There are times throughout the year when groups meet in convention centers around the country to hear about things that are more relevant to that group than anyone else. I personally would not be surprised to hear that shepherds have convention meetings. They could meet to discuss the statistical ignorance and stinkiness of sheep, only to discover that it has not improved even one iota since the previous year. They could take a vote on such decisions as whether or not to officially approve freestyle, left-handed shearing, or whether or not to allow sheep with tattoos to be a part of the flock. But the meeting would reach its climax when the chairman of the shepherds convention would step to the main podium and say, "I would like to introduce to you the greatest of all shepherds, the one who knows more about shepherding than we ever could!" Every shepherd would focus his or her attention on the stage and some might even applaud, but only if they knew that the one being introduced was truly the greatest of shepherds.
Such an announcement was made to a group of shepherds one fateful night in Judea. These shepherds were not having a convention meeting and it was not the chairman of any convention that made the announcement. The announcement did not directly name this person as a shepherd, but it was the greatest of shepherds that was introduced. The Bible records this event, saying, "Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid. Then the angel said to them, 'Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.' And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying: 'Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men!' So it was, when the angels had gone away from them into heaven, that the shepherds said to one another, 'Let us now go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has come to pass, which the Lord has made known to us.' And they came with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the Babe lying in a manger. Now when they had seen Him, they made widely known the saying which was told them concerning this Child. And all those who heard it marveled at those things which were told them by the shepherds" (Luke 2:8-18, NKJV).
It is interesting that the first group of people that God had the birth of His Son announced to was a group of shepherds. Though the job of shepherd had once been the main occupation among the Children of Israel, by the time of Jesus' birth, it was considered to be a poor man's job that was looked down upon by most of society. But despite society's view of shepherds and shepherding, shepherds were the first to hear the good news on that very first Christmas. There have been many reasons given for why that might be, with most pointing to God's love and compassion for the downtrodden as the explanation, but that may only be part of the answer. Since Scripture has described the Lord Himself as the greatest shepherd of all, it was only fitting that He have that first announcement made to shepherds with their flock.
In Psalm 23, David declared, "The LORD is my shepherd..." (Psalm 23:1, NKJV). The Hebrew word that is translated as "The LORD" in most English translations, is actually "Yahweh" (Jehovah). This is the name by which God identified Himself to Moses as "I Am." The one and only "I AM" was David's "shepherd," who watched over Him and guided Him through "the valley of the shadow of death," where no one can make it through to the other side alone. David knew that he was personally like a senseless, defenseless sheep in need of a shepherd, but David knew that God Himself was his shepherd. Another Psalmist agreed with David, saying, "...we are the people of His pasture, and the sheep of His hand" (Psalm 95:7, NKJV).
The Bible promised that God Himself would come to do the work of a shepherd. The prophet Isaiah wrote, "Behold, the Lord GOD shall come with a strong hand, and His arm shall rule for Him; behold, His reward is with Him, and His work before Him. He will feed His flock like a shepherd; He will gather the lambs with His arm, and carry them in His bosom, and gently lead those who are with young" (Isaiah 40:10-11, NKJV). Isaiah later wrote describing both why and how the LORD would do this, saying, "All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned, every one, to his own way; and the LORD has laid on Him the iniquity of us all" (Isaiah 53:6, NKJV). Who was our sin to be "laid" upon? The New Testament answers that question with the name of one person, Jesus Christ.
As God Himself, Jesus came to be that great shepherd who would lead us through the "valley of the shadow of death." Only He could lead us safely through because He paid the price for what makes us like sheep. Like sheep, we are defenseless from that which can take our life, which for us is the eternal punishment for sin, death. This is more than a physical death; it is rather a spiritual death which separates us from God in life and in death, resulting in a life of Hell on Earth and an unending death in Hell during Eternity. Knowing that all of us, like sheep, are senseless and defenseless concerning this threat, our Heavenly Shepherd came to save us from it no matter what the cost. Jesus explained, saying, "The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly. I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. He who is a hired hand and not a shepherd, who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees, and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. He flees because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep. I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep" (John 10:10-15, ESV).
Jesus came as our God to do what only God could do, to become the Good Shepherd and save the sheep of humanity from certain death. To save us took laying down His own life in our place. The Apostle Peter speaks of His sacrifice, saying, "He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed. For you were straying like sheep, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls." (1 Peter 2:24-25, ESV). Jesus not only proved His unrivaled love for us, He also demonstrated that He truly is the Greatest Shepherd of them all!
So did the shepherds know that the baby they worshiped on that first Christmas was the one who would be their shepherd, the Shepherd of their eternal souls? Probably not, but one thing is clear: the Greatest Shepherd had been born! It's no wonder that the angels cried, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men" (Luke 2:14, NKJV)!
May you and yours come to know that the LORD is your Shepherd this Christmas!
Friday, December 21, 2007
Thursday, November 15, 2007
The BFM 2000 and the 2007 TBC
As a new pastor to the state of Tennessee, I did not know exactly what to expect when I attended the Tennessee Baptist Convention that was held this week in Kingsport. It was refreshing to me to see that every candidate that was up for election in the convention was required to answer whether or not they affirmed the year 2000 revision of the Baptist Faith and Message (http://www.sbc.net/bfm/bfm2000.asp). It also came as no surprise to me that some stood in opposition to this question concerning the BFM 2000. There were two separate motions made to change that question; both portraying the question itself as a "litmus test" for being able to be an officer in the convention or even a baptist in Tennessee. What this question actually provided was a guideline for messengers like me to know where a candidate stands on the issue of the BFM 2000. A person does not have to affirm the BFM 2000 to hold office in the Tennessee Baptist Convention, but a person does have to affirm the BFM 2000 to receive a majority vote from the messengers at the convention.
Some would say that this controversy is simply a fight over words, but it is rather a fight for God's Word, the Bible. This becomes very clear when one examines the revisions that were made between the 1963 version and the 2000 version of the Baptist Faith and Message. The Southern Baptist Covention website provides a side-by-side comparison of the 1925, 1963, and 2000 versions (http://www.sbc.net/bfm/bfmcomparison.asp). Most of the content was left unchanged between the BFM 1963 and the BFM 2000, but the little that was changed and the little that was added has been the center of the controversy ever since the BFM 2000 was adopted.
The focal point of this controversy is found in the very first article of the BFM 2000, concerning the Scriptures. When comparing the BFM 1963 and BFM 2000, it is easy to see that the BFM 2000 more clearly states what the majority of baptists believe about the nature of God's Word. For example, the BFM 1963 says, "The Holy Bible was written by men divinely inspired and is the record of God's revelation of Himself to man." This statement was changed in the BFM 2000 to say, "The Holy Bible was written by men divinely inspired and is God's revelation of Himself to man." On the surface, the change appears to be insignificant, but by saying that the Bible "is God's revelation" rather than "the record of God's revelation," the BFM 2000 is confronting the view that the Bible contains the Word of God rather than that it is entirely the Word of God. In making this change, the BFM 2000 is clarifying and affirming that the entire Bible is God's revealed Word in a much better way than the BFM 1963.
The BFM 1963 does make an excellent statement concerning Scripture, saying, "It is a perfect treasure of divine instruction. It has God for its author, salvation for its end, and truth, without any mixture of error, for its matter." The BFM 2000 added a new, and logical conclusion to that statement, saying, "Therefore, all Scripture is totally true and trustworthy." This is a simple statement of belief in the inerrancy and infallibility of the entire Bible. Simply put, because the Bible is perfect, inspired by God, and free of error, all of the Bible is true and worthy of being trusted. But this small addition to the BFM has been one of its most attacked portions. That is because many of those who will not affirm the BFM 2000 are affiliated with a group of baptists called the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship. The CBF represents a group of Baptist Churches that have not entirely abandoned the Southern Baptist Convention, but oppose its current leadership and policies, especially the adoption of the BFM 2000. Why would they oppose the BFM 2000? Mainly because it stands in direct opposition to their view of Scripture. Concerning the Bible, the official website of the CBF says, "We want to be biblical – especially in our view of the Bible. That means we dare not claim less for the Bible than the Bible claims for itself. The Bible neither claims nor reveals inerrancy as a Christian teaching" (http://www.thefellowship.info/About-Us/FAQ). The Bible itself stands in opposition to this assertion by the CBF. For example, the Apostle Paul explained, saying, "All Scripture is given by inspiration of God..." (2 Timothy 3:16a, NKJV), which means that it is entirely from Him. David also spoke of the inerrancy of the Bible, explaining God's ability and commitment to maintain the purity of Scripture, saying, "The words of the LORD are pure words, like silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times. You shall keep them, O LORD, You shall preserve them from this generation forever" (Psalm 12:6-7, NKJV).
There is yet another point of contention in comparing what the BFM 1963 and what the BFM 2000 have to say about Scripture. The BFM 1963 says, "The criterion by which the Bible is to be interpreted is Jesus Christ." On the other hand, the BFM 2000 has changed that statement to say, "All Scripture is a testimony to Christ, who is Himself the focus of divine revelation." Inexplicably, there were those who said from the floor of the convention this week that the BFM 2000 has taken Jesus out of His position of pre-eminence in the Baptist Faith and Message. On the contrary, the BFM 2000 has only made the position of Jesus more prominent there. The BFM 2000 does a good job of taking that vague and open-ended statement in the BFM 1963 and making it a strong statement concerning the purpose of Scripture, to point to and reveal Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior. Jesus made a similar statement concerning the point of the Scriptures, saying, "You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me" (John 5:39, NKJV). In other words, to miss the point of the Scriptures is to miss out on receiving Jesus Christ and His salvation.
In conclusion, I would like to say this: I am glad that it can be known where the potential leadership of the TBC stands on this crucial issue concerning the BFM 2000. Although there are many areas of dispute over the revisions and additions that were made in the BFM 2000, the most important one by far is the area of Scripture. If a candidate could not affirm the BFM 2000 for at least its stronger stance on Scripture, I would personally never vote for that person to be in a position of leadership within the Tennessee Baptist Convention. To be perfectly honest, if I did not affirm the BFM 2000, then I would hope that no baptist would even consider me for a leadership position, pastor or otherwise. It was a privilege for me to stand for the Word of God by defending the 2000 version of the Baptist Faith and Message at the 2007 session of the Tennessee Baptist Convention. Some would say that I and others were being divisive for doing so, but I pray that most would say that we were being faithful to the Lord and His Holy Word. We can only stand together as baptists and be effective for the glory of God, when we stand in agreement on God's Word. The majority of Tennessee Baptists stand in agreement on God's Word, as stated in the BFM 2000. That is why the Baptists in this state have great potential to have an impact on this culture, through reaching people with the life-changing, soul-saving Gospel of Jesus Christ!
Some would say that this controversy is simply a fight over words, but it is rather a fight for God's Word, the Bible. This becomes very clear when one examines the revisions that were made between the 1963 version and the 2000 version of the Baptist Faith and Message. The Southern Baptist Covention website provides a side-by-side comparison of the 1925, 1963, and 2000 versions (http://www.sbc.net/bfm/bfmcomparison.asp). Most of the content was left unchanged between the BFM 1963 and the BFM 2000, but the little that was changed and the little that was added has been the center of the controversy ever since the BFM 2000 was adopted.
The focal point of this controversy is found in the very first article of the BFM 2000, concerning the Scriptures. When comparing the BFM 1963 and BFM 2000, it is easy to see that the BFM 2000 more clearly states what the majority of baptists believe about the nature of God's Word. For example, the BFM 1963 says, "The Holy Bible was written by men divinely inspired and is the record of God's revelation of Himself to man." This statement was changed in the BFM 2000 to say, "The Holy Bible was written by men divinely inspired and is God's revelation of Himself to man." On the surface, the change appears to be insignificant, but by saying that the Bible "is God's revelation" rather than "the record of God's revelation," the BFM 2000 is confronting the view that the Bible contains the Word of God rather than that it is entirely the Word of God. In making this change, the BFM 2000 is clarifying and affirming that the entire Bible is God's revealed Word in a much better way than the BFM 1963.
The BFM 1963 does make an excellent statement concerning Scripture, saying, "It is a perfect treasure of divine instruction. It has God for its author, salvation for its end, and truth, without any mixture of error, for its matter." The BFM 2000 added a new, and logical conclusion to that statement, saying, "Therefore, all Scripture is totally true and trustworthy." This is a simple statement of belief in the inerrancy and infallibility of the entire Bible. Simply put, because the Bible is perfect, inspired by God, and free of error, all of the Bible is true and worthy of being trusted. But this small addition to the BFM has been one of its most attacked portions. That is because many of those who will not affirm the BFM 2000 are affiliated with a group of baptists called the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship. The CBF represents a group of Baptist Churches that have not entirely abandoned the Southern Baptist Convention, but oppose its current leadership and policies, especially the adoption of the BFM 2000. Why would they oppose the BFM 2000? Mainly because it stands in direct opposition to their view of Scripture. Concerning the Bible, the official website of the CBF says, "We want to be biblical – especially in our view of the Bible. That means we dare not claim less for the Bible than the Bible claims for itself. The Bible neither claims nor reveals inerrancy as a Christian teaching" (http://www.thefellowship.info/About-Us/FAQ). The Bible itself stands in opposition to this assertion by the CBF. For example, the Apostle Paul explained, saying, "All Scripture is given by inspiration of God..." (2 Timothy 3:16a, NKJV), which means that it is entirely from Him. David also spoke of the inerrancy of the Bible, explaining God's ability and commitment to maintain the purity of Scripture, saying, "The words of the LORD are pure words, like silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times. You shall keep them, O LORD, You shall preserve them from this generation forever" (Psalm 12:6-7, NKJV).
There is yet another point of contention in comparing what the BFM 1963 and what the BFM 2000 have to say about Scripture. The BFM 1963 says, "The criterion by which the Bible is to be interpreted is Jesus Christ." On the other hand, the BFM 2000 has changed that statement to say, "All Scripture is a testimony to Christ, who is Himself the focus of divine revelation." Inexplicably, there were those who said from the floor of the convention this week that the BFM 2000 has taken Jesus out of His position of pre-eminence in the Baptist Faith and Message. On the contrary, the BFM 2000 has only made the position of Jesus more prominent there. The BFM 2000 does a good job of taking that vague and open-ended statement in the BFM 1963 and making it a strong statement concerning the purpose of Scripture, to point to and reveal Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior. Jesus made a similar statement concerning the point of the Scriptures, saying, "You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me" (John 5:39, NKJV). In other words, to miss the point of the Scriptures is to miss out on receiving Jesus Christ and His salvation.
In conclusion, I would like to say this: I am glad that it can be known where the potential leadership of the TBC stands on this crucial issue concerning the BFM 2000. Although there are many areas of dispute over the revisions and additions that were made in the BFM 2000, the most important one by far is the area of Scripture. If a candidate could not affirm the BFM 2000 for at least its stronger stance on Scripture, I would personally never vote for that person to be in a position of leadership within the Tennessee Baptist Convention. To be perfectly honest, if I did not affirm the BFM 2000, then I would hope that no baptist would even consider me for a leadership position, pastor or otherwise. It was a privilege for me to stand for the Word of God by defending the 2000 version of the Baptist Faith and Message at the 2007 session of the Tennessee Baptist Convention. Some would say that I and others were being divisive for doing so, but I pray that most would say that we were being faithful to the Lord and His Holy Word. We can only stand together as baptists and be effective for the glory of God, when we stand in agreement on God's Word. The majority of Tennessee Baptists stand in agreement on God's Word, as stated in the BFM 2000. That is why the Baptists in this state have great potential to have an impact on this culture, through reaching people with the life-changing, soul-saving Gospel of Jesus Christ!
Thursday, November 08, 2007
Jesus and the Thanksgiving Feast
In the seventh chapter of John, the Lord Jesus is seen interacting with the multitudes who have gathered to celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles, or Feast of Booths. God had commanded the people to keep this feast, saying, "On the fifteenth day of this seventh month and for seven days is the Feast of Booths to the LORD. On the first day shall be a holy convocation; you shall not do any ordinary work. For seven days you shall present food offerings to the LORD. On the eighth day you shall hold a holy convocation and present a food offering to the LORD. It is a solemn assembly; you shall not do any ordinary work. ...that your generations may know that I made the people of Israel dwell in booths when I brought them out of the land of Egypt: I am the LORD your God" (Leviticus 23:34-36, 43, ESV). The Expositor's Bible Commentary says of this feast, "In contrast to the fast and repentance of the Day of Atonement, the Feast of Booths was an occasion of joy - a thanksgiving day" (TEBC: AE, vol. 1,159).
The Feast of Booths was a national holiday that served to remind the Children of Israel that God had personally led them out of Egypt and provided for them in the wilderness, before ultimately establishing them in the promised land. But more importantly in the seventh chapter of John, this national holiday served to illustrate the offer that Jesus was making to those who would accept Him by faith, as well as to allude to the Old Testament prophecies that would ultimately be fulfilled in Jesus Christ.
Jesus laid the foundation for both of these points, when, as John records, "On the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and cried out, 'If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. Whoever believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.' Now this He said about the Spirit, whom those who believed in Him were to receive, for as yet the Spirit had not been given, because Jesus was not yet glorified" (John 7:37-39, ESV). Concerning the significance of Jesus referring to "living water" during this feast, The Expositor's Bible Commentary says, "The celebration of the Feast of Tabernacles included a daily procession of priests from the temple to the Pool of Siloam, from which they drew water that was poured out as a libation at the altar, accompanied by a recitation of Isaiah 12:3: 'With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation.' This offering of water memorialized God's provision for the thirsty people in the wilderness, but the water had been poured out and had left them unsatisfied" (TEBC: AE, vol. 2, 321). It was on the eighth and final day of the feast, after the priests had stopped pouring out this offering of water, that Jesus stood to announce His offer of "living water" that truly satisfies the thirst of those who drink it.
This traditional ceremony of offering water, and what it signified, provided a wonderful illustration for Jesus to explain what He was offering those who would simply believe in Him. John Phillips writes, "As Israel in the Old Testament drank from that life-giving stream flowing from the riven rock, so Christ offers those who believe in Him an ever flowing, never failing, soul satisfying, thirst quenching inner supply of living water... As Moses smote the rock, so it was that our Lord was smitten. He returned at length to His home on high and sent the Holy Spirit to take His place on Earth. The Holy Spirit filled the disciples. On the day of Pentecost the rivers began to flow" (Exploring the Gospel of John, 152). Therefore, the Feast of Booths clearly illustrates the promise of the Holy Spirit, which was a promise that Jesus alone could make and fulfill. When a person chooses to believe in Jesus by faith, the Lord's promise is immediately fulfilled, through the presence of the Holy Spirit and the satisfaction that He brings to the life of the believer; much like what water brings to the body of a desperately thirsty man.
This traditional ceremony of offering water also makes a clear allusion to Old Testament prophecy concerning both the Messiah and the Feast of Booths. Zechariah spoke of the future time when God's enemies have been ultimately defeated, saying, "On that day living waters shall flow out from Jerusalem, half of them to the eastern sea and half of them to the western sea. It shall continue in summer as in winter. And the LORD will be king over all the earth. On that day the LORD will be one and His name one... Then everyone who survives of all the nations that have come against Jerusalem shall go up year after year to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, and to keep the Feast of Booths." (Zechariah 14:8-9, 16 ESV). Though this flow of "living waters" from Jerusalem is not directly linked with the Feast of Booths in this passage, when this prophecy has come to pass, the "living waters" will be an ever present reminder of the offer that was made by Jesus so long ago during the Feast of Booths.
When all is said and done, Jesus has fulfilled what the Feast of Booths illustrated, through providing the Holy Spirit to all who choose to believe in Him. As for its allusion to the future celebration of the Feast of Booths by all nations, Jesus will fulfill that when He returns as King of Kings and Lord of Lords! In light of what the Feast of Booths signified before Jesus came, and what it has signified since, one could truly call the Feast of Booths the ultimate Thanksgiving Feast.
My question to you for this upcoming Thanksgiving is: Do you have the "living water" to be thankful for? Will you be one who gathers before the King of Kings and Lord of Lords to give thanks for what He has provided to save you and change your life? Don't forget the price that He paid to purchase that gift for you. It was for you that He died and it was for you that the Holy Spirit was given. Satisfaction for life's deepest, spiritual thirst is just a prayer away. Trust me, that is what my thanksgiving to God is mostly about! So when you partake of your own Thanksgiving Feast, don't neglect to drink from the "living water" that Jesus offered you at His.
"Dear Lord God, my soul once thirsted for that which I did not understand, nor could find. Thank-you for giving to me that which I needed most. My life is still overflowing with the blessing of having the 'living water' of Your Holy Spirit. I thank-you, my God and King. Amen."
The Feast of Booths was a national holiday that served to remind the Children of Israel that God had personally led them out of Egypt and provided for them in the wilderness, before ultimately establishing them in the promised land. But more importantly in the seventh chapter of John, this national holiday served to illustrate the offer that Jesus was making to those who would accept Him by faith, as well as to allude to the Old Testament prophecies that would ultimately be fulfilled in Jesus Christ.
Jesus laid the foundation for both of these points, when, as John records, "On the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and cried out, 'If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. Whoever believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.' Now this He said about the Spirit, whom those who believed in Him were to receive, for as yet the Spirit had not been given, because Jesus was not yet glorified" (John 7:37-39, ESV). Concerning the significance of Jesus referring to "living water" during this feast, The Expositor's Bible Commentary says, "The celebration of the Feast of Tabernacles included a daily procession of priests from the temple to the Pool of Siloam, from which they drew water that was poured out as a libation at the altar, accompanied by a recitation of Isaiah 12:3: 'With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation.' This offering of water memorialized God's provision for the thirsty people in the wilderness, but the water had been poured out and had left them unsatisfied" (TEBC: AE, vol. 2, 321). It was on the eighth and final day of the feast, after the priests had stopped pouring out this offering of water, that Jesus stood to announce His offer of "living water" that truly satisfies the thirst of those who drink it.
This traditional ceremony of offering water, and what it signified, provided a wonderful illustration for Jesus to explain what He was offering those who would simply believe in Him. John Phillips writes, "As Israel in the Old Testament drank from that life-giving stream flowing from the riven rock, so Christ offers those who believe in Him an ever flowing, never failing, soul satisfying, thirst quenching inner supply of living water... As Moses smote the rock, so it was that our Lord was smitten. He returned at length to His home on high and sent the Holy Spirit to take His place on Earth. The Holy Spirit filled the disciples. On the day of Pentecost the rivers began to flow" (Exploring the Gospel of John, 152). Therefore, the Feast of Booths clearly illustrates the promise of the Holy Spirit, which was a promise that Jesus alone could make and fulfill. When a person chooses to believe in Jesus by faith, the Lord's promise is immediately fulfilled, through the presence of the Holy Spirit and the satisfaction that He brings to the life of the believer; much like what water brings to the body of a desperately thirsty man.
This traditional ceremony of offering water also makes a clear allusion to Old Testament prophecy concerning both the Messiah and the Feast of Booths. Zechariah spoke of the future time when God's enemies have been ultimately defeated, saying, "On that day living waters shall flow out from Jerusalem, half of them to the eastern sea and half of them to the western sea. It shall continue in summer as in winter. And the LORD will be king over all the earth. On that day the LORD will be one and His name one... Then everyone who survives of all the nations that have come against Jerusalem shall go up year after year to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, and to keep the Feast of Booths." (Zechariah 14:8-9, 16 ESV). Though this flow of "living waters" from Jerusalem is not directly linked with the Feast of Booths in this passage, when this prophecy has come to pass, the "living waters" will be an ever present reminder of the offer that was made by Jesus so long ago during the Feast of Booths.
When all is said and done, Jesus has fulfilled what the Feast of Booths illustrated, through providing the Holy Spirit to all who choose to believe in Him. As for its allusion to the future celebration of the Feast of Booths by all nations, Jesus will fulfill that when He returns as King of Kings and Lord of Lords! In light of what the Feast of Booths signified before Jesus came, and what it has signified since, one could truly call the Feast of Booths the ultimate Thanksgiving Feast.
My question to you for this upcoming Thanksgiving is: Do you have the "living water" to be thankful for? Will you be one who gathers before the King of Kings and Lord of Lords to give thanks for what He has provided to save you and change your life? Don't forget the price that He paid to purchase that gift for you. It was for you that He died and it was for you that the Holy Spirit was given. Satisfaction for life's deepest, spiritual thirst is just a prayer away. Trust me, that is what my thanksgiving to God is mostly about! So when you partake of your own Thanksgiving Feast, don't neglect to drink from the "living water" that Jesus offered you at His.
"Dear Lord God, my soul once thirsted for that which I did not understand, nor could find. Thank-you for giving to me that which I needed most. My life is still overflowing with the blessing of having the 'living water' of Your Holy Spirit. I thank-you, my God and King. Amen."
Friday, October 05, 2007
Sending Jehoshaphat
Jehoshaphat was one of the kings of Judah, and a man whom God's Word reveals to have been a faithful follower of the Lord. In the past when I have heard the name Jehoshaphat, it has been in the phrase "jumpin' Jehoshaphat!" I am not sure where this phrase came from, because I have not found a passage in the Old Testament where Jehoshaphat is jumping. On the other hand, I found a passage where Jehoshaphat is sending. The who and what that he was sending were those willing to teach the Word of God to his people. The Bible records what Jehoshaphat did, saying, "...in the third year of his reign he sent his leaders, Ben-Hail, Obadiah, Zechariah, Nethanel, and Michaiah, to teach in the cities of Judah. And with them he sent Levites: Shemaiah, Nethaniah, Zebadiah, Asahel, Shemiramoth, Jehonathan, Adonijah, Tobijah, and Tobadonijah -- the Levites; and with them Elishama and Jehoram, the priests. So they taught in Judah, and had the Book of the Law of the LORD with them; they went throughout all the cities of Judah and taught the people" (2 Chronicles 17:7-9, NKJV).
Jehoshaphat supported the sending of sixteen men for the work of missions throughout their own nation! There is much that can be learned by believers today from what Jehoshaphat did back then. First off, Jehoshaphat's efforts to spread the Word of God began with a personal love for the Word of God. The Bible says of Jehoshaphat that "...his heart took delight in the ways of the LORD..." (2 Chronicles 17:6a, NKJV), and it was just after this statement that the Bible records his sending of preachers throughout the land. Jehoshaphat had tasted of something much greater than man's wisdom and recognized the need for it to be given to his people. If you truly love the Word of God and "delight" in what it has to say, then you will want others to hear about it and come to love it as you do!
There is another lesson that can be learned from Jehoshaphat, which is the fact that not every believer is called to leave their own home to take the Word of God to the rest of their nation, but every believer should support those that do! Missionaries cannot go without being sent. It is God that leads them to go, but it is often other believers that send them away. The Church at Antioch is a good example of this. The Bible records what they did, saying, "Now in the church that was at Antioch there were certain prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon who was called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch, and Saul. As they ministered to the Lord and fasted, the Holy Spirit said, 'Now separate to Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.' Then, having fasted and prayed, and laid hands on them, they sent them away" (Acts 13:1-3, NKJV). Like Jehoshaphat, they took the best leaders that they had and sent them away to do the work of the Lord. Though it took great spiritual and financial support to send them away, the spread of the Gospel throughout much of the known world was the ultimate result that is still being felt to this day.
Another lesson that must not be missed is that Jehoshaphat's efforts were done out of faithfulness to God and would be rewarded, despite the fact that much of the people still refused to listen to God's Word. Just before the end of Jehoshaphat's life, the Bible notes, saying, "...for as yet the people had not directed their hearts to the God of their fathers" (2 Chronicles 20:33b, NKJV). Does that make Jehoshaphat and the preachers he sent failures? No, because their success was found in answering the call to go and deliver the Word of God, regardless of how the people responded to it. As always, the majority will reject the Word of God, but a minority will listen and believe. The hope of the missionary is those individuals who make the right choice concerning the Word of God.
As a pastor, I am one who has been sent and I recognize all the efforts of believers down through the years that have made it possible for me to be doing what I am doing. But I also recognize that I need to be sending others as well. My goal is to be a sending pastor, one who leads the Church to be a sending Church. History has shown that this will result in many people being able to answer the call to go and spread the Good News of Jesus Christ, as revealed in God's Word. The mission of spreading the Word of God is about teaching the Word of God throughout our community, our country, and our world. We all need to be going where God has called us to go, but we also need to be sending out those around us with all the support we can give them. That's why I pray that the Lord will help me to be a "sending Jehoshaphat!"
Jehoshaphat supported the sending of sixteen men for the work of missions throughout their own nation! There is much that can be learned by believers today from what Jehoshaphat did back then. First off, Jehoshaphat's efforts to spread the Word of God began with a personal love for the Word of God. The Bible says of Jehoshaphat that "...his heart took delight in the ways of the LORD..." (2 Chronicles 17:6a, NKJV), and it was just after this statement that the Bible records his sending of preachers throughout the land. Jehoshaphat had tasted of something much greater than man's wisdom and recognized the need for it to be given to his people. If you truly love the Word of God and "delight" in what it has to say, then you will want others to hear about it and come to love it as you do!
There is another lesson that can be learned from Jehoshaphat, which is the fact that not every believer is called to leave their own home to take the Word of God to the rest of their nation, but every believer should support those that do! Missionaries cannot go without being sent. It is God that leads them to go, but it is often other believers that send them away. The Church at Antioch is a good example of this. The Bible records what they did, saying, "Now in the church that was at Antioch there were certain prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon who was called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch, and Saul. As they ministered to the Lord and fasted, the Holy Spirit said, 'Now separate to Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.' Then, having fasted and prayed, and laid hands on them, they sent them away" (Acts 13:1-3, NKJV). Like Jehoshaphat, they took the best leaders that they had and sent them away to do the work of the Lord. Though it took great spiritual and financial support to send them away, the spread of the Gospel throughout much of the known world was the ultimate result that is still being felt to this day.
Another lesson that must not be missed is that Jehoshaphat's efforts were done out of faithfulness to God and would be rewarded, despite the fact that much of the people still refused to listen to God's Word. Just before the end of Jehoshaphat's life, the Bible notes, saying, "...for as yet the people had not directed their hearts to the God of their fathers" (2 Chronicles 20:33b, NKJV). Does that make Jehoshaphat and the preachers he sent failures? No, because their success was found in answering the call to go and deliver the Word of God, regardless of how the people responded to it. As always, the majority will reject the Word of God, but a minority will listen and believe. The hope of the missionary is those individuals who make the right choice concerning the Word of God.
As a pastor, I am one who has been sent and I recognize all the efforts of believers down through the years that have made it possible for me to be doing what I am doing. But I also recognize that I need to be sending others as well. My goal is to be a sending pastor, one who leads the Church to be a sending Church. History has shown that this will result in many people being able to answer the call to go and spread the Good News of Jesus Christ, as revealed in God's Word. The mission of spreading the Word of God is about teaching the Word of God throughout our community, our country, and our world. We all need to be going where God has called us to go, but we also need to be sending out those around us with all the support we can give them. That's why I pray that the Lord will help me to be a "sending Jehoshaphat!"
Wednesday, September 19, 2007
Fighting the Ministry Killer
During the first missionary journey of the Apostle Paul and his friend Barnabas, an incident occurred that greatly troubled them and which could have destroyed their ministry, had they responded to it in the wrong way. The Bible says that, when they came "to Lystra and Derbe," they were "preaching the gospel there" (Acts 14:6-7, NKJV). Apparently, Paul and Barnabas were having trouble getting the message across to the people, and therefore, God chose to perform a miraculous sign to get their attention, as He often did in that time period to confirm the New Testament teaching that was being proclaimed. The Bible says, "And in Lystra a certain man without strength in his feet was sitting, a cripple from his mother's womb, who had never walked. This man heard Paul speaking. Paul, observing him intently and seeing that he had faith to be healed, said with a loud voice, 'Stand up straight on your feet!' And he leaped and walked" (Acts 14:8-10, NKJV).
The goal of this healing was not simply to help this crippled man, but also to cause those who witnessed this miracle to recognize that Paul and Barnabas were truly representing God and proclaiming His Word. What actually happened was far from what this miracle was performed to produce. The Bible says, "Now when the people saw what Paul had done, they raised their voices, saying in the Lycaonian language, 'The gods have come down to us in the likeness of men!' And Barnabas they called Zeus, and Paul, Hermes, because he was the chief speaker. Then the priest of Zeus, whose temple was in front of their city, brought oxen and garlands to the gates, intending to sacrifice with the multitudes." (Acts 14:11-13, NKJV). Instead of recognizing that Paul and Barnabas were speaking on behalf of the one true God, they began to treat them as gods themselves.
In the present, we have a completed New Testament that has long since been miraculously confirmed as the Word of God. And though we still see miraculous healings being performed by God from time to time, today's healings are not done in the same way or for the same purpose as those that we see in the New Testament. In our time, God has placed emphasis on people believing His complete and confirmed Word, which is the Holy Bible. Rather than miracles leading to someone believing God's Word, miracles now follow someone who has believed God's Word, and these miracles are usually manifested in the personal and spiritual change that comes over them. With that said, those of us in the ministry today might conclude that this problem that Paul and Barnabas faced could not happen to us now. But this is a dangerous conclusion that will leave a person open to one of the most insidious attacks on the ministry. This attack is a temptation of pride, through which the minister is offered the opportunity to be exalted and worshipped instead of God. Responding to this temptation in the wrong way is truly a ministry killer, and that is why we must learn to fight it.
First of all, to fight this fight, you must understand whether or not you are in the ministry. So many times Christians get the impression that only those who preach the Word of God are "ministers," but that is absolutely wrong. Every Christian is called to be a minister, to be someone who serves the Lord Jesus Christ. That is why, contrary to the teachings of many denominations, there is no such thing as a separation between clergy and laity. A clergyman and a layman, although they carry the different titles that they have given one another, actually bear one title in the body of Christ, which is the title of "minister." Every Christian is a part of the body of Christ and is meant to serve Him in His Church, doing that which God has gifted them to do. This means that every Christian has a ministry that Satan wants to destroy.
There will come a time when each servant of Jesus Christ will be patted on the back and given credit for what God actually did through his or her life. This is a natural response to God's work by people that are accustomed to living by sight rather than by faith. Instead of seeing what has been done as evidence for the power of God's invisible hand, it is seen as evidence for the power of human hands. Paul and Barnabas confronted this misconception without hesitation. The Bible records that "...when the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard this, they tore their clothes and ran in among the multitude, crying out and saying, 'Men, why are you doing these things? We also are men with the same nature as you, and preach to you that you should turn from these useless things to the living God, who made the heaven, the earth, the sea, and all things that are in them...'" (Acts 14:14-15, NKJV). They reminded them that God is the Creator of everything, because, beginning with His act of creation, humans have always given credit to someone or something else for what God alone could have done. And in light of the healing of this crippled man, their point was simple: It is a blasphemous thing to give credit to man for what only God could do. That is why they tore their clothes in emotion over what they had been given credit for instead of God. Despite the strong response that Paul and Barnabas had to their audience's misconception of them, the Bible says, "Even with these words they scarcely restrained the people from offering sacrifice to them" (Acts 14:18, ESV).
Now in application, I'm not going to tell you to tear your clothes when you get patted on the back, nor tell you to accuse the one who is doing it of blasphemy. On the contrary, I am simply telling you to be very careful to give God the glory for what He has done in your life. When it comes down to it, if you have been a part of accomplishing something good and pleasing in the eyes of the Lord, then He ultimately gets the credit for it. Paul gave this advice from personal experience, saying, "So then, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure." (Philippians 2:12-13, NASB). The point is that you are to be at work for God, demonstrating that you have been given salvation from Him, but also that when you set out to serve God in this way, He is doing His work through you "for His good pleasure." If something is done in your life that pleases God, He did it and you should gladly give Him the credit for it!
The alternative is to take the credit that God deserves and live the life of a false god among men. Not only is this the kind of behavior that got Satan thrown out of Heaven, it also carries with it the same limitations. The same people that put you on a pedestal can decide to remove you from that pedestal. Their worship and adoration of you will only be temporary. This is seen in the fickle crowd that wanted to worship Paul and Barnabas. At one moment they called them gods among men and the next moment they tried to kill them. In fact, they nearly succeeded in killing Paul. The Bible says, "Then Jews from Antioch and Iconium came there; and having persuaded the multitudes, they stoned Paul and dragged him out of the city, supposing him to be dead. However, when the disciples gathered around him, he rose up and went into the city. And the next day he departed with Barnabas to Derbe" (Acts 14:19-20, NKJV).
The Bible warns, "Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall." (Proverbs 16:18, NKJV). Paul and Barnabas did not fall to pride, though they were tempted. And though many tried to destroy Paul, he was able to continue serving God until his work was done. All who honestly seek to serve God will be tempted with pride, because of the things that God will be able to accomplish with them. But to not resist that pride is to leave yourself susceptible to falling and being destroyed in the ministry. We have got to be fighting the ministry killer of pride, through giving God glory for the ministry that He is doing through us!
"Dear Lord, we want to serve You! We want to see more come to believe Your Word and experience the miracle of being born-again! Please use us and get glory through us, O Lord! Help us not to stand in Your place and receive the credit for what You have done! For Yours is the Kingdom, the glory, and the honor, forever and ever, Amen!"
The goal of this healing was not simply to help this crippled man, but also to cause those who witnessed this miracle to recognize that Paul and Barnabas were truly representing God and proclaiming His Word. What actually happened was far from what this miracle was performed to produce. The Bible says, "Now when the people saw what Paul had done, they raised their voices, saying in the Lycaonian language, 'The gods have come down to us in the likeness of men!' And Barnabas they called Zeus, and Paul, Hermes, because he was the chief speaker. Then the priest of Zeus, whose temple was in front of their city, brought oxen and garlands to the gates, intending to sacrifice with the multitudes." (Acts 14:11-13, NKJV). Instead of recognizing that Paul and Barnabas were speaking on behalf of the one true God, they began to treat them as gods themselves.
In the present, we have a completed New Testament that has long since been miraculously confirmed as the Word of God. And though we still see miraculous healings being performed by God from time to time, today's healings are not done in the same way or for the same purpose as those that we see in the New Testament. In our time, God has placed emphasis on people believing His complete and confirmed Word, which is the Holy Bible. Rather than miracles leading to someone believing God's Word, miracles now follow someone who has believed God's Word, and these miracles are usually manifested in the personal and spiritual change that comes over them. With that said, those of us in the ministry today might conclude that this problem that Paul and Barnabas faced could not happen to us now. But this is a dangerous conclusion that will leave a person open to one of the most insidious attacks on the ministry. This attack is a temptation of pride, through which the minister is offered the opportunity to be exalted and worshipped instead of God. Responding to this temptation in the wrong way is truly a ministry killer, and that is why we must learn to fight it.
First of all, to fight this fight, you must understand whether or not you are in the ministry. So many times Christians get the impression that only those who preach the Word of God are "ministers," but that is absolutely wrong. Every Christian is called to be a minister, to be someone who serves the Lord Jesus Christ. That is why, contrary to the teachings of many denominations, there is no such thing as a separation between clergy and laity. A clergyman and a layman, although they carry the different titles that they have given one another, actually bear one title in the body of Christ, which is the title of "minister." Every Christian is a part of the body of Christ and is meant to serve Him in His Church, doing that which God has gifted them to do. This means that every Christian has a ministry that Satan wants to destroy.
There will come a time when each servant of Jesus Christ will be patted on the back and given credit for what God actually did through his or her life. This is a natural response to God's work by people that are accustomed to living by sight rather than by faith. Instead of seeing what has been done as evidence for the power of God's invisible hand, it is seen as evidence for the power of human hands. Paul and Barnabas confronted this misconception without hesitation. The Bible records that "...when the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard this, they tore their clothes and ran in among the multitude, crying out and saying, 'Men, why are you doing these things? We also are men with the same nature as you, and preach to you that you should turn from these useless things to the living God, who made the heaven, the earth, the sea, and all things that are in them...'" (Acts 14:14-15, NKJV). They reminded them that God is the Creator of everything, because, beginning with His act of creation, humans have always given credit to someone or something else for what God alone could have done. And in light of the healing of this crippled man, their point was simple: It is a blasphemous thing to give credit to man for what only God could do. That is why they tore their clothes in emotion over what they had been given credit for instead of God. Despite the strong response that Paul and Barnabas had to their audience's misconception of them, the Bible says, "Even with these words they scarcely restrained the people from offering sacrifice to them" (Acts 14:18, ESV).
Now in application, I'm not going to tell you to tear your clothes when you get patted on the back, nor tell you to accuse the one who is doing it of blasphemy. On the contrary, I am simply telling you to be very careful to give God the glory for what He has done in your life. When it comes down to it, if you have been a part of accomplishing something good and pleasing in the eyes of the Lord, then He ultimately gets the credit for it. Paul gave this advice from personal experience, saying, "So then, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure." (Philippians 2:12-13, NASB). The point is that you are to be at work for God, demonstrating that you have been given salvation from Him, but also that when you set out to serve God in this way, He is doing His work through you "for His good pleasure." If something is done in your life that pleases God, He did it and you should gladly give Him the credit for it!
The alternative is to take the credit that God deserves and live the life of a false god among men. Not only is this the kind of behavior that got Satan thrown out of Heaven, it also carries with it the same limitations. The same people that put you on a pedestal can decide to remove you from that pedestal. Their worship and adoration of you will only be temporary. This is seen in the fickle crowd that wanted to worship Paul and Barnabas. At one moment they called them gods among men and the next moment they tried to kill them. In fact, they nearly succeeded in killing Paul. The Bible says, "Then Jews from Antioch and Iconium came there; and having persuaded the multitudes, they stoned Paul and dragged him out of the city, supposing him to be dead. However, when the disciples gathered around him, he rose up and went into the city. And the next day he departed with Barnabas to Derbe" (Acts 14:19-20, NKJV).
The Bible warns, "Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall." (Proverbs 16:18, NKJV). Paul and Barnabas did not fall to pride, though they were tempted. And though many tried to destroy Paul, he was able to continue serving God until his work was done. All who honestly seek to serve God will be tempted with pride, because of the things that God will be able to accomplish with them. But to not resist that pride is to leave yourself susceptible to falling and being destroyed in the ministry. We have got to be fighting the ministry killer of pride, through giving God glory for the ministry that He is doing through us!
"Dear Lord, we want to serve You! We want to see more come to believe Your Word and experience the miracle of being born-again! Please use us and get glory through us, O Lord! Help us not to stand in Your place and receive the credit for what You have done! For Yours is the Kingdom, the glory, and the honor, forever and ever, Amen!"
Tuesday, August 28, 2007
The Image of God
“You are made ‘in the image of God,’” is considered a meaningless or even a delusional statement by the average person today, but it is one of the greatest truths ever to be heard. The “image of God” is the gift of God which was bestowed on humanity at the moment when He created us. Being created was a gift in of itself, but being created “in the image of God” was a much greater gift than can be imagined. This gift separates us from all other creatures and gives us dignity and value over all Creation. This gift makes us much more than just flesh and bones, but something far more lasting and supernatural.
The Biblical record of Creation says, “Then God said, ‘Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.’ So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.” (Genesis 1:26-27, NKJV) There are two details that should be noted about the “image of God” in this passage alone, beginning with the fact that though mankind’s “dominion” over the Earth is a great gift, God’s act of making mankind in His “image” is a far greater gift. Second, though the creation of Eve is not mentioned until Genesis 2:21-22, God’s “image” was given to both genders, meaning it is not related to physical appearance.
The New Testament sheds further light on the “image of God,” especially when one considers that it was a new and unique thing when the Son of God came “in the likeness of men” (Philippians 2:7, NKJV). If the physical nature of man had anything to do with the "image of God," then Jesus would not have had to do anything to become a man, because "He is the image of the invisible God" (Colossians 1:15a, NKJV). This proves that the "image of God" is not found in the physical nature of humanity, but rather something less visible.
It is in our spirits that we retain His “image” and His “likeness." To be “in the image of God” is to share a part of His nature, namely His spiritual and eternal nature. There are several implications to this fact concerning our spiritual nature. First, being made "in the image of God" requires that humans be treated differently from all other creatures. For example, the Bible says that capital punishment is the appropriate sentence for the murder of a human being, because God clearly said, "Whoever sheds man's blood, by man his blood shall be shed; for in the image of God He made man." (Genesis 9:6, NKJV) God does not impose any such punishment for the killing of an animal, because animals do not have an eternal, spiritual nature. On the other hand, every human being has an eternal, spiritual nature from the moment of physical conception. That is why the murder of an unborn child is equal to the murder of a terminally ill adult, because both are made "in the image of God" and deserve to be treated with great reverence and respect. Though much of humanity disagrees with this assessment, God still sees the murder of mankind for what it is: an attack on those who uniquely bear the "image of God." When that "image of God" is recognized and guarded by humanity, we will truly begin to live up to the value and dignity that God has placed on us.
The second implication of being made “in the image of God” is that we will spiritually exist for all eternity just like God will. There is life after physical death for those who possess the "image of God." Spiritually, ever human being will live on in a form of existence that science cannot grasp, nor imagination fully envision. We were designed to live on with God for all eternity in Heaven, but unfortunately most of us end-up living apart from God for all eternity in Hell.
That is why the third implication of being made “in the image of God” is that we bear responsibility for the way that we have cared for the “image of God” in our lives. We are responsible for having corrupted the "image of God" in humanity through our sin. That is why the Bible tells us to "...put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness" (Ephesians 4:22-24, NKJV). Without the "image of God" being restored in your life, you cannot live in Heaven, because we "...all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23, NKJV). The problem is that we cannot make that spiritual restoration in our own physical strength.
The thirst to have our lives restored has always been the deepest and most misunderstood feeling in humanity. It is the emptiness that can never be completely filled and the longing that can never be truly satisfied apart from God. That is why it is so exciting to hear what Jesus is offering to those who will trust Him by faith. He said, "If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water." (John 7:37-38, NKJV) In the next verse (John 7:39), the Bible confirms that He is really talking about the Holy Spirit. Only the Holy Spirit can restore the "image of God" in our lives, as the Bible explains, saying, "But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord." (2 Corinthians 3:18, NKJV)
To trust Jesus is to receive the Holy Spirit, and to receive the Holy Spirit is to have the life of Jesus, who "...is the image of the invisible God" (Colossians 1:15, NKJV). The Bible describes the final outcome in this way, saying, "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new." (2 Corinthians 5:17, KJV) In Jesus Christ, the design that we corrupted with sin, is made new once again. That's why it is only through Jesus Christ that you can personally live up to your full potential, as a bearer of the "image of God." The only alternative is an image that you do not want to picture and an eternity that you do not want to endure!
"Lord God, thank-You for making us so special and forgive us for making human life so expendable. May many people give their life to You, Jesus. May there be many lives restored by the power of Your Holy Spirit. Thank-You for what You have done for me. I pray that countless others will experience the same thing. Amen."
The Biblical record of Creation says, “Then God said, ‘Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.’ So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.” (Genesis 1:26-27, NKJV) There are two details that should be noted about the “image of God” in this passage alone, beginning with the fact that though mankind’s “dominion” over the Earth is a great gift, God’s act of making mankind in His “image” is a far greater gift. Second, though the creation of Eve is not mentioned until Genesis 2:21-22, God’s “image” was given to both genders, meaning it is not related to physical appearance.
The New Testament sheds further light on the “image of God,” especially when one considers that it was a new and unique thing when the Son of God came “in the likeness of men” (Philippians 2:7, NKJV). If the physical nature of man had anything to do with the "image of God," then Jesus would not have had to do anything to become a man, because "He is the image of the invisible God" (Colossians 1:15a, NKJV). This proves that the "image of God" is not found in the physical nature of humanity, but rather something less visible.
It is in our spirits that we retain His “image” and His “likeness." To be “in the image of God” is to share a part of His nature, namely His spiritual and eternal nature. There are several implications to this fact concerning our spiritual nature. First, being made "in the image of God" requires that humans be treated differently from all other creatures. For example, the Bible says that capital punishment is the appropriate sentence for the murder of a human being, because God clearly said, "Whoever sheds man's blood, by man his blood shall be shed; for in the image of God He made man." (Genesis 9:6, NKJV) God does not impose any such punishment for the killing of an animal, because animals do not have an eternal, spiritual nature. On the other hand, every human being has an eternal, spiritual nature from the moment of physical conception. That is why the murder of an unborn child is equal to the murder of a terminally ill adult, because both are made "in the image of God" and deserve to be treated with great reverence and respect. Though much of humanity disagrees with this assessment, God still sees the murder of mankind for what it is: an attack on those who uniquely bear the "image of God." When that "image of God" is recognized and guarded by humanity, we will truly begin to live up to the value and dignity that God has placed on us.
The second implication of being made “in the image of God” is that we will spiritually exist for all eternity just like God will. There is life after physical death for those who possess the "image of God." Spiritually, ever human being will live on in a form of existence that science cannot grasp, nor imagination fully envision. We were designed to live on with God for all eternity in Heaven, but unfortunately most of us end-up living apart from God for all eternity in Hell.
That is why the third implication of being made “in the image of God” is that we bear responsibility for the way that we have cared for the “image of God” in our lives. We are responsible for having corrupted the "image of God" in humanity through our sin. That is why the Bible tells us to "...put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness" (Ephesians 4:22-24, NKJV). Without the "image of God" being restored in your life, you cannot live in Heaven, because we "...all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23, NKJV). The problem is that we cannot make that spiritual restoration in our own physical strength.
The thirst to have our lives restored has always been the deepest and most misunderstood feeling in humanity. It is the emptiness that can never be completely filled and the longing that can never be truly satisfied apart from God. That is why it is so exciting to hear what Jesus is offering to those who will trust Him by faith. He said, "If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water." (John 7:37-38, NKJV) In the next verse (John 7:39), the Bible confirms that He is really talking about the Holy Spirit. Only the Holy Spirit can restore the "image of God" in our lives, as the Bible explains, saying, "But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord." (2 Corinthians 3:18, NKJV)
To trust Jesus is to receive the Holy Spirit, and to receive the Holy Spirit is to have the life of Jesus, who "...is the image of the invisible God" (Colossians 1:15, NKJV). The Bible describes the final outcome in this way, saying, "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new." (2 Corinthians 5:17, KJV) In Jesus Christ, the design that we corrupted with sin, is made new once again. That's why it is only through Jesus Christ that you can personally live up to your full potential, as a bearer of the "image of God." The only alternative is an image that you do not want to picture and an eternity that you do not want to endure!
"Lord God, thank-You for making us so special and forgive us for making human life so expendable. May many people give their life to You, Jesus. May there be many lives restored by the power of Your Holy Spirit. Thank-You for what You have done for me. I pray that countless others will experience the same thing. Amen."
Tuesday, July 31, 2007
When the Church Prays
In the fourth chapter of Acts, we see the beginning of controversy between the newborn Church and the religious establishment of the Jews. In chapter three, the Apostle Peter and John had gone into the Temple, where God healed a crippled man, gathered a crowd together, and gave them the opportunity to preach about Jesus Christ. When many thousands heard what they had to say and believed it, the Jewish religious leaders responded by throwing Peter and John into jail for the night (Acts 4:1-4). The next day, they held a council to hear Peter and John's explanation of it all, with the intent of finding something to punish them for (Acts 4:5-7). Peter took that opportunity to preach Jesus to them, pointing out that though they had killed Him, God had raised Him from the dead, and that He alone was the source of salvation (Acts 4:8-12). As much as they wanted to shut the mouths of Christians like Peter and John, they could not punish them because of pressure from the people, but they threatened them and warned them not to preach about Jesus anymore (Acts 4:13-22).
To their credit, Peter and John did not run and hide out of fear of the Jewish religious leaders, but rather they went to the Church for a prayer meeting. Wherever Christians are gathered together, that is a Church and an opportunity to pray. The Bible explains that they "went to their own" (to other Christians), in order to report what had happened (Acts 4:23, NKJV). This drove them to pray together for a common purpose and for uncommon courage (Acts 4:24-30). This prayer is an example for the Church today, just as much as it was yesterday, teaching us what we should be praying for together.
First of all, they acknowledged God's sovereignty as creator and ruler over the Earth, pointing out that this resistance was not against them, but rather against His rule and His purpose in Jesus Christ (Acts 4:24-28). In fact, they quoted from a passage in Psalms that says, "Why do the nations rage, and the people plot a vain thing? The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD and against His Anointed, saying, 'Let us break Their bonds in pieces and cast away Their cords from us!'" (Psalm 2:1-3, NKJV) Not only does this explain that the Jewish leaders were acting like all those who oppose God and His Messiah, but this passage also points to what God thinks about such resistance. The Bible goes on to say, "Now therefore, be wise, O kings; be instructed, you judges of the earth. Serve the LORD with fear, and rejoice with trembling. Kiss the Son, lest He be angry, and you perish in the way, when His wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all those who put their trust in Him." (Psalm 2:10-12, NKJV) That's why the Church prayed, "Lord, look on their threats..." (Acts 4:29a, NKJV), because they wanted God to show what He thought about the resistance and threats of those who refused to "put their trust" in "the Son."
In answer to that prayer, "...the place where they were assembled together was shaken" (Acts 4:31a, NKJV). Some might try to explain this away as a spiritual experience, but the Greek word "saleuo," that is translated as "shaken," usually concerns something physical, such as the shaking caused by an earthquake. It appears that God literally shook the ground beneath their feet. Whether anyone beyond their meeting place felt the tremor or not is immaterial, because God had made a statement that He did indeed take offence at what was being done against Jesus Christ. Every earthquake should serve as a reminder of the judgment that God has promised will come on this world that opposses Him. In shaking their meeting place, God was reminding His Church that vengeance is truly His and that His enemies' day would come. The Church was praying then and the Church should be praying now for God's wisdom to see what is actually in opposition to Him and for God's justice to one day be served!
In the next part of their prayer, they focused on what they wanted God to help them do for Him in the meantime. The Church prayed, "Lord... grant to Your servants that with all boldness they may speak Your word..." (Acts 4:29b, NKJV). They simply wanted God to give them the ability and the courage to deliver God's message concerning Jesus Christ. God directly answered that prayer, as the Bible describes, saying, "...they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak the word of God with boldness." (Acts 4:31b, NASB) The Holy Spirit is all the equipment a Christian needs to be able to speak the Word of God and do it boldly! This is exactly what Jesus had promised, saying, "But you shall recieve power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me..." (Acts 1:8a, NKJV). They were simply submitting themselves to the power and mission of the Holy Spirit once again, by praying that way. The Church was praying then and the Church should be praying now for God to equip us anew with the power and boldness of the Holy Spirit so that we will truly be witnesses for Jesus Christ!
In the last part of their prayer, they described what they fully expected God to be doing while they boldly preached the Word of God. The Church said what they wanted to do "...while You extend Your hand to heal, and signs and wonders take place through the name of Your holy servant Jesus" (Acts 4:30, NASB). Some translations of this verse make it sound like they are wanting God to give them boldness to preach "by" performing these signs and wonders (see KJV & NKJV), but it is a better translation of this verse that explains that God will be doing these things "while" His Word is being boldly proclaimed by the Church.
It makes many uncomfortable to think of God actually performing miracles today, but it should not disturb the Christian. In fact, Christians should expect to see God do things that He is the only explanation for, when we are faithfully telling the good news of Jesus Christ. Some take this to the extreme and begin forming healing lines in their Church services, but this is not about a man laying his hands on a person, but rather about God laying His hands on a person. Miracles can come physically in the form of someone's cancer being completely taken away without a doctor's intervention, or miracles can come spiritually in the form of someone's personality being totally changed for the better through simply having faith in Jesus Christ. Miracles can come relationally in the form of a diverse group of people becoming a unified body of believers, or miracles can come numerically in the form of a small body of believers growing to include thousands. In whatever form the miracle comes, it is always something that only God could have done and that God alone deserves the glory for! The Church was praying then and the Church should be praying now that God will help us do our part, while He does His part among us!
There is a popular song by Casting Crowns that simply asks on behalf of God, "What if My people prayed?" That "what if" has no limit, because there is no limit to what God can do with the Church that prays in the right way for the right things. What you pray for all alone should be the same thing that you pray for all together in the Church, but only if you are praying for the right things. Let's pray...
"Lord God, please help us to pray like the early Church. Please help us to seek the boldness that You have provided in the Holy Spirit for us to be witnesses. And Lord, please show us the miracles of Your living presence in lives today! Amen."
To their credit, Peter and John did not run and hide out of fear of the Jewish religious leaders, but rather they went to the Church for a prayer meeting. Wherever Christians are gathered together, that is a Church and an opportunity to pray. The Bible explains that they "went to their own" (to other Christians), in order to report what had happened (Acts 4:23, NKJV). This drove them to pray together for a common purpose and for uncommon courage (Acts 4:24-30). This prayer is an example for the Church today, just as much as it was yesterday, teaching us what we should be praying for together.
First of all, they acknowledged God's sovereignty as creator and ruler over the Earth, pointing out that this resistance was not against them, but rather against His rule and His purpose in Jesus Christ (Acts 4:24-28). In fact, they quoted from a passage in Psalms that says, "Why do the nations rage, and the people plot a vain thing? The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD and against His Anointed, saying, 'Let us break Their bonds in pieces and cast away Their cords from us!'" (Psalm 2:1-3, NKJV) Not only does this explain that the Jewish leaders were acting like all those who oppose God and His Messiah, but this passage also points to what God thinks about such resistance. The Bible goes on to say, "Now therefore, be wise, O kings; be instructed, you judges of the earth. Serve the LORD with fear, and rejoice with trembling. Kiss the Son, lest He be angry, and you perish in the way, when His wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all those who put their trust in Him." (Psalm 2:10-12, NKJV) That's why the Church prayed, "Lord, look on their threats..." (Acts 4:29a, NKJV), because they wanted God to show what He thought about the resistance and threats of those who refused to "put their trust" in "the Son."
In answer to that prayer, "...the place where they were assembled together was shaken" (Acts 4:31a, NKJV). Some might try to explain this away as a spiritual experience, but the Greek word "saleuo," that is translated as "shaken," usually concerns something physical, such as the shaking caused by an earthquake. It appears that God literally shook the ground beneath their feet. Whether anyone beyond their meeting place felt the tremor or not is immaterial, because God had made a statement that He did indeed take offence at what was being done against Jesus Christ. Every earthquake should serve as a reminder of the judgment that God has promised will come on this world that opposses Him. In shaking their meeting place, God was reminding His Church that vengeance is truly His and that His enemies' day would come. The Church was praying then and the Church should be praying now for God's wisdom to see what is actually in opposition to Him and for God's justice to one day be served!
In the next part of their prayer, they focused on what they wanted God to help them do for Him in the meantime. The Church prayed, "Lord... grant to Your servants that with all boldness they may speak Your word..." (Acts 4:29b, NKJV). They simply wanted God to give them the ability and the courage to deliver God's message concerning Jesus Christ. God directly answered that prayer, as the Bible describes, saying, "...they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak the word of God with boldness." (Acts 4:31b, NASB) The Holy Spirit is all the equipment a Christian needs to be able to speak the Word of God and do it boldly! This is exactly what Jesus had promised, saying, "But you shall recieve power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me..." (Acts 1:8a, NKJV). They were simply submitting themselves to the power and mission of the Holy Spirit once again, by praying that way. The Church was praying then and the Church should be praying now for God to equip us anew with the power and boldness of the Holy Spirit so that we will truly be witnesses for Jesus Christ!
In the last part of their prayer, they described what they fully expected God to be doing while they boldly preached the Word of God. The Church said what they wanted to do "...while You extend Your hand to heal, and signs and wonders take place through the name of Your holy servant Jesus" (Acts 4:30, NASB). Some translations of this verse make it sound like they are wanting God to give them boldness to preach "by" performing these signs and wonders (see KJV & NKJV), but it is a better translation of this verse that explains that God will be doing these things "while" His Word is being boldly proclaimed by the Church.
It makes many uncomfortable to think of God actually performing miracles today, but it should not disturb the Christian. In fact, Christians should expect to see God do things that He is the only explanation for, when we are faithfully telling the good news of Jesus Christ. Some take this to the extreme and begin forming healing lines in their Church services, but this is not about a man laying his hands on a person, but rather about God laying His hands on a person. Miracles can come physically in the form of someone's cancer being completely taken away without a doctor's intervention, or miracles can come spiritually in the form of someone's personality being totally changed for the better through simply having faith in Jesus Christ. Miracles can come relationally in the form of a diverse group of people becoming a unified body of believers, or miracles can come numerically in the form of a small body of believers growing to include thousands. In whatever form the miracle comes, it is always something that only God could have done and that God alone deserves the glory for! The Church was praying then and the Church should be praying now that God will help us do our part, while He does His part among us!
There is a popular song by Casting Crowns that simply asks on behalf of God, "What if My people prayed?" That "what if" has no limit, because there is no limit to what God can do with the Church that prays in the right way for the right things. What you pray for all alone should be the same thing that you pray for all together in the Church, but only if you are praying for the right things. Let's pray...
"Lord God, please help us to pray like the early Church. Please help us to seek the boldness that You have provided in the Holy Spirit for us to be witnesses. And Lord, please show us the miracles of Your living presence in lives today! Amen."
Tuesday, July 17, 2007
Salvation from the Cup
In the Old Testament, much is said about the wrath of God, promising that He sees the wickedness of men and that He does not let it go unpunished. For example, in the time of Noah, God's judgment was literally poured out on the Earth in the form of a flood. Humanity's sin had become so all encompassing that God's judgment became all encompassing as well. The only ones who did not literally drink in God's judgment and die were Noah and his family. It was not that Noah was more deserving, but rather that he "found grace in the eyes of the LORD" (Genesis 6:8, NKJV). Though Noah was a sinner, he trusted God and God showed him "grace," which is the kind of love that cannot be earned, but only received from God. Out of "grace," God provided a way for Noah and his family to avoid drinking the waters of judgment.
The Bible often describes God's wrath toward sin as a cup filled with judgment, which the wicked will drink down fully when God chooses to pour it out. That is what the Psalmist was contemplating when he wrote, "For in the hand of the LORD there is a cup, and the wine is red; It is fully mixed, and He pours it out; Surely its dregs shall all the wicked of the earth drain and drink down." (Psalm 75:8, NKJV)
This would give us nothing to be concerned about, if it were not for the fact that we are all wicked by nature. At the very core of our being as sinners, the Bible says that we are "desperately wicked" (Jeremiah 17:9, NKJV). So it was concerning all of us that the Psalmist wrote of God's cup of wrath, saying, "Surely its dregs shall all the wicked of the earth drain and drink down." If left to our own devices, to simply live in the way that seems best to us, we would "surely" drink the cup of God's wrath completely. There would be no avoiding it in the end!
But God has good news for the wicked today, just like He did in Noah's day. Out of grace, God has provided a way for us to avoid drinking the cup of His wrath, but this time it does not involve an ark. Instead of an ark, God provided a stand-in for us to drink the cup of God's wrath in our place. The Bible speaks of both the contents of the cup and the One who came to drink it in our place, saying, "For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Romans 6:23, NASB) Death is best explained as separation. When a person dies, they are physically separated from their loved ones here on Earth. But if a person dies physically without having the eternal life that Jesus Christ gives, they are spiritually separated from the God who loves them. If we cannot be with God in Heaven because of our wickedness, then we must be separated from God in Hell as our punishment.
The gift of eternal life is God's solution to our hopeless situation, but it was a costly gift to provide. Jesus came to take our place, knowing full well that drinking the cup of God's wrath toward sin meant a certain death. Jesus did not look forward to what He would suffer, but He was willing to do what it would take to save you and I. That's why the Bible records those final moments before Jesus was arrested, saying, "He went a little farther and fell on His face, and prayed, saying, 'O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will.'" (Matthew 26:39, NKJV) The Bible also says, "Again, a second time, He went away and prayed, saying, 'O My Father, if this cup cannot pass away from Me unless I drink it, Your will be done.'" (Matthew 26:42, NKJV) He was so resolved to drink that bitter cup for us, that when Peter unsheathed his sword and attacked one of those who came to arrest Jesus, Jesus said, "Put your sword into the sheath! Shall I not drink the cup which My Father has given Me?" (John 18:11, NKJV)
The wicked would have no hope of avoiding that cup of God's wrath, if Jesus had not grasped it and drank it down in our place. Every blow to his face, every stripe on his back, and all three nail piercings were each a swallow from that bitter cup. The Bible explains the amazing grace that God showed us all, saying, "But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." (Romans 5:8, NKJV) The most important word in that sentence is "for," which is translated from the Greek preposition "huper." That word literally means "on behalf of," or "in place of." By drinking the cup of God's wrath for us, Jesus died instead of us, on our behalf!
I have personally trusted Jesus Christ with my life, not only because I wanted to be spared that cup of God's wrath, but because I was tired of living life separated from Him. If He loved you enough to save you from going to Hell in the hereafter, what do you think His love can save you from in the here-and-now? My friend, quit trying to take that cup back out of the hands of Jesus and then give your life to Him by faith. All you have to do is tell Him that you believe that He is your Savior and then surrender your life to Him as your Lord. To do the alternative is to take that cup of God's wrath into your hands and start drinking it now in life and continue drinking it later in death. The excruciating pain that Jesus suffered in drinking that cup for you is nothing in comparison with the physical and spiritual suffering that you will bring upon yourself in this life and in the life to come through simply rejecting the salvation that He has provided from the cup of God's wrath.
"Lord Jesus, I thank-you for taking that cup for me and drinking it in my place. May my life be a reflection of the mercy that You have shown and an example of what You can do for all those who choose to believe. Amen."
The Bible often describes God's wrath toward sin as a cup filled with judgment, which the wicked will drink down fully when God chooses to pour it out. That is what the Psalmist was contemplating when he wrote, "For in the hand of the LORD there is a cup, and the wine is red; It is fully mixed, and He pours it out; Surely its dregs shall all the wicked of the earth drain and drink down." (Psalm 75:8, NKJV)
This would give us nothing to be concerned about, if it were not for the fact that we are all wicked by nature. At the very core of our being as sinners, the Bible says that we are "desperately wicked" (Jeremiah 17:9, NKJV). So it was concerning all of us that the Psalmist wrote of God's cup of wrath, saying, "Surely its dregs shall all the wicked of the earth drain and drink down." If left to our own devices, to simply live in the way that seems best to us, we would "surely" drink the cup of God's wrath completely. There would be no avoiding it in the end!
But God has good news for the wicked today, just like He did in Noah's day. Out of grace, God has provided a way for us to avoid drinking the cup of His wrath, but this time it does not involve an ark. Instead of an ark, God provided a stand-in for us to drink the cup of God's wrath in our place. The Bible speaks of both the contents of the cup and the One who came to drink it in our place, saying, "For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Romans 6:23, NASB) Death is best explained as separation. When a person dies, they are physically separated from their loved ones here on Earth. But if a person dies physically without having the eternal life that Jesus Christ gives, they are spiritually separated from the God who loves them. If we cannot be with God in Heaven because of our wickedness, then we must be separated from God in Hell as our punishment.
The gift of eternal life is God's solution to our hopeless situation, but it was a costly gift to provide. Jesus came to take our place, knowing full well that drinking the cup of God's wrath toward sin meant a certain death. Jesus did not look forward to what He would suffer, but He was willing to do what it would take to save you and I. That's why the Bible records those final moments before Jesus was arrested, saying, "He went a little farther and fell on His face, and prayed, saying, 'O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will.'" (Matthew 26:39, NKJV) The Bible also says, "Again, a second time, He went away and prayed, saying, 'O My Father, if this cup cannot pass away from Me unless I drink it, Your will be done.'" (Matthew 26:42, NKJV) He was so resolved to drink that bitter cup for us, that when Peter unsheathed his sword and attacked one of those who came to arrest Jesus, Jesus said, "Put your sword into the sheath! Shall I not drink the cup which My Father has given Me?" (John 18:11, NKJV)
The wicked would have no hope of avoiding that cup of God's wrath, if Jesus had not grasped it and drank it down in our place. Every blow to his face, every stripe on his back, and all three nail piercings were each a swallow from that bitter cup. The Bible explains the amazing grace that God showed us all, saying, "But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." (Romans 5:8, NKJV) The most important word in that sentence is "for," which is translated from the Greek preposition "huper." That word literally means "on behalf of," or "in place of." By drinking the cup of God's wrath for us, Jesus died instead of us, on our behalf!
I have personally trusted Jesus Christ with my life, not only because I wanted to be spared that cup of God's wrath, but because I was tired of living life separated from Him. If He loved you enough to save you from going to Hell in the hereafter, what do you think His love can save you from in the here-and-now? My friend, quit trying to take that cup back out of the hands of Jesus and then give your life to Him by faith. All you have to do is tell Him that you believe that He is your Savior and then surrender your life to Him as your Lord. To do the alternative is to take that cup of God's wrath into your hands and start drinking it now in life and continue drinking it later in death. The excruciating pain that Jesus suffered in drinking that cup for you is nothing in comparison with the physical and spiritual suffering that you will bring upon yourself in this life and in the life to come through simply rejecting the salvation that He has provided from the cup of God's wrath.
"Lord Jesus, I thank-you for taking that cup for me and drinking it in my place. May my life be a reflection of the mercy that You have shown and an example of what You can do for all those who choose to believe. Amen."
Tuesday, July 10, 2007
An Unexpected 7-7-7
Last week, I was asked if I thought there was any prophetic significance to July 7th, 2007. This person was wandering if the Lord could return on that day. My answer was simply, "No," because He is supposed to return in a time when no-one is expecting Him to. In fact, based upon that fact, I said that Jesus is more likely to return on Ground Hog's Day than on 7/7/2007. In all actuality, Jesus could just as easily return today or tomorrow.
The Biblical support for the unexpected return of Jesus Christ is clear. For example, the Apostle Paul reminded believers, writing, "For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore comfort one another with these words. But concerning the times and the seasons, brethren, you have no need that I should write to you. For you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night." (1 Thessalonians 4:16-5:2, NKJV) This event which is best known as "the rapture," will come suddenly and at a time when it is least expected, much like the invasion of a thief into one's home. It would be ridiculous to think of a thief calling the home of his next planned victims to tell them when he will arrive to take their belongings away from them. To think that we can set an expected date for the Lord's return is equally ridiculous.
Though He will come unexpectedly like "a thief in the night," He will be coming to retrieve that which belongs to Him. That is why we must be ready and watching for His return by faith, so that we will be prepared for that retrieval. Because the date of His return is set by an unknown schedule, the urgency on us all to be prepared is that much greater. That is why Jesus warned us time and again, saying, "Therefore be on alert, for you do not know which day your Lord is coming!" (Matthew 24:42, NASB) To be prepared and watching for His return only comes through being saved, that is, through giving your life to Jesus Christ and becoming one of His.
Without the preparation of salvation, His return will only usher in a time of judgment rather than rejoicing for you. Paul spoke of what the unexpected return of Jesus Christ will be like for those who have not accepted Him, saying, "For when they say, 'Peace and safety!' then sudden destruction comes upon them, as labor pains upon a pregnant woman. And they shall not escape." (1 Thessalonians 5:3, NKJV) Once labor pains have begun, there is no stopping them until they have reached their conclusion. Those who reject Jesus Christ before His return, can expect judgment to follow afterwards. So if He could return at any time and His return is that important for your future, why not be prepared for it to happen? It is the most logical choice.
Some agree that it is important to be prepared for the Lord's return, but they also say that it will come after God's time of judgment on this world. This time of judgment is called "the Tribulation period" and is defined as an exact seven year time period in the book of Daniel and in the book of Revelation. There are many theologians who say that the Lord will return unexpectedly to rapture His Church after the seven years have ended, but that makes an unexpected time impossible. Jesus said, "But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of Heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone." (Matthew 24:36, NASB) If the Tribulation began tomorrow, you would know it and would be able to count down to the day it would end seven years later. Someone would be out proclaiming the Lord's return on something like 7/7/2014, but just like proclaiming the Lord's return on 7/7/2007, it would be wrong because it would be expected. That is why the Lord will come unexpectedly on an average, ordinary day, when no one expecting Him to. That's when He will secretly return for His own, openly bring judgment on the world for seven years, and then visibly appear to claim the throne of the world.
I will say this for the number seven, it is an important number in the Bible that symbolizes divine completion, or those things that only God can personally plan and complete. With that in mind, no matter what the actual date is when the Lord returns unexpectedly it will become a perfect day for believers, in which God will have begun the completion of His work with humanity. When that happens, it will have become the perfect year, the perfect month, and the perfect day, a divinely appointed 7/7/7 on God's calendar.
"Lord, my heart sings: 'What a day that will be, when my Jesus I shall see, and I look upon His face, the One who saved me by His grace. And when He takes me by the hand, and leads me through the promised land, what a day, glorious day, that will be!' Oh Lord, come quickly and help more of us to be ready for that day. Amen."
The Biblical support for the unexpected return of Jesus Christ is clear. For example, the Apostle Paul reminded believers, writing, "For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore comfort one another with these words. But concerning the times and the seasons, brethren, you have no need that I should write to you. For you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night." (1 Thessalonians 4:16-5:2, NKJV) This event which is best known as "the rapture," will come suddenly and at a time when it is least expected, much like the invasion of a thief into one's home. It would be ridiculous to think of a thief calling the home of his next planned victims to tell them when he will arrive to take their belongings away from them. To think that we can set an expected date for the Lord's return is equally ridiculous.
Though He will come unexpectedly like "a thief in the night," He will be coming to retrieve that which belongs to Him. That is why we must be ready and watching for His return by faith, so that we will be prepared for that retrieval. Because the date of His return is set by an unknown schedule, the urgency on us all to be prepared is that much greater. That is why Jesus warned us time and again, saying, "Therefore be on alert, for you do not know which day your Lord is coming!" (Matthew 24:42, NASB) To be prepared and watching for His return only comes through being saved, that is, through giving your life to Jesus Christ and becoming one of His.
Without the preparation of salvation, His return will only usher in a time of judgment rather than rejoicing for you. Paul spoke of what the unexpected return of Jesus Christ will be like for those who have not accepted Him, saying, "For when they say, 'Peace and safety!' then sudden destruction comes upon them, as labor pains upon a pregnant woman. And they shall not escape." (1 Thessalonians 5:3, NKJV) Once labor pains have begun, there is no stopping them until they have reached their conclusion. Those who reject Jesus Christ before His return, can expect judgment to follow afterwards. So if He could return at any time and His return is that important for your future, why not be prepared for it to happen? It is the most logical choice.
Some agree that it is important to be prepared for the Lord's return, but they also say that it will come after God's time of judgment on this world. This time of judgment is called "the Tribulation period" and is defined as an exact seven year time period in the book of Daniel and in the book of Revelation. There are many theologians who say that the Lord will return unexpectedly to rapture His Church after the seven years have ended, but that makes an unexpected time impossible. Jesus said, "But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of Heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone." (Matthew 24:36, NASB) If the Tribulation began tomorrow, you would know it and would be able to count down to the day it would end seven years later. Someone would be out proclaiming the Lord's return on something like 7/7/2014, but just like proclaiming the Lord's return on 7/7/2007, it would be wrong because it would be expected. That is why the Lord will come unexpectedly on an average, ordinary day, when no one expecting Him to. That's when He will secretly return for His own, openly bring judgment on the world for seven years, and then visibly appear to claim the throne of the world.
I will say this for the number seven, it is an important number in the Bible that symbolizes divine completion, or those things that only God can personally plan and complete. With that in mind, no matter what the actual date is when the Lord returns unexpectedly it will become a perfect day for believers, in which God will have begun the completion of His work with humanity. When that happens, it will have become the perfect year, the perfect month, and the perfect day, a divinely appointed 7/7/7 on God's calendar.
"Lord, my heart sings: 'What a day that will be, when my Jesus I shall see, and I look upon His face, the One who saved me by His grace. And when He takes me by the hand, and leads me through the promised land, what a day, glorious day, that will be!' Oh Lord, come quickly and help more of us to be ready for that day. Amen."
Friday, May 25, 2007
The Lord's Direction
Recently I have been thinking a lot about how God leads His followers to do this or to do that. Often as Christians, we say that we "feel led" to do something, but we can't explain that feeling. I have that made that statement many times lately concerning what our family is preparing to do. We are packing our belongings in order to move from the Outer Banks of North Carolina to the middle of Tennessee, where I will pastor a different Church. My wife and I have not made that decision hastily or easily. It greatly saddens us to leave our current home and Church family, but we believe that God has led us to do so. You may ask, "How can you know for sure?" Well, God's Word is both the explanation and the source for knowing God's Will as a certainty.
The writer of Proverbs gave us a clue to understand the Lord's direction. He wrote, "A man's heart plans his way, but the LORD directs his steps." (Proverbs 16:9, NKJV) The Hebrew word that is translated as "heart" (leb) portrays the seat of human emotion and thinking, or the mind. Our thoughts are often so intertwined with our emotions that they are indistinguishable, but our thoughts and our feelings play a big role in every decision we make for good or ill. That is why they must be properly understood before they can be used in following God's Will.
Emotion is said to be the most shallow part of our nature and God does not want to simply work in the shallows of our lives. But does that mean that feelings have no part to play in determining God's Will? Well, that depends on whether those feelings are under control or out of control. Our feelings can deceive us, if not brought under the control of the Holy Spirit. On our own we cannot have right feelings or right thoughts without God's help. That is why David prayed to God, "Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, O LORD, my strength and my Redeemer." (Psalm 19:14, NKJV) As our Redeemer, Jesus provided all the strength that we need to have right feelings and right thoughts that will lead to right actions in following Him. Paul explained, "Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? For you were bought with a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God's." (1 Corinthians 6:19-20, NKJV) The sacrifice of our Redeemer paid the necessary price for our lives to be remodelled into temples, where the Holy Spirit can dwell and give us His guiding strength! We have the responsibility of living in that strength so that His Will is done.
It has been said that God gave us a brain so that we would use it, but our reasoning alone cannot find the logic in God's Will. Unless we see those things that God leads us to do from His perspective, they may not appear to be the logical choice. When we seek to see things from His perspective and plans, we will come to understand that no other choice is reasonable except the one He has led us to make. The Bible tells us to bring "every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ" (2 Corinthians 10:5b, NKJV). When all is said and done, the decision must ultimately be made based on whether or not it is something that must be done to remain obedient to God, regardless of whether it seems logical or feels right.
We have made the rational and emotional decision to move to Tennessee and are planning our "way" accordingly, but there is another element to what was said in Proverbs 16:9 that brings comfort and assurance in this time. The Bible says that "the LORD directs" our "steps" (Proverbs 16:9, NKJV). That word that is translated as "directs" (kun) literally means "to fix, or prepare" in the form in which it is found in this verse. The idea is that God has determined the course we need to take in life and has prepared us to follow that course. To step out in the direction that God has determined for our lives, is to move out on the expedition that He has already made great provision for. What could be more logical or feel better than to follow God's direction and experience Him accomplishing what He intended to do with your life? So far in my own personal experience, I would say that nothing comes close to the amazing adventure of following God's Will, even though it is not always easy or comfortable to do so. The way is clear before us and the time has come to trust Him enough to embark once again.
To our Church family at Sladesville Missionary Baptist Church, we love you all and are thankful that God sent us to serve Him with you. It has a been a great pleasure and an honor to live among such fine, Christian people. The motto that is on the welcome sign to Hyde County, North Carolina, simply says, "Welcome to Hyde County, the road less traveled." We saw the truth in those words, but we can also say that those who do not ever travel that road have missed out on a wonderful experience. As that road leads us away from Hyde County, please remember that we pray that God will continue to bless you all and your efforts for Him there. With Paul we say, "Now to our God and Father be glory forever and ever. Amen." (Philippians 4:20, NKJV)
"Lord God, we truly want to glorify Your high and holy name in all that we do. Please help us to always follow Your direction, walking in the steps of Jesus our Redeemer. May Your plans be accomplished in our lives and in the lives of all Your children. Amen."
The writer of Proverbs gave us a clue to understand the Lord's direction. He wrote, "A man's heart plans his way, but the LORD directs his steps." (Proverbs 16:9, NKJV) The Hebrew word that is translated as "heart" (leb) portrays the seat of human emotion and thinking, or the mind. Our thoughts are often so intertwined with our emotions that they are indistinguishable, but our thoughts and our feelings play a big role in every decision we make for good or ill. That is why they must be properly understood before they can be used in following God's Will.
Emotion is said to be the most shallow part of our nature and God does not want to simply work in the shallows of our lives. But does that mean that feelings have no part to play in determining God's Will? Well, that depends on whether those feelings are under control or out of control. Our feelings can deceive us, if not brought under the control of the Holy Spirit. On our own we cannot have right feelings or right thoughts without God's help. That is why David prayed to God, "Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, O LORD, my strength and my Redeemer." (Psalm 19:14, NKJV) As our Redeemer, Jesus provided all the strength that we need to have right feelings and right thoughts that will lead to right actions in following Him. Paul explained, "Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? For you were bought with a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God's." (1 Corinthians 6:19-20, NKJV) The sacrifice of our Redeemer paid the necessary price for our lives to be remodelled into temples, where the Holy Spirit can dwell and give us His guiding strength! We have the responsibility of living in that strength so that His Will is done.
It has been said that God gave us a brain so that we would use it, but our reasoning alone cannot find the logic in God's Will. Unless we see those things that God leads us to do from His perspective, they may not appear to be the logical choice. When we seek to see things from His perspective and plans, we will come to understand that no other choice is reasonable except the one He has led us to make. The Bible tells us to bring "every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ" (2 Corinthians 10:5b, NKJV). When all is said and done, the decision must ultimately be made based on whether or not it is something that must be done to remain obedient to God, regardless of whether it seems logical or feels right.
We have made the rational and emotional decision to move to Tennessee and are planning our "way" accordingly, but there is another element to what was said in Proverbs 16:9 that brings comfort and assurance in this time. The Bible says that "the LORD directs" our "steps" (Proverbs 16:9, NKJV). That word that is translated as "directs" (kun) literally means "to fix, or prepare" in the form in which it is found in this verse. The idea is that God has determined the course we need to take in life and has prepared us to follow that course. To step out in the direction that God has determined for our lives, is to move out on the expedition that He has already made great provision for. What could be more logical or feel better than to follow God's direction and experience Him accomplishing what He intended to do with your life? So far in my own personal experience, I would say that nothing comes close to the amazing adventure of following God's Will, even though it is not always easy or comfortable to do so. The way is clear before us and the time has come to trust Him enough to embark once again.
To our Church family at Sladesville Missionary Baptist Church, we love you all and are thankful that God sent us to serve Him with you. It has a been a great pleasure and an honor to live among such fine, Christian people. The motto that is on the welcome sign to Hyde County, North Carolina, simply says, "Welcome to Hyde County, the road less traveled." We saw the truth in those words, but we can also say that those who do not ever travel that road have missed out on a wonderful experience. As that road leads us away from Hyde County, please remember that we pray that God will continue to bless you all and your efforts for Him there. With Paul we say, "Now to our God and Father be glory forever and ever. Amen." (Philippians 4:20, NKJV)
"Lord God, we truly want to glorify Your high and holy name in all that we do. Please help us to always follow Your direction, walking in the steps of Jesus our Redeemer. May Your plans be accomplished in our lives and in the lives of all Your children. Amen."
Wednesday, April 11, 2007
The Seventy Week Countdown
What is often referred to as Daniel’s prophecy of the “seventy weeks” is actually a recording of the angel Gabriel’s message to Daniel from God, which is found in Daniel 9:24-27. The significance of this message is seen in the events that are described, as well as in the end result of those events. At the very beginning of this message, Gabriel briefly explains to Daniel what the “seventy weeks” will result in, saying, “Seventy weeks have been decreed for your people and your holy city, to finish the transgression, to make an end of sin, to make atonement for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy and to anoint the most holy place.” (Daniel 9:24, NASB) Taken at face value, as well as out of context, one would think that these things would occur within “seventy weeks” from when Gabriel delivered the message to Daniel, placing their fulfillment just short of a year and a half later. Of course, none of the events described in Gabriel’s message, nor their end result occurred that next year. But that does not mean that the message was wrong in its timing, or in what it promised.
This message concerning “seventy weeks” is actually a gauge for timing the fulfillment of some of the most important prophecies of the Bible. At points this gauge is very precise in timing events, while at other points it is somewhat vague, but what is precise and what is vague are both clearly identified as such. This gauge provides a count down to events from the rebuilding of Jerusalem to the coming of the promised Messiah. It also provides a basic time frame for the death of the Messiah, for a second destruction of Jerusalem, and for the coming of the ultimate enemy of God’s people, the Antichrist. But this gauge is useless, if one does not know how to read it.
The first key to understanding the “seventy weeks” is coming to understand that it does not refer to “weeks,” but rather “weeks” of years. In fact, the Hebrew word “shabua” that is translated as “weeks,” can be translated as either a time period of seven days or seven years. Most modern readers have never heard of a week of years, but God’s people were acutely aware of such a thing. A crucial part of God’s law, as well as their own national history, educated them in its meaning. God had told the Children of Israel to keep a “sabbath year” every seventh year, reminiscent of the “sabbath day,” but this time of rest was to be for “the land” (Lev. 25:2-4). God actually warned them that, if they did not obey His commandments, He would exile them from the land and that the land would then “rest and enjoy its sabbaths” in their absence (Lev. 26:34-35). When this judgment was soon to come to pass, Jeremiah warned them that they would be exiled to Babylon and that “the land” would be desolate for “seventy years” (Jer. 25:11). In 2 Chronicles 36:19-21, the Bible describes the fulfillment of Jeremiah’s prophecy, pointing out that both the desolation and exile would last “seventy years” to account for each “sabbath year” that they neglected to keep. In other words, they were to be punished for “seventy years” because they neglected to keep the “sabbath year” for a total of “seventy weeks” of years.
That God chose a total of “seventy weeks” of years to count down the events of Daniel 9:24-27, reveals its indirect connection to Israel and Judah’s history. But there is also a direct connection between the seventy year exile and Gabriel’s message to Daniel. Gabriel delivered the message concerning the “seventy weeks,” when Daniel had been praying about his people returning from their seventy year exile (Daniel 9:1-19). In fact, the seventy-year exile would end when the “seventy weeks” started counting down, because what would trigger the countdown would also end their exile.
Daniel was given a very precise time for the occurrence of the first two events on the schedule. Gabriel told Daniel, saying, “Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the command to restore and build Jerusalem until Messiah the Prince, there shall be seven weeks and sixty-two weeks; the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublesome times.” (Daniel 9:25, NKJV) There is clearly a division between what would happen first in “seven weeks” and what would happen later in “sixty-two weeks.” The occurrence of the first event is the key to understanding when the second event was scheduled to occur.
The “…going forth of the command to restore and build Jerusalem…” would begin the countdown and is easily determined. There were actually three decrees issued that allowed the Hebrew exiles to return to Jerusalem, but only one qualifies to begin the countdown. The first decree was issued by Cyrus in 538 B.C., which called for the rebuilding of the Temple in Jerusalem (see 2 Chron. 36:22), but this decree did not specifically call for the rebuilding of Jerusalem. Artaxerxes I issued a second decree concerning Jerusalem in 458 B.C., which called for the offering of sacrifices in the Temple and the beautification of the Temple, as well as for the renewed observance of God’s Law by the exiles who had returned (see Ezra 7:11-26), but this decree also did not specifically call for the rebuilding of Jerusalem. The third decree to be issued was more of an official permission from the king than a new decree. In 445 B.C., when Nehemiah asked if he could lead more exiles back to Jerusalem and complete its rebuilding, Artaxerxes I gave him his permission to do so (see Neh. 2:5-6). The things that Artaxerxes I permitted Nehemiah to do for Jerusalem were simply in addition to those things that were commanded in the previous decree of 458 B.C.
If 458 B.C. is the correct starting point, then the first event would occur in “seven weeks” of years, or forty-nine years later. During this time period, Ezra led a group of exiles back to Jerusalem to offer sacrifices in the completed Temple, as well as to call the returning Jews to obey God’s Law. Within fifteen years of Ezra’s return to Jerusalem, Nehemiah led another group of exiles back to rebuild its walls and fully re-establish the city. All of these efforts were completed by 409 B.C., or within forty-nine years of the decree given by Artaxerxes I concerning Jerusalem. Thus the “seven weeks” had been fulfilled right on time.
With the fulfillment of the “seven weeks,” the countdown continued on toward the second event. “Sixty-two weeks” of years from 409 B.C., or 434 years later, “Messiah the Prince” would apparently make His appearance. Therefore, the scheduled time for the Messiah’s appearance was to be the year 27 A.D. (note that there is no year 0 B.C. or year 0 A.D.). This year has a direct connection with Biblical events. Luke explains that Jesus was baptized by John the Baptist and subsequently started His ministry “…in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar” (Luke 3:1, NKJV). Officially, Tiberius became emperor in 14 A.D., but he had reigned as a sort of co-emperor with Augustus since 13 A.D. Therefore, the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius began in the year 27 A.D., precisely when Gabriel told Daniel that the Messiah would make His appearance. It should not be surprising that “Messiah the Prince” would come right on schedule, nor that Jesus truly is the Messiah!
Concerning the next two events, Daniel was given a very vague time frame for their occurrence. There is clearly an interval of time between the first sixty-nine weeks of years and the last week of years, because the events that are supposed to happen in-between them cover a time period of much more than seven years. That is why the remainder of the message is worded the way it is. Gabriel told Daniel, saying, “And after the sixty-two weeks Messiah shall be cut off, but not for Himself; and the people of the prince who is to come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary. The end of it shall be with a flood, and till the end of the war desolations are determined.” (Daniel 9:26, NKJV)
The first event that would occur sometime “after the sixty-two weeks” of years would be the death of the “Messiah… but not for Himself” (Daniel 9:26a, NKJV). It must have been a shock to Daniel to hear that not only would the Messiah die, but that He would die on behalf of others. Before Jesus came, few if any understood that the Messiah would first come and suffer before He would come and conquer. But according to plan, Jesus the Messiah willingly died in the place of all sinners just three years after His scheduled appearance.
The second event that would occur sometime “after the sixty-two weeks” of years would be the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple (“the city and the sanctuary”) by “…the people of the prince who is to come” (Daniel 9:26b, NKJV). At first glance, one might come to the conclusion that this coming “prince” is “Messiah the Prince,” whose coming was already promised in verse twenty-five. There are many problems with this idea, mainly because if it were the same “prince,” the “people” destroying Jerusalem and the Temple would have to be Christians fighting Jews. Also, the death of the Messiah occurred before this destruction. Clearly another “prince” would be coming and his “people” would be doing the deed.
To discover who “the people of the prince” are, once must simply look at what historically followed the death, burial, and resurrection of the Messiah. In 70 A.D. a Roman army destroyed Jerusalem and the Temple within it. Though Jerusalem has been built, destroyed, and rebuilt many times since the first century, the Temple is still a desolation and will be a desolation “till the end of the war,” as God previously “determined” (Daniel 9:26b, NKJV).
Though he would come from the Roman people, this “prince” can be identified by what was said that he would do in the final week of years. Gabriel told Daniel, saying, “And he will make a firm covenant with the many for one week, but in the middle of the week he will put a stop to sacrifice and grain offering; and on the wing of abominations will come one who makes desolate, even until a complete destruction, one that is decreed, is poured out on the one who makes desolate.” (Daniel 9:27, NASB)
The seven-year covenant, as well as the breaking of it after only three and a half years, characterizes the actions of the Antichrist, as described in the book of Revelation. The first three and a half years of this covenant are described in Revelation chapter eleven, where the Bible says, “Then I was given a reed like a measuring rod. And the angel stood, saying, ‘Rise and measure the temple of God, the altar, and those who worship there. But leave out the court which is outside the temple, and do not measure it, for it has been given to the Gentiles. And they will tread the holy city underfoot for forty-two months. And I will give power to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy one thousand two hundred and sixty days, clothed in sackcloth… When they finish their testimony, the beast that ascends out of the bottomless pit will make war against them, overcome them, and kill them.” (Revelation 11:1-3, 7, NKJV) Notice that the Antichrist (“the beast”) does not become violent toward God’s witnesses until after “forty-two months,” or “one thousand two hundred and sixty days,” which both work out to be three and a half years according to the 12 month, 360 day Jewish calendar. Also there are not any disruptions found inside of the Temple during this three and a half year time period.
The remaining three and a half years of the covenant are described in Revelation chapter 13, where the Bible says of the Antichrist, “And he was given a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies, and he was given authority to continue for forty-two months. Then he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme His name, His tabernacle, and those who dwell in heaven. It was granted to him to make war with the saints and to overcome them. And authority was given him over every tribe, tongue, and nation. All who dwell on the earth will worship him, whose names have not been written in the Book of Life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.” (Revelation 13:5-8, NKJV) During this three and half year time period (“forty-two months”), the Antichrist would seek to stamp out the worship of God and replace it with the worship of himself. These acts of blasphemy by the Antichrist fit with what Gabriel said would happen after the breaking of the seven-year covenant, from the ending of all “sacrifice and offering” to the spreading of his “abominations” abroad. The actions of the Antichrist against “the saints” also matches what Daniel had seen in the vision of chapter seven (Daniel 7:21-22, 25-26), which included the final judgment of the Antichrist (Daniel 7:11). According to Gabriel, in the end of the “seventy weeks” of years, “…the one who makes desolate” will face “complete destruction” (Daniel 9:27b, NASB). In other words, God will win!
In conclusion, the overall goal of the “seventy weeks” of years should not be overlooked. Gabriel promised that the “seventy weeks are determined… to make an end of sins, to make reconciliation for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy, and to anoint the Most Holy” (Daniel 9:24, NKJV). Though Jesus already did all that was necessary “to make an end of sins” and “to make reconciliation for iniquity” the first time He came, the rest will not be fulfilled until the second time He comes to end the “seventy weeks” of years. In the meantime, readers of this passage in Daniel should stand in awe at the amazing fulfillment of it so far. Not only did this message get it right when it gave the scheduled time for the rebuilding of Jerusalem and the appearance of the Messiah, it also made clear that the Messiah would die on behalf of others and that Jerusalem would subsequently be destroyed. One should come away from this passage with a revived awe and respect for the Word of God, and especially for the One we call Savior, who is Jesus the Messiah.
"Lord Jesus, we thank You for the mission that you planned to undertake so long ago. We know that You came and carried out that mission, through giving Your life in the place of ours. Lord God, just as we know that You arose from the dead, we also know that You will return one day for us. No-one can prevent Your Kingdom from coming on this Earth, not even the Antichrist! We pray as you taught us to, saying, 'Your Kingdom come; Your will be done on Earth as it is in Heaven!' Amen."
This message concerning “seventy weeks” is actually a gauge for timing the fulfillment of some of the most important prophecies of the Bible. At points this gauge is very precise in timing events, while at other points it is somewhat vague, but what is precise and what is vague are both clearly identified as such. This gauge provides a count down to events from the rebuilding of Jerusalem to the coming of the promised Messiah. It also provides a basic time frame for the death of the Messiah, for a second destruction of Jerusalem, and for the coming of the ultimate enemy of God’s people, the Antichrist. But this gauge is useless, if one does not know how to read it.
The first key to understanding the “seventy weeks” is coming to understand that it does not refer to “weeks,” but rather “weeks” of years. In fact, the Hebrew word “shabua” that is translated as “weeks,” can be translated as either a time period of seven days or seven years. Most modern readers have never heard of a week of years, but God’s people were acutely aware of such a thing. A crucial part of God’s law, as well as their own national history, educated them in its meaning. God had told the Children of Israel to keep a “sabbath year” every seventh year, reminiscent of the “sabbath day,” but this time of rest was to be for “the land” (Lev. 25:2-4). God actually warned them that, if they did not obey His commandments, He would exile them from the land and that the land would then “rest and enjoy its sabbaths” in their absence (Lev. 26:34-35). When this judgment was soon to come to pass, Jeremiah warned them that they would be exiled to Babylon and that “the land” would be desolate for “seventy years” (Jer. 25:11). In 2 Chronicles 36:19-21, the Bible describes the fulfillment of Jeremiah’s prophecy, pointing out that both the desolation and exile would last “seventy years” to account for each “sabbath year” that they neglected to keep. In other words, they were to be punished for “seventy years” because they neglected to keep the “sabbath year” for a total of “seventy weeks” of years.
That God chose a total of “seventy weeks” of years to count down the events of Daniel 9:24-27, reveals its indirect connection to Israel and Judah’s history. But there is also a direct connection between the seventy year exile and Gabriel’s message to Daniel. Gabriel delivered the message concerning the “seventy weeks,” when Daniel had been praying about his people returning from their seventy year exile (Daniel 9:1-19). In fact, the seventy-year exile would end when the “seventy weeks” started counting down, because what would trigger the countdown would also end their exile.
Daniel was given a very precise time for the occurrence of the first two events on the schedule. Gabriel told Daniel, saying, “Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the command to restore and build Jerusalem until Messiah the Prince, there shall be seven weeks and sixty-two weeks; the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublesome times.” (Daniel 9:25, NKJV) There is clearly a division between what would happen first in “seven weeks” and what would happen later in “sixty-two weeks.” The occurrence of the first event is the key to understanding when the second event was scheduled to occur.
The “…going forth of the command to restore and build Jerusalem…” would begin the countdown and is easily determined. There were actually three decrees issued that allowed the Hebrew exiles to return to Jerusalem, but only one qualifies to begin the countdown. The first decree was issued by Cyrus in 538 B.C., which called for the rebuilding of the Temple in Jerusalem (see 2 Chron. 36:22), but this decree did not specifically call for the rebuilding of Jerusalem. Artaxerxes I issued a second decree concerning Jerusalem in 458 B.C., which called for the offering of sacrifices in the Temple and the beautification of the Temple, as well as for the renewed observance of God’s Law by the exiles who had returned (see Ezra 7:11-26), but this decree also did not specifically call for the rebuilding of Jerusalem. The third decree to be issued was more of an official permission from the king than a new decree. In 445 B.C., when Nehemiah asked if he could lead more exiles back to Jerusalem and complete its rebuilding, Artaxerxes I gave him his permission to do so (see Neh. 2:5-6). The things that Artaxerxes I permitted Nehemiah to do for Jerusalem were simply in addition to those things that were commanded in the previous decree of 458 B.C.
If 458 B.C. is the correct starting point, then the first event would occur in “seven weeks” of years, or forty-nine years later. During this time period, Ezra led a group of exiles back to Jerusalem to offer sacrifices in the completed Temple, as well as to call the returning Jews to obey God’s Law. Within fifteen years of Ezra’s return to Jerusalem, Nehemiah led another group of exiles back to rebuild its walls and fully re-establish the city. All of these efforts were completed by 409 B.C., or within forty-nine years of the decree given by Artaxerxes I concerning Jerusalem. Thus the “seven weeks” had been fulfilled right on time.
With the fulfillment of the “seven weeks,” the countdown continued on toward the second event. “Sixty-two weeks” of years from 409 B.C., or 434 years later, “Messiah the Prince” would apparently make His appearance. Therefore, the scheduled time for the Messiah’s appearance was to be the year 27 A.D. (note that there is no year 0 B.C. or year 0 A.D.). This year has a direct connection with Biblical events. Luke explains that Jesus was baptized by John the Baptist and subsequently started His ministry “…in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar” (Luke 3:1, NKJV). Officially, Tiberius became emperor in 14 A.D., but he had reigned as a sort of co-emperor with Augustus since 13 A.D. Therefore, the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius began in the year 27 A.D., precisely when Gabriel told Daniel that the Messiah would make His appearance. It should not be surprising that “Messiah the Prince” would come right on schedule, nor that Jesus truly is the Messiah!
Concerning the next two events, Daniel was given a very vague time frame for their occurrence. There is clearly an interval of time between the first sixty-nine weeks of years and the last week of years, because the events that are supposed to happen in-between them cover a time period of much more than seven years. That is why the remainder of the message is worded the way it is. Gabriel told Daniel, saying, “And after the sixty-two weeks Messiah shall be cut off, but not for Himself; and the people of the prince who is to come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary. The end of it shall be with a flood, and till the end of the war desolations are determined.” (Daniel 9:26, NKJV)
The first event that would occur sometime “after the sixty-two weeks” of years would be the death of the “Messiah… but not for Himself” (Daniel 9:26a, NKJV). It must have been a shock to Daniel to hear that not only would the Messiah die, but that He would die on behalf of others. Before Jesus came, few if any understood that the Messiah would first come and suffer before He would come and conquer. But according to plan, Jesus the Messiah willingly died in the place of all sinners just three years after His scheduled appearance.
The second event that would occur sometime “after the sixty-two weeks” of years would be the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple (“the city and the sanctuary”) by “…the people of the prince who is to come” (Daniel 9:26b, NKJV). At first glance, one might come to the conclusion that this coming “prince” is “Messiah the Prince,” whose coming was already promised in verse twenty-five. There are many problems with this idea, mainly because if it were the same “prince,” the “people” destroying Jerusalem and the Temple would have to be Christians fighting Jews. Also, the death of the Messiah occurred before this destruction. Clearly another “prince” would be coming and his “people” would be doing the deed.
To discover who “the people of the prince” are, once must simply look at what historically followed the death, burial, and resurrection of the Messiah. In 70 A.D. a Roman army destroyed Jerusalem and the Temple within it. Though Jerusalem has been built, destroyed, and rebuilt many times since the first century, the Temple is still a desolation and will be a desolation “till the end of the war,” as God previously “determined” (Daniel 9:26b, NKJV).
Though he would come from the Roman people, this “prince” can be identified by what was said that he would do in the final week of years. Gabriel told Daniel, saying, “And he will make a firm covenant with the many for one week, but in the middle of the week he will put a stop to sacrifice and grain offering; and on the wing of abominations will come one who makes desolate, even until a complete destruction, one that is decreed, is poured out on the one who makes desolate.” (Daniel 9:27, NASB)
The seven-year covenant, as well as the breaking of it after only three and a half years, characterizes the actions of the Antichrist, as described in the book of Revelation. The first three and a half years of this covenant are described in Revelation chapter eleven, where the Bible says, “Then I was given a reed like a measuring rod. And the angel stood, saying, ‘Rise and measure the temple of God, the altar, and those who worship there. But leave out the court which is outside the temple, and do not measure it, for it has been given to the Gentiles. And they will tread the holy city underfoot for forty-two months. And I will give power to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy one thousand two hundred and sixty days, clothed in sackcloth… When they finish their testimony, the beast that ascends out of the bottomless pit will make war against them, overcome them, and kill them.” (Revelation 11:1-3, 7, NKJV) Notice that the Antichrist (“the beast”) does not become violent toward God’s witnesses until after “forty-two months,” or “one thousand two hundred and sixty days,” which both work out to be three and a half years according to the 12 month, 360 day Jewish calendar. Also there are not any disruptions found inside of the Temple during this three and a half year time period.
The remaining three and a half years of the covenant are described in Revelation chapter 13, where the Bible says of the Antichrist, “And he was given a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies, and he was given authority to continue for forty-two months. Then he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme His name, His tabernacle, and those who dwell in heaven. It was granted to him to make war with the saints and to overcome them. And authority was given him over every tribe, tongue, and nation. All who dwell on the earth will worship him, whose names have not been written in the Book of Life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.” (Revelation 13:5-8, NKJV) During this three and half year time period (“forty-two months”), the Antichrist would seek to stamp out the worship of God and replace it with the worship of himself. These acts of blasphemy by the Antichrist fit with what Gabriel said would happen after the breaking of the seven-year covenant, from the ending of all “sacrifice and offering” to the spreading of his “abominations” abroad. The actions of the Antichrist against “the saints” also matches what Daniel had seen in the vision of chapter seven (Daniel 7:21-22, 25-26), which included the final judgment of the Antichrist (Daniel 7:11). According to Gabriel, in the end of the “seventy weeks” of years, “…the one who makes desolate” will face “complete destruction” (Daniel 9:27b, NASB). In other words, God will win!
In conclusion, the overall goal of the “seventy weeks” of years should not be overlooked. Gabriel promised that the “seventy weeks are determined… to make an end of sins, to make reconciliation for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy, and to anoint the Most Holy” (Daniel 9:24, NKJV). Though Jesus already did all that was necessary “to make an end of sins” and “to make reconciliation for iniquity” the first time He came, the rest will not be fulfilled until the second time He comes to end the “seventy weeks” of years. In the meantime, readers of this passage in Daniel should stand in awe at the amazing fulfillment of it so far. Not only did this message get it right when it gave the scheduled time for the rebuilding of Jerusalem and the appearance of the Messiah, it also made clear that the Messiah would die on behalf of others and that Jerusalem would subsequently be destroyed. One should come away from this passage with a revived awe and respect for the Word of God, and especially for the One we call Savior, who is Jesus the Messiah.
"Lord Jesus, we thank You for the mission that you planned to undertake so long ago. We know that You came and carried out that mission, through giving Your life in the place of ours. Lord God, just as we know that You arose from the dead, we also know that You will return one day for us. No-one can prevent Your Kingdom from coming on this Earth, not even the Antichrist! We pray as you taught us to, saying, 'Your Kingdom come; Your will be done on Earth as it is in Heaven!' Amen."
Tuesday, March 06, 2007
Strange Commands for a Unique Sacrifice
In our Bible reading, my wife and I are both going through the Law that God laid out for His chosen people to live by. Last night, she pointed out something that I have often thought about as well, namely that the commands of the sacrificial system that God made a part of His Law seem very odd. As modern readers, most of us have never seen any such religious practice, nor can we fully picture it in a realistic way. Though the Israelites had witnessed all sorts of animal sacrifice in Egypt and elsewhere, the demands of the sacrificial system that God required of them were strange and alien to them as well. As with everything that God does, there is a purpose behind even this.
The immediate purpose of God giving them such a system of sacrifice was to make their way of approaching and interacting with Him totally unique, in comparison with all other sacrificial systems that had been devised in the world. What they were to do could never be confused with what was done in worshipping the false gods of the rest of the world. They were marked as unique and special by the blood of these sacrifices, especially the priests.
For example, my wife pointed out that after God had given them very detailed instructions about the making of priestly garments for the Levites, which included a concern for keeping the garments clean, God then made it clear that those garments were to sprinkled with the blood of sacrifice to make them ready for God's service. Blood can be washed out of clothing with water while it is still wet, but not if it is allowed to soak and dry. Though the priestly garments would be washed, it would only be after they had performed their duties as priests. What was to be cleaned from the garments was any filth caused by those wearing them while doing their duty, but the stains from the blood that was sprinkled upon them would remain. This especially becomes significant in light of the New Testament.
The ultimate purpose of the sacrificial system was to point to the ultimate sacrifice that Jesus Christ would make for us all. Concerning the sacrificial system that God imposed in the Old Testament, the Bible says, "For the law, having a shadow of the good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with these same sacrifices, which they offer continually year by year, make those who approach perfect." (Hebrews 10:1, NKJV) The sacrifice of Jesus Christ, when He died on the cross, was the crowning moment of those "good things to come." The Bible explains, "But Christ came as High Priest of the good things to come, with the greater and more perfect tabernacle not made with hands, that is, not of this creation. Not with the blood of goats and calves, but with His own blood He entered the Most Holy Place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption. For if the blood of bulls and goats and the ashes of a heifer, sprinkling the unclean, sanctifies for the purifying of the flesh, how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?" (Hebrews 9:11-14, NKJV) The only thing in this world that could ever compare with what Jesus Christ did for us, was the sacrificial system of the Old Testament and only because it was a unique symbol of the unique sacrifice that Jesus Christ made for us.
The sacrifice of Jesus leaves a mark on all those who believe in Him, setting us apart as His own, much like the blood that sprinkled the priests in the Old Testament. The Bible declares, "But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy." (1 Peter 2:9-10, NKJV) Because of His unique sacrifice, we are a unique people, following the One True God through a world that denies Him. To be His is to be set apart by His blood for serving Him. It is something that should effect how we live in obvious ways. The Bible reminds us, "If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin." (1 John 1:6-7, NKJV) I pray that His blood has left a mark on your life as it has on mine!
"Dear Lord, help us to remember Your sacrifice and its purpose today. Please work in our lives to show the difference that You have made there through the blood of Your sacrifice of love. May we stand apart from the ways of this world, while we stand in it to serve You! Amen."
The immediate purpose of God giving them such a system of sacrifice was to make their way of approaching and interacting with Him totally unique, in comparison with all other sacrificial systems that had been devised in the world. What they were to do could never be confused with what was done in worshipping the false gods of the rest of the world. They were marked as unique and special by the blood of these sacrifices, especially the priests.
For example, my wife pointed out that after God had given them very detailed instructions about the making of priestly garments for the Levites, which included a concern for keeping the garments clean, God then made it clear that those garments were to sprinkled with the blood of sacrifice to make them ready for God's service. Blood can be washed out of clothing with water while it is still wet, but not if it is allowed to soak and dry. Though the priestly garments would be washed, it would only be after they had performed their duties as priests. What was to be cleaned from the garments was any filth caused by those wearing them while doing their duty, but the stains from the blood that was sprinkled upon them would remain. This especially becomes significant in light of the New Testament.
The ultimate purpose of the sacrificial system was to point to the ultimate sacrifice that Jesus Christ would make for us all. Concerning the sacrificial system that God imposed in the Old Testament, the Bible says, "For the law, having a shadow of the good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with these same sacrifices, which they offer continually year by year, make those who approach perfect." (Hebrews 10:1, NKJV) The sacrifice of Jesus Christ, when He died on the cross, was the crowning moment of those "good things to come." The Bible explains, "But Christ came as High Priest of the good things to come, with the greater and more perfect tabernacle not made with hands, that is, not of this creation. Not with the blood of goats and calves, but with His own blood He entered the Most Holy Place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption. For if the blood of bulls and goats and the ashes of a heifer, sprinkling the unclean, sanctifies for the purifying of the flesh, how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?" (Hebrews 9:11-14, NKJV) The only thing in this world that could ever compare with what Jesus Christ did for us, was the sacrificial system of the Old Testament and only because it was a unique symbol of the unique sacrifice that Jesus Christ made for us.
The sacrifice of Jesus leaves a mark on all those who believe in Him, setting us apart as His own, much like the blood that sprinkled the priests in the Old Testament. The Bible declares, "But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy." (1 Peter 2:9-10, NKJV) Because of His unique sacrifice, we are a unique people, following the One True God through a world that denies Him. To be His is to be set apart by His blood for serving Him. It is something that should effect how we live in obvious ways. The Bible reminds us, "If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin." (1 John 1:6-7, NKJV) I pray that His blood has left a mark on your life as it has on mine!
"Dear Lord, help us to remember Your sacrifice and its purpose today. Please work in our lives to show the difference that You have made there through the blood of Your sacrifice of love. May we stand apart from the ways of this world, while we stand in it to serve You! Amen."
Friday, March 02, 2007
The Truth and Ossuaries
Down through the centuries people have attempted to disprove that Jesus resurrected from the dead. These attempts have sometimes been very sophisticated, but most of the time they have been very shallow in arguing their case against the record of the Bible. Recently, a new effort has been undertaken that is both sophisticated and shallow, using a combination of 2,000 year old ossuaries and modern-day falsehood. But like all the others before it, this argument still falls short of the "truth" found in God's Word.
An ossuary is a box that was used to store the bones of a person in the Middle-East during the time that Jesus Christ walked on Earth. A person's bones would only be placed in an ossuary after being dead for at least a year. Ossuaries were identified with the name of the deceased, much like modern day tombstones, but also with the name of their father (i.e. John, the son of Zebedee). In 1980, several ossuaries were discovered in a tomb just outside of Jerusalem. These ossuaries had provocative names inscribed on them, such as Jesus, the son of Joseph, and Judah, the son of Jesus, among others said to be in the same family. At the time of the discovery, archaelogists, with no allegiance to the Biblical record or any commitment to defend it, found no connection with Jesus of Nazareth or his family. These archaelogists explained that it was simply a family that lived in the same time period as Jesus Christ. Now in 2007, the Discovery Channel is ready to air a documentary entitled "The Lost Tomb of Jesus," which uses these same ossuaries as evidence that the bones of Jesus and his family have been discovered.
Nothing new has been learned about these ossuaries. They still list some of the most common names to be found in Judea during the time of Christ. They were still found in an entirely different place than where most of the family of Jesus lived and died, which is the city of Nazareth in Galilee. There is still no convincing evidence that the ossuary inscribed with the name of Jesus contains the bones of Jesus Christ. In fact, the evidence of the Bible and history stands against such a claim. This is simply an old lie renovated for a new age.
Biblically, the disciples of Jesus Christ witnessed His death, His resurrection, and His ascension. The New Testament records their proclamation of that fact, as well as the things they suffered for it. History agrees that the disciples gained nothing in worldly terms from what they proclaimed concerning Jesus Christ. No-one would suffer and die for something that they knew to be a lie. None of them would have been enduring persecution and preaching that Jesus had arisen from the dead, if his bones were being stored in an ossuary near Jerusalem. They had nothing to gain in this world for doing so!
In contrast to the disciples, those who produced this documentary and those who are supporting it think that they have everything to gain in doing so. The world is clambering for anything that seems to counter the Bible. Skeptics rejoice over every new lie, because it is a "truth" that is more acceptable to them than what is really the "truth" concerning Jesus. Somehow, it makes the skeptic feel better to think that he or she has evidence to support their rejection of the "truth." Every skeptic starts with the presupposition that the Bible could not be true and so virtually anything else has more credibility, especialy if it counters the Biblical record. Therefore, as another Easter approaches to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ, the doubters of the world are attempting to undermine the faith of millions with a few boxes full of bones.
The book of Proverbs illustrates the difference between the efforts of the skeptics and the believers this Easter. The Bible says, "He who speaks truth declares righteousness, but a false witness, deceit. There is one who speaks like the piercings of a sword, but the tongue of the wise promotes health. The truthful lip shall be established forever, but a lying tongue is but for a moment." (Proverbs 12:17-19, NKJV) On one hand, false witnesses are spreading lies that masquerade as the truth, but on the other hand, faithful witnesses of the truth are declaring what is right. False witnesses only hurt those who listen to them, damaging their faith, or even killing their chances at receiving the eternal life that the living Jesus is offering them. Faithful witnesses can only help those who listen to them, introducing them to the One who wants to heal them from the disease of sin, so that they will live forever with Him!
This Easter, what will you believe and what will you proclaim? Don't hesitate to tell what you know to be the "truth" about Jesus. The things that the skeptics say today are loud and deceptively convincing, but their lying will only last "for a moment." What you have to say about the truth "shall be established forever," long after they have learned the error of their ways in Hell. Now is the time to take a stand for the Truth of God's Word, so that some might believe and be saved from the destruction that the enemy's lies will cause!
Jesus said that the Word of God is "Truth" (John 17:17b). That's why Paul points to the Scriptures as being enough evidence for anyone to believe. Paul said, "Moreover, brethren, I declare to you the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received and in which you stand, by which also you are saved, if you hold fast that word which I preached to you -- unless you believed in vain. For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures..." (1 Corinthians 15:1-4, NKJV) This is the question that you must ask yourself: Is the Bible enough evidence for me?
I've heard it said that the greatest evidence for the resurrection of Jesus Christ is a changed life. That statement is not quite right, because the greatest evidence for the resurrection of Jesus Christ is the Bible, but a changed life runs a close second! My life was changed because I believed the evidence of the Bible and rejected the lies of this world! I hope and pray that you will do the same.
"Lord God in Heaven, thank-you for telling me the true story of Jesus in Your Word. I never could have heard it any other way. Help me to tell someone else that story today and everyday. Amen."
An ossuary is a box that was used to store the bones of a person in the Middle-East during the time that Jesus Christ walked on Earth. A person's bones would only be placed in an ossuary after being dead for at least a year. Ossuaries were identified with the name of the deceased, much like modern day tombstones, but also with the name of their father (i.e. John, the son of Zebedee). In 1980, several ossuaries were discovered in a tomb just outside of Jerusalem. These ossuaries had provocative names inscribed on them, such as Jesus, the son of Joseph, and Judah, the son of Jesus, among others said to be in the same family. At the time of the discovery, archaelogists, with no allegiance to the Biblical record or any commitment to defend it, found no connection with Jesus of Nazareth or his family. These archaelogists explained that it was simply a family that lived in the same time period as Jesus Christ. Now in 2007, the Discovery Channel is ready to air a documentary entitled "The Lost Tomb of Jesus," which uses these same ossuaries as evidence that the bones of Jesus and his family have been discovered.
Nothing new has been learned about these ossuaries. They still list some of the most common names to be found in Judea during the time of Christ. They were still found in an entirely different place than where most of the family of Jesus lived and died, which is the city of Nazareth in Galilee. There is still no convincing evidence that the ossuary inscribed with the name of Jesus contains the bones of Jesus Christ. In fact, the evidence of the Bible and history stands against such a claim. This is simply an old lie renovated for a new age.
Biblically, the disciples of Jesus Christ witnessed His death, His resurrection, and His ascension. The New Testament records their proclamation of that fact, as well as the things they suffered for it. History agrees that the disciples gained nothing in worldly terms from what they proclaimed concerning Jesus Christ. No-one would suffer and die for something that they knew to be a lie. None of them would have been enduring persecution and preaching that Jesus had arisen from the dead, if his bones were being stored in an ossuary near Jerusalem. They had nothing to gain in this world for doing so!
In contrast to the disciples, those who produced this documentary and those who are supporting it think that they have everything to gain in doing so. The world is clambering for anything that seems to counter the Bible. Skeptics rejoice over every new lie, because it is a "truth" that is more acceptable to them than what is really the "truth" concerning Jesus. Somehow, it makes the skeptic feel better to think that he or she has evidence to support their rejection of the "truth." Every skeptic starts with the presupposition that the Bible could not be true and so virtually anything else has more credibility, especialy if it counters the Biblical record. Therefore, as another Easter approaches to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ, the doubters of the world are attempting to undermine the faith of millions with a few boxes full of bones.
The book of Proverbs illustrates the difference between the efforts of the skeptics and the believers this Easter. The Bible says, "He who speaks truth declares righteousness, but a false witness, deceit. There is one who speaks like the piercings of a sword, but the tongue of the wise promotes health. The truthful lip shall be established forever, but a lying tongue is but for a moment." (Proverbs 12:17-19, NKJV) On one hand, false witnesses are spreading lies that masquerade as the truth, but on the other hand, faithful witnesses of the truth are declaring what is right. False witnesses only hurt those who listen to them, damaging their faith, or even killing their chances at receiving the eternal life that the living Jesus is offering them. Faithful witnesses can only help those who listen to them, introducing them to the One who wants to heal them from the disease of sin, so that they will live forever with Him!
This Easter, what will you believe and what will you proclaim? Don't hesitate to tell what you know to be the "truth" about Jesus. The things that the skeptics say today are loud and deceptively convincing, but their lying will only last "for a moment." What you have to say about the truth "shall be established forever," long after they have learned the error of their ways in Hell. Now is the time to take a stand for the Truth of God's Word, so that some might believe and be saved from the destruction that the enemy's lies will cause!
Jesus said that the Word of God is "Truth" (John 17:17b). That's why Paul points to the Scriptures as being enough evidence for anyone to believe. Paul said, "Moreover, brethren, I declare to you the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received and in which you stand, by which also you are saved, if you hold fast that word which I preached to you -- unless you believed in vain. For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures..." (1 Corinthians 15:1-4, NKJV) This is the question that you must ask yourself: Is the Bible enough evidence for me?
I've heard it said that the greatest evidence for the resurrection of Jesus Christ is a changed life. That statement is not quite right, because the greatest evidence for the resurrection of Jesus Christ is the Bible, but a changed life runs a close second! My life was changed because I believed the evidence of the Bible and rejected the lies of this world! I hope and pray that you will do the same.
"Lord God in Heaven, thank-you for telling me the true story of Jesus in Your Word. I never could have heard it any other way. Help me to tell someone else that story today and everyday. Amen."
Tuesday, February 13, 2007
Worrying Over Worry
I have found that one of the things that is difficult to do is not worry. Worrying stands in opposition to faith, because we are not trusting God when we begin to fret about whether or not we will have what we need. Worry does not simply concern finances, it often concerns the future and everything that comes with it. You cannot both worry about the future and trust God with your future at the same time. Do you know what is going to happen? No, and the fact is that no human does. That's why you must trust God who knows your future and has a perfect plan. If you don't trust Him, you may be preventing His plan from coming to pass!
The Bible speaks about worry in Philippians, where it says, "Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God which surpasses all understanding, will guard you hearts and minds through Christ Jesus." (Philippians 4:6-7, NKJV) To really understand how this applies to us and our problem with worrying, let's examine the passage a little closer.
To "be anxious" is literally "to worry about something." According to the Bible, the Christian has "nothing" to worry about. Jesus made it very clear that God will provide for His own and that includes providing for their future needs as well as their present needs (Matthew 6:25-34). In fact, Jesus said that "...your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things," which are the things that you really need, rather than the things that you really want (Matthew 6:32b, NKJV). Jesus asked a very practical question in this same passage. He asked, "Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature?" (Matthew 6:27, NKJV) Think of the imagery of that. When you worry, you probably go about like most people with your shoulders slumped and a look of trouble on your face. On the contrary, when you go about with nothing to worry about, your stance is taller, your step is more sure, and you act like all is well. Jesus question carries this basic idea of what worrying does to you on the outside, but also the idea of what worrying does to you on the inside. Do you think that worrying will somehow make you look or feel better? Trust me, it will not.
So what are we to do instead of worrying? In Philippians, the Bible said, "...in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God." (Philippians 4:6a, NKJV) God knows what you need before you ask for it, but you should still ask Him for it. To not ask Him is to be presumptious, acting as if you deserve what He said that He would provide. We are to pray and plead with Him over what we need, but not without giving Him thanks, because when we ask for what we need He will provide it! Jesus also gave some encouragement on this matter, saying, "Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. Or what man is there among you who, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent? If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him?" (Matthew 7:7-11, NKJV) Most of the time when I am worrying about something, I realize that I have probably not prayed much about it and if I have, I have not completely trusted that God would answer that prayer. The choice is clear: Are we going to trust God or worry? How you pray will show what choice you have made.
One last point needs to be drawn out from Philippians, where the Bible explains the rewards of not worrying. If we choose to trust God with our worries in prayer, it is written that "...the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus." (Philippians 4:7, NKJV) I know from experience that there is no reasonable explanation that can be given for the peace that God can give in seemingly hopeless situations. That peace is the absence of worry and it will "guard" you against the dangers of worry, which is mainly losing faith in God over your worries. No, worry cannot help you in any way, but God's peace can help you through anything!
"Lord, I don't know what the future holds for me, but I don't care, because You hold my future! Lord, please give me the strength to continue believing that and living like it! Thank-you for providing all that my family needs both for now and in the future!"
The Bible speaks about worry in Philippians, where it says, "Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God which surpasses all understanding, will guard you hearts and minds through Christ Jesus." (Philippians 4:6-7, NKJV) To really understand how this applies to us and our problem with worrying, let's examine the passage a little closer.
To "be anxious" is literally "to worry about something." According to the Bible, the Christian has "nothing" to worry about. Jesus made it very clear that God will provide for His own and that includes providing for their future needs as well as their present needs (Matthew 6:25-34). In fact, Jesus said that "...your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things," which are the things that you really need, rather than the things that you really want (Matthew 6:32b, NKJV). Jesus asked a very practical question in this same passage. He asked, "Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature?" (Matthew 6:27, NKJV) Think of the imagery of that. When you worry, you probably go about like most people with your shoulders slumped and a look of trouble on your face. On the contrary, when you go about with nothing to worry about, your stance is taller, your step is more sure, and you act like all is well. Jesus question carries this basic idea of what worrying does to you on the outside, but also the idea of what worrying does to you on the inside. Do you think that worrying will somehow make you look or feel better? Trust me, it will not.
So what are we to do instead of worrying? In Philippians, the Bible said, "...in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God." (Philippians 4:6a, NKJV) God knows what you need before you ask for it, but you should still ask Him for it. To not ask Him is to be presumptious, acting as if you deserve what He said that He would provide. We are to pray and plead with Him over what we need, but not without giving Him thanks, because when we ask for what we need He will provide it! Jesus also gave some encouragement on this matter, saying, "Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. Or what man is there among you who, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent? If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him?" (Matthew 7:7-11, NKJV) Most of the time when I am worrying about something, I realize that I have probably not prayed much about it and if I have, I have not completely trusted that God would answer that prayer. The choice is clear: Are we going to trust God or worry? How you pray will show what choice you have made.
One last point needs to be drawn out from Philippians, where the Bible explains the rewards of not worrying. If we choose to trust God with our worries in prayer, it is written that "...the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus." (Philippians 4:7, NKJV) I know from experience that there is no reasonable explanation that can be given for the peace that God can give in seemingly hopeless situations. That peace is the absence of worry and it will "guard" you against the dangers of worry, which is mainly losing faith in God over your worries. No, worry cannot help you in any way, but God's peace can help you through anything!
"Lord, I don't know what the future holds for me, but I don't care, because You hold my future! Lord, please give me the strength to continue believing that and living like it! Thank-you for providing all that my family needs both for now and in the future!"
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