Bible Doctrine Series-El-Shaddai

El Shaddai—the almighty God” (Genesis 17:1; 28:3). The Hebrew word Shaddai means “most powerful in strength, omnipotent.” El Shaddai is translated either “God Almighty” or “Almighty God.” Early in Genesis, the Lord told Abram to leave his country and his family and go to a place He would show him. Before Abram and Sarai ever had children, the Lord promised to make Abram a great nation with so many descendants they could not be counted. Later the Lord came to Abram in a vision and told him he would have a son. Abram believed, thus He considered Abram as righteous due to his faith. The Lord made a covenant with Abram; He would give the land of Canaan to his descendants. Something happened in Abram’s life that we often find happening in our own lives as we stand on the promises of God: Time passed! A great deal of time passed. To Abram and Sarai it no doubt seemed like the Lord had forgotten His promise to give them a child of their own. With the intention of helping out, Sarai gave her Egyptian maid, Hagar, to Abram as his wife. When Abram was 86 years of age, Hagar conceived. She bore a son and Abram was content, but this was not the son that had been promised. Ishmael was the product of the will of man and the will of the flesh; the result of Abram and Sarai trying to assist the Lord. I get into a heap of trouble when I try to assist Him. Thirteen more years passed after Ishmael was born, Abraham had yet to see the promise of God. Then El Shaddai spoke these words in Genesis 17: 1-2, Abram was ninety-nine years old. “I am God Almighty (El Shaddai); walk before Me, and be blameless. And I will establish My covenant between Me and you, and I will multiply you exceedingly.” The Lord, as El Shaddai, told Abram that He would establish His covenant with Abram. To establish means “to make, to build or to bring into being.” The Lord made the covenant, but it was God as El Shaddai that would make it happen. To emphasize what He was doing, He changed Abram’s name, meaning “exalted father,” to Abraham, meaning “father of a great number.” Again He told Abraham that his wife Sarah (Sarai) would conceive his child. How did Abraham respond to the news? He laughed at the prospect that he and Sarah would have a child at the ages of 100 and 90; it was humanly impossible. The covenant that the Lord made was established and brought into being by El Shaddai. The fulfillment of this promise is recorded in Genesis 21: 1-2. “Then the Lord took note of Sarah as He had said, and the Lord did for Sarah as He had promised. So Sarah conceived and bore a son to Abraham in his old age, at the appointed time of which God had spoken to him.” Abraham and Sarah could not produce the promise by the works of the flesh. The bodies of both had to come to the point they could no longer produce naturally to make them realize it was all of God. In God’s first revelation of Himself as El Shaddai, we see that He is almighty, all powerful, and able to accomplish what is impossible in the physical realm. That is the meaning of the first part of the name, El. The word Shaddai is translated “Almighty.” This word is used in connection with judging, chastening and purging. This is shown to be true in the book of Job where the name El Shaddai is used 31 of its 48 occurrences; the book of Job is the story of a man learning to know El Shaddai. Because of the circumstances in Job’s life he argued with El Shaddai while other smeared Him with lies (Job 13:3, 4). Rather than taking responsibility for his own hostile attitude to what was happening in his life, Job accused the Almighty of embittering his soul (Job 27:2). Job acknowledged El Shaddai should do these things to the unjust that perform iniquity, but proceeded to proclaim his own innocence, inferring God was indeed guilty of injustice (31:2-40). Finally, Job went so far as to label El Shaddai his adversary, calling Him to answer for the indictment which had been written against him (31:35). The Lord’s response to Job is given in Chapter 40:2 “Will the faultfinder contend with the Almighty? Let him who reproves God answer it.” When Job heard God ask that question, he wisely concluded that he should say no more. Ryrie makes this comment about God’s response to Job: “When Job criticized God’s ways, he was in effect trying to usurp God’s position as governor of the world. In this paragraph full of irony, God asks if Job can really perform those things which only God can do.” After the Lord finished His verbal reprimand, Job repented. Ryrie’ comment is significant: “Job repents of his pride and rebellion and finds contentment in the knowledge that he has God’s fellowship. This is the great lesson of the book; if we know God, we do not need to know why He allows us to experience what we do. He is not only in control of the universe and all its facets but also of our lives; and He loves us. Though His ways are sometimes beyond our comprehension, we should not criticize Him for His dealings with us or with others. God is always in control of all things, even when He appears not to be.” The ways of El Shaddai as listed below give us a clear picture of a God who is faithful to keep His covenants with His people. --When El Shaddai concludes a work in our life, we will delight in Him (Job 22:25). --When He completes a work in our life, we will have understanding (Job 32:8). --El Shaddai gives life. John 10:10 tells us that the Lord Jesus Christ came that we might have an abundant life. Job had life but El Shaddai wanted him to experience life abundantly. After taking Job through his ordeal, Job’s fellowship was restored, along with his fortunes; all he had increased twofold (Job 42:10). The life Job lived after El Shaddai had taken him through his tribulation was more abundant. A person can experience life even while imprisoned by an enemy. Once that person escapes or is released from his prison and experiences freedom, he’ll live life more abundantly. El Shaddai wants us out of our bondage from the world, the flesh, and the devil. --El Shaddai does not treat us wrongly (Job 34:10). --El Shaddai will not pervert justice (Job 34:12). --El Shaddai will not heed nor give regard to an empty cry (Job 35:13). He is not moved by pity parties. --El Shaddai finds us, we don’t find Him. He is exalted in power. He will not do violence to justice or abundant righteousness. The worldly wisdom of men does not impress Him (Job 37:23-24). --El Shaddai brings destruction (Isaiah 13:6). Since He does not treat us wrongly nor pervert justice, El Shaddai brings destruction to our fleshly, worldly, demonic ways. Dr. Ken Copley is available for counseling, conferences, and local church meetings.

Bible Doctrine Series-El-Elyon

El Elyon—“the most high God” (Genesis 14:18; Numbers 24:16; cf. Philippians 2:9). El is the singular form of Elohim. Elyon means “the Supreme, Highest, all others are below Him.” He is sovereign over all. El, like in El Shaddai, means might or power. Thus the word “Elyon,” or “Most High,” here applied to God, reveals, that, though He is the “Highest,” there are others below Him, endowed by Him with like natures, and therefore in some way related to Him; but that, because He is the “Highest,” He has the power to rule and He may do with them as He pleases should they be disobedient or seek to exalt themselves against Him. An example of this comes from the archives of heaven itself. Recorded in Isaiah 14:12 “How have you fallen from heaven, O star of the morning, son of the dawn! You have been cut down to the earth, you who have weakened the nations. 14:13 “But you said in your heart, ‘I will ascend to heaven; I will raise my throne above the stars of God, and I will sit on the mount of the assembly in the recesses of the north. 14:14 ‘I will ascent above the heights of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High (El Elyon).’ 14:15 “Nevertheless you will be thrust down to Sheol, to the recesses of the pit.” These verses are spoken to the King of Babylon but they also refer to Satan. Satan was created Lucifer, the shining one, the bright star of the heavens. The seal of perfection—both in wisdom and beauty was upon him. God placed him on the holy mountain of God, blameless from the day he was created. Then with only six words, Scripture tells us how Lucifer fell from his high position of anointed cherub. The last phrase in Ezekiel 28 gives us the sad commentary: “You were blameless in your ways from the day you were created, until unrighteousness was found in you.” Unrighteousness was found in Lucifer. What was this unrighteousness? Charles Ryrie gives some insight on Isaiah 14:13-14, believed to describe Satan’s fall. “Five phrases beginning with I will describe Satan’s sin. He wished to occupy heaven, the abode of God Himself. To exalt his throne above the stars of God may refer to his desire to rule all the angelic creatures, or it may simply be another way to indicate his self-exaltation. North, in heathen literature, indicated the abode of the gods; thus Satan was ambitious to govern the universe as the council (assembly) of Babylonian gods supposedly did. He wanted the glory that belonged to God alone and his entire goal was to be like the Most High (Hebrew, Elyon).” Satan became unrighteous and was cast from the mountain of God (Ezekiel 28:16) and was thrown down to the earth with his followers (Revelation 12:7-9). El Elyon will have no other gods before Him; this is His first commandment. Daniel was told that the saints of the Highest One would receive the Kingdom and possess it forever (Daniel 7:27). Jesus, the son of the Most High, provided entrance to the kingdom of heaven. We receive all that pertains to the kingdom of God by faith walked out in obedience to Him. The Lord Jesus Christ has given us an example of faithfulness and humility to the Most High God by His submissive obedience. As a result He is set over every name, named. Our victory in warfare can only be accomplished with the same submissiveness, tearing down every thought within our mind which lifts itself in opposition to the Truth, the Most High God. Dr. Ken Copley is available for counseling, conferences, and local church meetings.

Bible Doctrine Series-Jehovah-Jireh

Jehovah-Jireh—“the Lord will provide” (Genesis 22:14). Jehovah-jireh is one of many names compounded with Jehovah. Most of these compound names of God arise out of some historic incident, and portray Jehovah in some aspect of His character as meeting human need. The Hebrew root of the word jireh means “to have regard for the one seen, to see to their every need with provision and care. Jehovah-jireh is the Lord who provides. The name Jehovah-jireh was first used by Abraham in memorial to his mountain top experience of testing. After Abraham and Sarah had received their promised son, Isaac, God sent Abraham to Moriah to offer the lad as a burnt offering. Abraham obeyed without question, believing the promise of God that this very son would still become a great nation in spite of His request. Once Isaac and his father arrived at the alter site, Abraham built an altar. Prior to their arrival, Isaac has seen the wood and fire; he inquired about the missing lamb needed for the offering. His father gave this answer: “God will provide for Himself the lamb for the burnt offering, my son” (Genesis 22:8). He then arranged the wood, bound his son, and placed him on top of the wood. As he picked up the knife to slay Isaac, the angel of the Lord interceded, telling Abraham not to harm the boy. Looking up, Abraham saw a ram caught in a thicket by his horns. God had provided! Abraham gladly made the substitution and sacrificed the ram instead of his son. That day father and son both saw the provision of God. Genesis 22:14 says “And Abraham called the name of that place Jehovah-jireh: as it is said to this day. In the mount of the Lord it shall be seen.” We worship the same God that Abraham did, and He is just as willing to provide for our needs today. Dr. Ken Copley is available for counseling, conferences, and local church meetings.

When to Leave a Church

Some may ask when it's wise to stay in the battle and when it's God's will to leave. Leaving a church is not always wrong and frequently healthy. Some churches can never be redeemed because of the level of infiltration. Here are three legitimate reasons to consider leaving a church. Notice, though, there are also cautions before making the choice to break the tie with a local church. First, doctrinal heresy is a reason to leave. Some doctrinal issues are not fundamental to your faith and can be overlooked. For example, some doctrines, such as baptism, forms of church government, the nature of the Tribulation, and the millennium are debatable. They should not be reasons to leave a church, even though you may personally have strong opinions on these issues. Some doctrines, though, cannot be compromised, at least in church leaders. What doctrines must we hold to and consider serious heresies when rejected and preached by our leaders? I'd list the following: 1. The virgin birth and deity of our Lord Jesus Christ. 2. The blood atonement: Jesus' sacrificial death on the cross for the sins of the world. 3. Salvation by grace through faith. There is only one way to be saved and it's by faith in Christ alone. If you can't get the leadership to agree to this point, nothing can possibly be gained except to try and convert those leaders to genuine faith. 4. The inspiration and absolute authority of the Scriptures. Biblical infallibility is central to evangelical belief. Only through infallible Scriptures can we know that other doctrines are true. 5. The bodily resurrection of Christ. Without the resurrection, Christianity is literally a "dead" religion. 6. The one-day physical return of the Lord. That Jesus is coming again should not be compromised into saying something less, i.e., "His coming is not bodily, but a spiritual coming into the hearts of His people," or some nonsense like that. 7. The triunity of the Godhead. This means that Father, Son and Spirit are all equally divine, but also distinct persons. To deny any doctrines in the above list is to deny the cardinal teachings of orthodox Christianity. Second, church leaders or members engaged in public sin is a reason to leave. When church leadership or pastors refuse to deal with open sin, especially among its co leaders, you've got a problem. An example might be ongoing immorality within the ranks of leadership or being tolerated in the local body of believers. Other issues could be various addictions like alcoholism, pornography, drugs, and so on. When leaders clearly sin and do not repent, or even when they allow sin to grow and flourish in their midst, it's time to consider whether this is God's person for you to follow. Jasper was an excellent preacher and dynamic leader. But sometimes in his antics he would do things that were unorthodox. The theme of his preaching was grace, which is wonderful. However, the people in his church often wondered if he had gone too far. For instance, he often made statements like, "Salvation is of grace, only of grace. Repentance is a work, therefore repentance is not necessary for salvation." Jasper would often say that those who came to Christ on the basis of repentance were not true Christians. This raised the eyebrows of those in his congregation who spent time in the Word. What kept people in that church was that people flocked to it in droves. It grew fantastically. All kinds of people were being "saved." The grace message that Jasper preached with his personal interpretation became very popular. Unfortunately, it was a type of Christianity that did not impact the listener's lifestyle. One day, the news broke that Pastor Jasper and several of the elders in the church had been involved in immorality with women both in the congregation and outside of the congregation. Even more shocking was the revelation from Jasper that though this might not be in the perfect will of God, this was permissible under grace. A group of people under wise counsel left that body and formed a new church that is flourishing today. Jasper's old church, though, has all but died. Christan's cannot tolerate overt sin in the church leadership. If the leaders refuse to admit guilt and repent, it's time to leave that church. Third, if God has called you elsewhere, you should leave the church. Sometimes the Lord truly calls Christians to serve in another place. This may be a new job or a life transition, or for Christian leaders, including pastors, as new vocational ministry, at such a time the ideal would be to have the church you are leaving release or send you to the new body. Be careful, though, when you take such a direction that it is not your pride or a lust for personal glory driving you. But if in your heart of hearts you perceive God wants you in another church plant or situation, by all means heed that prompting. When I was a student in Bible college and assisting as a youth pastor in a rapidly growing church in a city in the Midwest, the senior pastor and I would pray together every Saturday afternoon. Often we prayed about all kinds of places and situations and, to my amazement, as we would pray about other countries, tears would drip down his face, especially when we prayed for Spain. As we were praying, I often felt rather nonspiritual because I did not have a burden for Spain at all. After several months of this, I began to wonder was was going on in his life. I found out when one day he announced that God had called him and his wife as missionaries to Spain. He soon raised all his financial support, went to Spain, and was used of God to found a number of Bible-believing churches. The church that I was part of at that time happily released him to go to another part of the world because they also had seen his "burden" for Spain. I believe that just as my pastor friend was called of God to serve in another part of His world, so God calls us at times to serve Him in other places, other cities, other churches. The only caveat I'd offer is that you be sure of your call. But if God is speaking to you, like He was to my pastor, then move ahead at full speed. You have nothing to fear except stepping out of the will of God by not doing it. Dr. Ken Copley is available for counseling, conferences, and local church meetings.

What Do You Reflect

"John was a lamp that burned and gave light, and you chose for a time to enjoy his light" (John 5:35). The beauty of the moon on a clear night is a beautiful sight to behold. Yet the moon is only a reflection of the sun. The moon in and of itself has no light, it can only reflect light. Take away the sun and we would never see the moon. The moon would simply be an dark object in the sky. Like wise a diamond only reflects light. A fine cut diamond does a very good job of reflecting light, yet is bears no light of itself. I have been told there is no cut that measures the quality of a diamond, but rather there are a number of measurements taken as to how it reflects light. How well it reflects light, (as well as size) determines its value. Much like the moon our lives are dark until we meet Jesus. With out Him our lives are dulled by the sin created by Adam and passed on to us. Paul said "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23-24). Our Lord contrasted in many parables those who allow His life to live in them to those who choose to live amidst darkness. Jesus in the heart is the Light that is shining upon our life in order to reflect the glory of God's Son through us. The workplace is a really good place to reflect His glory. We must ask ourselves how well are we reflecting the Light of His glory and grace into a dark and fallen world. Its always proper to ask the Lord to make your life a continual reflection of His light to others. DR. Ken Copley is available for counseling, conferences, and local church meetings.

The Fruit is in the Valley

"O Lord, when you favored me, you made my mountain stand firm; but when you hid your face, I was dismayed" (Psalm 30:7). Looking from a valley of adversity, its really easy to miss the hand of God. How often do we feel He has hidden His face from us? We know the grass grows greener in the valley. But when we are in the valley its really hard to visualize the fruit of the valley. The valley has the power to create change in more than our habits, it can change our very nature. The size of the valley is often an indicator of the level of our calling, and will help shape our future influence. Knowing this gives little comfort when we are in the valley. When we are lifted out of the valley we begin to see our valley experience was as much for others blessings as for our development. This is consistent with Kingdom truth. For life is lived forward, but understood backward. King David often looked backward at God faithfulness as we was walking forward. The backward look gave him confidence in the forward walk. Valley fruit is best viewed from the mountain. "He reveals the deep things of darkness and brings deep shadows into the light" (Job 12:22). "And there came a man of God, and spake unto the king of Israel, and said, Thus saith the LORD, Because the Syrians have said, The LORD is God of the hills, but he is not God of the valleys, therefore will I deliver all this great multitude into thine hand, and ye shall know that I am the LORD ." (1 Kings 20:28) Beyond a doubt our God is the God of life's valleys. Just as He proved to the Syrians He is the God of the valleys, so He will show us the same. When you begin to realize this, you sit back and breathe a sigh of relief because you know that God was in control all along. It didn't seem like it at the time, but He was. Do you find yourself in the valley? Now is the time to fully trust Him for in His time He will guide you to higher ground. Dr. Ken Copley is available for counseling, conferences, and local church meetings.

Sometimes it Takes a Miracle

By faith they passed through the Red Sea as though they were passing through dry land; and the Egyptians, when they attempted it, were drowned. By faith the walls of Jericho fell down after they had been encircled for seven days. By faith Rahab the harlot did not perish along with those who were disobedient, after she had welcomed the spies in peace" (Hebrews 11:29-31). Surrounded by patted cushions, beautiful music, well-dressed people, and strong affirmation, it is next to impossible for many church-goers to enter into the realism of Scripture. Let's also remember that it is the Lord God who made it all happen, the One who is "The same yesterday and today, and forever" (Hebrews 13:8). Do you wonder what He is able to do on your behalf? Watch closely. When we try to identify with people such as Moses, Joshua, Sarah, Abraham, Noah, Enoch, and Abel, we can easily feel intimidated. In view of this, we need to keep several truths in mind. People are people nothing more. In God's family, everyone is "P.O.H." plane old human. None of us can walk on water. We doubt more often than we believe, God is God, nothing less. He wasn't more God in the days of Moses than He is today. Christ Jesus was no more powerful, inspiring, and miraculous in the first century than He is today. God bailed people out of the greatest misery imaginable in centuries past, and He does the same today. That's His specialty. Miracles are miracles, nothing else. What is a miracle? It's a humanly impossible event that occurs in the natural realm, apart from natural causes, for the glory of God. Miracles happen today as they have in the past, but only God can work them: humans cannot. God works them at the most unpredictable times-when we are so pressed that there is no other way through. Are you facing turbulent waters of pressure? If so, consider three things. You can count on Him to get you through and make an escape. He specializes in parting the sea of pressure. You can wait on Him to penetrate others' defenses. He specializes in fortresses with thick double walls. You can trust Him to restore your value in the eyes of others. He specializes in harlots' and others' worthless pasts. Don't trust in people. Don't limit God. Don't discount a miracle. Dr. Ken Copley is available for counseling, conferences, and local church meetings.

Is It Good Enough for You

“Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will” (Romans 12:1-2). The principles set forth here are simple, we are not to take ungodly men's ideas or opinions as a rule for life, we are to renounce this world system and seek the wisdom of Christ. The Greek word "Conform" is the word we use for "Plastic." The Ideal is "Stop letting the world mold you into its image." Our writer goes on to say "Be transformed by the renewing of your mind." This comes when we saturate our mind with the Word of God. We are not to conform to this world system because the spirit of this world is the prince of darkness, the evil one himself. The better we know the Scriptures the better equipped we are to recognize demonic thinking. The world and the flesh work in concert with the devil to carry out his will. The transformation God seeks comes from the inside out and results in a new form of life. The word "Transform" is the Greek word from which we get the word "Metamorphose." The change in our lives is much like the radical change that happens when a caterpillar turns into a butterfly. This transformation results in our being able to discern what is the "Good and pleasing and perfect will of God." God's will is well pleasing to Him and to us. I believe we need a transformed mind in order to understand and accept His will. Much of what God does makes little to no sense to the unregenerate mind. I know of a young man who was running away from God. One night, this rebellious young man was riding on the back of a friends tractor, the tractor was struck by a drunk driver traveling at a high rate of speed. The young man lost a leg in the accident, but gained a relationship with God. A holy hush swept over the church service when this new convert stood on wobbly crutches and said "I am glad the Lord took my leg, for in doing so He saved my soul," only the redeemed could amen such a testimony. I do not have the capacity to understand all the reasons God has for doing what He does. He is working from eternity to eternity and He certainly sees what is coming and how it fits into His perfect will for our lives. We "See through a glass darkly" at times I don't even see that well. I am often amazed at how I can see a situation in my life one way, and then gain some further understanding and it looks totally different. That is why He wants us to know His will, His good, pleasing, and perfect will. He ordained it, that's good enough for me. Dr. Ken Copley is available for counseling, conferences, and local church meetings.

Whose Your Boss

"Then the angel of the Lord ordered Gad to tell David to go up and build an altar to the Lord on the threshing floor of Araunah the Jesusite. So David went up in obedience to the word that Gad had spoken in the name of the Lord" (I Chron. 21:18-19). Have you ever thought "Boy it would be great if there was some sort of instruction manual for life." Well the good new is there is, its called the Bible. Imagine if you bought a new car and while reading the owner's manual you objected to the statement "Never put anything other than unleaded fuel in the car's gas tank." Suppose you said 'They are so narrow minded and restrictive. Water is much cheaper, I have an endless supply, and I will use it." You would damage the car because you refused to believe the manual. Likewise, to disregard the Bible and to live outside of God's will is detrimental to our well-being. It is to live diametrically opposite to the way we were designed. David was commanded to build an altar and he did what he was told to do. Even when God's revealed will runs counter to our intuition it is the right way to live. Obedience pays huge dividends. Response is unavoidable, we may ignore, resist or reject God's initiatives and requirements, or we may respond in positive obedience. Despite appearances to the contrary, God's commands are not burdensome (I John 5:3). Disobedience to God always produces more pain than obedience to God. If God is really a loving God, then the things He asks of us are best for us. God being sovereign, He and He alone can arrange our life circumstances to bring about what is best for us. Jesus told His disciples that their obedience to Him was the clearest demonstration of their love for Him. If you love me, you will obey what I command...if anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. He who does not love me will not obey my teaching. (John 14:15, 23-24). Have you ever regretted an act of obedience to God? How about an act of disobedience? We all know that disobedience leads to a life of regret. The more we know about God, the more we can trust Him. The more we trust Him, the more we love Him. The more we love Him, the more we will obey Him. The more we obey Him, the more we will learn about the trustworthiness of God. I make every choice in my life on right thinking, wrong thinking or emotions. Only the first option will result in good choices. Do we really want God, or do we just want his blessings? If we seek God only for the good things He can give to us, we will miss out on the relationship He invites us into.However if we seek His face we have access to whatever is in His hand. There are times we will find ourselves backed into a corner. That's when it's crisis time: "Obey God and lose the deal," "Obey God and kill the chance for a promotion." For Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego it was, "Obey God and lose your life." At that level obedience has to be based on what is real. To these three men the furnace was real, the threat on their life was real, the choice they faced was real. But what is really important is their God is real. The question was "Who gave the order?" They must answer to a higher Sovereign. We, like these men of old, must daily choose who we will obey. David was given the order to build and he obeyed. We grow spiritually in the realm of obedience. What if God froze your heart where it is today? What would you be like for the rest of your life? Are you where you want to be in the area of obedience? Who are you obeying? Give some thought to these questions, it could change your life. Dr. Ken Copley is available for counseling, conferences, and local church meetings.

Let's Accept Each Other

“Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God” (Romans 15:7). The Lord is in infinite wisdom allows Christian liberty not for our enjoyment but for His glory. In His earthly ministry Christ's life was one of self-denial. I believe it takes a measure of humility and self-denial on our behalf to accept one-another. Part of acceptance includes bearing the failings of one another. The end result of our accepting one another is the glorification of our Lord. The Holy Spirit that indwells each of us is in agreement with Himself. We can have unity among diversity as we yield to the Lord and each other. Then we who agree in Christ can begin to agree among ourselves. Have you noticed how God makes everything out of the same simple elements but they are always different. Each of us has a nose, two ears, a mouth, a forehead, some hair (more or less), a chin and with these God makes faces. However no two are quite alike. Though we all share the character of Christ, salvation is not a mold that stamps out the same being over and over again. In the body of Christ there is an infinite variety of expression of the beauty and character of our Lord. This is His plan and He began it in eternity past and He won't end it until eternity future. When we focus on the marvelous work the Lord is doing in each of our lives it becomes a lot easier to accept (welcome) one another. We are like the weaver who weaves cloth, and, working from the wrong side of the garment sees a tangle of threads that seems to make no sense at all. But when the process is finished, one can look on the other side, and there is the pattern beautifully worked out. That's what each of our lives are like. When we begin to see each other through His eyes, it becomes a whole lot easier to accept each other. This brings praise to the Lord. Dr. Ken Copley is available for counseling, conferences, and local church meetings.

Suffering Well

"For it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for him, since you are going through the same struggle you saw I had, and now hear that I still have" (Philippians 1:29). Earlier in this chapter Paul made clear that everything is from God. Their salvation is from God and the fact that they have life is from Him. This is a necessary word in light of the Paul's explanation of suffering. People who reflect an attitude that suggests "Oh boy, I get to suffer for Jesus" should cause us to squirm. Our first though should be "That guy must have hit his head really hard when he fell off the turnip truck." Somehow he really missed the truth and he certainly can't appeal to Paul to justify such an attitude. Paul's attitude toward Christian suffering is based on Christ's teaching on discipleship, namely that servants are to be like their master. Paul is saying the same God who granted you (Lit. graced you) to believe on Him, is the same God who has also graced you to suffer for Him. Who needs such "Gracing" you might ask. The answer lies in the Christ centered nature of the Christian life. A crucified Lord produces disciples who themselves take up a cross as they follow Him. We are called on to live in the same way Christ himself lived, and died, on behalf of this fallen, broken world. And for believers, as for our Lord, the path to glorification leads through the suffering of the cross. The Apostle doesn't finish here but goes on to remind them that he and they are in this together. They are going through the same struggle they have seen him go through. They are suffering at the hands of those who oppose the gospel. He tells them that their suffering is identical to that which they saw in him. Among those who would receive this letter would be the jailer and his household and (perhaps) the young slave girl whose having been set free from Satan's tyranny, resulted in the first of Paul's sufferings on behalf of Christ that they had seen. What are we to do with suffering? If we really walk with Christ we will suffer persecution. The Philippians suffering was in kind with Paul's current Roman imprisonment. They were partners in the gospel, going through the same suffering together. All they were experiencing was on Christ's behalf. The way we respond to suffering reflects on our knowledge of Christ. Are we looking at our suffering through His eyes? Are we crying out to Him to teach us about "The fellowship of His suffering?" Are we using this season of suffering for spiritual growth, or are we just hanging on until its over? When we make the statement "I want to be like Jesus" suffering will be part of what makes that happen. Dr. Ken Copley is available for counseling, conferences, and local church ministry.

Creativity

Human creativity came to us as a gift from our Creator. All human creativity and innovation comes from His hand. "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth" (Genesis 1:1). God created the world in six days then He rested. He made us in His image and likeness, that includes giving us the ability to be creative. An excellent example of human creativity is found in George Washington Carver. He was one of the 20th century's greatest scientists, George Washington Carver's influence is still being felt today. As a committed Christian he asked the Lord to help him discover God's purposes for the simplest of plant life. He focused his work on peanuts, sweet potatoes, and pecans trying to produce new products. He developed more than 300 products from the peanut (including Peanut Butter), 175 from the sweet potato, and 60 from the pecan. He extracted blue, purple, and red pigments from the clay soil of Alabama. He researched the manufacture of synthetic marble from green wood shavings, rope from cornstalk fibers, and veneers from the palmetto root. During WWI, he worked to replace the textile dyes that were being imported from Europe. He ended up producing and replacing over 500 different shades. In 1927, he invented a process for producing paints and stains from soybeans. He is best know for developing crop-rotation methods for conserving nutrients in soil and discovering hundreds of new uses for crops such as the peanut Although he did hold three patents, Carver never patented most of the many his discoveries. He said "God gave them to me, how can I sell them to someone else?" If God has placed on idea in your heart to do, ask the Lord for His help in bringing it to reality. He desires to see His people create new things that can serve mankind and bring glory to God. Henry Ford once said, "Whether you think that you can, or that you can't, you are usually right." Dr. Ken Copley is available for counseling, conferences, and local church meetings.

Turning Bad News Into Good News

"Also our enemies said, 'Before they know it or see us, we will be right there among them and will kill them and put an end to the work" (Neh. 4:11). What did Nehemiah do when he was threatened? He "Prayed and posted a guard." This is why the Lord has commanded us to "Watch and pray" (Matt. 26:41). We must be "God's fellow workers (II Cor. 6:1): neither doing everything ourselves nor expecting God to do everything for us. The background to the above verse is as follows. The king sent Nehemiah to Jerusalem and gave him authority to rebuild the wall. When he and the people living, there started building the wall, they were vehemently opposed by two individuals, Sanballat and Tobiah. The Israelites were forced to complete their work in an odd fashion, half of them worked while half of them stood guard. Have you ever struggled with the balance between faith and practical action? When faced with a difficult situation, do you take immediate action or wait for an answer to your prayers? The truth is we all have our Sanballats and Tobiahs (they may be circumstances or people). I can remember times of building, when for every block I put on the wall, my enemies tore two of them down. Its during these times we are faced with the question of what to do about it. We can determine we will work twice as hard. or we can sit back and pray that God will provide an answer. The correct answer might not be one or the other but both. Nehemiah didn't do just one, he did both. He prayed and asked God's guidance and then acted. His actions were not impetuous or prideful, but of faith. Take time to look at the faith chapter, Hebrews II. You will find men and women who didn't just sit around, they were people of action. Abel offered. Noah prepared an ark. Abraham obeyed and went out. Sarah conceived. Moses refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter and forsook the riches of Egypt. Rahab received the spies. Their faith in God could not be confined to the mind alone. When we receive bad new we should pray to our God and take the necessary steps to defend ourselves against the threat. Once we begin taking these steps we must avoid projecting what might happen in the future. Worry about the future can lead to depression. We simply don't know what the future holds, "Take no thought for tomorrow." We must live, by God's grace, one day at a time. In a crisis "Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn; yet God feeds them. And how much more valuable you are than birds. Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? Since you cannot do this very little thing, why do you worry about the rest?" (Luke 12:24). So let's turn our bad news over to the Lord, He specializes in turning bad news into good news. The wall was completed in 52 days. Dr. Ken Copley is available for counseling, conferences, and local church meetings.

How Full is Your Joy Bucket

Please read Philippians 1:1-11. Philippians is a joyful letter. Mark Twain was a professional humorist, yet in private he was broken by sorrow. When his daughter Jean died, Twain said "I have never greatly envied anyone but the dead. I always envy the dead." Jesus Christ was "A Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief." Yet he possessed a deep joy that went beyond anything the world could offer. As Christians we have the privilege of experiencing "Fullness of joy" yet few Christians take advantage of this privilege. In the book of Philippians Paul shares the secret of Christian joy. At this time Paul was a Roman prisoner. He was chained to a Roman soldier and not permitted to preach in public. Some Christians wanted to make things more difficult for the Apostle, and they preached the Gospel to add to his bonds. Being a Spirit led Believers does not always make you popular, even among believers. Note three principles that will help you have a more joyous life. First, we must have other in our mind. Paul's memories of Philippi could produce sorrow. He was illegally arrested, beaten, placed in stocks and humiliated before the people. These memories brought joy. Why? Because there was the salvation of the jailer, of Lydia, and the demon possessed slave girl. We must remember that it costs something to reach others for Christ. The church at Philippi helped support his ministry. Paul remembers the work of God in their lives. We can be certain that God continues to work in us through His Holy Spirit. Salvation includes a three fold work. The work God does for us-redemption. The work of God in us-sanctification. The work God does through us-service. This work will continue until we see Christ. A great source of joy to Paul was knowing that God was working in believers. Second, we must have others in our hearts. Paul's teaching moves a little deeper. It's possible to have others in our minds without really having them in our hearts. Some would have to confess "I have you on my nerves." We know it's Christ's love that is the "Tie that binds." Love is an evidence of salvation. Paul's love could not be disguised or hidden. Love is the spiritual lubrication that keeps the machinery of life running smoothly. How did Paul evidence his love for them? He was suffering on their behalf. He was a prisoner of Jesus Christ for the Gentiles. How can we practice this kind of love? It is not something we work up to, it is something that God does in us and through us. God has poured out His love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit whom He has given us. The evidence of Christian love is a willingness to forgive one another. I Cor. 13:5 states that "Love keeps no record of wrongs." Christians who practice love always experience joy. Third, We must have other in our prayers. Paul found joy in remembering his Philippian friends before the Lord in prayer. Paul is praying for maturity and he begins with love. A lack of love is a sign of a lack of spiritual growth. Paul prays that they might experience discerning love and abounding love. Christian love is not blind. Paul strongly rebuked Alexander the Coppersmith, he publicly rebuked Peter. The ability to distinguish is a mark of maturity. To a baby every animal is a bow-wow. Satan is a counterfeiter, he loves to attempt to make the fake look real. Paul prays for them to have mature Christian love and character. How are you doing in the joy department. Increased joy comes with increased spiritual growth. We can have fullness of joy in the Lord. Remember "The joy of the Lord is your strength." Dr. Ken Copley is available for counseling, conferences, and local church meetings.

God's Timing

There is a song written by Diane Ball called "in His time". Some of the words are "In His time, in His time, He makes all things beautiful in His time. Lord show me every day that you do just what you say, in your time." This theme is taken from the book of Ecclesiastes. In the same book we read "There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven?" ( Eccl 3:1). For us to discern God's timing is crucial. "In the fullness of time He sent forth His only Son." God is in control of the times and seasons. He knows what we need and when we need it. He is seldom early but never late. He holds our future in His hands. I have a tendency to run ahead of the Lord. When I do get ahead of the Lord, it causes frustration for others and myself. The Scriptures tell us "They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength, they shall rise up with wings of eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint." We need to ask the Lord to make us aware of His timing. Being led of the Spirit keeps us in step with the Lord. Lord please make us sensitive to your timing, and show us what you want us to do each day, and please slow us down when we tend to run ahead of you. Dr. Ken Copley is available for counseling, conferences, and local church meetings.

Spiritual Warfare in the Book of Acts

In the Acts we find many instances where God allows the display of supernatural power to enhance the spread of the Gospel, but relatively few instances of direct demonic confrontation. There are several events in Acts which are of significance to spiritual conflict. First, Peter's great escape (Acts 12:1-21). At least in part an answer to prayer, an "angel of the Lord" rescues Peter from prison. He appears suddenly, provides a light, hits Peter in the side to wake him, and, like a parent with a child awakened from sound sleep, carefully instructs the groggy apostle to get dressed. Peter's chains fall off as he gets up without disturbing the two soldiers with him, implying that they are supernaturally asleep. He is led past two sets of guards. The last set of doors open on their own and Peter is escorted outside. Until he is outside and left alone, he thinks he is dreaming. The angel departs as suddenly as he came, leaving Peter on his own. While no demonic agencies are mentioned in this account, it does provide a wonderful picture of God's control and loving response to the prayer of the church-even when the church has a hard time believing. Some conclusions may be drawn from the whole chapter. 1. Once Peter is delivered, he is not willing to unnecessarily test God by staying on the street where Herod can find him. God can and will deliver us when He sees fit, but that does not mean we capriciously look for trouble just to test Him. 2. God's plans will not be thwarted. He is sovereign, and will exercise His sovereignty whatever we may do against Him. Why did James die and not Peter. Most commentators agree that Luke is not trying to show that the church prayed for Peter after not praying for James. The most simple answer to the whole question is that we do not know, but that God's sovereignty is not challenged by the circumstances. 3. The faith of the early church is more like our faith than we realize. God responds to us where we are, and sometimes He answers our prayers in spite of our faith. The size of our faith is not as important as the object of our faith. We do not need big faith as much as we need faith in a BIG God. 4. We see evidence of a folk religious belief in the disciples' response to Rhoda's claim that Peter (the answer to their prayers) was at the gate. After Peter's escape, he goes to Mary's house, where the rest of the church was praying for him. He knocks, and the house-girl (Rhoda) talks to him through the door. On hearing his voice, she excitedly reports that Peter is at the door, but the others insist that it is "his angel." What is "his angel"? There is evidence that guardian angels were believed by some to have a similar appearance to the one they guarded. On the other hand, this may refer to "some kind of heavenly counterpart to a person, having the same physical appearance." It could be they believed he died and his human spirit came to visit them. In a wonderful way, God's sense of humor comes through. I am reminded that He is delighted to answer our prayers, and sometimes He answers them in a delightfully refreshing way. Second, the pagan fortune teller (Acts 16:16-18). Paul's casts a spirit of divination out of a girl who was following them for days. Undoubtedly all who knew the girl regarded her as neither fraudulent nor insane but as demon possessed and able to foretell the future. Paul does not initially cast the demon out, though no reason for this delay is given. The girl pursued Paul and kept on screaming for many days, and Paul is finally annoyed enough to give a simple order to the spirit. "I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out." This spirit does not fight, but leaves immediately. Luke does not mentions the girl again, so we do not know with certainly if she ever comes to Christ. Luke's intention is not to give us the story of the girl's life-his focus is on Paul's exercise of authority and the subsequent persecution of Paul because of this incident. The story serves as a reminder of Christ's authority as well as Satan's refusal to back down after displays of power. In this instance, the forces of evil collect themselves and go after Paul through social and legal channels. Again, however, God's sovereignty is seen in the earthquake which results in Paul's release and the Philippian jailer's conversion. Third, the sons of Sceva (Acts 19:13-20). Some important lessons may be drawn from this story. Seeing Paul's successful use of Jesus' name in expelling demons, seven sons of Sceva, all non-believing Jews, imitate his practice. However, they use Jesus' name only as an incantation or formula, and have no authority. The demon knows both Paul and Jesus, but not the purported exorcists. Their "experiment" backfires, and the demon severely beats them and sends them running into the streets naked. The rest of Ephesus hears of this and fears. As a result, magic practitioners confess and denounce their practices and burn their secret scrolls (which contain spells, incantations, names of magical power, etc), in public, demonstrating their complete renunciation.Demonic confrontation is not to be taken lightly. Even so, the contrast between Paul's encounter (Acts 16) and this one is striking. The authority of the believer is clearly seen in contrast to the peril for those who do not believe and yet use Christ's name as a formula of power. Many in the church had been mixing magic practices with their faith (seen in the value of the destroyed occult objects). Especially in light of the rise of new age thinking, we cannot assume that similar practices are absent in our churches. The burning of the fetishes was not the result of a witch-hunt; it was God's merciful and sovereign doing from the beginning to end. As you examine your life, are there any "occult objects" in your possession. I have seen believers trapped by reading their daily horoscope. We must be careful to focus on the Lord and seek wisdom from His Word.