edifying-words

[edifying-words]

Privileged to Teach

During my time in Nepal, I used to teach in a Bible school regularly. I basically taught on Spiritual Growth and the New Testament Church. However, one day the director of the institution asked me to do the survey of the Bible (the Old Testament) with the students. While preparing notes for the subject I was exposed to the historical and cultural background and other relevant facts about the various books of the Bible. This was my first time teaching on the survey of the Bible and I taught on seven different books of the Old Testament, which was quite fair for the starting, I thought. Going through the detailed introductions and accounts of each one of those seven books and making an overall assessment was quite a laborious and mentally tiring task. However, the payoff was fabulous. In my 20 years of studying the Bible, there were things I was discovering for the first time. Thus, I could safely say that I was teaching myself more than the students. David Pawson in his extensive work entitled, “Unlocking the Bible – A unique overview of the whole Bible”, speaks about the three different approaches to reading the Bible. The first one is the verse-centered approach (self) in which we look for a word for ourselves. In this approach “we read through until a verse fits our situation”. He humorously calls it ‘the horoscope method of Bible reading’. The second approach is the passage-centered approach (others) where we “read the Bible mainly for the sake of other people”. Of course, this is popular today with preachers and teachers. The last one is the “best approach” in which we read the whole book rather than just parts of it. The author reinforces that, “only by doing this can we really understand what God is saying to us through it” (page 612 – 614). May the Lord increase our spiritual appetite to read the Bible and the things therein in its totality. Nowadays, an average English Bible contains an introduction and outlines and other information at the beginning of each book of the Bible. Sadly, most of us avoid reading them. I believe a lot of effort has been put into it to make it available for us. Though at times it might appear dull and unnecessary to read it, it actually helps us to know what we are reading with a clearer understanding and perspective. For example, there could be those who are totally oblivious to the fact that some of what we call the “minor” prophets actually lived and ministered before some of the “major” prophets. Similar is the case in the New Testament. In other words, several books in the Bible are not in their chronological order. And as long as we are unaware of this fact it’ll give us the obvious wrong impression that the events in the Bible occurred historically and chronologically according to the present arrangement of the books in the Bible. Of course, such issues aren’t going to shake our faith but as both a Bible student and a teacher it would help a lot to gather some knowledge about the historical background and other related facts about the books in the Bible. Therefore, adding some Bible commentaries, dictionaries or Bible encyclopedias to our library would certainly enhance our Bible study and research. In fact, with a computer and an internet connection, one can have a whole Bible library without paying a dime. I was shocked one day when I saw the price of some of the Bible commentaries and encyclopedias, which came in volumes in a Bible store. In India, the price of such volumes of books would actually add up to a monthly salary for some. I was so excited at that time knowing that I had those Bible resources and many others more in my computer which came along with some Bible software I was using. Of course, we may all be aware of e-sword. Another one that I enjoy using is The Word. Then of course there are many others, not to mention the availability of countless online Bible study tools. Of course, the natural roaming of your fingers across the pages of those books, highlighting some phrases and sentences here and there with colorful pencils and scribbling a little note in

the corner of the pages of the hard copy has its own different feel altogether. Whatever the case, it’ll help a lot to have a mini Bible library of your own whether hard copies or soft. Mybible is another excellent app for both android and ios devices. Today we spend countless hours of time on our mobile phones and other devices when in fact we could have spent at least even half of it in studying our Bibles and discover truths that would bolster our faith and others’ too. At times, after logging out of some of those sites I look at the clock and relent how much time I had just wasted and wish if I had only spent the same amount of time in reading the Word of God or talking to Him in prayer or yet reading other Christian books for my spiritual edification. The world is infiltrating the church today in a much deeper and insidious manner than we could have ever thought. Most Christians today have only religion and less or sadly even nothing of Christ and His truth. And though many factors account for such a pathetic state of the church, much of it is also because of the lack of proper teaching in the church. Pastors today look upon themselves more as preachers and evangelists than teachers and thus miss out much on the ministry of teaching. In listing out the qualification of an elder or a pastor in 1st Tim 3, Paul clearly mentions the ability to teach as one of the prerequisites. Teaching requires a lot of effort in studying, researching, meditation and of course prayer. I wonder if laziness could therefore be the reason why some pastors shirk away from the ministry of teaching. I was in a city pastors’ meeting in a certain town and discussion was making the round as to who would do the teaching sessions during the morning and afternoon sessions at the upcoming annual conference. Most of the pastors decline from taking responsibility with the excuse that they were preachers and not teachers. I wonder if they had forgotten that a pastor should be “able to teach.” Such conferences also tend to portray the evening meetings as the main highlight of the day where they have a preacher to stimulate the emotion and tickle the ears of the people. “More crowd, more noise and more coverage and therefore the allurement to prefer to rather be a preacher than a teacher”, is what one of my pastor-friend critiqued. And I think that he was right. Over and over again, the apostle Paul in his epistles, especially that of Timothy and Titus urges the leaders to be diligent to teach the church the whole counsel and the sound doctrine of the Word of God. Would the apostle have something different to say to us today? We need to get back to the school of discipleship, the school of meditating in the Word of God at the feet of Christ. We need to revive the ministry of teaching in our churches today. The Great Commission is all about making disciples (Mt 28:19,20) and this task involves a thorough, systematic teaching of the Word of God. Without the ministry of teaching it's impossible to make disciples of people. And as pastors if we fail here then we have failed in our pastoral ministry. Therefore, it's time we jump to our feet and get back to our Bibles, to those Bible resources and literature, and with all the getting we need to get the Holy Spirit’s anointing and revelation to study and to teach.

Ezra 7:10 For Ezra had set his heart to study the Law of the LORD, and to do it and to teach his statutes and rules in Israel.

Let us be like Ezra! Amen! Blessings,

Reuben Pradhan

[edifying-words]

Like vs Love

“I love you but I don’t like you.” Has anyone ever said this seemingly rhetoric line to you? The first time someone threw that on me I was a little puzzled and found it somewhat funny. The second time was during an ice-breaking question in a Bible-study group where I was asked if I’d choose to be loved or liked by people. The third was when I had some friends over to our house for dinner and someone brought up this line for a casual discussion. The discussion basically was that it was possible to love someone without actually liking him or her. I politely objected to that possibility. “Well, also the opposite of 'like' is 'dislike', right?” I added to my question. Now, is it therefore possible for a person to love and dislike a person at the same time? In the context of a relationship, someone might argue that a person concern isn't worthy of being liked because of some negative issues or attitudes or some flaw in his/her character. Some will argue that since the Lord has called us to love one another we could therefore love that person without actually liking him/her. I personally find this saying, this statement rather contradictory. Here’s why. You see when you dislike someone there has to be at least one negative reason why. And whatever the reason, the Bible says that love covers a multitude of sins let alone flaws and weaknesses. And if you truly love that person then you’d be willing to cover his sins or his shortcomings. And when you cover his sins or weaknesses then you can’t continue to dislike him. For if you do then you’re still holding it against him. Of course, we may dislike the sins in his life, his uncomely behavior, his weak points and such other negative traits in his character. And that’s also exactly why when we say we like a particular person we’re actually referring to some aspects of his character, behavior or attitude which are appealing and beautiful in nature. So in that sense, love has to do with a person as a whole while like has to do with certain aspects of that person. LOVE is more subjective while LIKE more objective.  The Bible doesn’t say, “For God so liked the world that He gave His only begotten Son…” It’s because He loved the world. He loved us. He didn’t like the sins and darkness in which we were wallowing and dying and yet out of love for us, He rescued us. That’s what love does and it shouldn't be different with us, His children. Now you know God loves you. And it’s on the basis of His amazing love towards us that He not only bears with our sins and weaknesses but also ardently deals with them so that the things He dislikes in us are transformed and replaced with the things He likes and enjoys in us.  Have you ever clicked on the “Like” button for a post on Facebook only to realize, after some contemplation, that it actually doesn’t deserve a like and then you change your mind and click the “Like” button again in order to undo it? Some will even jest, “Where’s the “dislike” button?” Similarly, because people can change, our likes and dislikes are therefore also subject to change. But love shouldn’t change.  God may like or dislike certain things in our lives but His love for us endures forever. “I have loved you with an everlasting love,” He says. Similarly, we may like or dislike certain behavior or attitude in our brothers or sisters and yet we're called to love them unconditionally. Love endures. Likes and dislikes don’t.

Blessings,

Reuben

[edifying-words]

Anointed Ministry of the Word

Doctrines which means instruction or the teaching of God's Word are meant to drive us to our knees either in awe and adoration of God and His ways or in utter desperation to cry out to Him for His mercy and forgiveness of our wretched condition. When the prophet Ezra and his colleagues read the Scripture to the Israelites that had just returned from the Babylonian exile, they all wept, repented when they realized their lifestyle wasn't in sync with the law of God. They then sought to amend their ways according to the doctrine of the Scripture (Ezra Chapters 7, 9 and Nehemiah Chs 8–10).

The radical apostle Paul reinforces repeatedly in Rom 8 that to set our mind on the flesh is death. But the flesh under the control and leading of the Holy Spirit and energized by the Word of God can be a wonderful vessel in the hands of God for His use. In the Old Testament, the priest had to be both with God and with His people — interceding for the people before God and then listening to what He would say and then going to the people to deliver His message. However, ministries of many pastors and preachers today are tilted far to one side of the scale. The modern "priests" today are caught up largely with people and meetings and too little with God and His Word. And like in the ancient times even today people assemble to hear what message God's servant, the priest (pastors/teachers) has received from the Lord to be delivered to them. But when the "priest" has deprived himself of hearing what the Spirit is saying to the churches then he comes under pressure to perform in flesh. And it's this ministry of flesh that produces death in the church. Spiritually mature and hungry believers might thrive even under such dry pulpit ministry because they've learned how to labor in studying God's Word for themselves but for the average babes in Christ with some whose growth is slow, such spiritually poor nourishment will not only stunt their growth but also eventually cause their spiritual death. And the irony of the situation in such a condition is that both they and their leaders are oblivious to what's happening.

Another factor that's trending of recent is the surge where we see pastors of mega-churches and probably non-mega-churches too, pouring out their hearts and soul on Sunday meetings making sure that the congregation enjoys his sermon and the auditorium packed to the overflowing. Now one might ask, "What's wrong with that?" "Isn't that what any pastor would love to see?" Probably yes. But the underlying factor in this situation is what both the pastors and the congregation fail to see and that is making the pastor the center of our Sunday gathering. The pastor's task is to help gather his congregation around Jesus, the Chief Shepherd and not be the center of the focus himself of the Sunday service or any weekly fellowships for that matter. Yes, of course, the pastor ought to labor in the Scripture and give his best but that best instead of causing people to want to come only to listen to him (and that might be inevitable) ought to rather make them hungry to study and meditate upon the Scripture for themselves more; to grow closer in their walk with their Lord and fulfilling their calling in the Body. Only then the pastor, through his ministry, has succeeded in redirecting the focus of his people from him to Jesus. John the Baptist had his followers and crowds thronged around him but his only goal that summed up his entire ministry was to direct every single of those people to Jesus.

Blessings,

Reuben Pradhan

[edifying-words]

Spirit-led Theology

Apparently, one thing some in the Evangelicals and the Charismatic/Pentecostals circle seem to agree upon is that you can’t have both the Word and the Spirit. "Wait a minute! What do you mean by that?” you may be asking. Well, you see the Evangelicals will say or at least demonstrate that, “We have the Scripture so we don’t need the Spirit (Holy Spirit, that is).” And the Charismatic/Pentecostals will say things like, “We have the Holy Spirit, we don’t need theology.”

My question to both sides is why can’t we have both the Word and the Spirit? Does the Scripture forbid us from having both? The Word and the Spirit are inseparable. If you say you have no theological explanations to the things of the Spirit then you actually don’t know what you have and why you have it. And if you say that the Scripture alone, without the Holy Spirit, is enough then you’re not being led by the Holy Spirit.

The Scripture instructs and the Spirit leads us into those instructions. You should have a theological basis to explain why you speak in tongues and you need the Holy Spirit to enable you to speak in tongues, something that the Scripture teaches about. In other words, the Scripture teaches us about spiritual gifts but it’s the Holy Spirit who gives us those gifts. And if we have spiritual gifts then we should be able to explain about it theologically.

Again, the Scripture instructs us to go into the world and preach the Gospel and make disciples of nations but it’s the Holy Spirit who leads us where to go and to whom.

We equally and desperately need both the Word and the Spirit. It’s never an either-or thing.

Blessings,

Reuben Pradhan