This part relates to clarifications of important issues in Psalm 110. For example, the Hebrew text for verses 1 and 4 used LORD when Jehovah-JHWH spoke and Lord when Adonai was addressed. So no misunderstanding occurs, the NIV uses Lord for both, leaving no doubt that God the Father talks to God the Son.
It also corrects satanic lies about Psalm 110. First, it’s nonsense to think that David had no awareness when speaking under the Holy Spirit’s direction. That contradicts his claims in II Samuel 23:2-7 and II Chronicles 28:11-19. Like Paul, David knew the difference between a decision his God-given discretion made and God’s Spirit-breathed into his mind. That Jesus pointedly noted David’s awareness of the Spirit’s guidance in writing strongly implies that his prophecy related to his future descendant, not to Solomon’s inauguration. Second, it’s blasphemy to think the Son of God deceived himself when claiming he actually fulfilled non-existent prophecy so the disciples would trust him. Especially to trust him when he would be punished by the leaders, beaten, spit on and, at their behest, crucified. In a culture where no one envisioned a suffering Christ, and certainly none of a crucified Christ. Who indeed believed that the “Christ will remain forever” John 12:34. Third, it’s also nonsense to think that Jesus didn’t believe the Holy Spirit dictated the words to David, but pretended faith in them as a concession to men who did. That approach is a favorite trick of liberals. They suggest this or that as the explanation in place of obvious hermeneutics—the Occam’s Razor principle that says the simplest explanation is the likeliest. The liberals refuse the simplest explanation because they constantly cultivate doubt in God’s word and, naturally, in the Holy Spirit’s Presence dictating it. They instead subtly suggest a possible alternative they feel is better, and certainly agreeable to their humanistic approach to scripture. In that way, increment by increment, they undermine confidence in God’s Word. As a result, instead of believers holding Rock-Hard confidence in the Bible, they find their mouths full of gravel from wrecked foundations of faith with only debris left on which to grind their teeth to the gums. All of these lies propose exactly the opposite of the truth: that an undisciplined teacher of theology in Nazareth somehow wandered into fame by bungling his way through ministry as a hapless idealist, then staggered his way to the cross where he died as a failed visionary! Never let the supposition of error in Scripture take root in your mind, Christians. Its fruit is toxic to mind, emotions and spirit. End Part VI
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Through angel Gabriel God identified Jesus as God’s Son to both Mary and Joseph, Luke 1:32a, 35, Matthew 1:20-23, before calling him David’s son Luke 1:32b. In that priority God stressed Christ’s Greater before his Lesser Identity.
Which is the essence of Christ’s question to the Jewish leaders, “What do you think about the Christ? Whose son is he?” Matthew 22:42. They had peppered him with questions on Tuesday of his Last Week. When they finished he posed that single question to them. They nevertheless felt confident in repeating what generations of scholars had taught from Psalm 110:1: “The Messiah is the son of David.” Their reply reduced the Christ to a mortal descendant of the great King. A greater mortal than they had ever seen, perhaps, but only exactly like themselves. When Jesus responded with, “How is it then that David....”, they instinctively shuddered. It was a companion piece with his other devastating questions. “Haven’t you read what David did?” Matthew 12:3; or, “Haven’t you read in the Law?” Matthew 12:5; or “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath or not?” Luke 14:3; or “why are you thinking these things? Which is easier....” Mark 2:9, etc., etc. “How is it then?” Words they knew would once again surface his never-ending expansive knowledge and understanding of Scripture. That would reveal he not only SAW deeper into Scripture than all of them, but UNDERSTOOD all he SAW! Nor did he leave them any “wiggle room” in interpreting the passage. No one could say it wasn’t messianic. For all agreed that David wrote it as he had been inspired by the Holy Spirit. (The Holy Spirit had been in the vocabulary of all pious Jews for generations. See Psalm 51:11 as but one Old Testament example and Luke 1:15 as his first New Testament mention. John would later write that Jesus would give the Spirit as “streams of living water” flowing in believers, but only after Christ’s resurrection. The “streams of living water” was the gift of the Holy Spirit granted after being baptized into Christ Acts 2:38. The Holy Spirit, then, first mentioned in Genesis 1:2, returned in many manifestations throughout the Old Covenant.) And, by the way, scripture-writers repeatedly declared the Spirit’s presence in them as they wrote Isaiah 8:11, Jeremiah 1:2, 9, I Peter 1:10-12, II Peter 1:19-21, I Corinthians 2:9-10, Ephesians 3:2-6, Revelation 1:1-5 as a few examples. End Part V Addendum to previous blog
Is anyone but Democratic loyalists naive enough to believe that the two Party Groups omitting Under God from their pledge of allegiance took that liberty without the express permission of those in charge of the Democratic Party? NOTE: it has come to my attention that meetings held by two groups of Democrats, under the umbrella of the National Party, purposely omitted the phrase Under God from the Pledge of Allegiance. The two groups were Homosexuals and Moslems.
That means they permitted the Homosexual lobby the right to omit God’s Name from the Pledge since they hate the Bible’s absolutely consistent—from first to last book—condemnation of homosexuality. And permitted Moslems the same privilege since they hate the Bible’s absolutely consistent—from first to last book—emphasis on Jesus Christ as the Son of God—predicted throughout the Old Testament and fulfilled in the New. That means they accept anti-God and anti-Christ beliefs to be publicly known. Will the leadership permit prayers in Christ’s name in public meetings? First Point. Are there any Democratic representatives and senators, governors and mayors with strong enough Christian beliefs to protest the National Convention’s willingness to allow GOD to be omitted in any of the Party’s meetings just because some people will be offended? Won’t leaving God’s Name out offend infinitely MORE? This is an issue the Democratic leaders have allowed to become divisive by allowing the practice. They must publicly denounce the omission allowed by their party. Second Point. Whenever the Pledge of Allegiance is spoken, it must include Under God since Congress voted inclusion of the phrase in 1956. One of their own Presidents quoted his belief in God from Psalm 127: “Unless the Lord builds the house, its builders labor in vain. Unless the Lord watches over the city, the watchmen stand guard in vain.” The Christian’s answer to the liberals is simple: what good is indivisibility—which is a laugh in our country torn-asunder by the immorality welcomed by all liberals, depraved by a homosexual lobby who believe they save, not destroy, the soul of America by demanding full rights to the depraved sexuality God in Christ condemns. What good is a Union of we deny God as the Source of unity? What good is liberty if we deny God as our emancipator? What good is justice if we deny God as the Only Wise Judge? A question for Democrats who may hold Bible values and believe in God’s importance: Will you continue to collapse before the anti-God stance of your leaders—as if you’re only hired help obliged to obey whatever they demand? Will you make yourselves God’s enemies by being friends of God-haters? Will you allow your leadership to deny Bible truth YOU hold sacred, including the Biblical foundation on which past generations built this nation. Just because they believe THE GOVERNMENT is all we need, is that what you believe? Though Ronald Reagan once said that the most terrifying words in the English language are, “I’m from the government and I’m here to help you.” God watched as the Democratic Party groups dropped his NAME from their proceedings. He has watched as the entire Party has dropped his importance as a weight they won’t carry. We’ll see how God responds. Make no mistake, He Shall! With the accumulated intellects of Judaism gathered, the Pharisees felt confident when their usual nemesis posed what seemed an innocuous question, “What do you think about the Christ? Whose son is he?” Matthew 22:42.
The son of David, they replied,” sure they had finally stood on ground common to all. Psalm 110 had for centuries been a non-controversial, God-given promise of his Messiah’s appearance in Israel. It defied debate or denial by any orthodox believer. And TRUE, because it embodied the Messianic pedigree of Israel’s long-awaited Christ. Furthermore, it was satisfactory to all the scholars then gathered around Jesus. To their surprise, not satisfactory to him. And...a problem they never solved...in almost 3 ½ years of constant exchanges of views, his One Mind mastered more in-depth understanding of Moses, Prophets and Psalms than the accumulation of all Jewish thought in the previous 1500 years, that generation’s included. Blinded by their pride of ownership of all things religious, they couldn’t see in him the NEW MIND of a NEW SPIRITUAL AGE. Nevertheless, true to God and himself, he endeavored to broaden and deepen into a spiritual understanding what had been historically catechetical answers to rote questions: “Whose son is the Messiah? David’s son. ” To the leaders, the greatest compliment a mortal could have. As being considered in the class of the prophets offered Jesus the highest compliment the populace gave him Matthew 16:14. After all, only ONE Of Israel’s luminaries would have the privilege of being the Chosen descendant of David to rule a newly-reconstituted Jewish state. Besides, while no leader had acclaimed him as David’s chosen descendant—even Nicodemus’ half-hearted defense of Jesus lacked any punch of conviction John 7:50-51—the popular view left no doubt. They either wondered if he could be, or voluntarily declared him the “Son of David” Matthew 12:23, 15:22, 20:30-31, 21:9, 21:15. That adult enthusiasm for the Nazarene even inspired children in the temple to shout, “Hosanna to the son of David” Matthew 21:15. While it enraged the leaders, they admitted Jesus had impressed the people—those the leaders considered as hopelessly naive, unclean and cursed John 7:49, 9:34. However, standing apart and above them all, Jesus refused to strip-mine scripture where its depths promised MORE. His deep-drill mind penetrated it, surfacing golden truths available only to its author. End Part IV Jesus spent part of Tuesday of his Last Week fielding and answering questions from the leaders. Questions about: his authority, tribute to Caesar, the doctrine of resurrection. All interspersed with his parables that warned them not to commit national spiritual suicide by rejecting him. Having mastered all their inquiries, all of which were inexcusable given his entire 3 ½ year ministry, the Lord posed a single question to them: “What do you think about the Christ? Whose son is he?” Matthew 22:42.
His single, penetrating interrogative may be the most important of his entire ministry...since it’s still the most critical question in history by reason of its importance. And all because it focuses on the Identity of Jesus Christ. Now...the Jews have been historically, and continue being today, the only people who object to Jesus as the Jewish Messiah. An amazing contradiction since only one nation in history, and that nation in a period of 33 years—never before and never again—produced the greatest person ever to live. Yet, that nation refuses to accord him the honor he deserves and to which all other nations would BEG to offer him. The Greeks delight in producing Socrates, the Jews Abraham, the Germans Luther, the English Churchill, the Americans Lincoln. How possibly could the Hebrews flatly refuse to recognize Jesus of Nazareth as their Messiah, their King, their Son of Man? In retrospect, it’s perfectly understandable given their relationship with all their prophets, beginning with Moses and down the centuries to Jesus of Nazareth, God’s Son and their last prophet. Their refusal had to be forceful since he had proven a titanic FORCE in the land. Their rejection had to be open, hateful and derogatory since he had brought heretofore unimaginable mightiness in authority, miracles, teachings, exorcisms and claims. Let us remember that in weighing today’s attacks on God’s Word. Satan attacks it viciously and unconscionably since it alone poses a threat to his deceit, assumptions and future. Because God’s Word alone reveals the ENMITY God sent to pulverize—crush Satan’s head, while only being slapped—struck in heel by the enemy. End Part III Psalm 110:1-2, 4 later predicted the fulfillment of God’s ancient promise to Adam and Eve in Genesis 3:15. Its New Testament fulfillment occurred in, who else, the life of Christ on Tuesday of the Master’s Final Week.
Wherever Jesus encounters us he’s always the only AWESOME—reserve that word for him and his Father—person in history. Though he clearly revealed his purpose—he came to seek and save the lost Luke 19:10—HIS person, nature, identity remains unfathomable. Revelation 19:12 refers to that. He’s deeper than all studies have plumbed. Greater than all Christian discipleship has experienced. Immeasurably beyond any immensity mortals can calculate. As we accept him in whatever way he reveals himself, or comes to us, or leads us, we find him always persistent, never periodic; always mighty, never minute; always energetic, never lethargic; always TRUE, never false. Nevertheless, of a personal magnitude beyond our comprehension! May we in faith, that always understands what knowledge fails to grasp, see Christ’s very UNKNOWN DEPTHS as a stimulus to greater trust in him, never to increased doubt about him. End Part II The second definition of mystery in Webster’s New Collegiate Dictionary, Tenth Edition, is something not understood. It’s something not fully explained by having too little information about it.
For example, Sir Walter Raleigh’s third expedition to America established a colony at Roanoke, Virginia, under John White, in 1587. Knowing how fragile settlements in the new world were, White returned to England promising to return within a year with supplies. European events prevented his return for three years. On arrival at Roanoke White found only empty chests and the word Croatoan carved on a tree. They found nothing and no one when they searched that nearby island. A mystery never solved. In 1975 a man in upstate New York dropped his wife at a doctor’s appointment. When he returned for her, she had disappeared, no trace found, and finally given up for dead. In October, 2017, 42 years later, New York City detectives found her at an assisted living residence in Lowell, Massachusetts. They never discovered why she disappeared 42 years previously. Where she had been since. Why she had established residence in the Massachusetts home. A mystery partly solved. A Bible mystery is something different. It’s a fact, a teaching, an event, a promise Hidden in God’s Word and Will UNTIL...revealed in Christ! And no longer a mystery, but KNOWN and EXERPIENCED! It isn’t surprising then that, in Genesis 3:15, on the same day Adam and Eve sinned, and before they knew why they needed his help, God promised recovery from sin focused on the ENMITY he personalized in his Son Jesus the Christ. The word implies the kind of hatred of sin that prompted Christ’s every forceful, violent spiritual response to every satanic power or presence in humanity. Jesus didn’t come to excuse and make exceptions for sinners, but to forgive their every trespass. He didn’t come to compromise with Satan but to demolish him. (That’s been the subject of the last few Sunday messages, though stated in different ways.) With all the spiritual violence in his Perfect Love for God Jesus assaulted and destroyed every evidence of Satan he encountered. End Part I Who then are the forceful people Jesus wants in his Kingdom? Who are those he honors and empowers as his disciples?
A. Those with Robust Faith in Him Who know:
WHO KNOW... whoever we are, and whatever our condition: if we seek Jesus, we’ll find; if we call him, he’ll hear; if we need him, he’ll come; if we persevere in faith, he’ll always accompany us and never forsake us. And no earthly experience or satanic power will ever be able to separate us from God’s love in Christ Romans 8:37-39. B. Those Who Follow Jesus, Wherever and Whatever Jesus will never descend to what we want him to be in order to make us comfortable or tell us what we want to hear. But he WILL ALWAYS LIFT us to where and to whom he eternally IS—so FAITH in him is invincible! We know if he:
C. Those Who Personally Activate Faith God has done for us what we never could. He’s provided the means by which we can be forgiven and the means by which we can be triumphant Christians. All this is God’s WORK on our behalf. But all of it has value in us ONLY if we activate God’s potential spiritual energy into kinetic, spiritual energy—into ACTION. Johnny Cash said he wanted to be a LIVE WIRE so no one would step on him. Every Christian must want to be a LIVE WIRE, extending the spiritual power received from Christ to the one lacking it, charging with spiritual power those without it. Christians today can be and must be visibly forceful, influential servants of Jesus. Given the opposition faced in culture, we cannot be weak, insipid, uninspired, uninspiring go-along-to-get-along disciples—so concerned with what others think we don’t take time to develop a robust, no-nonsense faith in Jesus Christ. And having developed it, intend to use it as a witness for Jesus when the opportunity comes. The very trouble evident in culture demands Christians of strong lives empowered by the all-conquering Christ to be his all-overcoming servants. Whether we’re accepted or rejected, welcomed or hated, God won’t accommodate our desire to compromise when teaching his word; or to weaken his authority to accommodate humanity’s instinctive need of self-will; or to dismiss his holiness to accommodate our sinfulness. It’s HIS WAY, or NO WAY, to servanthood and eternal life. The forceful Christian always says, I want to keep my life in God’s will—that’s where I want to be. I want to keep it in God’s word—that’s where I want to live. I want to keep it in God’s work—that’s where I want to serve. Christians, claim the benefits the Holy Spirit grants you. Possess his gifts as freely as God has given them. Be bold, confident, assured and secure by being Christ-centered with all the power of Heaven at your disposal. Understand... those deprived of your spiritual vitality will protest yours. Never let it be a reason you deny your God-given Grace. A last exhortation and encouragement. Whenever we get frustrated enough to quit TRYING to be a forceful Christian, listen quietly. For you’ll hear the Holy Spirit whispering in your mind, “I’m not through empowering you to continue TRYING to be a forceful Christian. And until I am, you can’t be through TRYING. So continue!” God WILLS his Truth to triumph through us. He will never let us lose serving him unless we quit TRYING to be his forceful servants. Finale Jesus surprisingly chose tame characters as his disciples in Matthew 5:1-12. In Matthew 11:1-30, a similar, even less-likely gang.
That such people would be spiritually forceful seems a contradiction! Indeed, common sense tells us that the weary and burdened aren’t forceful, but weak; aren’t advancing into life, but retreating from it; aren’t fearless, but fearful. And, finding forcefulness, strength and courage from a MAN who described himself as gentle and humble, imposing an easy yoke and imposing a light burden? It all sounds strangely mystical, imaginative and illusory. But no, it’s simply a spiritual antinomy: a contradiction between two equally valid but opposite principles. It’s a divine inconsistency that’s perfectly rational when God dictates it:
The weary and burdened are truly the strongest people, the truly forceful, the truly contented, the truly committed. Because we rely on GOD. Aware of our innate human weakness, we’re never so strong as when we admit it and let God’s strength work in and through us. Paul discussed that very truth in II Corinthians 12:7-10. He discovered greater strength in FAITH through GRACE when God denied, not granted, his request. We always need more FAITH in God just when it seems we need something else—an answer, a blessing, an assurance. C.S. Lewis wrote about it: the Kingdom of God is absolutely strongest in human lives when you feel ALONE, EXHAUSTED, HOPELESS, ABANDONED by God, but you refuse to DOUBT! You persist in going on because FAITH in God assures you that God sees, God knows, God cares—and you CAN TRUST GOD! Billy Graham held a revival in Los Angeles after WWII. Stuart Hamblen, well-known Hollywood personality, attended the first service—and walked out in protest of Billy’s pointed preaching. Sometime later, struggling with a decision to surrender his life, he called Billy and asked for prayer. Billy replied, “You don’t need prayer, you need repentance.” Prayer is no substitute for repentance when we sin. Hamblen repented. John the Baptist struggled to reconcile his view of Christ’s ministry with his own expectations. Jesus didn’t offer him sympathy when asked to clarify the discrepancy. He instead challenged John to CONTINUE having FAITH in his initial appraisal of him John 1:29-36. End Part XIII B |
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