Unfeigned Faith

The Pale Horseman

2011-03-22T11:41:00.002-05:00

A relative called me recently and asked me to look at a video of a news broadcast that contained a brief image that appears to fit the description of the “pale horseman” described in the Book of the Revelations.

God has seven “spirits” and according to a prophecy of the coming Messiah by Isaiah in chapter eleven, verse two; six of these are described. “And the spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD;”. John the Revelator tells us of these spirits of God as well: “And out of the throne proceeded lightnings and thunderings and voices: and there were seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God.” These “spirits” are an interaction of God with mankind, and also include the “spirit” of creation.

These Spirits can be viewed from the point of view of humanity as the characteristics of God. They accomplish the actions and interactions of God with the created universe and humanity. God (elohiym-authority of great creative power) took counsel of His own will and created all that exists by His wisdom:
"According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved. In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace; Wherein he hath abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence; Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself: That in the dispensation of the fullness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him: in whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will:" (Eph.. 1:4-11)

The Apostles discuss the power and wisdom of God as being manifest in Jesus Christ (I Cor.1:24). John revealed the Word as the will of God from before the foundation of the world and seen by us as the Messiah in John 1:1.

When we look to the signs and wonders that follow the Christians in the book of Acts of the Apostles, we see that they all have a purpose that brings the attention of people to their personal need of God, and to a God that can satisfy that need. Salvation is always the result of, or the goal of, these miracle events. None of the types of miracles manifested includes a “flash and boom” to cause consternation or fear.

Recently, a video broadcast of the civil war in Cairo Egypt included a sudden appearance of a pale horse and rider that miraculously disappeared from the crowd of fighting citizens. Considering the above scriptural point of view, this is not a manifestation of something in the apocalyptic account of Revelations. The horsemen described in that book are revelations of the powers of Nations involved in the environment near the end of the church age of Grace. The scripture does not suggest these are going to be observed as real objects as described in revelations, but rather they are metaphor: the horse symbolizes a warring king of responsibility.
The pale horse represents the ensuing death.

When Jesus rode into Jerusalem at the beginning of the festival, his family and friends were disappointed because he did not ride a horse into town. That would have symbolized his role as an authority on Earth as a king. They had hoped he came to relieve them of the Roman government rule over Israel. Instead, he rode the colt of an ass that symbolized peace. This was the objective of his ministry; to bring peace.

This is a similar metaphorical remark as the “mark” of the beast described to be in the forehead and the palm of the hand. It might simply represent an implication of thought and action rather than an actual imprinting on the hand and forehead. The saints were “sealed” in their forehead as well, yet they bore no distinguishing marks on their foreheads that we can determine. So these statements are the result of Hebrew usage of idiom to explain the events to transpire. We may be separated from the bulk of society as a result of our faith and belief; we should be recognizable as very different and excluded from the transaction of society at large possibly because we will not be afforded the civil rights to participate based on the illegal status of our religious belief.

Paul gives us a definite description of this process to the church in Thessaloniki:
"Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him, That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand.
Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;
Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.
Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things?
And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time.
For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way.
And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming: Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders,
And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.
And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness." (II Thess. 2:1-12)

A lying wonder is a falsehood. What we saw in that video clip is a manipulation of our society, and many will believe it. This will confuse and frighten a world of spiritually deceived people into a form of submission to the “assumed” apocalyptic processes based on an unknowable purpose by an unknown agency.

If I Am in Christ, I am admonished to be “anxious for nothing”. I am to be a symbol of the hope of Jesus Christ to my society, a banner made by God to attract the population that will seek God, rather than reject Him. I need to lift up Jesus before the people around me, not cower in fear of the coming judgment. If I become afraid, I will seek his face for peace in all things.

2011-02-21T08:39:00.001-06:00

The Heart

The successes we have in the kingdom of God are more a matter of our behavior from the heart than anything else we do. God relates to us spiritually and interacts with our “heart”. He wants us to interact with him the same way.

Gen 6:5 And GOD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.
Gen 6:6 And it repented the LORD that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart.

Gen 8:21 And the LORD smelled a sweet savour; and the LORD said in his heart, I will not again curse the ground any more for man's sake; for the imagination of man's heart is evil from his youth; neither will I again smite any more every thing living, as I have done.

The heart is an unknown for most of us. It is commonly believed that men are the least knowledgeable about how the heart works, and the emotional sensitivity of ladies make them much more aware of the notions within the heart: they often can say what they “feel” while men very often have to stop and really think hard to understand what is within the heart. Often, men just do not consider it at all.

Most of us recognize that emotions are connected to our internal thinking; our subconscious responses to stimuli often provoke an emotional response. This is what the Bible refers to as the heart. It is not the emotional seat (that is the belly or bowels); it is not the conscious logical thinking process (that is the mind) it is the underlying set of conditions that govern how you perceive everything. The conscious thoughts we have arise from these parameters that are in our “heart”. Those parameters are learned from our upbringing and our understanding of “truth”.
In fact, we are strongly cautioned to watch out for what goes into the training of children, and what adults digest as thinking material:

Pro 4:23 Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.

ADDICTIONS AND BAD HABITS ARE ALMOST ALWAYS GOING TO STOP YOU FROM HEARING YOUR HEART.

The story of Noah reveals to us that God not only has emotional responses from His heart, but those responses can be influenced by the behavior of people. Noah offered a burnt offering of thanks out of gratitude for being saved by God. Because of this response from a man who followed God’s nature closely, God changed his mind about how he would relate to his creation after that. What God said in Gen 8:21 is that because the heart is evil, he would have to do something else about that…

Exo 4:21 And the LORD said unto Moses, When thou goest to return into Egypt, see that thou do all those wonders before Pharaoh, which I have put in thine hand: but I will harden his heart, that he shall not let the people go.

Very often we are not aware that we make decisions in life based on our heart. Many marriages suffer because the heart of a person can be hardened toward another. When that happens,thoughts about the spouse become excessively logical and harsh. The emotional content of a relationship can melt away under these conditions. Suspicions and judgment follow, and compassion may disappear. There is no contact with the part of a person, the heart, which tells your partner what your true thinking about them might be.

You see, when you have a relationship, it is because your inner thinking, the parameters you have had set in your own psychology by close contact with a person point out to you that you must include this person in life to be happy. You may have no idea that this has happened until something triggers the mental thought that causes you to say”I need this person in my life”. This is felt as an emotional response. We call that emotional response a particular signal word: we “love” someone. The same process exists for family, but the results are not the same. How we love family is very different because the emotional response is different and the parameters in our “heart” are different. WHEN WE DISCOVER WE LOVE GOD, THERE IS AN EMOTIONAL RESPONSE, OFTEN SEVERAL RESPONSES. THIS LOVE FOR GOD IS DIFFERENT THAN ANYTHING WE HAVE EXPERIENCED BEFORE KNOWING GOD.

The response to God’s love for us is important. We see that Noah expressed his emotions as an act that would please God. Men very often show emotion this way. We do things for people rather than expressing emotions verbally or with physical contact. Women are commonly facile at expressing emotional responses and so this leads to understanding through vocalization and physical contact.

God hardened Pharaoh’s heart resulting in a loss of compassion and mercy for the people of Israel. He would no longer be concerned with the well being of these slaves. This cut off the possibility that Moses would be effective in convincing the Pharaoh to let Israel go free. THE LINES OF COMMUNICATION WERE ERASED AS A RESULT OF A HARDENED HEART.

What we must develop as a Christian is a heart that is not hardened toward the kingdom of God. Realizing that our communication with God is spiritual, and that our hearts are affected by this communication and we see that this is the crux of a relationship with God.

Several things to consider:
1) God provided rules of behavior so that we would not be offensive to his “heart”, as the people in Noah’s day were. These rules are called the Law of Moses.
2) God saw that even providing a correct upbringing by the law did not guarantee that our heart would be in it, and he would harden his heart toward us. So he changed the system again.
3) God came as a human partly so we could relate to him better. A spirit is a hard thing to make a solid connection with if it is not close to our own “perception” of life. The man, Jesus the Messiah, was just that connecting figure we needed. We know that he has emotions like us, feels pain, sickness and even death like us. We can connect better because God seems much more like us now.
4) GOD KNEW THAT RULES AND PROCESSES ALONE WOULD NOT KEEP US IN LOVE WITH HIM. SO HE GAVE US PART OF HIS SPIRIT TO LIVE INSIDE US WITH OUR OWN SPIRIT. This way, God could interact with us emotionally, and at a level that affects the heart directly. It is so important to have the Holy Ghost within you so that this can happen in your life. Without this, your relationship with God is difficult to maintain, and your understanding of him is diminished. In fact, you cannot become part of the “bride of Christ” in resurrection without it.

One of the most important signals for us that we are doing well in the kingdom of God is that we love our brothers in the kingdom of God. (I John 4:12 )This emotional acceptance of (often) strangers is not the result of our own “parameters” but the influence of God’s heart within us. The spirit of God modifies how we relate to everyone else. A newly filled Christian will often go around hugging total strangers and have a genuine feeling of brotherly love for everyone.

This is the plan that God had in mind to change things for us. This is how God wants us to relate to Him. If you have not yet received the Holy Ghost, you cannot fathom this emotional connection because it is only from God. It cannot be learned by human experience. If you do have the Holy Ghost within, then you already are aware of this property of salvation.

What can we do to be successful in the kingdom of God? We have to maintain a relationship with God very much like the ones we maintain with other people. Family, spouses and close friends always make an effort to accommodate, have compassion for and consideration of the others in their life. We have to do this same thing for God.

WE DO NOT POSSESS THE SKILL TO DO THAT AUTOMATICALLY. WE ATTEND CHURCH FAITHFULLY SO THAT WE CAN HAVE THE RIGHT PARAMETERS TO PUT IN OUR HEART. PREACHING IS DESIGNED TO DO THIS.

We pray every day to keep lines of communication open with God. If you do not draw close to him, the same results occur as when you fail to talk to your own people. Marriages suffer; friends grow cold and indifferent. Family members start to leave you out of their immediate plans.
We listen to God. We read his words regularly, and the Spirit he put within us teaches us as we read.

You wish to be successful in the kingdom of God? This is how: FAITHFUL ATTENDANCE TO WORSHIP, FAITHFULLY READING THE WORD, AND PRAYING EVERY DAY. Doing this causes many things to happen: God keeps you in his immediate plans, you are constantly aware that he loves you very much, and your compassion for others grows. The spirit within you seems to bubble over onto others, and God will definitely use you to reach others.

1Jn 4:7 Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God.
1Jn 4:8 He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.
1Jn 4:9 In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him.
1Jn 4:10 Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.
1Jn 4:11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another.
1Jn 4:12 No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us.
1Jn 4:13 Hereby know we that we dwell in him, and he in us, because he hath given us of his Spirit.

Saving Sodom

2010-09-20T13:37:00.002-05:00

Gen 9:27 God shall enlarge Japheth, and he shall dwell in the tents of Shem; and Canaan shall be his servant.

Since the time of Adam and Eve in the garden, spiritual influences have governed the long term development of humanity; the customs of family and clan, then walled city-states and finally nations. All of these influences over history are spiritual work in the heart of man. The result of spiritual influences that are not of God has developed a world of chaos and sin. Generally speaking, since the fall man does not seek the influence of God, and cannot hear Him.

Adam could hear God, who was a spirit, and he talked with God daily. How long this lasted no one knows. One thing is certain, Adam and Eve could no longer hear God’s voice after they collectively listened to the influence of another spirit and fell in sin. From that day forward, man has struggled with influences in life that are not seen nor are heard with the ear.

As time went on, God executed His plan to bring man back to Him; to be able to hear Him once again as the strong influence in life.

The flood removed the exceedingly bad outcome of self-governed behavior in humanity. This was because only a select group of people understood the rudimentary principle of worship. It was four generations before man began to call on the name of the Lord after the fall to sin. Noah was one who could hear God and built the vehicle of salvation of a small group of people.

Noah’s three sons started us all over again. The scripture we read here is a promise given to Japheth that is fulfilled by Shem and that encompasses all the rest of human history. This promise is culminated in the savior of all men, Jesus Christ. Yes, tonight we see that God intended to bring man back to him, and God started with Noah’s boys.

Noah was guided by the influence of God and Noah could understand how to live so that God was pleased with him. What we need to seek is a way to hear God and to live so that we please Him.

The promise given in this passage is revealed by examining the idiom of Hebrew culture, the tent. To enlarge the tent meant to increase the number of people living in the tent. You were going to have some kids. To live in the tents of Shem is another idiom that means that Japheth will develop a culture that mimics or is influenced by Shem. Japhethites will develop a society that is similar in structure to that of Shem in terms of law, ethic and morals. Japheth will be blessed by the culture of Shem.

The one group in this equation that did not dwell in the tents of Shem was the Canaanites who developed the really evil serving societies of the planet. Throughout history these people have been on the bottom of the success ladder because they were cursed. That means that society did not receive the blessings of God. This is how Canaan was a servant. They were not blessed with good influences. They did not dwell in the tent of Shem.

We know that the Bible tells us that Shem produced the Hebrews, the bringers of God’s law to mankind. We also know that the non-Jews (Gentiles) are descended from Japheth and Canaan. So there is a representation that bears examining. What is the difference between Gentiles that are Japheth descended as opposed to Canaanites? The answer is the blessing. This is the only thing that separates them as a society.
America is an example of the Japheth model that is heavily influenced by the Hebrews. Our society recognized God and the morals of that Hebrew society. There was no large scale destruction of society as a result of lawlessness and sin. But Sodom was a society that was Canaanite and was the model of cursed societies everywhere.

The alarming news is that now America is going the way of Sodom. This society has promoted promiscuity, especially among the young, and has created a legal system that has started ignoring the ethic and law that the Hebrew society brought to us. Family integrity is dissolving away in the loose lifestyle of strange flesh. Now we have widespread disease and crime. Rampant immorality has produced an escalating death toll due to disease and drug abuse. Alcoholism has become the escape valve that leads to destroyed lives and families.

How did this society become more like Sodom? Why will society lose the blessing?
We left the tents of Shem.

What Are Prables For?

2009-05-25T12:59:00.001-05:00

The account in the Gospels of Jesus’ teaching the parable of the sower is sometimes misunderstood. The purpose in discussing the various problems individuals will face as they try to enter into the kingdom of God is to let us know what we need to be prepared to combat.

The passage in no way suggests that we leave these situations and allow the people facing these problems to perish.

The passage ends with the declaration “he that hath an ear to hear, let him hear.” That means pay attention and understand!

What do we need too understand? That we are to be proactive in helping to remedy these problems as they arise. We need to be actively working months after the altar call as much as we do during the salvation process.

The parable is an instruction to become a “gardener.” If the weeds are choking the plants, get out the hoe.

If the birds are snatching away the seed before it can germinate, build a scarecrow.

If the plant has shallow roots, put in support rods and keep the plant watered frequently until they can take hold.

Last Sunday, my teacher spoke about friendship. It was the perfect introduction to discipleship. We must become the friends of those who are trying to find the kingdom of God as their home.

Friendship is not like any other relationship. Other relationships begin without your knowing of the existence of the relationship. Romance, family and any other benevolent situation is not quite like friendship.

You chose to be a friend.

It takes a lot of work. It takes thinking about it. It takes faith that your effort will improve the circumstances and behavior of another person. Friendship is about others.

While this is a simplification, the result is the same for any situation of friendship. It is a selfless act.

So, why not choose to be a friend to a newly repentant person who has been missing from the kingdom?

They can really use a good friend.

The Parable of the Sower

2009-05-24T14:41:00.002-05:00

Luk 8:6 And some fell upon a rock; and as soon as it was sprung up, it withered away, because it lacked moisture.

Luk 8:13 They on the rock are they, which, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no root, which for a while believe, and in time of temptation fall away.

"…And when he had said these things, he cried, He that hath ears to hear, let him hear."

Every person that walks through the church doors is a potential plant that will bring forth fruit; every person.

Each one of these persons who commits their life to God at an altar of repentance has found the living water, yet many perish. The Word is there, but it fails to sustain them.

For a while they believe but eventually something comes along and destroys their belief. This passage of scripture says that it is a lack of moisture because there is no root to bring moisture into the stem.

What is responsible for this lack of moisture? Is it not true that all persons who come to God initially have no roots?

The other parts of this parable point out the difficulties that one can face. Satan steals the Word before it can take hold in the heart. Some are lost because the cares of this life choke it out. Do we just let them die?

What is it that we need to hear in this parable?

We need to become “gardeners”

We can weed a garden. We can pray a wall of protection and an environment of worship for the ones the enemy tries to steal away the Word.

A plant that has no root system requires frequent watering and protection from extreme sunlight and wind until a root system develops.

That new convert is about to walk out of the building and into the wind and bright sunshine.

They are about to be inundated by torrential rains of information tugging at them from friends who think they have gone crazy, and convince them so, to acquaintances who want them to buy more drugs, all right outside the walls of the building. Old habits that held them before are waiting to jump back into their lives

What will protect them from the rain, the wind, the harsh sunlight until they can have a root system that will hold them on their own?

You.

Become part of the close-by network that provides constant moisture. Part of the strong roots nearby that holds them up. Join yourself to the new ones, wherever you are.

He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.

Tyre

2009-04-28T18:25:00.002-05:00

I wrote this blog almost two years ago. It was given to me as I worked in the yard, and seemed at the time very relevant as a warning.

It seems even more relevant to me today now that we have a President who says our country is not a Christian country (better check the history books) and has the name of Jesus covered at Universities where he gives talks.

Here it is for your review:

Isaiah 23

This chapter is the prophecy of Isaiah concerning the destruction of Tyre, a coastal city of grand splendor and wealth as a result of free trade in shipping. It was a daughter city, first established by the Assyrians forty years before Solomon’s Temple and then populated by many area people of various trades and skills. It was a city of great renown and possibly the greatest city of the time other than Babylon. It was the chief city of Phoenicia.

The society was then a wide mixture of people, and a city with great towers and fortifications; a mighty city with great security.

It was also a city grown so wealthy that the people were puffed up, spent great sums on luxury and entertainments, and somehow thumbed their political noses at the rest of the world. They were able to resist war efforts by other nations until the time after Isaiah began this pronouncement against Tyre.

Another aspect of this society was the economic character: free trade was not without the corruption of merchants and the government who used unfair weights of measure. Moral character was very low in both the government and on the personal level.

So great is the security of this city and its trade importance, that many other cities and nations depended on her for their own financial stability.

The burden of Tyre. Howl, ye ships of Tarshish; for it is laid waste, so that
there is no house, no entering in: from the land of Chittim it is revealed to them.

Tarsus is a Spanish port from which Tyre had much gold and silver, but Tarshish also means the Sea, and represents all sea traders that are being warned of the failure of trade with Tyre soon to come.

Chittim (Kittim son of Javan) is the Greeks and Macedonians and is where Alexander arises from. This references the mechanism by which Tyre will be destroyed by Alexander. It also is the origin of the travelers who bring news of this destruction to Tyre.

Be still, ye inhabitants of the isle; thou whom the merchants of Zidon,
that pass over the sea, have replenished.
And by great waters the seed of Sihor, the harvest of the river, is her
revenue; and she is a mart of nations.
Be thou ashamed, O Zidon: for the sea hath spoken, even the strength of the
sea, saying, I travail not, nor bring forth children, neither do I nourish up
young men, nor bring up virgins.

Zidon is the parent city of Tyre, and more ancient than Tyre. It is being warned to not replenish the population of Tyre.

As at the report concerning Egypt, so shall they be sorely pained at the
report of Tyre.
Pass ye over to Tarshish; howl, ye inhabitants of the isle.
Is this your joyous city, whose antiquity is of ancient days? her own feet
shall carry her afar off to sojourn.

The prophet is warning the surrounding economic forces of the impending doom of their trading port. He is also pointing out to the local commerce cities that their famous and wonderful city is going to be transported away and be no more.

Who hath taken this counsel against Tyre, the crowning city, whose
merchants are princes, whose traders are the honorable of the earth?
The LORD of hosts hath purposed it, to stain the pride of all glory,
and to bring into contempt all the honorable of the earth.
Pass through thy land as a river, O daughter of Tarshish: there is no more
strength.
He stretched out his hand over the sea, he shook the kingdoms: the LORD hath
given a commandment against the merchant city, to destroy the strongholds
thereof.
And he said, Thou shalt no more rejoice, O thou oppressed virgin, daughter of
Zidon: arise, pass over to Chittim; there also shalt thou have no rest.
Behold the land of the Chaldeans; this people was not, till the Assyrian
founded it for them that dwell in the wilderness: they set up the towers
thereof, they raised up the palaces thereof; and he brought it to ruin.
Howl, ye ships of Tarshish: for your strength is laid waste.
And it shall come to pass in that day, that Tyre shall be forgotten seventy
years, according to the days of one king: after the end of seventy years shall
Tyre sing as a harlot.

God brought about the destruction of this great city, and Babylon, and Egypt for exactly the same reasons: Puffed up, Sinful and rebellious societies. Great wealth and earthly success brought about a change in the fabric of the societies and they forfeited the old paths for the sensual and self-indulgent lifestyle. In each case, no real city remains. In each case, the society no longer carries any influence in the world that resembles their former estate. The city of Babylon was rebuilt, but not a soul lives there. Tyre is now a small fishing village whose inhabitants barely eek out a living. Egypt is a dust bowl of major proportions, and rules no other lands, controls no other economics, and is surviving only because of the hard effort to coexist with her neighbors.

Isaiah is giving the word to Tyre that her days are numbered, and when she returns after seventy years, her export will be the righteousness of God, and holiness. Interestingly, this is a city where Paul passed through and was protected by some disciples found there.

And it shall come to pass after the end of seventy years, that the LORD
will visit Tyre, and she shall turn to her hire, and shall commit fornication
with all the kingdoms of the world upon the face of the earth.
And her merchandise and her hire shall be holiness to the LORD: it shall not
be treasured nor laid up; for her merchandise shall be for them that dwell
before the LORD, to eat sufficiently, and for durable clothing.

We are at the same place as Tyre, Babylon, Egypt, and many others that God has chastised. The United States has many enemies within and without. It would be an easy thing for the government of this country to swiftly change to a destructive one. We could easily fall prey to many different threats. We need to wake up to the fact that we are all little people living in a land that has great big attitude, but is on a spiritual precipice and about to fall.

Are we going to be like Lot, who barely escapes the destruction of Sodom because Abraham was trying to convince God not to destroy the city for the sake of the righteous? God did not have much respect for Lot, He only allowed his miserable survival because of His promise to Abraham. The sin of that society destroyed Lots testimony of righteousness, and ruined his life.

Will there be enough righteous in this country to prevent another Tyre happening here? What is it that we think makes us an exception to those other destroyed places? One Nation Under God is not simply a National motto, but almost no one believes it anymore. People are afraid to acknowledge God publicly as a result of the ACLU and politically correct mandates in our country.

Like Lot, we are immersed in our society, bound to its economics, fixed in our perception of reality through the eyes of a wealthy and prosperous nation. Our population would laugh in our face if we told them that they must give up the attitude, the economic necessity to succeed, the sensuous lifestyles and the entertainments, and seek Gods face or be destroyed. The government as a whole is not aware of any word from God, because they do not see Him. They must be politically correct, and not mention His name. To appear to listen to God would mean that they acknowledge His dominion over them.

God is warning us now. Repent.

Will there be any crowns of righteousness from the USA of today? Will our miserable existence allow us to find a room in heaven?

The United States is not special in this respect. It may be destroyed like all other nations who usurped Gods authority in the land.

Repent.

We must find a way to shed the influences of our society, and take off the rose colored glasses and see our nakedness, or poverty, our lack. Yes, us. The anointed, the spirit filled as well as the not-so-righteous people of this country are warned to repent. What happens to the USA happens to God's people as well. There is something wrong with some of us. We must return to the old paths. Our elders are rapidly disappearing from the scene. They are the last of a generation of people in American society as a whole which feared God. The many remaining have been raised in a society much like Tyre and Sodom. How will we fair at judgment?

When is the last time we prayed all night, or fasted for three days. When is the last time to go out to the streets to visit with people? When was the last time people were convicted of their errors during a sermon at your church?

Now, people think you are a psychopath if you walk up to them on the street and introduce yourself. Our modern society is not receptive to God at all, largely because of the sophistication of people’s thoughts and manners, and the deviations in good behavior found in so many people. It is just not safe to let people approach you on the street.

So we shy away from this approach because we are worried that people are going to rebuff our effort. Is this not what God said would happen to us? Should we not proceed anyway? Remember Jonah and Nineveh. Maybe our citizens will repent as well, just as Nineveh did; we must not run from it like Jonah did, however.

A word from the Psalms (19:11-13):

The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring forever: the judgments of the LORD
are true and righteous altogether.
More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold: sweeter also
than honey and the honeycomb.
Moreover by them is thy servant warned: and in keeping of them there is great
reward.
Who can understand his errors? cleanse thou me from secret faults.
Keep back thy servant also from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion
over me: then shall I be upright, and I shall be innocent from the great
transgression.

The great transgression spoken of here is rebellion. By definition, rebellion is bitterness. It derives from a Hebrew word that means the head waters of a stream. Often, these waters are bitter because the water stands and stagnates. This morning in Sunday School we read from this passage in Matthew 24:9-14:

Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye
shall be hated of all nations for my name's sake.
And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate
one another. And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many.
And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax
cold.
But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.
And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a
witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.

I believe we are there now. This seems to be the crucial time, the changing of the guard, so to speak, in the world status of nations and people.

This seems very negative, and quite disturbing. I think that this is necessary for me to understand that I can only remedy this situation in my life by following the Psalmist advice. I believe this was for my benefit, but is also a cry to all others. This Nation may receive a wake-up call soon.

Please preachers, preach conviction, castigate sin, make us aware! We must no longer feel that filling the pews by making it a kinder, gentler Gospel is the point of our efforts, but to bring in “whosoever will” and give them the real deal. Do not soft-soap the truth, but lay it out from the beginning to the end, including the hard, insensitive-seeming parts. Maybe repentance can be found. Maybe our nation will remain. Maybe there will be crowns of righteousness yet.

Please God, keep me from the presumptuous sins, give me the true judgments of God rather than financial success, luxuries of entertainments, sensuality, and attitude. Do not let me become a Jonah, but let me walk in righteousness, even though my society may never do so.

Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of these...

2009-03-08T21:59:00.002-05:00

I went out this week with others from the church to look for homeless individuals. There were sack lunches to be handed out, and the locations were in the old district of town, across the tracks.

I witnessed a number of things, and I would like to tell you a few things about the homeless and about what God is doing with this outreach.

First, let me relate several encounters that we shared as we traveled about looking in alleys, around parks and abandoned buildings.

I never took notice before, but there are a large number of people who live in abandoned places. There was an elderly gentleman who was sitting in a chair on the porch of a condemned house. There were no windows, doors or facilities in that house. It was filled with refuse of various sorts, and clearly could not be maintained.

The man on the porch responded to the offer of a lunch negatively. He thanked us for the offer, but explained that he had enough money to buy food. He was still sitting in that chair, and said that this was once his home, but his retirement did not afford him the money to pay the bills and keep up the house. He still existed there, but with nothing we would consider “livable”. He did nothing wrong. He accomplished the steps our society considers acceptable, but was left in his old age in this condition because there was not enough money.

Next there was a shed or an old abandoned mechanics barn. On the outside was a sign that said “no drugs allowed”. There were five people living in this shed, and had banded together to prevent the drug traffickers from enticing them into that addictive process. I suppose they understood the need for mutual support in so dangerous an enterprise. I wonder how long it will last for them. We stopped and handed out lunches, and a woman asked “are you from a church?”. I responded that yes, we were, we just wanted to help folks out. She replied “well you made a hundred and one today!”.

As I ponder the life they lived and how they might have come to be homeless I remembered my own past. I was homeless for a time. I managed, by the Grace of God, to get back into mainstream society, but it was a rare case indeed. I had had the Holy Ghost and a lot of Biblical training to help me make choices that turned things around for me. These people do not necessarily have that advantage. I had prayer, and some people praying for me. There was a connection made for me when I could not help myself. This is the necessary ingredient needed to change the lives of those who are for one reason or another trapped in the darkness of the world. The chains that bind them are as real as air, and as easily palpable.

When God began to talk with me about this, I began to respond to God's influence in my heart with questions. I wondered how I could make any difference that mattered in these lives, other than to pray for them. What I did not realize was that God had prepared me well for this burden. He made me to know that it was the face-to-face contact that would make a difference. That there was a need for friendliness and trust before the goal could be realized.

I have spent a little time thinking about this. For those who do not understand, let me outline a few things for you to think about.

There are two basic ideas we have to embrace before we proceed to understand the situation of homelessness:
It could happen to any of us
The homeless are just like you and I.

There are people with advanced degrees, those who have had high paying jobs, and many who have, through no action of their own, found themselves stuck on the street. The main reasons people must exist this way are:

Some are illegal immigrants.
Some are veterans.
Some are people who found out a low-paying job doesn’t come close to paying for rent, electricity, food, and medicine.
Some have been rejected by family

The Bible speaks plainly about homelessness:

“And if thy brother be waxen poor, and fallen in decay with thee; then thou shalt relieve him: yea, though he be a stranger, or a sojourner; that he may live with thee.
Take thou no usury of him, or increase: but fear thy God; that thy brother may live with
thee.” (Leviticus 25:35-36 ).

“Is not this the fast that I have chosen? to loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke?
Is it not to deal thy bread to the hungry, and that thou bring the poor that are cast out to thy house? when thou seest the naked, that thou cover him; and that thou hide not thyself from thine own flesh?
Then shall thy light break forth as the morning, and thine health shall spring forth speedily: and thy righteousness shall go before thee; the glory of the LORD shall be thy rereward.
And if thou draw out thy soul to the hungry, and satisfy the afflicted soul; then shall thy light rise in obscurity, and thy darkness be as the noonday:
And the LORD shall guide thee continually, and satisfy thy soul in drought, and make fat thy bones: and thou shalt be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters fail not.” (Isaiah 58:6-8,9-10).

“Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:
For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me.
Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink?
When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee?
Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee?
And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.”
(Matthew 25:34-40).

Some important details:

With a tent and fifteen dollars, a homeless man can have shelter and food for the day, without the requirement of checking into a shelter, meeting its regulations about substance abuse and a curfew.
In any case, he will not find a job, a car, an apartment or health insurance this way. An abandoned building is also just as useful to him.

Homeless people who have worked in the past may be able to receive Social Security or even disability. If you combine this with the income from a full time, minimum-wage job, most could not afford the cheapest rent, electricity, and food.

There are a number who simply cannot work for a list of reasons that are larger than the following list, but are all still a reality:

because of physical disabilities.
because of mental illnesses.
because They are lacking in people skills and have a severe lack of coping ability.

They are fugitives from society, the society that we represent. They certainly will be uncomfortable with the idea of attending church at first. Many will simply say no to any involvement from a church on an ongoing arrangement. They want to stay where they are. They are often in the clutches of darkness (most likely all of them are, in some fashion or another).

We want to gain a foothold in that community by showing them that the establishment is not after them through us; that we are there to help and not exploit them. Until this presence is established, they will not respond well to the idea that we want them to change. I cannot change them if I tried, anyway. We need God to do a spiritual work in them.

God may be presented to these folks in a slightly different way. It must be shown to them that God has not abandoned them, and that He is able to heal them spiritually. Until that spiritual healing begins, they have almost zero chance of finding a better life or trying to integrate back into mainstream society. Remember, many of these are the people which cannot enter the established missions for help, either.

A spiritual outreach to help these people will take significant time. It will take dedication and resources.

The homeless are also aware of the fallacy of self-interest and self gratification. We must accomplish the goal of harvest in the forgotten fields, rather than just satisfy our own convictions about helping the homeless.

If you have a moment to pray for us in this effort, we will all benefit from it.

Amalek

2009-02-16T19:06:00.004-06:00

Deut. 25:17-19
Remember what Amalek did unto thee by the way, when ye were come forth out of Egypt;
How he met thee by the way, and smote the hindmost of thee, even all that were feeble behind thee, when thou wast faint and weary; and he feared not God.
Therefore it shall be, when the LORD thy God hath given thee rest from all thine enemies round about, in the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee for an inheritance to possess it, that thou shalt blot out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven; thou shalt not forget it.

This is the story of a people that represent a particular type of human mindset. This is the story of those who do not fear God.

Amalek was a tribe that attacked Israel soon after they left the banks of the Red Sea. The Red Sea crossing was the greatest miracle that the Hebrew people (and any other people) had seen. All the tribes of people in the area knew that there was a greater than human power (or powers) in charge of things, and a great power suddenly appeared to be on the side of the Jews.

Each of the tribes of people in range of this event worshiped idols. They attributed natural power to various things and so worshiped those things rather than living in the natural order of the environment and understanding that there was a single God in charge of the universe. These people were not atheistic at all, merely ignorant and superstitious.

Some idols had supernatural powers attributed to them, but miracles were attributed to them which were actually natural disasters or good fortune. When these people saw the acts of God clearly in favor of the survival of the Jews, they feared this God and refused to attack the weak and defenseless fledgling Nation of Israel.

The type of person who has a belief in supernatural power of any kind is not an atheist. He can attribute his position to good karma, a rabbit’s foot or whatever. He is not unbelieving, but believes anything. This is the person who will not castigate the beliefs of others just because they are different to their own system of understanding. Most people fall into this category of thinking. Paul the Apostle met some of these at Mars hill in Greece.

However, there is an increasing occurrence of disbelief in our population such that anything that can manipulate the environment is humanistic or natural but not supernatural. They do not believe in anything at all except random mechanical (statistical) chance. This is the way of the people the Bible refers to as Amalek.

The Amelakites were not fearful of the God of Israel. They snuck up on those trailing behind the crowd and attacked them. They were not worried that the God of Israel was going to smash them for the effort; they did not believe in any god at all. They were the nation of Atheists.
The Amelakites were to be destroyed by God’s commandment, and it was to be done as soon as Israel had established a nation in Canaan and in a state of “rest”. But the Amelakites did not hear that commandment. They also did not seem to observe the life giving miracles of God helping the Nation of Israel in the desert places.

The issue that began with the Amelakites attack in the wilderness was the disarming of the fear of God for the rest of the enemies of Israel. This created difficulties for Israel and God did not want Israel destroyed by war in the wilderness, but to be established in Canaan first.

This seems to be such a stringent point of view of God against a nation that simply ignored Him. Really, Amalek was guilty of only discounting the power of the Almighty. Why did God order them completely annihilated?

The purpose of this command is not so much for the people of Israel, or even the other tribes about Israel, as much as it is for us today. It is to instruct us and help us survive in the society we are presently in; this modern society that is beginning to be just like the ancient society of Amalek. A society that is almost completely humanistic.

Saul was the first king of Israel. The prophet Samuel told Saul that God wanted all the Amelakites killed, including the livestock; but Saul did not destroy all of them. He was killed in battle by an Amelakite soldier later in his life.

Much later in history, near the end of the Babylonian era of the Jews there was an incident at the palace. A Jewish scribe by the name of Mordecai was about to be hanged for treason against the crown.

Haman, an Agagite (Amelakite family of kings and princes), arrived in Babylon to secretly devise a way to destroy the Israelites who remained there after the captivity. Only by the sacrificial efforts of those who know God did the Nation of Israel survive the disobedience of one man, Saul of long ago.

We must not find ourselves guilty of allowing the Amelakite mindset in our thinking.

We do not need a rabbit’s foot or to knock on wood. We really do not need to wish upon a star or upon blowing out candles on a cake.

These are all going to discount our faith in God for the little things. For the water that helps us live each day, rather than just the great big miracles.

God wants to show us in our daily life that He is strong. The big stuff shows a doubting or ignorant world, but the daily miracles of God build our faith. Do not let Amelakite thinking destroy that.

Remember that Moses held his hands up while Israel repelled the attack of the Amelakites. When Moses grew weary, the Nation of Israel fell back and lost ground. So Aaron and Ben Hur held up Moses hands and sat him upon a rock until the battle was finished. The Israelites knew Moses to be the oracle of God to them, and knew that when he declared victory, they would certainly win. When that message from Moses was absent, they grew fearful and less sure of the battle and seemed about to be defeated. They did not believe that God was interested in the battle unless Moses was certain of it.

The Israelites also had a little of the Amelakite logical thinking in their minds. The ability to divide the sea was a great miracle that they could not deny, but they did not believe that God would supply the water they needed in the desert.

This was the result of the mind set of the Amelakites: rationale suggested that there would be scant water in the wilderness. This is what God wanted destroyed! This would prevent God from building the faith of Israel.

The last phrase in the scripture above is clear: do not forget to erase that which causes you to remember Amalek. We must strive to remove the thought processes that destroy our faith. When they come up in the mind, rub them out. Do not allow the thoughts to grow. Any rationalization will produce doubt. This is the poison of Amalek.

Science is destructive when taken as truth. Be aware that science is a job. Scientific models which predict the outcome of any process is the actual purpose of science; it will fail you as a rationale for the cause of events in your life. Science changes the models of probable cause as often as you change your socks. Science is not the “truth”, but to assume that it is the mindset of Amalek.

Atheism leads to rationalization of the universe which leads the innocent mind of the inexperienced non-scientist to doubt. This is the Amalek of today. Keep scientific thought where it belongs. The Christian should remove these concepts from the “true” bin to the “interesting rationale” bin in their mind.

A prayerful attention to the thoughts that run through the mind when faced with stresses in life will give you the opportunity to dismiss the rationale you use. This rationale denies God the ability to solve even your small problems.

God assures us that He is interested in even the small things: enough to eat, enough water, electricity gasoline, etc. He wanted Israel to know this after they left Egypt, and God wants us to know it, too.

Equality

2009-02-09T18:33:00.003-06:00

I recall an Old Testament story about Israel collecting manna to consume each day. This was given to the Israelites by God to feed them in the wilderness. Imagine, just step outside and scoop up enough of the stuff for the day.( Exodus 16:18)

There were a few rules, however. You can’t take it with you, and you have to give away what you don’t need. That is, it would rot overnight so you could not store up any for the future, and if you had neighbors who were unable to pick up their own, you picked up extra and gave it to them to eat for that day.

You see, nobody had ever heard of manna from heaven before. Who would have thought up this method of feeding millions except God?

What were these people thinking about when they began to complain about the food? They finally get a steady diet (probably the best regular diet these people have had since then) and then complain about the taste!

But I digress.

Where am I going with this? Equality in God’s eyes.

The Apostle Paul writes to a wealthy Corinthian church about equality:

For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich.
And herein I give my advice: for this is expedient for you, who have begun before, not only to do, but also to be forward a year ago.
Now therefore perform the doing of it; that as there was a readiness to will, so there may be a performance also out of that which ye have.
For if there be first a willing mind, it is accepted according to that a man hath, and not according to that he hath not.
For I mean not that other men be eased, and ye burdened:
But by an equality, that now at this time your abundance may be a supply for their want, that their abundance also may be a supply for your want: that there may be equality:
As it is written, He that had gathered much had nothing over; and he that had gathered little had no lack. (II Corinthians 8:9-15)

The apostle is commending the church for their giving for the needs of others who lack. This is in the interest of survival and not intended to milk the wealthy to support the lazy. There were real problems facing some churches because of famine and other disastrous events that left them unable to provide the basics for living. I suppose that our modern welfare system was designed, at least initially, to function in just this way.

The reference to equality is an odd one: if you have too much of something, and I have too little of it to get by then at some point If I can give you something that you lack but I have in abundance, maybe we can both survive.

In this kind of process, no one can boast of having something that some one else has not obtained.

I like this thought. I believe it has tremendous spiritual importance.

Paul is emphasizing the example of God (He created everything that is, and still holds the patent) becoming flesh to save us. The fleshly Jesus had only a small fraction of that which this Spiritual being held before he became flesh. This is a spiritual result.

What could the destitute and starving congregation of another church have in abundance that the Corinthian church did not? They provided the Corinthian church the chance to give. What that wealthy congregation needed was to find the benefit given to them by God, by blessing those who needed their help.

And how is this spiritual?

Seek the Bible for any gift from God that is for your personal benefit only. Look for the scriptures that tell you that the Gifts of God are for you to give something to others, and compare them to those that tell of the gifts that are just for you to enjoy for yourself (if you can find any).

Every gift is from God and is to edify others. I believe that every act we may participate in under the influence of the Spirit of God is to provide to some other person a needed thing in their life. God does not promote spiritual selfishness any more than He promotes monetary selfishness.

Where then is the equality in that? Your needs will also be met. Your spiritual growth will continue. God will pour out upon you spiritual blessings you cannot contain. You need to grow; others need edification and support that the gifts of God provides them through you. Both of you will have the necessary things in your life that allow you to continue to live in the kingdom of God.

God is very smart.

Equality in the scriptures is not really about personal rights, it is often about equalizing the abundance of some with the need of others on a continuous rotating basis to keep everyone healthy in the kingdom. Those who will argue with God about the validity of this plan are those who want to be financially wealthy at the expense of helping the poor.

There is no argument even possible about the spiritual validity of this plan. All gifts come from God. He can give you an abundance to help His sheep. He can take it away.

We every one depend on Him.

If you seek to become powerful in the Spirit of God and in the kingdom, give away what you have. Give it to those who struggle, who are complacent, and who are troubled. Assist the ones who are confused or despondent. Give your gifts to edify the body of Christ.

Promote the well being of others and then watch as God loads you up with benefits that will cause you to grow ever stronger. That is equality in the kingdom of God.

The Fall of Man-a personal perspective

2009-01-28T15:20:00.002-06:00

The Earth was created in the beginning for the habitation of two sorts of creatures. These two were different, but both were created, educated and powered by God.

One of these creatures was given complete dominion over the Earth in the stead of the other who had relinquished his intended dominion by rebellion against the Creator. This rebellion was the result of a darkness called pride and supported by self justification. The result was arrogance which then led to rebellion. Read the book of Revelations, the twelfth chapter.

The other creatures were flesh, three dimensional and immortal. The non-flesh was also immortal, but was of different form than fleshly man; they were spiritual beings.

God compensated the fleshly creatures for this spiritual ignorance and inability by communicating with them directly, His presence was felt, and His voice heard. They could commune with the Creator as easily as could the other creatures, the spiritual beings. Man did not know the absence of the Creator because the Creator had always been there. Man could not foresee ever having this Father of a spiritual nature not always around. Man visited every day with this Creator, his Father who taught of things that were only sparingly written down much later for the future to know. Man did not suffer toil of an adverse nature, he did not feel sickness and he did not have loneliness. Man did not fear death.

His only lack was the knowledge of that spiritual dimension that was within him but not apparent to him. Because it was not apparent to him, man held this spiritual ignorance at a distance and did not perceive the other spiritual beings as a result of this ignorance.God gave man complete authority over every single thing on Earth, including the other spiritual beings, even though man may not have even perceived the existence of other spiritual beings.

At some point in time, the leadership of the spiritual beings of Darkness became convinced of a plan to finally overthrow the leadership of the Creator over the Earth. This would be their kingdom; the planet and all upon it would be theirs to manipulate and turn into a kingdom of darkness. The fleshly creatures (of every type) would be their minions because of course they were the spiritual beings in a higher dimension than the fleshly creatures on the planet.

The problem hindering the spiritual beings in their scheme to take over the dominion of Planet Earth was that man could not perceive them. He was only a physical being and was unable to perceive or understand the spiritual nature of the universe. These creatures were limited to that very small portion of the universe that was manifested as solid matter and a small part of the energy that was in the universe. So the only way to reach this fleshly creature was through another creature that man might somehow understand and communicate with naturally.

Of course, man had been educated about the nature of the Father and what pleased Him. God had also warned man of the danger involved in learning of things that would destroy the relationship between God and man, such as gaining the perception of the evil that existed in the spiritual realm all about him. Therefore, the Darkness required deception; a straightforward approach would not work.

One day, the darkness found a creature that could bridge the gap between the material world of man and the spiritual world of the dark spirits. This creature was clearly known to man, but had not been a vehicle for this dark spirit before, so the plan involved approaching man with guile.

One of the humans, named Eve, was in the garden one day and was near the source of that spiritual knowledge that man was warned by teh Creator to avoid. This source held the ability to allow man to perceive the spiritual nature of both the Creator (Good) and the Rebellious Darkness (Evil).

This was the moment that the Dark spirit was waiting for. The female one created from the body of the first man, Eve, was alone in the area and away from her authority and protection. The deception of the Darkness would have its best chances here. The ability to strike the woman with deception was great because she was near the forbidden source and could be made curious about what secrets it would reveal. Her guard would be down because the creature chosen to communicate with the woman was common to her, and she had dominion over it anyway, and would be unafraid.

The plan worked! She was was easily tricked in to trying the source of knowledge of good and evil without a single physical contact or direct order from the possessed creature. the Dark spirit could not be destroyed by the Creator because he did not exert dominion over Eve. He only suggested that Eve understood the rules of God incorrectly. the creature told her that she misunderstood what the Creator had said to her, so the threat was way in the future, it would not be an immediate destruction. Also, Eve did not comprehend what death was, really. She had been alive for so long that the thought of an end was difficult to grasp. Death was not common in the garden where she lived.

The Darkness knew that it had gained nothing here with this tactical victory, but that the man Adam must be the one to relinquish his dominion over the Earth. He was the key, but he would also not be the one who would respond to deceit. Man knew the Creator too well. He accepted the authority and responsibility of keeping the one rule of the Creator with great care.

The Darkness knew that the man would be manipulated by his own emotions through the woman, Eve. After she had tapped into the source of knowledge of spiritual good and evil, she would be very, very different than Adam. She would be able to understand things that Adam would not perceive. She would become afraid of the future, and unable to commune with the Creator any longer. She would seek to hide, and Adam would be alone. He would not have a companion to accompany him in the presence of the Creator, and he would not die as she would in the future. This would sway the man; at least the Darkness was hopeful.

Adam was aware of the differences in Eve; he understood what she had done. He also realized some of the consequences of her actions and soon came to the conclusion that he would be alone from this day forward; that one day she would even be gone from the face of the Earth. Adam would have little companionship because she was changed in her behavior so much that she was was out of touch with Adam's existence. They were forced apart by the sin of Eve.

Adam, could not balance his fleshly desire for this companion with the need for the Creator's presence. It seemed to him suddenly that the fleshly creature was more important to him at the moment. He did not want to lose his mate and her company. He wanted to go where she was going.

Adam was helped in this thought process by the lack of understanding of the spiritual loneliness that man naturally would have without the Creator. Adam did not perceive the powerful loss he was about to accept. He could not know that he was cursing the rest of humanity with a spiritual loss and loneliness that would rip the fabric of man's soul from the very birth of each new human. He was torn, emotionally distraught by the lack of hope in his situation and the complete failure of Eve to understand the deceit she was presented with.

Adam's world would have to change, and so he considered the changes he was faced with. Before consulting with the Creator, and afraid He would destroy Eve anyway, Adam decided to forfeit everything to keep the woman with him. He partook of the source also.Adam would take whatever punishment Eve would receive.

Satan, gloating gleefully over his success, was thinking about the weakness and lack of intelligent perception of mankind. This was going to be too easy!

When Adam partook of the knowledge of good and evil he handed over to Satan the dominion of the Earth in spiritual matters. Satan was now free to build his kingdom on Earth without the preventative authority of mankind. He was free to manipulate conditions until mankind would be his servant!

He would sway the thinking of humans and bend them to his purpose by reducing their lives to a miserable existence. He would infect them without them knowing anything about it since over time he could influence the young to ignore the wisdom of the old; and even though man was still in authority over the Earth, he was ignorant of how to maintain it. His food would kill him. His livelihood would prevent him from finding the Creator and joining forces with him somehow. Many of the beings that followed Satan in rebellion would be employed in perverting the truth of the Earth and the Creator so than mankind would be forced to forfeit his authority over the Earth because of ignorance and deceit. It might be entirely possible to cause man to forget that there ever was a Father who had created them all.

Adam and Eve were both driven form the place of their fellowship with the Creator. They were driven from the source of knowledge of good and evil. They were driven from the source of eternal life. They were suddenly aware of the spiritual nature of the universe, as they saw Angels of fire that now blocked the path to the garden where they once lived.

The loneliness of their existence became pronounced as they began to feel the lack of communication with their Father. They had no source of knowledge other than what they now retained. Most importantly, they had no communion with the Creator to satisfy their spiritual selves, and they felt sin-sick loneliness in their very spirit. They were alone, cast out of their home. They were out of touch with the Creator and knew a loneliness they could not comprehend. They understood perfectly the sin they had committed and the consequences were now becoming clear.

The Father was not ruthless and hateful and so left them with a promise. One day, a man would be born of woman that would redeem mankind and allow communion with the Father once again. A battle would be fought, a war waged against a little known and invisible enemy, but the Father promised victory through the pain of childbirth. It was when this information became available that they understood some of the changes that had transpired in their bodies.

Eve became pregnant, and for the first time ever, a new human life began. Adam and Eve both hoped this was the child promised by the Creator that would reconcile them back to the presence of God. They were probably disappointed when their days of life began to fade and no redemption was apparent. Their remaining days on Earth were spent educating their offspring in the knowledge of the Creator, a Father who was painfully absent, yet still there.

They followed the pattern set for them by the Father, to slay an innocent animal to remember and allow their offspring to understand what sin had cost them.

The promise seemed far away and man drifted further from the knowledge of God and the behavior that the Father desired of man. Eventually, the efforts of Darkness became accumulated and became overpowering and man became evil everywhere. The life of man was snuffed out over the whole planet with the exception of one who had information that allowed him to live a life that pleased the Father. This man, his wife and family were saved to start the human race anew.

Many years later man had once again become evil and lived far from the lifestyle that God wished for him, and a new plan developed around a particular man, Abram.

God chose Abram out of a family that did not suspect that there was one Creator, and that actually believed that other gods existed. This family was the priesthood for false gods, yet, God perceived in Abram the necessary ingredients and character needed to start the plan He had promised to Adam and Eve so many years ago.

Abram heard and responded to the Father who had revealed himself to Abram, and accepted his promise of a family greater than any other man ever alive. He was promised a land he did not posses and a people who were not in existence yet. And because of this belief, God changed Abrams name to Abraham, accepting God as his authority.

As was man's custom at the time, a covenant was struck between Abraham and God. This covenant involved the sacrifice of animals, reminiscent of Adam and Eve, and is symbolically the pattern that the Messiah of salvation who had been promised in some future time would follow.

A typical covenant sacrifice included dividing the carcass on a table top or an altar, and then proclaiming the parameters of the covenant to all parties concerned. The participants who were the main authorities on each side of the covenant would then strike the carcass with some weapon, such as a knife, or with fire to burn the sacrifice, indicating the punishment to those who would break the covenant.

in the case of this covenant, there was a difference from all others made by men, among men. Since no human could be an authority for mankind in this covenant, God covenanted in Abraham's place with Himself. This meant that God would need to supply that which would suffer the punishment if the covenant was broken, in the place of Abraham or any of his descendants. An unusual situation for any covenant known at that time.

The descendants of Abraham became a particular Nation of people, later called Israel, and that Nation brought the Word of God to mankind through Moses the lawgiver, and the prophets, and the poets of the Nation.

The prophets of that nation said that God would provide a Messiah, a Savior that would remove the sin of Man and restore him to communion with the Creator.

That Messiah which had been prophesied of came at last. From the promise given to Adam and Eve the Messiah came to return man to communion with God. To once again hear the voice of God and to receive fellowship from Him.

The Messiah lived according to the Law of Moses, but began teaching a message that caused men to awaken within their hearts a need for spiritual renewal. The understanding of God's purpose that men finally had obtained, brought about by all the trials and years of living with the Law of God, provided a knowledge of the spiritual man that enabled the Messiah to reach them with the truth about good.

Finally, the man who was born of woman came to take away the sin of the world as the sacrifice of the covenant, a, new covenant that would provide the required payment for disobedience and sin from the time of Adam and Eve.

He did not come to take away the sin from the world, but sin of the world from man. The sin of man is removed by following the method as given and followed by the Apostle Peter; the repentant heart as a submission of the will to God and the physical and mental move away from the dominion and influence of Satan, followed by baptism to wash sin away. These acts return man to the state of fellowship with the Creator. The Father can then dwell with us again, returning to us the ability to commune spiritually at any time.

Obedience to these things will produce in you a renewed spiritual state that will allow you to have fellowship with the Creator of the universe. Go ahead, He is your Father too, after all.

Why Shepherds?

2008-12-27T12:58:00.002-06:00

The Christmas story found in Luke chapter two denotes the presence of shepherds at the birth of the Messiah. While they may have been present at some point, it is difficult to comprehend the mixture of Magi (wise ones of great authority) and shepherds at so monumental an event.

Why would shepherds be interested in such a prophetically denoted event that is clearly the type of subject relegated to scholars of Israel’s Sanhedrin, Rabbi’s and other scholarly interested parties such as the Magi?

Why would the heralding Angels appear to the shepherds rather than the princes of the people?

Unlike farmers, shepherds were often wage earners, being paid to watch the sheep of others. Shepherds also lived apart from society, being largely nomadic. It was mainly a job of solitary males without children, and new shepherds thus needed to be recruited externally. Shepherds were most often the younger sons of farming peasants who did not inherit any land. Still in other societies, each family would have a family member to shepherd its flock, often a child or youth or an elder who couldn't help much with harder work.

Shepherds would normally work in groups either looking after one large flock, or each bringing their own and merging their responsibilities. They would live in small cabins, often shared with their sheep and would buy food from local communities or the shepherds lived and traveled with their flocks.

Shepherding developed only in certain areas. In the lowlands and river valleys, it was far more efficient to grow grains and cereals than to allow sheep to graze, thus the raising of sheep was confined to rugged and mountainous areas.

So we have a group of socially displaced males who earn a living caring for the livestock of others and do so with so much care that they literally live with the animals. They have little outside interests available but were quite well equipped to live in the wilderness in solitude.

What kind of person is this?

The child: Responsibility often matures a young male quickly. These young men would be delegated to the role of shepherd for various reasons, no doubt, but in my personal experience responsibility will wake up the dreamer and quiet the rowdy spirit of a boy.

Seeing the destitution of a lost sheep, the painful neediness of the animal would stir up in these young fellows a driving need to protect the sheep form the outside influences that would destroy them. They might suddenly see how they were a responsibility to their families and feel the surge of desire to compensate for the drag they placed on their own family. Perhaps they were relegated to this duty as punishment or rejection.

The young man: This is the painful story of the poor. There is no inheritance, and no job opportunities in town. Very little was available to these poor landless men and so a life of solitude was about all they could hope for. This is indeed an oppressive experience that many people today suffer. Loneliness is as common as credit cards.

Hopelessness is not a modern issue but an issue that faces everyone. It does require some maturity to become aware of your own hopelessness, and this happened frequently to young men and women in the days of Christ.

The Adult male: Usually adult male shepherds had been at this job for many years. The right circumstances for becoming a shepherd left the market open for new recruits and often were filled by very young men.

The adult male has matured greatly in the wilderness and has adapted to the hardened life of the Bedouin-like lifestyle that a shepherd must lead. Hope for a fulfilling family life was gone for many of them. There was no money to speak of, no land, and no certain home. While it was not impossible for a shepherd to marry, the long absences and poor financial outlook were not conducive to happiness in family life.

Why then were these folks alerted to the presence of the Messiah?

Who had more time to ponder the meaning of prophecy, talk with God and find solace in the promises?

Who would recognize and empathize with the tender love and care of the Great Shepherd more readily than these folks?

The shepherd recognized themselves in the sheep they tended. The ones who understood the need to leave the many and search out the one that is lost because it would be destroyed; the ones who recognized the goodness of discipline and the need for changing the habits of the wayward.

The shepherd was possibly the only individual who could understand the mission of the Messiah to the poor and rejected clearly; the great hope they saw in this small newborn child would be of immense interest to them.

As we travel around town, we come in contact with several people. Are they candidates for the shepherds role? Are they rejected, poor, and lonely? If so they are the ones Jesus is still looking for.

Are any dissatisfied with modern religion that serves to build itself at the expense of a spiritual life? Do they know inside that what they have is not fulfilling the need to know God?

What will tell them that the Messiah is really here, seeking for them?

Mar 16:15,16 And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.

There is no licensing requirement, no building requirement. Go and preach the gospel-in the wilderness, in the entire world and to every creature.

You go.

The Mystery , Part 2

2008-11-20T19:44:00.003-06:00

What is the Mystery, then?

1Co 2:7 But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory:
We remember that this wisdom was founded before the creation began. This concept was brought out in the New Testament by the preaching of Paul.

1Co 1:
18 For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.
19 For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent.
20 Where is the wise? where is the scribe? where is the disputer of this world? hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world?
21 For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.

Salvation of the believer is brought about by faith in the Word which must be preached. Since John points out that the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us, then Jesus is preached for salvation of the believer.

The law did not bring man to a point where he could know God. The law was a schoolmaster which brought us safely to the time when the Word was made flesh. Therefore, man does not know by wisdom who God really is. It is only known by the foolishness of preaching.

22 For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom:
23 But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness;

To the Greeks this was foolish because logic does not dictate How crucifying a man could save other men. That makes no sense!

To the Jews the life of Christ was not the Messiah they hoped for. He should have been a warrior, not a simple carpenter.

24 But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God.

In the beginning, there was a division of light and darkness (Gen. 1:5). Light is used to build, to create and to save, while darkness is used to cover up, dismantle and destroy. It is simple now to see the parallel between light and dark in the creation of a savior who will allow us (the creation) to be saved from the destruction of darkness (Satan).

2Co 4:6 For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

Jesus also refers to this same early relationship between the creation and the wisdom of God:

Joh 17:5 And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was.

Moses wrote the event like this:

Gen 1:5 And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day.

The apostles were familiar with the phraseology used to denote the Messiah:

2Pe 1:19 We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts:

1Jn 1:5-7 This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.
If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth:
But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.

This is what Gen 1:5 is talking about. This is the story of the history of the world from before the creation until the time of the New Testament Church. This is told as a story where the past the present and the future are intermingled like a child’s story so that it is presented in a seemingly jumbled way.

Rev 12:1 And there appeared a great wonder in heaven; a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars:

This is a time-lapse view of that point in time where the rebellion in heaven begins because God has revealed His plan; the woman with a crown. Satan is still Lucifer and is in charge of things under the authority of God. Lucifer expects to be made the senior authority of the kingdom of God, and in fact was created with a nature to do so.

Lucifer will rebel in heaven against the plan of God which was to devise a covenant made with mankind and culminated in a sacrificial man born of woman. This one will be the one that will bring about the kingdom of God on Earth. Lucifer wishes to destroy this plan. You see, Lucifer was to be that one who ordered the day for each human on Earth. That was his mission and his territory.

This is the place and time where Lucifer becomes the enemy of God and starts planning his attempt to build a kingdom on Earth to oppose God.
The “she” in this narrative is the plan of God, His counsel and will.

2 And she being with child cried, travailing in birth, and pained to be delivered.

The many centuries of genealogies of the Hebrew people were going to help produce that body, the body of the Messiah. The people suffered under the destruction of sin. But something would happen first. There was to be open rebellion in Heaven…

3 And there appeared another wonder in heaven; and behold a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns upon his heads.

Lucifer becomes Satan (literally:the enemy), the deceiving one who has a plan of his own. God said that Lucifer had said in his heart that he was as powerful as God, this means that the rebellion had not become public among the angels just yet…

4 And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast them to the earth: and the dragon stood before the woman which was ready to be delivered, for to devour her child as soon as it was born.

Satan is now removed from authority over the Earth, but was still able to come and go to see “what is up” in heaven, and to stand before God. Satan is now on Earth waiting for the unfolding of God’s plan in order to “nip it in the bud”, so to speak. Satan began a work on Earth with Eve and her firstborn Cain.

Satan came to Jesus immediately after Jesus began his preparations to start his ministry. Satan’s purpose was to afflict Jesus by “biting his heel”. Jesus came to “crush Satan’s head”. To crush the head means to remove the authority from someone. After his resurrection, Jesus held the keys to the grave, death and hell removing the authority of Satan from them.

Next we see the wisdom of God ascending to the throne in God’s plan for the Earth. This is now in the New Testament era when the plan of God brought forth the Messiah.

5 And she brought forth a man child, who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron: and her child was caught up unto God, and to his throne.

This is Jesus Christ. He was brought about for a specific purpose and that was to be the final sacrifice for all mankind and then ascend back into heaven. He was also to rule with a rod of iron. That is, he was born to live perfectly thus providing the basis for judgment. This phrase is used on the Old Testament to mean judgment having severe consequences.

Now back to the past:
6 And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she hath a place prepared of God, that they should feed her there a thousand two hundred and threescore days.
7 And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels,
8 And prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven.

Here Satan is no longer allowed to enter heaven to both see and report to God. He is permanently chained to the Earth. Job tells us that Satan came before God with the other angels. He is now no longer able to do that. Something happened to cause Satan to never return to heaven. In the future he will also be barred from heaven as God has prepared a place for him called hell.

This event took place before Jesus the Messiah was born:
9 And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan,which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.
10 And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night.
11 And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.

Jesus said in Luke 10:18 “…I beheld Satan as lightening fall from heaven”.

Jesus saw Satan barred form heaven with the third of the angels. How was that possible as this took place before the birth of Jesus Christ?

It is because Jesus is the name of God both before, and after the birth of the Messiah. The sacrificial body was the wisdom of God to reconcile man to Him, but His name has never changed. Man has called Him by several different labels, but God has always had a name. Jesus. (In Hebrew this is “Yehoshua” which means: Jehovah, The lord saves. Jehovah is derived from the phrase that means “I am” and comes from a basic root that is “the self existent one”).

So this explanation by Paul now fits: The light that was separated from darkness in Genesis 1:5 is the wisdom that God ordained before the world began to bring His power to bear on our salvation. Not only was God’s counsel to create the universe and man, but to bring salvation from the darkness already begun in heaven with Lucifer and his angelic followers. Lucifer was not able to penetrate the light, so it was not something he could plan against effectively. God had separated Lucifer from His plan that would ultimately bring salvation to mankind and defeat Lucifer. This is why there was a “mystery” of godliness.

Col 1:
12 Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light:
13 Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son:
14 In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins:
15 Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature:
16 For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him:
17 And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.

So it is that Jesus was the actual creator, the very wisdom of God that was the flesh that God became. The story plays out even today as we sit in heavenly places because of that wisdom that began before the world was even formed. Because there was a savior promised to Adam and Eve that would one day bring about a joining of humanity to the Light that is God himself.

This strange way of bringing salvation to man may have been to prevent Satan from attacking and destroying Jesus before the right time, or it may have been to remove doubt from those who perceive the mystery, but in any case the mystery of godliness is the way that light was brought into our lives by the Messiah:

1Ti 3:16 And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.

We now understand clearly what John was talking about. He told this story also but with a different perspective. He talked about the salvation of man as a result of the wisdom and power of God that was evident in the face of Jesus Christ. He tells us how this came about in a more spiritual way:
John 1:
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

Clearly John is alluding to the fact that the wisdom of God discussed in Proverbs 8 was there from in the beginning and was also the Word of God; in fact the Word was God, the creator of the Universe. The Greek word for Word is logos and implies the thought or plan. This word “logos” would be similar to “counsel” in Hebrew.

2 The same was in the beginning with God.

The implication of this statement is that counsel and wisdom were present since eternity as this is the same explanation of “when” God began. The statement is a re-iteration of Proverbs 8 where wisdom declares that he was present form the beginning.

3 All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.

The Word (wisdom, counsel) is what everything was made by. The Ancient Hebrew word for “God the Creator” is Elohiym which means “God of great Power”. Jesus is the wisdom and power of God. That means that the body of Jesus is the factual representation of the all powerful God of creation.

4 In him was life; and the life was the light of men.

Jesus is the light of the world and wisdom has been separated from darkness since Genesis 1:5.”…God is light and in Him there is no darkness at all”(I John 1:5).

5 And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.

Satan did not understand the plan of God in any detail as God had separated him from the light. Lucifer did not know anything about what God was doing in this plan by watching events transpire. It may be that Lucifer still thinks he can win a kingdom against God’s kingdom.

6 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. ( This is referring to John the Baptist)
7 The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe.
8 He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light.

The true light is Jesus Christ, the Messiah. Of course John later wrote that God was light.

Notice that this light lighted every man that came into the world, from Adam until the mystery is ended.

9 That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world.
10 He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not.
11 He came unto his own, and his own received him not.

The Messiah certainly came in to the world, as this was the culmination of the wisdom of God. This was the pathway that God ordained before the world was made to redeem mankind to Him. Of course many have rejected the Messiah including his own people, the Hebrews. Since it was the power of God that created the universe and the world, it becomes clear that Jesus is truly the power of God. That is, the name (authority) of God is Jesus.

12 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:

We cannot of ourselves create a right spirit or clean heart within us. We cannot complete any act that will gain us a place in the kingdom of God. It is the power of God that is the name Jesus that allows man to enter into the kingdom of God. To become a Son of God is to be one who has the power of God in him.

13 Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.

There is no sacrifice (even a human one) that can redeem even one man except that Messiah that is the power of God. It is not our will that allows us to be saved, nor is there any will on Earth that can allow us to be saved except that one will (present from the beginning) that wanted us to be redeemed. The one will that created a plan for us.

14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.

According to John, Jesus (the Word made flesh) was the very template from which all things were made. He is the express will and wisdom and power of God to create and also to save. He is also the express image of God. When we get to heaven, Jesus is what we will see, and not another.

The Glory of God here is the strength and power of God. In the Old Testament, glory was often the way the defensive armor and strength of God was represented. In this instance, Jesus is the power of God to save, that which holds all power in heaven and in Earth.

When will it be finished?
Rev 10:7 But in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he shall begin to sound, the mystery of God should be finished, as he hath declared to his servants the prophets.

The Mystery will end because Satan will be disposed of. There is no need for salvation after this point in time.

If the mystery will have an ending, does that mean that Jesus will have an ending? No. Jesus is the name of the Almighty, for there is no other name given among men whereby we must be saved. He will continue for eternity.

Jesus will never end, but the purpose of wisdom will end. The need for great ability to save will be over after time ends forever and we are forever with Jesus, reconciled unto him for eternity.

The Psalms declares that the salvation that came from God is eternal and will never be abolished. Therefore the power of God to save will never end for those who have been redeemed.

The Mystery of the Wisdom and Power of God

2008-11-01T23:38:00.005-05:00

Part One

Wisdom: skills or abilities to perform a physical action. To be a skilled worker that can accomplish a goal.

Power: firm strength

Rom 16:25,26
Now to him that is of power to stablish you according to my gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began,
But now is made manifest, and by the scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the everlasting God, made known to all nations for the obedience of faith:

The preaching of Paul the Apostle dealt with many topics over a large amount of time. In matters related to the doctrine of Jesus Christ, that preaching followed a revelation of a mystery. This mystery was secret, and had been so since before the earth was created. According to Paul this mystery was made manifest to all nations for the obedience of faith. It will be instructive to understand this mystery.

Mystery: anything that arouses curiosity because it is unexplained, inexplicable, or secret.

Throughout the ages, only certain people knew about this mystery. The secrecy was important to allow certain events to transpire according to God’s will. Specifically, had all men understood this mystery, Jesus would never had been crucified.

1Corinthians 2:
5 That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.
6 Howbeit we speak wisdom among them that are perfect: yet not the wisdom of this world, nor of the princes of this world, that come to nought:
7 But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory:
8 Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.

Glory: a) strength of God manifested in our physical universe b) To be heavy with honor, to be respected.

Who can Understand this mystery?

There is a qualification that allows you to understand what this mystery is all about. It is a secret kept from man in general; even the spiritual world is ignorant of its true meaning. But for some, it is crystal clear. It is important to know how to acquire this qualification.

Psa 25:14 The secret of the LORD is with them that fear him; and he will shew them his covenant.
Pro 3:32 For the froward is abomination to the LORD: but his secret is with the righteous.
Froward: to depart from, to turn aside.

It looks like the qualification is righteousness. You cannot be walking far from the tenets of God and understand the secret mysteries of God. He speaks this secret to certain people who are able to understand.

Amo 3:7 Surely the Lord GOD will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets.

The prophets of the Old Testament were aware of this mystery. Each one knew the purpose and the particulars of Gods mystery, but they were unable to speak it out.

In fact, the Disciples of the New Testament were excited because the Devils were subject unto them, but Jesus told them, you should be more excited because your names are written in Heaven, for the Prophets longed to see what your eyes see…”

Jesus continued to discuss the mystery with His disciples until they understood. At one point Jesus was condemning the cities where His miracles were accomplished because they did not repent. His disciples, on the other hand, were clearly interested in understanding all this:

Mat 11:25 At that time Jesus answered and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes.
The disciples were curious about the method of teaching Jesus chose to use because it was hard for the people to understand what underlying meaning they were to glean from the discussion:
Mat 13:
10 And the disciples came, and said unto him, Why speakest thou unto them in parables?
11 He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given.

34 All these things spake Jesus unto the multitude in parables; and without a parable spake he not unto them:
35 That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying, I will open my mouth in parables; I will utter things which have been kept secret from the foundation of the world.

Even Jesus held this mystery close and revealed it only to His chosen ones. This mystery is a hidden wisdom. We must understand this wisdom to understand the mystery that has been secret from the foundation of the world.

Where is wisdom found?

The ancient discussion of Job reveals that the location of wisdom was always a secret. Job also reveals that knowing the secret mystery was not brought about by anything the Earth could offer, but was a spiritually discerned thing. Even the spiritual world was unaware of the true meaning of the mystery:
Job 28:12-23
But where shall wisdom be found? and where is the place of understanding?
Man knoweth not the price thereof; neither is it found in the land of the living.
The depth saith, It is not in me: and the sea saith, It is not with me.
It cannot be gotten for gold, neither shall silver be weighed for the price thereof.
It cannot be valued with the gold of Ophir, with the precious onyx, or the sapphire.
The gold and the crystal cannot equal it: and the exchange of it shall not be for jewels of fine gold.
No mention shall be made of coral, or of pearls: for the price of wisdom is above rubies.
The topaz of Ethiopia shall not equal it, neither shall it be valued with pure gold.
Whence then cometh wisdom? and where is the place of understanding?
Seeing it is hid from the eyes of all living, and kept close from the fowls of the air.
Destruction and death say, We have heard the fame thereof with our ears.
God understandeth the way thereof, and he knoweth the place thereof.

It seems that God is the only one with this knowledge. There was a very important reason that this should be so.

What is the purpose of Wisdom?
Pro 3:19,20
The LORD by wisdom hath founded the earth; by understanding hath he established
the heavens. By his knowledge the depths are broken up, and the clouds drop down the dew.

Isa 46:9,10
Remember the former things of old: for I am God, and there is none else; I am God,
and there is none like me, Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are
not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure:
This wisdom was the principle factor in creation. This particular skill or ability to create and utilize power was apparent before the creation. It also seems to have been controlled by the counsel of God. God designed and orchestrated everything we now see in order to bring about His will. All things are created so that they function according to this counsel of God:

When did wisdom come about?
Pro 8:
14 Counsel is mine, and sound wisdom: I am understanding; I have strength.

22 The LORD possessed me in the beginning of his way, before his works of old.
23 I was set up from everlasting, from the beginning, or ever the earth was.
24 When there were no depths, I was brought forth; when there were no fountains abounding with water.
25 Before the mountains were settled, before the hills was I brought forth:
26 While as yet he had not made the earth, nor the fields, nor the highest part of the dust of the world.
27 When he prepared the heavens, I was there: when he set a compass upon the face of the depth:
28 When he established the clouds above: when he strengthened the fountains of the deep:
29 When he gave to the sea his decree, that the waters should not pass his commandment: when he appointed the foundations of the earth:
30 Then I was by him, as one brought up with him: and I was daily his delight, rejoicing always before him;
31 Rejoicing in the habitable part of his earth; and my delights were with the sons of men.

So wisdom was around before God created anything at all. In addition, when God did create, wisdom was "rejoicing" in the accomplishment. This is a way of saying that God saw His creation and to Him it was "good". It also implies that this wisdom was specifically about creating and sustaining the habitable part of the Earth, where men were to live.

In the next part, the purpose of this mystery and the wisdom of God are outlined. There is an underlying reason for this mysterious and secret process that is the will of God, and the Apostles used this mystery to great advantage.

…whose god is their belly”

2008-10-07T05:51:00.009-05:00

Phillipians 3:18-19

(For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ:
Whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things.)

From ancient Hebrew we understand that the anatomy of the human body is used to "allegorize" the basic mental and physical attributes of humanity. The “belly” in the scripture above refers to the seat of the emotional and instinctive parts of the human psyche (the stomach is the source of physical life, the intestines the instincts, the kidneys are the seat of emotions, etc. All these organs are in the belly). This includes things such as need, lust and desire. It also includes emotional responses to the things that give rise to our learned “tastes” that come from experience. That means the root of addictions lies in what the Hebrew mind referred to as “the belly”. The Biblical use of "belly" is to describe that which comes forth. One concrete use is the birth of a child that comes forth out of the belly. In many cases the use of "belly" is allegorical. Therefore, anything associated with the belly will be transformed into something in the character of the individual, or concretely into their life.

If that is the case in this reference, then it is possible to understand further what the Apostle was writing to us about

The phrases in this passage suggest to us carnality as a way of thinking. The behavior of such a person will become distasteful to others because of habitual craving for things. Lest we think that this is related only to drugs or alcohol, it must be pointed out that it relates to any addicting thing. It does not have to be foodstuffs or any other material consumable. It can be anything related to the emotional context as well.

A short list of these will bring to mind the power that this phenomenon has over people.

We can start with the obvious:

-Drugs that affect the psyche
-Foods that affect the psyche including intense flavorings or over consumption as a response to the psychological discomfort of hunger, or as a simple lust for variety.
-Mind altering environmental factors such as music or even vocal chanting
-Stimuli: such as sexual ones, or egotistically inflating ones, or any other form of
gratification, especially self gratification.
-Athletic challenges which give a sense of command to the individual where physical skill or strength produces the euphoria associated with self-reliance and self-ability to overcome.

to the more subtle:
Recent research suggests that many young people are completely addicted to gaming because they can win often. This produces the same chemical responses in the brain that winning a major goal in life would cause. The result is that young people who are naturally impatient and without resources are now able to receive the psychological gratification of winning. This boosts the ego and supports self-importance internally while reducing or eliminating the responsibility associated with the real gaining of personal ground. This then results in irresponsible behavior.

Research also points out that a chemical stimulus in the brain is responsible for the triggering of energy bursts, emotional outbursts, and feeling of superiority or self-aggrandizement and is a result of certain types of music. This stimulus can be so intense as to elicit physical changes and in the mentality of the individual over time.

This leads us to the following realization: sensuality is larger in scope and meaning than just sexual responses and desires. Sensuality includes all of the psychological needs for stimuli from any addicting phenomenon.

One of the most important and effective sources of sensuality for virtually any age group is television and it’s originator, the movie. This form of stimulus is so pervasive and so intense that there is little hope of spontaneous recovery. It takes more than 20 days of complete abstinence before the struggle to avoid it begins to diminish. The combination of sound, visual stimulus and story line produce the greatest non-chemical narcotic available today. Demonstrations of non-sensuous material, even Bible oriented material, can lead to over-stimulation and sensuality. In this fashion it is possible to avoid negative material and propaganda but still be addicted to the source.

This lust to satisfy the mental addiction of entertainment is from your "belly". The attempt to obtain both material and time to use in this fashion costs the home many thousands of dollars in equipment and materials, and untold costs in terms of time.

The important thing to recognize about sensuality is that it can come from a variety of sources and is caused by several different mechanisms; but because of the effect in the brain, it is a powerful mechanism and is entirely addicting. According to the Apostle Paul this makes us an enemy to the cross of Christ. What that means is that our life is not a testament to the saving Grace of God. We are an open epistle read of all men, and the story is not about salvation:

Rom 16:17
Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them.
For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly; and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple

The effects of sensuality are described clearly in the epistles. It is important to note specific things about the sensual:

Jude 17-19
But, beloved, remember ye the words which were spoken before of the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ;
How that they told you there should be mockers in the last time, who should walk after their own ungodly lusts.
These be they who separate themselves, sensual, having not the Spirit.

James 3:13-17
Who is a wise man and endued with knowledge among you? let him shew out of a good conversation his works with meekness of wisdom.
But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth.
This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish.
For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work.
But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy.

The sensual person cannot display godly wisdom, cannot avoid contention, and will not be a partaker of the fellowship of other Christians. The sensual person is marked. Their walk is after the things they are addicted to, that they are placing above God. The result is clear to everyone who observes the life of such people. We are warned to stay away from such as they will be the deceitful mockers of Jesus Christ and all that follow Him, given the opportunity.

On the other hand, the person who is not sensual will have the meekness of true wisdom from above. They will not be forward and will not be self-willed. The spiritual minded person will attempt to foster understanding, cooperation, and will portray the other characteristics listed by James: being first pure (not deceitful), peaceable and gentle, full of mercy and good fruits (good works and success in ministering to others) fair and not hypocritical in their lifestyle.

James is clear about one important point: where sensuality is, every other devilish work will eventually be found.

Sensuality is the gateway where those who will loose their salvation may pass, initially.

Fasting is a mechanism for diminishing the effects of the “belly”. An overwhelming stimulus to eat begins after a few hours without food. It is necessary to stop this “belly” response in order to accentuate your connection with heaven and disconnect from the instinctive drive to eat. It is necessary to exert control over the stomach which attempts to use your psyche against you to provide the nourishment the body craves. Being willing to not listen to the craving of your system for the things that spring from your “belly” makes it possible to sense what springs from the river of living water, which may have been displaced to the background when we wander from the path we should be following.

I believe that we are commanded to fast, in part, to show that we can control the instinctive and addictive urges within us. Knowing that you can control, at least for a time, the addictions of carnal nature will produce in you the desire to shun other addictive behavior because you sense an increase in spiritual contact with heaven. The Bible declares we are given power over sin, and this must include addictive things.

John 7:37 -39
In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink.
He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.
(But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.)

Jesus said that “out of your belly will flow rivers of living water”. This is another application of the word "belly" to indicate the effect of the rivers of living water. This is terminology from Judaism, where water is a reference to the Messiah (that which comes from above) and indicates the real meaning of the phrase. This living water will satisfy all physical need for the things that were previously fulfilled by sensuality; including any type of psychological crutch or addiction. All carnality is replaced with the power of this salvation. The "River of Living Water" is in sufficient supply so that you will not ever run out; that which prevents the stimuli from your carnal nature overtaking you will always be available, and an excess provided to you that can be directed toward others.

Power over addictive behavior is the blessing of salvation. Jesus addressed this particular point in His declaration that we could be free indeed from the lusts and addictions of carnal human nature when we are saved.

Pressures of Life

2008-09-22T18:46:00.002-05:00

I am not currently active on this blog for several important reasons. I have not had a moment to even consider writing what God has put in my heart to place on this page. I have been writing it down, but not taking the time to fill it all out just yet.

After October the first, I will return to actively writing on this page. Until then, I think the following link is important enough for all of us to read and ponder, for the message is crystal clear and extremely important.

The point is at the end, and believe me this is an excellent example of the meaning of service.

God Bless

Place a copy of this link in your web browser. It will take only a few minutes to read.

http://www.eielson.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123111092

Today has been a good day...

2008-08-27T00:21:00.002-05:00

I went to work, taught my classes, and came home. I have talked with my daughter about a pet turtle, and even went to PETCO to look at several. She really wants a pet to take care of.

I have prayed today, and God was never far from my mind. Even though I was talking about thermodynamics and other physics-like subjects with students, my mind was not really altogether on my subject matter.

I did not really notice the time that went by today. It seemed to be a hazy experience, like being in the Dentist chair breathing gas- you go through all the motions and even respond correctly to questions, but the experience seems insular. I know I talked to students, and even gave advice on changing classes for a student.

Nothing today was different from yesterday, except that my mind has been working without my permission on a different problem. A different drum beat is sounding in my ears today. My heart has been changed somehow without a good medical reason.

Yesterday, I spent the afternoon going to a facility that cares for the elderly and the infirm.

I helped with the Nursing Home ministry Sunday afternoon, and I met a few people. We sang songs, and I spoke for a few minutes about the salvation brought to man by God that, even though the heavens and Earth would pass away, would never be abolished. Then I spoke about the need for salvation and how salvation can be had easily through obedience to the Word of God. After telling the group about Peter’s instructions for salvation, we closed the service.

Afterward, a man sitting in the very back asked to be baptized. We talked with him, and as he was very elderly, carefully explained repentance and baptism to him. He insisted that he needed to be baptized.

So, yesterday the Pastor and I checked this man out of the facility, brought him to the church and baptized him in Jesus Name.

This gentleman is very aged, and suffering from senility to a degree. He was a helpless individual with no future to speak of. He could not dress himself or get around. Carrying on a conversation was difficult. His time left on Earth may be short. Yet he adamantly wanted to be baptized. He said he wanted all that God had for him.

As he went down in the water, he was focused on the process of holding his nose and breath. When he came out of the water, there was a pronounced change in the look of his countenance and he was emotionally stirred. He said “in the name of Jesus”. He was so happy, and quietly went with me back to the car for the ride back to the home. When I witnessed the change in this man, at the same moment a change occurred in me also.

He listened and obeyed the Word, just as a small child would. He simply accepted what he heard and obeyed.

I have had a good day not because everything is the same, but because everything is different.

I have constantly wondered how this man has been faring, and how the other residents are doing at the nursing home. I have stopped several times today and asked God to care for this man and his needs. I wonder right now how he has done today. I have known this man a total of 48 hours.

What, you may ask, is so profound?

God has answered a prayer today.

My heart is totally changed, completely switched around. I have not worried about work or bills or even food. But I have constantly been thinking about how our newest convert is faring. How the folks at the home are doing.

You might be curious about my mental state right now, but I am fine. Never better.

You see, I have been praying that God would open my heart and fill it with compassion and care for the lost as much as possible. I asked Him to let me “see with His eyes” when I look at people. Just one time, just so I can sense the need of people and feel a small portion of the love that God gives to us.

I now realize that God allowed me to meet this fellow at the nursing home, and help get him to the church, and He let me see the change in his life in order to let me “see”. It has taken me a day to figure it out, but there is no doubt. I cannot shake the feeling in my heart. I cannot get the image of that change in the face of this man out of my mind. I feel such an intense desire to go back and talk to each one of those folks in the home. To find out how they are doing. Is all well with them today?

I think I know to a small degree how God sees a lost soul, and how He is concerned. A small measure no doubt, but enough. I am changed forever.

Strength from Weakness. Unity from Diversity.

2008-08-19T21:19:00.003-05:00

As I sit here tonight thinking about the kingdom of God and my opportunity to be in it, I have decided that there is a strange connection between me and everyone else in the kingdom with me.

Consider that each of us is so different. I am a small person with a small life; I am not powerful or terribly skilled and I have no inheritance on this Earth. I am limited in thinking ability and vision; even though I have tried to expand my horizons, I am terribly limited.

I look to my left or right and I see similar people, entirely similar yet different. We all hail from wildly different backgrounds and have tasted defeat and shame and maybe only a little success as far as our society would estimate. Many of us have had the test of time upon us and have failing parts connected in the same fashion, while others have yet to taste time and run around with boundless energy with no particularly useful point in mind.

I have skin of a particular type, while my brother standing next to me has another type. He likes certain types of food, and I appreciate another. My musical tastes are not really quite like yours, I am certain. In the workplace this demographic can lead to small and isolated groups who do not work effectively.

So what is it that makes me want to find my place next to you in a worship service, work along side you in the Spanish ministry, toil to help in a kitchen or just encourage our neighbor? Why am I anxious if you miss a service and no one knows why?

Why do I concern myself that you are having a hard time with your rent, or that another of you has a child in trouble, or that young person over there is in need of a mentor? Why do I care that your Aunt has cancer and wake myself early in the morning to pray for this stranger?

How can such a mishmash of weak human diversity ever be used of God or be useful in the kingdom of God?

What causes us to work together in any way, small or large, to affect any thing in God’s plan to find the hurting and the halt? We are all wholly ineffectual taken alone.

Unity.

We are all tied together by the hope within us. We are all seeking the same thing. We all want to find God in our lives everyday so that we can hear Him say “well done”. We gladly throw ourselves at His feet, right next to each other, elbow to elbow, so that we can find His presence in our lives. “Where two or three are gathered together…”

He gives the weak strength.

He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength.
Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall:
But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with
wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint. (Isa. 40:29-31)

Inroducing...

2008-08-16T10:47:00.003-05:00

This is my grandson Joshua. I have shown this photo to everyone at church and at work who would hold still. Now I am providing this image to you so that you can see for yourself how engaging and charming my grandson must be. Resist if you can.

2008-08-03T15:43:00.008-05:00

For I am become like a bottle in the smoke; yet do I not forget thy statutes. Psalms 119:83.

During the days of the ancients, when traveling across the wilderness in search of pasture or water, the family resided in a woven goat-hair facility; a tent. Several scriptural references resort to simile and analogy based on the tent. When God spoke to Isaiah in chapter 40 verse 22 he was alluding to the phenomenon of seeing star-like points of light in the roof in the daylight, just as the stars are arrayed in the outside sky at night. This passage uses the and as a way to connect two statements conveying the same idea. So the sentence after the semicolon is repeated using synonyms:

It is he that sitteth upon the circle of the earth, and the inhabitants thereof are as grasshoppers; that stretcheth out the heavens as a curtain, and spreadeth them out as a tent to dwell in:

The goat-hair weave of the tent roof would keep out water because the fibers swell when wet. The roof would allow ventilation when dry and this was important as well.

Drinking water, milk or wine was kept in a skin with one end plugged, usually by a small end of a horn or other hard material. When inside the family home, the bottle hung from a tent pole, and inside the tent was an open fire. Since the tent was made of woven goat hair, no chimney was used. Often the top part of the tent was filled with smoke from the fire.

The animal skin would, over time, pick up the residue of the smoke that would ruin the taste of the fluids kept inside. Eventually, the skin would shrivel up and harden, becoming useless.

The day comes when you also seem pretty much useless. Having a bad day is a fairly common event for the “grasshoppers” that inhabit the earth. In fact, God writes that He sees our inability and remembers we are just “dust”.

There are many who suffer physical debilitation because of accident and aging. Disease can turn you into a useless “water skin” as far as the eye can tell. David knows this well. His statement in the title passage tells about his experience with the impact of the decay of a human body.

Remember God’s statutes. God is faithful to remember them. One of those statutes is important to remember when you feel like a smoke damaged water skin.

Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the LORD, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? there is no searching of his understanding.

He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength. (Isaiah 40:28,29)

The Psalmist is telling of the ruin that all people will have in life, yet he is encouraging you to maintain your integrity with God and remember “In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.” Sometimes, at the weakest points in our life, God makes even a small smile from you blow open the doors of hope for some hapless “grasshopper” without a chance for help in the whole world, because you exert HIS strength.

What, Wrong Already? Part 2

2008-07-25T07:45:00.003-05:00

The Orthodox Church (founded in the book of Acts of the Apostles) suffered attack immediately upon its formation. The Apostles worked with the churches scattered about the region by writing epistles which included an effort to refute and warn against this heretical attack on the doctrine of the Apostles. Sound doctrine was established by these letters and they have in turn informed us of the proper message to follow. There is very little of that “Orthodox” Church left in the modern religious world today. Most of modern religion espouses a corrupted and heretical theology when compared to the text of the N.T. There are churches who claim they are “Orthodox”, but the meaning of that word defies the application. The leaven of the Pharisees has had it's effect through the age of Christianity.

Any change in the way God related to man over the ages was initiated by God and not by man. When a change occurs, we are informed by the Word of God and not the whim of man. Changes that will occur in the future have already been described in the Bible for us so that we may know what to expect and how to respond accordingly.

That the post-apostolic writers were writing after the ancient language concepts had fallen from common usage is clear in this regard. They were writing from a Greek translation of the Biblical texts of their time and in a more modern societal frame of reference. As they were clearly not inspired of God to write these things, which try to change how God and man are to interface, we can regard the post-apostolic era as a theologically error-ridden period in which the history of man changed the face of Christianity through Greco-Roman logic, and law but did not improve our understanding of the true nature of God. Jesus also criticized the Pharisees of adding to the word of God and destroying the original traditions of the law by the uninspired legal rationalizations of the written Talmudic tradition (the mishna is the oral tradition). A large part of the hatred by the ruling Jews for Christians was this disregard for their Talmudic and kabalistic tradition. In this present age, any group who promotes the fundamental Apostles doctrine in the original form is likewise brought into disrepute and hatred.

Careful examination of the apostolic creed (initially published by an African lawyer, Tertullian) produced during this era, and those creeds written after it, show no concrete language at all. The words used are all abstract and give no real understanding in any basic way of who God is. It has led to confusion and great strife, not only among Protestants and Catholics, but within the Jewish religious community and individuals of Islamic background as well. The Torah of the Jews is clearly and rigorously monotheistic.

The passages from the Quran referring to Christianity and Jesus Christ describe great conflict with a theological construct formed in this post-apostolic age of un-enlightenment, the doctrine of the Triune Godhead. Several passages describe Mary, the mother of Jesus Christ, as if she were considered part of a pantheon of a triune Godhead. The passages demand that Islam should disregard this status and proclaim that she is a mortal only and that there is only one God: “And when Allah will say: O Isa [Jesus] son of Marium [Mary]! Did you say to men, "Take me and my mother for two gods besides Allah?" He [Jesus] will say: "Glory be to you, it did not befit me that I should say what I had no right to say.”(5:116). This is because these words in the Quran were written down about 500 years after the apostolic age, and the community of Christians in the town where the author of this book lived were already beyond the monotheistic point of view of the Apostles and well on the way to a dogma of intercession by Mary and the Triune or composite Godhead based on certain details of the Gnostic heresy.

The Roman Emperor Constantine had made the Trinitarian Godhead theology into Roman law in 325 A.D., about 200 years before the Quran was written. Islam is a strictly monotheistic culture and cannot align the concept of the trinity with their understanding of a single, all-powerful God.

Interestingly, a well known atheist of the 19th century, Friedrich Nietzsche, complained in a published philosophical treatise written as a refutation of the Trinity, that modern Christians did not understand their own God. He was actually ridiculing his father, a Lutheran bishop who professed the Trinitarian doctrine, by pointing out the confusion generated by a non-Biblical discussion of God in terms of this logic. Even this nihilistic philosopher and atheist understood that the logic of the post-apostolic age was corrupt and cannot truly represent the Godhead of the Bible. Many people today suffer from the illusion of a God of multiple personalities or even that Jesus is a descendant of God somehow and part of a pantheon of god-like personalities because of this post-apostolic logical analysis of the incarnation.

In 1669, Isaac Newton was appointed Lucasian Professor of Mathematics at the University of England (now called Trinity) in Cambridge. As a requirement of that office, Isaac Newton had to be an ordained minister of the Anglican Church.

Typical of Isaac Newton’s method, he was unaware of the details of that office and so read up on it. After completing his historical study to his satisfaction, Newton was prepared to resign his position at the university as he objected to the doctrine of the Trinity. He writes, “The doctrine of the Trinity is a fraud, perpetrated by lawyers and bishops in the third and fourth centuries.” As Newton was a devout Christian, he was prepared to be dismissed for this intransigence against the Church. He remained in that position only because he received special dispensation for his view of the Trinity. The following is an excerpt from “Wikipedia” a public domain encyclopedia: “… However, the terms of the Lucasian professorship required that the holder not be active in the church (presumably so as to have more time for science). Newton argued that this should exempt him from the ordination requirement, and Charles II, whose permission was needed, accepted this argument. Thus a conflict between Newton's religious views and Anglican orthodoxy was averted.” Isaac Newton was arguably the greatest mathematical genius ever known to man and clearly a very great natural philosopher. He was also able to ignore the common theology of the day and find out for himself what history had to say on the matter of religion in general and doctrine in particular. This required no genius, but the determined effort of a curious person. A careful study of post-apostolic history will provide anyone the necessary information required to allow the same conclusion about the development and application of the trinity concept.

Against Heresy

The Apostle Paul warned that no one should believe any new doctrines taught after the Apostles doctrine of the N.T. church that was already established: “But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed.” (Gal. 1:8) This was so important that it was given unusual emphasis by repeating the whole statement again. In Hebrew culture, repeating a statement is much like suggesting that the consequences of the statement are dire indeed. Paul is pointing out to the church Bishop that there will be no other acceptable gospel than that which had already been preached, and there will be no other doctrine that is acceptable for mankind if not identical with the Apostles doctrine preached in the book of the Acts. The gospel of salvation is not founded in any epistles of the N. T. and it was not preached to all men in the history of Jesus Christ found in Matthew, Mark, Luke, or John. That ministry was reserved for the Jewish nation only. Salvation’s plan for the Christian era was not revealed even in the forgiveness offered to the thief who was on the cross of crucifixion beside Jesus. Gospel salvation was preached to all men who seek entry into the kingdom of God only in the book of Acts in a plan following the words of Jesus requiring men to be born of the water and of the spirit. The post-apostolic modifications of N.T. theology are not acceptable, and to accept it, is to become accursed.

Any future changes in the relationship between man and God is carefully outlined in the Bible and does discuss the ending of the grace of God toward man. This change will occur just as God’s relationship with man changed at the flood, after the covenant with Abraham and after the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. We are to be prepared for that eventuality by accepting the grace of God now, for the change of this relationship with man is one of judgment. The wrath of God is turned from us at this time, but in the future sinful man will not be spared His wrath. The time for obedience to the plan of salvation to access the grace of God is now. The Bible declares that now is the day of salvation. (II Co. 6:2)

Passages in the Quran that refer to Jesus Christ:2:87; 2:136; 3:45-46; 3:54; 3:59; 4:156-58; 4:163; 4:171-72; 5:17; 5:46; 5:72-75; 5:110; 5:116; 9:30-31; 17:111; 19:20-22; 19:33-35; 19:88-92; 23:91; 43:59; 61:6; 61:14; 66:12; 2:253; 3:52; 3:84; 5:78; 23:50; 23:117; 33:7-8; 42:13; 43:57-64; 43:86; 57:27.

What, Wrong Already? Part 1

2008-07-19T16:18:00.007-05:00

Jesus Christ warned the disciples of a problem they would face from the current Jewish leadership. In Matthew 16:6, the voice of Jesus was recorded as saying “beware the leaven of the Pharisees!” What could this mean? The N.T. has a number of passages that refer to a doctrinal deviation called Gnosticism. This word, gnosis, is a Greek word that means literally “science”. The Gnostic heresy in Christianity is in reality a product of Jewish Kabalistic theology which emphasizes a non-human Messiah, asceticism, circumcision, monasticism, and Trinitarian relationships in the spiritual realm. Additionally, contact with God was to take place through a series of intermediates and not directly from human to God. These characteristic practices derive from a single point source in time and geography.

Timothy was warned by the Apostle Paul to avoid this type of speculation “O Timothy, keep that which is committed to thy trust, avoiding profane and vain babblings and oppositions of science falsely, so called.”(I Tim. 6:20). The Greek word for babbling is related to the Hebrew word tsaphaph translated as peeping (to whisper) and a related word, hagah translated as muttering (to murmur), in the O.T. Reference to this word relates to the idolatry of Israelites who followed the tradition of muttering to themselves to impress others with their skills of the divination of sprits:

And when they shall say unto you, Seek unto them that have familiar spirits, and unto wizards that peep, and that mutter: should not a people seek unto their God? for the living to the dead? (Isaiah 8:19)

One of the key practices other than worship and manipulation of Angels and spirits is the use of science-like but incorrect concepts to rationalize the spiritual world, including the heavens. According to Louis Berkhof, in his “History of Christian Doctrines”, this heresy of Christianity was a form of Jewish Christianity that was marked by theosophic speculations and strict asceticism. Further, he says that magic and astrology were practiced among them.” See also (Col 2:16-18).

Since Gnosticism held that the Messiah was not a human being, a warning was written to the those of the Christian faith of this theological feature as well: “And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world.” (I John 4:3). Clearly Gnosticism is an early heretical deviation of the early church.

Berkhof continues to discuss Jewish kabalism in that all schools of Christian Gnosticism were headed by Jewish scholars, and that Jewish kabalism underwent a morphological change into Christian Gnosticism. He refers to a strange mixture of Jewish and Christian doctrines as well as speculative heathen thought. This has been noted by others who recorded the history of Gnostic beginnings from Jewish Kabalism: The Jewish Encyclopedia, all editions; The Encyclopedia Britannica, 10th ed. 1910; Albert Pike, Morals and Dogma.

In his book “Israel, our duty our dilemma” Ted Pike writes of the effect of this influence: “If Gnosticism, then, is a Jewish creation as the Jewish Encyclopedia insists, we are forced to conclude that the Pharisees introduced an element of confusion into Christian theology which we still have not emerged from”. The connection with Babylon is important as the triune gods of the Hindu religion were dominant there during the Jewish captivity. In fact, many triads of spiritual entities exist within the ancient religions springing from history at this time in Babylon. The only exception to this was the monotheistic Israelites who were part of the ten percent of the nation that was released from captivity. Of this fraction, a number were very much influenced by the heathen religious world of Babylon and eventually developed in to the kabalistic movement.

As it turns out, the Pharisees are those who practiced kabalistic theology in the time of the Messiah on Earth. This is why they were the bitter enemies of Jesus Christ. They also held that The Messiah would not be a man, but a spirit transformed as some non-corporeal entity. When Jesus claimed to be the Messiah, He was throwing doubt on their particular view of the spiritual universe.

It seems clear that a reference to Babylon the Great in the book of Revelations is focused on this point of heresy: “And upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.” (Rev. 17:5) This reference to a harlot is the phraseology of the O.T. when speaking of the problem of Israel falling into false religion, i.e. the whoredoms of Israel. Clearly, false religion is related to the city of Babylon, the ancient home of the captive Jews, and the spawning ground of false perceptions of God.

An Open Door...

2008-06-09T06:02:00.003-05:00

When I was a teenager, my family moved to a farming community in Missouri for a time. I had lived my whole life in the city in California, and I understood grapes and peaches and wheat from a distance, but had never worked in produce myself.

When we later lived on the farm, I wanted to plant a garden, vegetables not flowers, and I worked hard to till the ground and plant the seed. Did you know that the hardest thing to do is realize that it takes a lot of time for a seed to start growing? It takes a whole season for the seed to germinate, poke up through the ground and then begin to develop into a sturdy plant that can handle rain and wind, and still come to age where it produces the fruit you expected a week after you planted.

There were days I felt like tearing up one just to see what in the world was taking so long!

Eventually though, the little plants would appear and growth could be measured. You had the faith then to know you would be eating of this garden and that all the work you invested was worth it. But the first time you plant a garden, it seems almost forever before you can see it growing.

I have recently seen growth in my church that amazes me because it has seemed forever that some young person was so immature and worthless and unable to do anything, and I worried about the future of the church because that young person is part of the future church. I would be sitting in the church as an oldster while they ministered in service! Boy, how is that person going to be able to do that in the shape they are in?

I thought about this several times throughout the last few years. I thought that about my own children, too. I thought that about me; what can I do like this God? How am I supposed to work in the kingdom while I am still trying to figure things out myself?

Well, I am amazed in what I see. Strong sturdy burdened workers where before there was just a lazy or troubled kid. Leadership in the most unlikely places is popping up out of the ground. God has been developing some seeds into tough stalks that can withstand the wind and the rain and still produce fruit!

Rev 3:8 I know thy works: behold, I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it: for thou hast a little strength, and hast kept my word, and hast not denied my name.

The time has come when vision is to be executed. God has given vision, and we have struggled to understand how that can come to pass. I am amazed at the workings of the Almighty to bring to pass that which He promised. Everything is popping up out of the ground ready for the task at hand; the task of the end-time; the task of the harvest.

A door is open, and we are to go through it. How? By listening and waiting for the leadership God has provided, by praying and listening to God’s voice; by study and careful watching for opportunity.

There is an open door before us, what lies beyond is the burden of your heart. For me, it is a harvest of souls white and ready. For you it may be a mission field, a calling to the ministry, or a desire to stand in the gap for those who cannot or a combination of the above. Whatever the burden of your heart, the door is open.

Changes are going to take place in your life, and you will not recognize yourself in the near future. You will change to the purpose God has for you. You will be doing things you never felt able to do, and your desire will change to the task before you.

God has opened a door and no man can shut it. It is time for work.

What if I do not want to go through the door? What if I just want to sit on the pew like I have for twenty years and be preached to and go home and fix dinner and live like I have always lived?

Let me tell you that you will not stay the same. Not going through that door causes God to re-position you. Maybe there will be another door in your future, but you have not helped yourself.

Jeremiah was a prophet to Israel, and He had the sad job of foretelling for Israel the result of not going through the door. This passage sums up the whole chapter:

Jeremiah 8:20 The harvest is past, the summer is ended, and we are not saved.

The one positive event that took place in Jeremiah’s day was the great end-time revival. The one positive event that we anticipate is a great end-time revival and a harvest of souls.

There is a harvest, white and ready. The door in your life is opening, go through it. When God opens a door, no one will shut it; be not discouraged or afraid, but proceed with the confidence that God has grown you to this task, for such a time as this.

The Asian Churches

2008-06-02T21:23:00.005-05:00

The second and third books of Revelation were written for our edification in the area of spiritual growth, or the lack thereof. Each of these churches is described allegorically, providing us with information about how Jesus sees the church (and the person in the church) and what remedy for the particular problem might be. Each of these churches are described so that the person can envision success if the remedy is followed. One church, the Philadelphia Church, has the best situation as far as salvation is concerned. This church will be an exception from the appointed suffering of tribulation coming on the world in the last days, because they had not denied the Name of Jesus.

This is the subject of discussion, what it means to deny the name of Jesus, and what consequences there might be as a result. It is not as it seems, and it is done very commonly in the church today. Many people suffer form this Laodicean spirit.

The Laodicean church is the actual focus of this discussion because it is here that we learn of the conditions and inferences that surround the rest of the church descriptions. A little history and geography will help because the words used by the Revelator are allegorical and idiomatic.

The book of Colossians refers to Laodicea a number of times, referring to several people in that city nearby to Colossae, eleven miles away. This is in present day Turkey, but was at that time a Roman city. These cities were supplied water from springs; the hot springs at nearby Hierapolis and the pure cold water of Colossae are well known. The archeology of the area shows Laodicea had an aqueduct that carried water from hot mineral springs some five miles south, which would have become cooler, of course, before entering the city.

This is an allegory that people understand well. Who would want to drink tepid water? Being spiritually lukewarm therefore is a bad thing. Hot water has a purpose, it can carry energy to the tissues for increasing healing and relaxing muscles, and very little harmful bacteria would thrive in it. Cold water is great for drinking, and bacterial bloom would be minimal or zero. It should taste great. Spiritual states hot and cold are preferable. Why would they be preferable?

A bacterial bloom occurs when the conditions of high oxygen content and warm temperatures exist. The count of bacterial cells per unit volume of water becomes significant, and the waste products of the bacteria produce a foul smell and a bad taste. So this water supply to Laodicea could be pretty foul smelling and tasting. Therefore, when you drink of that water, you spew it out of your mouth because of the taste.

3:14 And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God;
3:15 I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot.
3:16 So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.

According to Strabo there was a medical school in this very wealthy city, where a famous ophthalmologist practiced. The city also lies within the boundaries of ancient Phrygia, from where an ingredient of eye-lotions, the so-called 'Phrygian powder', was supposed to have originated. Therefore the references in these scriptures have particular import not only to those who were in that church at that time, but would be unmistakable to us, far in the future.

3:17 Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked:

The nakedness and lack of wealth speaks of the spiritual destitution of this body of people. Surely it does not refer to the lack of finances and clothing for these people of such a wealthy city. The Jewish population of the church alone would have cared for this destitute state of the people if they were able. Why are they naked and destitute?

An idiom is a phrase that says one thing but means another thing and is built upon common knowledge of the time. This is important to know because it is very prevalent in both the Old Testament and the New Testament.

The concept of nakedness comes from an Old Testament referent. To “see the nakedness” is a Hebrew idiom that means “to have a relationship with a man’s wife” or to expose and take advantage of the other internal secrets of a family’s weakness.Ultimately, it results in an interruption of the proper authority and organization of the family. The Bible says the wife of a man is his “covering”. Uncovering a man’s nakedness was referring to a an illicit relationship with his spouse. This was an abomination to God and represents, as an idiom used in Revelations, the decadence or the destruction of the family. This happened to Noah with Ham, Jacob with Rueben and Lot with his daughters. In each case horrendous family circumstance ensued.

The Laodicean family was fragmented and facing destruction. The fabric of family life was becoming frayed because a particular component was missing.

The words “poor and wretched, and miserable” in the literal sense mean: “having weak faith, the inability to survive trials and temptations, and the inability to learn from chastisements and rebukes”.

From these translations we are now able to understand these symptoms of the Laodicean spirit. The remedy is given in verse 18:

“I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see.”

This is a clear dichotomy that is intensified by the allegorical statements. Contrasting to “poor” is “faith” as gold tried in the fire, nakedness with the “white raiment” of the sinless saint, and eye salve as the healing balm of Gilead found in the blood of the sacrifice which gives back sight of the spiritual sort; the ability to see your need.

How does this happen? The answer is in the name.
Laodicea is translated form the Greek words laos (of the people) and dikio (to rule).
The translation literally means “the rule by the people”.
The destruction starts when the authority of God and the ministry is subverted in the mind of a person. This is denying the Name of Jesus.

Ways that denying the authority of Jesus can occur:
1. Rationalization- this is not my sin
2. I am like this, just ignore me
3. I am not wrong, I am just misunderstood. That preacher is not talking about me. I am fine.

What is the authority of God? The Philadelphia church knew it- the name of Jesus Christ. Adam was required to name all things on the Earth to give him authority over everything on the Earth. God named the Earth and the Universe (he even calls the stars by name)and holds authority over them. When you gave your heart to God at the altar, you gave him authority over you, as you took on his name in baptism. The Laodicean spirit removes that authority of that name-you deny the name of Jesus.

God was telling the Laodiceans exactly the same thing he was telling Jerusalem-

“O Jerusalem Jerusalem, how oft would I have gathered you together as a hen does her chicks, but you would not”

Jesus said He came to save that which was lost: was that not everyone? No it was not. Some could not be saved for they did not know they were lost. This is the spirit of Laodicea, to remove the ability of Jesus to address the sin in your life. A single hidden sin will keep you from heaven.

Rev 3:19 As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.

Zealous: careful to miss nothing. David prayed that God would search his heart for the hidden errors. To be zealous here requires that you are certain everything is out of your heart, and every sin is repented. Holding a grudge, bitterness, or other interpersonal issues are very common. These will give rise to a denial of the Holy Ghost to remove them, and God cannot forgive them without your authority to do so. You need to re-negotiate the covenant to begin the process of repentance. You must request exposure by God before He can save you.

Luke warm then is a condition that prevents conviction from working for you. You cannot be saved if you do not know you are wrong or do not believe you are wrong. You cannot be convicted if you have the attitude that "I am o.k."

If you are not worried about your heart when you pray, as any person should be(work out your own salvation with fear and trembling), and you are not backslid (cold-you know you need to pray and the Holy Ghost can then convict you as in the Ephesus church), you should examine yourself and pray for God to reveal to you the hidden errors, the things which will condemn you because you do not know they are there. Seek His face, be zealous, repent and be saved.

Rev 3:20 Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.

You must open the door, You must hear, before you can recover form the Laodecian spirit.

Blasphemy

2008-05-15T12:52:00.003-05:00

In ancient times the outstretched right arm was an emblem of authority while the shortness of the arm or hand spoke of authority that had been diminished and extended only to a certain point. King Artaxerxes eventually reigned over an empire that was so far reaching that he was named "Artaxerxes Longimanus" which means long-handed, because the far reaching boundaries of his empire encompassed the known world.

It was common custom that a king would reduce the reach of his right hand after a covenant or concession to a neighboring kingdom was made, thus showing that he was willingly reducing his authority and strength over that land and people.

There are over sixty references to the right hand of God in the O.T. and the N.T. Many of these references are specific. In many cases they refer to the strength of God to save, heal, provide, and to destroy.

It is important to differentiate between the left and right hand. For instance, Ecclesiastes 10:2 says:
“A wise man's heart is at his right hand; but a fool's heart at his left.”

thus indicating a real difference in import between the two.

samal Left. The left hand represents wickedness and a resource of diminished strength and ability. The left hand is the hand utilized for functions considered impolite to discuss. One who was left handed was considered a wicked person, and use of the left hand was discouraged (and is still discouraged) in children. The text of the Hebrews and other cultures of ancient derivation are read from right to left because the result of the tools used to write in the clay or stone were observed best when writing in that direction. It was difficult to have precision when using the left hand on the tool. It is also interesting to note that in the ancient script, the word “left” begins with the letter “sin”

The “right hand” is translated form the ancient word yamiyn:
Right: The right hand or the direction of the right hand.
This word literally means toward the south. Because east is the principle cardinal direction, when facing east this implies the right side points to the south. The correct translation is, since this is “toward the south”, is the right side. This word is a child root of miyn. All child roots share the basic meaning of the parent root from which they derive. Child root formation is to produce grammatical changes such as gender, verb tense, nouns, and pronouns form the parent verb.

The parent root miyn is defined as: action of verb form: Firm concrete concept: Kind abstract meaning: Sure: The pictograph of mem is a picture of water or other liquid such as blood, the nun is a picture of a seed representing continuance. Combined these mean "blood continues" and gives the meaning of strength through the blood. Each species (kind) continues by passing its blood to the following generation, which comes from the parent.

Another child root of this word is aman which is literally to be firm like a pillar commonly translated as faithful.

The Biblical reference to the strength of the Right Hand is a common idiomatic phrase in Hebrew writing meaning “enough strength to accomplish any task and a continuing supply of it”.

It is important theologically and doctrinally in that this phrase is used to describe Jesus Christ. Many assume it means that Jesus is in heaven seated next to the Father, this is completely wrong. There is no other referent anywhere in the Bible that suggests there is a physical seat next to the throne, or that there could be anyone seated there. This word, throne, is also idiomatic and refers to the seat of power and authority. To have a second one would diminish the authority of the actual throne, and this contravenes the Bible which states emphatically that all authority in heaven and Earth is given unto Jesus. This would then be a complete contradiction in the bible.

The right hand of God, as it applies to Jesus Christ, must mean that He is the holder of all the power and authority of God in himself. Jesus is not seated next to the Father in heaven as the Bible declares he is the Father.

An example of that power in His right hand is related in that situation where the Apostle found himself in a stormy sea:

Mat 14:30-32 But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me.
And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?
And when they were come into the ship, the wind ceased.

The power to heal was in His hand as well:

Mar 1:41 And Jesus, moved with compassion, put forth his hand, and touched him, and saith unto him, I will; be thou clean.

Jesus used this physical expression of reaching out the hand indicating that there is no limit to His authority, and He can grant forgiveness, and has power over death. To the Jewish leaders this was a blasphemous thing, using this physical expression and thus identifying Himself as the Almighty.

Mat 26:64-65 Jesus saith unto him, Thou hast said: nevertheless I say unto you, Hereafter shall ye see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven.
Then the high priest rent his clothes, saying, He hath spoken blasphemy; what further need have we of witnesses? behold, now ye have heard his blasphemy.

The High Priest was charging Jesus with blasphemy because he made himself God. How did he say that? Jesus was claiming to be the right hand of God.

Self-Deception

2008-05-12T09:03:00.003-05:00

Dignity in humans involves the earning or the expectation of personal respect or esteem - Wikipedia, a public domain encyclopedia.

As a member of the faculty at a University, I must represent the discipline of my trade in a dignified manner. It is a requirement of all who teach the public that they hold themselves in a position of dignity, that is, to expect to receive the acknowledgment of their students as experts and authorities in a particular discipline. Without this respect or esteem, it is impossible to impart the difficult lessons required to master a subject. Our classrooms would be full of chaos, and students would become argumentative rather than carefully listening and learning. In essence, dignity is a status requirement for any professor who is successful at teaching. This may have been earned, or it may be false, but it is essential and is part of the training received while earning the recognition of a University to teach and practice a discipline.

You can have false dignity because you are not really competent at a job and are merely pretending to be an authority, or you have a false illusion of your ability and character which can lead to a rise in arrogance and self deceit. In any case, dignity is a pretense. Perception is a powerful tool as it can discount even the most obvious facts in the minds of people and lead them away from reality. It is a form of falsehood that is portrayed by your actions.

In society one must hold others in esteem or in a dignified manner when certain events transpire. Funerals are the best example of dignity in action. The staff of a funeral establishment respects the privacy and rights of the family and of the deceased in order to alleviate certain psychological problems associated with grieving. To be dignified is to act or strive to be esteemed worthy of special consideration and attention. The staff must regard the family members as people who are dignified. This allows the family to accept respect from the staff in a subtle way. The family can grieve openly without fear of insult or other offensive responses from those around them, and this environment must be nurtured by the funeral staff so that emotional healing might take place in the family members who are left behind to grieve. This is a mark of professionalism in the funeral staff.

The word dignity however is not really a positive thing. For instance, when the Chaldeans were given power to overcome Israel as a judgment for giving themselves over to evil, the prophet Habakkuk utilized this word dignity in a fashion that gives an impression of disdain or disgust:

Behold ye among the heathen, and regard, and wonder marvelously: for I will work a work in your days, which ye will not believe, though it be told you.
For, lo, I raise up the Chaldeans, that bitter and hasty nation, which shall march through the breadth of the land, to possess the dwelling places that are not theirs.
They are terrible and dreadful: their judgment and their dignity shall proceed of
themselves.And they shall scoff at the kings, and the princes shall be a scorn unto them: they shall deride every stronghold; for they shall heap dust, and take it. (Habakkuk 1:2-7, 10)

These Chaldeans are an arrogant and self-centered lot with only one goal in mind. They are dignified by their own evaluation, but not upon any success or worthy attribute. They are characterized as bitter and hasty and regard no other authority but their own. These are not positive attributes, but they are the attributes of a spirit that allows us to think of ourselves in a way that produces dignity in us. These attributes will show up in any person with a dignified mindset. Even earned dignity will allow a person to react negatively to authority if they believe in their own right to do so.

A further example of the negative connotation of dignity is found in Ecclesiastes 10:5, 6:

There is an evil which I have seen under the sun, as an error which proceedeth from the ruler: Folly is set in great dignity, and the rich sit in low place.

This is interpreted as accepting dignity as an important measure of a person, while success marks a person as undesirable. We see this twisted thinking very often in the world of today, and this is a trend associated with an ungodly mindset and lifestyle which intends to bring only pleasure and happiness from that lifestyle. The prophet called this behavior folly.

The history of European Elizabethan civilization suggests that dignity was held as the great social attainment of the times. If you were of lowly descent and poor, as long as you held yourself in a dignified way, you were acceptable. It is common in British folklore that a true citizen of Britain would hold dignity dear unto death and not waver from the fixed heart and set jaw so as to face their death square on. This is the form of the hero mindset in the UK, even today. This is also typical of many modern societies.

Present society relies on dignity to differentiate between acceptable public social behavior and that which is derived from a crass and diminished person. If you do not behave in a dignified manner, you may be considered socially unacceptable. If you do not follow this norm of behavior in our society, you become uncomfortable around those who value it to the point of being personally alienated and uncomfortable.

The Bible holds a somewhat different viewpoint of dignity; it seems dignity is not something to be coveted or nurtured.

Why would such a useful social context be so negative in the Bible? A look at the definition of the Hebrew word for dignity (marom) is very revealing. It means lifted to a height to deceive or to be deceived. Dignity can deceive those who observe it in others, and most often the person who portrays dignity is deceived in their own mind!

When Israel began to drift from the righteousness of the law, they moved the sacrificial worship from the temple to the high places (so that travel to the temple was not necessary!). The high places were historically used for the worship of gods who reside in the heavens and other idolatrous figures. The deception for the people of Israel came about because it seemed that the worship was correct, it was just done in a different place, that’s all. Later, the method of the sacrifice became further corrupted until it became the worship of false gods.

A person who possesses great dignity is very often operating under self deception. They may have a wrong self image, or they may have had a success which leads them to believe incorrectly about their own abilities and merit or other personal or self-obtained characteristics. In any case this is a personal attribute to be shunned for a Christian.

A particular reason to avoid dignity on a personal level is because of self-deception. When we worship God, people are to be wholly dependent upon His will and not their own. Dignity is a way of exerting personal will, and leads to false worship, or otherwise hinder worship. You excuse yourself from demonstrations of worship because that just isn’t acceptable for a person of your status and responsibility. You can easily express concern about those who may run laps around the building, or dance in the aisle in a spirit of worship and regard them as being un-dignified. They are indeed un-dignified in a social context, and rightly so, for the Lord of heaven requires us to forfeit our pride, dignity, and self aggrandizement in order to place Him above us. When people exhibit restraint in worship for this reason, they hide themselves from Him. This is the same response that Adam and Eve had in the garden after they sinned. You hold back our worship in order to prevent someone recognizing you as un-dignified because internally you feel that we deserve to be dignified.

Nothing could be further from the truth. A Christian should lay no claim to dignity because the essence of being a Christian is to be a servant (of low esteem in society) and completely dependent upon His ability to allow us to exist in the kingdom of God. We have absolutely no saving merit at all of our own effort and ability in the kingdom of God.

The spirit of antichrist is the one which elevates above God. It belongs to the spirit of self-will and to the opponents of the kingdom of God. It is a very dangerous attribute for a Christian.

A Christian must recognize that dignity is the antithesis of Christianity. It is in fact the spirit of antichrist (opponent to the Messiah) to be of dignified demeanor for some personal reason. The scripture states this by the Hebrew word translated as dignity. It means a high place, a place to deceive or beguile, and is the attitude of those who resist God. The concept of being lifted up in any way, except by God, is to be elevated above God. An individual cannot afford to let this spirit into the heart or it will lead to personal destruction.

For many deceivers are entered into the world, who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist.(II John 1:7)

Worship of God is a sign of obedience and allegiance to Him. You must not refrain from whole hearted worship, regardless of how uncomfortable you feel. If you are so uncomfortable that you cannot openly rejoice and worship, then there may be something deceiving you. Search your heart and ask God to reveal to you any and all deception so that you can freely worship God. Pray for conviction. David said it best:

Who can understand his errors? Cleanse thou me from secret faults. (Psalms 19:12)

An example of righteousness refusing to obtain dignity is King David who was dancing before the Ark of the Covenant as it was returned to Israel. His dance was so undignified that his wife was offended. Why would David do such a thing? Because he was giving God his best worship, indicating to God that he was completely obedient to Him and dependant upon Him. The only way for a King to show the people and God that he was completely sold out to God was to dance before God and the people with an undignified, whole hearted dance in worship; something a king would never do. The word that is translated “fear before the lord” in this passage is “Khaool Kaheel” which literally means to twirl or dance about in a circular motion. It was in David’s heart to love God, and he wanted God to know that this was everything he had to give. David knew that God had already given him everything else!

It may be possible to be a dignified person and get to heaven, but you must leave that aside when it comes time to worship God. A side effect of the dignity involved in keeping employment is to bring your dignity to the house of the Lord and you may begin to believe it. Resist the tendency to regard yourself as something you really are not and search regularly to notice when this may be occurring. Then, throw your dignity to the wind, as it can become the spirit of Antichrist within you, and then begin to worship the Lord with all your heart. Like David, we must worship with everything we have; it is what God wants from us. God responds to the meek, the contrite, and the lowly and returns to them joy and peace. The only thing God seeks is people on Earth who will worship Him in spirit and in truth.

Rabboni

2008-05-06T05:59:00.009-05:00

John 20:15,16
Jesus saith unto her, Woman, why weepest thou? whom seekest thou? She, supposing him to be the gardener, saith unto him, Sir, if thou have borne him hence, tell me where thou hast laid him, and I will take him away.
Jesus saith unto her, Mary. She turned herself, and saith unto him, Rabboni; which is to say, Master.

In the day of Jesus, the term Rabbi was common as a reference to individuals of respect and authority who were teachers of the law. In Hebrew the word is “Ravi” (pronounced Rahbee) and the Greek form is Hrabbi. They both mean “my Master” or “my Teacher”.

There were three levels of this terminology. Rabbi is actually a term of intermediate level used much as the degree levels in America for an education: Bachelor, Master, and Doctor. The terms were developed about 30A.D. and Gamaliel was the first in history to own this title.

The first level of title is Rav (Rab) meaning “Master”. Derived form Babylonian custom, This was bestowed upon a man who had been anointed by the laying on of hands in the rabbinic school.

The next level bestowed was from Palestinian custom: The teacher was sat upon a high stool above the people and then through elaborate ceremony, given a scroll, and a key that was worn about the neck that was also buried with the teacher upon death. The key represented the authority of the Master teacher, and the scroll represented his devotion and ability in his studies. The teacher was now called “Rabbi”.

The third an highest level was the Title “Rabboni”(Rabonee)which means “My Great Master”. The difference between the two highest titles was with respect to Disciples: a Rabbi was expected to have Disciples who followed him. These Disciples were expected to help recruit other Disciples. A Rabbi who had seen the second Generation of his Disciples was called Rabboni “My great Master”.

In the passage above Jesus was speaking to a woman who had no good reputation among the people, even among the Disciples of Jesus she was treated poorly. She was looked down upon by other women, and scorned for her lifestyle. She was woman who was vilified for her low social status.

Jesus received this woman without the negative treatment given her by all others. He placed upon her a special status. It was this woman who was given the part of seeing Jesus first after His ascension. It was this woman who discovered the missing body, was spoken to by the Angel, and then spoke to Jesus first. It was this woman who received the truth of the newly resurrected Lord, and therefore forever superseded the privilege of all of the women and Disciples in that it was her lot to know before all humanity what had happened to Jesus who had given her life, and whom she loved.

It was this woman who referred to Jesus as “Rabboni”, a form of honor and respect that went beyond the title used by all others. She was claiming the place of a second generation Disciple, the hallmark of which would be love, adoration and highest respect and honor along with special privilege. She worshiped the Lord out of the love and acceptance that drove her to follow Him.

Just like Mary Magdalene, when we “discover” the Great Teacher we are made a part of that second generation of Disciples. We become a worshiper, a lover of the Lord because He saved us and gave us a special status that we did not deserve.

Herein is the source of our love of the Lord, that while we were yet in our sins He loved us (read IJohn 4:19)

The Good Shepherd

2008-04-29T06:28:00.002-05:00

This morning during prayer I was interrupted. I was told to be quiet and listen. This happens infrequently, so I had to work at being still.

It was not my wife, or the kids, or even the dog. It was not the telephone. I was told to write. I was given words to write, and the courage to write them. I believe this will be for someone, and will help them through the present times of trial. It has certainly helped me.

When Jesus called His disciples they were a young group each having a particular role in life that was suddenly changed for them. There was something in them that Jesus wanted to use, and He does not make mistakes. Each of the Disciples was personally trained by God over time. He taught them, and they were confused so He opened their understanding. They eventually came to the place where they received the Holt Ghost, and suddenly things made sense to them. The New Testament was written by them when they were much older and much wiser and much more experienced. What they wrote about happened to them many years before they wrote.

Jesus looked at these men on the other side of the blood. He saw the future in them; He invested in them the future of the church. After the Holy Ghost fell, they became the leadership of the church in the whole world. The largest, the smallest, the Jewish and the Gentile churches. It is still the same today.

These men had particular styles and talents and skills and wisdom, but none of that was what caused God to appoint them to the leadership of His flock. They all developed these things more through the years, true enough, but initially it was something in their character. They all understood the necessity for the day to day dependence on God to help them and those they led. They understood the burden of Jesus for the lost. They were political, stubborn, willful humans with all the same problems we face today. But they learned through the Holy Ghost to listen for God’s will to do the things they must.

When the prophet prayed for rain, he had to return to do so seven times before God answered his prayer. It was not that God did not hear the first prayer, but that Elijah had to pray until the prayer was right. That is, he prayed until his will was finally the same as God’s will. I believe that Elijah did not really want the rain, because he was the one who prayed that it would stop. He wanted to punish some more, He was not satisfied that the enemy had suffered enough. But he kept praying until God changed his tune. Then the clouds formed and the rains came.

There are certain things that a Pastor must have. Like the Disciples, these must be present. It is not great wisdom; it is not the skills of a silver tongued orator. It is not a cyclopedic knowledge, or the diplomatic skill of a statesman. It is character, a burden, and the practice of seeking God’s will everyday for everything. All of these other things are great, and come with time to all good Pastors, but they are icing on the cake, so to speak.

I have had over the last 36 years, the privilege of being shepherded by great men of God. They were not supermen, a number of them were men of simple background and means. But they had the ingredients that were essential to greatness. They had character, morals, attitude, and a great burden for the soul. They were willing to hurt my feelings to preserve my spirit. They were willing to sacrifice a great deal to obtain the freedom of one more soul. They taught consistently and without fear or favor. What I have become is their fault. Most have passed on, and those did not see me at this point in my life. They only prayed and taught and struggled for a future they knew was important. They were Great men of God. When I was a stubborn loudmouthed nuisance, they asked me to help make peanut brittle. When I was brand new in the Holy Ghost they put me on a door to door witnessing team. When I hurt, they prayed for me. My poor life did not daunt them in their task. They saw me on the other side of the blood.

There is a passage of scripture where the church is admonished to avoid certain things. The Bible called it “itching ears”. Let me explain something: itching ears is a trait all humans will fall prey to without constant vigilance and prayer. It is the Christmas list of “what I want most”. Self-indulgence in building the comfortable environment for me to live in is what this refers to. There is a tendency in people to build a list if things you would like to have different “next time”. If you had your way, you would “fix this” so it would be more to your liking. When people heap to themselves teachers “having itching ears”, meaning their ears not the teachers, they are out of the will of God. They have arranged the future by bringing together those things that they want. We always want what we want, that is our nature. What the Apostle was warning of was caving in to the desire to arrange your circumstances to your liking, rather than following the plan of God.

When praying, realize that you must pray for your will to become God’s will. You cannot be responsible to pick and chose what you need on your own, because you do not know what you need. God has a plan. You need to pray until you understand and can accept what that plan is.

God will not leave you to fall apart and He will help you if you will obey this one simple thing. Pray seven times if you have to; fast a much as is needed, but remain humble before God until you have His will. If you fail to do this one thing, you will prevent God’s will. God does not rule the kingdom with an iron fist. You can willfully decide against God’s will and prevent Him from providing what you need. This is why it is important to pray until you understand God’s will. Making decisions based on human wisdom can curtail or completely prevent God.

Do not set parameters for God to operate within. He is perfectly able to bring about what is needed if you allow Him.

I have been a professor for over twenty years. I know how to make the learning process work, and a number of degrees that provide me with skills and knowledge. I have a resume “longer than your arm”. All of these things matter when I am trying to obtain a job as a professor. All of these things are unimportant for the work in the kingdom of God. God qualifies those whom He calls. Wisdom that comes from God is hugely more important than carnal wisdom. Following His leading makes a Pastor sound like the Good Shepherd.

A man with a burden for your soul, who loves you, is a million times more important than a good entertainer or the most organized and proficient business manager. If he cannot sing or play an instrument or is not handsome, that is no disadvantage. If he can pray and touch God, if he will “trim you down” when you need it, if he will preach without fear or favor, then that is the one who sounds like the Good Shepherd.

When God Turns the Page...

2008-04-23T16:34:00.002-05:00

Recent events in my life have prompted me to evaluate changes that are occurring for myself, my family, and my church. From the beginning of the year, it has become abundantly obvious that many changes will occur for many people in the months ahead. I have not witnessed so many deaths among the saints in my life as have come about in the last four months. Personal challenges and fiery trials have been abundant in the last four months. Physical and emotional stress is greater than ever.

After an accident three months ago, for the first several weeks, I spent time near death where only God and I were in conversation. It was a unique and profound period of time, and I have learned a great thing from God through it all. He has given me a great gift. For three months I have suffered without my voice, and always whispering with pain. Yet, I have grown spiritually more than even I am aware of just yet. A page has turned in my walk with God, and I am forever changed by it.

I am reminded of the prophetic words of Jesus Christ when talking of the last days “everything that can be shaken will be shaken”. I am convinced we are faced with the attempts of the adversary to sift us as wheat.

This series of unfortunate events have most recently been punctuated with the resignation of my Pastor. This man, who has been my friend for only five years but has had more impact on me than any one else I have been privileged to know, has finally been discovered by the District in which he ministers as the finest and most reliable man for the job. He was elected away from us, and we are left with no doubt among us that he will succeed famously. It is the hand of God in his life. A page has turned in this life journey for him.

I am very proud of my friend, my Pastor for the last few years. He leaves behind, however, a great vacuum that will not easily be filled. I am certain that there is no other like him. I know of no person in my church family who feels differently. A page has turned in our church, and the story must go on. We will have another Pastor, and we will learn his voice too; his name is written on the next page.

How much more can a person take? Has Job found his associates in misery among us, Gods people of the latter days? I am comforted in all of this because Jesus prayed for us. How can we falter, worry or be afraid? If God be on our side, who can be against us?

We have to keep changing. We must try to read the next page, and let the story of our lives continue. It is a hard thing, but God never intended for us to be static, just as He is not static.

After pondering the events and results of the recent past, I am forced to concede that it is a net gain for us all. Even though it might sound absurd to the fair thinkers in this world, I am certain that what has transpired has served to bring us all so much closer to the needs and effects of the kingdom of God. While we are in a revival state, and many are gaining ground in a spiritual walk, I believe this is much more than your usual spurt of revival feelings. This has a “permanent” feel to it. The page is turning for my city.

I think the page is turning for everyone on planet Earth.

The Prophets

2008-04-14T00:54:00.002-05:00

And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her Seed; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise His heel." (Genesis 3:15)

This is the curse against Satan, given to promise a redeemer who would be born of a woman and further, the redeemer would be an individual man. It was not the seed of Adam mentioned here, but of Eve. There is an interesting point to be inferred from this passage. Jesus was the only man who was born of a woman, but not of a man. The Holy Ghost “overshadowed” Mary and she conceived without the normal assistance of a male counterpart:

But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, (Gal. 4:4)

Jesus had his heel crushed at the crucifixion (he was no longer able to walk upon the Earth as a mortal), but Satan had his head crushed at the same time. The phrase “crush the head” is a phrase that means to “remove the authority”: “And the God of peace will crush Satan under your feet shortly…”Romans (16:20). After Jesus died on the cross, he descended into Hell and removed the authority of Satan to sequester souls there. Jesus triumphed over Death, Hell, and the Grave before he returned to face the disciples as the ascended Jesus. This victory over death was prophesied by Isaiah:

He will swallow up death in victory; and the Lord GOD will wipe away tears from off all faces; and the rebuke of his people shall he take away from off all the earth: for the LORD hath spoken it. (Isaiah 25:8)

The enmity placed between the woman and Satan means “warfare” or a “battle”. The war is between her seed, Jesus Christ and those who follow him, and Satan’s seed, fallen man.

Ancient Rabbinic Judaism regarded this passage in Genesis 3 as Messianic. The Targum Pseudo-Jonathan (Ginsburger, 1903), otherwise known as the Jerusalem Targum in medieval times, refers to this event specifically. An excerpt from the Targum Pseudo-Jonathan spells out the Jewish perspective of this war:
"And it shall be that when the sons of the woman study the Torah diligently and obey its injunctions, they will direct themselves to smite you on the head and slay you; but when the sons of the woman forsake the commandments of the Torah and do not obey its injunctions, you will direct yourself to bite them on the heel and afflict them. However, there will be a remedy for the sons of the woman, but for you, serpent, there will be no remedy. They shall make peace with one another in the end, in the very end of days, in the days of the King Messiah."

Of course, the promised seed descended through Abraham, and the prophecy regarding that promised son to Abraham announces some attributes of the role of the Messiah. About 400 years after the flood God called Abraham (then called Abram) out of the city of Ur of the Chaldees, and into the wilderness where the prophetic promises were established between Abraham and God: “I will bless those who bless you, and I will curse him who curses you; and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed." (Gen 12:3). Later the details of this promise are expanded: "in blessing I will bless you, and in multiplying I will multiply your descendants as the stars of the heaven and as the sand which is on the seashore, and your descendants shall possess the gate of their enemies. In your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed..." (Gen 22:17, 18). The seed mentioned here is a singular seed, not many people, but a particular one. This is discussed in detail in the N.T.: “Now to Abraham and his Seed were the promises made. He does not say, "And to seeds," as of many, but as of one, "And to your Seed," who is Christ.”(Gal 3:16) Paul is pointing out to us that Jesus was the promised seed referred to in this promise to Abraham.

A detailed examination of the promise leads to several conclusions that are important. The promise of the seed was to bless “all the families of the Earth” which includes the Gentile Nations. The seed was to be that blessing, one that would produce multitudes of children so that they would be as many as the stars, or the sands of the sea. It is impossible for this one Jewish seed to produce children outside of Israel unless these children are the children of the Light who inhabit the kingdom of God, and are not directly related by human genetics to the people of Israel. Since Abraham was not yet a Jew when this covenant was made, the Gentiles are blessed with the same blessing as the people of Israel because of Abraham’s faith. This makes a spiritual kinship possible.

There are a number of prophetic references in the O.T. that place a specific set of abilities and position on Jesus Christ. For instance Moses wrote of the coming Messiah and the role he would play:

The LORD thy God will raise up unto thee a Prophet from the midst of thee, of thy brethren, like unto me; unto him ye shall hearken;
According to all that thou desiredst of the LORD thy God in Horeb in the day of the assembly, saying, Let me not hear again the voice of the LORD my God, neither let me see this great fire any more, that I die not.
And the LORD said unto me, They have well spoken that which they have spoken.
I will raise them up a Prophet from among their brethren, like unto thee, and will put my words in his mouth; and he shall speak unto them all that I shall command him.
And it shall come to pass, that whosoever will not hearken unto my words which he shall speak in my name, I will require it of him. (Deuteronomy 18:15-19)

Then those men, when they had seen the sign that Jesus did, said, "This is truly the Prophet who is to come into the world." (John 6:14)

This is a prophetic statement about the forthcoming prophet in a new age. God would invest in this prophet all the authority in heaven and earth. This is recognized by Jews and Christians as a specific reference to the coming Messiah. John 6:14 records that these Jewish men at the time of Christ understood he was that prophet. This prophet would be like Moses; that is one that spoke directly with God, would carry the authority of God with his words, and would carry out powerful miracles. When Jesus spoke of hearing or speaking “the words of my Father”, he was pointing out that he was that prophet who was sent that would be like Moses. The role Moses played was a very special one:

"Hear now My words: If there is a prophet among you, I, the LORD, make Myself known to him in a vision; I speak to him in a dream. Not so with My servant Moses; He is faithful in all My house. I speak with him face to face."(Num 12:6-8)

It is also important to note that the passage in Deuteronomy explains that Judaism would not be the way that Israel would bless all Nations. It will be by the words that God puts in his mouth of the Messiah when he finally arrives.

Jesus refers to this prophecy of Moses in John 5:4: “For had ye believed Moses, ye would have believed me: for he wrote of me.” This clearly indicates that Jesus recognized this passage as a reference to himself. Peter also pointed out that this prophecy was referring to Jesus Christ when he preached at Jerusalem on Pentecost:

But those things, which God before had showed by the mouth of all his prophets, that Christ should suffer, he hath so fulfilled.
Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord;
And he shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you:
Whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began.
For Moses truly said unto the fathers, A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto me; him shall ye hear in all things whatsoever he shall say unto you.
And it shall come to pass, that every soul, which will not hear that prophet, shall be destroyed from among the people.
Yea, and all the prophets from Samuel and those that follow after, as many as have spoken, have likewise foretold of these days.
Ye are the children of the prophets, and of the covenant which God made with our fathers, saying unto Abraham, And in thy seed shall all the kindreds of the earth be blessed.
Unto you first God, having raised up his Son Jesus, sent him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from his iniquities. (Acts 3:18-26)

Finally, the scripture declares this prophetic result in a statement that prevents confusion about the identity of this Messiah: “Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.” (Matthew 1:20). Emmanuel is actually two different words in Hebrew. Emmanu refers to a “presence with humanity” and el is the word translated as “God” in the O.T. The scripture says it means “God with us”.

The Psalms is a large repository of prophecy concerning the Messiah. David wrote of the Messiah under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit much as the prophets of the O.T. wrote to warn and instruct Israel. For instance, a phrase exclusively used for the Messiah is first written in the Psalms:

"I will declare the decree: the LORD has said to Me, `You are My Son, today I have begotten You” Psalm 2:7

Jewish rabbis agree that this passage is referring to the Messiah and also recognize the phrase “Son of God” as a special phrase used commonly to refer to the Messiah. The term “Begotten” is a word that is from an ancient terminology found in the law code of Hammurabi and is part of a formula in that code for adoption. That is, begotten does not just denote familial genetic offspring, but is related also to adopting one into a familial position with all the rights, privileges and responsibilities that would entail.

Faith and Belief

2008-04-09T11:16:00.000-05:00

The Bible declares that without faith it is impossible to please God (Heb. 11:6). The modern mind tends to equate “belief” with “faith” as an intellectual concept. Often individuals may struggle with faith as a result of a poor outlook in a situation, or from lack of information. “Believing” in something, however, may be easy to accomplish simply because it requires no expenditure of effort to do so. We tend to intellectualize “belief systems” and so it is easy to adopt them.

Words that are derived from the Hebrew word aman and are translated into English in the Old Testament include expressions that are somewhat confusing in light of the modern understanding of that word “believe.” We view belief as an expression that describes a choice to accept, in one’s mind, the validity of a promised circumstance. This is completely incorrect, in the Biblical sense.

The word “believe” is an abstract word, which is not a function of the five senses. It comes from the Greco-Roman societies of our recent past. All Hebrew concepts are derived from concrete concepts that are a result of an action or perception from the five senses. Aman is a parent root verb that means to support and is also translated in various places in the O.T. as assurance, faithful, sure, established, trust, verified, steadfast, continuance, surely, stand fast, among other words of similar connotation. These words do not seem to be based on an action of the intellect alone as some may see it today, but imply transforming the actions of a person.

And bring your youngest brother unto me; so shall your words be verified (aman) and ye shall not die. And they did so. Genesis 42:20

My mercy will I keep for him forevermore and my covenant shall stand fast (aman) for him. Psa. 89:28

The pictographic root for aman is a picture of water or other liquid such as blood, and a picture of a seed representing continuance. Combined these mean "blood continues” or “strength through the blood”.

And I will fasten him as a nail in a sure place (aman); and he shall be for a glorious throne to his father's house. Isaiah 22:23

The word nail in this passage is translated from a Hebrew word for tent peg and means abstractly, faith. A tent peg supports the tent even in a strong wind when it is planted in hard ground. In this way, Abraham supported God:

And he brought him forth abroad, and said, Look now toward heaven, and tell the stars, if thou be able to number them: and he said unto him, So shall thy seed be. And he believed (aman) in the LORD; and he counted it to him for righteousness.

While this appears at first to agree with a modern concept of believe, it is apparent that believe has a different meaning in the context of the different applications of the word aman.
If we examine this promise of Abraham repeated to Isaac, Abraham’s son, we see what is implied by the word believe:

And I will make thy seed to multiply as the stars of heaven, and will give unto thy seed all these countries; and in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; Because that Abraham obeyed(shama) my voice, and kept my charge, my commandments, my statutes, and my laws. Gen 26:4, 5.

This word, shama, is a child root of the word aman and is used as a synonym. It literally means to hearken and it is used in this passage to indicate that Abraham heard and responded to God’s voice. It means to pay heed and react or respond to what is heard. In this sense, the word believe is a synonym to the word obey or hearken. This is a literal synonym, as is shown in another passage which relates them via the classical Hebrew literary method of repeated statements with synonyms for emphasis (called parallelism):

And Moses answered and said, But, behold,
they will not believe (aman) me, nor hearken
(shama) unto my voice: for they will say, The
LORD hath not appeared unto thee. Exo. 4:1

It is obvious that what Isaac was told defines Abraham’s belief. Abraham hearkened unto the LORD and obeyed his voice and kept his statutes. Believe is a verb that implies an action rather than a mental impression that “God is real”. The Hebrew mind uses the word believe to imply a lifestyle of actions that suggest that a person travels a path given by that which is believed in and supports the perspective of that which is believed in by thought and deed. The words “believe in God” mean to support God’s plan by your actions. The Word “amen” is actually the English form of the Hebrew word aman. In the future when you say “amen” to something, you are agreeing with the statement not just with your intellect but with your lifestyle.

Faith
Since belief comes from faith, the passage in Isaiah that describes the tent peg as a nail provides the definition for faith: To be fixed in purpose in the actions of one’s life as a nail driven in the hard ground. emunah: to be set firmly in place; also to pass strength to the next generation. This is why Paul writes the Christian church in Rome from a reference in Habakkuk 2:4:

Behold, his soul which is lifted up is not upright in him: but the just shall live by his faith. For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written. The just shall live by faith. Romans 1:7

The Hebrew concept of faith is to be a strong fixed support:

But Moses' hands were heavy; and they took
a stone, and put it under him, and he sat thereon; and Aaron and Hur stayed up his hands, the one on the one side, and the other on the other side; and his hands were steady (emunah) until the going down of the sun.

So Paul writes to the Corinthian Church a statement that exemplifies believing through faith:

Watch ye, stand fast in the faith, quit you like men, be strong. I Cor 16:13
And also to the Christians of the church in Thessalonica:

But we are bound to give thanks always to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth: Whereunto he called you by our gospel, to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, brethren, stand fast, and hold the traditions which ye have been taught, whether by word, or our epistle. II Thes. 2:13-15

Clearly, a member of the kingdom of God is to live a life of purpose that supports the kingdom of God. It is not about a mental acceptance of the truth at all but a focused and determined life filled with the actions of one who will typify the life of Christ and spread His message to any who will listen. Those who live for God will be observed by others as “believers in God” because of their words, actions and decisions in life that support God.