Christ and Culture,Teachings

Peace In the Midst of a Pandemic: An Interview with Ted Bradshaw

28 Sep , 2020  

Nine months into the global pandemic of COVID-19, on September 28, 2020, Brian Dickison, Pastor of Gold Creek Church in Woodinville, WA, hosted and interviewed Ted Bradshaw, Founder of The Shepherd’s Fool Ministry, during the Sunday Worship service.

He asked for Ted’s perspective on finding peace during a time of anxiety and fear for many.

Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.   (Philippians 4:4-9)

Peace vs. Anxiety and Fear

1) Why do you have such a positive outlook in the midst of a pandemic?

The Shepherd's Fool Man looking at lake and Mountain Being at Peace

TB: I read the end of The Book, and we win!

Our God is Sovereign. Life and death are in His hands. I have surrendered my life to my Lord Christ. I’d like to say with Paul,

For me to live is Christ, to die is gain.   (Philippians 1:21)

I can say the last part, but I fail to live up to the first part. I am a fallen, but redeemed man. As I have aged, I have come to realize the truth that Paul proclaimed.

Oh, wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from the body of this death?   (Romans 7:24)

The answer is that our Savior shed His blood to cover my sins. Jesus is the life of Christ in me.

Job proclaimed,

For I know that my Redeemer lives,
And He shall stand at last on the earth;
And after my skin is destroyed, this I know,
That in my flesh I shall see God,
Whom I shall see for myself,
And my eyes shall behold, and not another.
How my heart yearns within me!  (Job 19:25-27

The second part of the answer is that early in the declaration of a pandemic, we claimed God’s Word:

Surely He shall deliver you from the snare of the fowler

And from the perilous pestilence.
He shall cover you with His feathers,
And under His wings you shall take refuge;
His truth shall be your shield and [b]buckler.
You shall not be afraid of the terror by night,
Nor of the arrow that flies by day,
Nor of the pestilence that walks in darkness,
Nor of the destruction that lays waste at noonday.

A thousand may fall at your side,
And ten thousand at your right hand;
But it shall not come near you.   (Psalms 91:3-7)

On a material basis: the pestilence is not as serious as they initially gave us to believe. For those who are afflicted, the vast majority recover with no discoverable harm. The deaths occur among “those at risk – specifically among the aged with some other serious lung affliction.” We are discovering the death count has been inflated, in the state of Washington by 13%.

When You are Struggling and Need Peace

2) What do you do when you feel anxious?

The Shepherd's Fool Woman looking at trees in the sun Being at Peace

TB: I refer to the Word of the Lord!

Early in our walk with Jesus, Ruth and I were put in an anxious position, not knowing what the future held for us. Yet our faith in the Lord was firm. We knelt down and listed all our needs and gave them to our Almighty, loving Father. He carried us through in great peace, peace that the world cannot give.

It was not until months later we discovered that we were living out God’s word through Paul to the Philippians,

“In nothing be anxious; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall guard your hearts and your thoughts in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:6-7)

Pray for Peace and Repentance

3) In your perspective, what is God trying to teach us through Covid19?

TB: America! Wake up! You are racing away from God to a precipice of disaster!

You have driven the One True God and Jesus the Savior out of Government, out of our schools, out of the workplace, out of the media, out of entertainment.

We have slaughtered about 63,000,000 of our babies. America is worse than Stalin, who murdered 20,000,000 of his own people, than Hitler who murdered 6,000,000 Jews and ca. 4,000,000 other “unacceptables”, than Mao Zedong who murdered about 60,000,000 of his people.

We have codified in law the abomination of homosexuality. This has opened the door to persecution of faithful believers who, to honor God, will not participate in their celebrations.

Do not have sexual relations with a man as one does with a woman; that is detestable. (Leviticus 18:22)

Hurricanes, school shootings, massive forest fires, earthquakes, financial reverses, homelessness, unemployment and pandemics are God’s warnings for America to repent and turn back to Christ.

God sent Prophets to the Chosen People of God in Old Testament times. Today we have the Scriptures to make us wise unto salvation. We have pastors to call us to pray together.

United prayer is more powerful then we can conceive. Unite with other believers to agree in prayer for a Holy Spirit revival that will turn America back from the brink of disaster. It is never too early and it may soon be too late to prevent America the most blessed nation in history from ending on the ash heap of history.

A Peaceful Life

4) What is your advice to us as an 80+ year old?

TB: My advice is the same as your Pastors have been adjuring you:

  1. Start each day in sequestering yourself with Jesus. Spend quality time with Him–not just concentrating on him, but for an hour or more. Yes, I know it is a sacrifice to get up early enough to love on Jesus. It means less time with your family, but it is worth it.
  2. Next, “The family that prays together, stays together.” Spend time in the evening praying with your spouse and children. Relationships are built up by shared experience. You will not only build up your relationship with Jesus, but with one another and with your children. You teach, by example, that time with the Lord takes precedence over worldly evening entertainment.
  3. Third, at whatever age you are, prepare for death. We do not know when God will call us home, or when Jesus will return. For most people death comes as a surprise. Thus, it is important to keep short accounts with the Lord.

There is a story about a Jewish Rabbi who was training students. He said, “Never forget, repent the day before you die! The students were assiduously taking notes, when one looked up and asked, “Rabbi, we don’t know the day of our death!” The rabbi looked piercingly at the student under bushy eyebrows, “Therefore, repent every day!”

Know and communicate your desires for a funeral or a memorial, for the disposition of your remains. Prepare a will if you have not yet done so, and periodically update it.

Theodore Roosevelt, our nation’s 26th President, said, “What you are to be, you are now becoming.” You cannot count on your youthful metabolism to keep you fit forever. If you carry extra pounds into middle age it will wreak a long-term harm. If you let your muscles atrophy after youthful sports activities are over, you will pay a price in your latter years.

Live, Learn and Love God

To sum up:

  • Live in obedience to Almighty God.
  • Learn the voice of the Good Shepherd and follow Him precisely. Then, when you don’t, confess quickly and submit uncomplainingly to His correction.
  • Finally, you are the steward of the Life God has given you. At the Last Day, He will call you to account for your stewardship of what He has given.

I pray that the Holy Spirit will anoint each person here for the ministry He has for you—that He will endow you with his fruit of the Spirit growing to maturity in your lives. And that each of you will come to the end of your days far more deeply in love with God the Father, Jesus your Savior and the Holy Spirit than you are this day.

To the glory of Christ, Amen.

 

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Christ and Culture,Services

Communion Service

3 Feb , 2020  

Communion Service

We live in a culture of media. We read books, listen to the radio, watch movies, search the web. If we study history it is a collection of stories. Unless we lived the history, it is not real to us.

Anyone who has participated in Communion has learned the story line – Jesus met with His Disciples. He used the bread to symbolize His body broken and the wine as His blood shed for believers’ redemption. After teaching they went to Gethsemane. He was arrested. Tried all night by the Jews. Tried again by the Romans. They flogged Him and then Crucified Jesus. A poignant, blessed, and tragic story. History? Right?

Because “story” so often means fiction, i.e. not true (even “true-to-life” stories are fictional) our minds are programmed to assume the “not true”, unless we have experienced a specific truth.

So, with me, shake off the familiar, routine participation in the Lord’s Supper. Jesus was a real man! He was experiencing real mixed emotions – love for His real Disciples – picture them! Knowledge that Judas, his close friend, had betrayed Him. Consider that! Fear of the real agony of torture that would soon occur. Feel that! The certainty that His Father, from who he had never been separated, would soon abandon Jesus to death. Agony! The reality that He, who was life, would actually experience death. Horrible! We have eyewitness testimonies that those are real facts.

Each one of us who takes a piece of cracker  or bread and a cup of grape juice or wine may choose to fictionalize this celebration, or stop! Get into the reality of a real man willingly sacrificing His life, the broken bread, to give us real, eternal life. The cup is the Blood of Christ that in actuality does cleanse us from sin.

Communion Preparation

As believers in the reality of Christ’s death for us and His resurrection, we come in full faith to the Lord’s Table. We receive these elements, believing that it was a real happening, that Jesus has cleansed us from all unrighteousness and has delivered us from the wrath of God against our sin.

This time, in this moment, we have God’s authority to set aside any traditional, any cultural reservation. We say with an affirming spirit I believe Jesus is real! He did suffer and die for me!

If this is so, join me in humble, honest confession: first, to affirm our true surrender to Jesus for salvation; and then, to open our souls to the Holy Spirit to reveal any impediment in our souls to the reception of the body and blood of our Savior.

Confession of Sin

He will not always chide; Neither will he keep his anger for ever. He hath not dealt with us after our sins, Nor rewarded us after our iniquities.   (Psalm 103:9-12)

None of us is perfect.

For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;   (Romans 3:23)

We come to this table honestly and humbly, knowing that it is an unmerited privilege to partake of the body and blood of our Lord.

Come if you know Jesus is your Savior. Come if you have purged your hearts as much as you can. Come in love for Jesus and in love with your brothers and sisters.

I will pause in the prayer to allow you to confront your sin and humbly acknowledge specific sins to the Lord

Please join me in the prayer of confession

“Almighty God, Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, we acknowledge and confess our manifold sins, which we have committed, by thought, word, and deed, against Your Divine Majesty. We do earnestly repent and are heartily sorry for these our misdoings. The remembrance of them is grievous to us.

{Pause for personal confession}

Have mercy upon us, most merciful Father; for Your Son, our Savior’s sake.

Forgive all our sins; and grant that we may ever hereafter serve and please You in newness of life, to the honor and glory of Your Name: through Christ our Lord.”

Affirmation of Forgiveness

But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.   (Romans 5:8-10)

Absolution from Sin

To each of you who earnestly and heartily repent of your sins and seek to live in newness of life under the righteousness of Christ, I declare your sins are forgiven in the name of Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. all Glory be to Jesus Christ our Savior!

Amen

Invitation to Take Communion

The same night on which He was betrayed, Jesus took bread, and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, “Take, eat, for this is My Body broken for you. Do this in remembrance of Me.”

After the same manner, He took the cup, and when He blessed it, He said, “All of you drink from it; and as often as you drink it, you show forth My death until I come.

Please come forward now to receive the Body and Blood of our Savior.

Celebration of Communion

Take; eat, for this is the Body of our Lord broken for you.

All of you drink of it, for this is the Blood of Christ shed for you for the remission of your sin.

Thanksgiving for Communion

Almighty God, we thank you for Your great mercy, granted to us in this Sacrament. You have made us to be partakers of Christ and all His benefits. You have adopted us as Your elect children and made us joint heirs with Christ.

Now Lord Christ, enrich us with Your Holy Spirit that Your life may be made manifest in our mortal bodies and that all our days may be spent in love and service of our Father.

Benediction

The Lord our God be with us, as he was with our fathers: let him not leave us, nor forsake us: Let your heart therefore be perfect with the Lord our God, to walk in his statutes, and to keep his commandments, as at this day. That all the people of the earth may know that the Lord is God, and that there is none else.   (I Kings 8:57-60)

 

Amen

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Christ and Culture

Advent Study #4 – Love

22 Dec , 2019  

Scriptures of Love

 

Jehovah did not set his love upon you, nor choose you, because ye were more in number than any people; for ye were the fewest of all peoples: but because Jehovah loveth you, and because he would keep the oath which he swore unto your fathers, hath Jehovah brought you out with a mighty hand, and redeemed you out of the house of bondage, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt.

Know therefore that Jehovah thy God, He is God, the faithful God, who keepeth covenant and loving-kindness with them that love him and keep his commandments to a thousand generations   (Deuteronomy 7:6-9)

Comment

We believers have been grafted into the tree of God’s love. We are deeply privileged to have been elected to be children of God and heirs of His love.  dove-vector-clipart

 

But the Pharisees, when they heard that he had put the Sadducees to silence, gathered themselves together. And one of them, a lawyer, asked him a question, trying him: Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?

And he said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second like unto it is this, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. On these two commandments the whole law hangeth, and the prophets.   (Matthew 22:34-40)

Comment

Our Savior calls us to an extravagant outpouring of love. If we are to love God in this way, we must consider the totality of God’s love for us. Once we embrace the concept of the total love God has for us and our total love for God, we are called to embrace the concept of total love for others, emulating our loving Father, whether or not others deserve it; whether or not they respond in like love.  dove-vector-clipart

 

For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, that he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, that ye may be strengthened with power through his Spirit in the inward man; that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; to the end that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, may be strong to apprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ which passeth knowledge, that ye may be filled unto all the fulness of God.   (Ephesians 3:14-19)

Comment

When Christ dwells in our hearts, His love is in us. He then schools us by the Holy Spirit.

Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he shall guide you into all the truth: for he shall not speak from himself; but what things soever he shall hear, these shall he speak: and he shall declare unto you the things that are to come. He shall glorify me: for he shall take of mine, and shall declare it unto you.  (John 16:13-14)

The Holy Spirit will teach us about the expanse of Christ’s love – all we can assimilate now in our materialistic framework, all that we can bear in our frail physical being.  dove-vector-clipart

 

I rejoice greatly that I have found certain of thy children walking in truth, even as we received commandment from the Father. And now I beseech thee, lady, not as though I wrote to thee a new commandment, but that which we had from the beginning, that we love one another. And this is love, that we should walk after his commandments. This is the commandment, even as ye heard from the beginning, that ye should walk in it.  (2 John 1: 4-6)

Comment

His Commandments are summed up – “Love God, love others”. Augustine said, “love God and do as you please.” Out of love for God, all you do will please Him, because your love for Him does not allow you to displease Him by overt sinful acts. Thus, when a believer pleases God, it pleases the believer.  dove-vector-clipart

 

“And as ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise. And if ye love them that love you, what thank have ye? for even sinners love those that love them. And if ye do good to them that do good to you, what thank have ye? for even sinners do the same. And if ye lend to them of whom ye hope to receive, what thank have ye? even sinners lend to sinners, to receive again as much.

But love your enemies, and do them good, and lend, never despairing; and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be sons of the Most High: for he is kind toward the unthankful and evil.

Be ye merciful, even as your Father is merciful.”  (Luke 6:32-36)

Comment

Love is fully exercised when we struggle to love the unlovely, the undeserving and the ungrateful; just like God loves us who are unlovely, undeserving and ungrateful.  dove-vector-clipart

 

A new commandment I give unto you, that ye love one another; even as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.   (John 13:34-35)

Comment

To the Jews God gave Ten Commandments, whereas to believers Jesus gives just one,

“This is my commandment, that you love one another, as I have loved you.”  (John 15:12)

This, “as I have loved you”, is an extremely high threshold!  dove-vector-clipart

 

“And now I beseech thee, lady, not as though I wrote to thee a new commandment, but that which we had from the beginning, that we love one another.”  (2 John 5)

Comment

When the Holy Spirit repeats the same teaching in Scripture several times, He really wants us to learn, obey and exercise that principle – love one another!  dove-vector-clipart

 

Questions for Love

God refers to His covenant with His people as a “covenant of love”. How is this different from the New Covenant?

Answer: The covenant of love God speaks of in the Old Testament is God’s covenant or faithful promise to love the Children of Israel. In Jeremiah 31:31-34 God introduces the concept of a new covenant.

Behold, the days come, saith Jehovah, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah: not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; which my covenant they brake, although I was a husband unto them, saith Jehovah. But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith Jehovah: I will put my law in their inward parts, and in their heart will I write it; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. And they shall teach no more every man his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, Know Jehovah; for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith Jehovah: for I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin will I remember no more.   (Read Jeremiah 31)

This is different in that God’s commandments are not external, but internalized. We obey, because we love Him. His love is not taught as an article of faith, but is experienced through the action of the Holy Spirit.

 

What happened to Israel when they broke the Old Covenant?

Answer: God punished them, often destroying the worst offenders, but God put even the faithful remnant through the chastisement.

Did God stop loving them?

Answer: No!

 

John 13:15 says that everyone will know His disciples, if we love one another. How does this work?

Answer: When Christ’s love permeates our lives, it cannot help but be noticed. Our loving words about and acts to our siblings in Christ demonstrate what is going on in our hearts.

 

In your experience, do you find it easier or harder to love non-Christians as you do other Christians?

Answer: Because there is spiritual connection it is easier to love our brothers and sisters in Christ. There is no spiritual barrier, which is formidable. Our compassion for Non-Christians is based on their great need for Christ or it is based on physical attraction. There is no spiritual component, since the unbeliever’s spirit has not been quickened by Jesus.

 

Reflection Question of Love:

Is it easy for you “to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ” for you?

Answer: It is beyond our capacity in this temporal and corruptible form to grasp Christ’s love. Even when we are in our imperishable bodies in the Presence of God, we will not be able to plumb the depth, nor measure the span, nor grasp the scope of God’s love.

Nevertheless, we currently have the capacity for much greater appreciation of God’s love than we experience, so our desire is to grow in that knowledge daily. Then when God calls us into His Presence, we will be joyfully surprised by the magnitude of God’s love for us!

 

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Christ and Culture

Advent Study #3 – Joy

15 Dec , 2019  

 Scriptures for Joy

 

And David spake to the chief of the Levites to appoint their brethren to be the singers with instruments of music, psalteries and harps and cymbals, sounding, by lifting up the voice with joy.   (1 Chronicles 15:16)

Comment

The Tabernacle of Moses had been replaced many times over the centuries. The one was at Shiloh was old. David built a new Tabernacle and situated 1t in Jerusalem. David loved the LORD. He loved music, so he determined that the LORD deserved musical praise 24 hours a day every day. To facilitate that, he turned Levites into singers, musicians and dancers. Thus, there was joyful music of praise continually glorifying God.  dove-vector-clipart

 

And gave for the service of the house of God of gold five thousand talents and ten thousand drams, and of silver ten thousand talents, and of brass eighteen thousand talents, and one hundred thousand talents of iron.

And they with whom precious stones were found gave them to the treasure of the house of the Lord, by the hand of Jehiel the Gershonite.

Then the people rejoiced, for that they offered willingly, because with perfect heart they offered willingly to the Lord: and David the king also rejoiced with great joy.

Wherefore David blessed the Lord before all the congregation: and David said, Blessed be thou, Lord God of Israel our father, for ever and ever. Thine, O Lord is the greatness, and the power, and the glory, and the victory, and the majesty: for all that is in the heaven and in the earth is thine; thine is the kingdom, O Lord, and thou art exalted as head above all.

Both riches and honour come of thee, and thou reignest over all; and in thine hand is power and might; and in thine hand it is to make great, and to give strength unto all.

Now therefore, our God, we thank thee, and praise thy glorious name.   (1 Chronicles 29:7-13)

Comment

David was preparing all that was necessary for Solomon to build a glorious Temple for יהוה. He invited the people to contribute. They joyously came forward with great generosity. The bringing their treasures filled the people joy as sacrificially they gave their treasures to adorn the Temple of the LORD.

David praised God for His

  • Greatness
  • Power
  • Glory
  • Victories He had given Israel
  • Majesty

He further acknowledged God created all, so everything belongs to Him. With great joy David gave thanks to Almighty God.  dove-vector-clipart

 

Blessed be the Lord, that hath given rest unto his people Israel, according to all that he promised: there hath not failed one word of all his good promise, which he promised by the hand of Moses his servant.

The Lord our God be with us, as he was with our fathers: let him not leave us, nor forsake us: That he may incline our hearts unto him, to walk in all his ways, and to keep his commandments, and his statutes, and his judgments, which he commanded our fathers.

And let these my words, wherewith I have made supplication before the Lord, be nigh unto the Lord our God day and night, that he maintains the cause of his servant, and the cause of his people Israel at all times, as the matter shall require:

That all the people of the earth may know that the Lord is God, and that there is none else.

Let your heart therefore be perfect with the Lord our God, to walk in his statutes, and to keep his commandments, as at this day.

And the king, and all Israel with him, offered sacrifice before the Lord.   (1 Kings 8:56-62)

And at that time Solomon held a feast, and all Israel with him, a great congregation, from the entering in of Hamath unto the river of Egypt, before the Lord our God, seven days and seven days, even fourteen days.

On the eighth day he sent the people away: and they blessed the king, and went unto their tents joyful and glad of heart for all the goodness that the Lord had done for David his servant, and for Israel his people.   (1 Kings 8:65-66)

Comment

Solomon had completed the first Temple. He called a convocation of all the leaders and the people in Israel. Solomon adjured the people to always seek God, and to keep their hearts open to Him. He called the people to perpetually remember and repeat Solomon’s words to keep their relationship fresh with the LORD.

The LORD our God be with us, as he was with our fathers: let Him not leave us, nor forsake us: That he may incline our hearts unto him, to walk in all his ways, and to keep his commandments, and his statutes, and his judgments   (1 Kings 8:57)

He appealed to the people to be obedient to God every day just as they were on that day of glorious celebration. To allow their bodies go along with their spirits, Solomon Presented to the People of God a continual, bountiful feast for two weeks. As the people went home, their hearts were filled with gratitude for what the LORD had done for Israel through the reign of King David.  dove-vector-clipart

 

And the children of Israel, which were come again out of captivity, and all such as had separated themselves unto them from the filthiness of the heathen of the land, to seek the Lord God of Israel, did eat, And kept the feast of unleavened bread seven days with joy: for the Lord had made them joyful, and turned the heart of the king of Assyria unto them, to strengthen their hands in the work of the house of God, the God of Israel.   (Ezra 6:21-22)

Comment

These folks had in their short-term memories their banishment from the Land of Promise, and being castaways in Babylon, a pagan culture. To have the foundation celebration of the Passover in the Land of Promise was ecstasy. Their joy knew no bounds.  dove-vector-clipart

 

Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice; And let them say among the nations, Jehovah reigneth.

Let the sea roar, and the fulness thereof; Let the field exult, and all that is therein; Then shall the trees of the wood sing for joy before Jehovah;

For he cometh to judge the earth. O give thanks unto Jehovah; for he is good; For his loving kindness endureth for ever.   (1 Chronicles 16:31-34)

Comment

God’s reign is the cause for great rejoicing in Almighty God. It resounds throughout the whole of creation. His judgment is true and will eliminate evil. That will free the sentient and the non-sentient of Creation to experience, unhindered, God’s loving kindness.  dove-vector-clipart

 

But let all those that take refuge in thee rejoice, Let them ever shout for joy, because thou defendest them: Let them also that love thy name be joyful in thee. For thou wilt bless the righteous; O Jehovah, thou wilt compass him with favor as with a shield.   (Psalms 5:11-12)

Comment

Our God is a fortress and a high tower. In Him we never need to fear. We love His name, because in His name we are more than conquerors. Because we love the Lord God, He has clothed us in His righteousness. His favor becomes our shield from all evil, so out of trust in Him and gratitude for His favor, our hearts overflow with joy.  dove-vector-clipart

 

looking unto Jesus the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising shame, and hath sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.   (Hebrews 12:2)

Comment

Jesus is not only our Creator, but He granted us the faith to believe in Him. Further, He sent the Holy Spirit to work in us to sanctify us in preparation for our entry with panoply into the Kingdom of God. It was his joy to suffer all to have the privilege to usher us, redeemed, cleansed and sanctified into the Present of Almighty and all righteous God. Finally, to have the complete joy of in triumph take His rightful place on the throne to the right of His Father.  dove-vector-clipart

 

that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold that perisheth though it is proved by fire, may be found unto praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ: whom not having seen ye love; on whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice greatly with joy unspeakable and full of glory: receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls.   (1 Peter 1:7-9)

Comment

Our faith is proved by our faithfulness in following Christ. Tried in the fires of tribulation, all the dross is removed and we come through as much fine gold! When Christ shall return, we will stand forth as prime examples of His grace delivered to us.

Despite the real Jesus being immaterial, and therefore, invisible to our eyes, our embrace of His reality gives us reason to Rejoice. But not in worldly joy, but far more, a joy that is heavenly and surpasses what we can declaim; therefore, it is joy unspeakable and full of glory.

There is no joy greater than to experience the results of our salvation in and through Jesus Christ: the eternal life in the Presence of the infinitely loving God Almighty.  dove-vector-clipart

 

Questions for Joy

 

What was the difference between worship in the Tabernacle of Moses and the Tabernacle of David?

Answer: The worship in the Tabernacle of Moses was primarily sacrifice of animals to atone for sin. It was the priest’s job to slaughter and burn the carcasses of the sacrificial animals. They pursued their job in workman-like efficiency. The atmosphere was solemn.

The Tabernacle of David, in contrast, in addition to the sacrifice of animals, the Levite musicians were playing, singing and dancing to worship יהוה. They were expressing love for the Holy, Righteous God. They were performing to His honor with joy. It was noisy, it was lively, it was jubilant.

 

What caused the People to rejoice greatly when they brought their offerings to the Temple and to יהוה?

Answer: They had a monument to their God. The Temple made God seem more permanent, more real. They were glad to bring their offerings. Further, as they relied more on יהוה, He prospered them. The free-will offerings were presented out of deep gratitude for His blessings, and because they were prospering. After God’s bounty, their tithes seemed a smaller amount, because the prosperity made what was left so much greater than the whole in previous years.

 

How can inanimate and non-sentient things, like the sea, mountains and trees, “sing for joy before Jehovah”?

Answer: To some extent this is hyperbole; however, God is Creator and he can give to non-sentient things the cognition to appreciate being created.

 

What does it mean that Jesus had to go through ridicule, scourging and crucifixion to receive the joy that was awaiting Him?

Answer: Before he could cry, “It is finished!”, our Savior had to drink the cup the Father presented Him to the dregs.

“Having then a great high priest, who hath passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we have not a high priest that cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but one that hath been in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.”  (Hebrews 4:14-15)

He had to be tempted and to experience the depths of our pain and suffering, (even to include the experience of His Father’s turning His back on His Only Begotten Son, because Jesus took on the guilt of all our sin on the cross).

“Thou that art of purer eyes than to behold evil, and that canst not look on perverseness, …”  (Habakkuk 1:13)

Thus, Jesus, because of His love for us, bore our penalty for sin, freeing us to rejoice with “joy unspeakable and full of glory” in the presence of our Father, basking in His love for eternity!

 

Reflection Question of Joy

Have you ever had occasion to “rejoice greatly with joy unspeakable and full of glory”?

Answer: We experience great joy at falling in love, on one’s wedding day, at the birth of a child, at receiving a much cherished and longed-for gift, at being praised by someone we respect.

But the abounding joy described as “unspeakable and full of glory”, we will experience at our gathering around the throne of God and worshiping Him with all the fervor within us, falling on our faces in adoration and casting all the honors we have ever received at the feet of our magnificent and majestic God, and I suspect, interspersed with dancing and singing His praises in jubilation!

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Christ and Culture

Advent Study # 2 – Peace

8 Dec , 2019  

Scriptures for Peace

 

Think ye that I am come to give peace in the earth? I tell you, Nay; but rather division: for there shall be from henceforth five in one house divided, three against two, and two against three.  They shall be divided, father against son, and son against father; mother against daughter, and daughter against her mother; mother in law against her daughter in law, and daughter in law against her mother in law.   (Luke 12:51-53)

Comment

Since God becomes first priority in a believer’s life, that often evokes jealousy in spouses, parents and siblings, who feel slighted.  dove-vector-clipart

 

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be fearful.  (John 14:27)

Comment

This is not a worldly peace, that is the absence of turmoil, but a heavenly peace that surmounts all worldly turmoil.  Jesus gives a peace that is eternal not temporal.  dove-vector-clipart

 

Wherefore remember, that once ye, the Gentiles in the flesh, who are called Uncircumcision by that which is called Circumcision, in the flesh, made by hands;  that ye were at that time separate from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of the promise, having no hope and without God in the world.  But now in Christ Jesus ye that once were far off are made nigh in the blood of Christ.

For he is our peace, who made both one, and brake down the middle wall of partition, having abolished in the flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; that he might create in himself of the two one new man, so making peace;  and might reconcile them both in one body unto God through the cross, having slain the enmity thereby: and he came and preached peace to you that were far off, and peace to them that were nigh: for through him we both have our access in one Spirit unto the Father.  (Ephesians 2:11-18)

Comment

Jesus Christ has reconciled sinful unbelievers who were at war with God, rebelling against His holiness and His Commandments. His reconciliation through the blood of the cross has settled the war between a person and God. Jesus has drawn the elect into the spiritual realm of the Father. He has thereby bestowed His peace on all believers, making them of one fellowship, i.e. brothers and sisters in Christ.  All then have the same goals to love and the glorify God and one another.  dove-vector-clipart

 

If it be possible, as much as in you lieth, be at peace with all men.  (Romans 12:18)

Comment

Be peaceable and trust the Holy Spirit to make up any differences between the believer and others.  dove-vector-clipart

 

Rejoice in the Lord always: again I will say, Rejoice.

Let your forbearance be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand.

In nothing be anxious; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.

And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall guard your hearts and your thoughts in Christ Jesus.

Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honorable, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.

 The things which ye both learned and received and heard and saw in me, these things do: and the God of peace shall be with you.  (Philippians 4:4-9)

Comment

If believers start by thinking of all the good in Christ, they will then be led to passing on to him all their anxieties.  In so doing, the believer is relieved and has room for the peace of God to rule in his heart.  dove-vector-clipart 

 

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, meekness, self-control; against such there is no law.  (Galatians 5:22-23)

Comment

As the Holy Spirit matures us, He will engender the blessed fruit of peace in our lives.  dove-vector-clipart 

Questions for Peace

 

Is it possible that these passages in Luke and John are both true? If so, how?

Answer: God’s peace is for His elect. Those who are enmity with God will have no godly peace in this life or in eternity. The turmoil in families comes from the fact that one or more members of a family have surrendered to Jesus and others have not.  This conflict of loyalties unhappily leads to resentment, dissension and contention.

 

How could Jesus, who was born to die and who was chased all over Israel by the needy, enemies, and the paparazzi of the day have peace to give away?

Answer: The peace that God gives is spiritual and is not disrupted by worldly cares.

 

Why is the command of Romans 12 conditional?

Answer: Paul recognizes the limitations of the believer as well as the receptivity of those around the believer.

 

What would it actually mean to have the “peace of God, which passeth all understanding”?

Answer: When all the world around a believer is in confusion, turmoil and even angry contention, the believer is unaffected and can with equanimity offer wisdom to bring God’s peace into an ungodly situation.

 

Reflection Question:

How can one sing about peace in the midst of conflict?

Answer: The peace of God is beyond human control.  In the midst of the worst, when we have placed our trust in Christ, He manifests His peace in our hearts.  When we are confident that our lives are in Christ, hid in God, the problems that the world throws at us have negligible effect on us.  When “nevertheless no longer I live, But Christ lives in me, even threats to our lives are of no consequence.  As long as I live, I am in Christ.  When I die, whether in bed, or under persecution, I am secure in Christ.

With that stance of faith, we can be at peace and sing of the glory of God, and sing in peace of the joy of the Lord, of the hope of the Lord and of the love of the Lord.

 

Paul and Silas were beaten bloody and the placed in prison , with their feet in stocks.

And when they had laid many stripes upon them, they cast them into prison, charging the jailer to keep them safely: who, having received such a charge, cast them into the inner prison, and made their feet fast in the stocks.  But about midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns unto God, and the prisoners were listening to them;   (Acts 6:23-25)

Pain, dire circumstances are of no consequence when we are in Christ and walking in obedience.

Christ’s peace reigns.  dove-vector-clipart 

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Christ and Culture

Advent Study #1 – Hope

1 Dec , 2019  

Scriptures of Hope

 

And, behold, the Lord stood above it, and said, I am the Lord God of Abraham thy father, and the God of Isaac: the land whereon thou liest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed;

And thy seed shall be as the dust of the earth, and thou shalt spread abroad to the west, and to the east, and to the north, and to the south: and in thee and in thy seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed.

And, behold, I am with thee, and will keep thee in all places whither thou goest, and will bring thee again into this land; for I will not leave thee, until I have done that which I have spoken to thee of.   (Genesis 28:13-15)

Comment

God gives us the promises of land, progeny (children and family), God’s presence, and the Messiah (our Savior, Jesus).  dove-vector-clipart

 

And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots:

And the spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord;

And shall make him of quick understanding in the fear of the Lord: and he shall not judge after the sight of his eyes, neither reprove after the hearing of his ears:

But with righteousness shall he judge the poor, and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth: and he shall smite the earth: with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked.

And righteousness shall be the girdle of his loins, and faithfulness the girdle of his reins.

The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them.

And the cow and the bear shall feed; their young ones shall lie down together: and the lion shall eat straw like the ox.

And the sucking child shall play on the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the cockatrice’ den.

They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain: for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea.

And in that day there shall be a root of Jesse, which shall stand for an ensign of the people; to it shall the Gentiles seek: and his rest shall be glorious.

And it shall come to pass in that day, that the Lord shall set his hand again the second time to recover the remnant of his people, which shall be left, from Assyria, and from Egypt, and from Pathros, and from Cush, and from Elam, and from Shinar, and from Hamath, and from the islands of the sea.

And he shall set up an ensign for the nations, and shall assemble the outcasts of Israel, and gather together the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth.   (Isaiah 11: 1-12)

Comment

Characteristics of the Messiah:

  1. Spirit-given wisdom
  2. Power
  3. Knowledge
  4. Awe-inspired respect
  5. Righteousness
  6. Judgment

He will establish Peace on Earth, so “They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain”. He will spread the knowledge of God throughout the Earth and all people will be filled with God. He will recover the remnant of the faithful from all parts of the earth.  dove-vector-clipart

Then Paul stood up, and beckoning with his hand said, Men of Israel, and ye that fear God, give audience.

The God of this people of Israel chose our fathers, and exalted the people when they dwelt as strangers in the land of Egypt, and with an high arm brought he them out of it.

And about the time of forty years suffered he their manners in the wilderness.

And when he had destroyed seven nations in the land of Chanaan, he divided their land to them by lot.

And after that he gave unto them judges about the space of four hundred and fifty years, until Samuel the prophet.

And afterward they desired a king: and God gave unto them Saul the son of Cis, a man of the tribe of Benjamin, by the space of forty years.

And when he had removed him, he raised up unto them David to be their king; to whom also he gave their testimony, and said, I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after mine own heart, which shall fulfill all my will.

Of this man’s seed hath God according to his promise raised unto Israel a Saviour, Jesus:

When John had first preached before his coming the baptism of repentance to all the people of Israel.   (Acts 13:16-24)

 

Comment

Paul rehearsing the recapture of the Promised Land by the Children of Israel, four centuries after they abandoned it. The promise of the Messiah fulfilled in Jesus, the God/man.  dove-vector-clipart

 

Behold, I come quickly: blessed is he that keepeth the sayings of the prophecy of this book.   (The Revelation 22:7)

Comment

Jesus promised to return.  dove-vector-clipart

 

He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus.

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.   (The Revelation 22:20-21)

Comment

The earnest cry for the return of our LORD.  dove-vector-clipart

 

Questions of Hope

What do these passages have in common?

Answer: they all are looking forward to Christ’s Coming, either the first time or the second, or both. That is the sure and certain hope of every believer!

 

What gives you hope?

Answer: Jesus confirmed he is faithful with numerous infallible proofs. His confirmations are daily, if we just look with our spiritual perception, instead of our material perception.

Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.

And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience;

And patience, experience; and experience, hope: And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.

For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.

For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.

For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life. And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement.   (Romans 5:1-13)

 

Are the promises in scripture ever a discouragement to you?

Answer: No!

 

If so how do you resolve the problem?

Answer: Because Despite the reality that I will never measure up to God’s promises, He, in love, has freely given the promises to me – not from my deserving, but through His election.

“For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.

For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.

The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.”   (Romans 8:14-17)

 

These last couple of verses in the Bible express a longing for Jesus to come again. What does this say to you?

Answer: Maranatha! Even so LORD Jesus come quickly? I am eager to be fully in my Messiah’s presence, and in the presence of my heavenly Father, and in the Presence of the Holy Spirit (in the way we can never be in our material state).

 

Reflection Question:

Because the future is unknown and we cannot control it, what gives you hope?

Answer: My hope is in nothing less than Jesus’ blood and righteousness.

… for by grace have ye been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not of works, that no man should glory. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God afore prepared that we should walk in them.”

“But now in Christ Jesus ye that once were far off are made nigh in the blood of Christ.   (Ephesians 2:8-10 & 13)

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Christ and Culture,Prayers

The Way, The Truth and The Life

7 Mar , 2018  

We Were Taught to Be Good

I first met our dear friend when I was in college. My wife knew her in high school. We were all members of the college group, across from the University of Washington campus.

333501171_047e0ca345_zThat was a time of the beatniks and when drugs first were rampant on the “Ave” in the University District. We were all good people. We were raised in Sunday School. We had all been trained in the church. We didn’t take drugs.

I was taught in Sunday School, “You don’t have to say you are a Christian, just live your life and people will know you are.” They taught us that if we were good persons we went to Heaven when we died. We weren’t taught about sin. We were taught to obey our parents, the law and be respectful to older persons. They taught us courtesy, generosity, loving everybody. We were taught to go to church because there you were taught to be good.

Hell was an unspoken threat – never mentioned but sort of known as a bad place where you didn’t want to go.

So, we grew up with a moral code that was supposed to get us through life. But we did not obey it strictly. We obeyed and were good when we could be seen, but when parents or authorities were not looking we chose to stretch the limits to the breaking point and beyond. But we were good people!

We were never taught the hard truths of Scripture and of God,

All have sinned and come short of the glory of God!   (Romans 3:23)

All we like sheep have gone astray.   (Isaiah 53:6)

They have all turned aside; together they have become corrupt; there is none who does good, not even one.   (Romans 3:12)

We have all become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds are like a polluted garment. We all fade like a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away.   (Isaiah 64:6)

Those are the harsh words of the Gospel, the Good News. We never heard them and would have disregarded them if we had.

We had fun together. No one got hurt. We were living in a prosperous America. Our parents were comfortably well off. What was there to worry about? We graduated, then got jobs or married or both. Children came along. We were adults in churches.

We Were Wrong

823129147_4703c0491b_zThen someone came into our lives teaching that our complaisant lives were not good. He said we were going to Hell because we did not believe in Jesus as God, Lord and Savior. Because we had not surrendered our lives to Jesus, we were doomed for eternity. I, for one, tried to ignore that unpleasant teaching.

Funny thing about truth. It has a way of being right and being persistent. The truth is that we had been wrong. All our Sunday School teaching had been wrong because it emphasized earning our way into God’s favor by being good.

We were wrong to disbelieve in the devil and in Hell. Both are real.

We were wrong to think that if we could balance out more good than bad we were set to go to heaven.

We were wrong to not believe that there will be a final reckoning, a Final Judgment when Jesus as the Righteous Judge will assess each person’s life.

We were wrong to discount Jesus as being just a good man instead of God’s righteous Son and our only Savior.

We Met Jesus

Untitled design (1)My wife believed the man and surrendered her life to Jesus. A real transformation happened. The Real Live Jesus, unseen, but very real, became a part of her life, filling the void that had been there.

Next, despite the fact that I was satisfied with my life, I met the real, living Lord God, Jesus Christ. He changed me completely, too and showed the true way to love, joy and peace. He has led us for half a century.

A year or so after my wife and I were saved, Jesus gave us the privilege of leading our friend to Jesus. Then the Holy Spirit led her to Overlake Christian Church in Kirkland, where she received excellent teaching.

From the moment she acknowledged Jesus was God and her Savior, to the moment of her death, she had absolute assurance that because she belonged to Jesus, she had nothing to fear in the Final Judgment. Scripture is full of that assurance.

“Whosoever, therefore, shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven.”   (Matthew 10:32)

“These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.”   (1 John 5:13)

“He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.”   (John 3:36)

Our dear friend doesn’t believe that anymore because she has no need for faith. She is in the Presence of her Gracious, Loving Father and she knows His grace and salvation!

We Can Be with Jesus

Let me tell you what she is currently experiencing with Jesus. She has cast off her temporal, diseased, pain-ridden body. She has been clothed in a celestial body that never will experience pain. All sadness has been banished and replaced by eternal joy. There will never again be any grief at partings. On the contrary, there will be joyous greetings with those who have gone before and with those who will come after. She is seated with Jesus on His throne. She will spend everlasting life in His love. She is now receiving and will ever receive the love of her Heavenly Father. And that is wonderful beyond our imagining. She will be loving others to a far greater extent than she could in this life.

That is wonderful for her right now. And it is wonderful for all who have given their lives to Jesus and God the Father and the Holy Spirit, all those throughout the past and all who will in the future.

Now it is your turn, it is in this place and at this time that you can make the decision to affirm your faith in Jesus; to avoid eternal separation from the love of God the Father and to avoid the eternal misery of Hell.

Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.   (2 Corinthians 6:2)

Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.”   (Acts 16:31)

Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.   (Revelation 3:20)

We Can Receive the Free Gift

When she knew she was dying, our dear friend was confident in her place in the family of God. She knew she was going to be with Jesus. When I talked with her a week before she died she spoke with anticipation of leaving this life to be in God’s glorious Kingdom forever. She is there now.

Is there is any doubt in your heart that you are on Jesus’ pathway to Heaven? Now is the moment of decision.

Don’t waste your life! Come now into the joy that awaits all who confess the Lord Jesus as God and accept His forgiveness for all your sin. Receive today the free gift of eternal life!

Please pray with me

I believe that You are real Jesus. In many ways, I have not lived to give you glory. I am sorry for my lapses. Please forgive me and draw me into Your loving Presence. I give you my life. Cleanse me and present me to Your Father as Your own. Thank you for saving me, Jesus.

The Lord’s Prayer

Now, Lord, we open our hearts to seek Your blessings for each of our lives through the prayer that Jesus taught us. Saying…

The Lord’s Prayer

Our Father, which art in heaven, hallowed be thy Name.
Thy Kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.

And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive them that trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory, forever and ever.

Amen.

Christ and Culture

Happy, Happy Easter!!

16 Apr , 2017  

Hallelujah! He is Risen!

He is Risen. Hallelujah!!

resurrectionThis is the traditional call and response in more liturgical churches on Easter morning. It is a joyous affirmation of our faith. We are participants in Christ’s resurrection because in our surrender to Him as Lord, we died in Him to sin and were resurrected to new life as adopted children of Almighty God and joint heirs with Jesus.

For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that everyone who believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him.    (John 3:16-17)

That is such fantastic news that leaping and shouting and dancing with joy is appropriate despite the disparaging looks from those who do not yet understand. Good News! Even greater than winning WWII or the Super Bowl, or personally winning a mega-jackpot lottery. Those are wonderful but quickly past.

resurrection-1And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also. And where I go you know, and the way you know.” Thomas said to Him, “Lord, we do not know where You are going, and how can we know the way?” Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.    (John 14:3-6)

Good News! Even greater than winning WWII or the Super Bowl, or personally winning a mega-jackpot lottery. Those are wonderful, but quickly past.

Our win is eternal. Jesus in embracing us has given us victory over sin and death. We are co-winners over the enemy of our souls. We have been invited to the Marriage Supper of the Lamb! We have been given the inestimable privilege of living in the presence of the God who is love, for eternity. We will have joy unspeakable and full of glory without end.

Happy, happy Easter!!

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Christ and Culture

Advent Celebration: Christmas!

24 Dec , 2016  

Christmas Day – The Christ Candle, white

mary-on-donkeySo Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David.  He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child.  While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them.    (Luke 1:4-7)

God Sent His Son

God did the most unnatural thing through the most natural means. God’s desire is that each person acknowledge sin, turn away from sin and embrace Almighty God as Lord. Throughout the Old Testament history, the Jews had Scripture that taught that God was the only true God and to be worshipped exclusively. Further, they were to treat other people well, dealing fairly with equals and taking care of the weak.

La Nativite a la TorcheAs we read we see a repetition of the pattern: faithfulness to God and brothers, declining into apostasy and abuse of the weak. God sent numerous prophets to call the people back. When the people listened, they returned for a generation and then fell away again.

This was no surprise to God. He had a plan for complete salvation waiting in the wings. He waited until there could be no mistake that it was impossible for anyone to live up to God’s standard. Everyone sins and falls short of the glory of God.

God’s Plan for Salvation

Therefore, He arranged for His Son to become fully man in addition to being fully God. The mission of the God/man, Jesus, was to be the innocent victim who would die as an atonement for the sin of the world. The process required, first, being conceived in a miraculous way, but growing naturally in a mother’s womb for 9 months.

baby-jesus-sleepingNext after birth, Jesus, the Son of God would spend 30 years growing naturally into manhood and maturity. And only then assume the ministry of teaching about the kingdom of God. Finally, Jesus would voluntarily walk into death, innocent of all sin to die as the sacrificial victim. In His death, Jesus atoned for your sin and mine. He opened the way into life eternal. He established the way to live victoriously in this fallen world.

Jesus is God’s Plan

All this began one night with the birth of a baby. When Mary delivered the Baby Jesus, the Angels rejoiced and proclaimed the glorious news. The Shepherds came, saw and worshipped, and joyously evangelized on their way back to the sheep. Mary contemplated the life of her son, the innocent babe at her breast. Years later, John prepared the way for Jesus to minister, stating Jesus must increase and he, John, must decrease.

He must increase, but I must decrease.

He who comes from above is above all. He who is of the earth belongs to the earth and speaks in an earthly way. He who comes from heaven is above all. He bears witness to w
hat he has seen and heard, yet no one receives his testimony.
Whoever receives his testimony sets his seal to this, that God is true. For he whom God has sent utters the words of God, for he gives the Spirit without measure. The Father loves the Son and has given all things into his hand. Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.   (John 3:30-36)

We Celebrate Jesus

We celebrate the birth of the innocent on Christ’s Day with carols and worship and gift giving and feasting. It is the time of innocence and joy.

Nevertheless, Christ’s Day is the harbinger of the Passover celebration when the Lamb of God was sacrificed to atone for the sin of the world. Out of the depth of the sorrow over the death of the innocent One, who died in our place, we are raised up in joy three days later at the triumph over sin and death in the resurrection of Jesus the Christ. That innocent, weak babe we celebrate now became the triumphant Risen Christ!

Christmas Day: Prayer

advent-christ-candleLord Jesus, I bow before Your Presence in humble submission. I am truly a sinner, but You have truly redeemed me by Your blood.

You came humbly as a baby. You submitted to the cries of thousands. You worked Yourself to exhaustion healing the sick and casting out demons. You demonstrated what life in God should be.

Give me the joy of the Angels in acknowledging You as the Good News to all men.

Give me the humility of the shepherds to come with empty hands and open heart to the manger to worship You as a baby.

Give me the wonder of Mary at the amazing love of God that as a baby and as an innocent victim You come to my rescue.

Give me the courage of John to proclaim the coming of the Lord in judgement, but also in love for those who surrender to You.

I am Yours, most loving Lord. Consecrate my life to You and Your ministry all the days of my life. At the end bring me through death to triumphantly enter Your Glorious Presence, and there dwell with You in love and joy forever.

To the Glory of Almighty God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit; Amen

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Christ and Culture

Advent Celebration: Fourth Sunday

18 Dec , 2016  

Domenico_Ghirlandaio_-_Preaching_of_St_John_the_Baptist_(detail)_-_WGA8865

Fourth Sunday in Advent – The John the Baptist Candle, purple

…during the high-priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John son of Zechariah in the wilderness.  He went into all the country around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.  As it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet:

“A voice of one calling in the wilderness,
‘Prepare the way for the Lord,
make straight paths for him.
 Every valley shall be filled in,
every mountain and hill made low.
The crooked roads shall become straight,
the rough ways smooth.
 And all people will see God’s salvation.’”    (Luke 3:2-6)

John answered them all, “I baptize you with water. But one who is more powerful than I will come, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.”  (Luke 3:16)

John the Baptist

nicolas_poussin_-_st_john_the_baptist_baptizes_the_people_-_wga18294John was a cousin of Jesus.  His birth was miraculous, since Elizabeth, his mother, was too old to bear children. He was a Levite and could have been as priest. Instead, under the direction of the Holy Spirit he became a prophet. His mission was to prepare the way for Jesus, the Messiah and Son of God.

His ministry was a harsh one. He proclaimed the sins of all the people to such an extent that the leaders of the Jews challenged his right to preach. Fearlessly, he called all to repent of their sin, including those leaders challenging him.

John went on to declare that the Messiah was at hand. John’s ministry was to make the hearts of the people ready to receive the message of the Messiah. He preached to raise the expectations of the people to be open to the salvation that Jesus would proclaim. John introduced the concept of empowerment by the Holy Spirit through the ministry of the Messiah.

As soon as Jesus was baptized, He went up out of the water. Suddenly the heavens were opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and resting on Him. And a voice from heaven said, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased!”   (Matthew 3:16-17)

John’s Message about Jesus

OXYGEN VOLUME 13The believers of today have embraced salvation in Christ. The understand that their sins were washed away by the blood Jesus shed on the cross. They understand that they have, in Christ, eternal life.

What they have missed is the experience of the power of the Holy Spirit working in their lives. John stated that the Lord Jesus Christ would baptize believers with the Holy Spirit. He would instill fire in believers’ spirits. Jesus promised that believers would receive power to witness.

Paul taught that there were nine manifestations of the Holy Spirit that those who were baptized with the Holy Spirit could experience. He further enjoined all to seek the baptism and infilling of the Holy Spirit.

Advent Sunday 4: Prayer

advent-candle-4Lord God Almighty, I look for the coming of my Lord Jesus the light of the world. The world is growing darker as sin reigns in all aspects of our culture. Jesus called me to be a light in the world to dispel the darkness of sin. I am a weak light and I am overwhelmed by the prevalence of sin all around me.

I believe Your coming into the world was not just to give me hope for life eternal. I believe You have called each believer to be a witness in the world, proclaiming salvation through Jesus Christ.

For that mission in a world that does not want to be told that all are sinners and damned, I need supernatural power. Grant me the manifestation of the Holy Spirit in me to encourage and inspire Your ministry through me.

To the glory of the One and only Lord God; Amen

 

 

 

 

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