A theophany is God’s literal appearance, always with Jesus Christ as his WORD speaking. Consider a few of the times God “came down” to earth visibly in Christ pre-incarnate. A summary, not an exposition.
Genesis 3:8-9, for fellowship with his original mortals. The Visible Person of God the Son walking with them. Genesis 11:5,7, for judgment on human pride in Shinar. Confusing the tongues, never again in agreement until Pentecost Acts 2:4-8. Genesis 17:22, to establish Isaac as the son of Abraham through whom God would open all humanity to Grace. Note: scripture says, “God went up from him.” “Going up” implies having previously “come down.” Exodus 40:34, II Chronicles 5:13-14, in a pillar of cloud filling the completed Tabernacle and Temple with his GLORY, that no mortal could share. Numbers 12:5, to impose judgment on Aaron and Miriam for coveting Moses’ position. Numbers 16:19, passing destruction on Dathan and his co-conspirators for insolence to Moses and Aaron. Exodus 33:18-20, John 1:14, passing his Glory before Moses hidden in a cleft of the rock, but only to see his former (Law) side, not his latter (Grace) side. We shouldn’t be surprise, then, that Jesus Christ would come as both God’s Grace In Truth when he had earlier periodically appeared as God’s Truth in Law!
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Madame Guyon, intense French Mystic, wrote of the difference in wanting God’s graces, but not God. For example, we treasure love, but not the God who LOVED SO MUCH!
We love his gifts, but not God’s priceless GIFT:
Indeed, WHO “though he was rich, yet for our sakes he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich.” II Corinthians 8:9 Why would we so perversely shun, fear and deny God:
Could we be so spiritually dense and depraved that we consider his gifts blessings:
They soothing our spirits:
We desiring the results of God’s creative genius:
We love God’s daily gifts of oxygen, sunshine and regularity of seasons:
While He remains forever. Will we wait till it’s too late to learn When Jesus is All We Have, Jesus is All we NEED? Just thinking! When a teen, George Matheson learned his poor eyesight would end in blindness. He nevertheless graduated from Glasgow University. His life plummeted to the depths when his fiancé returned his ring, saying she couldn’t be married to a blind man. He never married. When a sister became engaged, her fortune reminded him of his misfortune. But from his depths emerged a song that spoke of endless love: O Love That Wilt Not Let Me Go.
Weak-eyed Leah, sister of Rachel, whom Laban substituted for Rachel on Jacob’s wedding night, gave birth in rapid succession to four sons. Each time Leah felt confident Jacob would love her instead of Rachel. Each time Jacob disappointed her. On the birth of her fourth son, Leah seems to have accepted her inferior role with Jacob. She praised God, calling her son Judah, a word likely derived from the Hebrew. Both Matheson and Leah felt the shock and humiliation of lost human love—to be replaced by a “Love that would not let them go”—the song Matheson wrote in triumph and Leah spoke into human language. We cannot sing the song, or appreciate the word Judah without sounding the depths of faith in, peace with and commitment to God. Sometimes God in mercy will remove all we think necessary to us, leaving only himself. If he does, we’ll discover: when GOD is all we HAVE, we find that GOD is all we NEED! Note: as with all Bible writing, more could be written on this blog than space permits. Let’s briefly consider three great Bible personalities who received correction from Jesus.
Daniel, in Daniel 12:8-10. Jesus refused his request for answers to what had been revealed to him. Teaching us that God’s Word almost always comes incrementally to his people:
Paul, in Acts 16:6-8. The Spirit disallowed Paul and Silas’ entrance into both provinces of Asia and Bithynia:
In II Corinthians 12:7-10 God imposed a thorn in Paul’s body:
Simon Peter, only four of more learning occasions, not in chronological order. First, learning that Jesus has no competition Mark 9:5-8. Both Moses and Elijah vanished while Jesus remained. Second, learning that belief in Jesus as God’s Son didn’t qualify him to correct Jesus Mark 8:31-33. Note: Mark noted that Jesus looked beyond Simon at the disciples before answering Peter. Why? Because they all shared Simon’s mistaken view. Third, learning that being a follower of Jesus didn’t qualify him to dictate John’s future John 21:20-23. Paul also understood that his apostolic authority didn’t determine Apollos’ ministry I Corinthians 16:12. Fourth, learning that God considers all people subjects of conversion, NONE incapable of being reached Acts 10:9-11:18. Summary: Simon Peter had more learning experiences with Jesus because he:
This short series introduces the subject matter. It can be enlarged it into a short sermon or lesson series. Finale A personal note: both my wife and I have recently experienced health issues. She had a problem with her wrists swelling. I had a fall while walking that has limited mobility. Hopefully past all that, this part of my 3-part blog illustrates why FAITH in God in Christ always exceeds KNOWLEDGE of God in Christ—though the latter proves equally necessary in discipleship. For, as Jesus cleanses our spirits in conversion, he automatically reinforces our REASON with FAITH.
God’s reply to Job in chapters 38-42 illustrates. In those chapters God said:
God’s reply helps us in our problems. We may not:
It’s at that impasse that something Ernest Gordon wrote in Through The Valley of the Kwai is helpful to us. The traumatic experiences of Allied soldiers in WWII defied reason. Gordon wrote that they had no recourse but to go beyond KNOWLEDGE of their experiences to FAITH in God. A Christian in turmoil can learn from their experience some 80 years ago. While it’s good to KNOW God in Christ, it’s even better to have FAITH in God in Christ. Because faith can take us beyond life’s:
to peace in God’s everlasting love through Christ. For faith can conquer where reason can’t even compete. End Part II. Part III coming. NOTE: Family medical problems have delayed blogging. Trusting God that delay is behind us, ONWARD we go. Part II of this blog will be posted Friday.
A well-known, but often overlooked, Bible truth reveals itself in Genesis 48:17ff. Joseph, son of Israel, learned that his rule over Egypt didn’t extend to rule over God and his choice of servants. Using that scripture as a base, consider four of the worst examples of mortal rebels God humiliated for opposing him. Pharaoh being the first of the worst Exodus 12:31-36. He who first bōwed his neck against God but ultimately bŏwed his head to God. Aaron sadly served as second worst—of several religious rebels. Moses left him and Hur in charge of Israel, Exodus 24:13-14, when he left for his 40-day rendezvous with God Exodus 19-31. However, Aaron proved he lacked his brother’s spiritual fortitude when spiritual perverts in the population rioted against God. Aaron immediately buckled before their protests. That so forcefully offended God that only Moses’ intercession kept him from destroying Aaron Deuteronomy 9:20. Consider Nadab and Abihu, Aaron’s oldest sons. Appointed priests by God, to serve with their father, Leviticus 9:1ff, they both witnessed God’s fire consuming the burnt offering Moses and Aaron offered 9:23-24. The sons then filled their censers with incense, added fire to them and …found themselves, instead of their sacrifice, immolated Leviticus 10:1-3. God wouldn’t tolerate their offense, caused by alcohol consumption, Leviticus 10:8-10, leading to unauthorized entry into the Holy of Holies Leviticus 16:2. Consider Korah and the associates he led to rebel against Moses and Aaron Numbers 16:1-17:13. It wasn’t enough for Korah and his confederates to serve under Moses. He wanted to serve in his place. The Kohathites had the privilege of carrying the most holy things of the Tabernacle Numbers 4:1-20. That didn’t satisfy their ambitions. When the denouement came, however, the earth opened and swallowed all the miscreants, with their possessions and families. To uphold his GLORY, God punishes those who deface it. Let all who use his NAME—which represents HIS PERSON—in vain, take note. He will not forget. He will not forgive. He will banish from His presence all repeat—offenders. End Part I. God – without . people resort in vain, Finale
Consider a few lessons learned from Solomon. First, how far his spiritual life had degraded between inauguration and exhaustion as king. Little resemblance exists of the king praying in I Kings 3 and the philosopher speculating in Ecclesiastes. This reminds us that growing older won’t automatically translate into growing wiser, more dedicated to and interested in God. We CAN fall from grace, regardless of Calvin’s assurance that we can’t. Second, God honored Solomon with the wisdom he sought. He also granted him wealth beyond calculation. As a wise he could have managed such privilege by filtering all experiences through God’s grace. He could have…had he remained close to his Benefactor. Since Solomon didn’t, his spiritual insights diminished, eroded and, finally vanished in interfering interests. As Jesus warned in the Parable of the Thorny Soil, every Christian can fail to become GOOD SOIL by welcoming too many interests in life. Third, becoming a Christian means we surrender all we are, and hope to be. It’s called Self-Denial Matthew 16:24. Someone I read made that point clear. Then wrecked it by saying that God would return to us what we had sacrificed to him. That’s untrue. From Christ’s viewpoint, he may insist we do without what we would like back. From our standpoint, we may not want back some of the things or habits we once thought irreplaceable. Having Christ as Lord renders those things, relationships and habits completely, if not easily, replaceable. Growth as a disciple has the most disarming way of changing us for the good! Fourth, for lack of space, thank God he didn’t allow an apostate believer to author the last book of the Bible. What faithful disciple would want to live in such a tormented personal world? One possible hope emerges from Ecclesiastes. Could Solomon have had a re-awakening of a long-lost wisdom in 12:13-14? Fini Ecclesiastes 2:1-22 teaches useful lessons. Put it in a modern context, we see the fruitless, empty ways people try to satisfy themselves, increase their self-worth and find mental and emotional peace.
1. Pleasures – whatever makes them happy—not understanding the difference between happiness and joy. Joy being Christ’s bequest Philippians 4:4. 2. Laughter – listening to comedians, watching comedies on TV or movies—kings had jesters/ fools to beguile them. Inner contentment from God’s transcending peace the spiritual counterpart. 3. Wine – alcohol—commercials always stress the camaraderie, not the effects, of drink. Many who use it want to forget…memories, low self-esteem, alienation from God. Being filled with the Holy Spirit is the spiritual counterpart. 4. Projects – builders constructing, thinkers creating constructs to appease their desire to KNOW and DO…to make or create or leave behind as a monument to themselves—forgetting that a Christ-like example is our most important bequest to others. 5. Agriculture – growing living things; make diet better, offer more nutritious foods; ignoring the role of Christians in helping people grow “like weeds” in grace. 6. Slaves – substitute corporate or military leadership…the satisfaction of leading others…forgetting our greater pleasure of following Jesus, the GREAT LEADER. 7. Possessions – one of humanity’s most egregious mistakes…buying things that wear out to satisfy egos that can’t be satisfied. Neglecting the relationship with Jesus that’s so satisfying we find low-to-no-desires for things. 8. Entertainment – movies, shows, plays, baseball, football. You name it, people seek many ways to be entertained. Many churches have adopted the entertainment approach to worship: singing, skits, lights, noise. Forgetting that worship focuses on GOD, not on us. End Part I Understand that all mortals decide to trust something or someone as their ultimate authority. Thus, both believers in God and unbelievers have faith, but in polar opposites: we God Almighty in all his mystery and dominion; they what their five senses detect, particularly what their high intellect determines is possible. God’s ultimate MIND remains our final authority, human intelligence theirs.
Since they use derogatory terms to denigrate God’s people, let’s use strong terms to characterize them. By accepting God’s grace, we enjoy spiritual enlightenment. By rejecting his grace, unbelievers suffer the curse of spiritual darkness, however elevated their intellect. The contest, then, remains, as it has always, Spiritual Light shone by God in Christ versus spiritual darkness by rejecting the Light their presence in life always shines on individuals and societies. That embodied the conflict between Jesus and the Jewish leaders. The Master so far excelled Moses that his personal light blinded rather than enlightened them. But do not forget: Jesus Christ shined the same light at other equally intelligent men in Israel who accepted the brightness as the prelude to understanding it. Just as many men and women today, fully as intelligent as the infidels, hold strong creationist convictions. In summary, it takes Faith to believe God created the heavens and the earth in 6-24-days. But… understand…nowhere near the faith it takes to believe spiritually-darkened mortal minds have ultimate answers to human origins and destinies. Fini So another evolutionary biologist is dead—Francisco Ayala. The New York Times obituary acclaimed him as the champion of evolution against “the forces of religious fundamentalism.” Those five words attracted my attention. San Diego U-T, 3/21/23
If they meant just fundamentals of Biblical faith, it’s true: those of us who believe in God and Christ hold to and strenuously defend the basic facts of life: God Is, God is Sovereign, Creator, Sustainer and Finisher of Life. But unbelievers don’t use the word that way. They use it pejoratively, as an insult, a profanity, a denigration as if they alone can decide how humanity originated. Indeed, they hold in contempt Christian men and women fully intellectual as they, with equally impressive academic credentials, and DEVOTED to Creation by Almighty God. Understand that fact! Don’t forget that fact. It’s crucial to confidence in a six-day, 24-hour creation of the heavens and earth in all their vast array Genesis 2:1. The Institute of Creation Research (ICR), perhaps the pre-eminent organization, with others, defends the Genesis account. Note: IF uneducated or initially educated child intellects believed in God’s Creation, that would be an improvement over adult intellectuals preening themselves as the only ones to KNOW. Remember that Jesus saw the idea Kingdom subject as a child, not any of the adults looking on Matthew 18:1-4. However, given the intellectual hubris in humanity, God calls brilliant minds as his defenders against those self-appointed experts. End Part I NEXT: Part II, the Finale, explores the basic difference between believers and unbelievers in the seminal question: where did humans originate and by what process? |
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