Born to Die

Posted on December 27, 2015 by rgpriest

Here is a quick post. It has been marinating in the back of my mind for a while now. I was hoping for more time to edit and expand, but I wanted to get it out there while it was still Christmas season.

“For since the law has but a shadow of the good things to come instead of the true form of these realities, it can never, by the same sacrifices that are continually offered every year, make perfect those who draw near. Otherwise, would they not have ceased to be offered, since the worshipers, having once been cleansed, would no longer have any consciousness of sins? But in these sacrifices there is a reminder of sins every year. For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.”

Consequently, when Christ came into the world, he said, “Sacrifices and offerings you have not desired, but a body have you prepared for me; in burnt offerings and sin offerings you have taken no pleasure. Then I said, ‘Behold, I have come to do your will, O God, as it is written of me in the scroll of the book.’” Hebrews 10:1-7 ESV

 We are on the “tail end” on the Christmas Season. One thing that happens is it can be hard to be in awe with the story when we have heard it so many times. It comes around every year. It is also easy to just move on to the next thing and miss the big picture.

So often we think Jesus came to make us feel good, to do good things, to teach us to live a good life, and to love our neighbors. But there is oh so much more to the story. Right away we need to remember that this baby in the manger was born with the purpose of dying. Now we know we are all going to die one day even if we like to think we are the exception to the rule.

As a Christian for over twenty years, having pastored for 20 of those years (and preached twenty Christmas seasons) something struck me with awe this year. It happened a few weeks ago in the service as our Pastor was describing the manger scene. I know it was most likely a cave type area. But instead of being in a raised trough or crib-like bed Pastor Rick noted that some commentators believe this may have been more of a hole or indentation in the ground.

Unexpectedly a light went on in my mind and I suddenly saw that everything in that scene foreshadowed a similar scene that would take place about 30 years later. That scene is a grave and a burial. The same grave of the one whose birth we just celebrated. In the birth place of the Savior we see glimpses of His burial.

First, there were no accommodations in Bethlehem so they went to a manger, probably nothing more than a cave belonging to someone else and used to shelter livestock. Later, after Jesus died he was placed in a tomb belonging to someone else, Joseph of Arimathea. The tomb was nothing more than a cave, with indentations in the wall where the body was laid. Luke 2:7; 23:50

If you have ever seen a birth you know it is bloody, messy, and ugly. Fast forward to the burial of Jesus and there is a beaten, bloody, disfigured body being laid to rest. A body that had just been flogged, spat upon, crucified and pierced with a sword.

The newborn baby was wrapped in swaddling clothes and the just deceased Jesus would have been wrapped in burial cloths.

The primary person welcoming Jesus into the world was his mother Mary, accompanied by Joseph, whatever else was in the manger, and then the shepherds. The ones closest to him at his death and first to the grave were women, his disciples who were  made up of fishermen, tax collectors etc. Both events were accompanied by those that society considered the lowliest of status.

Sometime after his birth while he was still very young travelers from the middle east came to this child and presented gifts of value gold, frankincense and myrrh. At His death the burial clothes were traditionally prepared with similar spices. Luke 23:56

When these travelers, the magi first arrived they asked where is he who is born King of the Jews. Herod in his schemes to protect his throne used the same phrase. At His mockery of a trial He was called King of the Jews and Pilate placed on the crucifix a sign saying the King of the Jews. Matthew 2:2; 27:11, 29, 27

The birth of this king was missed by the crowds as wells as societies movers and shakers but was attended by angels and shepherds. The death of the king was also largely missed by the powers that be except to try and cover it up. Though later we see angels were present at the tomb.

Eventually the child left this setting and went to His (foster) fathers house. After His death Jesus rose and returned to His heavenly father’s house.

So there you have it. I do not want to make something out of nothing or see hidden messages behind every word, but I cannot help but notice the similarities between these two events, these two events that have changed the world forever. A birth and a death. Two opposite events. An event we have all had and another we will have. In between these events we are told to find our purpose in life. We are all told to decide what we want to be when we grow up. Why are we here besides biding our time between those two events?

For Jesus from the beginning, even before the actual birth took place, His purpose was clear. Jesus was born to die. And there is a purpose in His death. Scripture says;

We have all sinned and the wage of sin is death. Romans 3.

Without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sin. Hebrews 9

There has only been one sinless one, whose shed blood would accomplish the forgiveness of our sin once for all. 2 Corinthians 5

A body was prepared for our Lord. He inhabited that body in all of its humanity, and experienced a very real death, a death He was prepared to endure. And because of that death and resurrection we can experience a new birth through His Spirit. The lyrics to Hark the Herald Angels Sing proclaim it clearly.

Hark the herald angels sing “Glory to the newborn King!
Peace on earth and mercy mild God and sinners reconciled”
Joyful, all ye nations rise Join the triumph of the skies
With the angelic host proclaim: “Christ is born in Bethlehem”
Hark! The herald angels sing “Glory to the newborn King!”

Christ by highest heav’n adored Christ the everlasting Lord!
Late in time behold Him come Offspring of a Virgin’s womb
Veiled in flesh the Godhead see Hail the incarnate Deity
Pleased as man with man to dwell Jesus, our Emmanuel
Hark! The herald angels sing “Glory to the newborn King!”

Hail the heav’n-born Prince of Peace! Hail the Son of Righteousness!
Light and life to all He brings Ris’n with healing in His wings
Mild He lays His glory by Born that man no more may die
Born to raise the sons of earth Born to give them second birth
Hark! The herald angels sing “Glory to the newborn King!”

 

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A Debt Paid

Posted on December 12, 2015 by rgpriest

And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross. He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him. Colossians 2:13-15 (ESV)

Here Paul by the Holy Spirit describes the cost of buying us back from slavery and breaking those chains. The reason we are in slavery is the debt we owe to God.

This record of debt is to be understood as a promissory note. It acknowledges that we are bound to keep God’s laws and satisfy his demands. We all show this sense of obligation through the many resolutions, vows and promises we make to satisfy our consciences. Deep down we know we are not all we could and should be. Our struggle is fully brought home to us only when in all seriousness we attempt to settle our accounts with God. How often do we bargain and make deals with God?

The truth is, we cannot pay the debt we owe. We can’t even begin to make a dent in the debt. Paul says the debt is paid for us. When Paul says set aside that implies the total obliteration of any debt we owed to God.

Nailed with Christ to his cross our sins went with him to his tomb, to be buried there forever, while Christ rose, having fully met the divine demands upon his people (Dick Lucas)

This is how a holy God can be just in canceling a debt. The Son paid the full debt when He died on the cross. If a judge simply sets a man free who is guilty of a crime, the judge cheapens the law and leaves the injured party without restitution. No payment has been made, no punishment meted out. God in Christ paid sin’s debt when Christ went to the cross, and He upheld the holiness of His own Law. The debt of sin is death, and the debt was paid.

There is more in this transaction then cancelling a debt. We need more than just a zero balance before God. We still have no righteousness to offer. We still need something to make us presentable. I may want to buy a house or car and can have no debt. That may make things easier. But if I have no money to buy the car or house what good is it to be debt free?

God has given us the righteousness we need. In 2 Corinthians 5:21 Paul writes For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

The principle taught here is imputation. This is a word borrowed from banking; it simply means “to put to one’s account.” When you deposit money in the bank, the computer (or the clerk) puts that amount to your account, or to your credit. When Jesus died on the cross, all of our sins were imputed to Him—put to His account. He was treated by God as though He had actually committed those sins.

The result? All of those sins have been paid for and God no longer holds them against us, because we have Christ as our Savior. But even more: God has put to our account the very righteousness of Christ! “For He hath made Him [Christ] to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him”

It is not enough to have no sin. We still need righteousness. We still need a relationship. Legally God has settled our debt. But relationally He has adopted us into His family. Instead of judgment He has at great price redeemed us and made His child.

What a transaction. Our debt paid, but not just to a zero balance, His righteousness imputed. We are adopted and now have all the privileges of family and the resources that go with family

It also says God made a spectacle of spiritual beings, putting them to shame. We now can stand before the world and proclaim, not what we have to do but what God has done. We can proclaim or announce what God has done In taking away our sin, granting to us His righteousness and calling us His own.

There is one stipulation if you will and it goes back to Colossians 2:6 Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving.

To receive this gift, you must receive Christ, in Him, rooted and established. There is nothing you can do to pay the debt. Instead you must receive the gift. By faith, in Christ we receive what God in Christ has done for us not what we must do for Him.

That is a transaction that leads to worship.

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What Makes Christians Distinct

Posted on November 21, 2015 by rgpriest

The Lord said to Moses, “Depart; go up from here, you and the people whom you have brought up out of the land of Egypt, to the land of which I swore to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, saying, ‘To your offspring I will give it.’ I will send an angel before you, and I will drive out the Canaanites, the Amorites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites. Go up to a land flowing with milk and honey; but I will not go up among you, lest I consume you on the way, for you are a stiff-necked people.”

When the people heard this disastrous word, they mourned, and no one put on his ornaments. Exodus 33: 1-4 (ESV)

God told Israel to go up to the land he’d promised them. He would drive their enemies out as he had promised.  It would be a delightful land –  flowing with milk and honey. You would think they would have celebrated.  Their own land, their enemies defeated, peace, milk, honey, what more could they want? Yet something about what God said made it a “disastrous word” which caused them to mourn.

What was this “disastrous word”?

“I will not go up among you.”

God had had it. This conversation with Moses takes place right after God has given the 10 commandments and while Moses was with God the people were making a golden calf to worship. How quickly they forgot their liberation from Egypt. Their sin, their unbelief, their idolatry, their whining and complaining. Yes, God would keep His promise of a land. But He would withhold something greater.

God knew if his presence went with Israel, in his holiness he would have to punish their sins and they would be destroyed. He will not tolerate sin. He loves His people and is committed to keeping His covenant to Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and all Israel. So he says you can have the land, peace, and bounty, even a heavenly escort. But you won’t have me. And the people recognized that having all God’s blessings without having God himself would be disastrous.

Moses then says to the Lord: “If your presence will not go with me, do not bring us up from here.  For how shall it be known that I have found favor in your sight, I and your people? Is it not in your going with us, so that we are distinct, I and your people, from every other people on the face of the earth?” (15-16)

Moses goes to God on behalf of the people and pleads their case. Moses reminds God of His graciousness. Here is the heart of Moses’ plea. If God is not with us we are no different than any other nation, tribe or people. There is no reason to continue if God does not go with us.

It is the presence of the Lord that makes Christians distinct.

Right now Jesus mediates for us. Jesus pleads for us. Jesus stands before God and says yes, they are stiff-necked, and stubborn and slow to learn.  But I plead for them. Make them stand out. Make them distinct. Go with them.

Believing in a god and even going to church does not make us distinct. Neither does helping the poor or having a particular political views.  We are not distinct because we don’t use drugs or curse or watch certain kinds of movies.

We are distinct from all the peoples of the earth because we have the very presence of God with us, and because we have the distinct good news of God’s grace through Jesus.

The truth is there are many good people doing good things like feeding the hungry, adopting children and things like that. Those are not distinctly Christian activities.

How about attending church services? What should make a church service a distinct activity? You could go out on a Sunday and spend time with friends, share a meal and even listen to some music and a motivational speaker. So what makes the Christian church different than an Elks Lodge, the local food pantry or a series of speakers at the local library?

What would compel Moses and the Hebrew people to leave Egypt travel the desert and go to a land they had never seen, but only heard of? Sure slavery was hard but what was the appeal to leave? I AM. The presence of God Himself would accompany them.

As we approach Christmas (I am not one to push Christmas before Thanksgiving) we need to remember Christmas is all about Immanuel, God with us not Santa and snowmen. And what are the implications of God with us? Millions of people, Christian and non-christian alike will put of trees, sing songs, spend time with family take some time off from work and share gifts. They will all talk about the blessings of gifts of God but none of those things are distinctly Christian.

Look back at Moses. He was promised a mighty angelic escort. The people were promised many good gifts. We’d all like those kind of gifts. The angel armies would go with them. And Moses and the people say the gifts are not good enough. The gifts are not what we need. We want the God of Angel Armies not just the army. We want the giver more than we want the gifts.

Shouldn’t that make all the difference in the world. Yes, Christians should adopt orphans and feed hungry people and love their spouses and pay their bills. But so do agnostics, atheists, Muslims and Buddhists.

What makes us different. We are the only people on the face of the earth to ever be able to say God with us. Not watching from a distance but in our very midst.

How is God with us? In the preaching of His Word, the sharing of the bread and cup and the indwelling Holy Spirit. He is there with us because of Christ. Moses had to plead for the people before God and God agreed to go with the people. Today Christ pleads on our behalf. He presents His own perfect sacrifice as the payment for our sin. And God is now present.

The next time you are in church, if the Bible is not preached and the Holy Spirit is not present, you don’t need to be there. Go to the mall. Grab dinner with friends. Volunteer at the library. Go ahead and join lots of good people doing good things.

But if we want to be different, if we want to be distinct, if we want to be followers of Christ there is one and only one thing that makes it real. The very presence of God. If God is not going to be present, don’t waste your time.

We praise God for the blessing of his presence with us. Of all the blessings we could have, there is none like this. If we have Jesus we have all the riches of God.  Let’s ask Jesus to manifest his presence through the Holy Spirit in our churches and lives.

May it be the presence of Jesus that makes us distinct.  If he doesn’t show up in our meetings, it won’t matter if we have the best musicians, the nicest building, the most articulate inspiring messages.  Every time we get together on Sunday or in other contexts, may we say surely God is in this place through the faithful presentation of His word through His spirit.

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They Can’t Do It

Posted on November 14, 2015 by rgpriest

For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God’s law; indeed, it cannot. Those who are in the flesh cannot please God. You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him. But if Christ is in you, although the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness. (Romans 8:5-10 ESV)

My spiritual youth and adolescence were during the days of the American Family Association, Moral Majority, Christian Coalition etc. Social action was all about boycotting Disney for strong pro-gay practices, Proctor and Gamble for satanic symbols, boycott Hidden Valley Ranch and AT&T the major networks and New York City and oh well just boycott everyone unless they wear a cross. There were some ministries with radio broadcasts that had NOTHING good to say about anything as far as I could tell.

Then Focus on the Family had the audacity to give a positive review of a Phil Collins album and the anger spewed forth. How could they endorse the music of a divorced unbeliever? To Focus On the Family’s credit they gave a very solid explanation. If Phil Collins (or other musicians) are talented in what they do why can’t we appreciate their talent and even learn something from them. They were not afraid to tell you to avoid other artists whose message and lifestyle were blatantly immoral, but they did not advocate a Christian only mentality. Would we boycott Michael Jordan also? Stop letting your kids watch him play basketball if he Is not a Christian is how that logic should have played out. Unless of course you want to pick and choose which industries and stars are legitimate targets. Sure I can give up ranch dressing and long distance service but don’t ask me to give up watching the NBA. Seems we would be selective in boycotts as long as it was not too close to home.

Here is my personal rabbit trail rant. I love the music of Kansas, Yes, Rush, early Genesis etc. (Thank you Pandora that while typing up this rough draft I have heard Kansas, Rush, Yes, King Crimson and early Genesis) Yet I see very few “Christian” musicians writing with that type of talent and creativity. Must I abandon them for three chord, capo the seventh fret worship songs? Thank you Sovereign Grace, Getty Music and many others for solid creative worship music by the way.

Here is where my conflict started. We did not like politicians for their unchristian beliefs and practices. We did not like unchristian advertisers, filmmakers, actors, businessmen, public school, higher education teachers etc. for the same reason. How can an unbeliever teach my child how to spell and add? How can I wash my clothes with a detergent made by a non-Christian manufacturer? They need to start acting more like us moral Christians. Then I realized it. Just look at Romans 8. For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God’s law; indeed, it cannot. (emphasis mine) They CAN’T act like good moral Christians. To live as a Christian takes the presence of the Holy Spirit, and by their/our definition as non-Christian they have no Holy Spirit therefore cannot live out Christian values.

Now I am also a firm believer in common grace. That God does give grace to others outside the fold by giving businessmen wise economic sense, doctors healing abilities, teachers with a love for children (even if they don’t love Jesus)

Meanwhile back at the church. Gay marriage is being affirmed. There are pastors in my town wanting to be chaplains for Planned Parenthood because they see abortion as a viable option. How can we demand non-Christian industries and leaders and politicians to act like Christians when church goers don’t act like Christians?

So maybe instead of demanding that Hollywood and Wall Street and Washington D.C would start acting like Christians we start demanding our Pastors, elders, and those who claim membership in a Christian church to start acting like Christians. After all, the motivation and ability to do so comes from the Holy Spirit. And only those in Christ have the Holy Spirit so therefore they are the only ones capable.

I also believe the church has the right and responsibility to be a moral voice in the culture. I believe we need to speak up to defend the sanctity of life for all, to stop the horrors of abortion and human trafficking. We have a right to call our politicians and business leaders to act with integrity and honesty looking out for the good of the people. We can call those who influence our culture (actors, athletes and the like) to remember the power they have and use t wisely for the common good.

We also have to stop being surprised and angry when unchristian people act like unchristian people. We definitely have to stop demanding unbelievers to act in ways we as Christians don’t always act.

I have seen non believing husbands love their wives and children better than some Christians. I have seen my friends and neighbors who are not church goers serve more sacrificially and generously than some Christians.

DISCLAIMER: I have seen many, many Christians, love, serve, and live a Christ like life. My concern here is the seemingly inordinate amount of energy the church has spent trying to get non-members to act like good church people while many in the church are biblically illiterate and it shows in their lives.

At the end of the day I really do not care what color cup my coffee comes in. What I do care about is the taste of the coffee brewed by a skilled barista. I’m not really worried if my cashier says Merry Christmas, God Bless you or have a nice day. I don’t think they are evil Jesus haters. It’s just not their nature and they don’t really care. Did they charge me right and give me the correct change? Did I get a good product at a fair price? If so we’re good. Does my doctor pray before my examination? I don’t know but I do hope he scrubbed his hands and knows what he is doing.

Do I hope for a chance to share the gospel? Do I hope they become a believer? Absolutely. But I am not going to insist they act like a Christian until they become a Christian.

Instead of all the energy spent on trying to get the world to act like the church, maybe we should expect the church to act like the church. Let’s have the church love and serve its neighbors, share the gospel and then disciple those new believers to be shaped into the image of Christ.

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Follow Your Heart – Not Really a Good Idea

Posted on November 7, 2015 by rgpriest

By this we shall know that we are of the truth and reassure our heart before him; for whenever our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and he knows everything. Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence before God; and whatever we ask we receive from him, because we keep his commandments and do what pleases him. And this is his commandment, that we believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and love one another, just as he has commanded us. Whoever keeps his commandments abides in God, and God in him. And by this we know that he abides in us, by the Spirit whom he has given us. 1 John 3:19-24 (ESV)

I want to discuss a very common American phrase. A phrase that gets used to excuse all sorts of behavior. A phrase that leads people to justify many bad decisions. A phrase that guides many people every day. A phrase that is well intended, well-meaning and dangerous. Of course if used properly it can be very beneficial. But I am afraid that without the right understanding it can be superficial, and very few understand it.

The phrase is “follow your heart”. Sounds familiar doesn’t it?

John does talk about the heart here. It can be a problem when we pick up a biblical passage in the middle of a chapter in the middle of a book. Digging into scripture has an extremely important requirement. CONTEXT.

1 john 3 has to be taken in context. I want us to see what John means when he talks about the heart. And I want to be careful how we handle these types of clichés, phrases, and oh so attractive Facebook pictures.

They always seem put these phrases on a pretty background. Phrases like don’t surround yourself with negative people who don’t appreciate you. Walk away from them and walk towards those who appreciate you and live a blessed life. Sounds good. Might even hear something like that in some churches today. Now what if Jesus walked away from all those negative, unappreciative people and followed this advice. Where would we be?

Buying a house, what does your heart say? Adopting a puppy. What does your heart say? Choosing a mate? What does your heart say? Leaving your mate for someone who appreciates you more? What does your heart say? See. You have to be careful with those phrases no matter how pretty the background picture is.

CONTEXT
This is the same John of the gospel of John and the book of Revelation. John has a main purpose in this book. How can I be convinced I am a follower of Jesus Christ. He has certain tests of belief, obedience and love. Right in the middle he specifically deals with the issue of the heart. Can I trust my heart?

THE LYING HEART 19-22
Jeremiah 17:9 (ESV) says The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?. The NIV says who can cure it. Jeremiah might say don’t follow your heart.

There are two major lies of the heart
You’re not that bad. This is the typical American, pop psychology self-help we hear a lot of today even in churches. It includes those ideas of you are great. You are worth it. You deserve it. You are special. We have built such a culture of narcissism.

I am not advocating a morose, morbid. self-deprecating attitude. But most people have a very inflated sense of themselves.

You’re Way Too Bad This is just the opposite and it too can be wrapped in religion. You are too far gone, way too bad and there is no hope for you.

As Christians, we find that our hearts do often condemn us. And this is not a bad thing if we know what to do with this. Like a judge who discerns something in the prisoner which he must expose and sentence, our hearts judge us. Our hearts know things about ourselves that are unknown to others, and sometimes their accusations, unlike the accusations of Satan, is not false.

John does not encourage us to deny these things, or to shrug them off, but to meet their challenge by seeing that God knows more. God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything. It is not that God minimizes or disregards our failures. In fact, He knows them better than we do, for He sees and understands us even more deeply than we can ever know ourselves. He knows exactly where our hearts are. He does not revel the issues to punish us but to heal us.

So what do we do when our heart condemns us.

Where we only know our sins in a very limited way, God knows them fully and absolutely. He knows all that there is to blame in us, where we only know it in part. By God’s grace we acknowledge there is something in us that needs correction.

Secondly, if our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart in the sense that He is greater in compassion. While we may have intense feelings of unworthiness, yet God knows if we love Him and if we love His people. He knows that we are His in spite of all our failures and sins. He knows the sincerity of our faith.

All through this book John insists that our assurance is based not on our subjective feelings, on listening to our heart but on knowing God’s word, God’s truth, and God’s  love at work within us. Look at what God has said concerning you.

What is the result of this? Confidence. John says this confidence is shown in prayer. Here is the attitude of one who has a clear conscience before God. It is not that this person has been living sinless, but rather that he has been quick to confess and forsake his sins. By doing this, he has confidence before God and boldness in prayer. Thus, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence toward God.

WHAT IS A CONFIDENT HEART 22-24

A Heart In Tune With God’s Heart The first advantage of an uncondemning heart is what John calls “confidence before God.” But this must be understood, not in the sense of confidence in myself, but in the sense of confidence of one’s standing before God and therefore of access to Him.

It is a mistake to make God’s answers to prayer conditional on our obedience. Clearly these great promises about prayer do not give us carte blanche to get anything we want from God.

Prayer is not a sort of quid pro quo, by which God rewards us, answering our prayers according to what we have ‘put in’ and how pleased he is with us. Prayer is the expression of our requests to a loving, heavenly Father who loves both to hear and to answer his children, according to his wisdom as to what is best. We want his will in our lives and the lives of others, rather than pursuing our own selfish desires. No longer do we say God this is what I would like and I hope you agree with me.

HOW DO WE GET A CONFIDENT HEART
The Holy Spirit takes the historical life, death and resurrection of the Word made flesh, in the pages of the written Word of Scripture, and so awakens our minds to its truth and our wills to its priorities that we are brought to repent and to believe the good news, as we confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. To this John adds the objective evidence of a changed life, with a new concern to live righteously in obedience to Christ’s commands

‘The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children’ (Rom. 8:16). How good it is to know that all this is the gift of God, (its not a reward for proper behavior) in the Holy Spirit.

In all this we remember the great promise of 1 John 3:20: when we feel accused and condemned, we can look to Christ and know that all sin is forgiven. God’s sentence of acquittal overrules our heart’s sentence of condemnation. And that is not because God does not see all the facts or has overlooked some of our failures; quite the contrary, “he knows everything” (v. 20) but forgives us anyway!

So, don’t follow your heart, it is a liar and a deceiver. It will tell you how good you are and that you don’t need to be forgiven because you’re not that bad. Or it will tell you you’re so bad you could never be forgiven.

I believe it was Tim Keller who said something to the affect you are a worse sinner than you imagine and God loves you more than you can imagine.

Don’t follow your heart. Follow God’s heart as He revealed it in His Word, in His Son and by His Spirit.

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Red Letters

Posted on October 24, 2015 by rgpriest

All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work. (2 Timothy 3:16-17 ESV

Sometimes it’s the small words, the insignificant words that make all the difference. Paul has been writing to Timothy, his protégé, and reviewing his conversion and growth. He reminds Timothy the place Scripture (for Timothy the Old Testament) played in his salvation and new life.

He says all Scripture is inspired. That little word “all” is crucial. ALL Scripture is inspired. Not just the inspiring words. Not just the familiar phrases. Not just the self-esteem feels good verses. Not just the ones that fit on coffee mugs, T shirts, and bumper stickers. ALL Scripture. And my point for this blog, not just the red lettered verses.

There seemed to be a trend in recent years where professing Christians claimed to be “red-letter” Christians. It seems that the thought was those red letters were the most important ones in all the Bible and the rest were optional. WE do not really need all those Old Testament laws. We do not need Paul’s all have sinned stuff. Who needs visions of falling mountains battling armies and all that other negative stuff. After all, if we are Christians, we need the words of Christ.

There are a few popular well groomed, big smile fancy church preachers that have said they don’t want all Paul’s negative words, we just want people to feel good and use Jesus words about love.

There are some huge problems with that mentality. First off is the passage quoted above. God, speaking through Paul said ALL Scripture is from God and has a beneficial purpose.

Who cares about how many rings were used to hand the curtains in the tabernacle or the type of wood used for the posts? Obviously God cared enough to let us know. Maybe he wanted us to see how intricate, and beautiful, and detailed HE was in establishing a place and time of worship that we too should take our preparations and opportunities for worship with great detail and preparation. It’s not a tailgate party. It’s an audience with the Creator-King-Redeemer. So yes the details are important. ALL the words are important. They are there for a reason.

I could also pull out all the red verses where Jesus did speak not so kind words like you brood of vipers or depart from me I never knew you etcetera etcetera etcetera. Yes, even the red letters contained words of judgement and warning.

There is another way I want to look at this, and it can also be found in the red words. In John 5, Jesus has been teaching and healing and His opponents complain for the way He makes Himself equal with the Father. And then Jesus says “Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of his own accord, but only what he sees the Father doing. For whatever the Father does, that the Son does likewise. For the Father loves the Son and shows him all that he himself is doing. (John 5:19-20 ESV)

While I appreciate the sentiment that people want to follow Jesus and focus on what He said, Jesus Himself says I am doing what I have seen the Father do and speak what the Father says. For me the logic would be, if the words Jesus spoke are what the Father spoke to Him, then wouldn’t everything else the Father spoke but just as important. It is a dangerous place to divorce Gods words through Moses, Isaiah, Amos, Paul or James from His words through Jesus. IS it more important, more relevant because Jesus said it?

I truly appreciate what one of my professors at Philadelphia College of the Bible said years ago. He was asked why he did not have things underlined or highlighted in his bible. His answer was that all the verses are important not just the ones I pick. Now I do not think the professor was discouraging the use of highlights and underlining. But I appreciate his philosophy.

Throughout history the Bible’s accuracy, relevance, and value have been under attack. It has been called everything from dangerous to mythical. For some it is a nice set of stories and moral lessons but not the revealed mind and word of God. What is most troubling being that in many churches the Bible is under attack at worse and marginalized at best. In the early years of the church it was determined what writings could be legitimately defended as inspired Scripture and what was not. The Nicaean Council in AD325 confirmed what had been held for hundreds of years. They did not “vote” on what books were to included or excluded. They simply confirmed what had been established by the apostles and early church years before.

Today we see movements like the red letter Christians, or the Jesus Seminar that votes on what is Scripture invade the church. We see churches saying what parts of Scripture are valid or not which leads to a redefining of everything from marriage, family, life, Christianity, church, morality ethics etc. We see churches deciding to preach on only the feel good passages of a God who is love (HE is) but not of holiness, righteousness or justice.

By doing this we have taken God off His rightful place as head and put ourselves on the throne. You may not want to admit it, but these movements have said we get to determine what is truth or not, and when Gods word agrees with us it works and when Gods word disagrees with us, we are right and God is wrong.

Some of my Bibles (I own way too many) are red letter editions. Some are not. I prefer the ones that don’t but it is a personal preference for ease of reading. That and I have noticed the red ink usually has a less clear quality print. Use whichever style you prefer. But don’t forget that God has inspired all the words and they are all profitable for us.

2 Peter 1:3 (ESV) says His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence.

That knowledge Peter speaks of is revealed in His word, His entire word.

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The Disposable Church

Posted on October 17, 2015 by rgpriest

We seem to live in a culture that has decided that the individual is free to redefine certain words and concepts to their own meaning. We have determined that things can have different meanings to different people. One example I see is using the song Every Breath You Take by the Police at a wedding. Here is a song about broken vows and fake smiles. It is a song written by a man in the midst of divorce saying I have no trust in you anymore. You are a cheat and I need to watch you like the NSA watches a terrorist. But I have heard people say to them it’s a love song.

The church is not immune. I have been in church meetings ending with what’s called the mizpah from Genesis 38. They ended the gathering with, “The Lord watch between you and me, when we are out of one another’s sight. That is a nice sentiment, but what does the entire verse say? “Therefore he named it Galeed, and Mizpah, for he said, “The Lord watch between you and me, when we are out of one another’s sight. If you oppress my daughters, or if you take wives besides my daughters, although no one is with us, see, God is witness between you and me.”

In other words, since we have no trust for one another God will be my surveillance team to keep you in line.

What does this have to do with disposable churches? Religious people and even the non-religious have redefined much of what the Bible teaches. Ask a person on the street to define a Christian and the way of salvation. You will probably come away thinking a Christian is a nice American and the way of salvation is to be kind (or at least kinder than someone else.) What is missing is the Bible’s definition of Christianity and salvation. I will save the definition of Christianity and salvation for a later post. But is should be obvious there are many differing definitions and they can’t all be correct.

Ask someone to define marriage and sexuality and you get many differing responses. Everyone has a definition and they can’t all be right. The heart of our problem is this. When the Bible’s definition of something differs from ours we tend to jettison the Bible for our own definition.

This is true of defining a church. Let me lay my cards on the table here to explain why I am addressing this. By redefining church it makes it easier to dispose of church when something else comes along. Family is coming Sunday so I can blow off church today. Soccer practice is Sunday…birthday party is Sunday…weather is supposed to be nice…weather is supposed to be bad… After all I can worship God on the beach, golf course, mall or soccer field. I can worship God alone in my own way. What worth noting is God has never defined Church and worship this way. The Bible never prescribes church and worship this way. I truly believe we have developed these ideas to make it easier to rationalize disposing of church for something else.

I am not talking about those who are physically unable to attend the corporate gathering. I am not minimizing the act of personal worship. It is a valuable discipline. I am not advocating being in church every time the doors are open. That can be unhealthy. I am saying we should really evaluate why it is so easy to set aside corporate worship for what seems to be a more appealing or at least a more pressing appointment. But what could be more pressing than the invitation to gather before our great and awesome King and His court when He has invited us.

Before I make my case for the need to regularly participate in the gathered church let me address one more misused verse.

Matthew 18:19-20 says Again I say to you, if two of you agree on earth about anything they ask, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them.” There it is. As long as there are at least 2 Christians together, Jesus is there and we are having church. Again that verse is misused and abused.

In context Jesus has just spoken of the need for the church to confront sin in a believer. He has said if you see someone in sin confront them. If they refuse to listen bring witnesses to confront them with the goal of restoration. If they still refuse bring them to the church and excommunicate them. Jesus here is not supporting a definition of a church gathering but a biblical reason for removing the unrepentant from the church.

Three Anomalies

The New Testament gives word pictures of the church gathering. For this post I will describe three. A family, a body, a bride.

As a family we call God Father. In Matthew 6 Jesus teaches us to pray Our Father. Those are family words. We are meant to gather together (our) as family before our Father. Here is the first anomaly. Telling your Father you really want to spend time together you just not with the rest of His children around. The church gathers as a family with Father, brothers, and sisters. It is not 10, 20 or 200 individuals but 1 family. You may not always agree with your family. You may have your disagreements even differences in how you sit at the table, what food is served etc. but in the end the Father has invited His children together. Jesus paid with His life to secure our adoption. Who are we to say I want the Father to myself and not the others. I can squeeze Him in between putts, goals, cash registers or after dessert when everyone leaves. The Father has requested His family to come together Sunday. And yes Scripture does describe the church as gathering on Sunday not just whenever it’s convenient.

The next picture is a bride. Jesus is the bridegroom and he Has gone to great lengths to purchase and purify His bride. It is the object of His love. Here is a second anomaly. To say I love Jesus but not the church is to say to a man I love you but I can’t stand your wife. Let’s get together but don’t bring your bride. How much will a husband tolerate that kind of treatment of His wife? As His bride it makes sense to want to be with the groom

Finally, the church is described as a body in I Corinthians 12 with Jesus as the head. It sounds grotesque but what is a head without a functioning body? And can it really be a body without various parts working together and attached to a head? That is the third anomaly, a body separated from its head or a head with just one body part. We can’t really say I am a leg and I am attached to the head and I can function fine without the other parts.

Most of the new Testament letters were written to established churches with Pastors, Elders and leaders in place gathering on a regular basis. All along it has been God’s pattern for local congregations to gather as the church to worship and serve together.

In Acts 2 the church is described as participating in the apostles teaching, prayer, breaking bread and fellowship, which you can’t do alone.

I have spent time with believers on a golf course and we did not preach to each other and the closest thing to prayer was asking the golf ball to go in the hole or not in the water. The closest thing to worship was shouts of you the man. I have been with believers in a mall and the closest thing to amazement was a great deal on a pair of shoes, thank God. We broke bread in a food court with hundreds of others totally oblivious to our presence. I have been at a Phillies game on a Sunday and while I appreciated the nice weather and good seats there was no discernable worship taking place just some sports figure idolatry.

The Father is calling His children together. The bridegroom wants to gather with his bride. The functioning head is operating through His body. The church is a unique, God given gift for all these to take place. God has set the first day of the week for us to gather together, worship our God, serve each other and prepare for the week ahead. This is the day that God has said is time for all your personal worship and devotion to flow together with the rest of the gathered believers.

Sunday is a gift of God’s grace. It is the opportunity to start the week with our Father, His family and His Bride. While golf, and malls, and birthday parties are fun and enjoyable, what greater gift is there after our salvation to gather with our eternal family and the host of heaven and praise this great God and Savior in the way He has prescribed.

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How to Influence a King

Posted on October 3, 2015 by rgpriest

I mentioned previously that our church has started a series in the book of Daniel. When the study started it turns out that my daily Bible Reading Plan (ESV Gospel Transformation Bible) was in the book of Daniel. One day was chapters 1-6 then 7-12. It became a strong confirmation that reading Scripture in big chunks is beneficial. You get a better picture of the plot and story line.  When I read chapters 1-6 I noticed an interesting pattern.

As I stated in my last blog Daniel is NOT the hero of the book of Daniel. God the Covenant Keeper is the hero. In chapters 1-6 there is a picture of how God’s people face challenges, including an ungodly government and in the end God is glorified. Let me lay out some context.

Chapter 1. The king, Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon offers the Hebrew exiles the best foods of the kingdom, and the Hebrews refuse and chose to maintain their OT dietary ways. In the end they were better off than those on the king’s diet.

Chapter 2 the same king has a dream and demands his advisors, including Daniel, to recite and translate the dream or die. Daniel succeeds and they are spared. Daniel is promoted.

Chapter 3. King Nebuchadnezzar builds a statue and demands that all in the kingdom bow to that statue. The three Hebrews refuse to worship any but God and are thrown into a fiery furnace and there a forth being appears, they are spared and when they emerge there is not even a stench of smoke on them.

Chapter 4 King Nebuchadnezzar has another dream of how own greatness. Daniel calls the king to humble himself before God. Instead he declares his greatness in building a great kingdom and God strikes him. Eventually he responds to Daniel’s call to repent and he is restored.

Chapter 5 Belshazzar has desecrated the Hebrew Temple vessels and God sends a message of writing on a wall. Everyone is afraid. Daniel now has a reputation as a man of faith and power and is summoned. Daniel again interprets the writing warning Belshazzar of his impending fall to the Medes. Belshazzar honors Daniel and by morning Darius the Mede defeats Belshazzar.

Chapter 6 the King states that prayer is to only be offered to the king himself no other gods. Daniel continues to pray only to God and is thrown into a den of lions. The lions have no appetite and Daniel lives.

6 chapters with 6 challenges from two gentile governments and three pagan kings.

All that leads to what really struck me about these 6 chapters. At the end of each chapter and its challenge the king starts by honoring Daniel, or Shadrach Meshach and Abednego and then these pagan kings praise the God of these men and call their people to acknowledge the same God.

Each chapter ends with a pagan king acknowledging the faith of the Hebrew captives, their difference, their character and their righteousness. Most of all the true King and God is acknowledged.

How did this happen? How did a group of 4 guys live a life that caused pagan kings to [seemingly] acknowledge and worship the true God? 4 guys who were kidnapped as teenagers are now influencing the very governments who kidnapped them. HOW DID THIS HAPPEN.

First, what did not happen. Nowhere was there a campaign to discredit or insult the government or its king. No photo shopped pictures of a king with his wrong hand over his heart at the passing of the flag or no hand over the heart. No social media campaign counting down the days of his impending departure. No boycotts. No accusations of discrimination or persecution. No TV commercials, bumper stickers or T shirts saying the wrong guys in charge and it’s not my fault

What did they do. Let me lay out a few observations. I believe this is a perfect example of 1 Timothy 2:1-4

First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.

They knew their Bibles. Jeremiah prophesied they would be here in this land. They really did know God put them in this culture at this time. As much as they may not have liked the circumstance they knew God was in control and God brought them here in these cultures. They knew not just Jeremiah 29:11 but the verses leading up to it saying to live in the community, work hard, serve the community where God put you. Even if he sent you there as an exile. Even if they are pagans. Live there and serve them well.

Humility. In each case these men approached the king with respect and humility. They recognized these were men of authority and as such deserved respect. They did not come with arguments and arrogance but respect.

Confidence. They knew who the true God was, He was their God and they trusted Him. They knew what He expected (faithfulness) and what He promised, His presence. So even when their life was on the line as it was in almost every case they choose faithfulness. Over and over when asked how they could do what they did they never spoke of themselves but as in 2:27 “No wise men, enchanters, magicians, or astrologers can show to the king the mystery that the king has asked, but there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries.” Or in 3:17-18 If this be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of your hand, O king. But if not, be it known to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up.”

Here is how each chapter ends.

Chapter 1:19-21 And the king spoke with them, and among all of them none was found like Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. Therefore they stood before the king. And in every matter of wisdom and understanding about which the king inquired of them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and enchanters that were in all his kingdom. And Daniel was there until the first year of King Cyrus.

Chapter 2:47-48 The king answered and said to Daniel, “Truly, your God is God of gods and Lord of kings, and a revealer of mysteries, for you have been able to reveal this mystery.” Then the king gave Daniel high honors and many great gifts, and made him ruler over the whole province of Babylon and chief prefect over all the wise men of Babylon

Chapter 3:28 Nebuchadnezzar answered and said, “Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who has sent his angel and delivered his servants, who trusted in him, and set aside the king’s command, and yielded up their bodies rather than serve and worship any god except their own God. Therefore I make a decree: Any people, nation, or language that speaks anything against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego shall be torn limb from limb, and their houses laid in ruins, for there is no other god who is able to rescue in this way.” Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the province of Babylon.

Chapter 4:37 Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and extol and honor the King of heaven, for all his works are right and his ways are just; and those who walk in pride he is able to humble.

Chapter 5:29 Then Belshazzar gave the command, and Daniel was clothed with purple, a chain of gold was put around his neck, and a proclamation was made about him, that he should be the third ruler in the kingdom

Chapter 6:25-28 Then King Darius wrote to all the peoples, nations, and languages that dwell in all the earth: “Peace be multiplied to you. I make a decree, that in all my royal dominion people are to tremble and fear before the God of Daniel, for he is the living God, enduring forever; his kingdom shall never be destroyed, and his dominion shall be to the end. He delivers and rescues; he works signs and wonders in heaven and on earth, he who has saved Daniel from the power of the lions.”

So this Daniel prospered during the reign of Darius and the reign of Cyrus the Persian.

Nebuchadnezzar, Belshazzar, Darius. Three mighty men influenced by the faith of 4 Hebrews who were captives in a foreign land. Four men who had no social media outlets. No advertising campaigns, no political machine behind them. They were faithful and they had the Covenant Keeping God caring for them.

Four men who lived out Jeremiah 29. When you work to serve and love your community it will prosper and so will you. We quote verse 11 and speak of Gods plans of well-being for us but forget the earlier verses that tell us part of that plan just may be to place us as citizens in a hostile community and we are to love and serve that community and work for its good.

What if we take all that energy we spend complaining and crying conspiracy and sharing posts and tweeting our gripes and channel that energy into loving and serving your community, working hard for its success and trust that God will have His way.

When the government calls for them to deny their faith and compromise their worship they stated their case respectfully, trusted God and accept the consequences for disobedience. That is when God steps in and even the most powerful men in the land have to acknowledge that these 4 captives have more to offer than their own powerful advisors.

These four knew where to draw the battle line. When they were called to compromise their faith, pervert their worship or even deny their God, they stood willing to die

The kings noticed their character. And instead of saying look at Daniel and his companions that result was look at the God of Daniel and his companions.

Very different than today. Instead of Christians calling a press conference to complain about their leaders and how they are being treated, pagan leaders are calling press conferences to speak of admiration for the people of God and the God of the universe.

I could go on and speak more of Christianity and culture, civil disobedience and cultural involvement but space is short. What I recommend is pick up a copy of Russell Moore’s book Onward. He does a fantastic job of laying out the Christians responsibility to His God first and how that looks in his community, regardless of it being a Christian country or a moral leader.

Do you want to influence culture even at the highest level?

Know that God has placed you where you are for a purpose. Stop complaining and start serving. Maybe evaluate your use of social media as a way of undermining the government and use it as a way to pray for their prosperity and success.

Know your Bible. Know that God has called you to faithfulness to serve in humility and compassion. Know where to draw the line. Know when to speak up and even stake your life and where you can quietly serve and pray.

Know and trust your God. He has a plan for you, a plan for peace and well being. But that plan may unfold in very difficult and trying ways. God (not you) is building a kingdom. You are a citizen called to live in and among this world to pray and serve by the grace He provides until He arrives to finalize the building of that kingdom.

And just maybe one day the news networks will cover a press conference where men of great power and influence, kings and presidents, will speak of the greatness of God and His people.

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God Dwells

Posted on September 25, 2015 by rgpriest

Our church has recently started the book of Daniel for our Sunday messages. Recently, as is custom, one of the Elders was reading the passage before the Pastor’s message. The passage was Daniel 2:1- 23. One verse jumped out for me that I do not recall before, and I am a big “fan” of the book of Daniel.

First, some context. Nebuchadnezzar is the most powerful ruler of the most powerful nation (Babylon) at the time. He has just had a dream that worries him. He does what is expected and calls his advisers to make sense of the dream. However, Nebuchadnezzar does the unexpected. He not only asks the advisers to interpret the dream he challenges them to tell him what the dream itself was. It is believed Nebuchadnezzar had suspicions about the adviser’s motives and thinks they have been a little shady in the past. After all who can argue their interpretation if they are the wisest men around. Therefore, to prove their ability he says they must also provide the details of the dream itself. He then adds the reward for success and the punishment for failure. If they cannot recite the dream and interpret it, they will all die. This includes the Hebrew captives Daniel and his partners. At this point Daniel is not present even though he is numbered among the wise men.

This is a daunting task. Tell me what I dreamt about or die. This is definitely a disconcerting request. Now the comment that caught my attention. In verse 11 the advisers present their objection saying “The thing that the king asks is difficult, and no one can show it to the king except the gods, whose dwelling is not with flesh.” (emphasis mine)

That is a sad commentary for magicians, enchanters and sorcerers. It is a sad commentary for anyone. Only the gods could do what you ask and they do not really have dealings with us. How different is that than the Christian God. The God of Exodus who calls to Moses, who leads by a pillar and a cloud. The God who in Isaiah 7 is called Emmanuel, God with us. The God of Psalm 23 who shepherds His sheep. The God of Ezekiel whose eyes scan earth looking for those He can support.

Here is the difference it creates. The advisers of Nebuchadnezzar had no confidence in their gods.

Then there is Daniel. Daniel learns of the king’s decree and says let me have some time. He then humbles himself, gathers his friends and prays. He prays to a God who he knows sees, listens and is intimately involved in the affairs of His chosen people. Why else bother unless you are confident in your God’s accessibility and ability. Daniel has complete confidence in God so he goes to God first. God hears Daniel, answers Daniel, tells Daniel the content and meaning of the dream and Daniel is spared as well as the other advisers. Daniel is now promoted in the king’s cabinet.

Let’s be clear. Daniel is NOT the hero of the story. He is NOT the hero of the book bearing his name. There is no need to dare to be a Daniel. Daniel was faithful in what God had called him to and we are called to the same. You are different from Daniel but what you can have in common with Daniel is his God. The hero of the story is God. The God who calls His people. The God who sees His people. The God who hears His people. The God who answers their prayers. You get the picture. He is a God intimately involved with his people.

I am going to look more at the book of Daniel again next time but the theme is the same. God is the hero of the book of Daniel (as well as the whole Bible.) This is not about your story it is His story.

Daniel is commendable for His faith. His faith, His trust, is in a God who rules over the affairs of man and a God who is faithful. A God who can be trusted to deliver His people or if He chooses not to deliver, still preserves them. In Daniel 3 you’ll see that is the faith of the Hebrew men.

The true God does dwell with His people. Granted, Daniel lived and wrote centuries before the incarnation itself but the idea is there. The God of the Bible dwells WITH His people.

Here is what is amazing, Jesus was not sent to dwell on earth with people as a punishment. This is not mythology where the gods banish someone to earth as punishment. Our God is a God who willingly chooses to dwell among His people, the people who rebelled against Him repeatedly. The God who would one day take on human flesh and all that goes with it (hungry, tired, tempted) faced betrayal and torture and eventually death in a human body.

Philippians 2:6-11 “who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.” (ESV)

I love how The ESV Gospel Transformation Bible says this in Jonah 1. “Jesus was in heaven, ruling the universe by the word of his power. Adored by angels, he was in the best place, doing the best work, and enjoying the best life. Then the Father said, “Go to another place, where you will be utterly rejected. You will live a life that will lead to torture, crucifixion, and death. You will become an atoning sacrifice for people I love, who are facing an eternal judgment.” Jesus said “Yes.”

Why? Because God made a covenant with His people. God will stop at nothing to insure that the covenant He made will be fulfilled. Even if it means to dwell among His people, serve His people die for them and one day return for us.

A God who knows that man’s only hope for forgiveness is a perfect sacrifice. A God who knows our best is not good enough so another must live a life of perfect obedience. Therefore, He comes to dwell. To live among us. To die for us with His perfect life.

Here is a God who sets up kingdoms and brings them down, who sets up kings and humbles them. A God who calls His people and disciplines them for unfaithfulness. But in the cross He bears the ultimate punishment for our rebellion. A God who is building His own kingdom and calling out a people to inhabit that kingdom.

This is the God we can have complete confidence in. A God who dwells with His people in order to preserve His covenant people through any and every circumstance, every trial and blessing. A God who dwells with us to lead us out of exile into our new home.

Remember God is not watching us from a distance. God is dwelling among us.

Instead of the world’s wisdom as seen in the king’s advisers that says god does not live or dwell among us, trust the God who took on human flesh, dwelt among us and is leading us home.

And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. (John 1:14 ESV)

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An Eschatological Journey

Posted on September 19, 2015 by rgpriest

Note. This is not a post to defend or refute any End Times, Last Days position. There will be no discussions on when Jesus is returning or any other end times chronology and events. This is a chronicle of my current as yet uncompleted journey. I have always enjoyed Biblical prophecy, reading the prophetic books, studying it and teaching it. Yet now I believe I am ore tempered and balanced.

I was THAT guy. I had have a Scofield Bible. My bookshelves were filled with Ryrie, Walvoord, and Pentecost. I still have much respect for these men, their love of Jesus, His word and bible teaching. I still have their books. I even had a Lindsey title or two. I was a die-hard prophecy nut.

I had and maybe still do have the Larkins Dispensational Charts. I attended a Dispensational college. I was a fairly new believer and my roommate said to survive at the school I needed to memorize one thing, I am a premillennial pretribulation dispensationalist.  I ate, drank, slept, taught and preached it. I wrote my ordination thesis on the Covenants in Dispensationalism and even said that dispensationalists handle the covenants (Abrahamic, Davidic and New) better than covenant theologians.

But then I was reading Acts 1. I realized that Acts 1 does not stop at verse 8.

Verses 6-12 read So when they had come together, they asked him, “Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” 7 He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority. 8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” 9 And when he had said these things, as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight. 10 And while they were gazing into heaven as he went, behold, two men stood by them in white robes, 11 and said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.” (Emphasis mine)

Verse 7 was the fallback. No one knows the day or hour. Got it. Then I noticed verse 11. In today’s language maybe the angel says why you are studying the full moons, blood moons, heifer’s births and the Popes travel plans? Why are you trying to connect the dots of the Pope in Philly, the full moon and a rapture?

So there was the first change of direction in my journey. God is the I AM, the God of today. People need the gospel message today to prepare for tomorrow. I need the gospel today to survive. So instead of trying to see every eagle in the Bible as America, every mention of the moon as a prophetic sign and counting how many letters are in the Popes name I want to know the gospel now. Yes, I still love prophecy, but my vision is expanding.

Sure we can scare people with cheesy movies and youth group skits about a rapture. But while they are busy worrying about splitting skies and global earthquakes tomorrow what hope are we giving them to deal with broken relationships, fearful doctors’ visits and tough work circumstances. What hope do they have for the right here right now. Tough it out, some day it will all end is not good news. I know I am being simplistic but it always seemed the gospel message and invitation was all about the future and little about today.

The next part of my journey was in not renewing my membership in the Left Behind club. So what else changed?

Again I am not going to slam a different viewpoint. In fact the arguments between camps are in part what fueled my journey. I was used to the clichés and putdowns. I was angered when I read articles saying dispensationalists were weak minded and brainwashed. (That is a direct quote to which the author never rescinded when I asked him about it. He never gave biblical evidence for his position or against dispensationalists aside from brainwashing) I do not think I was brainwashed or that weak minded. And if it were true it was brain washing that made the dispensational teachers evil and manipulative to be brainwashing us weak minded folk

Then a well-known magazine I loved did a series as always about the Church – Israel debate. The author said those who hold that the church “replaces” Israel are planning seeds of anti-Semitism. Please cancel my subscription. At the time of that article I was a Church and Israel are separate guy but this was uncalled for. I knew of many people who hold that the church “replaces” Israel and they are far from Anti Semitic.

One other factor. A teacher at the college I attended was teaching Eschatology from a Dispensational viewpoint. He did present viewpoints of Covenant, A millennial and Post Millennial camps and to his credit said if you want to learn more go to the source, read the works of those who advocate those positions not my summaries.

So I did.

Even before that I did struggle with a few things. If God has a plan for Israel and it is paused for the church. What happens later when Israel is restored? What happens to the gentiles? Are there two programs, two plans? Is one group the blood relatives and the others step children. How do the two groups merge in the end? Is the wall of division down permanently? My questions weren’t necessarily about a rapture but what happens to all of us after that?

So I started reading others. And it started to make sense. Yes, my journey is progressing. My vision is expanding (and hopefully my understanding). I tend to align myself less with dispensationalism and more closely to Covenant Theology these days. And I still have a lot of questions.

What about a literal 1000 year kingdom. Why does Revelation 20 specify 1000 years bookended by a resurrection of the just and then the unjust? What about a pretribulation rapture. Why is Jesus preparing a place for us (John 14) if we are coming back down as soon as we go up at the second coming? And the 7 year tribulation. Why is Scripture full of mention of the time of Jacobs’s trouble, the day of the Lord/Wrath. If it has happened or happening now it does not seem to be as bad as it looks at first reading.

So the journey continues. Now instead of staring at stars and charts and clouds I am looking more at Scripture itself, the people around me and preaching the gospel to myself and others.

I still love to read, study, and talk about prophecy. I still have questions. Hopefully now I am a little more grounded and gracious. Instead of looking up to the heavens and I want to see what God is doing around me know.

These days I am even more convinced about the authority of God’s word, the power of grace and the gospel, and the return of Jesus. I am not so dogmatic and wrapped up in chronology and dates.

I enjoy Biblical prophecy. Much of it was fulfilled at the first coming. Some is yet to come. What I do know of the yet to come prophecies is this;

Jesus will return in HIS time.

Jesus will return on HIS terms. He is not bound to, restricted by, or waiting for astrological events, natural disasters and papal travel itineraries. In fact Jesus said when the gospel has been preached in its fullness He will return. Matthew 24:14 says And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.

So let’s stop charting moon phases, farm reports and European Union economics and preach the gospel of Jesus life, death, resurrection, and RETURN.

There are still millions who have not heard about Jesus first advent and many more who have heard but are not living out its implications so we have work to do.

To everyone who sat under my teaching at youth camps, youth groups, Sunday School, Bible Study or preaching. I apologize for pointing you to news reports about the European Union, earthquakes moons and heifers instead of Jesus. Lets keep looking for our blessed hope in the return of Jesus. Titus 2:13

I am ready. When the Lords returns I am ready. I hope it is today. But until that day let’s keep living out the commission of the First Coming while we anticipate the return of our King

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