Randy Green's Blog - Posts Tagged "unbelief"
Missouri, the Show Me State – Part 1
If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be persuaded even if someone rises from the dead [Luke 16:31].
I’ve had occasion over the years to hear it all, or at least most of it! One common statement coming from folks who stepped in it goes like this, “If only I had known, I wouldn’t have done what I did.” Perhaps not. Just perhaps. But then again…
It is troubling to hear suchlike talk, mainly because the words usually amount to no more than rationalization. The person speaking wants to explain away his guilt and make himself innocent without ever being sorry for his wrong. He is attempting to induce sympathy.
Most of us are familiar with Jesus’ story of the rich man and Lazarus, at least partially so. I refer to it as Jesus’ story and not His parable because I don’t believe it to be a parable at all. It was a true story by the telling of it, not containing the usual phraseology of a parable. Jesus usually began His parables by stating something to this effect, “The kingdom of God is like…”
In addition, the story could only be told by someone from eternity, seeing how it reveals events from eternity. This detail adds proof to Jesus’ claim to be God. Let’s review the story, shall we?
There was this rich man and there was this poor man, Larazus by name. The rich man was filthy rich and the poor man suffered from abject poverty. What’s more, the poor man was sickly—small wonder!—not having the means to pay medical expenses to care for himself.
Without money for food Larazus had to sit at the rich man’s door, in hopes of receiving some small token of charity from the rich man. Larazus served as the Lord’s opportunity for the rich man to do a righteous act.
Alas, but Larazus went unnoticed day after day, until one day he no longer sat at the rich man’s door. The Lord saw fit to promote Larazus to eternity, where at last he enjoyed his good things in Abraham’s bosom.
Then one day the rich man ceased to pass back and forth through his front door, the same door where Larazus once upon a time used to sit daily. The rich man’s hour glass ran out of sand, and the day of salvation ended for him. The Lord dispatched him to Hades, a place we should never wish upon anyone.
In Hades the rich man was in torment. He was able to see Lazarus enjoying himself in comfort and spiritual contentment. And there was Abraham right there with Lazarus.
Calling out to Abraham the erstwhile rich man pleaded, “Father Abraham, I am parched and suffer the most intense and searing pain. Please have Lazarus dip his finger in some water and come here to touch my tongue with a drop of the moisture.”
Abraham explained that no one was permitted to travel between the two locations. To this the rich man responded, “Then please send Larzarus to my five brothers who are still alive, with a message to warn them of what’s in store for them if they don’t repent.”
“Oh no,” Abraham rejoined. “Can’t do that either. They can read the Word of God and learn that information.”
Not wanting to stop the horse in the middle of the stream, nonetheless our time is up. The horse can drink his fill and we can spend time with the Lord while he drinks. We’ll continue this study tomorrow.
To further research this issue, I direct you to my book Leviticus: Volume 3 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. To purchase my books please go to:
http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B005PJ761C
https://sites.google.com/site/heavenl...
I’ve had occasion over the years to hear it all, or at least most of it! One common statement coming from folks who stepped in it goes like this, “If only I had known, I wouldn’t have done what I did.” Perhaps not. Just perhaps. But then again…
It is troubling to hear suchlike talk, mainly because the words usually amount to no more than rationalization. The person speaking wants to explain away his guilt and make himself innocent without ever being sorry for his wrong. He is attempting to induce sympathy.
Most of us are familiar with Jesus’ story of the rich man and Lazarus, at least partially so. I refer to it as Jesus’ story and not His parable because I don’t believe it to be a parable at all. It was a true story by the telling of it, not containing the usual phraseology of a parable. Jesus usually began His parables by stating something to this effect, “The kingdom of God is like…”
In addition, the story could only be told by someone from eternity, seeing how it reveals events from eternity. This detail adds proof to Jesus’ claim to be God. Let’s review the story, shall we?
There was this rich man and there was this poor man, Larazus by name. The rich man was filthy rich and the poor man suffered from abject poverty. What’s more, the poor man was sickly—small wonder!—not having the means to pay medical expenses to care for himself.
Without money for food Larazus had to sit at the rich man’s door, in hopes of receiving some small token of charity from the rich man. Larazus served as the Lord’s opportunity for the rich man to do a righteous act.
Alas, but Larazus went unnoticed day after day, until one day he no longer sat at the rich man’s door. The Lord saw fit to promote Larazus to eternity, where at last he enjoyed his good things in Abraham’s bosom.
Then one day the rich man ceased to pass back and forth through his front door, the same door where Larazus once upon a time used to sit daily. The rich man’s hour glass ran out of sand, and the day of salvation ended for him. The Lord dispatched him to Hades, a place we should never wish upon anyone.
In Hades the rich man was in torment. He was able to see Lazarus enjoying himself in comfort and spiritual contentment. And there was Abraham right there with Lazarus.
Calling out to Abraham the erstwhile rich man pleaded, “Father Abraham, I am parched and suffer the most intense and searing pain. Please have Lazarus dip his finger in some water and come here to touch my tongue with a drop of the moisture.”
Abraham explained that no one was permitted to travel between the two locations. To this the rich man responded, “Then please send Larzarus to my five brothers who are still alive, with a message to warn them of what’s in store for them if they don’t repent.”
“Oh no,” Abraham rejoined. “Can’t do that either. They can read the Word of God and learn that information.”
Not wanting to stop the horse in the middle of the stream, nonetheless our time is up. The horse can drink his fill and we can spend time with the Lord while he drinks. We’ll continue this study tomorrow.
To further research this issue, I direct you to my book Leviticus: Volume 3 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. To purchase my books please go to:
http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B005PJ761C
https://sites.google.com/site/heavenl...
Missouri, the Show Me State – Part 2
If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be persuaded even if someone rises from the dead [Luke 16:31].
Yesterday we paused in Hades, where the rich man wanted Lazarus to return to earth and warn his five brothers to repent. Abraham denied the rich man’s request, noting that the five brothers could read the Word of God and learn of their need to repent. Let’s continue from there now.
Hades was so unbearable that the rich man was truly worried sick about his five brothers’. So he pleaded with Abraham, “They won’t listen to the Word of God, Father Abraham. But if someone were to return from the dead, then they’d listen!”
Isn’t that what all of us believe deep down? If the secrets of our hearts were laid bear for all to see, the truth would express itself something like this: “Show me a mighty miracle, and then I’ll believe whatever it is you’re selling, God! But some of the things in the Bible, well, it’s expecting a little much to hold me to them, don’t you think?”
This is where the conclusion to Jesus’ story comes into play, dear friends. We quoted it at the start of this study. What did Abraham answer the rich man? Just this: if your five brothers won’t listen to the written Word of God, they won’t be convinced by someone rising from the dead either.
Do you hear Father Abraham, dear friends? Do his words ring in your ears and descend into the depths of your heart? The written Word of God takes priority over miracles any day of the week, even such an astounding miracle as the resurrection of Jesus Christ!
The purpose of miracles was never to convince people to repent and be saved. Miracles never did achieve such a result. Miracles served to confirm that a prophet was truly sent from God. Miracles also confirmed that what was written by prophets and apostles was the inspired written Word of God.
But miracles never have, don’t now, and never will serve to convert anyone to salvation. The Word of God is required to do that, along with the Holy Spirit to impress the Word of God on the person, so that he is convicted of his sins and brought repentance.
The story of Lazarus and the rich man foretold the resurrection of Jesus Christ and what would follow. Those who believed before the resurrection continued to believe after the resurrection. Unbelievers before the resurrection continued in their unbelief after the resurrection.
The purpose of the resurrection was not to convince anyone of the truth. The resurrection was the necessary outcome of the crucifixion. By means of the resurrection Jesus was declared to be the Son of God with power (cf., Romans 1:4). He died, yes, but death could not keep its hold on the Author of life.
By means of the crucifixion Jesus paid the penalty for the sins of all mankind. By means of the resurrection Jesus’ death was proven to be accepted by the Father as payment for the sins of all mankind.
But no one present at the crucifixion could see with the visible eye that the penalty for his sins was paid. Nor could they view the empty tomb and see with the naked eye that the Father accepted this payment. Only the eye of faith can see these and all spiritual truths. Faith comes from hearing the Word of God, not from observing miracles.
There is this saying, “I’m from Missouri. You got to show me.” No offense intended for any of our Missouri friends, but let’s not take such an approach!
Let’s put our faith in the trustworthy Word of God, rather than in visible things like sign gifts and miracles, dear friends. By grace are we saved through faith.
To further research this issue, I direct you to my book Leviticus: Volume 3 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. To purchase my books please go to:
http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B005PJ761C
https://sites.google.com/site/heavenl...
Yesterday we paused in Hades, where the rich man wanted Lazarus to return to earth and warn his five brothers to repent. Abraham denied the rich man’s request, noting that the five brothers could read the Word of God and learn of their need to repent. Let’s continue from there now.
Hades was so unbearable that the rich man was truly worried sick about his five brothers’. So he pleaded with Abraham, “They won’t listen to the Word of God, Father Abraham. But if someone were to return from the dead, then they’d listen!”
Isn’t that what all of us believe deep down? If the secrets of our hearts were laid bear for all to see, the truth would express itself something like this: “Show me a mighty miracle, and then I’ll believe whatever it is you’re selling, God! But some of the things in the Bible, well, it’s expecting a little much to hold me to them, don’t you think?”
This is where the conclusion to Jesus’ story comes into play, dear friends. We quoted it at the start of this study. What did Abraham answer the rich man? Just this: if your five brothers won’t listen to the written Word of God, they won’t be convinced by someone rising from the dead either.
Do you hear Father Abraham, dear friends? Do his words ring in your ears and descend into the depths of your heart? The written Word of God takes priority over miracles any day of the week, even such an astounding miracle as the resurrection of Jesus Christ!
The purpose of miracles was never to convince people to repent and be saved. Miracles never did achieve such a result. Miracles served to confirm that a prophet was truly sent from God. Miracles also confirmed that what was written by prophets and apostles was the inspired written Word of God.
But miracles never have, don’t now, and never will serve to convert anyone to salvation. The Word of God is required to do that, along with the Holy Spirit to impress the Word of God on the person, so that he is convicted of his sins and brought repentance.
The story of Lazarus and the rich man foretold the resurrection of Jesus Christ and what would follow. Those who believed before the resurrection continued to believe after the resurrection. Unbelievers before the resurrection continued in their unbelief after the resurrection.
The purpose of the resurrection was not to convince anyone of the truth. The resurrection was the necessary outcome of the crucifixion. By means of the resurrection Jesus was declared to be the Son of God with power (cf., Romans 1:4). He died, yes, but death could not keep its hold on the Author of life.
By means of the crucifixion Jesus paid the penalty for the sins of all mankind. By means of the resurrection Jesus’ death was proven to be accepted by the Father as payment for the sins of all mankind.
But no one present at the crucifixion could see with the visible eye that the penalty for his sins was paid. Nor could they view the empty tomb and see with the naked eye that the Father accepted this payment. Only the eye of faith can see these and all spiritual truths. Faith comes from hearing the Word of God, not from observing miracles.
There is this saying, “I’m from Missouri. You got to show me.” No offense intended for any of our Missouri friends, but let’s not take such an approach!
Let’s put our faith in the trustworthy Word of God, rather than in visible things like sign gifts and miracles, dear friends. By grace are we saved through faith.
To further research this issue, I direct you to my book Leviticus: Volume 3 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. To purchase my books please go to:
http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B005PJ761C
https://sites.google.com/site/heavenl...
What's a "Mahanaim" – Part 1
“Only do not rebel against the Lord; and do not fear the people of the land, for they will be our prey. Their protection has been removed from them, and the Lord is with us; do not fear them.” But all the congregation said to stone them with stones. Then the glory of the Lord appeared in the tent of meeting to all the sons of Israel [Numbers 14:9-10].
In the schoolyard at elementary school the bullies tend to rule. The bullies are the biggest and baddest dudes, of course. If they can hoodwink the rest of the kids into being intimidated by their presence, then they continue to rule.
The next best thing to being the bully in the schoolyard is to be the bully’s best friend. No one picks on you then because no one wants to settle accounts with the bully. In effect the bully’s best friend has the stature of the bully himself.
The Israelites were at Kadesh-barnea. Two years prior they witnessed the Lord inflict the mighty Egyptian god, Pharaoh, with ten plagues, bringing bully Pharaoh to his knees in abject and unconditional surrender. This self-styled “god” cried “Uncle!” and pleaded for mercy from the Hebrew God, YHWH, i.e., the Lord. As terms of his surrender Pharaoh released the Israelites from slavery. Yea, he even begged them to leave his land!
The Israelites then marched to the Red Sea, where Pharaoh attempted to renege on his agreement to set the Israelites free. He charged after them, hemming them in between the Red Sea and his armies. Once again the Israelites witnessed the Lord inflict the mighty Egyptian god, Pharaoh, with utter defeat. Pharaoh and all his military were drowned in the Red Sea, while the Lord’s people Israel crossed the seabed on dry ground.
From there the Israelites marched to Mount Sinai, where they spent a year receiving the Lord’s legal code to govern them in the Promised Land. And they constructed the tabernacle worship structure and crafted the priests’ wardrobe. Now they were able to maintain a covenantal relationship with the Lord. All that was needed was a land to call their own.
So the Lord directed them to leave Mount Sinai and march to the southern border of the Promised Land. And that is how the Israelites found themselves at Kadesh-barnea. The city was on the southern reaches of the Promised Land, on the edge of the Sinai Peninsula.
The Lord directed the Israelites to enter the land, conquer the peoples living there, and exterminate them. The land was their inheritance from the Lord. The Israelites thought it wise to send spies in first to reconnoiter the terrain and peoples, so as to plot a proper military strategy for conquering the land.
The Lord permitted it, though He was none to pleased that they didn’t trust Him enough to enter and conquer the land. So twelve spies went into Canaan and surveilled the territory. Alas, but they didn’t return with a unanimous verdict.
Two spies sided with the Lord and wanted to enter the land and conquer it according to the Word of God. However, ten spies claimed the inhabitants were giants whom the Lord was too small to defeat! To make matters worse, the entire congregation of Israel sided with the ten timorous spies.
This is mind-boggling, dear friends! We need to take our leave for now and gather our thoughts at the feet of Jesus. We will continue this tale tomorrow.
To further research this issue, I direct you to my book Numbers: Volume 4 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. To purchase my books please go to:
http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B005PJ761C
https://sites.google.com/site/heavenl...
In the schoolyard at elementary school the bullies tend to rule. The bullies are the biggest and baddest dudes, of course. If they can hoodwink the rest of the kids into being intimidated by their presence, then they continue to rule.
The next best thing to being the bully in the schoolyard is to be the bully’s best friend. No one picks on you then because no one wants to settle accounts with the bully. In effect the bully’s best friend has the stature of the bully himself.
The Israelites were at Kadesh-barnea. Two years prior they witnessed the Lord inflict the mighty Egyptian god, Pharaoh, with ten plagues, bringing bully Pharaoh to his knees in abject and unconditional surrender. This self-styled “god” cried “Uncle!” and pleaded for mercy from the Hebrew God, YHWH, i.e., the Lord. As terms of his surrender Pharaoh released the Israelites from slavery. Yea, he even begged them to leave his land!
The Israelites then marched to the Red Sea, where Pharaoh attempted to renege on his agreement to set the Israelites free. He charged after them, hemming them in between the Red Sea and his armies. Once again the Israelites witnessed the Lord inflict the mighty Egyptian god, Pharaoh, with utter defeat. Pharaoh and all his military were drowned in the Red Sea, while the Lord’s people Israel crossed the seabed on dry ground.
From there the Israelites marched to Mount Sinai, where they spent a year receiving the Lord’s legal code to govern them in the Promised Land. And they constructed the tabernacle worship structure and crafted the priests’ wardrobe. Now they were able to maintain a covenantal relationship with the Lord. All that was needed was a land to call their own.
So the Lord directed them to leave Mount Sinai and march to the southern border of the Promised Land. And that is how the Israelites found themselves at Kadesh-barnea. The city was on the southern reaches of the Promised Land, on the edge of the Sinai Peninsula.
The Lord directed the Israelites to enter the land, conquer the peoples living there, and exterminate them. The land was their inheritance from the Lord. The Israelites thought it wise to send spies in first to reconnoiter the terrain and peoples, so as to plot a proper military strategy for conquering the land.
The Lord permitted it, though He was none to pleased that they didn’t trust Him enough to enter and conquer the land. So twelve spies went into Canaan and surveilled the territory. Alas, but they didn’t return with a unanimous verdict.
Two spies sided with the Lord and wanted to enter the land and conquer it according to the Word of God. However, ten spies claimed the inhabitants were giants whom the Lord was too small to defeat! To make matters worse, the entire congregation of Israel sided with the ten timorous spies.
This is mind-boggling, dear friends! We need to take our leave for now and gather our thoughts at the feet of Jesus. We will continue this tale tomorrow.
To further research this issue, I direct you to my book Numbers: Volume 4 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. To purchase my books please go to:
http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B005PJ761C
https://sites.google.com/site/heavenl...
What’s a “Mahanaim” - Part 2
“Only do not rebel against the Lord; and do not fear the people of the land, for they will be our prey. Their protection has been removed from them, and the Lord is with us; do not fear them.” But all the congregation said to stone them with stones. Then the glory of the Lord appeared in the tent of meeting to all the sons of Israel [Numbers 14:9-10].
Incredible. Utterly incredible. Ten spies and all Israel witnessed the Lord bring the mighty Pharaoh to his knees. Egypt was the world power of the day, and the Canaanites cowered before Pharaoh. If the Lord made mincemeat of Pharaoh, how could the Israelites believe He was impotent against the Canaanites?! Sin makes us crazy, dear friends. Sin makes us wicked crazy.
The two faithful spies were Joshua bin Nun and Caleb ben Jephunneh. In the Bible verses quoted to kickoff this study, the words in quotation marks were spoken by them. Those words were their ticket into the Promised Land.
Standing opposite those two were the other ten spies, with all the Israelites on their side. Let me tell you, these guys were schoolyard bullies! As reported in the Bible verse, all the Israelites wanted to stone Joshua and Caleb. We might be inclined to ask them why.
I mean, they saw with their own eyes how the Lord put the lumber to the side of Pharaoh’s head and set him straight. It didn’t even require faith to trust the Lord for victory. Eyesight sufficed in their case! But no, they preferred to disobey the Word of God because there wasn’t a soupçon of true spirituality in them.
The Israelites looked at the enemy, then they gazed at themselves, and they drew their conclusions based upon what they saw at the time. This is known in Scripture as walking by sight. Trouble is, without faith it is impossible to please God. They needed to walk by faith in the Word of God. That is how we depend on God to solve the problem.
So there were Joshua and Caleb on one side, and over against them were the other 3½ million Israelites. Joshua and Caleb exhorted them to obey the Word of God. The 3½ million folks threatened to stone Joshua and Caleb to death. But the Lord…
Ah, throughout history those words have spelled the conclusion to the matter. They did so in Egypt. They did so at the Red Sea. They did so at Mount Sinai. And guess what? They did so at Kadesh-barnea too.
The Lord appeared in the tent of meeting as the Shekinah glory, and the matter was resolved pronto. The adult Israelites would not be permitted to enter the Promised Land and receive it as their inheritance because they hadn’t faith in the Word of God. Instead, they would walk the desert sands for another thirty-eight years, until the entire lot of them had died.
After they died, their grown children would be permitted the pleasure of entering the land, conquering it, and receiving it as their inheritance. Joshua and Caleb were the only adult Israelites at Kadesh-barnea who would enter with the younger generation thirty-eight years thence.
The picture painted by the two Bible verses we quoted is an exact replica of all of human history. The world stage is composed of two camps:
1. the Lord
2. mankind
Mankind is made up of two camps (aka Mahanaim):
1. those with faith in the Word of God
2. those without faith in the Word of God
It has always been this way, it is this way now, and it will be this way until Jesus comes again and sets all things right. Every human being is permitted to choose whom he will serve. We can choose to believe the Word of God and act accordingly, or we can choose to believe self and act in kind.
So which camp are you in?
To further research this issue, I direct you to my book Numbers: Volume 4 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. To purchase my books please go to:
http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B005PJ761C
https://sites.google.com/site/heavenl...
Incredible. Utterly incredible. Ten spies and all Israel witnessed the Lord bring the mighty Pharaoh to his knees. Egypt was the world power of the day, and the Canaanites cowered before Pharaoh. If the Lord made mincemeat of Pharaoh, how could the Israelites believe He was impotent against the Canaanites?! Sin makes us crazy, dear friends. Sin makes us wicked crazy.
The two faithful spies were Joshua bin Nun and Caleb ben Jephunneh. In the Bible verses quoted to kickoff this study, the words in quotation marks were spoken by them. Those words were their ticket into the Promised Land.
Standing opposite those two were the other ten spies, with all the Israelites on their side. Let me tell you, these guys were schoolyard bullies! As reported in the Bible verse, all the Israelites wanted to stone Joshua and Caleb. We might be inclined to ask them why.
I mean, they saw with their own eyes how the Lord put the lumber to the side of Pharaoh’s head and set him straight. It didn’t even require faith to trust the Lord for victory. Eyesight sufficed in their case! But no, they preferred to disobey the Word of God because there wasn’t a soupçon of true spirituality in them.
The Israelites looked at the enemy, then they gazed at themselves, and they drew their conclusions based upon what they saw at the time. This is known in Scripture as walking by sight. Trouble is, without faith it is impossible to please God. They needed to walk by faith in the Word of God. That is how we depend on God to solve the problem.
So there were Joshua and Caleb on one side, and over against them were the other 3½ million Israelites. Joshua and Caleb exhorted them to obey the Word of God. The 3½ million folks threatened to stone Joshua and Caleb to death. But the Lord…
Ah, throughout history those words have spelled the conclusion to the matter. They did so in Egypt. They did so at the Red Sea. They did so at Mount Sinai. And guess what? They did so at Kadesh-barnea too.
The Lord appeared in the tent of meeting as the Shekinah glory, and the matter was resolved pronto. The adult Israelites would not be permitted to enter the Promised Land and receive it as their inheritance because they hadn’t faith in the Word of God. Instead, they would walk the desert sands for another thirty-eight years, until the entire lot of them had died.
After they died, their grown children would be permitted the pleasure of entering the land, conquering it, and receiving it as their inheritance. Joshua and Caleb were the only adult Israelites at Kadesh-barnea who would enter with the younger generation thirty-eight years thence.
The picture painted by the two Bible verses we quoted is an exact replica of all of human history. The world stage is composed of two camps:
1. the Lord
2. mankind
Mankind is made up of two camps (aka Mahanaim):
1. those with faith in the Word of God
2. those without faith in the Word of God
It has always been this way, it is this way now, and it will be this way until Jesus comes again and sets all things right. Every human being is permitted to choose whom he will serve. We can choose to believe the Word of God and act accordingly, or we can choose to believe self and act in kind.
So which camp are you in?
To further research this issue, I direct you to my book Numbers: Volume 4 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. To purchase my books please go to:
http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B005PJ761C
https://sites.google.com/site/heavenl...
Missouri, the Show Me State – Part 1
If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be persuaded even if someone rises from the dead [Luke 16:31].
I’ve had occasion over the years to hear it all, or at least most of it! One common statement coming from folks who stepped in it goes like this, “If only I had known, I wouldn’t have done what I did.” Perhaps not. Just perhaps. But then again…
It is troubling to hear suchlike talk, mainly because the words usually amount to no more than rationalization. The person speaking wants to explain away his guilt and make himself innocent without ever being sorry for his wrong. He is attempting to induce sympathy.
Most of us are familiar with Jesus’ story of the rich man and Lazarus, at least partially so. I refer to it as Jesus’ story and not His parable because I don’t believe it to be a parable at all. It was a true story by the telling of it, not containing the usual phraseology of a parable. Jesus usually began His parables by stating something to this effect, “The kingdom of God is like…”
In addition, the story could only be told by someone from eternity, seeing how it reveals events from eternity. This detail adds proof to Jesus’ claim to be God. Let’s review the story, shall we?
There was this rich man and there was this poor man, Larazus by name. The rich man was filthy rich and the poor man suffered from abject poverty. What’s more, the poor man was sickly—small wonder!—not having the means to pay medical expenses to care for himself.
Without money for food Larazus had to sit at the rich man’s door, in hopes of receiving some small token of charity from the rich man. Larazus served as the Lord’s opportunity for the rich man to do a righteous act.
Alas, but Larazus went unnoticed day after day, until one day he no longer sat at the rich man’s door. The Lord saw fit to promote Larazus to eternity, where at last he enjoyed his good things in Abraham’s bosom.
Then one day the rich man ceased to pass back and forth through his front door, the same door where Larazus once upon a time used to sit daily. The rich man’s hour glass ran out of sand, and the day of salvation ended for him. The Lord dispatched him to Hades, a place we should never wish upon anyone.
In Hades the rich man was in torment. He was able to see Lazarus enjoying himself in comfort and spiritual contentment. And there was Abraham right there with Lazarus.
Calling out to Abraham the erstwhile rich man pleaded, “Father Abraham, I am parched and suffer the most intense and searing pain. Please have Lazarus dip his finger in some water and come here to touch my tongue with a drop of the moisture.”
Abraham explained that no one was permitted to travel between the two locations. To this the rich man responded, “Then please send Larzarus to my five brothers who are still alive, with a message to warn them of what’s in store for them if they don’t repent.”
“Oh no,” Abraham rejoined. “Can’t do that either. They can read the Word of God and learn that information.”
Not wanting to stop the horse in the middle of the stream, nonetheless our time is up. The horse can drink his fill and we can spend time with the Lord while he drinks. We’ll continue this study tomorrow.
To further research this issue, I direct you to my book Leviticus: Volume 3 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. To purchase my books please go to:
http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B005PJ761C
https://sites.google.com/site/heavenl...
I’ve had occasion over the years to hear it all, or at least most of it! One common statement coming from folks who stepped in it goes like this, “If only I had known, I wouldn’t have done what I did.” Perhaps not. Just perhaps. But then again…
It is troubling to hear suchlike talk, mainly because the words usually amount to no more than rationalization. The person speaking wants to explain away his guilt and make himself innocent without ever being sorry for his wrong. He is attempting to induce sympathy.
Most of us are familiar with Jesus’ story of the rich man and Lazarus, at least partially so. I refer to it as Jesus’ story and not His parable because I don’t believe it to be a parable at all. It was a true story by the telling of it, not containing the usual phraseology of a parable. Jesus usually began His parables by stating something to this effect, “The kingdom of God is like…”
In addition, the story could only be told by someone from eternity, seeing how it reveals events from eternity. This detail adds proof to Jesus’ claim to be God. Let’s review the story, shall we?
There was this rich man and there was this poor man, Larazus by name. The rich man was filthy rich and the poor man suffered from abject poverty. What’s more, the poor man was sickly—small wonder!—not having the means to pay medical expenses to care for himself.
Without money for food Larazus had to sit at the rich man’s door, in hopes of receiving some small token of charity from the rich man. Larazus served as the Lord’s opportunity for the rich man to do a righteous act.
Alas, but Larazus went unnoticed day after day, until one day he no longer sat at the rich man’s door. The Lord saw fit to promote Larazus to eternity, where at last he enjoyed his good things in Abraham’s bosom.
Then one day the rich man ceased to pass back and forth through his front door, the same door where Larazus once upon a time used to sit daily. The rich man’s hour glass ran out of sand, and the day of salvation ended for him. The Lord dispatched him to Hades, a place we should never wish upon anyone.
In Hades the rich man was in torment. He was able to see Lazarus enjoying himself in comfort and spiritual contentment. And there was Abraham right there with Lazarus.
Calling out to Abraham the erstwhile rich man pleaded, “Father Abraham, I am parched and suffer the most intense and searing pain. Please have Lazarus dip his finger in some water and come here to touch my tongue with a drop of the moisture.”
Abraham explained that no one was permitted to travel between the two locations. To this the rich man responded, “Then please send Larzarus to my five brothers who are still alive, with a message to warn them of what’s in store for them if they don’t repent.”
“Oh no,” Abraham rejoined. “Can’t do that either. They can read the Word of God and learn that information.”
Not wanting to stop the horse in the middle of the stream, nonetheless our time is up. The horse can drink his fill and we can spend time with the Lord while he drinks. We’ll continue this study tomorrow.
To further research this issue, I direct you to my book Leviticus: Volume 3 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. To purchase my books please go to:
http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B005PJ761C
https://sites.google.com/site/heavenl...
Missouri, the Show Me State – Part 2
If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be persuaded even if someone rises from the dead [Luke 16:31].
Yesterday we paused in Hades, where the rich man wanted Lazarus to return to earth and warn his five brothers to repent. Abraham denied the rich man’s request, noting that the five brothers could read the Word of God and learn of their need to repent. Let’s continue from there now.
Hades was so unbearable that the rich man was truly worried sick about his five brothers’. So he pleaded with Abraham, “They won’t listen to the Word of God, Father Abraham. But if someone were to return from the dead, then they’d listen!”
Isn’t that what all of us believe deep down? If the secrets of our hearts were laid bear for all to see, the truth would express itself something like this: “Show me a mighty miracle, and then I’ll believe whatever it is you’re selling, God! But some of the things in the Bible, well, it’s expecting a little much to hold me to them, don’t you think?”
This is where the conclusion to Jesus’ story comes into play, dear friends. We quoted it at the start of this study. What did Abraham answer the rich man? Just this: if your five brothers won’t listen to the written Word of God, they won’t be convinced by someone rising from the dead either.
Do you hear Father Abraham, dear friends? Do his words ring in your ears and descend into the depths of your heart? The written Word of God takes priority over miracles any day of the week, even such an astounding miracle as the resurrection of Jesus Christ!
The purpose of miracles was never to convince people to repent and be saved. Miracles never did achieve such a result. Miracles served to confirm that a prophet was truly sent from God. Miracles also confirmed that what was written by prophets and apostles was the inspired written Word of God.
But miracles never have, don’t now, and never will serve to convert anyone to salvation. The Word of God is required to do that, along with the Holy Spirit to impress the Word of God on the person, so that he is convicted of his sins and brought repentance.
The story of Lazarus and the rich man foretold the resurrection of Jesus Christ and what would follow. Those who believed before the resurrection continued to believe after the resurrection. Unbelievers before the resurrection continued in their unbelief after the resurrection.
The purpose of the resurrection was not to convince anyone of the truth. The resurrection was the necessary outcome of the crucifixion. By means of the resurrection Jesus was declared to be the Son of God with power (cf., Romans 1:4). He died, yes, but death could not keep its hold on the Author of life.
By means of the crucifixion Jesus paid the penalty for the sins of all mankind. By means of the resurrection Jesus’ death was proven to be accepted by the Father as payment for the sins of all mankind.
But no one present at the crucifixion could see with the visible eye that the penalty for his sins was paid. Nor could they view the empty tomb and see with the naked eye that the Father accepted this payment. Only the eye of faith can see these and all spiritual truths. Faith comes from hearing the Word of God, not from observing miracles.
There is this saying, “I’m from Missouri. You got to show me.” No offense intended for any of our Missouri friends, but let’s not take such an approach!
Let’s put our faith in the trustworthy Word of God, rather than in visible things like sign gifts and miracles, dear friends. By grace are we saved through faith.
To further research this issue, I direct you to my book Leviticus: Volume 3 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. To purchase my books please go to:
http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B005PJ761C
https://sites.google.com/site/heavenl...
Yesterday we paused in Hades, where the rich man wanted Lazarus to return to earth and warn his five brothers to repent. Abraham denied the rich man’s request, noting that the five brothers could read the Word of God and learn of their need to repent. Let’s continue from there now.
Hades was so unbearable that the rich man was truly worried sick about his five brothers’. So he pleaded with Abraham, “They won’t listen to the Word of God, Father Abraham. But if someone were to return from the dead, then they’d listen!”
Isn’t that what all of us believe deep down? If the secrets of our hearts were laid bear for all to see, the truth would express itself something like this: “Show me a mighty miracle, and then I’ll believe whatever it is you’re selling, God! But some of the things in the Bible, well, it’s expecting a little much to hold me to them, don’t you think?”
This is where the conclusion to Jesus’ story comes into play, dear friends. We quoted it at the start of this study. What did Abraham answer the rich man? Just this: if your five brothers won’t listen to the written Word of God, they won’t be convinced by someone rising from the dead either.
Do you hear Father Abraham, dear friends? Do his words ring in your ears and descend into the depths of your heart? The written Word of God takes priority over miracles any day of the week, even such an astounding miracle as the resurrection of Jesus Christ!
The purpose of miracles was never to convince people to repent and be saved. Miracles never did achieve such a result. Miracles served to confirm that a prophet was truly sent from God. Miracles also confirmed that what was written by prophets and apostles was the inspired written Word of God.
But miracles never have, don’t now, and never will serve to convert anyone to salvation. The Word of God is required to do that, along with the Holy Spirit to impress the Word of God on the person, so that he is convicted of his sins and brought repentance.
The story of Lazarus and the rich man foretold the resurrection of Jesus Christ and what would follow. Those who believed before the resurrection continued to believe after the resurrection. Unbelievers before the resurrection continued in their unbelief after the resurrection.
The purpose of the resurrection was not to convince anyone of the truth. The resurrection was the necessary outcome of the crucifixion. By means of the resurrection Jesus was declared to be the Son of God with power (cf., Romans 1:4). He died, yes, but death could not keep its hold on the Author of life.
By means of the crucifixion Jesus paid the penalty for the sins of all mankind. By means of the resurrection Jesus’ death was proven to be accepted by the Father as payment for the sins of all mankind.
But no one present at the crucifixion could see with the visible eye that the penalty for his sins was paid. Nor could they view the empty tomb and see with the naked eye that the Father accepted this payment. Only the eye of faith can see these and all spiritual truths. Faith comes from hearing the Word of God, not from observing miracles.
There is this saying, “I’m from Missouri. You got to show me.” No offense intended for any of our Missouri friends, but let’s not take such an approach!
Let’s put our faith in the trustworthy Word of God, rather than in visible things like sign gifts and miracles, dear friends. By grace are we saved through faith.
To further research this issue, I direct you to my book Leviticus: Volume 3 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. To purchase my books please go to:
http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B005PJ761C
https://sites.google.com/site/heavenl...
What's a "Mahanaim" – Part 1
“Only do not rebel against the Lord; and do not fear the people of the land, for they will be our prey. Their protection has been removed from them, and the Lord is with us; do not fear them.” But all the congregation said to stone them with stones. Then the glory of the Lord appeared in the tent of meeting to all the sons of Israel [Numbers 14:9-10].
In the schoolyard at elementary school the bullies tend to rule. The bullies are the biggest and baddest dudes, of course. If they can hoodwink the rest of the kids into being intimidated by their presence, then they continue to rule.
The next best thing to being the bully in the schoolyard is to be the bully’s best friend. No one picks on you then because no one wants to settle accounts with the bully. In effect the bully’s best friend has the stature of the bully himself.
The Israelites were at Kadesh-barnea. Two years prior they witnessed the Lord inflict the mighty Egyptian god, Pharaoh, with ten plagues, bringing bully Pharaoh to his knees in abject and unconditional surrender. This self-styled “god” cried “Uncle!” and pleaded for mercy from the Hebrew God, YHWH, i.e., the Lord. As terms of his surrender Pharaoh released the Israelites from slavery. Yea, he even begged them to leave his land!
The Israelites then marched to the Red Sea, where Pharaoh attempted to renege on his agreement to set the Israelites free. He charged after them, hemming them in between the Red Sea and his armies. Once again the Israelites witnessed the Lord inflict the mighty Egyptian god, Pharaoh, with utter defeat. Pharaoh and all his military were drowned in the Red Sea, while the Lord’s people Israel crossed the seabed on dry ground.
From there the Israelites marched to Mount Sinai, where they spent a year receiving the Lord’s legal code to govern them in the Promised Land. And they constructed the tabernacle worship structure and crafted the priests’ wardrobe. Now they were able to maintain a covenantal relationship with the Lord. All that was needed was a land to call their own.
So the Lord directed them to leave Mount Sinai and march to the southern border of the Promised Land. And that is how the Israelites found themselves at Kadesh-barnea. The city was on the southern reaches of the Promised Land, on the edge of the Sinai Peninsula.
The Lord directed the Israelites to enter the land, conquer the peoples living there, and exterminate them. The land was their inheritance from the Lord. The Israelites thought it wise to send spies in first to reconnoiter the terrain and peoples, so as to plot a proper military strategy for conquering the land.
The Lord permitted it, though He was none to pleased that they didn’t trust Him enough to enter and conquer the land. So twelve spies went into Canaan and surveilled the territory. Alas, but they didn’t return with a unanimous verdict.
Two spies sided with the Lord and wanted to enter the land and conquer it according to the Word of God. However, ten spies claimed the inhabitants were giants whom the Lord was too small to defeat! To make matters worse, the entire congregation of Israel sided with the ten timorous spies.
This is mind-boggling, dear friends! We need to take our leave for now and gather our thoughts at the feet of Jesus. We will continue this tale tomorrow.
To further research this issue, I direct you to my book Numbers: Volume 4 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. To purchase my books please go to:
http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B005PJ761C
https://sites.google.com/site/heavenl...
In the schoolyard at elementary school the bullies tend to rule. The bullies are the biggest and baddest dudes, of course. If they can hoodwink the rest of the kids into being intimidated by their presence, then they continue to rule.
The next best thing to being the bully in the schoolyard is to be the bully’s best friend. No one picks on you then because no one wants to settle accounts with the bully. In effect the bully’s best friend has the stature of the bully himself.
The Israelites were at Kadesh-barnea. Two years prior they witnessed the Lord inflict the mighty Egyptian god, Pharaoh, with ten plagues, bringing bully Pharaoh to his knees in abject and unconditional surrender. This self-styled “god” cried “Uncle!” and pleaded for mercy from the Hebrew God, YHWH, i.e., the Lord. As terms of his surrender Pharaoh released the Israelites from slavery. Yea, he even begged them to leave his land!
The Israelites then marched to the Red Sea, where Pharaoh attempted to renege on his agreement to set the Israelites free. He charged after them, hemming them in between the Red Sea and his armies. Once again the Israelites witnessed the Lord inflict the mighty Egyptian god, Pharaoh, with utter defeat. Pharaoh and all his military were drowned in the Red Sea, while the Lord’s people Israel crossed the seabed on dry ground.
From there the Israelites marched to Mount Sinai, where they spent a year receiving the Lord’s legal code to govern them in the Promised Land. And they constructed the tabernacle worship structure and crafted the priests’ wardrobe. Now they were able to maintain a covenantal relationship with the Lord. All that was needed was a land to call their own.
So the Lord directed them to leave Mount Sinai and march to the southern border of the Promised Land. And that is how the Israelites found themselves at Kadesh-barnea. The city was on the southern reaches of the Promised Land, on the edge of the Sinai Peninsula.
The Lord directed the Israelites to enter the land, conquer the peoples living there, and exterminate them. The land was their inheritance from the Lord. The Israelites thought it wise to send spies in first to reconnoiter the terrain and peoples, so as to plot a proper military strategy for conquering the land.
The Lord permitted it, though He was none to pleased that they didn’t trust Him enough to enter and conquer the land. So twelve spies went into Canaan and surveilled the territory. Alas, but they didn’t return with a unanimous verdict.
Two spies sided with the Lord and wanted to enter the land and conquer it according to the Word of God. However, ten spies claimed the inhabitants were giants whom the Lord was too small to defeat! To make matters worse, the entire congregation of Israel sided with the ten timorous spies.
This is mind-boggling, dear friends! We need to take our leave for now and gather our thoughts at the feet of Jesus. We will continue this tale tomorrow.
To further research this issue, I direct you to my book Numbers: Volume 4 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. To purchase my books please go to:
http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B005PJ761C
https://sites.google.com/site/heavenl...
What’s a “Mahanaim” - Part 2
“Only do not rebel against the Lord; and do not fear the people of the land, for they will be our prey. Their protection has been removed from them, and the Lord is with us; do not fear them.” But all the congregation said to stone them with stones. Then the glory of the Lord appeared in the tent of meeting to all the sons of Israel [Numbers 14:9-10].
Incredible. Utterly incredible. Ten spies and all Israel witnessed the Lord bring the mighty Pharaoh to his knees. Egypt was the world power of the day, and the Canaanites cowered before Pharaoh. If the Lord made mincemeat of Pharaoh, how could the Israelites believe He was impotent against the Canaanites?! Sin makes us crazy, dear friends. Sin makes us wicked crazy.
The two faithful spies were Joshua bin Nun and Caleb ben Jephunneh. In the Bible verses quoted to kickoff this study, the words in quotation marks were spoken by them. Those words were their ticket into the Promised Land.
Standing opposite those two were the other ten spies, with all the Israelites on their side. Let me tell you, those guys were schoolyard bullies! As reported in the Bible verse, all the Israelites wanted to stone Joshua and Caleb. We might be inclined to ask them why.
I mean, they saw with their own eyes how the Lord put the lumber to the side of Pharaoh’s head and set him straight. It didn’t even require faith to trust the Lord for victory. Eyesight sufficed in their case! But no, they preferred to disobey the Word of God because there wasn’t a soupçon of true spirituality in them.
The Israelites looked at the enemy, then they gazed at themselves, and they drew their conclusions based upon what they saw at the time. This is known in Scripture as walking by sight. Trouble is, without faith it is impossible to please God. They needed to walk by faith in the Word of God. That is how we depend on God to solve the problem.
So there were Joshua and Caleb on one side, and over against them were the other 3½ million Israelites. Joshua and Caleb exhorted them to obey the Word of God. The 3½ million folks threatened to stone Joshua and Caleb to death. But the Lord…
Ah, throughout history those words have spelled the conclusion to the matter. They did so in Egypt. They did so at the Red Sea. They did so at Mount Sinai. And guess what? They did so at Kadesh-barnea too.
The Lord appeared in the tent of meeting as the Shekinah glory, and the matter was resolved pronto. The adult Israelites would not be permitted to enter the Promised Land and receive it as their inheritance because they hadn’t faith in the Word of God. Instead, they would walk the desert sands for another thirty-eight years, until the entire lot of them had died.
After they died, their grown children would be permitted the pleasure of entering the land, conquering it, and receiving it as their inheritance. Joshua and Caleb were the only adult Israelites at Kadesh-barnea who would enter with the younger generation thirty-eight years thence.
The picture painted by the two Bible verses we quoted is an exact replica of all human history. The world stage is composed of two camps:
1. the Lord
2. mankind
Mankind is made up of two camps (aka Mahanaim):
1. those with faith in the Word of God
2. those without faith in the Word of God
It has always been this way, it is this way now, and it will be this way until Jesus comes again and sets all things right. Every human being is permitted to choose whom he will serve. We can choose to believe the Word of God and act accordingly, or we can choose to believe self and act in kind.
So which camp are you in?
To further research this issue, I direct you to my book Numbers: Volume 4 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. To purchase my books please go to:
http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B005PJ761C
https://sites.google.com/site/heavenl...
Incredible. Utterly incredible. Ten spies and all Israel witnessed the Lord bring the mighty Pharaoh to his knees. Egypt was the world power of the day, and the Canaanites cowered before Pharaoh. If the Lord made mincemeat of Pharaoh, how could the Israelites believe He was impotent against the Canaanites?! Sin makes us crazy, dear friends. Sin makes us wicked crazy.
The two faithful spies were Joshua bin Nun and Caleb ben Jephunneh. In the Bible verses quoted to kickoff this study, the words in quotation marks were spoken by them. Those words were their ticket into the Promised Land.
Standing opposite those two were the other ten spies, with all the Israelites on their side. Let me tell you, those guys were schoolyard bullies! As reported in the Bible verse, all the Israelites wanted to stone Joshua and Caleb. We might be inclined to ask them why.
I mean, they saw with their own eyes how the Lord put the lumber to the side of Pharaoh’s head and set him straight. It didn’t even require faith to trust the Lord for victory. Eyesight sufficed in their case! But no, they preferred to disobey the Word of God because there wasn’t a soupçon of true spirituality in them.
The Israelites looked at the enemy, then they gazed at themselves, and they drew their conclusions based upon what they saw at the time. This is known in Scripture as walking by sight. Trouble is, without faith it is impossible to please God. They needed to walk by faith in the Word of God. That is how we depend on God to solve the problem.
So there were Joshua and Caleb on one side, and over against them were the other 3½ million Israelites. Joshua and Caleb exhorted them to obey the Word of God. The 3½ million folks threatened to stone Joshua and Caleb to death. But the Lord…
Ah, throughout history those words have spelled the conclusion to the matter. They did so in Egypt. They did so at the Red Sea. They did so at Mount Sinai. And guess what? They did so at Kadesh-barnea too.
The Lord appeared in the tent of meeting as the Shekinah glory, and the matter was resolved pronto. The adult Israelites would not be permitted to enter the Promised Land and receive it as their inheritance because they hadn’t faith in the Word of God. Instead, they would walk the desert sands for another thirty-eight years, until the entire lot of them had died.
After they died, their grown children would be permitted the pleasure of entering the land, conquering it, and receiving it as their inheritance. Joshua and Caleb were the only adult Israelites at Kadesh-barnea who would enter with the younger generation thirty-eight years thence.
The picture painted by the two Bible verses we quoted is an exact replica of all human history. The world stage is composed of two camps:
1. the Lord
2. mankind
Mankind is made up of two camps (aka Mahanaim):
1. those with faith in the Word of God
2. those without faith in the Word of God
It has always been this way, it is this way now, and it will be this way until Jesus comes again and sets all things right. Every human being is permitted to choose whom he will serve. We can choose to believe the Word of God and act accordingly, or we can choose to believe self and act in kind.
So which camp are you in?
To further research this issue, I direct you to my book Numbers: Volume 4 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. To purchase my books please go to:
http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B005PJ761C
https://sites.google.com/site/heavenl...
Missouri, the Show Me State – Part 1
If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be persuaded even if someone rises from the dead [Luke 16:31].
I’ve had occasion over the years to hear it all, or at least most of it! One common statement coming from folks who stepped in it goes like this, “If only I had known, I wouldn’t have done what I did.” Perhaps not. Just perhaps. But then again…
It is troubling to hear suchlike talk, mainly because the words usually amount to no more than rationalization. The person speaking wants to explain away his guilt and make himself innocent, without ever being sorry for his wrong. He is attempting to induce sympathy.
Most of us are familiar with Jesus’ story of the rich man and Lazarus, at least partially so. I refer to it as Jesus’ story and not His parable because I don’t believe it to be a parable at all. It was a true story by the telling of it, not containing the usual phraseology of a parable. Jesus usually began His parables by stating something to this effect, “The kingdom of God is like…”
In addition, the story could only be told by someone from eternity, seeing how it reveals events from eternity. This detail adds proof to Jesus’ claim to be God. Let’s review the story, shall we?
There was this rich man and there was this poor man, Larazus by name. The rich man was filthy rich and the poor man suffered from abject poverty. What’s more, the poor man was sickly—small wonder!—not having the means to pay medical expenses to care for himself.
Without money for food Larazus had to sit at the rich man’s door, in hopes of receiving some small token of charity from the rich man. Larazus served as the Lord’s opportunity for the rich man to do a righteous act.
Alas, but Larazus went unnoticed day after day, until one day he no longer sat at the rich man’s door. The Lord saw fit to promote Larazus to eternity, where at last he enjoyed his good things in Abraham’s bosom.
Then one day the rich man ceased to pass back and forth through his front door, the same door where Larazus once upon a time used to sit daily. The rich man’s hour glass ran out of sand, and the day of salvation ended for him. The Lord dispatched him to Hades, a place we should never wish upon anyone.
In Hades the rich man was in torment. He was able to see Lazarus enjoying himself in comfort and spiritual contentment. And there was Abraham right there with Lazarus.
Calling out to Abraham the erstwhile rich man pleaded, “Father Abraham, I am parched and suffer the most intense and searing pain. Please have Lazarus dip his finger in some water and come here to touch my tongue with a drop of the moisture.”
Abraham explained that no one was permitted to travel between the two locations. To this the rich man responded, “Then please send Larzarus to my five brothers who are still alive, with a message to warn them of what’s in store for them if they don’t repent.”
“Oh no,” Abraham rejoined. “Can’t do that either. They can read the Word of God and learn that information.”
Not wanting to stop the horse in the middle of the stream, nonetheless our time is up. The horse can drink his fill and we can spend time with the Lord while he drinks. We’ll continue this study tomorrow.
To further research this issue, I direct you to my book Leviticus: Volume 3 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. To purchase my books please go to:
http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B005PJ761C
https://sites.google.com/site/heavenl...
I’ve had occasion over the years to hear it all, or at least most of it! One common statement coming from folks who stepped in it goes like this, “If only I had known, I wouldn’t have done what I did.” Perhaps not. Just perhaps. But then again…
It is troubling to hear suchlike talk, mainly because the words usually amount to no more than rationalization. The person speaking wants to explain away his guilt and make himself innocent, without ever being sorry for his wrong. He is attempting to induce sympathy.
Most of us are familiar with Jesus’ story of the rich man and Lazarus, at least partially so. I refer to it as Jesus’ story and not His parable because I don’t believe it to be a parable at all. It was a true story by the telling of it, not containing the usual phraseology of a parable. Jesus usually began His parables by stating something to this effect, “The kingdom of God is like…”
In addition, the story could only be told by someone from eternity, seeing how it reveals events from eternity. This detail adds proof to Jesus’ claim to be God. Let’s review the story, shall we?
There was this rich man and there was this poor man, Larazus by name. The rich man was filthy rich and the poor man suffered from abject poverty. What’s more, the poor man was sickly—small wonder!—not having the means to pay medical expenses to care for himself.
Without money for food Larazus had to sit at the rich man’s door, in hopes of receiving some small token of charity from the rich man. Larazus served as the Lord’s opportunity for the rich man to do a righteous act.
Alas, but Larazus went unnoticed day after day, until one day he no longer sat at the rich man’s door. The Lord saw fit to promote Larazus to eternity, where at last he enjoyed his good things in Abraham’s bosom.
Then one day the rich man ceased to pass back and forth through his front door, the same door where Larazus once upon a time used to sit daily. The rich man’s hour glass ran out of sand, and the day of salvation ended for him. The Lord dispatched him to Hades, a place we should never wish upon anyone.
In Hades the rich man was in torment. He was able to see Lazarus enjoying himself in comfort and spiritual contentment. And there was Abraham right there with Lazarus.
Calling out to Abraham the erstwhile rich man pleaded, “Father Abraham, I am parched and suffer the most intense and searing pain. Please have Lazarus dip his finger in some water and come here to touch my tongue with a drop of the moisture.”
Abraham explained that no one was permitted to travel between the two locations. To this the rich man responded, “Then please send Larzarus to my five brothers who are still alive, with a message to warn them of what’s in store for them if they don’t repent.”
“Oh no,” Abraham rejoined. “Can’t do that either. They can read the Word of God and learn that information.”
Not wanting to stop the horse in the middle of the stream, nonetheless our time is up. The horse can drink his fill and we can spend time with the Lord while he drinks. We’ll continue this study tomorrow.
To further research this issue, I direct you to my book Leviticus: Volume 3 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. To purchase my books please go to:
http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B005PJ761C
https://sites.google.com/site/heavenl...
Missouri, the Show Me State – Part 2
If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be persuaded even if someone rises from the dead [Luke 16:31].
Yesterday we paused in Hades, where the rich man wanted Lazarus to return to earth and warn his five brothers to repent. Abraham denied the rich man’s request, noting that the five brothers could read the Word of God and learn of their need to repent. Let’s continue from there now.
Hades was so unbearable that the rich man was truly worried sick about his five brothers’. So he pleaded with Abraham, “They won’t listen to the Word of God, Father Abraham. But if someone were to return from the dead, then they’d listen!”
Isn’t that what all of us believe deep down? If the secrets of our hearts were laid bear for all to see, the truth would express itself something like this: “Show me a mighty miracle, and then I’ll believe whatever it is you’re selling, God! But some of the things in the Bible, well, it’s expecting a little much to hold me to them, don’t you think?”
This is where the conclusion to Jesus’ story comes into play, dear friends. We quoted it at the start of this study. What did Abraham answer the rich man? Just this: if your five brothers won’t listen to the written Word of God, they won’t be convinced by someone rising from the dead either.
Do you hear Father Abraham, dear friends? Do his words ring in your ears and descend into the depths of your heart? The written Word of God takes priority over miracles any day of the week, even such an astounding miracle as the resurrection of Jesus Christ!
The purpose of miracles was never to convince people to repent and be saved. Miracles never did achieve such a result. Miracles served to confirm that a prophet was truly sent from God. Miracles also confirmed that what was written by prophets and apostles was the inspired written Word of God.
But miracles never have, don’t now, and never will serve to convert anyone to salvation. The Word of God is required to do that, along with the Holy Spirit to impress the Word of God on the person, so that he is convicted of his sins and brought to repentance.
The story of Lazarus and the rich man foretold the resurrection of Jesus Christ and what would follow. Those who believed before the resurrection continued to believe after the resurrection. Unbelievers before the resurrection continued in their unbelief after the resurrection.
The purpose of the resurrection was not to convince anyone of the truth. The resurrection was the necessary outcome of the crucifixion. By means of the resurrection Jesus was declared to be the Son of God with power (cf., Romans 1:4). He died, yes, but death could not keep its hold on the Author of life.
By means of the crucifixion Jesus paid the penalty for the sins of all mankind. By means of the resurrection Jesus’ death was proven to be accepted by the Father as payment for the sins of all mankind.
But no one present at the crucifixion could see with the visible eye that the penalty for his sins was paid. Nor could they view the empty tomb and see with the naked eye that the Father accepted this payment. Only the eye of faith can see these and all spiritual truths. Faith comes from hearing the Word of God, not from observing miracles.
There is this saying, “I’m from Missouri. You got to show me.” No offense intended for any of our Missouri friends, but let’s not take such an approach!
Let’s put our faith in the trustworthy Word of God, rather than in visible things like sign gifts and miracles, dear friends. By grace are we saved through faith.
To further research this issue, I direct you to my book Leviticus: Volume 3 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. To purchase my books please go to:
http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B005PJ761C
https://sites.google.com/site/heavenl...
Yesterday we paused in Hades, where the rich man wanted Lazarus to return to earth and warn his five brothers to repent. Abraham denied the rich man’s request, noting that the five brothers could read the Word of God and learn of their need to repent. Let’s continue from there now.
Hades was so unbearable that the rich man was truly worried sick about his five brothers’. So he pleaded with Abraham, “They won’t listen to the Word of God, Father Abraham. But if someone were to return from the dead, then they’d listen!”
Isn’t that what all of us believe deep down? If the secrets of our hearts were laid bear for all to see, the truth would express itself something like this: “Show me a mighty miracle, and then I’ll believe whatever it is you’re selling, God! But some of the things in the Bible, well, it’s expecting a little much to hold me to them, don’t you think?”
This is where the conclusion to Jesus’ story comes into play, dear friends. We quoted it at the start of this study. What did Abraham answer the rich man? Just this: if your five brothers won’t listen to the written Word of God, they won’t be convinced by someone rising from the dead either.
Do you hear Father Abraham, dear friends? Do his words ring in your ears and descend into the depths of your heart? The written Word of God takes priority over miracles any day of the week, even such an astounding miracle as the resurrection of Jesus Christ!
The purpose of miracles was never to convince people to repent and be saved. Miracles never did achieve such a result. Miracles served to confirm that a prophet was truly sent from God. Miracles also confirmed that what was written by prophets and apostles was the inspired written Word of God.
But miracles never have, don’t now, and never will serve to convert anyone to salvation. The Word of God is required to do that, along with the Holy Spirit to impress the Word of God on the person, so that he is convicted of his sins and brought to repentance.
The story of Lazarus and the rich man foretold the resurrection of Jesus Christ and what would follow. Those who believed before the resurrection continued to believe after the resurrection. Unbelievers before the resurrection continued in their unbelief after the resurrection.
The purpose of the resurrection was not to convince anyone of the truth. The resurrection was the necessary outcome of the crucifixion. By means of the resurrection Jesus was declared to be the Son of God with power (cf., Romans 1:4). He died, yes, but death could not keep its hold on the Author of life.
By means of the crucifixion Jesus paid the penalty for the sins of all mankind. By means of the resurrection Jesus’ death was proven to be accepted by the Father as payment for the sins of all mankind.
But no one present at the crucifixion could see with the visible eye that the penalty for his sins was paid. Nor could they view the empty tomb and see with the naked eye that the Father accepted this payment. Only the eye of faith can see these and all spiritual truths. Faith comes from hearing the Word of God, not from observing miracles.
There is this saying, “I’m from Missouri. You got to show me.” No offense intended for any of our Missouri friends, but let’s not take such an approach!
Let’s put our faith in the trustworthy Word of God, rather than in visible things like sign gifts and miracles, dear friends. By grace are we saved through faith.
To further research this issue, I direct you to my book Leviticus: Volume 3 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. To purchase my books please go to:
http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B005PJ761C
https://sites.google.com/site/heavenl...
