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JUSTICE

Posted on May 10, 2022 by West Oaks Fellowship

This word is tossed around like a hot potato or kicked around like a soccer ball in our modern society. So misused, so distorted and abused, its meaning is becoming insensately meaningless. Does anyone really know what’s meant or intended when someone passionately cries out or humbly appeals for “justice?” Has the whole idea of justice become simply what one thinks or believes is right in a given situation within the framework of certain circumstances?

It’s interesting to note that in both the Old and New Testaments, the Hebrew and Greek words for “justice” are generally translated or rendered the same … “righteousness” in our English Bibles. While this may not seem important, it is highly significant because spiritually and scripturally speaking these two ideas are essentially the same. Therefore, one must keep this in mind when reading and/or studying the biblical text, and not insert a modern, human, westernized definition or understanding of either word (which one may tend to do).

In the Old Testament, a lot of emphasis is placed upon human justice, primarily dealing with one’s conduct in relation to others, especially in regard to the property, privileges, and rights of others. It applied to business — where just weights and measures are demanded (Leviticus 19:35-36; Deuteronomy 25:13-16; Amos 8:5; Proverbs 11:1; 16:11; Ezekiel 45:9-10). It is demanded in courts — where the rights of rich and poor, Israelite and sojourner, are equally to be regarded. Neither station, nor bribe, nor popular clamor, shall influence judges or witnesses. In actuality, all of God’s people are instructed . . .

Justice, justice shalt thou follow (Deuteronomy 16:18-20; Exodus 23:1-3,6-9).

This justice is what we, as faithful believers/followers, might call, “righteous living” — as contrasted with the wickedness and evil of those who fail to fear God and/or give due respect to other human beings. Remember the parable of the “unrighteous judge” in Luke 18:1-8? Jesus stated that he, “did not fear God and did not respect man” . . . So why was he called an unrighteous judge?

In a broader sense, justice is not only honoring others by granting them their rights, but may actually involve the duty and/or activity of establishing someone else’s rights. Remember the problem found in Acts 6:1-6, Christ’s first church meeting in Jerusalem? A specific group of individuals were being overlooked in the fellowship. It did not matter if that was intentional or unintentional, it simply wasn’t appropriate/right.

Therefore, justice was needed/demanded, and was promptly and forthrightly established! Those living righteously were, in an unprecedented manner, able to establish righteousness/justice for all. Please note, this wasn’t through the establishment of a governmental program or action, but the supreme execution of a better system . . . righteous people simply doing righteousness, thus justice was established and prevailed! In addition, consider the outward impact that occurred as His Church successfully resolved (without any outside influence) an internal problem —

The word of God kept on spreading; and the number of the disciples continued to increase greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests were becoming obedient to the faith.

Throughout the scriptures, the idea of seeking justice means to:

“relieve the oppressed”
“aid the fatherless”
“plead for and assist the widow” (Deuteronomy 24:12-13; Isaiah 1:17, 11:4; Jeremiah 22:15-16; Psalms 37:21,26, 82:2-4, 112:4-6).

However, this conception of justice falls short of its full spiritual denotation and significance. Remember, biblically speaking, the concept of justice and/or righteousness is essentially the same. That idea becomes even more profound and focused within the spiritual, moral, and ethical aspects of a New Testament Christian’s life. It’s a matter of character, not some wishful norm of good human behavior. For believers, the absolute, prevailing standard is clearly established in 1 John 3:7:

Little children, make sure no one deceives you; the one who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous; the one who practices sin is of the devil; for the devil has sinned from the beginning.

A mere give-and-take justice, defined by humans for humans, is not justice at all, and it is consistently never/not enough! The unfailing ideal is righteousness/justice, not simply extra rights or more privileges that somehow are supposed to give the less-advantaged the advantage. Yes, “the folly of fools is foolishness” (Proverbs 14:24) and “The naive inherit foolishness.“ (Proverbs 14:18) While the ways of humanity may seem right to humanity (see Proverbs 16:2), God clearly reveals that even American justice is supremely deficient and flawed, because those that live justly/righteously are the only ones qualified to identify, establish, and implement true justice! Think about it –

How blessed are those who keep justice, who practice righteousness at all times!(Psalms 106:3)

May the just arise from among us, may the righteous step up!

— His & Yours, Pastor Frank

CONSECRATE

Posted on May 9, 2022May 9, 2022 by West Oaks Fellowship

In the Old Testament, Moses, under direct orders from the Lord, declares (Leviticus 20:7):

You shall consecrate yourselves therefore and be holy, for I am the Lord your God.

According to this passage of Scripture,for Israel to be and remain the people of God, they must be “consecrated” and “holy.” This is not merely speaking ritualistically or in a ceremonial sense, but also in a spiritual, moral, ethical, and behavioral sense. The basic or principal command was (Leviticus 19:2),

You shall be holy; for I the Lord your God am holy.

This leads directly to the commands to honor one’s father and mother, to keep the Sabbaths, to refrain from theft and falsehood, to deal rightly with neighbors and servants, and to be kind to the blind and deaf. It’s interesting to note that each command is followed by the refrain, “I am the Lord,” which strongly upholds and continually emphasizes the original premise . . . the Lord God is holy, as is one’s relationship with Him! Thus Israel’s holiness is not based upon mere ritualistic behaviors and/or actions, but is clearly identified as obedience to God’s divine truth/law (Numbers 15:40):

So that you may remember to do all My commandments and be holy to your God.

Therefore, this consecration was more than religious and/or ceremonial; it made a “holy” impact in the entire life … a holy dimension that encompassed one’s entire being … spiritually, morally, ethically, and behaviorally!

Several Old Testament Hebrew words are translated “consecrate” in the biblical text, but each refers to the setting apart of a person or object for the service and/or worship of God. God set His people apart from other nations to worship and serve Him as no other.

However, there remained human responsibility in the framework of His consecration, thus we see the practical implications of consecration fully developed by God’s Old Testament prophets. According to their declarations, true and believing faith leads to consecration – which is an internal/inward dedication that results in the spiritual modification of one’s character and the on-going development of one’s spirituality. For His prophets, the immediacy of one’s relationship to God’s holiness was indicated by a willingness to faithfully participate in acts of spiritual consecration and dedication which demanded absolute obedience, as well as certain observances that necessarily resulted in a spiritual transformation of that individual.

As an example, the “unclean lips” of the prophet Isaiah are purified by a coal from the heavenly altar, and his “guilt is taken away” and his “sin forgiven!” (See Isaiah 6:5-7) Here, a willing and obedient heart is combined with the actions of almighty God. Amos argues that divine holiness demands the ethical reconstruction and consecration of an entire society. The celebrations, feasts, and assemblies (Amos 4:4; 5:21-24) were declared spiritually worthless and meaningless apart from the spiritual, moral, ethical, and behavioral qualities of justice and righteousness. God promises in His holiness, even to avenge the poor, the afflicted, and the oppressed in Amos 2:6; 4:1; 5:10-15.

This only happens when people of true faith turn from human thinking to embrace the wisdom of a living God who knows all and sees all. Otherwise, human benevolence becomes extremely selective, biased, bigoted, highly discriminatory and judgmental. For Habakkuk, the corollary of divine holiness was displayed in righteous anger against evil, faithlessness, and wrongdoing! This prophet even speaks of some spiritual vindication for the righteous — men and women who actively and effectively uphold the standards/concepts of God’s holiness and live wholeheartedly by faith in Him. (See Habakkuk 1:12; 2:4)

As one moves to the New Testament, the word consecrated is only used nominally in reference to objects of Hebrew worship. However, the concept is fully ratified throughout the Biblical text in the term/word “sanctification.” Here we find a distinct, as well as unique “setting apart” of individuals (not objects) for the service and worship of the Lord. Just as in the Old Testament, one finds an act of God combining with the will and subsequent actions of humanity, to bring about sanctification. Biblical, New Testament sanctification always results in a spiritual modification that works to bring about a total adjustment in one’s ethics, morals, thoughts, desires, passions, and behavior.

While it is certainly God that sanctifies, there remains human responsibility in the sanctification process. Just as grapes do not become fine wine automatically, neither does a believer become a true disciple of Jesus Christ without owning and nurturing their relationship with Him. Romans 6:19-23 serves to remind us of this simple fact!

For just as you presented your members as slaves to impurity and to lawlessness, resulting in further lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves to righteousness, resulting in sanctification. For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. Therefore what benefit were you then deriving from the things of which you are now ashamed? For the outcome of those things is death. But now having been freed from sin and enslaved to God, you derive your benefit, resulting in sanctification, and the outcome, eternal life. For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

The Scriptures reveal that one’s thoughts, choices, and actions matter in the sanctification and/or consecration process!

However, we must never forget that this process is impossible without the work of the Lord, and can in no way be achieved or obtained by human effort alone. I Corinthians 1:26-31 states this clearly:

For consider your calling, brethren, that there were not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble; but God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things which are strong, and the base things of the world and the despised God has chosen, the things that are not, so that He may nullify the things that are, so that no man may boast before God. But by His doing you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification, and redemption, so that, just as it is written, ‘LET HIM WHO BOASTS, BOAST IN THE LORD.’

What shall we do? Partner with the Lord … be consecrated, be sanctified … or not?

Choose today whom you’ll serve. — Pastor Frank

HOLIDAYS

Posted on May 5, 2022 by West Oaks Fellowship

Believe it or not, God’s Word, and the lives of those living in the various cultures described in our biblical text are filled with holidays and public celebrations like our Thanksgiving and Christmas, Easter, and Pentecost, etc. A cursory glance at the word “holiday” gives one a clear hint of its etymology … a compound word created from the words for holy (halig) and day (daeg) from the 14th century. The English pronunciation converges from the 16th century with original uses related directly to religious feasts, festivals, and fasts. However, eventually by the mid 18th century, the meaning evolved to include days of recreation and general celebrations like our 4th of July.

The Hebrews of the Old Testament had an abundance of holidays. Some were based upon their traditions, others were focused on agriculture, and some depicted natural changes of times and seasons. However, historical events connected with the national/religious life of the Jewish people are positioned above others as significant memorials, demanding individual as well as group participation. Therefore these holidays, consisting of fasts, feasts, and festivals were often accompanied by cleansing rituals, offerings (some general – others very specific – as an example see Numbers 10:10), and sacrifices (usually specific – see examples in Numbers 28-29).

The reading of Numbers chapters 28-29 seemingly reveals a complex, as well as somewhat complicated need for specific adherence to each specific instruction or demand. Wow! Before long all this could get really burdensome, old, boring, dreary, mind-deadening, and eventually completely uninspiring. Perhaps many of our holidays are similarly bogged down with expectations, traditions, rituals and routines, ultimately losing the meaning and value for which they were originally established. Where’s the memorial in Memorial Day, the mass (gathering of God’s people for worship) of Christmas, or the giving of thanks at Thanksgiving? Unabashedly, the Old Testament prophet Habakkuk reminded everyone, “the righteous (just) live by/in/through their faith” (2:4), and individuals like Isaiah and Amos, along with many others, moved beyond the rituals of their holidays (fasts, feast, and festivals), leaping right into the heart of the matter.

Isaiah 1:13-14 — Bring your worthless offerings no longer, incense is an abomination to Me. New moon and Sabbath, the calling of assemblies — I cannot endure iniquity and the solemn assembly. I hate your new moon festivals and your appointed feasts, they have become a burden to Me; I am weary of bearing them.

Amos 5:21-23 — I hate, I reject your festivals, Nor do I delight in your solemn assemblies. Even though you offer up to Me burnt offerings and your grain offerings, I will not accept them; and I will not even look at the peace offerings of your fatlings. Take away from Me the noise of your songs; I will not even listen to the sound of your harps.

Hosea 2:11 — I will also put an end to all her gaiety, her feasts, her new moons, her Sabbaths and all her festal assemblies.

Certainly these statements were specifically directed toward the spiritual condition of those religiously being religious … practicing their holidays (fasts, feasts, and festivals) — perhaps even flawlessly — to the letter of the law, yet heartlessly without consideration of their true meaning, worth or purpose. So much attention to detail, yet so little contemplation. Have you ever asked the Lord what He is asking of, or what He desires for you and yours this holiday season? Does one just continue walking in what’s always been, just because its always been, or does one earnestly seek to know Him more fully through the feasting and festivities that so anxiously lurk on the horizon?

It’s unmistakably and observably evident that spiritually-minded individuals like Samuel, King David, and Hosea comprehended and appreciated the distinguishing matters of the heart over the process of ritualistic religious activities — holidays (fasts, feasts, and festivals).

I Samuel 15:22 — Has the Lord as much delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed than the fat of rams.

Psalms 51:16-17 — David declares, “For You do not delight in sacrifice, otherwise I would give it; you are not pleased with burnt offering. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and a contrite heart, O God, You will not despise.”

Hosea 6:6-7 — For I delight in loyalty rather than sacrifice, and in the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings. But like Adam they have transgressed the covenant; there they have dealt treacherously against Me.

For this year’s Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays, I’m sincerely, almost in desperation, beseeching the Lord on behalf of our church and every family touched by this ministry … May the Lord delight in our obedience and loyalty to Him, as well as our ever-increasing knowledge of Him, His ways, and His character, which can only come through the humility of a broken human spirit when accompanied by a broken (of natural pride and self-sufficiency — having been completely humbled) and contrite (genuinely repentant) heart.

Can we do it? Let’s make our Holidays … Holy Days!

— Pastor Frank

JUSTICE

Posted on April 12, 2022 by West Oaks Fellowship

What is justice? Where is justice found? The original Hebrew words (tsedhaqah‎; ‎tsedheq‎) and the Greek word (dikaiosune‎), are essentially the same as those rendered or translated “righteousness.” This is common in about half of the uses in the King James Version of the biblical text as well as in the American Standard Revised Version. Other versions use the words interchangeably based upon the context of the verse. Nonetheless, it must be constantly borne in mind that the two ideas are essentially the same throughout the entire Bible.

1. Human Justice primarily has to do with conduct in relationship to others, especially with regard for the rights of individuals. This justice, in general, is contrasted with humanity’s evil or wickedness which “feared not God, and regarded not (one’s fellow) man” (See Luke 18:2). In a larger sense, justice involves not only giving others their rights, but the active duty of establishing their rights.

Isaiah 1:17 Learn to do good; Seek justice, reprove the ruthless, defend the orphan, plead for the widow.

Psalm 82:2-4 How long will you judge unjustly and show partiality to the wicked? Selah. Vindicate the weak and fatherless; Do justice to the afflicted and destitute. Rescue the weak and needy; Deliver them out of the hand of the wicked.

In our New Testament, the idea of justice or righteousness (remember … these are essentially the same) becomes more spiritual and ethical. It is truly a matter of character, and God’s own spirit is the standard!

I John 3:7-8 Little children, make sure no one deceives you; the one who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous; the one who practices sin is of the devil; for the devil has sinned from the beginning.

The mere give-and-take idea of justice is not enough. Believers are unquestionably and uniquely called to be merciful … merciful to all fellow humans! The ideal is our righteousness in God through Christ Jesus, not rights! In Matthew 5:20, Jesus declared:

Unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven.

2. God’s justice, or righteousness, is found to be an essential aspect of His divine nature. However, just as with humanity, it is not something abstract, but is clearly revealed in His relationship to mankind and the world He created. It is His Lordship/Kingship that established and maintains justice. Even though it appears as retributive justice, it’s the reaction of His Holy will/nature, and is grounded in His very being. He is against evil … whatever, wherever found.

Habakkuk 1:13 Your eyes are too pure to approve evil, And You can not look on wickedness with favor.

Therefore, He is not, and cannot be … indifferent to good and evil, right and wrong, etc. All the great prophets of the Old Testament, Isaiah, Micah, Amos, Hosea, each understood God’s just/righteous nature, and insist upon Yahweh’s call/demand for justice/righteousness in/with God’s people.

Today, our cultures and societies know little of genuine justice and in fact may even come to deny it’s existence or origin, despite the consequences within the framework of human civilization. Nevertheless, God’s people are to seek justice, justice for all — as a fundamental component of our belief system/faith … apart from which there is no, and will never be any, true or valid, justice/righteousness.

At West Oaks Fellowship, I pray we “seek justice” and embrace the true meaning of justice for all, standing firm in the understanding that God is just, and the justifier of all those who place their full faith in Jesus Christ! (See Romans 3:26).

His & Yours, PF

TOLERANCE

Posted on March 8, 2021 by West Oaks Fellowship

The basic goal of tolerance is a noble one— to eliminate hatred towards other people by encouraging respect for differing ideas and opinions. However, over the past few decades, the word has evolved to mean, “Show respect by approving whatever another person chooses to believe or do.” In this way, our culture touts tolerance as one of the greatest of all virtues.

Actually, this is a pagan/worldly/fleshly/carnal attempt to dethrone the very action God cited as highest: love (see I Corinthians 13:13). Instead of simply acknowledging the values of fellow humans, we are now being asked, or even commanded, to accept and embrace them. This type of “tolerance” is based on the false idea that “truth” is whatever anyone decides or determines it to be, making it relative to each individual. In other words, each individual establishes what is right and wrong, good or evil, sinful or righteous for themselves in their own heart. Such a tenet creates an unavoidable chasm between God’s concept of love and our culture’s tolerance, because the actions of biblical love are rooted in absolute truth from His Holy Word, the Bible.

This shift in paradigm represents a dangerous and real trend that puts all of us on the front lines of a major cultural and spiritual battle. Is it a battle worth fighting? The answer is a resounding yes! Tolerance, as currently defined by our culture, will ultimately result in a society devoid of a biblical foundation. When the philosophy of relativism and the practice of absolute tolerance are adopted as the highest virtues by a society, the truth of Jesus Christ can no longer be proclaimed because it may be, and will be viewed as, offensive to some people. Eventually, in total hypocrisy, claims that our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ is the way and the truth (see John 14:6) will be dismissed as bigotry. Unfortunately, it seems those times are quickly approaching, or perhaps already here!

As Christians, we can fight and win this battle. We must ask ourselves, “Am I afraid of being labeled “intolerant,” or do I care enough to take a real interest in others and share Christ?” While Christians are exhorted to hate evil (see Amos 5:15), we are nonetheless commanded to love our enemies as well as our neighbors (see Leviticus 19:18, Matthew 5:44). For all true disciples of Jesus Christ, this directive relates to all humanity without respect to their gender, race, nationality, heritage, position in life, fame, fortune, looks (good or bad), abilities (great or limited), idiosyncrasies, beliefs, etc. We, as believers, have no business being condescending under any circumstances. Arrogance on our part not only builds a wall between us and others, but it also shows a complete lack of understanding of Christ’s sacrifice and our dependence upon Him.

I Corinthians 13:4 states, “Love does not brag and is not arrogant.” In other words, rather than criticizing harshly, we should gently minister to people whose morality differs from our own biblical principles. Furthermore, displaying true love requires placing a priority on the needs of those around us. Otherwise, it becomes evident that we are not acting out of genuine love for others, but instead are only concerned with ourselves.

Additionally, I Corinthians 13:6 says, “Love does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth.” That means, we should not at all agree with everything/anything! True love means supporting absolute biblical truth. In order to do so, we must know the truth, God’s Word, or else we will have nothing left to stand upon except our own ideas and opinions, similar to those who do not know the truth or its Author. Now, I Corinthians 13:7 teaches, “Love bears all things and endures all things.” However, that doesn’t mean, “Tolerates all things.” No, it actually means that when we take a stand, do what’s right, and/or “speak/share the truth in love,” whether in personal interactions or in the public arena, some people will hate and despise us.

In Matthew 5:44, Jesus tells us to pray for those who persecute us. It is a fact, that no matter how kind we are, we will be persecuted for proclaiming God’s absolute truth. But, if we are genuinely demonstrating His love, we will be motivated to lift our antagonist in prayer, bearing and enduring whatever insults and persecution they deliver. In so doing, your constant prayer for those who insult and persecute you will become a great and powerful weapon to pry open their spiritual eyes and penetrate their stone cold heart!

We must remember that Jesus Christ Himself was not tolerant of all ideas and philosophies. He allowed those He encountered the right to hold and adhere to ridiculous opinions and erroneous philosophical ideas (see Matthew 10:13-14; 12:30). However, our Lord effectively tailored His replies and comments to each individual’s level of spiritual understanding. By so doing, He challenged and expanded their thinking in a God-ward direction (see John 3:3-12; 4:7-29). We might call this approach, “loving the sinner while hating the sin.” It would be extremely wise for us to become “intolerant” exactly in this same way; the way Jesus Himself was. We must become counter-cultural by learning to act out of, and pro-actively respond through, the powerful and holy combination of true biblical love and absolute truth! Jesus was the world’s best at this, but I’m confident He has not failed to equip us with this exact same ability!

Today, there is a desperate need in our church, our families, our diverse culture(s), and in our society to see God’s glory revealed by the application of this divine formula — absolute truth + matchless love (see I Corinthians 13:8). Remember, this fight is not against the intellect of a particular man/woman, against our peers, or others from perhaps different cultures (see Ephesians 6:12). In fact, it is a battle for our friends, loved ones, and all of humanity, which must boldly stand in direct opposition to the wiles and schemes of a tolerant contemporary culture, promoted by Satan himself. Not everyone is going to like us — some will not tolerate us! Yet, as you and I practice love, and develop the right kind, the Jesus kind, of “intolerance,” may you find strength and courage from God’s Holy Spirit and the words of our Lord in John 16:33, “In this world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world.” YES! In Him we can/will know and experience the victory!

Just think about it – Pastor Frank