I'm not a "Water Dog", I'm trying to be an "Obedient Dog."

Many people receive nicknames because of something they often did, or do, and thus earn a nickname.  You may have a nickname that was earned that has stuck with you for a very long time.  My mother was never really known for her birth name.  If I told someone I was Roberta's son they had no clue who I was talking about, but if I said I was Binky's son they knew exactly who I was talking about.  I always wanted the nickname "cutie" but that never stuck, and I think I know why.  However, the nickname "chatterbox" did stick for awhile and again, I think I know why.

I am a member of the Lord's Church.  I was added to the Christ's Church several years ago.  One of the many nicknames I have been called since then is "water dog."  Yet, you never hear anyone mention the obedience involved in that statement.  Consider some of the Old Testament and New Testament examples.

NAAMAN THE LEPER   2Ki 5:1-14

We read that Naaman was "captain of the army, highly respected, and a leper."    A young Israelite girl was taken captive and served Naaman's wife.  I want you to notice even though this young girl was was a prisoner of war in a foreign land she was not bitter towards her captors.  As a matter of fact, she was concerned about their welfare.  What a lesson we can learn from that young girl! Isa 11:6  I do not know her exact age but it is abundantly evident that she was taught about God and His prophet.  She was not afraid to tell strangers about them.  The Jews were diligent to teach their children the Law of God. Dt 6:1-8  Oh 21st century church, when we will we learn this lesson?  When we stop allowing the world to teach our children what defines marriage, murder, and morals?  Things will not change until we change that!  

Don't loose sight of the fact that, as often is the case, a correct report was not made in these verses.  The young Israelite servant told Naaman's wife, she told Naaman, and Naaman told his master that a prophet in Israel could cure Naaman.  The king of Israel received a letter that said, "you may cure him of his leprosy."  This was severely wrong.  We often credit man with the abilities that only God can provide.  Man cannot save you, only God can.  Man will fail you, God will not.  Man will break promises, God will not.  Confusion concerning God and His Word, in this instance, almost started a fight.  It is that very thing, confusion concerning God and His Word, that starts denominationalism today!  

So Elisha sets things straight and requests that Naaman be sent to him so the king of Aram would know that a prophet of God was in Israel.  Naaman was told, by a messenger sent be Elisha, to "go and wash" but this made Naaman furious.  He went away mad, still a leper, because he wasn't being healed the way he wanted.  He wanted the prophet to come to him, wave a magic wand, and say something special. Today we want the preacher to lead us in a special prayer and be saved the way we want.  Naaman said, "Are not Abanah and Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? Could I not wash in them and be clean?"  He wanted "Holy Water" to make him clean.  He wanted to be dabbed instead of immersed.  He wanted it  to be poured over him without entering the water.  He wanted to be healed and saved his own way but it doesn't work that way, my friends!  Listen to me, he was unable to see any connection between the act commanded and the result of obedience to the command that would be attained!  He knew there was no cleansing power in the water of the dirty Jordan river, and he was right!  The power that heals was what was behind the water, and that power is God.  The power of our baptism today is not in the water, but what is behind the water, and that is the likeness of the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus the Christ.  How many people have their own idea as to how God should save them today?  Many are willing and waiting to be saved as soon as God adopts their method of saving.  Surely, no one thinks the dirty water of the Jordan healed Naaman.  If so, the Jordan would have people of all kinds of diseases in it 24 hours a day!  No, God healed Naaman, but not until he completely obeyed, regardless if he saw the full purpose of immersion into that water! 

I am not crying, "water salvation" by any means.  I am crying, "obedient salvation."  Jesus commanded baptism.  Mt 28:18-19; Mk 16:16  Like Naaman, you may not be able to see how baptism can have any connection with salvation, but if you truly desire salvation, you will obey Jesus' command, trust in God's promise, and rejoice in being immersed.  Take note that Peter says repentance must precede baptism. Acts 2:37-38  Philip says belief must precede baptism. Acts 8:35-38  Luke writes that faithfulness, even in struggles, must follow baptism. Acts 14:21-22

JESUS AND THE BLIND MAN   John 9

This is a man who was born blind.  Jesus spat on the ground, made clay by combining  the two, and applied it to the blind man's eyes.  He the said, "Go and wash in the pool of Siloam."  There is no doubt that this is an almost unheard of procedure.  I am glad because I don't want you making clay with your spit and smearing it on my face!  As far as I can tell, Jesus didn't indicate what the result would be when the blind man washed the clay off his eyes.   Jesus didn't say if anything would even happen.  He simply gave the commands "go" and "wash."  If Jesus did give him a promise it is unrecorded, but all we know is that the blind man had a spirit of obedience!  The blind man obeyed and came back seeing.  I am not crying "water salvation" or "spit and dirt salvation."  I am crying "obedient salvation."  Notice how the man explained what happened, "He applied clay on my eyes, and I washed, and I see."  The Pharisees never for even a second thought the clay or water did the healing. The man who was born blind knew the clay and the water did not do the healing.  The man said, "He opened my eyes."  

Jesus says "...he that believes and is baptized shall be saved..."  Every who knows as much as the Pharisees and the blind man knows that the saving agent is not the water but the power comes from the power and authority behind the one giving the commands "go" and "wash."  

We show our confidence in our doctor be following his directions, even if we don't understand how the treatment will work.  Jesus is our physician. Mt 9:10-12

We show our confidence in Him when we follow His directions to heal us from sin, even if we don't understand how the treatment will work.  When we decide to set aside some of His directions as "unnecessary" and only follow those that we choose we show more confidence in ourselves than is our physician, Jesus the Christ.  We are trying to take our healing in our own hands.  A person shows confidence in his leader by his unquestioning obedience.  God requires whole hearted compliance with His will. Heb 5:8-9   No one questions that Jesus is the author of salvation.  The previous verses show that salvation is offered to those who are obedient.  You may ask, "Who are the obedient?"  Those who do God's will! Mt 7:21; 12:50   

Today, are you ready to be obedient to God's will, even if you do not see the connection of the command to the promise?  Are you ready to obey even if you don't know that a promise is attached to the command?  Are you ready to be an obedient disciple? 

Not Biblical Illiteracy, But Biblical Laziness

Dt 6:4-9

I read a great article this morning.  It was called "The Scandal of Biblical Illiteracy: It's Our Problem" and I really enjoyed it.  Now enjoying something and being in 100% agreement are two different things.  As Jackie Chan said in the Karate Kid, "Being still and doing nothing are two very different things."  I often try to avoid the phrase "Biblical Illiteracy" because it is not true, in my opinion.  Allow me to explain, illiterate is defined first as not having the ability to read.  Most people are not "Biblically Illiterate" because many people have the ability to read the Bible, they just choose not to.  I see that as lazy as opposed to illiterate.  You don't have to agree with me on that, you have the right to be wrong.  I'm just kidding!  However, I am not ignorant to the second definition of illiterate which defines it as having or demonstrating little or no education.  Many will argue that this second definition proves people to be "Biblically Illiterate" but to that I respond with the fact that we are just too lazy to read and that is why we have little or no education. However you feel about this phrase or definition is irrelevant because I believe most would agree this poison of "Biblical Laziness" or "Biblical Illiteracy" is the main cause of the immoral behavior growth we see today.  Look at this poison at work.

It affects individuals.  Individuals want to think that if they don't know or believe something is sin it can't hurt them or be held against them.  That is simply not true.  If we are driving 55mph in a 25mph zone and do not know we are speeding and get stopped by a police officer do we get convicted of speeding?  WE SURE DO!  This illustrates that rules are rules and laws are laws whether we accept and obey them or not.  God's people are destroyed for a lack of knowledge in Hos 4:6.  Consider Ps 119 for a moment.  Ps 119:97 refers to loving the Law and it being our daily meditation.  We must make efforts to meditate on God's Word or we will be destroyed for ignorance that is a result of laziness not illiteracy!  Maybe a lack of priorities would be better terminology than laziness.  With out a knowledge of or meditation in God's Word our paths are dark (Ps 119:105), we have no joy (Ps 119:111), and we stumble with no peace (Ps 119:165).  This poison has drastic affects on individuals.

It affects congregations.  Congregations are weak because they lack teachers.  Heb 5:12  This need for teachers makes congregations put in teachers that are not qualified or ready to teach. They quickly become false teachers. 2Pe 2:1-3.  What we have is members of a congregation that lack the knowledge to discern between true and false teachings.  Many congregations hurt because they do not have the knowledge of God's plan for the congregations.  That is why we have Evangelists doing the Elder's work, the Elders doing the Deacon's work, the Deacons doing the members' work, and members doing nothing at all.  This shouldn't be but it is reality because we have our priorities mixed up and we are too lazy to daily meditate and feed on God's Word.  This poison has drastic affects on congregations.

It affects society.  Society's standards of morals are destroyed because good is evil and evil is good. Isa 5:20  We slaughter the innocent with abortions and spare the guilty with no capital punishment.  We reward the wicked drug abusers and sellers like movie stars and athletes while we deprive the good like teachers.  The few good movie stars and athletes are silenced or at least the attempt is there.  Children are deprived good parenting which leads to juvenile delinquents because they are doing what is right in their own eyes. Jud 21:25  This poison has drastic affects on society.

This poison has affected individual people, congregations, and society.  What is the antidote?  The antidote for individuals is in the removal of our laziness and ignorance.  It begins in the homes like the main passage above.  We must learn and teach God's Word in our homes.  We must feed on the Word with daily meditations.  That is how blessings are harvested. Ps 1:1-3  Jesus himself told us blessings come from observing, or doing, his word. Lk 11:28  This will remove the poison from the individuals.

The antidote for congregations is in the proper listing of our priorities.  The fellowship of the saints and the group studies must be at the top of the list.  We must recognize the value of mutual edification.  Heb 3:12-14; 10:24,25  You see, we will reap such rewards when we study collectively with the congregation and daily at home.  This will remove the poison from the congregations.

The antidote for society is the individuals and congregations doing what they are commissioned to do, and that is take the Gospel to the lost.  When the evangelists are evangelizing, the elders are elding, the deacons are deacing, and the members are remembering God's plan for the Church is being fulfilled and society will return to moral living.  Society will benefit when we go, preach, baptize, and teach in Christ's authority. Mt 28:18-20 This will remove the poison from society.

As the article above said in its last paragraph, "This generation must get deadly serious..." about this problem.  

WHAT MUST I DO TO BE SAVED?

We must hear the Word of God:  Rom 10:17; Acts 4:4

We must believe or have faith:   Heb 11:6; Acts 16:31

We must repent of our sins:  Lk 13:3; Acts 17:30

We must confess Christ before others:  Mt 10:32; Acts 8:37

We must be immersed into Christ (baptized) Mk 16:16; Acts 2:38

We must be faithful:   Rev 2:10; Acts 14:22