“Test Me in This” – “Change Your Church?” – “Unfailing” – “Scriptural”

At Bible study this morning, someone asked “What bible did Noah have?” Some one answered, “The same one Moses had”.  The term “Scriptural” carries with it identification as from Divine authority. Yes, Adam did not have a bible to read, Noah did not have a bible to read, and Moses did not have a bible to read. But Christ had a Bible to read, and He read it. We have a Bible to read, and we are commanded to read it. From the big bang on, God had a plan for the Bible and for us to study it. All the time.

“Unfailing” is a description of God’s love for us. His plan that had a Bible for us includes his unfailing love for us, to inform us that it is there, and to tell us to act like we know it is there. Simply knowing is not enough. God calls us to believe on Him and to act for Him.

“Test Me In This” is the command about giving the tithe to God. People debate about what is the meaning of the tithe, how do we actually give it to God, and what rights and responsibilities go along with this command to give. I have heard that people associate this command to test God is the only time we are called to test God. I see this as another “putting God in a box” idea. God has not promised to bless us only if we test Him by giving the tithe, but He has promised to bless us if we give anything or everything to God. Our whole life is a test in which we can receive blessing by giving it to God.

So, we need to believe in God, we need to study His Word, we need to act for Him, and we need to act always for Him knowing we will be blessed. So, what if your church is not all you want it to be? Are you to “Change Your Church?” One of the funny thoughts running through my head is the number of phrases with cuss words that are meant to be a really emphatic “Yes”. We are to change our church. We are supposed to “own” our church and to do everything in our power to make it align with the Biblical ideals for a local church body. If we are called, sometimes we are to change our church by going to another one. This is not running from trouble so much as following God. Yes, some churches have trouble that cannot be fixed, but the decision to stay and fight or leave and start over is for God to make and us to follow. Submitting to God will make your path clear. Maybe eventually, but I believe God speaks to us everyday, every time we ask. Unfailingly.