NOTE: Blogs will resume January 2, 2023. Thanks for reading. May your tribe increase. Virg
Simeon and Anna certainly encourage us to remember:
Of course, our upside-world has arrogantly and mistakenly identified advanced knowledge with wisdom. They rightly claim information denied previous generations, but mistakenly extrapolate that with, “the more you know, the wiser you are”. The perspective has left us technically advanced beyond any age AND abysmally ignorant of God’s Word, living farther than ever from his Grace. WHERE is the WISDOM of THAT? In fact, age surpasses youth in appreciating spiritual values, as playing musical instruments tempers and deepens their tone, pitch and sound. Extended experiences in life alone explore, exploit and energize the Holy Spirit’s use of them. Seniors, of whom the writer is one, should:
If reduced to being a prayer warrior, please understand:
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John the Baptist’s doubt about Jesus left a warning to all believers. None is so strong in faith we cannot fall from grace by doubting God.
A simple reason exists for John’s unease. (The full study is in the writer’s book Face to Face With Jesus.) Jesus conducted his ministry in ways foreign to John’s bellicose expectation. Jesus:
In a sentence, where John flung lightning bolts against, Jesus blew kisses at Israel. Therefore, as a “man sent from God”, John 1:16, the Baptist faithfully fulfilled his role and thought Jesus had misread his. As a man sent from God, John forgot the limitations of his humanity. As the Son of Man sent from God, Jesus had only unlimited horizons in his life. So…when the messengers came with John’s question, Jesus kept doing what he personally had been. He didn’t, as lesser men would have, offered just enough negative to pacify John’s doubt. Instead, after providing evidence that he wouldn’t change his emphasis, Jesus issued a challenge to John: blessed is the one who doesn’t find fault with me! Which is always God’s robust challenge to humanity, especially to his people. We KNOW, by previous answers and God’s nature, that he can help us: overcome the problem; remove the obstacle; restore the ill to health; prevent the death of a loved one, etc. Our KNOWLEDGE of God can fail to TRUST God in adversity. Major League pitcher Sam Jones had a curve ball that had batters seeing illusions. We can wonder, when life throws unwelcome curve balls at us, if faith in God is an illusion. No it isn’t. We may say life misbehaves, life throws a tantrum, life takes advantage of our mistakes and sins. But we must never think that God in Christ fails us. That’s the positive lesson Jesus taught John, and teaches us. Always cultivate faith in God—especially in good times, so faith in God can expand in challenging times. We mortals will: make mistakes; develop faulty assumptions; draw wrong conclusions; and allow circumstances to grow questions in our discipleship. We’re always in danger of deserting FAITH for DOUBT. Only if we let the Holy Spirit declare God’s faithfulness in every situation will we be victorious over life. End Part II Jesus remains the Central Figure in history; and the ESSENTIAL person in the Christmas story. And, as evidence of Personality exists in its Influence on other personalities, Christ’s birth outclassed every other historical person. He has positively influenced billions throughout time—and shall throughout eternity.
Consider a few examples, not in chronological order. John the Baptist. Six months the Master’s senior, and a relative through Mary, John clearly understood, and as joyfully accepted, his subordinate role John 3:27-30. God sent him to identify the One who was to come. Two of his disciples heard him call Jesus the “Lamb of God.” They spent the day with him at his invitation and left convinced of his Messianic calling 1:35-41. That interview prompted Andrew’s testimony to his brother Simon John 1:40-42. The next day Jesus recruited Philip, who witnessed to Nathaniel, “We have found the one Moses wrote about in the law…Jesus of Nazareth….John 1:43-45. Note: the initial impression Jesus made on the first five disciples—John’s brother James must have been an unmentioned believer Acts 1:21—focused on his Messianic identity, far less than John’s insight, “Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world” John 1:29. Further, Philip’s faith in Jesus remained anchored in his Messianic calling—which never demanded Deity in Jewish theology. For when Jesus spoke of his ONENESS with God, John 14:1-4, neither pessimist Thomas nor “black spiritual hole” Philip understood. Thomas with, “We can’t know where you’re going”…and Philip with, “Show us the Father, and that will be enough for us” John 14:5-8. Only Nathaniel, the original skeptic of Jesus as a Nazarene, leaped in one step beyond Christ’s Messianic calling to Oneness with God John 1:49. None of them understood when Jesus said he alone had opened renewed communication with God that Jacob’s experience had only symbolized Genesis 28:10-22. To this day Christian discipleship usually proves patiently incremental, not wildly full-blown. Patiently incremental being the best kind. However, and the point of the blog, how could John the Baptist have gone so far beyond all five original disciples, then relapsed into a conundrum, asking, “Are you the One who was to come, or should we expect someone else? Luke 7:19. End Part I For example, consider Matthew 2:13-15. Wanting his Son removed from imminent danger, God ordered Joseph to Egypt until told to leave. He knew Herod’s rage would blaze into revenge when it became obvious the Wise Men didn’t return to Jerusalem.
Note: Herod felt outflanked by MEN. It never occurred to him that GOD had already defeated his murderous intent. Revelation 12 tells the same story in apocalyptic language. To this day, many people think God is ABSENT from daily life. WRONG. He holds unrepentant humanity accountable for all the wickedness now flourishing in society in the name of tolerance. “Morality be damned, but be sure to be tolerant” is society’s motto. Christians aren’t impressed or intimidated. All opposition to God, whether individual or societal; whether congressional or corporate, will be punished by God. The affliction imposed on the guilty will be appropriate to the sinfulness involved AND to any stubborn refusal to repent when ordered. Consider Luke 2:41-52. Joseph and Mary found 12 year Jesus in the temple. Mary burst into an anguished emotional tirade when she approached him, wondering why he treated them so shabbily. Didn’t he know they would be frantic with worry while searching for him? Unruffled by the outburst, Jesus simply asked, why did they search for him? They should have known he would be in God’s House. Cut the parents some slack. Twelve years of daily life, with seven kids in the household, will buff the shine from any experience. However, understand that parental understanding of Jesus never figured into his plans. FOR, from at least 12 years of age…AT LEAST…the boy had a MAN’S LOVE of GOD. He had already spiritually outgrown his parents. He had already become an interrogator of Jewish scholars. He had already understood his earthly mission. ALL as a 12 year old. Who could calculate what he would BE WHEN A MAN? All of which occurred logically since Jesus already understood that he and God were ONE, in an indivisible unity NO ONE could enter or break. All the references in this series have one theme: Jesus Alone, By Himself, In Company with NO ONE ELSE AT ALL, embodied the meaning and purpose of Christmas as the Only Begotten Son of God! Indeed, all HISTORY is but HIS STORY. Fini For example, consider Matthew 2:7-12—some two years beyond the dedication of Jesus. Wise Men--WISE because they sought Jesus. Remember that as a theme in life. They came first to Jerusalem, as we would expect: don’t we think experts in any field have answers to our questions? To everyone’s surprise, they heard the answer to their query, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews?”, would be found in Bethlehem, Judea—not in Jerusalem or Bethlehem, Galilee, a much closer place.
As they began their journey, the star seen by them at home, leading them on through pursuit and mystery, once again led them. Led them on their way five miles directly south. Led them through village houses until it STOPPED above the house of Joseph, previously of Nazareth in Galilee, now a resident in the House of Bread. Knocking on the door, they found a young woman answering. On inquiring where they could find her son, she wordlessly turned and pointed to a lad amusing himself with toys. Past her to him they went, every eye riveted on him, his eyes bigger as they approached. When before him, they in their silks and linens bowed with faces on the floor before him in his peasant robe. While the infant watched, and Mary in amazement stared, the men began to open gifts they had carried through the months from their homeland to this strange land, this plain, working man’s house, and offered him gifts fit for a noble, a prophet, a priest, a KING. Though Mary received nothing, she knew her son merited all given to him. The men thanked her as they slowly and reluctantly moved away from the lad to the door, through it one by one, to the street, where they once again climbed their recumbent camels. All of them nodded in agreement when their leader said he had heard a voice that told them to leave immediately for home without returning to Jerusalem. As they left Mary turned and ran to the workshop where Joseph labored. They both returned and gazed in wonder at what God had done for his Son. Leaving us with a powerful spiritual truth. Wise men NOT ONLY seek Jesus, but FIND, and once finding, always worship him and take new direction in life. They find him the ONLY ESSENTIAL PERSON in the Christmas story. They find they never need seek another way to God for finding Jesus IS the only way to God. End Part III For example, consider Luke 2:25-32. Appreciate the symbolism of Simeon removing the 40-day-old Jesus from his mother’s arms into his own. It meant the spiritual separation of the baby from all human influence. Every Gospels’ text underscores that truth.
Jesus quoted Moses. Referred to Moses. Insisted that people obey what teachers taught from Moses. But never looked to him as his spiritual source. And felt free to submit his own teaching in the Great lawgiver’s place Matthew 5:21-48. Instead, numerous texts proved Christ’s complete dependence on God for all he said and did. He never felt alone, even when he knew the disciples would to a man desert him on his arrest John 16:32. John 5:17, 19-23 is one of many texts that affirm Christ’s reliance on his Father—and he didn’t mean Joseph. And, by the way, Christ’s dependence on God came…not from feelings of insecurity or inferiority…but from an INTENSE, ETERNAL INTIMACY with God no human relationship can ever imitate, let alone, duplicate. A disclaimer. This blog teaches what the Gospels say about the: birth, person and purpose of Jesus Christ. He’s:
He’s the SOLE STAR of God’s Redemptive Story:
Once we know HE ALONE remains in the Spotlight of God’s attention, we immediately know WHO DOESN’T—which means everyone else, including Mary. For example, consider Matthew 1:24-25—the overlooked proof that her virginity had an END. God ordered Joseph to take her into his home to:
Celebrate the word UNTIL. For it serves three purposes in clarifying questions about Mary. First, the couple had no sexual relations UNTIL she gave birth. UNTIL means just that…UNTIL—the time element ending her virginity. It likely occurred after their visit to the temple for Mary’s purification. To this day, sexual relations after birth re-start at six weeks. Second, UNTIL also explains Mark 6:1-3:
Third, UNTIL explains what “blessed are you among women” means Luke 1:42. For in Judges 5:24 Deborah declared Jael the “most blessed among women”. Therefore, the term means honored, respected, appreciated. It does not mean WORSHIPPED. As scripture from beginning to end demands, only GOD is worshipped. Church tradition always wars against Bible truth. Jesus contended constantly against human tradition. The Pharisees kept clamoring, “Our traditions say!” Jesus kept hammering, “I don’t care. I’m you telling what God says.” For their tradition nullified the Word of God Matthew 15:6. Bible-centered believers only care what God’s Word says. End Part I Each temptation involved a different aspect of Christ’s Sonship. Not denying the Lord’s identity, Satan sought to debase it; it’s the temptation every Christian must RESIST. For the Devil never stops creating illusions he calls religions—mystical, intellectual, passive, aggressive—each an attack on the Master’s Singularity.
The first temptation, using stones, aimed to alienate Jesus from faith in God to what religious science lovers believe is self-realized divinity. Our Lord staunchly proved God’s chosen Son by trusting God to provide him food WHEN ABSOLUTELY ESSENTIAL. The second temptation, using the temple, aimed to divert Jesus from teaching to miracles as his appeal. That wistful dream empowered every Jewish firebrand: it saw a re-birth of Davidic sovereignty based on God’s miraculous power. True, the idea would rally priestly and lay support, for who wouldn’t follow a man who fed the hungry, restored broken and withered limbs, kept people alive for centuries before dying? And all it would cost was leaving sin unforgiven except as a promise—next year, next year, next year, etc., etc. The third temptation, using the kingdoms of the world, essayed to turn Jesus from his Singular position in history to a competitive religious leader. Accepting Satan’s compromise to be a MORAL leader—a decent, hail-fellow-well-meant, likeable, back-slapping, smiling, hand-shaking, baby-kissing, get-along with everyone politico—anything not to die on Calvary to forgive sin and put it on the way to extinction. With rapier rapidity Jesus flashed God’s Sword in Satan’s face against every effort. Proving that the best answer…the singular answer Satan cannot counter…is…GOD’S WORD! Let us use IT, Christians, to defeat Satan and his suggestive lies, deceits and claims. Fini (Note: Apologies for another week of health issues eliminating production. V)
God ordered John the Baptist to the desert to preach. He forcefully sent Jesus into the wilderness to be tempted by Satan. He surrounded John with many disciples and seekers; while isolating Jesus from all but wild animals. He fed John a spare diet of locusts and wild honey; while denying Jesus all food for 40 days and nights. Obviously, whatever God gifted the Baptist to achieve, he expected more of Jesus. Which is why John made no claims beyond being a servant of the Christ; and Jesus embodied the fulness of the Godhead in human form Colossians 1:19, 2:9. Jesus and Satan stood as moral and spiritual opposites: Jesus Perfect, Satan perfectly evil, corrupt and debased. Satan boasted of his rule over humanity; Jesus proved he alone held authority over everything in creation, including stars and planets, Colossians 1:16-17, human history, all of its mortals and Satan himself, I Corinthians 15:20-25, Revelation 20:10. End Part I By a count of 61-36, the United States Senate has publicly declared war on God by passing legislation legitimizing same-sex marriages. They could profitably remind themselves what happened to the Roman Senate when it decided to enforce Emperor worship and persecute Christians for refusing to pinch incense at Caesar’s bust.
Contrary to Biden’s statement that “love is love”, love of the wrong kind will damn as the right kind will redeem. Self-love is the oldest lie Satan ever told. He used it successfully on Eve, assuring her that God had selfish reasons for denying them access to the TREE Genesis 3:4-5. “Therefore, eat the fruit”. And sin entered the world. He used it again on Jesus in the Wilderness. “You have to live if you want to implement your plan. Therefore, turn this stone into bread.” Only to feel Christ’s heated rebuttal blowing in his face: “Never put any love above your LOVE of God!” And forgiveness came to sinners. Homosexual lust is nothing but perverted self-love. It arrogantly puts human desires first in life…whatever…whomever…including God. All they care about is what they want! Therefore, since homosexual love is self-based, it can never be right because it denies God’s creation of Adam from dust, and Eve from Adam’s rib. No other sexuality exists. The transgender garbage is nothing but the homosexual lobby’s effort to so confuse sexuality that no inviolate standard exists! To their dismay and condemnation, GOD determines sexuality, not they. He has the first, the intermediate and the ultimate WORD on every subject, including human sexuality. The U.S. Senate, and doubtless the Biden-controlled House, will pass the Senate legislation before the Republican control begins in January. Thinking that’s the last word. For what can even God do when it’s a law on the books? A clue: only to make everyone who supported it wish that they had never been so depraved! Nothing humanity says changes God’s definition of sexuality. No truth ratified in Heaven can every be annulled by an earthly decision. All the Senate’s decision does is to increase depravity in America that always finds ways to spit in God’s face. California declared war on God long ago. Other nations have declared war on God over the issue of same-sex marriages. All that accrues from these egotistical decisions is God’s horrendous wrath! Never forget. God cannot be mocked. It isn’t that we shouldn’t mock him. We CAN’T! It’s impossible. He’s the Sovereign of all history. All that any Congress or action discovers in declaring war on God is their absolute humiliation and destruction. Which raises a question: how many Democrats and Republicans, who pretend they believe God, voted FOR this anti-God legislation? They made war on God to keep peace with a corrupt political theory! Don’t be deceived, America. The Senate decision has brought God’s wrath Closer to us. |
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