Learning The Role Of Women In The Church: Part II

For God is not the author of confusion

but of peace, as in all the churches

of the saints.

1 Corinthians 14: 33

To woman he got the said:

....  Your desire shall be for your husband,

and he shall rule over you.

Genesis 3: 16b

            Authentic Christians should care what God has said and seek to teach and defend it.  This must be an honest search enabling Authentic Christians to accomplish what the word of God teaches and do not allow or be subject to personal feelings or social pressure.  God is not a God of disorder and is not a God of confusion and He gave us His written Word so that we can apply His dispensation and economy in our lives.  When I speak of dispensation I am not speaking of the error of dispensationalism that is taught in some churches.  So what is dispensation?  Dispensation is the act by which there is a dispensing, or distribution or a giving out, a certain order system, or arrangement, or administration or management.  This is God's world forHe is the creator of all things that exist.  Therefore, this being all His, then, He has that right to distribute, to order the affairs of this world and to install things are to be arranged, or distributed.  God’s economy is His management of all of His creation and of all the resources within His church especially to have the view as to its productivity.  The economy of God is His organized system.  Eve disregarded the economy of God and took upon herself to dispense her own will and free choice as though she did not like the dispensation of God's arrangement and that man who was created by God, and woman from man, and desired to be as a man, that is to have the same authority.  God condemned Eve, also condemned him for going along with this usurping of the will of God, because it was and is against His dispensation that He installed and we are required to follow.  Right from the beginning of time God's commands were violated and this error has led to countless other errors: remember error begets more error.  This corrupted nature of mankind; is to resist the truth of God.  Because we have this nature to resist God's truth, we need to be careful as we can about scriptural revelation.  This issue of women becoming ministers and elders in the church must be examined carefully and even critically without allowing secularism to impose its values upon the church and upon Scripture.  It does not matter whether this maybe well intentioned to not allow what Scripture speaks and to allow us to be in contradiction to the will of God for by that intention we are subjecting Scripture to secular culture. That will allow in time for apostasy to slip into the congregation: Jesus said: "I tell you that He will avenge them speedily.  Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He really faith on the earth" ( Luke 18:8) Jesus was clear that if error continues apostasy will lead people away from the truth and destroy their faith.  When there is a hole, and in this case, the loss of faith, then that hole will be filled with another kind of faith.

            The teaching of Scripture is at stake as well as a health of the church.  Error undermines the authority of Scripture.  And when it comes to this contentious subject we must carefully examine Scripture and remove error when Scripture teaches us the truth.  Unfortunately, many people do not want to remove what they have come to believe is some sort of "right."  Paul in writing to the Ephesians wrote: "Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord" (Ephesians 5: 22).  Now, that statement is in direct contradiction to what has been and is the movement that women are to become autonomous and have their own authority, to be some sort of success.  I think it's pretty clear; this submission to your husband, is the same submission that we must have to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  To not do so is to speak against Jesus Christ.  Here is another one of Paul's statements that runs against secular opinion: "Let a woman learned in silence with all submission.  And I do not permit a woman to teach or to have authority over a man, but to be in silence.  For Adam was formed first, then Eve.  And Adam was not deceived, but a woman being deceived, fell into transgression" (1 Timothy 2: 11 -- 14).  Oh boy, once again apparently I've gone to meddling and removed myself from preaching, that is what some would say, but remember, I did not say this, I only repeated what the Holy Spirit inspired the apostle Paul to write so that we would understand God's dispensation and His economy for His elect.  To do otherwise is to refuse to follow what God has commanded.  Let's see how error begets error: it is very common that a denomination that holds to women as pastors also support "abortion rights" and homosexuality as only be an alternate lifestyle.  This is done because when you do not hold to the actual teaching of Scripture, you undermine its authority.  When God's authority is undermined then liberal ideas come into the church.  This may not be true in a universal way or the norm in every denomination that holds to one doctrine that will hold to the other, but it is interesting to note that these issues seem to be related.

            A question we must all answer for ourselves is going do we really believe the Bible to be the absolute inspired truth of God and that the Bible is the guide for every aspect of our lives?  Your answer will determine your theology and will determine whether or not your theology is in error or contradicts what God has set forth as His dispensation of the church and for the economy of His church.  Or, you desired to have your own authority, as did Eve?  If so, God condemned Eve, do you think He will not also condemned you?

Behold, the eye of the LORD is

            on those who fear Him,

on those who hope in His mercy.

                        Psalm 33: 18 

Repent and receive God's mercy

Richard L. Crumb

Learning About The Role Of Women In The Church: Part I

Let your women keep silent in the churches,

for they are not permitted to speak;

but they are to be submissive,

as the law also says.

And if they want to learn something, 

let them ask their own husbands at home;

for it is shameful for women speak in the church.

Or did the word of God come originally from you?

Or was it you only that it reached?

1 Corinthians 14: 34 -- 35

            I wrote about the contentions and divisiveness caused in the church by such things as the exercise of spiritual gifts and how that exercise so often is outside of, and contradicts Scripture.  Now, I reach another one of those contentious doctrines that divides the church; and that doctrine is the role of women in ministry.  There will be some who say: "he's gone from preaching: to meddling."  Well, say what you will, don't take anything from me that cannot be confirmed by Scripture.  Remember, it was the apostle who Paul wrote the above words.  Now, we must learn and instruct in light of context both within the letter that Paul wrote and by other writings by Paul and others so that we can come to the truth on the matter of this doctrine.  Let us first clear up the italicized words so that we don't let them lead is often do some rabbit trails to keep us away from actually discerning the truth.  First, the italicized words: they are, is applied because the subject is plural, that is women, and therefore it is proper to put those words in and for clarification in English, good grammar.  Now for the word: originally, it is added because the Greek is written with a question mark.  Now we can move on.  Due to the various opinions in regards to the role of women in the ministry this subject will take a bit of time to discuss and discover so that the truth is revealed, so we need some questions that will lead us into the discussions.  Once again, why should I write a blog on women in ministry?  Well the reason is first of all due to the pressure of society that is forcing error into the church and allowing women to become elders and pastor.  We must then see whether, or not this is truly an error and if so make the necessary changes.  Another important aspect, that must be discussed is that so often women are undervalued and under appreciated in the church therefore they need to be encouraged and supported in this Biblically.  In fact in the secular world for many years now there has been a major push to elevate the position of women in society.  And in some cases this push was necessary and is also necessary within some churches.  I personally, hold the position of fidelity to the Scriptures, for in Scripture is held the complementarily and position, that God gives to whomever He wishes to give a gift, and calls men and women differently in the church.  As I spoke about the error with the misuse of spiritual gifts both in the Corinthian church and presently in such churches practice that misuse we must not be led astray and understand that error begets more error.  Therefore, the teaching of Scripture is at stake, and not only is Scripture at stake but also the health of the church is at stake.  While the secular world struggles with his problem of the unappreciated and undervalued positions of women, the question for the church still remains, that is, what is the biblical position, or is this simply some holdover from ancient, patriarchal, chauvinism?  The answer is crucial in that for the above stated positions and error.

            Authentic Christians, and I must state that is that it is Authentic Christians that I refer to, and I don't expect those who are not authentic to agree that they might be an error in regards to the role and position of women in church ministry.  Authentic Christians don't care what the secular world says or states in regards to that which is in opposition to God's Word.  Authentic Christians share what God has said and seek to teach and to defend it.  Now it is true, that we must admit, that we may be wrong in various areas of Biblical understanding, but that does not be deter us to honestly seek to accomplish what the Word of God teaches and not subject the Word of God to our personal feelings or social pressure.  If we do not do this, even if it is well intentioned, this is only an error begetting error and leads toward apostasy.  We have seen such apostasy in mainline churches such as the Presbyterian USA, where they allow homosexuals, same-sex marriage, and allow women to hold positions of pastors, and to be elders and etc. and in the least it is confusing to other Christians, and more importantly it's extremely confusing to non-Christians.  As Authentic Christians who have been saved by God's grace, we will stand on the truth of God's Word even if it means to us that we are in opposition to the whole world.  This leads me to a question: "Do you really believe that God has revealed His truth to his children?"  Or, are you one of those who are only a Deist who believe that God created and then sits back and allows things just to happen?  Or, are you one of those who believe that the Bible is a "good book," and that parts of it are only metaphorical or allegorical but are really not God's Word for they were just men writing what they felt?  Or, do you put your faith in God that He has not left us as orphans and that we have what He desires for us to have in completion.  And that is in the complete Word of God, inspired by God, written by men who were inspired by God to write to what ever was occurring that needed correcting or in instructing and made this available for us today as it was written or all Christians in all kinds of history?  Your position in regards to God's Word will determine your theology.  Your worldview will determine your theology.  Your ideology will determine your theology.  However your theology is formed will determine how you demonstrate that Christian faith.  Now, if ever, it is time to fall down on your knees and pray to God for guidance and to study his word and study these doctrines that are contentious and possibly in contradiction to Him.  Will you do it?

My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.

            Because you have rejected in knowledge,

I also will reject you from being priest for Me;

            because you have forgotten the law of your God,

I also will forget your children.

                                    Hosea 4: 6

Are you preparing now for the Sabbath?

Richard L. Crumb

Learning The Meaning And Use Of Prophesying

Let two or three prophets speak,

and let the others judge.

But if anything isn't revealed

to another who sits by,

let the first keep silent.

For you all can prophesy one at a time,

that all may learn and all may be encouraged.

And the spirits of the prophets

are subject to the prophets.

For God is not the author of confusion

but of peace, as in all the churches of the saints.

1 Corinthians 14: 29 -- 33

            Paul continues to address the use of spiritual gifts and as before in regards to this speaking of "tongues" that one was to speak and then others would speak when that one was finished, in other words there would be order in the use of that gift.  This is true also of those who would wish to speak to the congregation, and remember to be a prophet one must be speaking the words of God, and not necessarily speaking of some future event, and this also must be done in order, one at a time.  Remember the goal is to edify the church.  So that we will not be confused as our English language does not always carry the finer nuances of the Greek language, and this would be true when we are using the word "Judge."  For this is what the apostle Paul said was to be done that there would be those who would judge what the other was saying and this judgment was to be based upon what the Scriptures, that is, the Old Testament recorded by the prophets that spoke for God in olden times.  To help us in understanding this word "Judge" I will once again give you the Greek word in what they Greek word meant when a Greek speaking person heard the word: λαλείτωσαν, this word is present, imperative, active, in the third person.  First, and foremost, it is to be presently acted upon, for this is a direct command, a directive that should be actively pursued and in this case by those who were hearing what the other was revealing as a prophet.  The Greek hearing person would understand that by the tense used that a person would make a declaration, to give utterance to that which was spoken and in this case, to reveal what was spoken, therefore one who heard the other would judge by the foundational basis from the old scripture as to the truth of what was being spoken.  This we also ought to do today, for our work is to ensure that the congregation is not only edified, but also to reveal those who are teaching falsely, possibly even heresy.  God is not a God of confusion, and we are to ensure that conflicting statements that cannot be confirmed by scripture do, not confuse the congregation.  As Authentic Christians who are studying God's Word, and have the responsibility for the congregation and what is exercised, what they, or you hear, ensuring whether or not those things are of divine inspiration or not.  Once again we are to be reminded that we are not speaking about those outside the congregation, those who claim to be atheists, desire nothing to do with Christianity.  We are talking about those who claim to be Christian and are even using scripture to prove their points making themselves seem to be speaking Divine words when in actuality they are false prophets, or simply pretenders to Divine inspiration and act as true prophets of God. As Authentic Christians we are to judge.  We are not to simply sit by and tacitly approve whatever is said or done even when it is said that it is Christian.  Now when Paul speaks about the spirits of the prophets he had in mind those spiritual gifts that powerfully influence those to whom the Holy Spirit had given a gift, and to understand that by our judging we must ensure that they are not simply lost in their theological possession by the leading from them their reason.  When God by means of divine inspiration, that inspiration is not to cause people to be like those diabolical heathen priest, ungovernable, that only prompts to act as if they were beside themselves; no, those who have actual divine inspiration are to be sober, calm, and capable of regular guidance.  Therefore, the man who is inspired by the Spirit of God will observe order and decency in delivering his revelations.  Today we are wonderfully gifted by God to have His word for us to read and study.  God divinely had men who were inspired by Him to record for us what we need to live accordingly to His commandments, principles, and precepts.  There is no need, as was in the early Church before the Bible, to have this special divine revelation.  Yet, there are those churches who believe that God is supernaturally revealing to people what He would have them say or do and this is outside of scripture.  Why would God have need to do that if His word is complete in all that we need?  To think otherwise is only to say that God's word is not complete.  This is blasphemous, this is heresy, this is only spoken by those who are false prophets, for as an authentic Christian we follow what God's Word says and it tells us that the perfect when it comes is all we need.  And, as spoken and written about earlier in my blog that the Greek word used there in the context that the word lie is in is not speaking of a person, rather it is speaking about a thing, and that thing can only be a complete canon, the Bible.  So why would we go running around looking for special revelation will we have all we need?

            Well beginning tomorrow, we will have completed Paul's writing an admonition in regards to spiritual gifts and I will enter into a subject that has been and is very contentious.  Therefore, I will go slow and examine scripture, the Greek words and tenses, using were ever the Bible speaks about this subject, or has given us how to understand this subject.

My son, give me your heart,

            and let your eyes observe

my ways.

                        Proverbs 23: 26

Be wise and strong

Richard L. Crumb

Learning How to Exercise Spiritual Gifts

How is it then, brethren?

Whenever you come together,

each of you has a Psalm, has a teaching,

has a tongue, has a revelation,

has interpretation.

Let all things be done for edification.

If anyone speaks in a tongue,

let there be to or at the most three,

each in turn, and let one interpret.

But if there is no interpreter,

let him keep silent in church,

and let him speak to himself

and to God. 

1 Corinthians 14: 26 -- 28

            The apostle Paul is reproving the Corinthians for the confusion in their assemblies.  That reproving by the apostle Paul needs told to those churches that are creating confusion.  Not only confusion within their own congregation, but also, confusion by those who are looking in to the church and seeing what Paul is reproving: confusion.  One of the problems is that the Corinthians were coming to the church all excited for they felt that they were in given a gift, and possibly they were, and with these gifts they were eager to seize the opportunity to exercise them.  I have seen this confusion with my own eyes and in attendance in those churches whereby many people are speaking some sort of unknown language, if it can be called a language, and some were falling over as though they were "slain in the spirit."  Others were dancing around and shouting, and at one time I even saw a pastor who was acting drunk on the stage telling everyone he was drunk with the spirit.  All this confusion overshadows the reason why they came together in the first place.  They would overlook this reason so that they can participate in euphoric religious feelings.  The rules set forth by the apostle Paul in regards to those who had a language, "tongue," and desired to speak is being ignored, and the one thing that you will see more often than not is that the rule that only two or three were to speak and then only with an interpreter is ignored.  Why else should this kind of demonstration of the Holy Spirit come upon a person?  So that the other person would be by this gift instructing what God intended for that which he is speaking in an unlearned or unknown language is for the unbeliever.  Not for oneself, nor for the congregation as a whole, the Holy Spirit equipped to church with another gift to edify the church and that gift was prophecy, a speaking the word of God, and not some supposed special revelation that is from a man whose ideology and worldview that has formed their theology.  To not follow this rule is only to be ostentatious, that is pretentious, or to have a conspicuous display intended to impress others.  This being ostentatious is when one attempts to interpret that which he says has been given to him by the Holy Spirit for this is nothing less than ignoring what God inspired Paul to set forth as the rule for one to be able to speak in an unknown or unlearned language.  Now if that person felt as though he had this gift and there was no one there to speak to in this language, nor whether anyone there to interpret, then he was to exercise his gift between God and himself. In otherwise, that person was to remain quiet.  Even solitary devotions are out of place and out of the time for which the church met for public and social worship.  Public worship is not the time for solitary devotions to God, even though we are there to worship God and we do so in our private thinking and worship, that should extend to openly in such a way to edify the other congregants.  What is meant here is simply this: many people do not have daily devotions and only offer such devotions when they can do so in a public display making themselves seeming to look godly.  We come to church to learn from what God has revealed about himself and how that revelation should be applied in our lives.  We come to church to care for our brothers and sisters: "Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and every one who loves is born of God and knows God.  He who does not love does not know God, for God is love" (1 John 4:7 -- 8).  Is this not what the apostle Paul instructed us to pursue?  Yes!  We are to pursue love even though we may desire that the Holy Spirit imbue us with some special gift, and that desire is so that we can edify our brothers and sisters.  Let us not forget the most important part of our gathering together as a body of believers to worship the Lord on the day set aside for such a worship and from the beginning of Christianity that time is the first day of the week: Sunday.  And that time, that most important time of this meeting, is when the holy Scriptures are read to us and as we follow along in our Bibles, for there is where the truth of God is to be found, and there is where we can see whether or not that which is being taught is scriptural.  It is not the open display of some sort of supernatural gifts, no, it is to read and study God's Word so that we can apply that in our lives.  All the signs and wonders that can ever be performed will not by some necessity cause people to believe upon the Lord Jesus Christ.  It is simply the gospel that is presented in Scripture that touches upon the heart of those who have been given that special gift of grace.  And that gift is the faith to believe so that when they hear God's Word they change their ways from the inside/out, and convert in the way of life God desires us to live.

            Don't be caught up in some euphoric feeling that is only a personal euphoric exclamation that makes a person feel so godly, so religious, so acceptable to God, when in fact that is not true.  To live for God, can I put this simply?  If the Bible says do it: do it.  If the Bible says don't do it, don't do it!  Get up in the morning, get dressed, go about your business, and do so following God's commands, principles, and precepts.  BE AN AUTHENTIC CHRISTIAN!

Deliver me, O my God,

            out of the hand of the wicked,

out of the hand of the unrighteous and cruel man.

            For You are my hope, O Lord God;

You are my trust from my youth....

            I have become as a wonder to many,

but You are my strong refuge.

                        Psalm 71:4 -- 5, 7

Praise God, you are not alone!

Richard L. Crumb

Learning About Our Calling By God

Therefore if the whole Church comes together

in one place, and all speak with tongues,

and there come in those who are uninformed

or unbelievers, will they not say that you

are out of your mind?

But if all prophesy, and an unbeliever

or an uninformed person comes in,

he is convinced by all, he is convicted by all.

And thus the secrets of his heart are revealed;

and so, falling down on his face, he will worship

God and report that God is truly among you.

1 Corinthians 14: 23 -- 25

            What do you think?  What do you think about an unbeliever who should enter into your congregation, and find a person talking to the congregation in a language, that none of them understood?  Would it not make him suppose, if you were one of those doing such a thing, rather mad than inspired?  But if he should hear any of your teachers expounding, then a different effect might be produced.  He might see his error; his conscience might take alarm; and falling down on his knees he might worship God among you.  The apostle Paul does not forbid the praying or singing when a person has a spiritual gift to communicate, and yet Paul would have them exercise that gift so that others may join them: "Otherwise, if you bless with the spirit, how will he who occupies the place of the uninformed say "Amen" at your giving of thanks, since he does not understand what you say" (1 Corinthians 14:)?  Furthermore, how could the people in the congregation hearing such unintelligible sounds declare their consent?  When we say at the end of a prayer, or we joined with the one praying who says that word, then we are consenting and agreeing with what that person is saying when he says "Amen" and that word means "so be it, God grant the thing that was requested or we join in the confession of sin, and in the acknowledgment of Divine Mercy and favors."  If then we don't understand what was said how can we agree?  We cannot!  It is unintelligible!  God is not a God of confusion!  So many people claiming to be Christian, and I am not here talking about their salvation rather their Christianity, hold so highly to have such a gift that is not edifying the Church nor intelligible nor addressing what needs to be addressed to unbelievers or those who were uninformed?  There is such a fondness could have these gifts and to display such gifts when in many cases those looking in on such antics as being displayed thinking that those doing such things are "mad, insane."  How was this furthering the Gospel?  It is not!  Are we not the ambassadors for Christ and as an ambassador we are to be speaking the truth and that truth is the simple gospel of Jesus Christ.  If you are truly a Christian minister, an ambassador, a citizen of the eternal home prepared for you, then you will value what God has done for you through Jesus Christ.  You will value what God has given you much more than doing a small spiritual good to men's souls, rather than trying to find some sort of approval that is only an attempt to bring upon you some sort of commendation for yourself.  Rather we must find our approval as a servant of Jesus Christ.  When we are not following the truth then we are trusting in our human nature.  Jesus Christ never agreed to accept human nature for human nature is sinful, but by His acceptance or agreement that human nature exists He was not cynical, suspicious, and the reason for this was because He knew what he could do for human nature.  Now you know also what you can do for human nature: edify another person by teaching and preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ so that those who are hearing upon this see the error of their ways and turn their lives to become the image of Jesus Christ.  That is your and mine work!  Why do you think God left you here on the earth?  To become successful?  To become some sort of celebrity?  Why did not God just take you to heaven the minute you converted to Jesus Christ since that is where you are going when you die?  It is because you are His hands and feet to bring the gospel to those to whom He had chosen to be with Him for eternity.  When we grow from innocence, that is as children innocent, and began taking in that which a mature person intakes as one grows in their sanctification, they take this knowledge and apply it to their virtue.  God does not demand us to do those things which He has not commanded and the command of God is that his children be pure and virtuous.  It is sin that causes us to desire things that make us feel virtuous or religious or somehow approved by God and we who are sinners must be reconciled to this one fact: we are sinners and sin is in the world.  We are to be salt and a light to the world!  And yet, if we are not displaying what God has given to us through His Son and the atonement then how can the unbeliever or the uninformed or be edified?  When we were a babe we thought as a babe, but when we grew up then we do those things that a mature person does, and in this case it is to be a witness for Jesus Christ: first and foremost!  The Ministry given to Christians was not instituted to make ostentation of gifts and parts, rather to save souls.  Now while religious ordinances should be directed for the edification of believers, yet we must take care to not send away those who are just occasional hearers and are confirmed in their prejudiced against truth and always say or ridicule their beliefs.  We are to speak the word of God both to their understanding and their affections, and with close application to their conscience, so that very secrets of their heart are exposed and disclosed by the preaching and teaching of God's Word.  Now they will truthfully join the worship that they once despised.  Hallelujah!  Praise God for allowing us to participate in this grand scheme of God!

If you have been foolish in exalting yourself,

            or if you have devised the evil,

put your hand on your mouth.

                        Proverbs 30: 32

Be reconciled to God

Richard L. Crumb

Learning To Be Led By The Holy Spirit

Brethren, do not be children in understanding;

however, in malice be babes,

but in understanding be mature.

In the law is written:

"With men of other tongues and other lips

I will speak to this people; and yet,

for all that, they will not hear Me,"

says the Lord.

Therefore tongues are for a sign,

not to those who believe but to unbelievers,

but prophesying is not for unbelievers but

for those who believe.

1 Corinthians 14: 20 -- 22

(Psalm 131:2; Isaiah 28: 11 -- 12)

            It makes one to wonder, how a doctrine whereby people are speaking in some sort of "angelic" or "gibberish" sounds that are not understandable, are to be accepted as that which God desires for His children to exercise.  Especially when Paul clearly tells that to have the ability to speak in an unlearned language is not for the edification of believers, rather, this was able to tell the Gospel to unbelievers.  To be able to speak in a language that you did not study or to learn is simply a sign.  This sign is to unbelievers, to not only as hearers of the Gospel, but to know that God had established His New Covenant and now that New Covenant applied to the Gentiles as well as to the Israelites.  There was the need for the gift to be able to speak the words of God before His word had been established in the church, that which we call the New Testament, along with the Old Testament, and was to aid believers in their understanding of their position with God  the true God.  Many people saw Jesus performed great miraculous signs, and yet they did not come to believe in Him.  This was foretold that people would see and hear the Gospel and yet they would not believe.  Does this mean that we do nothing?  No!  We spread the gospel and understand that there are those who are called by God and have been given the faith to believe by Him.  Who are they?  We do not know!  We simply are the messengers of Jesus Christ's and we tell all, every one we can, the Gospel and allow God to draw His children to Himself.  Sometimes there are those who are so caught up in the signs and gifts that they have forgotten that man ought to give his principal attention, to the dignity of his creation and the excellence of his reformation.  The dignity of his creation that he may fear to sin; the excellence of his redemption, that he may not be ungrateful for redeeming grace.  For by the will of the Creator alone was man lifted from the low state of Earth and uplifted to God's image and was given the privilege of reason.  I am not here talking about rationalization, I am talking about the ability to think upon the word of God and allow your reason to help you to understand what God has revealed.  Man lost his dignity when Adam's sin, when Adam, and were seduced by Satan himself and departed from the teaching of their creator and this by their own pride.  Is pride keeping you from seeing what God has revealed in His word in regards to the exercise of gifts?  Man fell from the highest exultation in this by his own will, and was condemned to the lowest degradation.  Adam, in all its progeny thereafter, fall by their own act as did Adam and Eve. Adam fell by his own act not because sin was in him or corruption was in him but that he had the ability to choose.  Adam's choice should have been to remain faithful to the God who created him.  This he did not do. Man today has the same need and that is to exercise of faith that God has given him or her for if God did not give faith to someone they would not have the ability to rise above this degradation.  That which fell by the foot of arrogance must rise by the foot of obedience.  To what, and to whom, are you giving the highest exultation?  Is it to your spouse, is it to your children, is it to your church, is that by those things that you believe are special gifts or some special secret revelation in your mind?  It is good to hold your spouse and your children and your church, even those things that you are able to do to spread the gospel in a high exultation.  None of that has the highest exultation for that alone belongs to God and this by redeeming grace and your conversion to Jesus Christ who is your Redeemer.  We read in the Bible where there were those who needed to have their humility cured for had been corrupted by pride for they wanted to stimulate their godliness by showing that they were fasting therefore men would see them in the light that they wish to be seen.  Jesus made mention to us that even if we are giving money to the church that we should do without being seen, even every mercy that we do should not be done so that we are exalted.  This would be true of any gift of the Spirit that you may have for we should not be hunting for the praises of men rather with zeal for eternal life.

            There are some who teach and have a doctrine that man can lose their salvation.  The Bible does not teach that and in time I will address that particular subject.  Until then I will leave you with this, whoever God has chosen, and this He did before the foundation of the world, that person will always be held in the hand of God for God has given to him eternal life that can never be taken away from him, or you.  This is our God who is not subject to change and we can hold fast to His promises.  We need not to do things that are not according to Scripture we simply need to live the life God has allowed us to have and to do so as we become conformed to the image of His Son Jesus Christ.  And this we can do as we study His word and apply that in our daily lives.  Praise God for He has given us the Paraclete, the one who comes along side and will lead us if we allow Him to do so.  I pray this is true of you!

But now, O LORD,

            You are our Father;

we are the clay, and You our potter;

            and all we are the work of Your hand.

Do not be furious, O LORD, nor remember

            iniquity forever; indeed, please look -- --

we all are Your people.

                                    Isaiah 64: 8 -- 9

You are a servant of God

Richard L. Crumb

Learning About Intercessory Prayer

And the LORD restored Job’s losses

when he prayed for his friends.

Indeed the LORD gave Job twice

as much as he had before.

Job 42: 10

But you are a chosen generation,

a royal priesthood, a holy nation,

His own special people,

that you may proclaim the praises of Him

who called you out of darkness into his

His marvelous light; who once were not a people

but are now the people of God, who had not

 obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy.

1 Peter 2: 9 -- 10

            It may seem strange to use the above verses when we are studying First Corinthians and especially Chapter 14.  When discussing the use of spiritual gifts, or their misuse, one must write polemically and often misunderstood.  Unless one looks at the Scriptures presented and note that the writer, in this case me, is not attempting to thrust upon somebody their own opinion, rather to speak directly and forcefully against that which is not warranted by the Bible, the writer will be maligned in the much or misunderstood in the least.  The Bible spoke plainly that while we may desire spiritual gifts, we are or in the utmost seek out the more excellent gift, that is the gift of love.  This Friday, as we approach Sunday, the Christian Sabbath, the day set aside from the times of the apostles and the forming of the early church.  We must remember that we are a people of God who were not before a people of God and that we have obtained mercy from God, and furthermore it was God who called you.  We are the ecclesia, the called out ones and by this love, God's love, we are to do exactly what Job did, and that was to pray for his friend(s).  Not that we will be seeking anything from God because we have prayed for our friend, to do so is to attempt to be right with God that is only a sign that you are rebelling against the atonement.  Too often, a person tries to make themselves right with God and this they often do by some exuberant expression, that only is euphoric and titillating making one feel religious or godly.  You see, a person cannot have this as their motive, that by doing such things are praying in such a way that one would become right with God and by doing so making your life perfect before God.  You cannot make yourself right with God for you can only be right with God if you accept the atonement of the Lord Jesus Christ as an absolute gift.  There it is: the greatest gift that one could receive from God is the gift of atonement.  Have you received it?  Are you humble enough to accept it?  If so you must resign any and every claim and cease from every effort, and then leave yourself alone entirely in His hands.  Then pour yourself out in intercessory prayer.  Are you struggling with something, are you dealing with some objectionable things that are occurring in your life?  Do you need a touch from God to help you through these times?  Do as Job did: PRAY FOR YOUR FRIENDS!  Peter made note that we are the priesthood of God and the work of the priest is the work of intercession.  Now, if you have a disbelief in the atonement, then there is a problem that needs corrected.  We must get this one thing straight in our minds: Jesus is not beginning to save us, He has saved us, the thing is done, and it is an insult to ask him to do it.  How then do you say that I ask, often it is a verbal asking, other times it is simply by the exercise of some sorts of unwarranted spiritual gift.  We don't ask to get, we asked to give, and we ask in faith that the will of God be done a person's life to whom we are making intercession.  You want to be free from these doubts and fears?  Well, God freed Job and released him from the captivity of all the pains, and fears and doubts and circumstances that he was in and this He did when Job prayed for his friends.  Sometimes we've turned so far inward that all we pray about is for things that pertain to us and it is almost as if we were using God as a vending machine.  Put a prayer in, get what we asked for, and if it doesn't happen as we think it can happen then we lose heart.  By the right of God and by His choosing and this before the foundation of the world, you were chosen to be a royal priesthood in this by the right of the atonement.  Are you prepared to leave your self resolutely alone and to launch out into the priestly work of prayer.  Or are you running to and fro attempting to receive some favor from God?  If so then you only generated a self-centered, morbid type of Christianity and this is not the robust simple life of the child of God.  Think about this; nothing is greater than the miracle of redemption.  The only way to be perfect in Christ, is the realization that you are only perfect in Jesus Christ and not on clinging to God saying" that you have done your best, therefore hear me."  The question we must ask ourselves is this: how long is it going to take God to free us from the morbid habit of thinking about ourselves?  There is only one place where we are right, and that is in Jesus Christ.  When we are there, then we have to pour out for all we are worth in this ministry of the interior.

            I took a lot of notes for this blog from the work of Oswald chambers in his "My utmost for Your highest."  Sometimes I find great comfort in the words of others as I read my daily devotion and I hope that you have made a habit to read a good biblical daily devotion and not one that is simply some psychological babble basted in Christian terms.  Look up all the Scriptures; take time to meditate upon them.  Now, begin now, buy the things you need before Sunday, and make plans to love your brothers and sisters in some way, not only by making intercessory prayer, but maybe inviting them over for a Sunday brunch.  And at the brunch not only talk about various things in people's life but discuss the sermon.  It is our Christian Sabbath, therefore let's treat it as such.  God will release you from all captivity of your own self-interest and lead you into the interest of His Son whose only interest was to do the will of God.

For I will restore health to you

            and heal you of your wounds,

says the LORD, because they called you

            and outcast saying:

"This is Zion; no one seeks her."

Jeremiah 30: 17

Make prayer a prayer of intercession

Richard L. Crumb

Learning About The Need For Understanding

Therefore, if I do not know the meaning

of the language, I shall be a foreigner

to him who speaks, and he who speaks

will be a foreigner to me.

Even so you, since you are zealous

for spiritual gifts, let it be for the

edification of the church that

you seek to excel.

Therefore let him who speaks

in a tongue to pray

that he may interpret.

1 Corinthians 14: 11 -- 13

            Once again, the Greek word, glossalia, carries the meaning of a language if this was not so then how would a foreigner understand when another person is speaking? Once again, Paul is speaking about their zealousness to have spiritual gifts and especially their zeal was toward the ability to speak in some form of "tongues" and had forgotten that the gifts were there for the edification of the church.  It is to have the gift to have the ability to edify the church so that by this they were to seek to emulate, or excel.  Furthermore, Paul once again says that that person who was speaking in a tongue must have the ability to interpret what he is saying.  Now comes the problem, a person may be able to say one thing or another as though what he is saying is the truth, that he has some sort of private revelation from God: yet, there is no way to prove what that person says he has heard from God.  Therefore, a person who speaks in tongues must know what he is saying. Furthermore, another person must hear and understand what the other person is saying. This is not some form of unknown gibberish.  Paul has already made mention that love must be the guiding principle and everything we say and do and this love is God's love that is principled, God's principles.  Anything else is another type of gospel but it is not the true gospel.  Remember Paul recommended Christian love or charity above all spiritual gifts.  Furthermore, he has directed by means of a command, using the imperative in Greek, that one was to follow after charity, to have an earnest concern to obtain this excellent disposition of mind.  No matter whatever pains or prayers that it may cost a person.  While they made this their main or chief pursuit, and this pursuit did not absolve them or take them away from desiring other spiritual gifts.  If by means of spiritual gifts one is to edify the church, then this being their main goal.  Whatever communicated must be in the language of the person to whom they are speaking because what cannot be understood can never edify.  Every endowment, every gift, is valuable to its usefulness whether it be in public ordinances whereby they are conducted according to truth for they must tend to the edification, exhortation, and consolation of believers and even do the conversion of sinners.  Paul could not edify, if what he spoke was not understood.  Remember Paul went into those lands where there are many dialects, for even the country of Galatia was a mixture of the Gallic people and other Greek people and had several dialects and for them to understand the gospel one must speak in their dialect.  This a must, what they understand must be the gospel, is this not true?  To speak in an unknown gibberish language, would this be nothing more than into the "air?"  If those hearers who are barbarians, meaning foreigners, and hear that which they cannot understand then what is being spoken has no meaning, has no sense, only causes a person to become confounded, and they are left without instruction, therefore, a gibberish form of speaking is utterly vain and unprofitable: "For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays, but my understanding is unfruitful.  What is the conclusion then?  I will pray with the spirit, and I will also pray with the understanding, I will sing with the spirit, and I will also sing with the understanding.  Otherwise, if you bless with the spirit, how will he who occupies a place of the uninformed say "Amen" at your giving of thanks, since he does not understand what you say?  For you indeed give thanks well, but the other is not edify" (1 Corinthians 14: 14 -- 17).  Why all this contention and controversy over this gift that God used especially in the early Church to spread the gospel before the coming of the complete thing which is the Bible?  I am afraid, that over the years and especially since the 1960s there has been a culture change whereby people want everything for themselves, they want to be titillated, they want to experience some euphoric feeling, and they call this Christianity.  This it is not!  Oh!  You may spend time teaching Vacation Bible School, or teaching Sunday School, or even do other things around the church, and all these things are good, but, even the non-Christian does good things.  If your doctrine is not the doctrine of the Bible then all your good is only for another reason than for the edification of the Church of God and that church is all the people whom He chose as one of His children.  Surely every true follower of Jesus Christ would rather desire to do good to others, rather to obtain some name for their eloquence or learning.  The desire to do good, is a good thing, but a better thing is to speak the truth, and to live the truth, and to edify the Church of God.  This edification begins with a husband teaching his wife and children, reading the Bible together, praying together, going to church together, sitting in the church pew together, showing by their example not only to their family, but exercising their faith, thereby others seek true faith in action in the edified.

In that day you shall not be

            Shamed for any of your deeds;

in which you transgress against Me;

            for then I will take away from your midst

those who rejoice in your pride, and you shall no longer be haughty

            in My holy mountain.

                                    Zephaniah 3: 11

Trust in the LORD

Richard L. Crumb