Millersport Covenant Church Sermon Podcasts: Recent Episodes
Pastor Steve Bush and others
s Redemption! The plan was for Jesus to become sin for us that in Him we might become the righteousness of God! (See 2 Cor. 5:21) What love! What sacrifice! What perfect timing!
Share. PRAYER: Asking God to give you opportunities to be a witness with the right words to say when He opens such a door. CARE: A heart that wants for others what God has granted unto you--grace unto salvation and life forevermore with Him. SHARE: The courage to step out of your respective comfort zones to tell others what Jesus has so amazingly done for you...
” (ESV) And those be the inspired Words of God, from His heart to ours, blessed be His name...
(NIV) So two thousand years later we must ask, did the instructions Jesus gave include fixating on His skyward course and eventual return or rather to obey the words He said regarding the command to be His witnesses throughout the earth? And just what is a witness anyway?
dwell may indeed be experienced, perhaps even expected, and that includes our nation. Make it so Lord!
outreach to sinners of every stripe, the audience for this profound story has widened to include us all. But the hero of the story is most definitely the father who clearly reflects the heart of our Heavenly Father whose love and mercy and compassion towards the likes of us is humbling to the core…
re wondering what this looks like in real life, all we need to do is look at Jesus who always lived up to His own words, perfectly...
t seem to leave other options on the table. Whether or not we embrace THE TRUTH of WHO Jesus was and ALL that He said, makes all the difference in this world. And in the next...
Every coming to Christ story is different. Some come to Christ with both heels dragging. Some have quiet or gradual conversion experiences. Some start out as doubters and detractors but end up being convinced otherwise. Some come because of a great trial or tragedy or due to an immensely painful ordeal. Some come after monumental successes that over time prove to be empty and unfulfilling. Some become believers as children or youth; others as elderly adults; others upon their deathbeds. People come to Christ a thousand different ways. But they all come as dead men walking who by the Spirit of God are born anew in Jesus Christ. Deep down do you want for this too?
1 Timothy 1:15-17, Paul testifies to his protégé, Timothy: "The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost. But I received mercy for this reason, that in me, as the foremost (sinner), Jesus Christ might display His perfect patience as an example to those who were to believe in Him for eternal life. To the King of the ages, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen." (ESV) Paul just as easily could've said, "If Christ can save me, He can save anybody!" We might ponder then this question: Who and What convinced Saul to give up his prestigious law-abiding stardom in the Jewish faith to become one who suffered so terribly just to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ to both Jews and Gentiles? He might've gone on and made high priest but instead he was beheaded for knowing Christ and making Him known! So what might be behind all this?
In Isaiah 46:12-13, God Himself declares to His idolatrous children: "Listen to Me, you stubborn of heart, you who are far from righteousness: I bring near My righteousness; it is not far off, and My salvation will not delay; I will put salvation in Zion, for Israel My glory." (ESV) Hear it again: "I bring near My righteousness.." What's God ultimately alluding to? The righteousness that God the Father will bring near is a Person, God the Son, Jesus the Christ! The Apostle of love puts it like this in 1 John 2:1-2: "My little children, I am writing you these things so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an Advocate with the Father--Jesus Christ the Righteous One. He Himself is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours, but also for those of the whole world." (CSB) Considering Almighty God and all that His Son has accomplished on our behalf, does anything or anyone deserve a higher place in our minds and hearts than God?
What does it mean to experience God's grace? A former Jewish terrorist named Saul encountered the risen Christ on the way to imprison and kill Christians. He had a head on collision with Jesus and His Grace! It was so bright, it blinded him! It was so powerful, it grounded him! It was so remarkable, it changed the whole trajectory of his life! Saul, who became Paul, writes in 1 Corinthians 15:10: "But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace to me was not without effect. No, I worked harder than all of them--yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me." (NIV) Hear it again: "His grace was not without effect!" Had the blinded Saul merely gotten up off the ground, groped his way into Damascus, hired some seeing-eye thugs, and continued his onslaught against believers, we'd say God's grace towards Saul was totally without effect! We'd say, Jesus' grace-encounter with Saul was amusing but it certainly was not amazing! So what about God's grace towards each of us--amusing or amazing?
When we consider the characteristics of God Almighty--holy, sovereign, and good--we need to understand He's also and always, perfectly just. If we think of His mercy and forgiveness as being such that He merely overlooks sin, sweeps it under the rug, then we think wrongly of Him! If we think He lacks love and is too harsh and severe in His judgments against the sins of man, then again, we think wrongly of Him! But if we consider God Almighty as perfectly holy and just while maintaining the ultimate definition of what Love truly is, then we're beginning to think rightly of Him! And there's a place where God's justice and love meet. Just where might that be?
With respect to God's Law and Yahweh's miracles performed on behalf of His beloved people, Moses instructed the children of Israel to TEACH--impress, reinforce, and call to remembrance--THESE THINGS to their children and to their children's children. Why? So they'd not forget what God had said and done and likewise so they'd place their abiding trust in Him going forward. Moses repeated these edicts over and over again for emphasis. Therefore, when we consider Christ Jesus as the fulfillment of God's Law and the Atoning Sacrifice for sinners called to salvation, what might the instructions be with regard to teaching our children, grandchildren and even our great-grandchildren about our Savior & Lord?
The prophet Isaiah encourages God's people that Even youths shall faint and be weary, and young men shall fall exhausted; but they who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint (Isaiah 40:30-31, ESV). Waiting for the Lord sounds easy, almost passive. But it's safe to say that the ability to actually wait for the Lord goes against our human natures. And it is not easy but, for those who discover how to put their entire trust in God, it's a life that can be less stressful with fewer self-inflicted troubles. What does it mean to wait for the Lord?
When the mother of James and John brought her sons before Jesus requesting they be granted royal positions when enthroned in His Kingdom, during their polite exchange among what our Lord said to them was this, "... the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many.” (See Matthew 20:28) That the Messiah, the Son of God, and King of kings, said such a thing should humble all His followers to the core. After considering all the ways Jesus served while walking the earth, He then became our Ransomer as well as the ransom! 1 Peter 1:18-19 lays it out like this: "For you know that God paid a ransom to save you from the empty life you inherited from your ancestors. And the ransom He paid was not mere gold or silver. It was the precious blood of Christ, the sinless, spotless Lamb of God." (NLT) Astounding! "He gave Himself a ransom for many..." And it then begs the question: Are you among the "many?"
1 Peter 4:8-10 says: "Above all, have fervent and unfailing love for one another, because love covers a multitude of sins [it overlooks unkindness and unselfishly seeks the best for others]. Be hospitable to one another without complaint. Just as each one of you has received a special gift [a spiritual talent, an ability graciously given by God], employ it in serving one another as [is appropriate for] good stewards of God’s multi-faceted grace [faithfully using the diverse, varied gifts and abilities granted to Christians by God’s unmerited favor]." (AMP) Fervent and unfailing love--what about that? Apparently the gifts God has bestowed on His people are meant to be employed in such a way as to exemplify this love as we serve our brothers and sisters with them. And therefore to withhold the employment of those gifts may indicate our love is lacking--both vertically to the Giver--and horizontally to our Lord's intended recipients...
1 Corinthians 12:12-14 says: "For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body--Jews or Greeks, slaves or free--and all were made to drink of one Spirit. For the body does not consist of one member but of many." (ESV) Romans 12:3-5 echoes beautifully: "Because of the privilege and authority God has given me, I give each of you this warning: Don’t think you are better than you really are. Be honest in your evaluation of yourselves, measuring yourselves by the faith God has given us. Just as our bodies have many parts and each part has a special function, so it is with Christ’s body. We are many parts of one body, and we all belong to each other." (NLT) Just as thumbs and toes, elbows and eyeballs, are all necessary for our bodies to function in a healthy manner, the various and diverse members of the Body of Christ are likewise necessary. We all have roles to fill and service to be rendered. And while condescension and hostility are never mentioned as fruits of the Spirit, LOVE most certainly is...
God is our Heavenly Father. He loves us as His sons and daughters. He showers us with blessings and He gives us good gifts. But He also exercises His fatherhood over us through the disciplines of life. "He disciplines us for our good, that we might share in His Holiness." Since "all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant," (Hebrews 12:10-11) how should we respond under God's loving rod of correction and instruction?
In the time of Jesus there was a Jewish sect called the Sadducees. The Sadducees were the controlling sect in that time, holding the majority seats in the Jewish governing body--the Sanhedrin. More theologically liberal than the Pharisees, they didn't believe in an afterlife nor of resurrection from the dead. On one occasion they tried to trip Jesus up with an implausible scenario regarding an OT law regarding the obligation of a brother of a deceased brother to marry his widow in order to preserve his brother's lineage. They asked Jesus if this were actually to happen seven times, who'd be the woman's husband after the resurrection. They were sure they had Him! But in Luke 20:34-38 Jesus responds: "And Jesus said to them, “The sons of this age marry and are given in marriage, but those who are considered worthy to attain to that age and to the resurrection from the dead neither marry nor are given in marriage, for they cannot die anymore, because they are equal to angels and are sons of God, being sons of the resurrection. But that the dead are raised, even Moses showed, in the passage about the bush, where he calls the Lord the God of Abraham and the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob. Now He is not God of the dead, but of the living, for all live to Him.” (ESV) While eviscerating the Sadducees life after death theology, in just a few sentences, He most certainly affirms for we His children that death is certainly not the end...
Jude 1:20-23 says: "But you, dear friends, must build each other up in your most holy faith, pray in the power of the Holy Spirit, and await the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ, who will bring you eternal life. In this way, you will keep yourselves safe in God’s love. And you must show mercy to those whose faith is wavering. Rescue others by snatching them from the flames of judgment. Show mercy to still others, but do so with great caution, hating the sins that contaminate their lives." (NLT) While some believers may think they're called to be critical of others, point out their faults, and pile on the weight for those already heavily burdened, the better emphasis from Scripture is that believers are called to build up, lift up, and encourage those who wrestling with the things weighing them down. The Holy Spirit seeks to make us Christlike, not curmudgeonly. 1 Corinthians 14:12 sums it up this way: "So it is with yourselves; since you are so eager and ambitious to possess spiritual endowments and manifestations of the Holy Spirit, concentrate on striving to excel and to abound in them in ways that will build up the church." (AMPC) In times when we are bent low with discouragement, what kind of person do you want to encounter personally? So maybe let's be them…
In 2 Timothy 1:5-7, Paul writes these encouraging words to Timothy whom he considers to be his prodigy in the faith: "I am reminded of your sincere faith, a faith that dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice and now, I am sure, dwells in you as well. For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands, for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control." (ESV) While tradition tells us Timothy would go on to die a martyr's death, Timothy's Mom and Grandma disappear from the pages of Scripture. And yet the faithful sowing of God's Word by these Women of faith into the fertile soil of a young boy's heart have been bearing fruit for two thousand years and counting. The influence and legacies of Moms and Grandmas and Great-Grandmas are powerful! From one generation to another their impact continues! Proverbs 31:29-30 remain fitting words: "Many daughters have done nobly, but you excel them all. Charm is deceitful and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the LORD, she shall be praised." (NASB) Yay and Amen!
In John 16:16 Jesus says to His disciples at the Last Supper, “In a little while you will see Me no more, and then after a little while you will see Me." (NIV) Leaving His disciples perplexed, in V20 Jesus seeks to clarify what He'd just told them by saying, "You will grieve, but your grief will turn to joy." (NIV) We of course need to understand that our notion of "a little while" and God's notion of "a little while" aren't always the same. Here, however, it means that after Jesus dies on the cross, is laid in a tomb, they will not see Him. But "in a little while" i.e. come, Sunday, they'll see Him again! And in V22 Jesus tells them, "So with you: Now is your time of grief, but I will see you again and you will rejoice, and no one will take away your joy." (NIV) And not only is there joy and rejoicing in Jesus' resurrection, that same joy will be realized when we too rise from the dead! 1 Peter 1:3-6 puts it this way: "All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. It is by His great mercy that we have been born again, because God raised Jesus Christ from the dead. Now we live with great expectation, and we have a priceless inheritance--an inheritance that is kept in heaven for you, pure and undefiled, beyond the reach of change and decay. And through your faith, God is protecting you by His power until you receive this salvation, which is ready to be revealed on the last Day for all to see. So be truly glad. There is wonderful joy ahead, even though you must endure many trials for a little while." (NLT) What an awesome promise! May our present joy and even the greater joy to come, rob us of every ounce of grief!
When Jesus' disciples were gathered behind locked doors on the eve of that first Easter Sunday, Jesus appeared to them. They were stunned and overjoyed. But one of the disciples, Thomas, wasn't present. He also wasn't ready to believe his brothers despite their eyewitness accounts. The following Sunday however, Jesus made another appearance. John 20:26-28 records it this way: "Eight days later, His disciples were inside again, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” Then He said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and see My hands; and put out your hand, and place it in My side. Do not disbelieve, but believe.” Thomas answered Him, “My Lord and my God!” (ESV) Besides our Lord's merciful outreach to Thomas personally, what's also astounding is Thomas not only recognized Jesus as his risen Rabbi, but also as Christ, even God the Son! The tombs of all of Israel's great prophets, priests, kings and teachers had one thing in common--they were all occupied! Not so with the risen Son of God! Then Verse 29 follows with a blessing to all of us who weren't with Thomas and the others behind those locked doors: "Jesus said to him, 'Have you believed because you have seen Me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.’" (ESV) And what about you: have you received Jesus' blessing of believing in WHO He truly is?
Job 19:25 says: "But as for me, I know that my Redeemer lives, and He will stand upon the earth at last. And after my body has decayed, yet in my body I will see God! I will see Him for myself. Yes, I will see Him with my own eyes. I am overwhelmed at the thought!" (NLT) Job, one who suffered affliction and loss so personally and painfully, is stirred within because He knows that after death, a never-ending life will be awaiting him! And WHO will bring it? His Redeemer! And WHO is that? Jesus the Christ! Written perhaps 500 years before the Incarnation, Job knows in his innermost being God will bring redemption. So how does He bring it? By way of His Son; by way of a bloody cross and an empty tomb. Better still, because of what Christ our Lord has accomplished, we too can stand shoulder to shoulder with Job and declare, "I know my Redeemer lives!" And best of all, we will live forever with our Redeemer in glory!
On the very first Palm Sunday as Jesus rode a donkey into Jerusalem, we read the following account from Luke 19:37-38: "As He was drawing near—already on the way down the Mount of Olives--the whole multitude of His disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works that they had seen, saying, “Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!” (ESV) But as we read further, we learn that as the crowds were cheering, waving palm branches, carpeting the road with their cloaks, and shouting Messianic prophecies from Scripture, Jesus began weeping. So what might have been have behind our Lord's fountain of tears on the triumphal day?
1 Corinthians 13:1-3 says: "If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing." (ESV) What kind of love is Paul writing about here? The sacrificial kind of love that prompts us to be committed to the highest good of another. We often hear these verses read at weddings but these words weren't originally penned for a marriage ceremony. They were written to a not-so-loving church in Corinth where some looked down on the poor, openly engaged in immorality, wore their spiritual gifts like badges, and where some even got drunk at Communion! So were Paul's words written exclusively for that church in Corinth or did our Lord have a broader audience in mind?
Exodus, Chapters 35 & 36, lay out for us the details of what preceded the construction of the OT Tabernacle, also known as the Tent of Meeting. The Tabernacle would be the center of worship for God's people in the wilderness and beyond, until the time came for Solomon to build the Temple. So how did that initial Tabernacle project begin? With Moses taking up an offering. And how did the people respond? With overwhelming generosity! They gave everything from silver, gold, and precious stones to goat hair, ram skins, and tent pegs. They even willingly gave their talents, skills, and abilities. So was enough collected? The giving was so enormous that the people were ordered to stop giving! Could this be the greatest offering that was ever given or received? Actually no. The most Epic Offering there ever would be was yet to come. And Who would make it? Let's find out…
1 John 1:5-7 says: "This is the message we have heard from Him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in Him is no darkness at all. If we say we have fellowship with Him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. But if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin." (ESV) From these verses, and so many more, it's clear we have been called to reflect the Light, be the Light, walk in the Light, and all this as we make our respective exoduses from the realm of darkness. As believers we've changed kingdoms. Once enslaved in the kingdom of darkness, we've now been emancipated and transferred into the Kingdom of Jesus Christ--the Light of all worlds! And so what is that supposed to look like?
Ephesians 5:7-14 says: "Therefore do not become partners with them; for at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light (for the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true), and try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord. Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them. For it is shameful even to speak of the things that they do in secret. But when anything is exposed by the light, it becomes visible, for anything that becomes visible is light. Therefore it says, 'Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.'" (ESV) Therefore, if we are beloved by God as His children, which the Scriptures affirm we are; and if further we are indeed considered by Him as children of light, which the Bible also says is so; we have no other recourse but to shine...and the brighter the better!
In Philippians 2:14-16 Paul writes: "Do everything without murmuring or questioning the providence of God, so that you may prove yourselves to be blameless and guileless, innocent and uncontaminated, children of God without blemish in the midst of a morally crooked and spiritually perverted generation, among whom you are seen as bright lights--beacons shining out clearly--in the world of darkness, holding out and offering to everyone the Word of life, so that in the day of Christ I will have reason to rejoice greatly because I did not run my race in vain nor labor without result." (AMP) If we were once blind but now we see; If we were once dwelling in darkness but now've been brought into the light; And if Jesus, the "Light of the World" has chosen to shine His radiant beams upon us, lit the lanterns of our hearts, and even declared us collectively to be as He is, "the light of the world," the implication is that we're called to shine. Therefore, let us shine forth…brightly!
Matthew 5:14-16 says: "You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven." (ESV) And who declares such words as these? Jesus! And it's this same Jesus who said of Himself in John 8:12: “I am the Light of the world; the one who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life.” (NASB) So the only reason Jesus can declare that we are the light of the world is because He is the true, original, and preeminent Light of the World and He has chosen to cast His shimmering rays of light upon us! Our Lord alone has lit the lanterns of our hearts and it is He alone Who causes us to reflect His radiance!
It's good to remember the Lord is with us now and also when we pass into His presence. Here's some passages to affirm this amazing truth. 1 Thessalonians 5:9-11 says: "For God has not destined us for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us so that whether we are awake or asleep (alive or dead) we might live with Him. Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing." (ESV) Romans 14:7-9 echoes: "For we don’t live for ourselves or die for ourselves. If we live, it’s to honor the Lord. And if we die, it’s to honor the Lord. So whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord. Christ died and rose again for this very purpose--to be Lord both of the living and of the dead." (NLT) It is good for us to remember that God's children are never where He is not. Even when we feel alone we are not alone. Psalm 139:7-10 says it so well as the Psalmist prays: "Can I go anywhere apart from Your Spirit? Is there anywhere I can go to escape Your watchful presence? If I go up into heaven, You are there. If I make my bed in the realm of the dead, You are there. If I ride on the wings of morning, if I make my home in the most isolated part of the ocean, even then You will be there to guide me; Your right hand will embrace me, for You are always there." (VOICE) The nearness of God truly is our good! O Lord God, draw us ever nearer to Yourself!
Acts 1:9-11 tells of Jesus' ascension: "And when He had said these things, as they were looking on, He was lifted up, and a cloud took Him out of their sight. And while they were gazing into heaven as He went, behold, two men stood by them in white robes, and said, 'Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw Him go into heaven.'” (ESV) So here we are 2,000 years later. The angel's admonishment not to be starring up at the sky remains in effect. Jesus' command to be His witnesses to uttermost parts remains in effect. And His promise to return the same way He left remains in effect. Of course it's absolutely appropriate to celebrate our Lord's Incarnation--His humble birth in Bethlehem. It's also appropriate to have heartfelt anticipation for Jesus' Second Advent. We called His name Immanuel (God with us) when He first came and we will one day dwell with Immanuel in the new heaven and earth. So then, go tell it on the mountain, over the hills, and everywhere! Tell them what? That Jesus Christ is born! That He is alive and well and ruling upon His glorious throne! And that He's coming back just as He said He would! Joy to the world and then some! And then some more!
While scholars have long debated the various Biblical texts concerning Jesus' return, their area of expressed unity is that He WILL return. Just as references to His first coming were known but not always fully understood, this is likely true of Jesus' next appearance. Just as Matthew and Luke beautifully narrate the humble birth of our Lord in a Bethlehem stable, no OT prophet knew, save the town itself, the precise details that would unfold on that beautiful scandalous night. And while far more details seem apparent from the NT authors, even by Jesus Himself, it's clear by the diverse interpretations of those inerrant prophecies that Jesus' second Advent will be much different than the first. Will this next event include surprises, things not anticipated? Most likely. Will some prognosticators be embarrassed by how wrongly their interpretations proved to be? Undoubtedly. But this we can safely say: Jesus' first Advent was to bring redemption, salvation, and peace between God and man; His second Advent will be to bring resurrection, vindication, and judgment. Are there any Scriptures that are particularly eyebrow raising in those regards? 2 Thessalonians 1:9-10 may top the list as Paul reveals: "They will suffer the punishment of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His might, when He comes on that Day to be glorified in His saints, and to be marveled at among all who have believed, because our testimony to you was believed." (ESV) Therefore on that Day, may we be among the glorifying saints, those who marvel, those who believe, those overcome with unimaginable joy, when our Lord returns...
1 Thessalonians 4:13-16 declares: "Brothers and sisters, we do not want you to be uninformed about those who sleep in death, so that you do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope. For we believe that Jesus died and rose again, and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in Him. According to the Lord’s word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord Himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first." (NIV) Paul goes on to tell us much more will follow. While we may wonder what Jesus thinks when it comes to how people around the globe celebrate His first coming--His humble and relatively quiet birth in a Bethlehem stable--we might ponder similarly what Jesus thinks about the various eclectic views of end-time prognosticators. This we know: however quiet Jesus' first Advent was, His second Advent promises to be much louder and vastly more visible. Within moments on that Day, what was once broad speculation will have vanished. And what else? His encore appearance will be magnificently glorious for His own--those longing for His return--and yet it will be horribly terrifying for everyone else! So which way will it be for you?
On the Mount of Olives, just days before His cross, Jesus shares the following found in Matthew 25:31-34: "When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, then He will sit on His glorious throne. Before Him will be gathered all the nations, and He will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. And He will place the sheep on His right, but the goats on the left. Then the King will say to those on His right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.'" (ESV) So what does Jesus mean, "Blessed by My Father?" Is this some sort of earned blessing? But doesn't God give what we neither deserve nor could ever earn? Isn't that called, grace? Most certainly! But then in the next dozen verses Jesus describes His second coming judgment--His expectations--the evidences of the undeserved favor He has freely bestowed. What's striking is how intertwined and commingled our vertical actions are with our horizontal ones--how our treatment of "the least of these" reflects on how we treat the Lord Himself--good, bad, and otherwise. As always, Jesus' words are weighty. What will we do with them?
In 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, Paul gives this beloved church family (and all church families) what seems to be a monumental challenge: "Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you." (ESV) When we merely focus on the "thanksgiving" part, this alone seems most difficult, especially when the circumstances may be far from "good." If we were to make lists of all the "good" things we were thankful for and then commenced to thanking God for all those things, we might feel we were closing in on the object of the command. But what happens when the "good" list gets wiped out--then what? Ephesians 3:20 sounds similar: "And give thanks for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ." (NLT) Perhaps the key to compliance is the part where it says, "In Christ Jesus." How so? Because the things in Christ Jesus--the eternal things won for us by Christ's sacrifice--cannot be wiped out. Those things are moth, rust, and thief-proof! Those things are better than "good!" And therefore, as our Father's adopted children, no matter the temporal circumstances in the here and now, thanksgiving for what has been won for us by our Lord, is not only possible, but something we can embrace with all our hearts...
In Paul's Doxology found in Romans 11:33-36, it says: "Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unfathomable (inscrutable, unsearchable) are His judgments (His decisions)! And how untraceable (mysterious, undiscoverable) are His ways (His methods, His paths)! For who has known the mind of the Lord and who has understood His thoughts, or who has [ever] been His counselor? Or who has first given God anything that he might be paid back or that he could claim a recompense? For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. [For all things originate with Him and come from Him; all things live through Him, and all things center in and tend to consummate and to end in Him.] To Him be glory forever! Amen (so be it)." (AMPC) When we read in Scripture how God knows everything, that He's, all-knowing, the theological term is: Omniscient. And of course if He's Omniscient then He knows everything there is to know about us! More incredible yet, the One Who knows all things grants us the awesome privilege of knowing Him! How awesome is that?! So do you know Him? Would you like to?
Philippians 4:4-7 says: "Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." (ESV) What's promised in this passage? Peace! And the text says that peace will surpasses or transcend all understanding. In other words, whatever it may be that's fueling our anxiety, causing us to worry, may not be understood even after we've prayed, but peace--of more value than understanding--should settle us into a place of trusting God as we wait for His answers. Some might tell us in times of fretting to go to our "happy place." But God's Word tells us to pray and allow Him to blanket us with peace. In Matthew 11:28-30 we have a striking invitation from Jesus which He issues to all of us weighed down heavily by worrisome burdens of every sort: "Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” (NKJV) That sounds like a superb invitation!
After God revealed to Daniel the dream of Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzar, here's what the prophet wrote in Daniel 2:20-21: "Daniel answered and said: 'Blessed be the name of God forever and ever, for wisdom and might are His. And He changes the times and the seasons; He removes kings and raises up kings; He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to those who have understanding. He reveals deep and secret things; He knows what is in the darkness, and light dwells with Him.'" (NKJV) These words were not only true for Judah, living in the midst of Babylonian captivity, but these words remain true for all people of all nations throughout all time! While elections come and go and various leaders rise and then later disappear, the throne of Almighty God and our Lord Jesus Christ remains absolutely secure and occupied! Therefore, in the meantime, no matter what nation or what leader temporarily holds power, anywhere on the planet, the Great Commandment and Great Commission--issued to us by Jesus Himself--stands immoveable for the citizens of the Kingdom of God. So not only is this true for Christians in America, but for Christians from every nation, tribe, and tongue…
The prefix, or root word, ortho means: straight; right; correct. We see ortho in front of a lot of important words such as orthodontics, orthopedics, orthotics, and orthoscopic. A couple theological terms should also be included in the mix: Orthodoxy and Orthopraxy. Orthodoxy refers to right doctrine. Orthopraxy refers to right practice. Jesus, the Word made flesh, most certainly exemplified everything He taught. Ideally as believers we want our orthodoxy and orthopraxy to be in alignment and working hand to hand. 1 John 2:3-6 helps clarify the distinct terms and how they work together: "We know that we have come to know Him if we keep His commands." [orthodoxy.] Whoever says, 'I know Him,' but does not do what He commands [orthopraxy] is a liar, and the truth is not in that person. But if anyone obeys His word, love for God is truly made complete in them. This is how we know we are in Him: Whoever claims to live in Him must live as Jesus did." (ESV) Paul had to especially encourage his young protege, Timothy, just how vital both of these were. Sound or right teaching must be carefully and faithfully preached. And likewise, whatever is taught, must be put into practice. This also means of course that Paul's exhortations to Timothy, were also very much meant for us...
Philippians 2:3-4 says: "Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others." (ESV) The VOICE version illuminates those verses like this: "Don’t let selfishness and prideful agendas take over. Embrace true humility, and lift your heads to extend love to others. Get beyond yourselves and protecting your own interests; be sincere, and secure your neighbors’ interests first.” Paul follows these powerful admonitions by showing how Christ Jesus perfectly modeled and exemplified all this via His incarnation, crucifixion, resurrection, and ascension. And it's likely Paul was quoting the oldest credal hymn of the time. Some have rightly said that the genuineness of a person's faith and relationship with God is manifested best when no one else is watching. What does love look like when a neighbor or stranger or even an enemy is down for the count and it's just you and them? When pressed about who our neighbor was, Jesus answered with the parable of the Good Samaritan. To the Samaritan, that lone bleeding Jew was a stranger and enemy but he cared for him like a beloved neighbor. So Jesus has set the bar high for us, not only by the example of the Samaritan, but especially and most assuredly by the example of Himself!
In 2 Corinthians 9:7-8 Paul talks about giving and what our hearts should be like in doing so: "Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work." (ESV) Giving must flow from willing hearts, not as a result of twisted arms. When giving flows from a heart that trusts in the Ultimate Giver, the results reverberate in the here and now but also serve as deposits in heaven. When we realize that everything we have comes from God anyway, then we begin to realize that whatever we give is never really lost; it's merely sown. While we don't exactly know what that harvest will look like, it'll certainly surpass the seeds themselves. The results of this increasing awareness is our hands become less tight-fisted and more prone to opening wide. In Chapters 8 & 9 of 2 Corinthians, as Paul lays out such truths, He also reminds us of the Gospel which should be the foundation for all our giving. In 2 Corinthians 8:9 he writes: "For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sake He became poor, so that you by His poverty might become rich." (ESV) And Paul echoes again in 2 Corinthians 9:15: Thanks be to God for His inexpressible Gift!" (ESV)
Psalm 126:1-6 says: "When the LORD restored the fortunes of Zion, we were like those who dream. Then our mouth was filled with laughter, and our tongue with shouts of joy; then they said among the nations, “The LORD has done great things for them.” The LORD has done great things for us; we are glad. Restore our fortunes, O LORD, like streams in the Negeb! Those who sow in tears shall reap with shouts of joy! He who goes out weeping, bearing the seed for sowing, shall come home with shouts of joy, bringing his sheaves with him." (ESV) This Psalm's relevant for anyone who's experienced horrible trials or painful losses that caused a cry for our Lord's restorative intervention. Many of us have experienced such seasons. The Psalmist's lament includes an urgent plea for God's help in order to press on and get through. Jesus experienced this firsthand when facing the cross. Hebrews 12:1-2 affirms and encourages us like this: "Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the Champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting Him, He endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now He is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne." (NLT)
A humble Christian is a holy Christian. Our heavenly Father is faithful to work humility in those He loves by pruning them through trials and tribulations. But Jesus, Peter, James, and Paul encourage us to cooperate with the Lord by humbling ourselves. We do this by being obedient to the Lord's commands in scripture. One set of commands seems a bit excessive in its requirements: "Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you." 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18. Always; without ceasing; in all circumstances...was Paul using hyperbole when he penned these words? Is it even possible for a believer in this life to attain this level of commitment?
When Jesus' earthly ministry was first beginning, He told His fishermen friends, who'd caught nothing all night, to once again cast their nets back into the water. Despite low expectations, they complied, and their catch was enormous. (Perhaps it was humbling for fisherman to be out fished by a Carpenter!) Then after Jesus' death and resurrection, He encountered His disciples once again on that same Galilean sea. It was early morning and their nets were yet again empty. From the beach they heard a Stranger telling them to cast their nets on the other side of the boat. They did and once again the catch was enormous. Immediately it dawned on them the Stranger on shore was Jesus. In between these two miraculous catches came a time where a certain tax came due. This time Jesus instructed Peter to go fishing. He also told Peter to open the mouth of the first fish he caught and behold a coin would be found, the exact amount of the taxes owed by both Peter and our Lord. That Jesus can do miracles involving fish should not surprise us. That He does even greater miracles in making men and women His followers should not surprise us either and yet Him doing so should never cease to amaze us. Jesus still turns fishermen into fishers of men and hopefully you're among those He's caught and made His own!
The book of Acts gives three accounts of the conversion of Saul (a.k.a. Paul). While we glean different things from each account, there's one glaringly phrase spoken by Jesus that should make us all sit up and take notice. Three times we read the following exchange between our Lord and the chief enemy of The Church: Jesus: "Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?” Saul: “Who are You, Lord?” Jesus: “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting." (See Acts 9, 22, & 26, respectively.) No matter what you think about The Church, known also as The Bride of Christ, she's definitely Jesus' beloved! When we put the bad mouth on her, Jesus takes it personally! The Scriptures make clear, walking with Christ is not a me and Jesus thing; it's a Jesus and all of us, thing! 1 Corinthians 12:18-21 puts it this way: "But now God has placed the members, each one of them, in the body, just as He desired. If they were all one member, where would the body be? But now there are many members, but one body. And the eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you”; or again the head to the feet, “I have no need of you.” (ESV) What is clear by these verses and so many others is that our Lord's Church--His body, His Temple, His Family, His Bride—is deeply, very deeply, loved by Him! And what is the ultimate proof of His love? He went to the cross and gave Himself up for Her! When it comes to The Church, The Bride of Christ, we most certainly must tread lightly, mindfully, humbly, and above all, lovingly...
When the Holy Spirit came upon Jesus' followers on the Jewish festival of Pentecost, it was clear things would never be the same. Transcending history, cultures, and national identities, Jerusalem was ground zero as the regenerative power of the Holy Spirit was coming down and going forth to make dead hearts come alive in Christ. When the mighty acts of God were being proclaimed in the numerous languages of those gathered, the miraculous event became vividly apparent. Then as a hush fell upon the throng of people, Peter stood and proclaimed the Good News about Jesus. Thousands were "cut to the quick" and asked aloud what they must do to be saved. In Acts 2:38-39 Luke records Peter's answer: "And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to Himself.” (ESV) What was true on that momentous day is true for every hungry soul starving for true life. Only One could curb such hunger: The Bread of Life, God the Son, Christ Jesus our Lord! With a bloody cross and empty tomb left behind, the first Jesus movement had begun and it will continue worldwide until the Day He returns. And from there on it will never come to an end!
It's been well said that for forgiveness to take place, it only takes one of the aggrieved to forgive the other. But for reconciliation to take place it takes two, or both parties, to so engage. More astoundingly is that the God of the Universe has initiated peace and reconciliation with His enemies--and that would include us! Romans 5:1-2 says: "Therefore, since we have been made right in God’s sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us. Because of our faith, Christ has brought us into this place of undeserved privilege where we now stand, and we confidently and joyfully look forward to sharing God’s glory." (NLT) Colossians 1:19-21 affirms it like this: "For God in all His fullness was pleased to live in Christ, and through Him God reconciled everything to Himself. He made peace with everything in heaven and on earth by means of Christ’s blood on the cross. This includes you who were once far away from God. You were His enemies, separated from Him by your evil thoughts and actions." (NLT) God has taken the most extreme measures to turn His enemies into friends. If peace and friendship between you and God isn't your current reality, our Lord most certainly wants to make it so...
1 Peter 2:2-5 says: "Like newborn babies, you must crave pure spiritual milk so that you will grow into a full experience of salvation. Cry out for this nourishment, now that you have had a taste of the Lord’s kindness. You are coming to Christ, who is the Living Cornerstone of God’s temple. He was rejected by people, but He was chosen by God for great honor. And you are living stones that God is building into His spiritual temple. What’s more, you are His holy priests. Through the mediation of Jesus Christ, you offer spiritual sacrifices that please God." (NLT) From dead stones to living stones! It's extraordinary to think that God's people are made to be living stones which are being built together as His temple, the dwelling place of the Holy Spirit. How can this be?! Such a privileged distinct honor is not one we deserve or ever could earn or afford; it has been purchased for us by the blood of Jesus Christ which the Scriptures declare as priceless! Ephesians 2:19-22 affirms it like this: "Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of His household, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus Himself as the Chief Cornerstone. In Him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. And in Him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by His Spirit." (NIV)
Jesus' brother, James, has much to say about genuine faith and accompanying works. In James 1:22-25 he writes: "But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing. (ESV) In James 2:14-17 he says more: "What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, and one of you says to them, 'Go in peace, be warmed and filled,' without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead." (ESV) When we declare we've been saved by grace alone, through FAITH alone, in Christ alone, for the glory of God alone, the FAITH we're talking about is not mere mental assent. The FAITH we're talking about is one that affects our minds as well as our hearts. True FAITH, which God grants as a gift, affects not only our hearts but also our hands and feet. It has substance. It not only acknowledges what God has said but acts upon it. When a meteorologist says rain is coming, our FAITH in his forecast is proved genuine when we leave the house with an umbrella. Hebrews 11:1 affirms: "Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen." (ESV)
1 Corinthians 3:12-15 says: "Now if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw--each one's work will become manifest, for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done. If the work that anyone has built on the foundation survives, he will receive a reward. If anyone's work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire." (ESV) So what are gold, silver, and precious stones, wood, hay, and straw? What do these materials represent? In the narrowest sense they represent the teachings of sound vs errant doctrine, God's truth vs falsehoods. In a broader sense they represent all of our life's production as believers, both in word and deed. As Christians, we dare not look past the cross as we ruminate on Paul's words—instead we look to it and through it. Our salvation, pure and simple, is not earned--this we know. But it is certainly to be evidenced in our words and deeds. If our salvation is beyond epic, and it truly is, then the fruitfulness of such epicness should manifest accordingly. The Day will eventually come when the works of our faith are fully exposed and assessed by our Lord...
Jesus chose a young John to be one of His disciples. With his brother James, our Lord nicknamed the pair, the Sons of Thunder. But eventually John would be known as the Apostle of love, referring to himself in his own gospel as "The disciple whom Jesus loved." John also became the author of the book of Revelation. Perhaps no other Biblical account is more challenging, cryptic, stunning, and glorious than this book, stirring countless theological debates over the centuries. John, however, is given a glimpse into the blissful glories of heaven which he describes in terms that stretch our imaginations to the hilt, with descriptions of beings, sights, sounds, and colors--wondrous beyond the pale! Many think of heaven as naked baby angels playing harps while floating on white puffy clouds. Others imagine a dreamlike state where essentially earth is replicated for us in some man-centered, wishes-come-true utopia. But what John narrates as an eyewitness, under the Holy Spirit's inspiration, makes clear that Heaven is first and foremost God's majestic realm. Here He rules and reigns in Trinitarian dominion, might, and resplendent glory! Here angels and saints bow down in humble yet resounding worship. Here the tainted-ness of mankind has been washed away forever. But John's narrative also makes clear how we gain entrance and eternal residence there: God the Son, the Lion of Judah, the Lamb of God, was slain for us! He died in our place. He rose from the dead. He ascended upon High where He reigns forevermore! And we get to be a part of it all! All glory to His name!
As Joshua prepares to slip into the presence of the Lord he's so faithfully served, he gathers God's people for a farewell address. Joshua 24:14-15 gives us a smidgeon of that potent sermon: “Now fear the LORD and serve Him with all faithfulness. Throw away the gods your ancestors worshiped beyond the Euphrates River and in Egypt, and serve the LORD. But if serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD.” (NIV) At first glance we might dismiss part of Joshua's message as being way too Old Testament. But we dare not. The exhortation extends to us here and now. "Choose this day whom YOU will serve!" Here we have God's chosen ones being asked to choose the Chooser. God's benevolent sovereign hand is stretched out to us asking us to place our hand within His. What mercy! What love! What grace! So the question begs asking, have you chosen the Chooser?
Colossians 3:1-4 says: "If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory." (ESV) These opening verses declare what our awesome position is in Christ. The rest of this chapter, and the beginning of the next, lay out virtues that are meant to reflect and be evidence of what genuine faith in Christ should look like. We might call these If/Thens. As they say in theological terms, the indicative leads to the imperative. The neighboring city of Laodicea, just nine miles from Colossae, was written to by Christ Jesus personally. John records that letter in Revelation 3:14-22. In many ways the Laodiceans were Christians in name only. Their actions did not align with their professions of faith. Jesus called them "lukewarm" and if they didn't repent He would spew them out of His mouth. That warning should frighten us all, make us examine ourselves, and stir us to consecrate our hearts afresh while embracing all He has instructed us to do...
In Luke 20:7-12 the good doctor shares the account of a young man named Eutychus who falls out of church; literally. Paul's preaching had continued till midnight and the lad, sitting on the windowsill, falls asleep, then drops out of the three story window to his death! Paul and the rest of the folks rush to his side and God uses Paul to resurrect the deceased boy to life. Then they go back inside and Paul preaches till dawn. (Yes, long sermons are Biblical!) While there's some humor in this story, spiritual slumber is much more serious. Throughout the Scriptures, the call to wake up is found aplenty. These prophetic admonitions are calls to rise from lethargy and complacency to a place of clear-eyed perception, watchfulness, alertness, and readiness. Our enemy, our ancient foe, prowls about like a lion, wily in his stealth, ready to devour his prey. (1 Peter 5:8) Therefore we need to be awake and alert to his cunning schemes. More importantly however, God is ever at work in all our spheres of life and we don't want to miss the opportunity to be useful participants in whatever He is doing. It's hard to focus on what's important while nodding off or snoozing spiritually. Like that vintage chorus recorded by Paul in Ephesians 5:14: "Awake O sleeper, arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you!" Time to get up!
When we consider God's calling of Elisha along with other OT saints and juxtapose them with those in the NT who fervently followed after Jesus, we can declare with confidence--they were ALL IN! Hebrews 11 is rightly called The Hall of Faith as it honors many of God's people who remained fiercely faithful to our Lord, even unto death. But as we admire the resolute allegiance of our ancestors, there's One Who was the most ALL IN of them all; that was Jesus! Christ was ALL IN for the Father and ALL IN for us! John 18:11-17 affirms in red letters: "I am the Good Shepherd. The Good Shepherd lays down His life for the sheep. He who is a hired hand and not a shepherd, who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees, and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. He flees because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep. I am the Good Shepherd. I know My own and My own know Me, just as the Father knows Me and I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep. And I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to My voice. So there will be one flock, One Shepherd. For this reason the Father loves Me, because I lay down My life that I may take it up again." (ESV) So what is the challenge bestowed upon us? To be: ALL IN!
Peter was the disciple that Jesus called "the Rock." When Jesus named 12 of His followers who would have the special designation as Apostles, Peter was number one on the list. He was commended for recognizing that Jesus was "the Christ, the Son of the Living God." He went on to be the first head of the early church in Jerusalem. But Peter's unique calling and position was not because he was a natural born leader who was without serious character flaws. Like all of us, Peter had issues. He was prideful and impulsive. In this sermon, we will explore numerous episodes in the Gospels that document Peter's unique "pruning" that matured him from an arrogant, quick-tempered fisherman into a humble and dynamic servant of Christ.
Proverbs 22:1 says: "A good name is more desirable than great riches; to be esteemed is better than silver or gold." (NIV) Ecclesiastes 7:1a echoes similarly: "A good name is better than fine perfume..." (NIV) The fact that God has called you by name and made you His own and placed you in a Family of Believers should mean something deep within. The study of names is called Etymology. Each of our names have meaning. Sometimes God changes a name to give it a new meaning or a greater meaning than before. But what's most important is that your names, each derived from heaven, are attached to you. Especially amazing is the Lord knows the name of every believer and has inscribed it in the Lamb's Book of Life. Revelation 3:5 affirms: "He who overcomes [the world through believing that Jesus is the Son of God] will accordingly be dressed in white clothing; and I will never blot out his name from the Book of Life, and I will confess and openly acknowledge his name before My Father and before His angels [saying that he is one of Mine]." (AMP) And for this we offer our utmost praise to Him who bears the Name above all names!
Originally named Abram, which means, "Exalted Father," God eventually changes Abram's name to Abraham, which means, "Father of a multitude." God chose Abraham to be a daddy at a very old age (100) and when the angel told him and wife Sarah they'd bear a son, they actually laughed. So a year later when their son was born, they named him Isaac which means: “He laughs.” But then God tests Abraham severely by asking him to sacrifice his son. We scarcely can grasp the agony of this command. But Abraham, with great faith, obeys. But even as Abraham's knife is raised, God halts the test. Nearby a ram caught in a thicket is provided to take Isaac's place on the altar. Hebrews 11:19 speaks to Abraham's faith: "Abraham reasoned that if Isaac died, God was able to bring him back to life again. And in a sense, Abraham did receive his son back from the dead." (NLT) When we think of Jesus praying in the Garden on the night of His arrest, we might imagine God the Father and God the Son recalling the vivid scene with Abraham and Isaac. Jesus' sacrifice, however, would not be aborted. In that agonizing moment the mutual love of the Father and the Son shifted to us. "For the joy set before Him, our Lord endured the cross!” Christ our just Savior would die for we unjust sinners; the Righteous One for the unrighteous many. What incredible love! May the reality of Jesus' sacrifice sink down into the depths of all our hearts!
Psalm 121 is one of the Psalms of Ascent and those include Psalms 120 through 134. Some refer to them as the Songs of the Stairs, believing they're among the songs the faithful sang while climbing the steps to the Temple in Jerusalem. Others suppose they were songs sung by Pilgrims headed to Jerusalem for annual festivals like the Feast of Tabernacles or Passover. Still others posit the ascent songs were sung by the exiles of Judah as they returned from captivity in Babylon. All three scenarios likewise may be true. There's a Hebrew word throughout this Psalm that should encourage our hearts. Shamar is that word and it means: to keep, preserve, guard, watch over, and to attend to carefully. And Who is behind this kind and caring activity? God Almighty! Yahweh! Then we must ask what should the reality of God watching over us, preserving and keeping us, mean for our souls? Security! That the Maker of heaven and earth, all things seen and unseen, tenderly keeps watch over us, cares for, nourishes, and protects us, should impart a deep and abiding peace (Shalom!). Let us therefore exclaim together: Who is this God that He is so lovingly mindful of us?!
Jesus taught that "Everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted" (Luke 18:14b). James says "God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble" (James 4:6). Pride is at the root of every sin, whereas humility is the ultimate goal of our sanctification. The believer, with the help of the Holy Spirit, should be on a relentless pursuit to eliminate all pride from his or her life, because pride is an attempt to steal the glory that belongs to God alone. What are the signs of pride and humility in a Christian's life?
Luke 12:22-27 are Jesus' words, similar to those in His Sermon on the Mount: "And He said to His disciples, “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat, nor about your body, what you will put on. For life is more than food, and the body more than clothing. Consider the ravens: they neither sow nor reap, they have neither storehouse nor barn, and yet God feeds them. Of how much more value are you than the birds! And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? If then you are not able to do as small a thing as that, why are you anxious about the rest? Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these." (ESV) Ravens and lilies! God cares for them, feeds and clothes them, but cares for us more! Better yet, His provision for us includes far greater things--even eternal life in a Kingdom without end. And because entrance there is neither earned or deserved, it too has been provided and that through Jesus Christ our Lord. So in the meantime, concerning our simple needs as well as the exceedingly difficult trials of life, the question must be asked: Dare we TRUST HIM?! The answer to that question should come easy...
Proverbs 31:29-30 is an apt word for any Godly woman: "Many daughters have done nobly, but you excel them all. Charm is deceitful and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the LORD, she shall be praised." (NASB) Few in Scripture fit this description better than Hannah of the OT. One of two wives of a gentleman named Elkanah, Hannah was unable to bear children. That disappointment was exacerbated by the constant ridicule and verbal abuse of her husband's other wife, Peninnah. But a time came when the family went to Shiloh to worship and while there, Hannah went to the tabernacle and poured out her anguish to God. When Eli the priest saw her silent lips moving in fervent prayer, he scolded her for being drunk. But as he heard her reason for entreating God, Eli instead blessed her and Hannah went home rejoicing. God heard her cries! Hannah's promise to God was to dedicate her firstborn son to the Lord. And this she did. Firstborn Samuel was reared in God's house and became the last of the judges, a renowned a priest, a mighty prophet of God, and the one chosen to anoint Israel's first two kings. Without a retaliatory bone in her body, Hannah knew that bitterness could never give her a son but God certainly could. Her famous song in 1 Samuel 2:1-11 has been a hit for 3,000 years and counting. A millennium after Hannah came Mary, the mother of Jesus. Mary's great hymn also topped the Biblical charts. Like an angelic duet, we can imagine these two wonderful mothers joining hands and singing together in the blissful realms of glory! And one day we can all join in their sweet refrains...
1 Peter 2:9-10 says: "But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a dedicated nation, God’s own purchased, special people, that you may set forth the wonderful deeds and display the virtues and perfections of Him Who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light. Once you were not a people at all, but now you are God’s people; once you were unpitied, but now you are pitied and have received mercy." (AMPC) Not only pitied. Not only cleansed. Not only redeemed. Not only forgiven. But adopted--made royal heirs of the King of kings and likewise a holy nation and beloved family of priests. You may have never considered yourself as a priest but Peter's words indicate that's what God's children are. The Latin word for priest is pontifex. Translated, that means: Bridge-builder! Yes--we who are born anew in Christ are called to be royal bridge-builders. Christ, our High Priest, the Chief Pontifex, the Supreme Bridge-builder, has built a bridge from God to us. In turn, He allows us to eagerly participate and joyfully serve in His royal bridge-building to others whom He's calling to Himself. What a privilege! And what a joy!
Jeremiah 29:4-7 are the words of God's prophet to the people of Judah, exiled to Babylon: “Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, to all the exiles whom I have sent into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon: Build houses and live in them; plant gardens and eat their produce. Take wives and have sons and daughters; take wives for your sons, and give your daughters in marriage, that they may bear sons and daughters; multiply there, and do not decrease. But seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the LORD on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare." (ESV) The word, welfare in the text above is better translated, Shalom. Besides describing welfare and peace, Shalom includes wholeness, wellness, security, tranquility, prosperity, harmony, and rest. It's a word chock full of richness and Jesus, the Prince of Shalom, would have us pursue it and exude it in our everyday lives. His sacrifice on the cross, after all, purchased Shalom between us and God (cf Col.1:20). Quoting Psalm 34, Peter exhorts us: "Whoever would love life and see good days must keep their tongue from evil and their lips from deceitful speech. They must turn from evil and do good; they must seek peace (Shalom) and pursue it." (1 Peter 3:10-11, NIV) Jesus said on the Sermon on the Mount, "Blessed are the peacemakers (the Shalom-makers) for they shall be called the children of God." Has a nice ring to it--doesn't it?!
Psalm 19 speaks to what theologians refer to as general revelation and special revelation as it describes what God has made and likewise authored. General Revelation refers to God's visible handiwork as seen in His creation, His Devine fingerprints upon all He's made--from galaxies and supernovas to molecular structures and nuclear physics. Special Revelation is God's direct communication with people, through dreams and visions, miracles, prophets, personal visitations, and especially through His written Word. While we can't look up at an eclipse or constellation and know that murder and adultery are sinful in God's eyes, His revealed Word leaves no doubt. Hebrews 1:1-4 speaks to God’s grandest reveal of all: "In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days He has spoken to us by His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, and through whom also He made the universe. The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of His being, sustaining all things by His powerful word. After He had provided purification for sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven. So He became as much superior to the angels as the name He has inherited is superior to theirs." (NIV) So God's Epic Revelation is His very own Son, Jesus Christ, our Savior and our Lord...
In Luke 16:19-31, Jesus peels back the veil of what happens when people die. Some believe His story to merely be a parable; others do not. But Jesus told it and we needn't second guess its validity. God's Word supersedes all our cultural beliefs, superstitions, and sensational tales--both for this life as well as the life to come. Jesus' story is about a poor beggar named Lazarus, hungry and afflicted with sores. It also features a man of great means, which upon his front gate the destitute Lazarus is laid. Then both men die. Lazarus goes to Paradise while the rich man is sent across the chasm to Hades. The story juxtaposes eternal agony with eternal ecstasy. It's cryptic beyond the pale! The Great News is that Jesus has made THE WAY for us to be with Him forever in Paradise. He not only died for our sins that would've sent us to hell, but rose from the dead to affirm His atoning sacrifice. Quoting David in Psalm 32, Paul writes in Romans 4:7-8: "Blessed are they whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man whose sin the Lord will never count against him.” (NIV) Yes indeed, those in Christ have been BLESSED beyond measure and that means BLESSED forevermore!
The Scriptures give us a few glimpses into heavenly scenes from guys like Isaiah and Ezekiel, not to mention from the Apostle John in the book of Revelation. While these visions are extraordinary as they describe angelic beings and heavenly creatures that make naked baby angels seem cartoonish, their commonality are descriptions of the majestic glory of being in the holy presence of Almighty God! The sights and sounds of celestial songs and thunderous prophetic declarations leave no doubt that this is a PLACE made by God, for God, for His honor and His glory! The eyewitnesses who chronicled what they saw make God's already amazing grace seem all the more amazing! Why? Because He's made a way for us to be there with Him some day! That WAY has been made by Jesus! John 14:6 says: "Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me." (NIV) But will we be reunited with our dearest Loved Ones & Friends who died in Christ? Rest assured-absolutely! But far exceeding this will be the euphoric, unimaginable bliss of being ushered into the majestic, glorious, and holy presence of Almighty God! And there will be no better place in all the universe to be than THERE!
In writing to the church in Corinth where some began to doubt the resurrection of Jesus (not to mention their own) the Apostle Paul pens the following in 1 Corinthians 15:17-20: "And if Christ has not been raised, then your faith is useless and you are still guilty of your sins. In that case, all who have died believing in Christ are lost! And if our hope in Christ is only for this life, we are more to be pitied than anyone in the world. But in fact, Christ has been raised from the dead. He is the first of a great harvest of all who have died." (NLT) Saul of Tarsus, before he became Paul, was a rising star among the Jews. He viciously sought to snuff out the followers of Jesus and became famous for doing so. Then one day on the way to do more of the same he encountered the risen Christ personally. He was blinded so he could see! From then on his message of Jesus was no longer bad news, it was GOOD NEWS! And of course he'd lose his life for proclaiming it. Along with Paul's treatise on resurrection in the 58 verses of 1 Corinthians 15, we have four Gospel accounts that affirm Jesus’ rising from the dead along with numerous Scriptures in the NT and Old. The preponderance of evidence is overwhelming. But until hearts encounter our Lord personally, all this may be hard to embrace. But to those who doubt, disbelieve, or curiously ponder, pray for the gift of faith, for eyes to see, for a heart to understand. Pray until you can peer inside that vacated grave and see it empty as it truly is. The ramifications of our Lord's empty tomb are both transformational and eternal...
As Jesus mounted a donkey and rode into Jerusalem on that first Palm Sunday, Luke 19:41-42 reveals: "And when He drew near and saw the city, He wept over it, saying, 'Would that you, even you, had known on this day the things that make for peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes.'" (ESV) Besides seeing Jerusalem as it was that day (and far into the future), Jesus also saw the hearts of all the people with crystal clear clarity and He knew what was about to take place in just a few days. He knew shouts of Hosanna would turn to cries for His crucifixion. He also knew that though they were unable to comprehend what would bring peace between them and God, He knew it would take a cross to achieve it. Colossians 1:19-20 puts it this way: "For in Him [Jesus] all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through Him to reconcile to Himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of His cross." (ESV) One week from this triumphal ride into the Holy City, He'd make His second grand entry, this time from an empty tomb, even more triumphant than the Sunday before! And yes, Hosannas are still in order and shouting them, likewise...
1 Peter 3:13-16 says: "Now, who will want to harm you if you are eager to do good? But even if you suffer for doing what is right, God will reward you for it. So don’t worry or be afraid of their threats. Instead, you must worship Christ as Lord of your life. And if someone asks about your hope as a believer, always be ready to explain it. But do this in a gentle and respectful way. Keep your conscience clear. Then if people speak against you, they will be ashamed when they see what a good life you live because you belong to Christ." (NLT) Being bold and courageous never goes out of fashion. Nor does sharing the Good News about Jesus. The Bible tells us so... And we know all Spirit-led witnessing endeavors must be bathed in prayer, implemented with divine wisdom, and carried out with great mercy and love. For 2,000 years believers have gone forth to spread the Gospel and sometimes they've gone to dangerous places where harm, rejection, and death were either possibilities or probabilities. It's also true that somewhere along the line someone laid aside their inherent fears and found the courage to convey the Message of Christ to us. For this we not only rejoice with great gladness but with that same gladness we find the courage to go and do likewise...
Some say, "You can be so heavenly minded, you're not of any earthly good." But C.S. Lewis says it better in his book, Mere Christianity: "If you read history you will find that the Christians who did the most for the present world were just those who thought most of the next. It is since Christians have largely ceased to think of the other world that they have become so ineffective in this." In 1 Corinthians 2:9 Paul quotes Isaiah 64:4: "But as it is written: 'Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man, the things which God has prepared for those who love Him.'” (NKJV) The Scriptures paint a glorious picture of Heaven in the blissful presence of God Almighty. In That Place there'll be no more sickness, pain or death. Tears will be wiped away. Living in a world where those things prevalent, why would we not long for our Eternal Promised Land?! In Romans 8:18, Paul couches it this way: "I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us." (NIV) He echoes similarly in 2 Corinthians 4:17: "These troubles and sufferings of ours are, after all, quite small and won’t last very long. Yet this short time of distress will result in God’s richest blessing upon us forever and ever!" (TLB) The old camp-meeting hymn therefore still rings true, "When we all get to heaven, what a day of rejoicing that will be! When we all see Jesus, we'll sing and shout the victory!"
1 Timothy 2:5-6 says: "For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself as a ransom for all, which is the testimony given at the proper time." (ESV) We hear the word, ransom, but what exactly does it mean? When someone is held as a captive by an enemy or someone is taken hostage or kidnapped against their will, the captors will demand a payment for the release of those being held. We call such a payment, a ransom. The paying of this ransom to free a slave or prisoner means to redeem. This leads us to the word, Redemption. Sometimes the amount of a ransom comes in the form of money. Sometimes it comes as a prisoner exchange between enemies. But a far greater ransom has been paid for us! 1 Peter 1:18-21 tells it perfectly: "For you know that God paid a ransom to save you from the empty life you inherited from your ancestors. And it was not paid with mere gold or silver, which lose their value. It was the precious blood of Christ, the sinless, spotless Lamb of God. God chose Him as your ransom long before the world began, but now in these last days He has been revealed for your sake. Through Christ you have come to trust in God. And you have placed your faith and hope in God because He raised Christ from the dead and gave Him great glory." (NLT) Ransom paid! True freedom! Hallowed be His name!
2 Corinthians 4:6-7 says: "For God, who said, 'Let light shine out of darkness,' has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us." (ESV) In Genesis, at creation, God spoke light into existence. 'Let there be light!' God likewise causes dark hearts throughout our dark world to be flooded with the Light of Christ! Is this not the glorious Gospel, the Good News that pierces all darkness?! And so it is that these clay jars, these earthen vessels of ourselves, are blessed to possess and radiate this priceless Treasure! The Light of the Gospel is the celestial floodlight shining on the cross where God's glory was displayed in His Son. There, our destruction was stopped and God's love was vividly revealed! There, life replaced death! There, mankind's broken relationship with our Creator was restored! No matter how cracked and fissured and broken these vessels of our lives are now, they're meant to radiate this awesome news that blazes brighter than a thousand suns! All glory be to God!
1 Corinthians 1:26-30 says: "Brothers, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things--and the things that are not--to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before Him. It is because of Him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God--that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption." (NIV) So now you realize you weren't chosen by God because you were filthy rich, drop dead gorgeous, or a brainiac genius. Not chosen because you were an artistic prodigy. Not chosen because of special lineage or royal blood. Spiritual poverty vs impressive pedigrees kindled God's mercy, stirred His love, and catalyzed His rescue! God chose and chooses the weak and lowly, the poor and needy, the untouchables and undesirables. Like Jacob, God chooses the spotted, speckled, and black sheep to grace His beloved flocks! The CHOOSER chose you! So finding yourself among the chosen, what will happen now?
In Numbers 33, Moses recounts all the places the Israelites have camped the last 40 years since exiting Egypt. While some of the locations are listed nowhere else in Scripture, other campsites are connected to the memorable events that took place there, both good and bad. Besides these especially noteworthy occurrences, we might wonder what "normal" looked like as there were no doubt lots of ordinary days between the extraordinary. But we can guess: They ate manna and drank water that Yahweh provided. They fed and tended their livestock. They mended their tents. They made babies as proven by the second census. They worshiped at the Tabernacle where sacrifices were made for their sins. They followed the Pillar of Cloud by day and slept securely at night, bathed in the glow of the Pillar of Fire. And they kept on moving. Though it was a slow train coming, they eventually entered the Promised Land. With His blood, Christ Jesus has purchased our passage into a Better Promised Land. It may seem like a long slog getting there and the day-to-day, ends-and-outs of this life may require us to remind our hearts as to what's to come. Scripture does that best. The preaching of the Word, also. Likewise, singing the truths of God's Word. Fellowshipping around all our Lord's instructions and promises does the same. So we gather up the Manna, drink from the Wellspring of Life, and let them nourish and refresh our souls. And we keep on moving...
Israel's first Promised Land target, Jericho, is only 10 miles away. They've already crushed Sihon & Og of the Amorites. Balaam's attempt to curse God's people has failed. The sinister shaman seems out of the picture. Except he's not. Behind the scenes he's been at work. Knowing Israel won't fall from without, he's connived a scheme to seduce them from within. Numbers 25:1-3 says: "While Israel was staying in Shittim, the men began to indulge in sexual immorality with Moabite women, who invited them to the sacrifices to their gods. The people ate the sacrificial meal and bowed down before these gods. So Israel yoked themselves to the Baal of Peor. And the LORD’s anger burned against them." (NIV) As we read on, God orders gruesome consequences to atone for His people's sin. The idolaters are executed and hung in broad daylight! Awful! It would be foolish to believe we're immune to being ensnared like our ancestors were. Fortunately, God has since brought forth His redemptive plan, orchestrated from before all time. Instead of hanging we sinners in broad daylight, He'll hang His Son in broad daylight to bear our sin! Galatians 3:13 declares it: "But Christ has bought us out from under the doom of that impossible system by taking the curse for our wrongdoing upon Himself. For it is written in the Scripture, 'Anyone who is hanged on a tree is cursed' (as Jesus was hung upon a wooden cross)." (TLB) What would compel God to do this? LOVE! Love beyond all measure!
Balaam was a renowned soothsayer and shaman of foreign deities who had the embarrassing experience of being verbally rebuked by his donkey. Fearing Israel would soon crush his nation, King Balak of Moab hired Balaam to put a curse on Israel; in other words, put a curse on God's own very own children! But God flipped the script. Balaam, instead of cursing, was involuntarily forced by God to bless His people. In one of his oracles of blessing, we read this in Numbers 24:17-19: "I see Him, but not now; I behold Him, but not near: a Star shall come out of Jacob, and a Scepter shall rise out of Israel; it shall crush the forehead of Moab and break down all the sons of Sheth. Edom shall be dispossessed; Seir also, his enemies, shall be dispossessed. Israel is doing valiantly. And One from Jacob shall exercise dominion and destroy the survivors of cities!” (ESV) While in the short run this points forward to King David and what his reign would accomplish. In the long run it points to Jesus our Messiah! Some surmise the Magi from the East who came following the Star to find the newborn King in Bethlehem were keenly familiar with these words. While Herod sought to kill the Christ Child, the wisemen came to honor Him with gifts fit for a King. One sought to curse the Child with death while the others came to bless Him in humility. But ultimately our Lord came to become a curse in order that we might be blessed--blessed with life forevermore! And a pagan seer got a glimpse of this a long long time ago...
The Bible tells of a nefarious false prophet named Balaam. Balaam was a shaman of pagan deities/idols worshiped by Israel's enemies. We can rightfully call him a sorcerer, a soothsayer, a practitioner of divination; and a channeler of demons. Hired by the king of Moab to put a curse on God's people, his sinister journey is interrupted by a sword-bearing angel. Though the seer can't see the angel, his donkey does. The donkey becomes contrary and a furious Balaam strikes his faithful jenny three times. Then the donkey starts talking. He asks his infamous rider the reason for his brutality. Then the angel appears to Balaam and he falls on his face, terrified. That God can speak through donkeys and even pagan prophets is a humbling reality for all preachers. But far larger than this is the fact that money-hungry false prophets have wagged their tongues down through the ages. And though we have them still, their end will come. In 2 Peter 2:14-17 the apostle warns: "They commit adultery with their eyes, and their desire for sin is never satisfied. They lure unstable people into sin, and they are well trained in greed. They live under God’s curse. They have wandered off the right road and followed the footsteps of Balaam son of Beor, who loved to earn money by doing wrong. But Balaam was stopped from his mad course when his donkey rebuked him with a human voice. These people are as useless as dried-up springs or as mist blown away by the wind. They are doomed to blackest darkness." (NLT) Even a donkey can see this is true and utter a hearty, Amen!
As the Israelites inch closer to invading Canaan, they seek peaceful passage through Amorite lands. They're not only refused passage, they're attacked by two different kings, Sihon and Og. But Israel soundly defeats them and takes possession of their cities and territories. Three of Israel's tribes will make this territory their homeland. More battles of course will follow on the other side of the Jordan. Brutal wars, replete with horrific bloodshed, have continued down through the ages. The earth and seas hold the remains of countless warriors from countless wars. Even followers of Jesus, the Prince of Peace, have needed to don the uniforms of their respective countries with many giving their last full measure. But as believers, we are also engaged in conflicts that are unseen and yet just as real. Ephesians 6:12 explains: "For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places." (NLT) Were we to see the warfare in the unseen realms, it would chill us to the bone! And yet we fight the good fight, daily. And even though we die, yet shall we live! In Romans 8:31, the Apostle Paul declares to all of us in the thick of battle: "What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?" (ESV) Our triumphant and invincible Savior & Lord has us, holds us, and preserves us! He promises victory! Plus the end of His Book says we win! This almost makes the victories over Sihon & Og seem like child's play...
Numbers 21:6-9 tells of another sad event in Israel's wilderness journey following another episode of grumbling: "Then the LORD sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people, so that many people of Israel died. And the people came to Moses and said, “We have sinned, for we have spoken against the LORD and against you. Pray to the LORD, that He take away the serpents from us.” So Moses prayed for the people. And the LORD said to Moses, “Make a fiery serpent and set it on a pole, and everyone who is bitten, when he sees it, shall live.” So Moses made a bronze serpent and set it on a pole. And if a serpent bit anyone, he would look at the bronze serpent and live." (ESV) Just a handful of verses and then Moses' narrative seems to quickly move on. But does this desert drama point to anything else, in the future even? In His famous evening meet-up with Nicodemus, Jesus says this in John 3:14-16: "And as Moses lifted up the bronze snake on a pole in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, so that everyone who believes in Him will have eternal life. For this is how God loved the world: He gave His one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life." (NLT) Referring to the cross He'd soon bear, Jesus becomes the snake on the pole! Those bitten and poisoned by sin and facing certain death, can now look to their Savior dying for their sin, absorbing its just punishment, receive His record of righteousness, and live forevermore! So that deadly serpentine drama in the desert was pointing to Christ Jesus our Lord, the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. Our sin included!!
40 years have passed since the 10-spy revolt which caused God to sentence Israel to wander in the wilderness. While that generation has been dying in the desert for the past 4 decades, the rescheduled invasion of Canaan will soon arrive. Meanwhile in plotting their best course north, Israel politely asks the nation of Edom if they may peacefully pass through their territory. Despite Isaac being the Patriarchal father of both nations, Edom's emphatic answer is NO! Twice in fact! Meanwhile, as they ponder their alternative route, Aaron the high priest dies. Israel greatly mourns his loss. Eleazar his son succeeds him. Moses' knows his own day of passing is also coming, the last of the old guard, save Caleb and Joshua. And then the Canaanites attack. Israel was routed by these guys 40 years prior but not this time. Israel is victorious with many more victories to follow. Yet it will be God the Son who achieves the greatest victory of all times 14 centuries later! While we might wrestle to understand how all of Israel's ordeals are relative to us now, the Scriptures declare they are completely relative, that they were written down so we might learn from them, and so we might also see how Jesus made (and makes) all the difference!
Following Israel's exodus from Egypt, testing soon followed. Food and water were at the top of the complaints. Time and time again God not only showed Himself faithful, but merciful and mighty. The Israelites were prolific grumblers and Yahweh Elohim was the consummate provider. At Marah He turned rancid water into pure. At Massah He instructed Moses to strike a rock with his staff and water flowed like a river. Then 40 years later in the northern part of the desert, He instructed Moses to command a rock to deliver water yet again but this time an enraged Moses disobeyed and struck the rock twice with his staff. Water indeed flowed out and the people drank their fill, but Moses' punishment meant He'd not enter the Promised Land. That place was infamously called, Meribah. We too may find ourselves in a spiritually waterless place where all we can do is cry out to God to refresh our souls. At the Sychar well when Jesus encountered a sinful Samaritan woman, He offers these words found in John 4:14: "... whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” (NLT) Jesus is the Wellspring of Life, the Fount of Many Blessings, the Quencher of all Thirsts and He bids our parched souls to come and drink. Yes, He bids the thirsty to come! Will you?
Since the exodus, God's people have tested the Lord over and over again. There was the golden calf incident. There was the first water from the rock event as Massah. There was Taberah where fire consumed many. There was the clamoring for quail episode. Then there was the 12 spy expedition and the subsequent revolt of the 10 spies that nearly got the nation destroyed. Korah's rebellion closely followed. These have all been hard lessons for God's people. We might even call them wakeup calls on a celestial scale. But did they wake anybody? Did their hearts change? Sadly, no! Moses and Aaron spent much time on their faces pleading with God for mercy. Atonement offerings were made continuously. But Hebrews 10:12-13 tells of a Better Atonement made by a Better High Priest! The text reads: "But our High Priest offered Himself to God as a single sacrifice for sins, good for all time. Then He sat down in the place of honor at God’s right hand. There He waits until His enemies are humbled and made a footstool under His feet." (NLT) Jesus became both our High Priest and the Atoning Sacrifice! This is the atonement to end all atonements! And this He did to make us both Holy and His forevermore! Praise be to God for His indescribable Gift!
As if being banned from entry into the Promised Land and sentenced to 40 years of wilderness wandering were not enough, a Levite named Korah decides he'd be a better leader than Moses and Aaron. Joined by guys named Dathan, Abiram, and On, not to mention 250 notable chieftains, Moses is confronted. God is unhappy and He's ready to wipe out the mutineers but Moses intercedes. This isn't the first time. But Moses challenges these would-be usurpers to bring their worship censers filled with hot coals and incense to the entrance of the tabernacle so God can judge who stays and who goes. Instructed to move away from the tents of the challengers, the people obey and then the earth opens up and swallows the rebels and their families whole. The men with the censers are consumed by fire. Observers run screaming in panic fearing they're next. But as sad as this infamous event is, somehow Korah's sons are spared. Seven generations later a prophet name Samuel will emerge from his lineage. The first two kings of Israel, Saul and David, are anointed by Samuel. Some of the Sons of Korah are named among David's fierce warriors as well as musicians and worship leaders. These Korahites author about a dozen of the Psalms. God seems to have a redemptive plan no matter how wayward His people are or dark the times. Otherwise where would we be? We certainly should never doubt God's severity! Nor should we doubt His mercy and love as we all have been the recipients of His amazing grace, time and time again...
When the 12 spies sent by Moses to explore the Promised Land returned after their 40 day mission, excitement quickly morphed into despair. While Caleb & Joshua gave good reports of the land, the other 10 spies gave a bad report, an assessment replete with exaggeration, distortion, lies, and disdain for The Promiser. Israel swallowed the bad report and while wailing filled their camps, anger arose in God's heart. God was ready to wipe out this unbelieving people and start anew with Moses but once again Moses interceded. And though God relented--this time there'd be grave consequences. Those twenty years old and up would die in the wilderness and never step foot in the Promised Land, except for Caleb and Joshua. So what was the extent of God's partial pardon? Though the parents would die in the desert over the course of the next 40 years, their children would eventually take hold of what was promised. But a greater pardon would come 1400 years by Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 3:25-26 in the Living Bible puts it this way: "For God sent Christ Jesus to take the punishment for our sins and to end all God’s anger against us. He used Christ’s blood and our faith as the means of saving us from His wrath. In this way He was being entirely fair, even though He did not punish those who sinned in former times. For He was looking forward to the time when Christ would come and take away those sins." (TLB) So the ultimate payment and pardoning for sin comes through the blood-bought work of Christ on the cross! That's far better than 40 extra years of desert living! Blessed be the name of the Lord!
Nearing their anticipated invasion of Canaan, Moses orders a spy-expedition of Israel's future home. A chief from each of the twelve tribes is chosen to make the trip and they cover roughly 500 miles in 40 days. They assess the land itself for farming, collect produce samples, and assess the strength of their enemies. But upon their return to camp, chaos breaks out among God's people. While Caleb and Joshua give a good report of their findings, the other ten spies give a very bleak assessment of what the land holds and they strongly predict Israel's utter destruction. They essentially declare, 'They are giants and we are but grasshoppers!' Further, they put forth a plan of mutiny, the overthrow of Moses, and leading the nation back to Egyptian slavery. But God, whom the ten bad reporters leave out of their errant assessment, becomes very very angry! Moses once again finds himself standing between Yahweh Elohim who is ready to wipe them out and a faithless people whose rebellion becomes a stench in God's nostrils. Amazingly, God does show forth mercy, but He also renders a devastating punishment that becomes a sad part of Israel's storied history. We definitely must learn from this disastrous event! It behooves us also to remember how Christ Jesus became an even greater mediator between God and mankind, bearing God's wrath and punishment on a bloody cross. Our Savior's merciful act of proving God perfectly just and we His children free from sin and death, likewise purchased our passage into a Greater Promised Land. What love! What amazing love! All glory to His wonderful name!
Moses was blessed to have two devout siblings, his brother Aaron and sister, Miriam. Aaron was the one God chose to serve beside Moses when he went before Pharaoh to gain the release of God's enslaved people. Moses leaned on his older brother who excelled as a spokesman. It was Miriam who watched her little brother's basket-boat float along the Nile to where Pharaoh's daughter bathed. And once the princess sought to adopt the Hebrew boy, it was Miriam who, cleverly suggested Moses' own mother to be his nanny-nurse. All three siblings were from the priestly tribe of Levi. But there'd still come a time when Aaron and Miriam spoke against Moses, particularly because he'd chosen a woman from Cush (ancient Ethiopia) to be his wife. God became angry with the two for recoiling against Moses' leadership and He struck Miriam with leprosy. But Moses cried out to God, fervently seeking His mercy. God indeed answered. Miriam was healed, forgiven, and restored. As a Levitical prophetess, it was Miriam who led Israel in their Red Sea victory celebration, beating her tambourine while dancing before the Lord in exuberant worship. Of course the ultimate payment for her sin, Aaron's sin, Moses' sin, and the sins of us all came from Jesus on His bloody cross. And yes, that cross-borne emancipation is far better than the one from Egypt and it deserves celebrating with the same exuberance as Miriam demonstrated, so long long ago...
When God delivered His children from bondage in Egypt, the journey to the Promised Land should've taken 11 days. That's according to Moses in Deuteronomy 1:2. But we know it took 40 years. Why? Unbelief. Israel doubted God who, after numerous miracles, delivered them from 4 centuries of slavery. Another sad trait among God's people in the wilderness was their complaining. It was relentless. Their sin was rooted in not trusting in the Lord their God, Yahweh Elohim. A time came when the people became ungrateful for God's daily provision of manna. They craved meat instead. They vented their craving with anger and tears. They foolishly reminisced with fondness their slave rations back in Egypt, some even suggesting they go back. God became indignant and decided to teach His meat-craving people a lesson. He called in quail in outlandish numbers and they hovered 3 feet off the ground for miles around. The people gathered it up, cooked it up, and then became violently ill to the point that many died. Israel had romanticized their former life of slavery while amplifying the challenges of their newfound freedom. They had escaped the bonds of a super power but dismissed the supreme power of Almighty God! As Christians, delivered from sin and death and hell, we dare not do the same! Romans 8:32 should serve as a humble reminder: "He who did not spare His own Son but gave Him up for us all, how will He not also with Him graciously give us all things?" (ESV) Our Lord's hands that give and His hands that withhold are equally beautiful. Our privileged role is to trust Him with all of our hearts...
2 Timothy 3:1, written from an imprisoned Paul to Pastor Timothy in Ephesus and to us says: "But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty." (ESV) The rest of the chapter gives specifics regarding those difficulties. Paul is writing his son-in-the-faith Timothy what really amounts to his last will and testament. He's in the Mamertine Prison in Rome facing execution. He's on death row. His immensely fruitful ministry, so fraught with suffering, is concluding. And yet the the fledging church, still in its infancy, has a long way to go. It's being assaulted on multiple fronts. Jews as well as Romans hate the Christians. Satan hates the Christians even more. Judaizers, gnostics, pagan philosophers, rampant immorality, and all sorts of corrupted doctrines are being heaved at the church from every direction. Perhaps they thought, 'surely these must be the end times!' And yet that was 20 centuries ago. We live between the Advents. We live in the Messianic age. The final epic millenniums began with Jesus and in the meantime we are called to be faithful witnesses who love God and one another until the trumpet announces that Day long promised. And that could be in another 20 centuries or in the next 20 minutes. No matter, we await lovingly and expectantly for His appearing...
John 19:26-27 finds Jesus dying on the cross: "So when Jesus saw His mother, and the disciple whom He loved standing nearby, He said to His mother, “Woman, behold, your son!” Then He said to the disciple, “Behold, your mother!” And from that hour the disciple took her into his own household." (NASB) At the apex of all history, while dying for the sins of mankind, for sinners throughout the ages, Jesus pauses for a moment, looks lovingly down from the cross, and confers the care of His mother to John His trusted disciple. Perhaps John wrapped his arms around a sobbing Mary at that heart wrenching moment. The Scriptures tell us Mary was visited by the angel Gabriel who foretold she'd birth the Messiah. She indeed conceived by the Holy Spirit and laid her Newborn in a Bethlehem feeding trough. She encountered angels and shepherds and Magi and prophets and treasured all they said of her Son in her heart. She heard His teachings and witnessed His miracles. But now she sees her son shamefully crucified. What agony! And yet what love Jesus had for His mother! More astounding is the love He has for us! Romans 5:8 puts it like this: "But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. (NIV) So then came Sunday, she'd see her Son again! Risen! And come yet Another Day we will worship with this same Mary before the throne where Her Son reigns forevermore! Glorious Day! Glorious Day!
In Romans 6:1-2 Paul posits a rhetorical question: "What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it?" (ESV) The NASB puts it this way: "What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin so that grace may increase? May it never be! How shall we who died to sin still live in it?" We must heartily celebrate the fact that Jesus has saved us by grace but we must also celebrate that our Savior's grace sustains us, having a transforming effect on how we now live. We might ask: Are our sins that put Jesus on the cross in the first place continuing or being dispensed with by the same grace that saved us in the first place? Or "shall we keep on sinning that grace may increase?" Should not His grace-filled kindness that led us to our initial repentance be the same grace-filled kindness that leads us in daily, on-going, repentance? Jesus, as our Savior, has saved us, is saving us, and will one day save us in full measure. And this is what makes our Savior and His Grace so humbling as well as amazing!
Scott is the Associate Pastor at Edgewood Baptist Church in Trenton, Ohio where he's been actively engaged since his college years at Miami. Scott grew up at First Community Church in Buckeye Lake where his parents, Tom & Sonya Tweedle, remain very active members.
John 12:12-15 says: "The next day the large crowd that had come to the feast heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem. So they took branches of palm trees and went out to meet Him, crying out, 'Hosanna! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord, even the King of Israel!' And Jesus found a young donkey and sat on it, just as it is written, 'Fear not, daughter of Zion; behold, your King is coming, sitting on a donkey's colt!'” (ESV) So Jesus climbs on a donkey and rides into Jerusalem. The crowd is in a frenzy. The notion of revolution was in the air. 'Out with the Roman occupiers! In with the long promised Messiah-King!' was surely their mindset. But something far greater was unfolding! Where was Jesus so resolutely headed? And who was He headed there for? If we answer, He was headed there for God, we'd be right. But who else was He headed there for? Us! Upon that cross He fulfilled all justice and He did so while manifesting the incomprehensible love of God to redeem us from sin and death! What's the appropriate response? Hosanna! Hosanna in the highest! Hosanna to the King of kings!
The past several weeks our Church Family has been blessed to receive encouraging words from the pulpit through some wonderful Friends sharing exceptional messages. This coming Sunday will be no different as another old Friend, Tim Barrett, comes to do the same. Mark and I have known Tim and his wife Linda since our late teens. Both are graduates of Oral Roberts University and we've affectionately called Tim, "O.R." since way back-in-the-day. :-) Tim has also earned advanced degrees from Ohio State University and spent his career as an educator/administrator in high schools as well as on the college level. Now retired, a few of Tim's past gigs have included Utica High School, CTEC, MVNU, and Granville Christian Academy. Tim has also been a track & cross country official and and these days can be found wearing one of the Red Coats as an usher at Ohio Stadium when the Buckeyes are playing at home. Tim's professional career has been extraordinary and is only surpassed by he & Linda's deep devotion to our Lord as they've faithfully served in the various churches where God has planted them. Now at Spring Hills Baptist in Granville, this coming Sunday they will journey down the road to Millersport to minister to us. What a privilege!
Isaiah 64:6 says: "We are all infected and impure with sin. When we display our righteous deeds, they are nothing but filthy rags. Like autumn leaves, we wither and fall, and our sins sweep us away like the wind." (NLT) Isaiah is considered Israel's most renowned prophet. His name means, "Yahweh is salvation." Strikingly, many of Isaiah's prophesies pointed to the Messiah. Also known as The Righteous One, Jesus would remove our filthy rags and robe us in His righteousness. Romans 3:22-24 affirms: "This righteousness of God comes through faith in Jesus Christ for all those [Jew or Gentile] who believe [and trust in Him and acknowledge Him as God’s Son]. There is no distinction, since all have sinned and continually fall short of the glory of God, and are being justified [declared free of the guilt of sin, made acceptable to God, and granted eternal life] as a gift by His [precious, undeserved] grace, through the redemption [the payment for our sin] which is [provided] in Christ Jesus..." (AMP) This is the Gospel! This news is better than good! May Isaiah 61:10 be our own profession before heaven and earth: "I am overwhelmed with joy in the LORD my God! For He has dressed me with the clothing of salvation and draped me in a robe of righteousness. I am like a bridegroom dressed for his wedding or a bride with her jewels." (NLT)
The New Covenant, promised in the OT (See Jeremiah 31:31-34) would prove to be unbreakable. Why? Jesus made it and kept it Himself. This Covenant would be established by God the Son, who walked in perfect obedience and fellowship with God the Father. This Righteous One would become the sacrificial Lamb to suffer the punishment for the unrighteous ones--us. Matthew 26:26-29 takes us there: "Now as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and after blessing it broke it and gave it to the disciples, and said, 'Take, eat; this is My body.' And He took a cup, and when He had given thanks He gave it to them, saying, 'Drink of it, all of you, for this is My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. I tell you I will not drink again of this fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new with you in My Father's kingdom.'” (ESV) Therefore, we remember the price of our redemption, the blood-bought cost of the New Covenant, the priceless sacred agreement between God and us. Because of this, we will live forever in the glorious presence of God. All glory to His name!
Peter denied knowing Jesus three times on the night of our Lord's arrest and trial. Of course among the sins Jesus died for was Peter's. Later, after the resurrection and before His ascension, Jesus meets up with Peter on a Galilean beach. Three times Jesus asks Peter if he loves him. Three times Peter affirms that he does. And three times Jesus instructs Peter to feed His sheep. Peter is not only restored relationally but charged with the care of our Lord's lambs. How goes it from there? Peter becomes both a pillar and a martyr. The Chief Shepherd calls His first under shepherd and then in 1 Peter 5:1-4 we hear this feeder of sheep write to other feeder of sheep: "So I exhort the elders among you, as a fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, as well as a partaker in the glory that is going to be revealed: shepherd the flock of God that is among you, exercising oversight, not under compulsion, but willingly, as God would have you; not for shameful gain, but eagerly; not domineering over those in your charge, but being examples to the flock. And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory." (ESV) And how do good sheep respond? Acts 2:42 gives us a clue: "And they devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers." (ESV) Does that make you hungry?
The Communion of Reformed Evangelical Churches is a growing body of congregations spanning much of the world, including the United States, Canada, Japan, Russia, Ukraine, Bulgaria, Central Europe and Southern Asia.The churches of the CREC uphold and embrace the historic Christian Creeds.Each congregation also affirms the evangelical tenets of Protestantism, holding to one or more confessional documents of the Reformation (please see Article III:C of the CREC Constitution). Please see this document (2.01 MB PDF) for the text of the various confessions of faith of the CREC.
Proverbs 3:3-6 says: "Let not steadfast love and faithfulness forsake you; bind them around your neck; write them on the tablet of your heart. So you will find favor and good success in the sight of God and man. Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make straight your paths." (ESV) Bind what around our necks? Steadfast love and faithfulness! Why might this be? Because these are the key attributes of God! When you read through the 66 Books, you see the steadfast love of the Lord and His faithfulness in living color. You see them on display in the Garden and onward. You see them in the lives of the Patriarchs. You see them in the deliverance of God's people from Egyptian slavery. You see them in the wilderness and in the giving of the law. You see them throughout the days of the Judges, Kings, and Prophets. But where do we see them culminate most vividly? Where is their mighty confluence demonstrated most grandly? Where do they reach their zenith? At the Cross! "For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son..." Yes, bind this around your neck! Tattoo this on your heart! Carve this in your trees! And shout this from every mountaintop!
Luke 12:35-37 are the words of Jesus: "Stay dressed for action and keep your lamps burning, and be like men who are waiting for their master to come home from the wedding feast, so that they may open the door to him at once when he comes and knocks. Blessed are those servants whom the master finds awake when he comes." (ESV) Every generation has their end time prognosticators. Most of them spend their energies on declaring their notions of WHEN rather than obeying Jesus' admonition to be WATCHFUL. Many argue times have never been worse. But is that really so? It pays to be a student of history before putting on the camel hair suits, eating honey-dipped grasshoppers, and making assertions about what God alone knows. Being watchful servants with girded loins means being faithful servants who love their Lord through active obedience. The Two Greats remain the Two Greats: The Great Commandment and Great Commission. Neither were were mere suggestions. Knowing and loving Jesus, loving one another, and making Christ known are what Watchful Servants are about. And how very blessed they truly are!
Psalm 145:1-3 says: "I will extol You, my God and King, and bless Your name forever and ever. Every day I will bless You and praise Your name forever and ever. Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised, and His greatness is unsearchable." (ESV) Not only are these profound words for us in beginning any new year, they're just as appropriate for beginning any new day! God refers to David, who authored this Psalm, as a man after His own heart and it's no wonder after reading this Psalm. God of course promised David that Another King, One from his lineage, would sit upon the throne of the very Kingdom this Psalm so wonderfully extols. When the NT describes Jesus the Messiah as the descendent of David and risen from the dead, it's in essence saying Jesus was both Man and God, or as the Creeds declare--fully God and fully Man. In 2 Timothy 2:8 Paul writes his faithful son in the faith: "Constantly keep in mind Jesus Christ (the Messiah) [as] risen from the dead, [as the prophesied King] descended from David, according to the good news (the Gospel) that I preach." (AMPC) David prophesied about this future King but we have the privilege of knowing this King personally, this King who came indeed, who died for our sins, rose from the dead, and now sits upon a throne from which He'll never be removed! Jesus is the highly extolled King of this highly extolled Kingdom! Let us therefore bless His name forever and ever!
As we celebrate Christmas, Christmas Day at that, let us remember this Infant Child, born in a manger, ultimately came to die for our sins! This helpless One wrapped in swaddling clothes ultimately came to robe us in His righteousness! This One from eternity past, this One & Only Son of God, came that we might share eternity in heaven! This is what Christmas--deep down--really means! It's not what Hollywood or Hallmark say it is, it's what the Hallowed One declares it to be! His Word is not vague nor His voice silent. From His shouts to His whispers, the Good News has gone forth! So yes indeed: Glory to God in the highest and peace upon you men and women, boys and girls, for upon you His favor has come to rest because He has called you to Himself and made you His own! Glory to God in the highest!
We might ask who put Jesus, born in a humble manger, on the cross? Was it the Jews? Was it the Romans? Was it Satan and his demons? Or was it sinners like us, around the globe and down through the ages? Certainly it was a collaborative effort, a collection of evil deviants--thieves, murderers, adulterers, pagans, idolators, and us who bear the blame. But WHO else was involved? In a prayer following arrest and detainment, we find a portion of the early believers' prayer in Acts 4:27-28: “For in this city there actually met and plotted together against Your holy Child and Servant Jesus, Whom You consecrated by anointing, both Herod and Pontius Pilate with the Gentiles and peoples of Israel, to carry out all that Your hand and Your will and purpose had predestined (predetermined) should occur." (AMPC) It was God Himself Who ultimately laid His Son upon the altar we know as the cross! So as Christmas unfolds, don't look at a manger scene without seeing the crucifixion scene and the empty tomb scene! Because that is why Jesus came! That is why He was sent! Before time began, the cross was Christ's foreordained Father-Son mission and the empty tomb tells us He accomplished it perfectly! Let, therefore men and angels sing yet some more: "Gloria in excelsis Deo!"
As we contemplate Jesus' journeys, we can be sure of this: No matter where He went, from Galilee to Judea to Samaria, He was ultimately headed for Jerusalem. Even when He left one of the festivals held in the City of Peace, He was still headed back there, still on mission, still destined to carry out His redemptive plan on a hill called Golgotha. Our Lord's face was set like flint to die for our sins and He would not be deterred. As co-Creator of the universe, the Maker of all things seen and unseen, He could venture anywhere at anytime and get there at the speed of thought. But He chose to come here--God Incarnate--Emmanuel! He chose to make few His steps here on terra firma so we could walk with Him forevermore! And His lovely feet that brought the Good News were pierced along with His hands and side. As it says in Luke 18:31: "And taking the twelve, He said to them, “See, we are going up to Jerusalem, and everything that is written about the Son of Man by the prophets will be accomplished." And so it was! Jesus' journey to the cross made possible our journey to Heaven!
In Genesis 3:14-15, we hear God declare a curse upon the serpent (Satan) for his vile and crafty temptation in deceiving the first couple, Adam & Eve: "The LORD God said to the serpent, 'Because you have done this, you are cursed more than all the cattle, and more than any animal of the field; on your belly you shall go, and dust you shall eat all the days of your life. And I will put enmity (open hostility) between you and the woman, and between your seed (offspring) and her Seed; He shall [fatally] bruise your head, and you shall [only] bruise His heel.'” (AMP) This takes place right after the fall but despite the curse of death, God includes the promise of redemption that would come from the Seed of the woman. Known in theological terms as the protoevangelium, this is the first pronouncement of the Gospel in all of Scripture. And by WHOM will this redemption come? From none other than God the Son Himself, Jesus Christ! As was also foretold in Isaiah 53:5: "But He was wounded (pierced) for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed." (NKJV) Jesus accomplished all this on the cross! Through Adam, man fell; through Christ Jesus, redemption has come! And the first prophetic declaration of all this came on the heels of the fall iteself. All glory to God for His steadfast love and faithfulness are from of old and they are also from everlasting to everlasting!
As the season of Advent unfolds, we remember Jesus' first Advent by recounting the stories of His humble birth, announced by angels and revealed to lowly shepherds and wealthy wisemen from the East. These stories are told and retold and celebrated in myriads of ways around the globe. What is less celebrated is Jesus' promised second Advent. And why is that? Because it will be in stark contrast to the first. First time, He was wrapped in swaddling clothes and laid in a manger; next time He'll be robed as a sword-bearing warrior. First time, He came to redeem; next time to He'll come to judge. To persecuted believers in Thessalonica, Paul writes in 2 Thessalonians 1:5-8: "This is evidence of the righteous judgment of God, that you may be considered worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you are also suffering-- since indeed God considers it just to repay with affliction those who afflict you, and to grant relief to you who are afflicted as well as to us, when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with His mighty angels in flaming fire, inflicting vengeance on those who do not know God and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus." (ESV) A lot of songs fill the air as we celebrate Jesus' first coming; not so much the next one. But our reality is we find ourselves living between the two Advents of Christ, grateful for the first, while awaiting the next one with deep abiding love and hopeful anticipation...
Psalm 107:1, 8-9 says: "Oh give thanks to the LORD, for He is good, for His steadfast love endures forever! ...Let them thank the LORD for His steadfast love, for His wondrous works to the children of man! For He satisfies the longing soul, and the hungry soul He fills with good things." (ESV) Psalm 107 is a congregational call to worship and give thanks. It's addressed to those sorely impacted by the Babylonian invasion, i.e. exiles. Some were refugees who'd fled to desert places. Others were POW's hauled off by their captors. But now the exiles have been returned home. This psalm's rightfully a call to thanksgiving. Even in the midst of trials, thanksgiving is in order. That's because God is a good God, ever worthy of our praise and thanksgiving. Believers down through time have chosen to give thanks in times of hardship because they hold in their hearts the promise of better days to come. The famous hymn writer, Isaac Watts wrote of this glorious future: "How astonishing will be the glory and the joy of that day when all the saints shall join together in one common song of gratitude and love, and of everlasting thankfulness to this Redeemer! With that unknown delight, and inexpressible satisfaction, shall all that are saved from the ruins of sin and hell address the Lamb that was slain, and rejoice in His presence!" Amen and Amen!
In John 14:6, at the Last Supper, Jesus said this to Thomas, His disciples, and all His followers down through time: “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me." (ESV) In David's prayer of repentance, Psalm 51:6 specifically, we hear this: "Behold, You delight in truth in the inward being, and You teach me wisdom in the secret heart." (ESV) And the late Billy Graham once said: "You can accept the truth, you can reject the truth, but you can't change the truth." Aesop's fable, The Tortoise and the Hare, is a good comparison to truth vs lies and falsehoods. Lies and falsehoods are spread, sprint forth and run rampant, brandished with pride, swagger and arrogance. But eventually the tortoise of truth comes along, overtakes the lies and falsehoods, and crosses the finish line victoriously. Truth may come from way behind but in the end it will always win. How much do you love the truth? How much do you love the truth of God's Word? How much do you love the truth of God's Word made flesh--Jesus? Our Lord said this in John 8:31-32: "If you abide in My word, you are truly My disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” (ESV) Yay and Amen!
In 1 Corinthians 15:1-4 Paul affirms: "Now, brothers and sisters, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand. By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain. For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that He was buried, that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures..." (NIV) It's one thing to give mental ascent to the notion that there was a good man named Jesus, that He was crucified to death, buried, and alleged by some to have risen from the dead. (An atheist could affirm that.) It's quite another thing to believe from your heart of hearts that Jesus was the one and only Son of God, Who was crucified to death on a cross, Who bore the punishment of we sinners, extinguishing God's wrath against our sin; Who was buried in a grave that could not hold Him; and, Who rose up from that grave victoriously demonstrating that our sins had indeed been atoned for, totally forgiven, with eternal life bestowed upon those for whom He died. Truth matters! And what we believe matters! So where do you stand on what truly matters?
Matthew 7:15-20 records Jesus' words from the Sermon on the Mount: "Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit. A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus you will recognize them by their fruits." (ESV) False prophets are found throughout the OT. Jesus likewise confronted them in His day and the apostles and authors of the NT faced them also. Most of the creeds and confessions of the church down through the centuries are dealing with errant doctrines propagated by heretical teachers. False gospels are also aplenty. In Galatians 1:8-9 Paul cryptically writes: "But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed. As we have said before, so now I say again: If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you received, let him be accursed." (ESV) The truth matters! And we're told to beware of those who speak otherwise! Falsehood is never good news!
Matthew 7:15-20 records Jesus' words from the Sermon on the Mount: "Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit. A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus you will recognize them by their fruits." (ESV) False prophets are found throughout the OT. Jesus likewise confronted them in His day and the apostles and authors of the NT faced them also. Most of the creeds and confessions of the church down through the centuries are dealing with errant doctrines propagated by heretical teachers. False gospels are also aplenty. In Galatians 1:8-9 Paul cryptically writes: "But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed. As we have said before, so now I say again: If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you received, let him be accursed." (ESV) The truth matters! And we're told to beware of those who speak otherwise! Falsehood is never good news!
In Luke 12:16-21 we hear from Jesus: "And He told them a parable, saying, 'The land of a rich man produced plentifully, and he thought to himself, ‘What shall I do, for I have nowhere to store my crops?’ And he said, ‘I will do this: I will tear down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry.”’ But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul is required of you, and the things you have prepared, whose will they be?’ So is the one who lays up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God.” (ESV) In the verses that follow, Jesus describes what it means being rich toward God with the full weight of our souls resting upon Him for all things necessary in this life. What are the pivotal words in this discourse? TRUST and TREASURE. This world and its god offer many shiny things to entice our fleshly bent towards greed and pleasure. As temporal and fleeting as they are, they still ensnare many. Perhaps Jesus' rhetorical question in Mark 8:36 is one we should all consider: "For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?" (NKJV) The answer? Nothing!
In the ancient credo hymn displayed in Philippians 2:5-11, Paul writes: "Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though He was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted Him and bestowed on Him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." (ESV) In our culture, people do all kinds of things to make a name for themselves. Some succeed famously, others infamously. But God the Son, from eternity past, took on flesh. Then He suffered the most humiliating of public executions--this to extinguish God's wrath while redeeming us from sin and death and hell. His exaltation to His rightful throne was perfectly deserved. And our bowing before Him, whose name is above all names, is totally the very best response we can offer...
Ephesians 1:3 says: "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places..." (ESV) And then the next eleven verses, a single sentence doxology in the original Greek, describe those rich, amazing, incomprehensible, blessings. Some of them include being sovereignly chosen by God before the foundation of the world; being ransomed from sin and death as enemies and not only made friends of God, but His very own children--children who will share in the inheritance of Christ Jesus our Lord; and, being filled with and sealed by the Holy Spirit, who ushers us to the fruition of all these wonderful blessings, both now and in eternity to come. Discovering who we are in Christ should change everything. The more we gain some comprehension of this on the inside, the more it should effect us on the outside. If we were once not IN HIM but have been made to be IN HIM--it changes everything! From spiritual orphans to God's beloved children--from what we once were to what we are now--in Christ. And with every spiritual blessings included! All glory to His name!
Hear the often quoted words of 1 Corinthians 15:3-4a: "For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that He was buried, that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures..." (NIV) But listen closely: It's one thing to say and believe Christ died, was buried, and rose again according to the Scriptures; it's quite another thing to say from your heart of hearts, He died for MY sins. 2 Corinthians 5:21 is also much declared: "God made Him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God." (NIV) Can we hear these words too much? Perish the thought! Of course Jesus warned about praying prayers of vain repetition. i.e. superstitious recitation. And He shared this at the Sermon on the Mount just as He was introducing the oft recited Lord's Prayer. But repetition isn't all that bad when we extract the vain part. How about, meaningful, profitable, fruitful repetition! Yes, that works! Like Paul wrote to the church in Philippi, "To keep writing to you [over and over] of the same things is not irksome to me, and it is [a precaution] for your safety." (Phil. 3:1b AMPC) So some things bear repeating, even over and over again--like the Good News of Jesus Christ!
Hear the often quoted words of 1 Corinthians 15:3-4a: "For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that He was buried, that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures..." (NIV) But listen closely: It's one thing to say and believe Christ died, was buried, and rose again according to the Scriptures; it's quite another thing to say from your heart of hearts, He died for MY sins. 2 Corinthians 5:21 is also much declared: "God made Him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God." (NIV) Can we hear these words too much? Perish the thought! Of course Jesus warned about praying prayers of vain repetition. i.e. superstitious recitation. And He shared this at the Sermon on the Mount just as He was introducing the oft recited Lord's Prayer. But repetition isn't all that bad when we extract the vain part. How about, meaningful, profitable, fruitful repetition! Yes, that works! Like Paul wrote to the church in Philippi, "To keep writing to you [over and over] of the same things is not irksome to me, and it is [a precaution] for your safety." (Phil. 3:1b AMPC) So some things bear repeating, even over and over again--like the Good News of Jesus Christ!
After doing jail time in Philippi, the Apostle Paul eventually makes his way to Thessalonica and Berea. Chased out of those two cities, he finds himself waiting on his colleagues in idol-infested Athens. After sharing about Christ in the synagogue and marketplace, two groups of philosophers invite him to address them at the Areopagus, also known as Mars Hill. In Acts 17:21-23 Luke gives us this picture: "Now all the Athenians and the foreigners who lived there would spend their time in nothing except telling or hearing something new. So Paul, standing in the midst of the Areopagus, said: “Men of Athens, I perceive that in every way you are very religious. For as I passed along and observed the objects of your worship, I found also an altar with this inscription, ‘To the unknown god.’ What therefore you worship as unknown, this I proclaim to you." (ESV) Paul continues by tactfully presenting the Gospel. When he gets to the part about Jesus' resurrection from the dead, the philosophers balk, canceling the rest of Paul's message. Other than a handful of folks, Athens rejects the Gospel. The deities once worshiped on Mars Hill have all gone the way of the dinosaur but the Gospel continues to be preached worldwide. Many we know and love have pitched their tents on their own version of Mars Hill. But there's a better hill--it's called Mt. Calvary. There, Jesus bled and died for our sins to make us His own and this forevermore. Upon which hill have you pitched your tent? It truly does mater...
After doing jail time in Philippi, the Apostle Paul eventually makes his way to Thessalonica and Berea. Chased out of those two cities, he finds himself waiting on his colleagues in idol-infested Athens. After sharing about Christ in the synagogue and marketplace, two groups of philosophers invite him to address them at the Areopagus, also known as Mars Hill. In Acts 17:21-23 Luke gives us this picture: "Now all the Athenians and the foreigners who lived there would spend their time in nothing except telling or hearing something new. So Paul, standing in the midst of the Areopagus, said: “Men of Athens, I perceive that in every way you are very religious. For as I passed along and observed the objects of your worship, I found also an altar with this inscription, ‘To the unknown god.’ What therefore you worship as unknown, this I proclaim to you." (ESV) Paul continues by tactfully presenting the Gospel. When he gets to the part about Jesus' resurrection from the dead, the philosophers balk, canceling the rest of Paul's message. Other than a handful of folks, Athens rejects the Gospel. The deities once worshiped on Mars Hill have all gone the way of the dinosaur but the Gospel continues to be preached worldwide. Many we know and love have pitched their tents on their own version of Mars Hill. But there's a better hill--it's called Mt. Calvary. There, Jesus bled and died for our sins to make us His own and this forevermore. Upon which hill have you pitched your tent? It truly does mater...
1 Thessalonians 4:13 says: "Brothers and sisters, we do not want you to be uninformed about those who sleep in death, so that you do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope." (NIV) The next 5 verses give a vivid picture of Jesus' return and the resurrection that follows. The Anglican Preacher, R.C. Ryle (1816-1900) put it this way: "What will you see when the great event of Christ's return takes place? You will see the eternal Son of God return in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. He will come to raise the dead saints and to change the living ones, to punish the wicked and to reward the godly." John Calvin, three centuries earlier, said it even more succinctly: "Let us consider this settled, that no one has made progress in the school of Christ who does not joyfully await the day of death and final resurrection." So we grieve differently, that is with hope. And our hope is different than the world's hope. Our hope is not wishful thinking. Hebrews 6:19 says hope is the anchor of our souls. Wishful thinking is no anchor! Paul sums it up perfectly in 1 Corinthians 15:19: "If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied." (ESV) Because of our sure and certain hope, we grieve differently and pity is absolutely unnecessary...
1 Thessalonians 4:13 says: "Brothers and sisters, we do not want you to be uninformed about those who sleep in death, so that you do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope." (NIV) The next 5 verses give a vivid picture of Jesus' return and the resurrection that follows. The Anglican Preacher, R.C. Ryle (1816-1900) put it this way: "What will you see when the great event of Christ's return takes place? You will see the eternal Son of God return in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. He will come to raise the dead saints and to change the living ones, to punish the wicked and to reward the godly." John Calvin, three centuries earlier, said it even more succinctly: "Let us consider this settled, that no one has made progress in the school of Christ who does not joyfully await the day of death and final resurrection." So we grieve differently, that is with hope. And our hope is different than the world's hope. Our hope is not wishful thinking. Hebrews 6:19 says hope is the anchor of our souls. Wishful thinking is no anchor! Paul sums it up perfectly in 1 Corinthians 15:19: "If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied." (ESV) Because of our sure and certain hope, we grieve differently and pity is absolutely unnecessary...
Job 7:6-7 laments: "My days are swifter than a weaver's shuttle, and are spent without hope. Oh, remember that my life is but wind (a puff, a breath, a sob); my eye shall see good no more." (AMPC) Job 9:25-26 echoes similarly: "My days are swifter than a runner; they fly away without a glimpse of joy. They skim past like boats of papyrus, like eagles swooping down on their prey." (NIV) These and many other Scriptures affirm the brevity of all our lives. But Jesus came to win for us a better destiny, one that will last throughout all eternity. 1 Thessalonians 5:9-10 tells it well: "For God has not destined us for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us so that whether we are awake or asleep we might live with Him." (ESV) The old Latin term, tempus fugit found on old time pieces translates: "time flies." And so it does. But Psalm 103:17-18 should encourage us all when it says to God's beloved: "But the love of the LORD remains forever with those who fear Him. His salvation extends to the children’s children of those who are faithful to His covenant, of those who obey His commandments!" (NLT) And the people said: Amen!
Job 7:6-7 laments: "My days are swifter than a weaver's shuttle, and are spent without hope. Oh, remember that my life is but wind (a puff, a breath, a sob); my eye shall see good no more." (AMPC) Job 9:25-26 echoes similarly: "My days are swifter than a runner; they fly away without a glimpse of joy. They skim past like boats of papyrus, like eagles swooping down on their prey." (NIV) These and many other Scriptures affirm the brevity of all our lives. But Jesus came to win for us a better destiny, one that will last throughout all eternity. 1 Thessalonians 5:9-10 tells it well: "For God has not destined us for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us so that whether we are awake or asleep we might live with Him." (ESV) The old Latin term, tempus fugit found on old time pieces translates: "time flies." And so it does. But Psalm 103:17-18 should encourage us all when it says to God's beloved: "But the love of the LORD remains forever with those who fear Him. His salvation extends to the children’s children of those who are faithful to His covenant, of those who obey His commandments!" (NLT) And the people said: Amen!
Romans 5:6 says: "While we were still helpless [powerless to provide for our salvation], at the right time Christ died [as a substitute] for the ungodly." (AMP) Verse 8 of the same chapter echoes: "But God clearly shows and proves His own love for us, by the fact that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." (AMP) And then we skip down to verse 10 which affirms: "For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, it is much more certain, having been reconciled, that we will be saved [from the consequences of sin] by His life [that is, we will be saved because Christ lives today]." (AMP) This is astounding! While we were STILL helpless; while we were STILL sinners; while we were STILL God's enemies--Christ died for us! So what does it say about being saved? Saved from God's wrath. Why? Because Jesus bore it! Saved from the consequences of sin. Why? Because Jesus was punished for the consequences of our sin! He was our substitute! Likewise, we were saved from eternal death and granted eternal life. Yes this is astoundingly Good News because of the astounding Love behind it! It changes everything--or at least it should...
With Israel's capital city of Samaria suffering a severe famine due to being under siege by their Syrian enemy, a starving people resort to desperate acts. Donkey heads sell for 80 shekels of silver and a pint of dove's dung for 5 shekels of the same. Mothers resort to cannibalism and Israel's evil king Joram finds himself helpless under the fierce judgment of Almighty God. Meanwhile the nation's elders gather about the prophet Elisha who declares that God will bring about their deliverance the next day. That evening 4 lepers facing certain death outside the city gates decide to risk everything by surrendering themselves to the Syrians. But when they arrive at their camp they find it deserted. Fleeing in fear, the Syrians left all their food and possessions behind. The lepers eat and loot and party on until they realize their discovery is such good news it must not be withheld. They go and share the good news with the king and Israel is delivered. The far greater reality of being brought to salvation in Jesus Christ comes with joy inexpressible. Our leprosy of sin is healed by our Lord's stripes and we are made clean! Eternal life is bestowed! The priceless treasure of being restored to God is beyond incredible! And then we realize withholding Good News like this just ain't right! Besides God's Word saying we must, love compels us to eagerly go and tell...
Someone once said that, if God became a man and lived and worked among us, the sayings in the Book of Proverbs would describe perfectly the way He would govern His life. Because these principles are from the mind of God, we would do well to incorporate the wisdom they contain into our daily lives. In this sermon, listeners are challenged to study these wise sayings and strive to make them part of their vernacular and their orthopraxy (behavior guided by wisdom).
Hebrews 9:11-12 says: "So Christ has now become the High Priest over all the good things that have come. He has entered that greater, more perfect Tabernacle in heaven, which was not made by human hands and is not part of this created world. With His own blood--not the blood of goats and calves--He entered the Most Holy Place once for all time and secured our redemption forever. (NLT) In the original tabernacle, as well as the temple, there was a curtain that separated the Holy Place from the Most Holy Place. Once a year the High Priest would enter the Most Holy Place on the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur) and he would sprinkle lamb's blood to atone for the sins of the people. All this pointed to Christ Jesus, who as our High Priest, offered His own blood as atonement for our sins and He did this once for all time. He was not only the High Priest, He Himself was the sacrifice! So what about that curtain that separated the two holy places? Mark 15:37-38 tells us: "And Jesus uttered a loud cry and breathed His last. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom." (ESV) That curtain might as well have had a sign posted on it: "Stay out! This place is Holy!" Now, ripped asunder from top to bottom by the fingers of Almighty God, shots aloud: "Come in!" "Welcome My children into My holy presence!" Yes indeed, the New Covenant is far better than the old one...
Hebrews 10:10-12 says: "For God’s will was for us to be made holy by the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ, once for all time. Under the old covenant, the priest stands and ministers before the altar day after day, offering the same sacrifices again and again, which can never take away sins. But our High Priest offered Himself to God as a single sacrifice for sins, good for all time. Then He sat down in the place of honor at God’s right hand." (NLT) Like floodlights shining down on a field of play, all 66 books of the Bible, OT & NT, are shining upon Christ. Hebrews 10 illuminates how the old covenant gives way to the new and better covenant. A covenant is a sacred agreement between those who love one another. In Galatians 3:19 the Apostle Paul asks and then answers a great question: "Why, then, was the law given? It was given alongside the promise to show people their sins. But the law was designed to last only until the coming of the Child who was promised. God gave His law through angels to Moses, who was the mediator between God and the people." (NLT) Romans 8:3 is our exclamation mark: "The law of Moses was unable to save us because of the weakness of our sinful nature. So God did what the law could not do. He sent His own Son in a body like the bodies we sinners have. And in that body God declared an end to sin’s control over us by giving His Son as a sacrifice for our sins." (NLT) And praise God, Christ's sacrifice, is most certainly and unequivocally, good for all time!
Mark 13:1-2 says: "As Jesus was leaving the Temple that day, one of His disciples said, 'Teacher, look at these magnificent buildings! Look at the impressive stones in the walls.' Jesus replied, 'Yes, look at these great buildings. But they will be completely demolished. Not one stone will be left on top of another!'” (NLT) Jesus' words would come true when Jerusalem and it's Temple were destroyed by the Romans in 70 AD. King Solomon's first Temple was destroyed by the Babylonians centuries before that. While some maintain expectations of yet another Jewish temple to be built in Jerusalem, the Scriptures tell us of another Temple. Where might that one be? 1 Corinthians 3:16-17 gives the answer: "Don’t you realize that all of you together are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God lives in you? God will destroy anyone who destroys this temple. For God’s temple is holy, and you are that temple." (NLT) Ephesians 2:19-22 puts it this way: "Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of His household, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus Himself as the chief cornerstone. In Him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. And in Him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by His Spirit." (NIV) So God dwells in His people by His Holy Spirit and this is wherever His regenerated, born again, adopted children are found. Ye really are God's Temple!