Journey Through The Word

December 6-13, 2010

2010-12-07T12:59:00.000-08:00

And I saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, made ready as a bride adorned for her husband. Revelation 21:2

If there is one thing I can relate to, it’s going home. Few things thrill me more than to see the lights of Phoenix after a very long trip. There are multitudes of cities with beautiful lights, but none have the same affect on me as the ones I see from the window of an aircraft as we approach Phoenix. What makes Phoenix lights more beautiful? I know what, or should I say who, is waiting for me when I get there!!!

For the past two years we have been on a beautiful journey together through the pages of The Book. We’ve been on mountaintops and trudged through valleys. We’ve cheered on the sidelines of victory marches, and cried in the ash heaps with those who’ve known defeat. We’ve walked with old friends that we’ve visited before, and gotten acquainted with some new faces that had previously gotten lost in the crowd. As we near the end of our trek through the Bible, once again I see the lights of the city that will someday be my eternal home. It’s the city Abraham longed to see. It’s the city where God promised David his eternal throne would be established. It’s the city that God said would be the joy of the whole earth.

As we fly through the darkness of the book of Revelation, we can sometimes lose the focus of its message. Yes, those will be dark and difficult days, filled with the wrath of God, but we have a promise that will keep us focused on the Light.

But since we are of the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet the hope of salvation. For God has not destined us for wrath, but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us, that whether we are awake or asleep, we may live together with Him. Therefore encourage one another, and build up one another, just as you also are doing. (I Thessalonians 5:8-11)

On our journey through the Revelation, let’s be sure to breathe in the fresh air each time we come to another worship service! When chaos is thrown to the earth, it causes the people of this world to groan and cry out. But angels see it from a different perspective; they see the fulfillment of what God spoke before creation ever began. As a result, their response is one of giving glory to God. The twenty-four elders and the multitude of saints quickly join the heavenly beings and recognize the Lamb who was slain, their Savior and Redeemer. In truth, even today, this is the only way to get through this kind of pain and sorrow. Within the past week I’ve watched a dear husband and wife lose their second child to a rare genetic disease. Their firstborn died when he was 5, their second son was 13. How does this mother who now faces the rest of her life childless cope with such pain? Let me give you a glimpse into her source of strength.

Today finds us a bit happy sad.... Peter went home this morning about 9:30. There were some hard moments yesterday and at one point last night he cried out, I just want to go home! (note – Peter died at home) And this morning God granted his request in a very peaceful way. We are rejoicing in Peter's freedom and know he's already getting reacquainted with Andrew and probably either shooting hoops or running bases. Yes, we now have to figure out the hard job of living without him, but we are amazed at the peace God's given us - as the Word says - it truly is a peace that passes all understanding.

Because He is Worthy....
Juli

GOD never said life would be easy.
He just promised it would be worth it.

But this story doesn’t end there. Let me give you a glimpse into the difficult nights this mother and grandmother face. These words are those of Marge Lubelczyk, one of Carpenter Ministries’ board members and Peter’s grandmother.

As I think over this past week, and it has only been a little more than a week since I came out (to help with Peter), I stand in awe of our God. His fingerprints have been everywhere. His grace has been more than enough. We are enveloped, or as one friend wrote, shrink-wrapped in his love. There have been difficult times of course, but there have been such wonderful times of glory. Last night I could not sleep. Around 2 am Juli knocked on my door. We spent a half hour just worshipping Jesus. Singing our hearts out until sleep became necessary. Much better than a sleeping pill. It has been such a privilege to be here during this most intimate time. Peter is a very special young man whose life has touched many and he in not through touching more.

Today Juli and I went to church to worship. (3 days after Peter’s death) We left after the worship service. It was truly wonderful to be in the body singing and praising our God.

My prayer for each of you is that, as you think about Peter, you will rejoice with him as he worships his God.

Juli and Marge have found the truth of what the book of Revelation is all about – In the midst of our greatest times of darkness, the Light of the World gives encouragement, peace, and salvation. Focus on the darkness and it will consume you. Focus on the Light and He will fill you!!!

As many of you know, I love the book of Revelation and I love teaching it. There are so many facets of it’s mystery that we could dwell on, but what I want to leave with you is the excitement of “going home!” As much as I look forward to the day I will see my dad again, to the time I will meet and get acquainted with my grandson Samuel Jade Gillette, and as eager as I am to spend time with Judson Cornwall, Truman Kelly, Fred Sperber, Frank Prainito and so many other good friends to whom I’ve had to say goodbye, there is only one Face that will make it heaven to me!!! I see His face in each page of the Word, which is why I will travel through it as along as I live. In this life I see through a glass darkly, but one day I will see Him face to face. The New Jerusalem is His city. He is the one who warms its streets and gives it life and light, and every part of my weary soul cries out, “THERE’S NO PLACE LIKE HOME!!!

November 29 - December 3, 2010

2010-11-29T21:06:00.000-08:00

And this is the message we have heard from Him and announce to you, that God is light, and in Him there is no darkness at all.

I John 1:5

Have you ever stopped to consider God’s timing? Today we go through our emails and delete half of them before we ever open them. Communication is merely a text or an instant message away. If we do happen to keep the communiqué, it is often buried under a mountain of megabytes that may never get opened again. This was certainly not the case when the fullness of God’s time came and the message of the Good News was being spread through the world. Letters were cherished! There was no such thing as a postage stamp. They were hand-carried across the miles and delivered by someone you really trusted. They were passed around and shared as though they were precious treasures. As we continue to go through these priceless letters we realize that one of the reasons they have been preserved is because people in that day valued the price of a handwritten correspondence.

This week our mailbag contains letters from three fathers of the faith - Peter, John, and Jude. This is our second correspondence from Peter. Peter’s letters deal with such practical living. It is truly a handbook for relationships on all levels. Marriage, work, the church, young, old – there is something for everyone! Peter constantly encourages us to lead by example and not merely by words.

Peter speaks to the leaders in the church and addresses them as shepherds.

Shepherd the flock of God among you, not under compulsion, but voluntarily, according to the will of God; and not for sordid gain, but with eagerness; (I Peter 5:2)

You can hear the heart of the Great Shepherd as Peter goes on to say,

Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil prowls about like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. (I Peter 5:8)

You may recall when Jesus spoke to Peter after His resurrection and told him to “tend My lambs,” “shepherd My sheep,” and “tend My sheep.” Even today Peter’s written words continue to minister as a shepherd to Jesus’ flock.

The salutation of Peter’s first letter causes me to consider without drawing a conclusion. Peter expresses greetings from the church where he is, but he also expresses the greetings of a young man named Mark. Peter also calls this individual his son. I haven’t found any evidence to suggest that this Mark is John Mark, the relative of Barnabas and the one that had been with Paul and Barnabas on their first missionary journey. I know Paul referred to Timothy as being “like” a son to him, but in this passage Peter says Mark is his son. We know that Peter was married when he followed Jesus. We also know that Peter was married during the time of his ministry after Jesus’ ascension. I can’t imagine that Peter didn’t have children. Could it be that this one who stands alongside him at this crucial time in his life is truly his own flesh and blood. I’d like to think it is!

In Peter’s second letter you can hear his patient endurance. Along with many others, Peter has been unwearyingly waiting for Christ’s return. Obviously, when Jesus told them He would come back again, none of them were expecting that it would take two thousand years. You may recall quite some time ago, when we were looking at the lives of King Saul and King David. They both were put through test. One test was go and do, and the other was go and wait! We see that the early saints were also put through the same character-proving tests. In the midst of the waiting period, false teachers began to preach heresies that were birthed out of false dreams and visions, and self-ambitions. The test of “wait” continues to reveal the true hearts of men. In spite of the years that have passed, Peter stands assured that the day of the Lord will come and encourages others to stand firm, no matter how long it takes!!!!!

Our letters from John confirm the character of the man. Remember when John wrote his testimony of Jesus’ life, which we refer to as the Gospel of John? John’s reference to himself was always, “The disciple whom Jesus loved.” Love was always at the core of John’s being, and so it is his very nature to write about the love of God. Leave it to John to say, “God is love!” When Jesus commanded the apostles at the Passover before He was crucified to “love one another,” John embraced that command. This mandate is the very heart and soul of his letters.

If some one says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for the one who does not love his brother whom he has seen, cannot love God whom he has not seen. And this commandment we have from Him, that the one who loves God should love his brother also. (I John 4:20-21)

John echoes the words of Jesus as he continues to declare Christ’s command to us in our generation.

Our last letter this week is from Jude, who is the brother of James. He is believed by most scholars to be one of Jesus’ half-brothers referred to in Matthew 13:55 and Mark 6:3. What a precious thought that is when you stop and remember that while Jesus walked this earth, His brothers refused to believe in Him. Obviously, that all changed when He rose from the dead!!!!!! Jude’s letter is small but powerful! His context spans from Enoch, the seventh generation from Adam, to Judgment Day. It is quite apparent that Jude knew the Scriptures and, by the Spirit, was able to weave the threads of their prophetic meaning into current events. His understanding of the power and authority of the unseen world is a topic that the church at large would do well to listen to today.

In my files I have letters from precious loved-ones that, every now and then, I will take out and read. Their messages never fail to touch my heart. This week, as we finish reading the epistles of the New Testament, I pray that their words find greater expression in our hearts and that we are drawn to consider them over and over again. May each reading reveal greater insight and spur us on to a purer walk of holiness.

November 22-24, 2010

2010-11-22T14:54:00.000-08:00

Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, (Hebrews 12:1)

Have you ever been to a major sports event? Did you notice that the best seats are always reserved for the most distinguished spectators? Well this week the writer of Hebrews gets us into the elite section of the stadium, which is normally reserved for the chosen few. Our author is well aware of the struggles the Jews have endured because of their monotheistic faith. Now these outcasts are not only forsaken by the world; their own people reject them because they believed the promises of God. They have been willing to let go of tradition for truth. We may think that this is a simple task, but let me assure you, I’m confident that most of the church world would struggle with their faith if they were asked to forsake many of our pagan-founded traditions. These believers were not just giving up worldly customs; they were forsaking a life’s system of beliefs that was the anchor of their religion. Circumcision, sacrifices, obedience to the Law to gain righteousness, all these were now obsolete. The only thing that remained was faith in God and His promises.

As we enter into the Hall of Faith, we gaze with respect and admiration at the men and women who trusted God through amazing circumstances. Each one would be worthy of our time and contemplation. We could stop and consider Abel’s better sacrifice. Not better because it was a sheep, but because it was offered by faith. Cain’s sacrifice of the fruit of the land would have been quite acceptable if it was presented out of his trust in God. God had not demanded any certain kind of sacrifices, and even the Law, which came later, not only recognized blood sacrifices, but produce as well. How could a man who walked so close to God that he was taken from this earth without dying not impress one? Enoch’s belief in the coming judgment at the end of time is spoken of thousands of years later and his prophecies give us insight into God’s plan for him in the last days. But we’ll look more at that later. And what a contrast is seen between Noah, whose faith condemned the world and Abraham, whose faith brought the Seed of Salvation into the world.

Of all the faithful heroes, the Holy Spirit lingers a bit longer when He speaks of Abraham. We know Abraham believed God’s word that promised him an inheritance and an heir, but have you ever considered the depth of Abraham’s faith? Why did God wait so long to give him the promised seed? We are clearly told that Abraham was old and as good as dead!!! I’m sure I don’t have to give a biology lesson for you to understand what that means. And Sarah was well past menopause; so all hope was also gone in that department. What kind of faith did Abraham need in order to believe God would give him offspring through Sarah? The answer is quite profound – he needed faith in the resurrection power of God! I have no doubt that this experience was the catalyst that encouraged Abraham to obediently place Isaac, his son of promise, on the altar when God required it of him. Once again Abraham was confronted with the test of his faith. And what did that faith require? Once again, it required Abraham to trust God for resurrection power! When you boil Abraham’s faith down, Abraham believed IN THE RESURRECTION!!!

Unlike some of the teachings of today that tell us true faith will make everything turn out happy and positive, we find that many of our role models died having never received what they hoped for. True faith has the ability to look beyond this world into the realm of eternity. Godly faith understands that there are times when letting go of freedom, life, prosperity, and things that we think will give us happiness requires greater trust in God than obtaining our desires.

As we run our race on this earth, the grandstands are filled with people who are cheering us on. They are not just observers of the race, they are ones who have run it and know what it takes to win! They understand the necessity of fixing your eyes on the goal and not losing precious time looking at your opponent. That’s what makes our “Journeys Through the Word” so special. With each chapter and each new character, we hear the encouragement of those who have stripped away the things of this world so they could run the race. These victorious spectators are now cheering us on and calling out to us to never give up or give in. Hopefully we are hearing their voices.

As you complete your walk through the pages of Hebrews and begin to read Peter’s letter, I hope you hear his shouts of encouragement to finish your course. Peter’s words are so much more powerful when you put them in light of his life. It was to Peter Jesus said,

Blessed are you, Simon Barjona, because flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but My Father who is in heaven. I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of Hades will not overpower it. (Matthew 16:17-18)

I have no doubt that Peter understood the play on his name and the comparison Jesus was using. The word “rock” spoke of massive bedrock. The name “Peter” signified a small stone that helped to make up the bedrock. Paul’s letter to the Ephesians puts this all in perspective for us.

So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints, and are of God’s household, having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the corner stone, in whom the whole building, being fitted together is growing into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom you also are being guilt together into a dwelling of God in the Spirit. (Ephesians 2:19-22)

Remembering and understanding these things cause Peter’s words to take on even great significance when he writes

And coming to Him as to a living stone which has been rejected by men, but is choice and precious in the sight of God, you also, as living stones, are being built up as a spiritual house for a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. For this is contained in Scripture; “Behold, I lay in Zion a choice stone, a precious corner stone, and He who believes in Him will not be disappointed. This precious value, then, is for you who believe; but for those who disbelieve, “The stone which the builders rejected, this became the very corner stone,” And “A stone of stumbling and a rock of offense”; for they stumble because they are disobedient to the word, and to this doom they were also appointed. (I Peter 2:4-8)

If anyone can preach to us about stones, certainly Peter can!!! God give us the ears to not only hear his word, but to discern the heart of the Spirit by which he spoke them. Open the eyes of our heart Lord!

November 15-19, 2010

2010-11-22T09:41:00.000-08:00

Coming Soon!

November 8-12, 2010

2010-11-22T09:40:00.001-08:00

Coming Soon!

November 1-5, 2001

2010-11-22T09:39:00.001-08:00

Coming Soon!

October 25-29, 2010

2010-11-19T10:57:00.000-08:00

And from Miletus he sent to Ephesus and called to him the elders of the church. (Acts 20:17)

And when he had said these things, he knelt down and prayed with them all. (Acts 20:36)

We begin our week with Paul closing his letter to the believers in Rome. As per Paul’s normal mode of operation, he is mindful of those that mean so much to him. It is an interesting list of friends that Paul greets in this letter. Pay special attention to how many of those mentioned by name are women. It is also interesting to see the variety of ministries that are represented among them. Paul introduces Phoebe and informs them that she is a “minister” in the church. He uses the same word to describe Phoebe’s ministry that he used when speaking of Jesus, Apollos, Epaphras, Tychicus, Timothy, himself, and others. He sends greetings to Priscilla and Aquila. Obviously they returned to Rome to help the believers they had left behind. I’m sure their time with Paul brought greater depth to their understanding of The Way and they were eager to return and share with those they loved. Whenever Paul speaks of this couple as husband and wife he refers to them as Aquila and Priscilla, but when he speaks of them in ministry he calls them Priscilla and Aquila. Hmmmm! Why do you think that might be?!? Since the two of them returned to Rome, they had begun pastoring a church together. It is quite obvious that Paul recognizes them both in this work. Paul also recognizes Mary’s “hard work.” He uses this word continuously when he refers to his labor for the Lord. Paul said that he didn’t want to find he had labored in vain, and he wanted to be sure the people in Rome knew that Mary was laboring to the point of exhaustion for them as well. Junias was a fellow prisoner with Paul and he says SHE is outstanding among the apostles. Yes, SHE! Junias is a female name!!! And the list goes on. How many other women are found in this list of beloved friends and co-workers of Paul?

At some point in this part of Paul’s ministry he had gotten a response from his letter to the Corinthians and Paul makes sure he answers them before he begins his journey to Jerusalem. His letter is a rich correspondence of joy, heaviness, concern, encouragement and personal weariness. Although Paul has needs of his own, his heart is still weighed down with concern for those struggling in Jerusalem. The collection Paul speaks of is not for him, but for those to whom he will take their gift.

This week we also join Paul in his journey back to Jerusalem. More than just his travel itinerary is given! This meaningful trip is filled with insights concerning believers’ reactions to the prophetic word of God. At what point and how God revealed to Paul that he was headed for prison and would be going to Rome, we are not told. We have already seen by Paul’s letter to the Romans that God had worked a desire in Paul to go to Rome. I don’t get the sense that Paul knew before he began his trip that his journey to Rome was going to be paid for at the expense of the Roman government because he was going to be shipped there as a prisoner. But by the time Paul got to Miletus he already knew what was ahead for him.

Some of Paul’s friends accepted the word with grief, believing they would never see Paul again. Although they were heartbroken, they never questioned whether Paul should be going. Other tried to rescue him from his fate, begging him not to set foot in Jerusalem. What is confusing about this group is that it says “they kept telling Paul through the Spirit not to set foot in Jerusalem.” So was God warning Paul not to go, and did Paul disregard God’s warning? Or were their words meant to test Paul, like the words Elijah spoke to Elisha when he told him to “stay here please, for the Lord has sent me as far as Bethel.” And then you have Agabus! You may remember him. He was the prophet from Jerusalem who went to Antioch and prophesied of the great famine that was coming, telling them to make provisions for those who would be in great need. Agabus’ words were direct and to the point, without commentary and personal thought. This is what God said and that’s the way it will be! End of story!!! Spoken like a true prophet!!!!! But the most important acceptance of God’s word is Paul‘s attitude towards it! He knew what God had spoken to him and was prepared for what he would face. He knew how to grieve with those who grieved, encourage those who didn’t understand, and accept the difficult prophecy that merely confirmed what he already knew. He did not become confused or shaken when others didn’t agree with the determinations of his heart. He did not allow the grief of others to deter him from pouring out his life as a sacrifice to God, nor was he unmoved by their tears. Paul displays a beautiful blend of compassion and resolution. He shows us how to love and lead with a tender heart and a steadfast spirit. Yes, I truly love this servant of God and always enjoy the times I spend walking with him through the pages of the Book. I trust his words are teaching and encouraging you as well.

October 18-22, 2010

2010-11-17T17:26:00.000-08:00

First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all, because your faith is being proclaimed throughout the whole world. (Romans 1:8)

A number of years ago, I had the privilege of traveling to Germany with Dr. Robert Cornwall and a couple of other Bible teachers and scholars. Our mission was to teach and encourage pastors and full-time ministers. While we were there, we were given the rare privilege of touring the courtroom where the Nuremberg trials were conducted, and then taken to the prison cells where those who were convicted awaited their sentences. A wing of the prison in operation at that time is still used today, and so we walked in the midst of convicted criminals. Few Germans, let alone Americans, ever get to see these places. We only had the occasion because one of the ministers who sponsored the conference was a chaplain in the prison and had connections that opened this door of opportunity. But in a couple of weeks Paul, our special tour guide, is about to afford us the rare opportunity of standing in Rome’s highest courtroom in Israel, and give us a jailbird’s eye view of life in a Roman prison.

But before we go there, let’s take some time to consider Paul’s last days as a free man. One of the first things we notice is that Paul, even though he knew salvation through Christ, still held to and encouraged the Gentiles to commemorate the appointed festivals instituted by God under the Old Covenant. Although Paul had people waiting for him in Troas, Paul did not sail from Philippi until after Passover and the seven-day Feast of Unleavened Bread. Also, Paul carefully planned his traveling itinerary to do his best to be in Jerusalem for the day of Pentecost. Over and over again, Paul taught the Gentiles that salvation did not come through the keeping of the Law, nor through the rite of circumcision. But Paul understood the importance of understanding the reality of those things he had once only known as shadows. He understood that Jesus left this earth looking forward to the day when He would return and sit at the Passover meal with His followers. I’m sure Paul approached the seder meal with greater reverence than ever before, and also taught the significance to those he was with.

Many church traditions have incorporated communion every Sunday using Luke’s passage in his writings of the book of Acts as their Scriptural foundation.

And on the first day of the week, when we were gathered together to break bread, Paul began talking to them, intending to depart the next day, and he prolonged his message until midnight. (Acts 20:7)

They have interpreted the words “break bread” as relating to the time Jesus “broke bread” on the night He was celebrating Passover with His disciples. But a simple word study will quickly reveal that this phrase not only refers to the breaking of bread at Passover, but is also used to express sharing a common meal together. My Aussie and Kiwi friends could easily explain this one. If they tell you that they had someone over for “tea,” they’ve just informed you that they had company for dinner. Likewise, in Hebrew and Greek, the word for bread does not merely refer to the substance used to enclose ham and cheese with a little mayo, but for food in general. Like several of the churches where I have the privilege of speaking, this group of believers met on the Lord’s Day (Sunday) to share the Word and a meal.

This week Paul introduces us to several more of his friends. Over the next couple of weeks we will find that some of them remained close companions throughout Paul’s life, while others deserted him in his hours of deepest need. It is obvious that Paul valued friendship and agonized when these relationships failed and was deeply grateful when they didn’t. You may want to keep track of those he mentions by name. Alexander is definitely one to follow! Some people he only speaks about once, while others he has a considerable amount to share.

As we walk with Paul, we enter his world about thirty years after the crucifixion. It’s been close to ten years since Paul began his missionary outreach and was sent by the church in Antioch. Paul has covered many miles, but he still has not been to Rome. How did Christianity spread to Rome? We know for certain that it wasn’t a result of Paul’s ministry. We know that when Paul was in Corinth, he had met the devoted Christian couple of Aquila and Priscilla who had been expelled from Rome because of their beliefs. You can be sure that Aquila and Priscilla told Paul about the believers they had left behind. We also know that there were Jews from Rome who were in Jerusalem on the day of Pentecost when the Holy Spirit was poured out on the believers after Christ’s resurrection. You may recall their amazement when they heard the Gospel spoken in their own language. Obviously, there were those who heard, believed, and went back to Rome eagerly sharing what they had experienced. The only names that receive credit for founding the church in Rome is Jesus Christ and Holy Spirit!

As Paul begins to wrap up his current ministry trip and prepares to head back to Jerusalem, his thoughts are drawn to the Christians in Rome. The Holy Spirit continually brings them to Paul’s attention, and he finds himself continually remembering to pray for them. It is obvious that God is placing a deep desire in his heart to meet these brothers and sisters, and Paul feels compelled to send them a letter. As much as Paul’s suffering and difficulties have deepened his faith in the work of Christ, he recognizes that their experiences also have accomplished a commendable quality of faith in them and he desires to mutually share the good things of God.

For I long to see you in order that I may impart some spiritual gift to you, that you may be established; that is, that I may be encouraged together with you while among you, each of us by the other’s faith, both yours and mine. (Romans 1:11-12)

Unlike Paul’s letter to the Corinthians, Paul is not dealing with issues in the church. His words are written to strengthen their faith in the Son of God, and to bring greater understanding of grace and the work of the cross. Remembering that it was Jews who brought back the message of Christ the Messiah after they had been in Jerusalem for Pentecost, Paul is careful to address the areas of misunderstanding that are running rampant in the early church. Sin, Abraham and the promise of inheritance, the Law, the cross, the reality of who Jesus really is and was before He became man, the continual fight between conflicting natures, the role of Jews in the past, present, and future, and the hope of the Gentiles are all topics Paul touches upon. This letter is heralded as the most comprehensive of all of Paul’s writings and is revered for “its wonderful combination of doctrinal, ethical and administrative wisdom and power.” Hopefully you are savoring Paul’s words and allowing this correspondence to the Romans to deepen your roots as well.

October 11-15, 2010

2010-10-08T17:27:00.000-07:00

That is what the Scriptures mean when they say, “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love Him.”

Acts. 2:9

Mail call!!! Don’t you just love those days when your mailbox is filled with letters from people you love? This week we have the opportunity to watch as Paul writes yet another “love letter” to one of the churches. Last week we observed as the Spirit led him to write to the Galatians; this week it is to the church in Corinth. Once again he is writing to a church that is in a major city, but this city was quite different from Galatia. Corinth’s reputation was not found in its refinement or education; Corinth was known for its debasement! People throughout the Roman Empire who were as unscrupulous and sexually immoral as you could get were spoken of as having been “Corinthinanized.” It was the melting pot for sailors and soldiers. Since both of these groups were often deprived of women for long periods of time, prostitutes and loose women earned substantial livings and found shelter in the streets of Corinth. Parties, drunken orgies, and nightly gluttonous banquets filled with every manner of debauchery were the norm in this city of sin. Therefore it is not surprising to read some of the problems Paul addresses in his heartfelt letter.

Paul’s letter takes on even deeper relevance after we’ve read his communication with the Galatians. As you recall (or may still be in the process of reading), Paul was quite concerned that the Galatians were being sucked into trusting the keeping of the rite of circumcision and the observance of the Law to earn their righteousness. Many in the church world today have used these verses to preach the abolishment of the Law! Nothing could be farther from the truth!!! Paul’s letter made it clear that the only way we can know righteousness is through the sacrifice of Christ. The blood of sacrifices cannot eradicate sin!!!!!! Circumcision of the flesh does not make you a beneficiary of Abraham’s blessings!!!!!! BUT does this mean that the Law no longer has any rule in a believer’s life? Paul’s letter to the Corinthians puts this in clear perspective.

Issue by issue, point by point, Paul addresses some major problems in the Corinthian church. In his instructions, Paul keeps coming back to the source of his authority for his directives. Let’s take a moment to listen to his thoughts.

GROSS SIN IN THE CHURCH

One of the first issues Paul is confronted with is gross immorality in the church; a man is having sexual relations with his stepmother. What’s worse is the church’s nonchalant attitude towards it! You will learn as you continue to read on, Paul treats sexual misconduct between two who are engaged to marry differently than he does blatant immorality. His word is quite simple to those who have committed themselves to each other: If you are struggling, then get married! But his word to the perverted sinner is much harsher. His instruction to the church is to put the man out of the fellowship of the church and not to associate with him. Paul goes so far as to say that he has already judged the man and has turned him over to Satan so that his flesh might be destroyed, but in hopes that his soul will be save. On what grounds does Paul give his counsel? The answer is Exodus 12 – straight from the LAW! As I considered Paul’s words from the Law, I realized that putting people out of the camp in Moses’ time was understood quite clearly. You may recall when Miriam had come against Moses. She bore the brunt of the whole episode because she was the ringleader. We already learned from the making of the golden calf that Aaron was more of a follower. And what was God’s command to Moses? Put her outside the camp until her leprosy is removed, then have her go through the proper steps of cleansing to be reinstated into the camp. Paul recognized the principal and spirit of the Law, but he didn’t give the church of Corinth the letter of the Law.

PAUL’S RIGHT TO BE SUPORTTED AND SUSTAINED BY THOSE HE MINISTERED TO

It is easy to hear the pain in Paul’s heart as he deals with the sense of rejection by those he had brought to Christ. He had paid a great price to bring them the Gospel, and now others were coming and receiving glory and honor, while Paul was being chewed up and spit out. Because Paul had a trade as a tentmaker and was able to provide for himself, he was able to minister without the necessity of their support. We know that Paul did receive support from other churches at various times, but when he was in Corinth he was able to hook up with Aquila and Priscilla who were also tentmakers. Paul gives a clear teaching on a teacher’s right to live by the offerings of the people, but reminds them that he chose to give up his right for their sakes. As Paul makes his case for the ministerial support of teachers and preachers, what source does he use? The answer is Deuteronomy 25:4 – THE LAW!

PROHIBITION OF IDOL WORSHIP, PUTTING GOD TO THE TEST, AND GRUMBLING

Paul goes on to build his case against the worship of idols, and the attitudes and actions associated with it. Paul’s remarks are not based on his own opinions, but once again we find his source of authority in the LAW! He alludes to, or quotes from Exodus chapters 12, 13, 16, 17, 32, Deuteronomy 8:3, 32:17, Numbers 20, 21, and 25, and many more!!!!! But wait!!!!!! There’s more!!!!!!!

UNITY OF THE BELIEVERS

Paul’s teaching and concepts of the unity of the believers as a result of sitting together at the Lord’s Table are amazing!!!!! There is not another writer in the Bible who gives better clarity and greater significance to this sacred meal. Paul’s question, “Weren’t they united by eating the sacrifices at the altar?” encompasses the complete gamut of understanding the spiritual significance of the sacrificial system prescribed in the LAW. Paul had taught in their midst for a couple of years. I’m sure these few statements he made were backed by countless hours of previously studying Torah with them! Hang on, I’m not finished yet!

HUSBAND AND WIFE RELATIONSHIPS

In the middle of Paul’s correction regarding the misuse of spiritual gifts, Paul addresses another area of disorder in their services. Unfortunately, today’s Bible translators have often brought more confusion than understanding. In the middle of Paul’s instructions for properly using the gifts in an orderly fashion Paul says, “Wives should be silent in the church.” I am aware that most translations read “women” rather than “wives,” BUT 85 times in the NASB this Greek word was translated in reference to a wife (i.e. “bride,” “wife,” or “wives”). It is obvious from the context that Paul is speaking to wives. It goes on to say that if a wife has a question she should “ask her own HUSBAND at home.” (Emphasis is mine) I’m sure most of you are already aware that, just as it is in orthodox synagogues today, women sat in their own section and not with their husbands. Unfortunately, too many of them were calling out, “Hey Rufus, is that true? I thought you said…” Paul was simply telling them that they were to wait until they got home to ask their questions. We know for a fact that Paul recognized Priscilla, Aquila’s wife, as a teacher in the church. And I’m sure she spoke when Paul gave her the authority. Paul instructs wives to be submissive to their husbands. And what does Paul base his instruction on? The LAW!!!

Let wives keep silent in the churches; for they are not permitted to speak, but let them subject themselves, just as the Law also says. (Acts 14:34)

I hope you will become aware of Paul’s teachings from the Law as you continue to read his letters. Paul understood what Jesus meant when He said, “I did not come to abolish the Law, but to fulfill it. Paul said it this way:

When I was with the Jews, I lived like a Jew to bring the Jews to Christ. When I was with those who follow the Jewish law, I too lived under that law. Even though I am not subject to the law, I did this so I could bring to Christ those who are under the law. When I am with the Gentiles who do not follow the Jewish law, I too live apart from that law so I can bring them to Christ. But I do not ignore the law of God; I obey the law of Christ. (I Corinthians 9:20-21)

Paul said that he did not ignore the law of God. I pray that we will come to a greater understanding of what it means to be free from the Law, but not to ignore it. May we find ourselves obeying the spirit of the Law because we are learning what it is to love and thus obey the command of the Lord, “This is my commandment that you love one another.”

A Quick Note

2010-10-05T11:17:00.001-07:00

Well dear traveling companions, I think I've finally gotten the blog caught up. I hope I haven't missed responding to any of your comments. If I've missed any, please let me know and I will address it right away. Frequently I am asked questions personally when you see me face to face, but I would encourage you to post those questions on the site. I know that many would be blessed to benefit from your inquiries. Often I'm asked the same question by several of you. If we post it on the blog, then you can print out the information and keep it to study or review. Thanks for trekking with me. It's a joy to have you along.

October 4-8 2010

2010-10-04T18:54:00.000-07:00

And after some days Paul said to Barnabas, “Let us return and visit the brethren in every city in which we proclaimed the word of the Lord, and see how they are.” Acts 15:36

I hope you are a good map-reader. You may want to keep your atlas handy! For those who aren’t familiar with downloading a picture from the Internet, simply RIGHT click on the map or picture you want to download. In this case, it would be the map above. A dropdown menu will appear. Highlight “Save image as..” then LEFT click, and it will then allow you to determine where you want to save the image. The image will be stored on your computer as a jpg (or picture) file. Once it is downloaded onto your computer, you can either open it by itself as a picture, or copy it into a word document and then print it out. You would do well to have a copy of it to follow as we continue our journey with Paul.

As I mentioned before, Paul was from Tarsus in Cilicia. This is interesting as we read Paul’s letter to the Galatians. Paul tells of his personal journey after he came to know Jesus Christ. For most of the fourteen years after his encounter with the Messiah, Paul was in Syria and Cilicia. A quick look at your trail map and you will see why that is so significant. There are two cities in these provinces that played a major part in Paul’s life. The first one is obviously his hometown in Cilicia. The second is a city called Antioch. As you can quickly see, these two cities were in reasonably close proximity to one another.

Antioch not only played an important part in Paul’s life, it was a key city in the furtherance of the gospel. Antioch lay in the province of Syria and was a city of major importance. It was the capital of the Seleucid Empire that ruled the region before being seized by Pompey the Great in 64 B.C. and brought under Roman rule. It played a major role in Mark Antony’s life. Caesar Augustus stationed a legion there to keep the peace and to act as a reserve troop if any problems should arise. Emperor Tiberius enhanced the city with theaters and temples. Because of its strategic location on the Eastern trade route, Antioch grew economically, as well as in strategic importance. The Roman legions considered it the easiest and most pleasant tour of duty in the Empire.

Because of its richness and prominence, Antioch became a desirable place for migration and education. Diversity of cultures encouraged intellectual achievement, but it was also coupled with strife. Antioch, like all of Syria, became a mixture of many religions and philosophies. Clashes between the Jews and the Greeks began to surface in both Egypt and Antioch around 40 B.C. This was also the same time that the Gospel was beginning to spread like a brushfire.

It was because of the death of Stephen and the persecution of the church in Jerusalem that the believers began to scatter throughout the Roman Empire. Some of them fled to Antioch, but had only shared the Good New of Jesus Christ with the Jews. It was some men from Cyprus and Cyrene, that brought the message to the Gentiles in Antioch. We are not even told their names, but they obviously made an impact on the Greek-speaking Gentiles and large numbers of them turned to the Lord. The news of this influential work traveled quickly and it wasn’t long before the leaders in Jerusalem sent a man named Barnabas to check it out. You may recall that it was Barnabas that eased the disciples’ fear of Paul when he was first converted. When Barnabas saw the magnitude of what was taking place, there was only one name that came to mind that was right for helping in this work. Paul would certainly have understood the culture and climate of this thriving metropolis; he’d lived in it for years!!!

The church of Antioch became a unique body that is rare, even in the church world today. You would find it IMPOSSIBLE to name the one man who was “pastor” of the church. We are given the names of five men who were prophets and teachers in this body of believers.

Now there were at Antioch, in the church that was there, prophets and teachers: Barnabas and Simeon, who was called Niger, and Lucius of Cyrene, and Manaen who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch, and Saul. (Acts 13:1)

The men who served the congregation in Antioch must have had a unique understanding of team ministry! They understood the concept of sending ministry out from among them, and also what to do with them when they returned. Although Paul and Barnabas were gone for lengthy periods of time, they were still received as leaders in the church when they returned. Those who remained in Antioch were as eager to hear about their journeys as if they themselves had gone. When questions arose concerning the truth of the gospel, they sent Barnabas and Paul as a delegation to make sure they had it right. Once they returned, Paul and Barnabas stayed in Antioch preaching and teaching for a period of time before they were sent out again.

We also discover that the leaders of this church were equipped to deal with difficulty, even among themselves. We may find it disconcerting that Paul and Barnabas could not quietly come to an agreement in the decision concerning taking Mark on their second missionary journey. It was Paul who felt the desire to return to the churches they had planted on their first journey. As we listen to their discussion, we find that it was no small rift.

And there arose such a sharp disagreement that they separated from one another, and Barnabas took Mark with him and sailed away to Cyprus. But Paul chose Silas and departed, being committed by the brethren to the grace of the Lord. (Acts 15:39-40)

A quick study of the words “sharp disagreement” reveals that this became a rather heated discussion. It is understandable that Barnabas wanted to take Mark since John Mark was his nephew. We have a tendency to be more forgiving of our own “flesh and blood.” On the other hand, I’m sure Paul was aware that their second journey would be no easier than their first! They would face enough difficulty from those that opposed them; they didn’t need to deal with problems within their ranks. John Mark had already deserted them once. Obviously, the other three leaders mention in Antioch let these two men work out their own problems and didn’t become a factor in their decision making process. It is interesting to see that “Barnabas took Mark with him and sailed away to Cyprus,” but “Paul chose Silas and departed, being committed by the brethren to the grace of the Lord.” Although they both left, it only says that Paul and Silas were “committed to the grace of the Lord.” Obviously Paul understood the strength that comes when you’ve got a body of committed believers standing behind you! Antioch continued to be the home church Paul returned to after each trip. Upon his return, Paul would find himself a leader among equals. He knew how to be a leader, without having to be “the” leader. Although Paul was an apostle and father to many churches which he planted, he knew how to come back to Antioch and be a teacher and prophet among other teachers and prophets. He was recognized as leadership when he returned, and knew how to function as leadership in that place until God sent him out again.

It was Antioch that laid hands on Paul and sent him out on his journeys. It was Antioch that was there for him when he returned. It was the leaders of Antioch that understood that each of them had a portion in the ministry of the church, as well as a part in the sending out of the Gospel to unreached areas. It was this group of leaders who saw that the church was not an organization that belonged to them personally, but was the body of Christ, which they were called to minister to. It’s no wonder that it was in this place believers were first called “Christians!” The church of Antioch, founded on Jesus Christ and no other! May it continue to serve as an example to us in this present age!!!

But whatever happened to Barnabas? History tells us that he went on to Cyprus and preached all over the country, bringing many people into a relationship with Jesus Christ the Messiah. As he was preaching in a synagogue in Salamis, some Jews from Syria came, as they had done before, and stirred up the people against him. Knowing that his days were numbered, Barnabas instructed John Mark to go to Paul after he was deceased. The death of Barnabas caused the believers to scatter once again. And as we will later see, John Mark did search out Paul and became a beloved companion. It is no wonder that Paul tells us not to judge one’s life while they still have breath in them. The person whose failure had become the center of Paul’s strong contention, ends up becoming a dear son in the Lord. And Barnabas’ life and death brought many into the Kingdom. God always has a way of working all things out for our good!!! What an amazing God we serve!!!

September 27-Octobe 1, 2010

2010-10-04T12:50:00.000-07:00

But Saul, who was also known as Paul,

filled with the Holy Spirit,

fixed his gaze upon him,

Acts 13:9

It’s always a joy to meet up with my old friend Paul. We will be walking with him for most of the journey that remains in our trek through the Word. When I recall his early beginnings and then think of the man he became, I clearly see what it is to be a “new creature in Christ!”

Although we often refer to him as Paul, Jesus called him Saul when met him on the road to Damascus. When and how was Saul’s name changed? I know some of you have already looked at this with me when we journey together on our last trip through the Word. But for the sake of those who were not with us, and also for those who may have missed the information in that blog, I am sharing it with you again. I enjoyed reading it again and I’m sure those who heard it before won’t mind hearing it again.

A NEW NAME

Throughout the Bible we find places where God changes people’s names. A while ago we were with Abram and Sarai when God changed their names to Abraham and Sarah. Jacob’s encounter with the Angel of the Lord resulted in being called Israel. Jesus nicknamed Simon, Peter. But when was Saul’s named converted to Paul?

We are often under the assumption that it was during some divine encounter with God that Saul found himself called by a new name. Can you recall any time that God ever spoke to Saul and changed his name? Search as you may, you won’t find it anywhere in Acts, or any other book for that matter. Why – because it just isn’t there! So how did Saul become Paul?

To understand this, we must understand who Paul is. In Paul’s address to the multitude in Jerusalem, his defense before King Agrippa, and also his letter to the Philippians, Paul gives us great insight to his background and upbringing. He was raised in a strong Jewish home, upholding the Law with great zeal. But Paul also made it clear, when he was about to be beaten by the Roman captain, that he was a born Roman citizen. Although Paul was in Jerusalem when we met him, the place of his birth and his hometown were in Tarsus, a chief town in Cilicia. Back then, just as it is today, a Jew who was from another area would most often have two names, a Hebrew name and a name common to the region he was from.

A number of years ago, when I was in the Midrasha College of Jewish Studies in Southfield, Michigan, I was the only Gentile in my class. On our first day of class, we were asked to give our names and then to give our Hebrew name. For some time, my class thought I did not have a Jewish name because I was a liberal Jew. We all developed a good relationship over the next few weeks. One day the question came up as to why we were all attending the language class. When I confessed that I was a Christian and a Bible teacher, once they got over the shock, they said, “So that’s why you don’t have a Hebrew name.” Because they had become my friends, they felt it was extremely important that I be given a new name. With the help of my teacher, they decided that my name should be Shir-le, which means “sing to me.”

Paul would also have had two names; one representing his Roman heritage and also a Hebrew name. When we first meet the religiously zealous Saul, he was going by his Hebrew name. Once Saul had been converted, he tried to persuade the Jews to embrace the truth of their Messiah. Each time he began to influence his people to accept Christ, Jewish teachers and leaders came to turn the hearts of the people against him. Over and over again, the Jews rejected Paul, while the Gentiles embraced him. Paul was aware of his call to the Gentiles, but he always honored the fact that the gospel was to the Jew first and then to the Gentile.

I personally believe the reason for Paul’s name change is found in the last chapter of the book of Acts.

After three days Paul called together those who were the leading men of the Jews, and when they came together, he began saying to them, "Brethren, though I had done nothing against our people or the customs of our fathers, yet I was delivered as a prisoner from Jerusalem into the hands of the Romans. And when they had examined me, they were willing to release me because there was no ground for putting me to death. But when the Jews objected, I was forced to appeal to Caesar, not that I had any accusation against my nation. For this reason, therefore, I requested to see you and to speak with you, for I am wearing this chain for the sake of the hope of Israel."

They said to him, "We have neither received letters from Judea concerning you, nor have any of the brethren come here and reported or spoken anything bad about you. But we desire to hear from you what your views are; for concerning this sect, it is known to us that it is spoken against everywhere."

When they had set a day for Paul, they came to him at his lodging in large numbers; and he was explaining to them by solemnly testifying about the kingdom of God and trying to persuade them concerning Jesus, from both the Law of Moses and from the Prophets, from morning until evening. Some were being persuaded by the things spoken, but others would not believe. And when they did not agree with one another, they began leaving after Paul had spoken one parting word, "The Holy Spirit rightly spoke through Isaiah the prophet to your fathers, saying, `Go to this people and say, "You will keep on hearing, but will not understand; And you will keep on seeing, but will not perceive; For the heart of this people has become dull, And with their ears they scarcely hear, And they have closed their eyes; Otherwise they might see with their eyes, And hear with their ears, And understand with their heart and return, And I would heal them." "Therefore let it be known to you that this salvation of God has been sent to the Gentiles; they will also listen."

When he had spoken these words, the Jews departed, having a great dispute among themselves. And he stayed two full years in his own rented quarters and was welcoming all who came to him, preaching the kingdom of God and teaching concerning the Lord Jesus Christ with all openness, unhindered.

At this point in Paul’s ministry, he knew he had fulfilled the need to bring the message to the Jews first. He purposed from this time forth, that he would freely go to the Gentiles without further obligation to the Jews. When Paul writes to the Philippians, he describes every aspect of his Judaism. When he is done proving that he truly had been a Jew of Jews, he goes on to say that he counted all those things as rubbish so that he may gain Christ and his righteousness. I am persuaded that Paul was determined to demonstrate it was not Judaism and the Law that caused a man to be right with God, but it was only relationship with the crucified One that mattered. So strong were his convictions, that “Saul” did the unthinkable! He gave up his Hebrew name and only went by his Roman one. This would speak volumes to the Gentiles, as well as the Jews!

So in conclusion, why is there no account of God changing Saul’s name? Because He didn’t! Saul laid down every aspect of his Judaism for the sake of the gospel, including his coveted Hebrew name! The question is. what are we willing to lie down for the sake of the Gospel?

4th Quarter Reading Schedule

2010-10-03T18:44:00.000-07:00

We've gotten word that some of you do not have the 4th quarter reading schedule. I will post the list for those who are using the Chronological Bible and at the end I will post the chart for those who are using other Bibles. We're almost there, so don't give up now!!!!!

CHRONOLOGICAL BIBLE
Date Pages Read up to, but not including

Fri 1 1487-1491 The Law and Faith in Christ

Mon 4 1491-1494 Living by the Spirit’s Power

Tue 5 1494-1498 Paul and Silas in Prison

Wed 6 1498-1502 Paul Remembers His Visit

Thu 7 1502-1506 Believers Should Stand

Fri 8 1506-1509 Read to end of page

Mon 11 1510-1513 Paul Condemns Spiritual

Tue 12 1513-1517 Food Sacrificed to Idols

Wed 13 1517-1520 Order at the Lord’s Supper

Thu 14 1520-1524 A Call to Orderly Worship

Fri 15 1524-1528 The Riot in Ephesus

Mon 18 1528-1532 God Remains Faithful

Tue 19 1532-1536 Sin’s Power is Broken

Wed 20 1536-1539 God’s Selection of Israel

Thu 21 1539-1542 Read to end of page

Fri 22 1543-1546 The Danger of Criticism

Mon 25 1546-1550 Paul’s Final Instructions

Tue 26 1550-1554 New Bodies

Wed 27 1554-1558 Titus and His Companions

Thu 28 1558-1562 Paul’s vision and His Thorn

Fri 29 1562-1566 Paul Arrives at Jerusalem

NOVEMBER 2010

Date Pages Read up to, but not including

Mon 1 1566-1570 Paul Appears before Felix

Tue 2 1570-1574 Paul Sails for Rome

Wed 3 1574-1577 Greetings from Paul

Thu 4 1577-1581 Living as Children of Light

Fri 5 1581-1584 Christ is Supreme

Mon 8 1584-1588 Greetings from Paul

Tue 9 1588-1592 Paul Commends Timothy

Wed 10 1592-1595 Listening and Doing

Thu 11 1595-1599 The Power of Prayer

Fri 12 1599-1602 A Good Servant of Christ

Mon 15 1602-1605 Promote Right Teaching

Tue 16 1605-1609 The Dangers of the Last

Wed 17 1609-1612 Jesus the Man

Thu 18 1612-1616 God’s Promises Bring Hope

Fri 19 1616-1618 Read to the end of page

Mon 22 1619-1622 Great Examples of Faith

Tue 23 1622-1625 Concluding Words

Wed 24 1625-1629 Respecting People in

Thu 25 Happy Thanksgiving!

Fri 26 No Reading

Mon 29 1629-1633 Peter’s Final Greeting

Tue 30 1633-1636 Introduction

DECEMBER 2010

Date Pages Read up, but not including

Wed 1 1636-1639 Read to end of page

Thu 2 1640-1642 Read to end of page

Fri 3 1643-1646 The Message to Pergamum

Mon 6 1646-1650 The Lamb Breaks First Six

Tue 7 1650-1654 The Two Witnesses

Wed 8 1654-1658 The Lamb and the 144,000

Thu 9 1658-1660 Read to end of page

Fri 10 1661-1663 Read to end of page

Mon 13 1664-1668 Read to end of page

Tue 14 No Reading

Wed 15 No Reading

Thu 16 No Reading

Fri 17 No Reading

Mon 22 No Reading

Tue 21 No Reading

Wed 22 No Reading

Thu 23 No Reading

Fri 24 Merry Christmas

Mon 27 No Reading

Tue 28 No Reading

Wed 29 No Reading

Thu 30 No Reading

Fri 31 No Reading

OTHER BIBLES

September 20-24, 2010

2010-09-22T18:25:00.000-07:00

And He led them out as far as Bethany, and He lifted up His hands and blessed them. And it came about that while He was blessings them, He parted from them. (Luke 24:50-51)

We began our journey this week in one of the places Jesus held dear, Bethany. At the end of last week, we had breakfast on the beach of the Sea of Galilee and was touched by Jesus’ words to Peter as He restored him to Himself and His call on Peter’s life. On the day Jesus resurrected from the dead, He had sent a message by the women and Mary Magdalene that He would meet them in Galilee, but it took a little convincing to get them to get up and move from their hiding place in Jerusalem. Their time in Galilee was short; Pentecost was fifty days after Passover and it would have been normal for them to return to Jerusalem for this special celebration. This time when they left the Galilee, they would never return to normalcy.

Ten days before Pentecost Jesus ascended to the right hand of the Father, and the disciples began to prepare for what was ahead. Judas’ replacement was chosen bringing them, once again, to the governmental number of twelve. One of Jesus’ last instructions to them was that they were to “wait!” “Wait” is one of the most difficult instructions we ever receive. You may recall that it was the instruction King Saul miserably failed to follow. But a remnant of one hundred and twenty disciples remained faithful. They were waiting for the promise of the Father, but how would it come? How would they know when it came? Jesus didn’t tell them how many days it would be before it came. Did they suspect that it would probably come at Pentecost? They certainly were well aware that Passover and Pentecost were linked together by the counting of the omer, and must have been looking forward to the arrival of Shavuot with great anticipation. They knew that this event was to take place in Jerusalem, because Jesus had told them to stay there until it arrived. I have a feeling they sensed what was about to happen was in direct relation with what had already happened.

Jerusalem would have been filled with Jews from all over the Roman Empire, just as Passover had been. People who had come exceptionally long distances would have arrived for Passover and remained until after Pentecost. When God accepted the Tabernacle as His dwelling place, He revealed His presence through the fire that consumed the sacrifice. When God moved into the Temple Solomon had built, God manifested His presence by sending fire to consume the sacrifice. For the past fifty days, the followers of Jesus were being built into a new Temple. Each one of them had prepared their hearts and lives and presented themselves as living sacrifices. Once again, God revealed His acceptance of His new dwelling place. No longer would He live in a tent in the wilderness, or in a magnificent stone structure made by human hands; God was taking up His abode in the hearts of men who loved Him and followed His will. God’s signature of approval had always been seen in His fire that consumed the sacrifice; this time it would be no different. God placed His fire of approval on each living sacrifice that had waited for His promise!

It’s not long before we hear Annas, Caiaphas the high priest, and the other members of the council asking the apostles the same question they confronted Jesus with, “By whose authority are you teaching and doing miracles?” Peter and John had learned well from their Great Rabbi and answered them with words that carried even greater impact than their face value. With all that we’ve seen in the last few weeks, listen to Peter and John’s response.

1. His name is Jesus Christ the Nazarene.

2. You crucified Him, God raised Him up.

3. He is the STONE WHICH WAS REJECTED BY YOU, THE BUILDERS, BUT WHICH BECAME THE VERY CORNERSTONE.

4. There is no other name under heaven by which a person can be saved.

We looked into the remez Jesus used when He was before Annas, Caiaphas, and the council when they condemned Him to death. Because of their thorough knowledge of the Scriptures, they would have been well aware of Jesus’ words in their context. It would obviously have been the same for the words Peter and John quoted out of Psalm 118. I’m sure they didn’t miss the connection in verses 8 and 9 that says,

It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust man. It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in princes.

And, no doubt, they connected the words,

You pushed me violently so that I was falling, but the Lord helped me. The Lord is my strength and song, and He has become my salvation. (vs. 13-14)

I’m sure if you take time to read Psalm 118, you will delight in the greater message Peter and John spoke to the council.

You would think that with all the miracles Annas, Caiaphas, and the members of the council had witnessed firsthand, that they would have been the first ones to admit their failure to recognize Jesus as the Messiah, but jealousy never thinks rationally! And in truth, we are told that a number of priests believed in Jesus as the Christ. It is in the midst of all the chaos in the Sanhedrin that a Pharisee named Gamaliel stood and spoke in an effort to bring some sanity to the situation. Gamaliel was one of the most honored and respected rabbis of that day. This is the man Paul says that he had studied under when he was younger. Obviously, in Paul’s zealousness, he failed to hold the same thoughts as Gamaliel, but that’s getting ahead of ourselves.

As we watch the birth of the church unfold, we quickly discover that many of the same problems that are in the church today, were also found in the believers of that day. Prejudice and contention are two that raised their heads pretty quickly. But these were quickly squelched when godly leadership was put in its proper place. Out of the seven deacons that were put in place, two of them give us greater insight into their character. Much to our surprise, the first man to die for Christ was not an apostle - He wasn’t even a Jewish Jew. He was a Hellenistic Jew! You can be sure that by Jewish standards, these men were thought to be less than their Jewish counterpart, but we quickly learn that their knowledge of the word and their commitment to Christ was not second rate!!!!

As we follow the footsteps of the saints who have gone before us, may we endeavor to recognize the high standards they have given us. May their knowledge of the Word, their total commitment to Christ, and their desire to tell others of their experience with the Messiah be an encouragement to each of us, and as a result, may we change our world.

September 13-17, 2010

2010-09-22T11:58:00.000-07:00

Was not our heart burning within us while He was speaking to us on the road, while He was explaining the Scriptures to us? (Luke 24:32)

What an amazing week!!! This is certainly a major part of our journey that we don’t want to just skip over lightly. The events of these days literally turned this world around! But with so much to consider and so many details, it’s difficult to know which path is the best to pursue.

I hope you read the sign Pilate had posted over Jesus’ head with new understanding. JESUS THE NAZARENE - KING OF THE JEWS. The “Branch of Jesse” was hung on a lifeless tree, and by His death brought new life to all who would believe. When Pilate was confronted with the Jewish leaders’ request to change the sign declaring the verdict for which the criminal was being executed, Pilate belligerently bellowed, “What I have written, I have written.” Why was Pilate so adamant about his wording? Was he truly convinced that the statement was true and the Jews were putting their Messiah to death? His wife Claudia was certainly convinced that Jesus was a righteous man, and begged her husband not to have anything to do with His death. The Coptic church (Eastern Orthodox) has a belief that Claudia became a Christian and venerates her as such. Later on, after the death and resurrection of Christ, Pilate was exiled to Gaul where it is said that he committed suicide. Oh the speculations we could entertain!!! If his wife truly became a Christian, (and I have no doubt believing she did), could it have been that, although Pilate washed his hands of the matter, he couldn’t wash his heart? Interestingly, we have very little substantiated history to paint us a picture of Pilate’s life after the resurrection. This fact is very uncharacteristic of the history of Roman rulers. It is shocking to see how much is normally recorded of a ruler’s life and influence, but of Pilate, there is almost nil. Whatever became of him, this much we know for certain, God alone will judge his life.

This week we stood at the foot of the cross with four people who are mentioned by name. Mary, Jesus’ mother, Mary, Jesus’ step-aunt who was married to Clopas, who is believed to have been Joseph’s brother, Mary from Magdala, and John. Isn’t it interesting that the women mentioned all have the name “Mary.” How apropos! Bitter! Bitter!! Bitter!!! The name “Mary” means “bitter.” And what about John’s name, “favored by YHWH!!!” What a picture is painted by those who are mentioned that day - just in their names alone! And what a cloud of witnesses they are to us today. We have a lady who was righteous and loved God, even as a teenager. She was a woman who was chosen for a specific task, knowing that it would cost her everything. “Be it unto me according to Your word,” was her humble reply. Then we have a woman who is basically an unknown, whose life and reputation is defined more by who she is joined to, rather than by her own life. Other than her name and who she was married to, we really know very little. One thing we know for sure is that at the time Jesus died, she was one of the few who stood by Him through it all. Our last Mary is a woman whose past life before she met her Rabbi was anything but righteous. The last one standing at the foot of the cross was John, a man who had been known for his trade and his strong desire to know the Master. And a man who was willing to forsake comfort and stability to follow the One who called him. Whether we are someone chosen by God for a specific purpose, a person whose life is relatively obscure, an individual with a whole closet full of skeletons, or someone who is called to give up all to follow the Master so that we can preach Him crucified to a world, there is a place for each of us at the foot of the cross!

DAY OF PREPARATION

Have you ever considered why it is that we often hold tradition over fact? When the season comes around next year when we will commemorate the events of Christ’s death and resurrection, once again Good Friday services will be held all over the world. I wonder when the majority of the church forgot how to count!?!? Jesus clearly said that He would be in the heart of the earth for three days and three nights.

But He answered and said to them, “An evil and adulterous generation craves for a sign; and yet no sigh shall be given to it but the sign of Jonah the prophet; for just as Johah was three days and three nights in the belly of the sea monster, so shall the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. (Matthew 12:39-40)

Jesus gave a precise timetable when He would be in the tomb. Only two times in Scripture are three “DAYS AND THREE NIGHTS” mentioned - the account of David fasting for his son who was born of his infidelity with Bathsheba, and Jonah’s layover in the belly of the sea monster. Did you notice that it says “three days and three nights,” and not “three nights and three days?” If Jesus was crucified on Friday, He would have been in the tomb late in the day on Friday and all day Saturday. He was risen before daylight on Sunday. Let’s see - 1 + 1 = hmmmmm! Also, if He was crucified on Friday, He would have been in the tomb Friday night and Saturday night - 1 + 1 = hmmmmmm! If He was crucified on Thursday, He would have been placed in the tomb by the later part of the day on Thursday, all day Friday and all day Saturday - 1 + 1 + 1 + 3!!! He would have also been in the heart of the earth all night Thursday, Friday, and Saturday - 1 + 1 + 1 = 3!!! So what caused all the confusion? The answer is, “Several things.”

1. Misunderstanding of the Preparation for the Sabbath

The Sabbath that the Jews were preparing for was not “Saturday.” Any of the festival days where the Jews were commanded to do no work were also known as Sabbaths. At the time when Jesus hung on the cross, the Jews were preparing for their Passover and they were slaying their lambs for the meal. It was the day of Passover preparation.

2. The Unfamiliarity of Two Calendars

We know that Jesus ate the Passover with His disciples, and yet I just mentioned that the Jews were preparing for Passover at the time Jesus was crucified. Isn’t there a discrepancy? To make things even more confusing, John tells us that Jesus ate dinner with His disciples “before” the Feast of the Passover. (John 13:1) So did Jesus actually eat Passover with His disciples? Did He eat it early? The answers are, “Yes,” “No and yes?” Did He eat Passover with His disciples? Yes! Did He eat it early? No, if you are following the ancient Essen calendar, in which case it would ALWAYS be eaten on Tuesday evening. Yes, if you are following the Temple calendar. For far too many reason to go into in this short blog, we know that Jesus commemorated Passover with His disciples on the date of the ancient Essen calendar. It wasn’t until the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls when they found the calendar the Essenes used that this calculation confusion was resolved.

Jesus was completely accurate when He gave the religious leaders the sign they asked for. He would be in the heart of the earth for three days and three nights - AND HE WAS!!! Crucified on Thursday, placed in the tomb BEFORE the end of the day, and risen before the sun came up on Sunday - 1 + 1 + 1 still equals 3!!!

NEW EYES FOR A NEW LOOK

Have you ever questioned why those who had walked with Jesus had a difficult time recognizing Him after He rose from the dead? Obviously, something in His countenance had changed! Glorified flesh without the law of sin and death in it doesn’t even look the same. As Jesus walked with the two disciples who were traveling back to their home in Emmaus, they were deeply moved by His teaching. Jesus began with Moses and the Law, connected it with the Prophets and the Psalms and taught them about all that had happened. With one heart, they listened to His words, but it wasn’t until their eyes were opened as He broke the bread at their table that they saw Him for who He was. How many people today study the Word of God, and yet they don’t see Him - they don‘t experience the reality of the resurrected Christ in the everyday place where they live? The glorified, resurrected Christ is only seen by those whose eyes are opened to see by the Spirit. Jesus could have been displayed to the world after His resurrection, but God chose for Him to only be seen by those who truly sought to know Him. Today Jesus can still be seen by those whose eyes are opened by the Spirit; those who hunger to see Him and know Him, and obey His commands. God, may our spiritual eyes behold the risen Lord!!! Amen!!!!!!!!!

Septembeer 7-10, 2010

2010-09-08T22:47:00.000-07:00

Jesus therefore, knowing all the things that were coming upon Him, went forth, and said to them, “Whom do you see?” They answered Him, “Jesus the Nazarene,” He said to them, “I am He.” And Judas also who was betraying Him, was standing with them. (John 18:4-5)

I don’t care how many times I traverse this path, I will always be amazed at its ruggedness. The sinful course of man’s existence started in a garden with the first Adam. Once again, Satan takes on a disguise, and comes to the garden in an effort to overcome the Last Adam. If he can kill Jesus before He gets to the cross, he will win! Satan had entered the heart of Judas and the wheels of destruction were in motion. But, unlike the first Adam, Jesus was ready for the deceiver.

When Jesus asked, “Whom do you seek?” their answer was quite specific. “Jesus the Nazarene.” Have you ever questioned what a Nazarene was? Was it simply one who was from Nazareth? And what does it mean in Matthew 2:23 where it say:

And came and resided in a city called Nazareth, that what was spoken through the prophets might be fulfilled, “He shall be called a Nazarene.”

At the time Isaiah spoke this, there was no city called Nazareth. As a matter of fact, if we turn the clock back and listen to Isaiah, we will hear something that sounds quite different.

Then a shoot will spring from the stem of Jesse, and a branch from his roots will bear fruit. (Isaiah 11:1)

Are you scratching your head a bit and saying, “Huh?” What does Isaiah’s words have to do with Jesus being called a Nazarene? Just EVERYTHING!!! If we could read Hebrew, we would quickly see that the word translated “branch” is “netzer” and refers to the lineage Jesus would come from. Out of the old tree stump of Jesse would come a branch. Hopefully you member who Jesse was, but just in case you’ve forgotten, Jesse was King David’s father. There would be many shoots from Jesse, i.e. many clans from his seed, but the Messiah would be a “branch” - a “Nazarene.”

Nazareth in the time of Christ was no more than a small village of about 120-150 people. From the excavations found, it is believed that the settlers of Nazareth returned from their Babylonian exile somewhere around 134-104 B.C. The Maccabean era gave many of the exiles hope that the nation would once again be established and encouraged many to return to the homeland. As was normal in Hebrew tradition, the family clan would have stayed together. As we learned in our travels with Ezra and Nehemiah, family genealogies had been maintained during their Babylonian captivity. Families of the priesthood and those of royal descent would have been extremely careful in keeping their records in order to validate their decent with regard to the priesthood and the Messianic promise.

Julius Africanus, a Jewish Christian from Emmaus and an historian from the end of the second century, tells us that Jesus’ relatives lived in the villages of Kochaba and Nazara. The names of both of these Jewish settlement carry messianic suggestions; Nazara meaning “the branch” and Kochaba meaning “a star.” From all indications and archeological findings, many are convinced, as I am, that the small hamlet of Nazareth became known for the clan that settled there - the clan of the Nazarene. So when Jesus asked them, “Whom do you seek?” their answer could be more intensely defined as, “Jesus, the One who is from the Davidic line known as the Branch who is from Nazareth – Jesus the Nazarene.”

JESUS BEFORE THE COUNCIL

This week we find ourselves in the kangaroo court organized by the Council of Jewish leaders. As we stand on the sidelines and listen to the conversation between Jesus and the council, we get a closer look into the life and minds of the Jewish leadership and the art of rabbinical teaching. Even in Jesus’ darkest hours, He stayed true to who He was and is. Rabbis in the time of the Temple used a Jewish hermeneutics technique known as “remez.” The word “remez” means “hint.” In their teaching they would quote a portion of Scripture with the assumption that those who were listening would have ample knowledge of Torah, fully knowing the passage in its context, and as a result hear a fuller meaning that what was actually said. I am convinced that each time Jesus spoke to the priests, scribes, or the Pharisees using quotes from the Old Testament, He was using remez. Jesus’ words to the high priest and the elders at this mock trial were no exception.

During the examination when false accusations were plentiful, Jesus didn’t bother to answer, but when the high priest demanded in the name of the Living God that Jesus tell them if He was the Messiah, the Son of the Living God, Jesus answered, “You have said it yourself; nevertheless I tell you, hereafter you shall see THE SON OF MAN SITTING AT THE RIGHT HAND OF POWER, AND COMING ON THE COUDS OF HEAVEN.” But what was Jesus really saying? Was He merely admitting openly that He was who always said He was, or was there more to His statement than meets the untrained ear. I believe we will see more clearly if we look at His statement in the broader text. In this one statement, Jesus quoted from two different portions of Scripture. Let’s look at them in context.

The Son of Man sitting at the right hand of power:

The Lord says to my Lord; “Sit at My right hand, until I make Your enemies a footstool for Your feet.” The Lord will stretch for His strong scepter from Zion, saying, “Rule in the midst of Your enemies. (Psalm 110:1-2)

The Lord has sworn and will not change His mind, “You are a priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.” The Lord is at Your right hand; He will shatter kings in the day of His wrath. He will judge among the nations, He will fill them with corpses, He will shatter the chief men over a broad country. He will drink from the brook by the wayside; Therefore he will lift up His head. (Psalm 110:4-7)

Did you catch what Jesus told them?!?

He told them they were His enemies.
He said He would rule over them.
He clearly told them that, through Him would come the new priestly order.
He told them that He would one-day rule as King over the nation.
He told them that He would judge the nations.

And if that wasn’t enough, listen to the next part!!!

And coming on the clouds of heaven:

I kept looking in the night visions, and behold, with the clouds of heaven, One like a Son of Man was coming, and He came up to the Ancient of Days and was presented before Him. And to Him was given dominion, glory and a kingdom, that all the peoples, nations and men of every language might serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away; and His kingdom is one that will not be destroyed. (Daniel 7:13-14)

These passages would have been well known to the high priest and the members of the council, and would have been more confronting than any words Jesus could have spoken. Their mock trial had turned into a heavenly courtroom. The accusers had been given the verdict of “guilty,” and their sentence was clear; they would be shattered!!!

May we become so familiar with the Word of God that we are able to hear the things that are only discerned by those who have become accustomed to the word of righteousness. Solid food is for the mature, who because of practice have their senses trained to discern good and evil. (Hebrews 5:13-14) May we continue to walk as true disciples who know the Word, both the spoken and the Living!!!

August 30-September 3, 2010

2010-09-01T15:27:00.000-07:00

This is My commandment, that you love one another, just as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends. John 15:12-13

As we continue our journey this week, I’ve been thinking about what has made my Journeys through the Word so special for these last four years. I’ve consistently walked through the pages of the Book since 1969, but it’s been different the last few years. And what has made that difference? I’ve been walking with friends! I think of Laura and Luise, and my sisters and my mom. I love sitting at the breakfast table as Greg and I begin our day feeding our souls and spirits, as well as our flesh. Truly the journey is made sweeter when it is shared with friends.

Jesus understood the power of love and friendship. As He continues to walk the road to Calvary, He sits at a covenant meal and expresses His deepest thoughts with the ones who have walked with Him. They’ve shared some pretty spectacular events together, but now Jesus is sharing His heart. During this heart-revealing occasion there are two words that stand out above all the rest. The first one seems quite evident and I’m sure most of those who are familiar with this portion of our journey would quite readily guess it. Thirty-one times Jesus speaks of “love,” and seven times He talks about friendship. But there is another word that is second runner-up in this Passover evening’s dialogue that may come as a bit of a surprise. The second word to be used most often is the word “IF!” As a matter of fact, much of what Jesus said that night would be a psychologist’s nightmare! Psychology today paints a very humanistic picture of unconditional love. Jesus presents quite a contrasting definition!!! Listen to some of the things He is saying:

IF you love me, you will keep My commandments. (John 14:15)

IF anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make Our abode with him. (John 14:23)

IF you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love; just as I have kept My Father’s commandments, and abide in His love. (John 15:10)

You are My friends, IF you do what I command you. (John 15:14)

There seems to be a whole lot of conditions Jesus places on things!!! If you look up the word “if” in the dictionary you find it is a conjunction that introduces a conditional clause. This is the same in every language, including Greek and Hebrew. “IF” means “IF!” “If” is a two-sided coin. Sometimes we only want to look at the positive side, but there are times when we flip the coin we are impacted in a sobering way. Let’s hear the flipside of what Jesus was saying.

If you don’t love Me, you won’t keep My commandments. (John 14:15 flipside)

If anyone doesn’t love me, he won’t keep My word; and My Father will not love him, and will not come to him and make Our abode in him. (John 14:23 flipside)

If you do not keep My commandments, you will not abide in My love; (John 15:10 flipside)

You are not My friends, if you don’t do what I command you. (John 15:14)

One of the statements Jesus made on that night has become so familiar to us that, once again, we have a tendency to look at it through our glasses of preconception. Listen carefully to it again.

“This is My commandment that you love one another, just as I have loved you.” (John 15:12)

Did you catch it? I have a feeling you missed it again. Let’s try it one more time.

“This is My commandment that you love one another,” (John 15:12)

Almost! But I think many of you are still reading it with the glasses on. Let me see if I can’t help remove them. I think you will get it this time.

“This is MY commandment!!!” (John 15:12)

Now you heard it! You may remember just a short time ago when a man who was an expert in the Law of Moses came to Jesus to test Him and asked Him, “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?” Jesus responded:

“ ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the great and foremost commandment. The second is like it, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets.” (Matthew 22:37-40)

These commandments were already in the Law and were well known, but Jesus said to His disciples:

A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. (John 13:34)

The question we should find ourselves asking is, “How does this commandment differ from what was already written in the Law?” Jesus says it is a “new” commandment, and that it is “HIS” commandment. And, further more, if we really love Him, we will do it!!! To solve this mystery, we need to understand “love” from a Hebrew perspective.

Many are familiar with the Greek word “agape” which is translated as love. What many may not realize is that this word was bland and colorless to the Greeks. They preferred the word “Eros” because of its heat and passion. This was the kind of love they defied and desired to perfect. The word “agape” spoke more of love resulting from reason, understanding, and choice. When Jesus spoke to His disciples at the Passover meal, He was not speaking in Greek. Instead of saying “agape” or “agapao,” He would have used the Hebrew word “ahev.” This Hebrew word spanned the gamut of love. It was used for the love of God for His people, the love of a husband, a friend, a neighbor, a child, or even a stranger. The quality and nature of the relationship defines the love. The more value one put on the relationship, the greater the love. God had commanded those who were in covenant with Him to “Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.” Because the Hebrew “ahev” could be associated with so many different levels of love, God made sure they understood the quality of love He required; complete love! It was not to be just the kind of love that came from physical attraction, nor the kind of love one would feel for someone they casually knew. He COMMANDED them to love Him from their heart, i.e. a love that is in the very core of their emotions and convictions. Their love was to be from their mind, i.e they should know Him not just in their emotions, but they should understand who He is and know His ways. And they were to love Him with their might, i.e. their love for Him should produce right actions resulting in obedience!!!

The second greatest command was to “love your neighbor as yourself.” If we want to know what this encompassed, all we need to do is go to Leviticus 19:9-18. God gave them clear instructions on the treatment of a neighbor. When Jesus answered the expert on the Law of Moses, he would have been well aware of all that was written in this passage. These laws made provision for the strangers in their midst as well as their countrymen. They were to treat all men as they hoped others would treat them - they were to love them as they loved themselves.

But how did Jesus command differ from the Father’s command contained in the Law? The answer is found in the words He spoke in relationship to this command.

This is My commandment, that you love one another, just as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends. You are My friends, if you do what I command you. No longer do I call you slaves, for the slave does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I have heard from My Father I have made known to you. You did not choose me, but I chose you, and appointed you, that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask of the Father in My name, He may give to you. This I command you, that you love one another. (John 15:12-17)

Jesus carefully wraps this new commandment with the words of the mandate, “I command you to love one another.” The Law of Moses commanded them to love each other as neighbors – Jesus’ new commandment directed them to love each other as friends! This command is not given to the whole world, but to those that follow Him. Although Jesus’ death on the cross was for the sins of mankind resulting from God’s love for His creation, Jesus said that there was a greater love that spurred Him on. His words were, “Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends!!!

Jesus had daily walked with His disciples; He shared meals with them, laughed with them, and cried with them. He put up with their bickering and selfish competitiveness with one another. He loved them in spite of their inability to understand His teachings and didn’t give up on them. He healed their families, saved their lives, prayed for them, chastised them, and commended them. He embraced them at a time when He knew that they would all fail Him. He demonstrated the reality of the words, “A friend loves at all times.” (Proverbs 17:17) Is it any wonder that Jesus kept telling them that He would send the Helper, the Holy Spirit. Without the Spirit, we would never be able to fulfill this great command. Jesus desires – no, He commands us to love His body as He does! May we cry out for greater understanding as we endeavor to obey Christ’s words,

This is My commandment, that you love one another, just as I have loved you.”

August 23-27, 2010

2010-08-24T16:53:00.000-07:00

Be on guard, that your hearts may not be weighted down with dissipation and drunkenness and the worries of life, and that day come on you suddenly like a trap;

Luke 21:34 NASB

As we continue our journey this week, we become well aware that Jesus was not concerned with pandering those who were in authority. His words to and concerning the religious leaders of the day were anything but pacifying. Jesus warned His disciples, as well as the crowds, to do as the leaders say, and not as they do. Is it any wonder that those in leadership will incur a stricter judgment? How sad it is to hear preachers declare the word of God on Sunday, they look the part, they sound the part, but if you hang with them on Monday, you aren’t sure you are with the same person. They say all the right things, but don’t practice the very principles they preach. Jesus found it easier to be among those who were sinners and knew it, than the self-sanctified who lived lives of hypocrisy. Seven times Jesus said, “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites,” and once He said, “Woe to you, blind guides.” “Woe” is a very potent word! It is used for the severe, sudden pain that comes from a fracture, from being stabbed, or from being burned. The intensity of the pain causes such physical distress that it results in great mental anguish. It is used to express the deepest suffering which results from the greatest losses, such as the pain felt when one loses a beloved child. Jesus used this word when He spoke of the rich man who was in hell and was in great agony and torment. There are only three woes spoken in the book of Revelation when God pours out the last of His indignation. He spoke seven woes to the self-righteous who sees himself as above God’s words of correction.

These religious leaders didn’t lack zeal!!! Jesus said that they would go to any length to make a convert, and then make them into twice the son of hell that they are! They were the kind of givers most pastors long to have in their congregation. They calculated their tithe with a micrometer!!! It wasn’t their tithing that Jesus spoke against, for He went on to say, “…, but these things you should have done…” The judgment Jesus spoke over them resulted from their inability to rightly discern the weightier provisions of the Law such as justice, mercy, and faithfulness. Tithing made them look spiritual while they held on to their self-centered ways. Jesus clearly tells us that the most important points of the Law instruct us in justice, mercy, and faithfulness. All too often, Christianity at large looks at the Law as though it is some kind of written evil that we are to avoid. Countless times I have heard people say that they don’t read the Old Testament because it isn’t for today. They only read the New Testament. And yet Jesus said that the Law would give us the principles that will result in justice, mercy, and faithfulness. America is a prime example of what happens when you put aside God’s Law. At the beginning of this great nation, our country was founded on the values contained in the Old Covenant Law. The farther we have moved from those guidelines, the less justice we see, the less compassion for the people, and the less moral conviction resulting in steadfastness. Jesus clearly told them to keep tithing, but to put the priorities of the Law in right order.

You may find it helpful to take each “woe” and boil it down to a short statement of what it represents. Let me give you an example of what I mean.

Woe #1 – “But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you shut off the kingdom of heaven from men; for you do not enter in yourselves, nor do you allow those who are entering to go in.”

Represents – Unbelief

Woe #2 – “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you devour widows’ houses, even while for a pretense you make long prayers;

Represents – Heartless, sanctimonious prayers, void of relationship with God

We have been walking with Jesus through the week of Passion. We stopped for a break over the weekend, but today we will pick up where we left off.

MONDAY - continued

As Jesus continues His journey to the cross, He also continues to prepare His disciples for the days that lay before them. As they left the Temple on Monday, one of the disciples admired the structure of the Temple. Jesus’ response let them know that dark days were ahead and the destruction of the Temple would be a major part of that moment in time. Obviously, these words plagued the minds of His disciples. It was Jesus’ custom to leave Jerusalem and go to the garden of Gethsemane on the Mount of Olives.

And He came out and proceeded, as was His custom, to the Mount of Olives; (Luke 22:39)

It was here that Jesus could have private conversations with His close followers. It was in this quiet place His disciples could ask their questions that had arisen during the day when Jesus spoke to the crowds. During this debriefing session, the disciples questioned Him concerning His obscure statement about the Temple. I have a feeling that Matthew’s account lumps several of the disciples questions into one inquiry, dividing it into three parts.

1. When will these things be?

2. What will be the sign of Your coming?

3. What will be the sign of the end of the age?

If we are going to understand what Jesus says next, we must recognize that each of His statements will fall into one of these categories. And, just as it was with some of the prophecies of the Old Testament, one statement could have some relevance to all three. A good example of that phenomenon is found in Malachi 4:6.

Behold, I am going to send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and terrible day of the Lord.

We know that the spirit of Elijah was on John the Baptist who prepared the coming of Jesus to this earth when He came as a baby born of a woman. Few would disagree that Elijah is one of the witnesses in Revelation 11:3-11. Once again, the spirit of Elijah will prepare the way for the coming of the Lord. It is my persuasion that much of the interpretations of these passages on end-times are erroneous because they are assigned to the wrong event. For example, the first question asked was, “When will these things be?” What “things” were they asking about? This question was in relationship to what Jesus spoke when they were leaving the Temple. He told them that not one stone of the Temple would be left on another. Jesus paints a bleak picture and then tells them that this is merely the beginning of the end. But we must ask ourselves the question, “The end of what?!?” If we don’t have the right definition, then there is a good chance we will misinterpret the answer. I believe Luke defines this for us.

“and they will fall by the edge of the sword, and will be led captive into all the nations; and Jerusalem will be trampled underfoot by the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled. (Luke 21:24)

The apostle Paul also mentions this age.

For I do not want you, brethren, to be uninformed of this mystery, lest you be wise in your own estimation, that a partial hardening has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in; (Romans 11:24)

It is my belief that Jesus is describing the fall of the Temple that occurred in 70 AD, and this event ushered in the age of the Gentiles. Jerusalem would remain under Gentile rule until the end of the Gentile age. In our day we have seen the “branch of the fig tree become tender, and put forth leaves,” but Jerusalem is still being trodden under foot. The ABOMINATION OF DESOLATION still stands in the Holy Place!!! To thoroughly address all that is in this passage would take writing a book, not a blog, but it is my persuasion that as long as the Mosque of Omar, also known as the Dome of the Rock, sits on the site of the Holy Place, on the very location where the Prince of Peace will one day rule, the age of the Gentiles has not been fulfilled. For many reasons, I am persuaded that much of Daniel’s prophecy is in respect to the close of the Jewish age and the beginning of the Gentile age and, at times it refers to both.

As Jesus shares His answers concerning their questions, there is one theme that stands out above all the rest. HE WILL RETURN and HE EXPECTS THEM TO BE READY AND WAITING!!! Jesus warns them to guard their hearts against being “weighted down.” It would be easy for a Christian who doesn’t drink alcohol to think they are free from “dissipation and drunkenness”, but there are a lot of sober people whose hearts are intoxicated. Intoxication dulls the senses as the alcohol takes control. A Christian’s heart can become intoxicated with money, houses, toys, and things. Their heart can strain under the burden, and yet, like the alcoholic, they are incapable of letting their heavy burden go; they must have more! Dissipation and drunkenness were activities of the night. The culture of Rome which permeated even the cities of Israel at that time, looked at each evening as a time of eating and drinking. Banqueting nightly was the norm. Time after time, Jesus warned them to “be sober!” Don’t allow your heart and mind become dull and unaware of what is really going on in this world. Don’t live like the world, embracing its values and lifestyle in order to enjoy and impress the people of this age. Stay alert! For one thing is for certain - when you least expect it, JESUS WILL RETURN!!!

August 16-20, 2010

2010-08-19T00:12:00.000-07:00

Go into the village opposite you, in which as you enter you will find a colt tied, on which no one yet has ever sat; untie it, and bring it here. And if anyone askes you, 'Why are you untying it?' thus shall you speak, 'The Lord has need of it ' " Luke 19:30-31

Monday did you find yourself giving a bit of an exasperated sigh as you walked with Jesus and His disciples as they headed for Jerusalem? Jesus is doing all He can to prepare His disciples for the horror that lays ahead. “The Son of Man is going to be betrayed, sentenced to die, mocked, crucified and then He will rise on the third day.” What is it about betrayal, condemned, mocked, crucified and rising from the dead that they didn’t get? It’s got to be another parable because the Son of Man is going to set up His kingdom; at least that’s what they thought. We know that by what James and John request from Jesus. “Grant that we may sit in Your glory, one on Your right, and the other on Your left.” They even got their mother involved to add a little more persuasion. I mean, who could resist such a request from a sweet Jewish mother whose sons had sacrificed everything to follow the Master? Of course they could drink of the cup that the Lord was about to drink!?!?! It’s easy to think you are able to pay the price when you don’t have the foggiest notion of what you are buying into! Although they were all walking the same road together, Jesus was on a different journey then everyone else. Jesus had put the roadmap in their hands, but they were so sure they knew where this road was going, that they failed to look at it. I’d like to point fingers at them, but I’m afraid that I’ve misinterpreted what Jesus has said to me on more than one occasion. I’ve heard His words and interpreted them according to how I wanted it to be, and not by what He had planned. So I find myself sighing a deeper sigh as I look at it from my own life.

Jesus followed the normal route of the pilgrims. If you’ve been to Israel, you are already familiar with the fact that Jericho was the normal route taken on your way up to Jerusalem. You also quickly learn that no matter which direction you take to Jerusalem, your journey will be “up” to get there. No matter where Jesus went, He left a path of healing and restoration in His wake. Blind men found mercy, and outcasts found acceptance. And by this time in Jesus ministry, His presence always drew a crowd.

As Jesus neared Jerusalem, he began to tell a very interesting story about ten servants. Aware of what His disciples were thinking concerning their desire to see the Kingdom immediately established, Jesus teaches a story of the Kingdom. There is more to this story than meets the preconceived eye! Jesus makes it clear that there’s going to be time between the nobleman’s going away, and his return. He also lets them know that the nobleman who was going away to be crowned king was leaving with expectations of them. Did you notice the three categories of servants when he returns? 1. You have those who didn’t want him to be their king and were considered his enemies. 2. You have those who accepted him as their king and use wisely what he has entrusted them with. 3. And you have those who want him to be their king, but do nothing with what they were given. That part of the story is not too difficult to put together, but each category receives a different outcome when they were called to give an account. What did Jesus say to each one? What does that really mean when someday we have to stand and give an account? What does Jesus mean when He says, “Take the money from this servant, and give it to the one who has ten pounds”? In eternity, what will it matter if one ends up with no pounds and the other ends up with eleven? What is taken away from the man who accepted the king, but did nothing with what he received? Thankfully, he didn’t get the same judgment as the ones who refused to accept Him as their king and were considered the His enemies. Do we have a tendency to just hear the words without understanding their meaning? Perhaps we are more like the disciples who heard Jesus’ words, and when they failed to understand them, they simply attached their own logical preconceived explanations. Sigh!!!

At the beginning of the week of Passion, we find ourselves back in Bethany at the home of Simon who had been a leper. As we piece together the different accounts, we quickly find that Simon was a close friend with Martha, Mary, and Lazarus. Martha is busy doing what Martha does so well – serving everyone. Mary is focused on what she is always focused on – serving the Master. And Lazarus is just enjoying being alive! Each of their lives has been made richer. Martha serves without complaint, Mary gives the best that she has, and Lazarus testifies of the power of the Lord with every breath he takes! Did Mary understand what she was doing or did Jesus’ words take on meaning only after He was crucified? Whatever the case may have been, that event began an incredible, Scripture fulfilling week!

SUNDAY

Why did Jesus go to Jerusalem riding on a donkey that day? Why did the procession end at the Temple, and why did Jesus throw the merchants out of the Temple – AGAIN? This was not just any normal Sunday. This was the Sunday before Passover! This was the day when the fathers went and brought the lamb into the house that, in just a few days, would become the Passover sacrifice. This was the day the Father of all fathers brought His Lamb into His house knowing that He would become the sacrifice for His household! During the days before Passover, one of the preparations was to clean out all leaven in the house. Every corner, dish, nook and cranny had to be washed and cleansed. The Father’s house was no exception; it was also being cleansed!

While Jesus stood in the Temple teaching and healing, the people hung on every word. The scribes and Pharisees’ challenges only demonstrated to the people that Jesus spoke with an authority they didn’t have. And while Jesus was in the Temple speaking words of life, the priests were hiding behind close doors, plotting His death.

MONDAY

Jesus got up in the morning, and before He had breakfast, He headed back to His Father’s house. If He had been in Galilee, He’d have headed down to the beach and cooked up some nice fish, but since He was in Jerusalem, He was hoping to have some nice fresh figs. Although it was a bit early for figs to ripen, the tree had the appearance of fruitfulness. When Jesus looked at the fig tree, was He reminded of Hosea 9:10?

I found Israel like grapes in the wilderness; I saw your forefathers as the earliest fruit on the fig tree in its first season. BUT they came to Baa-peor and devoted themselves to shame. And they became as detestable as that which they loved.

Did He think about the parable He had taught concerning the fig tree that the man planted in his vineyard? For three years he came looking for fruit, but there wasn’t any. At this time, Jesus had been ministering for about three years? Did the tree remind Him of the religious leaders in Jerusalem – they looked like they should be bearing fruit, but instead they were barren. Obviously, the fig tree weighed heavily on His mind because later in the Temple He tells the people to learn the parable of the fig tree:

When its branch has already become tender, and puts forth its leaves, you know that summer is near; even so you too, when you see all these things, recognize that He is near, right at the door. (Matthew 24:32-33)

Just coincidence? Certainly not!!! What was Jesus telling them? Israel as a nation was about to quickly wither and die. It had taken on the appearance of fruitfulness, but they had become as unbelieving as their forefathers and devoted themselves to shame. But there would come a day near the end of time when the fig tree would once again become tender and green. Jesus encouraged them to recognize this event and know that when you see this happen, He is getting ready to return!!! We have had the amazing privilege of seeing the fig tree’s branch become tender. What an exciting day to be alive. May we listen carefully to the Master as He teaches us throughout this week. His words during the week of Passion were meant for us today. God, help us not to walk with the same lack of understanding as the disciples who walked with Him. These are crucial days and we need to walk in discernment of what Jesus is saying. He is standing at the door and I don’t want to miss a thing!!!!!

August 8-12,2010

2010-08-11T19:49:00.000-07:00

Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life, he who believes in Me shall live even if he dies, and everyone who lives and believes in Me shall never die, Do you believe this?" John 11:25-26

In April I was hiking with a dear friend around Mount Maunganui in New Zealand. The walk took twice as long as was normal for my friend because, at every turn, I had to stop and take a picture. I was seeing things through eyes of wonder and enjoying every little path, tree, and rock formation; things that Kate had taken for granted because she’d passed them so many times before. Our trip around the “mountain” reminded Kate to take time to look at the small things that had escaped her notice. That’s what this week’s journey is like. We are visiting homes and walking paths that many of us have journeyed for years. The danger is that we can get so familiar with these places that we fail to find a different viewpoint and miss some very revealing Kodak moments!

Our week begins with some rather perplexing words from Jesus. If taken out of context, they could really wreak havoc in a marriage or family.

If anyone comes to me, and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, even his own life, he cannot be My disciple. (Luke 14:2)6

Whoa! Does Jesus really mean that for me to become a disciple I have to hate my family? Surely the word “hate” must mean something other than “hate!” I’d encourage you to check it out. When you do, you will find that the word literally means “to despise,” “to hate.” Not only are we to hate father, mother, wife, children, sister, and brother, we are told to even hate ourselves!

We begin to find the clues to unravel this word puzzle when we see another place Jesus used this word.

No man can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will hold to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon. (Matthew 6:24)

There is a common thread that runs through both of these references; both speak about what rules you. Notice that it says that you will “love” the one that is your master, but you will “hate” and “despise” the one that isn’t. Jesus used two different words, “hate” and “despise.” We’ve looked at the word “hate,” but let’s examine the word “despise.” Literally it means “to disparage” (i.e. to refer disapprovingly to someone or something), or “to treat with disinterest.” If we put this principal in everyday life, I believe we will see exactly what Jesus was saying. Let’s say you are a person who really loves his job. You find fulfillment in the work you do and the pay that comes as a result. You also are someone who loves your spouse and family and you enjoy spending time together. You look forward to home projects, and helping your kids learn and mature. For a time, you are able to balance both, but when the job starts demanding long hours and starts cutting into your family time, you begin to despise what you once loved. It’s not that you actually hate the job, but you hate the demand and control that it places on your life. You’d much rather be serving your family. If this were to continue with no let up in sight, you would have to reevaluate which one would take precedence. When two influences fight for the same right of control in our hearts, one will have to give way to the other, and the one we love most will win. If the job wins out, it won’t be long before conflict begins in the home, and what you once loved is now despised. If the love of the family is greater, you can be sure your boss will notice that you treat the job with disinterest and his demands will cause you to hate the job.

When we examine Jesus’ words concerning the family from this concept, we quickly see the point Jesus was making. Jesus was defining for the multitudes what it really meant to be His disciple. A disciple is one who willingly gives up EVERYTHING to follow Him. If Jesus calls someone to follow and his parents, spouse, brother or sister, or his children protested, whose demands rule his heart? Would their family’s disapproval have about as much influence as someone who hated his guts? It’s one thing when someone you love disagrees with your actions; it’s another when it’s your enemy! When Peter rebuked Jesus for saying He was going to carry out the Father’s will by dying, Jesus responded to him as His enemy saying, “Get behind Me satan! You’ve set your desires on man’s interest and not God’s!” Did Jesus hate Peter? Of course not! But when it came to doing the Father’s will, Jesus made it very clear who was in control of His heart!!! Anything that opposed God’s desires was from His enemy!

Jesus also understood the dynamics that would result in their choice to follow Him against the wishes and opinions of close family. Often parents and family feel personally rejected; they can feel as though they are hated, or treated with disinterest. They wonder how one could be so insensitive to their feelings. Like Peter, their minds are set on the interest of man, not on God’s plans. Just ask many parents who have had children move away for the sake of the ministry and they will tell you of the sense of rejection they dealt with.

It is not just the control of others that must be put aside; Jesus says that we are to even hate our own “life.” This Greek word “psuche” takes in the mind, will, and emotions. It is not only the thoughts and opinions of others that must bow to the Master, we must be willing to bow our own hearts in surrender and treat our own desires with contempt if they set themselves against God’s will.

As we continue our journey, we find ourselves once again in Bethany. Lazarus has died and his two sisters are grieving. It is interesting to hear Jesus’ comments to the Pharisees shortly before He made His journey to Bethany. Jesus told them the story of a Rich man and a poor man whose name was Lazarus. I’d like to propose my personal theory. It is my belief that Jesus was not giving an account of something that had already happened, but something that was about to happen. It says that the Pharisees loved money, and so it is obvious who the rich man represents. Jesus doesn’t tell us the name of the rich man; therefore it could have been any Pharisee’s relative. Jesus tells us that Lazarus was a poor man. This would be in harmony with what we learned last week. Lazarus was from Bethany, “House of Poverty!!!” In the account, Abraham tells the rich man that even if Lazarus were raised from the dead, his brothers wouldn’t believe. I believe Jesus was prophesying what the Pharisees would do after Lazarus’ resurrection. As you will discover next week, the miracle Jesus preformed when He raised Lazarus from the dead only fueled their fire to plot His death. Truly the story came to pass just as Jesus had spoken it; even if Lazarus was raised from the dead, they would not believe!

The record of the events of Lazarus’ death and resurrection also gives us greater insight into this family that meant so much to Jesus. The Scriptures say that, “Jesus loved Martha, and her sister, and Lazarus.” So often Martha is treated with a bit of mild contempt. After all, didn’t Mary choose the better portion when she chose to sit at Jesus’ feet and learn, while Martha manned the kitchen? And yet when it speaks about Jesus’ love for the threesome, Martha is mentioned first and by name. In the midst of her grief, it was Martha who left everyone to run to Jesus when she heard that He was coming. It was Martha’s confession of faith that Jesus was Messiah, the Son of God, which Jesus built on that day. It was her declaration that He encouraged when she questioned whether moving the stone was a good idea. We really can’t fault with Martha’s response to Jesus when He told her that Lazarus would rise again. Why shouldn’t she think that He was just comforting her with the promise of the resurrection of the dead? Aren’t those the words we’ve been told to comfort each other with?

For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus. For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive, and remain until the coming o the Lord, shall not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet of God; and the dead in Christ shall rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and thus we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore comfort one another with these words. (I Thessalonians 4:14-18)

It doesn’t surprise me that Martha’s faith needed an extra boost from the Lord.

“Did I not say to you, if you believe, you will see the glory of God? (John 11:40)

Did you notice the word “if”? Obviously she believed because she certainly saw the glory of God!!! How exciting!!! Can’t you just feel her heart begin to beat with excitement as she realizes what Jesus is about to do?!?!? What encouragement to know that if we have even the smallest amount of faith, Jesus knows how to blow on the ember until the fire is ablaze. Thanks Martha for being an example and showing us what can happen with faith as small as a mustard seed. You gotta love this lady!!! Can’t wait to see what’s around the corner for next week!!!

August 2-6, 2010

2010-08-03T13:27:00.001-07:00

Strive to enter by the narrow door; for many, I tell you, will seek to enter and will not be able. Luke 13:24

This week we continue our journey with the Rabbi and His disciples. Last week we observed Jesus as He separated the twelve apostles from His numerous disciples. This week we hear Jesus give similar instructions to 70 or 72 of His disciples, depending on which ancient manuscript is used. Although we are not given the names of all those commissioned that day, there is one name we know for certain, besides the names of the twelve apostles. Let’s see how many of you can figure out who he was and how we know for sure he was there.

Previously we had the pleasure of meeting some of the women who traveled with Jesus. This week we are introduced to a family of three and are welcomed into their home. He frequently stayed with them when He came to Jerusalem. I’m sure you have met them in times past, but maybe it was a quick introduction and you never REALLY visited their home or their village. There is a tendency to introduce them as Mary, Martha, and Lazarus, but it would be more proper to present them as Martha, Mary, and Lazarus. The home belonged to Martha. As the head of the house, she invited Jesus into her home. In all instances in the Bible except one, Martha is always mentioned before Mary and Lazarus. Even when we are told of Jesus love for this precious family, it says:

Now Jesus loved Martha, and her sister, and Lazarus. (John 11:5 NASB)

As the head of the house, Martha would have borne the responsibilities that come along with showing hospitality and making sure that her guests were well cared for. Their house would have been quite considerable. When Jesus came to town, He always brought a troop with Him. We know that Jesus had quite a following and they didn’t all stay in the same home, but you can be certain that several of them did. When you count just the apostles and the women who traveled with him, you’ve already got close to 20 house guests!!!

Although we don’t have any knowledge of what happened to the parents of this generous threesome, we can learn a bit about who they were when we become acquainted with the village they lived in. There has been great debate concerning the name of the village of Bethany. The name “House of Figs” has been commonly accepted, but for several year this has been challenged. The discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls brought even great light to this translation mystery. The Essenes who lived in Qumran and who penned the Dead Sea Scrolls were a sect of Judaism. They were of the strictest order of Essenes; forbidding to marry as well as any physical pleasures. But not all Essenes lived by such a strict code. Although the Essenes of Qumran took a vow of chastity, there were others who married. Overall, Essenes believed in poverty by choice and in the sense of community, with all things being shared equally. They did not believe in owning slaves, but felt that they had been called to serve each other. They refused to accept the priesthood of the Temple, believing that it was corrupt. Therefore they did not believe in the sacrifices of the Temple, since the Law required they be offered by a legitimate priesthood. As descendants of Zadok who was of the lineage of Aaron, they saw themselves as the true priesthood. They believed in the coming of one who would be prophet, priest, and king and whose coming would restore the Temple and the priesthood. They devoted themselves to the study of Torah, the first five books of Moses, and also to their own writings. One of these writings which they held sacred was called The Temple Scroll. This scroll was believed to be an added Torah and was considered to be equal to the Torah. Amongst the many instructions written in it was:

“You shall make three places, to the East of the city (Jerusalem), separated from each other, to which shall come the lepers, and to those afflicted with a discharge and the men who have had an emission of semen… And the city which I shall sanctify to make dwell My name and My Temple within it shall be holy and shall be clean from any case of whatever impurity with which they could be defiled.” IIQTemple 46:16-47:5

The location of Bethany would certainly fall into the area and description of one of these cities. When the Galilean pilgrims came for the three pilgrimage feasts, they would have traveled from Jericho to Jerusalem on the last leg of their journey. Bethany would have been the last village before cresting the Mount of Olives where one would get their first glimpse of Jerusalem and the Temple Mount. Because of the people who dwelt in this village, it’s location was just out of sight of the Temple Mount so that nothing that could bring defilement could be seen. Since this would have been an Essene establishment, the name of the city would certainly not have been derived from Greek, but from Hebrew/Aramaic. In which case it would no longer be recognized as “House of Figs,” but “House of the Poor.”

As we continue on our journey, I believe we will find that this is the true basis for this village. In a short time we will visit the house of Simon the leper who lived in Bethany. Obviously, lepers were a part of this city since Simon owned a house there. We will hear Jesus speak to those who were with Him in Bethany, telling them that “the poor you will always have with you.” This statement would not have been condescending in a city that was filled with people who chose poverty as a righteous way of life. We will also understand why there was such disapproval when Mary took her alabaster vial of costly perfume and anointed Jesus’ feet, and why they thought it could have been better used to help the poor. Although Jesus was not an Essene, we find that He was welcomed among them. As a matter of fact, the closer Jesus came to the time of His death, the more He associated with the Essene community and the farther He pulled away from the Pharisees and scribes.

It is also interesting to discover that in the first few centuries of Christianity, Jewish Christians were often found among the Essene communities. In 325 AD the Roman Emperor Constantine called for the Council of Nicea in Bithynia (what is now Iznik in Turkey) and several decisions were made to universally govern Christianity. They changed the name of the Day of Resurrection to Easter, the name of the goddess of fertility, who was also known as Ashtaroth, the consort of Baal. They moved the date from the time of Passover to the celebration of Easter, thus removing it from its Jewish roots. Unlike some have claimed, this council did NOT establish the deity of Christ. It concluded that Jesus was adopted by God at His baptism, and therefore He was an adopted Son of God, but not God in the flesh. The Jewish Christians could not, and would not embrace the decisions of the council, holding fast that Jesus truly was Emmanuel, God with us, and thus were labeled heretics. Evidence has been found placing this rejected Christian Jewish population within the Essene Gate in Jerusalem.

We’ve got much to learn about this division of Jews, and there is enough written about them to give us a greater understanding. They obviously played an important part in the life of Jesus, as well as the New Testament Jewish believers. Hopefully, as we continue on our journey, the times we spend in this Jewish Essen village called Bethany will shed more light on the steps of Jesus’ as He journeys to the cross.

July 26-30, 2010

2010-07-29T13:44:00.000-07:00

Now on the last day, the great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, "If any man is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink. (John 7:37 NASB)

Our week has been filled with traversing familiar territory. We continue to follow the Rabbi as He teaches and prepares His disciples for what is ahead. But as we so often do, they regularly failed to the understand the heart of the lesson and misunderstood its significance. When Jesus told of His coming death, Peter rebuked Him and told Him not to say such things. Peter was enjoying the way things were. He had big plans for the future, and Jesus’ prediction was not fitting into his intentions. Jesus had just told Peter that he had the keys of the kingdom, and Peter took them and tried fitting them into the wrong lock. You can’t rebuke what God has ordained and get results!!! Jesus quickly discerned the source of Peter’s words, “Get behind Me Satan!” One minute Peter is speaking by the revelation of the Holy Spirit, and the next he is being used as the mouthpiece of Satan. How could Peter get it so wrong? The answer is quite simple - One minute he was seeing things eternal and the next he was focusing on the desires of this life. What a lesson for us to consider! How quickly we can know something by the Spirit of God and in the next moment discern things according to the desires of our flesh. And all too often we are certain we are right because we had discerned the last thing by the Spirit.

Peter had a propensity for getting things wrong! Six days later Peter finds himself with his foot in his mouth again. He proves that not everything that is said in worship and awe comes from the Spirit of God. What prompted Peter to suggest building a shelter for Jesus, Moses and Elijah? It says that “Peter answered.” Although the word can mean that “he started to speak,” this word is only used when one is speaking in response to something that has been said or done. Both Matthew and Mark tell us by the Spirit of God that Moses and Elijah appeared to “them.” Right before their eyes, they had watched Jesus transformed. He literally went through a metamorphose! The Greek word translated as “transfigured” is “metamorfoo.” One minute He stood before them in the likeness of sinful flesh (Romans 8:3) and the next moment He stood in His glorified flesh. And if that weren’t enough, now Moses and Elijah are standing there conversing with Jesus about the events that were soon to come. Peter recognized that they were hand chosen to be witnesses of this awesome occasion and blurts out, “It is good for us to be here.” The word “good” has the connotation of being “the right thing,” or “well adapted to its purpose or end” They had been hand selected with good reason. The only problem is, Peter failed to correctly discern the reason, and as a result he put both feet in his mouth up to his knees!!!!! In awe of the sight before him, Peter mindlessly goes on to say, “I’d be more than happy to recruit my two friends here and build three shelters for the three of you.” He hadn’t suggested erecting stone monuments; he proposed putting up cloth tents for shade. What was he thinking?!? Obviously, he desired to prolong the moment. Rather than ponder the purpose of the conversation between Jesus, Moses, and Elijah, he longed to venerate the experience. This is good! Let’s keep it going!!! Sound familiar?

The instruction of the Heavenly Voice and the disappearance of the Moses and Elijah would have certainly caused Peter to put his tail between his legs and cower in fear. I can see James and John rolling their eyes at Peter’s faux pas as they waited for lightening to strike. I’m sure they were more than happy to obey Jesus’ order to tell no one what they had seen until after He had risen from the dead. The last thing we like to share with others is our acts of stupidity, and as yet, they still hadn’t grasped the concept of Jesus' words "rise from the dead."

Their perplexed minds grappled with the statement, “rise from the dead.” Although the Master was with them, they chose to discuss this among themselves. Why wouldn’t they just ask Jesus what He meant? The answer seems obvious to me; He’d already told them, but they didn’t want to hear it and were looking for a more palatable interpretation. You may be interested in investigating how many times in our journey this week Jesus gave them a clear word on His death and resurrection, and also examine His instructions regarding when these things took place. Later on in life when John is given the Revelation on the Isle of Patmos, he writes, “Blessed is he who reads, hears, and heeds the words of this prophecy.” I have no doubt that John remembered the times when Jesus spoke and they failed to understand His words and as a result, failed to heed them. If Peter would have comprehended Jesus’ prophetic words "rise from the dead", do you think he would have denied Him when Jesus was taken prisoner after the Passover meal? I’m sure all their reactions to the crucifixion would have been quite!

The question Peter, James and John finally posed to Jesus skirted the real issue of their lack of understanding. Rather than ask the meaning of His words “rise from the dead,” they tackled the subject of Elijah. But Jesus knew how to answer their question, while bring the subject back to the real issue, and He addressed what the Son of Man would suffer in the days ahead. As we move closer and closer to Jesus’ hour, we find that His mind and His disciples minds are on two different tracks. His disciples more frequently discuss their positions in Jesus’ kingdom, while Jesus focus directly on the sacrifice and suffering before Him. Although Jesus was surrounded by people He loved very much, their inability to comprehend must have caused a deeper sense of loneliness. At this point in Christ’s ministry, each step He takes brings greater animosity and rejection. Miracles that should prove His relationship with God only fuel the fires of those whose hearts are hardened to truth. The greater revelation of truth Jesus speaks, the stronger words of denial are spoken by those determined to hang on to their religious traditions. May we hear and heed Jesus’ words as He encourages us today,

"If you abide in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; and you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” (John 8:31-32 NASB)

July 19-23, 2010

2010-07-22T10:55:00.000-07:00

And He said to them, “Come away by yourselves to a lonely place and rest a while” Mark 6:31

And after bidding them farewell, He departed to the mountain to pray. Mark 6:46

This week we continue to follow Jesus as He keeps His busy schedule. Traveling, teaching, healing, administrating were just a few of the duties on His job description. Finding time for rest and relaxation was nigh unto impossible. But Jesus understood the need for “down time,” which in Jesus’ case was “up time.” Jesus understood where His strength came from and made sure He got alone with His Father and refreshed Himself in the Spirit. If Jesus would have waited until the time was available, He would never have found time to seek His Father’s presence. The tyranny of the urgent would have been His continual driving force and burn out would have been the end result. It was not just the crowds Jesus needed occasional rest from; there were times He needed to get away from His best friends!

After a glorious, but taxing day, Jesus sent His disciples ahead of Him to Bethsaida. As much as He enjoyed teaching and nurturing His followers, Jesus knew there were times He needed to concentrate on His own needs and not the needs of others. Knowing what His Father was saying and doing was crucial if He was going to say what the Father told Him to say and do what the Father told Him to do, and the only way of knowing that was to spend time with Him. When the storm arose on the Sea of Galilee in the middle of the night, and the disciples were struggling against the winds in an exhausting effort to get safely to the shore, we find Jesus observing their plight from His prayer mountain. There is something intriguing when Jesus set out across the water in the direction of the floundering boat. What was He doing? Was He going to their aid? Was He coming like a knight in shining armor to rescue them from the stormy villain that was fighting to take their lives? Wouldn’t that seem like the logical response? But as we continue to observe what is written, we discover that He had every intention on passing them by!!! PASS THEM BY?!?!? What kind of help is that?!? Obviously, Jesus was hoping to have a little more time to be alone with His father. On several occasions, the Word tells us that Jesus was either walking, or doing something as He was praying. He didn’t have to be in a kneeling position to commune with His Father. If He just passed close enough for them to see Him, perhaps they would remember all that He had been teaching them, and it would also jar their memories of the miracle they had just witnessed. But instead of encouraging their faith, it fired their fears, and their cries of despair carried over the waters to His attentive ear.

I wonder if we aren’t much like the disciples in the boat. We’ve seen the miracles, experienced Christ’s authority and power, and yet in times of crisis, our fear clouds our vision and we fail to walk in the power and authority of what we’ve learned. And instead of our walk becoming a natural walk of faith, knowing that Jesus has the authority over every situation we face, we flounder in panic and demand another miracle. Although Jesus was merciful enough to calm the seas - AGAIN - He knew that they had failed to learn the lesson from the bread He had supplied in the hour of the people’s need.

Jesus was truly the Teacher of teachers. When His followers failed to understand what He had taught them, He was kind enough to teach the lesson again. We have sat by the shore of the Sea of Galilee as Jesus broke five loaves of bread and two fish, and fed 5,000 men along with their wives and children. Had it escaped the disciples notice that there was twelve baskets of leftovers; just enough for each of them to have their own basket. Had they not seen that, although Jesus ministered to the needs of the crowds, they were the apple of His eye? Didn’t they understand that no matter what He did, He was committed to be there for them? But Jesus did to them what He does to us when we fail to learn the lesson; He taught it again. This time there were only 4,000 men with their wives and children, and there was seven loaves and a few small fish, but once again, there was more than enough. This time they had seven baskets of leftovers. Hmmm! Why were there only seven baskets left over this time? Five loaves + two fish = twelve baskets of leftovers. Seven loaves + a few small fish = seven baskets of leftovers. Do you think there might be a lesson in all this? No doubt there is!!! And the best thing each of us can do is to meditate and chew on the facts and let the Spirit teach us. Or are we like the disciples who failed to look for the eternal truths in the circumstances, and only saw them if someone bluntly pointed them out?

When the Pharisees could not discern the source of Jesus’ authority, Jesus “sighed deeply in His Spirit.” If you are a parent, you don’t need a whole lot of explanation as to what that kind of sigh it was. We parents have sighed that way many times! Usually the sigh is followed by the words, “Will they ever learn?” The Pharisees could discern the weather by the condition of the sky, but failed to discern the Messiah by the wind of the Spirit. As much as we are tempted to shake our heads in disbelief that they could be that hardheaded, we have to ask ourselves if we have learned from the experiences of our life. Have we observed the miracles He has accomplished and the provisions He has made, or do we tend to place little value on God’s “leftovers,” forgetting to savor the message that God is more than enough, as we carefully chew on each morsel? I wonder how often the deep sighs coming from His lips today are a result of our failures to discern His words by His Spirit. Be assured, the merciful Teacher loves us enough to teach the same lesson again, but don’t be surprised when He puts you through the same test to see if you learned it. Hopefully we will get tired of going around the same mountains, or crossing the same stormy seas and begin to appropriate His words.

July 12-16, 2010

2010-07-12T11:53:00.000-07:00

Took His twelve disciples with Him, along with some women who had been cured of evil spirits and diseases. Among them were Mary Magdalene, from whom He had cast out seven demons; Joanna, the wife of Chuza, Herod’s business manager; Susanna; and many others who were contributing from their own resources to support Jesus and His disciples. Luke 8:1b-3

For many of you, we are traversing some pretty familiar roads this week. Few are unfamiliar with Jesus’ journey through the Galilee and the miracles He accomplished. Everyone who is on this trek with me has seen the twelve disciples walking with Jesus, whether it has been close up or at a distance, but have you met the women who were a part of His traveling entourage? We’ve often heard of Mary Magdalene, but are we aware that she was as much a part of Jesus’ everyday life as the chosen twelve? Mary was not one of the sent ones who were endowed with the power to heal and cast out demons. She had not been a disciple of John before following the Master. She never argued with the other disciples as to her worth to sit on Jesus’ right or left hand in His kingdom. She was a humble, grateful woman who knew Jesus had rescued her from a life of despair and couldn’t find enough ways to express her gratitude. What was Mary’s role in this roving ministry? She served! She cooked meals, washed clothes, helped with the chores in the houses where they stayed. You can be sure she was waiting for Jesus when He returned from a busy day; waiting at the door to wash His weary feet and then make time to sit at those feet and listen to His words. It didn’t matter whether He was teaching a lesson or sharing the events of the day, for sure, Mary wanted to hear every word.

Joanna was a women of considerable wealth. Her husband worked directly for Herod as a steward. Because of the Greek word “epitropos” that is used here, it is believed that Chuza, Joanna’s husband, was in charge of Herod’s children. We find this word used in Gal 4:1-3

4:1-2:

Now I say, as long as the heir is a child, he does not differ at all from a slave although he is owner of everything, but he is under guardians (“epitropos“ ) and managers until the date set by the father.

This word is often used for tutors, but at other times it encompasses those who are in control of finances as well. Whether Chuza was the educator of Herod’s children or one of the financial manager of Herod’s great wealth is uncertain. What is certain is that he was no peon of little importance in Herod’s household! What is also certain is that his wife had an encounter with Jesus. Was she healed of a disease or malady of some kind? It would appear so. It says that these women were either healed of disease or they had demons cast out of them. Obviously, the change in Joanna’s life was so dramatic that she felt the same overwhelming gratitude as Mary. And what is even more amazing was that her husband allowed her to travel with Jesus as well. Not only did she travel with him, she helped finance their travels. No wonder Jesus talked about being faithful with unrighteous mammon!

And what do we know of Susanna? Other than her name and the fact that she had financial means to help support the ministry and that she traveled with Jesus, we know nothing. She had to be a woman of some reputation for her to be named by name. There were others who didn’t even get honorable mention, but they were a part of the traveling caravan. A woman of ill repute, a woman of nobility, a woman of reputation, and women who were basically nobodies all drawn together and living harmoniously together because of their love and gratitude for one Man - Jesus!!! These women were such a tight knit group that they were faithful to Christ, not only in His life, but also in His death. While the disciple were off hiding after Jesus dies, we are told:

Luke 23:55-56 NASB

Now the women who had come with Him out of Galilee followed after, and saw the tomb and how His body was laid. And they returned and prepared spices and perfumes.

What were these women doing? The same thing they had always done - they were serving the One they loved.

It is interesting how many women we encounter on our journey this week. Wednesday is the only day we don’t find a woman on our journey. It may be fun to make a list of the variety of females and situations we encounter. Perhaps you may want to add to our list each day, either on the blog site or on the Facebook entry. As we do, one thing becomes abundantly clear, Jesus loved women and they were an important part of His life and ministry. May their lives as women teach us the true meaning of serving Christ.

July 6-9, 2010

2010-07-08T11:05:00.000-07:00

Jesus went into the synagogue again and noticed a man with a deformed hand. Since it was the Sabbath, Jesus’ enemies watched Him closely. If He healed the man’s hand, they planned to accuse Him of working on the Sabbath. Mark 3:1-2

This week we continue our journey with the Messiah. One word that constantly buzzes around us like bees in a clover patch is the word “Sabbath.” To understand why this day invoked such controversy in Jesus’ ministry, we need to look at it through several different pairs of eyes. First and foremost, we must understand it through the eyes of the One who set the day apart and sanctified it.

Thus the heavens and the earth were completed, and all their hosts. And by the seventh day God completed His work which He had done; and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done. Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because in it He rested from all His work which God had created and made. Genesis 2:1-3 NASB

Being a project oriented kind of person, I can truly appreciate the impact of these words. God didn’t stop working until He had completed His goal. Once He had finished His creation, He stepped back to delight in His accomplishment. Was God too tired to go on; did He need rest to continue? No, He was just too satisfied with what He had accomplished to proceed without taking a moment to admire His handiwork.

When Greg and I built the addition on our home, after months of work the day finally came when we parked ourselves on the couches, propped up our feet, and just drank in the finished work. A good night’s sleep would have given us the rest our physical bodies needed, but a day of relaxing and enjoying what we had built brought a sensation that surpassed sleep. It is difficult to express that feeling in a single word! Delight, approval, satisfaction, happiness, contentment, pride, joy, and encouragement for the next project are just a few of the emotions that we experienced on our day of rest. If finishing an almost 600 square-foot addition could do that for us, can we even begin to imagine what God experienced when He completed the heavens and the earth. The Word clearly says that His work was “complete” and He “rested.” The word “rest” does not designate taking a break; it expressly speaks of ceasing the work you were doing. God had finished His construction, He’d taken all the photographs and put them in His album to remember each step of creation; the next step was to start living in what He had completed.

Between the time of creation and the giving of the Law through Moses, we never hear the word “Sabbath.” As a matter of fact, we only find the root word of “Sabbath” mentioned four times before God commanded His people to rest. The Hebrew word “Sabbath” (also spelled “Sabbat”) comes from the word “sabat” which means “to cease, desist, rest.” It would do us good to look at the four occurrences of this root word.

Genesis 2:2-3 NASU

By the seventh day God completed His work which He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done. Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because in it He rested from all His work which God had created and made.

Gen 8:22 NASB

"While the earth remains,

Seedtime and harvest,

And cold and heat,

And summer and winter,

And day and night

Shall not cease."

Ex 5:5-9 NASB

Again Pharaoh said, "Look, the people of the land are now many, and you would have them cease from their labors!" So the same day Pharaoh commanded the taskmasters over the people and their foremen, saying, "You are no longer to give the people straw to make brick as previously; let them go and gather straw for themselves. But the quota of bricks which they were making previously, you shall impose on them; you are not to reduce any of it. Because they are lazy, therefore they cry out, 'Let us go and sacrifice to our God.' "Let the labor be heavier on the men, and let them work at it that they may pay no attention to false words."

I don’t think it is mere coincidence that these are the only references to this word. The first two times it refers to God, the third time it refers to His creation. God created and when He was through, He ceased - He rested. As long as this world He created exists, the Laws of nature He created it upon will never cease. The fourth occurrence is in reference to God’s people who had no rest, and what little they had was taken from them.

When God delivered the children of Israel from their Egyptian bondage, God brought them to Mt. Sinai and gave them the ten covenant Laws. The fourth Word (Law) He spoke was

Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a sabbath of the LORD your God; in it you shall not do any work, you or your son or your daughter, your male or your female servant or your cattle or your sojourner who stays with you. For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day; therefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day and made it holy. Exodus 20:8-11 NASB

God told them to remember the Sabbath, so obviously it was something they were already familiar with. You may recall journeying through the pages recounting God’s initiation of the Sabbath, but let’s take time to remember its inception. After the exodus, God made provision for His people. Each morning God caused manna to cover the ground. This flour-like substance could be baked as bread or boiled as a porridge. He commanded the people to gather their portion each morning, but on the morning of the sixth day they were to gather a double portion so that they would not have to go out and gather any on the seventh day. This seventh day was to be a day of rest when they could finally cease from their labors and remember all that God had accomplished for them. The bread they ate on this day was unlike any they had eaten before their journey through the wilderness. They literally ate angel food cake each day of their liberated lives. But the food of the Sabbath was even more extraordinary; this bread was made from eternal manna that did not get wormy in twenty-four hours as the manna did on the other days of the weeks. The first time the Israelites saw manna, they asked an interesting question. Our translations usually read, “What is that?” but in Hebrew, literally the questions is, “Who is He?”

Each Sabbath day, the children of Israel were reminded that God loved them. It was “He” that had brought them out of Egypt and brought them into the land “He” had promised to their forefathers. Their years in Babylonian captivity brought an awareness that God had not forgotten the covenant He had made with them and that the Laws that governed their existence were still in force. But, unfortunately in their effort to keep the Law, they failed to maintain their relationship with the Law-giver and didn’t recognize Him when He stood in their midst. They had forgotten that the Sabbath was all about God giving them rest from their bondage. If ever there was a day to bring healing and relief, the Sabbath would be the perfect time, but the Law had become far more important than the fulfillment of it. In their effort to keep themselves from ever being in bondage again, they actually put themselves in the greatest bondage one could ever experience; they failed to become acquainted with the “He” who was the Manna sent from heaven. The Lord of the Sabbath stood in their midst to give them true rest, but the religious-minded could only see their man-made paths to peace.

I pray that as we walk with the Prince of Peace through the pages of The Book we will reach out our withered hands, pick up our pallets and walk, touch the fringe of His garment and listen intently to His teachings in the synagogues. May we find ourselves bound by His yoke which is easy, walking in the lightness of His burden, and be set free from the weight of the Law.

June 28 - July 2, 2010

2010-06-30T19:02:00.001-07:00

Now when He heard that John had been taken into custody, He withdrew into Galilee; and leaving Nazareth, He came and settled in Capernaum, which is by the sea, in the region of Zebulun and Naphtali. Matthew 4:12-13

I love the journey we are on. I especially enjoy coming back to the Galilee; both in the pages of the The Book, as well as on my journeys back to Israel. The Galilee is divided into two major regions, the Upper Galilee and the Lower Galilee. The lower region is nestled around the largest freshwater lake in Israel, the Sea of Galilee. I don’t know what comes to your mind when you hear the word “sea,” but I would imagine it is something a bit more substantial than the Sea of Galilee. This freshwater lake is about 13 miles (21 km) long and 8 miles (13 km) wide. The total circumference of the sea is only about 33 miles (53 km). Its rugged terrain mixed with its accessibility to water cause the area to have a rare beauty in this desert land. Date trees, flowering plants and bushes, and mountain slopes with irrigated crops weave a beautiful tapestry on which the life of Christ was displayed for all to see.

This week we meet many of the main characters that will play a part in the rest of our journey. Some we will walk with till the end, others we will meet briefly, but their influence will be felt for the remainder of our time in the pages of The Book. The first person we have the honor of journeying with is John the Baptist. We met him briefly last week, but he was just a baby then. Now we see the fulfillment of God’s word in this God-fearing man. John was not just some obscure preacher tucked away in some remote place that only a few knew about. The people recognized him as a great rabbi of the day. His preaching of “repent and be baptized for the remission of your sins” had caused a great stir among the Jewish people. So great was his influence that the religious leaders began to wonder if he was the Messiah they had been waiting for. On numerous occasions, John has to reiterate that he is not the One. What an amazing role model John is for us today. Here is a man who understood his call in life and walked it out with integrity. Although he had gained the respect of the people, he never let it go to his head. He never grasped at the limelight and demanded to be the center of attention.

Rabbis were teachers of the Law. Unless one was a rabbi with authority, they would teach whatever their rabbi had taught them. When rabbis would come into an area, they usually taught in the synagogues, but if there were large gatherings, they would also teach in open areas. And if there was one thing we know for sure, John had the ability to draw a crowd! The people did not recognize John as just another rabbi; they saw him as a teacher of the Law who had authority. We will see this clearly when the Pharisees & Sadducees come and question Jesus where He got His authority from. Jesus posed a question that they dared not answer – “Where did John get his authority from?” Jesus knew that John’s authority came from the same Holy Spirit that endowed Him with authority. A rabbi with authority could interpret Scripture for himself. He was not bound to teach what the rabbi that taught him said. John’s message was different that the rabbis of his day. He had one focus; to declare the coming Kingdom of God and awaken people to its King in their midst.

A true rabbi was not a lone ranger; he was a teacher with a devout following. This following was not merely the people who came to see their favorite preacher when he would come to town; it would be made up of men who left everything to follow him. A true disciple had one goal in life – to be an exact copy of the one he followed. Those who were devouted to this extent would have been personally called by the rabbi to do so and would be known as his disciples. From the very beginning of our journey through the Galilee, we are introduced to several of John’s most committed disciples. Andrew was walking with his rabbi when he was told, “Behold, the Lamb of God that takes away the sins of the world!” Andrew wasted no time in heeding the message and obeying his rabbi. Immediately Andrew got in step behind Jesus. When Jesus stopped and turned to ask Andrew what he wanted, Andrew’s first word said it all, “Rabbi.” What was Andrew saying to Jesus? He was saying, “I want to be your disciple and become just like You!”

Andrew was the first of six of John’s disciples that are mentioned by name and who became, not only a disciple of Jesus’, but later became one of the twelve apostles. As you continue your journey, be sure to identify the other five. I think you may see these men in a whole new light. Although they were passed over by the religious system of the day, they were not ignorant men. They would have been well versed in the Scriptures and would have had extensive Torah studies, not only as children but also as John’s disciples. Keep in mind that John was not just another Jew; he was a Kohanim, a direct descendant of Aaron! His father was serving in the Temple when the angel Gabriel told him he was going to have a son and he was to name him John. Zechariah, John’s father, would have had much of the Old Testament memorized. For sure, he could have quoted the first five books of Moses by heart!!! And as a priestly descendant, and with the call on his son’s life, you can be sure he passed this down to his son. Learning and quoting Torah would have been a part of John’s life from the time he would have been old enough to parrot his father. John disciples may have been untrained in the legal oral traditions of Jewish hierarchy, but they knew the Law!

As we travel with Jesus this week, we are introduced to life in the synagogue. The word “synagogue” means “assembly.” The formalization of synagogues grew while the Israelites were in Babylonian captivity. Realizing that their plight was because of their disobedience to the Law of Moses, they determined to pay stricter heed to the Torah, the books of Moses which are the first five books of the Old Testament, the Prophets, and also to the Mishnah, the written record of oral laws that were passed down. Synagogues were not a substitution for the Temple and sacrifices were not brought there, and the Jews were still obligated to travel to Jerusalem for the three pilgrimage festivals. So what were synagogues created for? They were the gathering places for community events, the courtrooms for communal judgments, the places of study of Scripture, and houses of prayer. As a result, most Jewish communities endeavored to build a synagogue, no matter how minimal it might be. The Mishnah gives us insight into the schooling of a Jewish boy in the time of Christ.

At five years old [one is fit] for the Scripture, at ten years the Mishnah (oral Torah, interpretations) at thirteen for the fulfilling of the commandments, at fifteen the Talmud (making Rabbinic interpretations), at eighteen the bride-chamber, at twenty pursuing a vocation, at thirty for authority (able to teach others)

Ray Vander Laan, a powerful teacher with great understanding of Jewish culture in the time of Christ, has beautifully documented the educational plan of a Jewish boy. You may want to take a moment to stop by his place at http://www.followtherabbi.com/Brix?pageID=1636. I think you will find it well worth your time.

The setup of a synagogue was very different than our churches of today. Elevated benches for the leaders of the community flanked the room and were also along the front wall.

The rest of the community sat on the floor in the middle of them.

In the front of the meeting hall would be a table for the Torah Scrolls called the bema.

The seat of Moses would be off to the side.

Services on the Sabbath would include someone standing at the bema and reading the daily text. If he were a teacher, he would then sit down on the Seat of Moses, a special seat reserved for rabbis, and explain the meaning of the passage. Much of our time with Jesus this week is spent in the synagogues that sprinkled the Galilee. Perhaps, if we are good disciples and are willing to learn, we will find our understanding of what is taking place to be increased, as our understanding of the times and culture is increased. May we understand with greater clarity what it means to “follow the Rabbi!”

JUne 21-25, 2010

2010-06-22T11:28:00.001-07:00

Then Jerusalem was going out to him, and all Judea, and all the district around the Jordan; and they were being baptized by him in the Jordan River, as they confessed their sins.

Matthew 3:5-6

This week we shift gears in our Journey Through the Word. Our time with Joel ends with great promise; God will set up His rule and reign in Zion and make His home in Jerusalem. It is obvious that Satan believes God’s intent and, to this day, fights to control Jerusalem. Whether you are of the opinion that Jerusalem means “possession of peace,” “foundation of peace,” “city of peace,” or “inhabitant of peace,” it is for certain that only the Prince of Peace will bring peace to its existence. When Messiah sets His throne within her walls, God promises she will never be conquered again.

The promise of mountains dripping sweet wine, hills flowing with milk, and the brooks of Judah flowing with water is a vivid contrast to Joel’s earlier description of a dried up, withered wasteland. Not only is this outpouring on the land; it is poured out on the inhabitants.

And it will come about after this that I will pour out My Spirit on all mankind; and you sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions, and even on the male and female servants I will pour out My Spirit in those days. Joel 2:28-29

I don’t think it is any coincidence that our introduction of the One who was to come begins with a man who baptizes in the waters of the Jordan. What an amazing reminder that God would cause the land to flow with fresh water. And what a message that this flow begins in the waters of repentance.

As we begin our journey through the New Testament, the first thing we are confronted with is two very different genealogies. At first glance, it would appear that they are both related to Joseph, one going back to Abraham, the other taking us clear back to Adam. But a quick comparison shows these family trees to be quite different. Why is there such discrepancy? The answer is quite simple; one gives us the ancestral line of Joseph, while the other gives us the lineage of Mary. But which one is which?

Matthew’s account gives us some information that identifies his genealogy as the line of Joseph. His ancestry shows the line of David going through Solomon. It clearly says that it went through Jeconiah at the time of the deportation. Not long ago, we learned something very important about the descendants of Jeconiah and their right to the throne of David. Let me jog you memory.

Thus says the Lord, “Write this man down childless, a man who will not prosper in his days; For no man of his descendants will prosper sitting on the throne of David or ruling again in Judah.” Jeremiah 22:30

What a sad commentary! Jeconiah’s line was cut off from any right to David’s throne. As a result, Matthew’s genealogy cannot be the line of Mary, for if it was, Jesus would have been disqualified from being Messiah, the One who will set up His kingdom and rule on David’s throne forever. On the heels of this information, Matthew quickly revealed Jesus’ true Father; that He was born of a virgin by the overshadowing of the Holy Spirit.

According to Jewish law, genealogy had to be traced through the line of man. But what if you were wanted to show someone’s lineage through the line of a woman? The answer is that you would have to use the husband’s name. That brings us to another question: How would we know it was the woman’s line and not the man’s if we are using his name? To understand this, we need a quick Hebrew and Greek grammar lesson. In English we would never put the definite article “the” before a proper name. But this is often the case in both Greek and Hebrew. If we were Greek scholars and could read Luke’s genealogy in the Greek text, we would discover that there is the definite article in front of every name with only one exception – the name Joseph! And what would we know? We would know that the name is not actually being used for “the Joseph,” but for his wife Mary. This would be the same if it were written in Hebrew. Obviously, the Jews understood this grammatical code because the Talmud speaks about Mary as the daughter of Heli.

But one may argue that it clearly says in Luke 3:23:

And when He began His ministry, Jesus Himself was about thirty years of age, being supposedly the son of Joseph, the son of Eli. (Note - Also spelled Heli)

This same verse could be correctly translated in a different way:

And when He began His ministry, Jesus Himself was about thirty years of age, being (supposedly the son of Joseph) the son of Eli.

As we look at Mary’s lineage, we discover that her line also traces back to David. But this time it does not run through Jeconiah. Her genealogy clearly shows that her Son was truly in the kingly line and had right to the throne. But where did her line divert from that of Josephs? I would encourage you to compare the genealogies and see if you can find the “fork in the road.” Once you do, you might also find it interesting to search out who was the mother of this son of David. What significance is there in this piece of information?

Our journey continues through the pages of Jesus’ young life. We find that His birth quickly touched every class of life. Consider the list with me.

A businessman – the innkeeper

Shepherds – who watched over the sacrificial lambs in the hills of Judea

Magi – royal ambassadors

A King – a worldly leader

Religious teachers – Herod called the chief priests and scribes to obtain information regarding Messiah’s birth

An elderly prophet and a prophetess – who were faithful and looking for the Messiah

I find it interest that the chief priests and scribes had no desire to go with the magi to find the Messiah. They knew where Scripture said He would be born. They certainly knew these magi had been told something. Herod believed it was important enough to get the facts and asked them to return with the information. But the religious leaders were content with what they had, even though God had told them there was more to come. There was no desire to seek a face-to-face encounter with the Messiah. Perhaps they knew He would object to their ways and preferred to keep Him at a distance. They had their form of godliness, what did they need with a true relationship with the Christ?

Anna, the eighty-four year old prophetess is usually given a quick glance, but there’s more to this old woman than meets the casual eye. She actually fulfills a prophecy given by Jacob eons earlier. On our introduction to Anna, we are told that she is from the tribe of Asher. You may recall that before Jacob died, he called his sons together to bless them and tell them what would “befall them in the last days.” To Asher he said:

As for Asher, his food shall be rich, and he shall yield royal dainties. Genesis 49:20

Unlike Simeon who prophesied both the blessing and the cursing Jesus would bring, Anna’s words were only words of thanksgiving and praise. And unlike Simeon who knew his life was over now that he had seen the Messiah, Anna’s declaration of the Messiah King was spoken to all who were looking for His appearing. Her food was rich and she served royal dainties to all who came to the King’s table!

We are covering familiar territory, but I encourage you to keep your eyes and ears open. Sometimes we miss the beauty of the small flowers because the larger ones are more prominent and more easily seen. Let’s see if we can enjoy the finer details in the pages of our journey!

Third Quarter Reading Schedule - 2010

2010-06-16T22:01:00.000-07:00

We have emailed the third quarter reading schedule to all those who have registered with us. If you did not receive it and would like the chart version instead of this text version, please let us know. The chart is a bit easier to follow, but at least you have this for now.

JULY 2010

Date Pages Read to, but not including

Thu 1 1322-1324 Jesus Calls Levi

Fri 2 1324-1329 A Discussion about the Sabbath

Mon 5 No Reading

Tue 6 1329-1332 The Sermon on the Mount

Wed 7 1332-1334 Teaching about Love for Enemies

Thu 8 1334-1338 The Tree and its Fruit

Fri 9 1338-1340 Jesus and John the Baptist

Mon 12 1340-1343 Women Who followed Jesus

Tue 13 1343-1345 Read to end of page

Wed 14 1346-1348 Read to end of page

Thu 15 1349-1351 Jesus Heals Two Demon Possessed Men

Fri 16 1351-1354 Jesus Heals the Blind and Mute

Mon 19 1354-1358 The Death of John the Baptist

Tue 20 1358-1361 Jesus Walks on Water

Wed 21 1361-1363 Read to end of page

Thu 22 1364-1366 Read to end of page

Fri 23 1367-1369 Read to end of page

Mon 26 1370-1372 Jesus Heals a Boy Possessed by and Evil Spirit

Tue 27 1372-1375 Using the Name of Jesus

Wed 28 1375-1376 Read to end of page

Thu 29 1377-1379 A Woman Caught in Adultery

Fri 30 1379-1382 Jesus Sends Out His Disciples

AUGUST 2010

Date Pages Read up to, but not including

Mon 2 1382-1384 Jesus and the Prince of Demons

Tue 3 1384-1387 Read to end of page

Wed 4 1388-1389 Read to end of page

Thu 5 1390-1393 The Narrow Door

Fri 6 1393-1394 The Cost of Being a Disciple

Aug continued

Mon 9 1394-1397 The Rich Man and Lazarus

Tue 10 1397-1399 Jesus Raises Lazarus from the Dead

Wed 11 1399-1401 Story of the Pharisee and Tax Collector

Thu 12 1401-1403 The Rich Young Man

Fri 13 1403-1405 Jesus Again Predicts His Death

Mon 16 1405-1409 Jesus Anointed at Bethany

Tue 17 1409-1412 Jesus Weeps over Jerusalem

Wed 18 1412-1415 The Withered Fig Tree

Thu 19 1415-1418 Story of the Great Feast

Fri 20 1418-1421 The Most Important Commandment

Mon 23 1421-1422 Jesus Warns the Religious Leaders

Tue 24 1422-1424 Jesus Foretells the Future

Wed 25 1424-1428 The Time of Jesus’ Return

Thu 26 1428-1431 The Plot to Kill Jesus

Fri 27 1431-1433 Jesus Predicts His Betrayal

Mon 30 1433-1435 Jesus Predicts Peter’s Denial

Tue 31 1435-1437 Jesus Promises the Holy Spirit

SEPTEMBER 2010

Date Pages Read up, but not including

Wed 1 1437-1439 Sadness Will Be Turned to Joy

Thu 2 1439-1441 Read to end of page

Fri 3 1443-1444 Jesus is Betrayed and Arrested

Mon 6 No Reading

Tue 7 1444-1446 Jesus before the Council

Wed 8 1446-1449 Jesus before the Council

Thu 9 1449-1451 Jesus Sentenced to Death

Fri 10 1451-1453 Read to end of page

Mon 13 1454-1456 The Death of Jesus

Tue 14 1456-1457 The Burial of Jesus

Wed 15 1457-1458 The Resurrection

Thu 16 1458-1461 The Walk to Emmaus

Fri 17 1461-1465 The Ascension

Mon 20 1465-1467 Peter Preaches to a Crowd

Tue 21 1467-1469 Peter Heals a Cripple Beggar

Wed 22 1469-1471 The Believers Share Their Possessions

Thu 23 1471-1473 Seven Men Chosen to Serve

Fri 24 1473-1477 Persecution Scatters the Believers

Mon 27 1477-1479 Saul in Damascus and Jerusalem

Tue 28 1479-1481 Read to end of page

Wed 29 1482-1484 Peter’s Miraculous Escape from Prison

Thu 30 1484-1487 Paul Turn to the Gentiles

2010-06-16T21:56:00.001-07:00

Thu 1

	1322-1324	Jesus Calls Levi
Fri 2	1324-1329	A Discussion about the Sabbath
Mon 5		No Reading
Tue 6	1329-1332	The Sermon on the Mount
Wed 7	1332-1334	Teaching about Love for Enemies
Thu 8	1334-1338	The Tree and its Fruit
Fri 9	1338-1340	Jesus and John the Baptist
Mon 12	1340-1343	Women Who followed Jesus
Tue 13	1343-1345	Read to end of page
Wed 14	1346-1348	Read to end of page
Thu 15	1349-1351	Jesus Heals Two Demon Possessed Men
Fri 16	1351-1354	Jesus Heals the Blind and Mute
Mon 19	1354-1358	The Death of John the Baptist
Tue 20	1358-1361	Jesus Walks on Water
Wed 21	1361-1363	Read to end of page
Thu 22	1364-1366	Read to end of page
Fri 23	1367-1369	Read to end of page
Mon 26	1370-1372	Jesus Heals a Boy Possessed by and Evil Spirit
Tue 27	1372-1375	Using the Name of Jesus
Wed 28	1375-1376	Read to end of page
Thu 29	1377-1379	A Woman Caught in Adultery
Fri 30	1379-1382	Jesus Sends Out His Disciples

June 14-18, 2010

2010-06-16T15:07:00.000-07:00

For the lips of a priest should preserve knowledge and men should seek instruction from his mouth; for he is the messenger of the Lord of Hosts. Malachi 2:7

This week we begin our final footsteps with the last of the twelve Minor Prophets. I don’t think it is any coincidence that there is one minor prophet for each of the twelve tribes of Israel. We have heard God plead with His people to turn from their sins before He brought punishment and exiled them to Babylon. We have watched as a group of exiles returned to their homeland to rebuild the temple and the walls of Jerusalem. We have shaken our heads at the stubbornness of those who, in spite of all they had been through, began to act like their forefathers, somehow forgetting that they had been humiliated and exiled for these same actions. Talk about slow learners!!! - aren’t we?!?! Before moving on to the conclusion of the Old Covenant, Nehemiah goes over the events of the returned exiles. Their positions - priests, Levites, gatekeepers, etc.- are put down on record, never to be forgotten.

Continually Nehemiah calls on God to remember! He calls him to remember the good that he had done, the bad that those who opposed God’s work had done, and to remember the words God had spoken to His people. Nehemiah was aware that someday God will open books of remembrance, and he made sure the good, the bad, and the ugly were written down as a reminder. Nehemiah was confident that he had done all he could do to live his life to honor God’s name, and without fear, he asks God to remember his deeds. What a faith walk! You can be sure that Nehemiah was not a perfect man, but he knew he had lived his life before God as righteously as possible.

Later in the week, we hear from Malachi, whose name means “ My messenger,” or “My angel.” Make sure you tuck that information away for a later time. We will be considering it again in a few months. One would hope that when the exiles returned from captivity they would remember all that God had said and done to them as a nation, and to some degree they did. Unlike the time before their captivity in Babylon, God’s words are not in regard to their idolatry. God’s displeasure results from more subtle sins. As we consider God’s words to that generation, we can easily hear the warning for our generation. God’s rebuke, as usual, begins with the priests. They had adopted the policy “Anything goes!” They presented to God whatever the people brought, even if they knew that the animals they received were unfit to present as an offering. When confronted with their sin, they were unable to admit their guilt. God’s promised curse to rebuke the seed the people planted would have a direct affect on the priests since they received their food from the offerings brought by the people. With little or no crops, the priests would be the first to feel the pressure.

God also held the priests and Levites accountable for not preserving the knowledge of God, by failing to give the people proper instruction. The Levites had been called to be the teachers of God’s Law. They were to be scattered among the people to assure that there was proper teaching and understanding of God’s commands. But unfortunately they taught their own ways as truth and caused the people to stumble. This is an interesting thought when you consider the teachings of the rabbis after their captivity in Babylon. In an effort to never break the Law of God again, the teachers of the Law put fences of protection to keep them safe. For example, one of the laws said that a kid should not be boiled in his mother’s milk. To be sure that never happened, they forbid the people to consume any kind of milk or milk product in the same meal with meat. To this day, you quickly learn not to order a cheeseburger in Israel!!! They substituted the spirit of the Law with the letter of the Law, only to find they had created their own man-made laws. Instead of keeping the people on the straight and narrow, it caused them to leave God’s paths and walk on rocky roads that caused them to stumble.

Not only had the priests and Levites failed to live God’s ways, so had the people. Intermarriage continued to be a problem. Adultery, divorce, and compromise were acceptable practices. They justified their actions by saying that everyone is good in God’s sight. Human nature never changes! Today the most sordid sinners are eulogized as worthy of entering into God’s presence when they die. They are praised as if heaven is richer because they have been welcomed in. Belief that all men are good and accepted in God’s sight is a popular teaching today. What’s God’s response to their arrogance? JUDGMENT IS COMING!!!

God called the people to return to Him. What was their reply? “Why should we return? We’ve never left!” God’s proof of their unfaithfulness still causes a stir of obstinacy in people today. What proved the stubbornness of their hearts? They neglected to bring the tithe! God’s words are quite clear, “You have robbed Me!” Ten percent of all that God blessed them with was to be given back to Him as an offering. It was and is His portion and it belonged to Him. They were welcome to do as they pleased with the other 90%, but the tithe was to keep God’s priests and His service going. The priests and Levites lived off what was brought since they had no inheritance in the land. God had promised that He would be their inheritance. They would live off the offerings that were presented to Him. God had just chastised the priests for their failure to live godly and teach His Word properly, and yet He reprimands the people for their failure to bring them the tithe. One might ask, “Why should they bring the tithe to these wayward priests?” The answer is quite simple – the tithe is not ours, it belongs to God. Whether it is being used rightly or wrongly, it is still not ours to keep! It is God’s provision for His ministers and His ministry. One day, those of us who have served as ministers will have to give an account for what we did with the monies we received. We will be judged by our honesty and faithfulness! But God makes it clear that each of us will stand before Him to answer for what we did with the tithe that belonged to Him. As individuals, our responsibility is to present it as an offering to God. In spite of what His ministers do, God’s promise is that He will bless those who honor Him!!!

On Friday we meet Joel, the last of the twelve Minor Prophets. It is generally believed that Malachi was the last prophet of the Old Testament, but there are those who would argue that it was Joel. Unlike the others we have walked with in our journey, it is impossible to narrow down the years of Joel’s prophetic ministry. There are several reasons why it would fit just about any time period of Israel’s history. Obviously that is the way God intended it! The bottom line is that when God’s judgment comes, it strips the land bare. Conversely, God is merciful, compassionate, slow to anger, and filled with unfailing love. Heartfelt repentance moves His heart to bless His people. The call to change is issued to EVERYONE – elders, children, bridegrooms, brides, and priests. All are called on to examine their lives and turn to God while there is still time. As we have already seen, Joel’s words cannot be narrowed down to a specific generation. His message is as relevant today as it was in the generation he lived. And so is God’s promise to pour out His Spirit on all who believe!

June 7-11, 2010

2010-06-04T13:59:00.001-07:00

“The remnant there in the province who survived the captivity are in great distress and reproach, and the wall of Jerusalem is broken down and its gates are burned with fire.”

Nehemiah 1:4 NASB

This week we begin our journey with Ezra as he heads to Jerusalem. Because of Ezra’s lineage as a direct descendant of Aaron, and because God moved on Artexerxes to show him favor, Ezra has been commissioned by the king to return many of the Temple artifacts that had been taken by Nebuchadnezzar and rebuild the wall. Ezra has enough sense to recognize that the king’s favor was God’s doing and not his own and he gives God the glory!

Although the Temple is complete, Ezra finds that the walls of the city are broken down. I’m not just referring to the stones and gates surrounding the city, but the living stones who made up the city. The first thing Ezra is confronted with when he reaches Jerusalem is the situation of intermarriage with the people of the land. It is amazing how quickly people forget how they wound up in such dire straits. It’s like the man who is in financial debt and acquires a large sum of money. He pays off his creditors, doesn’t change his lifestyle, and ends up back in the same situation he was before. What had he learned from his experience? Absolutely nothing!!! His stubborn heart didn’t seek council to gain wisdom and there was no change in his ways. There is a great adage that sums up this kind of action. “It is insanity to keep doing the same things over and over and expect different results!”

Unfortunately, many people under the New Covenant don’t understand the reasons for the ban of intermarriage under the Old Covenant and treat interracial marriage as sin. If marriage to a foreigner was a terrible sin, even under the Old Covenant, Moses, Boaz, David, and many others were guilty. It was not their race that was the problem; it was the gods they served. It is obvious from the narrative of the account of Moses that his father-in-law Jethro and his wife Zipporah recognized YHWH as the one true God. Boaz took Ruth, a Moabite, as a wife because of her faithfulness to God and His people. Abigail’s words regarding the power of the God of Israel and her understanding of His authority obviously won the heart of David. Nothing derogatory is ever said of these marriages because God was at the center of them. God did give a pretty sad review of Solomon’s marriages, because Solomon married foreign woman who never turned to God, and he allowed them to continue their pagan practices.

If you ever want to see broken down walls today, just look at homes that struggle with marriages where one is a believer and the other wants to live by the world’s standards. Although God’s presence may fill the “temple” of the believer and they may be wholeheartedly dedicated to Him, the effect of the other often wreaks havoc in the lives of the children! That is why Paul wrote to the Corinthians and told them

Do not be bound together with unbelievers; for what partnership have righteousness and lawlessness, or what fellowship has light with darkness? 2Cor. 6:14

There is a powerful message to parents in this scenario of Ezra. The influence of a strong, godly marriage is like the walls of a city! They are the best protection you can give your kids today!

As we continue our week, Ezra lists the names of those who have incurred guilt. Every walk of life has been affected, from priests to commoners. It’s a sad claim to fame when the only way your name is forever memorialized in the Bible is on a guilty list!

The next portion of our journey is taken with Nehemiah, the cupbearer of the king. His name meant “comfort of YHWH.” To be in his position he would have had to be a man of great character, good looks, and tremendous courage. A cupbearer’s life was on the line every day. Because of the continuous plots to overthrow ruling powers, kings constantly looked for people they could trust. A cupbearer’s duty was to serve the wine at the king’s table. He would only give the cup to the king after he personally drank from it. That way, if someone was trying to poison the king, the plot would be exposed by the death of the cupbearer. This high-risk position, like all risky jobs, came with great benefits. The pay was great and the direct access to the king even greater. Because the king fully trusted his cupbearer, he would often confide in him. It is apparent that the king not only trustedNehemiah, but he had become endeared to him. Nehemiah’s concern for the condition of Jerusalem and her walls was quickly met with positive actions by the king.

Nehemiah barely reached the city of Jerusalem before Sanballat, Tobiah, and Geshem confronted him. Who are these three troublemakers? They are the leaders of Samaria. You may recall that when the Assyrians captured the northern kingdom of Israel, that the king of Assyria brought people from Babylon, Cuthah, Avva, Hamath, and Sephar-vaim, and settled them in the cities of Samaria, but God sent lions in their midst. To try and stop the attacks, the Assyrian king sent one of the exiled priests to teach the people to fear the God of the land and keep His customs. Unfortunately, the result was that the Law became tainted by the customs of the pagan people and a new form of Judaism took shape. The Jews who had remained in the land intermarried with the incoming displaced Assyrians and the breed of Samaritans took shape. The Samaritans did not see themselves as taking their name from the region of Samaria, but from the Hebrew word meaning “keepers.” They claimed that the religion that the Jews brought back with them from Babylonia was altered and that they were the true “keepers of the Law.”

To this day, the Samaritans have their own version of the Torah. Although there were vast numbers of them until the end of the Roman Empire, they began to dwindle drastically. As of November 1, 2007 there were 712 Samaritans living in Kiryat Luza on Mount Gerizim near the city of Nabulus (Shechem) which is in the West Bank and also in Holon, an Israeli city. They continue to believe that they are the true descendants of Abraham, and that they have the true understanding of the Law that God gave through Moses. They only accept the first five books of the Law, which is called the Samaritan Torah. This gives us more insight into Nehemiah’s remarks when he tells them in no uncertain terms

“The God of heaven will give us success; therefore we His servants will arise and build, but you have no portion, right, or memorial in Jerusalem!” Nehemiah 2:20

Once we gain understanding of the development of the Samaritans, we can see why the problem of intermarriage brought such grief to Ezra. The Samaritan religion was the result of a mixture of the worship of Assyrian gods, the sin of Jeroboam, and the Law of Moses. Nehemiah has no tolerance for it and is certainly not intimidated by it! He also understands that the only antidote for such mixture is to teach the people what the Word actually says. And so a platform at the Water Gate is set up for the reading of the Word. When people are hungry enough to stand for hours to hear God speak to them, you can be sure it will bring lasting change. My goal is to get people willing to sit down and read it for 10 to 15 minutes a day. Thank God for the few who do. May the truth of God’s Word guard us from mixture and keep us pure!!!

June 1-4, 2010

2010-06-01T16:03:00.000-07:00

So Esther was taken to King Ahasuerus to his royal palace in the tenth month which is the month Tebeth, in the seventh year of his reign. Esther 2:16

This week we have the opportunity to spend time with a very special woman. Esther’s story is one of the most favored among the Jews. Although God is not mentioned once in the book, it is obvious He is in control of the events.

Often when we hear Esther’s story, we fail to understand where it fits in the timetable of events. This is when a timeline really helps to bring perspective. Although there are different authorities that come up with different years, I believe the following time-line is pretty accurate.

605 BC – This would have been about the time that Daniel was taken into captivity

598/597 BC – Jehoiachin was deported to Babylon

587/586 BC – The destruction of the Temple

562-560 BC – Evil Merodach releases Jehoiachin

559-530 BC – Cyrus II (The Great) permits the Jews to return to Jerusalem and Judah

522-486 BC – Darius allows the Temple to be rebuilt

515 BC – The Temple is dedicated

486 – 465 BC – Xerxes reigned – This is believed to be the king Esther was married to.

It has been over seventy years since Evil Merodach released Jehoiachin and the Jews began to return to their homeland. The Temple in Jerusalem has been completed for thirty years, but the wheel of progress for the Jews has been rather slow. Although the people of Judah were taken captive and were exiles in Babylon, they had become comfortable in their captivity. More had chosen to remain in the land of bondage, than to endure the difficulties of rebuilding in their God-given territory. They had become comfortable with the Babylonian way of life and their limited success in the land. The Jews adaptation to Babylonian culture is quite evident in the book of Esther. Take note of the names of the month mentioned throughout the book. Before the Babylonian captivity, months were referred to by numbers – example: the fourteenth day of the first month. By Esther’s time, the months of the year had taken on the names of the Babylonian calendar. This information is an important clue to major events during the Passion of Christ - but let’s not get ahead of ourselves! It wasn’t that the Jews had quit being Jewish, but they had assimilated to Babylonian life and were not about to give it up. I hope you see the parallel to many Christians today!

Since we have a tendency to skim over dates given in Biblical accounts, perhaps we have missed the time span of Esther’s story. Let me give you a general time-line and ask you a few questions.

519 BC – Birth of Xerxes. Xerxes was assassinated in 465. He lived 54 years.

486 – 465 BC – Xerxes reigned – This meant that Xerxes reigned approximately 21 years. The following events are given in relationship to the beginning of his reign.

3^rd year – Xerxes held his banquet for princes, attendants, army officers, nobles and governors of provinces. This party lasted 180 days – that’s about six months!!!

7^th year, 10^th month (Tebeth) – After a year of preparation, Esther has her night with the king. This event would have taken place a few months after Xerxes returned in disgrace from his war with the Greeks. Xerxes would have ordered the roundup of virgins from the empire in a time when he was relatively successful in battle. But by the time he came home, he was struggling with the agony of defeat. Perhaps he used this pursuit for a queen to squelch his great disappointment.

12^th year, from the 1^st month to the 12^th month – Haman casts lots to ascertain when he should punish the all Jews.

13^th year, 13^th day of the 1^st month – Scribes are summoned to take Haman’s dictation and prepare the letters which were to be taken throughout the empire decreeing the annihilation of the Jews.

14^th year, 13^th day, 12^th month – This was the day that had been decreed for the destruction of the Jews. Instead, it became the day of the Jews great victory over their enemies.

Now that you have all this information, you can see that Esther’s story was not a short tale. Let me just add another small tidbit and then let’s see if we can learn a bit more about this extraordinary woman. A young virgin of rare beauty would have been snatched up pretty quickly in that time period. We can pretty much surmise that Esther would have been around 15 to 16 years of age at the most. Using this as a guideline, let’s see if we can’t become more acquainted with this daughter of destiny.

Questions:

How old was Xerxes when he began to reign?
How old was Xerxes when he took Esther as his queen?
How many years after Esther became queen did Haman cast lots and plan his annihilation of the Jews?
About how old would she have been?
How many years had Esther been queen when the Jews had victory over their enemies?
About how old was she?
How old was Esther when Xerxes was assassinated?

Hopefully, you will do the math and become a bit more aware of who Esther really was. But the story isn’t really complete until we understand the root of Haman’s irrational hatred. It was Mordecai who had slighted him, but it says

When Haman saw that Mordecai would not bow down or show him respect, he was filled with rage. He learned of Mordecai’s nationality, so he decided it was not enough to lay hands on Mordecai alone. Instead, he looked for a way to destroy all the Jews throughout the entire empire of Xerxes. Esther 3:6

This was definitely more than a personal vendetta with one man; Haman was angry at a whole race! But why? We find our first clue in Esther 3:1

Some time later King Xerxes promoted Haman son of Hammedatha the Agagite over all the other nobles, making him the most powerful official in the empire.

Haman was an Agagite! Our second clue is found in Esther 2:5

Now there was a Jew in Susa the capital whose name was Mordecai, the son of Jair, the son of Shimei, the son of Kish, a Benjamite,

These two pieces of information tell us all we need to know! Some feuds never go away. To understand the heart of Haman’s hatred for the Jews and Mordecai’s disdain for Haman, we have to go back hundreds of years in time, clear back to Saul, who was of the tribe of Benjamin and the first king of Israel (Whose father was also named Kish!). The account can be found in I Samuel 15. Through the prophet Samuel, God had told Saul to go and utterly destroy the Amalekites. Because of the overwhelming sinfulness of these people he was ordered to kill every man, woman, child and animal that belonged to them. Instead of following orders, Saul kept Agag, the king of the Amalekites alive. Samuel confronts Saul and in the end Samuel hews down Agag. Haman was a descendant of Agag, king of the Amalekites. Because Saul failed to fulfill God’s command, the line of Agag survived. Not only was it a Jew who would not bow down – it was a Benjamite!!! When Haman found out Mordecai’s genealogical roots, he was determined to do to the Jews what God had intended Saul to do to the Amalekites. This is not so shocking when you consider that the tension in the mid-east today goes clear back to Abraham, Isaac and Ishmael. Some wars will never die until the Prince of Peace brings the victory!

Although in previous journeys through the Word you may have already met Esther, Mordecai, Haman and the rest of the characters in this narrative, I hope you will slow your pace and take time to look into their eyes. You may find yourself closer to them this time than on your last trip and experience greater change in your life as a result.

May 25-29, 2010

2010-05-26T11:05:00.000-07:00

Ask rain from the Lord at the time of the spring rain – The Lord who makes the storm clouds; and He will give them showers of rain, vegetation in the field to each man. Zechariah 10:1

This week we finish our time with Daniel, but not with obscure prophecies. It is obvious that God wants believers who are on the earth during the end-times to understand what is happening in the world they live in. It is also to these faithful ones that God will reveal the sealed book in its time.

God’s final words to Daniel must have brought great comfort. Daniel had experienced a lifetime of difficulty. Rest is not found in his life’s journal! When Daniel asked God how it would all end, God tells him that it will remain a secret until that time, but that he would rest until the end and then rise to receive his inheritance. You can almost hear Daniel’s appreciative sigh as he savors God’s gracious words.

As our journey takes us back to the land of Israel and the rebuilding of the Temple, we find that what had been started with great enthusiasm, has been left half finished. I wonder how often this is the story of our lives. God’s word, zeal, and lofty intentions are the initiators of great works, but all too often, we get discouraged or sidetracked and the work is left incomplete. Their time was consumed with building their own houses while they justified their actions by saying, “It’s not time for us to finish God’s house.” Then they wondered why their pockets had holes and they ended up with puny crops. The more they did to get ahead, the farther behind they got. Sound familiar? Jesus put it all in order when He walked this earth and told us, “Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things will be added unto you.” Neglecting the work of building our temples according to God’s word will only result in weariness with little to show for it.

On Tuesday we are given a lesson on the Law that should have a major impact in our lives as well. The question was asked about the robe of the priest touching something. Does the touching cause the object to become clean? The answer was, “No.” And yet if someone touches something dead, they become defiled. When our lives are filled with dead works, everything we touch becomes defiled. And yet when we are doing God’s will and working with people, we can aid them and help them, but we cannot make them holy. Holiness is not transferable!!!

This week we begin our walk with Zechariah. Like Daniel, his prophecies can be a bit perplexing. And like Daniel, we find that much of what he speaks will find its fulfillment in the days of Christ’s Millennial Reign. It is a time when Jesus will sit on the Throne in Jerusalem. He says clearly that this One who is called the Branch will remove the iniquity of the land in one day. I am of the opinion that these mysterious words actually speak of two events. We know that when Jesus came the first time He dealt with the iniquity of mankind for we know that He was wounded for our transgressions and bruised for our iniquities. This event began the age of the Gentiles. Paul wrote to the Romans and told them:

For I do not want you brethren, to be uninformed of this mystery, lest you be wise in your own estimation, that a partial hardening has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in; Romans 11:25

When Jesus comes again to set up His kingdom, the age of the Gentiles will be over and the time of the grafting back in of the Jews will begin. He will begin His reign by dealing with the iniquities of the land of Israel. How will this be accomplished? I believe Zechariah gives us the answer a few chapters later when he says:

And I will pour out on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the Spirit of grace and of supplication, so that they will look on Me whom they have pierced; and they will mourn for Him, as one mourns for an only son, and they will weep bitterly over Him, like the bitter weeping over a first-born. Zechariah 12:10

The iniquities of the people of the land of Israel will be accomplished the same way it is has been accomplished for us - they will look on and believe in the work of the slain Lamb! Every sacrifice offered during the Millennial Reign will be offered in gratitude and in recognition of the One whom they pierced. Just as we celebrate Passover and take the bread and the wine to remember our Passover Lamb, they will bring their offerings in remembrance of the sacrifice Jesus became on their behalf. What fulfillment there will be!!! No wonder Paul talks about the glory that will come when the Jews are grafted back in!!!!!!

Under the unction of the Holy Spirit, Zechariah tells us that, in spite of Messiah’s presence, some nations will continue to set themselves against His rule and will have to be forced into submission. This information will help us understand the events we will witness when we get to the territory of the Book of Revelation, so put the information in the file cabinet of your mind. We will need to retrieve it later.

Once again, the prophet of the Lord speaks to evil shepherds. Clearly they are shepherds who use the flock for their own pleasure. Their heart is has no love or concern for the sheep. They are only concerned with how the sheep can benefit them. We end our week with a list of attributes that define a worthless shepherd.

They don’t take into consideration the needs of the old or the young
They don’t seek for those who have been scattered and are still in bondage
They don’t take time to bring healing to the injured
They don’t feed those that are healthy
They consume the best sheep for their own satisfaction
They abandon the flock

So much to think about! So much to learn! May our eyes and ears be opened and may God shed light on our path as we walk this intriguing path.

May 17-21, 2010

2010-05-17T22:38:00.001-07:00

And when he had come near the den to Daniel, he cried out with a troubled voice. The king spoke and said to Daniel, “Daniel, servant of the living God, has your God, whom you constantly serve, been able to deliver you from the lions?” Daniel 6:20

This week we spend the first part of our week with Daniel. Many years have passed since he was taken to Babylon, and yet he remains faithful to his God. He’s lived through the fall of Jechoiachin’s and was taken to Babylon at the same time. He was was eighteen years old when he was taken into captivity and had only reigned for three months before he was carried off to Babylon. (II Kings 24:8). Thirty-seven years later Jehoiachin was released from prision. Unlike Zedekiah who was taken captive when Jerusalem finally fell, Jehoiachin was not maimed or blinded. Thirty-seven years have passed, Jehoiachin is fifty-five years old, Nebuchadnezzar has died and his son Evil Merodach sits on the throne. What stirred the compassion in Evil Merodach’s heart that prompted him to release Jehoiachin? It’s anyone’s guess. There is nothing that has been found that in antiquities that record his change of heart. There is one sure influence – God was in control!

As we continue to spend time with Daniel, we are confronted with some very difficult dreams and visions. If we think we find Daniel’s visions perplexing, can you imagine what it must have been like for Daniel! The difficult part about understanding these confounding images is in trying to discern what time period each portion relates to and what concerns end-times. It has often been said that history repeats itself. What may look like it fits into a certain time and epoch may actually be a vision of another time period. And you can be sure that that is all in God’s plan as well. Perhaps that is what Ecclesiastes 3:15 means when it says:

That which is has been already, and that which will be has already been, for God seeks what has passed by.

Much has been said and taught as truth through the ages, only to come short of what is truth. Next week, when we hear Daniel’s final words, we will hear God tell him to seal the book until its time. If we try to reveal it out of its epoch, we are certain to come up with a manmade interpretation. Unfortunately, many end-time doctrines have been based on faulty insights have been traditionally held as truths. In the parable of the sower who went out to sow the seed of the Kingdom, Jesus taught that the most difficult place to cultivate insight and understanding is on the road of tradition!

By the time we hear Daniel tell his familiar story of God’s salvation in the lions’ den, Daniel is getting older. He would have to be somewhere in his fifties. When Daniel interprets the handwriting on the wall for King Belshazzar, he is unimpressed by the king’s lavish gifts. He’s seen kings come and he’s seen kings go. The favor of an earthly king can be a short-lived grace. But God’s grace remained on Daniel. Instantly, Daniel finds himself in the good grace of Darius the Mede, Belshazzar’s assassin. It is this Darius that finds himself backed into a corner by his own decree and ends up having Daniel thrown into the lions’ den. Daniel knows that the favor of an earthly king cannot save him, but the favor of the King of King’s is a mighty fortress!

It is also during this first year of Darius the Mede that Daniel finds himself reading the prophecies of Jeremiah. It’s been nearly forty years since Jeremiah spoke God’s words to the people of Judah and Jerusalem, and yet, for the first time, Daniel embraces what he spoke and begins to intercede for a nation! In his prayers of repentance Daniel sees himself as one of those who had missed the mark and failed to hear. Daniel realizes their guilt and understands that the only request he can legitimately make is for God’s mercy!

By the end of the week, we see the beginning of the return of the people to Jerusalem and Israel. Once again, we don’t know the events that turned the heart of Cyrus of Persia. All we know for certain is that God stirred his heart. We also know that God gave the Israelites favor with their neighbors while they were in captivity. They gave more to the Israelites that the king’s decree demanded! We are introduced to those who would lead the Israelites back to their homeland. Our first introduction is to Zerubbabel, whose name means “born in Babylon.” He is the grandson of Jehoiachin and, therefore, a direct descendant of David. Some confusion exists when comparing Ezra 3:2 and I Chronicles 3:19. One says he was the son of Shealtiel, while the other says he was the son of Pedaiah. The difficulty comes in the understanding of the word “son.” He could have been of the same seed and been Pediah’s nephew, or he could have been his legal son resulting from a levirate marriage. The logistics of these things is quite foreign to us! But one thing we can be certain of, he was of the seed of David, of kingly descent, and that is why he was chosen to head the mission. His right-hand man was Jeshua, son of the high priest Jehozadak. Nebuchadnezzar put his grandfather to death at Riblah. (II Kings 25:18)

The list of who’s who and their ancestry is filled with names we recognize and names we don’t. Seraiah was Ezra’s father. Mordecai is believed to be the Mordecai who adopted Esther. Not everyone on the list went with the first wave of people who returned. Some came later with Ezra. An interesting bit of information is found in the list of King Solomon’s servants. Two of the names are those of women. Hassorphereth meant “female scribe” and Pokereth-hazzelbaim literally means “huntress of the gazelles.”

It is no coincidence that the first thing to be rebuilt was not the foundation of the Temple, or a gate, or a wall – it was the Altar. Not only was it the first thing to be rebuilt, but it was built in time for Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement and it was during this time that the sacrifices resumed. What a powerful picture of God’s rebuilding in our lives! It begins at the foot of the cross, our sacrifice for sin and our atonement. Ahhhhhh!!! Don’t you just love God’s word and its intricate beauty? So much to see! So much to learn! Thank you Lord for this wonderful word puzzle that reveals Your glory. You are sooooo good!!!

Take time to smell the roses! There’s more than meets the eye!!!

May 10-14, 2010

2010-05-10T15:39:00.001-07:00

…and you will be driven away from mankind, and your dwelling place will be with the beasts of the field. You will be given grass to eat like cattle, and seven periods of time will pass over you, until you recognize that the Most High is ruler over the realm of mankind, and bestows it on whomever he wishes. Daniel 4:32

This week we journey with Daniel and Ezekiel. Both of them lived in the land of Babylon, but under very different circumstances. Ezekiel lived amongst the exiles of Israel, while Daniel lived with the exiles of royal and aristocratic linage in the King of Babylon’s service. Both spoke revelations of God. Daniel’s ministry revealed the future events of the King of Babylon, while Ezekiel foretold the future of Israel.

We begin our week’s excursion with Daniel. Besides the uniqueness of King Nebuchadnezzar’s dream and its unusual interpretation, I find a couple other things in this story to be quite intriguing. The fact that the king named Daniel “Belteshazzar” after his own god is quite amazing. Obviously Nebuchadnezzar recognized that Daniel did not operate according to the spirit of man, but a greater spirit was in operation. In the beginning of Nebuchadnezzar’s relationship with Daniel, he attributes Daniel’s abilities to his god, but as their relationship grows, Nebuchadnezzar recognizes that YHWH has no equal. Not only does he recognize Daniel’s God, he recognizes Daniel’s Hebrew name. Notice that when Daniel first came in, Nebuchadnezzar addresses him as Belteshazzar.

O Belteshazzar, chief of the magicians, since I know that a spirit of the holy gods is in you and no mystery baffles you, tell me the visions of my dreams which I have seen, along with its interpretation. Daniel 4:9

But when the king is journaling the event, he refers to him as Daniel.

But finally Daniel came in before me, whose name is Belteshazzar according to the name of my god… Daniel 4:8

This is of great significance and in the days ahead, we will continue to see Nebuchadnezzar’s heart change.

EZEKIEL’S VISION OF THE TEMPLE

Our time with Ezekiel is filled with mystery and looking far into the future. God’s instructions to Ezekiel were to “see with your eyes, hear with your ears, and to give attention to” all that he was shown. Then go and declare the message to Israel. A quick word study of the words “give attention to” reveals God’s preparation for giving His word. In the NASB the words are translated “give attention,” while the NIV and the NLT render it “pay close attention.” The phrase in Hebrew consists of two words. The first one literally means “to commit something,” and the second is the Hebrew word for “heart.” What was Ezekiel supposed to do with the information he received from God? He was to commit it to his own heart first before declaring it to the people.

God’s word is God’s word, whether we believe it or not, but the messenger of God is expected to appropriate His word to his own heart before he declares it! Does that mean that we as leaders will never fail or have flaws? Of course not! But it does mean that when we do, people should see the same level of remorse and repentance in us as we expect from them. If the word is committed to my heart, it will convict me and cause the same desire for change that is intended in the hearts of those to whom I carry the message.

Some may find the plans of the Temple to be tedious and wonder why it is important to have all the details. Was it merely for building purposes? God’s word to Ezekiel says otherwise.

As for you, son of man, describe the temple to the house of Israel, that they may be ashamed of their iniquities; and let them measure the plan. Ezekiel 43:10

No wonder God told Ezekiel to “see, hear, and commit to heart!” The details of the coming Temple contain far more meaning than the simple physical dimensions, and if we understood their significance, it would cause our hearts to bow to the King of the Universe! This Temple is not the one that was rebuilt when the children of Israel returned from captivity, nor is it found in the New Jerusalem in Revelation 21. It is clearly the Temple from which Messiah will rule during His millennial reign. Although we are not able to do a thorough examination of all the details in our quick visit with Ezekiel, there are some things that stand out to me. Did you notice the difference in the number of steps to each division of the Temple?

7 steps up to the entrance gates

8 steps up to the inner court

10 steps into the entrance of the Temple

These are not random numbers, but a significant code of entry! After you have pondered the plan for a while, do you have any thoughts or insights you want to share? I know I have a boatload of them!!!

I hope you take some time to admire the carvings on the walls and doors. Everywhere you look you see cherubim and palm trees. Each palm tree has the face of a man looking at one side of it and the face of a lion looking at the other. What is so significant about the palm tree? What does it represent and why is it seen all over the Temple wall. Why not the olive tree or the cypress or cedar? And why is it constantly in the gaze of the lion and cherubim?

Another interesting observation is that the priests were never to go among the common people with their priestly garments on. He was to dress in holy attire when he was in the presence of God and common attire in the presence of the people. As a priest, he was never to lose sight that he also was a man and the laws and regulations pertained to him as much as anyone else. Jesus warned about this when he walked this earth. He told His disciples not to follow the ways of the scribes and Pharisees who had seated themselves in the chair of Moses;

And they love the place of honor at banquets, and the chief seats in the synagogues, and respectful greetings in the market places, and being called by men, Rabbi. But do not be called Rabbi; for One is your Teacher, and you are all brothers. Matthew 23:6-8

I’ve been in places where everyone was introduced by honorable titles: This is Rev. So-n-so and Apostle Onthego. Oh yes, and then there’s Bishop Toknight and Evangelist Wintheworld. There are pastors who would not know how to pastor without the title before their name. To think of themselves as one of the sheep is far beneath their calling. In God’s plan, the priests are continually reminded that they wear the same garments as the people they serve, but are called to stand before God in His holiness.

We also discover that the sacrificial system is part of the Messianic Reign. Clear directions are given for both the Prince and the people. I have my belief as to why this is, but what are some of your thoughts?

And in this Messianic time each tribe is given an equal portion of inheritance. The allotments are a very different setup from their apportionment during the time of Joshua. Take notice that there are seven tribes that are north of the Princely and priestly portion and five to the south. It may interest you to write them down in their given order and see if you can discern anything from it.

You may ask yourself, “Why doesn’t she just tell us what she sees or knows?” My answer is found in Ezekiel 43:11:

And if they are ashamed of all that they have done, make known to them the design of the house, its structure, its exits, its entrances, all its designs, all its statutes, and all its laws. And write it in their sight, so that they may observe its whole design and all its statutes, and do them.

The deeper meanings of the Temple were withheld for those who took more than a curious glance! If the initial description of God’s abode on earth caused them to search their own soul and desire more, then God told Ezekiel to unveil the rest, but not until. And so for now, we will take a quick overview of this heavenly mystery and pray that it strikes a spiritual nerve in us, bringing about a desire for revelation and change. And may the law of the house – ABSOLUTE HOLINESS – become our only pursuit!

May 3-7, 2010

2010-05-04T15:53:00.001-07:00

You are very entertaining to them, like someone who sings love songs with a beautiful voice or plays fine music on an instrument. They hear what you say, but they don’t act on it.

Ezekiel 33:32

As we continue our journey with Ezekiel, I have to keep reminding myself that these words are written before the New Testament was penned. The sin of the people, the concepts of the day and the warnings of God parallel those God has given to the people of the end times.

On any given Sunday, you can find millions of people attending church. But why do they come. How often I hear the words, “Oh, I love going to First Upbeat Tabernacle. I just love their music!” Pretty words and moving music stir the soul for the moment, but IF the Word is preached that calls for changed lives and a reevaluation of ideals and priorities, the message is left on the pew with the bulletin and tithe envelope. This was the same warning Paul the apostle gave to his young protégé Timothy.

For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teacher in accordance to their own desires; and will turn away their ears from the truth, and will turn aside to myths. II Timothy 4:3

God clearly says that the people of Ezekiel’s day primarily focused one thing – money! Once again, we hear Paul’s warning to Timothy:

For the love of money is a root of all sorts of evil, and some by longing for it have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs. I Timothy 6:10

How did the people stray so far from the truth? We have already heard the answer when we walked with Isaiah and Jeremiah, but once again Ezekiel expounds on Israel’s ungodly influence. The sad part is that the shepherds of Israel, the prophets, priests and kings, propagated this heart and attitude! They didn’t merely fleece the sheep to fulfill their own desires; they killed them, cooked them and ate them. God’s word to Ezekiel was to rescue the sheep from their mouths. We see this same attitude in many of the churches today. Money has become a primary focus and while the average church attendees live in modest homes with middle-income salaries, the shepherds live like kings and beg for more.

Ezekiel 34:4 sums up the negligence of the shepherds. There are six issues God had against them. You may want to take a moment to identify them, especially if you are a shepherd!!!

God promises to remedy the injustice by sending the Good Shepherd! It is no coincidence that Jesus said, “I am the Good Shepherd; the Good Shepherd lays down His life for the sheep.” His declaration was a direct response to Ezekiel’s words. His words were also a Messianic declaration. Only the Messiah, the Prince of God, the descendant of David could claim to be the Good Shepherd God promised would come. The shepherds of Israel failed to lead and feed God the sheep of God’s flock, but the Good Shepherd had come to give His life for them.

God maked it clear that His promise to restore them was not based on their deserving of it, but for the sake of His own reputation. There are four things God promised to do that would accomplish their restoration. Can you find them? Do you see their fulfillment in the execution of the New Covenant? When these things are active in us, we will detest our old ways and embrace godly change!

This week we take a journey with Ezekiel through the valley of dry bones. It would be easy to camp here for the entire week and stand amazed at what we’d find. The dismembered, scattered body of Israel mirrors the disunity in the church world today. How we need to hear God’s voice ordering us to, “Pull yourselves together!” As we observe the bones with Ezekiel, we find that they are not just bones, nor are they just dry bones; we are told that they were VERY dry. If you have ever looked at a bone before you threw it to a dog, and then examined it after he’s chewed on it for a few days, you’d understand what a very dry bone is. Our dog used to love to devour the marrow on the inside of the bones. These bones in Ezekiel’s vision were not just dry on the outside; they were devoid of marrow on the inside. Bone marrow is the place where blood cells are produced. Life and health depend on this sticky red substance. Our immunity system is dependent on healthy bone marrow. Bones that are dry are brittle and easily broken. When we understand the importance of the skeleton of the body, we can see that it truly is the foundation of the body. The heart is useless if it doesn’t have the blood to pump through it? The Bible clearly tells us “the soul of man is in the blood.” (Leviticus 17:11)

Israel did not just need healing: She needed a resurrection!!! Once again we hear the words of the Good Shepherd, “I am the resurrection and the life.” The rebirth of those who were dead came in a distinct order and was activated by a method God used before. What were the steps that brought them to new life and caused them to stand as an army? What initiated their new beginning?

On Wednesday we get a bird’s eye view of the great battle that is to come, the Battle of Gog and Magog. Most often we hear about the Battle of Armageddon, but the Battle of Gog and Magog is often obsecure. Ezekiel’s description of what will take place after the Messianic reign is also foretold in Revelation 20. So many nations have been identified with Magog through the years that you wonder if anyone could really know. There are some things we know for sure. We know that Magog was a son of Japheth, Noah’s son. We also know that the territory of Magog during Biblical times spanned the countries known today as Iran, Libya, Ethiopia, Egypt, Turkey and the Moslem Republics. It is clear that the one goal of the allied army headed by Gog, Satan himself, is to wipe the Jews from the face of the earth. You really don’t need to be a rocket scientist to connect the dots!!! This battle has been brewing since the time of Abraham, Isaac and Ishmael. In fact, we can follow its roots back to the beginning of time. Personally, I think you will find its seed in the historical event of Cain slaying Abel. Some may question how I come up with that, but for those who really like to dig, I’ll give you time to search it out.

God calls Ezekiel to be Israel’s watchman. He clearly tells him his job description and responsibilities. He is to warn the people of what he sees and hears. If they listen then great! If they don’t, he will not be held responsible. His job is to give them the message whether they hear or not!!!

Once again we hear from Jeremiah as he recaps the slow death of Jerusalem. The fall of the city took place as a result of three invasions. Nebuchadnezzar took captives during the seventh year of his reign, the eighteenth year of his reign, and the twenty-third year of his reign. What a sad song we hear sung as we listen to the words of Psalm 137!

Our week ends with the chronicles of each tribe and important group. Their ancestry is recorded from the founding father to the head of the tribe or clan at the time of captivity. These records would be extremely important when they would be restored to the land – a subject we will examine later on. It is interesting to read through their records and note which tribes are mentioned without giving the number of their fighting warriors. Do you think that may have significance? Hmmm!

May your week be filled with unveiling mysteries and your mind intrigued by God’s ability to conceal a matter for the kings who long to search it out. I pray you enjoy the hunt!!!

April 26-30, 2010

2010-04-25T23:12:00.000-07:00

Their heart cried out to the Lord, “O wall of the daughter of Zion, let your tears run down like a river day and night; give yourself no relief; Let your eyes have no rest,

Lamentations 2:18

I’m sure many of those who are a generation older than me know the tune to Jeremiah’s lament – Cry me a river! Cry me a river! Cause I cried a river over you!!! It seems like Jeremiah is struggling to put his heartbreaking emotions into words. God’s utter destruction of the king, the priests and His utter distain for the prophets has brought complete devastation. With the removal of the king and priests, God has separated them from every facet of the Law. And with the banishment of the prophets, He has removed their hope. Everything Jeremiah sets his eyes on is wrong – totally contrary to all the promises God had made to His people.

In God’s anger, He kept His covenant with His people. Some might question how that can be true, but if we will go back and remember the covenant God had made with them, we will see His faithful to what He spoken. The covenant had two dimensions. One side of His agreement spelled out the blessings He would pour upon them if they were obedient, while the other side clearly stated what He would do if they did not. They made a covenant to follow YHWH and worship Him as their God. They failed to keep their side of the agreement. But God didn’t forget His oath. In His longsuffering mercy, God sent warning after warning until He knew there was no hope of their return. Only then was God obligated to fulfill His part of the agreement. He had bound Himself to discipline them! To leave Israel unpunished would have meant God would have to go back on His word. God had bound Himself to an oath when He spoke the curses that would come on the nation if they turned its back on Him. The people understood clearly God’s oath when they stood on Mount Ebal and Mount Gerizim and spoke aloud the blessings and cursings of the covenant.

It was this faithfulness to the covenant that caused Jeremiah to find hope and declare,

Surely my soul remembers and is bowed down within me. This I recall to my mind, therefore I have hope. The Lord’s lovingkindnesses indeed never cease, for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; Great is Thy faithfulness. Lamentations 3:20-21

Since God had been faithful to His promise to deal with their sin, He knew God would be faithful to bring about their restoration. Knowing what God requires for their restoration, Jeremiah says,

“Who can command things to happen without the Lord’s permission? Does not the Most High send both calamity and good? Then why should we, mere humans, complain when we are punished for our sins?” Lamentations 37-39

Jeremiah follows this statement with clear direction for getting themselves back on track. I came up with eight steps to full repentance. As you go through the rest of the chapter, see how many you find and let’s compare notes.

It would also do us good to consider all the things Israel and Judah relied on, believing that they would save them from their enemies. They believed that as long as they had “the Lord’s anointed,” the term for the king, they couldn’t be conquered. (Lamentations 4:20) They trusted their allies. They relied on the words of the prophets. As we continue to listen to Jeremiah, let’s listen for the Israelites placement of wrongful trust. What would be the equivalent of those things today, and do we rely on the same types of things to bring us security?

At the end of the week, we meet Judah’s newly appointed governor Gedaliah. But we are quickly introduced to those who have an overzealous, patriotic ambition and Gedaliah’s rule is short-lived. Once again Jeremiah is consulted and once again we find that nothing in their hearts has changed!!! God’s word is thrown aside in preference of their own foolish discernment and plans and the remnant that had been left in Judah heads to Egypt. It is obvious that those in leadership throughout Jeremiah’s lifetime had a love hate relationship with him. Jeremiah keeps telling them the truth of God’s word. They kept disregarding it and hating Jeremiah for telling them, and yet they kept coming back because they couldn’t deny he speaking the truth when his words came to pass. If ever there were a frustrating ministry, Jeremiah’s would rank right near the top of the list!!! By the end of the week, Jeremiah has come to the end of his patience. Not only have the people been cut off from their homeland, their king, the Temple, and from the law that governed them, now Jeremiah tells them they are never again to invoke God’s name. What utter devastation! What complete hopelessness! Only in God is there the promise of salvation. Unlike those who went to Babylon with the promise of restoration, those in Egypt find themselves worse off than when they were slaves of the Pharaoh before the exodus. They are utterly destitute with no hope and certain death!!! Now that’s sad!!!!!!!

April 19-23, 2010

2010-04-21T23:15:00.000-07:00

Your wealth, your wares, your merchandise, your sailors, and your pilots, your repairers of seams, your dealers in merchandise, and all your men of war who are in you, with all your company that is in your midst, will fall into the heart of the seas on that day of your overthrow.
Ezekiel 27:27

I trust you have been overtaken by the view as we have sailed the Mediterranean for the last couple of days and looked at the Island capital of Tyre. Why was God so enraged with Tyre, and why on a map does Tyre look more like a costal city than an island? Ahhhh, good questions!!! To give you a better understanding of what you have been reading, it may help to have more information on this “Mistress of the Mediteranean.”

The city of Tyre was actually a two-part metropolis. There was the city of Tyre, which was part of the main coastland, and the island of Tyre about 2,600 feet (800 metres) off the coast. God’s prophetic word through Ezekiel paints us a clear picture of the richness and supremacy of this Phoenician island city. Besides their rich trade of lumber, silver, copper, and tin, one of their greatest exports was purple dyes produced from two different species of shell fish, which when combined created the deep purple-red dye called “phoinix,” meaning “purple-red.” It was from this word the name Phoenician was derived. This rich color was said to be “worth more than its weight in gold,” and became the symbol of wealth and royalty worn only by the wealthy, royal and the aristocratic classes.

Tyre’s early connections with Jerusalem and the Temple give us insight into its connection with her fall.

Now Hiram king of Tyre sent messengers to David with cedar trees, masons, and carpenters, to build a house for him. (I Chronicles 14:1)

David’s relationship with the king of Tyre was once peaceful and pleasant. This rich king on Israel’s border recognized God’s hand on King David and treated him with true respect and friendship. We see this even more clearly after David dies and Solomon takes his place on the throne.

Now Hiram king of Trye sent his servants to Solomon, when he heard that they had anointed him king in place of his father, for Hiram had always been a friend of David. (I Kings 5:1)

Because of David’s relationship with Hiram, Solomon requested Hiram to send him cedar and cypress timber. Not only did Solomon use the wood for the structure of the Temple, he called for a man from Tyre to craft the beauty of the Temple.

Now King Solomon sent and brought Hiram from Tyre. He was a widow’s son from the tribe of Naphtali, and his father was a man of Tyre, a worker in bronze; and he was filled with wisdom and understanding and skill for doing any work in bronze. So he came to King Solomon and performed all his work. (I Kings 7:13-14)

What Bezalel was to the construction of the Tabernacle, Hiram was to the building of the Temple! If you go back and read all of I Kings 7, you can only stand amazed at this man’s God-given talent and ability. Tyre was not just another Phoenician city, it was a city whose king once recognized the God of Israel, the Temple where He dwelt, and the king God had placed on the throne!

We continue to see the connection of Jerusalem’s fall when we examine the chief god of the Phoenician’s. Baalism was always a prostitute in Israel’s path that constantly caused her to stumble. Baalism got its strongest foothold in the land of Israel when King Ahab married the Phoenician princess named Jezebel who was the daughter of Ethbaal, king of Tyre and Sidon!

God promised Tyre’s destruction. His word declared that those on ships, as well as those on the coast would stand and witness her devastation. Tyre had survived for centuries although it had been subject to several kingdoms. Assyria, Egypt, and Persia all claimed Tyre at one time or another. It was only when Alexander the Great set his sights on her that she was humbled and broken once and for all. After he had completely destroyed the mainland city, he used the rubble to build a causeway to the island. Seven months after the beginning of his siege, Alexander captured the island. He had 10,000 inhabitants put to death, and 30,000 sold into slavery. The city never recovered from its mortal wounding. The causeway, which had been built on a naturally formed sandbar, remained after the battle. The man-made bridge trapped the silting and eventually caused the island to connect to the mainland resulting in a peninsula.

By the end of the week, we see the great structure that Tyre helped to build come to complete ruin. Tyre had been there to help build her Temple, and through the introduction of her gods, she had been instrumental in tearing it down! And if we look at the hidden image in the picture, we see Satan’s face behind the mask!!! It is no wonder that God promised to pour out His fury on the city that was once called “The Queen of the Sea!”

Reading Schedule - Other Bibles

2010-04-20T08:14:00.000-07:00

Unfortunately, it has come to our attention that some who are using other Bibles besides the Chronological Bible still have not gotten their reading schedules. I am so sorry for the confusion. I am posting the reading schedule through the rest of the year. Hopefully, this will solve any further difficulties. Thank you for your patience and persistence. Please let us know if you need anything else.

April 12-16, 2010

2010-04-12T02:47:00.001-07:00

And now it is planted

in the wilderness,

in a dry and thirsty land.

Ezekiel 19:13

This week we continue our journey with Jeremiah and Ezekiel. Words that have been spoken over and over are now beginning to come to pass. One can only shudder at the imagery God sets before the people. God has told them He will take them from being lush and fruitful, to being totally barren and completely dry. He has stated clearly that He withhold rain in His time of judgment. When you live in a place like New Zealand or Michigan, it is nearly impossible to understand the severity of the judgment God is bringing on Judah. But if you have ever been to the wilderness of Israel you are aware of the total devastation that lies ahead for them. Land as dry and parched as the wilderness of Israel is incapable of soaking in the waters when they do come. It’s like pouring liquid over concrete!!!

Although we continue to hear the message that Judah and Jerusalem will fall into the hands of the Babylonians, there are several points of interest that I think would be beneficial for us to stop and look at. We have already seen that Jeremiah is speaking to those who still remain in Jerusalem and the two remaining fortified cities in Judah, while Ezekiel is God’s voice to the exiles in Babylon. There is something unique in their calculation of the dates God speaks to them. It would be easy for me to tell you what it is, but I think you would get more enjoyment from it if you discovered it yourself. Jeremiah is as consistent in his declaration of the dates as Ezekiel is his. Once you make the discovery, what thoughts do you have regarding it? What does it say to us spiritually speaking?

We have heard much about God’s anger with the sins of the people and their propensity to chase after the gods of the nations that surround them. We have heard God voice His displeasure with the kings and leaders of the people. He has made His point very clear that His heart is set against the false prophets who continually lead the people astray by proclaim their own desires as the word of the Lord. This week we hear God speak of another issue He has with the priests:

Her priests have done violence to My law and have profaned My holy things; they have made no distinction between the holy and the profane, and they have not taught the difference between the unclean and the clean; and they hide their eyes from My Sabbaths, and I am profaned among them. Ezekiel 22:6

Sometime I wonder if God would not also find us as guilty? There is nothing more beautiful than to see a Bible falling apart because of constant use. But its sad to see it destroyed because of abuse! There is no regard for the preciousness of its content. It is thrown in the category of the common, carelessly tossed in the back seat of cars or couches, on floors or stuffed in drawers. I’ve watch children be allowed to leaf through the pages as though it’s a children’s book. I’ve watch them tear pages or scrunch them up while adults calmly looked on. One of the things my father taught me from childhood is the honor of God’s word. My father would neatly underline passages God had made real to him. He carefully wrote things in the margins of his Bible, dating verses God had spoken to him personally. Today I have his Bible in my library. I have sat down and gone through its pages, enjoying looking at the sections of worn pages that he frequented more often than others. I’ve been blessed as I looked at the Scriptures and dates he’d marked that gave me a glimpse of his journey through this life. But Dad’s Bible was always sacred. On rare occasions as a child I was allowed to look at his Bible and because of the love he had for God’s Word, I was aware that what I held was to be treated with the utmost respect.

In today’s Christian culture we face the danger of falling into the same pattern as those Ezekiel addresses. There are times communion is treated as an after thought that has lost its true significance. Passover has been relegated to an ancient custom that only belongs to history or in the world of the Jews. Jesus’ words, “As often as you do THIS, do it in remembrance of Me,” are often not even linked to Passover, and therefore it’s practice is lost to a vast number of believers. Pentecost will come and go in many churches without notice, or barely get an honorable mention. Perhaps you can think of some issues or events that are worth sharing!

This week we also meet two sisters, Oholah and Oholibah. We are clearly told that Oholah is also called Samaria, while Oholibah is known as Jerusalem. Why these two cities? Because Samaria was the capital of the northern kingdom Israel, and Jerusalem was the capital of Judah. What can you find out about the names Oholah and Oholibah? Why does God use these two names?

We learn later on in the week that sometimes it is very dangerous to be a prophet’s wife!!! What amazing men these prophets of old were. Even through the most heartbreaking ordeals, they still remain faithful to God and His word. What examples of obedience!!! Their obedience was as extreme as the disobedience of the people. Obviously, the times called for extreme measures! I have a feeling that we are about to see and hear God speak to this world once again in the extremes.

God’s words of judgment are spoken to the neighbors surrounding Judah. Some are chastised and will be broken because of their pride, others will come under judgment because of their cruelty. But each one will find themselves under the fist of God. The message to Egypt which seals their doom is quite intriguing. Egypt is likened to Assyria and is told that they will be judged as such. I believe there is a deeper message in the words that are spoken. Do you see the hidden picture? Who else is God addressing in this passage?

May God continue to open our eyes as we journey through these solemn pages. May we not just hear the message in our heads, but may our hearts be opened to receive God’s words and warnings.

April 5-9, 2010

2010-04-05T22:21:00.001-07:00

Then I looked, and behold, a likeness as the appearance of a man; from His loins and downward there was the appearance of fire, and from His loins upward the appearance of brightness like the appearance of glowing metal. Ezekiel 8:2

This week we continue to stand in God’s courtroom as He judges and sentences Israel for all her sins. The All-Consuming Fire will both reveal their sin in His light and consume them for their sin.

Ezekiel and Jeremiah continue to live out the messages to God’s people. Ezekiel’s tiny model city is emphasized by Ezekiel’s sacrificial life style. Rationed meals of bread and water cooked in an ungodly oven and eaten for 390 days could not have gone unnoticed. But unfortunately, once again it went unheeded.

In that same year, Jeremiah continues his display of God’s anger as he places himself in a heavy oxen yoke. Israel had yoked herself to the pagan religions of the land and her neighboring nations, never realizing that they led her about like a young ox who didn’t could not get away if it tried. Empty words of prophecy could not change the truth Jeremiah acted out. You would think that Jeremiah’s prediction of Hananiah’s death would have turned the hearts of even the most wicked leader. But unfortunately, even miracles can’t penetrate the heart of the godless!!!

It must have brought some comfort to Jeremiah to know that as he was delivering God’s message in Jerusalem, Ezekiel was declaring God’s heart to the people in Babylon. Was Ezekiel there when Jeremiah sent the message with Seraiah? Did he hear him read the words? Was he there when Seraiah tied it up and through it in the Euphrates River? The Bible doesn’t give us a clue, but you can be sure Ezekiel wasn’t ignorant of the event!

Although Ezekiel resides in exile in the land of Babylon, most of his prophecies are spoken against the land of Israel. The people in Babylon still held hopes that the monarchy left in Israel would find a way to defeat Babylon and they would quickly be returned to their land. Through Ezekiel, God shows them the hopelessness of their hopes. Israel’s wickedness and pride had come to full fruition and their would be no reprieve.

On the 5th day of the 6th month of the 6th year of Jehoiachin’s reign God takes Ezekiel on a spiritual excursion to Israel. God’s revelation of what the leaders were doing in secret substantiated the necessity of God’s judgment. Even today it is still shocking to see what some “spiritual” leaders do in their secret places. Pornography, drunkenness, and promiscuity are not unheard of among those whose lives should be an example for others to follow. It is the love of God for His people that causes their sin to be exposed. God has the right to judge sin and the fire of His Spirit causes their hidden deeds to come out into the open. Unfortunately, the ways of the priests in the hidden places of the Temple had become the ways of the people in the open courtyard. What priests did in secret, common man did openly without shame, regret or remorse!

Consistently we are confronted with the fact that human nature never changes. Because there were some who were not taken into captivity in the first exile wave, those that remain in Jerusalem have convinced themselves that they were left behind because they were the righteous ones - that only the exiles are the ones who are the real sinners! Mankind has learned to justify sin since the moment Adam and Eve fell in the garden. We have a tendency to judge others without taking time to see ourselves. Had they been able to see things from God’s perspective, they would have been appalled by the sight. They would have seen that the vision of those in captivity was just a mirror of themselves. The only difference between them was that those in captivity had far more hope than those remaining in Jerusalem!!! For those in Babylon, the worse was basically over. For those in Jerusalem, violence, death and captivity were still at their doorstep!

Once again we hear God’s judgment on those who prophesy out of their own reasoning and desires. The seriousness of God’s judgment against these prosperity hungry, self-assured fortune-tellers is frightening. God say He will raise His fist against them. They will be banished from the community of Israel and their names will be blotted from God’s records!!! That ought to make anyone tremble who stands in the place to speak for God. I know it makes my heart cry out for truth and accuracy in the things I say!!!!!!!

On Thursday we see the uselessness of using a vine to fastened into a wall to be hung on. You can’t build solid structures with vines!

Also, we hear the story of God’s love and compassion for infant Israel on the day she was abandoned. We see His compassion and care for her as she grew to maturity. But then she forgets her covenant and becomes worse than a prostitute. People will often say that when a marriage falls apart, it certainly has to be the fault of both of them. God would say differently! There was nothing more He could have done for His wife, but her sinful, rebellious nature caused her to turn from the One who had only done her good. What a contrast between God and His chosen people. They may have forgotten their vow and broken their covenant, but God has not forgotten His. In spite of their failure, God will continue to deal with His people until the day He has developed a people with whom He can enter into a new covenant! What an amazingly patient God we serve!!! God had covenanted with Himself to have a bride before time began and He will fulfill His own covenant!!!!!

Friday is filled with riddles and proverbs. Shadowy images that hold far more than what we see at face value are waiting for those who are willing and diligent to look beyond the surface of the story. God’s declaration that He is able to take out of power and also willing to replant and give power is the same message that Daniel gave to King Nebuchadnezzar when he interpreted his dream. If the children of Israel would only believe that their captivity is a result of God’s judgment, they will have no problem trusting that He also has the ability to restore them! God is still calling people to repent and turn from their sin. May we be encouraged by the desire of God’s heart towards His people. He has and will continue to go to every length to conform us into a people who corresponds to Him. He will plant the “Branch” in the highest mountain and His kingdom will flourish. And all this because He wants us to live!!!

March 31-April 2, 2010

2010-03-30T17:33:00.000-07:00

In the eighth year of Nebuchadnezzar’s reign, he took Jehoiachin prisoner. As the Lord had said beforehand, Nebuchadnezzar carried away all the treasures from the Lord’s Temple and the royal palace. He stripped away all the gold objects that King Solomon of Israel had placed in the Temple. King Nebuchadnezzar took all of Jerusalem captive, including all the commanders and the best of the soldiers, craftsmen, and artisans - 10,000 in all. Only the poorest people were left in the land. II Kings 24:12c-14

Just like the people of Jerusalem, our time is short this week. For Jehoiachin and many of the leading citizens of the city, their time has run out! One would think that the fulfillment of Jeremiah’s words would open the people’s eyes and hearts, but unfortunately, they live up to God’s description of them - hardhearted and stubborn! After Jehoiachin is taken to Babylon, his brother Zedekiah swears an oath of allegiance to King Nebuchadnezzar and takes the throne. We quickly discover how double-minded King Zedekiah is. He refuses to believe the prophetic words spoken by Jeremiah, even though he has seen them come to pass. And yet when he rebels against King Nebuchadnezzar after he had taken an oath in the name of YHWH that he would be faithful to Babylon, he calls Jeremiah in give him God‘s words concerning Egypt‘s plans for attack. As much as we would like to think it strange, don’t we see the same heart in people today? How often do friends or family members who have lived their lives in rebellion to God’s Word and His ways call us when they are in dire circumstances? And like Zedekiah, rarely are they ready to embrace God’s ways and change. They just want relief from the pressure and misery that engulfs them. Jeremiah continues. Kings may come and go, but Jeremiah’s message stays the same - “Your time has run out and the end is in sight!”

Jeremiah’s imprisonment resulting from the false accusation that he was defecting to Babylon is a truly intriguing story. Just when it would seem that things couldn’t get much worse, those who would like to see him dead are give free license by the king to carry out their plan. It is interesting to see who comes to Jeremiah’s rescue. It’s easy to just read this part and not consider the man Ebed-Melech. You may want to slow your pace and familiarize yourselves with this unsung hero.

Zedekiah’s secret meeting with Jeremiah reveals much about a hardened heart. Zedekiah wants to know what God is saying, but when he hears it, his fears of his own imagination are greater than the words of Jeremiah. No matter how many times Jeremiah tells him that it will go well with him if he obeys God’s words, Zedekiah can’t bring himself to trust God. The change demanded of him is more than he is willing to pay, and so he will hold on to what is! And in doing so, he will lose everything!!!

While Jeremiah is busy prophesying to the king in Jerusalem, Ezekiel is hearing God’s call in the land of captivity. When you are in dire circumstances, it calls for drastic measures, and God makes certain that Ezekiel has a good grasp on Who it is that is calling him into service. Moses may have encountered the Burning Bush in the wilderness, but Ezekiel meets the All-Consuming Fire by the River Kebar. Through Ezekiel’s vision, we are given a glimpse of the Throne Room of God. Beings that existed long before man stand ready to do his bidding. Cherubim with four faces, four wings, and an untold number of eyes are described in detail. But even the words used are mind boggling. So often people want to understand “heaven,” and yet struggle to comprehend Ezekiel’s description of the presence of God in the heavenlies. Ezekiel struggles to even find the words to paint the picture of what his eyes have beheld. Continually he uses the phrase “was like.” He grasps for the closest thing he can to describe his heavenly encounter.

We quickly learn that Ezekiel is instructed in the same speaking methods of Jeremiah - the illustrated message! When you read what these men must do to bring God’s message, you can only marvel at their obedience. Their lives were COMPLETELY given to bring forth God’s word! What powerful examples for us today as we continue to walk in a world that refuses to hear God’s voice. May our eyes and ears and hearts be open to be obedient to display God’s word through our everyday lives!!!

March Reading Schedule

2010-03-23T15:38:00.000-07:00

Hi folks,

I've been told that some of you do not have the schedule for most of March. I have most of the schedule with me, but not the first few days. I'm sure you can break down the reading for the one week I don't have. Just start from where you left off February and read to page 1044 ending at the title heading "Jeremiah's Shattered Jar.

I've talked with the girls in the office and we are going to post the schedule for the rest of the year in the very near future. We are sorry for all the mix-up and inconvenience. Thank you for your persistence. May God bless you richly for doing so.

MARCH

DAY DATE PAGE #'s UP TO BUT NOT INCLUDING

Mon 1

Tues 2

Wed 3

Thur 4

Fri 5 Jeremiah’s Shattered Jar

Sat 6

Sun 7

Mon 8 1044 - 1048 Nebuchadnezzar’s Dream

Tues 9 1044 - 1052 Jeremiah Speaks at the Temple

Wed 10 1052 - 1056 Judgment for Disobedience

Thur 11 1059 - 1059 The Coming Destruction

Fri 12 1059 - 1062 Read to the end of page

Sat 13

Sun 14

Mon 15 1063 - 1066 A Prayer for Healing

Tues 16 1066 - 1069 Read to the end of page

Wed 17 1070 - 1074 A Message About Ammon

Thur 18 1074 - 1077 Read to the end of page

Fri 19 1078 - 1081 False Prophecies and False Prophets

Sat 20

Sun 21

Mon 22 1081 - 1084 Promise of Deliverance

Tue 23 1084 - 1087 Rachel’s Sadness Turns to Joy

Wed 24 1087 - 1090 Babylon’s Sure Fall

Thur 25 1090 - 1095 A Hymn of Praise to the Lord

Fri 26 1095 - 1098 Babylon’s Complete Destruction

Sat 27

Sun 28

Mon 29 No Reading

Tue 30 No Reading

Wed 31 1098 - 1102 Zedekiah Questions Jeremiah