Randy Green's Blog, page 475
June 23, 2012
Bible Trilogy III – Part 3
Lift up your heads, O gates, and be lifted up, O ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in! [Psalm 24:7]
When Jesus rose out of death on the first day of the week, where did He go? For that matter where was Jesus’ spirit during the three days His body was in the tomb of Joseph of Arimathea? We need to know what the Bible says about these matters, don’t we?
Well, the Bible says that Jesus rose out of death on the first day of the week. Then he spent forty days appearing at times to his disciples and a few other folks. 1 Corinthians 15:5-8 speaks to this matter:
He appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. After that He appeared to more than five hundred brethren at one time, most of whom remain until now, but some have fallen asleep; then He appeared to James, then to all the apostles; and last of all, as to one untimely born, He appeared to me also.
Acts 1:3 adds a tad bit more information for our consumption:
To these He also presented Himself alive after His suffering, by many convincing proofs, appearing to them over a period of forty days and speaking of the things concerning the kingdom of God.
So we know where Jesus was after He rose out of death and His body was no longer in the tomb. At least some of the time He was on earth appearing to various disciples and followers. Likely He spent the majority of that time at the right hand of the Father in heaven, while He returned to earth for His several appearances for those forty days.
But what about the three days His body was in the tomb? Where was Jesus then? Again, what does the Bible tell us? Uh, it doesn’t…at least not categorically. This being the case, we mustn’t be dogmatic in asserting our opinions and demanding everyone else jump on our bandwagon! Or we could form a new church and name it “The Three Day Church”. Sounds like a plan…
I personally—and remember, I just stated that the Bible doesn’t categorically reveal where Jesus was during the three days when His body was in the tomb, so this is only my educated opinion—but I believe the moment Jesus died His spirit went to be with the Father in heaven. He couldn’t appear to the disciples during that time: He didn’t have a body, so they couldn’t see Him! Why remain on earth?
Also, when Christians die they immediately go into the presence of the Lord in heaven, even though we don’t receive our resurrection bodies until the Rapture. During the period between our death and the Rapture, we are in the same state Jesus was during the three days His body was in the tomb. The Rapture serves as the Christian’s moment of physical resurrection, you see.
The Apostle Paul touched on this truth in 2 Corinthians 5:8. He noted that,
when Christians die, we exult because we
prefer rather to be absent from the body and to be at home with the Lord.
Notice the contrast involved in those words. On the one hand we are “absent from the body”. Those words can only refer to a time when we exist without our bodies. Am I not right? On the other hand we are simultaneously “at home with the Lord”.
We will finish this topic in our next study. In the interim enjoy your time alone 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/-/e/B005PJ761C
https://sites.google.com/site/heavenl...
When Jesus rose out of death on the first day of the week, where did He go? For that matter where was Jesus’ spirit during the three days His body was in the tomb of Joseph of Arimathea? We need to know what the Bible says about these matters, don’t we?
Well, the Bible says that Jesus rose out of death on the first day of the week. Then he spent forty days appearing at times to his disciples and a few other folks. 1 Corinthians 15:5-8 speaks to this matter:
He appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. After that He appeared to more than five hundred brethren at one time, most of whom remain until now, but some have fallen asleep; then He appeared to James, then to all the apostles; and last of all, as to one untimely born, He appeared to me also.
Acts 1:3 adds a tad bit more information for our consumption:
To these He also presented Himself alive after His suffering, by many convincing proofs, appearing to them over a period of forty days and speaking of the things concerning the kingdom of God.
So we know where Jesus was after He rose out of death and His body was no longer in the tomb. At least some of the time He was on earth appearing to various disciples and followers. Likely He spent the majority of that time at the right hand of the Father in heaven, while He returned to earth for His several appearances for those forty days.
But what about the three days His body was in the tomb? Where was Jesus then? Again, what does the Bible tell us? Uh, it doesn’t…at least not categorically. This being the case, we mustn’t be dogmatic in asserting our opinions and demanding everyone else jump on our bandwagon! Or we could form a new church and name it “The Three Day Church”. Sounds like a plan…
I personally—and remember, I just stated that the Bible doesn’t categorically reveal where Jesus was during the three days when His body was in the tomb, so this is only my educated opinion—but I believe the moment Jesus died His spirit went to be with the Father in heaven. He couldn’t appear to the disciples during that time: He didn’t have a body, so they couldn’t see Him! Why remain on earth?
Also, when Christians die they immediately go into the presence of the Lord in heaven, even though we don’t receive our resurrection bodies until the Rapture. During the period between our death and the Rapture, we are in the same state Jesus was during the three days His body was in the tomb. The Rapture serves as the Christian’s moment of physical resurrection, you see.
The Apostle Paul touched on this truth in 2 Corinthians 5:8. He noted that,
when Christians die, we exult because we
prefer rather to be absent from the body and to be at home with the Lord.
Notice the contrast involved in those words. On the one hand we are “absent from the body”. Those words can only refer to a time when we exist without our bodies. Am I not right? On the other hand we are simultaneously “at home with the Lord”.
We will finish this topic in our next study. In the interim enjoy your time alone 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/-/e/B005PJ761C
https://sites.google.com/site/heavenl...
June 22, 2012
Bible Trilogy III – Part 2
Lift up your heads, O gates, and be lifted up, O ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in! [Psalm 24:7]
Jesus rose out of death physically, which is the only way resurrection can occur in the first place. Man’s spirit is eternal, so it never dies physically. Ergo, man’s spirit does not resurrect out of the tomb. Man’s body alone goes in the tomb, and so man’s body alone resurrects out of the tomb.
Permit me a brief aside at this point of our study. Finite language cannot express spiritual realities fully. This is why I stated that man’s spirit does not die physically. “Spirit” and “physical” are two words which don’t go together. They form an oxymoron!
The trouble is man’s spirit does die, but it dies spiritually. Man is made to have fellowship with the Lord. When man rejects the Lord’s fellowship, he is eternally separated from the Lord. This is spiritual death. Physical death is when man’s spirit is separated from his body. Death means separation. This can be separation from the body or it can be separation from the Lord.
Man is born spiritually dead in his trespasses and sins. This means He is separated from the Lord because of his sins. Thus man needs to be born again, if he would see the Kingdom of God. When a person is born again he becomes alive spiritually, being brought into fellowship with the Lord.
At the rapture a born again person receives his new resurrection body, the same type of body the Lord Jesus now has. Jesus rose out of death on the first day of the week with His resurrection body, and He will have it through all eternity.
The Christian will be fully alive physically when he is clothed in his own resurrection body. The body of death will be gone forever. The body of life will be his thenceforth.
Anyway, back to Psalm 24. After Jesus died on the cross (Psalm 22), and after He was buried for three days (Psalm 23), He then rose out of death (Psalm 24).
This brings up an interesting issue for us to consider. Where did Jesus go when He rose out of death on the first day of the week? For that matter where was Jesus’ spirit during the three days His body was in the tomb?
If I’ve impressed on you a proper approach for Bible study, you know how to answer those questions. Do you? Ah, I see by the look on your face that you’ve learned well. Go ahead then. Answer the questions. That’s right. The question to ask is, “What does the Bible say?” You are a fine student. I’m proud to share the Word of God with you.
Oh, but we must turn aside and take our rest at this time. Allow the Lord Jesus to share the Word of God with you a while. See you tomorrow.
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/-/e/B005PJ761C
https://sites.google.com/site/heavenl...
Jesus rose out of death physically, which is the only way resurrection can occur in the first place. Man’s spirit is eternal, so it never dies physically. Ergo, man’s spirit does not resurrect out of the tomb. Man’s body alone goes in the tomb, and so man’s body alone resurrects out of the tomb.
Permit me a brief aside at this point of our study. Finite language cannot express spiritual realities fully. This is why I stated that man’s spirit does not die physically. “Spirit” and “physical” are two words which don’t go together. They form an oxymoron!
The trouble is man’s spirit does die, but it dies spiritually. Man is made to have fellowship with the Lord. When man rejects the Lord’s fellowship, he is eternally separated from the Lord. This is spiritual death. Physical death is when man’s spirit is separated from his body. Death means separation. This can be separation from the body or it can be separation from the Lord.
Man is born spiritually dead in his trespasses and sins. This means He is separated from the Lord because of his sins. Thus man needs to be born again, if he would see the Kingdom of God. When a person is born again he becomes alive spiritually, being brought into fellowship with the Lord.
At the rapture a born again person receives his new resurrection body, the same type of body the Lord Jesus now has. Jesus rose out of death on the first day of the week with His resurrection body, and He will have it through all eternity.
The Christian will be fully alive physically when he is clothed in his own resurrection body. The body of death will be gone forever. The body of life will be his thenceforth.
Anyway, back to Psalm 24. After Jesus died on the cross (Psalm 22), and after He was buried for three days (Psalm 23), He then rose out of death (Psalm 24).
This brings up an interesting issue for us to consider. Where did Jesus go when He rose out of death on the first day of the week? For that matter where was Jesus’ spirit during the three days His body was in the tomb?
If I’ve impressed on you a proper approach for Bible study, you know how to answer those questions. Do you? Ah, I see by the look on your face that you’ve learned well. Go ahead then. Answer the questions. That’s right. The question to ask is, “What does the Bible say?” You are a fine student. I’m proud to share the Word of God with you.
Oh, but we must turn aside and take our rest at this time. Allow the Lord Jesus to share the Word of God with you a while. See you tomorrow.
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/-/e/B005PJ761C
https://sites.google.com/site/heavenl...
June 21, 2012
Bible Trilogy III – Part 1
Lift up your heads, O gates, and be lifted up, O ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in! [Psalm 24:7]
Today we begin the third portion of our Bible Trilogy. The first portion came from Psalm 22 and had to do with the crucifixion of the Lord Jesus. The second portion came from Psalm 23 and had to do with the burial of the Lord Jesus. The third portion, as can be gathered by the Bible quotation above, comes from Psalm 24 and has to do with the resurrection of the Lord Jesus.
We noted in the first portion that three events marked the Gospel:
1. Jesus’ crucifixion
2. Jesus’ burial
3. Jesus’ resurrection
We direct you to 1 Corinthians 15:3-4 for Biblical affirmation of this truth. Those three events comprise the three portions of our Bible Trilogy. The three psalms (22, 23, and 24) prophetically present the death, burial, and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ.
On the cross Jesus cried aloud, just prior to surrendering His spirit to the Father’s care and dying, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” Then He was placed in Joseph of Arimathea’s new tomb with a humongous stone sealing the entrance. He remained there for three days.
On the first day of the week before sunrise, the humongous stone was rolled away. No, Jesus’ disciples didn’t do it. Neither did the Roman soldiers do it. And the Jewish authorities certainly didn’t do it. They paid the Roman soldiers to claim they did it, so the truth of Jesus’ resurrection wouldn’t get out into public circulation.
In fact the stone wasn’t even rolled away from the entrance of the tomb so Jesus could get out. It was rolled away so man could get in. Man needed to enter the tomb in order to discover that the body of the Lord Jesus was no longer there!
The person who rolled away the stone was an angel of the Lord (cf., Matthew 28:2). He descended from heaven, rolled the stone away from the entrance, and then sat on the stone! According to the account in Matthew 28, when the angel moved the stone an earthquake occurred. That and the angel’s brilliant appearance sent the Roman soldiers scampering like roaches when the lights come on!
God sent the angel to roll away the stone, you see, as a witness of the resurrection. So long as the stone blocked the entrance, no one would know the body of Jesus was no longer in the tomb.
The import of this information is vital. We will explain how so in our next study. For now let’s spend time alone 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/-/e/B005PJ761C
https://sites.google.com/site/heavenl...
Today we begin the third portion of our Bible Trilogy. The first portion came from Psalm 22 and had to do with the crucifixion of the Lord Jesus. The second portion came from Psalm 23 and had to do with the burial of the Lord Jesus. The third portion, as can be gathered by the Bible quotation above, comes from Psalm 24 and has to do with the resurrection of the Lord Jesus.
We noted in the first portion that three events marked the Gospel:
1. Jesus’ crucifixion
2. Jesus’ burial
3. Jesus’ resurrection
We direct you to 1 Corinthians 15:3-4 for Biblical affirmation of this truth. Those three events comprise the three portions of our Bible Trilogy. The three psalms (22, 23, and 24) prophetically present the death, burial, and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ.
On the cross Jesus cried aloud, just prior to surrendering His spirit to the Father’s care and dying, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” Then He was placed in Joseph of Arimathea’s new tomb with a humongous stone sealing the entrance. He remained there for three days.
On the first day of the week before sunrise, the humongous stone was rolled away. No, Jesus’ disciples didn’t do it. Neither did the Roman soldiers do it. And the Jewish authorities certainly didn’t do it. They paid the Roman soldiers to claim they did it, so the truth of Jesus’ resurrection wouldn’t get out into public circulation.
In fact the stone wasn’t even rolled away from the entrance of the tomb so Jesus could get out. It was rolled away so man could get in. Man needed to enter the tomb in order to discover that the body of the Lord Jesus was no longer there!
The person who rolled away the stone was an angel of the Lord (cf., Matthew 28:2). He descended from heaven, rolled the stone away from the entrance, and then sat on the stone! According to the account in Matthew 28, when the angel moved the stone an earthquake occurred. That and the angel’s brilliant appearance sent the Roman soldiers scampering like roaches when the lights come on!
God sent the angel to roll away the stone, you see, as a witness of the resurrection. So long as the stone blocked the entrance, no one would know the body of Jesus was no longer in the tomb.
The import of this information is vital. We will explain how so in our next study. For now let’s spend time alone 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/-/e/B005PJ761C
https://sites.google.com/site/heavenl...
June 20, 2012
Bible Trilogy II – Part 3
The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want [Psalm 23:1].
Psalm 23 is about the Lord in His relationship with His kids. The role played by the Lord in this psalm is that of the Shepherd, and His kids are the sheep. That is the immediate application of the psalm to David in particular and man in general.
However, there is also the prophetic application. The Holy Spirit inspired David to write this psalm, just as He inspired David to write Psalms 22 and 24. For each of these psalms the Spirit’s inspiration led David—whether consciously or not, we cannot know—but the Spirit led David to reveal truths about the future Messiah.
Just as Psalm 22 revealed the Messiah’s future crucifixion, so does Psalm 23 reveal the Messiah’s time in death. During the three days when Jesus’ body was in Joseph of Arimathea’s tomb, Jesus was under the care and protection of the Lord His God. Jesus functioned as the sheep, while the Lord His God was His Shepherd.
“Huh?” I hear a flummoxed saint groan. “How could Jesus be one of the sheep? He’s the Shepherd! Get with the program, teacher!”
Oh, but you are overlooking one of the mysteries of Scripture, dear brother in Christ. Jesus willingly laid aside His prerogatives as God, when He took upon true humanity (cf., Philippians 2:5-8). He became one of us and lived accordingly. He walked in obedience to the Word of God under the power and guidance of the Holy Spirit.
In this way He fulfilled all righteousness on our behalf, and then He went to the cross and died on our behalf. His life wasn’t on His behalf, nor was His death. His life fulfilled all righteousness, something we could not do because we are sinners and sinners are not righteous! His death then paid the penalty for our sins, so we wouldn’t have to die to pay that penalty.
Jesus functioned as one of the sheep on our behalf. His life was for us. He lived as we are supposed to live, viz., as the Lord’s sheep. We are to follow Him, eat the food He serves us, and depend on Him for our safety from the flesh, the world and the devil. In death He walked securely with the Lord His God as the Shepherd, even as we are to do when the time comes for each of us.
All is of grace, not of works. Jesus fulfilled all for us, and He freely gives us what He Himself worked for and earned. It costs us nothing, you see, but it cost Him dearly. Grace is free to us because He did the work, paid the price, and earned it for us.
Does the truths we learned from Psalm 23 stir your heart? Do you now love the Lord Jesus even more? Do you want to follow Him and look to Him for everything in life and death?
Lord Jesus, I love you. Thank you for your inexplicable and unfathomable love for me.
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...
Psalm 23 is about the Lord in His relationship with His kids. The role played by the Lord in this psalm is that of the Shepherd, and His kids are the sheep. That is the immediate application of the psalm to David in particular and man in general.
However, there is also the prophetic application. The Holy Spirit inspired David to write this psalm, just as He inspired David to write Psalms 22 and 24. For each of these psalms the Spirit’s inspiration led David—whether consciously or not, we cannot know—but the Spirit led David to reveal truths about the future Messiah.
Just as Psalm 22 revealed the Messiah’s future crucifixion, so does Psalm 23 reveal the Messiah’s time in death. During the three days when Jesus’ body was in Joseph of Arimathea’s tomb, Jesus was under the care and protection of the Lord His God. Jesus functioned as the sheep, while the Lord His God was His Shepherd.
“Huh?” I hear a flummoxed saint groan. “How could Jesus be one of the sheep? He’s the Shepherd! Get with the program, teacher!”
Oh, but you are overlooking one of the mysteries of Scripture, dear brother in Christ. Jesus willingly laid aside His prerogatives as God, when He took upon true humanity (cf., Philippians 2:5-8). He became one of us and lived accordingly. He walked in obedience to the Word of God under the power and guidance of the Holy Spirit.
In this way He fulfilled all righteousness on our behalf, and then He went to the cross and died on our behalf. His life wasn’t on His behalf, nor was His death. His life fulfilled all righteousness, something we could not do because we are sinners and sinners are not righteous! His death then paid the penalty for our sins, so we wouldn’t have to die to pay that penalty.
Jesus functioned as one of the sheep on our behalf. His life was for us. He lived as we are supposed to live, viz., as the Lord’s sheep. We are to follow Him, eat the food He serves us, and depend on Him for our safety from the flesh, the world and the devil. In death He walked securely with the Lord His God as the Shepherd, even as we are to do when the time comes for each of us.
All is of grace, not of works. Jesus fulfilled all for us, and He freely gives us what He Himself worked for and earned. It costs us nothing, you see, but it cost Him dearly. Grace is free to us because He did the work, paid the price, and earned it for us.
Does the truths we learned from Psalm 23 stir your heart? Do you now love the Lord Jesus even more? Do you want to follow Him and look to Him for everything in life and death?
Lord Jesus, I love you. Thank you for your inexplicable and unfathomable love for me.
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...
June 19, 2012
Bible Trilogy II – Part 2
The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want [Psalm 23:1].
What transpired during the three days Jesus’ body was in the tomb is not revealed to us in the Bible. Ergo, we are unable to know! Assertions about Jesus descending into hell and suchlike guess work should be kept at arm’s length by the dutiful saint. We choose to stick with “Thus saith the Lord” for our information.
As to whether or not Jesus descended into hell, we’ll leave it to the systematic theology buffs to waste away their time on this earth debating such mysteries. For our part we will stick with Isaiah in saying, “To the Law and the prophets. If they speak not according to them, their words are worthless.” (Pardon my paraphrase.)
But let’s return to Psalm 23, where a green pasture and still waters await us. Oh, and the Lord has prepared a table for us there too. The meal He provides is even better than we can imagine. The servings He gives us are reminiscent of Joseph’s serving to Benjamin in Egypt. Each of us will discover readily enough that our cup runneth over. We will enjoy ourselves much better than we would hanging out in the valley of the shadow of death, don’t you think?
Psalm 23 has been taught from many and various different aspects. I want to draw our attention to an aspect not often given the focus by preachers and teachers. I hope you are ready to traverse the psalm with me. A salubrious trek we shall find it to be.
Two main characters form the cast of Psalm 23. There is the Lord and then there is David. David is the author of the psalm, but all of God’s people can and should make it their own.
In Psalm 23 the Lord is the star. The two words “the Lord” are the actual name of God. The word “God” depicts the Creator, He who is high above man in heaven, distant and removed from the earth, impersonal and intimidating. When His name “the Lord” is used, however, it depicts Him on a personal level with man, friendly and affording us a personal relationship.
David/man is the costar of Psalm 23. In fact the costar is just along for the ride. That is the extent of his role in the psalm. He serves the same function a dumb sheep serves in the pasture with the shepherd. He follows and behaves himself, while the shepherd provides for him and protects him so he doesn’t do himself wrong or starve to death.
We can gather this much directly from the psalm by means of a simple observation. Look over the six short verses and determine:
• how many times the Lord is mentioned
• how many times David/man is mentioned
The Lord is mentioned 12 times. There’s only 6 verses! Think He’s the star? The pertinent twelve words are “the Lord”, “He”, “His”, “You”, and “Your” (NASB).
David/man is mentioned 16 times, but at every mention the Lord is either providing for him or protecting him. This makes the Lord the star and David/man the costar. The pertinent sixteen words are “my”, “I”, and “me”.
I have to say, Psalm 23 is hard to set aside! It is chock-full of delectable morsels, each of which fits the old commercial, “bet you can’t eat just one!” But the hour is late, so we will have to pause now. Not to worry. We will finish the meal 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 transpired during the three days Jesus’ body was in the tomb is not revealed to us in the Bible. Ergo, we are unable to know! Assertions about Jesus descending into hell and suchlike guess work should be kept at arm’s length by the dutiful saint. We choose to stick with “Thus saith the Lord” for our information.
As to whether or not Jesus descended into hell, we’ll leave it to the systematic theology buffs to waste away their time on this earth debating such mysteries. For our part we will stick with Isaiah in saying, “To the Law and the prophets. If they speak not according to them, their words are worthless.” (Pardon my paraphrase.)
But let’s return to Psalm 23, where a green pasture and still waters await us. Oh, and the Lord has prepared a table for us there too. The meal He provides is even better than we can imagine. The servings He gives us are reminiscent of Joseph’s serving to Benjamin in Egypt. Each of us will discover readily enough that our cup runneth over. We will enjoy ourselves much better than we would hanging out in the valley of the shadow of death, don’t you think?
Psalm 23 has been taught from many and various different aspects. I want to draw our attention to an aspect not often given the focus by preachers and teachers. I hope you are ready to traverse the psalm with me. A salubrious trek we shall find it to be.
Two main characters form the cast of Psalm 23. There is the Lord and then there is David. David is the author of the psalm, but all of God’s people can and should make it their own.
In Psalm 23 the Lord is the star. The two words “the Lord” are the actual name of God. The word “God” depicts the Creator, He who is high above man in heaven, distant and removed from the earth, impersonal and intimidating. When His name “the Lord” is used, however, it depicts Him on a personal level with man, friendly and affording us a personal relationship.
David/man is the costar of Psalm 23. In fact the costar is just along for the ride. That is the extent of his role in the psalm. He serves the same function a dumb sheep serves in the pasture with the shepherd. He follows and behaves himself, while the shepherd provides for him and protects him so he doesn’t do himself wrong or starve to death.
We can gather this much directly from the psalm by means of a simple observation. Look over the six short verses and determine:
• how many times the Lord is mentioned
• how many times David/man is mentioned
The Lord is mentioned 12 times. There’s only 6 verses! Think He’s the star? The pertinent twelve words are “the Lord”, “He”, “His”, “You”, and “Your” (NASB).
David/man is mentioned 16 times, but at every mention the Lord is either providing for him or protecting him. This makes the Lord the star and David/man the costar. The pertinent sixteen words are “my”, “I”, and “me”.
I have to say, Psalm 23 is hard to set aside! It is chock-full of delectable morsels, each of which fits the old commercial, “bet you can’t eat just one!” But the hour is late, so we will have to pause now. Not to worry. We will finish the meal 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...
June 18, 2012
Bible Trilogy II – Part 1
The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want [Psalm 23:1].
Today we begin the second portion of our Bible Trilogy. The first portion came from Psalm 22 and had to do with the crucifixion of the Lord Jesus.
We noted in the first portion that three events marked the Gospel:
1. Jesus’ crucifixion
2. Jesus’ burial
3. Jesus’ resurrection
We direct you to 1 Corinthians 15:3-4 for Biblical affirmation of this truth.
The second portion of our Biblical Trilogy comes from Psalm 23 and has to do with the burial of the Lord Jesus, with His time in the tomb. Since the first portion came from Psalm 22 and the second portion comes from Psalm 23, I’ll give you five guesses from whence the third portion comes…
Anyway, back to the second portion. Psalm 23 makes reference to “the valley of the shadow of death”. The phrase furnishes an excellent depiction of Jesus, during the time His body was in the tomb. Jesus walked through the valley of the shadow of death and conquered death on our behalf.
Over the centuries many theories have erupted from the minds of men, which supposedly explain where Jesus was and what He was doing during the three days His body was in the tomb. One such theory, for instance, is what has taken the title “Apostles Creed”— though the true apostles of Christ never uttered it, and the Holy Spirit of a truth did not inspire it.
Don’t get me wrong. The Apostles Creed recites some quite true and good Bible concepts. But it is still man’s words, not the living and breathing Word of God. The creed can only affect man’s head, his intellect, not his heart. It can make the old sinner behave better, but it cannot effect a new creation or bring the new man to maturity.
In the Apostles Creed a reference is made to Jesus, claiming He “descended into hell”. Did He? What are you looking at me for? I asked you first! Okay, if you insist, I will give you my answer: what does the Bible say?
That’s right. It doesn’t. The Bible reveals to us that Jesus died on the cross as the once for all sin offering on behalf of all mankind. His corpse was placed in Joseph of Arimathea’s tomb for three days, after which time Jesus rose out of death.
When we finite creatures known as human beings theorize what happens in eternity, the best we have to offer is guess work. We really haven’t a clue as to whether what we assert is the truth or not. How can we? We can’t. The truth is from eternity and we’re not.
All we can really know about eternal truths is what the God of eternity reveals to us. Even that truth is limited, but not by God’s truth, mind you. It is limited by our limited capacity as finite creatures to grasp the unlimited revelation of the Word of God.
I see the shadows forming and the sun setting. Let’s pause for today and spend some time with Jesus. We will continue this study on the morrow.
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...
Today we begin the second portion of our Bible Trilogy. The first portion came from Psalm 22 and had to do with the crucifixion of the Lord Jesus.
We noted in the first portion that three events marked the Gospel:
1. Jesus’ crucifixion
2. Jesus’ burial
3. Jesus’ resurrection
We direct you to 1 Corinthians 15:3-4 for Biblical affirmation of this truth.
The second portion of our Biblical Trilogy comes from Psalm 23 and has to do with the burial of the Lord Jesus, with His time in the tomb. Since the first portion came from Psalm 22 and the second portion comes from Psalm 23, I’ll give you five guesses from whence the third portion comes…
Anyway, back to the second portion. Psalm 23 makes reference to “the valley of the shadow of death”. The phrase furnishes an excellent depiction of Jesus, during the time His body was in the tomb. Jesus walked through the valley of the shadow of death and conquered death on our behalf.
Over the centuries many theories have erupted from the minds of men, which supposedly explain where Jesus was and what He was doing during the three days His body was in the tomb. One such theory, for instance, is what has taken the title “Apostles Creed”— though the true apostles of Christ never uttered it, and the Holy Spirit of a truth did not inspire it.
Don’t get me wrong. The Apostles Creed recites some quite true and good Bible concepts. But it is still man’s words, not the living and breathing Word of God. The creed can only affect man’s head, his intellect, not his heart. It can make the old sinner behave better, but it cannot effect a new creation or bring the new man to maturity.
In the Apostles Creed a reference is made to Jesus, claiming He “descended into hell”. Did He? What are you looking at me for? I asked you first! Okay, if you insist, I will give you my answer: what does the Bible say?
That’s right. It doesn’t. The Bible reveals to us that Jesus died on the cross as the once for all sin offering on behalf of all mankind. His corpse was placed in Joseph of Arimathea’s tomb for three days, after which time Jesus rose out of death.
When we finite creatures known as human beings theorize what happens in eternity, the best we have to offer is guess work. We really haven’t a clue as to whether what we assert is the truth or not. How can we? We can’t. The truth is from eternity and we’re not.
All we can really know about eternal truths is what the God of eternity reveals to us. Even that truth is limited, but not by God’s truth, mind you. It is limited by our limited capacity as finite creatures to grasp the unlimited revelation of the Word of God.
I see the shadows forming and the sun setting. Let’s pause for today and spend some time with Jesus. We will continue this study on the morrow.
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...
June 17, 2012
Bible Trilogy I – Part 2
My God, my God, why have You forsaken me? [Psalm 22:1]
We concluded our last study at the foot of the cross. Darkness covered the earth from noon to 3:00 PM. The darkness was the visible reality which depicted a spiritual truth. This truth was that Father God turned away from looking upon His Son because the Son became a sin offering on behalf of mankind.
Huh? That doesn’t compute! How can God turn away from God because God has sin on Him and God cannot even look upon sin? Oh, my aching head! Everything is spinning in circles and I am becoming quite disoriented. Can someone please explain this bizarre concept to me? I am confused.
Uh, that would be no. Can’t explain it. It is a Bible mystery. We only know that it is true because the Word of God tells us as much. But it is beyond the comprehension of finite minds because it is spiritual truth, the truth of eternity. And that is something we finite creatures have no experience with, rendering us incapable of grasping it fully.
But not to worry. We believe this truth by grace through faith because the Lord teaches it to us, and we trust Him to tell us only the truth. No sooner did Jesus cry out the words of Psalm 22:1, than He released His Spirit, surrendering His life all the way to death so that sinners can live.
Indeed Father God did forsake the Son of God, but not as the Son of God. Rather, Father God forsook Jesus as the Son of man. This was essential because Jesus the Son of man became a sin offering for mankind. God is righteous, so He cannot tolerate sin. Sin is the refusal to obey the Word of God. Sin requires God’s judgment of death.
If God overlooked sin, any sin, even a so-called peccadillo, He would no longer be righteous. Such a prospect is an impossibility because God cannot deny Himself. He is righteous. He cannot be otherwise.
Ergo, when Jesus the Son of man became a sin offering on man’s behalf, God the Father turned away from Him, rejecting Him because God must reject sin. God judged sin in His own Son. He did forsake Jesus the Son of man for a time, as He judged mankind’s sins in Jesus.
We’ve already gone down this road further than perhaps is advisable. As finite creatures we cannot really grasp the extent of Jesus’ death on our behalf. We mustn’t attempt to explain it more than is revealed in Scripture. It is revealed, and it is explained; but the explanation is tempered with moderation because the truth is vast and unfathomable. Let us believe without thinking we know it all.
Read Psalm 22. As you do so, consider the prophetic import. Meditate on the crucifixion of Jesus and how Psalm 22 depicts that historic event. You meditation will bring the psalm alive, and you will find yourself in deep and stirring worship of our God.
Lord Jesus, we appreciate you even more, now that we’ve pondered anew your death on our behalf. Thank you for loving us that much. We love you in return because you first loved us…all the way to death on a cross. Make us like you, in Jesus’ name. Amen.
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/-/e/B005PJ761C
https://sites.google.com/site/heavenl...
We concluded our last study at the foot of the cross. Darkness covered the earth from noon to 3:00 PM. The darkness was the visible reality which depicted a spiritual truth. This truth was that Father God turned away from looking upon His Son because the Son became a sin offering on behalf of mankind.
Huh? That doesn’t compute! How can God turn away from God because God has sin on Him and God cannot even look upon sin? Oh, my aching head! Everything is spinning in circles and I am becoming quite disoriented. Can someone please explain this bizarre concept to me? I am confused.
Uh, that would be no. Can’t explain it. It is a Bible mystery. We only know that it is true because the Word of God tells us as much. But it is beyond the comprehension of finite minds because it is spiritual truth, the truth of eternity. And that is something we finite creatures have no experience with, rendering us incapable of grasping it fully.
But not to worry. We believe this truth by grace through faith because the Lord teaches it to us, and we trust Him to tell us only the truth. No sooner did Jesus cry out the words of Psalm 22:1, than He released His Spirit, surrendering His life all the way to death so that sinners can live.
Indeed Father God did forsake the Son of God, but not as the Son of God. Rather, Father God forsook Jesus as the Son of man. This was essential because Jesus the Son of man became a sin offering for mankind. God is righteous, so He cannot tolerate sin. Sin is the refusal to obey the Word of God. Sin requires God’s judgment of death.
If God overlooked sin, any sin, even a so-called peccadillo, He would no longer be righteous. Such a prospect is an impossibility because God cannot deny Himself. He is righteous. He cannot be otherwise.
Ergo, when Jesus the Son of man became a sin offering on man’s behalf, God the Father turned away from Him, rejecting Him because God must reject sin. God judged sin in His own Son. He did forsake Jesus the Son of man for a time, as He judged mankind’s sins in Jesus.
We’ve already gone down this road further than perhaps is advisable. As finite creatures we cannot really grasp the extent of Jesus’ death on our behalf. We mustn’t attempt to explain it more than is revealed in Scripture. It is revealed, and it is explained; but the explanation is tempered with moderation because the truth is vast and unfathomable. Let us believe without thinking we know it all.
Read Psalm 22. As you do so, consider the prophetic import. Meditate on the crucifixion of Jesus and how Psalm 22 depicts that historic event. You meditation will bring the psalm alive, and you will find yourself in deep and stirring worship of our God.
Lord Jesus, we appreciate you even more, now that we’ve pondered anew your death on our behalf. Thank you for loving us that much. We love you in return because you first loved us…all the way to death on a cross. Make us like you, in Jesus’ name. Amen.
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/-/e/B005PJ761C
https://sites.google.com/site/heavenl...
June 16, 2012
Bible Trilogy I – Part 1
My God, my God, why have You forsaken me? [Psalm 22:1]
Three crucial events of the Gospel are the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. In defining the essence of the Gospel to the Corinthian Christians, the Apostle Paul noted those same three items (cf., 1 Corinthians 15:3-4). In this context we will embark on a Bible trilogy comprised of these three events.
Psalm 22 is a prophetic depiction of the crucifixion, of Jesus’ death on the cross for the sins of mankind. Anyone who reads the Bible, especially the Old Testament, knows that David ben Jesse suffered grievously during the course of his life.
David was hounded by King Saul without letup because the Lord through Samuel proclaimed David to be Saul’s replacement as king—and Saul didn’t want to relinquish the kingship to David. Saul was determined to keep it for himself and for his son Jonathan after him. “Down with David! Up with Saul & Family!” That was Saul’s logo.
And then there were David’s own sins which got him into hot water. He had no one to blame but himself for those ordeals. And did he pay the piper! A pound of flesh was demanded of him on more than one occasion. Yep, David suffered interminably during the course of his life.
Notwithstanding this, when David wrote Psalm 22 it was prophetic, not personal. Certainly the Holy Spirit inspired David to write it as prophecy. Yes, David suffered much in life. But no, Psalm 22 is not so much about David’s life of suffering, as it is about the suffering of the Messiah. Psalm 22 is prophetic.
From the cross Jesus the Son of God cried out to Father God, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” [Matthew 27:46] Jesus quoted verse 1 of Psalm 22, when He uttered those words. He recognized their prophetic import as applicable to His crucifixion.
Someone might choose to query, “What do those words have to do with Jesus’ crucifixion?”
It’s like this. Jesus died on the cross to pay the penalty for the sins of all mankind, past, present, and future. It is a mystery of eternity how Jesus as God could take upon Himself the sins of mankind. I mean, Jesus is God and God cannot even look upon sin, so how could He permit them to be placed upon Himself?
For three hours while Jesus was on the cross, from noon to 3:00 PM, darkness covered the land. This was God’s demonstration, employing visible physical reality, to teach us invisible physical truth. The visible reality was the three hours of darkness. The invisible truth was that, while Jesus the Son of God bore the sins of all mankind on Himself, Father God turned away and refused to look upon His Son.
I must apologize, but the day is far spent and the shadows are growing longer. Let us betake ourselves to the prayer closet a while and learn at the feet of Jesus. We’ll continue this topic 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/-/e/B005PJ761C
https://sites.google.com/site/heavenl...
Three crucial events of the Gospel are the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. In defining the essence of the Gospel to the Corinthian Christians, the Apostle Paul noted those same three items (cf., 1 Corinthians 15:3-4). In this context we will embark on a Bible trilogy comprised of these three events.
Psalm 22 is a prophetic depiction of the crucifixion, of Jesus’ death on the cross for the sins of mankind. Anyone who reads the Bible, especially the Old Testament, knows that David ben Jesse suffered grievously during the course of his life.
David was hounded by King Saul without letup because the Lord through Samuel proclaimed David to be Saul’s replacement as king—and Saul didn’t want to relinquish the kingship to David. Saul was determined to keep it for himself and for his son Jonathan after him. “Down with David! Up with Saul & Family!” That was Saul’s logo.
And then there were David’s own sins which got him into hot water. He had no one to blame but himself for those ordeals. And did he pay the piper! A pound of flesh was demanded of him on more than one occasion. Yep, David suffered interminably during the course of his life.
Notwithstanding this, when David wrote Psalm 22 it was prophetic, not personal. Certainly the Holy Spirit inspired David to write it as prophecy. Yes, David suffered much in life. But no, Psalm 22 is not so much about David’s life of suffering, as it is about the suffering of the Messiah. Psalm 22 is prophetic.
From the cross Jesus the Son of God cried out to Father God, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” [Matthew 27:46] Jesus quoted verse 1 of Psalm 22, when He uttered those words. He recognized their prophetic import as applicable to His crucifixion.
Someone might choose to query, “What do those words have to do with Jesus’ crucifixion?”
It’s like this. Jesus died on the cross to pay the penalty for the sins of all mankind, past, present, and future. It is a mystery of eternity how Jesus as God could take upon Himself the sins of mankind. I mean, Jesus is God and God cannot even look upon sin, so how could He permit them to be placed upon Himself?
For three hours while Jesus was on the cross, from noon to 3:00 PM, darkness covered the land. This was God’s demonstration, employing visible physical reality, to teach us invisible physical truth. The visible reality was the three hours of darkness. The invisible truth was that, while Jesus the Son of God bore the sins of all mankind on Himself, Father God turned away and refused to look upon His Son.
I must apologize, but the day is far spent and the shadows are growing longer. Let us betake ourselves to the prayer closet a while and learn at the feet of Jesus. We’ll continue this topic 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/-/e/B005PJ761C
https://sites.google.com/site/heavenl...
Spiritual Amnesiacs – Part 5
Therefore if you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God…For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory [Colossians 3:1, 3-4].
To mature, a newborn Christian must be transformed by the renewing of his mind (cf., Romans 12:2). This is really a simple concept. Stop focusing on the things of the world and instead focus on the things of God. This comes from daily time alone with Jesus, spent in prayer and Bible.
Jesus is “seated at the right hand of God”. We died, which means we no longer live. The old man—he who was born naturally as a sinner—died. It’s what happens when we are born again. The old man spent his time dwelling on the earth and focusing on the things of the world. The new man doesn’t live for such things. Really. I mean it. Really.
If we Christians are so caught up in our affluence and the things of this world, it should tell us something. We should recognize from this symptom that the old man is controlling us. The new man is missing in action. If we cannot recognize this, then we can be sure we suffer from spiritual amnesia. It’s that plain and simple, dear friends.
We died, and dead people aren’t supposed to be in control. To remedy this, we first need to realize that the old life is dead. Then we need to realize what the old life is, so that we keep it buried in the tomb. Next we need to fix our gaze above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. After all, we are “in Christ” so we are there too.
It would be silly of me to go to another land and culture, and attempt to live the way I live here. I may want to eat Tombstone Sausage Pizza for supper in the new country, but they might not have any! I may want to take a hot shower when I wake up, but there may not be one! How pathetic it would be to mope about all day every day, dwelling on Tombstone Sausage Pizza and hot showers, huh?
So too is it with the Christian. We died as mere mortals who live for the earth, who feed the natural lusts of the body. We rose out of death “in Christ” and ascended into heaven in Him. We are seated at God’s right hand “in Christ”. We need to reestablish our wants and desires to fit our new culture and country, viz., up above, heaven.
Oh, there is one more part of the medicinal cure for spiritual amnesia. Paul educated the Colossians,
When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory.
Even though we are temporarily housed in this worldly tent on the earth, it won’t be long before Jesus will come again and take us to Himself, that where He is we may be also. Hallelujah! Even so, come quickly, Lord Jesus.
This being the case—and it is a certainty, dear friends—shouldn’t we keep the old man of the earth in the grave? Shouldn’t we want to acclimate ourselves for the glories of our new life in heaven? We indeed should…unless spiritual amnesia keeps these realities out of sight and out of mind.
We died, dear Christians. The new man lives. He is Christ, our life. He lived for heaven while He walked this earth, and He is in heaven now and still living for heaven. Since He is our life, how can we live any differently? We can’t…unless the old man is in control.
Let’s take the cure. Let’s be gone with spiritual amnesia. Let’s refocus our living from the earth to heaven, from affluence and toys to Jesus and new life. What say ye?
To further research this issue, I direct you to my book Joshua: Volume 6 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...
To mature, a newborn Christian must be transformed by the renewing of his mind (cf., Romans 12:2). This is really a simple concept. Stop focusing on the things of the world and instead focus on the things of God. This comes from daily time alone with Jesus, spent in prayer and Bible.
Jesus is “seated at the right hand of God”. We died, which means we no longer live. The old man—he who was born naturally as a sinner—died. It’s what happens when we are born again. The old man spent his time dwelling on the earth and focusing on the things of the world. The new man doesn’t live for such things. Really. I mean it. Really.
If we Christians are so caught up in our affluence and the things of this world, it should tell us something. We should recognize from this symptom that the old man is controlling us. The new man is missing in action. If we cannot recognize this, then we can be sure we suffer from spiritual amnesia. It’s that plain and simple, dear friends.
We died, and dead people aren’t supposed to be in control. To remedy this, we first need to realize that the old life is dead. Then we need to realize what the old life is, so that we keep it buried in the tomb. Next we need to fix our gaze above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. After all, we are “in Christ” so we are there too.
It would be silly of me to go to another land and culture, and attempt to live the way I live here. I may want to eat Tombstone Sausage Pizza for supper in the new country, but they might not have any! I may want to take a hot shower when I wake up, but there may not be one! How pathetic it would be to mope about all day every day, dwelling on Tombstone Sausage Pizza and hot showers, huh?
So too is it with the Christian. We died as mere mortals who live for the earth, who feed the natural lusts of the body. We rose out of death “in Christ” and ascended into heaven in Him. We are seated at God’s right hand “in Christ”. We need to reestablish our wants and desires to fit our new culture and country, viz., up above, heaven.
Oh, there is one more part of the medicinal cure for spiritual amnesia. Paul educated the Colossians,
When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory.
Even though we are temporarily housed in this worldly tent on the earth, it won’t be long before Jesus will come again and take us to Himself, that where He is we may be also. Hallelujah! Even so, come quickly, Lord Jesus.
This being the case—and it is a certainty, dear friends—shouldn’t we keep the old man of the earth in the grave? Shouldn’t we want to acclimate ourselves for the glories of our new life in heaven? We indeed should…unless spiritual amnesia keeps these realities out of sight and out of mind.
We died, dear Christians. The new man lives. He is Christ, our life. He lived for heaven while He walked this earth, and He is in heaven now and still living for heaven. Since He is our life, how can we live any differently? We can’t…unless the old man is in control.
Let’s take the cure. Let’s be gone with spiritual amnesia. Let’s refocus our living from the earth to heaven, from affluence and toys to Jesus and new life. What say ye?
To further research this issue, I direct you to my book Joshua: Volume 6 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...
June 14, 2012
Spiritual Amnesiacs – Part 4
Therefore if you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God…For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory [Colossians 3:1, 3-4].
The Church grows in numbers when people are born again. Yet that only begins the story. Each Christian must spiritually mature, just as in the natural realm a baby is born and then must physically mature. The Lord gave parents to teach the babies how to mature. He gives church leaders to rear newly born again Christians into spiritual maturity.
If we don’t want our folks to develop spiritual amnesia, dear pastors and teachers and other church leaders, then we must spiritually rear them into mature men and women of God. This cannot be done apart from the Bible, the whole Bible, and nothing but the Bible.
Man’s words about the Bible will do no better than fill their brains with sawdust and ashes. The living Word of God alone can reach their hearts and transform them into the image of Jesus. Without daily quiet time alone with Jesus in prayer and Bible, no personal relationship with the Lord can be cultivated. There is no substitute for this.
Countless church functions and activities only make for a busy beaver congregation. Such a church appears super duper, but they are really only “getting busy serving Jesus”…before they even know Jesus! They are kindergartners who have been sent to establish a new nation in the Promised Land. Such an approach only leads to forty years of wilderness wanderings in the School of Hard Knocks.
To prevent spiritual amnesia was Paul’s goal in his letter to the Colossians. Paul’s cure is best served as preventative medicine. Stop the disease before it even gets started. If it ever does take root, the only deliverance is to give the cure after the fact and hope it succeeds.
Alas, but too often spiritual amnesia keeps the poor afflicted souls from recognizing they have a problem. Hence they aren’t much amenable to the suggestion they take the cure. They’ve become imbued with the practice of “getting busy serving Jesus”. Now that they do so to one extent or another, they are convinced all is right with God. So why fix something when it ain’t broke? (Pardon my French.)
Okay, so what is Paul’s preventative medicine to ward off spiritual amnesia? Listen:
• you have been raised up with Christ
• keep seeking the things above
• you have died
• your life is hidden with Christ in God
• Christ…is our life
• when Christ…is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory
Heady stuff, that. Yet it is so very practical. If I don’t want to lust after every skirt which passes by, then I need to turn my eyes in a direction away from the passing skirts. If I don’t want to feel cheated because I don’t have as many toys as my neighbor, then I need to turn my eyes in a direction away from my neighbor’s toys. If I don’t…well, enough of that. We all get the point.
Stop looking at the world and the things of the world and longing for them. Stop spending day-after-day dwelling on the things we want to buy, the places we want to go, the movies we want to see, the restaurants where we want to eat. Stop focusing on the earth and start fixing our gaze on Jesus.
We will finish this topic in our next study. Jesus is Lord! Let’s bow to Him now and enjoy His presence a while.
To further research this issue, I direct you to my book Joshua: Volume 6 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...
The Church grows in numbers when people are born again. Yet that only begins the story. Each Christian must spiritually mature, just as in the natural realm a baby is born and then must physically mature. The Lord gave parents to teach the babies how to mature. He gives church leaders to rear newly born again Christians into spiritual maturity.
If we don’t want our folks to develop spiritual amnesia, dear pastors and teachers and other church leaders, then we must spiritually rear them into mature men and women of God. This cannot be done apart from the Bible, the whole Bible, and nothing but the Bible.
Man’s words about the Bible will do no better than fill their brains with sawdust and ashes. The living Word of God alone can reach their hearts and transform them into the image of Jesus. Without daily quiet time alone with Jesus in prayer and Bible, no personal relationship with the Lord can be cultivated. There is no substitute for this.
Countless church functions and activities only make for a busy beaver congregation. Such a church appears super duper, but they are really only “getting busy serving Jesus”…before they even know Jesus! They are kindergartners who have been sent to establish a new nation in the Promised Land. Such an approach only leads to forty years of wilderness wanderings in the School of Hard Knocks.
To prevent spiritual amnesia was Paul’s goal in his letter to the Colossians. Paul’s cure is best served as preventative medicine. Stop the disease before it even gets started. If it ever does take root, the only deliverance is to give the cure after the fact and hope it succeeds.
Alas, but too often spiritual amnesia keeps the poor afflicted souls from recognizing they have a problem. Hence they aren’t much amenable to the suggestion they take the cure. They’ve become imbued with the practice of “getting busy serving Jesus”. Now that they do so to one extent or another, they are convinced all is right with God. So why fix something when it ain’t broke? (Pardon my French.)
Okay, so what is Paul’s preventative medicine to ward off spiritual amnesia? Listen:
• you have been raised up with Christ
• keep seeking the things above
• you have died
• your life is hidden with Christ in God
• Christ…is our life
• when Christ…is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory
Heady stuff, that. Yet it is so very practical. If I don’t want to lust after every skirt which passes by, then I need to turn my eyes in a direction away from the passing skirts. If I don’t want to feel cheated because I don’t have as many toys as my neighbor, then I need to turn my eyes in a direction away from my neighbor’s toys. If I don’t…well, enough of that. We all get the point.
Stop looking at the world and the things of the world and longing for them. Stop spending day-after-day dwelling on the things we want to buy, the places we want to go, the movies we want to see, the restaurants where we want to eat. Stop focusing on the earth and start fixing our gaze on Jesus.
We will finish this topic in our next study. Jesus is Lord! Let’s bow to Him now and enjoy His presence a while.
To further research this issue, I direct you to my book Joshua: Volume 6 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...
