A question has been submitted regarding Christians versus Jews versus Islamic faiths. It is true that all are descendants of Abraham. Actually, Jews and Muslims are blood kin of Abraham, Jews through the line of Isaac and Muslims (Arabs) through the line of Ishmael, Isaac's half-brother. The Old Testament (OT) teaches that Isaac was the chosen of God, and thus Jews are the chosen people of God. This does not mean that non-Jews in OT days could not find God; it just means that God chose the Jews to carry out His purpose. What was His purpose? To provide a plan of salvation down through time, a bloodline; note Genesis 12. That would ultimately bring a savior under a new covenant (note the genealogy of Matthew 1). In this age, it doesn't matter about Jew or Muslim, Jew or gentile, slave or free, man or woman (be sure to read Galatians 3:23-4:7). Everybody is an adopted relative of Abraham through Jesus Christ, if he follows Jesus.
And I must conclude EMPHATICALLY, in the emphatic words of Jesus Himself, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me." (John 14:6). If one tries to get to God without Jesus, as the Jews do, or though Mohamed, like the Muslims do, the effort, however sincere, will be a LOST CAUSE. The New Testament is clear on this. Jesus is the only way! And there is no special provision for anyone else, Jew, Muslim, or any other who rejects Jesus as the Son of God, and who does not obey Him. This may seem narrow-minded to some, but God so loved us (John 3:16) that He sent His only son to die. That was a big gift and He means for us to appreciate it....... Hey, thanks for reading. And remember that I am happy to do private study on any of these topics. Just let me know. See you next week. m
Sunday, November 15, 2009
Sunday, November 8, 2009
The Holy Land
Having just returned from the Holy Land, I must say a bit about the experience compared with Bible verses. It truly is amazing to see first hand the areas that I have for so long only imagined by reading the Bible. This was a once in a lifetime trip. I didn't see it all, but saw enough to get a feel for the geography.
The trip was run by two archeologists and thereto was the emphasis. We began in Egypt, seeing Cairo and Alexandria, as well as the Sinai Peninsula. We started where the Israelites were slaves in Egypt, and followed the travels of the Israelites as God led them out of captivity (note Exodus 13). They were led by God to Mount Sinai where Moses met God on the mountain (Exodus 19 and 20). While we cannot be exactly sure of the location, we were quite close. We climbed up the mountain just as Moses did. It was all rock, no trees, with rarely a small bush.
The most amazing and informative view of the whole trip was my first time in Jerusalem. I had seen pictures, but seeing it in person made quite an impression. We stood at a spot, high on the Mount of Olives, looking west across the Mount of Olives, and the Garden of Gethsemane (which is low in the valley between the Mount of Olives and Old Jerusalem), to ancient Jerusalem itself. About 65% of the Bible occurs right in this small area; so to see it is to bring to life the verses that mention this area. Here is an example: In Mark 11, it talks about Jesus walking and teaching in the courtyard of the temple in Jerusalem. He spent a lot of time in this temple; it was a place where he could get an audience and where the truth needed to be heard. In Mark 13:1 it says, "Then as He went out of the temple......." And in 13:3, "Now as He sat on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple..." He left the temple (right in the middle of the old, walled Jerusalem), walked down the hill, through the Garden of Gethsemane, and up the Mount of Olives. This might sound like a long hike, but actually was quite close. He could have done all of this in less than an hour, perhaps 30 minutes. The mountain, Mt. Moriah, upon which sits the city of old Jerusalem, is more like a large hill, rather steep on the sides. Jesus walking down this hill would be on rocky terrain with only a few trees and bushes. Then He would pass through the valley at the bottom of the hill, but the valley would be very narrow, likely less than 100 yards. He walked through the garden, which probably was rather thin like an orchard, and up on the Mount of Olives, which is, and likely was, rather thinly populated with trees and bushes.
These events followed the triumphant entry of Jesus into Jerusalem, riding on a colt, the foal of a donkey, and His driving out the money changers from the Temple. Perhaps one can see how much is going on right here in this one small area. And since I was there a couple of days ago, I wanted to share these thoughts with you. Perhaps a few more will be discussed in the next blog entry. Until then, have a blessed week.
The trip was run by two archeologists and thereto was the emphasis. We began in Egypt, seeing Cairo and Alexandria, as well as the Sinai Peninsula. We started where the Israelites were slaves in Egypt, and followed the travels of the Israelites as God led them out of captivity (note Exodus 13). They were led by God to Mount Sinai where Moses met God on the mountain (Exodus 19 and 20). While we cannot be exactly sure of the location, we were quite close. We climbed up the mountain just as Moses did. It was all rock, no trees, with rarely a small bush.
The most amazing and informative view of the whole trip was my first time in Jerusalem. I had seen pictures, but seeing it in person made quite an impression. We stood at a spot, high on the Mount of Olives, looking west across the Mount of Olives, and the Garden of Gethsemane (which is low in the valley between the Mount of Olives and Old Jerusalem), to ancient Jerusalem itself. About 65% of the Bible occurs right in this small area; so to see it is to bring to life the verses that mention this area. Here is an example: In Mark 11, it talks about Jesus walking and teaching in the courtyard of the temple in Jerusalem. He spent a lot of time in this temple; it was a place where he could get an audience and where the truth needed to be heard. In Mark 13:1 it says, "Then as He went out of the temple......." And in 13:3, "Now as He sat on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple..." He left the temple (right in the middle of the old, walled Jerusalem), walked down the hill, through the Garden of Gethsemane, and up the Mount of Olives. This might sound like a long hike, but actually was quite close. He could have done all of this in less than an hour, perhaps 30 minutes. The mountain, Mt. Moriah, upon which sits the city of old Jerusalem, is more like a large hill, rather steep on the sides. Jesus walking down this hill would be on rocky terrain with only a few trees and bushes. Then He would pass through the valley at the bottom of the hill, but the valley would be very narrow, likely less than 100 yards. He walked through the garden, which probably was rather thin like an orchard, and up on the Mount of Olives, which is, and likely was, rather thinly populated with trees and bushes.
These events followed the triumphant entry of Jesus into Jerusalem, riding on a colt, the foal of a donkey, and His driving out the money changers from the Temple. Perhaps one can see how much is going on right here in this one small area. And since I was there a couple of days ago, I wanted to share these thoughts with you. Perhaps a few more will be discussed in the next blog entry. Until then, have a blessed week.
Sunday, November 1, 2009
Worship
I am reporting in from the nation of Israel, more technically, the southern tip, Eilat, which is on the Red Sea. I was with a group of Christians who worshipped on the sand by the Red Sea tonight. It was great! We have been fortunate to see some of Egypt, the Sinai Peninsula, into Israel, over to Jordan to see the ancient city of Petra, and now back into Israel. More on these matters in a later blog.
I want to mention worship in this blog. There are so many places that reference worship to God in the Bible. But I want to cite Revelation chapter 4 & 5. In chapter 4 we see worship to God in a vision straight to Heaven. The creatures around the throne are saying, "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and is to come." Later it is said, "You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being." This is a beautiful sight of worship in heaven!
And chapter 5 is just as great! Chapter 4 is to God, simply. Chapter 5 is to the Lamb, Jesus. Verse 6, "Then I saw a Lamb, looking as if slain..." And those around the throne were saying, "....you were slain, and with your blood you purchased men for God from every tribe and language and people and nation." And later, "In a loud voice they sang: Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise! And then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all that is in them, singing: 'To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honor and glory and power, for ever and ever!' "
Our Lord is worthy, for sure, to be praised and worshipped; and He wants to be. Let us do this here on earth as it is in Heaven. Praise be to God who offers us salvation through His only Son. Shalom.
I want to mention worship in this blog. There are so many places that reference worship to God in the Bible. But I want to cite Revelation chapter 4 & 5. In chapter 4 we see worship to God in a vision straight to Heaven. The creatures around the throne are saying, "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and is to come." Later it is said, "You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being." This is a beautiful sight of worship in heaven!
And chapter 5 is just as great! Chapter 4 is to God, simply. Chapter 5 is to the Lamb, Jesus. Verse 6, "Then I saw a Lamb, looking as if slain..." And those around the throne were saying, "....you were slain, and with your blood you purchased men for God from every tribe and language and people and nation." And later, "In a loud voice they sang: Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise! And then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all that is in them, singing: 'To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honor and glory and power, for ever and ever!' "
Our Lord is worthy, for sure, to be praised and worshipped; and He wants to be. Let us do this here on earth as it is in Heaven. Praise be to God who offers us salvation through His only Son. Shalom.
Thursday, October 22, 2009
We Need Each Other
We need each other. The Lord knew that and taught that. Let's look at a few Bible passages that show that to us. "No man is an island." No, scratch that. That isn't the Bible. That was John Donne around 1600 AD.
Jesus began his ministry by gathering 12 men around him. These were men who would live with Him, learn from Him and carry on His work after He was gone. That there were twelve relates to the 12 tribes of Israel as well as 1)there would be a great amount of work to be done in the years ahead, and 2)there was a need for witnesses, men who had "accompanied us all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us.....(and) become a witness with us of His resurrection," (Acts 1:21,22). As great as Jesus was, He needed these men. We see Him developing close friends; note His love for Martha, Mary, and Lazarus (John 11:5) and His special relationship with the apostle John (John 20:2).
In the Garden of Gethsemane just before Jesus is taken captive, judged and killed, Jesus greatly needed the support of His friends. In Mark 14, He said to them, "My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even to death. Stay here and watch."
So far the teaching seems rather easy, but here is one that is not. James 5 says, "Confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed."
For sure, the Bible is clear that we need each other on an individual basis, as friends, and as supporters. But the teaching is clear that we need to be bound together as a "church" as well. Let's get the best out of this life that we can. And much of it comes from the association with God's people. Have a good week!
I will be away for 2 weeks. The computer goes with me, so hopefully I will get to post here and the blog goes uninterrupted. If not, come back in a couple of weeks. Thanks for reading.
Jesus began his ministry by gathering 12 men around him. These were men who would live with Him, learn from Him and carry on His work after He was gone. That there were twelve relates to the 12 tribes of Israel as well as 1)there would be a great amount of work to be done in the years ahead, and 2)there was a need for witnesses, men who had "accompanied us all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us.....(and) become a witness with us of His resurrection," (Acts 1:21,22). As great as Jesus was, He needed these men. We see Him developing close friends; note His love for Martha, Mary, and Lazarus (John 11:5) and His special relationship with the apostle John (John 20:2).
In the Garden of Gethsemane just before Jesus is taken captive, judged and killed, Jesus greatly needed the support of His friends. In Mark 14, He said to them, "My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even to death. Stay here and watch."
So far the teaching seems rather easy, but here is one that is not. James 5 says, "Confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed."
For sure, the Bible is clear that we need each other on an individual basis, as friends, and as supporters. But the teaching is clear that we need to be bound together as a "church" as well. Let's get the best out of this life that we can. And much of it comes from the association with God's people. Have a good week!
I will be away for 2 weeks. The computer goes with me, so hopefully I will get to post here and the blog goes uninterrupted. If not, come back in a couple of weeks. Thanks for reading.
Saturday, October 17, 2009
Helping Others
Comments made on the last blog posting prompt me to give some Bible references to helping others. I'll admit right up front that I do not have all the answers to this subject; but the Bible does give us direction on it. And certainly it is an important subject, probably a necessary one for each of us to face in our own lives.
First, I would like to say that we don't see the "church" being set up as a social institution. In the New Testament we see the church having a lot of functions, but it is primarily geared to spreading the Word and providing for the needs of other Christians (note 1Corinthians 16, and referenced again in 2Corinthians 8 & 9). And we don't see the "church" being fun oriented, about ball teams and parties, etc.
We can also note that it was not the primary goal of Jesus to address the social needs of the world. He came to seek and save the lost. The angel said in Matthew 1:21 to Joseph, "He will save His people from their sins." And the miracles were not done to see how many people could be healed; He could have healed the whole world, both then and for all time. That was not His purpose. Note (John 20:30-31).
On the other hand, we can get a lot of understanding about the role of the individual Christian by looking at the example of Jesus and His followers. Surely there can be no better example of helping others than Jesus' story of the good samaritan in Luke 10:30-37. The lawyer asked Jesus, "who is my neighbor?" And the neighbor was the one who went out of his way to help the wounded man, even though the helper here was a Samaritan, hated by the Jews. He had a good excuse to not help; but he wasn't looking for an excuse, only to do the right thing. The story says , "He had compassion. And Jesus sums it all up by saying, "Go and do likewise." Now that is profound.....and challenging.
So the message is clear. We must "Go and do likewise." May God help us to do just that!
First, I would like to say that we don't see the "church" being set up as a social institution. In the New Testament we see the church having a lot of functions, but it is primarily geared to spreading the Word and providing for the needs of other Christians (note 1Corinthians 16, and referenced again in 2Corinthians 8 & 9). And we don't see the "church" being fun oriented, about ball teams and parties, etc.
We can also note that it was not the primary goal of Jesus to address the social needs of the world. He came to seek and save the lost. The angel said in Matthew 1:21 to Joseph, "He will save His people from their sins." And the miracles were not done to see how many people could be healed; He could have healed the whole world, both then and for all time. That was not His purpose. Note (John 20:30-31).
On the other hand, we can get a lot of understanding about the role of the individual Christian by looking at the example of Jesus and His followers. Surely there can be no better example of helping others than Jesus' story of the good samaritan in Luke 10:30-37. The lawyer asked Jesus, "who is my neighbor?" And the neighbor was the one who went out of his way to help the wounded man, even though the helper here was a Samaritan, hated by the Jews. He had a good excuse to not help; but he wasn't looking for an excuse, only to do the right thing. The story says , "He had compassion. And Jesus sums it all up by saying, "Go and do likewise." Now that is profound.....and challenging.
So the message is clear. We must "Go and do likewise." May God help us to do just that!
Sunday, October 11, 2009
Books
I recently began reading two books. One was called "The Shack"; it had been recommended by a friend. The other was "Jonathan Livingston Seagull." I have several criteria for a good book. A strong beginning is a positive. Remember that Snoopy in the comics, when he fantasized himself as an author, would always start with, "It was a dark and stormy night...", a great start. Another rule that I have is that if the book hasn't grabbed me by 100 pages, I'm done. I gave The Shack 130 pages and found that I couldn't do it. It was very Biblical; it is obvious that the writer knows a lot of Bible, but it seemed to be humanizing God too much. Then I ran across Jonathan Livingston Seagull and enjoyed the beginning so much. But the theology got heavy and inaccurate, and short though it is, I bailed. For example, it brought in incarnation (many lives) and said heaven is not real.
I came to the conclusion from these two cases that I don't want my understanding of "truth" to come from mere men. Certainly there are many good books that will encourage us, build our faith, motivate us, etc. But when it comes to philosophy, to knowing what is and what isn't, what is really true, what the real purpose of our lives is, what is the end of a man, and where we come from, I only want my teaching to come from the Bible. It can become very irritating to read some author's opinion of all this, especially when it is obvious that their opinion is tainted in some way.
Here is some Bible truth. Jesus was asked, "Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law? Jesus said to him, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself." (Matthew 22:36+). Note Paul's teaching to Timothy, "..continue in the things which you have learned and been assured of, knowing from whom you have learned them, and that from childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work." (2Timothy 3:14+).
I will read other books. But I will always remember that the real and only source of Truth is God's Word, the Bible. (And at the risk of seeming contentious, we can't get truth from Mohammad, or the Koran, or the Book of Mormon, or the Watchtower Society, or the myriad of other man made offerings.) See you next week!
I came to the conclusion from these two cases that I don't want my understanding of "truth" to come from mere men. Certainly there are many good books that will encourage us, build our faith, motivate us, etc. But when it comes to philosophy, to knowing what is and what isn't, what is really true, what the real purpose of our lives is, what is the end of a man, and where we come from, I only want my teaching to come from the Bible. It can become very irritating to read some author's opinion of all this, especially when it is obvious that their opinion is tainted in some way.
Here is some Bible truth. Jesus was asked, "Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law? Jesus said to him, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself." (Matthew 22:36+). Note Paul's teaching to Timothy, "..continue in the things which you have learned and been assured of, knowing from whom you have learned them, and that from childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work." (2Timothy 3:14+).
I will read other books. But I will always remember that the real and only source of Truth is God's Word, the Bible. (And at the risk of seeming contentious, we can't get truth from Mohammad, or the Koran, or the Book of Mormon, or the Watchtower Society, or the myriad of other man made offerings.) See you next week!
Saturday, October 3, 2009
Pivotal point of the Bible
There are a number of occurences in the Bible that could be named as critical events. One might even could argue that there are several instances that are absolutely the key most important happenings of all time; e.g., the birth of Christ and the death of Christ But I would suggest to you that the number one pivotal point of all time is recorded in Acts chapter 2. Here is the reasoning.
Up until Acts 2, all of God's people are still under the Jewish Law that was given to Moses. At the time of Jesus' birth the people were under Jewish Law. During Jesus' life, He and His family kept the Jewish Law. Just before His death, Jesus was taking the Passover feast with the 12 apostles as a good Jew would do. So, all during Jesus' life Christianity has not started. Jesus talked about it, taught them about the Kingdom to come, did lots of preaching, but He did not start His church. All through the 1st four books of the New Testament, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, there is a readying but no church.
The church starts in the book of Acts. In Acts 1, Jesus ascends into heaven where He will reign over His Kingdom at the right hand of God. In Acts 2, we find the Holy Spirit ascends upon the Apostles who are waiting in Jerusalem for this to happen because Jesus told them to. And right here in this chapter, in this series of events, the whole history of man changes. Peter and the rest of the apostles stood and Peter tells the people that this is it! This is the "last days" that the prophet Joel had foretold. This is the outpouring of the Holy Spirit that Jesus had foretold. He told them that they had just killed the Son of God, Jesus. The people listening were "pricked in there hearts, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, 'Men and brethren, what shall we do?' Then Peter said to them, 'Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.'" (Acts 2:37-38). In verse 47, it says, "And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved." Note that there now is a "church" and the first church occurs here in Jerusalem as recorded in Acts 2.
If you haven't done so lately, read the first several chapters of the book of Acts. This is the beginnings of the Christian era--very important. Thanks for reading. Feel the love.
Up until Acts 2, all of God's people are still under the Jewish Law that was given to Moses. At the time of Jesus' birth the people were under Jewish Law. During Jesus' life, He and His family kept the Jewish Law. Just before His death, Jesus was taking the Passover feast with the 12 apostles as a good Jew would do. So, all during Jesus' life Christianity has not started. Jesus talked about it, taught them about the Kingdom to come, did lots of preaching, but He did not start His church. All through the 1st four books of the New Testament, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, there is a readying but no church.
The church starts in the book of Acts. In Acts 1, Jesus ascends into heaven where He will reign over His Kingdom at the right hand of God. In Acts 2, we find the Holy Spirit ascends upon the Apostles who are waiting in Jerusalem for this to happen because Jesus told them to. And right here in this chapter, in this series of events, the whole history of man changes. Peter and the rest of the apostles stood and Peter tells the people that this is it! This is the "last days" that the prophet Joel had foretold. This is the outpouring of the Holy Spirit that Jesus had foretold. He told them that they had just killed the Son of God, Jesus. The people listening were "pricked in there hearts, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, 'Men and brethren, what shall we do?' Then Peter said to them, 'Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.'" (Acts 2:37-38). In verse 47, it says, "And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved." Note that there now is a "church" and the first church occurs here in Jerusalem as recorded in Acts 2.
If you haven't done so lately, read the first several chapters of the book of Acts. This is the beginnings of the Christian era--very important. Thanks for reading. Feel the love.
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