Randy Green's Blog, page 497
January 3, 2012
Look! I found a gap in the Bible! – Part 1
In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was formless and void, and darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was moving over the surface of the waters [Genesis 1:1-2].
When I was a wee little lad, I had this issue that needed to be resolved. If I did something wrong and got caught, I hemmed and hawed, shuffled the feet, and attempted to muddy the waters of truth by mincing words. It was convenient, you see, to leave off essential details, so as to make the case against me not so bad as at first blush might appear. Guess what? It never worked! Adults know what’s what. They see right through such shenanigans.
In this self-styled modern scientific age, there are those adults who mimic my childish shenanigans. They only believe what they can see with their own eyes and touch with their own hands—aka doubting Thomases! Many suchlike rascals bombastically look down the nose at the Bible as a collection of old wives’ tales. Others, though, hold the Bible in reverence—sometimes superstitiously—even while all along clinging to the anti-spiritual asseverations of science falsely so-called.
This presents them with a conundrum. On the one hand they cling to the findings of contemporary geology textbooks, while on the other hand they profess belief in the Bible. The two historically being irreconcilable, they find it necessary to attempt a reconciliation. Truth be told, the Bible and true science are not at odds. The Bible and historical studies by atheists are.
I make reference to the findings of evolution and uniformitarianism, dear friends. These fields of contemporary science don’t begin with a tabula rasa and let the evidence take them where it will. They enter the fray with preconceived predilections.
To them the Bible is wrong, and that long before the investigation even begins. They assert, “There is no such thing as God! The spirit world, life after death, eternity—all such things stem from the fear of half-wit cave men who couldn’t understand the facts like modern scientists can. So these cave men imagined such concepts to explain the world and life and death.”
Do you see how this is circular reasoning, how it begs the question? They assume the truth of what they are supposed to prove, and then they look for corroborating evidence to prove them right. Any evidence which doesn’t fit into this mold, well, let’s just ignore it!
Such an approach is no different than faith, though it is quite different than Biblical faith. Biblical faith is belief in the words of the Bible. The man-made faith of these scientists is belief in their preconceived predilections! They don’t believe in the existence of God, so God doesn’t exist. How’s that for logic, huh? Boy, these guys are good!
We will take up this issue further in our next post. Until then why not spend some time alone with the Lord Jesus. He can teach us quite a bit about this matter.
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...
When I was a wee little lad, I had this issue that needed to be resolved. If I did something wrong and got caught, I hemmed and hawed, shuffled the feet, and attempted to muddy the waters of truth by mincing words. It was convenient, you see, to leave off essential details, so as to make the case against me not so bad as at first blush might appear. Guess what? It never worked! Adults know what’s what. They see right through such shenanigans.
In this self-styled modern scientific age, there are those adults who mimic my childish shenanigans. They only believe what they can see with their own eyes and touch with their own hands—aka doubting Thomases! Many suchlike rascals bombastically look down the nose at the Bible as a collection of old wives’ tales. Others, though, hold the Bible in reverence—sometimes superstitiously—even while all along clinging to the anti-spiritual asseverations of science falsely so-called.
This presents them with a conundrum. On the one hand they cling to the findings of contemporary geology textbooks, while on the other hand they profess belief in the Bible. The two historically being irreconcilable, they find it necessary to attempt a reconciliation. Truth be told, the Bible and true science are not at odds. The Bible and historical studies by atheists are.
I make reference to the findings of evolution and uniformitarianism, dear friends. These fields of contemporary science don’t begin with a tabula rasa and let the evidence take them where it will. They enter the fray with preconceived predilections.
To them the Bible is wrong, and that long before the investigation even begins. They assert, “There is no such thing as God! The spirit world, life after death, eternity—all such things stem from the fear of half-wit cave men who couldn’t understand the facts like modern scientists can. So these cave men imagined such concepts to explain the world and life and death.”
Do you see how this is circular reasoning, how it begs the question? They assume the truth of what they are supposed to prove, and then they look for corroborating evidence to prove them right. Any evidence which doesn’t fit into this mold, well, let’s just ignore it!
Such an approach is no different than faith, though it is quite different than Biblical faith. Biblical faith is belief in the words of the Bible. The man-made faith of these scientists is belief in their preconceived predilections! They don’t believe in the existence of God, so God doesn’t exist. How’s that for logic, huh? Boy, these guys are good!
We will take up this issue further in our next post. Until then why not spend some time alone with the Lord Jesus. He can teach us quite a bit about this matter.
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...
January 2, 2012
Optometry 101 - Part 1
I will lift up my eyes to the mountains; from where shall my help come? My help comes from the Lord, Who made heaven and earth [Psalm 121:1-2].
This quotation is beautiful Hebrew poetry. To understand it we need to understand how Biblical Hebrew poetry works. Let’s take a crash course in it, shall we?
Today we tend to rhyme words at the end of lines and call that “poetry”. And so it is…at least for us today. To each his own. I am not criticizing this approach, just noting that other approaches are out there. Some of our poetic content often leaves a lot to be desired in contemporary rhymes. I mean, “I think you’re groovy. Let’s go to a movie.” Really? That has been weighed on the scales and found deficient, much like King Belshazzar of Babylon (cf., Daniel 5:26-27).
But enough of the aside. Let’s mosey on back to Biblical Hebrew poetry. Rather than rhyme words at the end of lines, the Hebrews of the Bible “rhymed” ideas within the lines. Sometimes these ideas presented the same concept—in which case they were synonymous and bore the appellation synonymous parallelism. At other times the ideas portrayed opposite concepts—in which case they wore the mantle antonymous parallelism.
Let’s put Psalm 121:1-2 to work in illustrating this for us. Here is how the two verses are diagrammed:
A. I will lift up my eyes to the mountains;
B. from where shall my help come?
B. My help comes from the Lord,
A. Who made heaven and earth.
Take note, please, of the letters “A” and “B” which identify each line. Do you see how the two “A” lines run parallel in thought to each other, and the same for the two “B” lines? The concepts of the two “A” lines are similar: they are “synonymous” as far as concepts go. So too with the two “B” lines: they express similar or synonymous concepts. They run parallel to each other.
The Psalmist began by throwing out an observation, I will lift up my eyes to the mountains. He then followed this up with a question, from where shall my help come? The thought in this sentence is that the Psalmist looked around at all the pagans peoples and the apostate Israelites of his time. What he saw was the heathen worship of idols on every high hill and mountain, commonly known as the “high places” back in the day (cf., Psalm 78:58).
We will continue this exposition in our next post. For now let’s pull aside to this nearby arbor and rest our weary bones, as we meet for a space with the Lord Jesus.
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...
This quotation is beautiful Hebrew poetry. To understand it we need to understand how Biblical Hebrew poetry works. Let’s take a crash course in it, shall we?
Today we tend to rhyme words at the end of lines and call that “poetry”. And so it is…at least for us today. To each his own. I am not criticizing this approach, just noting that other approaches are out there. Some of our poetic content often leaves a lot to be desired in contemporary rhymes. I mean, “I think you’re groovy. Let’s go to a movie.” Really? That has been weighed on the scales and found deficient, much like King Belshazzar of Babylon (cf., Daniel 5:26-27).
But enough of the aside. Let’s mosey on back to Biblical Hebrew poetry. Rather than rhyme words at the end of lines, the Hebrews of the Bible “rhymed” ideas within the lines. Sometimes these ideas presented the same concept—in which case they were synonymous and bore the appellation synonymous parallelism. At other times the ideas portrayed opposite concepts—in which case they wore the mantle antonymous parallelism.
Let’s put Psalm 121:1-2 to work in illustrating this for us. Here is how the two verses are diagrammed:
A. I will lift up my eyes to the mountains;
B. from where shall my help come?
B. My help comes from the Lord,
A. Who made heaven and earth.
Take note, please, of the letters “A” and “B” which identify each line. Do you see how the two “A” lines run parallel in thought to each other, and the same for the two “B” lines? The concepts of the two “A” lines are similar: they are “synonymous” as far as concepts go. So too with the two “B” lines: they express similar or synonymous concepts. They run parallel to each other.
The Psalmist began by throwing out an observation, I will lift up my eyes to the mountains. He then followed this up with a question, from where shall my help come? The thought in this sentence is that the Psalmist looked around at all the pagans peoples and the apostate Israelites of his time. What he saw was the heathen worship of idols on every high hill and mountain, commonly known as the “high places” back in the day (cf., Psalm 78:58).
We will continue this exposition in our next post. For now let’s pull aside to this nearby arbor and rest our weary bones, as we meet for a space with the Lord Jesus.
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...
January 1, 2012
Optometry 101 - Part 2
I will lift up my eyes to the mountains; from where shall my help come? My help comes from the Lord, Who made heaven and earth [Psalm 121:1-2].
Being a devout servant of the Lord (aka Yahweh) and therefore a firm believer in monotheism (belief in only one true God), the Psalmist could not go along with idol worship at the high places. So he responded to heathen worship at the high places by asking, “From where, then, will my help come to deliver me?”
In answer to this he furnished the only possible response a devout Israelite and true servant of the Lord could answer. He asseverated, My help comes from the Lord, Who made heaven and earth. The heathen, you see, worshiped man-made gods whom they depicted in the form of idols. The true and faithful Israelite, contrariwise, acknowledged only the one true God, the Lord (aka Yahweh).
The heathen worshiped on elevated locations to look down on the world, as if they were in the heavens (cf., Numbers 22-24). This was to mimic their false gods whom they fancied were in heaven up above. The true and faithful Israelite denounced such practices because the Scriptures did. The Scriptures commanded that the Lord be worshiped ONLY at his tabernacle and later at His temple in Jerusalem. Ergo, the true and faithful Israelite could be found worshiping ONLY the Lord and ONLY in Jerusalem.
Understood in this context from back in the day, we now recognize how the four lines of Psalm 121:1-2 are parallel. The heathen sought their gods on the mountains, where the Psalmist first turned his attention to note this fact (v.1a). The Psalmist retorted that God isn’t to be found on the mountains: He made all heaven and earth, including the mountains (v.2b)!
That covers the parallelism of the two “A” lines. Now let’s vet the two “B” lines. The heathen sought help from their gods at all their high places (aka on the mountains and hills). The Psalmist countered, “Is that where my help is to be found” (v.1b)? In a stinging rebuttal against heathenism he answered forthrightly, “Not on your life! My help comes from the Lord (v.2a)!” See! The two “B” lines are synonymous and parallel as well.
Can we not learn a lot from the Psalmist still today? We go to the optometrist to have our eyes checked and acquire whatever corrective lenses he prescribes for us. To solve our vision problems in dealing with life’s curve balls, we must needs repair to Dr. Jesus. One of His medical degrees is in the field of spiritual optometry. He can even make the blind to see!
Sinful man believes he can solve all his own problems, sometimes by means of fashioning pseudo-gods to do the solving for him (aka heathenism). The true child of God knows man cannot solve life’s problem…but Dr. Jesus can! So he betakes himself to Jesus daily for a personal consultation.
What say ye? The Doctor is in, no appointment needed. Do you wish to see Him?
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...
Being a devout servant of the Lord (aka Yahweh) and therefore a firm believer in monotheism (belief in only one true God), the Psalmist could not go along with idol worship at the high places. So he responded to heathen worship at the high places by asking, “From where, then, will my help come to deliver me?”
In answer to this he furnished the only possible response a devout Israelite and true servant of the Lord could answer. He asseverated, My help comes from the Lord, Who made heaven and earth. The heathen, you see, worshiped man-made gods whom they depicted in the form of idols. The true and faithful Israelite, contrariwise, acknowledged only the one true God, the Lord (aka Yahweh).
The heathen worshiped on elevated locations to look down on the world, as if they were in the heavens (cf., Numbers 22-24). This was to mimic their false gods whom they fancied were in heaven up above. The true and faithful Israelite denounced such practices because the Scriptures did. The Scriptures commanded that the Lord be worshiped ONLY at his tabernacle and later at His temple in Jerusalem. Ergo, the true and faithful Israelite could be found worshiping ONLY the Lord and ONLY in Jerusalem.
Understood in this context from back in the day, we now recognize how the four lines of Psalm 121:1-2 are parallel. The heathen sought their gods on the mountains, where the Psalmist first turned his attention to note this fact (v.1a). The Psalmist retorted that God isn’t to be found on the mountains: He made all heaven and earth, including the mountains (v.2b)!
That covers the parallelism of the two “A” lines. Now let’s vet the two “B” lines. The heathen sought help from their gods at all their high places (aka on the mountains and hills). The Psalmist countered, “Is that where my help is to be found” (v.1b)? In a stinging rebuttal against heathenism he answered forthrightly, “Not on your life! My help comes from the Lord (v.2a)!” See! The two “B” lines are synonymous and parallel as well.
Can we not learn a lot from the Psalmist still today? We go to the optometrist to have our eyes checked and acquire whatever corrective lenses he prescribes for us. To solve our vision problems in dealing with life’s curve balls, we must needs repair to Dr. Jesus. One of His medical degrees is in the field of spiritual optometry. He can even make the blind to see!
Sinful man believes he can solve all his own problems, sometimes by means of fashioning pseudo-gods to do the solving for him (aka heathenism). The true child of God knows man cannot solve life’s problem…but Dr. Jesus can! So he betakes himself to Jesus daily for a personal consultation.
What say ye? The Doctor is in, no appointment needed. Do you wish to see Him?
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...
December 31, 2011
It’s Not Natural!
That by them you may become partakers of the divine nature [2 Peter 1:4].
We have seen a resurgence in the last generation or so of characters from classical mythology. The Greeks and Romans were polytheists (believers in many gods), not people of God’s covenant. They didn’t have the Scriptures and didn’t want them either! They preferred to make up their own accounts about the gods and ethereal life. They created these gods after their own image and according to their own personalities and behaviors.
They even fabricated many supernatural creatures which were composed of different parts of humans and animals. The Harpies were one of many examples of this. A Harpy was a rapacious and filthy monster with the body of a bird and the head of a woman. In Genesis 1 we learn that God created each species to produce after its own kind, thus denying this combination of different species. But when sinful man rejects the Word of God and goes his own way, he can’t help himself. He has to approve of what the Word of God decries.
If you watch sci-fi movies you’ve observed many a strange creature. Some are taken from mythology and some are imagined by the writers of the script. Even wonderful shows which promote Christianity have made use of mythological creatures. Just consider The Chronicles of Narnia and The Lord of the Rings. I highly recommend these movies (and the books!) with no qualms. The mythological creatures are not promoted as reality. They are used to depict a mythological world, while teaching morality and fidelity and sound spiritual principles.
But you know, such creatures are not natural. They are escapees from the imagination of polytheists in a long ago time. The Greeks and Romans believed in such fantasies. That’s what happens when man’s mind rejects the Word of God in favor of its own imaginations. Out comes everything not of God, including such unsavory critters as the Harpies.
There is another thing which is unnatural, and Peter brought it to light in his second epistle. Ever since Father Adam sinned by disobeying the Word of God and eating fruit from the kogae tree, he and all his progeny—which includes you and me and every last human being—have been conceived in sin and born with a sin nature. That is what natural means for we humans today. A sin nature wants what the Bible forbids and rejects what the Bible applauds!
What is not natural for sinful man is to become partakers of the divine nature. That is about as unnatural as it gets! But that is just what Peter brought to light for the Christians. To become partakers of the divine nature is supernatural, beyond the ability of sinful nature. It can only be accomplished by grace through faith. It requires the One Who is above nature to intervene in nature to bring it to pass—aka a miracle.
God did this in the Person of His one and only Son, Jesus Christ. If you read and meditate on 2 Peter 1:1-11, you will be taught considerable spiritual truth with respect to accomplishing the supernatural in your life. You will learn how to become partakers of the divine nature. Peter begins with faith, which is how we are born again in the first place, viz., by grace through faith. Whoever is born again already has the divine nature in him or her.
Peter wants each Christian to go beyond being born again, by maturing spiritually into holy men and women of God. When we’re born again we become spiritual babies who need to grow up just like in the natural realm. Peter enumerates seven qualities to add to our faith. By following this spiritual exercise regimen, we Christians can grow beyond the baby stage and mature spiritually. Here is Peter’s list of what each saint is to add to his or her faith (vv.5-7):
1. moral excellence
2. knowledge
3. self-control
4. perseverance
5. godliness
6. brotherly kindness
7. love
Why don’t we spend some time reading 2 Peter 1:1-11 and give special attention to how we can incorporate these seven qualities into our character. It will be well worth the effort.
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 have seen a resurgence in the last generation or so of characters from classical mythology. The Greeks and Romans were polytheists (believers in many gods), not people of God’s covenant. They didn’t have the Scriptures and didn’t want them either! They preferred to make up their own accounts about the gods and ethereal life. They created these gods after their own image and according to their own personalities and behaviors.
They even fabricated many supernatural creatures which were composed of different parts of humans and animals. The Harpies were one of many examples of this. A Harpy was a rapacious and filthy monster with the body of a bird and the head of a woman. In Genesis 1 we learn that God created each species to produce after its own kind, thus denying this combination of different species. But when sinful man rejects the Word of God and goes his own way, he can’t help himself. He has to approve of what the Word of God decries.
If you watch sci-fi movies you’ve observed many a strange creature. Some are taken from mythology and some are imagined by the writers of the script. Even wonderful shows which promote Christianity have made use of mythological creatures. Just consider The Chronicles of Narnia and The Lord of the Rings. I highly recommend these movies (and the books!) with no qualms. The mythological creatures are not promoted as reality. They are used to depict a mythological world, while teaching morality and fidelity and sound spiritual principles.
But you know, such creatures are not natural. They are escapees from the imagination of polytheists in a long ago time. The Greeks and Romans believed in such fantasies. That’s what happens when man’s mind rejects the Word of God in favor of its own imaginations. Out comes everything not of God, including such unsavory critters as the Harpies.
There is another thing which is unnatural, and Peter brought it to light in his second epistle. Ever since Father Adam sinned by disobeying the Word of God and eating fruit from the kogae tree, he and all his progeny—which includes you and me and every last human being—have been conceived in sin and born with a sin nature. That is what natural means for we humans today. A sin nature wants what the Bible forbids and rejects what the Bible applauds!
What is not natural for sinful man is to become partakers of the divine nature. That is about as unnatural as it gets! But that is just what Peter brought to light for the Christians. To become partakers of the divine nature is supernatural, beyond the ability of sinful nature. It can only be accomplished by grace through faith. It requires the One Who is above nature to intervene in nature to bring it to pass—aka a miracle.
God did this in the Person of His one and only Son, Jesus Christ. If you read and meditate on 2 Peter 1:1-11, you will be taught considerable spiritual truth with respect to accomplishing the supernatural in your life. You will learn how to become partakers of the divine nature. Peter begins with faith, which is how we are born again in the first place, viz., by grace through faith. Whoever is born again already has the divine nature in him or her.
Peter wants each Christian to go beyond being born again, by maturing spiritually into holy men and women of God. When we’re born again we become spiritual babies who need to grow up just like in the natural realm. Peter enumerates seven qualities to add to our faith. By following this spiritual exercise regimen, we Christians can grow beyond the baby stage and mature spiritually. Here is Peter’s list of what each saint is to add to his or her faith (vv.5-7):
1. moral excellence
2. knowledge
3. self-control
4. perseverance
5. godliness
6. brotherly kindness
7. love
Why don’t we spend some time reading 2 Peter 1:1-11 and give special attention to how we can incorporate these seven qualities into our character. It will be well worth the effort.
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...
December 30, 2011
Favorite Elementary School Teacher
Therefore the Law has become our tutor to lead us to Christ, so that we may be justified by faith. But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor. For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus [Galatians 3:24-26].
Do you remember who your favorite grade school teacher was? If you’ve put on the years like me, that is a tall order to fill. But I remember mine! No, I cannot recall his name, but I remember him. He was my fourth grade English teacher. He had somewhat of a resemblance to my father, same general size and build. Maybe that contributed to my embracing him.
But what I really liked the most about him was what he did. During English class he would read aloud to us a chapter at a time from the Hardy Boys mystery books. I used to love those books! This teacher did this in order to interest us in reading books on our own. He led by example, and it worked! Not just me, but many other students took to reading books because of this teacher. He left a lasting legacy.
In Galatians 3 the Apostle Paul recalled his own favorite school marm. He said the Law was his favorite school marm. No, I’m not making that up! Honest. Paul said that. Just read the verses in Galatians we quoted at the start of this post. Still don’t see it, huh? Okay, then let me explain it to you.
The NASB translation I employed in the quote twice uses the word tutor to depict the function of the Law. In the Greek original the word tutor is transliterated into English as our word pedagogue. If you go to an English dictionary and look up the word pedagogue, you will discover one of its meanings is “a teacher or school teacher”. See! Told you. The Law was Paul’s favorite school marm.
There is a reason I say the Law was a school marm or a grade school teacher, rather than a high school teacher or college professor. If you read Paul’s teaching in Galatians, he tells us that the Law was given to lead us to Christ. It served a purpose only until the fullness of the times had come, viz., until the Lord Jesus fulfilled the Law for us and then died on the cross to pay the penalty of our sins and rose again for our justification. Now that Jesus has accomplished that part of His ministry, we Christians are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus, not through obedience to the Law as under the Old Covenant.
The pedagogue of Paul’s day was a knowledgeable and educated Greek slave, whom a wealthy Roman father put in charge of his infant son. The pedagogue had to educate the boy about the duties and responsibilities of being a Roman leader in society. This required education in a broad field of studies. Once the boy reached the age when his father felt he was ready to step out into the world and serve as a citizen, then the boy became a man and the father’s heir. At that time the boy become a man was no longer under a pedagogue.
So it is, you see, that the pedagogue was a school marm who taught boys and not men. The importance of this for us Christians can be expressed by these questions:
• Are we maturing spiritually to the point that we don’t need to be governed by do’s and don’ts?
• Are we beyond the pedagogue stage?
• Do we instead learn by sitting alone at the feet of Jesus and allowing Him to teach us directly?
If not then we are still living as if under the Law, and that is not a good thing.
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...
Do you remember who your favorite grade school teacher was? If you’ve put on the years like me, that is a tall order to fill. But I remember mine! No, I cannot recall his name, but I remember him. He was my fourth grade English teacher. He had somewhat of a resemblance to my father, same general size and build. Maybe that contributed to my embracing him.
But what I really liked the most about him was what he did. During English class he would read aloud to us a chapter at a time from the Hardy Boys mystery books. I used to love those books! This teacher did this in order to interest us in reading books on our own. He led by example, and it worked! Not just me, but many other students took to reading books because of this teacher. He left a lasting legacy.
In Galatians 3 the Apostle Paul recalled his own favorite school marm. He said the Law was his favorite school marm. No, I’m not making that up! Honest. Paul said that. Just read the verses in Galatians we quoted at the start of this post. Still don’t see it, huh? Okay, then let me explain it to you.
The NASB translation I employed in the quote twice uses the word tutor to depict the function of the Law. In the Greek original the word tutor is transliterated into English as our word pedagogue. If you go to an English dictionary and look up the word pedagogue, you will discover one of its meanings is “a teacher or school teacher”. See! Told you. The Law was Paul’s favorite school marm.
There is a reason I say the Law was a school marm or a grade school teacher, rather than a high school teacher or college professor. If you read Paul’s teaching in Galatians, he tells us that the Law was given to lead us to Christ. It served a purpose only until the fullness of the times had come, viz., until the Lord Jesus fulfilled the Law for us and then died on the cross to pay the penalty of our sins and rose again for our justification. Now that Jesus has accomplished that part of His ministry, we Christians are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus, not through obedience to the Law as under the Old Covenant.
The pedagogue of Paul’s day was a knowledgeable and educated Greek slave, whom a wealthy Roman father put in charge of his infant son. The pedagogue had to educate the boy about the duties and responsibilities of being a Roman leader in society. This required education in a broad field of studies. Once the boy reached the age when his father felt he was ready to step out into the world and serve as a citizen, then the boy became a man and the father’s heir. At that time the boy become a man was no longer under a pedagogue.
So it is, you see, that the pedagogue was a school marm who taught boys and not men. The importance of this for us Christians can be expressed by these questions:
• Are we maturing spiritually to the point that we don’t need to be governed by do’s and don’ts?
• Are we beyond the pedagogue stage?
• Do we instead learn by sitting alone at the feet of Jesus and allowing Him to teach us directly?
If not then we are still living as if under the Law, and that is not a good thing.
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...
December 29, 2011
Mount of Transwhat? – Part 2
Six days later Jesus took with Him Peter and James and John his brother, and led them up on a high mountain by themselves. And He was transfigured before them; and His face shone like the sun, and His garments became as white as light. And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, talking with Him [Matthew 17:1-3].
This is the deepest of theological instruction, my friends. The message of 1 John is that anyone who denies that Jesus has come in the flesh does not belong to Jesus. 1 John also preaches that anyone who denies the Son does not belong to Jesus. Jesus in the flesh bespeaks Him being truly and fully human. Jesus the Son of God bespeaks Him being truly and fully God.
In other words we cannot dismiss or reject the two natures of Jesus and receive Him as our Savior. If we deny His Person, whatever we are believing in is not the true Jesus. Both natures are necessary for our salvation, so we must receive the real Jesus in His fullness. Let us be very clear about this doctrine. It is indispensable to the Christian faith, to the faith of any true Christian regardless of denominational bent or bias.
Oh, but what about the third point, you know, Moses and Elijah appearing and speaking with Jesus? It’s like this. Moses was the Lord’s prophet to bring the Law to Israel. Elijah was the Lord’s prophet to bring Israel back to the Law. Israel had fallen into pagan idolatry and then added Baal worship to her pantheon of gods. Elijah at God’s behest went to war against the false gods, in order to bring the Israelites back to the worship of the one true God, the Lord (aka Yahweh).
The eternal Son of God took upon true human flesh and bore the name Jesus, in order to bring grace to the Israelites, and through them to the Gentiles too. Grace triumphs over Law any day of the week, dear friends. Moses the man and Elijah the man could not save anybody, just as the Law never could. Jesus the God-man can and does save anyone who will call upon Him. Still, it’s not by Law He does this but by grace.
When Moses and Elijah appeared and talked with Jesus, it revealed the truth of the resurrection and life after death. After all, they were still alive and talking with Jesus centuries after they left this earth! Moses did die physically, but he still lives in eternity. Elijah was raptured to heaven and never did die physically, and he is still alive in eternity.
In 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 the Holy Spirit taught about what will transpire at the rapture of the Church. The Christians who have already died will rise first—Moses served as a type of this group. After them the Christians who are still alive physically will follow them—Elijah served as a type of this group. But where will we all go? To meet the Lord in the air, that’s where! And guess what the Lord will look like then? Well, He will be the resurrected Christ, so His body will shine like the sun and His clothing will glow pure white.
So what does this remind you of? Hmm. That’s a toughie. Let’s see… No, that isn’t it. Maybe… Nah, not that either. Oh, I got it! It’s the antitype of the transfiguration. Moses represented the dead Christians and Elijah the living Christians. Jesus represented, well, the living, resurrected Lord God because He is the living God.
Jesus said, I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me will live even if he dies, and everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die [John 11:25-26]. Jesus classified the believers as those who died and those who still lived. This is in accord with 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17—there is Jesus, and there are the believers who have died at the time Jesus returns in the clouds, and there are the believers who are still alive at the time Jesus returns in the clouds.
Now keep that context in mind, as we return to the secene on the Mount of Transfiguration. Jesus ascended a high mountain, which symbolized Him as being high above the earth, aka in the clouds. Jesus is the resurrection. Moses and Elijah came to Him as he was “in the clouds”, and they symbolized the dead in Christ and those in Christ who are still alive. Jesus’ transfiguration was a picture story which revealed the truth of the rapture. This is Biblical typology, dear friends. It employs visible, physical realities to teach invisible spiritual truths.
All hail, King Jesus! May we all bow before you and acclaim you as our personal Lord and Savior. Be Lord of my life, I pray. 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/-/e/B005PJ761C
https://sites.google.com/site/heavenl...
This is the deepest of theological instruction, my friends. The message of 1 John is that anyone who denies that Jesus has come in the flesh does not belong to Jesus. 1 John also preaches that anyone who denies the Son does not belong to Jesus. Jesus in the flesh bespeaks Him being truly and fully human. Jesus the Son of God bespeaks Him being truly and fully God.
In other words we cannot dismiss or reject the two natures of Jesus and receive Him as our Savior. If we deny His Person, whatever we are believing in is not the true Jesus. Both natures are necessary for our salvation, so we must receive the real Jesus in His fullness. Let us be very clear about this doctrine. It is indispensable to the Christian faith, to the faith of any true Christian regardless of denominational bent or bias.
Oh, but what about the third point, you know, Moses and Elijah appearing and speaking with Jesus? It’s like this. Moses was the Lord’s prophet to bring the Law to Israel. Elijah was the Lord’s prophet to bring Israel back to the Law. Israel had fallen into pagan idolatry and then added Baal worship to her pantheon of gods. Elijah at God’s behest went to war against the false gods, in order to bring the Israelites back to the worship of the one true God, the Lord (aka Yahweh).
The eternal Son of God took upon true human flesh and bore the name Jesus, in order to bring grace to the Israelites, and through them to the Gentiles too. Grace triumphs over Law any day of the week, dear friends. Moses the man and Elijah the man could not save anybody, just as the Law never could. Jesus the God-man can and does save anyone who will call upon Him. Still, it’s not by Law He does this but by grace.
When Moses and Elijah appeared and talked with Jesus, it revealed the truth of the resurrection and life after death. After all, they were still alive and talking with Jesus centuries after they left this earth! Moses did die physically, but he still lives in eternity. Elijah was raptured to heaven and never did die physically, and he is still alive in eternity.
In 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 the Holy Spirit taught about what will transpire at the rapture of the Church. The Christians who have already died will rise first—Moses served as a type of this group. After them the Christians who are still alive physically will follow them—Elijah served as a type of this group. But where will we all go? To meet the Lord in the air, that’s where! And guess what the Lord will look like then? Well, He will be the resurrected Christ, so His body will shine like the sun and His clothing will glow pure white.
So what does this remind you of? Hmm. That’s a toughie. Let’s see… No, that isn’t it. Maybe… Nah, not that either. Oh, I got it! It’s the antitype of the transfiguration. Moses represented the dead Christians and Elijah the living Christians. Jesus represented, well, the living, resurrected Lord God because He is the living God.
Jesus said, I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me will live even if he dies, and everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die [John 11:25-26]. Jesus classified the believers as those who died and those who still lived. This is in accord with 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17—there is Jesus, and there are the believers who have died at the time Jesus returns in the clouds, and there are the believers who are still alive at the time Jesus returns in the clouds.
Now keep that context in mind, as we return to the secene on the Mount of Transfiguration. Jesus ascended a high mountain, which symbolized Him as being high above the earth, aka in the clouds. Jesus is the resurrection. Moses and Elijah came to Him as he was “in the clouds”, and they symbolized the dead in Christ and those in Christ who are still alive. Jesus’ transfiguration was a picture story which revealed the truth of the rapture. This is Biblical typology, dear friends. It employs visible, physical realities to teach invisible spiritual truths.
All hail, King Jesus! May we all bow before you and acclaim you as our personal Lord and Savior. Be Lord of my life, I pray. 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/-/e/B005PJ761C
https://sites.google.com/site/heavenl...
December 28, 2011
Mount of Transwhat? – Part 1
Six days later Jesus took with Him Peter and James and John his brother, and led them up on a high mountain by themselves. And He was transfigured before them; and His face shone like the sun, and His garments became as white as light. And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, talking with Him [Matthew 17:1-3].
In Matthew 17 Jesus took His three closest disciples with Him up an unspecified mountain. While they were there Jesus was transfigured. This is why that location is known as the Mount of Transfiguration.
Today as we walk down the sidewalk, we don’t often hear the kiddies playing while the parents converse about the topic of transfiguration. Be real now. When was the last time the topic came up at a church eat or a ballgame in the park? Just as I thought. Been a while!
But the topic carries the utmost theological significance, so it really should be a popular topic on the web and in the cafés and at the dinner table and on the sidewalks. Today we will initiate a discussion of the topic of transfiguration.
So what does the word transfiguration mean? Matthew 17 is a good place to begin vetting the word. Here are the vital parts to transfiguration:
• His face shone like the sun
• His garments became as white as light
• Moses and Elijah appeared to them, talking with Him
Yes, that last point is vital to a correct understanding of the concept behind the word transfiguration. Here’s why. In prior posts we’ve expatiated on the two natures of Jesus Christ. He is both God and man. He is fully God and fully man simultaneously.
He has always been the Son of God, existing with and being equal to God through all eternity. At approximately 3 B.C. He willingly was conceived in the virgin Mary by the Holy Spirit, in order to take upon Himself real and full humanity, a human body of like nature as all of ours, the sin nature excepted.
Nine months later he was born with a real human body and spent his twenty years growing into Jewish manhood. Thenceforth from 3 B.C. onward through all eternity He is fully God and fully man. In this way He is capable of bringing sinful man back into right relationship with the thrice holy God.
Now consider the transfiguration, dear friends. Jesus—remember, fully God and fully man simultaneously—ascended this mountain with Peter and James and John. Each day the three disciples walked with and talked with and beheld with their eyes Jesus the man, Jesus in human flesh. Suddenly they saw Him radiate the brightness of the sun. Even His clothing glowed pure white. Ergo, they caught a glimpse of Jesus’ deity, Jesus the Son of God.
The tabernacle built at Mt. Sinai housed the Shekinah cloud of glory. The Shekinah was perched atop the mercy seat inside the Holy of holies compartment of the tabernacle. The Shekinah appeared as a gigantic mushroom CLOUD during the daytime, but it resembled a pillar of FIRE during the nighttime. God is light, bright light, very bright light—no, even brighter than that! In the appearance of the Shekinah, God dwelt inside the tabernacle in the midst of the camp of Israel and shone out of it as the brightest of lights. The tabernacle was a tent structure.
Jesus’ human body served as the tent, the tabernacle in which God dwelt among men while He walked the earth back in the day. His flesh served as the tent fabric. Atop the mountain Jesus the Divine shone ever so brightly, like the Shekinah did from inside the tabernacle. By this picture story Jesus revealed to His three closest disciples both His humanity and His divinity simultaneously.
We will continue with this topic in our next post. For now why not join me for some quiet time with the Lord 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...
In Matthew 17 Jesus took His three closest disciples with Him up an unspecified mountain. While they were there Jesus was transfigured. This is why that location is known as the Mount of Transfiguration.
Today as we walk down the sidewalk, we don’t often hear the kiddies playing while the parents converse about the topic of transfiguration. Be real now. When was the last time the topic came up at a church eat or a ballgame in the park? Just as I thought. Been a while!
But the topic carries the utmost theological significance, so it really should be a popular topic on the web and in the cafés and at the dinner table and on the sidewalks. Today we will initiate a discussion of the topic of transfiguration.
So what does the word transfiguration mean? Matthew 17 is a good place to begin vetting the word. Here are the vital parts to transfiguration:
• His face shone like the sun
• His garments became as white as light
• Moses and Elijah appeared to them, talking with Him
Yes, that last point is vital to a correct understanding of the concept behind the word transfiguration. Here’s why. In prior posts we’ve expatiated on the two natures of Jesus Christ. He is both God and man. He is fully God and fully man simultaneously.
He has always been the Son of God, existing with and being equal to God through all eternity. At approximately 3 B.C. He willingly was conceived in the virgin Mary by the Holy Spirit, in order to take upon Himself real and full humanity, a human body of like nature as all of ours, the sin nature excepted.
Nine months later he was born with a real human body and spent his twenty years growing into Jewish manhood. Thenceforth from 3 B.C. onward through all eternity He is fully God and fully man. In this way He is capable of bringing sinful man back into right relationship with the thrice holy God.
Now consider the transfiguration, dear friends. Jesus—remember, fully God and fully man simultaneously—ascended this mountain with Peter and James and John. Each day the three disciples walked with and talked with and beheld with their eyes Jesus the man, Jesus in human flesh. Suddenly they saw Him radiate the brightness of the sun. Even His clothing glowed pure white. Ergo, they caught a glimpse of Jesus’ deity, Jesus the Son of God.
The tabernacle built at Mt. Sinai housed the Shekinah cloud of glory. The Shekinah was perched atop the mercy seat inside the Holy of holies compartment of the tabernacle. The Shekinah appeared as a gigantic mushroom CLOUD during the daytime, but it resembled a pillar of FIRE during the nighttime. God is light, bright light, very bright light—no, even brighter than that! In the appearance of the Shekinah, God dwelt inside the tabernacle in the midst of the camp of Israel and shone out of it as the brightest of lights. The tabernacle was a tent structure.
Jesus’ human body served as the tent, the tabernacle in which God dwelt among men while He walked the earth back in the day. His flesh served as the tent fabric. Atop the mountain Jesus the Divine shone ever so brightly, like the Shekinah did from inside the tabernacle. By this picture story Jesus revealed to His three closest disciples both His humanity and His divinity simultaneously.
We will continue with this topic in our next post. For now why not join me for some quiet time with the Lord 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...
December 27, 2011
Gifts and Givers - Part 2
For I testify that according to their ability, and beyond their ability, they gave of their own accord, begging us with much urging for the favor of participation in the support of the saints, and this, not as we had expected, but they first gave themselves to the Lord and to us by the will of God [2 Corinthians 8:3-5].
You see, I cannot please the Lord by giving Him things. He already owns everything! The only way I can please Him is to first give Him my entire life, and then I will be inclined to give Him things from my life because I love Him and want to do so. This is the Biblical principle Paul wanted the Corinthian saints to learn, which means their giving was wrongly motivated. They gave to the sound of trumpets and the singing of their own praises. They acted like self-centered spiritual babies, carnal through and through. Their gifts were unacceptable.
How does this apply to you and me today? In every way! If a husband gives his wife a wedding anniversary gift but ignores her the rest of the year, I guarantee you she is not impressed and despises the gift. She would feel she was being treated like she was for sale. The same applies to a wife who gives her husband a wedding anniversary gift, but the rest of the year she runs around with everyone in town spreading defamatory gossip about her husband. No doubt about it. Hubby despises her gift. First hubby needs to give himself to his wife, and then she will appreciate his gift. The same applies to wifey.
Consider the parent-kid relationship. If Dad and Mom live at the job and let Nanny Nancy raise their kids, the birthday and Christmas presents will ring hollow at a very early age. I’ve seen it happen all too frequently. But let Dad and Mom often spend time with the kids doing things the kids like to do, and a cheapy toy means a lot to them!
Reversing the roles, let the kids treat their parents disrespectfully like they can readily learn on the street and on the TV, and any gift they give will not mean much to the parents. This is especially true when the kids grow up. There comes a time when our kids insist so strongly they are adults, that we have every right and expectation to expect them to relate to us as adults. If they are never around for us, especially in our need, then their once a year Christmas gift isn’t much consolation. Truth be told, I wouldn’t want to be bothered with it. They first must grow up enough to recognize the need to give themselves to me and be there for me, and then the gifts will follow.
This would be an apropos time for me to take inventory of my life. Am I first giving myself to those whom I love, or am I presuming I can buy them with gifts? Is my heart in it when I relate to them, or am I merely meeting an obligation or looking for some sort of recognition or reward? Hmm. Those are toughie questions. Think I’ll betake myself to the Lord. He can search me and help me to grow in this area.
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...
You see, I cannot please the Lord by giving Him things. He already owns everything! The only way I can please Him is to first give Him my entire life, and then I will be inclined to give Him things from my life because I love Him and want to do so. This is the Biblical principle Paul wanted the Corinthian saints to learn, which means their giving was wrongly motivated. They gave to the sound of trumpets and the singing of their own praises. They acted like self-centered spiritual babies, carnal through and through. Their gifts were unacceptable.
How does this apply to you and me today? In every way! If a husband gives his wife a wedding anniversary gift but ignores her the rest of the year, I guarantee you she is not impressed and despises the gift. She would feel she was being treated like she was for sale. The same applies to a wife who gives her husband a wedding anniversary gift, but the rest of the year she runs around with everyone in town spreading defamatory gossip about her husband. No doubt about it. Hubby despises her gift. First hubby needs to give himself to his wife, and then she will appreciate his gift. The same applies to wifey.
Consider the parent-kid relationship. If Dad and Mom live at the job and let Nanny Nancy raise their kids, the birthday and Christmas presents will ring hollow at a very early age. I’ve seen it happen all too frequently. But let Dad and Mom often spend time with the kids doing things the kids like to do, and a cheapy toy means a lot to them!
Reversing the roles, let the kids treat their parents disrespectfully like they can readily learn on the street and on the TV, and any gift they give will not mean much to the parents. This is especially true when the kids grow up. There comes a time when our kids insist so strongly they are adults, that we have every right and expectation to expect them to relate to us as adults. If they are never around for us, especially in our need, then their once a year Christmas gift isn’t much consolation. Truth be told, I wouldn’t want to be bothered with it. They first must grow up enough to recognize the need to give themselves to me and be there for me, and then the gifts will follow.
This would be an apropos time for me to take inventory of my life. Am I first giving myself to those whom I love, or am I presuming I can buy them with gifts? Is my heart in it when I relate to them, or am I merely meeting an obligation or looking for some sort of recognition or reward? Hmm. Those are toughie questions. Think I’ll betake myself to the Lord. He can search me and help me to grow in this area.
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...
December 26, 2011
Gifts and Givers - Part 1
For I testify that according to their ability, and beyond their ability, they gave of their own accord, begging us with much urging for the favor of participation in the support of the saints, and this, not as we had expected, but they first gave themselves to the Lord and to us by the will of God [2 Corinthians 8:3-5].
The Apostle Paul planted churches in Macedonia (i.e., northern Greece). He then moved southward and planted a church in Corinth (i.e., southern Greece). Well, the Corinthian church had a lot of problem children in it, stunting the growth of the church overall and prompting some of Paul’s most undesirable words.
The quotation with which we began has to do with the collection of money in the Gentile European churches. This money was to be sent to Jerusalem to aid the Jewish Christians there. The Jewish authorities rejected Jesus as the Messiah of Israel, and they used their considerable power to persecute Jews who did accept Jesus. This power included making life miserable for the Jewish Christians by means of jail, loss of jobs, and ostracism. Paul did the proper thing and helped his Jewish brethren in such tragic times: he took a collection from the Gentile churches to send to their Jewish brethren. The money could be used for food and housing and clothing.
Anyway, the Corinthian saints were a troubled bunch. They were downright carnal and walked in the flesh. Instead of learning from the Word of God and being controlled by the Holy Spirit, they envisioned themselves to be at the center of the universe and all else revolved around them individually. This carnal misbehavior applied in all areas, including with regard to the collection for the Jewish saints.
In chapter 8 of 2 Corinthians Paul pointed out what the Macedonian saints were doing about the collection of money for the Jerusalem brethren. This is the context we need to establish in our minds, as we read the words of our quotation. Paul pointed out how eager the Macedonian Christians were to contribute. Not only did they give, but they gave well beyond their ability. This means they couldn’t afford to give as much as they did, but they did so anyway…and begged Paul to let them!
Now here comes the crux of the principle, dear friends. The Macedonian Christians didn’t just give their money to God and Paul. They first gave themselves to God and Paul, and then the money followed. This is the essence of what Paul wanted the Corinthian saints to realize. It isn’t enough to merely give money to the church. If my heart isn’t in it, if I feel obligated to do it but don’t really want to, then it is not acceptable to God. And He knows my heart!
This was the message to be culled from the New Testament, but it originated in the Old. Malachi 1:6-10 is a case in point. The Israelites of Malachi’s day were so caught up in building their own houses and living for themselves, that they lost interest in the Lord and went through the motions with regard to the temple and worship. They brought gifts and offerings to the Lord at the temple, to be sure; but these consisted of their leftovers, rather than the first and the best they had. The Lord was insulted and wanted someone to close and lock the temple doors so the Israelites couldn’t bring Him any more of their junk! He would rather not have them come around and weary Him at all, than to come around and rile Him by playing church.
We will continue this topic in our next post. In the interim let us roll it over our tongues and see what we can learn from it.
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...
The Apostle Paul planted churches in Macedonia (i.e., northern Greece). He then moved southward and planted a church in Corinth (i.e., southern Greece). Well, the Corinthian church had a lot of problem children in it, stunting the growth of the church overall and prompting some of Paul’s most undesirable words.
The quotation with which we began has to do with the collection of money in the Gentile European churches. This money was to be sent to Jerusalem to aid the Jewish Christians there. The Jewish authorities rejected Jesus as the Messiah of Israel, and they used their considerable power to persecute Jews who did accept Jesus. This power included making life miserable for the Jewish Christians by means of jail, loss of jobs, and ostracism. Paul did the proper thing and helped his Jewish brethren in such tragic times: he took a collection from the Gentile churches to send to their Jewish brethren. The money could be used for food and housing and clothing.
Anyway, the Corinthian saints were a troubled bunch. They were downright carnal and walked in the flesh. Instead of learning from the Word of God and being controlled by the Holy Spirit, they envisioned themselves to be at the center of the universe and all else revolved around them individually. This carnal misbehavior applied in all areas, including with regard to the collection for the Jewish saints.
In chapter 8 of 2 Corinthians Paul pointed out what the Macedonian saints were doing about the collection of money for the Jerusalem brethren. This is the context we need to establish in our minds, as we read the words of our quotation. Paul pointed out how eager the Macedonian Christians were to contribute. Not only did they give, but they gave well beyond their ability. This means they couldn’t afford to give as much as they did, but they did so anyway…and begged Paul to let them!
Now here comes the crux of the principle, dear friends. The Macedonian Christians didn’t just give their money to God and Paul. They first gave themselves to God and Paul, and then the money followed. This is the essence of what Paul wanted the Corinthian saints to realize. It isn’t enough to merely give money to the church. If my heart isn’t in it, if I feel obligated to do it but don’t really want to, then it is not acceptable to God. And He knows my heart!
This was the message to be culled from the New Testament, but it originated in the Old. Malachi 1:6-10 is a case in point. The Israelites of Malachi’s day were so caught up in building their own houses and living for themselves, that they lost interest in the Lord and went through the motions with regard to the temple and worship. They brought gifts and offerings to the Lord at the temple, to be sure; but these consisted of their leftovers, rather than the first and the best they had. The Lord was insulted and wanted someone to close and lock the temple doors so the Israelites couldn’t bring Him any more of their junk! He would rather not have them come around and weary Him at all, than to come around and rile Him by playing church.
We will continue this topic in our next post. In the interim let us roll it over our tongues and see what we can learn from it.
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...
December 25, 2011
Who’s Your Daddy Now? – Part 3
The angel answered and said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; and for that reason the holy Child shall be called the Son of God” [Luke 1:35].
Ah, now we’ve finished sipping on the milk and gone to eating solid meat. Ever since Genesis 2 God has ordained that the man is the head and the woman the helpmate. In God’s economy the inheritance goes through the male, not the female. Hence the children are reckoned according to the genealogy of the father. This means that the normal order of things was to refer to the kids as the “seed of the man”.
By bypassing a human father via the virgin birth, the Lord bypassed the propogation of a sin nature in this unique baby. Ergo, the baby boy was without a sin nature because He was God and because His Father was God and not man. But His mother Miriam was 100% human female, thus providing Him with the true human nature of mankind. Jesus is the God-man.
This fitted Jesus to be the Savior from sin for all mankind. On the one hand He needn’t die because He had no sin of His own for which to die—the wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23). Apart from sin there would be no penalty for which to die. However, Jesus willing went to the cross and did die. Seeing how this was not for His own sin , it allowed His death as the God-man to be reckoned as payment for the sins of each human being.
And there we have it! The absolute need for, and importance of, the doctrine of the virgin birth of Jesus Christ. There is only one thing missing. Since Jesus died for the sins of all mankind, does this mean all mankind will go to heaven?
Sorry, Charlie, but it ain’t gonna happen (pardon my French). Everyone who calls on the name of the lord will be saved [Acts 2:21]. To receive Jesus’ finished work on my behalf, I have to call upon Him and ask for it. To do that I have to hear the Gospel message, believe it in my head, and open my mouth to proclaim it (cf., Romans 10:9). This is known as Biblical faith. Faith is the key which opens the door to salvation.
At this wonderful time of year, wouldn’t it be nice if everyone called upon the name of the Lord? I did back in 1978 and have been thrilled I did so ever since. We cannot call upon the name of the Lord for anyone but ourselves…but we can do so for ourselves. Have you done so yet? Don’t waste time. Now is the day of salvation!
To further research this issue, I direct you to my books Genesis: Volume 1 and 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...
Ah, now we’ve finished sipping on the milk and gone to eating solid meat. Ever since Genesis 2 God has ordained that the man is the head and the woman the helpmate. In God’s economy the inheritance goes through the male, not the female. Hence the children are reckoned according to the genealogy of the father. This means that the normal order of things was to refer to the kids as the “seed of the man”.
By bypassing a human father via the virgin birth, the Lord bypassed the propogation of a sin nature in this unique baby. Ergo, the baby boy was without a sin nature because He was God and because His Father was God and not man. But His mother Miriam was 100% human female, thus providing Him with the true human nature of mankind. Jesus is the God-man.
This fitted Jesus to be the Savior from sin for all mankind. On the one hand He needn’t die because He had no sin of His own for which to die—the wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23). Apart from sin there would be no penalty for which to die. However, Jesus willing went to the cross and did die. Seeing how this was not for His own sin , it allowed His death as the God-man to be reckoned as payment for the sins of each human being.
And there we have it! The absolute need for, and importance of, the doctrine of the virgin birth of Jesus Christ. There is only one thing missing. Since Jesus died for the sins of all mankind, does this mean all mankind will go to heaven?
Sorry, Charlie, but it ain’t gonna happen (pardon my French). Everyone who calls on the name of the lord will be saved [Acts 2:21]. To receive Jesus’ finished work on my behalf, I have to call upon Him and ask for it. To do that I have to hear the Gospel message, believe it in my head, and open my mouth to proclaim it (cf., Romans 10:9). This is known as Biblical faith. Faith is the key which opens the door to salvation.
At this wonderful time of year, wouldn’t it be nice if everyone called upon the name of the Lord? I did back in 1978 and have been thrilled I did so ever since. We cannot call upon the name of the Lord for anyone but ourselves…but we can do so for ourselves. Have you done so yet? Don’t waste time. Now is the day of salvation!
To further research this issue, I direct you to my books Genesis: Volume 1 and 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...
