social influences. Even members of the same family can be vastly different from the other. However, we must keep in mind that we are not focusing on the flesh. The battle we are waging war against is a spiritual battle. Since this is a spiritual battle we can better understand the one who is not led by the Sprit of God but of the god of this world who is Satan.
Ephesians 2:1-3 gives us the perfect portrait of the one who does not have a personal relationship with Jesus. “And you were dead in your trespasses and sins, in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience. Among them we too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest.”
Paul says that they are dead in their trespasses and sins. They are dead because of their sins. They are spiritually dead because their sins spiritually separated them from a holy God. They are walking according to the course of this world rather than by the Spirit of God. They are free moral agents able to willingly choose between right and wrong. God has given to the Jews the law but all men have been given the law of conscious. Romans 2:15 says, “They show the work of the Law written in their hearts, their conscience bearing witness and their thoughts alternately accusing or else defending them.” Although they have the ability to choose what is right they are by nature children of wrath and will inevitably rebel against God for they do not have the Spirit of God to guide them.
Since they are in rebellion against God they not only walk in accordance to the world but also in accordance to the prince of the power of the air. This prince of the power of the air is none other than Satan himself. Satan cannot force anyone to follow him. However, when one makes the choice to rebel against God he has then made the choice to follow Satan. They may disagree and deny this truth but the bible is clear, they are now on his side and he is now working in their lives manipulating them for his purposes. Paul said they are “of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience.”
It is unreasonable to think that an unconvicted sinner in rebellion against God would willingly accept the pardon of sin offered by God until he fully realizes he has made himself an enemy of God and therefore stands condemned. Only after his realization of his position with God can he joyfully accept the pardon of grace. To counter act their rebellion we must firmly proclaim God’s righteous standards that stand in direct contradiction to their fleshly ways. All men will admit that they are sinners. However, all men do not understand that they are in rebellion against a holy God and therefore stand guilty and condemned before Him. James 4:4 says, “You adulteresses, do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.” As we proclaim the righteous standards of God we must also proclaim the fact that rebellion against God makes one His enemy. There is no neutral ground. You are either for Him or against Him. Those who choose to live for Him will receive His grace while those who choose to rebel against Him will receive His wrath. God’s will is for all to choose His grace. However, He is a just God and must punish unrepentant and un-atoned for sin.
As those who are in Christ we need to stay mindful that Paul said, “Among them we too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh.” We must remember that we to were once in this unregenerate state of rebellion against God. We need to continually remind ourselves that it is only by the grace of God that we were saved and brought out of death and into life. With this in mind we realize that we are no better than they. We are only better off than them because we have accepted the grace of God. “For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.” (Ephesians 2:8-9). Our boasting should only be found in the grace of God provided through the cross of Christ. As a result we should be busy boasting among those who are perishing so they too will be drawn to the grace of God; drawn out of death and into life. Rusty Kuhn
Naturally, everyone is an individual, therefore everyone is unique. They have different cultures, religious influences, and social influences. Even members of the same family can be vastly different from the other. However, we must keep in mind that we are not focusing on the flesh. The battle we are waging war against is a spiritual battle. Since this is a spiritual battle we can better understand the one who is not led by the Sprit of God but of the god of this world who is Satan.
Ephesians 2:1-3 gives us the perfect portrait of the one who does not have a personal relationship with Jesus. “And you were dead in your trespasses and sins, in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience. Among them we too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest.”
Paul says that they are dead in their trespasses and sins. They are dead because of their sins. They are spiritually dead because their sins spiritually separated them from a holy God. They are walking according to the course of this world rather than by the Spirit of God. They are free moral agents able to willingly choose between right and wrong. God has given to the Jews the law but all men have been given the law of conscious. Romans 2:15 says, “They show the work of the Law written in their hearts, their conscience bearing witness and their thoughts alternately accusing or else defending them.” Although they have the ability to choose what is right they are by nature children of wrath and will inevitably rebel against God for they do not have the Spirit of God to guide them.
Since they are in rebellion against God they not only walk in accordance to the world but also in accordance to the prince of the power of the air. This prince of the power of the air is none other than Satan himself. Satan cannot force anyone to follow him. However, when one makes the choice to rebel against God he has then made the choice to follow Satan. They may disagree and deny this truth but the bible is clear, they are now on his side and he is now working in their lives manipulating them for his purposes. Paul said they are “of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience.”
It is unreasonable to think that an unconvicted sinner in rebellion against God would willingly accept the pardon of sin offered by God until he fully realizes he has made himself an enemy of God and therefore stands condemned. Only after his realization of his position with God can he joyfully accept the pardon of grace. To counter act their rebellion we must firmly proclaim God’s righteous standards that stand in direct contradiction to their fleshly ways. All men will admit that they are sinners. However, all men do not understand that they are in rebellion against a holy God and therefore stand guilty and condemned before Him. James 4:4 says, “You adulteresses, do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.” As we proclaim the righteous standards of God we must also proclaim the fact that rebellion against God makes one His enemy. There is no neutral ground. You are either for Him or against Him. Those who choose to live for Him will receive His grace while those who choose to rebel against Him will receive His wrath. God’s will is for all to choose His grace. However, He is a just God and must punish unrepentant and un-atoned for sin.
As those who are in Christ we need to stay mindful that Paul said, “Among them we too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh.” We must remember that we to were once in this unregenerate state of rebellion against God. We need to continually remind ourselves that it is only by the grace of God that we were saved and brought out of death and into life. With this in mind we realize that we are no better than they. We are only better off than them because we have accepted the grace of God. “For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.” (Ephesians 2:8-9). Our boasting should only be found in the grace of God provided through the cross of Christ. As a result we should be busy boasting among those who are perishing so they too will be drawn to the grace of God; drawn out of death and into life. Rusty Kuhn
July 15, 2014
Praying for Boldness
Being a witness for the Lord can be an intimidating experience. Often that fear prevents people from being faithful to the Lord in witnessing to the lost. However, when we look in the bible, particularly the book of Acts, we see Christians who were very bold in their witness for Christ. We see the boldness of Stephen who stood overwhelmingly faithful even while facing death. We also see Paul’s boldness in the midst of angry mobs who wanted to kill him and his boldness before governors and kings who held his life in their hand.
This certainly doesn’t mean that these early Christians were never in fear for their life. Prior to Paul’s conversion he was a persecutor of the church. His objective was to wipe the name of Jesus off of the map at any cost. Apparently he was very well known among the believers. After his conversion many of the believers out of fear didn’t want to have anything to do with him. Acts 9:26 says, “When he came to Jerusalem, he was trying to associate with the disciples; but they were all afraid of him, not believing that he was a disciple.”
Whereas fear is a natural process, paralyzing fear is a lack of faith. If the fear prevents us from fulfilling the very task God has required of us we stand in direct disobedience. We must by faith overcome the fear and fulfill the task of serving the Lord with our witness. We must ask ourselves the question, “Who is more powerful, God or man?” Since the answer is clearly God, we should never live in the fear of man. Rather, we shall live in awe of God. Jesus said in Matthew 10:28, "Do not fear those who kill the body but are unable to kill the soul; but rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.”
After the ascension of Jesus the disciples went to the upper room to wait for the promise of the Father, the Holy Spirit. When the power of the Holy Spirit fell on them they went out into the streets of Jerusalem proclaiming the gospel message. Fifty days after the crucifixion of Jesus Peter proclaimed, “Men of Israel, listen to these words: Jesus the Nazarene, a man attested to you by God with miracles and wonders and signs which God performed through Him in your midst, just as you yourselves know— this Man, delivered over by the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God, you nailed to a cross by the hands of godless men and put Him to death. But God raised Him up again, putting an end to the agony of death, since it was impossible for Him to be held in its power.” (Acts 2:22-24). All men are spiritually responsible for the death of Christ. However, these men were physically responsible for His death. Despite this truth, Peter proclaimed the truth with utter boldness. As a result, three thousand souls were saved that day.
Just after this Peter and John went to the temple to pray. While going into the temple God used them to heal a lame beggar. After this man was healed many people gathered around praising God for this miracle. Peter then used this as an opportunity to preach about the resurrection of Jesus resulting in the temple guards arresting them and bringing them before the Jewish leaders. While standing before these leaders their boldness in their witness for Christ was recognized. (Acts 4:13). They were then beaten and threatened not to proclaim the name of Christ anymore.
The church knew if they were to continue being a witness to Christ they would suffer persecution. Peter and John then assembled the church for the purpose of prayer. In Acts 4:29 they prayed, “And now, Lord, take note of their threats, and grant that Your bond-servants may speak Your word with all confidence, (boldness).” Acts 4:31 gives us God’s response to their prayer, “And when they had prayed, the place where they had gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak the word of God with boldness.”
Just as the church of Jerusalem faced fierce persecution so did Paul. For this reason he requested the church of Ephesus to, “pray on my behalf, that utterance may be given to me in the opening of my mouth, to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel.” (Ephesians 6:19). This leads us to our final conclusion. If we are going to overcome our fears and be the bold witnesses Christ has called us to be we must be people of prayer. We must daily seek God for a fresh infilling of the Holy Spirit which gives us the boldness we need. At the same time we need to continually pray for our brothers and sisters that they will likewise stand as bold witnesses for Christ. The church must also pray for this boldness. Through the united prayer offered to God He will shake our foundation stirring us to boldness thus sending us out into this hostile world wining it over for His glory. Rusty Kuhn
This certainly doesn’t mean that these early Christians were never in fear for their life. Prior to Paul’s conversion he was a persecutor of the church. His objective was to wipe the name of Jesus off of the map at any cost. Apparently he was very well known among the believers. After his conversion many of the believers out of fear didn’t want to have anything to do with him. Acts 9:26 says, “When he came to Jerusalem, he was trying to associate with the disciples; but they were all afraid of him, not believing that he was a disciple.”
Whereas fear is a natural process, paralyzing fear is a lack of faith. If the fear prevents us from fulfilling the very task God has required of us we stand in direct disobedience. We must by faith overcome the fear and fulfill the task of serving the Lord with our witness. We must ask ourselves the question, “Who is more powerful, God or man?” Since the answer is clearly God, we should never live in the fear of man. Rather, we shall live in awe of God. Jesus said in Matthew 10:28, "Do not fear those who kill the body but are unable to kill the soul; but rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.”
After the ascension of Jesus the disciples went to the upper room to wait for the promise of the Father, the Holy Spirit. When the power of the Holy Spirit fell on them they went out into the streets of Jerusalem proclaiming the gospel message. Fifty days after the crucifixion of Jesus Peter proclaimed, “Men of Israel, listen to these words: Jesus the Nazarene, a man attested to you by God with miracles and wonders and signs which God performed through Him in your midst, just as you yourselves know— this Man, delivered over by the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God, you nailed to a cross by the hands of godless men and put Him to death. But God raised Him up again, putting an end to the agony of death, since it was impossible for Him to be held in its power.” (Acts 2:22-24). All men are spiritually responsible for the death of Christ. However, these men were physically responsible for His death. Despite this truth, Peter proclaimed the truth with utter boldness. As a result, three thousand souls were saved that day.
Just after this Peter and John went to the temple to pray. While going into the temple God used them to heal a lame beggar. After this man was healed many people gathered around praising God for this miracle. Peter then used this as an opportunity to preach about the resurrection of Jesus resulting in the temple guards arresting them and bringing them before the Jewish leaders. While standing before these leaders their boldness in their witness for Christ was recognized. (Acts 4:13). They were then beaten and threatened not to proclaim the name of Christ anymore.
The church knew if they were to continue being a witness to Christ they would suffer persecution. Peter and John then assembled the church for the purpose of prayer. In Acts 4:29 they prayed, “And now, Lord, take note of their threats, and grant that Your bond-servants may speak Your word with all confidence, (boldness).” Acts 4:31 gives us God’s response to their prayer, “And when they had prayed, the place where they had gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak the word of God with boldness.”
Just as the church of Jerusalem faced fierce persecution so did Paul. For this reason he requested the church of Ephesus to, “pray on my behalf, that utterance may be given to me in the opening of my mouth, to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel.” (Ephesians 6:19). This leads us to our final conclusion. If we are going to overcome our fears and be the bold witnesses Christ has called us to be we must be people of prayer. We must daily seek God for a fresh infilling of the Holy Spirit which gives us the boldness we need. At the same time we need to continually pray for our brothers and sisters that they will likewise stand as bold witnesses for Christ. The church must also pray for this boldness. Through the united prayer offered to God He will shake our foundation stirring us to boldness thus sending us out into this hostile world wining it over for His glory. Rusty Kuhn
July 14, 2014
Spiritual Eyes
If we are to going to be effective in our witnessing efforts we must understand where our battle is and who we are fighting against. Our battle is not of the flesh, it is a spiritual battle. Ephesians 6:12 tells us, “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.” Therefore, if we are to be effective in our witnessing efforts we must fight this battle in the spiritual realm.
While trying to witness to the lost we will often come to a point where we are sharing truths that are blatantly clear to us. As we see it they are blatantly and overwhelmingly clear. For instance, in the world we live in today we are being told that homosexuality is acceptable. We are even being told that one can be a Christian and a homosexual. However, the bible is overwhelmingly clear that homosexuality is not only unacceptable but that those who are homosexuals are not Christian and will not inherit eternal life. While homosexuality is the debate of the day these same types of debates have been going on from generation to generation. Truths that are undeniably and overwhelmingly clear, but are rejected by those who are spiritually blind.
We can clearly see these truths in scripture because we have the Holy Spirit who searches the heart and mind of God and then reveals these truths to us. Our eyes are spiritually open through the power of the Holy Spirit. In John 14:26 Jesus said, "But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you.” John 12:16 gives us insight of the spiritual condition of the disciples prior to the Holy Spirit coming on the day of Pentecost, “These things His disciples did not understand at the first; but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that these things were written of Him, and that they had done these things to Him.” Prior to the coming of the Helper, the Holy Spirit, they couldn’t understand. They didn’t have the spiritual capability.
I Corinthians 2:14 gives us insight into the spiritual condition of the lost person who is separated from God, “But a natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually appraised.” He is a “natural man” and “spiritually appraised” because he does not have the Holy Spirit within him. He does not have the Holy Spirit within Him because he does not have a personal relationship with Jesus. For this reason he “cannot understand” the things of God and they are “foolishness to him.”
If the fact that the lost are spiritually appraised and therefore cannot understand the things of God which are spiritual are not bad enough the bible also tells us that, “in whose case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving so that they might not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.” (II Corinthians 4:4). The god of this world is Satan, and he has blinded the eyes of the lost so they cannot see the truths of the kingdom of God. This text specifically tells us that he has blinded them to the gospel.
Does this mean that the lost are hopelessly lost? Yes. If the church is not being the church then the lost are hopelessly lost. However, God has given to us every tool we need to effectively defeat Satan and tear down the spiritual fortresses he has raised up around the unsaved. II Corinthians 10:4 says, “for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses.” I have already talked at great length of the power of God’s living word, the bible. It is certainly one of our divinely powerful weapons able to destroy Satins fortresses. Paul also said in Romans 1:16, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes” The gospel is a divinely powerful weapon able to pierce the stoniest of hearts.
The proclamation of the truths of God’s word along with our efforts of evangelism should be evenly meshed with the divinely powerful weapon of prayer. When we begin to pray the power of God is enacted destroying the fortresses that Satan has built around the lives of the lost. Every Christian’s heart should lift up the lost to God praying that He will, “open their eyes so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the dominion of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who have been sanctified by faith in Me.” (Acts 26:18).
If we as the church do not proclaim the truths of God’s word, actively evangelize, and perpetually pray the lost will remain in their state of being hopelessly lost. However, if, or when, the church chooses to be the church and lives in obedience to God in proclaiming His word, evangelizing, and praying, the eyes of the lost will be open and a mighty harvest will be reaped. So, are you proclaiming God’s truths? Are you evangelizing? Are you praying? Rusty Kuhn
While trying to witness to the lost we will often come to a point where we are sharing truths that are blatantly clear to us. As we see it they are blatantly and overwhelmingly clear. For instance, in the world we live in today we are being told that homosexuality is acceptable. We are even being told that one can be a Christian and a homosexual. However, the bible is overwhelmingly clear that homosexuality is not only unacceptable but that those who are homosexuals are not Christian and will not inherit eternal life. While homosexuality is the debate of the day these same types of debates have been going on from generation to generation. Truths that are undeniably and overwhelmingly clear, but are rejected by those who are spiritually blind.
We can clearly see these truths in scripture because we have the Holy Spirit who searches the heart and mind of God and then reveals these truths to us. Our eyes are spiritually open through the power of the Holy Spirit. In John 14:26 Jesus said, "But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you.” John 12:16 gives us insight of the spiritual condition of the disciples prior to the Holy Spirit coming on the day of Pentecost, “These things His disciples did not understand at the first; but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that these things were written of Him, and that they had done these things to Him.” Prior to the coming of the Helper, the Holy Spirit, they couldn’t understand. They didn’t have the spiritual capability.
I Corinthians 2:14 gives us insight into the spiritual condition of the lost person who is separated from God, “But a natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually appraised.” He is a “natural man” and “spiritually appraised” because he does not have the Holy Spirit within him. He does not have the Holy Spirit within Him because he does not have a personal relationship with Jesus. For this reason he “cannot understand” the things of God and they are “foolishness to him.”
If the fact that the lost are spiritually appraised and therefore cannot understand the things of God which are spiritual are not bad enough the bible also tells us that, “in whose case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving so that they might not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.” (II Corinthians 4:4). The god of this world is Satan, and he has blinded the eyes of the lost so they cannot see the truths of the kingdom of God. This text specifically tells us that he has blinded them to the gospel.
Does this mean that the lost are hopelessly lost? Yes. If the church is not being the church then the lost are hopelessly lost. However, God has given to us every tool we need to effectively defeat Satan and tear down the spiritual fortresses he has raised up around the unsaved. II Corinthians 10:4 says, “for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses.” I have already talked at great length of the power of God’s living word, the bible. It is certainly one of our divinely powerful weapons able to destroy Satins fortresses. Paul also said in Romans 1:16, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes” The gospel is a divinely powerful weapon able to pierce the stoniest of hearts.
The proclamation of the truths of God’s word along with our efforts of evangelism should be evenly meshed with the divinely powerful weapon of prayer. When we begin to pray the power of God is enacted destroying the fortresses that Satan has built around the lives of the lost. Every Christian’s heart should lift up the lost to God praying that He will, “open their eyes so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the dominion of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who have been sanctified by faith in Me.” (Acts 26:18).
If we as the church do not proclaim the truths of God’s word, actively evangelize, and perpetually pray the lost will remain in their state of being hopelessly lost. However, if, or when, the church chooses to be the church and lives in obedience to God in proclaiming His word, evangelizing, and praying, the eyes of the lost will be open and a mighty harvest will be reaped. So, are you proclaiming God’s truths? Are you evangelizing? Are you praying? Rusty Kuhn
June 30, 2014
Preserve in These Things
“Pay close attention to yourself and to your teaching; persevere in these things, for as you do this you will ensure salvation both for yourself and for those who hear you.” I Timothy 4:16 NASB
After Paul instructed Timothy to “Pay close attention to yourself and your teachings,” he told him to “preserve” in these things. To preserve in something is to keep something, or to continue in something. The Word of God tells us to preserve/keep/continue in the process of paying close attention to ourselves and our teaching. This preservation in paying attention to ourselves and our teaching needs not only to become what we do, but who we are.
When one preserves fruit or vegetables, he will use another ingredient such as sugar or vinegar as the preserving agent. For the Christian our preserving agent is Jesus. Jesus is the assurance of salvation both for ourselves and for those who hear us. When we are preserved in Him, focused, and centered, in Him, kept, and continued in Him we are fully preserved.
This extra ingredient used to preserve the other changes the original ingredient causing its flavor to be forever transformed in accordance to the preserving ingredient. When we are preserved in Christ we are forever changed in Him. The flavor of our lives no longer represent us, they represent Christ in us, thus changing every area of our lives. Our moral character is forever changed for His glory. Our beliefs, and thus our teaching, are forever changed to represent His will, His heart, and His teachings, and not our own. Therefore, when we are paying close attention to ourselves and our teaching, our focus is through the lenses of Christ.
The gospel isn’t something we simply proclaim because we are commanded to. The gospel is who we are. It is the very representation of our lives. It is the message of our lives. Although Paul was an extraordinarily educated man, he said, “For I determined to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and Him crucified.” (I Corinthians 2:2). For this purpose he dedicated his life and ultimately gave his life.
I am thoroughly convinced that there are two reasons why so many who attend church Sunday after Sunday refuse to be obedient in proclaiming the gospel. The first reason is that their lives have never been impacted by the gospel. The second is that they have not preserved in paying close attention to themselves or their teaching and have allowed more of the world to impact their lives than Jesus.
I am also thoroughly convinced that those whose lives have been transformed by the gospel and those who have preserved in Christ and are consumed in Him will share the gospel with this lost world just as naturally as they breathe. The more they lose themselves in Christ the more in love with Him they will become, resulting in them telling the world of their love for Him. In the same way that a mother will rush into a burning building to save her child the Christian in love with Christ will not cower down in fear, or bend to persecution, he will proudly and boldly share His love for Jesus. His focus will not be on the world that is against Him or on himself. His focus will be on Jesus, just as the mothers focus is on the child. “There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear.” (I John 4:18).
When we proclaim the gospel out of duty and obligation the world will see it for what it is and not respond. All they will see is another religion. After all, that’s what duties and obligations are. Yet, when we share the gospel out of the overflow of our love and devotion of Jesus the world will respond and God’s mighty anointing will fall. Thus, we will, “ensure salvation both for ourselves and for those who hear you.” Rusty Kuhn
After Paul instructed Timothy to “Pay close attention to yourself and your teachings,” he told him to “preserve” in these things. To preserve in something is to keep something, or to continue in something. The Word of God tells us to preserve/keep/continue in the process of paying close attention to ourselves and our teaching. This preservation in paying attention to ourselves and our teaching needs not only to become what we do, but who we are.
When one preserves fruit or vegetables, he will use another ingredient such as sugar or vinegar as the preserving agent. For the Christian our preserving agent is Jesus. Jesus is the assurance of salvation both for ourselves and for those who hear us. When we are preserved in Him, focused, and centered, in Him, kept, and continued in Him we are fully preserved.
This extra ingredient used to preserve the other changes the original ingredient causing its flavor to be forever transformed in accordance to the preserving ingredient. When we are preserved in Christ we are forever changed in Him. The flavor of our lives no longer represent us, they represent Christ in us, thus changing every area of our lives. Our moral character is forever changed for His glory. Our beliefs, and thus our teaching, are forever changed to represent His will, His heart, and His teachings, and not our own. Therefore, when we are paying close attention to ourselves and our teaching, our focus is through the lenses of Christ.
The gospel isn’t something we simply proclaim because we are commanded to. The gospel is who we are. It is the very representation of our lives. It is the message of our lives. Although Paul was an extraordinarily educated man, he said, “For I determined to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and Him crucified.” (I Corinthians 2:2). For this purpose he dedicated his life and ultimately gave his life.
I am thoroughly convinced that there are two reasons why so many who attend church Sunday after Sunday refuse to be obedient in proclaiming the gospel. The first reason is that their lives have never been impacted by the gospel. The second is that they have not preserved in paying close attention to themselves or their teaching and have allowed more of the world to impact their lives than Jesus.
I am also thoroughly convinced that those whose lives have been transformed by the gospel and those who have preserved in Christ and are consumed in Him will share the gospel with this lost world just as naturally as they breathe. The more they lose themselves in Christ the more in love with Him they will become, resulting in them telling the world of their love for Him. In the same way that a mother will rush into a burning building to save her child the Christian in love with Christ will not cower down in fear, or bend to persecution, he will proudly and boldly share His love for Jesus. His focus will not be on the world that is against Him or on himself. His focus will be on Jesus, just as the mothers focus is on the child. “There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear.” (I John 4:18).
When we proclaim the gospel out of duty and obligation the world will see it for what it is and not respond. All they will see is another religion. After all, that’s what duties and obligations are. Yet, when we share the gospel out of the overflow of our love and devotion of Jesus the world will respond and God’s mighty anointing will fall. Thus, we will, “ensure salvation both for ourselves and for those who hear you.” Rusty Kuhn
June 27, 2014
Pay Close Attention to Your Teaching
In the same text that Paul told Timothy to pay close attention to yourself, he instructed Timothy to also pay close attention to his teaching. (I Timothy 4:16). The word here for teaching is doctrine. Our doctrine determines the standard that makes us who we are and the determining factor for all that we do. I’ve heard people say that we need to throw all doctrine out of the window and join our hearts together in faith. Faith in what? Are they talking about the doctrine of faith in Jesus? Apart from doctrine we do not know who, what, or even how to place our faith. If our doctrine then determines all that we believe and all that we do, then our doctrine must be sound, and centered in the Word of God.
Timothy was the pastor of the church of Ephesus. If his doctrine was flawed, his instruction to the church would also be flawed, thus, leading them down a potentially destructive path. God takes the proper instruction of His word seriously. James 3:1 gives us the warning, “Let not many of you become teachers, my brethren, knowing that as such we will incur a stricter judgment.” If we are improperly instructing individuals, we will one day be held accountable. Therefore, we need to pay close attention to our teaching with the upmost sincerity.
Paul told Timothy in II Timothy 3:16 some of the purposes of God’s word. He then told Timothy in the next verse that the end result of these purposes was, “that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.” With this in mind Paul told Timothy to, “Preach the word.” (II Timothy 4:2). In the following verse after instructing Timothy to preach the word Paul warned Timothy, “For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires.” In II Timothy 4:2 when Paul told Timothy to preach the word, he also told him to, “be ready in season, and out of season.” In other words, whether it’s popular or not, you need to preach the word. Even if all of the world will not put up with sound doctrine, we need to stay faithful to the word and preach the word, thus, preach/teach sound doctrine.
In paying close attention to our teaching we need to make the bible our book of books. We don’t need to lean to heavily on commentaries or study books. We need to know for ourselves what the Word of God says. We need to study it thoroughly. We need to study it on our knees prayerfully seeking God to lead us into understanding. For the Word of God is alive and active, not study books and commentaries. Once we have thoroughly and prayerfully studied the Word of God we can certainly refer to commentaries and study books, but they need to be secondary; God’s word must be primary.
In my first semester of seminary I took an Old Testament survey class. One of the requirements of the class was to read through the Old Testament. Much to my surprise, some in the class admitted to never reading the Old Testament. My first thought was, “Why are you in seminary when you don’t even know what the bible says?” My second thought was, “Lord help us if these are future church leaders.” Yes the seminary teaches theology. But, to most people’s surprise they don’t thoroughly teach the bible. Rather, they give valuable tools to enhance your personal study of the bible. We must personally choose whether or not we will ever use those tools, just as we all, whether we have been to seminary or not, need to choose whether or not we will study God’s word on our own.
We all need to put ourselves under the anointed teaching and preaching of God’s word. After all, teaching is one of the spiritual gifts and preaching is commanded by God. If we are preachers/teachers of the Word of God we will be held accountable for how we handled the Word of God. When we have personal access to the Word of God using the excuse, “that’s how I was taught” will not be an acceptable defense. Therefore, as the KJV states it, “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” (II Timothy 2:15). Rusty Kuhn
Timothy was the pastor of the church of Ephesus. If his doctrine was flawed, his instruction to the church would also be flawed, thus, leading them down a potentially destructive path. God takes the proper instruction of His word seriously. James 3:1 gives us the warning, “Let not many of you become teachers, my brethren, knowing that as such we will incur a stricter judgment.” If we are improperly instructing individuals, we will one day be held accountable. Therefore, we need to pay close attention to our teaching with the upmost sincerity.
Paul told Timothy in II Timothy 3:16 some of the purposes of God’s word. He then told Timothy in the next verse that the end result of these purposes was, “that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.” With this in mind Paul told Timothy to, “Preach the word.” (II Timothy 4:2). In the following verse after instructing Timothy to preach the word Paul warned Timothy, “For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires.” In II Timothy 4:2 when Paul told Timothy to preach the word, he also told him to, “be ready in season, and out of season.” In other words, whether it’s popular or not, you need to preach the word. Even if all of the world will not put up with sound doctrine, we need to stay faithful to the word and preach the word, thus, preach/teach sound doctrine.
In paying close attention to our teaching we need to make the bible our book of books. We don’t need to lean to heavily on commentaries or study books. We need to know for ourselves what the Word of God says. We need to study it thoroughly. We need to study it on our knees prayerfully seeking God to lead us into understanding. For the Word of God is alive and active, not study books and commentaries. Once we have thoroughly and prayerfully studied the Word of God we can certainly refer to commentaries and study books, but they need to be secondary; God’s word must be primary.
In my first semester of seminary I took an Old Testament survey class. One of the requirements of the class was to read through the Old Testament. Much to my surprise, some in the class admitted to never reading the Old Testament. My first thought was, “Why are you in seminary when you don’t even know what the bible says?” My second thought was, “Lord help us if these are future church leaders.” Yes the seminary teaches theology. But, to most people’s surprise they don’t thoroughly teach the bible. Rather, they give valuable tools to enhance your personal study of the bible. We must personally choose whether or not we will ever use those tools, just as we all, whether we have been to seminary or not, need to choose whether or not we will study God’s word on our own.
We all need to put ourselves under the anointed teaching and preaching of God’s word. After all, teaching is one of the spiritual gifts and preaching is commanded by God. If we are preachers/teachers of the Word of God we will be held accountable for how we handled the Word of God. When we have personal access to the Word of God using the excuse, “that’s how I was taught” will not be an acceptable defense. Therefore, as the KJV states it, “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” (II Timothy 2:15). Rusty Kuhn
June 26, 2014
Living Above Reproach
One of the qualifications of a pastor is to be above reproach. (I Timothy 3:2, Titus 1:6-7). However, when one takes scripture as a whole they will clearly see that God has called all of His children to be above reproach. God has called all Christians to holy living. We should accept this call with the upmost sincerity, especially if we are serving in any form of ministry. To be in reproach is to be in shame or disgrace as a direct result of sin. God has called us to be above the shame or disgrace sin causes. He has called us to be blameless.
To be above reproach doesn’t mean we are without sin. We have already discussed how sin can creep into our lives unnoticed with detrimental effects. To be above reproach means that we do not allow sin to influence or impact our lives. We are not conformed to the lust of sin allowing its reproach to stain us. To live above reproach means, the world cannot bring an accusation against you to tarnish your witness or tear down your character. Your character and witness is above reproach, it is blameless. When they see you they do not see a sinner; rather, they see a man or woman of God.
As a witness for the Lord we have to understand that our personal reputation is not the only thing at stake. We are royal ambassadors for the Kingdom of God representing Jesus Himself. We also represent the church as a whole which represents all of Christianity. When we allow ourselves to fall into reproach we not only stain our character but that of Jesus, the church, and every Christian. When the world sees one representing the Lord in reproach their initial thought is that all Christians are hypocrites. The number one excuse today for not coming to church is that there are too many hypocrites in the church. The fact is, there are too many hypocrites in the church and their hypocrisy is hindering the witness of the faithful.
How can we be effective witnesses for the Lord if we are living in reproach? The call of the gospel is to repent from sin and trust in Jesus grace which gives of freedom from the bondage of sin. Living in reproach is living in contrast to the gospel. What then would compel the sinner to repent? They won’t see the power of the gospel; rather, they will witness an ineffective powerless gospel.
Again one who is above reproach is not one who is sinless; rather, he is one of integrity. A person of integrity is one who is honest. A person of integrity isn’t trouble, trial, or even sin free. Instead he is one who is honest about the troubles, trials, and sins of his life. He has troubles, he has trials, and he has sinned. He is also open and honest about these facts. However, he has not allowed them to stain him or tear him down. Instead he has learned, grown, and moved on from them through the power of the gospel. He has also used them as a means of witnessing the power of the gospel showing through his personal experience that God can get anyone through anything within their life if the simply trust in Him.
If one has fallen into reproach he has become useless to the work of the kingdom and should abstain from any form of ministry. While in reproach his work will be more harmful than useful. Thankfully, we serve a God who has more grace than we have sin and is more than willing to restore a repented soul. Depending on how the individual has fallen into reproach may disqualify him from serving in certain offices. However, once he is restored, renewed, and strengthened is certainly useful to the service of the kingdom once again. Thus, the church should welcome him, love him, encourage him, and disciple him. Rusty Kuhn
To be above reproach doesn’t mean we are without sin. We have already discussed how sin can creep into our lives unnoticed with detrimental effects. To be above reproach means that we do not allow sin to influence or impact our lives. We are not conformed to the lust of sin allowing its reproach to stain us. To live above reproach means, the world cannot bring an accusation against you to tarnish your witness or tear down your character. Your character and witness is above reproach, it is blameless. When they see you they do not see a sinner; rather, they see a man or woman of God.
As a witness for the Lord we have to understand that our personal reputation is not the only thing at stake. We are royal ambassadors for the Kingdom of God representing Jesus Himself. We also represent the church as a whole which represents all of Christianity. When we allow ourselves to fall into reproach we not only stain our character but that of Jesus, the church, and every Christian. When the world sees one representing the Lord in reproach their initial thought is that all Christians are hypocrites. The number one excuse today for not coming to church is that there are too many hypocrites in the church. The fact is, there are too many hypocrites in the church and their hypocrisy is hindering the witness of the faithful.
How can we be effective witnesses for the Lord if we are living in reproach? The call of the gospel is to repent from sin and trust in Jesus grace which gives of freedom from the bondage of sin. Living in reproach is living in contrast to the gospel. What then would compel the sinner to repent? They won’t see the power of the gospel; rather, they will witness an ineffective powerless gospel.
Again one who is above reproach is not one who is sinless; rather, he is one of integrity. A person of integrity is one who is honest. A person of integrity isn’t trouble, trial, or even sin free. Instead he is one who is honest about the troubles, trials, and sins of his life. He has troubles, he has trials, and he has sinned. He is also open and honest about these facts. However, he has not allowed them to stain him or tear him down. Instead he has learned, grown, and moved on from them through the power of the gospel. He has also used them as a means of witnessing the power of the gospel showing through his personal experience that God can get anyone through anything within their life if the simply trust in Him.
If one has fallen into reproach he has become useless to the work of the kingdom and should abstain from any form of ministry. While in reproach his work will be more harmful than useful. Thankfully, we serve a God who has more grace than we have sin and is more than willing to restore a repented soul. Depending on how the individual has fallen into reproach may disqualify him from serving in certain offices. However, once he is restored, renewed, and strengthened is certainly useful to the service of the kingdom once again. Thus, the church should welcome him, love him, encourage him, and disciple him. Rusty Kuhn
June 25, 2014
Paying Close Attention to Yourself
“Pay close attention to yourself and to your teaching; persevere in these things, for as you do this you will ensure salvation both for yourself and for those who hear you.” I Timothy 4:16
If we are going to be effective tools for the Lord we must take heed to the words of Paul and pay close attention to ourselves. With this in mind we should continually examine ourselves. We examine ourselves through the Word of God and through prayer. Psalm 139:23-24 says, “Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me and know my anxious thoughts; And see if there be any hurtful way in me, And lead me in the everlasting way.” This should be a continual prayer from our heart.
Psalm 66:18 says, “If I regard wickedness in my heart, The Lord will not hear.” If God will not hear us, he certainly will not use us. Therefore, as we examine our heart we must ask God to reveal any wickedness we may have hidden in our heart. One may say, “I have no need for this, far my heart is pure.” That is pride, which is in every way, wickedness. Remember, “Pride goes before destruction, And a haughty spirit before stumbling.” (Proverbs 16:18). The Pharisees were prideful in what they perceived to be their righteousness but Jesus called them sons of hell.
Iniquity and wickedness is sneaky, hiding in the darkest corners of our soul, unwilling to show itself for what it is so it can control your will and manipulate you into thinking you are right with God. Some iniquity could have been lingering in the darkness for years while we are clueless of its power over us while other forms of wickedness could have recently crept in trying to take root. For this reason we must pay close attention to ourselves and seek God for revelation of any form of wickedness hidden deep within.
Wickedness can come in many forms. It is found in the heart that is unloving and selfish. It is found in the soul that is self-centered and self seeking. It is found in the heart of the prideful trusting in their own power rather than God’s. It is found in the heart of the prejudice thinking they are better than the other. It is found in the vengeful, spiteful, resentful, and unforgiving spirit. It is found in the one who is seeking his own kingdom with worldly ambitions rather than the advancements of God’s. It comes in many forms and in many ways but the worst form of wickedness is the stubborn soul that refuses to repent and submit to God.
As we pay close attention to ourselves we are sure to find flaws in our character that do not line up with God’s. We first trust in His grace and receive forgiveness, then we seek His transforming and renewing power trusting that He will restore us into right relationship. We realize that we never reach the pinnacle of maturity as a Christian. We are perpetually learning and growing. For this reason if we are going to be effective workers for His kingdom we must perpetually seek the power of God in our personal lives submitting ourselves to His will and His ways.
In order for us to achieve this spiritual success we must be devoted to the Word of God. Not devoted only to enhance the ministry in which God has called us, but first and foremost devoted to the Word of God for our own spiritual growth and well being. We must be seekers of God continually seeking Him through His word. At the same time we must pray without ceasing. Again not only for the purpose of the ministry but as seekers of the Lord allowing our lips to never cease praising Him and never cease requesting His presence in our lives. Not for what we can get from Him but for the simple purpose of having Him central and exalted in our lives.
If Jesus is not central and exalted in our lives we open the door for wickedness to enter in and close the door for the power of God to work through us. Therefore, when we pay close attention to ourselves, the main question should always be, “Is Jesus central and exalted in my life?” Rusty Kuhn
If we are going to be effective tools for the Lord we must take heed to the words of Paul and pay close attention to ourselves. With this in mind we should continually examine ourselves. We examine ourselves through the Word of God and through prayer. Psalm 139:23-24 says, “Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me and know my anxious thoughts; And see if there be any hurtful way in me, And lead me in the everlasting way.” This should be a continual prayer from our heart.
Psalm 66:18 says, “If I regard wickedness in my heart, The Lord will not hear.” If God will not hear us, he certainly will not use us. Therefore, as we examine our heart we must ask God to reveal any wickedness we may have hidden in our heart. One may say, “I have no need for this, far my heart is pure.” That is pride, which is in every way, wickedness. Remember, “Pride goes before destruction, And a haughty spirit before stumbling.” (Proverbs 16:18). The Pharisees were prideful in what they perceived to be their righteousness but Jesus called them sons of hell.
Iniquity and wickedness is sneaky, hiding in the darkest corners of our soul, unwilling to show itself for what it is so it can control your will and manipulate you into thinking you are right with God. Some iniquity could have been lingering in the darkness for years while we are clueless of its power over us while other forms of wickedness could have recently crept in trying to take root. For this reason we must pay close attention to ourselves and seek God for revelation of any form of wickedness hidden deep within.
Wickedness can come in many forms. It is found in the heart that is unloving and selfish. It is found in the soul that is self-centered and self seeking. It is found in the heart of the prideful trusting in their own power rather than God’s. It is found in the heart of the prejudice thinking they are better than the other. It is found in the vengeful, spiteful, resentful, and unforgiving spirit. It is found in the one who is seeking his own kingdom with worldly ambitions rather than the advancements of God’s. It comes in many forms and in many ways but the worst form of wickedness is the stubborn soul that refuses to repent and submit to God.
As we pay close attention to ourselves we are sure to find flaws in our character that do not line up with God’s. We first trust in His grace and receive forgiveness, then we seek His transforming and renewing power trusting that He will restore us into right relationship. We realize that we never reach the pinnacle of maturity as a Christian. We are perpetually learning and growing. For this reason if we are going to be effective workers for His kingdom we must perpetually seek the power of God in our personal lives submitting ourselves to His will and His ways.
In order for us to achieve this spiritual success we must be devoted to the Word of God. Not devoted only to enhance the ministry in which God has called us, but first and foremost devoted to the Word of God for our own spiritual growth and well being. We must be seekers of God continually seeking Him through His word. At the same time we must pray without ceasing. Again not only for the purpose of the ministry but as seekers of the Lord allowing our lips to never cease praising Him and never cease requesting His presence in our lives. Not for what we can get from Him but for the simple purpose of having Him central and exalted in our lives.
If Jesus is not central and exalted in our lives we open the door for wickedness to enter in and close the door for the power of God to work through us. Therefore, when we pay close attention to ourselves, the main question should always be, “Is Jesus central and exalted in my life?” Rusty Kuhn
June 23, 2014
We Are Tools for the Kingdom
Have you ever heard someone say after looking at a beautiful sculpture, “That artist must have some great carving tools?” Or, have you heard someone say after seeing a beautiful building, “Those construction workers must have some amazing tools?” Of course not. There’s never an emphasis on the tools. The artist or the architect always receives the praise. God is the artist and the architect of the kingdom. He is the master designer and we are simply the tools. Therefore, He deserves all the glory and honor.
That being said, every worker regardless of their trade knows the value of good tools. Poor quality tools or tools that are not functioning properly can be very frustrating to work with hindering the progress of the project. For this reason we need to make sure we are a properly prepared tool that will be used to enhance the work of the kingdom instead of being a hindrance. Paul said to Timothy in I Timothy 4:16, “Pay close attention to yourself and to your teaching; persevere in these things, for as you do this you will ensure salvation both for yourself and for those who hear you.”
We are in a spiritual battle, therefore, if we are going to be successful we need to set ourselves up spiritually to use the divinely powerful weapons of warfare God has available for us and the spiritual gifting God has given to us. If we attempt to do the work of the kingdom in our own strength and power, we will utterly fail. Paul said in I Corinthians 2:4, “My message and my preaching were not in persuasive words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power.” The flesh will always fail us, but, when we align ourselves up with the power and anointing of God we will have success far beyond what we can hope for or even imagine.
Paul said to Timothy, the pastor of Ephesus, “Pay close attention to yourself.” Before we can effectively minister to others we need to examine ourselves and make sure we are right. The best way to stay in tune with God is to keep close fellowship with Him. We must daily seek God’s presence in our lives. Not just His presence for the anointing of the work in which He has called us to, but, His presence for our close and personal fellowship with the Him. We must be active, consistent, and persistent seekers and worshipers of the Lord.
Colossians 3:1-2 says, “Therefore if you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth.” If we are focused on the things of this earth we will be easily susceptible to falling for earthly and fleshly ways and be conformed to this world. Thus, our ministry will follow that same path. However, when we are focused on the things above, we are led by the things above and our ministry will likewise follow that same path.
A tool that is dull, dirty, or rusted is an ineffective tool. Therefore, pay close attention to yourself. Are you allowing God to sharpen you, oil you up, and clean you? If not, you are an ineffective tool for the Master. If you are daily seeking and submitting to God you are allowing Him to sharpen, oil you, and clean you so you can be used greatly for His glory. God is unlimited in His abilities. However, God chooses to use us as His tools. Therefore, we need to offer Him the quality of tool He deserves. Rusty Kuhn
That being said, every worker regardless of their trade knows the value of good tools. Poor quality tools or tools that are not functioning properly can be very frustrating to work with hindering the progress of the project. For this reason we need to make sure we are a properly prepared tool that will be used to enhance the work of the kingdom instead of being a hindrance. Paul said to Timothy in I Timothy 4:16, “Pay close attention to yourself and to your teaching; persevere in these things, for as you do this you will ensure salvation both for yourself and for those who hear you.”
We are in a spiritual battle, therefore, if we are going to be successful we need to set ourselves up spiritually to use the divinely powerful weapons of warfare God has available for us and the spiritual gifting God has given to us. If we attempt to do the work of the kingdom in our own strength and power, we will utterly fail. Paul said in I Corinthians 2:4, “My message and my preaching were not in persuasive words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power.” The flesh will always fail us, but, when we align ourselves up with the power and anointing of God we will have success far beyond what we can hope for or even imagine.
Paul said to Timothy, the pastor of Ephesus, “Pay close attention to yourself.” Before we can effectively minister to others we need to examine ourselves and make sure we are right. The best way to stay in tune with God is to keep close fellowship with Him. We must daily seek God’s presence in our lives. Not just His presence for the anointing of the work in which He has called us to, but, His presence for our close and personal fellowship with the Him. We must be active, consistent, and persistent seekers and worshipers of the Lord.
Colossians 3:1-2 says, “Therefore if you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth.” If we are focused on the things of this earth we will be easily susceptible to falling for earthly and fleshly ways and be conformed to this world. Thus, our ministry will follow that same path. However, when we are focused on the things above, we are led by the things above and our ministry will likewise follow that same path.
A tool that is dull, dirty, or rusted is an ineffective tool. Therefore, pay close attention to yourself. Are you allowing God to sharpen you, oil you up, and clean you? If not, you are an ineffective tool for the Master. If you are daily seeking and submitting to God you are allowing Him to sharpen, oil you, and clean you so you can be used greatly for His glory. God is unlimited in His abilities. However, God chooses to use us as His tools. Therefore, we need to offer Him the quality of tool He deserves. Rusty Kuhn
June 19, 2014
Look What the Lord Has Done
Hearing another’s testimony can be both encouraging and educational. The bible gives us many great examples of testimonies that give glory to God. In the fourth chapter of the book of John we see Jesus conversing with a Samaritan woman at a well. Through this conversation this woman became fully convicted that Jesus was the Christ. She ran back to town and told everyone, “Come, see a man who told me all the things that I have done; this is not the Christ, is it?” They went out of the city, and were coming to Him.” (John 4:30-31).
The interesting thing about this woman is that she was a sinner. Most of the women in town would come to the well early in the morning to draw water. The bible tells us that this woman came at noon. This leaves us with the assumption that she was trying to avoid the others due to her sin. Now, she was no longer afraid of what others thought; far, she had met the Christ. When she went back to town where everyone knew her she proclaimed, “Come, see a man who told me all the things I have done.” Her shame was taken away and she wanted everyone to know. As a result of her testimony John 4:39 says, “From that city many of the Samaritans believed in Him because of the word of the woman who testified, “He told me all the things that I have done.”
What gives credibility to a personal testimony is the fact that this event happened to us. It is our testimony of God’s work in our personal lives. One can deny creation if they choose. Although we have the biblical account we weren’t there to witness it. I however, choose to believe God’s word. One can also deny the fact that Jesus lived on this earth just as one can deny the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus. Again, we weren’t there as physical witnesses. And, again, I choose to believe. I believe God’s integrity gives us all of the credibility we need for us to believe His word, yet, this world is full of scoffers. However, when one’s life is transformed before even the most adamant of scoffer’s eyes, how can he deny the facts in which he has witnessed? If he continues to deny his denial is unreasonable. He continues to deny because he is spiritually blind.
In the ninth chapter of John we find Jesus healing a blind man on the Sabbath. Although Jesus could have simply spoken a word for the man to be healed He chose to make some clay and place it over the blind man’s eyes. Once the blind man washed his eyes he was able to see. This presented a great problem to the Pharisees. Due to their man made laws and rituals they perceived Jesus actions as working on the Sabbath and therefore thought of Jesus as a sinner. They refused to believe that Jesus was of God. The problem that was now before them was that an undeniable miracle took place. Who can perform such miracles but God? God doesn’t work through sinners; therefore, Jesus must be of God. Unfortunately for them, this was not their conclusion. Their conclusion defied all reason. They were more blind than the blind man was prior to his healing. The concluding testimony of the blind man was, “Whether He is a sinner, I do not know; one thing I do know, that though I was blind, now I see.” (John 9:25).
The third chapter of Acts gives an account of a man that was born lame from His mother’s womb. Every day he was taken down to the Temple and place before the gate that was called beautiful to beg for alms. On this day he noticed Peter and John fixing their gaze on him. Because of this he thought he was going to receive something of great materialistic value. However, Peter and John had something, rather, someone, far greater to offer. Peter stretched forth his arm and said, “I do not possess silver and gold, but what I do have I give to you: In the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene—walk!” (Acts 3:6). Immediately with a leap he stood able to walk for the first time in his life and was leaping and praising God as he walked into the temple.
Acts 3:9-10 then tells us, “And all the people saw him walking and praising God; and they were taking note of him as being the one who used to sit at the Beautiful Gate of the temple to beg alms, and they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him.” This act of God was undeniable. They knew the man who was lamb, and now they see him leaping, and jumping, and walking. Only God can do that.
Taking advantage of this opportunity, Peter and John began preaching about the resurrection of Jesus which led to them being arrested by the temple guard. The next day they had to plead their case before the Jewish court. The bible tells us that Peter was filled with the Holy Spirit when He answered their question as to who’s name this miracle was performed saying, “Rulers and elders of the people, if we are on trial today for a benefit done to a sick man, as to how this man has been made well, let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead—by this name this man stands here before you in good health.” (Acts 4:8-10). Acts 4:13-14 then tells us the reaction of the court, “Now as they observed the confidence of Peter and John and understood that they were uneducated and untrained men, they were amazed, and began to recognize them as having been with Jesus. And seeing the man who had been healed standing with them, they had nothing to say in reply.” What could they say? The testimony of the power of God through Jesus name left them utterly speechless. There was no reasonable argument of opposition to offer.
While some will still reject and mock the power of God enacted in one’s life they cannot reasonably deny something has happened. Something changed within this person moving them from darkness into light. At the same time, some will believe, and some will confess Jesus as their savior, thus beginning their personal story of salvation. Don’t let the mockers keep you from sharing your story of God’s work in your life. Their argument is unfounded and unreasonable. And, don’t let your past sins keep you from declaring your new found freedom in Christ. You are transformed by the power of the gospel, cleansed by the blood, and forgiven by His grace. Therefore, tell your story. Your story may be what others need to hear to draw them unto salvation. And, some may be saved. Rusty Kuhn
The interesting thing about this woman is that she was a sinner. Most of the women in town would come to the well early in the morning to draw water. The bible tells us that this woman came at noon. This leaves us with the assumption that she was trying to avoid the others due to her sin. Now, she was no longer afraid of what others thought; far, she had met the Christ. When she went back to town where everyone knew her she proclaimed, “Come, see a man who told me all the things I have done.” Her shame was taken away and she wanted everyone to know. As a result of her testimony John 4:39 says, “From that city many of the Samaritans believed in Him because of the word of the woman who testified, “He told me all the things that I have done.”
What gives credibility to a personal testimony is the fact that this event happened to us. It is our testimony of God’s work in our personal lives. One can deny creation if they choose. Although we have the biblical account we weren’t there to witness it. I however, choose to believe God’s word. One can also deny the fact that Jesus lived on this earth just as one can deny the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus. Again, we weren’t there as physical witnesses. And, again, I choose to believe. I believe God’s integrity gives us all of the credibility we need for us to believe His word, yet, this world is full of scoffers. However, when one’s life is transformed before even the most adamant of scoffer’s eyes, how can he deny the facts in which he has witnessed? If he continues to deny his denial is unreasonable. He continues to deny because he is spiritually blind.
In the ninth chapter of John we find Jesus healing a blind man on the Sabbath. Although Jesus could have simply spoken a word for the man to be healed He chose to make some clay and place it over the blind man’s eyes. Once the blind man washed his eyes he was able to see. This presented a great problem to the Pharisees. Due to their man made laws and rituals they perceived Jesus actions as working on the Sabbath and therefore thought of Jesus as a sinner. They refused to believe that Jesus was of God. The problem that was now before them was that an undeniable miracle took place. Who can perform such miracles but God? God doesn’t work through sinners; therefore, Jesus must be of God. Unfortunately for them, this was not their conclusion. Their conclusion defied all reason. They were more blind than the blind man was prior to his healing. The concluding testimony of the blind man was, “Whether He is a sinner, I do not know; one thing I do know, that though I was blind, now I see.” (John 9:25).
The third chapter of Acts gives an account of a man that was born lame from His mother’s womb. Every day he was taken down to the Temple and place before the gate that was called beautiful to beg for alms. On this day he noticed Peter and John fixing their gaze on him. Because of this he thought he was going to receive something of great materialistic value. However, Peter and John had something, rather, someone, far greater to offer. Peter stretched forth his arm and said, “I do not possess silver and gold, but what I do have I give to you: In the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene—walk!” (Acts 3:6). Immediately with a leap he stood able to walk for the first time in his life and was leaping and praising God as he walked into the temple.
Acts 3:9-10 then tells us, “And all the people saw him walking and praising God; and they were taking note of him as being the one who used to sit at the Beautiful Gate of the temple to beg alms, and they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him.” This act of God was undeniable. They knew the man who was lamb, and now they see him leaping, and jumping, and walking. Only God can do that.
Taking advantage of this opportunity, Peter and John began preaching about the resurrection of Jesus which led to them being arrested by the temple guard. The next day they had to plead their case before the Jewish court. The bible tells us that Peter was filled with the Holy Spirit when He answered their question as to who’s name this miracle was performed saying, “Rulers and elders of the people, if we are on trial today for a benefit done to a sick man, as to how this man has been made well, let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead—by this name this man stands here before you in good health.” (Acts 4:8-10). Acts 4:13-14 then tells us the reaction of the court, “Now as they observed the confidence of Peter and John and understood that they were uneducated and untrained men, they were amazed, and began to recognize them as having been with Jesus. And seeing the man who had been healed standing with them, they had nothing to say in reply.” What could they say? The testimony of the power of God through Jesus name left them utterly speechless. There was no reasonable argument of opposition to offer.
While some will still reject and mock the power of God enacted in one’s life they cannot reasonably deny something has happened. Something changed within this person moving them from darkness into light. At the same time, some will believe, and some will confess Jesus as their savior, thus beginning their personal story of salvation. Don’t let the mockers keep you from sharing your story of God’s work in your life. Their argument is unfounded and unreasonable. And, don’t let your past sins keep you from declaring your new found freedom in Christ. You are transformed by the power of the gospel, cleansed by the blood, and forgiven by His grace. Therefore, tell your story. Your story may be what others need to hear to draw them unto salvation. And, some may be saved. Rusty Kuhn
