Was The Apostle Paul A Christian?

 It has been disputed even today whether Paul was an apostle or one duly appointed and even an inferior one at that. Paul was so questioned about it that he wrote 2 Corinthians to refute the idea in chapters 10 and 11 he makes his case. What else is an apostle but one who has seen the risen Lord, can do miracles, signs, and wonders, and is personally appointed by the Lord Himself?  But the contention was that Paul was just a troublemaker, not a peacemaker, a divider, was always in trouble with the law or in jail, got shipwrecked, stoned,  beaten with rods, unpopular, left for dead, gone without food,  not an uniter, and a poor preacher and even too hard to understand and didn't get along with Peter or other apostles even disputing with Barnabas. 

We see believers do likewise today thinking that if you haven't achieved the American dream or are not a success in the eyes of the world, then you are not measuring up as a Christian and not be one at all, especially if bad things happen like divorce, bankruptcy, unemployment, disease, disability, or trouble with the law.  The proliferation of prosperity theology is appalling and widespread and is popular as even the mention of the word "sin" is considered a killjoy and taboo.  What we must learn is that we are not to cash in on our spiritual lottery ticket but learn to be content in whatever circumstance God gives and be thankful to be in God's will.  

But we must realize that hardship is par for the course in our Christian experience of hard knocks and the spiritual adventure and road to Reality 101 learning. In short, we are not promised a bed of roses and our life is no rose garden. We can have just as many hardships as an unbeliever. It is written that the Jews thought they were immune to disaster or calamity by virtue of being God's people but had a wake-up call during the Babylonian captivity. It is true God can and does put a hedge of protection around us but God can allow short-term evil for long-term good; look at Joseph saying, "You meant it for evil, but God meant it for good." and also Job saying, "Should we accept good times from the LORD and not evil times?" 

We are to judge Paul by his writings which Peter called "scripture" despite being hard to understand. He is the one we owe our understanding of the gospel message.  Paul is the one who preached to the Gentiles and founded more churches than the other apostles in Europe and Asia. But we must put his life into the perspective that Jesus said he would suffer 'great things for Him." Paul said it was a privilege to suffer for the sake of the Name. Paul wrote at least 13 epistles and is considered the chief New Testament writer. 

Are You Cashing In or Enduring?

"Endure hardship as discipline..." (Hebrews 12:7, NIV).  
"But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship..."  (2 Timothy 4:5, NIV).
"I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith"  (2 Tim. 4:7, NIV).

Some believers seem to be deluded about the cost of discipleship and the suffering that comes with the package.  God doesn't promise to make us all rich, famous, influential, or powerful:  We are not worshiping at the altar of Almighty Chance trying to cash in our spiritual lottery ticket and live a balanced, successful life; we're here to do God's will: to know Him and make Him known (cf. Jer. 9:24).  We are just vessels of honor used by God, which should be seen as a privilege of grace, and are just servants to whom we hope God will say at that day:  "Well done, thou good and faithful servant."

It is by discipline, suffering, trials, tribulation, and adversity that we build character and these are our crosses to bear, but they pale in comparison to Christ's.  Philippians 1:29 says that it has been granted unto us "to suffer for his sake."  Christ was honest enough to warn us of this and didn't exempt himself from any humiliation, persecution, shame, suffering, nor temptation.   Paul also expresses the desire to rejoice in the fellowship of His sufferings in Phil. 3:10.  Contrary to what Joel Osteen writes about in Your Best Life Now, our reward is in heaven and we are only spiritual pilgrims on green cards with citizenship in heaven only passing through!

Some of us have more hardship than others, but none of us gets a free ride or a bed of roses; it's an affliction that shapes our character and makes us Christlike.  Sure, God blesses us and makes our work in the Lord a success if we keep the faith and endure, but success in the eyes of the world is not what's meant--they have their reward in this life (cf. Psalm 17:14), but ours is in heaven.  We are, therefore, to endure with patience the race set before us, keeping our eyes on Jesus (cf. Heb. 12:1).

The doctrine of the perseverance of the saints guarantees that we won't lose our salvation, but it doesn't ensure we won't lose our full reward or be disqualified (cf. 1 Cor. 9:27; 1 Cor. 3:15).  "We must never, never give up" (in the words of Winston Churchill) and never quit but endure the hardship we are faced with, though it be a bucket of tears--it's always too soon to quit!

We may be tempted to compromise our integrity or to break faith, but we must go on from faith to faith (cf. Rom. 1:16).  That means faith is the essence and we believe that God is working on our behalf and we cannot lose or are in a win-win situation.  We may be tempted to deny Christ, or not to take a stand on His behalf, but we must keep the faith regardless.  No matter what the world dishes out we must be able to roll with the punches; we're not called to grin and bear it like a Stoic, but to see the reward hopefully, and to endure joyfully.

Jesus never encouraged people to follow Him; in fact, He did all He could to discourage them and to count the cost of signing up for life.  It wasn't something you give a whirl or make a short-term contract with, but a permanent transaction of becoming a child of God with all the consequences as well as blessings (divine discipline or chastisement and reward).  You don't just "try Jesus" but you must be willing to commit your life to Him much like a marriage where you commit to a lifelong contract. You don't experiment with Him or accept Him on a trial basis!  Jesus wasn't looking for admirers or sidekicks, but followers and worshipers who love Him and prove it by obedience.

The final goal is the smile of God, and He does so when we joyfully walk in His will and are obedient.  "True holiness is doing the will of God with a smile," (Mother Teresa).  The "joy of the Lord is [our] strength," according to Nehemiah 8:10; it's something the world cannot take away, as we are commanded to rejoice always.

The choice is clear:  We are either for Christ or against Him; there's no middle ground of neutrality. Persecution is part of the deal or the package that we signed up for and the deal is for a lifetime:  All who are godly shall suffer persecution.  It's like a  feather in your cap or crown on your head when you've been mocked or ridiculed for your faith and you know you've spoken out for Christ as His witness to a dark world.

 The goal is to please God; "The LORD takes pleasure in his people..." (Psalm 149:4, ESV).  We ought to rejoice in tribulation:  Cf. Rom. 5:3!   The caveat in tribulations:  Keep your eyes on Jesus, not yourself, the world, nor others--no matter how tempting.  Soli Deo Gloria!  

Your Best Life Now?

"He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf doesn't not whither.  In all that he does, he prospers"  (Psalm 1:3, ESV).  

This is the title of a best-selling book by a well-known televangelist, Joel Osteen, touting the benefits of being a believer, who only has to cash in on his spiritual lottery ticket to find prosperity, as he sees it--to suit his whims.  God is indeed good to some in all ways, and good to all in some ways, but not good to all in all ways, including believers (cf. Psalm 145:9).  We are to be faithful to what God has called us to and put God in charge of the so-called success.

With God, little, with His blessing, is much.  The spirit that we offer our lives to Him is what matters--as Mother Teresa of Calcutta said, "True holiness consists in doing the will of God with a smile."  She also said that it is not what we do, but how much love we put into it that matters! Prosperity theology is a heresy that the modern church has fallen for, and the test of this is that if you cannot preach that gospel to everyone, it is a false gospel.  There are martyrs in China who are not leading prosperous lives, yet they wouldn't give up their crowns for worldly success any day--how does this teaching apply to them?  God will prosper us as we do His will, and this means being in His will (which is always the safest place to be).

Do you really want your best life now, as some have their reward or portion in this life, according to Psalm 17:14, or would you want to make an eternal investment that will outlast the consequences of this world? Every day we strike a chord that will vibrate for eternity, and the most important thing we can do is make an impact that will outlast us, by investing in something bigger than ourselves.


The telltale sign of believers is not income, real estate, 401(k)s, vehicles, nor profession, but the love of the brethren, per John 13:35: Mother Teresa of Calcutta (recipient of the 1979 Nobel Peace Prize) said that God has called us to faithfulness, not success. We can be assured that if we are faithful in little, we will be faithful in much, according to Jesus--as this life is but a trial run, dress rehearsal, or tryout for eternity. Jesus said that you shall know them by their love, not their possessions, or success by any standards.

Joshua 1:8 promises to make our way prosperous and to give success, if we are faithful to the Word; however, people misconstrue what success and prosperity are.  God will ensure that we will succeed in doing His will, that He has called us to do and He will bless us with all spiritual blessings in Christ, even partaking of the divine nature.  Don't be fooled by the world's standards of success and prosperity, like he who dies with the most toys wins or achieving the so-called American dream!  The Bible warns against materialism and that we cannot serve God and Mammon.  Jesus said not to store up treasures on earth.  We are to make eternal investments in heaven by giving according to, and in proportion with, the blessings we share from are granted by God.

Some seekers are searching for the benefits, but not the Benefactor, and only want God in their lives for what they can get out of Him.  God will take care of all our needs, though some confuse needs with felt needs or wants.  David prayed, "The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not want [be in want]." God's chief aim is to fashion us after the image of Christ, not to make us balanced, well-adjusted, happy, and secure individuals.  We need to live in light of eternity and not be so focused on the temporal!

If we have God, we have all we need, even if the crops fail:  It happened in Habakkuk 3:18 (ESV), which says, "Yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will take joy in the God of my salvation."  3 John 2 (ESV, emphasis added) says, "Beloved, I pray that all may go well with you and that you may be in good health, as it goes well with your soul."  God seeks to use us as vessels of honor and that is what we are here to do:  Being His feet, hands, voice, and ears to a needy world.  The really successful believer is one who bears the image of Christ and God can use for His glory like Paul said in Romans 15:18 (NIV): "I will not venture to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me...."  This is reiterated by Isaiah, saying that all that we have accomplished, He has done through us (cf. Is. 26:12).

Newsflash:  God isn't out to guarantee anyone's happiness or financial benefit, but to sanctify us after the image of His Son and to use us for His glory:  "The chief end of man is to glorify God and to enjoy Him forever"  (The Westminster Shorter Catechism, cf. Isaiah 43:7).  Some believers just want to be happy, which depends on happenings, while we are commanded to rejoice in the Lord and cultivate the fruit of the Spirit, which includes joy.

We all have a cross to bear and when we finish the work God has given us, we will be checking out into our heavenly destination:  "For David, after he had served the purpose of God in his own generation, fell asleep and was laid with his fathers and saw corruption"  (Acts 13:36, ESV).  Our crosses pale in comparison to His, but God saves no one without sanctifying them.  Jesus said that we must take up our cross and follow Him, and to "count the cost," as this is what we signed up for and it comes with the territory--there's no guarantee of a bed of roses or an easy life, but "through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God"  (cf. Acts 14:22).

God promises to meet all our needs in doing His will, according to 2 Cor. 9:8, that makes a promise to claim concerning God's provision.   Again:  "But my God shall supply all your need..." (cf. Philippians 4:19).  In the final analysis, it is said, "Adversity, discipline, suffering, and trials inevitably come to all Christians, but Christ didn't exempt Himself from them."  It is the bumps in the road that shape character:  The same sun hardens the clay, melts the butter!  Soli Deo Gloria!

Can We Claim All God's Promises?

Modern-day evangelicalism believes that there are over 5,000 promises at last count in the Bible that can be appropriated by the believer by a so-called "name-it-and-claim-it" theology.  This is rampant and leads to "prosperity theology" that teaches that it is always God's will for the believer to be prosperous (what is meant by true prosperity is that one is blessed by God in his endeavors and they bring forth fruit) and for the Christian to be blessed in a material way.  2 Cor. 1:20 is often quoted to raise the issue:  "For all the promises of God are "Yes" in Christ..."  Or: "For, no matter how many promises God has made, they are "Yes" in Christ."  This really means that Christ has fulfilled all the promises and according to Joshua  23:14 all of God's promises have been fulfilled (past tense); not one has failed!  God keeps His Word on account of Christ.

One thing about promises is that some appear to be and aren't, e.g., in  Proverbs, where there are just many wise pithy sayings or observations, such as if you work hard you will be rewarded with wealth. (Cf. Prov. 10:22 which reads, "The blessing of the LORD makes a person rich, and he adds no sorrow with it").  Many promises are conditional and we must meet the condition:  For example, "Delight thyself in the Lord, and He will give thee the delights of thine heart."  Some are exclusively intended for the nation of Israel and not the church per se.   Some are individualistic, like to Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, or David. Some are for all mankind, like to Adam, who represents all mankind and is the head of the race.

One very popular verse that is often quoted out of context and intended for Israel in captivity that He will restore them and bless them as a nation again is Jeremiah 29:11, which is so often quoted as follows:   "I know the plans that I have for you, says the LORD, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a future and a hope."  God's Plan for some of His directive will is to be martyrs or suffer for the kingdom of God and not necessarily find their so-called "city" in this life--for the patriarchs didn't receive what was promised either.  ("For he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God"--Heb. 11:10.)   God does indeed have plans for His people and His intentions are good toward us and we have a future and hope for living in Christ--namely, to bring glory to God, live for Christ, and die to self.

But mark these words:  God does prosper many believers (He blesses some in all ways, but all in some ways), but prosperity is not to be looked upon as a sign of God's approbation.  Look at the prosperity of the wicked in Psalm 73 and the rebuke of the rich in the book of Amos!  Psalm 17:14 says that some have their portion in this life.   Some people leave their reward behind, and others go to their reward in heaven.    The only true and valid test of a believer is Christian love in action   (Note Gal. 5:6 as follows:  "...the only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.") and the telltale sign is not achieving the American dream or any other material factor-like fame, power, or riches. When we suppose that godliness is a means of financial gain we have missed the boat, however, godliness with contentment is great gain!  (Cf. 1 Tim. 6:5-6.)

CAVEAT:  BEWARE OF REPLACEMENT THEOLOGY THAT SEES THE CHURCH AS THE HEIR TO ALL ISRAEL'S PROMISES.   Soli Deo Gloria!

Are You Self-Made?

"...IN ALL THAT HE DOES, HE PROSPERS..." (cf. Ps. 1:3). "...For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success" (cf. Josh. 1:8).
Pertinent verses to ponder:

"...I am the LORD your God, who teaches you what is best for you, who directs you in the way you should go" (cf. Isa. 48:17). "Dear friend, I pray that you may enjoy good health and that all may go well with you, even as your soul is getting along well" (3 John 2, NLT). "If your riches increase, do not set your heart on them." "For one's life doesn't consist in the abundance of his possessions" (cf. Luke 12:15). "He who mocks the poor insults his Maker" (cf. Prov. 17:5).

They say that the classic definition of an Englishman is a self-made man who worships his creator! Did you ever wonder what was more important: Your ambition or the grace of God? I thought it curious that President Obama says his favorite word in any language is "grace." This is what sets apart Christianity from religion which relies on merit or works for salvation.

Have you ever heard of a taxi driver with a Ph.D.? Eccl. 9:11 says: The fastest runner doesn't always win the race, and the strongest warrior doesn't always win the battle. The wise are often poor and the skillful are not necessarily wealthy. And those who are educated don't always lead successful lives..." (The New Living Translation). "Time and chance happen to them all."

If you are successful it is because others have suffered, and if you are suffering, it is so others may succeed," a wise preacher named Judson has said. Amos had a lot to say to the rich of his day: "And just as stupid is this bragging about Lo-debar [nothing]. You boast, "Didn't we take Karnaim [something strong] by our own strength and power?" Isaiah says in Isa. 26:12: "All we have accomplished you have done for us." Remember that the poor and the rich have this in common, according to Proverbs: God is the maker of them all. "And always remember that it is the Lord your God who gives you the power to get rich" (cf. Deut. 8:18). They say There, but for the grace of God go I. "I am what I am by the grace of God" (cf. 1 Cor. 15:10).

I heard about one politician say that in an economic system the cream always rises to the top. This is another form of class warfare and thinking we should live in a dog-eat-dog world or a system of evolution where the "survival of the fittest" rule rains in the law of the jungle. I think the ideal of American society is that we are really a classless society and that people should remember their roots ("...Look to the rock from which they are hewn, the quarry from which they are dug" it says in Isa. 51:1) and know from where they came. I believe that in a free society all can aspire to improve themselves because they are no "untouchables" and there no caste-system. "Do not abhor an Edomite [who is offensive], for he is your brother," (cf. Deut. 23:7).

Money is not how we keep score: Like they say that he who dies with the most toys wins! Rather the better measure of our riches is not in the abundance of our possessions, but in the fewness of our wants according to Billy Graham.  Soli Deo Gloria!

Prosperity Theology Or Karma?

This is an age-old complaint: Asaph is appalled at the prosperity of the wicked in Psalm 73. Surely the reward of the wicked is in this life ("...whose reward is in this life...").  The Bible says that the rich and the poor have this in common: The Lord is the maker of them all. To be sure, prosperity is not the sign of God's favor or the litmus test for specific personal blessing--they may just be following the "law of the jungle" and the "survival of the fittest" rule better than the pack.

Some modern-day preachers insist that, if you aren't prospering or aren't in excellent health and successful, that you are out of the will of God or are lacking in faith--like you haven't turned in your spiritual lottery ticket yet. God does indeed bless some of the faithful in all ways even making them rich, and God does indeed bless all believers in some ways--but it is to the discretion of the triune God who gets what blessing.

We live in the "what's-in-it-for- me" gospel or "name-it-and-claim-it preaching where they ask what can God do for them, rather than what we do for Him. This is a spin on Jack Kennedy's speech ("Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country!). Have we forgotten duty to our Creator? They are jumping to conclusions by insisting that God wants all believers to be prosperous (now by whose standard anyway?) and even healthy (we all will die, for instance-it's not cancer that's terminal, it's life (caveat emptor)! Buyer beware!

Watch out for the "prosperity gospel" or even "social gospel", which are misnomers and portray a counterfeit message. If you can't preach this gospel to the starving everywhere it is not the true gospel. They want you to believe that all you need is the right formula, right blessed water, prayer, or faith seed. This is bogus! God promises to meet our legitimate needs and not necessarily our wants. And the reason He meets our needs is so we can do good works (2 Cor. 9:8). Jesus said you will know them by their love (John 13:35), not their prosperity!

Don't store up treasures on earth! Don't rejoice in your 401(k)but in the Lord! I have been told that I'm rich because I don't have any debts and I live in the relative security of income (regardless of how low it is), it meets my needs and gives me enough to give away to God's causes. Being rich (look at the average world income) is only relative and a matter of definition. We are to be spiritually rich--woe to him who is fiscally rich but not spiritually rich.

Now to my thesis: teaching prosperity theology is like teaching karma because you treat God like a soda dispenser or coke machine trying to get what you want out of Him. Press the right buttons, etc. You get the impression that you deserve to be rich because you have sown the seed of faith. Actually, it says in Deut. 8:17-18 that God is the one who makes one prosper and in Isa. 48:17 it says that God leads you in the right ways to riches ("For your own good I teach you and lead you along the right path"). But God also prospers the wicked who play by the rules of God's economy. It also rains on the wicked.

The believers that I know that are prosperous are that way because of good work ethic and wise investments, not because they tithed their way to riches. God is no man's debtor though You cannot out-give God, this is not a ticket to riches (1 Tim. 6:5 says disparagingly that those "...who think that godliness is a means to financial gain" are in error. Karma teaches that you deserve what you get(even from a previous life) and that is contrary to grace and God's blessings. No matter how rich or poor we are, we owe our blessings to God.   Soli Deo Gloria!