tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-295216212023-11-16T06:03:59.267-05:00Spiritual JourneyThoughts on spiritual issues from a Christian perspectiveUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger27125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29521621.post-48179738780037865192020-07-24T21:42:00.001-04:002020-07-24T21:42:40.820-04:00Election and PredestinationFate, destiny, genetics, determinism, fatalism, bondage of the will.<br />
<br />
Freedom, choice, liberty, libertarian free will.<br />
<br />
A philosophical debate has been going on among us human beings for over 3000 years. The debate centers around this:<br />
<ul>
<li>Do human beings have the ability to freely make choices that effect the direction of their lives?</li>
<li>OR</li>
<li>Is everything that happens in our lives including the actions we take and the mental "decisions" we make pre-determined by a force or forces beyond our control?</li>
</ul>
<div>
There are not two clear "sides" to this debate and there are a whole range of views in between two extremes. The extreme view on one side is that human beings have no control or will at all and that every detail of their lives is controlled and determined by outside forces. In this view the external cause may be a "god", the universe, genetics, etc. The other extreme would be that human beings have absolute freedom to will or cause or control everything that happens to them.<br />
<br />
Here are two quotes about this from the secular, non-religious perspective:<br />
<br />
Somewhere around 400 BC the Greek Philosopher Leucippus said this:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
“Nothing happens at random, but everything for a reason and by necessity.”<sup>1</sup> </blockquote>
</div>
<div>
And as a more modern example, the well known physicist Stephen Hawking has said this:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
“Free will is just an illusion.”<sup>2</sup></blockquote>
</div>
<div>
And...<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
“This book is rooted in the concept of scientific determinism which implies...that there are no miracles or exceptions to the laws of nature.”<sup>3</sup></blockquote>
Unfortunately, this debate has crept into Christian thought and beliefs as well. Here are some quotes from Christian theologians who have embraced a deterministic view of God, human existence, and salvation. John Piper says this:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"...God is the only being who is ultimately self-determining, and is himself ultimately the disposer of all things, including all choices — however many or diverse other intervening causes are...no human being has free will, at any time. Neither before or after the fall, or in heaven, are creatures ultimately self-determining."<sup>4</sup></blockquote>
And he also says this:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
“God...brings about all things in accordance with his will. In other words, it isn’t just that God manages to turn the evil aspects of our world to good for those who love him; it is rather that he himself brings about these evil aspects for his glory."<sup>5</sup></blockquote>
Another Calvinist theologian, R.C. Sproul says this, referring to God:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
“The reason why he knows everything that is going to come to pass is because he has ordained everything that is going to come to pass.”<sup>6</sup></blockquote>
But what does God's word, the Bible, actually say about this?<br />
<br />
<b>Does God actually </b><i><b>cause</b> </i><b>evil events?</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
First, I would like to present a Biblical response to John Piper's claim quoted above that God actually "brings about", that is, causes the evil events that occur. Please look at Jeremiah 19:3-7. Here Jeremiah is delivering God's message of coming judgement to the king and people of Israel:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Say, ‘Listen to the Lord’s message, you kings of Judah and citizens of Jerusalem! This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, the God of Israel, has said, “Look here! I am about to bring a disaster on this place that will make the ears of everyone who hears about it ring. I will do so because<b> these people have rejected me</b> and have defiled this place. <b>They have offered</b> sacrifices in it to other gods that neither they nor their ancestors nor the kings of Judah knew anything about. <b>They have filled</b> it with the blood of innocent children. <b>They have built</b> places here for worship of the god Baal so that they could sacrifice their children as burnt offerings to him in the fire. Such sacrifices are something I never commanded them to make. They are something I never told them to do! <b><i>Indeed, such a thing never even entered my mind.</i></b>"' (NET) (emphasis added)</blockquote>
Note the phrases that describe the actions of the people: "These people have rejected me"; "They have offered"; "they have filled"; "they have built". These phrases clearly indicate that the people, through their own choices, did these things. Also note that God clearly says that he had nothing to do with these evil actions.<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>"Such sacrifices are something I never commanded them to make."</li>
<li>"They are something I never told them to do!"</li>
<li><b><i>"Indeed, such a thing never even entered my mind."</i></b></li>
</ul>
God is clearly saying here that he did not plan or force or decree or determine these human action.<br />
<br />
Here are two quotes from the New Testament that also indicate that evil deeds and events come from the world and from human choice, not from God.<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am tempted by God,” for God cannot be tempted by evil, and he himself tempts no one. But each one is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desires. (James 1:13-14 NET)</blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him, because all that is in the world (the desire of the flesh and the desire of the eyes and the arrogance produced by material possessions)<b> is not from the Father, </b>but is from the world. (1 John 2:16-17 NET)</blockquote>
<b>What about salvation?</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
The most disturbing claim made by those holding to the Calvinist deterministic view is that human beings have absolutely no choice in salvation. They say that, because of sin, human beings are totally unable to even respond to God. Therefore, God has arbitrarily chosen certain people to be regenerated and accepted into the kingdom of God, and he has left the others to eternal separation from Him.<br />
<br />
The majority of Christians, however, do not accept this position. We believe that all people are sinners and are not capable of living up to God's standard without help from God, but we believe that people are able to hear the message of the gospel and then to freely choose whether to accept the message or to reject it.<br />
<br />
What does God's word, the Bible have to say about this? I am going to quote some Bible passages and then explain why each one supports the concept of human freedom of choice.<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
“And you, son of man, say to the house of Israel, ‘This is what you have said: “Our rebellious acts and our sins have caught up with us, and we are wasting away because of them. How then can we live?”’ Say to them, ‘As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign Lord, I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, <b>but prefer that the wicked change</b> <b>his behavior</b> and live. <b>Turn back, turn back from your evil deeds!</b> Why should you die, O house of Israel?’ (Ezekiel 33:10-11 NET)</blockquote>
Looking particularly at these two phrases...<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li> <b>but prefer that the wicked change his behavior</b></li>
<li><b><b>Turn back, turn back from your evil deeds!</b></b></li>
</ul>
<br />
It is clear that people have the ability to turn to God for help, and indeed, the scripture indicates that God desires that they make the choice to turn to him.<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Then those who respected the Lord spoke to one another, and the Lord took notice. A scroll was prepared before him in which were recorded the names of those who respected the Lord and honored his name. “They will belong to me,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, “in the day when I prepare my own special property. I will spare them as a man spares his son who serves him. Then once more you will see that I make a distinction between the righteous and the wicked, between the one who serves God and the one who does not. (Malachi 3:16-17 NET)</blockquote>
Again, the clear indication of the language here is that people have a choice to respect God or to reject God; and those who respect God of their own free choice will be treated like sons by him.<br />
<br />
<b>Confusing words</b><br />
<br />
I now want to look at some words or concepts used in the Bible that have caused confusion and debate among Christians regarding free will and salvation. The words are <b>chosen</b> or <b>elect</b>, and <b>predestination.</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>Chosen, Elect</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
The Greek word <i>eklektoi </i>is used a number of times in the New Testament and it means to choose, to select, or to set apart. Jesus uses the word several times in his teaching and I want to look at one of those times now. In Matthew 22:1-14 Jesus tells this parable:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Jesus spoke to them again in parables, saying: 2 “The kingdom of heaven can be compared to a king who gave a wedding banquet for his son. 3 He sent his slaves to summon those who had been invited to the banquet, but they would not come. 4 Again he sent other slaves, saying, ‘Tell those who have been invited, “Look! The feast I have prepared for you is ready. My oxen and fattened cattle have been slaughtered, and everything is ready. Come to the wedding banquet.”’ 5 But they were indifferent and went away, one to his farm, another to his business. 6 The rest seized his slaves, insolently mistreated them, and killed them. 7 The king was furious! He sent his soldiers, and they put those murderers to death and set their city on fire. 8 Then he said to his slaves, ‘The wedding is ready, but the ones who had been invited were not worthy. 9 So go into the main streets and invite everyone you find to the wedding banquet.’ 10 And those slaves went out into the streets and gathered all they found, both bad and good, and the wedding hall was filled with guests. 11 But when the king came in to see the wedding guests, he saw a man there who was not wearing wedding clothes. 12 And he said to him, ‘Friend, how did you get in here without wedding clothes?’ But he had nothing to say. 13 Then the king said to his attendants, ‘Tie him up hand and foot and throw him into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth!’ 14 For many are called, but few are chosen.” (NET)</blockquote>
First, I will explain what I think is the meaning of this parable and then I will explain what I think it has to do with free will vs determinism.<br />
<br />
The meaning is as follows:<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>The king is God and the son is Jesus.</li>
<li>The wedding banquet is salvation.</li>
<li>The first group invited were the people of Israel, the majority of whom rejected Jesus as the Messiah.</li>
<li>The second group invited were the Gentiles, that is, everybody else.</li>
</ul>
Here is what I believe are the significant conclusions we can gain from this parable regarding free will and salvation:<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>In both cases the people were "invited" but were not forced to come.</li>
<li>The fact that the king invited them indicated that he wanted, desired them to come.</li>
<li>The first group chose NOT to come of their own free will.</li>
<li>The second group chose to come of their own free will.</li>
<li>Everyone was invited, whether they were "bad" or "good".</li>
<ul>
<li>You don't have to be "good" before you come in, but once you are in God will help you become good.</li>
</ul>
<li>I am not absolutely certain about the person who was kicked out because he wasn't dressed properly, but I think it is because he came without humility and respect for the king and his son.</li>
</ul>
<div>
Jesus concludes the parable with this statement: <b>"For many are called, but few are chosen."</b> The word "chosen" could have been translated "elect". What did he mean by that? Who are the "called" and who are the "chosen"?</div>
<div>
<ul>
<li>The <b>called</b> are those who are <b>invited</b>; the gospel is the invitation.</li>
<li>The language Jesus uses makes it clear that they have a free choice to come or not. </li>
<li>The <b>chosen</b> are the ones who <b>freely choose to come.</b></li>
</ul>
<div>
I think Mark Moore put it very well in his <i>Core 52</i> book:</div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Jesus' parable explains the basic process of election: they were invited and they came. It's that simple. Many prominent people were invited but refused to come. They were <i>not</i> elected. Others never deserved an invitation but received one and came gladly.They <i>were</i> elected. One guy came for the wrong reason and without the dress of respect. he was rejected.</blockquote>
<div>
<b>Predestined</b></div>
</div>
<div>
<b><br /></b></div>
<div>
Calvinists use the word <b>predestined</b> to describe those people whom God supposedly chose arbitrarily for salvation before creation. But let me say clearly that <b>predestine </b>is NOT the same as <b>predetermine. </b>A destination is a place or a condition and it has nothing to do with fate or determinism. Lets look at one scripture in this regard, Ephesians 1:11-14:</div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<b>In Christ</b> we too have been claimed as God’s own possession, since<b> </b>we were <b>predestined according to the purpose of him</b> <b>who accomplishes all things according to the counsel of his will</b> so that we, who were the first to set our hope on Christ, would be to the praise of his glory. <b>And when you heard the word of truth</b> (the gospel of your salvation)—<b>when you believed in Christ</b>—<b>you were marked with the seal of the promised Holy Spirit,</b> who is the down payment of our inheritance, until the redemption of God’s own possession, to the praise of his glory. (NET)</blockquote>
I highlighted several phrases - lets look at them:<br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>In Christ</b> - Salvation is all about our relationship with Jesus Christ.<br />
<b>...predestined according to the purpose of him</b> <b>who accomplishes all things according to the counsel of his will.</b><br />
Here is a question: <b><i>What is God's will regarding our relationship to him and salvation?</i></b><br />
And here is the answer:<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>When you heard the word of truth, the gospel</li>
<ul>
<li>When you believed in Christ</li>
<ul>
<li>You were marked with the seal of the Holy Spirit - that is salvation</li>
</ul>
</ul>
</ul>
<div>
The answer is that you play a part and God plays a part:</div>
<div>
<b>You</b> realize your need for help, you humble yourself, You believe in and trust Jesus.</div>
<div>
<b>God</b> saves you and helps you.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<b>Resources</b></div>
<div>
<b><br /></b></div>
<div>
If you want to pursue this subject further, here are some resources you may find helpful.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
The website <a href="https://soteriology101.com/" target="_blank">Soteriology101</a> has various resources that deal with this subjetc from a free will prespective.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
This book by a Christian pastor, teacher, and theologian who was a Calvinist for 10 years but changed to a free will perspective.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Leighton C. Flowers, D.Min, <i>The Potter's Promise, A Biblical Defence of Traditional Soteriology</i></div>
<div>
Copyright 2017 Trinity Academic Press</div>
<div>
ISBN-10:0-692-56184-6</div>
<div>
ISBN-13:978-0-692-56184-3</div>
<br />
<div>
<b><br /></b></div>
<br />
---<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">1. Leucippus, <i>On the Mind</i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>2.</i> Stephen Hawking,<i> The Grand Design</i>, p.32</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">3. <i>Ibid,</i> p.34</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">4. John Piper at DesiringGod.org. <a href="https://www.desiringgod.org/articles/a-beginners-guide-to-free-will">https://www.desiringgod.org/articles/a-beginners-guide-to-free-will</a></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">5. John Piper at DesiringGod.org. <a href="https://document.desiringgod.org/suffering-and-the-sovereignty-of-god-en.pdf?ts=1439242069">https://document.desiringgod.org/suffering-and-the-sovereignty-of-god-en.pdf?ts=1439242069</a></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">6. R.C. Sproul in a question and answer session in a YouTube video.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Scripture quoted by permission. Quotations designated (NET) are from the NET Bible® </span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">copyright ©1996-2016 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. http://netbible.com All rights reserved.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: x-small;">This post is the result of my studies based on the book by Mark E. Moore, Core 52: A Fifteen-Minute Daily Guide to Building your Bible IQ in a Year, published by WaterBook (Penguin Random House)</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Trade Paperback ISBN 978-0-525-65325-7</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">ebook isbn 978-0-525-65326-4</span><br />
<br /></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29521621.post-46083520454021335312020-07-11T19:36:00.000-04:002020-07-11T19:36:42.311-04:00The Gospel<b><i>What is the Gospel?</i></b><br />
<br />
The Greek word that is translated as “gospel” in the Bible means “good news”. It was first used in a secular political way to describe messages of good news sent out from the government in Rome such as the birth of a child to a Roman Emperor or a victory of a Roman general. Christians picked up the word and used it to describe the “good news” about their leader and ruler Jesus. In fact, Jesus himself used the word to describe the “good news” of the work he was going to do and of the kingdom he was going to establish.<br />
<br />
The Apostle Paul was in Corinth, Greece in 57 AD. He knew some Christian believers in Rome and he wanted to go there to preach and teach, but he had not been able to do so at this point. Because he was not going to be able to go there immediately, he wrote a letter to them explaining the gospel mesage that he preached and taught. I am going to highlight some quotes from Paul's letter to berifly answer the question, "What is the Gospel?"<br />
<br />
<b><i>The solution, the way out of trouble - Romans 1:16-17</i></b><br />
<br />
For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is God’s power for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For the righteousness of God is revealed in the gospel from faith to faith, just as it is written, “The righteous by faith will live.” (NET)<br />
<br />
<b><i>Man is without excuse - Romans 1:18-20</i></b><br />
<br />
For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of people who suppress the truth by their unrighteousness, because what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. For since the creation of the world his invisible attributes—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, because they are understood through what has been made. So people are without excuse. (NET)<br />
<br />
<b><i>Because they have a choice to acknowledge God or not, to do good or to do evil, people are responsible for their own behavior - Romans 1:28,32;2:1</i></b><br />
<br />
And just as they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them over to a depraved mind, to do what should not be done... Although they fully know God’s righteous decree that those who practice such things deserve to die, they not only do them but also approve of those who practice them. Therefore you are without excuse, whoever you are, when you judge someone else. For on whatever grounds you judge another, you condemn yourself, because you who judge practice the same things. (NET)<br />
<br />
<b><i>Trying to obeying the law is not the answer; trying to “follow rules” is not the answer - Romans 3:19-20</i></b><br />
<br />
Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be silenced and the whole world may be held accountable to God. For no one is declared righteous before him by the works of the law, for through the law comes the knowledge of sin. (NET)<br />
<br />
<b><i>Faith in Jesus is the answer - Romans 3:21-26</i></b><br />
<br />
But now apart from the law the righteousness of God (although it is attested by the law and the prophets) has been disclosed— namely, the righteousness of God through the faithfulness of Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. But they are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. God publicly displayed him at his death as the mercy seat accessible through faith. This was to demonstrate his righteousness, because God in his forbearance had passed over the sins previously committed. This was also to demonstrate his righteousness in the present time, so that he would be just and the justifier of the one who lives because of Jesus’ faithfulness. (NET)<br />
<br />
<br />
<b><i>Humility and faith - Romans 3:27-28</i></b><br />
<br />
Where, then, is boasting? It is excluded! By what principle? Of works? No, but by the principle of faith! For we consider that a person is declared righteous by faith apart from the works of the law. (NET)<br />
<br />
<b><i>To Summarize:</i></b><br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>God has revealed himself in several different ways:</li>
<ul>
<li>Through the creation of the universe.</li>
<li>Through the written words in the Bible.</li>
<li>Most importantly, through his son Jesus.</li>
</ul>
<li>Human beings have a choice to believe in God or not, to do good or to do evil.</li>
<li>Therefore, human beings are responsible for their behavior and their choices and are without excuse.</li>
<li>Trying to follow the rules is not the answer.</li>
<li>God has offered you a gift, a way out of this predicament.</li>
<li>He has offered to “pay your fine”, to “commute your sentence”.</li>
<li>You accept this gift by humbling yourself, admitting your failure, believing in and trusting in Jesus.</li>
<li>Faith is not about boasting.</li>
<ul>
<li>“I’m a good person; I’m certainly better than that guy.”</li>
</ul>
<li>Faith is about humility.</li>
<ul>
<li>“I know I am not perfect and I need help.”</li>
</ul>
</ul>
<br />
<br />
<b><i>We will talk more about faith in the next blog.</i></b><br />
<b><i><br /></i></b>
---<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Scripture quoted by permission. Quotations designated (NET) are from the NET Bible® </span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">copyright ©1996-2016 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. http://netbible.com All rights reserved.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: x-small;">This post is the result of my studies based on the book by Mark E. Moore, Core 52: A Fifteen-Minute Daily Guide to Building your Bible IQ in a Year, published by WaterBook (Penguin Random House)</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Trade Paperback ISBN 978-0-525-65325-7</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">ebook isbn 978-0-525-65326-4</span><br />
<div>
<br /></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29521621.post-50579617349115277922020-07-01T19:51:00.000-04:002020-07-01T19:51:10.257-04:00The SupernaturalThere was a popular Music group in the 60s and 70s named “The Fifth Dimension”. I’m not sure why they chose that name but it reminds me of a way to explain the existence of God and the “spirit world”.<br />
In physics there are three dimensions of physical structure: height, width, and depth. Albert Einstein said time was a fourth dimension. Christians as well as those who practice other religions believe there is a fifth dimension beyond these four physical dimensions that we call the spiritual dimension. God, angels, the devil, and demons are all part of this dimension. We human beings can’t see it or touch it, but we are also part of it. We are unique in the creation because we have both a physical nature and a spiritual nature. We are both body and spirit.<br />
<br />
Before we get into a description of the “spiritual dimension”, I want to define some terms that I use below.<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li><b>Believer</b> - One who realizes he has fallen short of God’s standard, believes that God exists, believes that Jesus is the Son of God, believes that Jesus rose from the dead, has accepted God’s gift of salvation, and has chosen to serve in God’s kingdom.</li>
<li><b>Unbeliever </b>- One who may or may not believe in God, but does not believe that Jesus is the Son of God, does not believe that Jesus rose from the dead, and has basically chosen not to have anything to do with God.</li>
</ul>
<br />
<br />
As we read the Bible we are introduced to several terms that describe the spiritual dimension and the living beings that are part of it. Here is a brief summary.<br />
<br />
<b>Heaven </b><br />
<br />
The English word “heaven” has come to have several different meanings, some of which are supported by Biblical statements, and some of which are just popular beliefs. It can refer to the place ”somewhere out there” where God lives. It can refer to the sky or the universe around us.<br />
“Heaven” is also used to describe two aspects of continued life after the physical death of the human body:<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>Where the believer’s spirit goes when their body dies.</li>
<li>Where the believer will reside after their body is resurrected and joined with their spirit again.</li>
</ul>
<br />
Key truth: God is present there; Jesus is there. Those believers who have passed on are in the presence of God.<br />
<br />
<b>“Hell”</b><br />
<br />
The English word “hell” also has a wide variety of uses in our culture, but in the context of continuing human life after death of the body, it also has two different aspects:<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>Where the UN-believer’s spirit goes when their body dies.</li>
<li>Where the UN-believer will reside after their body is resurrected and joined with their spirit again.</li>
</ul>
<br />
Key truth: God is not there. Those who reject God and any relationship with him <b><i>get what they want - separation from God.</i></b> God does not “send” anyone to hell. Everyone who ends up there will be there as a result of their own choice.<br />
<br />
<b>Demons</b><br />
<br />
If you believe the Bible, and I do, then demons are real. Their most prolific interaction with people was during the time that Jesus was here on earth carrying out his mission. It seems that Satan made an extra effort to derail God’s plan during that time. Here are several scriptures that describe demonic activity during Jesus time here: Mark chapter 1, chapter 9; Matthew chapter 11, chapter 12, chapter 17. While not all christians would agree, I believe that demons are still active among people today, although not to the extent they were at the time of Jesus. I believe that demon possession (the demon takes control of the person mentally and physically) is possible but only if the person invites the demon in by engaging in certain activities related to Satan worship, witchcraft, or related activities. I do not believe that a Christian who is living under the influence of the Holy Spirit can be possessed.<br />
<br />
<b>Angels</b><br />
<br />
The word “Angel” comes from the Latin angelus and the Greek angelos both of which mean “messenger”. Thus, angels are spirit beings who serve God and, in so doing, sometimes interact with people. Here are just a few biblical examples:<br />
<br />
In Genesis chapters 18 and 19 God and two angels appear to Abraham as three “men”. During this meeting God informs Abraham that he will have a child in his old age and he informs Abraham that he is going to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah. God then sends the two angels to rescue Abraham’s nephew Lot and his family who were living in Sodom at the time before they destroy the two cities.<br />
<br />
The Old Testament prophets often received messages from God through angels. The book of Daniel is a good example.<br />
<br />
After his baptism Jesus went to a deserted wilderness area where Satan came to him and tried to tempt him to betray God’s plan. At the end of that time angels came to serve him and take care of his physical needs. “Then the devil left him, and angels came and began ministering to his needs.” (Matthew 4:11 NET)<br />
<br />
Angels appeared to the disciples on the days following Jesus’ resurrection including the day he ascended up to heaven to the presence of God.<br />
<br />
Are angels actively interacting with the physical world and with people today? We seem to have less evidence of that, or perhaps we are less inclined to believe it when we see it. I will say this though; I think there is evidence in God’s word, the Bible, that God’s plan entered a new phase with the resurrection of Jesus. Look at Hebrews 1:1-4:<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
After God spoke long ago in various portions and in various ways to our ancestors through the prophets, in these last days he has spoken to us in a son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom he created the world. The Son is the radiance of his glory and the representation of his essence, and he sustains all things by his powerful word, and so when he had accomplished cleansing for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high. 4 Thus he became so far better than the angels as he has inherited a name superior to theirs. (NET)</blockquote>
<br />
Then in the rest of chapter one the writer makes a strong case that Jesus is far greater than the angels. Then in chapter two he says this:<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Therefore we must pay closer attention to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away. For if the message spoken through angels proved to be so firm that every violation or disobedience received its just penalty, how will we escape if we neglect such a great salvation? It was first communicated through the Lord and was confirmed to us by those who heard him, while God confirmed their witness with signs and wonders and various miracles and gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to his will. (Hebrews 2:1-4 NET)</blockquote>
<br />
It seems to me that God is emphasizing to us that his primary message to us now comes through the life and teaching of Jesus, preserved and explained by the apostles, that is, what we call the New Testament. As the book of Hebrews says, Jesus is greater than the angels so his words are greater than the messages of angels.<br />
<br />
I conclude with one thought about the supernatural. Sometimes we may think of “heaven” as someplace else, or of God as dwelling or living someplace far away. We should, instead, think of the supernatural as being all around us and engulfing us; that is the Biblical view. The Bible teaches that God is close to us; that he is “omnipresent”, that is, everywhere at once. And for those of us who have chosen to believe, God is IN us in the form of the Holy Spirit.<br />
<div>
<br />
---<br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: x-small; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">Scripture quoted by permission. Quotations designated (NET) are from the NET Bible® </span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: x-small; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">copyright ©1996-2016 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. http://netbible.com All rights reserved.</span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: x-small; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">This post is the result of my studies based on the book by Mark E. Moore, <i>Core 52: A Fifteen-Minute Daily Guide to Building your Bible IQ in a Year</i>, published by WaterBook (Penguin Random House)</span></div>
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Trade Paperback ISBN 978-0-525-65325-7</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"></span></div>
<span style="font-size: x-small;">ebook isbn 978-0-525-65326-4</span><br />
<br /></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29521621.post-81027547327922600542020-06-13T17:45:00.002-04:002020-06-13T17:45:48.152-04:00The Cross<b><i>Who do you say Jesus is?</i></b><br />
<br />
This post is a little different than previous posts. This time I am giving you a scripture to consider and some questions to guide your thoughts.<br />
<br />
<b><i>The Identity</i></b><br />
<br />
Matthew 16:13-17<br />
Jesus asked his disciples:<br />
“Who do people say that the Son of Man is?”<br />
<b><i>Why do you think Jesus asked his disciples this question?</i></b><br />
<b><i>What did they answer?</i></b><br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>John the Baptist</li>
<li>Elijah</li>
<li>Jeremiah or one of the prophets</li>
</ul>
<br />
<b><i>What is significant about these answers?</i></b><br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>All three of these men represented a messenger from God.</li>
<li>According to what the disciples said, people saw Jesus as someone sent from God.</li>
<li>Maybe even one of these men had come back from the dead.</li>
</ul>
<br />
<b><i>Do you find it strange that the disciples did not mention something like these?</i></b><br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>They say he is a fraud.</li>
<li>They say he is crazy.</li>
<li>They say he is just trying to make a name for himself.</li>
<li>They say he is from the devil.</li>
</ul>
<br />
<b><i>Who do people around you say Jesus is?</i></b><br />
<br />
<b><i>Have you ever asked someone: </i></b><br />
<b><i>What do you think of Jesus?</i></b><br />
<b><i><br /></i></b>
<b><i>What would you say if someone asked you that question?</i></b><br />
<br />
Then Jesus asked:<br />
“But who do you say that I am?”<br />
Of course Peter, the outspoken one, is the one that answered.<br />
“You are the <b>Christ [Messiah]</b>, the <b>Son of the Living God</b>.”<br />
<br />
<b><i>How does this answer go beyond what the other people were saying?</i></b><br />
The Messiah goes beyond just being a prophet.<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>To the Israelites, the Messiah would rescue them from oppression and make them a great nation again.</li>
<li>But as Jesus said, he came for a personal spiritual rescue, not a national rescue.</li>
<ul>
<li>"My kingdom is not from this world. If my kingdom were from this world, my servants would be fighting to keep me from being handed over to the Jewish authorities. But as it is, my kingdom is not from here.” (John 18:36 NET)</li>
</ul>
<li>Son of God goes beyond just being a human messenger of God. </li>
<li>Son of God means that God came down to live among us as a human being.</li>
</ul>
<br />
<br />
Jesus responds to Peter:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
“You are blessed, Simon son of Jonah, because flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but my Father in heaven.”</blockquote>
<br />
<ul>
<li>“Flesh and blood” <b><i>How do you understand this phrase?</i></b></li>
<ul>
<li>Two possible interpretations:</li>
<li>Any human being: “You didn’t get this from someone else.”</li>
<li>Peter himself: “You didn’t discover this on your own.”</li>
</ul>
<li>Why was Peter blessed?</li>
<li>Because God made known to him the truth about Jesus.</li>
</ul>
<br />
<br />
<b><i>The Cross</i></b><br />
<br />
Matthew 16:21-23<br />
Jesus started to tell his disciples what was going to happen to him before long:<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>Suffer many things at the hands of the authorities</li>
<li>Be killed</li>
<li>Be raised from the dead</li>
</ul>
<br />
Peter…<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>Took him aside</li>
<li>“NO WAY, this can’t happen!”</li>
</ul>
<br />
<b><i>Based on his comment, did Peter really understand what he had said earlier?</i></b><br />
“You are the Messiah…”<br />
<br />
Jesus' response:<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>Get behind me Satan…</li>
<li>You are a stumbling block to me…</li>
<li>Your mind is not on God’s agenda, but on a human agenda.</li>
</ul>
<div>
<b><i>What do you think of this response?</i></b></div>
<br />
<br />
<b>Your Cross</b><br />
<br />
Matthew 16:24-25<br />
Jesus took up his cross. We have a cross to take up too.<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If anyone wants to become my follower, he must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life because of me will find it." (Matthew 16:24-25 NET)</blockquote>
<br />
<b><i>What do you think of this statement?</i></b><br />
“To bear the cross means to accept the rejection of the world for turning to Jesus and following him. Discipleship involves a death that is like a crucifixion.” (NET Bible study note)<br />
<br />
Galatians 6:12-15<br />
But may I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. (Verse 14)<br />
<br />
<b><i>What do you think of this statement?</i></b><br />
<br />
“Take up your cross” doesn’t mean we give up the things we do every day to survive and even enjoy life; It means we try to put Jesus in those things, use them for his kingdom.<br />
<br />
---<br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: x-small; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">Scripture quoted by permission. Quotations designated (NET) are from the NET Bible® </span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: x-small; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">copyright ©1996-2016 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. http://netbible.com All rights reserved.</span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: x-small; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><br /></span>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">This post is the result of my studies based on the book by Mark E. Moore, <i>Core 52: A Fifteen-Minute Daily Guide to Building your Bible IQ in a Year</i>, published by WaterBook (Penguin Random House)</span></div>
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Trade Paperback ISBN 978-0-525-65325-7</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"></span></div>
<span style="font-size: x-small;">ebook isbn 978-0-525-65326-4</span><br />
<br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29521621.post-41139497737924804882020-06-01T15:24:00.001-04:002020-06-01T15:24:10.475-04:00The Golden RuleThe Law was given to Moses and the Israelites and written down about 1400 years before Jesus’ time here on earth. After the Babylonian captivity, about 500 years before Jesus, as the Jewish people struggled to understand the Law and live it out, they began to rely on a group of scholars and teachers whose purpose was to study, understand, interpret, and teach the Law for the benefit of the people. In English translations of the Bible, these men were known as “scribes”, lawyers”, or “experts in the Law”. Unfortunately, these men became entangled in the technicalities of the Law and they missed its true purpose.<br />
<br />
As Jesus gained fame during his three and one half years of teaching and service in Palestine, he was acknowledged by many to be a rabbi, that is, a teacher who imparts wisdom and understanding concerning the Law. It could be said that the Sermon on the Mount is Jesus’ explanation of the true meaning of and purpose for the Law. As we have discussed in recent posts, it is clear that Jesus was trying to lead people to embrace the “spirit of the Law”. Jesus makes this statement as he explains the Law:<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"In Everything, treat others as you would have them treat you, for this fulfills the Law and the Prophets."<sup>1</sup></blockquote>
<br />
This statement has become known as "The Golden Rule". This statement really includes a comparison: how you treat others compared to how you would want to be treated. And what is the context of this statement? I found it interesting that, leading up to this statement, Jesus was also talking about the consequences of judging people and I think there is a similarity here. He said:<br />
<br />
<b>Judging</b><br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"Do not judge so that you will not be judged. For by the standard you judge you will be judged, and the measure you use will be the measure you receive."<sup>2</sup></blockquote>
<br />
This is also describing a comparison: How we judge others compared to how we will be judged. Jesus is saying that we will be judged based on the same standard we use to judge others. It makes us think, doesn't it? How would we do when judged by our own standard? Do we really live up to our own standard?<br />
<br />
<b>The Speck and the Log</b><br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"Why do you see the speck in your brother’s eye, but fail to see the beam of wood in your own? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me remove the speck from your eye,’ while there is a beam in your own?"<sup>3</sup></blockquote>
<br />
Here Jesus uses what we call hyperbole, that is, an extreme exaggeration. We see some flaw in our brother that is only the size of a speck of sawdust compared to the flaw in our own life which is the size of a wooden beam or log. The implication is that we see ourselves as better that the other person and, therefore, they need to change but we don't. What is Jesus' response to this situation?<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"You hypocrite! First remove the beam from your own eye, and then you can see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye."<sup>4</sup></blockquote>
<br />
<ul>
<li>Hypocrite: I think the implication here is that, deep down, we know we are flawed but we don't want to admit it.</li>
<li>First correct the shortcomings in your own life.</li>
<li>Then you can help your brother with his shortcomings.</li>
</ul>
<br />
<br />
<b>The Golden Rule</b><br />
<br />
The Golden Rule is a comparison: it is comparing how we treat others to how we would like to be treated. Do you see others as equal to or even better than yourself? Whatever is "fair" for you should be "fair" for the other person. We all expect to be treated with kindness and love so we should do the same for others.<br />
<br />
Jesus said, "for this fulfills the Law and the Prophets." "Keeping the Law" is not so much about "following the rules". it is about loving God and treating those people around you fairly, with kindness and compassion.<br />
<br />
----<br />
<div>
<span style="font-size: x-small;">1. Matthew 7:12 (NET)</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: x-small;">2. </span><span style="font-size: x-small;">Matthew 7:1-2 (NET)</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: x-small;">3. </span><span style="font-size: x-small;">Matthew 7:3-4 (NET)</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: x-small;">4. </span><span style="font-size: x-small;">Matthew 7:5 (NET)</span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: x-small; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">Scripture quoted by permission. Quotations designated (NET) are from the NET Bible® </span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: x-small; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">copyright ©1996-2016 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. http://netbible.com All rights reserved.</span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: x-small; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><br /></span>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">This post is the result of my studies based on the book by Mark E. Moore, <i>Core 52: A Fifteen-Minute Daily Guide to Building your Bible IQ in a Year</i>, published by WaterBook (Penguin Random House)</span></div>
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Trade Paperback ISBN 978-0-525-65325-7</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"></span></div>
<span style="font-size: x-small;">ebook isbn 978-0-525-65326-4</span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29521621.post-31734849729735907572020-05-21T21:10:00.000-04:002020-05-21T21:18:27.129-04:00PrayerIf you look at the ten commandments <sup>1</sup> in the Old Testament you can see that four of them have to do with our relationship to God...<br />
<ul>
<li>You shall not have any other gods before me.</li>
<li>You shall not make any carved images [fake gods].</li>
<li>You shall not take my name in vain.</li>
<li>Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy [set aside time in your life for God]</li>
</ul>
...and the other six commandments have to do with our relationship to others.<br />
<ul>
<li>Honor your parents</li>
<li>Don't murder</li>
<li>Don't commit adultery</li>
<li>Don't steal</li>
<li>Don't give false testimony [lie] about your neighbor</li>
<li>Don't covet [wish you had for yourself] your neighbor's stuff or his wife.</li>
</ul>
In addition, if you look at the other 600 plus laws recorded in Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy, you will see that they all derive from the principles described in these ten.<br />
<br />
While Jesus was here on earth living among us, a lawyer asked him what he thought was the greatest commandment in the Law, Jesus said,<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"<b><i>Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.</i></b>" This is the first and greatest commandment. The second is like it: "<b><i>Love your neighbor as yourself.</i></b>" All the law and the prophets depend on these two commandments. <sup>2</sup></blockquote>
By quoting from the Law itself <sup>3</sup>, Jesus made the point that the Law, summarized by the ten commandments, is all about loving (getting along with) God and your neighbor. And That is how Jesus lived out his life while he was here.<br />
<br />
So you are asking, what does all this have to do with Prayer? "Getting along with" someone, whether God or your neighbor, involves communication. The best way to get to know someone, or to resolve a problem you have with someone, is to talk to them, and then listen to them. Think of prayer as our means of talking to God, or talking with God. And then God talks to us in several ways:<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>Through his WORD, the Bible, his written message to us.</li>
<ul>
<li>Particularly through the words and life of Jesus recorded in the four Gospels.</li>
<li>We discussed in a <a href="http://spiritual-journey-48.blogspot.com/2020/05/son-of-man-son-of-god.html" target="_blank">previous post</a> that Jesus is the Son of God, God in the flesh, so Jesus' words are God's words.</li>
</ul>
<li>Through his Spirit, the Holy Spirit.</li>
<ul>
<li>That could be through some other disciple or follower of Jesus who has a word of encouragement or a word of good advice for you.</li>
<li>Or through a family member who cares about you. </li>
<li>Or through your own thoughts as you listen to and think about God's written word.</li>
</ul>
</ul>
In the gospels of Matthew and Luke Jesus gives us some examples of prayers that can help us understand how to pray.<br />
<br />
<b>The Arrogant Prayer</b><br />
<br />
In Luke 18:9-14 Jesus gives us two different examples of people praying . He describes the prayer of a Pharisee who thinks he has everything under control. This man seems to be praying a boastful, prideful, self centered prayer to himself and about himself, a prayer.<br />
<ul>
<li>"Thank you that I am not like these other people: swindlers, sinners, adulterers, or even this tax collector."</li>
<li>"I fast twice a week.</li>
<li>"I give a tenth of everything I get."</li>
</ul>
<div>
<b>The Humble Prayer</b></div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
Then Jesus gives an example of a humble prayer by a man who acknowledges his weaknesses. Compare the demeanor and words of this man with those of the Pharisee.</div>
<div>
<ul>
<li>He stood far off.</li>
<li>He would not even look up to heaven. </li>
<li>He beat his chest (in sorrow and humility).</li>
<li>"God be merciful to me, sinner that I am."</li>
</ul>
<div>
And notice the comment that Jesus made about these two men:</div>
</div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"I tell you that this man (the humble tax collector) went down to his home justified (that is, forgiven by God) rather than the Pharisee. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but he who humbles himself will be exalted."</blockquote>
<b><i>Think about this last sentence. What do you think Jesus meant?</i></b><br />
<br />
<b>The "Model Prayer"</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
Jesus basically teaches over and over again that humility is the best and most rewarding lifestyle. In another setting (Matthew 6:5-14), maybe two years before the above incident, Jesus is speaking to his disciples and some others and he also addresses the subject of prayer. As in the other incident, he contrasts loud boastful prayer and quiet, humble, personal prayer. Then he gives his disciples (and us) an example, an outline of how we should pray. This is traditionally called "The Lord's Prayer",and it is a prayer, but it is more that that. It is a guide to lead us to a humble and meaningful prayer life. Here is the prayer with a few thoughts to consider.<br />
<ul>
<li>Our Father in heaven, Holy is your name.</li>
<ul>
<li>Our - we are all in this togehter.</li>
<li>Father - A family member who loves you; he adopted you as his own</li>
<li>Holy - he is the head of the household, worthy of respect</li>
</ul>
<li>Your kingdom come</li>
<ul>
<li>He is in control; better things will come. </li>
</ul>
<li>Your will be done. </li>
<ul>
<li>He has your best interest in mind and knows better than you what you need</li>
<li>God’s will over your will - it will be better for you in the long run</li>
<li>Seek his will.</li>
</ul>
<li>Give us this day our daily bread.</li>
<ul>
<li>Give us - Meet our basic needs</li>
<li>Daily - Trust god daily to take care of you</li>
</ul>
<li>Forgive us our debts...</li>
<ul>
<li>Acknowledge our debt, obligation to God</li>
<li>That we have failed to live up to his standard</li>
<li>Forgive our debts - when we have fallen short of God’s standard and/or hurt or failed other people.</li>
</ul>
<li>As we forgive our debtors</li>
<ul>
<li>How can we ask for forgiveness if we are not willing to forgive others?</li>
</ul>
<li>Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.</li>
<ul>
<li>Lead us - this is not suggesting that God causes temptation, but is a rhetorical way to ask for God’s protection from sin.</li>
<li>Temptation - protect us from our own selfish desires</li>
<li>Deliver from Evil - protect us from outside evil influences.</li>
<li>We acknowledge that we need God’s help, we cannot avoid sin on our own.</li>
</ul>
</ul>
<div>
Notice that in verse 14 Jesus specifically emphasizes the part about forgiving and being forgiven.</div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
“For if you forgive others their sins, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15 But if you do not forgive others, your Father will not forgive you your sins."</blockquote>
If we receive and understand forgiveness, we will also be inspired to forgive others. Think about how these things are intertwined and cannot be separated. Prayer is directly linked to our daily relationships with God and with the people around us.<br />
<br />
<br />
---<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">1. Exodus 20:3-27</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: x-small;">2. Matthew 22:37-40 (NET) </span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: x-small;">3. Deuteronomy 6:5; Leviticus 19:18</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Scripture quoted by permission. Quotations are from the NET Bible® copyright ©1996-2016 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. http://netbible.com All rights reserved.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: x-small;">This post is the result of my studies based on the book by Mark E. Moore, Core 52: A Fifteen-Minute Daily Guide to Building your Bible IQ in a Year, published by WaterBook (Penguin Random House)</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Trade Paperback ISBN 978-0-525-65325-7</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">ebook isbn 978-0-525-65326-4</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29521621.post-21253689587457825932020-05-10T22:48:00.002-04:002020-05-10T22:48:57.302-04:00Deeper Morality<b>Rules and Laws</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
What do you think about the rules and laws we live by every day? Laws enacted by governments. Unwritten rules of social interaction. Why do we need all these rules? Why can't we just have the freedom to do what we want? Secular philosophers would say that rules and laws exist so that people can interact with each other in a reasonably peaceful and orderly manner, to avoid conflicts as much as possible. Christian theologians would generally agree with that and would also add that rules and laws also exist so that people can have a peaceful and appropriate interaction with God.<br />
<br />
<b>Pharisees - "Letter of the Law"</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
There was a group of religious leaders in Judea during Jesus' time here on earth who had a very legalistic, technical understanding of the law. They would spend hours at a time studying, parsing, and discussing the Law of Moses. Their goal was to define the law in such a way that they could do certain things and avoid certain things so they could say they successfully obeyed all of the Law, that is, so they could say they were "righteous". What was their idea of "righteous"?<br />
<ul>
<li>What is the minimum I can do to stay within the letter of the law?</li>
<li>What actions can I do to earn "brownie points" with God?</li>
<li>What can I do to earn my ticket into Heaven?</li>
<li>What can I do so that everyone will know that I obey all the rules?</li>
</ul>
<div>
<b>Jesus - "Spirit of the Law"</b></div>
<div>
<b><br /></b></div>
<div>
In Matthew Chapter 5 Jesus gave us some guidance on how we should view laws and rules, and his guidance comes down to attitude and motive being the key to “keeping the law”; that “keeping the law” was about being concerned for and caring about others. I want to look at a couple of examples from that chapter.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<b>Anger</b></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
“You have heard that it was said to an older generation, ‘Do not murder,’ and ‘whoever murders will be subjected to judgment.’ But I say to you that anyone who is angry with a brother will be subjected to judgment." (Matthew 5:21-22 NET)</blockquote>
In defining the true meaning of the law, Jesus goes beyond the <b>action</b> of murder to the <b>motive</b> or <b>attitude</b> of anger. Jesus looks at our attitude, our motive, what is in our heart, before we ever take a violent action. If you are angry with your brother you are just as guilty of breaking the law as if you had murdered him. What is Jesus' remedy to this situation?<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
So then, if you bring your gift to the altar and there you remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to your brother and then come and present your gift. (Matthew 5:23-24 NET)</blockquote>
Jesus wants us to take the initiative and reconcile with our brother, to live in peace and harmony as much as possible. By the way, the word "brother" here does not just refer to your physical blood brother, it refers to relatives, friends, classmates, co-workers, anyone you know and interact with.<br />
<br />
<b>Getting Even</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
There is a term used today: "I will get even with him." There is a biblical term in the Law of Moses that has a similar meaning: "An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth". Many saw this phrase in the law as approval for or even a requirement for retaliating for a wrong done to you, but this phrase was actually intended to be a limit on retaliation. In other words, if someone wrongfully takes something from you, you cannot take back any more than they took from you. But what does Jesus say about this:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
“You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ But I say to you, do not resist the evildoer. But whoever strikes you on the right cheek, turn the other to him as well. And if someone wants to sue you and take your tunic, let him have your coat also. And if anyone forces you to go one mile, go with him two. Give to the one who asks you, and do not reject the one who wants to borrow from you."<br />
(Matther 5:38-42 NET)</blockquote>
Jesus seems to go beyond limiting retaliation; he seems to say that, not only should we not retaliate ("get even"), we should sacrifice something of ourselves and do good to the person who has wronged us. Again, Jesus is looking at our motives and attitudes, not just our actions.<br />
<br />
<b>A Higher Standard</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
Jesus is calling us to a higher standard than just obeying the letter of the law, a standard of loving and caring about the other person, even if they have wronged us; a standard based not only on our actions, but more importantly on the attitude in our heart.<br />
<br />
A few days before he was crucified, Jesus was being harassed by the legalistic Pharisees, trying to trip him up with their legal tricks. What was his response?<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Now when the Pharisees heard that he had silenced the Sadducees, they assembled together. And one of them, an expert in religious law, asked him a question to test him: “Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?” Jesus said to him, “‘<b>Love the Lord your God </b>with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. The second is like it: ‘<b>Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the law and the prophets depend on these two commandments.” </b><br />
(Matthew 22:34-40 NET)</blockquote>
---<br />
<br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: x-small; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">Scripture quoted by permission. Quotations designated (NET) are from the NET Bible® </span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: x-small; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">copyright ©1996-2016 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. http://netbible.com All rights reserved.</span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: x-small; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><br /></span>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">This post is the result of my studies based on the book by Mark E. Moore, <i>Core 52: A Fifteen-Minute Daily Guide to Building your Bible IQ in a Year</i>, published by WaterBook (Penguin Random House)</span></div>
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Trade Paperback ISBN 978-0-525-65325-7</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"></span></div>
<span style="font-size: x-small;">ebook isbn 978-0-525-65326-4</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29521621.post-81497273971618795402020-05-06T22:00:00.000-04:002020-05-06T21:57:44.619-04:00Son of Man - Son of GodLast week I was working through Chapter 18 in Mark Moore's book entitled "Blessedness", but I already shared my thoughts on "happy" and "blessed" in a previous post entitled "<a href="https://spiritual-journey-48.blogspot.com/2020/03/finding-happiness.html">Finding Happiness</a>". In this post I would like to continue on the theme of Jesus as the Son of Man and Son of God.<br />
<br />
We acknowledge that a Creator-God who is outside our space/time world created us in his image, that is, with certain of his characteristics, and that he wants to be in relationship with us. If you think about it, the best way for him to do that would be for him to come here to our world and live among us; and that is what he did in Jesus.<br />
<br />
There are references to a Son of God - Son of Man figure throughout the Old Testament, and the New Testament indicates that person came as Jesus about 2000 years ago. In this post I am going to give you some scriptures to think about on this theme.<br />
<br />
<b>Creation</b><br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. (Genesis 1:1 NET)</blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Then God said, “Let us make humankind in our image, after our likeness, so they may rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move on the earth.” God created humankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them, male and female he created them. God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply! Fill the earth and subdue it! Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and every creature that moves on the ground.” (Genesis 1:26-28 NET)</blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was fully God. The Word was with God in the beginning. All things were created by him, and apart from him not one thing was created that has been created. (John 1:1-3 NET) </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Now the Word became flesh and took up residence among us. We saw his glory—the glory of the one and only, full of grace and truth, who came from the Father. John testified about him and shouted out, “This one was the one about whom I said, ‘He who comes after me is greater than I am, because he existed before me.’” For we have all received from his fullness one gracious gift after another. (John 1:14-16 NET)</blockquote>
<b>Child</b><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
For a child has been born to us,<br />
a son has been given to us.<br />
He shoulders responsibility<br />
and is called<br />
Wonderful Adviser,<br />
Mighty God,<br />
Everlasting Father,<br />
Prince of Peace.<br />
(Isaiah 9:6 NET)
</blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
When he had contemplated this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, because the child conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son and you will name him Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.” This all happened so that what was spoken by the Lord through the prophet would be fulfilled: “Look! The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will name him Emmanuel,” which means “God with us.” When Joseph awoke from sleep he did what the angel of the Lord told him. He took his wife, but did not have marital relations with her until she gave birth to a son, whom he named Jesus. (Matthew 1:20-25 NET)</blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to the city of David called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and family line of David. He went to be registered with Mary, who was promised in marriage to him, and who was expecting a child. 6 While they were there, the time came for her to deliver her child. And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in strips of cloth and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn. (Luke 2:4-7 NET)</blockquote>
<b>Shepherd</b><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
“‘For this is what the Sovereign Lord says: Look, I myself will search for my sheep and seek them out. As a shepherd seeks out his flock when he is among his scattered sheep, so I will seek out my flock. I will rescue them from all the places where they have been scattered on a cloudy, dark day.'" (Ezekiel 34:11-12 NET)</blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
“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. I have other sheep that do not come from this sheepfold. I must bring them too, and they will listen to my voice, so that there will be one flock and one shepherd. This is why the Father loves me—because I lay down my life, so that I may take it back again." <br />
(John 10:14-17 NET)</blockquote>
<b>King</b><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
“I, the Lord, promise that a new time will certainly come<br />
when I will raise up for them a righteous branch, a descendant of David.<br />
He will rule over them with wisdom and understanding<br />
and will do what is just and right in the land.<br />
Under his rule Judah will enjoy safety<br />
and Israel will live in security.<br />
This is the name he will go by:<br />
'The Lord has provided us with justice.’"<br />
(Jeremiah 23:5-6 NET)</blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
So Pilate went back into the governor’s residence, summoned Jesus, and asked him, “Are you the king of the Jews?” Jesus replied, “Are you saying this on your own initiative, or have others told you about me?” Pilate answered, “I am not a Jew, am I? Your own people and your chief priests handed you over to me. What have you done?” Jesus replied, “My kingdom is not from this world. If my kingdom were from this world, my servants would be fighting to keep me from being handed over to the Jewish authorities. But as it is, my kingdom is not from here.” Then Pilate said, “So you are a king!” Jesus replied, “You say that I am a king. For this reason I was born, and for this reason I came into the world—to testify to the truth. Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to my voice.” (John 18:33-37 NET)</blockquote>
<b>God in the Flesh</b><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Moses said to God, “If I go to the Israelites and tell them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’—what should I say to them?” God said to Moses, <b>“I AM that I AM.”</b> And he said, “You must say this to the Israelites, ‘<b>I AM</b> has sent me to you.’” God also said to Moses, “You must say this to the Israelites, ‘The Lord—the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob—has sent me to you. This is my name forever, and this is my memorial from generation to generation.’ (Exodus 3:13-15 NET)</blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
I tell you the solemn truth, if anyone obeys my teaching, he will never see death.” Then the Judeans responded, “Now we know you’re possessed by a demon! Both Abraham and the prophets died, and yet you say, ‘If anyone obeys my teaching, he will never experience death.’ You aren’t greater than our father Abraham who died, are you? And the prophets died too! Who do you claim to be?” Jesus replied, “If I glorify myself, my glory is worthless. The one who glorifies me is my Father, about whom you people say, ‘He is our God.’ Yet you do not know him, but I know him. If I were to say that I do not know him, I would be a liar like you. But I do know him, and I obey his teaching. Your father Abraham was overjoyed to see my day, and he saw it and was glad.” Then the Judeans replied, “You are not yet fifty years old! Have you seen Abraham?” Jesus said to them, “I tell you the solemn truth, before Abraham came into existence, <b>I am!</b>” (John 8:51-58 NET)</blockquote>
<b>Son of God - Son of Man</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
In the table below I have put together three Bible passages, Acts 1:9-11; Daniel 7:9-10, 13-14; Revelation 4:1-6; Revelation 5:1-14. <b><i>Read these through as if they were describing a single event that begins on earth and moves to Heaven.</i></b><br />
<br />
Jesus has been put to death, executed by crucifixion.<br />
He has risen from the dead.<br />
For 40 days he continues here on earth meeting with his disciples on several occasions.<br />
Then he takes them out to an open area and speaks to them in person for the last time...<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="2" cellspacing="2">
<colgroup><col width="50%"></col>
<col width="50%"></col>
</colgroup><tbody>
<tr>
<td colspan="2" style="border: 1.00pt solid #000000; padding: 0.07in;"><div align="center" style="font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: small;"><i><b><span style="background: transparent;">
Acts 1:9-11
</span></b></i></span></span></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td colspan="2" style="border: 1.00pt solid #000000; padding: 0.07in;"><div style="font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background: transparent;">
After he had said this, while they were watching, he was lifted up and a cloud hid him from their sight. As they were still staring into the sky while he was going, suddenly two men in white clothing stood near them and said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand here looking up into the sky? This same Jesus who has been taken up from you into heaven will come back in the same way you saw him go into heaven.”
</span></span></span></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="border: 1.00pt solid #000000; padding: 0.07in;"><div style="font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background: transparent;">
“While I was watching,<br />
thrones were set up,<br />
and the Ancient of Days took his seat.<br />
His attire was white like snow;<br />
the hair of his head was like lamb’s wool.<br />
His throne was ablaze with fire<br />
and its wheels were all aflame.<br />
A river of fire was streaming forth<br />
and proceeding from his presence.<br />
Many thousands were ministering to him;<br />
many tens of thousands stood ready to serve him.<br />
The court convened<br />
and the books were opened.<br />
</span></span></span></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border: 1.00pt solid #000000; padding: 0.07in;"><div style="font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background: transparent;">
After these things I looked, and there was a door standing open in heaven! And the first voice I had heard speaking to me like a trumpet said: “Come up here so that I can show you what must happen after these things.” Immediately I was in the Spirit, and a throne was standing in heaven with someone seated on it! And the one seated on it was like jasper and carnelian in appearance, and a rainbow looking like it was made of emerald encircled the throne. In a circle around the throne were twenty-four other thrones, and seated on those thrones were twenty-four elders. They were dressed in white clothing and had golden crowns on their heads. From the throne came out flashes of lightning and roaring and crashes of thunder. Seven flaming torches, which are the seven spirits of God, were burning in front of the throne and in front of the throne was something like a sea of glass, like crystal.
</span></span></span></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="border: 1.00pt solid #000000; padding: 0.07in;"><div style="font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="background: transparent;">“<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">
“I was watching in the night visions,<br />
And with the clouds of the sky<br />
one like a son of man was approaching.<br />
He went up to the Ancient of Days<br />
and was escorted before him.<br />
To him was given ruling authority, honor, and sovereignty.<br />
All peoples, nations, and language groups were serving him.<br />
His authority is eternal and will not pass away.<br />
His kingdom will not be destroyed.<br />
</span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border: 1.00pt solid #000000; padding: 0.07in;"><div style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background: transparent;">
Then I saw in the right hand of the one who was seated on the throne a scroll written on the front and back and sealed with seven seals. And I saw a powerful angel proclaiming in a loud voice: “Who is worthy to open the scroll and to break its seals?” But no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll or look into it. So I began weeping bitterly because no one was found who was worthy to open the scroll or to look into it. Then one of the elders said to me, “Stop weeping! Look, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the root of David, has conquered; thus he can open the scroll and its seven seals.”
Then I saw standing in the middle of the throne and of the four living creatures, and in the middle of the elders, a Lamb that appeared to have been killed. He had seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth. Then he came and took the scroll from the right hand of the one who was seated on the throne, and when he had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders threw themselves to the ground before the Lamb. Each of them had a harp and golden bowls full of incense (which are the prayers of the saints). They were singing a new song:<br /><br />
“You are worthy to take the scroll<br />
and to open its seals<br />
because you were killed,<br />
and at the cost of your own blood you have purchased for God<br />
persons from every tribe, language, people, and nation.<br />
You have appointed them as a kingdom and priests to serve our God, and they will reign on the earth.<br /><br />
Then I looked and heard the voice of many angels in a circle around the throne, as well as the living creatures and the elders. Their number was ten thousand times ten thousand—thousands times thousands— all of whom were singing in a loud voice:<br /><br />
“Worthy is the lamb who was killed<br />
to receive power and wealth<br />
and wisdom and might<br />
and honor and glory and praise!”<br /><br />
Then I heard every creature—in heaven, on earth, under the earth, in the sea, and all that is in them—singing:<br /><br />
“To the one seated on the throne and to the Lamb<br />
be praise, honor, glory, and ruling power forever and ever!”<br /><br />
And the four living creatures were saying “Amen,” and the elders threw themselves to the ground and worshiped.
</span></span></span></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="border: 1.00pt solid #000000; padding: 0.07in;"><div align="center" style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: small;"><i><b><span style="background: transparent;">
Daniel 7:9-10, 13-14 (NET)
</span><b><i></i></b></b></i></span></span></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border: 1.00pt solid #000000; padding: 0.07in;"><div align="center" style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: small;"><i><b><span style="background: transparent;">
Revelation 4:1-6; 5:1-14 (NET)
</span><b><i></i></b></b></i></span></span></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<b><i>Praise God! Jesus has won the victory!</i></b><br />
<br />
---
<br />
<br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: x-small; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">Scripture quoted by permission. Quotations designated (NET) are from the NET Bible® </span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: x-small; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">copyright ©1996-2016 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. http://netbible.com All rights reserved.</span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: x-small; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">This post is the result of my studies based on the book by Mark E. Moore, <i>Core 52: A Fifteen-Minute Daily Guide to Building your Bible IQ in a Year</i>, published by WaterBook (Penguin Random House)</span></div>
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Trade Paperback ISBN 978-0-525-65325-7</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"></span></div>
<span style="font-size: x-small;">ebook isbn 978-0-525-65326-4</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: x-small; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29521621.post-92149781990192206142020-04-29T21:56:00.000-04:002020-04-29T21:56:28.648-04:00Son of God<br />
<b><i>Is Jesus really fully human and fully divine (God)?</i></b><br />
<br />
<b>Symbolism</b><br />
<br />
"A picture is worth a thousand words." What is the point of a phrase like that? As an example, it can be very difficult to explain a complex machine to someone using only words, but if you can show them a photo of the machine or, better yet, show them the machine itself, they will have a much better understanding of it.<br />
<br />
Another common phrase is "word picture". What is a word picture? We experience this when we read a novel and the author describes a scene in such a way that we can close our eyes and picture that scene in detail in our minds. And that contributes to our understanding and enjoyment of the novel.<br />
<br />
God, as our creator, understands that we human beings think in terms of "word pictures", and that if a spiritual concept is described in that way we will be better able to understand and retain it. Therefore, God often uses symbolism or "word pictures" when he speaks to us through prophets in the Bible. Another example is Jesus' use of parables, which are really word pictures, to illustrate spiritual truths.<br />
<br />
<b>Heavenly Scene</b><br />
<br />
Daniel chapter 7 is an example of God's use of symbolic language, "word pictures", to speak to us. He sends an angel to describe to Daniel some events that will take place on the earth and in Heaven in Daniel's future. He uses the symbolism of four large beasts, which are described in some detail, to describe four kingdoms and several rulers that will arise on the earth over time. Then the angel's message turns toward Heaven and he describes something that will happen there (verses 9-10):<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
While I was watching, thrones were set up,<br />
and the <b>Ancient of Days</b> took his seat.<br />
His attire was white like snow;<br />
the hair of his head was like lamb’s wool.<br />
His throne was ablaze with fire<br />
and its wheels were all aflame.<br />
A river of fire was streaming forth<br />
and proceeding from his presence.<br />
Many thousands were ministering to him;<br />
many tens of thousands stood ready to serve him.<br />
The court convened<br />
and the books were opened.</blockquote>
Then in verses 13-14 the description continues:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
I was watching in the night visions,<br />
And with the clouds of the sky<br />
<b>one like a son of man</b> was approaching.<br />
He went up to the Ancient of Days<br />
and was escorted before him.<br />
To him was given ruling authority, honor, and sovereignty.<br />
All peoples, nations, and language groups were serving him.<br />
His authority is eternal and will not pass away.<br />
His kingdom will not be destroyed.</blockquote>
<b>Son of Man</b><br />
<br />
Who are these two that are described here: the "<b>Ancient of Days</b>" and "<b>one like a son of man</b>"? I don't think there is any doubt that the "Ancient of Days" is Jehovah God, the creator. Other English Bibles have translated it "the Ancient one", "One who has been living forever", and "the Eternal God". In our modern vernacular you might say "the one who has been around longer than anyone else".<br />
<br />
But who is "one like a son of man"? In the Old Testament the phrase "son of man" is used over 100 times. It is used 93 times in the book of Ezekiel, and in every instance it is the title God uses to describe Ezekiel. So we have God speaking to a human being, the prophet Ezekiel, and calling him "son of man". In the few places the phrase is used other than Daniel and Ezekiel, it is in reference to human beings.<sup>1</sup><br />
<br />
In the New Testament the phrase "son of man" is used 85 times. In all but five of those instances, Jesus uses the phrase to describe himself. I want to site two example in particular. In the first example Jesus is responding to his disciples who are arguing about who will be greatest in the coming kingdom. He says:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
It must not be this way among you! Instead whoever wants to be great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first among you must be your slave— just as the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”<sup>2</sup></blockquote>
Here Jesus seems to use the phrase to demonstrate the human connection between himself and the other human beings around him. Then when Jesus is on trial before the Sanhedrin, the High Priest asks him, "I charge you under oath by the living God, tell us if you are the Christ, the Son of God." Jesus' answer connects his position as the Son of God with the Son of Man title:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
“You have said it yourself. But I tell you, from now on you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Power and coming on the clouds of heaven.”<sup>3</sup></blockquote>
By his response, "You have said it yourself", Jesus is acknowledging under oath that he is the Son of God. In our modern time, the equivalent phrase would be, "You said it!" Further, by alluding to phrases from Daniel 7:13, Jesus is identifying himself with the divine Son of Man ruling at the right hand of God.The phrase "Son of God" emphasizes his divine nature and the phrase "Son of Man" emphasizes his human nature, first as a suffering servant and then as a sovereign ruler.<br />
<br />
Jesus, Son of God and Son of Man, emphasizes how Christianity is different from all other "religions". The one and only God who created us was willing to come down and live among us as one of us, serving us, sacrificing for us, so that he could identify with us and communicate with us on our level, and save us from our own failures.<br />
<br />
The apostle Paul put it this way in Philippians 2:5-11:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
You should have the same attitude toward one another that Christ Jesus had,<br />
who though he existed in the form of God<br />
did not regard equality with God<br />
as something to be grasped,<br />
but emptied himself<br />
by taking on the form of a slave,<br />
by looking like other men,<br />
and by sharing in human nature.<br />
He humbled himself,<br />
by becoming obedient to the point of death<br />
—even death on a cross!<br />
As a result God highly exalted him<br />
and gave him the name<br />
that is above every name,<br />
so that at the name of Jesus<br />
every knee will bow<br />
—in heaven and on earth and under the earth—<br />
and every tongue confess<br />
that Jesus Christ is Lord<br />
to the glory of God the Father.</blockquote>
---<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">1. Examples would be Numbers 23:19, Job 25:6, and Job 35:8.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: x-small;">2. Matthew 20:26-28</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: x-small;">3. Matthew 26:63-64</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Scripture quoted by permission. All scripture quotations are taken from the NET Bible® copyright ©1996-2016 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. All rights reserved.</span>
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">This post is the result of my studies based on the book by Mark E. Moore, <i>Core 52: A Fifteen-Minute Daily Guide to Building your Bible IQ in a Year</i>, published by WaterBook (Penguin Random House)</span></div>
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Trade Paperback ISBN 978-0-525-65325-7</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">ebook isbn 978-0-525-65326-4</span></div>
<span style="font-size: x-small;"></span>
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span>
<br />
<br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29521621.post-22099406395171931082020-04-21T21:13:00.003-04:002020-04-21T21:13:53.069-04:00New Covenant<b><i>What advantages do Christians have under the New Covenant?</i></b><br />
<b><i><br /></i></b>
Even though separated by over 500 years, the writings of Jeremiah have a close connection to the life of Jesus while he was here on earth.<br />
<br />
<b>The Weeping Prophet</b><br />
<br />
For hundreds of years the leaders of Israel had been taking advantage of and stealing from the people they were supposed to serve and protect. Many of the people had deserted God and followed after other “gods”, both supposedly spiritual gods and earthly “gods”. Israel was filled with greed, selfishness, and rebellion against God.<br />
<br />
It is 587 BC and Jeremiah has warned for 30 years that there will be consequences for this behavior, culminating in the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple. Over the years Jeremiah is so moved by the failure of his people to listen to his message from God and their refusal to turn back to God that his writings in the Old Testament books of Jeremiah and Lamentations sometimes describe his personal shedding of tears for his people.<br />
<br />
<div style="margin-left: 60px;">
Oh that my head were waters<br />
And my eyes a fountain of tears,<br />
That I might weep day and night<br />
For the slain of the daughter of my people!<br />
(Jeremiah 9:1)<br />
<br />
My eyes run down with streams of water<br />
Because of the destruction of the daughter of my people.<br />
<br />
My eyes pour down unceasingly,<br />
Without stopping,<br />
<br />
Until the Lord looks down<br />
And sees from heaven.<br />
<br />
My eyes bring pain to my soul<br />
Because of all the daughters of my city.<br />
(Lamentations 3:48-51)</div>
<br />
<br />
<b>Hope Through a New Covenant</b><br />
<br />
Then in Jeremiah chapter 31 the weeping ends, and an expression of hope begins. Through Jeremiah, God promises a New Covenant with the people of Israel.<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"But this is the covenant which I will make with the house of Israel after those days," declares the Lord, "I will put My law within them and on their heart I will write it; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. They will not teach again, each man his neighbor and each man his brother, saying, 'Know the Lord,' for they will all know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them," declares the Lord, "for I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more." (Jeremiah 31:33-34)</blockquote>
<br />
What is new and different about this covenant?<br />
<br />
“I will put my Law within them and on their heart I will write it.”<br />
<ul>
<li>The “Old” Covenant</li>
<ul>
<li>The first covenant was written first on stone tablets and then on scrolls.<sup>1</sup></li>
<li>That kind of material could be lost, forgotten, ignored, or altered.<sup>1</sup></li>
<li>They had the Law in front of them, but they had failed to internalize it.<sup>1</sup></li>
</ul>
<li>The “New” Covenant</li>
<ul>
<li>The New Covenant, in contrast, would be written on their hearts.<sup>1</sup></li>
<li>The content of the Law is essentially the same.<sup>1</sup></li>
<li>What changes is their inner commitment to keep it.<sup>1</sup></li>
</ul>
</ul>
<div>
“No longer will a man teach his neighbor, or a man his brother, saying, ‘Know the LORD,’ because they will all know me, from the least of them to the greatest."</div>
<ul>
<li>The word “know” here means more than just a casual acquaintance.</li>
<li>It has the meaning of an "intimate personal knowledge which arises between two persons who are committed wholly to one another in a relationship that touches mind, emotion, and will."<sup>2</sup>
</li>
<li>Your brothers and neighbors will no longer have to encourage you to be faithful to God, because you will already have a close personal relationship with him.</li>
</ul>
“I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more.”<br />
<ul>
<li>The trust and faith that exist in the close, intimate, personal relationship described above makes forgiveness possible.</li>
</ul>
After 40 years of speaking out warning messages to the people of Israel as they continued to ignore his warnings while at the same time persecuting him, Jeremiah witnessed the destruction of Jerusalem that God had described through his message.<br />
<br />
<b>The Weeping Messiah</b><br />
<br />
Now fast forward over 500 years. It is 30 AD and Jesus has spent over three years calling his people to come to God, and yet most of them have rejected him and his message. In addition to that, the “religious leaders” of Israel are actively plotting to put him to death.<br />
<br />
It is five days before Jesus’ crucifixion and the Passover, and it is time for the final confrontation. In fulfillment of prophecy and tradition, Jesus rides into Jerusalem on a donkey as many are lining the road and honoring Jesus as if he were their king. They are mistakenly looking for an earthly Messiah, who will kick out the corrupt “religious leaders” and the Romans, but this is not his mission or his message. The Gospel of Luke records that, as he approached, Jesus wept over the city, saying, “If you had known in this day, even you, the things which make for peace! But now they have been hidden from your eyes.” (Luke 19:41-42) He is crying for his people who are struggling instead of trusting, who are not understanding his message. He knows that another destruction of Jerusalem is coming. In fact, in a couple of days he publicly prophetically announces to them that it is coming. His tears are tears of concern for them.<br />
<br />
Meanwhile, at the temple, in advance of the coming Passover feast and ceremonies, the merchants have set up shop. They are hoping to make a killing selling the Passover necessities at a nice profit to all the travelers who are in town for the Passover festivities. Jesus dismounts the donkey, enters the temple, and proceeds to run all the merchants out of the temple. He says, "It is written, 'AND MY HOUSE SHALL BE A HOUSE OF PRAYER,' but you have made it a ROBBERS' DEN."<br />
<br />
What is the significance of that comment?<br />
<ul>
<li>“And my house shall be a house of prayer.”</li>
<ul>
<li>Here Jesus quotes a line from Isaiah 56:7 where Isaiah is writing words spoken by God. By calling the temple “My House”, Jesus is claiming to be God.</li>
</ul>
<li>“You have made it a robber’s den.”</li>
<ul>
<li>Here Jesus quotes from Jeremiah 7:11, again quoting words spoken by God.</li>
</ul>
</ul>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
“Has this house, which is called by My name, become a <b>den of robbers</b> in your sight? Behold, I, even I, have seen it, ” declares the LORD. (Jeremiah 7:11)</blockquote>
<br />
In his statement Jesus connects himself to the prophet Isaiah who described the Messiah as a lowly suffering servant who would be despised and then put to death, and he connects himself to the prophet Jeremiah who spoke of a coming “New Covenant” between God and his people.<br />
<br />
<b>The New Covenant Personified</b><br />
<br />
A few days beyond those events, on the night of his arrest, Jesus is eating the Passover meal with his disciples. During the meal, he makes a personal connection between the New Covenant described in Jeremiah.<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
And when He had taken some bread and given thanks, He broke it and gave it to them, saying, "This is My body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of Me." 20 And in the same way He took the cup after they had eaten, saying, "This cup which is poured out for you is the <b>new covenant </b>in My blood. (Luke 22:19-20)</blockquote>
<br />
The New Covenant described in Jeremiah 31:31-34 is initiated through the person of Jesus.<br />
<ul>
<li>“I will be their God and they shall be my people.” (Verse 33) Jesus is God in human form living and walking among us.</li>
<li>“I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more.” The death of Jesus made possible the forgiveness of the New Covenant, and his resurrection give us hope of resurrection.</li>
</ul>
Mark Moore sums this up well in his <i>Core 52</i><sup>3</sup> book:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
There are three things promised in the new covenant: personal relationship with the Father, forgiveness of sin through the sacrifice of the Son, and the law of God in our hearts through the Holy Spirit.<sup>3</sup></blockquote>
---<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">1. Jeremiah 31:33 Study Note 80, quoted by permission, taken from the NET Bible® copyright ©1996-2016 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. All rights reserved.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">2. <i>Dr Constable's Expository Notes, </i></span><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><i>copyright ©2010</i></span><i> </i><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Dr. Thomas R. Constable, quoted from the NET Bible notes, </span><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><a href="https://bible.org/">https://bible.org/</a></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: xx-small;">3. This post is the result of my studies based on the book by Mark E. Moore, Core 52: A Fifteen-Minute Daily Guide to Building your Bible IQ in a Year, published by WaterBook (Penguin Random House)</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Trade Paperback ISBN 978-0-525-65325-7</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">ebook isbn 978-0-525-65326-4</span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><b style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="http://www.lockman.org/">Scripture quotations taken from the New American Standard Bible</a></span></b></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29521621.post-37671629799756734922020-04-13T18:14:00.000-04:002020-04-13T19:04:33.640-04:00AtonementHe was wounded because of our rebellious deeds,<br />
crushed because of our sins;<br />
he endured punishment that resulted in our peace;<br />
because of his wounds we have been healed.<br />
(Isaiah 53:5) <sup>1</sup><br />
<br />
<b><i>How does Jesus' death cover my sins?</i></b><br />
<b><i><br /></i></b><b>Atonement</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
In his <i>Core 52</i><sup>2</sup> book Mark Moore says, "Atonement basically means that you owe a debt and somebody else pays it for you." While the word itself may not be familiar, I'm sure almost everyone has experienced what it describes. Have you ever owed a debt of some kind and someone else stepped up and took care of it for you? Or perhaps you yourself have helped out someone by taking care of a debt that they owe.<br />
<br />
<b>Blood Atonement</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
Lets talk about the Biblical concept of "sin". God has established a standard by which people can live their lives that would lead to peaceful person to person relationships as well as a peaceful relationship between a person and God. The key to that relationship is love, but God also gave us the freedom to make our own life decisions and to control our own actions. Why did he do that? Because love is based on free choice. One cannot exist without the other. So human beings have the choice to love or to hate, as well as a whole range of choices between those two.<br />
<br />
But what about the blood thing? It shouldn't be a surprise to anyone who has lived in this world that sometimes human failure to live up to God's standard of love leads to bloodshed. Within one generation of the beginning of human life on earth with Adam and Eve, a man murdered his brother out of jealousy and hatred (Cain and Abel, Genesis chapter 4). And we see this pattern repeated throughout Biblical history as well as secular history as people continue to ignore God’s standard.<br />
There is, however, another side to the shedding of blood throughout history and right up to our present day as soldiers, police officers, first responders, and even ordinary citizens sacrifice their lives to protect others. So blood is shed out of hatred, jealousy, and a rejection of God's standard, but the living out of love and concern for others also leads to bloodshed.<br />
<br />
Even though it seems strange to us today, it should not be a surprise that, from the beginning of human history, the shedding of the blood of animals would become a means of "paying the debt" for the human failures that led to human bloodshed. Lets take a look at the progression of this concept through the Old Testament period.<br />
<br />
<b>Adam and Eve - Sin leads to death and the shedding of blood</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
Apparently Adam and Eve did not consider it appropriate to kill animals. When they sinned by eating from the forbidden tree, they made clothing for themselves from plants - fig leaves. When God confronted them about their failure, he killed an animal and made garments of skin for them (Genesis 3:21). The lesson here is that sin leads to death and the shedding of blood.<br />
<br />
<b>Abraham - God will provide a substitute</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
God told Abraham that he would be the father of a great nation and that he would be a blessing to everyone on earth through his son Isaac, and then God told him to sacrifice his son Isaac by shedding his blood. By the way, before you criticize God for even suggesting such a thing, or criticize Abraham for even thinking about doing such a thing, keep in mind that this was a lesson, a learning experience for Abraham and us. The Bible suggests that Abraham fully expected that he would not have to complete this sacrifice (Genesis 22:8, Hebrews 11:17-19). Just as Abraham was raising the knife, God stopped him and showed him a ram (sheep) which he then used for the sacrifice. The lesson here is that God will provide a substitute.<br />
<br />
<b>The Passover - The shedding of blood can save</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
As God prepared to bring the last plague on Egypt, the death of the firstborn son, he told the Hebrews through his spokesperson Moses that they would be protected from the plague if they killed a lamb and placed the blood on their doorposts. This Passover was observed through the shedding of a lamb's blood as an annual ritual throughout the history of the Children of Israel from Moses and the tabernacle through the destruction of the temple in 70 AD. The lesson here is that God can save through the shedding of blood.<br />
<br />
<b>Jesus - The Lamb of God</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
A couple of years before his crucifixion Jesus began to prepare his disciples for what was coming. Then on the night of his arrest, as he was celebrating the Passover meal with his disciples, he made it clear that he was the final and ultimate Passover lamb:<br />
<br />
<div style="margin-left: 60px;">
"Then he took bread, and after giving thanks he broke it and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” And in the same way he took the cup after they had eaten, saying, “This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood." (Luke 22:19-20)<sup>1</sup></div>
<br />
<br />
With this comment Jesus is identifying himself as<b><i> the</i></b> "Passover Lamb". Later in the the same conversation Jesus identified himself with the prophesies of Isaiah chapters 52 and 53:<br />
<br />
<div style="margin-left: 60px;">
"For I tell you that this scripture must be fulfilled in me, ‘And he was counted with the transgressors.’ For what is written about me is being fulfilled.” (Luke 22:37, quoting Isaiah 53:12)<sup>1</sup></div>
<br />
Look at how these prophesies line up with the life of Jesus in this table adapted from Mark Moore's <i>Core 52</i><sup>2</sup> book.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="2" cellspacing="2">
<colgroup><col width="50%"></col>
<col width="50%"></col>
</colgroup><tbody>
<tr>
<td colspan="2" style="border: 1.00pt solid #000000; padding: 0.07in;"><div align="center" style="font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><b><span style="background: transparent;">Isaiah
and Jesus’ Life Compared</span></b></i></span></span></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="border: 1.00pt solid #000000; padding: 0.07in;"><div style="font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><b><span style="background: transparent;">Isaiah
52-53 (NET)</span></b></i></span></span></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border: 1.00pt solid #000000; padding: 0.07in;"><div style="font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><b><span style="background: transparent;">Jesus’
life</span></b></i></span></span></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="border: 1.00pt solid #000000; padding: 0.07in;"><div style="font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="background: transparent;">“<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">he
was so disfigured he no longer looked like a man; his form was so
marred he no longer looked human.” (52:14)</span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border: 1.00pt solid #000000; padding: 0.07in;"><div style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="background: transparent;">Jesus
was brutally beaten.</span></span></span></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="border: 1.00pt solid #000000; padding: 0.07in;"><div style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="background: transparent;">"he
had no stately form or majesty that might catch our attention, no
special appearance that we should want to follow him." (53:2)</span></span></span></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border: 1.00pt solid #000000; padding: 0.07in;"><div style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="background: transparent;">By
trade Jesus was a “blue collar” peasant carpenter.</span></span></span></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="border: 1.00pt solid #000000; padding: 0.07in;"><div style="font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="background: transparent;">“<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">He
was despised and rejected by people.”</span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="background: transparent;">(53:3)</span></span></span></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border: 1.00pt solid #000000; padding: 0.07in;"><div style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="background: transparent;">This
happened during his execution.</span></span></span></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="border: 1.00pt solid #000000; padding: 0.07in;"><div style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="background: transparent;">"But
he lifted up our illnesses...he carried our pain...He was wounded
because of our rebellious deeds...because of his wounds we have
been healed...but the Lord caused the sin of all of us to attack
him...Like a lamb led to the slaughtering block...He was led away
after an unjust trial...because of the rebellion of his own people
he was wounded.” (53:4-8)</span></span></span></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border: 1.00pt solid #000000; padding: 0.07in;"><div style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="background: transparent;">Descriptions
of his death on the cross</span></span></span></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="border: 1.00pt solid #000000; padding: 0.07in;"><div style="font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="background: transparent;">“<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">They
intended to bury him with criminals, but he ended up in a
rich man’s tomb.” (53:9)</span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border: 1.00pt solid #000000; padding: 0.07in;"><div style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="background: transparent;">Jesus
was crucified between two criminals but was buried in the tomb of
Joseph of Arimathea who was a well known and well connected man of
means.</span></span></span></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="border: 1.00pt solid #000000; padding: 0.07in;"><div style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="background: transparent;">"Though
the Lord desired to crush him and make him ill, once restitution
is made, he will see descendants and enjoy long life, and the
Lord’s purpose will be accomplished through him." (53:10)</span></span></span></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border: 1.00pt solid #000000; padding: 0.07in;"><div style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="background: transparent;">This
predicts the resurrection of Jesus.</span></span></span></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="border: 1.00pt solid #000000; padding: 0.07in;"><div style="font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="background: transparent;">“<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Having
suffered, he will reflect on his work, he will be satisfied when
he understands what he has done. My servant will acquit many, for
he carried their sins.” (53:11)</span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border: 1.00pt solid #000000; padding: 0.07in;"><div style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="background: transparent;">This
describes Jesus suffering and dying in our place.</span></span></span></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
During this Easter season we should note that Isaiah 53 also speaks of his resurrection and, therefore, of the hope of resurrection that we have in him.<br />
<br />
<div style="margin-left: 60px;">
Though the Lord desired to crush him and make him ill,<br />
once restitution is made,<br />
he will see descendants and enjoy long life,<br />
and the Lord’s purpose will be accomplished through him.<br />
(Isaiah 53:10)<sup>1</sup></div>
<br />
The phrases "he will see his descendants" and "the Lord's purpose will be accomplished through him" indicate he is alive.<br />
<br />
While some cultures may still practice blood sacrifices, in God’s eyes this is no longer necessary because the final sacrifice has been made “once for all” by his son Jesus.<br />
<br />
<div style="margin-left: 60px;">
Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. We know that since Christ has been raised from the dead, he is never going to die again; death no longer has mastery over him. For the death he died, he died to sin <b><i>once for all</i></b>, but the life he lives, he lives to God. So you too consider yourselves dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus. (Romans 6:8-11)<sup>1</sup></div>
<br />
<br />
---<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">1. Scripture quoted by permission. All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the NET Bible® copyright ©1996-2016 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. All rights reserved.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">2. This post is the result of my studies based on the book by Mark E. Moore, Core 52: A Fifteen-Minute Daily Guide to Building your Bible IQ in a Year, published by WaterBook (Penguin Random House)</span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">Trade Paperback ISBN 978-0-525-65325-7</span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">ebook isbn 978-0-525-65326-4</span><br />
<i style="font-weight: bold;"></i><br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29521621.post-26387198471993399782020-04-05T21:58:00.000-04:002020-04-05T21:58:02.357-04:00Wisdom<b><i>How do I become wise?</i></b><br />
<b><i><br /></i></b>
The Cambridge Dictionary defines <b>wisdom</b> as "the ability to make good judgments based on what you have learned from your experience, or the knowledge and understanding that gives you this ability."<sup>1</sup> We probably all know someone whom we consider to be wise by that definition, but what is the source of that wisdom?<br />
<br />
<b>Image of God</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
Certainly we see human beings who have no connection or commitment to God exhibiting wisdom by that definition. I would suggest that, even for them, wisdom ultimately comes from God. In an earlier chapter of the <i>Core 52</i><sup>4</sup> book we saw that people are created in "the image of God". Looking at the definition above, certainly God possessed good judgement, experience knowledge, and understanding to a level of perfection that no human being can match. But because people are created in God's image, they can also possess wisdom at a lesser, imperfect level.<br />
<br />
<b>Word of God</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
In Deuteronomy 4:5-6 Moses is reminding the people of Israel of God's Laws which have been taught to them. He says:<br />
<br />
<div style="margin-left: 60px;">
"See, I have taught you statutes and judgments just as the LORD my God commanded me, that you should do thus in the land where you are entering to possess it. So keep and do them, for that is your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the peoples who will hear all these statutes and say, 'Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people.'"<sup>2</sup></div>
<br />
<br />
This scripture seems to suggest that one can increase in wisdom by studying, understanding, and living out God's written Word.<br />
<br />
<b>Gift of God</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
Solomon had just taken over as King of Israel and had given his "inauguration speech", after which he and the entire assembly went to worship God at the tabernacle (tent) that had been used for worship until this point (the brick and mortar temple was not completed yet). There they prayed and offered burnt offerings to God.<br />
<br />
That night God revealed himself to Solomon and said, "Ask for what you would like me to give you."<br />
<br />
Here is Solomon's response (2 Chronicles 1:8-10):<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
“You demonstrated great loyalty to my father David and have made me king in his place. Now, LORD God, may your promise to my father David be realized, for you have made me king over a great nation as numerous as the dust of the earth. Now give me wisdom and discernment so I can effectively lead this nation. Otherwise who would be able to make judicial decisions for this great nation of yours?”<sup>3</sup></blockquote>
<br />
And God's response to Solomon (2 Chronicles 1:11-12):<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
“Because you desire this, and did not ask for riches, wealth, and honor, or for vengeance on your enemies, and because you did not ask for long life, but requested wisdom and discernment so you can make judicial decisions for my people over whom I have made you king, you are granted wisdom and discernment."<sup>3</sup></blockquote>
So in this case wisdom was a gift from God to Solomon because of his specific request.<br />
<br />
<b>Emmanuel - God with us</b><br />
<br />
In 1 Corinthians 1:26-30 Paul says this:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"Think about the circumstances of your call, brothers and sisters. Not many were wise by human standards, not many were powerful, not many were born to a privileged position. But God chose what the world thinks foolish to shame the wise, and God chose what the world thinks weak to shame the strong. God chose what is low and despised in the world, what is regarded as nothing, to set aside what is regarded as something, so that no one can boast in his presence. He is the reason you have a relationship with Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification and redemption."<sup>3</sup></blockquote>
Jesus is the ultimate source and embodiment of God’s wisdom:<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>He revealed God in human form that we can see and understand.</li>
<li>Yet He is also fully God.</li>
<li>In the Bible we have God’s wisdom in the <b>written</b> word (because it reveals Jesus).</li>
<li>In Jesus we have God’s Wisdom in the <b>living</b> word (John 1:1)</li>
</ul>
<br />
<br />
Can human beings exhibit wisdom without a commitment to God? Yes, to a degree. But the best, most complete wisdom comes from God and commitment to him through his written word and his living word, Jesus. Gain wisdom by seeking God through Jesus and living by his guidance.<br />
<br />
---<br />
<br />
<span id="docs-internal-guid-6cd47e79-7fff-c440-0944-811bba5021c4"><span style="color: #1d2a57; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 9pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">1.</span><span style="color: #1d2a57; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 9pt; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> (Definition of </span><span style="color: #1d2a57; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 9pt; font-style: italic; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">wisdom</span><span style="color: #1d2a57; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 9pt; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> from the </span><a href="https://dictionary.cambridge.org/us/dictionary/english/" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1d2a57; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 9pt; font-style: italic; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Cambridge Academic Content Dictionary</span></a><span style="color: #1d2a57; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 9pt; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> © Cambridge University Press)</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #1d2a57; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 9pt; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #1d2a57; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 9pt; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">2. </span><b><span style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="http://www.lockman.org/">Scripture quotations taken from the New American Standard Bible</a></span></b><br />
<span style="color: #1d2a57; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 9pt; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span>
<br />
<span style="color: #1d2a57; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 9pt; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">3. </span><span style="font-size: x-small;">Scripture quoted by permission, the NET Bible® copyright ©1996-2016 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. All rights reserved.</span><br />
<span style="color: #1d2a57; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 9pt; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">4. This post is the result of my studies based on the book by Mark E. Moore, <i>Core 52: A Fifteen-Minute Daily Guide to Building your Bible IQ in a Year</i>, published by WaterBook (Penguin Random House)</span></div>
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Trade Paperback ISBN 978-0-525-65325-7</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"></span></div>
<span style="font-size: x-small;">ebook isbn 978-0-525-65326-4</span><span style="color: #1d2a57; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 9pt; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29521621.post-15349416578718055912020-03-29T15:01:00.002-04:002020-03-29T15:06:24.405-04:00Jesus Rejected<b><i>If Jesus was rejected by his own people, why should I accept him?</i></b><br />
<br />
<b>Who is in charge here? (Matthew 21:23-27)</b><br />
<br />
Jesus is teaching in the temple, which in itself is an affront to the chief priests and elders because they consider themselves to be the leaders of the people and the authority in the temple.<br />
So they confront him.<br />
“Who gave you the authority to teach here?”<br />
The implication here is that they don’t want Jesus teaching here because he is usurping their authority.<br />
But Jesus, knowing that the people were sympathetic to him, wasn’t going to give in to these guys that easily:<br />
<br />
<div style="margin-left: 60px;">
“If you answer my question, I will answer yours. Where did John the Baptist get his authority, from heaven or from men?”</div>
<br />
Now the chief priests and elders find themselves in a predicament:<br />
<br />
<div style="margin-left: 60px;">
“If we say ‘from heaven’, he will say, ‘Why didn’t you believe him?’ But if we say ‘from men’, the people won’t respect us because they think John was a prophet.”</div>
<br />
So they answered, “We don’t know.” To which Jesus said, “Then I’m not going to answer your question.” The fact is, however, They knew what Jesus would have answered; he had said it many times before; he would have said his authority came from God his Father.<br />
<br />
<b>The Moral of the Story (Mathew 21:28-41)</b><br />
<br />
Now Jesus, still speaking in the presence of the chief priests and elders, tells two stories (we call them “parables”) to illustrate the unwillingness of Israel’s leaders to believe him. First, here is an explanation of the symbolism. In the Old Testament the nation of Israel is often described symbolically as a vineyard, and the people of Israel are the workers in the vineyard. Second, understand the attitude of the self-righteous religious leaders of the time: They saw themselves as the good guys who always obeyed God and they saw the “tax collectors and prostitutes” as the evil, worthless bad guys. Jesus purposely chose two of the most despised groups in their culture to make his point.<br />
<br />
<b>Here is Jesus’ first story (parable):</b><br />
<br />
A man owns a vineyard and has two sons. He goes to both sons and asks them to go work in the vineyard.<br />
<ul>
<li>One son says, “I won’t go”, but later he has a change of heart and goes to work.</li>
<li>One son says, “I will, sir”, but then did not go to work.</li>
</ul>
Jesus then asks those around him, including the elders, “Which of the two sons did what the father wanted? The chief priests and elders responded, “The first one”, that is, the one who at first said "no" but then changed his attitude and went.<br />
<br />
Jesus then responds to them:<br />
<br />
"I tell you the truth, tax collectors and prostitutes will go ahead of you into the kingdom of God! For John came to you in the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him. But the tax collectors and prostitutes did believe. Although you saw this, you did not later change your minds and believe him." (NET)<br />
<br />
Here is a summary and explanation of Jesus’ response.<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>The father represents God.</li>
<li>The son who said “no” at first but then went represents the “tax collectors and prostitutes”.</li>
<ul>
<li>They had, at first, rejected God but then, when Jesus came, they had a change of heart and embraced Jesus and God’s way.</li>
<li>They are more likely to get into the kingdom of God than the religious leaders.</li>
</ul>
<li>The son who said “yes” but then did not go represents the religious leaders.</li>
<ul>
<li>They think they are following God’s way but they are not.</li>
<li>God sent Jesus to them and yet they refuse to acknowledge him.</li>
</ul>
<li>Jesus then uses John the Baptist to further illustrate his point.</li>
<ul>
<li>John the Baptist came as God’s representative teaching repentance and righteousness.</li>
<li>The “tax collectors and prostitutes” changed their minds, believed John, and turned to God.</li>
<li>The religious leaders refused to change their hearts and minds when they heard John.</li>
</ul>
</ul>
<br />
<br />
We are all children of God. Will we be the children who, even though we may have at first rebelled, turn and embrace God’s son?<br />
<br />
<b>Here is Jesus’ second story (parable):</b><br />
<br />
A landowner planted a vineyard, complete with all the necessary components: a fence, A pit for the winepress, and a watchtower. Then he leased it to tenant farmers and went off on extended leave. When harvest time came he sent some of his employees to collect his percentage of the crop. The tenants grabbed the employees and beat them and killed them. When the owner didn’t hear from his employees, he sent another larger group of employees but the tenants treated them the same as the first. Finally, the owner sent his son, thinking that the tenants would respect his own son. When the tenants saw that the owner’s son was coming, they thought, “This is the heir. If we kill him we can get the inheritance - the vineyard will be ours!” So they grabbed his son and killed him.<br />
<br />
Then Jesus asked them, “When the owner himself comes, what will he do with those tenants?” The religious leaders answered, “He will execute those evil murderers and lease the vineyard to other more honest, trustworthy tenants.”<br />
<br />
Before we look at Jesus’ response to them, let’s explore the symbolism of this parable.<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>The landowner represents God.</li>
<li>The vineyard represents Israel.</li>
<li>The tenants represent the civil and religious leaders of Israel who were supposed to watch over and care for the vineyard.</li>
<li>The employees represent the prophets of the Old Testament whom God sent to Israel with his message to be faithful to Him. Many of them were persecuted and killed because the people, particularly the leaders, did not want to listen and accept what they said.</li>
<li>The son represents Jesus, whom the religious leaders are already plotting to kill, and in fact, will be executed in just a few days.</li>
</ul>
<br />
<br />
<b>The Rejected Stone (Matthew 21:42-44)</b><br />
<br />
For his final comments on this parable, Jesus goes to their scriptures and quotes Psalm 118:22-23, applying it to himself.<br />
<br />
<div style="margin-left: 60px;">
The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone.
<br />
This is the LORD’s doing; it is marvelous in our eyes. (ESV)</div>
<br />
<br />
Then he adds, speaking of the religious,civic leaders of Israel:<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>“For this reason I tell you that the kingdom will be taken from you and given to a people who will produce its fruit.”</li>
<li>“The one who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces, and the one on whom it falls will be crushed.”</li>
</ul>
<br />
Jesus is the cornerstone, the foundation of this new people, this new “nation”, that will carry on the banner of the kingdom of God. The old self righteous, self serving leaders are out; the new self-sacrificing servant leader is coming in.<br />
<br />
<b>If Jesus was rejected by his own people, why should I accept him?</b><br />
<br />
Note that Matthew remarks here (verses 45-46) that, as they were listening to Jesus, they realized that he was speaking about them. They wanted to arrest Jesus but they were afraid of the common people who regarded Jesus as a prophet of God. So while it is true that the religious leaders rejected him, many of the other people accepted him as being sent by God.<br />
<br />
Did the religious leaders reject Jesus? Yes they did. They rejected him in the face of overwhelming evidence. Their own self-centered attitude blinded them to the truth. Many others saw the truth and believed Jesus: “...because the crowds regarded him as a prophet.”<br />
<br />
A “tax collector” named Matthew who, because of his profession, was despised and rejected by most of the citizens of Israel, accepted and followed Jesus. As a result, he wrote down many events of Jesus life and many of the words Jesus spoke. Matthew is known and respected today because of his humble service to Jesus and to the kingdom of God.<br />
<br />
About 50 days after Jesus’ resurrection, Peter, a small business man, stood up and gave an inspiring speech in front of thousands of people in Jerusalem defending Jesus as the Son of God. He concluded his speech with these words, “Therefore let all the house of Israel know beyond a doubt that God has made this Jesus whom you crucified both Lord and Christ.” As a result, over 3000 people chose to believe in Jesus as the Son of God and to turn to God through baptism.<br />
<br />
So, yes, a few hundred self righteous religious leaders rejected Jesus, but within two months of their rejection thousands of people embraced Jesus as coming from God.<br />
<br />
Have you ever noticed that rejection seems to be part of life? Have you ever felt rejection? We all have. Jesus has been there. He has experienced rejection just like we have, so maybe he can help us get through it. Sometimes rejection can be debilitating, but sometimes it can lead to new opportunities. Let Jesus help you discover those opportunities.<br />
<br />
---<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Scripture quoted by permission. All scripture quotations, designated by NET are taken from the NET Bible® copyright ©1996-2016 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. All rights reserved.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Scripture quotations designated ESV are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. May not copy or download more than 500 consecutive verses of the ESV Bible or more than one half of any book of the ESV Bible.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">This post is the result of my studies based on the book by Mark E. Moore, <i>Core 52: A Fifteen-Minute Daily Guide to Building your Bible IQ in a Year</i>, published by WaterBook (Penguin Random House)</span></div>
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Trade Paperback ISBN 978-0-525-65325-7</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">ebook isbn 978-0-525-65326-4</span></div>
<br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29521621.post-88273254207740108322020-03-27T23:41:00.002-04:002020-03-27T23:41:29.593-04:00Messiah<b><i>Is there proof that Jesus is the Messiah?</i></b><br />
<b><i><br /></i></b>
A theme runs throughout the Hebrew scriptures, what we call the Old Testament. That theme is something like this: “Someone is coming; he will be a great and powerful leader and he will make us a great nation again.” It also says of him:<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>He will be a human being, a descendant of David.</li>
<li>He will also be the Son of God.</li>
<li>He is often called “the anointed one”.</li>
</ul>
<br />
<br />
<b>Defining terms: Messiah and Christ</b><br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>English “Messiah” from the Hebrew <i>masiah</i>, means “anointed one”.</li>
<li>English “Christ” from Greek <i>christos</i>, means “anointed one”.</li>
</ul>
<br />
When you see words like this in an English Bible translation, they are “transliterations” of the original language word. That is, rather than “translate” the original word with an already existing English word or phrase (“anointed one”), they created a new English word that “sounds like” the original word (“Messiah”, “Christ”).<br />
<br />
<b>Defining terms: LORD and Lord</b><br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>The English LORD (with all capital letters) is used to translate the original Hebrew word <i>ehyeh</i>, the official name of God which he explained to Moses in Exodus 3:14-15.</li>
<ul>
<li>When God says it speaking of himself, it would be <i>ehyeh</i>, English “I AM”.</li>
<li>When the people said it speaking of God, they said <i>yahweh</i>, English transliteration “Jehovah”, which means “he is”.</li>
</ul>
<li>The English word “lord” or “Lord” in lower-case letters is a translation of the Hebrew<i> adonai</i> which means “Lord, Lord” in English. It comes from the Hebrew <i>adon</i> which means “lord”, or “master”, or “boss”.</li>
</ul>
<div>
<b>Confrontation - Matthew 22:15-46</b></div>
<div>
<b><br /></b></div>
<div>
We are in Jerusalem three days before Jesus is crucified and he is teaching in the temple area. The religious leaders are already plotting to kill him, but they want to discredit him so they can justify their actions to the people. they come to Jesus and confront him with "trick" questions that they hope will trip him up. Matthew 23:15 says,"Then the Pharisees went and plotted together how they might trap him in what he said."</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
First, they ask him about paying taxes: "Is it right to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?" If he says they should not pay taxes, he would be violating Roman law and they could use that to have him arrested. If he says they should pay taxes the people would not like the response because they all hated the Roman taxes and tax collectors. So Jesus gave a very careful, clever answer, "Give to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and give to God the things that are God's.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Next, the Sadducees, who did not believe in resurrection, came and asked him another trick question, which was really meant to mock the idea of resurrection. Here is a simplified summary of their question:</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-left: 60px;">
A woman's husband dies before they have any children. She remarries and that husband also dies before they have any children. This happens seven times. After the resurrection, when they are all raised from the dead, which one of them will be her husband?</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Jesus answers, "You are mistaken, because you do not know the scriptures or the power of God. After the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven."<br />
<br />
Next, they send a lawyer, an expert in the Law of Moses, to ask him a question: "Which commandment in the Law of Moses is the greatest?" Jesus gives an answer that summarizes the Law completely and perfectly:<br />
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-left: 60px;">
Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 The second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself. All the law and the prophets depend on these two commandments.</div>
<br />
<br />
<div>
Now Jesus turns the tables and asks them a question: "What do you think about the Christ [Messiah, anointed one]? Whose son is he?<br />
<br />
They know what their scripture says, so they answer: "The son [descendant] of David."<br />
<br />
Jesus asks them a couple of followup questions using Psalm 110:1<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>Then how does David in the Spirit call him 'Lord', saying, '<i>the LORD said to my Lord, "sit and my right hand, until I put your enemies beneath your feet"'? </i></li>
<li>If David calls him 'Lord", how can he be his son?</li>
</ul>
<div>
The Pharisees were not able to answer the question without contradicting their cultural and religious beliefs.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<b>Explanation</b></div>
<div>
<b><br /></b></div>
<div>
In order to understand what Jesus did here, we need to understand some cultural beliefs of the time.</div>
<div>
<ul>
<li>A father was always considered to be greater than a son.</li>
<li>A descendant many generations later was still considered to be a "son".</li>
<li>They believed that Psalm 110 was speaking of the coming Messiah King.</li>
<li>They saw in their scripture that the coming Messiah (anointed one) would be a great human ruler</li>
<li>They missed the part in their scripture about the Messiah being the "Son of God".</li>
</ul>
<div>
They were unable to answer Jesus because they could not accept that the one David was speaking about was more than just a man. In their minds, David would never have called this person "Lord" (master) if he were just a human descendant.</div>
</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<b>Psalm 110 and Jesus</b></div>
<div>
<b><br /></b></div>
<div>
In this Psalm, God says two things to the person who is the subject of the Psalm. First, he says:</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
"The LORD (Jehovah God) said to my Lord (master): Sit at my right hand..."</div>
<div>
<ul>
<li>David acknowledged that this person was greater than himself.</li>
<li>To sit at the right hand of God means being equal to God.</li>
<li>Then in verses 2 and 3 this person is described as being a ruler or king.</li>
</ul>
<div>
About fifty days after Jesus' resurrection Peter was speaking about Jesus to a large crowd in Jerusalem. He spoke about his crucifixion and his resurrection, and then he said Jesus had been exalted to the "right hand of God". Peter quotes Psalm 110:1 and then says, "Therefore, let all the house of Israel know beyond a doubt that God has made this Jesus whom you crucified both Lord and Christ." (Acts 2:36)</div>
</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
The second thing God says about this person is this:</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
"You are a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek."</div>
<div>
<ul>
<li>In the Jewish mind, it would be unusual, even unacceptable, for the same person to be both priest and king.</li>
</ul>
Jesus, descendant of David and Son of God, uniquely fits the description of the person in Psalm 110. He completed the role of the priest once and for all by humbling himself and sacrificing his life for us, he has been raised from the dead, and he is now at the right hand of God ruling over his spiritual kingdom.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
---</div>
<div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">This post is the result of my studies based on the book by Mark E. Moore, <i>Core 52: A Fifteen-Minute Daily Guide to Building your Bible IQ in a Year</i>, published by WaterBook (Penguin Random House)</span></div>
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Trade Paperback ISBN 978-0-525-65325-7</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">ebook isbn 978-0-525-65326-4</span></div>
</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29521621.post-75219574558477808582020-03-21T21:48:00.002-04:002020-03-21T21:48:49.080-04:00Finding Happiness<b>[NOTE: this post is late and not in the same order as the chapter in the <i>Core 52 </i> book.]</b><br />
<b><i><br /></i></b>
<b><i>Does God want you to be happy?</i></b><br />
<b><i><br /></i></b>
This topic really startled me the first time I saw it. I have to say that "happiness" is not a concept that has value and meaning to me. In fact, as I thought about this topic after reading the essay, I found that I am more likely to use the word happy in a negative sense:<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>"I am not happy with this Bible study outline that I spent hours preparing."</li>
<li>"I am not happy with the outcome of the equipment repair I just completed."</li>
</ul>
<div>
And yet "happiness", whatever that is, seems to be a near universal human desire. I think we could certainly answer the above question with a "Yes", but that just raises other questions:<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li><b><i>What is happiness?</i></b></li>
<li><b><i>Should happiness be our highest priority?</i></b></li>
<li><b><i>Can happiness deceive us and pull us away from God's will?</i></b></li>
</ul>
<div>
<b>Blessed vs. Happiness</b></div>
<div>
<b><br /></b></div>
<div>
In his <i>Core 52...</i> book, Mark Moore begins his essay on "Finding Happiness" with Psalm 1:1-3:</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<br />
<div style="margin-left: 60px;">
How blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked,<br />
Nor stand in the path of sinners,<br />
Nor sit in the seat of scoffers!<br />
<br />
But his delight is in the law of the Lord,<br />
And in His law he meditates day and night.<br />
<br />
He will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water,<br />
Which yields its fruit in its season<br />
And its leaf does not wither;<br />
And in whatever he does, he prospers.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Then later in his essay while referring to this Psalm Mr. Moore says this:<br />
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-left: 60px;">
"Psalm 1 is the single most important passage in he Bible on happiness. It opens with the word <i>blessed</i> - the Bible's term for 'happy'..."</div>
<br />
Considering our modern cultural understanding of "happiness", I just cannot agree with that statement. Let me explain why. In the Old Testament there is a Hebrew word group that is usually translated into English as 'blessed'; and in the New Testament there is a Greek word that is usually translated into English as "blessed". The English Bible translations, however, are somewhat inconsistent in this regard; usually the words are translated as "blessed" but sometimes they are translated as "happy". In their defense, translators may use different English words for the same original language word because they believe the context leads to a different meaning. In most instances, however, I just do not think "happy" represents the appropriate meaning. Particularly, in Psalm 1, I believe "blessed" represents the appropriate meaning and "happy' does not.<br />
<br />
Here is my understanding of there two concepts:<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>Blessed is our status or our condition, based on our relationship to God and His work in our lives.</li>
<li>Happiness is a feeling, an emotion, that may or may not result from a blessing.</li>
</ul>
<br />
In other words, <b>blessed</b> is what we are; <b>happy</b> is how we may feel as a result. There are certainly circumstances in which we are blessed by God, but we do not in that moment, or even for some time, feel happy about our circumstance.<br />
<br />
I would like to point to Matthew 5:1-12, known as the "Beatitudes", where "blessed" is a key concept. Look carefully at these statements. Every one of them describes the person's status or condition based on God's work in their lives, not some feeling that they may or may not be experiencing at the moment.<br />
<br />
I have had many moments when I did not feel "happy" about my circumstances, but in that moment I was able to turn to God in prayer and thank him for the many blessings I have from Him and my blessed condition through Him. What about you?<br />
<br />
<br />
<div>
---</div>
<div>
<b><span style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="http://www.lockman.org/"><br class="Apple-interchange-newline" />Scripture quotations labeled as NASB are taken from the New American Standard Bible</a></span></b><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">This post is the result of my studies based on the book by Mark E. Moore, <i>Core 52: A Fifteen-Minute Daily Guide to Building your Bible IQ in a Year</i>, published by WaterBook (Penguin Random House)</span></div>
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Trade Paperback ISBN 978-0-525-65325-7</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">ebook isbn 978-0-525-65326-4</span></div>
</div>
</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29521621.post-27719011505057042962020-03-20T23:06:00.000-04:002020-03-20T23:06:36.821-04:00The Good Shepherd<i><b>The Lord is my shepherd; what does that mean for me?</b></i><br />
<i><b><br /></b></i>
My Grandfather Quaintance was a farmer in the 1940's and 1950's. He had several different farm animals on his farm - horses, cows, hogs, chickens, and sheep. I learned from spending time on his farm that the sheep were the most fragile of those animals, requiring more care and attention than the others. It doesn't surprise me, therefore, to see that the imagery of the shepherd and sheep is used throughout the Bible to represent God and human beings respectively. People, like sheep, are fragile, needing care and attention.<br />
<b><br /></b><b>Shepherd Theme</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
As we look at the history of the nation of Israel in the Old Testament we can see that the concept of a shepherd watching over his sheep was of central importance to the formation of the nation. The "father" of the nation, Abraham, was a nomad farmer who was noted for his large herds of animals, many of them sheep and goats. Moses worked for 40 years as a shepherd before he led the people of Israel out of Egypt. When Moses spoke to God about the appointment of his successor he said,<br />
<br />
<div style="margin-left: 60px;">
“Let the Lord, the God of the spirits of all humankind, appoint a man over the community, who will go out before them, and who will come in before them, and who will lead them out, and who will bring them in, so that the community of the Lord <b>may not be like sheep that have no shepherd.”</b> (Numbers 27:16-17 NET</div>
<br />
<br />
God chose David, a shepherd, to be the second king of the nation of Israel. This concept of sheep and shepherding was a central part of their culture from the beginning.<br />
<br />
<b>Spiritual Shepherds</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
It is no surprise, then, that this concept began to be used symbolically to describe the relationship between God, the human leaders of Israel, and the people. I would like to look at an example of this symbolism. The prophet Ezekiel was active during the siege of Jerusalem by Babylon and spoke of the failure of the human leaders of Israel that led to the conquest and destruction of the city. He spoke also of a future time when the people would again have a good shepherd. Consider Ezekiel chapter 34:1-6 which describes the failure of those leaders:<br />
<br />
<div style="margin-left: 60px;">
The Lord’s message came to me: “Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel; prophesy, and say to them—to the shepherds: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Woe to the shepherds of Israel who have been feeding themselves! Should not shepherds feed the flock? You eat the fat, you clothe yourselves with the wool, you slaughter the choice animals, but you do not feed the sheep! You have not strengthened the weak, healed the sick, bandaged the injured, brought back the strays, or sought the lost, but with force and harshness you have ruled over them. They were scattered because they had no shepherd, and they became food for every wild beast. My sheep wandered over all the mountains and on every high hill. My sheep were scattered over the entire face of the earth with no one looking or searching for them." (NET)</div>
<br />
Note how the symbolism of shepherds and sheep is used to describe how the human leaders of Israel exploited the people for their own self interest instead of serving them and caring for them. Then in verse 11, speaking of a future time of restoration, God says, "Look, I myself will search for my sheep and seek them out." Then in verses 23-24 God explains how he will accomplish this restoration:<br />
<br />
<div style="margin-left: 60px;">
I will set one shepherd over them, and he will feed them—namely, my servant David. He will feed them and will be their shepherd. I, the Lord, will be their God, and my servant David will be prince among them; I, the Lord, have spoken! (NET)</div>
<br />
God will provide a new leader, like the great king David, who will serve God and the people and lead them to spiritual restoration.<br />
<br />
<b>Jesus the Good Shepherd</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
This theme continues into the New Testament where Jesus takes on the title and responsibility of the Good Shepherd in John 10:11-14:<br />
<br />
<div style="margin-left: 60px;">
"I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. The hired hand, who is not a shepherd and does not own sheep, sees the wolf coming and abandons the sheep and runs away. So the wolf attacks the sheep and scatters them. Because he is a hired hand and is not concerned about the sheep, he runs away. 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." (NET)</div>
<br />
Jesus led them and served them. As a descendant of David, Jesus fulfilled God’s statement in Ezekiel 34:23 that he would provide a human shepherd-leader like David. As the Son of God, Jesus also fulfilled God’s statement in Ezekiel 34:11, “I myself will search for my sheep…”<br />
<br />
Jesus leads us and serves us. He is our Good Shepherd.<br />
---<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Scripture quoted by permission. All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the NET Bible® copyright ©1996-2016 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. All rights reserved.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">This post is the result of my studies based on the book by Mark E. Moore, <i>Core 52: A Fifteen-Minute Daily Guide to Building your Bible IQ in a Year</i>, published by WaterBook (Penguin Random House)</span></div>
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Trade Paperback ISBN 978-0-525-65325-7</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">ebook isbn 978-0-525-65326-4</span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29521621.post-155210504911636352020-03-16T18:15:00.001-04:002020-03-16T20:21:53.325-04:00Prophesy<b><i>Is there proof that Jesus is God's Son?</i></b><br />
<b><i><br /></i></b>
Most people in the developed world today live in a urban environment, and in a scientific and technological culture. Even so, what kind of things do we believe? If the popularity of television shows is any measure, a lot of people believe in things they cannot see and things from "another world". How about these?<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>Ghost hunters</li>
<li>Long Island Medium</li>
<li>Hollywood Medium with Tyler Henry</li>
</ul>
<div>
Or how about these things?</div>
<div>
<ul>
<li>People held captive by extra-terrestrial beings</li>
<li>The government hiding UFO's in Roswell New Mexico</li>
<li>Anything posted on Facebook must be true</li>
</ul>
<div>
<b>Prophecy</b></div>
</div>
<div>
<b><br /></b></div>
<div>
The Judaeo-Christian Bible (particularly the Old Testament) records a lot of the spoken words and writings of human beings called "prophets". They claimed to be speaking or writing words that God had given to them. When we look at their words we can generally conclude two things:</div>
<div>
<ul>
<li>They were delivering a message from God to the people around them.</li>
<li>Sometimes those messages included a description, sometimes in detail, of future events that we now know occurred hundreds of years after the prophet spoke the words.</li>
</ul>
<div>
In his book, <i>Core 52: A Fifteen-Minute Daily Guide to Building your Bible IQ in a Year, </i>Mark Moore mentions several of these prophesies. One of these prophesies states that a descendant of King David would be known as the anointed one (Messiah), "the Son of God", and that he would rule the nations (Psalm 2). Other prophesies, written down more that 400 years before Jesus was born, give details of the life of Jesus:<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>He would be born in Bethlehem (Micah 5:2)</li>
<li>He would be preceded by a forerunner (Malachi 3:1)</li>
<li>He would enter Jerusalem riding a donkey (Zechariah 9:9)</li>
<li>He would be betrayed by a friend, which would result in his hands being wounded (Zechariah 13:6)</li>
<li>He would be sold for 30 pieces of silver, which would be given to a potter (Zechariah 11:12-13)</li>
<li>He would stand silent before his oppressors (Isaiah 53:7)</li>
<li>He would die by crucifixion (Psalm 22:16)</li>
</ul>
<br />
I want to tell you about an amazing, detailed prophesy that was written 500 years before Jesus was born. This is found in the Old Testament book of Daniel, chapter 9. First, I want to put this prophesy in its historical context.<br />
<ul>
<li>In 605 BC, some key events occur.</li>
<ul>
<li>The prophet Jeremiah, in Jerusalem, predicts the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple, and the captivity of the people for 70 years.</li>
<li>Babylon invades Judah but leaves Jerusalem intact</li>
<li>Some Jewish people are carried away in captivity to Babylon. Daniel is one of those who is taken to Babylon. He is a young man, perhaps even a teenager, when he is taken.</li>
</ul>
<li>From 605 to 603 BC Daniel and some other young men are trained to be servants in the royal palace of King Nebuchadnezzar.</li>
<li>In 588 BC, Jeremiah, still in Jerusalem, writes a letter to the Jewish captives in Babylon, again describing the destruction of Jerusalem and the 70 years of captivity; but also describing a coming restoration.</li>
<li>In 586 BC, Babylon attacks and destroys Jerusalem and the temple.</li>
<li>Many years later in 539 BC, Daniel, now an elderly man, is reminded of Jeremiah's writings from many years earlier.</li>
</ul>
<div>
Daniel 9:1-3 describes how Daniel looked at Jeremiah's writings, and how that led him to turn to God in prayer for his people and for Jerusalem. Verses 4-19 record his prayer. Verses 20-23 describe how, as a result of Daniel's prayer, he has a vision in which God gives him a message describing the future of his people, the city of Jerusalem, and the temple through the angel Gabriel. Verses 24-27 are the message:</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<br />
<div style="margin-left: 60px;">
24 "Seventy weeks have been decreed for your people and your holy city, to finish the transgression, to make an end of sin, to make atonement for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy and to anoint the most holy place.
<br />
<br />
25 So you are to know and discern that from the issuing of a decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until Messiah the Prince there will be seven weeks and sixty-two weeks; it will be built again, with plaza and moat, even in times of distress.
<br />
<br />
26 Then after the sixty-two weeks the Messiah will be cut off and have nothing, and the people of the prince who is to come will destroy the city and the sanctuary. And its end will come with a flood; even to the end there will be war; desolations are determined.
<br />
<br />
27 And he will make a firm covenant with the many for one week, but in the middle of the week he will put a stop to sacrifice and grain offering; and on the wing of abominations will come one who makes desolate, even until a complete destruction, one that is decreed, is poured out on the one who makes desolate." (NASB)</div>
<br />
<br />
We will first look at the timeline for this prophesy and then we will look at the purposes for and the significance of the prophesy. The message speaks of "seventy weeks" or "seventy 'sevens'". Some English Bibles translate this as "weeks" and some as "sevens". The original Hebrew word simply means "group of seven". Where did these numbers come from? Remember that Daniel was led to pray when he read Jeremiah's writing which describes 70 years of destruction and oppression. We might paraphrase the message from God to Daniel like this: "Jeremiah spoke of seventy years; now I am telling you what will happen over the next seventy-times-seven years." So we are looking at a prophesy that will take place over 490 years (70 x 7 = 490).<br />
<br />
Next, verse 25 further defines the 70 'sevens' as "seven 'sevens' and sixty-two 'sevens'", but what is the significance of this division? We have a hint of an explanation there in verse 25. The message is speaking of restoring and rebuilding Jerusalem, saying, "... it will be built again, with plaza and moat, even in times of distress." So we can conclude that the seven 'sevens', 49 years, is the period when the city of Jerusalem will be rebuilt, and that is historically accurate. But what about the sixty-two 'sevens'? This section of the message is defining the combined period of seven 'sevens' and sixty-two 'sevens' with a starting event and an ending event:<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>The starting event is the "decree" to restore and rebuild Jerusalem.</li>
<li>The ending event is the appearing of the anointed one [Messiah], the prince.</li>
</ul>
<div>
So to summarize the math:</div>
<div>
<ul>
<li>7 X 7 = 49 years</li>
<li>62 X 7 = 434 years</li>
<li>49 + 434 = 483 years</li>
<li>Therefore, the prophetic message is defining a period of 483 years from the decree to rebuild Jerusalem until the anointed one is revealed.</li>
</ul>
<div>
Now we need to identify the starting event for the 483 years. I believe it is Ezra's command to begin work on rebuilding the wall of Jerusalem in 457 BC. Please see my previous post <a href="http://spiritual-journey-48.blogspot.com/2020/03/daniel-9-timeline.html">"Daniel 9 Timeline"</a> for a detailed explanation of the reason for choosing that date.</div>
</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Next we need to identify the ending event. Throughout the Old Testament period prophets and the Jewish scriptures spoke of a coming anointed one, a Messiah, who would be a caretaker and ruler of the people. This is the person identified in verse 25 as "the anointed one, the prince." The Hebrew word that is translated into English as "Messiah" simply means "anointed one". Further, the New Testament scriptures identify Jesus Christ as the Messiah, the anointed one. In fact, Jesus himself claimed to be the Messiah.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Now we begin to transition from timing to purpose. This prophetic message defines the purpose for the 483 and 490 years as well as the timing. Does Jesus fit the profile of the Messiah as defined by this prophetic message? Let's look at timing and purpose:<br />
<br />
<b>Timing: 483 years from the decree to rebuild Jerusalem to the anointed one (Messiah)</b><br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>457 BC - The beginning event: the decree to rebuild Jerusalem</li>
<li>-457 BC + 483 years = 26 AD</li>
<li>Jesus was born about 4 BC (see the previous post <a href="http://spiritual-journey-48.blogspot.com/2020/03/daniel-9-timeline.html">"Daniel 9 Timeline"</a> for details)</li>
<li>In Luke 3:23 Luke says Jesus was "about thirty years old" when he was baptized and began his public ministry.</li>
<li>-4 BC + 30 = 26 AD</li>
</ul>
If Jesus was born in 4 BC, and he was 30 years of age when he was baptized and began his ministry, he fits the time line of the prophesy. Thus, we can say that one of the purposes for this prophesy was to identify the Messiah.<br />
<ul>
</ul>
</div>
<div>
There are some other purposes and events identified by this prophesy. Verse 24 states six purposes for the 490 years (seventy 'sevens'). I have listed them here along with an explanation of how Jesus fulfills or completes them:</div>
<br />
<ul>
<li>to finish the transgression</li>
<li>to make an end of sin</li>
<ul>
<li>These first two are resolved by Jesus' presence here on earth, his Crucifixion, and his resurrection. Sin is still present here on earth, but God took the action that will ultimately deal with the problem of human sin (falling short of God's standard).</li>
</ul>
<li>to make atonement for iniquity</li>
<ul>
<li>Through his death, Jesus paid the penalty we should have paid, received the sentence we should have received.</li>
</ul>
<li>to bring in everlasting righteousness</li>
<ul>
<li>Through his death and resurrection, Jesus made it possible for us to be declared righteous, declared innocent, even though we are guilty of missing God's standard</li>
</ul>
<li>to seal up vision and prophecy</li>
<ul>
<li>Jesus said, "Do not think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish but to fulfill." (Matthew 5:17 NASB) </li>
</ul>
<li>to anoint the most holy <i>place</i></li>
<ul>
<li>The word "place" does not occur in the original language and was added by the translators. It could as easily be "the most holy <i>one</i>". It could be said that Jesus was "anointed" at his baptism.</li>
</ul>
</ul>
We have looked at verses 24 and 25 and their description of the first 483 years; now we will consider the events described in the second half of the prophesy, verses 26 and 27.<br />
<br />
Verse 26 describes two events that will occur "after" the 483 years, but it does not say how long after.<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>"The Messiah will be cut off and have nothing..."</li>
<ul>
<li>I believe this is speaking of Jesus arrest and execution about three</li>
</ul>
<li>"The people of the prince who is to come will destroy the city and the sanctuary.</li>
<ul>
<li>A coming ruler will destroy the city of Jerusalem and the temple again. </li>
<li>Roman armies did this in 70 AD.</li>
</ul>
</ul>
I want to make a brief comment about a phrase in verse 26 that may be misunderstood. "And its end will come with a flood." This does not mean a flood of water; it means a flood, or overwhelming number, of soldiers. Although not common usage, even in English we sometimes use the word flood to describe some overwhelming mass of something other than water.<br />
<br />
Now we need to look at verse 27. It is actually dealing with two different things.<br />
<br />
<div style="margin-left: 60px;">
"And he will make a firm covenant with the many for one week, but in the middle of the week he will put a stop to sacrifice and grain offering..."</div>
<br />
The meaning of this phrase hinges on a determination of who the pronoun "he" refers to. There are two possibilities from the previous verse: The Messiah or the ruler who will come and destroy Jerusalem. I think it is clear that Jesus the Messiah is the intended subject for the following reasons:<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>"He will make a firm covenant..." </li>
<ul>
<li>During his time here on earth, Jesus never left Palestine and only preached to and served the Jewish people. He was completing his covenant with the Jewish people before his disciples later took the message of the gospel to the "Gentiles" (the rest of us).</li>
</ul>
<li>"...in the middle of the week..." </li>
<ul>
<li>Jesus ministry on earth (from baptism to resurrection) was about three and one half years and that fits this description.</li>
</ul>
<li>"...he will put a stop to sacrifice and grain offering..."</li>
<ul>
<li>Although sacrifices and offerings continued until the temple was destroyed in 70 AD, the PURPOSE or REASON for the sacrifices ended with the death and resurrection of Jesus.</li>
</ul>
<li>"He will make a firm covenant for one 'seven'..." (seven years)</li>
<ul>
<li>Jesus' disciples continued to preach the gospel to only Jews in Palestine for a few years after his resurrection and departure to Heaven, until the Holy Spirit guided them to preach to the Gentiles as well.</li>
<li>Possible end points for the last seven years:</li>
<ul>
<li>Stephen’s hearing before the ruling council in Jerusalem, explaining in detail how Jesus fulfilled their scriptures as the Messiah, after which he was executed.</li>
<li>Peter converts Cornelius</li>
<li>Conversion of Paul</li>
</ul>
</ul>
</ul>
Finally, I think the final phrase of verse 27 is again describing the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD.<br />
<br />
This is an amazing prophesy written hundreds of years before Jesus' time on earth and describing details of his life and purpose.<br />
<br />
<b><span style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="http://www.lockman.org/">Scripture quotations labeled as NASB are taken from the New American Standard Bible</a></span></b><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">This post is the result of my studies based on the book by Mark E. Moore, <i>Core 52: A Fifteen-Minute Daily Guide to Building your Bible IQ in a Year</i>, published by WaterBook (Penguin Random House)</span></div>
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Trade Paperback ISBN 978-0-525-65325-7</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">ebook isbn 978-0-525-65326-4</span></div>
</div>
</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29521621.post-46233323570400238782020-03-14T22:12:00.000-04:002020-03-14T22:12:04.017-04:00Daniel 9 TimelineIn Daniel's vision of the seventy 'sevens' God's message through the angel Gabriel says this (Daniel 9:25 NASB):<br />
<br />
<div style="margin-left: 60px;">
So you are to know and discern that from the issuing of a decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until Messiah the Prince there will be seven weeks and sixty-two weeks; it will be built again, with plaza and moat, even in times of distress.<br />
<br /></div>
In this post I am going to explain why I believe the beginning point for this prophesy given in Daniel 9:24-27 is 457 BC.<br />
<br />
First, I want to clarify some things about calendars and year designations. I will be using the traditional means of distinguishing years - BC (Before Christ) to designate years counting back from the supposed year Jesus was born; and AD (<i>Anno Domini</i> / Year of our Lord) to designate years since the supposed year Jesus was born. Note I said, "the <b>supposed </b>year Jesus was born". In about 500 AD a Christian monk scholar attempted to device a calendar based on his calculation of the year of Jesus' birth. His calendar became the basis for the modern year designations we use. With the help of modern astronomy and other scientific and historic means, however, modern scholars have established that the monk's calculations were off by about four years. Scholars now believe that Jesus was born in about 4 BC. Here are the traditional and the modern designations that are used today:<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>Traditional:</li>
<ul>
<li>BC (Before Christ)</li>
<li>AD (<i>Anno Domini</i> / Year of our Lord)</li>
</ul>
<li>Modern:</li>
<ul>
<li>BCE (Before the Common Era)</li>
<li>CE (Common Era)</li>
</ul>
<li>Modern Scholars believe Jesus was born in about 4 BC.</li>
</ul>
<br />
Second, I want to provide a timeline for the period during which Jerusalem was under threat, under attack, then destroyed, then rebuilt. The prophets Jeremiah and Daniel were active during this period.<br />
<br />
<b>The period of destruction and captivity</b><br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>627-587 BC - Jeremiah speaks out in Jerusalem</li>
<li>605-536 BC - Daniel speaks out in Babylon</li>
<li>605 BC - Jeremiah first prophesies the destruction of Jerusalem and 70 years of captivity and oppression for the Jewish people.</li>
<li>605 BC - Babylon invades Judah the first time and takes prisoners captive back to Babylon.</li>
<li>605 BC - Daniel as a young man, possibly a teenager, is one of those taken to Babylon.</li>
<li>605-603 BC - Daniel, among others, is taken into the royal palace in Babylon and trained to be a servant of King Nebuchadnezzar.</li>
<li>603-550 BC - Daniel has several visions from God.</li>
<li>588 BC - In Jerusalem, Jeremiah sends a letter to the Jewish captives in Babylon explaining again the 70 years of captivity, but also talking about a restoration of the people to their home land and a rebuilding of Jerusalem and the temple.</li>
<li>586 BC - Babylon's final attack on Jerusalem leads to the destruction of the city and the temple and a scattering of the Jewish people.</li>
<li>539 BC - Daniel is reminded of Jeremiah's letter from many years ago and prays for his people, the city of Jerusalem, and the temple.</li>
<li>539 BC - As a result of Daniel's prayer, God gives him the vision of the seventy 'sevens'.</li>
</ul>
<div>
<b>The period of return and restoration</b></div>
<div>
<ul>
<li>538 BC - Cyrus, king of the Medo-Persian empire, decrees that some Jewish exiles can return to Jerusalem and begin rebuilding the temple. Zerubbabel was the Jewish leader of the effort.</li>
<li>517 BC - Darius, then the King, reaffirms the decree of Cyrus.</li>
<li>458 BC - Artaxerxes, then the King, authorizes Ezra, a priest and scribe (scholar of the Jewish scriptures), and others to return to Jerusalem for sacrifice and worship at the temple.</li>
<li>458 BC - Ezra arrives at Jerusalem, realizes that many there have intermarried with people from surrounding non-Jewish areas, and are worshiping false gods as a result. For several months Ezra instructs the people in the Law of God and resolves the issue of intermarriage and worship of false gods</li>
<li><b>457 BC - Ezra goes beyond what Artaxerxes authorized, and gave the word (command, decree) to begin rebuilding the walls of the city of Jerusalem.</b></li>
<li>445 BC - Artaxerxes authorizes Nehemiah and others to return to Jerusalem and continue rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem.</li>
</ul>
Finally, I want to deal with the problem of the chronology of the book of Ezra. There is no direct mention of working on the walls of Jerusalem in the last half of the book of Ezra where it is describing his efforts to deal with the problems of intermarriage and the worship of false gods. Ezra does, however, indirectly suggests that he is planning the rebuilding of the city wall in his prayer recorded in Ezra chapter 9*:<br />
<br />
<div style="margin-left: 60px;">
For we are slaves; yet in our bondage our God has not forsaken us, but has extended lovingkindness to us in the sight of the kings of Persia, to give us reviving to raise up the house of our God, to restore its ruins and to give us a wall in Judah and Jerusalem.<br />
(Ezra 9:9 NASB)</div>
<br />
Further, work on the wall of the city is mentioned in Ezra chapter four as being attempted during the reign of Artaxerxes, which matches the time that Ezra is leading the people of Jerusalem. It appears that the author of Ezra did not intend for the events of chapter four to be in chronological order . He seems to be summarizing specific types of events through the reigns of several Persian kings.<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>Verses 1-5 mention people from the first phase of the return to Jerusalem: Zerubbabel, King Cyrus, and King Darius; the subject is the rebuilding of the temple.</li>
<li>Verses 6-23 mention two kings of Persia, Ahasuerus and Artaxerxes, who followed King Darius; the subject of this section is the rebuilding of the walls and the city. Ezra was the active leader of the Jewish people in Jerusalem during the reign of Artaxerxes.</li>
<li>Verse 24 again mentions King Darius, who reigned before Artaxerxes and Ahasuerus; the subject again is the work on the temple.</li>
</ul>
<div>
Thus it appears that Chapter four is not chronological and verses 6-23 seem to be describing events that fit with the later parts of the book, during the time of Ezra's leadership.** It seems reasonable to conclude that "the decree [word, command] to restore and rebuild Jerusalem" was made in 457 BC by Ezra.</div>
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">*Jack Finegan, <i>Handbook of Biblical Chronology</i> (Princeton: University Press, 1964)</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: x-small;">**James E. Smith, Ph.D., <i>DANIEL A Christian Interpretation</i>, Second Edition ©2015 James E. Smith, All Rights Reserved</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="http://www.lulu.com/">www.lulu.com</a></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">**<i>The Chronology of Ezra 4</i>, Copyright (c) 2010 by Frank W. Hardy, Ph.D. <a href="http://www.historicism.org/Documents/Jrnl/Ezra04.pdf">http://www.historicism.org/Documents/Jrnl/Ezra04.pdf</a></span><br />
<br />
<b><span style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="http://www.lockman.org/">Scripture quotations labeled as NASB are taken from the New American Standard Bible</a></span></b></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29521621.post-77806697661549874812020-02-26T21:45:00.000-05:002020-02-26T22:06:42.702-05:00Three SuperstarsThe people of Israel recognized three "superstars" from the time of David through the time Jesus was here on earth and even right up to today: Abraham, Moses, and David. Each of these three men played a key roll in the formation and history of the nation of Israel and each one was involved in a "covenant" with God that points to and identifies their descendant Jesus as the Messiah.<br />
<br />
<b>Abraham: Covenant of Faith</b><br />
<br />
Abram (God later changed his name to Abraham) lived with his father and extended family in an area of Asia Minor that was in the southern part of what we call Turkey today.<b> </b>He received a message from God:<br />
<br />
<div style="margin-left: 60px;">
“Go out from your country, your relatives, and your father’s household<br />
to the land that I will show you.<br />
Then I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you,<br />
and I will make your name great,<br />
so that you will exemplify divine blessing.<br />
I will bless those who bless you,<br />
but the one who treats you lightly I must curse,<br />
so that all the families of the earth may receive blessing through you.” (Genesis 12:1-3)</div>
<br />
<br />
So Abram took all his possessions and servants as well as his nephew Lot, left his home and family, and began a journey as God directed him. Eventually Abraham (formerly Abram) reached the land that God had promised him but, since he did not have any children, he was questioning how God would be able to deliver on the promise of making him into a great nation. God assured Abraham that he would have a son of his own as an heir. In Genesis 15:6 the Bible says:<br />
<br />
<div style="margin-left: 60px;">
Abram believed the Lord, and the Lord credited it as righteousness to him.</div>
<br />
<br />
Following the tradition of the time, God had Abraham kill some animals, cut them in half, and lay the pieces opposite each other. The Bible puts it this way in Genesis 15:17-18:<br />
<br />
<div style="margin-left: 60px;">
When the sun had gone down and it was dark, a smoking firepot with a flaming torch passed between the animal parts. That day the Lord made a covenant with Abram: “To your descendants I give this land...</div>
<br />
<br />
The smoking firepot and the flaming torch passing between the animal parts represented God's sealing of the covenant with Abraham. In this covenant God made a promise to Abraham and Abraham trusted (believed) God to deliver. You can read the details of Abraham's encounter with God in Genesis 15:1-20.<br />
<br />
<b>Moses: Covenant of Law</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
With the passage of over 400 years Abraham's family did grow into a "nation", estimated at about 2 million people when Moses led them out of Egypt and out of slavery. After they left Egypt and as they moved toward the land that God had promised to Abraham (and them), God made a covenant with all the people of the nation with Moses serving as a "mediator". This covenant differed from the covenant with Abraham:<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>God made a promise to Abraham but Abraham did not make any promise to God; he simply trusted God to deliver on the promise.</li>
<li>In the giving of the "Law", God promised the people blessings if they obeyed and curses if they disobeyed; and the people agreed to keep and obey the Law.</li>
</ul>
<div>
A significant part of the Old Testament in the Bible describes how the people of Israel failed to live up to their commitment to the covenant. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<b>David: Covenant for an eternal King and Kingdom</b></div>
<div>
<b><br /></b></div>
<div>
Hundreds more years pass and the people are not content to have just God as their "King". They want to have a powerful human "king" to rule them and to fight their battles for them "like all the other nations around them". So God gave them the kind of human king they wanted: a physically strong, attractive, charismatic man. Unfortunately, King Saul was more interested in his own personal well being than in serving the people or upholding God's standard.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
As a result, God sent the prophet Samuel to find and anoint another king, one who would be a better servant of God and his people. God's choice was not what human beings would have expected. He selected David, the youngest son of a sheep farmer who spent his days tending his father's sheep. Some of David's early life experiences remind us of what Jesus experienced during his time here on earth:</div>
<div>
<ul>
<li>His father left him out in the field with the sheep when the prophet Samuel came to visit.</li>
<li>He was seen as just a kid</li>
<li>His brothers did not respect him</li>
<li>Over 20 years pass from his anointing by Samuel until he becomes king, much of it spent in exile fleeing for his life</li>
</ul>
<div>
Compare this to Jesus:</div>
</div>
<div>
<ul>
<li>His family thought he was crazy</li>
<li>People of his home town rejected him</li>
<li>Jewish authorities plotted to kill him</li>
</ul>
<div>
Unfortunately, David was a flawed human being just like the rest of us and in many ways he fell short of God's standard, but God showed compassion to him and provided forgiveness to him. Looking to David's descendants and the future of the people of Israel, and indeed all future inhabitants of the earth, God made a covenant with David: that one of his descendants would be the king of an eternal kingdom.</div>
</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<br />
<div style="margin-left: 60px;">
The Lord said,<br />
“I have made a covenant with my chosen one;<br />
I have made a promise on oath to David, my servant:<br />
‘I will give you an eternal dynasty<br />
and establish your throne throughout future generations.’”</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<b>Jesus: Humble Servant, King of Kings</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
Jesus, a descendant of Abraham, is the continuation of the Covenant of Faith established with Abraham. God promises a place for us in his kingdom if we will believe in and trust Jesus.<br />
<br />
Jesus, as the only human being to ever perfectly obey the Law of God given when Moses was the "mediator"and perfectly live up to God's standard, has "fulfilled" or completed the Law. Then, as a humble servant, he sacrificed himself to pay the price for our failure to live up to God's standard.<br />
<br />
Jesus, as the Son of God and as a descendant of David, is the King of an eternal Kingdom that exists right now and that we can be a part of.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIKg8bKE7G6yOtw3I31htSDSXhO4AK1Oo_7wx16EDfkjjMi0auG_-3QNsPOBBLAUjASBgi_l_y_lSTCQlEqhaBwITVdVsOVnmMAkJ-X_CGjQKgTTKdiusus2vqMlKsN13GDRPoMQ/s1600/covenant4.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="362" data-original-width="659" height="350" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIKg8bKE7G6yOtw3I31htSDSXhO4AK1Oo_7wx16EDfkjjMi0auG_-3QNsPOBBLAUjASBgi_l_y_lSTCQlEqhaBwITVdVsOVnmMAkJ-X_CGjQKgTTKdiusus2vqMlKsN13GDRPoMQ/s640/covenant4.png" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
---</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Scripture quoted by permission. All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the NET Bible® copyright ©1996-2016 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. All rights reserved.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">This post is the result of my studies based on the book by Mark E. Moore, <i>Core 52: A Fifteen-Minute Daily Guide to Building your Bible IQ in a Year</i>, published by WaterBook (Penguin Random House)</span></div>
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Trade Paperback ISBN 978-0-525-65325-7</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">ebook isbn 978-0-525-65326-4</span></div>
</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29521621.post-73786380501461745322020-02-09T21:54:00.002-05:002020-02-26T22:06:58.680-05:00The Fall<b>Sin</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
What about this word "sin"? Most people who hear the word probably think of it as something bad. Some people may be afraid of it. The use of that word may make some people angry. Some may think there is not such thing as "sin". But from a religious perspective, from God's perspective, what is "sin"?<br />
<br />
The English word "sin" comes from the Latin <i>sons</i> which means "guilty". So the English word carries the idea of being guilty of violating some law or standard. In the Old Testament the English word "sin" is a translation of the Hebrew word <i>chata </i>which has the meaning "to miss" or "to go wrong". In the New Testament it is a translation of the word <i>hamartia </i>meaning "to miss the mark" or, in an ethical sense, a fault or a failure. The root word was regularly used in ancient times of an archer missing the target. From a Biblical perspective, then, sin is the failure of human beings to live up to God's standards.<br />
<br />
The above statement raises all kinds of questions. What are God's standards? Why does he set standards at all? Why can't we be free to do what ever we want? I'm using the word "standard" here instead of "rule" or "law" because I feel like the latter two words may be viewed as too negative in our culture. I want to suggest that God's standards are intended to be a positive benefit to human beings and to the physical world we live in. The are intended to guide human beings to a peaceful and productive life.<br />
<br />
<b>The Fall</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
Bible scholars and theologians (<i>theos</i> "God", <i>logia</i> "study of") often call the events of Genesis chapter 3 as "the fall" because those events describe how the first two human beings on earth fell short of God's standards. What do we observe as these events unfold?<br />
<br />
<b>Freedom</b><br />
<br />
First, we can see from these events that human beings are "free moral agents". That is, we are free to make choices as we live our lives. Even though God and our government establish standards of behavior, we are free for the most part to live by those standards or to violate them. God set a standard that was intended to be beneficial to Adam and Eve and they chose to violate the standard.<br />
<br />
<b>Responsibility</b><br />
<br />
Second, there is a third party involved. The Bible says that the devil appeared to Eve in the form of a serpent and deceived and seduced her with subtle lies and half truths into doing something God has told her not to do. When Adam and Eve were confronted by God, they were ready to absolve themselves of any responsibility for their actions by playing the blame game. Note what Adam said, "The woman <b>whom you gave me</b>, <b>she gave me</b> some fruit from the tree and I ate it." Basically he is saying, "it's not my fault; it is your fault, God, because you gave me the woman", and, "its not my fault; she gave it to me." And Eve's response: "The serpent tricked me, and I ate." Basically, she is saying, "It's not my fault; it is the serpent's fault because he tricked me." The fact is, however, that Adam and Eve each made a free moral choice and they are responsible and accountable, regardless of the part played by a third party.<br />
<br />
<b>Death</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
Third, the concept of death is present in this scripture. In the previous chapter, God tells Adam that if he eats from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, he will die. In chapter three this comes up in the conversation between the serpent and Eve. But what exactly is death? We have become conditioned to view death as the end of life, but Biblically speaking death for human beings is <b>separation</b>: physical death is the separation of the body which decays from the spirit which continues to exist in anticipation of the resurrection; spiritual death is the separation of the person from God.<br />
<br />
Theologians sometimes debate whether the "death" mentioned here in Genesis chapter three is physical death or spiritual death. I think it refers to both. They were spiritually separated from God immediately: after they ate the fruit they heard God in the garden and hid from him because they were afraid. They eventually died physically as well.<br />
<br />
<b>Our Hope</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
Just like Adam and Eve, all human beings have fallen short of God's standard, but I want to end this post on a hopeful note. Anyone who humbly turns back to God, acknowledging Jesus Christ as the Son of God, can be returned to spiritual life and a relationship with God.<br />
Paul says in Ephesians 2:4-7:<br />
<br />
<div style="margin-left: 60px;">
But God, being rich in mercy, because of his great love with which he loved us, even though we were dead in offenses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you are saved!— and he raised us up together with him and seated us together with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, to demonstrate in the coming ages the surpassing wealth of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. </div>
<br />
---<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Scripture quoted by permission. All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the NET Bible® copyright ©1996-2016 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. All rights reserved.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span>
<span id="docs-internal-guid-5a8968ce-7fff-66e3-bda2-97087bb4a7a1"></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">This post is the result of my studies based on the book by Mark E. Moore, <i>Core 52: A Fifteen-Minute Daily Guide to Building your Bible IQ in a Year</i>, published by WaterBook (Penguin Random House)</span></div>
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Trade Paperback ISBN 978-0-525-65325-7</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"></span></div>
<span style="font-size: x-small;">ebook isbn 978-0-525-65326-4</span><span style="font-size: x-small;"></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29521621.post-41390425955039544992020-02-02T20:26:00.000-05:002020-02-26T21:44:08.697-05:00Our True IdentityIn the last post we looked at Creation, attempting to explore God's creation of the universe and life. In this post we explore the concept stated in the Bible that human beings are created in the <b>"image"</b> and <b>"likeness"</b> of God. One might say that we are addressing these two questions:<br />
<div>
<ul>
<li><b>Creation:</b> <b><i>Why are we here?</i></b></li>
<li><b>Image of God: <i>Who are we?</i></b></li>
</ul>
<div>
Can we discover who we are? Are we just another animal on top of the heap of evolution? Or are we something else? Are we something more? What does the Bible say about human beings from a spiritual and philosophical perspective? Genesis 1:26 states:</div>
</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-left: 60px;">
Then God said, "Let us make humankind in our image, after our likeness, so they may rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over all creatures that move on the earth." (NET Bible)</div>
<div>
<br />
<div>
God does not say this about anything else in the universe; not any physical thing; not plants or animals. Human beings are somehow unique in creation. Can we discover from the Bible some of the ways in which we are unique?<br />
<div>
<div>
<br />
<b>To rule, have dominion</b><br />
<br /></div>
<div>
First, the scripture quoted above says that God, who is the ruler over the universe because he created it, has appointed human beings to be rulers over the earth and the other life forms on he earth. So in some sense we human beings are rulers like God is a ruler. But what does it mean to "rule over" something? Unfortunately, because of our experience through history, we have come to see "rulers" or "kings" as tyrants who are more interested in their own power and wealth than in taking care of the people over whom they have power. From God's perspective, however, the "ruler" is actually a <i style="font-weight: bold;">caretaker. </i>God has appointed us caretakers of this earth. Look at Genesis 2:15:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
The LORD God took the man and placed him in the orchard in Eden to <i style="font-weight: bold;">care for it</i> and to <i style="font-weight: bold;">maintain it.</i> (NET Bible)</blockquote>
That is the role he has toward us, and that is the role he has gives to us regarding the earth.<br />
<br />
<b>Language, speech, writing</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
Second, throughout this first section of Genesis we see Adam and Eve in relationship with and communicating with God. He gave human beings intelligence and the capability to comprehend and communicate with himself. Of all life forms, only human beings have language, speech, and writing. Further, we have a sense of beauty and the capability to invent and create new things from the raw materials that God has provided us through his creative acts.<br />
<br />
<b>Character traits</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
Third, even though God had character traits that he does not share with us such as self-existence, omniscience (all-knowing), and omnipotence (all-powerful), he does share some character traits with us. Some of these traits are listed in Colossians 3:12-14: compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, patience, forgiveness, and love. God is the perfection of these character traits while human beings possess them in an imperfect way. Even though human beings have failed to fully live out these character traits (sin), all human beings are still "in the image of God" and exercise some of these traits to some degree whether they believe in God or not; whether they are followers of Jesus or not.<br />
<br />
It is only in Jesus Christ that we can begin to realize our true potential to live out the character traits that God has shared with us. In Colossians 3:8-11 Paul describes how the image of God can be renewed in us through Jesus:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
But now, put off all such things as anger, rage, malice, slander, abusive language from your mouth. Do not lie to one another since you have put off the old man with its practices and have been clothed with the new man that is being renewed in knowledge according to the image of the one who created it. Here there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all and in all. (NET Bible)</blockquote>
---<br />
<br />
<span id="docs-internal-guid-02c6308d-7fff-f411-0ffb-75ec81932c52"></span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 15pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: x-small; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">Scripture quoted by permission. Quotations designated (NET Bible) are from the NET Bible® </span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: x-small; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">copyright ©1996-2016 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. http://netbible.com All rights reserved.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><br /></span>
<span id="docs-internal-guid-5a8968ce-7fff-66e3-bda2-97087bb4a7a1"></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">This post is the result of my studies based on the book by Mark E. Moore, <i>Core 52: A Fifteen-Minute Daily Guide to Building your Bible IQ in a Year</i>, published by WaterBook (Penguin Random House)</span></div>
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Trade Paperback ISBN 978-0-525-65325-7</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"></span></div>
<span style="font-size: x-small;">ebook isbn 978-0-525-65326-4</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "georgia"; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"></span></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<br /></blockquote>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29521621.post-26431265820244379412020-01-06T17:49:00.001-05:002020-02-26T21:44:22.547-05:00Creation<b>Why are we here?</b><br />
<br />
“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” (Genesis 1:1)<br />
<br />
“In the <b>beginning</b>…”<br />
<br />
The beginning of time? Of the universe? Of the creation? Those of us who accept the Bible as God’s Word understand that God is eternal, that is, he had no beginning. It seems reasonable then to understand that this phrase is describing the beginning of the creation process, which would also include the beginning of time and the beginning of the universe.<br />
<br />
A look back through history indicates that we human beings, whether religious or not, have been searching for our beginning, searching for an explanation of where we came from and why we are here. To illustrate this point I would like you to consider the movie <b><i>Star Trek: The Motion Picture</i></b> that was released in 1979. The story takes place in the 23rd century. A giant energy cloud is moving toward earth destroying everything in its path. The “Star Trek” space ship, the Enterprise, is sent to investigate. They discover at the center of the energy cloud an old space probe but all that is left on its outer surface is a partial name: <b>“V….ger”</b>. It turns out to be the Voyager 6 space probe that was launched in the 20th century but was later lost in space. It came in contact with an alien race of living machines that interpreted its programming as instructions to learn all that can be learned and return that information to its creator and they upgraded it to fulfill its mission and sent it on its way. It gathered so much knowledge that it gained consciousness but it lacked the ability to give itself purpose other than its original mission. After learning all that it could, it found its existence meaningless, so all it could do was search for its creator to complete its mission. Its “creator”, of course, is human beings on the earth but it has become so massive and powerful that contact with its creators on earth will destroy the earth. One human being agrees to sacrifice himself to “merge” with the machine and therefore save the earth.<br />
<br />
This seems like a good allegory that describes human beings today who are trying to find purpose and meaning in life. They are searching for “the beginning” through secular science without allowing for God. They are searching for the origin (beginning) of the universe and scientists who believe the “Big Bang” theory of the beginning of the universe are now admitting that matter and energy (the things that make up the universe) had a beginning, that is, that there was a time when nothing existed. These scientists are now suggesting “natural” ways in which matter and energy could have come from nothing by random chance. Also, for several centuries now human beings have been attempting to explain how life could come from non-life through “natural” processes (without an intelligent creator - God)<br />
<br />
In the beginning <b>God</b>…”<br />
<br />
The Bible, God’s message to us human beings, offers an answer to these questions: God is responsible for the existence of the universe and of life. Before exploring this further I would like to describe four different concepts of God that have existed probably as long as human beings have been searching for “god”.<br />
<br />
<b>The human search for God</b><br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>Polytheism: many different gods based on physical things</li>
<ul>
<li>The ancient “nature” gods and “idols”</li>
<li>Greek and Roman gods</li>
<li>They tended to have human characteristics</li>
<li>They were gods based on physical things</li>
</ul>
<li>Pantheism: a universal “life force” derived from all living things in the universe</li>
<ul>
<li>Eastern religions</li>
<li>Buddhism</li>
<li>Confucianism</li>
<li>“The force” in the Star Wars movies</li>
</ul>
<li>Humanism</li>
<ul>
<li>There is nothing beyond physical life.</li>
<li>Death is the end of existence.</li>
<li>There is no “God”</li>
<li>Because there is no “God”, that is, no external intelligence or moral guide, human beings themselves are responsible for establishing moral and ethical standards</li>
</ul>
</ul>
<br />
<b>God reveals himself to us</b><br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>Monotheism: There is one eternal, personal God who created everything else.</li>
<ul>
<li>Judaism</li>
<li>Christianity</li>
<li>Islam</li>
</ul>
</ul>
<br />
<br />
“In the beginning God <b>created</b>…”<br />
<br />
Other religions, as a rule, view matter (physical existence, physical things) as being “eternal” and gods as being derived from those physical things. Judaism and Christianity, on the other hand, understand that there is only one sovereign God, that He is eternal, and that he created all finite physical and living things. We understand that He has revealed himself to us.<br />
<br />
The Hebrew word translated with various forms of the English word “create” “always describes the divine activity of fashioning something new, fresh, and perfect.” (Net Bible translation notes, Genesis 1:1)<br />
<br />
Unlike the “big bang theory” and the theory of naturalistic evolution, which suggest that the universe and life arose by chance through random natural events, the Bible clearly describes thoughtful design by an intelligent being (God).<br />
<br />
In the beginning God created <b>the heavens and the earth</b>.”<br />
<br />
In this statement, I do not believe that “the heavens” refers to the spiritual place where God resides. Rather, I believe the phrase “the heavens and the earth” refers to the totality of physical existence, the “universe”. But I would like to pose a question: <b><i>Why does God choose to mention the earth separately?</i></b> Why didn’t he simply say, “In the beginning God created the universe”? Or, “In the beginning God created all physical things”? I believe the answer is that the earth is specifically mentioned because it is the center of God’s activity in the universe. It is where God chose to create life and human beings. It is where God chose to make himself known, first through patriarchs and prophets, and then through His Son Jesus. Even though the earth may not be at the<b> physical</b> center of the physical universe, it is the <b>spiritual </b>center of the universe.<br />
<br />
In his book Core 52, Mark Moore asks the question: Why did God create the world? He answers that question by citing the fact that human beings can also “be creative”, that is, we can make or invent new and fresh things from the materials God has provided us. With that in mind he makes this statement:<br />
<br />
“God created for the same reason we do: for others’ pleasure and for our own praise.”<br />
<br />
I believe he is saying that God created the world for our pleasure and enjoyment, and so that we could give him praise. I would like to expand a little on the concept of praising God.<br />
<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>Praising God is voluntary, growing out of gratitude for what he has done for us.</li>
<li>NOT because he “needs” praise.</li>
<li>NOT because he selfishly “wants” praise.</li>
<li>BUT because praising God is good for US.</li>
<li>AND praising God helps us look outside of ourselves.</li>
<li>AND praising God helps us in our relationships with others.</li>
</ul>
<br />
<br />
Finally I would like to suggest one other related answer to the question: <b><i>Why did God create the world and us?</i></b><br />
<br />
<b>He did it to share his love with us.</b><br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>NOT because he needed to.</li>
<li>BUT because it wanted to.</li>
<li>Love by definition includes sharing that love with others.</li>
</ul>
<br />
<br />
He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation, for all things in heaven and on earth were created in him — all things, whether visible or invisible, whether thrones or dominions, whether principalities or powers — all things were created through him and for him. He himself is before all things and all things are held together in him. He is the head of the body, the church, as well as the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that he himself may become first in all things. For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in the Son and through him to reconcile all things to himself by making peace through the blood of his cross—through him, whether things on earth or things in heaven.<br />
Colossians 1:15-20 (NET)<br />
<br />
So then, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; what is old has passed away—look, what is new has come!<br />
2 Corinthians 5:17 (NET)<br />
<br />
---<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Scripture quoted by permission. Quotations designated (NET) are from the NET Bible® copyright ©1996-2016 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. http://netbible.com All rights reserved.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span>
<span id="docs-internal-guid-5a8968ce-7fff-66e3-bda2-97087bb4a7a1"></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">This post is the result of my studies based on the book by Mark E. Moore, <i>Core 52: A Fifteen-Minute Daily Guide to Building your Bible IQ in a Year</i>, published by WaterBook (Penguin Random House)</span></div>
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Trade Paperback ISBN 978-0-525-65325-7</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">ebook isbn 978-0-525-65326-4</span></div>
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29521621.post-83531965671031265352020-01-05T21:35:00.000-05:002020-03-16T18:17:46.935-04:00The Bride and the Groom Analogy<span style="font-weight: bold;">THE BRIDE AND GROOM ANALOGY</span><br />
<br />
Why does God use the bride and groom analogy when refering to his relationship to his people?<br />
<br />
The love relationship between a husband and wife is the first and most fundamental human relationship. After Eve was created from Adam's rib the Bibls says this:<br />
<br />
<blockquote>
And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man. Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh. (Genesis 2:23-24 KJV)</blockquote>
This was the first human relationship described in the Bible and it is the basic relationship from which all other human relationships flow.<br />
<br />
Throughout human history God has tried to communicate with us in ways that we can easily understand. The ultimate example of this is that God came to live among us in human form in the person of Jesus Christ. What better way for God to communicate with us than to live with us as one of us?<br />
<br />
God also uses other analogies from our daily lives to help us understand his relationship to us. Two examples would be the parent - child relationship and the husband - wife relationship. The parent - child analogy is used to illustrate the relationship between God and an individual person. The husband - wife (bridegroom and bride) analogy is used to illustrate the relationship between God and the group of believers - the nation of Israel in the Old Testament and the Church in the New Testament.<br />
<br />
Here are some reasons why I believe God uses the bride - bridegroom and husband - wife relationship to describe our relationship to him (and the relationship between Christ and the church:<br />
<br />
<ol>
<li>It is the most basic of all human relationships, and universally understood.</li>
<li>In its purest form, brides an bridegrooms love each other in the same way and with the same kind of love as should exist between human beings and God.</li>
<li>On the other hand, the failure of the human marriage relationship can also illustrate the failure of the relationship between God and human beings. For example, in the Old Testament God often used human adultery to illustrate Israel's rejection of him as they followed after other false gods.</li>
<li>When a bride and groom are truly in love, the wedding day is a time of great rejoicing and fellowship. In the same way, there will be great rejoicing and fellowship when Christ (the groom) and the church (the bride) are united at the end of the age and for eternity.</li>
</ol>
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29521621.post-54295898750260307562020-01-05T21:34:00.002-05:002020-03-16T18:18:42.897-04:00Where Did the Devil Come From?<span style="font-weight: bold;">Where did the Devil come from?</span>Every religion has some concept of good and evil. Probably most atheists would say that there are good things and bad (evil) things in this universe. The Judeo-Christian scriptures, the "Bible", clearly acknowledge that good and evil exist. The Bible says that God created the universe and that everything he created was good. So, where did evil come from? The answer is . . . Love. God chose to create living beings who were capable of love so that they could love him and each other. Love, however, by definition requires free will. Love is a choice - choosing to care about and do good things for another being. Forced "love" is not love at all.<br />
<br />
So, what does this have to do with the existence of evil and the Devil. A living being who has the freedom to love and do good also has the freedom to hate and do evil. God created two groups of beings capable of exercising free will - spirit beings called angels and human beings. The angels were created before this present physical universe was created, and some of them rebelled against God and, therefore, became evil. In 2 Peter 2:4 the bible says this, "For if God did not spare the angels who sinned, but threw them into hell and locked them up in chains in utter darkness, to be kept until the judgment. . . ." (NET). At some point one of these rebelling angels rose up to be their leader. This is the Devil or Satan. The Bible is not clear about when this happened, except that it seems certain that it was before the creation of our universe.<br />
<br />
There is a section of the book of Isaiah (chapter 14) which some have interpreted as speaking about the devil. Isaiah 14:12 is usually used:<br />
<br />
"Look how you have fallen from the sky,<br />
O shining one, son of the dawn!<br />
You have been cut down to the ground,<br />
O conqueror of the nations!" (NET)<br />
<br />
However, if you look carefully at the whole chapter, it is clear that the writer is speaking about a human being, the king of Babylon. Look at verse 4: "You will taunt the king of Babylon with these words . . . ." (NET); also verse 22: "I will blot out all remembrance of Babylon and destroy all her people. . . ." (NET). Verse 16 makes clear that the writer is referring to a man:<br />
<br />
"Those who see you stare at you,<br />
they look at you carefully, thinking:<br />
'Is this the man who shook the earth,<br />
the one who made kingdoms tremble?' " (NET)<br />
<br />
I am reluctant to apply this scripture to Satan when the writer so clearly says that he is referring to a man.<br />
<br />
Some interpret Ezekiel 28:11-19 as speaking about the "fall of Satan". Two phrases are used to bolster this interpretation. The first is in verse 13: "You were in Eden, the garden of God. . . ." (NET); but this is simply saying that, as a human being, the king of Tyre was symbolically in the Garden of Eden through his ancestor Adam. The second phrase is in verse 14 where, in some translations, he is called a "guardian cherub"; but notice the translation given by the NET Bible: "I placed you there with an anointed guardian cherub". A careful reading of the passage will demonstrates that the writer was speaking of a human being, the king of Tyre: “Son of man, sing a lament for the king of Tyre, and say to him, ‘This is what the sovereign Lord says. . . ." (28:12, NET)<br />
<br />
The Bible does clearly speak of Satan "falling from heaven". When the disciples returned to Jesus from their mission and told him that they were able to subdue demons in his name, he said, "I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven." (Luke 10:18, NET) Even though Jesus was speaking in the past tense, I believe he was speaking of an event that had not yet happened. Prophets often speak of future events as if they had already happened. This event is described in more detail in Revelation chapter 12.<br />
<br />
First, a little background. It appears that Satan still had some kind of access to heaven after his rebellion: "Now the day came when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord – and Satan also arrived among them. The Lord said to Satan, 'Where have you come from?' And Satan answered the Lord, 'From roving about on the earth, and from walking back and forth across it.' ” (Job 1:6-7, NET). Revelation chapter 12 describes a woman giving birth to a child, and a dragon attempting to devour the child. The child is caught up to safety in heaven, and the woman escapes to safety in the wilderness. Then Michael, the archangel battled with the dragon and the dragon was thrown out of heaven and down to earth, where he continued to pursue other offspring of the woman. Verse 9 clearly states that the dragon was Satan. This passage is symbolically describing the birth, death, and resurrection of Jesus. Satan was thrown out of Heaven as a result of the resurrection of Jesus. Even though he is still active today, the resurrection of Jesus was the beginning of the end for the devil.<br />
<br />
Satan was created as a good being with free will. He chose to rebell against God and was thrown out of God's grace. This was defeat number one. He tried to defeat God's gift to fallen man, Jesus the Messiah, and he was thrown out of heaven. This was defeat number two. At the second coming of Jesus, the Devil will be handed his third and final defeat as he is thrown into the Lake of Fire for eternity (Revelation 20:10).<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: 13.6px;">Scripture quoted by permission. Quotations designated (NET) are from the NET Bible® copyright ©1996-2006 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. http://www.bible.org/. All rights reserved.</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29521621.post-91890293370674903702020-01-05T21:34:00.001-05:002020-03-16T18:19:20.050-04:00Who Are We?<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman";">WHO ARE WE?<br />WHERE DID WE COME FROM?<br />WHY ARE WE HERE?</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></span>Throughout recorded human history these questions have been asked and debated. Those who suffer from depression often struggle to find an answer to these questions, as do many of the rest of us. In this first post I want to give my thoughts on these questions. I write from the point of view of a Christian believer, that is, one who believes that Jesus Christ is the son of God and that he represented God's presence on earth for a little more than 30 years some 2000 years ago.<br />
<br />
I believe that this entire universe exists because it was designed and fabricated by an intelligent, living, personal being who exists outside of this universe, that is, in a different "dimension". This "dimension" and any beings within it cannot be detected by our human senses or discovered by our scientific observation. We only know they exist because from time to time they reach into our "dimension" and reveal themselves to us. Furthermore, this intelligent being designed and brought into existence a diversity of living beings within this universe, ranging from single cell organisms to intelligent beings such as humans.<br />
<br />
This provides a possible explanation for <span style="font-weight: bold;">who we are and where we came from</span>, but what about an explanation of <span style="font-weight: bold;">why we are here.</span> Why did this intelligent being design and make life as it is today? Lets suppose that this being is what we would call "good", and that this being wants to share that "good" with other beings, that is, be in relationship with them and share its good will with them. If this is the case, then the purpose for our existence is to be in a relationship with and share the good will of this being from another dimension.<br />
<br />
This is the belief of most people who call themselves Christians. We call the being from another dimension "God", and we believe that Jesus Christ is the "son of God", sent to earth by God some 2000 years ago to announce and live out God's good will as a human being.<br />
<br />
I understand, of course, that this explanation raises other questions. If this being is a being of good will, why does it allow human suffering? Why do bad things happen to good people? What if some do not want this relationship? Why do many scientists reach a different conclusion about the origin of the universe and the origin of life? I will talk about these questions in future posts.</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0