"2 and the life was manifested, and we have seen and bear witness and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was manifested to us— "
1 John 1:2 (NASB77)

John had a perspective that few had. At the time that he wrote this epistle, he was likely the only one left who had actual face to face, eye witness experience of anyone alive.

For John, Jesus was manifested, revealed, in such a way that even a court would have to rule in his favor. Three times in his gospel account, John shows how Jesus revealed Himself to the disciples three times after His resurrection. The first time was in the upper room giving them the opportunity to see with their eyes the scars on His body.(John 20.19-23)

The second was after Thomas had voiced his doubts, but it was 8 days later. Just like many of those who doubt, they call for the physical evidence. If they look honestly into the testimony and what we know, they will eventually come to face a Saviour. (John 20.24-29)

Ever wondered what happened during the eight days? I wonder if Thomas got tired of hearing all about what the others had seen. I just can’t imagine having walked with Jesus all that time and heard what He said, and not trusting those who you lived and walked with when they said “He’s alive!”

The third manifestation took place on the shores of the Sea of Tiberias. He was sitting on the shores having breakfast. A display of His humanness by eating. He took the bread and broke it, then the fish and they ate. Not only was their Lord back from death spiritually, but He was also alive physically.

This was the life that was manifested. Revealed. Made known.

John was a witness to this life. Life eternal. Life proclaimed. Oh, praise God, he did not keep silent! John proclaimed a Gospel made more pure because of the audible, visible, and physical manifestation of Jesus.

At the Cross,
At the Cross,
Where I first saw the Light,
And the burden of my heart rolled away.
It was there by faith,
I received my sight,
And now I am happy all the day…

The Jesus we serve was and is historical, physical, and has spoken.

Soli Deo Gloria,

Aaron “Tree” Landis
Psalm 1.3

     1 What was from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we beheld and our hands handled, concerning the Word of Life—
1 John 1:1 (NASB77)

     John writes as only a first hand, eye-witness can.  Can you imagine being in John’s shoes? Being able to say that you had actually heard the voice that called into existence THE Beginning?  Or seeing and feeling the breath of the One on your neck while you laid your head on His breast? To have reached and felt the scars on His wrists and on His side?

     Now imagine someone calls this into question.  John uses in both phrases “what we have heard, what we have seen…”  the perfect tense, active voice, that gives the connotation of possession of John.  The phrase “with our eyes…” is in the instrumental case that it was no optical illusion, not something that was imagined by John, as Docetists claimed.  John was telling, emphatically that he knew who he was talking about. There was no doubt that Jesus was absolutely, historically and physically, real.

     The Word of Life…so much in one phrase.  He was the Word. He is the Word.  He will be forever the Word.  The Word which time can’t touch, because He touched time to give it its’ very beginning.  John puts the phrase in the genitive case.  What’s that mean?  It’s the possessor of Life.  In the Word, life is found because it originates from the Word.

     To find life we must look to the Word to find it.  We may not be able to give a visible testimony.  But we can point to those, such as John, who did.  In the Scripture we can find the testimony made more sure, and in it we find everything necessary for life and godliness.

     Don’t be afraid to take your testimony to the enemy.  Those who make the accusation that our faith is not real, deserve to be answered.  The church has been to slow to answer.  John addressed them head on.  Why do we shy away?  

     Know what you believe and why.

     What’s your testimony?

Soli Deo Gloria,

Aaron “Tree” Landis
Psalm 1.3

     “What was from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we have beheld and our hands handled concerning the Word of Life—…” (1 John 1.1 NASB)

     Right out of the gate, John goes off on the Gnostics that said Jesus was here, but only in the spirit—not in the flesh.  He hits them in four areas.

     First, John tells them that “what was from the beginning…” Don’t misunderstand this point, as some have mistakenly done, that John is saying that Jesus had a beginning.  He isn’t.  He is saying that the beginning belongs to that which is in the temporal, not the eternal.  Rather that which was from, present at the beginning, already there while it was beginning.  This is the one John is going to speak of.  The Greek word for “beginning” in other places and tenses is translated “rule”(1 Cor 15:24), “principality” (Col 1:16), as well as others that seem to imply an idea of beginning with authority and power.  Which follows since “every knee shall bow…”(Phil.2.10).

     Doesn’t it make sense that if He was in the beginning He would have to be?  If He was there when the beginning took place that would mean one thing: He is God not just while He walked on this earth, but also before it was even formed.  John hammered this with this one phrase.

     John’s choice of words is interesting here.  He doesn’t start the line of thought like he did in his gospel.  Notice he doesn’t use the language of logos.  Why?  Because in the growing Greek thought the logos had philosophical and Gnostic overtones, John was showing them that the Logos was beyond something that they could fit into their philosophical heresy’s box.

     Let me ask….how big is your Jesus?  Do you try to keep Him in a box where you can feel comfortable? Our lives would be so much more worthwhile if we would let Jesus out…or I should say we let ourselves out and became what Jesus told us to be. Salt and Light.  But it is so much easier to put our own desires, our own problems, maybe even our own ministry opportunities ahead of what He ultimately desires—for us to proclaim to those around us that “what was from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen, concerning the Word of Life…”

     God give us the passion to stand and proclaim the Gospel of Jesus, who was, and is, and is to come from the beginning, to a world that needs Him so desperately.

Soli Deo Gloria,

Aaron “Tree” Landis
Psalm 1.3
     

Forgiveness- Easier Said than Done

Have you ever said “I’ll forgive ya but I won’t forget it!” I have. But does that hold with what Christ has told us to do? I mean if I can forgive but remember what was done, did I really forgive? How many times must I let somebody do something that may seem to take advantage of me and give them my forgivness?

Jesus was pretty clear when He answered Peter’s question in Matthew18:21-35. Peter had the same issues and questions that many of us have. Wanting to be right--and let everybody else know that we were. But the legal right was that you could forgive three times, after that you could withhold forgiveness. So Peter seemed to be going overboard, doubling what was required.

What are our motives for forgiving? Is it to make ourselves feel better? Maybe, to be perceived as a really good person who is more “Christian” than others and put it out there to be shown. Jesus stomped that in the dirt. Yes, Jesus often put the outward actions of disciples on the forefront. But most of the time He was more concerned with the inward motive of the individual.

Jesus answers Peter with a parable. A servant who owes an incredible amount of money is forgiven his debt, only to turn around and hold a neighbor accountable for some small amount compared to what he was forgiven. The ruler finds out and has him thrown in jail. Why?

It’s not about how many times you forgive someone, or how great the amount. Its about your attitude. Forgiveness is about your attitude. What should that be you ask?

Thankfulness.

Thankfulness that you are ABLE to forgive because you yourself have been forgiven an offense WAY bigger than any offense than anybody could EVER come close to doing to you.

When you were forgiven at the instant of saving faith, a debt was paid that was un-imaginably above your ability to pay that to be able to forgive a small offense, no matter what should come with ease.

Be thankful that we serve a Saviour so wonderful that we have been given the opportunity to be those who get to demonstrate on earth what God in heaven has done for us. When that person asks you why are you doing this, you can say, “Because the one who forgave me told me to and He wants you to know that He will forgive you too.”

Be forgiving….just as you have been forgiven.

Soli Deo Gloria,

Aaron "Tree" Landis
Psalm 1.3

BACKGROUND OF I JOHN

Though it isn’t definite, according to church tradition the letter of 1 John was probably written to the church of Ephesus and passed around to the other churches. As far back as Justin Martyr (at Ephesus himself, ca a.d. 135), Ireneaus of Lyon (writing ca a.d. 180), Eusebius, Polycrates, Syriac work known as the History of John, Letter of Ignatius of Ephesus, andAugustine’s commentary on 1 John all place the letter to Ephesus. (Bible.org/page.asp?page_id=2058)

The main topics addressed are such as to encourage believers in the truth and life of Christ.[1] Though John is know as the Apostle of Love, when the beginnings of Gnosticism came, the Son of Thunder came out. There were two forms of Gnosticism, Docetics and Cerinthians, both held that flesh was evil. They had problems with the idea of Christ being in flesh. Docetics denied the humanity of Christ, while the Cerinthians said that the deity of Christ came on Him at baptism but left Him at the Cross. Some practiced asceticism (denying the flesh thru self beating, fasting, etc.) others by licentiousness (letting the flesh do whatever sin it wants since only the spiritual matters). Westcott has said that he believes that the Fourth Gospel was written to prove the deity of Christ, assuming His humanity, and the First Epistle to prove the humanity of Christ, assuming His deity.[2]

When reading I John, it may be helpful to keep this in view. John’s use of the words knowledge, and flesh were more than likely in direct use to thwart the growing ideology among the believers.

This will become more evident when we look to the 1st chapter.
Till later..

Soli Deo Gloria,

Aaron “Tree” Landis
Psalm 1.3


[1] A. T. Robertson, Word Pictures in the New Testament, vol. VI, (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1933)
p.200.

[2] Ibid., 201.

Well here I go again tryin' to figure out just what I want to do.

Its' really been frustrating at times coming up with something to blog on about. I don't know how guys like Phil Johnson and Al Mohler do it. For me, I barely have enough words in a day to fill a bucket, let alone a blog.

So that's why I'm gonna make a change of direction with this thing. Since last Sunday night's Bible study kinda took some time on the subject of what it means to "love your neighbor" and "does that mean you gotta like 'em" discussion that followed for an hour and a half, I've decided to start doing something that may help, and I really enjoy.

Starting, hopefully, tomorrow I'm going to go thru I John, verse-by-verse, after an overview, and stop occasionally to address some of the topics that may have come up in our discussion groups.

Now on Thursday, I want to take time out for the upcoming Sunday School lesson to kinda help our Mambrainiacs (Youth of Mambrino Baptist Church) get a head start and start lookin ahead.

We'll see how this goes for a while. Ya never know.

Aaron "Tree"Landis
Psalm 1.3

See therefore that you live upon God's approval as that which you chiefly seek, and will suffice you: which you may discover by these signs.
1. You will be most careful to understand the Scripture, to know what doth please and displease God. 2. You will be more careful in the doing of every duty, to fit it to the pleasing of God than men. 3. You will look to your hearts, and not only to your actions; to your ends, and thoughts, and the inward manner and degree. 4. You will look to secret duties as well as public and to that which men see not, as well as unto that which they see. 5. You will reverence your consciences, and have much to do with them, and will not slight them: when they tell you of God's displeasure, it will disquiet you; when they tell you of his approval, it will comfort you. 6. Your pleasing men will be charitable for their good, and pious in order to the pleasing of God, and not proud and ambitious for your honour with them, nor impious against the pleasing of God. 7. Whether men be pleased or displeased, or how they judge of you, or what they call you, will seem a small matter to you, as their own interest, in comparison to God's judgment. You live not on them. You can bear their displeasure, censures, and reproaches, if God be but pleased. These will be your evidences

One of the things that has been a mainstay of Reformed theology from the beginning has been the doctrine of the priesthood of believers. Lately this has been on my mind because I've been reading some early church fathers for Church History.
The problem is so many today have taken the doctrine and placed a subtle twist to it, see if you notice the difference. They call it priesthood of the believer. Not priesthood of the believers.

Now you might say that is nit picky. But this is the reason for the difference. If believer is singular then the implication is that we can be priests and interpret Scripture without accountability to the others. "Because I am a priest, I can interpret it that way and you can interpret it your way. You have no ability to try to tell me I'm wrong." That's the danger.

We are priests, but a community of priests that answer to one another-in love-so that we may exhort one another to live in a way that brings glory to the One who bore our sin and gave us life eternal. In community we build one another up, and correct one another, and teach one another, and learn from one another.

So much of this is seen in modern day "preaching" (yes, I used "" because so much of what passes for preaching today is really ranting due to the poor biblical content, if it even has biblical content) that says "I got a word from God..." All to build up the emotional and energetic response from the audience.

We have to remember, those of us called to preach, how our most serious calling is to watch our lives and doctrine closely-not just our lives, not just our doctrine. Without both in balance, both are deadly. Our lives alone will look for experience and "points and times" in our lives. Doctrine will lead to cold dead legalism. Neither is priestly, or worthy of one who proclaims the Word.

All that to say, here is a part of a sermon from a guy named Martin Luther on Freedom and Service how we are to approach serving through preaching. He spoke this almost 500 years ago but it is still pertinent:

I believe that it has now become clear that it is not enough or in any sense Christian to preach the works, life, and words of Christ as historical facts, as if the knowledge of these would suffice for the conduct of life; yet this is the fashion among those who must today be regarded as our best preachers. Far less is it sufficient or Christian to say nothing at all about Christ and to teach instead the laws of men and the decrees of the fathers. Now there are not a few who preach Christ and read about Him that they may move men's affections to sympathy with Christ, to anger against the Jews, and such childish and effeminate nonsense. Rather ought Christ to be preached to the end that faith in Him may be established that He may not only be Christ, but be Christ for you and me, and that what is said of Him and is denoted in His name may be effectual in us....

May God grant us all that Christ be for you and me, His priests, His servants...

Soli Deo Gloria,
Aaron "Tree" Landis
Psalm 1.3

from camponthis 

Sorry this has taken so long to post. I been having problems getting on(grr).
I want to talk a little to the Mambrainiacs that I'm gonna have the pleasure of teaching this Sunday. The lesson is gonna be out of Luke 13: 18-21.

To get some of the context, I want to back up a little and look from vs.10-17. The situation is this, its the sabbath and Jesus, as was custom for Him, was teaching in the synagogue. There was a woman there with a spirit of infirmity for 18 years. It was such that she was hunched over and couldn't stand up. 'Til Jesus saw her.

He saw her. She wasn't the only one there in search of healing, to be certain, as we'll see. But look at the location of Jesus-in the synagogue (v.10), but when He saw her, He called her to Him. She had to step inside the synagogue...A no-no for women. He laid His hands on her. Another no-no. She had a spirit of infirmity, she was not clean, another no-no.

But Jesus knew the result of her willingness to obey His call-she gloified God. But how big was her faith? Was it the size of a mustard seed? It didn't move a mountain, but it beleived God would remove the binds on her back. How far are you willing to go to obey?

This was mustard seed faith.

Faith that could grow the kingdom. (Remember, she glorified God-for what He did for her after she obeyed His call). Faith that would grow the kingdom in a way that it wouldn't matter what kind of bird came, the refuge was under the kindom growth. She had to share what He did.

That iced it for the ruler of the synagogue. He couldn't have anybody and everybody come into his little place and mess it all up. Jesus to him was a threat, not physically, but spiritually by taking away those who listened to him every Sabbath.

The ruler said, "There are six days on which men ought to work; therefore come and be healed on them, and not on the Sabbath day." (v.14) Basically this is my one day a week service where ya'll come listen to me. Wah-Wah-Wah, I'm gonna take my ball and go home.

What does Jesus do-gets in his Kool-aid and tells him what flavor it is. He calls him a hypocrite and puts to shame all those who oppose him.

So what kind of faith do you have? If we rest our faith on something or someone, it will wind up disappointing.

Plant the mustard seed in your garden. When He calls you to do something, in accordance with His Word, obey. Water the seed by getting into the Word, prayer, sharing your faith. That when your faith is so visible- mustard plants can grow up to 15ft tall- that even those around you are drawn to you because whatever it is that is going on you are always a shelter that they can lean on and find a place to be safe. In that place you can feed them the Gospel that the kingdom is a mustard seed.

We are the soil. Have faith. His kingdom is you

Soli Deo Gloria,
Aaron "Tree" Landis
Psalm 1.3

As in other cases, so in this, iniquity consisteth not simply in the heart's neglect of God, but in the preferring of some competitor, and prevalence of some object which standeth up for an opposite interest. And so the obeying man before God and against him, and the valuing the favour and approbation of man before or against the approbation of God, and the fearing of man's censure or displeasure more than God's, is an idolizing man, or setting him up in the place of God. It turneth our chiefest observance, and care, and labour, and pleasure, and grief into this human fleshly channel, and maketh all that to be but human in our hearts and lives, which (objectively) should be divine. Which is so great and dangerous a sin, partaking of so much impiety, hypocrisy, and pride, as that it deserveth a special place in my directions, and in all watchfulness and consideration to escape it.

As all other creatures, so especially man, must be regarded and valued only in a due subordination and subserviency to God. If they be valued otherwise, they are made his enemies, and so are to be hated, and are made the principal engine of the ruin of such as overvalue them. See what the Scripture saith of this sin: Isa. ii. 22, "Cease ye from man, whose breath is in his nostrils: for wherein is he to be accounted of?" Matt. xxiii. 9, "And call no man your father upon the earth; for one is your Father which is in heaven." ver. 8, "And be not ye called Rabbi, for one is your Master even Christ: but he that is greatest among you shall be your servant" Jer. xx. 15, "Cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm." Psalm cxviii. 6, 8, 9, "The Lord is on my side, I will not fear what man can do unto me. It is better to trust in the Lord, than to put confidence in man,-yea, in princes." Job xxxii. 21, 22 "Let me not accept any man's person, neither let me give flattering titles unto man: for I know not to give flattering titles; in so doing my Maker would soon take me away." Job xxi. 4, "As for me, is my complaint to man? "Gal. i. 10, "Do I seek to please men? For if I yet pleased men, I should not be a servant of Christ." I Cor. iv. 3, "But with me it is a very small thing to be judged of you, or of man's judgment." Luke xiv. 26, "If a man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple." "Blessed are ye when man shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely for my sake. Rejoice and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven," Matt. v. Ii-, 12. "Not with eye-service, as men-pleasers," Eph. vi. 6; Col. iii. 22. I Thess. ii. 4, "So we speak, not as pleasing men but God, who trieth our hearts." Jude 16, "Having men's persons in admiration because of advantage." This is enough to show you what Scripture saith of this inordinate man-pleasing, or respect to man: and now I shall proceed to direct you to escape it.

Direct. I. Understand well wherein the nature of this sin consisteth, that you may not run into the contrary extreme, but may know which way to bend your opposition. I shall therefore first show you, how far we may and must please men, and how far not.
The Proper Respect We are to Have Towards Men Consider the Nature of Man in General [Top] [Bottom]

Direct II. Remember that the favour and pleasing of man is one of your snares, that would prevail against your pleasing God: therefore watch against the danger of it, as you must do against other earthly things.

Direct. III. Remember how silly a creature man is and that his favour can be no better than himself. The thoughts or words of a mortal worm are matters of no considerable value to us.

Direct. IV. Remember that it is the judgment of God alone, that your life or death for ever doth depend upon; and how little you are concerned in the judgment of man.
The Judgement of God Compared to that of Men

Direct. V. Remember that the judgment of ungodly men, is corrupted and directed by the devil and to be overruled by their censures, or too much to fear them, is to be overruled by the devil, and to be afraid of his censures of. us. And will you honour him so much? Alas! it is he that puts those thoughts into the minds of the ungodly, and those reproachful words into their mouths. To prefer the judgment of a man before God's, is odious enough, though you did not prefer the devil's judgment. [Top] [Bottom]

Direct. VI. Consider what a slavery you choose, when you thus make yourselves the servants of every man, whose censures you fear, and whose approbation you are ambitious of. I Cor. vii. 23, "Ye are bought with a price. Be not ye the servants of men:" that is, do not needlessly enthral yourselves. What a task have men-pleasers! they have as many masters as beholders! No wonder if it take them off from the service of God; for the "friendship of the world is enmity to God;" and he that will thus be "a friend of the world, is an enemy to God," James iv. 4. They cannot serve two masters God and the world. You know men will condemn you, if you be true to God: if, therefore, you must needs have the favour of men, you must take it alone without God's favour. A man-pleaser cannot be true to God, because he is a servant to the enemies of his service; the wind of a man's mouth will drive him about as the chaff, from any duty, and to any sin. How servile a person is a man-pleaser! How many masters hath he, and how mean ones! It perverteth the course of your hearts and lives, and turneth all from God to this unprofitable way.

Direct. VII. Remember what a pitiful reward you seek. "Verily," saith our Lord, concerning hypocrites and man-pleasers, "they have their reward," Matt. vi. 25. O miserable reward! The thought and breath of mortal men, instead of God-instead of heaven; this is their reward! Their happiness will be to lie in hell, and remember that they were well spoken of on earth! and that once they were accounted religious, learned, wise, or honourable! and to remember that they preferred this reward be fore everlasting happiness with Christ! If this be not gain, your labour is all lost, which you lay out in hunting for applause. If this be enough to spend your time for, and to neglect your God for, and to lose your souls for, rejoice then in the hypocrite's reward. [Top] [Bottom]

Direct. VIII. And remember that honour is such a thing as is found sooner by an honest contempt of it, than by an inordinate affection of it, and seeking it. It is a shadow which goeth from you if you follow it, and follows you as fast as you go from it. Whose names are now more honourable upon earth, than those prophets, and apostles, and martyrs, and preachers, and holy, mortified christians, who in their days set lightest by the approbation of the world, and were made the scorn or foot-ball of the times in which they lived? Those that have been satisfied with the approbation of their heavenly Father, who saw them "in secret," have been "rewarded by him openly." It is, even in the eyes of rational men, a far greater honour to live to God, above worldly honour, than to seek it. And so much as a man is perceived to affect and seek it, so much he loseth of it: for he is thought to need it, and men perceive that he plays a low and pitiful game, that is so desirous of their applause! As they would contemn a man that should lick up the spittle of every man where he comes, so will they contemn him that liveth on their thoughts and breath, and honour him more that lives on God.

Direct. IX. If nothing else will cure this disease, at least let the impossibility of pleasing men, and attaining your ends, suffice against so fruitless an attempt. And here I shall show you how impossible it is, or, at least, a thing which you cannot reasonably expect.
The Folly of Trying to Please Men [Top] [Bottom]

Direct. X. Remember what a life of unquietness and continual vexation you choose, if you place your peace or happiness in the good will or word of man. For having showed you how impossible a task you undertake, it must needs follow that the pursuit of it must be a life of torment. To engage yourselves in so great cares, when you are sure to be disappointed; to make that your end, which you cannot attain; to find that you labour in vain, and daily meet with displeasure instead of the favour you expected; must needs be a very grievous life. You are like one that dwelleth on the top of a mountain, and yet cannot endure the wind to blow upon him; or like him that dwelleth in a wood, and yet is afraid of the shaking of a leaf. You dwell among a world of ulcerated, selfish, contradictory, mutable, unpleasable minds, and yet you cannot endure their displeasure. Are you magistrates? The people will murmur at you, and those that are most incompetent and uncapable will be the forwardest to censure you, and think that they could govern much better than you. Those that bear the necessary burdens of the common safety and defence, will say that you oppress them, and the malefactors that are punished, will say you deal unmercifully by them; and those that have a cause never so unjust, will say you wrong them, if it go not on their side. Are you pastors and teachers? You will seem too rough to one, and too smooth to another; yea, too rough to the same man when by reproof or censure you correct his faults, who censureth you as too smooth and a friend to sinners, when you are to deal in the cause of others. No sermon that you preach is like to be pleasing to all your hearers; nor any of your ministerial works. Are you lawyers? The clients that lost their cause, behind your backs will call you unconscionable, and say you betrayed them; and those that prevailed, will call you covetous, and tell how much money you took of them, and how little you did for it: so that it is no wonder that among the vulgar your profession is the matter of their reproach. Are you physicians? You will be accused as guilty of the death of many that die; and as covetous takers of their money whether the patient die or live; for this is the common talk of the vulgar, except with some few with whom your care has much succeeded. Are you tradesmen? Most men that buy of you are so selfish, that except you will beggar yourselves, they will say you deceive them, and deal unconscionably and sell too dear: little do they mind the necessary maintenance of your families, nor care whether you live or gain by your trading; but if you will wrong yourselves to sell them a good penny-worth, they will say you are very honest men: and yet when you are broken, they will accuse you of imprudence, and defrauding your creditors. You must buy dear and sell cheap, and live by the loss, or else displease. [Top] [Bottom]

Direct. XI. Remember still that the pleasing of God is your business in the world, and that in pleasing him your souls may have safety, rest, and full content, though all the world should be displeased with you. God is enough for you; and his approbation and favour is your portion and reward. How sweet and safe is the life of the sincere and upright ones, that study more to be good than to seem good, and think if God accept them that they have enough! O what a mercy is an upright heart! which renounceth the world, and all therein that stands in competition with his God; and taketh God for his God indeed even for his Lord, his Judge, his Portion, and his All: who in temptation remembereth the eye of God, and in all his duty is provoked and ruled by the will and pleasure of his Judge, and regardeth the eye and thoughts of man, but as he would do the presence of a bird or beast, unless as piety, justice, or charity, require him to have respect to man, in due subordination to God: who when men applaud him as a person of excellent holiness and goodness, is fearful and solicitous lest the all-knowing God should think otherwise of him than his applauders: and under all the censures, reproaches, and slanders of man, yea, (though through temptation good men should thus use him,) can live in peace upon the approbation of his God alone; and can rejoice in his justification by his righteous Judge and gracious Redeemer, though the inconsiderable censures of men condemn him. Verily I cannot apprehend, how any other man but this can live a life of true and solid peace and joy. If God's approbation and favour quiet you not, nothing can rationally quiet you. If the pleasing of him does not satisfy you, though men, though good men, though all men should be displeased with you, I know not how or when you will be satisfied. Yea, if you be above the censures and displeasure of the profane and not also of the godly, (when God will permit them, as Job's wife and friends, to be your trial,) it will not suffice to an even, contented, quiet life. And here consider [Top] [Bottom]

The Advantages of Pleasing God Rather than Men

1. If you seek first to please God and are satisfied therein, you have but one to please instead of multitudes; and a multitude of masters are hardlier pleased than one. 2. And it is one that putteth upon you nothing that is unreasonable, for quantity or quality. 3. And one that is perfectly wise and good, not liable to misunderstand your case and actions. 4. And one that is most holy, and is not pleased in iniquity or dishonesty. 5. And he is one that is impartial and most just, and is no respecter of persons, Acts x. 34. 6. And he is one that is a competent judge, that hath fitness and authority, and is acquainted with your hearts, and every circumstance and reason of your actions. 7. And he is one that perfectly agreeth with himself, and putteth you not upon contradictions or impossibilities. 8. And he is one that is constant and unchangeable; and is not pleased with one thing to-day, and another contrary to-morrow; nor with one person this year, whom he will be weary of the next. 9. And he is one that is merciful, and requireth you not to hurt yourselves to please him: nay, he is pleased with nothing of thine but that which tendeth to thy happiness, and displeased with nothing but that which hurts thyself or others, as a father that is displeased with his children when they defile or hurt themselves. 10. He is gentle, though just, in his censures of thee; judging truly, but not with unjust rigour, nor making your actions worse than they are. 11. He is one that is not subject to the passions of men, which blind their minds, and carry them to injustice. 12. He is one that will not be moved by tale-bearers, whisperers, or false accusers, nor can be perverted by any misinformation. [Top] [Bottom]

The Benefits of Seeking to Please God
Consider also the benefits of taking up with the pleasing of God. 1. The pleasing of him is your happiness itself; the matter of pure, and full, and constant comfort, which you may have continually at hand, and no man can take from you. Get this and you have the end of man; nothing can be added to it, but the perfection of the same, which is heaven itself. 2. What abundance of disappointments and vexations will you escape, which tear the very hearts of man-pleasers, and fill their lives with unprofitable sorrows! 3. It will guide and order your cares, and desires, and thoughts, and labours to their right and proper end, and prevent the perverting of them, and spending them in sin and vanity on the creature. 4. It will make your lives not only to be divine but this divine life to be sweet and easy, while you set light by human censures which would create you prejudice and difficulties. When others glory in wit, and wealth, and strength, you would glory in this, that you know the Lord, Jer. ix. 23, 24. 5. As God is above man, thy heart and life is highly ennobled by having so much respect to God, and rejecting inordinate respect to man: this is indeed to walk with God. 6. The sum of all graces is contained in this sincere desire to please thy God, and contentedness in this so far as thou findest it attained. Here is faith, and humility, and love, and, holy desire, and trust and the fear of God joined together. You "sanctify the Lord of hosts himself, and make him your fear, and dread, and sanctuary," Isa. viii. 13, 14.

7. If human approbation be good for you and worth your having, this is the best way to it; for God hath the disposal of it. "If a man's ways please the Lord, he maketh even his enemies to be at peace with him," Prov. xvi. 7. God does this by appeasing their wrath, or restraining them from intended evil, or doing us good by that which they intend for hurt. [Top] [Bottom]

Signs of Living to Please God

See therefore that you live upon God's approval as that which you chiefly seek, and will suffice you: which you may discover by these signs.

1. You will be most careful to understand the Scripture, to know what doth please and displease God. 2. You will be more careful in the doing of every duty, to fit it to the pleasing of God than men. 3. You will look to your hearts, and not only to your actions; to your ends, and thoughts, and the inward manner and degree. 4. You will look to secret duties as well as public and to that which men see not, as well as unto that which they see. 5. You will reverence your consciences, and have much to do with them, and will not slight them: when they tell you of God's displeasure, it will disquiet you; when they tell you of his approval, it will comfort you. 6. Your pleasing men will be charitable for their good, and pious in order to the pleasing of God, and not proud and ambitious for your honour with them, nor impious against the pleasing of God. 7. Whether men be pleased or displeased, or how they judge of you, or what they call you, will seem a small matter to you, as their own interest, in comparison to God's judgment. You live not on them. You can bear their displeasure, censures, and reproaches, if God be but pleased. These will be your evidences. [Top]

In the last post, I talked about how we best worship and glorify God when we love one another enough to sacrifice what we prefere in music, laying down our lives to bless another. I would like to continue that thought a little more.

Ephesians 4:25-5:2 always seems to hit right where I live. Particularly one verse that always confused me until I saw it in context. Verse 30, "And do not greive the Holy Sprit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption."(NASB). Paul sticks this in, at first glance, smack out of nowhere, after telling the believers in Ephesus a long list of don'ts. Don't give the devil opportunity, don't steal anylonger, don't speak an unwholesome word, then...don't grieve the Holy Spirit... Paul then continues, Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, slander, and malice be put away...do be kind and forgive.

How does one grieve the Holy Spirit? Look in the context. Paul is giving us a guide as to how we are to treat, communicate, and relate to one another. We grieve the Holy Spirit by the way we treat one another.

When we slander, cause dissention, or act maliciously, it causes God to be saddened. Why?

Eph.5:1-2, "Therefore, be imitators of God, as beloved children; and walk in love, just as Christ also loved you, and gave Himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma."

He wants us to be imitators of Him who gave Himself up as a fragrant aroma. The Greek words there imply an invasion into the terrestrial from the supernatural (Kittle, Theology Dictionary of the New Testament, Vol II, p. 810). Worship becomes a "fragrant aroma" when we sacrifice, laying down our selves for Himself, for others--our brothers and sisters in the Body of Christ.

Friends love one another, lay down any personal preferences, that He may become glorified by how we love His body, the one sitting beside you, behind you, and in front of you.

Soli Deo Gloria,
Aaron "Tree" Landis
Psalm 1.3

so they say all dogs go to heaven.... ....really?
If ya think this is repulsive imagine your sin in God's eyes!!
(Sam "the worlds ugliest dog" passed away this week)

Soli Deo Gloria,
Aaron "Tree" Landis
Psalm 1:3

Aside from the "are you a Calvinist or heretic" debate, the question of what kind of worship style does your church do-contemporary or traditional, has become the most common question in church circles.

Let me say first off, I go to a traditional style church, and love it.

When looking at worship, what is the most important thing to consider? Is it the number of instruments? The year, or century, that the music was written?

Jesus said that there would be a time that the followers of God would worship Him in spirit and truth (John 4:23). Both our emotional and intellectual faculties are to be engaged when we worship. But what should be the main driving force when we worship?

Love.

Too many churches today are going to split services with one having contemporary and the other traditional. This a dangerous trend. Basically what happens is two churches get formed that share the same name. Contention and discord come in as one thinks it is more spiritual than the other, etc. It's mainly begun because one of the other does't want to have to deal with the other. Contemps want something more exciting, trads don't like the repetition... So the decision is made to go to two separate worship services. What's missing?

Love.

Let's say that there are two people in chuch one day, sitting next to one another. The younger, who likes contemp style, and the older, who prefers trad, have seemingly oposite views of worship.

If the younger loves truly, as Christ has commanded us to love-sacrificially for one another in Christ-then he needs to sing that traditional song that comes with the fervor and passion that he would sing his favorite contemporary song, and vice versa. This is what brings Jesus the glory-how we love one another is a reflection of the love of Christ for us.

Sacrificing what we like for the joy of another that our brother in Christ is edified and brought nearer to God in worship is what true sacrifice of worship is. The death of self, and our desires, comes down to the heart of worship. When we place more worth on someone else, who in this instance, is a member of the body of Christ, it is there that we see the heart of worth-ship placed.

We have miss placed our hearts in worship far to long. More later...

Soli Deo Gloria,

Aaron "Tree" Landis
Psalm 1.3

Here is a Puritain word from Richard Baxter, a weekly dose. Enjoy



Directions for Hating Sin
by Richard Baxter

Direct. I. Labour to know God, and to be affected with his attributes, and always to live as in his sight.—No man can know sin perfectly, because no man can know God perfectly. You can no further know what sin is than you know what God is, whom you sin against; for the formal malignity of sin is relative, as it is against the will and attributes of God. The godly have some knowledge of the malignity of sin, because they have some knowledge of God that is wronged by it. The wicked have no practical, prevalent knowledge of the malignity of sin, because they have no such knowledge of God. They that fear God will fear sinning; they that in their hearts are bold irreverently with God, will, in heart and life, be bold with sin: the atheist, who thinks there is no God thinks there is no sin against him. Nothing in world will tell us so plainly and powerfully of the evil of sin, as the knowledge of the greatness, wisdom goodness, holiness, authority, justice, truth, &c. of God. The sense of his presence, therefore, will revive our sense of sin’s malignity.

Direct. II. Consider well of the office, the bloodshed, and the holy life of Christ.—His office is to expiate sin, and to destroy it. His blood was shed for it: his life condemned it. Love Christ, and you will hate that which caused his death. Love him, and you will love to be made like him, and hate that which is so contrary to Christ. These two great lights will show the odiousness of darkness.

Direct. III. Think well both how holy the office and work of the Holy Ghost is, and how great a mercy it is to us.—Shall God himself, the heavenly light, come down into a sinful heart, to illuminate and purify it? And yet shall I keep my darkness and defilement, in opposition to such wonderful mercy? Though all sin against the Holy Ghost be not the unpardonable blasphemy, yet all is aggravated hereby.

Direct. IV. Know and consider the wonderful love and mercy of God, and think what he has done for you; and you will hate sin, and be ashamed of it. It is an aggravation which makes sin odious even to common reason and ingenuity, that we should offend a God of infinite goodness, who has filled up our lives with mercy. It will grieve you if you have wronged an extraordinary friend: his love and kindness will come into your thoughts, and make you angry with your own unkindness. Here look over the catalogue of God’s mercies to you, for soul and body. And here observe that Satan, in hiding the love of God from you, and tempting you under the pretence of humility to deny his greatest, special mercy, seeks to destroy your repentance and humiliation, also, by hiding the greatest aggravation of your sin.

Direct. V. Think what the soul of man is made for, and should be used to, even to love, obey, and glorify our Maker; and then you will see what sin is, which disables and perverts it.—How excellent, and high, and holy a work are we created for and called to! And should we defile the temple of God? And serve the devil in filthiness and folly, when we should receive, and serve, and magnify our Creator?

Direct. VI. Think well what pure and sweet delights a holy soul may enjoy from God, in his holy service; and then you will see what sin is, which robs him of these delights, and prefers fleshly lusts before them.—O how happily might we perform every duty, and how fruitfully might we serve our Lord, and what delight should we find in his love and acceptation, and the foresight of everlasting blessedness, if it were not for sin; which brings down the soul from the doors of heaven, to wallow with swine in a beloved dunghill!

Direct. VII. Bethink you what a life it is which you must live for ever, if you live in heaven; and what a life the holy ones there now live; and then think whether sin, which is so contrary to it, be not a vile and hateful thing.—Either you would live in heaven, or not. If not, you are not those I speak to. If you would, you know that there is no sinning; no worldly mind, no pride, no passion, no fleshly lust or pleasures there. Oh, did you but see and hear one hour, how those blessed spirits are taken up in loving and magnifying the glorious God in purity and holiness, and how far they are from sin, it would make you loathe sin ever after, and look on sinners as on men in bedlam wallowing naked in their dung. Especially, to think that you hope yourselves to live for ever like those holy spirits; and therefore sin does ill beseem you.

Direct. VIII. Look but to the state and torment of the damned, and think well of the difference betwixt angels and devils, and you may know what sin is.—Angels are pure; devils are polluted: holiness and sin do make the difference. Sin dwells in hell, and holiness in heaven. Remember that every temptation is from the devil, to make you like himself; as every holy motion is from Christ, to mike you like himself. Remember when you sin, that you are learning and imitating of the devil, and are so far like him, John 8:44. And the end of all is, that you may feel his pains. If hell-fire be not good, then sin is not good.

Direct. IX. Look always on sin as one that is ready to die, and consider how all men judge of it at the last.—What do men in heaven say of it? And what do men in hell say of it? And what do men at death say of it? And what do converted souls, or awakened consciences, say of it? Is it then followed with delight and fearlessness as it is now? Is it then applauded? Will any of them speak well of it? Nay, all the world speaks evil of sin in the general now, even when they love and commit the several acts. Will you sin when you are dying?

Direct. X. Look always on sin and judgment together.—Remember that you must answer for it before God, and angels, and all the world; and you will the better know it.

Direct. XI. Look now but upon sickness, poverty, shame, despair, death, and rottenness in the grave, and it may a little help you to know what sin is. These are things within your sight or feeling; you need not faith to tell you of them. And by such effects you might have some little knowledge of the cause.

Direct. XII. Look but upon some eminent, holy persons upon earth, and upon the mad, profane, malignant world; and the difference may tell you in part what sin is.—Is there not an amiableness in a holy, blameless person, that lives in love to God and man, and in the joyful hopes of life eternal? Is not a beastly drunkard or whoremonger, and a raging swearer, and a malicious persecutor, a very deformed, loathsome creature? Is not the mad, confused, ignorant, ungodly state of the world a very pitiful sight? What then is the sin that all this consists in?
Though the principal part of the cure is in turning the will to the hatred of sin, and is done by this discovery of its malignity; yet I shall add a few more directions for the executive part, supposing that what is said already has had its effect.

Direct. I. When you have found out your disease and danger, give up yourselves to Christ as the Saviour and Physician of souls, and to the Holy Ghost as your Sanctifier, remembering that he is sufficient and willing to do the work which he has undertaken.—It is not you that are to be saviours and sanctifiers of yourselves (unless as you work under Christ). But he that has undertaken it, takes it for his glory to perform it.

Direct. II. Yet must you be willing and obedient in applying the remedies prescribed you by Christ, and observing his directions in order to your cure. And you must not be tender, and coy, and fine, and say his is too bitter, and that is too sharp; but trust his love, and skill, and care, and take it as he prescribes it, or gives it you, without any more ado. Say not, It is grievous, and I cannot take it: for he commands you nothing but what is safe, and wholesome, and necessary, and if you cannot take it, must try whether you can bear your sickness, and death, and the fire of hell! Are humiliation, confession, restitution, mortification, and holy diligence worse than hell?

Direct. III. See that you take not part with sin, and wrangle not, or strive not against your Physician, or any that would do you good.—Excusing sin, and heading for and extenuating it, and striving against the Spirit and conscience, and wrangling against ministers and godly friends, and hating reproof, are not the means to be cured and sanctified.

Direct. IV. See that malignity in every one of your particular sins, which you can see and say is in sin in general.—It is a gross deceit of yourselves, if you will speak a great deal of the evil of sin, and see none of this malignity in your pride, and your worldliness, and your passion and peevishness, and our malice and uncharitableness, and your lying, backbiting, slandering, or sinning against conscience for worldly commodity or safety. What self-contradiction is it for a man in prayer to aggravate sin, and when he is reproved for it, to justify or excuse it! This is like him that will speak against treason, and the enemies of the king, but because the traitors are his friends and kindred, will protect or hide them, and take their parts.

Direct. V. Keep as far as you can from those temptations which feed and strengthen the, sins which you would overcome.—Lay siege to your sins, and starve them out, by keeping away the food and fuel which is their maintenance and life.

Direct. VI. Live in the exercise of those graces and duties which are contrary to the sins which you are most in danger of.—For grace and duty are contrary to sin, and kill it, and cure us of it, as the fire cures us of cold, or health of sickness.

Direct. VII. Hearken not to weakening unbelief and distrust, and cast not away the comforts of God, which are your cordials and strength.—It is not a frightful, dejected, despairing frame of mind, that is fittest to resist sin; but it is the encouraging sense of the love of God, and thankful sense of grace received (with a cautious fear).

Direct. VIII. Be always suspicious of carnal self-love, and watch against it.—For that is the burrow or fortress of sin, and the common patron of it; ready to draw you to it, and ready to justify it. We are very prone to be partial in our own cause; as the case of Judah with Tamar, and David when Nathan reproved him in a parable, show. our own passions, our own pride, our own censures, or backbitings, or injurious dealings, our own neglects of duty, seem small, excusable, if not justifiable things to us; whereas we could easily see the faultiness of all these in another, especially in an enemy: when yet we should be best acquainted with ourselves, and we should most love ourselves, and therefore hate our own sins most.

Direct. IX. Bestow your first and chiefest labour to kill sin at the root; to cleanse the heart, which is the fountain; for out of the heart come the evils of the life.—Know which are the master-roots; and bend your greatest care and industry to mortify those: and they are especially these that follow; 1. Ignorance. 2. Unbelief. 3. Inconsiderateness. 4. Selfishness and pride. 5. Fleshliness, in pleasing a brutish appetite, lust, or fantasy. 6. Senseless hard-heartedness and sleepiness in sin.

Direct. X. Account the world and all its pleasures, wealth, and honours, no better than indeed they are, and then Satan will find no bait to catch you. Esteem all as dung with Paul, Phil. 3:8; and no man will sin and sell his soul, for that which he accounts but as dung.

Direct. XI. Keep up above in a heavenly conversation, and then your souls will be always in the light, and as in the sight of God, and taken up with those businesses and delights which put them out of relish with the baits of sin.

Direct. XII. Let christian watchfulness be your daily work; and cherish a preserving, though not a distracting and discouraging fear.

Direct. XIII. Take heed of the first approaches and beginnings of sin. Oh how great a matter does a little of this fire kindle! And if you fall, rise quickly by sound repentance, whatever it may cost you.

Direct. XIV. Make God’s word your only rule and labour diligently to understand it.

Direct. XV. And in doubtful cases, do not easily depart from the unanimous judgment of the generality of the most wise and godly of all ages.

Direct. XVI. In doubtful cases be not passionate or rash, but proceed deliberately, and prove things well, before you fasten on them.

Direct. XVII. Be acquainted with your bodily temperature, and what sin it most inclines you to, and what sin also your calling or living situation leave you most open to, that there your watch may be the stricter.

Direct. 18:Keep in a life of holy order, such as God has appointed you to walk in. For there is no preservation for stragglers that keep not rank and file, but forsake the order which God commands them.—And this order lies principally in these points: 1. That you keep in union with the universal church. Separate not from Christ’s body upon any pretence whatever. With the church as regenerate, hold spiritual communion, in faith, love, and holiness with the church as congregate and visible, hold outward communion, in profession and worship. 2. If you are not teachers, live under your particular, faithful pastors, as obedient disciples of Christ. 3. Let the most godly, if possible, be your familiars. 4. Be laborious in an outward calling.

Direct. XIX. Turn all God’s providences, whether of prosperity or adversity, against your sins.—If he gives you health and wealth, remember he thereby obliges you to obedience, and calls for special service from you. If he afflict you, remember that it is sin that he is offended at, and searches after; and therefore take it as his medicine, and see that you hinder not, but help on its work, that it may purge away your sin.

Direct. XIX. Wait patiently on Christ till he has finished the cure, which will not be till this trying life be finished.—Persevere in attendance on his Spirit and means; for he will come in season, and will not tarry. “Then shall we know, if we follow on to know the Lord: his going forth is prepared as the morning, and he shall come unto us as the rain: as the latter and former rain upon the earth,” Hos. 6:3. Though you have oft said, “There is no healing,” Jer. 14:19; “He will heal your backslidings, and love you freely,” Hos. 14:4. “Unto you that fear his name, shall the Sun of righteousness arise, with healing in his wings,” Mal. 4:2: “ and blessed are all they that wait for him,” Isa. 30:18.

Thus I have given such directions as may help for humiliation under sin, or hatred of it, and deliverance from it.

Well, one week ago today, the sheriff came by and told my family to evacuate from our home because a major grass fire here in Granbury was only a couple hundred yards away. We went to the church, Mambrino Baptist, just 2 miles down the road. We were the first there, but soon after about 300 showed up because the Red Cross set up a shelter there and the road block was on our doorstep. The church just flat came out and served bigtime. We fed ‘em, helped ‘em, and loved on ‘em.

Wednesday morning I went to the church and someone was asking where they could donate clothing because no one in town was open—none—notta were open to give and help. My pastor, Paul, said, ya wanna? So I became the go-to for the donations. I had no idea what would happen over the next 30 hours. Over 70 donors (that we could sign in-many dropped off clothes and ran) gave to us clothing, toys, blankets, and food items. It was just unbelievable how the community came out. We were church to the community. Everybody that helped THANKS!!!

One individual told of how he lost everything, a home turned into a pile of 2ft ashes. The only thing that he found that was salvageable was a book mark that said Jesus is Lord. With tears in his eyes, he said, "This is all that I need."

This ties into the Sunday School lesson next Sunday, for you Mambrainiac Youth, which is from John 11: 17-44. It’s the story of Lazarus being raised from the grave. One thing that we want to focus on is how Jesus was concerned even with the needs and concerns of Mary and Martha.

In the passage one thing that jumps out to me is the fact of Jesus’ groaning. Why would He do so? Is it because He saw their distress? Some, yes, but there is more in the context than that. When Martha responds in vs.22 “If you had been here, my brother would not have died. But even now I know that whatever You ask of God, God will give You.”. Now look at Mary’s response in vs.32 “Lord if You had been here, my brother would not have died.” Then Jesus groaned after seeing here and the weeping of those with her.

The crowd in vs. 37 asked “Could not this Man, who opened the eyes of the blind, also have kept this man from dying?” Then Jesus groaned again in His Spirit.

Why did He groan after Mary and the crowds response, but not Martha’s? It was in large part due to the lack of faith that they had in the ability of Jesus to do His Word!! But later on in vs.39 Martha questions His command again and He reminds her of the testimony she made and what He said in vs.25-26.

Take Him at His word, He does care for us when we feel the loss of loved ones. But it is the hope that He is the resurrection that can lift us beyond the fray of grief and sense of loss. Yes we may have lost someone we love, but don’t lose faith in the One who says “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live.” (v. 25)

Often through our loss, He becomes most glorified, if we trust Him to keep us till that day and lay everything of this world at His feet for His glory.

Pray for Rain!!

Soli Deo Gloria,

Aaron “Tree” LandisPsalm 1:3