Edition 3 of the NO ANSWER Study

Monday, November 7th

Edition 3 of the NO ANSWER Study

“If you have faith as small as a mustard seed,… nothing will be impossible for you.”

Questions that come to my mind are this:

• How long should I pray?

Answer #1: Continually

• How long should I fast?
• What accounts for a “mustard seed” of faith?

Answer #1: We have seen that a mustard seed is a very small thing. It takes very little faith to do the impossible.

(A bit of humor to start the day) Mr. Marlow was strolling through the country when he saw a stable with the most beautiful horse he ever laid eyes on. It was seventeen hands high and white, with rippling muscles and a fine, flowing mane. Mr. Marlow struck a deal to buy it from the owner who did, however, pass on one key piece of information.

"We are a religious family, Mr. Marlow, and we've instilled those values in our horse. To get him to gallop you must say 'Thanks God' to get him to stop you must say 'Our Father Who Art in Heaven."

Settling into the saddle, Marlow said " Thanks God," and the animal took off. They rode for miles; suddenly they were coming up to a cliff. Unfortunately, Marlow couldn't remember the phrase to make the animal stop and tried every Biblical passage he could think of until, just a few feet from the edge of the cliff, he shouted, "Our Father Who Art in Heaven!” The animal stopped instantly. Shaking and perspiring, Marlow reached into his pocket and pulled out a handkerchief. "Thanks God," he said as he mopped his brow.

(Taken from teleport.com) The mustard seed Jesus mentioned is the smallest they had that would get sown and then harvested, that all the people would have known about then. The mustard seed Jesus described is expected to be the black mustard, which does grow to about 12 feet tall in Israel.

Given the people Jesus was talking with, their knowledge of the day, and the crops they would harvest, Jesus had told them the truth. For them, the mustard seed is the smallest seed that they would've sown and later harvested.

There is no contradiction in what Jesus had told them. The parable that Jesus was giving out is an analogy, it's not meant to provide any sort of science education, but to convey a concept using common terms that they would have understood, common concepts being used to explain something they didn't understand.

Jesus' point was that the mustard seed starts out the smallest of that grouping of seeds: common seeds that all them would know about at that time, seeds that were sown to harvest as a crop, but that even though it's the smallest of all those seeds, it grows into something big enough to seem to be a tree to the birds that would rest on the branches of it.

Note: Now, going back to the mustard seed of faith, a little faith can go a long way. I suppose the faith is supposed to grow as you continue to pray. As it grows, the doubt is supposed to diminish. I would then think the length of prayer would then be praying to the point to where doubt is completely gone.

1 Thessalonians 5:12-24
12 Now we ask you, brothers, to respect those who work hard among you, who are over you in the Lord and who admonish you. 13 Hold them in the highest regard in love because of their work. Live in peace with each other. 14 And we urge you, brothers, warn those who are idle, encourage the timid, help the weak, be patient with everyone. 15 Make sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong, but always try to be kind to each other and to everyone else.

16 Be joyful always; 17 pray continually; 18 give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.

19 Do not put out the Spirit's fire; 20 do not treat prophecies with contempt. 21 Test everything. Hold on to the good. 22 Avoid every kind of evil.

23 May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 24 The one who calls you is faithful and he will do it.

So, verse 17 says to pray continually.

Continual (adj.):

1. Recurring regularly or frequently.
2. Not interrupted; steady.

I would take it more as a regular prayer. Praying several times a day, but maybe when there is a major circumstance, should we pray for a period of time, hours on end, of un-interrupted prayer? I think so. And when our prayer goes unanswered, we should still give thanks (verse 18). But that still does not mean we do not search as to why. So when we search for the answers, it should be a joyful search (verse 16). We should put everything to the test.

Test (noun):

1. A procedure for critical evaluation; a means of determining the presence, quality, or truth of something; a trial.
2. A series of questions, problems, or physical responses designed to determine knowledge, intelligence, or ability.
3. A basis for evaluation or judgment.

It is biblical to search things out in the bible. To find answers about the bible and why some prayers are answered in how we prayed vs. other times our prayers are not answered as the bible says they would be, I need to ask a series of questions. This test is a trial, per se. I don’t see it as a bad thing. I see it joyfully, and I do not doubt the answer lies somewhere within the pages (800+), the test is: can I find it? This looks to be a fun study and a long one… Johnny Out.

International Sunday
DFW Church of Christ
November 13th
Sunday Service at 10AM
at the Wyndam Hotel (Ballroom)
1500 Convention Center Drive
Arlington, TX 76011
Next to the Ranger's Baseball Stadium
Children Classes Available

International Sunday

International Sunday

DFW Church of Christ

November 13th

Sunday Service at 10AM

at the Wyndam Hotel (Ballroom)

1500 Convention Center Drive

Arlinton, TX 76011

Next to the Ranger's Baseball Stadium

Children Classes Available

Edition 2 on the NO ANSWER study

Sunday, November 6th

Edition 2 of the NO ANSWER Study

“If you have faith as small as a mustard seed,… nothing will be impossible for you.”

Questions that come to my mind are this:

• How long should I pray?
  
• How long should I fast?
  
• What accounts for a “mustard seed” of faith?

Matthew 7:7-12
7"Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.

9 "Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? 10 Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? 11 If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him! 12 So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.

Matthew 17:14-20
14 When they came to the crowd, a man approached Jesus and knelt before him. 15 "Lord, have mercy on my son," he said. "He has seizures and is suffering greatly. He often falls into the fire or into the water. 16 I brought him to your disciples, but they could not heal him."

17 "O unbelieving and perverse generation," Jesus replied, "how long shall I stay with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring the boy here to me." 18 Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of the boy, and he was healed from that moment.

19 Then the disciples came to Jesus in private and asked, "Why couldn't we drive it out?"

20 He replied, "Because you have so little faith. I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you."

Matthew 21:18-22
18 Early in the morning, as he was on his way back to the city, he was hungry. 19 Seeing a fig tree by the road, he went up to it but found nothing on it except leaves. Then he said to it, "May you never bear fruit again!" Immediately the tree withered.

20 When the disciples saw this, they were amazed. "How did the fig tree wither so quickly?" they asked.

21 Jesus replied, "I tell you the truth, if you have faith and do not doubt, not only can you do what was done to the fig tree, but also you can say to this mountain, 'Go, throw yourself into the sea,' and it will be done. 22 If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer."

Mark 11:20-25
20 In the morning, as they went along, they saw the fig tree withered from the roots. 21 Peter remembered and said to Jesus, "Rabbi, look! The fig tree you cursed has withered!"

22 "Have faith in God," Jesus answered. 23 "I tell you the truth, if anyone says to this mountain, 'Go, throw yourself into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart but believes that what he says will happen, it will be done for him. 24 Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. 25 And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive him, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins."

Luke 11:5-13
5 Then he said to them, "Suppose one of you has a friend, and he goes to him at midnight and says, 'Friend, lend me three loaves of bread, 6 because a friend of mine on a journey has come to me, and I have nothing to set before him.'

7 "Then the one inside answers, 'Don't bother me. The door is already locked, and my children are with me in bed. I can't get up and give you anything.' 8 I tell you, though he will not get up and give him the bread because he is his friend, yet because of the man's boldness he will get up and give him as much as he needs.

9 "So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 10 For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.

11 "Which of you fathers, if your son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead? 12 Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? 13 If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!"

Note: So here is what I know from just these five scriptures: Matthew 7:11 – the good gift is the Holy Spirit (Luke 11:13). The mustard seed of faith was actually the smallest common thing about in the “day.” So when Jesus says that a mustard seed of faith is all that is needed, he is saying it isn’t much faith needed to do something. Verse 9 of Luke 11 says that I have to ask and it WILL be given. When I ask, I should not doubt (Mark 11:23). The kicker is verse 24, believing I have already received it. I have heard that God has a sense of humor. He did make the Laughing Hyena and the Platypus Duck, so I believe it. I wonder when God hears our prayers, if he answers like that of a Genie sometimes. Here’s a story to elaborate:

• There were 3 friends stranded in an island. Exploring the island, the 3 men found a bottle so they opened it. A genie came out, and she said that she would grant them 3 wishes.
  
• The first man said, "I wish I was with my family" then poof he was with his family.
  
• The second guy said "I wish I was in a steak house with my friends" then poof he was gone.
  
• The third guy was feeling bad and the genie asked, "What's wrong?" The man said, “I'm lonely I wish my friends were here.”
  
• Poof, his two friends were back in the island.

Granted, that is a joke, but still, Genie’s can take something a run with it. They are known for trickery. I am not saying God is a trickster, but what I am saying is that if I were to pray to be rich, per se. And God responds with giving me a ton of friends. In essence, I would be rich with friendship. So, when I prayed for this woman to live, God may have given her new life. I don’t know… what kind of bread was I looking for – white or wheat? (Luke 11:5) There is a number of things I want to look at. First, prayer in that of itself. Prayer in combination with fasting. I want to also ask the question of does prayer need to be said out loud or can you say a silent prayer to be heard by God? Johnny Out.

Edition 14 of the First Principles

Saturday, November 5th

Edition 14 of the First Principles

(The last edition of the First Principles)

Matthew 18:15-17
15 "If your brother sins against you, go and show him his fault, just between the two of you. If he listens to you, you have won your brother over. 16 But if he will not listen, take one or two others along, so that 'every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.' 17 If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, treat him as you would a pagan or a tax collector.

Gossip (verb):

1. Wag one's tongue; speak about others and reveal secrets or intimacies.


2. Talk socially without exchanging too much information.

Gossip (noun):

1. A report (often malicious) about the behavior of other people.


2. A person divulging personal information about others.


3. A person who habitually spreads intimate or private rumors or facts.

Note: “Just between the two of you.” How would I like it for someone to go get “advice” (which to me can be tainted with gossip) and then come to me and give their viewpoint? Is it right to do such a thing? I don’t think so. It’s all about justification. Someone sins against me, so I sin against them by spreading around what happened, all in the name of advice. This is the process of what we are supposed to do: 1) Talk to the person. 2) If no result, talk to the person with a third party. 3) Again, no resolution, address the church. 4) If no resolution still, then treat as a normal Joe.

Hebrews 13:17
17 Obey your leaders and submit to their authority. They keep watch over you as men who must give an account. Obey them so that their work will be a joy, not a burden, for that would be of no advantage to you.

Note: Obey George Bush. Obey your boss. Obey the elders. Obey God. By doing this, things go more smoothly. This doesn’t mean that if there is a question about things, you can’t ask it, and I definitely don’t think that being submissive means letting yourself being taken advantage of, but the heart is to do God’s work.

Matthew 28:18-20
18 Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."

Note: “Go and MAKE disciples,” so to be a disciple, you make disciples… well, I think that is part of it. The heart is you want to “go forth and multiply.” When I think of making something, I tend to think about cake. I love cake. Again, I LOVE cake. So, making one from scratch, with the flour, sugar, eggs and such, it can be a daunting task. It’s not like one of those cake in a box things. To make a scratch cake, it takes a few hours (at least for me) and even then, it doesn’t turn out pretty. It will taste great but you couldn’t judge that from the looks of it. So when making a disciple, starting from scratch, it’s not “add eggs and water and then cook 40 minutes.” I don’t think there is a disciple in a box out there.

1 Corinthians 16:1-2
1 Now about the collection for God's people: Do what I told the Galatian churches to do. 2 On the first day of every week, each one of you should set aside a sum of money in keeping with his income, saving it up, so that when I come no collections will have to be made.

Note: Money, money, money: the one thing that builds bitterness in the U.S. would be money. Everyone wants more of it and nobody has enough of it. When we don’t give, that sends a message to ourselves that we are pulling back. Why wouldn’t I give? Why wouldn’t I sacrifice to God? Am I no longer grateful for what God has done for me?

2 Corinthians 9:6-8
6 Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. 7 Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. 8 And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.

Note: You reap what you sow. Whatever is happening today, is the result of what was done yesterday. If your life stinks, did you plant a stink bomb? If life is good, did you plant roses? I, for one, have a black thumb. Whatever I plant, dies almost before it hits the soil. So that brings another thought, how much do I nurture the things I sow? When I plant something, for it to be reaped, I have to water and care for it as it grows. For it to grow, I have to care for the sow.

Acts 2:36-47
36 "Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ."

37 When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, "Brothers, what shall we do?"

38 Peter replied, "Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call."

40 With many other words he warned them; and he pleaded with them, "Save yourselves from this corrupt generation." 41 Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day.

42 They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. 43 Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles. 44 All the believers were together and had everything in common. 45 Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need. 46 Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, 47 praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.

Note: Do I want to save myself from this corrupt generation? The response should be: what do I need to do? And afterward, I need to be committed. Is commitment “punching the clock” every week? Is it getting to church late and leaving early, running to the car to get away from the fellowship? Is it not calling other Christians, only seeing them at church functions, and even then, it’s a passing by hello. What is devoted? Is that how we treat our spouse? We see our spouse once a week and try to keep it as brief as possible. That is not the way it should be, but it is so common place in churches all over the world. “What is love anyway? Does anybody love anybody anyway?” (song by Howard Jones). I think the question brings a good thought of “faith and deeds” and the “life and doctrine.” If you have the right doctrine, then that can lead to the right life. If you have the right faith, then that can lead to the deeds to prove that faith. The right doctrine leads to love, which would lead to action by that love. Anyway, this was a great study. I enjoyed it. More studies to come with the No Answer studies and the people pleasing studies.

Edition 13 of the First Principles

Friday, November 4th

Edition 13 of the First Principles

Colossians 1:15-18
15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. 16 For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him. 17 He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. 18 And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy.

Note: The church is the body. God is the head, the church is the body.

Ephesians 2:19-22
19 Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow citizens with God's people and members of God's household, 20 built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. 21 In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. 22 And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.

Note: When we become part of the church, at baptism, we become part of God’s household. Roommates! I call top bunk! We are being built to become a dwelling… interesting. God will live in us by his Spirit. I say will because here it says “being built” and you don’t live in a house that is in construction. The Holy Spirit is the builder? He is talking to a church of Christians already. They have already been baptized. You get the Holy Spirit at baptism. In verse 18 (For through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit.), it would appear that Paul is also talking that the Spirit is there in us. I guess the Spirit is molding us into the dwelling God wants us to be.

Ephesians 4:4-6
4 There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to one hope when you were called— 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism; 6 one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.

Note: There is one body. The church is the body. There is one church. So why are there so many denominations out there? Methodist, Catholic, Episcopalian, Pentecostal, Jehovah Witness, Mormon, Church of God, Church of Christ, Biker’s Church, and the list just goes on and on… can’t we all just get along? And the answer should be yes, but there is so much compromising of doctrine. We would all agree in one Spirit and in one Lord. One faith would come dispute. Some say that they can pray to the virgin Mary and other saints, but I don’t see why I should pray to Mary when I can just pray to God. Skip the middle man, like Geico. Why have faith in a person when you can have faith in God? And then the issue of baptism. Sprinkle me like a donut. Dunk me in coffee. Hose me down like a fireman. Does it matter? Yes. If we say that Jesus is Lord and that we should be like him in every way, does that stop in how we are baptized? Jesus was immersed. We are to imitate Jesus. So what does that say we should do?

1 Corinthians 1:10-17
10 I appeal to you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another so that there may be no divisions among you and that you may be perfectly united in mind and thought. 11 My brothers, some from Chloe's household have informed me that there are quarrels among you. 12 What I mean is this: One of you says, "I follow Paul"; another, "I follow Apollos"; another, "I follow Cephas"; still another, "I follow Christ."

13 Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Were you baptized into the name of Paul? 14 I am thankful that I did not baptize any of you except Crispus and Gaius, 15 so no one can say that you were baptized into my name. 16 (Yes, I also baptized the household of Stephanas; beyond that, I don't remember if I baptized anyone else.) 17 For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel—not with words of human wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power.

Note: United we stand and divided we fall. I see this among churches today. Clicks, gossipers, and dissensions are huge among Christianity. It happened in the church I am in now. When the “letter” came out years ago, sin was exposed and it started to crash. People left by the droves. It all boiled down to “who do you follow?” If you follow a man, the man will hurt you. If you dig hard enough, you can find fault in man. And with the power of the internet, you can find fault in anyone, anything, at anytime. But the funny thing with the internet, it may not be true. Doubt seeps in about the source. I found an article sometime ago proving to me that God created the universe. But to those who do not want to believe, they would doubt the source or whatever nuance to boast about whatever lifestyle they so choose. And strangely enough, I am fine with that. If we, as a world, all thought the same way, did the same things, lived the same lifestyle, not only would it be boring, but it would prove the bible untrue in my mind. Do I want the world to be saved? Yes. Do I see it likely? No. And if I am to share my faith, I have to be at ease with that thought. I went way off track here somewhere, but so be it… dissensions and clicks happen. It’s not right, but it happens. At one point or another we are a click. As a church, we are a click. We set ourselves apart from society. There are other churches who are apart from us. I personally have thought about jumping up in front of other churches and preaching. That is mind-boggling to my own mind. I don’t know of that ever happening except in the bible. Christians preaching in Jewish synagogues… if we did that today, we would be shot. I don’t know… I am really typing and thinking at the same time (if you haven’t picked up on that). I think I made my point, though.

1 Corinthians 12:12-26
12 The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts; and though all its parts are many, they form one body. So it is with Christ. 13 For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink.

14 Now the body is not made up of one part but of many. 15 If the foot should say, "Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body," it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body. 16 And if the ear should say, "Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body," it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body. 17 If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? 18 But in fact God has arranged the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. 19 If they were all one part, where would the body be? 20 As it is, there are many parts, but one body.

21 The eye cannot say to the hand, "I don't need you!" And the head cannot say to the feet, "I don't need you!" 22 On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, 23 and the parts that we think are less honorable we treat with special honor. And the parts that are unpresentable are treated with special modesty, 24 while our presentable parts need no special treatment. But God has combined the members of the body and has given greater honor to the parts that lacked it, 25 so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. 26 If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it.

Note: So what part am I? What purpose do I have with the body? What function do I do to help the others? Hopefully I am not a part that is in spasm… I serve a purpose. I am every bit as important to the body as the next person. I have to realize that to not only encourage myself, but encourage others to find their purpose as well. For if we do not know what our purpose is, we cease to function properly and become a body that is sick and needs help.

1 Corinthians 6:14-18
14 By his power God raised the Lord from the dead, and he will raise us also. 15 Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ himself? Shall I then take the members of Christ and unite them with a prostitute? Never! 16 Do you not know that he who unites himself with a prostitute is one with her in body? For it is said, "The two will become one flesh." 17 But he who unites himself with the Lord is one with him in spirit.

18 Flee from sexual immorality. All other sins a man commits are outside his body, but he who sins sexually sins against his own body.

Note: What am I uniting myself with? Do I unite myself with God or with the world. In Nevada, it is legal to be with a prostitute. In Amsterdam, drugs are legal, or at least abundant and very accessible, but I think they are legal. My actions speak about who I follow. What do my actions say about me? My thoughts dictate my actions. What does my thoughts say about me? What is it that my body is doing? Speeding, lusting, being with a prostitute, looking at pornography on the internet, cussing all speak mountains about a person. I am a member of Christ himself, so what is it that I am making Christ do?

Hebrews 10:23-25
23 Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. 24 And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. 25 Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.

Note: Hebrews 3:13 also says “But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin's deceitfulness.” When we encourage one another, an end result is spurring each other on toward love and good deeds. I don’t see how you could say “I love you,” and the person receiving that not feel warmth in their heart. And I mean an “I love you” with sincerity. You can say it with hatred and it come over as such. My mother has said “I love you” to me the last few times we have been together and it has made me feel all fuzzy inside because I knew she meant it. We haven’t had the best relationship in the past, but I feel our relationship is at a new all time high. I think it’s great. The church should be the same way. We should be encouraging each other by being on time to service. It not only encourages us, but God would be pleased. We should be creating new heights in our relationships with one another, as me and my mother are doing.