Thanks to Hubbell’s, and now the James Webb Space, Telescope, astronomers can see deeper into the cosmos than ever before, viewing galaxies previously unknown, containing billions of stars heretofore unseen, the heavenly bodies millions of light-years apart. All the result of Almighty God in Jesus Christ creating “the heavens and the earth” in six, twenty-four hour days. And ALL of it stated in FIVE words, “He also made the stars” Genesis 1:16. That’s comprehensive brevity!
Mark 3:13-18 continues God’s genius at comprehensive brevity. Note two distinguishing features. One, each disciples occupied a place in the 12; Two, each had a name. For men who would be the foundation on which Jesus would build apostolic authority for all time, Ephesians 2:20, extreme brevity. And, consider Mark 3:14c–15 as Christ’s genius enveloping the history of discipleship in 23 words. First, that they might be with him. Listening, watching awestruck as he taught, modeled perfection, encountered people of all positions and dispositions, levels of knowledge and ignorance, eagerly awaiting whatever he said or did, or gritting their teeth at everything he said or did. Practical point. Learn from the Gospels as much as you can. Whether or not you immediately understand or incorporate it. Learn basics about Jesus: his Deity in human form, his Saviorhood, his All-Authority rule of God’s Kingdom on earth, etc. Never think you must immediately use all you learn for it to be useful. Remember that learning an alphabet remains necessary to studying language; chords to being a musician; and sums to being an engineer. End Part I
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In reading Galatians 6:14 and Ephesians 2:8-9 we understand God's GRACE in Christ as the means by which we're forgiven: nothing earned by us, all given freely by God. What we desperately needed, but could never deserve or earn.
In reading Ephesians 2:10, Galatians 5:22-26 and Colossians 1:13-14 we understand God's expectation of us once delivered into Grace by forgiveness of sin: we incrementally incorporate into discipleship the Spirit's fruit as God's empowerment in service. In reading I Thessalonians 2:13-14, 3:9-10, 4:1 and 4:9-10, we find that God appreciates any spiritual victory Christians enjoy. Indeed, he increases our victories in faith as we exercise our faith in Christ. Beyond even that, God, by Christ's all-sufficient Grace, brings to completion any incomplete service, by reason of our human nature. Here's to TRYING to serve, to mature, to witness...knowing all effort is successful—first by our effort, then by Christ's GRACE, completing it. President Warren Harding admitted he couldn't decide an issue, after listening to both sides—because they both made sense. He wished for a "book" that gave him truth, but bewailed his inability to read the book. Life History of U.S., Vol. 10, p 66
In most centuries an embedded belief in God existed. The nations may have worshipped him in ignorance. They may have misunderstood him completely, but Faith in Deity couldn't be denied. The 21st century, with its doctorates of everything, its self-appointed experts in every field, its assurance of human KNOWLEDGE, has rejected God. He—if he exists; she—if she exists—can comfort the poor, the simple, the uneducated, but those who KNOW have science, medicine, space and communication under control. What hubris! It's acceptable, teachable ignorance to say, with Helen Keller, she knew there was Someone, but she didn't know who or the name. It's unacceptable to be so arrogantly unteachable to say, "Someone isn't there, and since he ISN'T, how can he have a name"? In measured defiance God laughs at, mocks, derides, scoffs and rebukes such fools Psalm 21:1-12. To those reading my blogs. It's been a tough six weeks. It began with a sinus infection our Kaiser doctors wouldn't treat with antibiotics since they mis-diagnosed my condition as covid-19. It then continued with a periodic loss of peripheral vision in the right eye. My ophthalmologist encouraged a visit to Emergency. Tests there proved I had a stroke in my cerebellum. Thankfully, it didn't strike my eyes. I have residual imbalance and occasional eye symptoms. I'm back preaching and writing blogs. Hope to continue both.
* * * * * God answered Hannah's prayer for a son she promised to dedicate as a life-long Nazarite. Then, once giving him birth, delayed for three years fulfilling her vow. Husband Elkanah grew concerned when she stayed home the first two years of their annual migration to Shiloh. Knowing that her motherly instinct GREW more tenaciously each month, he warned her to remember her vow. Finally, in the third year, to his relief, she accompanied the family to their annual rendezvous, a tiny tailor-made ephod tucked among Samuel's clothes. What shuddering motherly instincts she must have stifled as she gave the lad to Eli and the women at the Tabernacle. (And we're not told what the lad thought. Did he throw his little arms around Hannah's legs, begging her to take him home? This writer remembers doing that when his mom left him at first grade.) We're not told...God knows the price he paid to send Jesus. Who knows the price he paid to save us? Why should we pay no price to serve? I Samuel 2:1 answers the question, "what did Hannah feel when leaving her son?" She felt JOY, "rejoicing in the Lord." There she left her little boy...the one prayed for, the one sought and desired. And as she left him she "rejoices in the Lord"! Hannah experienced what mystic Madame Guyon discovered: she wanted to KNOW the God of peace, not merely the peace of God. The God of mercy, not merely the mercy of God. The God of comfort, not merely the comfort of God. As we face the challenges of life, do we ask God only for answers, or do we seek a deeper faith in him, whatever his answers are? Knowing as we experience HIM, all he IS becomes ours? God graciously gives us CHOICES. He never regiments us into lost or saved without factoring in our decisions. We can either TAKE him as he reveals himself in the Bible, OR MAKE him what we'd rather him be. The choice is ours.
But let us be forewarned: our choice can't and won't change the FACTS. Since God has only one vantage point—his OWN—he remains the ONLY God, Christ his Only Begotten Son, the Holy Spirit the Godhead's Eternal Essence and the Bible his only verified, authentic and final revelation to mankind. How we respond to that changeless verity determines our daily success or failure as mortals and our ultimate destiny in Heaven or Hell. That's illustrated in the difference between Moses and Israel at Sinai. Both experienced the fear of God, Moses positively, Exodus 19:16019, Hebrews 12:21; the people negatively, Exodus 20:18-19, 32:1, 4, 6. In a sentence, while they chose a second-hand faith, Moses demanded a first-person experience with God. In summary, Moses' fear led him to brave the dangers of darkness, thunder, lightning, earthquake, fire and ear-shattering trumpet blast ascending Sinai UNTIL he exited all the danger into the Safety and Ecstasy of God's Presence. Israel in repose saw their fear of God evaporate into impatience with God, turning to questions about God, turning to rejection of God, turning to a renewed desire for slavery. What fear of God shall we embrace? The unbeliever's? He refuses to think abut God, to talk about God, to discuss death, to hear anything disturbing from the Bible. Or the believer's? He accepts his sinfulness, Christ's sacrifice that forgives, the challenges of discipleship and the hard truths of holy living. The choice is ours. But only a healthy fear of God will make INCREASING faith in God possible and any fear of God not even thinkable! Fini Experiencing a fall September 7 sidelined my writing. However, since I wrote my Sunday sermon, September 12, I'm back to blogging today.
We can start hesitantly in obeying God, and end as his stalwart witnesses, Moses and Gideon as examples. We can start boldly in obedience to God, but end in rebellion against God, King Saul the example. Then there are people who never adjust their reaction to God. They remain opposed to him, whatever he says, evidence he provides for his authority or reasons they should "trust and obey" him. More than a few examples exist in Bible times, and ours. This blog uses Balak, king of Moab in Numbers 22-24. When false prophet Balaam kept pronouncing blessings, not curses, on Israel, Balak had him move to different locations, hoping to get a more positive result. To no avail. Balak's spirit, however, lives in many people, in every age, ours especially. Many, who refuse to accept GOD as he revealed himself in Psalms, Prophets and Jesus Christ, never cease looking for a vantage point on God they can accept. A deity, who
Culture today sees itself as the litmus of God's acceptance. The late Jewish actor, musician, director Theodore Bikel claimed to be "a very spiritual person", but not "religious." To him Jewish culture became his religion. In a story clipped from the San Diego UT September 5, 2021, the organization of chaplains at Harvard University has a new President—a 44 year-old ATHEIST! And the school's other chaplains have applauded the choice, because most of the students at Harvard have no religious affiliation. It's fine with them that the new President doesn't think humanity needs a "god", because humans are perfectly capable of resolving all the problems humans face. Shades of Humanist Manifesto I & II! All humanity needs is ITSELF—of course, qualified by the unspoken condition that only the smart people can know what to do. To Harvard University, culture is humanity's vantage on God. End Part I Just three months earlier, after God's twelve-month devastation of Egypt's Pantheon slapped Pharoah's face back and forth in nine plagues, in the tenth he stuck fingers in the king's eyes. THAT opened his mind to SEE—he perforce let Israel GO!
Then...three months later, and on the third day since God promised an appearance to Israel, the Hebrews awakened to an unaccustomed darkness. When they ventured outside their tents, a dreadful darkness confronted them, hovering over and descending on the 7300 foot elevation known as the Mountain of God, Sinai the barren—settling 100 to 200 feet above its base on the plain. Meteorological phenomenon never before experienced by them followed:
What did it mean when even the man who needed no deeper fear of God than Moses possessed shrank timorously when seeing God's use creation in such belligerent force at Sinai? At least this, for Moses and Israel: a difference exists in God's Unapproachable Majesty when it WORKS for us, and when it CONFRONTS us. We love miracles, being surprised and being impressed. But, like Simon Peter, when seeing Christ's Majesty, we plead, "GO away Lord, I am a sinful man, Luke 5:8." Israel watched in glee when God wrecked Egypt, but felt sudden fear when challenged to become God's chosen people. Then sheer pleasure at seeing God work for them quickly became discomfiture when demanding they WORK for him. In Egypt God showed Israel the privilege of being his. At Sinai he revealed the obligation privilege entailed. And much more than this blog can recite. Christians, take note, however. Let us keep ourselves in the privilege of belonging to Christ BY assuming the obligation of service the privilege imposes. Every Biblical truth has significant practical results. Cultivating a consistently stronger faith in God is but one example. It gives us freedom from a sin we often find shackling us. That sin is Holding Grudges. The wicked servant of Matthew 18:21-35 possessed that horrible trait. Once having his own multi-million-dollar debt cancelled, he immediately had a debtor jailed over a few dollars debt.
Therefore, when someone gets in our way; makes a thoughtless mistake; says an unkind word; engages in an irritating dispute....HOW does God want us to respond? Ephesians 5:32 tells us, "Forgive each other, just as in Christ God forgave you." The same directions come from Colossians 3:13. How did God forgive us? First, with Adam and Eve the example, God initiated forgiveness. At a time when they didn't understand the catastrophic nature of sin. When they both likely wondered why God's sacrifice of an animal was necessary over ONE sin. God's prompt forgiveness models what he demands we imitate, whether the offender understands and accepts his guilt, says he's sorry or shows any regret. Second, God's sacrifice of the animal that clothed the offending pair in a cured, tanned covering symbolized its continued protection while worn. It also expressed God's willingness to continue fellowship once he had forgiven them. An important point. We often want no further contact with the offender. God continues to want us, minus our sin. That means we're free to renew friendship with those offending us, not eliminate further contact. That also puts an end to the self-justifying excuse for not forgiving: he hasn't apologized. Thinking that way makes us an accomplice with the offender in the alienation, not God's agent in reconciliation. Do we want to be an irritant continuing trouble or an anodyne soothing it? Truly, then, the one mentally and emotionally extending forgiveness FREES himself. Because it eliminates the blame game we otherwise play with each other, extending conflict, division and revenge, not forgiveness. Third, being like God offers the ultimate reason faith in God frees us to forgive others. No greater opportunity comes to us than to do something godly! And no greater compliment will be paid us than to BE godly! In conclusion, if we have trouble forgiving others, let us: increase our faith in God. The very increase will help us offer offenders forgiveness. For, it's inevitable, as we draw nearer to God, and experience his mercy to us, the more patiently we respond to those needing mercy from us. Only by drawing nearer to God do we discover the grace of forgiveness. But once finding, and appreciating the freedom it gives us, we'll treasure it:
The National Park Service began a restoration of the Lincoln Home in Springfield, Illinois in 1986. They published the project February 24, 2016 on You Tube: The Lincolns of Springfield, Illinois.
A single purpose guided the restoration: only what existed in the house, or on the grounds, when the Lincolns' lived there in 1860 would remain after the Park Service finished. That included removal of whatever existed in or around the house after 1860. The project surfaces a spiritual point that Jesus made in Matthew 15:13-14. His immediate reference focused on Jewish tradition. The ultimate spiritual principle refers to any man-made addition to God's word—or, for that matter, any human subtraction from God's word. Whatever the Lincoln house or grounds included in 1860 remained in the Park Service restoration. Spiritually, however, no one and nothing pre-dates God. That's why God very carefully and repeatedly revealed himself as the GOD who IS, WAS and IS TO BE, the Only One. We can't go beyond him to someone else, because HE IS BEFORE all and everyone else. The very basics of Christianity, therefore, remain intact and can never be negotiated, compromised or eliminated. Such is the Eternal Triune God, the Virgin-born Son of God, his perfect life, ministry and sacrifice leading to his bodily resurrection, his ascension into Heaven to serve as eternal High Priest of God's people and his eventual return to earth to conclude history and begin the occupation of God's Eternal city, the New Jerusalem. Sacrificing any of the above attacks the foundation of Christianity. An associate pastor of a local mega church recently lost his wife to suicide. Financial outpouring from world populations ballooned well-beyond $500,000 at last report. Obviously, the family's forthcoming information about the wife's emotional and mental problems elicited sympathy and empathy world-wide.
This blog critiques only two factors in the family's loss. First, that from the Senior Pastor of the church. He said the Bible nowhere condemns suicide as a sin. He knows better, or he shouldn't be a Senior Pastor. Exodus 20:13, which condemns murder, not war or killing, but the callous taking of one person's life by another, condemns murder, whether by self—suicide, or by one against another—homicide. Murder is wrong. What the Pastor needed to say, but didn't, is that degrees of suicide determine the fate of the person. Recently a man killed several people, then himself. By taking other people's lives first, his self-murder—as if he paid of his crime by killing the murderer—stands under judgment. We view from another perspective a person with ongoing mental problems, exacerbated by life experiences, committing suicide. God knows all the circumstances in that person's life and will be merciful, not judgmental. The second critique. The secular center for Mental Illness applauded the Senior Pastor's views. Obviously they don't judge human behavior by God-ordained scripture. Which means, and Christians are becoming increasingly guilty of this sin, we must STOP denying Bible teaching JUST because secularists disagree with it; or someone we know has an experience that seems to DENY it. God's WORD on any subject is ETERNAL, not VARIABLE, and not subject to change in any age. Christians, if we think educated humanists have equal ability with us in interpreting God's word, we contribute to humanity's problems. Secularists have no capacity to understand God's eternal verities, being devoid of the Holy Spirit's Presence. And individuals can't be trusted to deal honestly with God's eternal verities by being so personally involved in the crisis. |
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