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Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you: ^[13] But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ’s sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy. (1 Peter 4:12-13)

The persecution of Christians is a theme common to the apostles. Suffering is often addressed by the writers of the New Testament because of the terrible persecution inflicted on them by an empire that was hostile to Christianity. One of their greatest challenges was to get new converts to buy into it as the badge their faith was real. In 1 Peter, Peter hits on the theme in every section of his letter. He tells his readers to rejoice in their salvation even though they experience terrible trials.

When Jesus called twelve men to be His disciples, He warned that following Him and witnessing for Him and remaining true to the faith would not be an easy path to follow. Although the gospel of Christ is the only hope for a world awaiting the wrath of God, people reject this message and they often do it with hatred and sometimes with violence.

The tone of 1 Peter makes it clear that suffering for Christ is not to be unexpected. Peter says, “Think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you.” The explanation for these trials comes in 4:13 and is attributed to the sufferings of Christ. To paraphrase Peter, he tells persecuted Christians, “Don’t be surprised when people hate you and want to kill you. If you desire to follow Christ, you will not receive better treatment than He received.” The reason for this should be easy to discern even if we do not consider the natural negative disposition of men towards the gospel. We can approach the problem from another angle which is simple deductive reasoning in the comparison of our lives to Jesus Christ.

What kind of man was Jesus? He was kind, compassionate, considerate, supremely loving, temperate, patient, self-sacrificing, perfectly righteous, and a dozen other superlatives that could be added. How was Jesus treated? He was abused, accused, told He was from Satan, and run out of town. He was called a glutton and a drunkard; He was accused of sedition and finally cruelly crucified. All of this happened to the perfect God-man, and yet He never struck back at anyone that wanted to harm Him.

Now consider your life. How do you compare to Jesus in any of these areas? I am sure you have some good traits, but each of us even at our best falls far short of Christ’s example. The indignation we feel when treated badly is just one more example of our inability to match His standard. So, how will we be treated as being imperfect as opposed to the perfect Son of God? Not for a minute should we expect better treatment.

Reading this you may say, “How depressing! Is it really worth it?” This is when you should remember Peter’s answer to this question. 1 Peter 1:6 says this is a temporary condition. In 4:13, he says Christ will appear in His glory and you will be exalted and honored with Him. The worst trial you face for the cause of Christ will be worth it when you come to the realization of your final salvation. Never fear what anyone can do to you. As Peter says in the last verse of the fourth chapter, you can commit the keeping of your soul to Christ. He is the powerful Creator who speaks the word and vanquishes all enemies!

                                                            Pastor V. Mark Smith

I few years ago, I spoke from the epistle of Jude on the subject Contend Against Creeps. The title is taken from verse 4 which begins, For there are certain men crept in unawares.Jude speaks of false teachers that arise in the church whose purpose is to distort the true gospel of God and lead unsuspecting people astray. We discussed many examples of this when studying 1 Thessalonians chapter 2 and the subject Proofs of Your Preacher.

False teachers are given much space in both Old and New Testaments because they are one of Satan’s primary attacks against the true church of Jesus Christ. The false prophet is easily discernable if you pay attention to the scriptures as your guide to distinguish them. A common thread of heresy that runs through them is greed and sexual perversion. Let me comment on greed as my topic today since the greediness of health, wealth, and prosperity doctrine is sweeping the world.

Paul wrote: For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ: Whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things. (Philippians 3:18-19) There is a lot of junk on television and radio that purports to speak in the name of Christ but is really nothing more than preaching from those whose God is their belly (Phil. 3:19). As Paul states in this verse, there are many who are far more concerned about earthly things than heavenly. Often in my preaching I give warnings about the health, wealth, and prosperity gospel which is not really the gospel at all. However, I don’t want you to think that God has no concern for the material. If we think so, we miss the truth of the word nearly as much as the “go for the gold” prosperity preachers.

The truth is that God is concerned about the material. In the Lord’s Prayer, the first “our” petition is not about the spiritual but about the material. Jesus taught the disciples to pray, “Give us this day our daily bread.” The wisdom of Christ is always perfect because God knows you can never be useful to Him if you cannot survive. What use has God for great spiritual people if they are dead? Jesus said before the instructions in the prayer, “Your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him.” God committed Himself to care for us so that we need not be anxious about our next meal (Matt. 6:26).

Caring for the material in this way is vastly different from what is taught by the prosperity gospel. In the prosperity gospel, the focus is moved away from the spiritual benefits of the material to the fleshly appetites of the material. God provides for us for one purpose—that we might glorify Him. Must you be rich to glorify God? If so, you deny scripture’s teaching that we should give God glory in all things and thank Him for all things (1 Thess. 5:18). Jesus said, “Give us this day our daily bread.” This teaches us to depend on God to supply on a daily basis rather than hording up so that we forget we are dependent on God.

The health, wealth, and prosperity gospel does produce rich people. The riches are raked in by greedy preachers who have duped greedy followers into “sowing their seeds of faith.” Interestingly, when Jesus gave the great parable of the sower (Matt. 13:3-23), there is not one mention of money. Jesus sowed the gospel of salvation that changes dead sinners into living saints. The prosperity of heaven gained is the only prosperity found in the gospel.

Jesus is concerned about the material insofar as it sustains your ability to sow the real seeds that He wants sown. Consider that you are kept alive for God’s purpose, to honor and glorify Him by being a witness of the life-changing gospel of salvation.

Pastor V. Mark Smith

No matter his physical age, every Christian begins his new life in Christ as a baby. We are born again through the operation of the Holy Spirit, and at that moment we are new to the faith, new to the kingdom, and new in understanding. Paul said we are a new creation in Christ. Our former lives have passed away, and the born-again baby wakes up to a new world (2 Cor. 5:17). His desires are changed, his friends will change; his view of self and of the world has changed. The new Christian immediately begins to wrestle with all these differences while at the same time he is under attack by Satan to compromise and mitigate the effects of those differences.

            It is at this point the new Christian is most vulnerable. Since his understanding of the new life is minimal, he is easily susceptible to false doctrine. Like a young child, he is impressionable and trusting of anyone that carries a Bible and purports to speak for God. This is the earliest stage of his sanctification. The foundation of faith that he receives at this point may indeed shape him for the rest of his Christian life. If he is bound by false teachings or even lack of teaching in this early stage, his growth will be seriously stunted. This is truly a problem since it is very hard to find churches that care much at all about doctrine. Some preach truth, but the scope of truth is limited.

            Some years ago, I had two men from a local Baptist church come to my door to invite me to church. One of the men was a deacon and I was thrilled these two had come to see me. They were vocal and unintimidated in their faith, which I found to be very refreshing. I looked forward to sitting with them for a few minutes to discuss the Bible. While I commended these men for their zeal, I soon learned discussing the Bible with them was not much of an option. They knew very little about scripture. This was understandable if they were novices and new to the faith. However, as I stated, one of these men was a deacon and had been approved by the church for his position.

            It is easy to think we are mature if the standard we measure by is less than what it should be. According to Paul, the first step of maturity in the faith is a doctrinal one (Eph. 4:14-15). We must be grounded and settled in the Word of God to grow. We begin with the simpler doctrines of the Word; we feed on these, and when they are mastered we add more substantial doctrine course by course. In this way, we move on from infancy to adulthood.           

            The responsibility of feeding the children of God rests with ministers (Acts 20:28; Eph. 4:11-12). The responsibility of eating is yours. The pastor prepares the spiritual food for you each week, but you must be present to partake. If you are absent from the teaching of the Word, the sanctifying process is slowed to a crawl. For this reason, many Christians that should have grown up long ago are still spiritual babies.

            Our subject today is the conclusion of our miniseries on Proofs of the Preacher. I have the responsibility to feed you the word as Paul says a nursing mother will draw her child close for nourishment and care. I am to give you the whole counsel of the word (Acts 20:27). However, I cannot feed you and you will not grow unless you come to the table to eat. You will prove the preacher as you test and obey the word. Let’s be sure we’re working together for the good of the body, the church of Jesus Christ.

Pastor V. Mark Smith

In last week’s article, the discussion concerned the importance of the Trinity as a vital part of the Christian faith. One of the most beloved of Bible verses is John 3:16 which tells us that God is both a father and a son. It is because God is a trinity He can be expressed as both, and He stands as both because He is a Father only in His relationship to Jesus Christ, and Christ is only a son because of His relationship with the Father. Why is the trinity important and why does it matter? It is because only as a trinity can God be both Father and Son, one in essence but distinct in personality.

            Today, I would like to follow up with the second part of the article. The premise is the Trinity matters because God matters. Many thanks to the author from whom these thoughts are gleaned. Read carefully to see knowing God as a Trinity is the only way to know Him truly.

“The Trinity matters because this is who God is. It’s who he always was and would’ve been even if there had been no you, no me, and no heavens and earth. The question isn’t first and foremost, ‘Is this practical?’ or ‘Will this be on the test?’ The question is ‘Do I want to know God?’ As Fred Sanders observes,

It makes no sense to ask what the point of the Trinity is or what purpose the Trinity serves. The Trinity isn’t for anything beyond itself, because the Trinity is God. God is God in this way: God’s way of being God is to be Father, Son, and Holy Spirit simultaneously from all eternity, perfectly complete in a triune fellowship of love. If we don’t take this as our starting point, everything we say about the practical relevance of the Trinity could lead to one colossal misunderstanding: thinking of God the Trinity as a means to some other end, as if God were the Trinity in order to make himself useful.

One reason we Americans neglect the Trinity is because we’re so pragmatic. Instead of asking ‘Is it true?’ we’re more likely to ask, ‘Is it useful? ‘Will it help me get ahead?’ ‘Will it make me a better spouse or parent?’ Those are good questions, but if that’s all that matters to us, then how are we any different from the pagans? Even the pagans care about those things.

To know God savingly is to know him as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Anything less is sub-Christian. The number one question is, ‘Do you want to know God?’ Because as Jesus said, ‘This is eternal life: that they know you the only God and Jesus Christ whom you have sent’ (John 17:3).

To know God savingly is to know him as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Anything less is sub-Christian. The Trinity matters because God matters, even if it doesn’t strike us as practical.

And yet it is practical. Because—to bring our two points together—the kind of God we have determines the kind of relationship we will have with him. For example: Is your God an all-sufficient fountain of joy and love with an inexhaustible supply available for you anytime? Or did your God create you and save you because he was lonely and needed you?

Is your God the unitarian God of Arianism (think Mormons and Jehovah’s Witnesses), modalism, or Islam? Or is he the biblical three-in-one? The God of John’s Gospel was never lonely, because even in the beginning, before anything made was made, he already had someone with him. ‘The Word was with God’ (John 1:1).

Is the Trinity practical? Let me ask you—what kind of salvation does your gospel give you? A judge who forgives your sins? Not bad. But not good enough. The triune gospel is better by far. This is good news, because it tells us God didn’t create us because he needed somebody to love. He wasn’t without family. He was already a Father. And he already had an eternally begotten Son, the radiance of his glory and the exact imprint of his nature (Heb. 1:3), lying in his bosom (John 1:18) and basking in his love (John 17:24). You and I aren’t the result of some man-shaped hole in the Father’s heart; rather, you and I represent the overflow of the Father’s eternal love for his Son—as though the Father had said, ‘Son, this love of ours is just too good to keep to ourselves. So together with our eternal Spirit, let us make man in our own image, so that others might see and experience our love, and so that you might be the firstborn among many brothers’ (cf. Gen. 1:26; Rom. 8:29).

Is the Trinity practical? Let me ask you—what kind of salvation does your gospel give you? A judge who forgives your sins? Not bad. But not good enough. The triune gospel is better by far. It’s God giving himself to you in creation and redemption. The same Son who was begotten by the Father before all worlds was sent by the Father into this world, to live and die for us and our salvation. And the same Spirit who proceeded from the Father and the Son from all eternity was sent by the Father and the Son into this world, to live inside us and bring us to Christ—and through Christ to the Father—so that we might be taken into his family, surrounded by his life and love, to glorify and enjoy him forever.

It’s more than forgiveness. It’s joining an eternal family. It’s being conformed to the image of the Son by the Spirit (Rom. 8:29) and becoming a partaker of the divine nature (2 Pet. 1:4). In short, it’s the kind of salvation that only the trinitarian God can offer.

This is the Holy Trinity. This isn’t just a doctrine; this is our life. It’s more than just a mystery or a mind-bending math problem; this is our God, who loves and gave his Son for us (John 3:16), who loves us and gave himself for us (Gal. 2:20), who loves us and lives inside of us (Rom. 5:5).

                                                            Pastor V. Mark Smith

Recently, I’ve had some discussions with one of the young people about the Trinity. In preaching the subject of assurance of salvation, this young person became concerned about his confusion on the Trinity. It is not that he didn’t believe it, but that he didn’t understand it. This is not uncommon, although I will say there used to be much more preaching of the Trinity than we hear in the modern pulpit. The failure of the younger generation to understand may have much to do with our failure to preach it often enough as essential to the Christian faith.

            In my daily reading, I crossed paths with a very good article on the subject, commenting on the apathy of Christians towards the doctrine as if it doesn’t matter as much to the person in the pew as it does to academics who argue its intricacies. Indeed, lately there has been a raging argument in Reformed circles about its inner workings with charges of heresy crisscrossing from both directions.

            However, this article was much more practical, showing how important the doctrine is for every Christian regardless of their theological acumen. I would like to copy a small portion of the article which takes one of the most beloved Bible verses and shows how important the Trinity is even to the neophyte with limited theological understanding. Read carefully and consider the following:

            “Did you ever notice that even in John 3:16 you’re already wading into trinitarian waters? Don’t get me wrong—I’m not saying that the whole doctrine is here full-blown (you’ll need the rest of John’s Gospel to get the Holy Spirit, including a few verses earlier in 3:5). But just think about all the Trinity-related truths stated or implied in this one simple verse. I can think of at least six:

1. Two of the three persons are explicitly mentioned: God and his only begotten Son.
2. The fact that God has a Son tells us that he’s a Father. It also suggests that when Scripture speaks simply of “God,” it’s often referring specifically to the Father.
3. The fact that the Father gave his Son tells us they’re distinct persons. The Father can’t be the Son if he gave the Son.
4. It says something about how the Father loves his Son that giving him would be the ultimate demonstration of his fatherly love.
5. The fact that Jesus is referred to as God’s only Son suggests there’s something unique about Jesus’s sonship. After all, Scripture teaches that God has other sons (Job 2:1; Heb. 2:10). In fact, John has already told us in 1:13 that when we believe in Jesus, we become God’s children. So how can he say that Jesus is God’s only Son? Answer: because while we are sons by grace, he is Son by nature. We become God’s sons by adoption and regeneration, but he doesn’t become God’s Son—he simply is God’s Son, begotten from the Father before all worlds, God from God, light from light, begotten and not made.
6. John 3:16 tells us that this is how we receive eternal life—by the Father giving his Son. Salvation is trinitarian. The Father has an only, eternally begotten Son, and in his love for sinners he sends that Son for us. The Son of God becomes a Son of Man, so that the sons of men might become sons of God. And then, the Father and Son send their Spirit to dwell in us so we can experience this new life as sons (John 3:5, 7:37–39, 15:26, 16:12–15).

As Paul puts it in Galatians 4, But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” (Gal. 4:4–6)

As one writer has said, “The Trinity and the gospel have the same shape.” Are you beginning to see why? This is how God saves us—by sending his Son and Spirit. Our salvation hangs on these two sendings. Without them, God would still be a Father, but he wouldn’t be our Father. He would still have a Son, but he wouldn’t have many sons. The Trinity matters because the gospel matters.”

Next week, I want to follow up with another part of the article that makes the point: The Trinity matters because God matters. Think on this first part and look forward to more understanding in the second.

                                                                                      Pastor V. Mark Smith

            In 2018, I preached a series of messages entitled Proofs of Your Profession which told us who are authentic Christians. I then shifted the focus to discuss another timely topic—who are authentic preachers?

            In 1 Thessalonians 2, Paul outlined his credentials as a true minister of Christ by inviting the church to examine his life. If the people are judged by their character and the way they live, shouldn’t the preacher be judged by the same? As he reveals the character of the true minister of Christ, he uncovers the false, the pretender who leads the unsuspecting astray by obscuring the gospel of Christ.

            Never in the history of twenty plus centuries of Christianity has there been such proliferation of false teachers. The communication age of satellite television, of radio, and the planet interconnected by the world wide web has given rise to the phenomenal growth of false Christianity. While we can reach millions with the truth of the gospel, Satan uses the same media to infiltrate the world with the lies of the false gospel.

            One of the worst perpetrators of Satan’s deception is the Trinity Broadcasting Network. This satellite television network has hardly seen a heresy it does not embrace. TBN made popular the teaching of the prosperity gospel that is one of the subtlest perversions of truth the world has seen. TBN made popular the teachings of Paul and Jan Crouch whom Paul would call accursed, anathema, separated from God because of their corruption of the gospel. Though both are now deceased, their legacy lives on in their programming that reaches around the world to blind others to the glorious gospel of Christ.

            Is this unusual in the history of Christianity? Only in the scope, for it is not unusual for Satan to transform his ministers into angels of light (2 Corinthians 4:3-4). Our missionaries now contend with this perversion of Christianity in some places more frequently than non-Christian perversions. Sadly, to increase their revenues and popularity, some Baptists have gone over to it and helped promote what they once fought as heretical.

            I recently read this assessment of the problem: “History proves that false teachers are often some of the most charismatic individuals you will meet. They have a ‘way with words,’ able to sound mostly orthodox while denying, perhaps subtly, particular points that are necessary for faithfulness to our Lord.” Thus, we see preachers that read a verse of scripture to lend orthodoxy, but then quickly abandon the text or pervert the text to their own ends.

            In Romans 16, Paul said the false teacher serves his belly. By good and fair speeches, he deceives the simple. This is the heart and soul of TBN. It is a network that serves up daily delectable dishes of lies from preachers whose appetite is to line their pockets by preying on the poor and most vulnerable. Interestingly, what they claim is truth is opposite the apostle’s approach in verifying himself as an authentic gospel preacher. He did not use flattering words to cloak covetousness (1 Thessalonians 2:5).

            There is much to be said on the subject. I have four sermons to help you spot the fake and verify the true. Rohnert Park, Santa Rosa, and the rest of Sonoma County is infected with these spiritual vermin as is the entire world connected to the web with its deceitful lies. Be sure you evaluate every word you hear by comparing it to scripture. Examine, investigate, remember what you hear, and concentrate on the sincerity of the motive. Does it represent the lives of Christ and the apostles?

            A false teacher is lurking near you ready to beguile unstable souls. Protect yourself with all the diligence required. We will help you squash the bugs and their deceitful lies.

Pastor V. Mark Smith  

Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? (Matthew 7:22) 

            Today’s article may be considered a final word on our study of 1 Thessalonians 1:4-10. We finish the chapter with a discussion of hell and God’s wrath. However, I would like to return to Matthew 7, the passage we used for warnings about false assurance of salvation. Those who are falsely assured are not delivered from God’s wrath.

To me, Matthew 7:22 is one of the most remarkable verses in scripture. We have learned in our study there is a solemn warning concerning self examination so that we are not self-deceived thinking we know Christ when we truly do not. In preaching on this subject, I have made a general application of this passage to all Christians, which is certainly proper since the Bible clearly states that each believer should apply tests to his profession of faith to see if it is real. The apostle John teaches this in 1 John as he gives three tests that can be applied. There is a doctrinal test—what do you believe concerning the doctrines of the Bible; there is a moral test—do you respond in obedience to the commands of Christ; and finally, a social test—what is your relationship to others as commanded by Christ; in other words, do you love your neighbor as yourself?

            Although it is proper to apply Matthew 7:21-23 to every Christian, we must not forget these verses link directly to the preceding ones concerning false prophets. What makes verse 22 so remarkable is the lack of denial by Christ that these false prophets cast out devils and did many amazing works. Satan can transform himself into an angel of light and his ministers often appear to be preachers of truth (2 Cor. 11:13-15). Many people are deceived by false preachers because they falsely assume all spiritual activity within churches is Holy Spirit activity. This is terribly untrue. Much of what goes on in charismatic churches and others is not the work of the Holy Spirit. If you attend a church where the Bible gets little play, you can be sure the Holy Spirit is not there. God works through the Word, and where there is spiritual activity without it, the devil is at play not God.

            It is further remarkable that God sometimes uses false prophets for His purposes. This seems like an incredible statement, but nonetheless it is true. It certainly does not make the false prophet personally acceptable to God, but we must never forget nothing takes place in God’s universe that He does not control. In the Old Testament, the prophet Balaam spoke truth, but according to the New Testament he loved “the wages of unrighteousness” (2 Pet. 2:15, Jude 11, Rev. 2:14). Caiaphas the wicked high priest charged Jesus with blasphemy (Matt. 26:65), but also spoke truly, albeit in ignorance of the import of his words, when he said that Jesus would die for the nation of Israel as well as Gentiles throughout the world. This prophecy was not his own but was given by God (John 11:49-52).

            Surely, no greater evidence can be given that prophecies and miraculous works are not the final indicators of true belief. Signs and wonders and gifts and healings are not the ways we find assurance of salvation. The devil can do spectacular things. We must warn people there is great apostasy within churches that call themselves Christian. Believing a false gospel will never deliver from the wrath to come.

            The next part of the studies in 1 Thessalonians will concern the proofs of the preacher. You best know whether your preacher is telling you the truth else the gospel you believe falls short of delivering you from the wrath of God in hell.

Pastor V. Mark Smith

Often, I speak of the blessings I receive from reading the daily devotionals in TableTalk magazine. The magazine is available by subscription, but if you didn’t know, you may also read the articles and devotionals free of charge at tabletalkmagazine.com. They are nicely formatted for mobile devices or for reading on your computer. Although I receive a printed magazine, I generally read them from my iPad.

            I mention this again today because of a thought provoking article at the end of July. The title was “God Doesn’t Tell Us Everything.” The Bible does not tell us everything, but it does tell us what God wants us to know. The article spoke of Abraham’s life and how God made him a promise of a family that was not fulfilled for many years. In those years, God did not speak to Abraham often—at least the Bible does not tell us He did. Through long stretches of Abraham’s life, God said nothing to him, leaving Abraham to hold on to the promise not knowing how God would fulfill it.

            The same is true in Jacob’s life. He was told that Joseph his favorite son was dead. It wasn’t until more than two decades later that Jacob learned Joseph was alive. We wonder why God did not tell Jacob sooner but let him live in sorrow. We only know God doesn’t tell us everything. God is not concerned with how quickly or slowly He reveals Himself. His timetable is not ours. He will tell us in His good timing and at the right time.

            None of the things that will happen to you are revealed in advance. Even a mother’s pregnancy, though it is according to the time of life, does not tell us whether the child will bring joy or sorrow. The nine months of pregnancy might show us in some ways how God deals with us. Our experiences during the gestation period are there for our learning and for God to prepare us for what comes later. Whatever good or bad, we would not endure them or enjoy them if not made ready during the waiting period.

            If God should tell you He will make you rich, would you be as frugal or diligent as you are now? If He should tell you your life will become nearly unbearable, would you still live in the hope you have now? The timing from God’s standpoint is critical because He knows every step you take and how to best get you from one place in life to the next.

            While I have added and interpreted the article in my own way in these last paragraphs, the article ended with this statement: “We don’t know all that God is doing. Perhaps He will work a miracle, as He did in opening Sarah’s womb. Perhaps He will simply send us news, as He did with Jacob. Perhaps He is doing something we never could have expected—something that’s according to His own counsel, something that would surprise and delight us entirely. We have reason to believe that the Lord might enjoy working in that way. After all, He sent us His Son. He gave us His Spirit. Who could have expected such extravagant love? God doesn’t tell us everything, but He tells us enough, and He surprises us with His mercies.”

            I know this to be true. My association with Berean fits the point of the article perfectly. My preparations were in process long before I became pastor. Events in the lives of others were essential to make circumstances favorable that I should become your pastor. God knows all these contingencies and works them ultimately for His purposes. Perhaps you can survey your life to see how painful experiences or joyful ones have worked differently than you might suppose. You didn’t know how God was shaping you for where you are now. God must not tell you until He is ready—and you are ready through His divine providence.

            At this moment we are going through processes that are preparing for another day, another event that you might not be ready for should God reveal it too early. Trust God that He will do what He promises. He works all things for your good.

Pastor V. Mark Smith

            “The future is quite fixed, but the past changes day by day.” Does this statement seem odd to you? I read this in an article which prompted a good measure of thought. How can this be true when we believe the past is static—what’s done is done—while the future changes depending on the actions we take today?

            The author of the article was quoting an old Soviet Union saying while making an application to America’s changing opinions of the past. For example, fifty years ago when I was in high school, I learned American history. We studied the Civil War in which the war was interpreted as two honorable factions in sincere disagreement over state’s rights. The leaders of the Confederacy, although wrong on slavery, were considered respectable men who were much nobler than our modern politicians.

            Today, the view of the same men has vastly changed. Now they are considered bigots, hate mongers, racists, and villains. The past has not changed but the viewpoint of it certainly has. Confederate monuments are torn down and anyone sporting a Confederate flag should have his fingernails extracted. Time will only tell if George Washington, the slave owner, or Thomas Jefferson who did likewise, will be stricken from public consciousness. Our founding fathers will not be revered as defenders of freedom, but agents of oppression. The perspective depends not on history, but on the one who teaches it.

            Another example is abortion. Seventy-five years ago, abortion was a secret no one would tell. Is it murder? Is it obscene? Only the worst reprobate would defend it. Abortion was moral outrage. Has the past changed? No, the perception has. The morality is outdated, as recently a Netflix TV host held a festive Fourth of July type celebration with a marching band and balloons, celebrating how good it is to kill a baby. The host said an abortion should be as easy to obtain as ordering from MacDonald’s dollar menu. I wonder how soon the Netflix sign at corporate in Los Gatos will be pulled down by angry mobs?

            The frightening reality is this observation by the article: “On a sobering note, do recall that the new undergraduates entering colleges this coming Fall were born in 2000, and they don’t recall a world without smartphones and social media. For them, the US has always been at perpetual war in at least one Muslim nation. For them, same sex marriage has always been the law of the land; Confederate flags have always been the symbol of hard core racist lunatics; and transgender issues have always been at the forefront of civil rights. Churches that fail at least to acknowledge and debate these fundamental realities – if not to agree with them on every point – just do not speak their language.”

            This fairly underscores the difficulty of reaching people who have a fundamentally different value system. However, for Christians, the past does not change and neither does the future. Sins of the past were against God and the same committed today and tomorrow are sins against God. The consequences for them past, present, and future do not change. The coming future judgment of God will not change. What God spoke in His word regarding the future Great White Throne Judgment will not change and the criteria for the judgment set when God created the world in the distant past will not change. There has always been an unchanging moral law written on the heart if not written on stone or with pen and ink.

            We are to look to the one static proclamation of truth—the Holy Scriptures. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. We must know this or suffer in the future for the offenses of the past. Be aware, the only change is this statement: “In the beginning God.”It shall become, “In the end God.”

                                                                                    Pastor V. Mark Smith

In our study of assurance in 1 Thessalonians, I have spoken mostly of our imitation of Christ in terms of our obedience to His commandments. Our election by God is proved by the holiness of our lives which is measured by our morality. Usually, morality is thought of as acting righteously and not doing evil. We are careful to see no evil, speak no evil, and hear no evil. We do well to stay away from evil, but if we aren’t careful our Christianity may be characterized as negative Christianity. We are identified for the things we don’t do.

            In the teachings of Jesus and the apostles, Christianity is more about the positive than the negative. Christians are to be characterized by our good works. We are identified as people who positively impact others that reach beyond our lives to help others in theirs. We glorify God through good works because these works reveal the nature of our God.

            For this reason, the scriptures teach us to be forgiving and forbearing of both friend and foe. None of us were God’s friends, yet with mercy and compassion He made us His friends. Compassion is the willingness to show mercy from the deepest kindest affections. When we examine ourselves for the truth of our confession, we ought to ask ourselves about acts of kindness. Are there positive proofs we have the character of Christ?

            I am thankful to be in a church with many compassionate people. My wife and I have been through some painful times and we face many more. Through these times, we have felt the compassion of Christ in many ways. I am pleased to hear others say they have felt the love and harmony of this body of Christ. It is not just the pastor who gets attention. Our people look after others who aren’t always the most vocal and noticeable.

At times, it is easy to ignore the needs of others when we face so many problems ourselves. Sometimes other members are just acquaintances and we don’t feel as close to them as we should. In scripture, the church is said to be a body. We are interconnected receiving our source of life from the same beating heart, of our Saviour Jesus Christ. Part of being in the church is to have camaraderie with each member having the same care of one another. We are people destined to live with each other in eternity. Isn’t it good for us to be people learning to live together here? This is also proof of our profession—we live for Christ and for each other.

When you see the terms, compassion, forgiveness, and love in the scriptures, you must remember God’s characteristics. He modeled these towards us in the demonstration of His gift of His Son. The Christian life is the imitation of Christ who loved us and gave Himself for us. We love because Christ loved, and we care because Christ cared. Didn’t He say when we visit the sick it is as if we have done it to Him?

Whenever you hear another member is hurting and needs help, be ready to give aid with a compassionate heart. We must step out first not thinking if that person would do the same for us. Christ knew we would not love Him first, so He acted compassionately until He made us His friends.

Remember, the proof of your profession is more about what you do than what you don’t do. Be a positive Christian and let your life be filled with good works.

                                                Pastor V. Mark Smith