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These articles are free to be reprinted with acknowledgment of the authorship of Kent Heaton.
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“For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ” (Galatians 3:26-27). The inheritance of the “saints of light” (Colossians 1:12) is a relationship shared between the Father and His children whom he refers as “sons of God.” The privilege of being able to cry out, “Abba, Father” (Galatians 4:6) is found only to those who have willingly given their lives to Jesus Christ. To be a child of God requires obedience to the will of God (Matthew 7:21).
The apostle Paul outlines the elements of faith in his letter to the churches of Galatia as key to the relationship of the spiritual children of Abraham (Galatians 3). The allegory of Galatians 4:21-31 will illustrate the freedom found in those who embrace faith in Jesus Christ. Faith works in the hearts of men to teach them the message of salvation that can only be found in the one true Son of God. This faith can only come from one gospel (Galatians 1:6-9). Salvation is no longer from the works of the law but from faith (Galatians 3:1-9).
Faith alone cannot save and Paul does not suggest in Galatians that one can be a child of God through faith in Christ Jesus alone (see James 2:24). It is in the agency of faith that one is moved to embrace the death of the Lord in obedience to salvation. Sons of God are found in those who through faith in Christ Jesus are baptized into Christ Jesus; thereby putting on Christ. The illusion to “put on Christ” is likened to putting on a garment. Paul uses the same language to describe putting on the armor of God (Ephesians 6:10-18).
Is it necessary to “put on Christ” to be saved? If one never “puts on Christ” will they enjoy eternal life? Faith does not put on Christ – baptism does. It does not matter if you are “Jew or Greek … slave nor free … male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s seed and heirs according to the promise” (Galatians 3:28-29). Saved people are the spiritual seed of Abraham (Galatians 3:9). To receive the promise one must be in Christ. The means by which one puts on Christ is baptism according to Galatians 3:26-27.
Putting on Christ comes from a heart moved by the message of hope found in the word of God. On the Day of Pentecost, 3,000 souls put on Christ because they believed the message of freedom and willingly accepted by faith the commands of the Lord (Acts 2:37-41). The Treasurer of Ethiopia put on Christ when he “went down into the water” and was baptized (Acts 8:26-40). Saul of Tarsus took off his robes of Jewish Law and put on Jesus Christ in the city of Damascus. Ananias said to Saul, “And now why are you waiting? Arise and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord” (Acts 22:16).
Paul uses the figure of “putting on garments” in his letter to Ephesus. There is a need to take off the garments of sin and clothe oneself in garments of righteousness dipped in the blood of Jesus Christ. “But you have not so learned Christ, if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught by Him, as the truth is in Jesus: that you 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 4:20-24). Put on Christ today in the fulfillment of your obedience to Christ.
Nobody likes to talk about death, taxes and that place called hell. Fear of death, hatred of taxes and just plain having no desire to talk about the “lake of fire” (Revelation 20:14-15) will top any list of undesirable topics. A lot of people have an opinion about death, everyone has a view on taxes but very few know much about what the Bible says about hell. The knowledge of hell comes only from the Bible. That is because its Creator is the same one that created the “heavens and the earth” (Genesis 1:1).
Jesus believed in Hell. He taught a lot of lessons on Hell. “If your right eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell” (Matthew 5:29). “And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell” (Matthew 10:28). "Then He will also say to those on the left hand, 'Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels’” (Matthew 25:41).
In the Saturday, January 8, 2011 edition of The Gainesville Sun (p5D), a question was posed about who really goes to hell. A grandfather discusses his grandson’s fear of hell by telling him that “very few people are going to hell.” He goes on to say, “Most people who do bad things are actually going to heaven because they don’t realize they’re making mistakes.” The grandfather concludes for his grandson that God is so loving that He could not possibly punish people in hell or that would make Him “an infinitely horrendous ogre.” His question was answered by a rabbi named Marc Gellman that applauded the answers given to the young boy. Gellman concluded that “hell is the place where truly evil people receive the punishment they deserve … for Hitler, Stalin, Pol Pot, Idi Amin and every unrepentant murderer, torturer or purveyor of cruelty.”
You have to be a really, really bad person to go to hell? You can be a bad person and go to Heaven but hell is for the worse kinds of evil people? Is that what the Bible teaches? Jesus told those in judgment to “Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels” (Matthew 25:41) and the only thing they did was to do nothing for others (see Matthew 25:41-46). Paul described the following who would be condemned to hell: “fornicators, idolaters, adulterers, homosexuals, sodomites, thieves, covetous, drunkards, revilers, extortioners” (1 Corinthians 6:9-10).
When the Lord returns He will come “in flaming fire taking vengeance on those who do not know God, and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ” (2 Thessalonians 1:8). Jesus declared that even “religious people” will be cast into hell (Matthew 7:21-23). The rich man was in a place of “torments” (Luke 16:23). The parable of the tares (Matthew 13:24-30) concludes with “all things that offend, and those who practice lawlessness, and will cast them into the furnace of fire. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth” (Matthew 13:40-42). There is a lake of fire (Revelation 20:10,14,15; 21:8) and it will be filled with all those who reject God’s will.
The horrendous manner of Christ’s death bears testimony to the magnitude of what is at stake. Jesus died to give man a choice: Heaven or hell. The grandfather and the rabbi neglected to consult with the one who knows about hell. It is real, it is reserved, it will happen. Jesus is the way, the truth and the life (John 14:6). He is real!
The Roman Catholic Church has begun the process of ordaining the late John Paul II to sainthood. On May 1, John Paul will be beatified according to a panel of cardinals, bishops, doctors and theologians who have determined a miracle was performed upon a French nun. Sainthood would be granted only after a second miracle is established. Following the beatification John Paul can be publicly venerated and after becoming a saint can be directly prayed to. All of this is couched within the theology of the Roman Catholic Church. Sadly none of it comes from the Bible.
The evidence of miracles abounds in scripture yet is contained to only four distinct periods of time (Moses, the Prophets, Babylonian exile and the apostolic period including the ministry of Christ). Many believe that Biblical miracles are still being done today yet the Bible declares their end in 1 Corinthians 12 & 13.
Biblical miracles were indisputable. There was never any doubt about the miracle and never did those who witness the miracle challenge the miracle. They would challenge the person or the teaching but never the miracle. The council in Acts 4 could not deny the healing of the lame man (lame since birth): "What shall we do to these men? For, indeed, that a notable miracle has been done through them is evident to all who dwell in Jerusalem, and we cannot deny it” (Acts 4:16). There was no council of theologians that needed to study the event – it was proof by itself. The man who had a withered hand in Matthew 12:9-29 clearly shows the power of immediate healing. After Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead (which no one has tried to do today) in John 11 no one doubted the miracle; only the man Jesus.
Miracles never made a person a saint. Not one example, inference, suggestion or hint of scripture led to the process of a person becoming a saint through the act of miracles. The purpose of miracles was to confirm the word. “And they went out and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them and confirming the word through the accompanying signs” (Mark 16:20). Miracles served as the authentication of what was being preached but the importance was not the miracle but the word (1 Corinthians 14:1-5).
The Roman Catholic Church has failed to understand what the Bible teaches about a saint. In Matthew 27:52 the bodies of the “saints” were raised from the dead after the resurrection of Jesus. Saul of Tarsus persecuted the “saints” in Jerusalem (Acts 9:13) and many of the “saints” Saul put into prison (Acts 26:10). A saint is beloved of God (Romans 1:7); the sanctified (1 Corinthians 1:2); and the faithful (Ephesians 1:1).
Anyone who is a Christian is a saint. “To the saints and faithful brethren in Christ” (Colossians 1:2). “Paul and Timothy, bondservants of Jesus Christ, to all the saints in Christ Jesus who are in Philippi, with the bishops and deacons” (Philippians 1:1; see also 4:22). There are no special inquiries needed or miracle performed to become a saint. How does one become a saint? "Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins” (Acts 2:38).
No one has the right to change the word of God. I do not have that right; you do not have that right; and the Roman Catholic Church does not have that right (1 Peter 4:11). Speak where the Bible speaks and be silent where the Bible is silent. Does it matter what I believe? Consider Matthew 7:21-23; John 12:47-48; Revelation 22:18-19.
Two or three times a year, the Trenton church of Christ puts an ad in the paper about a “Gospel Meeting” that is taking place. For some the term “Gospel Meeting” may be confusing and many people may not realize what is going on with a “Gospel Meeting.” Somewhere in our past the phrase was coined that describes what many more commonly referred to as a “Revival.” The use of revival is a good term and often reflects the mood of the effort being put forth. A gospel meeting can be a time of revival and the revival should be a time of gospel preaching where people meet together to enjoy the word of God.
In the days of old often tents would be erected in communities and preaching would last for weeks as preachers heralded the message of the Bible. It was quite an event that would last long hours into the night. Somehow we have become more sophisticated now and only meet for shorter periods of time both in days and hours. Gone are the drafting tents with hard seats replaced by comfortable buildings with extra-padded pews – and fewer people attending.
The appeal of the Bible has been lost with the busy pursuit of business and pleasure. Interest in learning about the word of God has been replaced with television, ball games, entertainment events and sheer boredom. Parents are terrified at the prospect of gathering up their nest of children to dress them and go off to a preaching revival. How will the child perform in school or how can I get everything done in a day to go spend 58 minutes in a service of worship? Young people have too many fun things to do and older folks are just too tired anymore.
We are a sad lot. In the days of yore people traveled in wagons for miles to sit on wooden slates to listen to preachers lather up the word of God for hours. Now we move about in air-conditioned/heated, leather cushioned machines that transport us with ease to a building costing hundreds of thousands of dollars to maybe stay 59 minutes and complain about the long preaching. They say the mind will only endure what the seat will offer. That is nothing more than a false hope told by people who have little interest in spiritual matters (explain why 65,000 people sat in minus 1 degree weather to watch two football teams battle for the AFC Championship).
What is a gospel meeting? It is what the early disciples did in the book of Acts. “And they were preaching the gospel there” (14:7). “And daily in the temple, and in every house, they did not cease teaching and preaching Jesus as the Christ” (5:42). “Therefore those who were scattered went everywhere preaching the word” (8:4). “Paul and Barnabas also remained in Antioch, teaching and preaching the word of the Lord, with many others also” (15:35). Preaching the kingdom of God and teaching the things which concern the Lord Jesus Christ with all confidence, no one forbidding him” (28:31).
If you have never attended a gospel meeting at the Trenton church of Christ, go to our website (below) and see a special invitation for you to read that explains what to expect and what not to expect when you attend our gospel meeting. With the beginning of a new year, take this wonderful opportunity to learn more about us and we pray more about the word of God. Ask questions. Investigate. Inquire. We welcome your interest. Our desire is to open the Bible and let it be our guide. We look forward to seeing you during our GOSPEL MEETING JAN 30 - FEB 4 – 7:30pm EACH NIGHT.
With a brilliant sun beaming its warm rays of sunshine through a sparse stand of trees and a somewhat chilling wind blowing softly through the marble monuments, a small band of family and friends gathered for the funeral of a loved one. She was a sister, a mother, a grandmother, an aunt and a friend. Words of comfort would be said between two solemn hymns of praise. Tears would fall, hearts filling with sadness and a family would mourn the passing of one who took such a large place in their lives.
Before the service would begin a final act would take place. It was remarkable and unexpected yet as common as the occasion for which the family gathered. The flowers were gathered from off the casket and the linen folds were neatly tucked inside. With no fanfare or trumpets blowing it happened. A right hand took hold of the lid while the left had reached over to unhinge the lever and allow the lid to close. Quietly and softly the lid was brought to touch the casket and it was done.
A life of three score and ten was done. All of the trappings of life with the beginning cry of a child’s voice so long ago was now gone in the midst of a closed treasury. Words of memory would now take the place of the voice and hands that toiled would lie in repose while the hands of the family would continue to build their lives. It was a brief moment unnoticed by all – but so final, so complete.
“Yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes” (James 4:14). How soon life is complete and the lid will close. A simple act and a final act. Unnoticed but realized in its finality. The great challenge of living is to remember that we are dying. This does not bring sorrow but rather clarity and understanding to the things that matter most in living. Why would the wise man exhort his readers that it “is better to go to the house of mourning than to go to the house of feasting”? (Ecclesiastes 7:2). He answers the question with the certainty that “this is the end of all mankind.” Our end is the closing of the lid.
Death is unknown and feared by most men. For the disciple of Christ there is no fear in death and the questions about death are known. Jesus Christ faced death with courage because He knew what was coming after death. “From that time Jesus began to show to His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised the third day” (Matthew 16:21). Don’t focus on the suffering part of that verse – look at the end – resurrection!
When the child of God sees how God raised His Son from the dead then we have the answer to death and why it is not to be feared. The answer to death is found in Christ because He defeated death and took away its power (Romans 6:9-10). The hope of death is the promise of life after death (Romans 5:21).
The Lord will return one day with His angels and all that is will cease. Until that time, the lid will close often. It may be the lid will close for us. The question of life is not about how we lived but about how we died when the lid was closed. Death is the final act before life eternal or life without God. The resurrection of Jesus is proof that we too can be raised beyond death. Being raised in glory is when the lid is opened forever. Are you ready to close the lid on your life?
Prayer Can Never Be Taken Out Of School - Or Anywhere
The ability to communicate with God is one of the most fundamental blessings of being a child of God. Prayer is calling upon God and seeking the blessings of the Heavenly Father. Since the beginning of time when men began to call upon the Lord, prayer has been the avenue of mortal man reaching immortality. Expressions of the heart ascend to the high throne of God with platitudes of mercy upon each wing. "Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God." (Philippians 4:6)
Prayer is letting our request be made known to God. This shows the true nature of prayer as it involves the individual and his relationship with God. Jesus tells the woman at the well in John 4:24, ""God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth." Prayer is not talking to God as we talk with one another. The act of prayer is an act of faith to a God we cannot see nor hear. (1 John 4:12) To pray to God is an action of worship to Spirit.
Prayer is not an action that a person takes to exalt himself in the image of others. Jesus taught that prayer is an attitude of the heart - one of humility. "And when you pray, you shall not be like the hypocrites. For they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the corners of the streets, that they may be seen by men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly." (Matthew 6:5,6)
Prayer is a personal relationship between man and God. While some prayers are voiced in an audible tone, prayer itself can be uttered with the heart of the man as in secret. It is not required for prayer to be vocal to be prayer. At best, prayer is only a communication of the spirit of man with the spirit of God.
In many communities, prayer has been banned from schools. There is great concern for this and well should our attention be drawn to the consequences of our freedoms being taken away from us. However, no man can prohibit prayer. Yes, laws can and will be passed that do not permit the vocal prayers of those who so desire to be given in many public venues. If prayer is a relationship between man and God, how can man take away that relationship?
"Do not be afraid of those who kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do" (Luke 12:4). The limitation of man is only in what can be inflicted upon the mortal body. Man cannot destroy the soul and man cannot keep children of God from praying in school, at work, in the shopping mall or anywhere else prayer may be chosen.
Christians must be reminded that prayer can be accomplished anywhere and anytime the person chooses - and choose they must. Our children should be encouraged to pray in school. Prayers should be lifted for their day to be one of glory for God, to do their best in academics, to influence their friends and to learn to talk to God daily. Every heart bowed in prayer during school hours on school property shows the power of prayer living in the lives of every child of God. Christians should be praying in their work stations, in their homes, in their recreation and in every part of their lives. The only way to take prayer out of school is to take the people out of school. But when the people are in school, prayer should be there also. PRAY!
There is so much to worry and fret about in life. The pace of day to day pursuits has been likened to a rat race where only the rats are winning. We work hard to gain stuff and the only thing we gain is stuff to worry about. Our barns are never big enough and we tear them down to build bigger ones and after time those are not quite what we need (Luke 12:15-21). Barn building is big business and expends so much of our lives.
Jesus warned His disciples about tearing barns down and building new ones. “Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; nor about the body, what you will put on. Life is more than food, and the body is more than clothing. Consider the ravens, for they neither sow nor reap, which have neither storehouse nor barn; and God feeds them. Of how much more value are you than the birds” (Luke 12:22-24)? When we stop to smell the roses (and we should) we should watch the birds.
The lessons we learn from the sparrows and the ravens are eternal. They are not farmers and they do not shop at WalMart. Most Take note: they do not build barns. There is no need for a barn in their lives because they are not worried about where to put their stuff – they have no stuff. Jesus illustrates through His own creation that birds are cared for by the gracious hand of God. Birds do not have worry lines above their eyebrows. They do not have to visit the doctor to get medicine for anxiety and worry about the stuff of life.
Birds teach the lesson penned by the apostle Paul in 1 Timothy 6:6-8: “Now godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. And having food and clothing, with these we shall be content.” These creatures of God are content because they trust and rely upon God to feed them. The provisions of life are found in the providential care of a loving Creator. Our contentment must come from being satisfied. The man who tore down his barns in Luke 12:15-21 was never satisfied. He wanted more. Then he wanted more of the more. His definition of “enough” was always a little more than he had.
“Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, "I will never leave you nor forsake you." So we may boldly say: "The Lord is my helper; I will not fear. What can man do to me” (Hebrews 13:5-6). Have you ever seen a covetousness bird? The only time you will ever see a bird excited about a $100 bill is when he finds one to make wallpaper in his nest with. He knows that the true worth of money is nothing more than paper with dead Presidents (and a few others) on it. He does not worry about money because God takes care of him.
There is a saying that goes, “God promised to feed the sparrows but He never promised to bring the feed to the nest.” Jesus was not suggesting that man not work because the Lord requires man to work (Ephesians 4:28). Even in the time of Jesus people worried themselves sick about their stuff. We need to learn the lesson about the birds – they do not live in mansions. They are simple creatures who have a simple trust in the real meaning of life. Sadly, birds are creatures of the earth alone. When they die they return to the dust from whence they came. Man however, continues to live on in eternity. The Lord will judge men – not birds. But the Lord will use birds to judge a man when He compares the heart of the man. “But seek the kingdom of God, and all these things shall be added to you” (Luke 12:31).
The laws of nature are absolute and will never change as long as the world stands. When God created the heavens and the earth He embedded strict laws that would regulate and protect the world. The moon and sun are exact distances from the earth so they can perform their function of seasons and times (Genesis 1:14-19; 8:22). Tides, seasons, gravity, photosynthesis, aging, time are all parts of the laws established by God that man cannot alter. This does not suggest that man has not been able to work within the laws to his advantage. Flying an airplane is only a temporary experience that may defy gravity but does not change the law of gravity. Man has been able to explore space but with limitations. He can plumb the deepest parts of the sea but with restrictions.
When God created the world He not only established laws of nature but He also established moral laws. This is clearly seen in Genesis 3 when man disobeyed the law of God and was punished. The early world of Noah became so wicked it was destroyed by a flood; save eight souls (1 Peter 3:20). No one would doubt the law of gravity. Jump off a high place and the law is proven. Disbelieving in a moral law does not change the reality of a moral law no more than disbelieving in gravity – it is still real. The apostle Paul defined this moral law and consequences in Galatians 6:7-8 – “Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life.”
There is danger for man to deceive himself in believing he can change the moral law of God. It is not a wise course to try and fool God or to mock God. The idea to ‘mock God’ is to ‘turn the nose up’ and pretend as if His laws are not relevant. Turning ones nose up at the law of God may allow the person to smell higher but will not change the law of God. Imagine someone who deceives himself into believing that he is not accountable to the law of gravity. Does that change the reality of gravity? No! If the person denies the law of gravity and jumps from a high place will his belief save him? No! So it is with the moral law established by the Creator.
When a man sows corn he will reap corn – not apples. Whatever seed is sown is what the crop will be. If man sows immorality he will reap a harvest of what he planted. It is incongruous when people believe they can sow their “wild oats” and not harvest “grown-up wild oats” later. The kind of person you are today can largely determine the kind of person you will find tomorrow. If you drink alcohol don’t be surprised later in life of many diseases associated with the drug. The same can be said about tobacco that will darken your heart (in more ways than one) and possibly kill you. “Can a man take fire to his bosom and his clothes not be burned? Can one walk on hot coals, and his feet not be seared” (Proverbs 6:27-28)?
If you live today filling your life with fleshly desires you will harvest what you plant – that is the law of God. Sowing a life of fleshly desires will only bring about corruption or spiritual death (1 Corinthians 6:9-10). You sow; you reap. As someone said, “You cannot sow your wild oats and pray for a crop failure.” There are consequences to your actions that will live with you for a lifetime. On the other hand the same law of reaping and sowing applies to righteousness. Choosing to follow the Lord will give you many untold blessings in the harvest of hope. Sow righteousness!
The Gainesville Sun (Gainesville, Florida) reported Friday, February 25, 2011 on a speech by Ahmed El-Mahdawy who is the administer of the Hoda Center mosque in Gainesville. During the speech El-Mahdawy suggested that people should realize the parallels between Islam and Christianity. “There is not a single thing that you will find in the Koran that is not in the Old Testament or the New Testament,” he said. He further explained that Muslims believe in a single god and that Jesus Christ, Moses and others were Muslim.
Those attending the function were seeking to bridge the gap between the religion of Mohammed and the religion of Jesus. While the efforts are commended for the effort of bringing understanding and peace it should be noted the lack of clarity on the part of El-Mahdawy concerning the teaching of Jesus who understood fully that He was the Christ. Jesus prayed to His Father in John 17:3, “And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.” You will not find that in the Koran.
If the gospel writer Matthew (who was one of the twelve apostles) is to be believed then Jesus knew He was the Christ. Matthew referred to Jesus as the Christ seventeen times in his gospel. Fifteen times in his gospel Matthew makes reference to Jesus fulfilling prophecy including seven times the life of Jesus fulfills the Old Testament writers. The gospel of Matthew is a documentary on the Jewish lineage of Jesus to prove that He is the Christ, the Son of God. “The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the Son of David, the Son of Abraham” (Matthew 1:1). You will not find that in the Koran.
Another apostle of Jesus named John wrote of the character of Jesus as being God. “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it” (John 1:1-5). This sets Jesus apart from any man that has ever lived or ever will live. No man can embrace the character of God as Jesus of Nazareth (Acts 2:22). You will not find that in the Koran.
The apostle John records the great discourse of Jesus before His death (John 13-17). Jesus explained that He would be leaving to prepare a way of salvation and was questioned by another apostle named Thomas. He said to Jesus, "Lord, we do not know where You are going, and how can we know the way?" Jesus said to him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me” (John 14:5-6). This single verse sets Jesus apart from all religious leaders. Jesus unmistakably, undoubtedly, succinctly declared entrance to Jehovah God was through Jesus Christ and no other means is available. There is only one way, one truth and one life and no one – mark His words – no one will be allowed to come before the “Father except through Me”! That eliminates all others – every man who has ever lived.
One man named Jesus Christ is the only hope men have. He is the only one that eternal life can come. Only through His blood can a new life after death be given. And you will not find that in the Koran or any other book written by man.
King James Version Is 400 Years Old
The year 2011 will mark the 400th birthday of the King James Version Bible. Begun in 1604 the completed version was printed in 1611. James I was king of England in 1603 and at that time two translations of the Bible were in use: the Geneva Bible was the most popular and the Bishops’ Bible would be found in most churches for public reading. At the suggestion of John Reynolds (a moderate Puritan scholar) King James set forth to bring about a new translation of the scriptures. The result would become known as the King James Version and in 40 years the King James Version would become more popular than the Geneva Bible.
There is no doubt to the resilience of the poetic simplicity of the KJV. It would take 250 years before the first attempt would be made for a large scale revision of the 1611 edition and others have followed. It would be very difficult to read the 1611 edition of the KJV today in our modern language. The King James Version today is the result of two updated versions of the original 1611. In 1769 a revision was made of the KJV and then again in 1982. The opponents of using any translation than the KJV must decide which version is more authorized than the other (1611? 1769? or 1982?).
While the KJV is a powerful translation of Holy Writ it must also be understood that the KJV is not the “authorized version” of the Lord. The use of the “Authorized Version” did not come about at least until as early as 1814 and does not suggest any special place in the scheme of God’s revealing word to man. Before the KJV there were many translations of the Bible such as the Vulgate (405), Wyclif (1382); Erasmus’ NT (1516); Tyndale (1526); Luther (1534); Coverdale (1535); Matthew (1537); Great Bible (1539); Geneva Bible (1560); Bishop’s Bible (1568) and the Douay/Rheims Bible (1609-1610)
A number of translation have followed the 1611 work including the English Revised Version (1885); American Standard Version (1901); Revised Standard Version (1946); New American Standard (1964); New International Version (1973); New King James Version (1979) and the English Standard Version (2008).
It should be noted there are “translations” that are not translations and become nothing more than perverted commentaries on specific doctrines. The New World Translation, published by the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society is an example of how the Bible can be manipulated to teach the false doctrine of a specific group. “The Living Bible” (1971) is a gross rendering of Holy Scripture that becomes only a paraphrase of its author Kenneth Taylor.
The Lord has always made His word available to the common man in the common man language. English was not the language of the First Century disciples and so we should not suppose the KJV was the language of the Lord. From the days of Babel (Genesis 11) man has been diverse in speech and the revelation of God’s mind to man has been as diverse through each generation. The power of the word of God is not the translation from Hebrew/Greek to English (or what ever language) but the translation of the Word (John 1) into the hearts of men who will read and obey the words (2 Timothy 3:16-17) of the message of God. By the mercy of God we can read and understand the will of God in simple words of truth (John 17:17; Ephesians 3:1-5). The word of God will endure until the Lord returns again the second time (Hebrews 9:28).
“In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth” (Genesis 1:1). It is unfathomable to imagine the power found in Genesis 1:1. How can we measure the magnitude of the creation of the world by the word of God? He spoke and the world came into existence. “God said, ‘Let there be light,’ and there was light” (Genesis 1:3). He divided the portions of the earth, formed the planets and established their order in the universe and caused the land to produce vegetation and animals by the power of His word.
The great wonder of God’s power is found in the story of the deliverance of Israel from Egypt. Sending the plagues upon Pharaoh and the wicked nation of Egypt was a sign of the immense power of God that concluded with the death of the firstborn among the people of Egypt (Deuteronomy 6:22). When Job contended with Jehovah the reply out of the whirlwind came with the might and force of the omnipotent presence of the Creator. "Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth? Tell Me, if you have understanding. Who determined its measurements? Surely you know! Or who stretched the line upon it? To what were its foundations fastened? Or who laid its cornerstone, When the morning stars sang together, And all the sons of God shouted for joy?” (Job 38:4-7).
How can one compare the work of God in His divine supremacy over man? He destroyed the whole earth (save eight souls) by a flood in Genesis 6. The vengeance of the Lord destroyed the cities of the plain including Sodom and Gomorrah in Genesis 19. Nations rose and fell under the command of God (Zephaniah 3:8) and kings were displaced by the will of God. The miracles of Jesus lay testimony to His power over every dominion and power known to man and the greatest of miracles was His birth. We stand in fearfulness of how great our God is.
On the road to Gaza, the Holy Spirit instructs the evangelist Philip to find a man traveling back to his home in Ethiopia. Luke tells us the area Philip would find his prospect was a “desert” (Acts 8:26). Joining the man of Ethiopia, Philip began at Isaiah 53 and “preached Jesus to him. Now as they went down the road, they came to some water. And the eunuch said, ‘See, here is water. What hinders me from being baptized?’" (Acts 8:35-36). Imagine that – a desolate place where two men found water to be baptized.
The critics of water baptism would suggest that baptism cannot be necessary for salvation because “what if there is no water to baptize the person”? This kind of theology is suggesting that God is omnipotent in everything but providential care of those who want to obey His will. The Lord can create the world and destroy the world but helping two men find water to be baptized is out of His power. To deny the necessity of baptism is to deny the will of God (Acts 2:38; Romans 6:3-6; Galatians 3:26-27; 1 Peter 3:21). To deny the necessity of baptism because someone somewhere in the world will not find sufficient water to be baptized is to treat the Creator with great contempt.
Detractors of water baptism are much like Naaman (2 Kings 5) who “thought” he had a better way than the will of the Lord. Until he humbled himself he remained a leper. Until men humble themselves and obey Jesus Christ in baptism they remain in their sin. You provide the faith and God will provide the water.
There was a time not long ago when the word of an honest man was a bond of faith. Many agreements were sealed with an oath of promise and possibly the shaking of hands to seal an accord between two parties. The spirit of a covenant was a binding action that would not be broken. Abraham Lincoln said, “We must not promise what we ought not, lest we be called on to perform what we cannot.”
In the days of the early patriarchs, an oath was made between Abimelech and Abraham because of a conflict over a well of water. “So Abraham took sheep and oxen and gave them to Abimelech, and the two of them made a covenant. And Abraham set seven ewe lambs of the flock by themselves. Then Abimelech asked Abraham, ‘What is the meaning of these seven ewe lambs which you have set by themselves?’ And he said, ‘You will take these seven ewe lambs from my hand, that they may be my witness that I have dug this well.’ Therefore he called that place Beersheba, because the two of them swore an oath there” (Genesis 21:27-31).
The name Beersheba is a reminder of an oath made many centuries ago between two men and continues to strike a chord for the value of speaking the truth and holding to ones word with others. Jesus illustrated this principle when He said, “Let your 'Yes' be 'Yes,' and your 'No,' 'No.' For whatever is more than these is from the evil one” (Matthew 5:37; see also James 5:12). A person’s word should be his bond and especially when that person is a child of God.
Above all things people of the Book must be people who follow the meaning of Beersheba in “putting away lying, let each one of you speak truth with his neighbor” (Ephesians 4:25). Speaking truth is fulfilling oaths and agreements we have made with others. Albert Barnes wrote, “Nothing is more important in a community than simple “truth” - and yet, it is to be feared that nothing is more habitually disregarded. No professing Christian can do any good who has not an unimpeachable character for integrity and truth - and yet who can lay his hand on his breast and say before God that he is in all cases a man that speaks the simple and unvarnished truth?”
The wise man reminds us that when we make a vow before God we should pay it “When you make a vow to God, do not delay to pay it; for He has no pleasure in fools. Pay what you have vowed; better not to vow than to vow and not pay” (Ecclesiastes 5:4-5; see verses 1-7). This speaks to the honesty of the heart and the integrity of one’s character. If we agree to pay a financial accord we should hold to our word – Beersheba. When we make agreements with others our hearts should follow the principles of honesty and truth – Beersheba. Even in our marriages we have made vows before God that must be kept – Beersheba. Abraham and Abimelech called the place Beersheba because “the two of them swore an oath there!”
It might also be noted that Abraham planted a “tamarisk tree in Beersheba, and there called on the name of the Lord, the Everlasting God” (Genesis 21:33). When Abraham made a promise, he made it to God. The bond of his word was based upon the word of God and the blessing of God. Jesus said, “I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak, for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned” (Matthew 12:36-37). Beersheba.
John Chrysostom (340-407) wrote: “We take care of our possessions for our children. But of the children themselves we take no care at all. What an absurdity is this! Form the soul of thy son aright, and all the rest will be added hereafter” (Select Library of Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, Vol. 13, 1st Series). Our children are one of the most precious possessions we attain through the creative power of God. In the act of procreation we glimpse the shadow of creation as the Creator formed man with His mighty power. “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness … So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them … And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being” (Genesis 1:26-27; 2:7).
When a man and woman decide to bring a child into the world, a marvelous thing happens: an eternal being is created. The birth of a child is more than a child that develops to adulthood and then matures into old age. The birth of a child is the creation of a being that is created by God as an eternal person. Death is the separation of the body and the spirit (James 2:26) but the eternal nature of that person continues on. Every child that has been conceived in the womb since the birth of Cain (Genesis 4:1) still exists whether in an abode of joy or place of torment (Hebrews 9:27). All those created prior to the coming of the Lord will exist eternally – without end.
The psalmist declared, “Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb is a reward” (Psalms 127:3). There is great joy in the birth of a child and there should also be the fearful realization that what is now held in the hand of a father and mother is a person that is largely dependent upon those hands to guide them in the right way. Manoah (father of Samson) understood the gravity of the birth of his son: "O my Lord, please let the Man of God whom You sent come to us again and teach us what we shall do for the child who will be born … What will be the boy's rule of life, and his work?" (Judges 13:8,12).
As parents we have one opportunity to frame the lives of our children. Those years pass so quickly. We may have dreams for our children to be successful and happy in many aspects of life but the most important role we have with our children is to guide them to a path that will take them to eternal life. How can we rest at ease when our children are not going to Heaven? The wise man said, “Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it” (Proverbs 22:6). That is our banner of faith and our work of love to our children. Often the reason we delegate this proverb to a “maybe” is because we are failing in the first part. God meant what He said when He wrote Proverbs 22:6.
While our children are in our home we have authority over them to train them (Ephesians 6:4). When they leave home we lose that authority but we still have responsibility to them to guide them. As a parent you will never lose the God-given role of nurturing and admonishing your child in the way of righteousness (Deuteronomy 6:2; 2 Timothy 1:5). Children inherit our DNA and our manner of speech and while we try hard to dissuade them they still grow up to be a lot like us. Righteousness is taught; not caught. Our role as parents is to train our children to be eternal people of truth.
Laughter is the part of the soul that refreshes oneself in a moment of enjoyment and reflection upon a morsel of humor. Man is an emotional being that shares sorrows and joys alike with preference to the latter than the former. A smile can brighter an overcast day and a laugh will lighten the heavy load. People of God should be filled with the character of goodness toward others and seek to strengthen the hands of the downtrodden. Laughter is a blessing of encouragement.
As with all things that are good, the devil finds ways to use laughter to his purpose. Not everything that is funny is pure. Paul warns followers of God to watch out for “coarse jesting” which is not fitting for saints (Ephesians 5:4). The idea of coarse jesting can be lost in the translation without a proper understanding of its meaning.
The English Standard Version Bible uses the words, “crude joking” to describe this kind of speech. Coarse jesting is when language is used that is subtle in its meaning to describe something that is of a suggestive nature. There lies on the surface a faint aroma of immorality but without coming out and saying the exact phrase. Laughter is engendered because of an obvious double meaning to convey an obscene or offensive meaning.
Television is filled with coarse jesting as well as comedy routines and jokes around the water cooler. While the world of ‘sickcoms’ and adult shows exist on a thin bubble of restrictions that do not allow for certain words and language to be used; they find a universe of freedom to utilize coarse jesting to bring out their humor of debauchery. Shows like Two-And-A-Half Men, Scrubs, Friends, American Dad, Family Guy, Simpson’s (and so many more) thrive on this means of communication.
“Therefore be imitators of God as dear children. And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma. But fornication and all uncleanness or covetousness, let it not even be named among you, as is fitting for saints; neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor coarse jesting, which are not fitting, but rather giving of thanks. For this you know, that no fornicator, unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. Therefore do not be partakers with them. For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light (for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness, righteousness, and truth), finding out what is acceptable to the Lord” (Ephesians 5:1-10).
The context of the warning against coarse jesting is framed within the need to walk as “imitators of God”; “walk in love”; as “an offering and a sacrifice to God”; “as is fitting for saints”; “you are light in the Lord”; “children of light”; “what is acceptable to the Lord.” All of these describe the character of one who does not engage in the type of humor and comedy that the world embraces.
People of the Book fill their hearts with righteousness. We are to “pursue … holiness, without which no one will see the Lord” (Hebrews 12:14). Holiness demands changing our course of life from the coarse jesting and foolish talking. Crude jokes are not funny to the Lord and they should not be funny to Christians. “Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt” (Colossians 4:6).
The catastrophic events of the past few months have set the course of prognosticators on a frenzied path of declaring the coming of great events heralded by the quiet coming of Jesus Christ in the Rapture. Soon, multitudes of people will suddenly and mysteriously disappear with little or no explanation. Families will be in anguish at the loss of loved ones. There will be a world crisis, confusion and panic as cars become driverless, airplanes crash without crew members, mass confusion of radio and television, rampaging lawlessness, crimes and mobs including “packed churches of liberal religions and false cults seeking answers from their ministers” (Leon Bates).
If you miss the rapture you still may have a chance. The seven years following the rapture will be filled with temporary peace and the rebuilding of the Jewish Temple. Three and one-half years into the Tribulation things go terribly bad with the Antichrist moves into the Temple and there is terror and dismay. All of this will be culminated in the battle of Armageddon, destruction of the Antichrist and all those who followed him. Jesus will rule in Jerusalem upon the throne of King David for a thousand years and then the end of the world followed by the Day of Judgment.
The Rapture will be the catalyst to begin all these events. When will the rapture occur? How are we to tell when these events will begin? Who would not want to know the answers to these earth shattering events? What does the Bible tell us about the coming of the Rapture? An examination of the Bible from Genesis 1:1 to Revelation 22:21 reveal absolutely nothing about the Rapture. To the surprise of honest Bible students there is no such doctrine in the God’s word about “rapture.” It is not there.
Proof of the rapture in Bible doctrine is taken from the most unlikely passage in the Bible – 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17. The Bible never uses the word “rapture” but the argument is made in 1 Thessalonians 4:17 the words “shall be caught up” is proof of the Rapture (capital ‘R’). The Greek meaning here indicates “to seize, to carry off like Latin rapio” (Robertson’s Word Pictures). Based upon a biased interpretation of this one verse the proponents of the Rapture create a whole philosophy of a “secret, quiet taking of God’s people before the days of tribulation.” How quiet will the coming of Christ be?
When we look at the verses sited for proof of the rapture we read “the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God … in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed” (1 Thessalonians 4:16; 1 Corinthians 15:52). In both of these “proof” texts we find a shout, the voice of the archangel, the trumpet of God, and the last trumpet sounding. Who could not know it was going one with all those noise?
Jesus described His coming this way: “The hour is coming in which all who are in the graves will hear His voice and come forth— those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of condemnation” (John 5:28-29). There will be no Rapture and the doctrine of tribulation on earth, the antichrist moving into a temple (that will not be rebuilt), Christ reigning on the earth (never promised by Christ) and a supposed “battle of Armageddon” between the Russians, Chinese, British, Jews and America (at least these nations were thought to be in the war) will never happen. The Rapture will never happen; it is not real; never was.
Revelation 20 is the battle ground of debate whether Christ will return to earth and set up His kingdom ruling for a thousand years. The doctrine known as “Premillennialism” suggests that following a “Rapture” where all the saved will mysteriously disappear from earth (having been taken by Christ) a seven year period of trial will afflict those remaining culminating in the battle of Armageddon. When Christ is victorious in the battle of Armageddon He will set up His kingdom in Jerusalem and reign on David’s literal throne for one thousand years. It would during this thousand year reign of Christ Satan would be bound. At the end of the thousand years the world would come to an end with the judgment scene and those saints of God ushered into Heaven and those who reject the grace of God condemned to eternal punishment.
The hinge pin in this doctrine is the so-called “Rapture” the Bible never says will happen and a misuse of the Revelation by John to create a doctrine of confusion and failed promises. A large part of this misdirection is assuming Revelation 20 is talking about a future time yet (for us) where Christ will establish a kingdom and rule for a thousand years. The fallacy with this doctrine is myriad.
The kingdom supposed by premillennialist was established by the Lord nearly two thousand years ago (Matthew 16:13-19; Acts 2; Colossians 1:13; Revelation 1:9). The kingdom of Christ exists today and will continue to do so until the second coming of Christ (Hebrews 9:28). There is no other kingdom Christ will come and set up. The doctrine of Premillennialism supposes the Jews are God’s chosen people – they rejected God and God rejected them as His own special people (Romans 10-11; 1 Peter 2:9-10). The Jews can only be saved through Jesus Christ (John 14:6).
Jesus Christ will never sit on a literal throne of David for two reasons: first, Peter declared in Acts 2 that Jesus is now sitting on David’s throne (vv22-36). . Secondly, no king (including Christ) could ever prosper on the literal throne of David (Jeremiah 22:28-30; Matthew 1:11) nor could Christ be a priest on earth (Hebrews 7:12-14; 8:4).
Missing from Revelation 20 is the second coming of Christ, a bodily resurrection, any suggestion of a reign on earth or a literal throne of David a part of the thousand years, nor reference to Jerusalem as a place the temple will be rebuilt and Christ to reign as priest and king. It does give a message of hope to the saints of God (Revelation 6:9-11) that Satan will be completely defeated. This message is of great comfort to those being threatened with death (Revelation 13:15). The binding of Satan shows the limitations of his power over the saints of God and the ultimate triumph of God in the rule of His Son.
Jesus Christ is the one who is “King of Kings and Lord of Lords” (Revelation 19:16) and will not be defeated by Satan nor any force of Satan. Revelation 20 is the consummation of the defeat of all those elements who array themselves against the one true God. The Harlot is overthrown (Revelation 17-18). The Sea Beast (civil government) and the False Prophet (Land Beasts signifying the role of false religion) were defeated in chapter 19. Now in chapter 20 the final elements of evil and misery will be cast into the lake of fire: death, Hades (Revelation 20:14) and Satan himself (Revelation 20:10). “And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire” (Revelation 20:15). The apostle Paul wrote concerning the rule of Christ: “For He must reign till He has put all enemies under His feet” (1 Corinthians 15:25). Praise God for the victory!
The news that Osama Bin Laden had been killed brought a wave of reaction throughout the world. In America the news was met with rejoicing and relief along with congratulatory accolades of praise to those involved in the action. Our President reaffirmed the goal of securing peace in the world and thwarting efforts to bring the level of terror seeded by the mind of Bin Laden to the innocent again. His death was a victory of political stature for our country and a sense of pride to the military for their efforts to combat the merchants of death.
There is a mix of emotions when we consider the death of one man. All men are created in the image of God (Genesis 1:26-27) and Bin Laden is no exception. However the circumstance of his birth and life lead to where his name became synonymous to all that is evil (at least in the minds of Americans). There was a time when as a child Bin Laden possessed the innocence of all children. Sadly the forces around him molded his heart and his mind to become a patron of murder in the deaths of thousands of innocents. To rejoice in the death of one man is to rejoice that the fear of his leadership has been removed and the threat of danger from his hand has been taken away. But still there is a death of a man.
Governments serve the purpose for which they were designed and through the agencies of government a battle was engaged against Bin Laden. Since the infamous day of September 11 the marshaled forces of our government have made every effort to bring Bin Laden to justice. The apostle Paul spoke of government’s role in Romans 13 – “For he is God's minister to you for good. But if you do evil, be afraid; for he does not bear the sword in vain; for he is God's minister, an avenger to execute wrath on him who practices evil” (Romans 13:4). The Old Testament is filled with the history of governments bringing judgment upon people and nations and even the people of God.
Bin Laden brought about a fear of terror in his life but the key to understanding this fear is to understand that it is limited by life. Genghis Kahn brought fear only for a short time for his life was short. Adolph Hitler bathed the world in blood but it was only temporary as death ended his power. Bin Laden has gone the way of all men. Elihu said, “[Jehovah] seals the hand of every man, that all men may know His work” (Job 37:7). The works of men are only a passing mist as the breath they share is but a vapor (James 4:14). Their habitation has been determined and they can go no further (Acts 17:26).
The person of God realizes a deeper meaning to the death of Osama Bin Laden. He was our enemy and Jesus teaches us to pray for our enemies. “But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust” (Matthew 5:44-45). If we hate our enemies we have become our enemy. Jesus was hated with such intensity on the cross yet He prayed, "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do" (Luke 23:34). Can we do any less?
Sadly, we find in Osama Bin Laden a man who did not believe that Jesus Christ was the Son of God. Jesus said "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me” (John 14:6). He died an unbeliever and rejecting the only hope of eternal life offered to man. That is the greatest tragedy in his death (2 Peter 3:9).
If Not The Rapture, What Then?
The doctrine of men suggesting the Lord will return to earth a second time for a “rapture” disregards to nature of the second coming of Christ described by the writer of Hebrews in Hebrews 9:27-28. “And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment, so Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many. To those who eagerly wait for Him He will appear a second time, apart from sin, for salvation.” The first time Christ appeared was when He came as a man (Philippians 2:5-11). The Hebrew writer says Christ will “appear a second time” and this time it will be for salvation. The Bible nowhere teaches Christ will appear a third time (as taught by those who believe in “Rapture”).
The second appearing of Christ will be the final appearing of Christ. Paul told the church at Thessalonica, “and to give you who are troubled rest with us when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with His mighty angels, in flaming fire taking vengeance on those who do not know God, and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. These shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power, when He comes, in that Day, to be glorified in His saints and to be admired among all those who believe, because our testimony among you was believed” (2 Thessalonians 1:7-10). The day Paul speaks of is the final day of man’s existence on earth – the second coming of Christ.
There are numerous passages that show how things will be when Christ returns. "When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory. All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats” (Matthew 25:31-32). The coming of the Lord will be a time of great noise (unlike the teaching of the silent rapture). “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” (1 Thessalonians 4:16). “In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed” (1 Corinthians 15:52).
When we see the nature of the second coming of Christ it is clearly evident with the “shout,” the “voice of an archangel,” the “trumpet of God,” and the “last trumpet” (which suggest no more trumpets) this event will be accompanied by a great deal of noise. Jesus declared upon His return that “all who are in the graves will hear His voice” (John 5:28). This last day event is deafening to the measure of Heaven’s power being brought to bear upon the earth and all mankind.
The apostle Peter spoke of the last days and how the coming of the Lord will be characterized. “But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up” (2 Peter 3:10). The coming of the Lord will be like a thief and it will come with a “GREAT NOISE.” At the coming of the Lord the earth will be burned up. Judgment will take place and the lake of fire will receive its recipients and Heaven will fill with the saints of God. People of God will be “looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God” (2 Peter 3:12).
Are you ready for the second coming of Christ? He is only coming one more time!
Happy Are The People Whose God Is The Lord
The declaration of freedom sought by all men is the pursuit of happiness. Innumerable are the paths taken by man to find a world of nirvana or utopian blessedness in life. Many seek the desire of happiness in the fleshly desires and longing for every form of satisfaction in sensual fulfillments. Some seek a type of inner peace through the wisdom of man. Others believe they can find contentment in the disciplines of knowledge and wisdom gained by experiences of life and philosophies of man. To some the gain of wealth is the opium of bliss. Where does true happiness come from? The shepherd psalmist declared, “Happy are the people whose God is the Lord” (Psalm 144:15).
David calls the Lord his “rock” (Psalm 144:1) and “My lovingkindness and my fortress, my high tower and my deliverer, my shield and the One in whom I take refuge, who subdues my people under me” (Psalms 144:2). It amazed David that God would even take notice of such frail creatures like him. The power of the Almighty is so awesome David could barely comprehend it. Yet, in all the majesty of God’s omnipotence, the shepherd was being cared for by the master shepherd, his Lord.
Happiness can only be found in the relationship the creature has with the Creator. David had seen time and again how God would deliver him and protect him in the challenges of life. He implores all the followers of the Lord to feel the same sense of gratitude of love he felt for the Father. He could “sing a new song” (Psalm 144:9) because he felt secure with the Father. David told King Saul in 1 Samuel 17, "The Lord, who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear, He will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine [Goliath]” (17:37).
People who believe in God are happy because they realize they are very special. “So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them” (Genesis 1:27). Happiness comes from the knowledge we are not made of slime or monkeys but in the “portrait” of the Lord. The blessing of believing in God is also found in the fact that the Lord loves us enough to give us eternal blessings. “But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him” (Hebrews 11:6). The rewards of believing in God is the happiness of love in this life and the happiness of love in the next life – eternal life.
When God is the Lord of our lives He will bless us with the wisdom to make right choices. “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him” (James 1:5). The wisdom of man is limited (Jeremiah 10:23; Proverbs 14:12; 16:25). Trusting in God will give man the knowledge to live life with an “up-look” that is bright even when the outlook is dark. Happiness is found in being content. “Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, "I will never leave you nor forsake you" (Hebrews 13:5).
Real happiness is found with God’s presence in our lives. “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 your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:6-7). Seek it!
The relationship between Saul and David began with a great love for one another and ended tragically for both. The Lord had rejected Saul as king because of disobedience, rebellion and pride choosing rather the son of Jesse to be king. David would play for the king when Saul’s heart was troubled (1 Samuel 16:14-23) and the two became dear friends. Following the killing of Goliath, the feelings of resentment and pride changed the relationship of Saul towards David.
A division of resentment began when returning from the slaughter of the Philistines, the people sang, "Saul has slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands." Then Saul was very angry, and the saying displeased him; and he said, "They have ascribed to David ten thousands, and to me they have ascribed only thousands. Now what more can he have but the kingdom?" So Saul eyed David from that day forward. And it happened on the next day that the distressing spirit from God came upon Saul, and he prophesied inside the house. So David played music with his hand, as at other times; but there was a spear in Saul's hand. And Saul cast the spear, for he said, "I will pin David to the wall!" But David escaped his presence twice” (1 Samuel 18:6-11). From that day Saul tried killing David (1 Samuel 19:1)
Throughout the years David would have to protect himself from the constant pursuit of Saul’s death threats. In 1 Samuel 31 the historian describes the tragic end of Saul and his sons. The Philistines killed Jonathan, Abinadab, and Malchishua. When Saul, himself wounded by archers, saw the tide of battle against him, plead with his armor bearer to kill him. The armor bearer refused and Saul “took a sword and fell on it” (1 Samuel 31:4). At first glance the reader would assume that David would be glad his enemy was dead but the story continues in the Second book of Samuel.
Three days after the battle where Saul was killed a young man (an Amalekite) came to David claiming to have killed Saul. His story was that Saul asked him to kill him and the young man did so, taking the crown and bracelet from Saul to present to David. Upon hearing the news, David tore his clothes with mourning and weeping and fasting until evening (2 Samuel 1:11). The young man thought he would bring good news but brought rather his own death sentence. David said to him, "How was it you were not afraid to put forth your hand to destroy the Lord's anointed" (2 Samuel 1:14)? With that David had the young man executed.
In his lamentation David wrote a song titled the Song of the Bow (2 Samuel 1:17-27). The marvelous character of David is heard in the mournful tones of the words describing the “anointed” of God who died. "The beauty of Israel is slain on your high places! How the mighty have fallen” (v19). The shepherd king describes Saul and Jonathan as “beloved and pleasant in their lives” (v23) He implores the “daughters of Israel” to “weep over Saul” (v24). The song concludes with the sadness of the “mighty” who have fallen (vv25,27).
In the Song of the Bow David shows us the mercy and grace of God. The song presents the love of forgiveness. Although Saul destroyed his life by his pride David still recognized the king as the “Lord’s anointed” or chosen of God. David loved Saul deeply and was sorrowful that Saul ruined his life. David sang the Song of the Bow to remind all Israel that God will be glorified in the lives of His anointed.
A Christian is a person who wears the name of God’s Son, Jesus Christ. To be called a Christian invokes the nature of Christ in the life of an individual. The historian Luke tells us “the disciples were first called Christians in Antioch” (Acts 11:26). This band of worshippers were followers of Jesus Christ and the name attached signified a relationship with the man from Nazareth.
Wearing the name of Christ should instill reverence and honor in those who proclaim to uphold the ideals of Jesus. The psalmist declared of Jehovah that “He has sent redemption to His people; He has commanded His covenant forever: Holy and awesome (reverend) is His name” (Psalm 111:9). Ethan the Ezrahite writes, “God is greatly to be feared in the assembly of the saints, and to be held in reverence by all those around Him” (Psalms 89:7). The Son of God should be held in fear and reverence because of who He is and what He is. Sadly, many bring shame to the name of Jesus.
Christian’s are to “abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul” and to have a manner of life characterized by good works that give glory to God (1 Peter 2:11-12). A drinking Christian is anything but an example of good works. When we speak of a “drinking Christian” we refer to those people of God who have convinced themselves they are living holy lives on the one hand and having a beer in the other. The argument is put forth that the Bible only condemns drunkenness (1 Corinthians 6:10) and somehow the person of God can enjoy the imbibing refreshment of the social drink. Those who believe such are fools.
The drinking Christian is a fool because they reject wisdom and instruction. “Fools despise wisdom and instruction” (Proverbs 1:7). Drinking Christian’s mock sin (Proverbs 14:9). The Christian is to be holy and set apart from the world (1 Peter 1:13-19). People of God are redeemed with the blood of Jesus Christ and engaging in the lust of the world (drinking) is making the sacrifice of Jesus an unholy thing. Christian – take your beer and your drink and stand in front of the cross of Jesus Christ and offer a toast to your rebellion if you dare. Every time you lift your hand to drink you bring shame to the suffering Son of God on the cross of Calvary.
Servants of God will not allow their minds to be subjected to alcohol and its influence. “Wine is a mocker, strong drink is a brawler, and whoever is led astray by it is not wise” (Proverbs 20:1). The drinking Christian is not trying to be like the Son of God but like the son of Satan. Their actions are not governed by love that seeks separation from the influences of the world. It is hard enough to fight temptation stone cold sober than to remove inhibitions by alcohol and welcome temptation through the front door of the heart.
Drunkenness is sinful and drunkards will not inherit the kingdom of God (1 Corinthians 6:10). The works of the flesh include drunkenness and those actions that come from drunkenness (Galatians 5:19-21). Drunks start with one drink. “Can a man take fire to his bosom, and his clothes not be burned” (Proverbs 6:27)? The drinking Christian is a fool because they believe they can live for Jesus Christ one day and enjoy their drink the other days. "No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon” (Matthew 6:24).
Life can be hard when you want to live for Christ. Our faith is battered by the storms of life through sickness, sorrow, persecution and the challenges of sin. The early Hebrew Christians were faced with those same mountains to overcome and often would find themselves wanting to give up. In the epistle to the Hebrews, the writer offers hope and a promise of rest for those who would endure. The conclusion of this letter of exhortation is pleading with the people of God to “lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God” (Hebrews 12:1-2).
When the encumbrance of sin is removed in life the vision becomes clearer to look to Jesus for hope. Looking unto Jesus will put a person’s life in the right direction. Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life” (John 14:6) and our way must be His way; our truth His truth; and our life must come from Him. The Lord knows the right way and we must look to Jesus for the right answers. Through the word of God we gain enlightenment as the psalmist declared in Psalm 119:105 – “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.”
Looking unto Jesus is looking at the “author” of our faith. As the author of our faith the Lord is where we originate our faith. Earlier the Hebrew writer said, “For it was fitting for Him, for whom are all things and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to make the captain (author – ASV) of their salvation perfect through sufferings” (Hebrews 2:10). Paul wrote, “If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation” (Romans 10:9-10).
Not only do we look to Jesus as the author of our faith He is also the “finisher of our faith” (Hebrews 12:2). Our faith is perfected when we look to Jesus. Growing in the grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ instills in our lives the hope of promise (Hebrews 11:13-16) and the strength to endure through difficult times (Hebrews 11:33-40). We see His own example of faith when He “endured the cross” with “joy” (Hebrews 12:2). As a pattern of courage we can face the day with renewed faith and knowledge that the one who “has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God” (Hebrews 12:2) will reign in our lives with the promise of giving mercy and grace in our time of need (Hebrews 4:14-16).
The greatest joy of looking unto Jesus is that we see the Father. Jesus said, “He who has seen Me has seen the Father” (John 14:9). When we look to Jesus we realize the blessings of mercy and grace to be God’s children. “He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins. He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation” (Colossians 1:12-15). What do we see when we look unto Jesus? “Who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high” (Hebrews 1:3). Look to Jesus!
Francis of Assisi said, “A man has only so much knowledge as he puts to work.” The pursuit of knowledge requires a hunger for deeper examination and a willingness to exert whatever force is necessary to gain understanding. When Jehovah God revealed truth to man it required of man the desire to accept the will of God and the will of man to seek the knowledge of God’s will. Truth is only known when found. If no effort is made to obtain truth it will remain silent and undiscovered. The knowledge of God comes from a heart prepared to seek the eternal truth and the desire to apply that knowledge to every part of life.
Romans 10:17 explains that “faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” The word of God (the Bible) is the only source man has to know the mind of God. The knowledge of the Bible is only going to be as much as the knowledge we put in our lives by reading and meditating on it. To learn the truths of God’s will it will take the desire to hunger and thirst after the precepts of divine writ. As we grow in the grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ (2 Peter 3:18) it will become a part of every facet of our lives. One important part this knowledge will endow upon our speech the words of God.
Peter admonished his readers that “if anyone speaks, let him speak as the oracles of God” (1 Peter 4:11). Our words should be framed by the words of God. The knowledge we gain from the mind of God should be the words we use in our speech. God’s name should be used in reverence (Exodus 20:7) and His name should be sprinkled throughout our language to become the foundation of our character. His truths should be the basis for our decision and we must declare those truths as reasons for our actions.
Examining the life of Jesus is where we find the importance of quoting the words of the Father. At the beginning of His ministry, Jesus was tempted by the devil with the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the pride of life (1 John 2:16). He answered Satan with the words of His Father (Matthew 4:4; Deuteronomy 8:3; Matthew 4:7; Deuteronomy 6:16; Matthew4:10; Deuteronomy 6:13). Time and again throughout his ministry Jesus quoted the words of the Old Testament (Matthew 11:10; Mark 7:6; Luke 7:27; John 6:45).
The result of ‘quoting the Bible’ will have the same impact as suggested by Jesus to Philip in John 14:9-10: “Have I been with you so long, and yet you have not known Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; so how can you say, 'Show us the Father'? Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father in Me? The words that I speak to you I do not speak on My own authority; but the Father who dwells in Me does the works.” When we use the Bible to guide our speech then the world will begin to see more of the Father in us – and the world needs to see more of the Father and less of us.
Moses was a man of great faith who spoke as the word of God. "Give ear, O heavens, and I will speak; and hear, O earth, the words of my mouth. Let my teaching drop as the rain, my speech distill as the dew, as raindrops on the tender herb, and as showers on the grass. For I proclaim the name of the Lord: ascribe greatness to our God. He is the Rock, His work is perfect; for all His ways are justice, a God of truth and without injustice; righteous and upright is He” (Deuteronomy 32:1-4). “Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt” (Colossians 4:6) with the words of God.
John Blake (CNN) wrote an article about the often used and seldom true quotations from the Bible titled, “Actually, that’s not in the Bible” (cnn.com). These “chimney corner scriptures” have been around for a long time and many have been accepted as part of the Biblical text. Blake points out that while the Bible is the “most revered book in America … it’s also one of the most misquoted.” It would seem incredulous that a book that has been in the hands of man for so many centuries would be so misread and misquoted. The reason is due to the ignorance of those who claim to know so much of what they know little about.
Some of the famous misquotes are “God helps those who help themselves” and “spare the rod and spoil the child.” None of these quotes are found in the Bible although there are some principles that may suggest their meaning (see Proverbs 13:24 for the ‘spare the rod’ quote). Some ideas that people believe about the Bible are not found such as Jonah was swallowed by a whale and there were three wise men who came to Jesus at the manger. The Bible says Jonah was swallowed by a “great fish” (Jonah 1:17). The wise men of Matthew 2 never saw Jesus at the manger and the number of wise men is never given.
The article does mention the most revealing quote from Kevin Dunn, chair of the department of religion at Tufts University in Massachusetts. Dunn said, “Genesis mentions nothing but a serpent … not only does the text not mention Satan, the very idea of Satan as a devilish tempter postdates the composition of the Garden of Eden story by at least 500 years.” Blake should have checked Dunn out because Mr. Dunn has failed to read the ‘rest of the story.’ The apostle John writes, “So the great dragon was cast out, that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world … He laid hold of the dragon, that serpent of old, who is the Devil and Satan” (Revelation 12:9; 20:2).
When Satan tempted Jesus in Matthew 4 Jesus responded to each challenge with scripture (Matthew 4:1-11). The devil countered Jesus on the second temptation with a mutilated quotation of Psalm 91:11. Misquoting often is for the reason to prove a false premise with no regard to a textual truth. As someone said, “a text without a context is nothing but a pretext.” Jesus rebuked Satan with a quote from Deuteronomy 6:16 that should be a warning to any who think that misquoting the Bible is a good thing: “You shall not tempt the lord your God” (Matthew 4:7).
Misquoting the Bible can be as serious as misquoting a medical diagnosis or legal point of law. In medicine an incorrect measure of a drug can have deadly consequence. If we do not want our doctors, lawyers, accountants and airline pilots to misquote the facts then we should recognize the need to “present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. But shun profane and idle babblings, for they will increase to more ungodliness” (2 Timothy 2:15-16).
We must shun those ideas that are not found in the word of God. “If anyone speaks, let him speak as the oracles of God” (1 Peter 4:11). When quoting the Bible let us know what we quote is from the word of God and not the word of men.
The Church of England continues to spiral down the humanistic path of unrighteousness in their laws of acceptance and compromise. A new ruling with the church establishes that the church cannot refuse to appoint a person to be a bishop because they are “gay” (homosexual). They insist those bishops appointed must remain celibate and candidates must be “honest” about whether they are celibate or not. In the first place the Church of England is not honest for holding to the will of God. The formation of the church was based upon the adultery of King Henry VIII and his desire to divorce Catherine of Aragon and marry Ann Boleyn. Rooted in the Roman Catholic Church the Church of England continues to dismiss any representation of the Bible in their practice and doctrine.
In the second place, the Biblical teaching of a bishop is foreign to the dogmas of the Church of England. The word “bishop” means “overseer” and is used only a few times in scripture. Paul referred to the “elders of the church” (Acts 20:17) at Ephesus as “overseers” (Acts 20:28). To the church at Philippi Paul addressed the letter to the “bishops and deacons” (Philippians 1:1). The apostle Peter referred to Christ as a “Shepherd and Overseer” (1 Peter 2:25). The bishop of scripture is nothing close to what the Church of England holds forth as a “bishop.”
Can a bishop be a homosexual? The Holy Spirit declared that a “bishop must be without reproach (blameless), the husband of one wife” (1 Timothy 3:2). Later Paul told Titus the bishop must be “blameless, the husband of one wife, having faithful children … holding fast the faithful word as he has been taught” (Titus 1:7,9). A homosexual fails in the first order because a homosexual has blame for being in sin. The Lord rejects those who “reject the natural use for what is against nature” (Romans 1:26-27). He describes this life as “vile passions” and “shameful” requiring repentance (Romans 2:4).
Secondly a bishop must be married to a woman and have children. This is not possible under the stain of homosexuality because their actions are against nature. To be the husband of one wife and having faithful children is as plain as Genesis 1:1. It is incredulous that supposed religious people can be so blind to clear and plain teaching of the Bible. It is equally sad that people follow blindly these religious leaders as lambs to slaughter. Jesus Christ (the Son of God) said, “Let them alone. They are blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind leads the blind, both will fall into a ditch” (Matthew 15:14).
Finally a Biblical bishop must hold fast the faithful word. The Church of England (being a remake of the Roman Catholic Church) stopped holding fast the faithful word from its political beginning. To suggest now that “bishops” can be “gay” (homosexual) is taken out of the playbook of Satan. How gross in doctrine and deceitful in purpose to hold themselves before an unbelieving world as holy or religious. “Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons, speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their own conscience seared with a hot iron” (1 Timothy 4:1-2). “But there were also false prophets among the people, even as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Lord who bought them, and bring on themselves swift destruction. And many will follow their destructive ways, because of whom the way of truth will be blasphemed” (2 Peter 2:1-2). Lord come quickly.
He Lived Every Day For One Day
At the age of thirty years, the Son of God began a journey that would take him through a ministry of teaching, healing, exhorting and comforting the scattered masses of His Father’s children. From the shores of Galilee to the cities of Samaria and the region of Judea the Lord brought the message of hope and salvation to the house of Israel. Many would follow this itinerate preacher being amazed at the authority of His teaching. Children were brought to the Master for Him to bless. He grew weary from His labors, sought quiet time in prayer on the mountain and calmed the sea and fears of His disciples.
Woven in every day of the life of Jesus was one scarlet thread of reality that would become a moment in time that would change the history of man. “Then they departed from there and passed through Galilee, and He did not want anyone to know it. For He taught His disciples and said to them, ‘The Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of men, and they will kill Him. And after He is killed, He will rise the third day.’ But they did not understand this saying, and were afraid to ask Him” (Mark 9:30-32).
The arrest and crucifixion of Jesus was not a mistake nor was it a failed plan on the part of Jesus or the Father for the Jews to kill the Son of God. The redemption of man was planned before the worlds were created (Ephesians 3:10-11). Jesus knew that He would die! He knew the manner of His death. “The Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests and to the scribes; and they will condemn Him to death and deliver Him to the Gentiles; and they will mock Him, and scourge Him, and spit on Him, and kill Him. And the third day He will rise again” (Mark 10:32-34; see also Luke 18:33).
It is impossible to consider the life of Jesus as anything but extraordinary. The Lord knew the only way back to the Father was through the cross. He knew the only hope of man to be saved was by His death on the cross. During the time of Jesus crucifixion was common. Everyone understood the horror of the scourging where the soldiers would tie a person to a post and with a short whip that had several single or braided leather thongs of different lengths with sharp pieces of bone or iron balls would flog the back, buttocks and legs of the victim. The contusions, torn flesh and searing pain would be almost unbearable but the victim was not allowed to die. After the beating and taunting the person would be carried to a place of death and nailed hands and feet to a cross. He would then be lifted up and left to die a miserable, horrible death.
Jesus walked every day towards Golgotha. With each passing day and coming of night the Son of God knew He was one day closer to that one day. The weeks turned into months and the months turned into the first year, the second year and then the final year. Jesus kept walking. He continued on a collision course with His own destiny of suffering crucifixion and bearing upon Himself the putridity of humanity bathed in sin.
The moment came amidst the anguish of the cross. “Now it was about the sixth hour, and there was darkness over all the earth until the ninth hour. Then the sun was darkened, and the veil of the temple was torn in two. And when Jesus had cried out with a loud voice, He said, ‘Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.’ Having said this, He breathed His last” (Luke 23:44-46). The day had come. In a moment and the twinkling of a tear filled eye Jesus ended the journey begun years earlier. Death was the final welcome because His work had ended and death and Hades were defeated.
“Now it came to pass in the third year of Hoshea the son of Elah, king of Israel, that Hezekiah the son of Ahaz, king of Judah, began to reign. He was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned twenty-nine years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Abi the daughter of Zechariah. And he did what was right in the sight of the Lord, according to all that his father David had done. He removed the high places and broke the sacred pillars, cut down the wooden image and broke in pieces the bronze serpent that Moses had made; for until those days the children of Israel burned incense to it, and called it Nehushtan” (2 Kings 18:1-4).
Centuries had passed since the tragic day the people spoke against God and against Moses. The people had grown weary and discouraged because things did not seem to be going the way they thought it should. They were dissatisfied with the providential care of God; they wanted better things; they wanted what they wanted; their hearts were filled with anger against God. To punish the people the Lord “sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people; and many of the people of Israel died” (Numbers 21:6). When the people repented and asked for deliverance God instructed Moses to make a “bronze serpent, and put it on a pole; and so it was, if a serpent had bitten anyone, when he looked at the bronze serpent, he lived” (Numbers 21:9).
By the time of Hezekiah the symbol of their deliverance from rebellion became once again a symbol of rebellion as the people burned incense to Nehushtan (“a piece of brass”). We find the brazen serpent had become an object of idolatry. How could something that represented the power of God and His mercy become the object of idolatry? The nature of man is not surprised by these actions of seeking physical satisfaction in worship with even those things that reflect the glory of God. The Lord forbade the use of images for worship because truth came from only one God (Psalm 115:3-8; Isaiah 46:5-11; Deuteronomy 4:11-16).
Isaiah defined the nature of God when he writes: “I will not give My glory to another” (Isaiah 48:11). Yet the people of God had turned the power of God into their own idol and object of worship. Hezekiah exercised great courage to destroy the ancient artifact rich with history and truth. But it was destroyed because the servants of God had turned the purity of God’s word into their own selfish design. The message of the brazen serpent was made to fit the dogmas of man’s own wisdom and desire of the day.
The Bible is an ancient book that represents the power and mercy of God. Through its holy pages man is able to see his own rebellion and the only answer to death – Jesus Christ. Yet today man now worships the Bible as a book designed for his own needs. The Bible is worshipped as a book that is defined by one’s own interpretation and will. Why are there so many churches and faiths today? One man looks at the Bible one way and another man looks at the Bible his way and a third man looks at the Bible his way and on it goes. I wonder if there is any way for all men to understand the Bible? Could it be the Bible has become Nehushtan? Paul said we can read it and understand it (Ephesians 3:1-5). Peter said the Lord has given us everything we need pertaining to life and godliness (2 Peter 1:3). If God is not the problem, who is?
It is impossible to imagine how many people were living at the time of the flood. The world had multiplied greatly from the Garden of Eden and so had the wickedness of man. When the Lord saw the evil man had plunged himself into He declared, “I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth, both man and beast, creeping thing and birds of the air, for I am sorry that I have made them. But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord” (Genesis 6:7-8).
The Lord explains to Noah how the world would be destroyed and offers a way of escape through the building of “an ark of gopher wood” (Genesis 6:14). Noah takes the instructions of God and constructs the ark as God specified and directed. The day arrives when the Creator says to the creation that judgment has come. Noah is instructed to enter the ark with his wife, three sons and their wives; and the animals as prescribed by the Lord. Again Noah “did according to all that the Lord commanded him” (Genesis 7:5). It did not rain immediately because the Lord said to Noah, “For after seven more days I will cause it to rain on the earth forty days and forty nights, and I will destroy from the face of the earth all living things that I have made" (Genesis 7:4).
Seven days is seven sunrises; one hundred sixty eight hours; one week. As Noah busily prepared the ark as instructed by God would his mind reflect upon what he could not imagine was going to happen in seven days? Could he take in the scope of destruction the flood would bring upon the earth? What of his other family members and neighbors and the family of his daughters-in-law who were about to perish? What was going to happen to the whole world in seven days?
The first day passed and then there were only six days left. A few more days passed and only three days remained. Six days later as the sun settled in the west and night engulfed the world with its mantle of darkness, Noah pondered the spiritual darkness that had consumed the earth. Within hours it would begin to rain and water would cover the earth and all those people would die.
It was the second month of the year and the seventeenth day when it happened. The fountains of the great deep was broken up with a crashing roar that was heard by the angels in heaven. The windows of heaven were opened and water began to fill every crevice, every valley and cover every mountain more than twenty feet as “all flesh died that moved on the earth” (Genesis 7:21-22).
Noah lived those final seven days with the knowledge of what was coming and when. Jesus said, “Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away. But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. Take heed, watch and pray; for you do not know when the time is” (Mark 13:31-33). The coming of the Lord will be without warning; like a thief in the night (2 Peter 3:1-10).
Peter admonishes all of us with these words: “Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be dissolved, being on fire, and the elements will melt with fervent heat? (2 Peter 3:11-12). We will not get seven days; not even seven seconds; not even one second! Are you ready? Are you ready for the judgment day? Live for Jesus now before it’s …
When we think of the character of God, we are reminded of His love, compassion, justice, purity, holiness and a myriad of other things that sum up the total of His being. He never lies (Titus 1:2), His counsel is immutable (Hebrews 6:18); His word forever settled (Psalm 119:89); He is everlasting (Psalm 90:2). With all of these overwhelming attributes of Jehovah God, is it possible for Him to change His mind? The word given to us by our Father declares that He is willing.
At Mount Sinai (Exodus 32), the people become impatient tell Aaron to make them gods to go before them. They gather gold together and fashion a molded calf to which the next day they offer burnt offerings, peace offerings and make merry before it in the corruption of their wicked minds. Jehovah is wroth because of the people and declares to Moses, “Now therefore let me alone, that my wrath may wax hot against them, and that I may consume them: and I will make of thee a great nation.” (v10) Moses intercedes for the people pleading with God “turn from Your fierce wrath and relent from this harm to Your people … So the Lord relented from the harm which He said He would do to His people.” (vv12-14)
Hezekiah, King of Judah, was sick and near death. Isaiah comes to him and tells him to “set your house in order, for you shall die, and not live.” Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to the Lord pleading with him to spare his life. Before Isaiah had gone out into the middle court, the Lord spoke to him and told him to go tell Hezekiah that Jehovah had granted him fifteen more years of life. God changed His mind about Hezekiah. (2 Kings 20:1-11)
Jonah was sent to the city of Nineveh to preach doom and destruction against the wickedness of the people. (Book of Jonah) Jonah did not go the first time God called Him for fear that God would relent from the destruction planned against the city. Jonah wanted God to destroy this heathen city but when the people turned from their evil way, “God relented from the disaster He had said He would bring upon them, and He did not do it.” (3:10) God changed His mind.
Jeremiah writes, “If that nation against whom I have spoken turns from its evil, I will relent of the disaster that I thought to bring upon it.” (18:8) Peter writes in 2 Peter 3:9, “The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.” What we learn from these two passages is that God is a fierce God but He is a God that will relent when men turn from their evil. This speaks to the heart of the compassion of God and reminds us of His severity. Repentance will cause God to change His mind of the destruction He plans. God is not willing that anyone should perish and His desire is for all to be saved. He will punish if men do not turn from their evil.
Jesus said, “He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved. He that believeth not shall be condemned.” Without obedience to the will of the Father, condemnation awaits. God will change His mind about the condemnation if we obey Him. There is no condemnation to those who are in Christ. (Romans 8:1) He is not willing that you should be lost but the decision is up to you. What you decide will determine if God will change His mind about your eternal destiny. The grace and compassion of God is such that in our obedience to the will of the Father (Matthew 7:21-23), salvation will be given. “Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God: on them which fell, severity; but toward thee, goodness, if thou continue in his goodness.” (Romans 11:22)
The small incline on a graded road would normally not be a problem for the Chevy hauling a load of canoes. However, after a good rain the road became a slick mass of clay unyielding in allowing anything to negotiate up the hill. After many attempts to dislodge the truck and trailer from the mud, help was summoned. The efforts to find a four-wheel truck failed and the suggestion was given to take the ‘Arctic Cat.’ Bemused that such a small machine could possibly pull the hapless vehicle from the mud, it was taken down the road. In short order the Arctic Cat pulled the two canoe trailers plus a long-bed trailer with hay up the hill to dry ground.
Comparing the Arctic Cat with the Chevy truck or the Ram truck (or any other truck available at the time) would seem silly but the problem with the trucks is they did not have the traction necessary to get through the deep mud. The smaller machine in low gear and four wheel drive easily pulled the heavy loads through. Life is much like that in many ways.
We want to drive through life without the benefit of proper traction and gear ratio. The rat race is how we run and staying ahead of the rats is the goal in life. But then the storms appear and the way becomes difficult and impossible to navigate. We sink down in the mire of problems that choke us and hurt us. The harder we try the more we become victims of deeper problems. Death invades our lives and we do not know how to get out of its grasp. Our health is destroyed and we become angry and despondent with no answers. The economy brings untold hardship on our families and we are unable to deal with the realities of less. As spiritual people our faith may even waver. We become stuck in the mud of life.
What made the difference in the Arctic Cat is the low gear and the four wheels turning to give proper traction. In our lives we need the same thing: “As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, as you have been taught, abounding in it with thanksgiving” (Colossians 2:6-7). Being a disciple of Christ does not mean there will not be times of hardship and difficulty. The difference for those who walk in Christ Jesus is that they are “rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith” – that is the four-wheel drive of the spiritual life.
To be rooted in Christ is to have a firm grasp on life and know how to navigate the muddy roads that will come upon us. This imagery is used repeatedly in scripture (Ephesians 3:17-18; Colossians 1:23; Jeremiah 17:7-8). The size of the vehicle did not make the difference; what made the difference was the machine that had traction. As a tree drives its roots deep in the ground our faith must be buried deeply in the love and knowledge of God. The great examples of faith found in Hebrews 11 all express the deep faith in God and trust in His word.
The Arctic Cat did not pull the trailers out with great ease. There was tension, groaning and a challenge but the trailers were pulled to safe ground because of persistence. Our faith will be challenged in those muddy days of life but we will be able to see it through with faith, courage, mercy, grace and an abundant spirit of perseverance to overcome. Jesus told the churches in Asia “to him that overcomes” (Revelation 2 & 3) a reward will be given. We must overcome.
He Told Me All That I Ever Did
It is difficult to go many places these days without a camera watching us. Cameras record our traffic patterns, shopping, eating, sports and many times we are unaware of who is watching us and why. Consider the story of the woman at the well with Jesus (John 4). The disciples left Jesus at the well of Jacob to buy food and a woman of Samaria came to draw water. Jesus (although wearied from his travel) used the opportunity to show the woman the “fountain of water springing up into everlasting life” (John 4:14). The Lord asks the woman to call for her husband and she said, "I have no husband." Jesus said to her, "You have well said, 'I have no husband,' for you have had five husbands, and the one whom you now have is not your husband; in that you spoke truly" (John 4:17-18). When the disciples returned the woman left and returning to the city said to the men, "Come, see a Man who told me all things that I ever did. Could this be the Christ?" (John 4:29).
No man has the omniscience of the Lord. There is much we can know about one another but this can only be a fraction of the knowledge of “everything we have done.” The evidence that Jesus was God is found in His knowledge of man. Many people believed in Jesus “but Jesus did not commit Himself to them, because He knew all men, and had no need that anyone should testify of man, for He knew what was in man” (John 2:24-25). The woman at the well was astonished that Jesus knew everything about her and as a result many of the city believed Jesus was the Christ.
The irony of human frailty is that we honestly believe that no one knows what we do. As the iceberg, we only show a small portion of our true self to the world and the rest is hidden deep underneath. However, the Lord sees the whole picture of our lives. “There is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account” (Hebrews 4:13). The psalmist David understood this mystery in Psalm 139. “Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence” (Psalms 139:7). His conclusion was there was no where to go that the Lord was not already there.
The woman at the well recognized the power of Jesus when she realized the depth of His knowledge. She attributed His knowledge to evidence He was the Christ. When we come to Christ we too must concede His knowledge in every thing we do and everything we say. The apostle Paul explained it this way: “I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me” (Galatians 2:20). If Christ lives in me, He can tell me everything I have ever done.
How wonderful to know the Lord is with us every minute and sees everything we do and hears everything we say. If this frightens us then we have things to change in our lives. If this blesses us then we are seeking to please the Lord in our lives. “For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him” (2 Chronicles 16:9). Our hearts reveal who we are (Matthew 15:1-20) and if we allow Christ to dwell in our hearts through faith (Ephesians 3:17) then we can “be anxious for nothing … and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:6-7). How can we not be anxious? Remember – “He told me all that I ever did.”
When the Romans crucified Jesus, they compounded His shame by crucifying the Lord between two criminals. They were probably the same class of robber as Barabbas (Matthew 27:16-26; Mark 15:7-15; Luke 23:18; John 18:40). Matthew writes that as the people blasphemed the dying Savior the two “robbers who were crucified with Him reviled Him with the same thing” (Matthew 27:44). The humiliation Jesus suffered in the manner of His death was orchestrated to bring about the greatest shame. The whole world was screaming at Him and reviling Him. Then the Lord spoke through broken and parched lips, “Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do” (Luke 23:34).
The words of Jesus struck a cord in one of the robbers; but it did not help the heart of the other robber who shouted to Christ, “If You are the Christ, save Yourself and us” (Luke 23:39). The tone of the robber was one of blasphemy and while he plead for Christ to save Himself and the other thief, he really only had concern about himself. There was no faith in the miracle of Jesus from this criminal. Until his dying breath the man would hold hatred close and spew only words of loathing towards Jesus.
Roman law had placed the two robbers at Golgotha for good cause. The other thief acknowledged that while Jesus had done nothing to deserve what He bore; his companion and he well deserved everything they were getting. He replied, "Do you not even fear God, seeing you are under the same condemnation? And we indeed justly, for we receive the due reward of our deeds; but this Man has done nothing wrong" (Luke 23:40-41). The boast of the braggart criminal was proudly shouted for all to hear but the penitent thief knew he was in the presence of the Christ. Then he said to Jesus, "Lord, remember me when You come into Your kingdom." And Jesus said to him, "Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise" (Luke 23:42-43). One thief went to Paradise and one thief went to a place of torment.
In Luke 16 Jesus tells the story of Lazarus and the rich man who both died but found themselves in very different circumstances. We can read the story of the two thieves in a similar manner: “And being in torments in Hades, [the boastful thief] lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham afar off and [the penitent thief] in his bosom” (Luke 16:23). The robber who blasphemed the Lord saw Jesus die but his own death would not come about until the soldiers broke his legs (John 19:32). The Lord would not hear his scream on earth but would shortly hear his cry for mercy after death. As the wicked thief passed to torment he realized the one who was crucified with him was the only hope he had. The penitent thief would be carried by angels to the bosom of Abraham. Was there a similar conversation between the tormented criminal and the Lord in Hades? We are left to wonder.
The two thieves represent the nature of man. Some men see Jesus for who He is and understand that eternal life can only come from asking for mercy – “remember me.” Most people are filled with indignation and die with blasphemy on their lips in rejecting the only hope given to man. They live for themselves and die for themselves. In death the crucified Jesus will no longer be a Savior but the risen Judge. “He has appointed a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness by the Man whom He has ordained. He has given assurance of this to all by raising Him from the dead" (Acts 17:31). The thief was surprised when he awoke in torment. Will you be surprised?
It is difficult to imagine that Jesus Christ became angry. On at least three occasions the scripture show the frustration of the Lord at those who are hardened of heart; those who cannot see His great mission; and those who intend to usurp the plan God has set forth in His Son. The gospel writer Mark bears record of these three events.
“And He entered the synagogue again, and a man was there who had a withered hand. So they watched Him closely, whether He would heal him on the Sabbath, so that they might accuse Him. And He said to the man who had the withered hand, ‘Step forward.’ Then He said to them, ‘Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill?’ But they kept silent. And when He had looked around at them with anger, being grieved by the hardness of their hearts, He said to the man, ‘Stretch out your hand.’ And he stretched it out, and his hand was restored as whole as the other. Then the Pharisees went out and immediately plotted with the Herodians against Him, how they might destroy Him” (Mark 3:1-6). It would seem incredulous that in the face of such a powerful miracle that any would doubt. But the nature of man when he is threatened will bring out a hardened heart of unbelief. What more could Jesus do to prove He was the Son of God? Why do men go out and plot the death of a man who can do powerful miracles (see also John 11 … esp. v53).
Jesus was angry because of the sin that overwhelmed man and closed his eyes to His Father. His righteous indignation was fueled by the sad reality of the unwillingness of man to believe in Him. The Pharisees were more concerned about Jesus healing on the Sabbath than to realize they were expecting Jesus to do a miracle – this is the total depravation of man. The invisible attributes of God are clearly seen and there is no excuse for ignorance (Romans 1:20).
“And He began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things, and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again. He spoke this word openly. Then Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him. But when He had turned around and looked at His disciples, He rebuked Peter, saying, ‘Get behind Me, Satan! For you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men’” (Mark 8:31-33). Who did Peter think he was? Telling the story of His suffering and death would have been dramatic for Jesus. He understood clearly His mission and His work. His heart was in complete obedience to the will of the Father (Hebrews 5:8) and in the garden He struggled with the shadow of His cross (Matthew 26:36-42). Now Peter rebukes Jesus and tries to dissuade the Lord from what lay before Him? Notice that Jesus turns to the rest of the disciples and rebukes Peter.
Do we feel as if God really does not know what He is doing and we must change His will? Many today (like Peter) are willing to rebuke God for His will and create their own system of faith. How angry that must make the Lord when we are mindful of our own wills instead of the will of the Father. There is only one way (John 14:6) and we should never suppose to usurp that way, that truth nor that life. Peter should have accepted the will of the Father whether he understood it or not. Our obedience must follow the pattern of Christ: “Thy will be done.” (continued next week)
When Jesus Became Angry (Continued)
Last week we noted two passages where Jesus became angry at those who hardened their hearts against His power (Mark 3:1-6) and when Peter sought to rebuke Jesus for unveiling the plan of the Father for Jesus’ persecution and death (Mark 8:31-33). In the case of the man with a withered hand the religious leaders could not Jesus for who He was (the Son of God) and sought ways to destroy him. On one occasion Jesus describes the terrible things that would happen to Him in Jerusalem at the hands of the Jews and Peter rebukes the Lord for saying such things. In the presence of the disciples the Lord rebukes Peter for serving the will of Satan rather than the will of God.
In Mark 10 we find the people bringing young children to Jesus “that He might touch them, but the disciples rebuked those who brought them. But when Jesus saw it, He was greatly displeased and said to them, ‘Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of God. Assuredly I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will by no means enter it.’ And He took them up in His arms, put His hands on them, and blessed them” (vv13-16). Sometimes we look at children as a bother and should not trouble adults. We put them in other rooms and do not allow them to be part of the “adult” conversation. Many churches now have “children’s church”; separating the children from the “adult” worship (whatever that is).
When we exclude children from important functions of life we are training them to be unconcerned about the elderly, the needy, the worshipful; one another. They should be trained to be respectful of adults and to glean lessons from the time spent in the presence of Godly people.
Jesus was greatly displeased by the action of His disciples. What a powerful message the Lord sends to His followers of the importance of children. He wanted to spend time with the children. The Lord took time out of His busy work to take children up in His arms and bless them. His disciples rebuked the parents for wasting the time of Jesus – how audacious on the part of those men. No one is unimportant to God and here we find the spirit of Jesus greatly displeased at the action of those who would keep children from Him.
Children teach us the character of the one who desires to be part of the kingdom. In Matthew 18 Jesus taught the heart of the child is the heart necessary to enter the kingdom. A child has a heart of innocence born from dependency to their parents. All those who want to be a disciple of Christ must give their whole lives to the Father in complete dependence (Matthew 7:24-34). There is a spirit of forgiveness in children that is greatly lacking in adults. The Lord taught forgiveness that can only come from a child-like heart (Luke 17:3-4; Matthew 18:21-35).
Why would the action of the disciples anger Jesus? Could they not see why Jesus came to earth – to minister to all men? Everyone was important to God and children manifest the spirit lacking in the disciples. Jesus came to bring compassion, understanding, forgiveness, peace, truth and like a child Himself; offer His own life in selfless love for those who did not deserve such mercy. The work of the Lord can best be seen through the eyes of children who have a simple trust.
The Garden of Eden is where man finds all the answers to the nature of his relationship with his Creator; the responsibility expected of him by the Creator; the judgment because of this relationship and action toward the Creator. Man was placed in the garden to “till and keep it” (Genesis 2:15). “Out of the ground the Lord God made to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight and good for food, the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil” (Genesis 2:9). A wonderful paradise is given to man to live and enjoy communing with the Creator.
This garden of peace did not come without responsibility. As he was responsible to care for the garden, man was also given law - requiring accountability. “And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, ‘You may freely eat of every tree of the garden; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall die’" (Genesis 2:16-17). The Creator expected man to obey His law: to tend the Garden of Eden and to be careful tending his own heart.
Adam and Eve understood the nature of their relationship with God. They also knew the responsibility expected of them by their Creator. The Lord clearly laid out the law in terms easily understood. Genesis 3:2,3 reveals this understanding as Eve recounted the command of God to Satan. It was in this moment of temptation that a remarkable thing happened. As the words of deception fell from the lips of the deceiver, Eve looked at the tree and seeing “that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate; and she also gave some to her husband, and he ate” (Genesis 3:6). The Creator said nothing. Jehovah God did not come quickly to the ear of the woman and command her to stop. Angels were not sent in fiery chariots to withhold the hand of the woman from the fruit – “she took of its fruit and ate” and so did Adam.
The Garden of Eden establishes the pattern of God’s relationship with man. It is selfish man that desires to be admonished in his own selfish acts and blames God when no action is taken. Could God have stopped Eve from taking the fruit? There is no doubt. Was it within the power of God to have removed Satan from the garden and forbid him from speaking to the woman? There is no doubt. Would Jehovah be a righteous, merciful and loving God to have done so and thereby never allow man to make his own decisions? The scriptures clearly teach the pattern of the garden: God establishes His law that man can understand; God expects man to obey His law; God will not interfere when man disobeys.
We want God to stop us. Our rebellious heart cries out running to rebellion for God to stop us. This removes guilt from our actions. God shows us in the garden and throughout the revelation of His will that He will say nothing. He said nothing when Cain killed Abel; as Abraham lied; when David went into Bathsheba; and so forth. The lesson is that God has spoken and said all that man need know of His will.
We are responsible for our own rebellion! Our judgment comes from our actions. “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive good or evil, according to what he has done in the body” (2 Corinthians 5:10). What I have done!!!
So That They Are Without Excuse
An age old question of accountability suggests that many people in the world are not accountable to God because they have not been given a chance to hear about Jesus Christ. The conclusion is made that because of this ignorance God will not hold them responsible and save them because of their lack of knowledge. To men this would seem to be a logical answer to a difficult question but to the Lord the answer is clearly given in scripture. Can anyone stand before God in judgment and plead ignorance? Is it possible that one person will be saved because he lived in a primitive society that never heard of Jesus Christ? Does anyone have an excuse before God?
The apostle Paul addressed this question in Romans 1. He affirmed the power of the gospel in Romans 1:16 when he wrote, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, ‘the just shall live by faith’" (Romans 1:16-17). Jesus gave the commission to the disciples in Mark 16 to “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:19-20). Salvation has been given to man through the Son of God (John 3:16) and when man receives this invitation he will not be condemned.
Returning to the original question is to ponder the fate of those people who live in a world where the teaching of Jesus Christ is never heard – are they without excuse? In the first place if a person is saved in ignorance then it would be better to leave them in their ignorance to be saved than to offer them the story of Jesus Christ and for them to reject it (John 8:24). This would contradict the command of Christ in Matthew 28:19-20, Mark 16:15-16 and every passage suggesting evangelizing the lost. Secondly, we find in 2 Thessalonians 1:7-9 than no one is without excuse: “And to give you who are troubled rest with us when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with His mighty angels, in flaming fire taking vengeance on those who do not know God, and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. These shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power” (2 Thessalonians 1:7-9).
Paul’s letter to Thessalonica is the same gospel he preached to the Romans. In 2 Thessalonians the Holy Spirit affirms that every person who does not obey the gospel of Jesus Christ will be lost. A man will be lost because either he refused to “know God” or believing there is a God he did not “obey the gospel.” The majority of people will be lost (Jesus said so – Matthew 7:13-14) and this will not be because of a failure to believe Christ but a rebellion to believe in God. “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse” (Romans 1:18-20). No one is excused!
It was a quiet day as the routine of life seemed to unfold in an endless array of jobs to be finished, plans to be made and prays offered for the family. He had much to be concerned about with his vast herds of camels, oxen, sheep and donkeys. It took a lot of servants to tend after his expansive wealth and their families had to be cared for as well. His wife had blessed him with seven sons and three daughters and together they knitted a family with prayer. On a regular basis offerings were made for his sons in case they may have sinned in some way and cursed God in their hearts. But this day would be unlike any day he had ever experienced.
As he sat in the cool of the day, four messengers came running to him declaring how the Sabeans killed the servants tending the donkeys; fire from heaven consumed all his sheep and those watching them; how the Chaldeans had raided his land killing the servants and stealing away the camels and last of all – his ten children were dead; killed by a freak wind that destroyed the house they were in. How do you digest the loss of your property in one day? In what way do you grasp the reality of being left without the substance of life in your flocks and herds and servants – all wiped out or stolen away in one day? To add misery to the events unfolding with minutes of one another, how can a person deal with the loss of a child? No, not just the loss of one child but ten – all at once. What words can you find to comfort your wife who suffered the same loss?
“There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job; and that man was blameless and upright, and one who feared God and shunned evil” (Job 1:1). The eighteenth book of the Old Testament is one of the oldest stories in scripture. Set during the days of the Patriarchs, Job is a man who represents the meaning of suffering and endurance. He and his wife lost everything they had in a blink of an eye. It did not come over time. It came at once, sudden, unexpected and with the full fury of understandable rage and sorrow. Yet we find in the heart of this man of God, a heart of understanding.
“Then Job arose, tore his robe, and shaved his head; and he fell to the ground and worshiped. And he said: ‘Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked shall I return there. The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.’ In all this Job did not sin nor charge God with wrong” (Job 1:20-22). The rest of the book of Job is remarkable enough as later God allows Satan to inflict horrible physical suffering on Job (“In all this Job did not sin with his lips” - Job 2:10). But stop at this point of the story and ask, “Why did Job not blame God?” What kind of man will continue in the face of such insurmountable odds to believe in a loving Father? The answer is found in Job 1:1 - Job feared God and he shunned evil.
The focus of Job was not on his own selfish desires and needs. Did he suffer because of the loss of his wealth? Yes. Did he mourn greatly for his seven sons and three daughters? Immensely no doubt. Did he have cause to blame God? No. He knew that God would not put on him more than he could bear (1 Corinthians 10:23). Job understood the power of God in his life (Romans 8:31-39). How can we blame God when God is the one who wants to comfort us? Job was a pilgrim passing through life (2 Corinthians 4:16-18) and he knew that God would not forsake him (Hebrews 13:5-6). Job proves there is nothing we cannot do with God on our side (Matthew 19:26). Our victory is not in ourselves but in the power of God in ourselves (Ephesians 3:20-21).
Jehovah Or Allah Or A Golden Calf?
In our compromising world of political correctness, great efforts are made to defuse any difference between various faiths and religions in the world. Often the conclusions are drawn that all men worship the same God but call Him by a different name. According to the dictionary, “Allah” is the Islamic name of God. Is the God of Islam the same God found in the Bible? According to the word of God the God found in the Bible is nothing like the God of Islam. The apostle Paul affirms, “For even if there are so-called gods, whether in heaven or on earth (as there are many gods and many lords), yet for us there is one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we for Him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, through whom are all things, and through whom we live” (1 Corinthians 8:5-6).
The worship of many gods is nearly as old as the DNA of man. Even in the early history of the Jewish nation the people turned to something other than the one God. When the Lord delivered the Hebrews from the slavery of Egypt; blessed them through his miraculous powers and benevolent giving of food and water; the people became discouraged at Mt. Sinai and begged Aaron to make them a god (Exodus 32). “So all the people broke off the golden earrings which were in their ears, and brought them to Aaron. And he received the gold from their hand, and he fashioned it with an engraving tool, and made a molded calf. Then they said, ‘This is your god, O Israel, that brought you out of the land of Egypt!’ So when Aaron saw it, he built an altar before it. And Aaron made a proclamation and said, ‘Tomorrow is a feast to the Lord’" (Exodus 32:3-5).
Aaron said the feast would be to honor “the Lord” but the golden calf was not the one true God. What stood before the people could be called “God” but it was not the same God that delivered them and fed them and protected them. This god they worshipped was nothing more than their selfish imagination. Jehovah warned the people in the giving of the Law: "I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. You shall have no other gods before Me” (Exodus 20:2-3). What made the difference between Jehovah God and the golden calf? Who they were!
Is “Allah” the same as Jehovah? One verse will show that Allah and Jehovah are not the same: “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved” (John 3:16-17). Islam rejects Jesus as being the Son of God. Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me” (John 14:6). Allah did not send his son – Jehovah God did. Jesus came to be the only way, the only truth and the only life. Everlasting life can only be found with Jehovah and His Son. Salvation comes only through the blood of God’s Son; Jehovah’s Son.
“For thus saith Jehovah that created the heavens, the God that formed the earth and made it, that established it and created it not a waste, that formed it to be inhabited: I am Jehovah; and there is none else” (Isaiah 45:18 – American Standard Version). When the Creator says there is “none else” – He means there is no other one who can stand where He stands and receive honor as He receives honor. Praise Jehovah – only!
The following story has been around for years and tells a good tale. “A church-goer wrote a letter to the editor of a newspaper and complained that it made no sense to go to church every Sunday. ‘I've gone for 30 years now,’ he wrote, ‘and in that time I have heard something like 3,000 sermons. But for the life of me, I can't remember a single one of them. So, I think I'm wasting my time and the preachers are wasting theirs by giving sermons at all.’ This started a real controversy in the ‘Letters to the Editor’ column, much to the delight of the editor. It went on for weeks until someone wrote this clincher: ‘I've been married for 30 years now. In that time my wife has cooked some 32,000 meals. But, for the life of me, I cannot recall the entire menu for a single one of those meals. But I do know this. They all nourished me and gave me the strength I needed to do my work. If my wife had not given me these meals, I would be physically dead today. Likewise, if I had not gone to church for nourishment, I would be spiritually dead today!’”
It is clear the moral of the story is the purpose and design of church attendance. So often people come to church services year after year and receive no benefits at all. Many see no reason to attend and come when the notion strikes them or something insignificant does not hinder their walking through the front doors. Church attendance is monitored with numbers on a board and while there may be 222 Sunday morning there will only be 135 on Sunday night. Is church attendance really the issue? Is not coming to church the real concern? Have we created a system of theology based more on sitting in a pew than putting our hearts before the throne of God?
Attendance to “church services” on Sunday is not something suggested by the Lord; it is commanded. As the Jews under the Law were instructed to “remember the Sabbath” those today who claim to be followers of Christ are commanded to remember the sacrifice of the Son of God in communion. When Jesus instituted the Lord’s Supper He said, "Take, eat; this is My body which is broken for you; do this in remembrance of Me … This cup is the new covenant in My blood. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me” (1 Corinthians 11:24-25). Paul goes on to say, “For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death till He comes” (1 Corinthians 11:26).
Church attendance is not about attending church. Assembling on the first day of the week is about our love and devotion to Jesus Christ. When we forsake the gathering of saints on the first day of the week because we do not feel up to getting out the door; we have a job that keeps us from the worship; WE DON’T CARE ABOUT JESUS CHRIST! This is not about those who have serious health issues – THIS IS ABOUT THOSE WHO CONTINUALLY, HABITUALLY FAIL TO ASSEMBLE ON A REGULAR BASIS WITH THE SAINTS OF GOD!
We moan and groan with our little aches and pains and silly issues that we just can’t make it out to sit for an hour in church. Going to the mall or Wal-Mart or work and a ball game is allowable but the excruciating pain and misery of having to sit in a church building for an hour – well the Lord will just have to understand. HE DOES – “Of how much worse punishment, do you suppose, will he be thought worthy who has trampled the Son of God underfoot, counted the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified a common thing, and insulted the Spirit of grace? For we know Him who said, "VENGEANCE IS MINE, I WILL REPAY," says the Lord. And again, "THE LORD WILL JUDGE HIS PEOPLE." It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God” (Hebrews 10:29-31).
All the excuses we use when we fail to assemble with the saints are going to be so flimsy when we stand before the I AM. It is then we will have wished we would have changed jobs, had a better attitude toward worship and done many things to remember the death of Jesus – but it will be too late. The Lord we despised on earth in failing to partake of the supper of sacrifice will now be our Judge. As the Hebrew writer said, “It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.
The reason I gather with the saints for Bible class on Sunday and Wednesday is because I love the Lord and I love my brethren. The reason I assemble on the first day of the week in the morning and in the evening is because I want to learn devotion to my God and His Son. “Therefore by their fruits you will know them” (Matthew 7:20). Jesus is looking at you and examining the fruit of your life. What will He see now; what will He say then?
The English language is a confusing puzzle of similar words that sound alike yet mean different things and sometimes are spelled alike but have vastly conflicting meanings. Something can mean (transitive verb) one thing and then describe a person who is mean (adjective). The word ‘up’ is an adverb, preposition, adjective, noun and a verb. Someone wrote, “If you are up to it, you might try building up a list of the many ways up is used. It will take up a lot of your time, but if you don’t give up, you may wind up with a hundred or more.”
Consider ‘despair’ and ‘disparity.’ They sound alike and so much the so as if they go together. Recently in a sermon on a Christian’s view of fearing things I talked a lot of dealing with our fears and overcoming our fears. Throughout the sermon reference was made to feelings of hopelessness and fears that fall upon us and the disparity we feel because of these fears. However, disparity is not the plural form of despair! Preachers should be careful if English teachers are in the audience (and there was a good one in mine). We laughed together as she kindly pointed out my use of “disparity”.
After looking up both words I found that while my use was a misuse; there was an interesting connection between the two words. To be filled with despair means to have a profound feeling that there is no hope. Disparity is a lack of equality between people or things; inconsistency; gap; a difference. Fear is the emotion that drives the character of despair. It is first found in Genesis 3 after Adam and Eve rebelled against the will of God. Moses writes that when Adam and Eve “heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden. Then the Lord God called to Adam and said to him, ‘Where are you?’ So he said, ‘I heard Your voice in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; and I hid myself.’" (Genesis 3:8-10)
Fear comes from man separating himself from the Creator. Adam was not afraid before and never hid himself from the presence of God. Consequences of sin is fear and despair and can be found in disparity because we are not in communion with God. Despair and disparity are similar because they feed off of one another in ones relationship (or lack there of) with Jehovah God. The mercy of God has allowed man to regain a relationship with the Father as children of God. “Therefore you are no longer a slave but a son, and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ” (Galatians 4:7)’
When we enjoy communion with God then we are able to have focus in life that dispels fear (Matthew 6:25-34). “There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love” (1 John 4:18). We will not have the despair of the world. “Whenever I am afraid, I will trust in You. In God (I will praise His word), in God I have put my trust; I will not fear. What can flesh do to me? (Psalms 56:3-4). There will not be a disparity in our salvation. “Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing” (2 Timothy 4:8).
The use of words is not as important as the words we use. “For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation” (Romans 10:10). Confess Christ in obedience (Mark 16:15,16).
The concept of war is repulsive and revolting by its nature. War brings with it death, destruction, conflict, hostility and a constant struggle to maintain courage to win the next battle. The Civil War lasted four years with 620,000 deaths; World War I included 35 million lives destroyed; World War II destroyed 60 million human beings. The horror of war is the constant battle of survival and smell of death and misery.
Imagine reading about a war that has lasted 55 years; or 72 years; or 29 years; or two years; or in one case 106 years. But all of these wars were different than the others. In many of these wars only one death occurred. In a few of the wars no one died. How can this be? “Beloved, I beg you as sojourners and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul” (1 Peter 2:11). Every person experiences the effect of war but this war is not carnal. The war is a conflict of an inner man that seeks the lust of the flesh, the pride of life and the lust of the eye (1 John 2:16). When Peter wrote about the “war against the soul” he was not speaking of a fist fight. He did not mean it was a minor skirmish that happened once and ended. The Holy Spirit is clear when He uses the term “war” to explain the struggle of the inner man.
Paul fought this internal war as he explains in Romans 7:22-24 – “For I delight in the law of God according to the inward man. But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?” The forces of evil daily battle against the law of the mind and leave us feeling helpless and wretched. “For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish” (Galatians 5:17). WAR! It is WAR!
Many people succumb to the ravages of war and the inner man dies. This will happen to children of God who allow the forces of Satan to gain the victory. The faithful will continue to fight today, tomorrow and wherever the heart of righteousness is attacked. It is easy to grow weary and give up. “And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart” (Galatians 6:9). The battle will end one day but only in death or the coming of Jesus. We grow tired of fighting and often we lose the easy battles. The must endure and “fight the good fight” (2 Timothy 4:7) every day.
The Lord offers a battle plan to win the war. First, we have to know that we can win every battle (1 Corinthians 10:13). Second, we serve the King of Kings (Revelation 19:16) and if the Revelation teaches anything it shows the victorious saints whose garments are bathed in the blood of battle victorious over “every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God” (2 Corinthians 10:5). Third, “the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God” (2 Corinthians 10:4). Fourth, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” (Philippians 4:13). Fifth, it will not be easy.
War means what it smells like – the stench of combat. Our focus must remain upon the realization that we live not for this world but the world promised (Hebrews 11:13-16). We fight on. We will not allow our losses to cause us to lose the war. Our King has promised full victory because He has gained our victory for us (1 Corinthians 15:54-58). Soldiers of Christ arise and put on your armor (Ephesians 6:11-18). Fight on!
The spider’s ability to weave a web is one of the marvels of the animal kingdom. A small creature creates a masterpiece of intricate patterns suited for its own survival. In the Old Testament the writer ascribes greatness to four small creatures. “There are four things which are little on the earth, but they are exceedingly wise: the ants are a people not strong, yet they prepare their food in the summer; the rock badgers are a feeble folk, yet they make their homes in the crags; the locusts have no king, yet they all advance in ranks; the spider skillfully grasps with its hands, and it is in kings' palaces” (Proverbs 30:24-28). Sometimes the spider skillfully weaves its web on biking trails.
Each morning I enjoy a long bike ride on a nature trail near my home. Lined with trees on one side and a large avenue of tall grass, bushes and small trees on the other, it becomes a haven of squirrels, rabbits, fox, a snake or two and lots of spider webs. Those who wish to ride this trail must wait until daylight to make certain the webs that sometimes fall across the trail do not cause more harm than necessary. Riding east the many strands of webs fall gently down to the pavement or a piece of grass or small tree reflected by the morning sun. What is marvelous about this order of things is to consider the size of the spider and the height of its strands.
No matter the size of a spider (and most of the spiders are small compared to others) one thing is very clear: the long strands of web which may reach a length of 10 or 12 feet were not made from a spider jumping from the ground to the tree limb but the spider beginning from the highest point and spinning the web downward. Spiders may ‘jump’ but their “vert” is not much. A spider will make his web from the top and dangle down to something below thereby creating the avenue necessary to return to the top and begin creation of its web. But this would not be possible if it tried to start from the ground. His life begins at the top!
There is a lesson for man taught from a spider’s web: man can’t jump either. “O Lord, I know the way of man is not in himself; it is not in man who walks to direct his own steps” (Jeremiah 10:23). No matter how hard man tries he can never succeed in building his life from the ground up. The only way man will find happiness and peace is when he begins “on high.” The existence of man is dependent upon the One who reigns above and that is Jehovah God. Beginning without God will end in defeat.
The spider knows it must begin on high but man tries to build the web of his life with his own wisdom. His web is grounded and without function. “But I am poor and sorrowful; let Your salvation, O God, set me up on high” (Psalms 69:29). God sent His Son from on high to lift man from sin. Through Jesus Christ we begin on high and live our lives in service to the will of God on high. Our lives are not built upon this world but the world to come. “We do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal” (2 Corinthians 4:18).
Where does wisdom come from? It must come from “above” (James 1:17; 13-18). What is the focus of your life? “If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth” (Colossians 3:1-2). Seek things above; set your mind above. Learn the lesson of the spider – start from above where God is!
Are There More Books Of The Bible?
The question of the authenticity of the Bible is challenged by the existence of other books that seem to have a flavor for Holy writ. There are the Apocrypha books written during the years separated by the Old and New Testament. Some of the books include the books of Maccabees, Tobit, Judith, Susanna and others. Through the years other books surface that create an interest in whether the sixty-six books of the Bible (as we have them divided) are complete and why others books are not included. As with the Apocrypha books these are not considered canonical or belonging to the canon for a number of reasons. The Jews were the keepers of the Hebrew scriptures or “oracles of God” (Romans 3:2) and never accepted them as part of the book of scripture. The New Testament was established as canon by textual scholars who followed the same pattern of establishing which books were canonical.
Returning to the question of whether vital information is being excluded by the absence of the Old Testament and New Testament apocrypha books, should these books be considered part of scripture? When these “missing books” of the Bible gain a following renewed interest in their stories and teachings create more of a curiosity than the very obvious question about the Bible. Should we take a book (for example) like the Book of Enoch and question if the Bible is all we need in the absence of this book? Could it be safe to say the critics of the Bible who desire inclusion of these other books have investigated the sixty-six books of the Bible and found lacking what they need to know about God’s will? The curious crowds who intently read and study the apocrypha books must be asked if they have intently read and studied the Bible with the same veracity. If after a complete examination of the books Genesis through Revelation there are questions of incomplete knowledge; who is to blame for such results?
The Bible claims itself to be complete. When men question the fullness of God’s message in the Bible in seeking other books they deny Genesis 1 and the power of God. The question is often asked, “How can we know we have all the books of the Bible?” That is suggesting God cannot create the world in six days. If the Lord cannot give mankind what needs to be known in a book secured through the centuries of time as complete then the Lord cannot say, “Let there be light” and there be light. Would not the creation of the world be a more ‘powerful’ event than keeping a book secure through time?
Peter writes to the early Christians and gives them assurance the word of God is complete. “As His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue” (2 Peter 1:3). Jesus told His disciples, “When He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth” (John 16:13; see also 14:26). Paul declared, “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work” (2 Timothy 3:16-17). What more can there be than “God was manifested in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen by angels, preached among the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up in glory” (1 Timothy 3:16).
If the Bible is not complete then God is a liar and Jesus is a fraud. The Bible is given by the providential wisdom of God for all truth. Anything beyond that is false (Revelation 22:18-19). Salvation is found in one book alone – the Bible!
“For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us” (Romans 8:18). To live for Christ is a matter of perspective. This is also true for those who have no desire to live righteous lives. The view one has of life will determine what is important, relevant and worth living for. Paul’s statement in Romans 8 is how he was able to endure the hardships of discipleship and enjoy the times of refreshing. The difficulty in teaching the message of Jesus Christ is to convict a person that while this life may be filled with suffering there is a better world with no suffering. Many cannot accept this doctrine.
The sufferings of this world come in many forms. Disease, calamity, hatred, abuse and tragedy impact the lives of every person. Some suffer more than others but no one is immune to the frailty of the flesh. Again the view of life will determine how we serve the Lord. “So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal” (2 Corinthians 4:16-18). The Holy Spirit describes life as a “light momentary affliction” and when we look closely at our lives we find this to be true. With age the realization is that time is fleeting and youth is but a blink of an eye.
When we compare the reality of the “outer self” wasting away with the truth we are eternal beings we have hope. Moses writes in Genesis 1:27, “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them” (Genesis 1:27). Man has been created as an eternal creature. We will never cease to exist. Our mortal frame will die and pass away but the “inner self” will live on after death. Most men fail to comprehend this truth and believe that life is only about living, they die and that is it. The Bible teaches different (Ecclesiastes 12:13-14).
If we come to grips with the reality of our eternity then we will be able to see with faith like Paul. There is no comparison to the suffering of this world to the glory we will receive from our Father. No matter how difficult life was for Job (Book of Job) he lived each day with the knowledge there is no comparison to the promise of eternal life. The saints of Hebrews 11 looked for a “homeland” beyond this vale of suffering. Consider how their faith held them through horrible trials (Hebrews 11:33-40). They “kept the faith” (2 Timothy 4:7) because they looked for the promise of God.
There is a lot of pain in life. Suffering for some is a daily event. Often it is more than can be borne by the most faithful of men. The challenge we face is the knowledge that God will not allow us to have burdens greater than we can bear (1 Corinthians 10:11) and that no matter the level of suffering in this world, the glory that is to come is incomparable. “And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away. Then He who sat on the throne said, ‘Behold, I make all things new.’ And He said to me, ‘Write, for these words are true and faithful’" (Revelation 21:4-5). Can we imagine a place without sorrow or suffering? It is not for a moment but for an eternity. How can we compare that with the suffering of this world? We live for a new world and we know this promise is “true and faithful” by God’s grace. Thank you God.
Personalized car tags say a lot of the people who drive the car. Some put sports phrases on their tags while others use clever mottoes describing their job, passion, relationship and even their religion. Driving home from Alabama recently a car passed who tag read, “NO RLGN.” One of the challenges of the specialty tags is trying to figure out what the phrase means but I am certain this tag is saying, “No religion.” Personality tags serve a purpose. That purpose is let the whole world know something about your life. Great care is put into designing these phrases and boldness to express oneself for all to see. Yet someone wanted the whole world to know that have no religion.
The truth is the tag is misleading. It is clear the statement the person wants to put on their car is they have no use for religion, no interest in religion and live according to their own rules. They may be saying more about their rebellion than their belief but the irony of their declaration is contradictory. To claim one has no religion is like saying “there are no absolutes.” Suggesting there are no absolutes is contradictory because the statement itself is an absolute. When a person says they have no religion they declare what their belief system is: “religion.”
No one is free from ‘religion’ because all men have a belief system. The belief system of an atheist is there is no God. What he ‘believes’ is his ‘religion’ and instead of accepting a higher being as God the person accepts himself as his own god. Thus his religion is of himself. His totem is created in his own image and he serves his own needs and desires. It is impossible for a man to be without ‘religion.’ The catch is which god or God he wishes to serve.
“For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse, because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Professing to be wise, they became fools, and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man—and birds and four-footed animals and creeping things. Therefore God also gave them up to uncleanness, in the lusts of their hearts, to dishonor their bodies among themselves, who exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever” (Romans 1:20-25).
When a person lives with “no religion” he lives for his own desires and passions. What is right is relative to what he sees at the moment as his need. The moral code is based on animal instinct only. There is no right and wrong. How a person acts cannot be condemned by others. Man is his own god. That is his religion!
Man can brag there is no God but that does not change the fact there is a Creator. You can believe the earth is flat but that does not change the facts; it only shows the ignorance of those who believe such. The “invisible attributes” of God are clearly seen but only by those who open their eyes to see. Those who have NO RLGN only walk around blinded by their own foolishness. The experiment of life without God has been proven time and time again as empty. Man without God is like the body without the spirit. God is not dead – man is dead when he does not believe in the “living God” (Acts 14:15-17; 17:22-31).
When the moon is full the night turns bright with the pastel glow of the reflected sun. The moon is our little planet that governs our tides, guides the calendar and offers many romantic interludes from word and song. Created on the fourth day, God said, "’Let there be lights in the firmament of the heavens to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs and seasons, and for days and years; and let them be for lights in the firmament of the heavens to give light on the earth;’ and it was so. Then God made two great lights: the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night. He made the stars also. God set them in the firmament of the heavens to give light on the earth, and to rule over the day and over the night, and to divide the light from the darkness. And God saw that it was good” (Genesis 1:14-18).
The moon is a light in the night sky but only because of the reflection of the sun. It reflects the same face at all times toward the earth and is positioned in size to periodically block out the sun, called a solar eclipse. The surface of the moon is very dark and has a similar reflectance to coal. Yet the brightness of the sun can cause the night to turn to day when the full moon is present. The moon itself produces no light and was created solely for the purpose of reflecting light. In one sense it may be more accurate to say that what we see at night is “sunlight”; only a reflection off the moon.
Consider the analogy we find in nature of our lives as people of God. We are created from the dust of the ground for the purpose of reflecting the light of God. Like the moon, we cannot generate our glory but only serve as a reflection of the glory of God. Isaiah wrote in the long ago the words of our Creator: “Everyone who is called by My name, whom I have created for My glory; I have formed him, yes, I have made him” (Isaiah 43:7). As the moon was created for the purpose to reflect the glory of the sun, we were created for the purpose to reflect the glory of God.
Jesus exhorted His disciples to let their light shine before men (Matthew 5:14-16). The Son of God came to be the “LIGHT” of men (John 1:4) and the one and only “TRUE LIGHT” (John 1:9). Jesus declared Himself to be the “light of the world” (John 8:12). The light of the Christian is the reflected light of the Son of God. Peter exhorted the First Century disciples to let their conduct reflect the glory of God (1 Peter 3:12). Our lives should be the reflection of God’s glory. As the moon has no light apart from the sun so man has no light apart from the Son.
The world must see Christ living in us as the reflection of the Father’s glory. Paul said, “I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me” (Galatians 2:20). Christ living in my life is the glory of the Son of God showing forth in my speech, my actions, my thoughts, my dress, my attitudes and my character. Reflecting the teachings of Christ in our life gives the glory to God. As beacons of light radiating in the community we let our lights shine forth.
When the moon is full it lights up the darkest night. When we allow the fullness of God’s grace to fill our lives, we light the darkest corners of humanity. How bright is our corner where we are? That will depend upon the “true light” reflected in our example before others. “But you, brethren, are not in darkness … You are all sons of light and sons of the day” (1 Thessalonians 5:4-5). Shine today. Shine bright!
Of all the holidays celebrated through the year, none is as endearing as the fourth Thursday in November. The heat of summer has given way to the crisp air of fall with leaves falling upon a canopy of radiant beauty. Nature begins to prepare for the solitude of winter. In the natural desire of man thoughts go homeward in a time where families come together to share a time of thanksgiving. Less commercialized than other holidays, Thanksgiving retains a sense of the need for the home and hearth. When possible, parents gather their children and grandchildren together along with the aunts, uncles, cousins, in-laws and a few out-laws for a grand feast of dining and fellowship.
It is called Thanksgiving to turn the hearts toward a time of giving thanks and celebration of received blessings. To be thankful recognizes a gift given by someone else. The spirit of Thanksgiving suggests a debt of gratitude. Helen Keller summed it up this way: “For three things I thank God every day of my life: thanks that He has vouchsafed me knowledge of His works; deep thanks that He has set in my darkness the lamp of faith; deep, deepest thanks that I have another life to look forward to – a life joyous with light and flowers and heavenly song” (Helen Keller, Story of My life, 1905).
Many will celebrate Thanksgiving as a time to acknowledge an ill-conceived notion there is no God and that everything we have is the product of man. The apostle Paul writes, “Because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened” (Romans 1:21). Those who share in the deeper peace and truth of a divine creator will recognize that all blessings come from Jehovah God. “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning” (James 1:17).
The true spirit of Thanksgiving should return to fertile soil of the word of God that shows that everything we have comes from Him. Our breath is held in the hand of God (Daniel 5:23). All of the gold in the world belongs to the Father – “The silver is Mine, and the gold is Mine,' says the Lord of hosts” (Haggai 2:8). The rain comes upon all men by the power of God (Matthew 5:45). Only a loving Father would offer His own Son to save man (John 3:16). What can we not attribute to God in our blessings? Nothing.
During this time of Thanksgiving, let us all reflect upon the blessings we have from the Creator of the world. We will pause to think of our earthly attachments but ultimately the true sense of Thanksgiving comes from a sacrifice made nearly 2,000 years ago in a place called “the Skull” (John 19:17). To be thankful for our home is an expression of gratitude from the hand of God but this home is only temporary. The eternal home is what we must be truly thankful for as we look to a land yet occupied by the people of God. Be thankful for a peace of mind that passes all understanding (Philippians 4:7). Lift up songs of thanksgiving for the blood of Jesus Christ (1 John 1:7). Increase your faith in the presence of a God who loves us and cares for us and calls us His children (Romans 8:1-17). Someone wrote, “Count your blessings instead of your crosses; your gains instead of your losses; your joys instead of your woes; your friends instead of your foes; your smiles instead of your tears; your courage instead of your fears; your health instead of your wealth; count on God instead of yourself.”
Count Your Many Blessings But Use Them
As a nation, we are blessed in measures far exceeding the majority of people in the world. The material wealth possessed by Americans may seem rather routine but in most countries owning a pair of shoes is like owning a rare jewel. Stores often are filled to the brim with an abundance of food while most people in the world struggle to find enough food to enjoy an adequate diet. Johnson Oatman wrote that great hymn, “Count Your Blessings” which renders the chorus as, “Count you blessings, name them one by one; count your blessings, see what God hath done.” People of God should recognize where all blessings flow and daily be thankful for the blessings bestowed by the Heavenly Father.
The challenge of our blessings is those things we are so thankful for can become our curse. In Luke 12 the rich man had many things to be thankful for. Jesus spoke the parable when He said, "The ground of a certain rich man yielded plentifully. And he thought within himself, saying, 'What shall I do, since I have no room to store my crops?' So he said, 'I will do this: I will pull down my barns and build greater, and there I will store all my crops and my goods. And I will say to my soul, ‘Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years; take your ease; eat, drink, and be merry.' But God said to him, 'Fool! This night your soul will be required of you; then whose will those things be which you have provided?' So is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God" (Luke 12:16-21).
The rich man could sing about the joy of counting his blessings but the problem with the rich man was what he did with his blessings – nothing. His hardened heart for the needs of others closed his heart to the one who gave him his wealth. How often have we looked at our lives and remarked as this man, “I have many goods laid up for many years; enjoy life and live off the fruit of my blessings” and never think of those in need.
In the judgment scene of Matthew 25:31-46 the pronouncement of guilt or innocence was based solely upon the benevolent heart of the person. Those who were blessed were those who counted their blessings and used them to God’s glory (vv34-40). To the ones who were condemned (and to their dismay – vv41-45) the opportunities to use their blessings for God’s glory was lost in their selfish spirit like the rich man in Luke 12. They counted their many blessings and kept their many blessings to themselves.
God also offers a reality check for all of our material blessings in the story of the rich man. When the rich man died, the Lord said to him, “whose will those things be which you have provided?” Solomon understood this in Ecclesiastes 2:17-19. “Therefore I hated life because the work that was done under the sun was distressing to me, for all is vanity and grasping for the wind. Then I hated all my labor in which I had toiled under the sun, because I must leave it to the man who will come after me. And who knows whether he will be wise or a fool? Yet he will rule over all my labor in which I toiled and in which I have shown myself wise under the sun. This also is vanity.”
We should count our many blessings and name them one by one. When we finish with our inventory then we should use our blessings for the glory of God. “Let him who stole steal no longer, but rather let him labor, working with his hands what is good, that he may have something to give him who has need” (Ephesians 4:28). When we die we will leave all those blessings but let us leave our influence for good by our example.
The angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and told him wonderful news about the birth of a son. Mary had been found with child and Joseph was minded to put her away secretly. Assured by the angel that Mary had been blessed among women to bear the child prophesied as Immanuel (Isaiah 7:14), Joseph was told to call the boy Jesus, “For He will save His people from their sins” (Matthew 1:21).
Our names become who we are and our identity is rooted in the image of our name. When the name of a family member or friend is recalled in conversation we mentally create the likeness of that person from the relationship we share with them. Even those we love who have died still engender a mental painting of their image as we think about what they looked like, how they walked or talked or a myriad of things that flood our memories of that person. Names are the bridges that connect our relationships.
The name of Jesus Christ is a marvelous name. Joseph and Mary called their son, Jesus. Smith’s Bible Dictionary suggests the meaning of Jesus as being “the Greek form of the name, Joshua or Jeshua, a contraction of Jehoshua, that is, ‘help of Jehovah’ or ‘savior’" (Numbers 13:16). As a baby Mary would sing songs to Jesus. Growing up in his father’s carpenter’s shop, Joseph would call out to Jesus as a loving father to a son. The name Jesus would be the older brother of James, Joses, Judas and Simon and the big brother of some sisters (Mark 6:3).
Christ is not so much a name as a title. Christ means “anointed,” the Greek translation of the Hebrew word rendered “Messiah.” Paul explained in Acts 17 that the Christ had to suffer and rise again from the dead saying, "This Jesus whom I preach to you is the Christ" (Acts 17:3). Jesus is the Messiah, the anointed of God. In one sense we find in the name Jesus Christ the humanity and deity of Jesus. The earthly name of Jesus shows He was a man tempted in like manner as all men (Hebrews 4:15). When ‘Christ’ is included with the salutation significance of His divinity is shown. The early disciples taught that Jesus of Nazareth was a Man attested by God by miracles, wonders, and signs which God did through Him (Act 2:22).
The greatest lesson about the name Jesus Christ is what Peter declared in Acts 4:12 – “Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved." This name – only this name – is the path of salvation. Paul illustrated that Christ became man and died for all men (Philippians 2:5-11). Jesus Christ is Lord because of His obedience.
To be forgiven of sins it is required that a confession is made of the name of Jesus. “If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved” (Romans 10:9). This confession is the power of the name Jesus Christ. Through obedience man yields to the name of the Son of God to find the only Way, the only Truth and the only Life (John 14:6).
Jesus told His disciples before ascending to the Father, “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit” (Matthew 28:19). The name of Jesus Christ is the fulfillment of the will of the Father and the Holy Spirit.