And now do not be distressed or angry with yourselves because you sold me here, for God sent me before you to preserve life. For the famine has been in the land these two years, and there are yet five years in which there will be neither plowing nor harvest. And God sent me before you to preserve for you a remnant on earth, and to keep alive for you many survivors. (Genesis 45:5-7, ESV)
"Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, to you, O Baruch: You said, 'Woe is me! For the LORD has added sorrow to my pain. I am weary with my groaning, and I find no rest.' Thus shall you say to him, Thus says the LORD: Behold, what I have built I am breaking down, and what I have planted I am plucking up--that is, the whole land. And do you seek great things for yourself? Seek them not, for behold, I am bringing disaster upon all flesh, declares the LORD. But I will give you your life as a prize of war in all places to which you may go." (Jeremiah 45:2 -5, ESV)
We live in a time of growing economic uncertainty. As I listen to people from Taiwan, China, the United States, Canada or Japan, I hear the uneasiness in their voices. What’s going to happen? The economy of the U.S. is stumbling. A believer in California told me yesterday that the banks in Europe are in great fear of a U.S. collapse because they have invested heavily in the U.S. housing market. The local university here in British Columbia has lost millions in the housing market. In some areas where there has been much wealth, there is a growing fear that everything will be lost. The Financial Times of London has predicted higher prices for things such as wheat and rice. Food will be expensive. People will lose their homes, their jobs.
How does the Christian respond to all of this? When we read the story of Joseph and his brothers, we often forget that the famine that came to that part of the world was severe, so much so that Jacob and his sons despaired of life. Joseph was able to reassure them after the many years of separation that what the brothers had done evilly was God’s plan for preserving a nation. When we read Jeremiah we are somewhat perplexed at the message to Baruch. Baruch was the scribe who wrote for Jeremiah. It seemed he despaired at the loss he was about to incur. For some reason, Baruch felt he should be spared the loss that was coming on the whole nation. God’s reassurance to Baruch is that what is coming on the nation is God’s doing and that Baruch will lose a lot, too. However, God promised Baruch that he would live, he would keep his life “as a prize of war.” In other words, just as soldiers come out with only their lives, Baruch will live much the same way, but it won’t matter where he goes, for he will still be protected by God. In the book of Daniel, when the terrible things come upon Judah at the hands of Antiochus Epiphanes, God reassures the people that they will be delivered, although it seems some will die for the promise is that they shall rise from the dust to everlasting life.
We read the words of the Sermon on the Mount and when Jesus says to not worry about the things the Gentiles worry about, we agree with Him, as we continue to worry about our jobs, homes and our futures. But remember, His promise is to provide the necessities if we seek first His Kingdom and His Righteousness. Merely sitting on the pews in church is no sign that a man or woman is truly seeking God’s Righteousness. Our lives must be permeated with the smell of death, a willingness to die for Christ, should that be necessary. That means we should be willing to endure the hardship that may be coming on the world, without anxiety, but with a sense of solid trust in the One who gave His life, His all, that He might bring us to eternal life. Make no mistake about it: if hardship comes, it will come to the nations plural, not one nation, singular. We are encouraged to “Do all things without grumbling or questioning, that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world. . .” ( Philippians 2:14-15, ESV) Lights in the Bible often refer to stars. Stars shine their brightest when other light is least visible. If Christians will truly live their lives incarnadine, dying to self and living to Christ, then the world will be able to see a Risen Savior who reigns in heaven. They will see Him through us as we live as true believers. Salvation will come to many who have never believed before.
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The Nagasaki Martyrs, 17th Century Japan
Sunday, January 20, 2008
Sunday, January 13, 2008
My Lord and My God
Thomas answered him, "My Lord and my God!" Jesus said to him, "Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed." (John 20:28-29, ESV)
Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you had known me, you would have known my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him." (John 14:6, 7, ESV)
There is a lot of misinformation being propagate by the people whose god is the god of political correctness. I often hear teenage students tell me that in their socials class or other classes in their schools, they are being taught that the god of Islam, Judaism and Christianity are in fact one and the same god. This is also the view that is popular on news stations, both radio and television. But is that true?
There are several sites on the internet where you can find information about the god of Islam. Some of the sites push what is current Islamic teaching: Islam worships the same god as the god of Abraham, believes Jesus to have been a prophet, but the last revelation was from Mohammad. Other sites will show you clearly that archaeology, the bane of religious groups that want to claim things contrary to fact, proves that a moon god has been worshiped in Arabia and the Middle East for thousands of years and that is actually the god of Islam. Why the crescent moon on the flags of Islamic nations? For more information about the archaeological discoveries concerning Allah, go to http://www.biblebelievers.org.au/moongod.htm. Most people who have done any study on the subject know that the god of Islam is not the god of the Jews.
But is the god of the Jews the God of Christianity? Make no mistake, Jesus Christ was born a Jew and lived among the Jewish people. His ancestry is all Jewish, being of the tribe of Judah and the family of King David, prophesied to sit on David’s throne as the last king of Israel. Before He went to the cross, Jesus prophesied about the destruction of Jerusalem and the entire Jewish system. Why? In Matthew chapter 23, Jesus sings a lament for Jerusalem. "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you would not! See, your house is left to you desolate. For I tell you, you will not see me again, until you say, 'Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.'" (Matthew 23:37 -39, ESV). Jesus says that the house, the nation, will become desolate. Finished. Now when Jesus made this statement, “you will not see me again,” was He talking of Himself or God the Father or both? I believe He is talking about the very God we worship. When Jerusalem was destroyed, about forty years after Jesus returned to heaven, the temple, the worship, the things that the Jewish people held to be sacred, were all taken away.
The apostle Paul makes it even clearer. Remember Saul who persecuted the church so heavily and then saw Jesus on the road to Damascus? What did he think about the rejection of Jesus as God? “. . . though formerly I was a blasphemer, persecutor, and insolent opponent. But I received mercy because I had acted ignorantly in unbelief, and the grace of our Lord overflowed for me with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost. But I received mercy for this reason, that in me, as the foremost, Jesus Christ might display his perfect patience as an example to those who were to believe in him for eternal life.
To the King of ages, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.” (I Timothy 1:13-17, ESV). Paul said he had been a blasphemer. He had acted against God. How did he do that? By not accepting Jesus as God, as the Messiah, the promised One. To reject Jesus is to reject God. Period. Then Paul honors the King of ages, who is Jesus, by stating that He is invisible and the only God! Paul does not see one god in heaven, the Father, and another god or prophet named Jesus Christ. Jesus is God. You cannot get more God than what you get with Jesus, if I may put it bluntly.
So the god of Islam and the god of Judaism are not the same God as the God of Jesus Christ, who is God. Christians are asked to defend the faith that was delivered to us. We are told to be ready to give an answer to anyone who asks about the hope that is in us, Jesus Christ, but to do so with humility and fear of God (I Peter 3:15). To try and placate those who are attempting to blur the lines between Jesus and other gods is to do even them a disservice, because we withhold the knowledge that will give them life, life in the Son. We must be aware of the fact that we may see days in our free countries where we will be persecuted for His, for Jesus’s sake, because we do not accept what the world says about the gods of other religions. But that is also how we will live life incarnadine, life lived in the color of blood, because His disciples have been told to take up their own cross and follow Him. To take up your cross means you may have to forfeit your earthly life, for His sake. Are we willing to do that?
Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you had known me, you would have known my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him." (John 14:6, 7, ESV)
There is a lot of misinformation being propagate by the people whose god is the god of political correctness. I often hear teenage students tell me that in their socials class or other classes in their schools, they are being taught that the god of Islam, Judaism and Christianity are in fact one and the same god. This is also the view that is popular on news stations, both radio and television. But is that true?
There are several sites on the internet where you can find information about the god of Islam. Some of the sites push what is current Islamic teaching: Islam worships the same god as the god of Abraham, believes Jesus to have been a prophet, but the last revelation was from Mohammad. Other sites will show you clearly that archaeology, the bane of religious groups that want to claim things contrary to fact, proves that a moon god has been worshiped in Arabia and the Middle East for thousands of years and that is actually the god of Islam. Why the crescent moon on the flags of Islamic nations? For more information about the archaeological discoveries concerning Allah, go to http://www.biblebelievers.org.au/moongod.htm. Most people who have done any study on the subject know that the god of Islam is not the god of the Jews.
But is the god of the Jews the God of Christianity? Make no mistake, Jesus Christ was born a Jew and lived among the Jewish people. His ancestry is all Jewish, being of the tribe of Judah and the family of King David, prophesied to sit on David’s throne as the last king of Israel. Before He went to the cross, Jesus prophesied about the destruction of Jerusalem and the entire Jewish system. Why? In Matthew chapter 23, Jesus sings a lament for Jerusalem. "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you would not! See, your house is left to you desolate. For I tell you, you will not see me again, until you say, 'Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.'" (Matthew 23:37 -39, ESV). Jesus says that the house, the nation, will become desolate. Finished. Now when Jesus made this statement, “you will not see me again,” was He talking of Himself or God the Father or both? I believe He is talking about the very God we worship. When Jerusalem was destroyed, about forty years after Jesus returned to heaven, the temple, the worship, the things that the Jewish people held to be sacred, were all taken away.
The apostle Paul makes it even clearer. Remember Saul who persecuted the church so heavily and then saw Jesus on the road to Damascus? What did he think about the rejection of Jesus as God? “. . . though formerly I was a blasphemer, persecutor, and insolent opponent. But I received mercy because I had acted ignorantly in unbelief, and the grace of our Lord overflowed for me with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost. But I received mercy for this reason, that in me, as the foremost, Jesus Christ might display his perfect patience as an example to those who were to believe in him for eternal life.
To the King of ages, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.” (I Timothy 1:13-17, ESV). Paul said he had been a blasphemer. He had acted against God. How did he do that? By not accepting Jesus as God, as the Messiah, the promised One. To reject Jesus is to reject God. Period. Then Paul honors the King of ages, who is Jesus, by stating that He is invisible and the only God! Paul does not see one god in heaven, the Father, and another god or prophet named Jesus Christ. Jesus is God. You cannot get more God than what you get with Jesus, if I may put it bluntly.
So the god of Islam and the god of Judaism are not the same God as the God of Jesus Christ, who is God. Christians are asked to defend the faith that was delivered to us. We are told to be ready to give an answer to anyone who asks about the hope that is in us, Jesus Christ, but to do so with humility and fear of God (I Peter 3:15). To try and placate those who are attempting to blur the lines between Jesus and other gods is to do even them a disservice, because we withhold the knowledge that will give them life, life in the Son. We must be aware of the fact that we may see days in our free countries where we will be persecuted for His, for Jesus’s sake, because we do not accept what the world says about the gods of other religions. But that is also how we will live life incarnadine, life lived in the color of blood, because His disciples have been told to take up their own cross and follow Him. To take up your cross means you may have to forfeit your earthly life, for His sake. Are we willing to do that?
Sunday, January 6, 2008
Who Do You Imitate?
Remember your leaders, those who spoke to you the word of God. Consider the outcome of their way of life, and imitate their faith. (Heb 13:7 , ESV)
Beloved, do not imitate evil but imitate good. Whoever does good is from God; whoever does evil has not seen God. ( 3Jn 1:11, ESV)
We imitate those around us, especially when we are younger. But even older people often imitate those they are around the most. Have you ever seen a husband and wife who seem to have the same smile, the same mannerisms? Perhaps it’s because they have looked into each other’s faces so many times for so many years that they begin to reflect the other person more than their own image which they see daily in the mirror.
Disciples of Christ are called to be imitators of Christ. Ask a young person who they would most like to be like. If they are interested in sports, it may be some hero in the sport they love best. If they are interested in fashion or entertainment, it may be a model or a movie star, perhaps a famous singer. It used to be that boys wanted to grow up to be like their dads and girls wanted to grow up to be like their moms. You can still see that some times.
If those who believe Jesus is the promised Messiah, the Christ, were to really try to imitate Jesus, what would the world look like now? We chuckle at the joke about a woman who was arrested because she was using foul language at another driver, giving offensive sign language, and acting completely the opposite of the bumper stickers on her car. The police apologize because they were sure the car had been stolen; the woman was acting totally out of character for what her bumper stickers portrayed her as. What would Jesus Do? We love that little slogan. But it seems that while we might try to think once in a while about what Jesus would do in a given situation, we don’t stop to analyze the fact that we are to be in character, always. We should be living like Jesus so much so that others begin to find it difficult to see us more than Jesus.
If a young person started acting like a famous person, wearing the same kinds of clothes, imitating the gestures, the walk, the way of talking, people would begin to say that something was wrong. They might even suggest that the person was out of it, losing his mind, over the top, and, well, you get the picture. A nut case. A wierdo.
The problem is, not many people are imitating Jesus to the point where others are saying those kinds of things about Christians. No one accuses Christians of being over the top, out of it, living in la-la land, or whatever. People don’t see Jesus; people see men and women who say they are Christians but who live as worldly a life as a non-believer. And so, Christianity isn’t attractive to many people. In Acts 2:47, it says the believers were “having favor with all the people.” That term, ‘having favor,’ is similar to the word attractive. Christians were attractive to the non-believing Jews because of their behavior. They were sharing their food, their homes, their worldly goods with those who had less or not at all. They were in each other’s homes to eat together and have fellowship. They shared in the tasks of the church, helping the poor, telling the good news to others. They literally lived to worship; they never thought of "going to church" because they were the church. They hung on every word from the apostles who were their leaders. They ate with glad and sincere hearts. They were thankful to God for such a great salvation.
In many towns and cities, Christians aren’t very attractive. We cringe if another Christian wants to visit our home. We rush away from church so we don't have to invite someone for lunch or in order to avoid being invited to lunch. Many believe that all activities of the local congregation should take place in the church building; don't bother people in their homes. Fellowship for some is worse than a trip to the dentist. Living as a Christian is seen more as a chore to be done than a life to be lived. And even though Jesus said he came to give life "abundantly" that is interpreted as life in the hereafter, not abundant, joyous living in the here and now. Others don't see Christians as transformed people because Christians don't want to take the time to change. To listen to many Christians, it would seem that life was so busy with their agenda that God's agenda just couldn't be considered; His agenda isn't on hold, it's out of the question entirely.
Do we dare to imitate Christ? Do we dare to “take up our cross, daily” and live as though we might be put to death for our beliefs? Do we dare to stand up, not just in word, but in deed, to a dying world with a message of peace and love and forgiveness? Do we dare show others that we, too, need to repent of time wasted, opportunities for the Lord missed, greediness, immoral thoughts, unethical practices, and lying to one another, to our mates, to our children, to our parents? Do we dare to live our lives as though we were covered in the blood of Jesus, a life that is truly incarnadine, blood-colored? If we dare, we might find a hungry and thirsty world ready to listen to the message of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Beloved, do not imitate evil but imitate good. Whoever does good is from God; whoever does evil has not seen God. ( 3Jn 1:11, ESV)
We imitate those around us, especially when we are younger. But even older people often imitate those they are around the most. Have you ever seen a husband and wife who seem to have the same smile, the same mannerisms? Perhaps it’s because they have looked into each other’s faces so many times for so many years that they begin to reflect the other person more than their own image which they see daily in the mirror.
Disciples of Christ are called to be imitators of Christ. Ask a young person who they would most like to be like. If they are interested in sports, it may be some hero in the sport they love best. If they are interested in fashion or entertainment, it may be a model or a movie star, perhaps a famous singer. It used to be that boys wanted to grow up to be like their dads and girls wanted to grow up to be like their moms. You can still see that some times.
If those who believe Jesus is the promised Messiah, the Christ, were to really try to imitate Jesus, what would the world look like now? We chuckle at the joke about a woman who was arrested because she was using foul language at another driver, giving offensive sign language, and acting completely the opposite of the bumper stickers on her car. The police apologize because they were sure the car had been stolen; the woman was acting totally out of character for what her bumper stickers portrayed her as. What would Jesus Do? We love that little slogan. But it seems that while we might try to think once in a while about what Jesus would do in a given situation, we don’t stop to analyze the fact that we are to be in character, always. We should be living like Jesus so much so that others begin to find it difficult to see us more than Jesus.
If a young person started acting like a famous person, wearing the same kinds of clothes, imitating the gestures, the walk, the way of talking, people would begin to say that something was wrong. They might even suggest that the person was out of it, losing his mind, over the top, and, well, you get the picture. A nut case. A wierdo.
The problem is, not many people are imitating Jesus to the point where others are saying those kinds of things about Christians. No one accuses Christians of being over the top, out of it, living in la-la land, or whatever. People don’t see Jesus; people see men and women who say they are Christians but who live as worldly a life as a non-believer. And so, Christianity isn’t attractive to many people. In Acts 2:47, it says the believers were “having favor with all the people.” That term, ‘having favor,’ is similar to the word attractive. Christians were attractive to the non-believing Jews because of their behavior. They were sharing their food, their homes, their worldly goods with those who had less or not at all. They were in each other’s homes to eat together and have fellowship. They shared in the tasks of the church, helping the poor, telling the good news to others. They literally lived to worship; they never thought of "going to church" because they were the church. They hung on every word from the apostles who were their leaders. They ate with glad and sincere hearts. They were thankful to God for such a great salvation.
In many towns and cities, Christians aren’t very attractive. We cringe if another Christian wants to visit our home. We rush away from church so we don't have to invite someone for lunch or in order to avoid being invited to lunch. Many believe that all activities of the local congregation should take place in the church building; don't bother people in their homes. Fellowship for some is worse than a trip to the dentist. Living as a Christian is seen more as a chore to be done than a life to be lived. And even though Jesus said he came to give life "abundantly" that is interpreted as life in the hereafter, not abundant, joyous living in the here and now. Others don't see Christians as transformed people because Christians don't want to take the time to change. To listen to many Christians, it would seem that life was so busy with their agenda that God's agenda just couldn't be considered; His agenda isn't on hold, it's out of the question entirely.
Do we dare to imitate Christ? Do we dare to “take up our cross, daily” and live as though we might be put to death for our beliefs? Do we dare to stand up, not just in word, but in deed, to a dying world with a message of peace and love and forgiveness? Do we dare show others that we, too, need to repent of time wasted, opportunities for the Lord missed, greediness, immoral thoughts, unethical practices, and lying to one another, to our mates, to our children, to our parents? Do we dare to live our lives as though we were covered in the blood of Jesus, a life that is truly incarnadine, blood-colored? If we dare, we might find a hungry and thirsty world ready to listen to the message of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
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