Randy Green's Blog, page 431
November 1, 2013
The Town Crier – Part 1
Righteousness and justice are the foundation of Your throne; lovingkindness and truth go before You [Psalm 89:14].
The town was in a state of waiting and uneasiness. Folks hustled hither and yon to get the latest scoop on events of import to their community, as well as to share their gossip and opinions about the whole affair. You could cut the suspense in the atmosphere with a knife.
Inside the halls of government important decisions were being decided. The populace was divided over the issues and the results were bound to please some while alienating others to the extreme. No one wanted what could potentially transpire to actually occur, once the decisions were announced.
Outside in the streets it was getting dark. The town authorities had worked overtime trying to resolve what might ignite a powder keg of political upheaval. Law enforcement was put on the alert, and every officer was called into duty. The atmosphere was electric.
Suddenly a voice rang out through the night air, echoing like a ricocheting bullet down the streets and alleys of the town. It was the town crier, bedecked in his official garb of robe and breeches and boots, a tricorne hat on his head customary of colonial times. In his hand was a bell, and he was ringing it energetically.
“Hear ye! Hear ye! Hear ye!” were his opening words. Every person stopped dead in his tracks. All tongues ceased to wag and every mouth was stopped. No one wanted to miss out on the official town announcement. The outcome of the governmental business conducted behind closed doors was about to be revealed.
The entire populace of the town hung on the town crier’s every word. Their fate was about to be revealed. Would the old country be imported to the new, or would the new country remain new? Whatever decision was made, serious and severe repercussions were certain to follow.
Such was the scene back in the day, when the town criers played such a vital role in political affairs. Truth be told, in extreme cases it was not a good thing to be the town crier. He was only the messenger, yes, but messengers have been known to pay the price for the decisions of their superiors. The adage “Don’t shoot the messenger!” comes to mind.
In our Bible verse today a town crier is making the rounds of the town streets. The governmental decisions of the King of kings and Lord of lords are announced by him. He too is bedecked in official garb, and it is most exquisite.
Why don’t you come along with me, and we will go and hear what announcements he has to make. I am sure the announcements will be quite relevant to our day-to-day existence. Indeed they will determine the course not only of our earthly existence, but also of our eternal state.
So what are you waiting for? Let’s prepare our hearts and minds to receive the announcements from our Lord. We will then go forth to hear them on the morrow.
To further research this issue, I direct you to my book Genesis: Volume 1 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. To purchase my books please go to:
http://www.amazon.com/Randy-Green/e/B...
https://sites.google.com/site/heavenl...
The town was in a state of waiting and uneasiness. Folks hustled hither and yon to get the latest scoop on events of import to their community, as well as to share their gossip and opinions about the whole affair. You could cut the suspense in the atmosphere with a knife.
Inside the halls of government important decisions were being decided. The populace was divided over the issues and the results were bound to please some while alienating others to the extreme. No one wanted what could potentially transpire to actually occur, once the decisions were announced.
Outside in the streets it was getting dark. The town authorities had worked overtime trying to resolve what might ignite a powder keg of political upheaval. Law enforcement was put on the alert, and every officer was called into duty. The atmosphere was electric.
Suddenly a voice rang out through the night air, echoing like a ricocheting bullet down the streets and alleys of the town. It was the town crier, bedecked in his official garb of robe and breeches and boots, a tricorne hat on his head customary of colonial times. In his hand was a bell, and he was ringing it energetically.
“Hear ye! Hear ye! Hear ye!” were his opening words. Every person stopped dead in his tracks. All tongues ceased to wag and every mouth was stopped. No one wanted to miss out on the official town announcement. The outcome of the governmental business conducted behind closed doors was about to be revealed.
The entire populace of the town hung on the town crier’s every word. Their fate was about to be revealed. Would the old country be imported to the new, or would the new country remain new? Whatever decision was made, serious and severe repercussions were certain to follow.
Such was the scene back in the day, when the town criers played such a vital role in political affairs. Truth be told, in extreme cases it was not a good thing to be the town crier. He was only the messenger, yes, but messengers have been known to pay the price for the decisions of their superiors. The adage “Don’t shoot the messenger!” comes to mind.
In our Bible verse today a town crier is making the rounds of the town streets. The governmental decisions of the King of kings and Lord of lords are announced by him. He too is bedecked in official garb, and it is most exquisite.
Why don’t you come along with me, and we will go and hear what announcements he has to make. I am sure the announcements will be quite relevant to our day-to-day existence. Indeed they will determine the course not only of our earthly existence, but also of our eternal state.
So what are you waiting for? Let’s prepare our hearts and minds to receive the announcements from our Lord. We will then go forth to hear them on the morrow.
To further research this issue, I direct you to my book Genesis: Volume 1 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. To purchase my books please go to:
http://www.amazon.com/Randy-Green/e/B...
https://sites.google.com/site/heavenl...
Published on November 01, 2013 22:21
•
Tags:
forerunner, foundation, grace, harbinger, herald, justice, law, lovingkindness, psalm-89, righteousness, truth
October 31, 2013
Spank the Baby! – Part 4
When He killed them, then they sought Him, and returned and searched diligently for God; and they remembered that God was their rock, and the Most High God their Redeemer [Psalm 78:34-35].
If my son misbehaved and was taken to the woodshed for a deeper understanding, his sister didn’t need to learn the same lesson in the woodshed. She chose to learn vicariously from her brother’s chastisement. It hurts considerably less!
This is the concept depicted by the Psalmist, regarding Father God’s parenting mannerisms with His kids, the Israelites. The Israelites more often than not were incorrigible rebels. They thrived on holding public demonstrations in the city square against the injustices of the Lord’s rule. They followed it up with building barricades and storming the Bastille.
The Word of God commanded they obey His Law. When they did so He blessed them. When they didn’t He chastised them. After He chastised them the survivors repented, snapped to attention, and made it a point to be on their best behavior. Again the Lord blessed them.
Blessings are infinitely more dangerous than curses, dear friends. Blessings tend to promote indifference and lassitude in those who are blessed, you see, resulting in feckless folks who are of no earthly good to the Lord’s family. When they were blessed, the Israelites grew fat heads and resented it whenever the blessings weren’t increasingly abundant.
Accordingly they rebelled again and suffered the Lord’s chastisement some more. The survivors again repented and put their best foot forward, and the Lord restored them and blessed them again. It was a vicious circle. I tell you, blessings are infinitely more dangerous than curses.
I know a young man who has yet to learn this lesson. Truth be told, I could probably count on one hand how many young men today have learned this lesson, and still have enough fingers left over to count the pennies in a nickel!
Like a sponge this young man sucks up the Lord’s blessings. He takes them all in, enjoys himself as he pampers his lusts, and believes they are his right. He is entitled to easy living, you see. The considerable gifts given him by the Spirit are his, not the Lord’s. He uses them to feather his own nest, not build the Body of Christ.
Should he persist in this foolish course of action, I am waiting to see how long it will be before the Lord inflicts severe chastisement on him. I know the Lord loves him too much to allow him to squander his talents on his own lusts. It will not end in a pretty sight at the Bema of Christ, His judgment seat for His kids where rewards are given for service to Him.
If we won’t learn from history, we are doomed to repeat it. This young man has been gifted for the ministry. His gifts are not meant to be used to have a grand old time performing secular jobs for the young man’s ego and financial success.
If he would only learn from the history recorded in Psalm 78, it would spare him grievous vexation at the Bema. Indeed, the vexation will most certainly commence long before eternity. Woe is this young man, if he won’t learn from Israel’s history. He knows better!
May we know better, O Lord. Amen.
To further research this issue, I direct you to my book Deuteronomy: Volume 5 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. To purchase my books please go to:
http://www.amazon.com/Randy-Green/e/B...
https://sites.google.com/site/heavenl...
If my son misbehaved and was taken to the woodshed for a deeper understanding, his sister didn’t need to learn the same lesson in the woodshed. She chose to learn vicariously from her brother’s chastisement. It hurts considerably less!
This is the concept depicted by the Psalmist, regarding Father God’s parenting mannerisms with His kids, the Israelites. The Israelites more often than not were incorrigible rebels. They thrived on holding public demonstrations in the city square against the injustices of the Lord’s rule. They followed it up with building barricades and storming the Bastille.
The Word of God commanded they obey His Law. When they did so He blessed them. When they didn’t He chastised them. After He chastised them the survivors repented, snapped to attention, and made it a point to be on their best behavior. Again the Lord blessed them.
Blessings are infinitely more dangerous than curses, dear friends. Blessings tend to promote indifference and lassitude in those who are blessed, you see, resulting in feckless folks who are of no earthly good to the Lord’s family. When they were blessed, the Israelites grew fat heads and resented it whenever the blessings weren’t increasingly abundant.
Accordingly they rebelled again and suffered the Lord’s chastisement some more. The survivors again repented and put their best foot forward, and the Lord restored them and blessed them again. It was a vicious circle. I tell you, blessings are infinitely more dangerous than curses.
I know a young man who has yet to learn this lesson. Truth be told, I could probably count on one hand how many young men today have learned this lesson, and still have enough fingers left over to count the pennies in a nickel!
Like a sponge this young man sucks up the Lord’s blessings. He takes them all in, enjoys himself as he pampers his lusts, and believes they are his right. He is entitled to easy living, you see. The considerable gifts given him by the Spirit are his, not the Lord’s. He uses them to feather his own nest, not build the Body of Christ.
Should he persist in this foolish course of action, I am waiting to see how long it will be before the Lord inflicts severe chastisement on him. I know the Lord loves him too much to allow him to squander his talents on his own lusts. It will not end in a pretty sight at the Bema of Christ, His judgment seat for His kids where rewards are given for service to Him.
If we won’t learn from history, we are doomed to repeat it. This young man has been gifted for the ministry. His gifts are not meant to be used to have a grand old time performing secular jobs for the young man’s ego and financial success.
If he would only learn from the history recorded in Psalm 78, it would spare him grievous vexation at the Bema. Indeed, the vexation will most certainly commence long before eternity. Woe is this young man, if he won’t learn from Israel’s history. He knows better!
May we know better, O Lord. Amen.
To further research this issue, I direct you to my book Deuteronomy: Volume 5 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. To purchase my books please go to:
http://www.amazon.com/Randy-Green/e/B...
https://sites.google.com/site/heavenl...
Published on October 31, 2013 22:04
•
Tags:
chastisement, child-rearing, discipline, hebrews-12, parenting, psalm-78, rebellion, training-in-righteousness
October 30, 2013
Spank the Baby! – Part 3
When He killed them, then they sought Him, and returned and searched diligently for God; and they remembered that God was their rock, and the Most High God their Redeemer [Psalm 78:34-35].
When a parent punishes his child for disobedience, it is meant as chastisement, not judgment and condemnation. It is meant to teach the child that what he has done is a no-no, and that he needs to desist doing it and ask for forgiveness. This is how families function.
It is quite otherwise with folks not a part of the same family. I never took the time to chastise the neighbors’ kids. It wasn’t my responsibility or my place. If things had become too difficult with any of the neighbors, it would have resulted in strife, not chastisement. It might even have led to a court case, but a spanking would never be on the agenda for differences between the neighbors and myself.
So it was (and is) with differences between the Lord and the peoples of the world. As God He is in charge of every person and every nation. He is like the government, not like everyone’s good friend. All persons must obey or else. As the Lord he is in covenantal relationship with His people. This is personal, like a spiritual family.
As the governmental authority God judges all men and sentences them to their just desserts. As the head of the family the Lord rears His kids to function righteously in His family, and He chastises us when we don’t.
Notice how the Psalmist portrays the Lord’s chastisement of the Israelites: “He killed them”! Huh? That doesn’t compute. God does that with the people of the world, the devil’s kids. He is supposed to chastise His own kids, not kill them. That sounds like a judge sentencing a criminal to death row, not a father disciplining his kids. What gives?
And a right fine query it is too. I’ll tell you what I find more curious than that. What follows is inexplicable. What did the Israelites do when the Lord killed them? We would think to read that they died. Right? Well, we don’t! We read,
Then they sought Him, and returned and searched diligently for God.
Strange doings for folks who have just been killed, wouldn’t you agree?
This curiosity affords us the context for understanding what is being taught, dear friends. It’s not just poetic license, as if to say the Lord didn’t really kill them. He indeed did literally kill them. Those He killed didn’t “seek Him”. The dead didn’t “return and search diligently for God”. But the survivors got the hint when they saw Father God kill the rebels, and they changed their ways pronto! They were the ones who returned and sought Him.
So the context has to do with the entire family of God, not merely with individual rebels in the family. Some of the kids rebelled and were used as examples of how not to behave in the family. Others saw the consequences of the wrong behaviors and learned better than to imitate the rebels. That is what the Lord did vis-à-vis the Israelites, as depicted by the Psalmist.
We will delve a little deeper into this concept in our next study. Now let’s spend some quiet time with Jesus.
To further research this issue, I direct you to my book Deuteronomy: Volume 5 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. To purchase my books please go to:
http://www.amazon.com/Randy-Green/e/B...
https://sites.google.com/site/heavenl...
When a parent punishes his child for disobedience, it is meant as chastisement, not judgment and condemnation. It is meant to teach the child that what he has done is a no-no, and that he needs to desist doing it and ask for forgiveness. This is how families function.
It is quite otherwise with folks not a part of the same family. I never took the time to chastise the neighbors’ kids. It wasn’t my responsibility or my place. If things had become too difficult with any of the neighbors, it would have resulted in strife, not chastisement. It might even have led to a court case, but a spanking would never be on the agenda for differences between the neighbors and myself.
So it was (and is) with differences between the Lord and the peoples of the world. As God He is in charge of every person and every nation. He is like the government, not like everyone’s good friend. All persons must obey or else. As the Lord he is in covenantal relationship with His people. This is personal, like a spiritual family.
As the governmental authority God judges all men and sentences them to their just desserts. As the head of the family the Lord rears His kids to function righteously in His family, and He chastises us when we don’t.
Notice how the Psalmist portrays the Lord’s chastisement of the Israelites: “He killed them”! Huh? That doesn’t compute. God does that with the people of the world, the devil’s kids. He is supposed to chastise His own kids, not kill them. That sounds like a judge sentencing a criminal to death row, not a father disciplining his kids. What gives?
And a right fine query it is too. I’ll tell you what I find more curious than that. What follows is inexplicable. What did the Israelites do when the Lord killed them? We would think to read that they died. Right? Well, we don’t! We read,
Then they sought Him, and returned and searched diligently for God.
Strange doings for folks who have just been killed, wouldn’t you agree?
This curiosity affords us the context for understanding what is being taught, dear friends. It’s not just poetic license, as if to say the Lord didn’t really kill them. He indeed did literally kill them. Those He killed didn’t “seek Him”. The dead didn’t “return and search diligently for God”. But the survivors got the hint when they saw Father God kill the rebels, and they changed their ways pronto! They were the ones who returned and sought Him.
So the context has to do with the entire family of God, not merely with individual rebels in the family. Some of the kids rebelled and were used as examples of how not to behave in the family. Others saw the consequences of the wrong behaviors and learned better than to imitate the rebels. That is what the Lord did vis-à-vis the Israelites, as depicted by the Psalmist.
We will delve a little deeper into this concept in our next study. Now let’s spend some quiet time with Jesus.
To further research this issue, I direct you to my book Deuteronomy: Volume 5 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. To purchase my books please go to:
http://www.amazon.com/Randy-Green/e/B...
https://sites.google.com/site/heavenl...
Published on October 30, 2013 22:03
•
Tags:
chastisement, child-rearing, discipline, hebrews-12, parenting, post-tags-psalm-78, rebellion, training-in-righteousness
October 29, 2013
Spank the Baby! – Part 2
When He killed them, then they sought Him, and returned and searched diligently for God; and they remembered that God was their rock, and the Most High God their Redeemer [Psalm 78:34-35].
The USA today is a dying culture. What was once a society permeated with the Bible’s influence is now an outright antichrist society. Abortion, homosexuality, promiscuity, divorce—all are denounced by the Word of God, specifically and undeniably denounced. Yet they are not only universally entrenched in our land from Atlantic to Pacific, but they are practices considered taboo for discussion, much less for serious criticism.
Egads! Anyone daring to preach the Bible on these issues must be promoters of hate crimes! That is where we have come today as a society. This is utterly anti-Bible and antichrist. The teenage rebels of yesteryear have become the political leaders of today, and they’ve incorporated their teenage rebellion into the warp and woof of our society, you see.
The specifics for trying to meaningfully relate to teenage rebels, during the years they are still teenagers or nearly so, varies with the individual. What works, at least somewhat, with one person flops with the next.
Experience and experimentation are needed by parents. Part of that experience is to learn the rote responses their own teenage rebel spouts, all the while he is insisting on his uniqueness as a person, mind you. As parents we should recognize this truth.
Indeed, we would be benefited immeasurably to recognize that our loving heavenly Father goes through the same things with His kids. Our Bible verses for today portray an extreme case of teenage rebellion by the Lord’s kids. The Lord’s response to those rebels was itself extreme, but it came only after prolonged refusal on the part of the rebels to recognize spiritual reality and adapt accordingly.
When a parent inflicts penalties for disobeying the family rules, it is known as chastisement. Spare the rod and spoil the child. Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it. Those are a couple of examples from Proverbs which come to mind.
The fact that the Lord inflicted penalties on the Israelites was proof positive that He was their Father and they His children. The fact that the penalties were so severe demonstrated that they were inveterate rebels who had spurned His chastisement on numerous prior occasions.
When my son didn’t obey the family rules, I warned him about it. If he continued to disobey, I spanked him. Should he have persisted in disobedience after that—which he never did—I would have spanked him harder. The more the rebellion, the worse the chastisement.
But he was still my son regardless. I would never have executed him! I wouldn’t even have disowned him. I’d do whatever I could to bring him to repentance and restore his fellowship with me and the family.
Let’s pause and reflect on this overnight. Allow the Holy Spirit to pour His truth over our hearts and minds, as we sit with Jesus a while.
To further research this issue, I direct you to my book Deuteronomy: Volume 5 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. To purchase my books please go to:
http://www.amazon.com/Randy-Green/e/B...
https://sites.google.com/site/heavenl...
The USA today is a dying culture. What was once a society permeated with the Bible’s influence is now an outright antichrist society. Abortion, homosexuality, promiscuity, divorce—all are denounced by the Word of God, specifically and undeniably denounced. Yet they are not only universally entrenched in our land from Atlantic to Pacific, but they are practices considered taboo for discussion, much less for serious criticism.
Egads! Anyone daring to preach the Bible on these issues must be promoters of hate crimes! That is where we have come today as a society. This is utterly anti-Bible and antichrist. The teenage rebels of yesteryear have become the political leaders of today, and they’ve incorporated their teenage rebellion into the warp and woof of our society, you see.
The specifics for trying to meaningfully relate to teenage rebels, during the years they are still teenagers or nearly so, varies with the individual. What works, at least somewhat, with one person flops with the next.
Experience and experimentation are needed by parents. Part of that experience is to learn the rote responses their own teenage rebel spouts, all the while he is insisting on his uniqueness as a person, mind you. As parents we should recognize this truth.
Indeed, we would be benefited immeasurably to recognize that our loving heavenly Father goes through the same things with His kids. Our Bible verses for today portray an extreme case of teenage rebellion by the Lord’s kids. The Lord’s response to those rebels was itself extreme, but it came only after prolonged refusal on the part of the rebels to recognize spiritual reality and adapt accordingly.
When a parent inflicts penalties for disobeying the family rules, it is known as chastisement. Spare the rod and spoil the child. Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it. Those are a couple of examples from Proverbs which come to mind.
The fact that the Lord inflicted penalties on the Israelites was proof positive that He was their Father and they His children. The fact that the penalties were so severe demonstrated that they were inveterate rebels who had spurned His chastisement on numerous prior occasions.
When my son didn’t obey the family rules, I warned him about it. If he continued to disobey, I spanked him. Should he have persisted in disobedience after that—which he never did—I would have spanked him harder. The more the rebellion, the worse the chastisement.
But he was still my son regardless. I would never have executed him! I wouldn’t even have disowned him. I’d do whatever I could to bring him to repentance and restore his fellowship with me and the family.
Let’s pause and reflect on this overnight. Allow the Holy Spirit to pour His truth over our hearts and minds, as we sit with Jesus a while.
To further research this issue, I direct you to my book Deuteronomy: Volume 5 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. To purchase my books please go to:
http://www.amazon.com/Randy-Green/e/B...
https://sites.google.com/site/heavenl...
Published on October 29, 2013 22:03
•
Tags:
chastisement, child-rearing, discipline, hebrews-12, parenting, psalm-78, rebellion, training-in-righteousness
October 28, 2013
Spank the Baby! – Part 1
When He killed them, then they sought Him, and returned and searched diligently for God; and they remembered that God was their rock, and the Most High God their Redeemer [Psalm 78:34-35].
As a father who raised two kids into adulthood, I have a little bit of perspective on teenage rebellion. Oh, by the way, I also have my own personal experience, which unfortunately is substantial.
It is pretty much mandatory during the post WWII era that teenagers know it all. They needn’t bother to waste time learning first. Learning first was the way of the old fogeys. Out with the old. In with the new. That’s the slogan of “modern” generations. What the “new” consists of no one seems to know. The definition depends on whom you ask. But why quibble over trifles, huh?
Responses coming from teenage rebels are automatic. They needn’t give thought to their words. Simply memorize a handful of comments and play one back automatically at every instruction directed their way. Something like this:
“Clean your room, son.”
“You’re always trying to boss me around, dad. How can I grow up if you don’t let me make my own decisions?”
Sound familiar? How they are supposed to make intelligent decisions without first being intelligent, well, that doesn’t deserve their consideration. How to be intelligent without first studying and also gaining experience? Ah, another old fogey concept to youth today.
I remember the lyrics of a song written and performed by the Doors. For any of you who are familiar with this group, you know they aren’t the kind of dudes you want babysitting the kids! Part of the song expressed a teenage rebel’s demands on the world. Listen:
We want the world, and we want it…NOW!
Tell the teenage rebel that there is no such thing as a “free lunch”, and he shrugs the shoulders and wonders what planet you live on. After all, he reasons, he’s had free lunches all his life, so he knows what you’re saying is a lie. His parents pamper him without limit, so he gets the best of everything without limit and without trying.
Even the liberal politicians give free handouts to every person who will put his hand out. It’s gotten so bad in politics that, in order to get elected, the conservative politicians so-called mimic this behavior. It matters not anymore which party is in power. Both are taking us to the same place, only the liberals are getting there a little faster. Dear friends, we don’t want to get there at all. I promise!
There are no absolute right answers for dealing with this mess today. The mess has grown over too long a period of time and gone way beyond redemption. Only a temporary reprieve can occur, a Josiah type of reform if you would, and that is the best case scenario. We are a dying culture and the last gasp is frighteningly nearer than we imagine.
We must pause and refresh ourselves in the presence of the Lord Jesus now. Tomorrow we will continue this study.
To further research this issue, I direct you to my book Deuteronomy: Volume 5 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. To purchase my books please go to:
http://www.amazon.com/Randy-Green/e/B...
https://sites.google.com/site/heavenl...
As a father who raised two kids into adulthood, I have a little bit of perspective on teenage rebellion. Oh, by the way, I also have my own personal experience, which unfortunately is substantial.
It is pretty much mandatory during the post WWII era that teenagers know it all. They needn’t bother to waste time learning first. Learning first was the way of the old fogeys. Out with the old. In with the new. That’s the slogan of “modern” generations. What the “new” consists of no one seems to know. The definition depends on whom you ask. But why quibble over trifles, huh?
Responses coming from teenage rebels are automatic. They needn’t give thought to their words. Simply memorize a handful of comments and play one back automatically at every instruction directed their way. Something like this:
“Clean your room, son.”
“You’re always trying to boss me around, dad. How can I grow up if you don’t let me make my own decisions?”
Sound familiar? How they are supposed to make intelligent decisions without first being intelligent, well, that doesn’t deserve their consideration. How to be intelligent without first studying and also gaining experience? Ah, another old fogey concept to youth today.
I remember the lyrics of a song written and performed by the Doors. For any of you who are familiar with this group, you know they aren’t the kind of dudes you want babysitting the kids! Part of the song expressed a teenage rebel’s demands on the world. Listen:
We want the world, and we want it…NOW!
Tell the teenage rebel that there is no such thing as a “free lunch”, and he shrugs the shoulders and wonders what planet you live on. After all, he reasons, he’s had free lunches all his life, so he knows what you’re saying is a lie. His parents pamper him without limit, so he gets the best of everything without limit and without trying.
Even the liberal politicians give free handouts to every person who will put his hand out. It’s gotten so bad in politics that, in order to get elected, the conservative politicians so-called mimic this behavior. It matters not anymore which party is in power. Both are taking us to the same place, only the liberals are getting there a little faster. Dear friends, we don’t want to get there at all. I promise!
There are no absolute right answers for dealing with this mess today. The mess has grown over too long a period of time and gone way beyond redemption. Only a temporary reprieve can occur, a Josiah type of reform if you would, and that is the best case scenario. We are a dying culture and the last gasp is frighteningly nearer than we imagine.
We must pause and refresh ourselves in the presence of the Lord Jesus now. Tomorrow we will continue this study.
To further research this issue, I direct you to my book Deuteronomy: Volume 5 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. To purchase my books please go to:
http://www.amazon.com/Randy-Green/e/B...
https://sites.google.com/site/heavenl...
Published on October 28, 2013 22:02
•
Tags:
chastisement, child-rearing, discipline, hebrews-12, parenting, psalm-78, rebellion, training-in-righteousness
October 27, 2013
A Great Country or What? – Part 4
The wicked strut about on every side, when vileness is exalted among the sons of men [Psalm 12:8].
The Lord God created man and woman in His own image. This made them moral creatures. They were able to make distinctions between right and wrong, even as the Lord God does.
Trouble was, until this innate ability was exercised it couldn’t grow and become strong and vibrant. So the Lord, being the perfect Father that He is, provided for the man and woman to get the moral exercise they needed. He planted two trees in the midst of the garden, the tree of life (aka the “life tree”) and the “kogae tree”.
The Lord then gave the man definitive instructions about all the trees. Man was to eat fruit to sustain himself. The fruit from every tree in the entire garden was at his disposal—all, that is, except for the fruit of the “kogae tree”. The fruit from that tree the man was forbidden to eat. The day man disobeyed and ate of its fruit would be the day man died.
The test, you see, was very simple. Eat all the fruit your little old heart desires, Adam. And eat all varieties of fruit from every tree too. Only keep your cotton-pickin’ hands off the fruit of the “kogae tree”.
The test was obedience, you see. Adam should eat fruit from the “life tree” and live because He obeyed the Word of God. Adam should not eat fruit from the “kogae tree” and die because he disobeyed the Word of God. A simple moral choice ‘twas.
Adam the moral creature had to discern between right and wrong. Would he submit to His God, thereby demonstrating that he recognized His God as the source of all righteousness? Or would he doubt His God and insist on being the determiner of right and wrong himself?
We all know what happened, don’t we? We see what happened with Adam and Eve every day in ourselves and in our kids. We are Adam and Eve! We look at the “life tree” every day, feast our eyes on its scrumptious fruit, take in its luscious foliage, feel our mouths water from the tantalizing alurement it evokes in us…and then turn to the “kogae tree”, pick its fruit, and eat like there’s no tomorrow!
Violence pervades our society because we live in it. It’s not the fault of the president, or the pastor, or the boss, or the wife, or the family dog. It’s my fault. It’s your fault. It’s the fault of the sin which rules us because we won’t submit to the Word of God. We will be in control! God won’t tell us what to do!
So how’s that going for us? Is this a great country, or what? Where else can you go and watch folks create problem after problem, then sit back, scratch their heads and pick their noses, and complain about the problems? Welcome to America, land of the free and home of the brave…free to create problems and brave enough to blame everyone else for them!
We can vote for anyone we want for president, but the evil fruit will continue to grow, so long as we continue to fertilize the evil tree and water it daily. I have a great idea. What say we cease our daily visits to the “kogae tree” and train ourselves to go to the “life tree” instead?
That sounds like a plan. Let’s go there now.
To further research this issue, I direct you to my book Exodus: Volume 2 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. To purchase my books please go to:
http://www.amazon.com/Randy-Green/e/B...
https://sites.google.com/site/heavenl...
The Lord God created man and woman in His own image. This made them moral creatures. They were able to make distinctions between right and wrong, even as the Lord God does.
Trouble was, until this innate ability was exercised it couldn’t grow and become strong and vibrant. So the Lord, being the perfect Father that He is, provided for the man and woman to get the moral exercise they needed. He planted two trees in the midst of the garden, the tree of life (aka the “life tree”) and the “kogae tree”.
The Lord then gave the man definitive instructions about all the trees. Man was to eat fruit to sustain himself. The fruit from every tree in the entire garden was at his disposal—all, that is, except for the fruit of the “kogae tree”. The fruit from that tree the man was forbidden to eat. The day man disobeyed and ate of its fruit would be the day man died.
The test, you see, was very simple. Eat all the fruit your little old heart desires, Adam. And eat all varieties of fruit from every tree too. Only keep your cotton-pickin’ hands off the fruit of the “kogae tree”.
The test was obedience, you see. Adam should eat fruit from the “life tree” and live because He obeyed the Word of God. Adam should not eat fruit from the “kogae tree” and die because he disobeyed the Word of God. A simple moral choice ‘twas.
Adam the moral creature had to discern between right and wrong. Would he submit to His God, thereby demonstrating that he recognized His God as the source of all righteousness? Or would he doubt His God and insist on being the determiner of right and wrong himself?
We all know what happened, don’t we? We see what happened with Adam and Eve every day in ourselves and in our kids. We are Adam and Eve! We look at the “life tree” every day, feast our eyes on its scrumptious fruit, take in its luscious foliage, feel our mouths water from the tantalizing alurement it evokes in us…and then turn to the “kogae tree”, pick its fruit, and eat like there’s no tomorrow!
Violence pervades our society because we live in it. It’s not the fault of the president, or the pastor, or the boss, or the wife, or the family dog. It’s my fault. It’s your fault. It’s the fault of the sin which rules us because we won’t submit to the Word of God. We will be in control! God won’t tell us what to do!
So how’s that going for us? Is this a great country, or what? Where else can you go and watch folks create problem after problem, then sit back, scratch their heads and pick their noses, and complain about the problems? Welcome to America, land of the free and home of the brave…free to create problems and brave enough to blame everyone else for them!
We can vote for anyone we want for president, but the evil fruit will continue to grow, so long as we continue to fertilize the evil tree and water it daily. I have a great idea. What say we cease our daily visits to the “kogae tree” and train ourselves to go to the “life tree” instead?
That sounds like a plan. Let’s go there now.
To further research this issue, I direct you to my book Exodus: Volume 2 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. To purchase my books please go to:
http://www.amazon.com/Randy-Green/e/B...
https://sites.google.com/site/heavenl...
Published on October 27, 2013 22:01
•
Tags:
antichrist-society, elections, good-old-days, presidential-elections, psalm-12, social-mores
October 26, 2013
A Great Country or What? – Part 3
The wicked strut about on every side, when vileness is exalted among the sons of men [Psalm 12:8].
As I stated at the commencement of this study, back in “the good old days” when violence wasn’t so common, I used to watch “Gunsmoke” and “Have Gun, Will Travel”. Marshall Dillon and Paladin were not your run of the mill church folk from today’s antichrist society. They were not steeped in middle class affluence, insulated from the violence which rages on all sides.
Even back in “the good old days” society was steeped in violence from first light of dawn until the sinking of the sun in the western horizon. The blood and gore didn’t have to be pictorialized on the screen in vivid detail. The mind of sinful man back then was quite as adept at envisioning it in the mind’s eye with the aid of his own imagination, as is today’s sinful man.
And therein lies the Biblical estimation of the evils which pervade society, both yesterday and today. The public displays of violence and sex aren’t the problem. They are the fruit of the problem. We can pluck the fruit from the tree of society from first light of dawn to deep darkness of night. Nothing will change for long because more of the same fruit will continue to grow.
The tree which produces this fruit needs to be cut down. Its wood needs to serve as the fuel for a fierce fire, until nothing is left of the tree. Otherwise more violence-fruit and sex-fruit will grow on the tree continuously and in ever increasing measure.
So what tree is it which is producing this fruit. Is it called the “violence tree”? No, that’s not it. Maybe its known as the “sex tree”. You think? I got it! It is named “the tree of many hats”. Uh, that would be a no. The tree goes by the name “tree of the knowledge of good and evil”, aka the “kogae tree”.
What’s that you say? You never heard of it? Well, glory be, Rip Van Winkle! Have you been asleep for 20 years? You need to open your Bible to Genesis 2 and read about the “kogae tree”, my good man. The night is far gone. The day is close at hand. Now is no time to be caught napping.
Before sin ever entered the world, the Lord God planted a garden in the east for the man He created, and placed the man there to tend it for Him. He even gave the man a lovely wife to help him out. Because the man and woman were created in the image of God, they were moral creatures. They were capable of discerning right and wrong, just as the Lord God is.
Indeed they were. And we have much to say about those two characters too. Only it will have to wait until our next study. Now is the time for us to visit a while with Jesus.
To further research this issue, I direct you to my book Exodus: Volume 2 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. To purchase my books please go to:
http://www.amazon.com/Randy-Green/e/B...
https://sites.google.com/site/heavenl...
As I stated at the commencement of this study, back in “the good old days” when violence wasn’t so common, I used to watch “Gunsmoke” and “Have Gun, Will Travel”. Marshall Dillon and Paladin were not your run of the mill church folk from today’s antichrist society. They were not steeped in middle class affluence, insulated from the violence which rages on all sides.
Even back in “the good old days” society was steeped in violence from first light of dawn until the sinking of the sun in the western horizon. The blood and gore didn’t have to be pictorialized on the screen in vivid detail. The mind of sinful man back then was quite as adept at envisioning it in the mind’s eye with the aid of his own imagination, as is today’s sinful man.
And therein lies the Biblical estimation of the evils which pervade society, both yesterday and today. The public displays of violence and sex aren’t the problem. They are the fruit of the problem. We can pluck the fruit from the tree of society from first light of dawn to deep darkness of night. Nothing will change for long because more of the same fruit will continue to grow.
The tree which produces this fruit needs to be cut down. Its wood needs to serve as the fuel for a fierce fire, until nothing is left of the tree. Otherwise more violence-fruit and sex-fruit will grow on the tree continuously and in ever increasing measure.
So what tree is it which is producing this fruit. Is it called the “violence tree”? No, that’s not it. Maybe its known as the “sex tree”. You think? I got it! It is named “the tree of many hats”. Uh, that would be a no. The tree goes by the name “tree of the knowledge of good and evil”, aka the “kogae tree”.
What’s that you say? You never heard of it? Well, glory be, Rip Van Winkle! Have you been asleep for 20 years? You need to open your Bible to Genesis 2 and read about the “kogae tree”, my good man. The night is far gone. The day is close at hand. Now is no time to be caught napping.
Before sin ever entered the world, the Lord God planted a garden in the east for the man He created, and placed the man there to tend it for Him. He even gave the man a lovely wife to help him out. Because the man and woman were created in the image of God, they were moral creatures. They were capable of discerning right and wrong, just as the Lord God is.
Indeed they were. And we have much to say about those two characters too. Only it will have to wait until our next study. Now is the time for us to visit a while with Jesus.
To further research this issue, I direct you to my book Exodus: Volume 2 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. To purchase my books please go to:
http://www.amazon.com/Randy-Green/e/B...
https://sites.google.com/site/heavenl...
Published on October 26, 2013 22:00
•
Tags:
antichrist-society, elections, good-old-days, presidential-elections, psalm-12, social-mores
A Great Country or What? – Part 2
The wicked strut about on every side, when vileness is exalted among the sons of men [Psalm 12:8].
O! for the good old days once again! If only we had a time machine. Back to the future sure would be grand. Yada yada yada blah blah blah.
Such goes the grousing and grumbling of many an old codger, as he looks about at today’s evil land and reminisces about a time which never existed. I’ve been known to take such a snooze on occasion myself. It’s the natural affliction of sinful man, dear friends.
Partial truth is not truth at all. It is a distortion of the truth, making it a lie. Yes, many things were better in “the good old days”. Yes, the violence on TV and in the movies and in video games wasn’t as graphic in detail as it is now. Nor were the sex scenes. The limits have been pushed further and further into hell, until not much is left to the imagination anymore.
Notwithstanding all this, ever since the garden when a sinister serpent paid a visit to the woman, sin has been in the world, been in each and every child of Adam the First, and violence has been the norm. Nature is at odds with man. Man is at odds with nature. We attempt to build nature-proof societies to protect ourselves, while the green-peace folks want to kill us to protect nature!
Ai yai yai! What to do? What to do? Is there not a leader among men who is sufficient for these things? Ah, that is the question we should be asking ourselves. A leader, if he is to be successful, needs to understand where all the violence originates. Is it from too much TV violence, and movie violence, and video game violence?
For the worldling the answer is a resounding, “Yes!” For the Christian the answer, unfortunately today, is also a resounding, “Yes!” The Word of God doesn’t agree.
The issue isn’t whether to eliminate or tone down violence in the entertainment world, dear friends. The issue is determining the root of the violence, the cause of the violence which drives us to want to live it, and then determining what can be done to eliminate or moderate the cause. After all, if we pick all the fruit off the evil tree, the evil tree will only grow more evil fruit. Violence and pornography are the fruit. We need to cut down the blasted tree!
This is the chore at hand which we face. Will we measure up to the challenge, or will we cringe and draw back in timorous trepidation? We must face up to the challenge in the strength of the Lord Jesus!
Let us not lose heart in running the race, but rather press on to the goal of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. And this we will do in our next study, by the grace of God. Let’s seek the face of the Lord now, that He may strength us for the task.
To further research this issue, I direct you to my book Exodus: Volume 2 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. To purchase my books please go to:
http://www.amazon.com/Randy-Green/e/B...
https://sites.google.com/site/heavenl...
O! for the good old days once again! If only we had a time machine. Back to the future sure would be grand. Yada yada yada blah blah blah.
Such goes the grousing and grumbling of many an old codger, as he looks about at today’s evil land and reminisces about a time which never existed. I’ve been known to take such a snooze on occasion myself. It’s the natural affliction of sinful man, dear friends.
Partial truth is not truth at all. It is a distortion of the truth, making it a lie. Yes, many things were better in “the good old days”. Yes, the violence on TV and in the movies and in video games wasn’t as graphic in detail as it is now. Nor were the sex scenes. The limits have been pushed further and further into hell, until not much is left to the imagination anymore.
Notwithstanding all this, ever since the garden when a sinister serpent paid a visit to the woman, sin has been in the world, been in each and every child of Adam the First, and violence has been the norm. Nature is at odds with man. Man is at odds with nature. We attempt to build nature-proof societies to protect ourselves, while the green-peace folks want to kill us to protect nature!
Ai yai yai! What to do? What to do? Is there not a leader among men who is sufficient for these things? Ah, that is the question we should be asking ourselves. A leader, if he is to be successful, needs to understand where all the violence originates. Is it from too much TV violence, and movie violence, and video game violence?
For the worldling the answer is a resounding, “Yes!” For the Christian the answer, unfortunately today, is also a resounding, “Yes!” The Word of God doesn’t agree.
The issue isn’t whether to eliminate or tone down violence in the entertainment world, dear friends. The issue is determining the root of the violence, the cause of the violence which drives us to want to live it, and then determining what can be done to eliminate or moderate the cause. After all, if we pick all the fruit off the evil tree, the evil tree will only grow more evil fruit. Violence and pornography are the fruit. We need to cut down the blasted tree!
This is the chore at hand which we face. Will we measure up to the challenge, or will we cringe and draw back in timorous trepidation? We must face up to the challenge in the strength of the Lord Jesus!
Let us not lose heart in running the race, but rather press on to the goal of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. And this we will do in our next study, by the grace of God. Let’s seek the face of the Lord now, that He may strength us for the task.
To further research this issue, I direct you to my book Exodus: Volume 2 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. To purchase my books please go to:
http://www.amazon.com/Randy-Green/e/B...
https://sites.google.com/site/heavenl...
Published on October 26, 2013 13:07
•
Tags:
antichrist-society, elections, good-old-days, presidential-elections, psalm-12, social-mores
October 24, 2013
A Great Country or What? – Part 1
The wicked strut about on every side, when vileness is exalted among the sons of men [Psalm 12:8].
When I was a kid there were no computers. There were no cell phones. There was no internet, no DVDs, not even VCRs. Television and theater showed black & white shows. Color had yet to be invented for film, much less anything known as HD.
I identify my age in this fashion for a purpose. There is this thing which afflicts us mere mortals. It seems our memory is metamorphosed into revisionist history as we age. There develops in our thoughts this extreme contrast between “the good old days” and “now”, where “now” is better phrased “these crummy sinful times”.
Well, “the good old days” mentality always imagines the grass as being greener on the other side of the fence. The “good old days” mentality remembers the great periods of revival we experienced in our church…even though such things never happened. Old timers like me tend to look at how wicked things are now, and our minds can’t recall it being so bad in the past. Ergo, “the good old days” must have existed.
Sometimes this is expressed as so,
There is too much violence on TV and movies today. Back in the day the shows were much simpler and peaceful. No wonder there is so much terrorism and school killings today. Just look at the TV shows and movies and video games.
We’ve all heard this expressed many times, so we know it is true. Perhaps we’ve flapped our own jaws on occasion to repeat this version of “the good old days”. We’ll call it “the good old days 2.0”.
Funny thing is, I used to watch black and white shows like “Gunsmoke” and “Have Gun, Will Travel”, yea, and even “Zorro”. I can recall only two basic differences between that violence and the violence featured on today’s shows. First, back in the day the violence was in black and white, while today it appears in full color HD. Not exactly much of a difference, if we assume that watching violence on the shows transfers to enacting violence in the schools and other places.
The other difference between then and now is a little more convincing, as an explanation for explaining the violence between then and now. Back then the bad guys got shot by the good guys, and that was it. It appeared on the screen clear as day.
However, now the bad guys get shot, and all the blood and gore are portrayed in full color HD, with minute close-up shots for us to get our jollies off. Yea, even more, corpses in the coroner’s office are displayed naked with a cloth to cover the private parts, while the rest of the corpse is cut open and the insides shown to every Tom, Dick, and Harry who cares to watch the awful mess.
Ah, now that is a big difference. That proves why there is so much more violence today than back in the day. Right? You think? Well, return tomorrow, same time, same channel, and we will see how true this theory is. For now, let’s hie off to Jesus and enjoy a time of spiritual refreshment in His presence.
To further research this issue, I direct you to my book Exodus: Volume 2 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. To purchase my books please go to:
http://www.amazon.com/Randy-Green/e/B...
https://sites.google.com/site/heavenl...
When I was a kid there were no computers. There were no cell phones. There was no internet, no DVDs, not even VCRs. Television and theater showed black & white shows. Color had yet to be invented for film, much less anything known as HD.
I identify my age in this fashion for a purpose. There is this thing which afflicts us mere mortals. It seems our memory is metamorphosed into revisionist history as we age. There develops in our thoughts this extreme contrast between “the good old days” and “now”, where “now” is better phrased “these crummy sinful times”.
Well, “the good old days” mentality always imagines the grass as being greener on the other side of the fence. The “good old days” mentality remembers the great periods of revival we experienced in our church…even though such things never happened. Old timers like me tend to look at how wicked things are now, and our minds can’t recall it being so bad in the past. Ergo, “the good old days” must have existed.
Sometimes this is expressed as so,
There is too much violence on TV and movies today. Back in the day the shows were much simpler and peaceful. No wonder there is so much terrorism and school killings today. Just look at the TV shows and movies and video games.
We’ve all heard this expressed many times, so we know it is true. Perhaps we’ve flapped our own jaws on occasion to repeat this version of “the good old days”. We’ll call it “the good old days 2.0”.
Funny thing is, I used to watch black and white shows like “Gunsmoke” and “Have Gun, Will Travel”, yea, and even “Zorro”. I can recall only two basic differences between that violence and the violence featured on today’s shows. First, back in the day the violence was in black and white, while today it appears in full color HD. Not exactly much of a difference, if we assume that watching violence on the shows transfers to enacting violence in the schools and other places.
The other difference between then and now is a little more convincing, as an explanation for explaining the violence between then and now. Back then the bad guys got shot by the good guys, and that was it. It appeared on the screen clear as day.
However, now the bad guys get shot, and all the blood and gore are portrayed in full color HD, with minute close-up shots for us to get our jollies off. Yea, even more, corpses in the coroner’s office are displayed naked with a cloth to cover the private parts, while the rest of the corpse is cut open and the insides shown to every Tom, Dick, and Harry who cares to watch the awful mess.
Ah, now that is a big difference. That proves why there is so much more violence today than back in the day. Right? You think? Well, return tomorrow, same time, same channel, and we will see how true this theory is. For now, let’s hie off to Jesus and enjoy a time of spiritual refreshment in His presence.
To further research this issue, I direct you to my book Exodus: Volume 2 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. To purchase my books please go to:
http://www.amazon.com/Randy-Green/e/B...
https://sites.google.com/site/heavenl...
Published on October 24, 2013 22:04
•
Tags:
antichrist-society, elections, good-old-days, presidential-elections, psalm-12, social-mores
October 23, 2013
Double-edged Attorney – Part 4
Therefore, He had to be made like His brethren in all things, so that He might become a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. For since He Himself was tempted in that which He has suffered, He is able to come to the aid of those who are tempted [Hebrews 2:17-18].
In eternity’s courtroom God is the Judge. The devil accuses God’s people and Jesus defends them against the devil’s charges. Hebrews 2 makes note of this under the job title “high priest”.
Because Jesus has the ministry of defending God’s people against the devil’s charges, it is necessary that Jesus be able to relate to us in a real way. God knows all things, yes, but God doesn’t have the mindset, worldview, weaknesses, attitudes, and emotions of sinful men and women.
The question to be answered is, “How can a thrice holy God who is far above mankind, who is sinless and incapable of sin—how can such a One relate to sinful mankind. God and man are so far removed from each other that they cannot connect on any level.”
God resolved this apparent dilemma. God the Father gave God the Son to mankind as man’s Savior. In order to resolve the dilemma just noted, the eternal Son of God became a real flesh and blood human, all the while remaining the eternal Son of God. Verse 18 of Hebrews 2 explains what this accomplished:
For since He Himself was tempted in that which He has suffered, He is able to come to the aid of those who are tempted.
Do we sinful humans go hungry? So too did Jesus. Do we hurt? So too did Jesus? Do we become sleepy, suffer poverty, miss our family and friends, face countless temptations…and the list could be extended to cover every facet of being human? Yes, we do. So too did Jesus.
Jesus became one of us so that He could experience for Himself who we are and what we go through. That qualifies Him to represent us to God, don’t you think? We can no longer assert that God doesn’t know what it’s like to… You can fill in any answer you want. We are without excuse now. In Jesus God not only knows all things, but He also experienced all things human, sin excepted. He is qualified to be our representative to God.
God’s high priest had a two-fold ministry. His ministry made Him a “double-edged attorney”, if you would. The priest stood between God and man. On the one hand he represented man to God, on the other he represented God to man.
As man’s representative to God, the priest served as man’s defense attorney. As God’s representative to man, the priest served as the one who taught God’s Law to man.
On the basis of obedience to God’s Law man was allowed to be a part of God’s people. Disobedience to God’s Law made man a lawbreaker, a criminal, at which time the devil entered the story as the D.A. to bring charges against man for breaking God’s Law.
Jesus is one of us in truth. He can relate to us and represent us to God, dear friends. This spiritual truth is taught us so that we will flee to Jesus for salvation and forgiveness. Won’t you go to Him now and ask Him to be your eternal defense attorney? His suffering and death allows Him to win your pardon at the bar of God.
To further research this issue, I direct you to my book Levitucus: Volume 3 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. To purchase my books please go to:
http://www.amazon.com/Randy-Green/e/B...
https://sites.google.com/site/heavenl...
Categories: Church Age
In eternity’s courtroom God is the Judge. The devil accuses God’s people and Jesus defends them against the devil’s charges. Hebrews 2 makes note of this under the job title “high priest”.
Because Jesus has the ministry of defending God’s people against the devil’s charges, it is necessary that Jesus be able to relate to us in a real way. God knows all things, yes, but God doesn’t have the mindset, worldview, weaknesses, attitudes, and emotions of sinful men and women.
The question to be answered is, “How can a thrice holy God who is far above mankind, who is sinless and incapable of sin—how can such a One relate to sinful mankind. God and man are so far removed from each other that they cannot connect on any level.”
God resolved this apparent dilemma. God the Father gave God the Son to mankind as man’s Savior. In order to resolve the dilemma just noted, the eternal Son of God became a real flesh and blood human, all the while remaining the eternal Son of God. Verse 18 of Hebrews 2 explains what this accomplished:
For since He Himself was tempted in that which He has suffered, He is able to come to the aid of those who are tempted.
Do we sinful humans go hungry? So too did Jesus. Do we hurt? So too did Jesus? Do we become sleepy, suffer poverty, miss our family and friends, face countless temptations…and the list could be extended to cover every facet of being human? Yes, we do. So too did Jesus.
Jesus became one of us so that He could experience for Himself who we are and what we go through. That qualifies Him to represent us to God, don’t you think? We can no longer assert that God doesn’t know what it’s like to… You can fill in any answer you want. We are without excuse now. In Jesus God not only knows all things, but He also experienced all things human, sin excepted. He is qualified to be our representative to God.
God’s high priest had a two-fold ministry. His ministry made Him a “double-edged attorney”, if you would. The priest stood between God and man. On the one hand he represented man to God, on the other he represented God to man.
As man’s representative to God, the priest served as man’s defense attorney. As God’s representative to man, the priest served as the one who taught God’s Law to man.
On the basis of obedience to God’s Law man was allowed to be a part of God’s people. Disobedience to God’s Law made man a lawbreaker, a criminal, at which time the devil entered the story as the D.A. to bring charges against man for breaking God’s Law.
Jesus is one of us in truth. He can relate to us and represent us to God, dear friends. This spiritual truth is taught us so that we will flee to Jesus for salvation and forgiveness. Won’t you go to Him now and ask Him to be your eternal defense attorney? His suffering and death allows Him to win your pardon at the bar of God.
To further research this issue, I direct you to my book Levitucus: Volume 3 of Heavenly Citizens in Earthly Shoes. To purchase my books please go to:
http://www.amazon.com/Randy-Green/e/B...
https://sites.google.com/site/heavenl...
Categories: Church Age
Published on October 23, 2013 22:03
•
Tags:
attorney, courtroom, defense-attorney, district-attorney, god-man, hebrews-2, high-priest, judge, lawyer, priest


