Revelation 1:1 - 8

April 26, 2020

Today is Sunday. We have lifted our service for six weeks now. While I miss my church family, we can still hear from God. Let’s dig into the book of Revelation.

Chapter one begins with a blessing (meaning happy or favored), “Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear it and take to heart what is written in it, because the time is near” [Revelation 1:3 NIV]. John says there is something special about reading, hearing, and obeying the things found in the book. So consider yourself blessed as you stick with this study!

The reason for this blessing is the timing of the events. The word translated “near” carries the idea of "being in place" or "in position." One thought about the timing of events swirling around the end times it that it could happen in any generation, at any time (“imminent”).

John greets the seven churches of Asia mentioned in the book of Revelation with grace and peace. It seems what follows has little to do with grace and certainly will disturb peaceful thought. John uses the Trinitarian greeting in verses 4 and 5. The Father is described as “who is and who was and who is to come.” The Spirit is described as “the seven spirits.” Another way to translate this is “seven-fold Spirit,” an image from Isaiah. Jesus is identified as “the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of kings on earth… loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood.” [Revelation 1:4 – 5 NIV] 

So why do we think we are NOT free from sins, now? Notice this is PAST tense, not FUTURE tense. Effectively, Jesus is saying we are free from our sins, now. While the sin nature still stalks us, the downward spiraling of the world pulls us, and our own weaknesses blind us, we do not have to remain chained under the control of sinful impulses or the sinful nature. We have been bought, washed, and freed by the blood of Jesus Christ. 

John reassures the readers, “Look, he is coming with the clouds,” and “every eye will see him, even those who pierced him”; and all peoples on earth “will mourn because of him. So shall it be! Amen.” [Revelation 1:7 NIV]. A problem the church faces is the delay of Jesus’ return, while maintaining its confidence. The New Testament suggests that the first generation of believers had the confidence that Jesus would return in their lifetime. This declaration is the first prophetic declaration of the book of Revelation.

Verse 8 states, “’I am the Alpha and the Omega,’ says the Lord God, ‘who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.’” [NIV] This is another statement concerning the divinity of Jesus. Alpha is the first letter of the Greek alphabet, while Omega is the last. God is saying He is the beginning, everything in the middle, and the end of all things. The formula focuses attention on three perspectives of time; “is” refers to the present tense, “was” refers to the past tense, and “is to come” refers to the future tense. This is the second time this formula has been used.

In these short verses, we are urged to live victorious lives in a broken, decaying, and dying world. Jesus return and our resurrection is scheduled to happen. Everyone has an appointed time of judgement that will result in one of two possible outcomes. Do you want to hear, “well done” or “depart from me?” it’s your choice. 

If we are bought, washed, and freed by the blood of Jesus, why do we continue to go back to the "vomit" sin? (see Proverbs 26:11) We do it because we have never allowed Jesus to effectively wash and free us. At some point, we need to yield to God and allow God to sanctify (meaning to "set apart," "make holy") us.

Optimistically looking forward, the isolation will slowly be relaxed and we will be able to meet as a congregation soon. If you are reading this and are in need of a church family, please join us at Faith Alliance Church of Fuoss Mills. (Just search "Fuoss Mills" and you will find us.)

April 16, 2020

Today is Thursday. In this pandemic, with so many people at home and no discernible rhythm to life people are losing track of time. This lack of rhythm to carry us through the week creates emotional pressure and worry. Worry leads to stress. Stress multiplies into anxiety. Anxiety “doubles down” to fear. Once the wave starts rolling, it sweeps us off our feet. Question: is this reasonable? Jesus asked, “Can all your worries add a single moment to your life?” [Matthew 6:27 NLT] 

The Bible has training on how to handle stress! Let’s take a look at one passage and the skill sets it teaches. “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus. And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.” [Philippians 4:6 – 7 NLT]

The first skill is to trust God. The evidence is, we go to God in prayer. I suspect most of our worries, anxieties, and fears trickle down from our inability to trust. Whether we like it or not, much of life is out of our control. When we drive, we trust the other drivers to behave in a reasonable manner. When we go to the bank, we expect the bank to behave in a predictable manner. These reasonable and predictable ways of conducting ourselves translate into trust. When someone or something does not behave as expected, we find trust difficult. When imaginations build a “computer model” and carries us to the “worst case scenario” our anxieties over-ride our faith, our ability to think straight, and our lives.

The next skill is thanksgiving. Some might see this time of isolation as a “bad” thing. Be careful of the labels you use. They are like frames on art work. They detract or draw attention to certain aspects of the work. Thankfulness during this time of isolation looks at life as an opportunity. Life becomes a blank canvas you get to put whatever you want on that canvas… maybe for the first time in your life. If we focus on not being in church, not working, not shopping, not going out with friends; maybe we will miss something. Maybe we will miss the chance to reconnect with our loved ones, learn a new skill, or be creative. Maybe we will miss the chance to connect (or reconnect) with God by reading the Bible. (Please read from a translation that you can easily understand.)

The last skill is being able to fix our minds on what is “excellent and worthy of praise.” In the early days of computers, the expression was “garbage in, garbage out.” Maybe we can flip that and say “excellence and praise worthy in, excellence and praise worthy out.”

This leads to peace, the kind beyond understanding. I doubt peace is like an elusive cat that doesn’t want to be found. Nor is peace like “flat box” furniture. You know the kind, it comes is a box with assorted pieces you have to assemble. Peace is not something we can find, assemble, or create. Notice Paul calls it “God’s peace” and “His peace.” In fact, Jesus said, “I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid.” [John 14:27 NLT] True peace is a byproduct of our relationship with Jesus. Peace is a gift of God.

Victory over death part 8

What did Jesus do today?

April 11, 2020

Today is Saturday. The day after Jesus died on the cross. Imagine the death, decay, and despair the followers of Jesus felt today.

But what did Jesus do? His earthly body was dead, but we know that He was busy accomplishing and completing the action started when He gave up His spirit.

Let me take a second to "put down" a poisonous idea. There are people who think Jesus was killed by the Jews. This is a lie, straight from the tongue of the devil. Jesus was very clear, “This is why the Father loves me: I give up my life so that I can take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I give it up because I want to. I have the right to give it up, and I have the right to take it up again. I received this commandment from my Father.” [John 10:18 CEB] This is a key idea of the crucifixion: Jesus WANTED to give up His life. This is love in action.

So what was Jesus doing today? I am so glad you asked!!!

One possible explanation to Jesus’ activity on this day may start with, “But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed.” [Isaiah 53:5 NIV] Jesus demonstrated the true cost of sin. This was a legal exchange, “For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive in the Spirit.” [1 Peter 3:18 NIV] Paul put it this way, “God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement, through the shedding of his blood—to be received by faith.” [Romans 3:25a NIV]

Rather than focusing on the legal theory, I want to point to a simple and stunning truth. Paul claims in 2 Corinthians 5:21, “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” [NIV] In other words, Jesus took the place we have earned and deserved. In exchange Jesus offers us His place. All because Jesus WANTED to substitute Himself for us by accepting the punishment and suffering our sins deserve. This is what theologians call “vicarious death.” In other word, Jesus suffered the whole of the right judgement against us in every way.

But wait, there is more! In the “Apostles’ Creed” most Christians confess that Jesus “descended into hell” (or “descended to the dead”). We read about this in Acts 2:24, “But God raised him from the dead, freeing him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on him.” [NIV] Notice the “agony of death” part.

Paul testifies, “But the righteousness that is by faith says: “Do not say in your heart, ‘Who will ascend into heaven?’” (that is, to bring Christ down) “or ‘Who will descend into the deep?’” (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead).” [Romans 10:6 – 7 NIV] The “deep” in this verse is properly translated “the abyss” (The Greek says “tis katabesetai eis abusson”) In Hebrews 2:14 – 16 we learn Jesus shared fully in every human experience, except sin.

I am fond of the idea that Jesus substituted Himself for me. He took my deserved punishment for sin on the cross. Jesus literally went to Hell for me. SPOILER ALERT: When Jesus raises from the dead, literally and physically; He shatters the power of sin and death. Jesus crushes the power of Satan (see Hebrews 2:14).

Are you afraid of death? This COVID-19 pandemic is like a splash of ice cold water in the tepid reality of existence. The question is: do you want to exist or do you want to live? Many of us are existing. We eat, sleep, breath, work, and take up space just existing. God calls us to an abundant and eternal life in Jesus. 

This is the question mark of the cross. Will you have faith, the kind that changes the way you think and behave, in Jesus’ shed blood for your soul?  

Victory over death part 7

April 10, 2020

Today is “Good Friday.” On the time line of the final week of Jesus’ earthly life, it is the day on which He is crucified. It is a dark, horrific, and insane day. I’m going to look at the event from Matthew 27:41 – 54.

In fact, today is the most spiritually insane day in the history of the world. How so? I’m glad you asked!!! Let's take a look at it.

The people who should have known were the instigators. “In the same way the chief priests, the teachers of the law and the elders mocked him.” [Matthew 27:41 NIV] The "chief priests" were what the Old Testament called the “High Priest.” Here it is plural because the Romans had put term limitations on the office for political reasons, so there was more than one that had occupied that office. He was responsible for the spiritual health of the people. He was the one who entered the "holy of holies" once a year on the Day of Atonement. If the nation was spiritually pure he was allowed to live.

The “teachers of the law” were the Biblical scholars of Jesus' time. It was their responsibility to know and teach the Old Testament. They were the lawyers and judges of the day, giving decisive answers to matters of religion. This class of Levites was set up by Ezra in a national revival at the end of the Babylonian captivity. The “elders” were the political leaders of the day.

Despite all this responsibility and knowledge, they mocked Jesus, “He trusts in God. Let God rescue him now if he wants him, for he said, 'I am the Son of God” [Matthew 27:43 NIV] This mockery had been prophesied by King David. “All who see me mock me; they hurl insults, shaking their heads: ‘He trusts in the LORD; let the LORD rescue him. Let him deliver him, since he delights in him." [Psalm 22:7 -8 NIV]

Jesus gave witness to this prophecy when He quoted the first line of Psalm 22. Their minds would have known the rest of the text, “I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out joint. My heart has turned to wax: it has melted away within me. My strength is dried up like a potsherd (a broken piece of pottery), and my tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth; you lay me in the dust of death. Dogs have surrounded me; a band of evil men has encircled me, they have pierced my hands and my feet. I can count all my bones; people stare and gloat over me. They divide my garments among them and cast lots for my clothing.” [Psalm 22:14 – 18 NIV]

• Verse 14 describes the effect of crucifixion on the heart. When Jesus' side was pierced with the spear, water and blood flowed out. 
• Verse 15 describes the dehydration experienced by someone on the cross. The soldiers gave him vinegar to drink. This was a drink called “Posca,” cheap wine that had gone bad. Roman soldiers mixed it with water, salt and something to flavor it for an ancient version of Gatorade. One idea of crucifixion was to keep the victim alive as long as possible, to insure the greatest amount of misery, suffering, and despair.
• Verse 16 describes “the dogs” that “have pierced my hands and my feet.”  The term "dogs" was a way some Jews referred to Romans. Crucifixion involved Romans nailing Jesus' hands and feet to the cross.
• Verse 17 describes the effect of having the cross set up, more likely dropped into place dislocating many joints. Isaiah writes 700 years before Jesus, “...his appearance was so disfigured beyond that of any man and his form marred beyond human likeness.” [Isaiah 52:14 NIV] Basically, a casual observer would only have seen tattered skin, meat, and an assortment of disjointed bones hanging on the middle cross.
• Verse 18 refers to the Roman soldiers who cast lots for Jesus clothing.

As usual, there is a “twist” in the story. The people who could not have known figured it out! "When the centurion and those with him who were guarding Jesus saw the earthquake and all that had happened, they were terrified, and exclaimed, 'Surely he was the Son of God!"' [Matthew 27:54 NIV] Imagine, those with no prior knowledge of Scripture came to the correct conclusion. These were professional solders, one was a high ranking officer. In other words, this conclusion was made by intelligent, not superstitious, cowardly men.

Everyone now has a choice to make for themselves. It’s not dependent on prior knowledge. In fact, what we THINK we know can mislead us. We can be blinded by defending territory and theology. The choice is dependent on experiencing Jesus personally. Jesus is not a philosophy, theology, or mystical experience. Our decision cannot be accurately based on culture, training, world-view, or what we want our theology to be… It is experiencing the love of God (the Father), through Jesus (God the Son).

“But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us...Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God's wrath through him! For if, when we were God's enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life! Not only is this so, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.” [Romans 5:8 – 11 NIV]

All the human misery is our choice. We inflict them on others for our own reasons. I cannot stress this enough. God does NOT send people to Hell. Eternity in Hell is chosen by each person over the love, forgiveness, and grace of God demonstrated by Jesus on the cross. God has offered victory over death… but that’s a story for another day.

Victory over death part 5

April 8, 2020

Today is Wednesday in our journey to victory. It is “Holy Week,” as some Christians refer to it. This is the dramatic last week of Jesus’ earthly life.

We are not certain of Jesus’ movements or actions on Wednesday. However there are some things during this final week that need covered. I’m going to take a brief look at five lightning bolts from Mark 12.

The first lightning bolt happens in Mark 12:17, “Jesus said to them, “Give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar and to God what belongs to God.” His reply left them overcome with wonder.” [CEB] This teaching was in response to a trap. The Pharisees (conservative theology) and supporters of Herod (upper class supporters of King Herod) intended to either a.) turn the crowd against Jesus or b.) collect evidence against Jesus. If you follow the conversation, they set it up with what is called a “narrative.” A narrative is a frame in which to box the one who answers into an unfair disadvantage. It’s something done regularly by the media that is either hostile or looking for something interesting (a.k.a. “dirt).

Lightning bolt number two is found in Mark 11:24, “Jesus said to them, “Isn’t this the reason you are wrong, because you don’t know either the scriptures or God’s power?’ [CEB] This is a response to a group of theologians called “Sadducees.” They did not believe in the resurrection; so they offered a theoretical question to disprove the resurrection. Jesus was clear, they didn’t know the scriptures or God’s power. In essence they had a form of godliness, but it was based on ignorance.

Lightning bolt number three and four comes from the sincere questioning of a lawyer. Mark 11:29 – 30 records, “Jesus replied, “The most important one is Israel, listen! Our God is the one Lord, and you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your being, with all your mind, and with all your strength. The second is this, you will love your neighbor as yourself. No other commandment is greater than these.” [CEB] 

The question is “Which commandment is the most important of all?” [Mark 11:28c CEB] On the surface, it is a “no-brainer.” The answer was considered a settled matter. Loving God is the greatest commandment. Yet, Jesus gave an answer only a lawyer could love. He expands the meaning. If you love God, Jesus insists, you will love those God loves (your neighbor). The two cannot be separated. The lawyer gives his approval to Jesus’ answer. Jesus then states, “When Jesus saw that he had answered with wisdom, he said to him, “You aren’t far from God’s kingdom.” After that, no one dared to ask him any more questions.” [Mark 11:34 CEB]

The last lightning bolt comes, not from a question, but an observation. Jesus sat down and watched people at the “collection box.” In America, we think it’s rude to look to see what someone else is doing with their money. Jesus watched rich people and poor people give. One caught His attention. He called the disciples to Him and pointed out an poor widow. Most likely this was embarrassing for her, after all the attention seekers were dropping in large amounts of money. Jesus praises her with these words, “… I assure you that this poor widow has put in more than everyone who’s been putting money in the treasury. All of them are giving out of their spare change. But she from her hopeless poverty has given everything she had, even what she needed to live on.” [Mark 11:43 – 44]

So in this chapter we have a wide selection of religious and political perspectives:

1. Pharisees, who were “holiness” in theological orientation. We’d call them “conservatives.”
2. Herodians, who were religious supporters of Herod. 
3. Sadducees, who were upper class theologians who basically denied the supernatural. We’d call them “liberals.”
4. A lawyer seeking the truth. We’d call him “skeptical.”
5. A poor widow giving everything out of “hopeless” poverty." We’d call her “disadvantaged.”

The poor widow seems out of place among the educated, elite, and arrogant in this chapter. But I submit to you for consideration, she is not. She is "the moral of the story."

Go back to the first lightning bolt for a second. Question: what does God want? Answer: what belongs to Him. What stands between giving to God what is His is our not knowing (understanding) Scriptures and the power of God. The core issue is, do we love God? The “acid test” of loving God is loving others (Jesus "neighbor" means everyone). Knowing all this is good. In fact that puts you “not far from the kingdom of God.” Problem is if you miss heaven by an millimeter, you still missed heaven. The poor widow demonstrated the “all in” mentality of the true follower of God. Soon Jesus is going to demonstrate this by laying down His life, dying on the cross.

Theology, politics, and philosophy all crumble when compared to Jesus-like love in action. 

Victory over death part 3

April 6, 2020

Today is Monday, if anyone is keeping track. Today is an interesting day in the final week of Jesus’ earthly life (a.k.a. “Holy Week”).

One of the debatable timing of events is the “cleansing of the temple.” Matthew records it happening on Palm Sunday. Mark puts it on Monday. Luke does not give a time. John puts this event at the beginning of Jesus’ ministry. Considering the detail the Gospel writers put into the story, I think it is likely Jesus cleansed the temple at least twice. In John the key statement is “Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days.” [John 2:19]. The synoptic Gospels (Matthew, Mark, and Luke are called “synoptic” because they are very similar) record, “And as he taught them, he said, “Is it not written: ‘My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations’? But you have made it ‘a den of robbers.’” [Mark 11:17 NIV, also see Luke 19:46, Matthew 21:13]

Matthew 21:14 records, “The blind and the lame came to him at the temple, and he healed them.” [NIV] The significance of this statement comes from those who entered the temple. Jesus cleared space for them. By now, if you follow the life of Jesus, the amazing part was not that He healed. It seems Jesus healed people just about everywhere He went (except for a few in His home town, because of their lack of faith). When Jesus drove out the animals and money changers, He cleared out the section of the Temple reserved for Gentiles, the sick, and the handicapped.

Imagine the indignation on the religious elitists who were the gatekeepers keeping people away from God. They lose money from the business shut down. Their sacred space is invaded by undesirable people. And to add insult to injury, Jesus heals the people, doing what they should have been doing. As a bonus, the people who were no longer excluded from the inner parts of the Temple now had free access.

Imagine being one who has been excluded. Physical suffering compounded by religious exclusion and multiplied by the humiliation of begging are suddenly healed, invited in, and set on equal footing. The blind may never have seen the alter. The lame may have never step past the threshold of the Temple. The Temple gates were thrown open for the “dogs” (Gentiles).

Jesus also declares a significant shift in the purpose of holy space. The Temple was no longer for “sacrifice.” Temple space was now to be used for prayer. Little did they understand that day, God’s perfect sacrifice was about to put an end to the necessity of the daily and yearly sacrifices.

At the moment, most of our church buildings are empty. Most of our buildings will require extraordinary and continual deep cleaning. Contrary to one news network's empty church ad, claiming this is the only way we will have a future; I pray this will not last long and there will not be enough room to accommodate all the people seeking God. When this plague passes, churches will be open, but to whom and for what purpose?  

What would it take to clean out our churches (and lives) to accept those who are not like us, not perfect, or maybe considered “undesirable?” You can do it now or Jesus will do it later.

Pandemic Tip #10

April 3, 2020

In this time of desperation we need each other. Relationships are one key to emotional health. Unfortunately not all relationships are healthy.

One such glaring relationship is found between Jesus and Judas Iscariot. It’s hard to think that the Christ, one who never sinned, would have an unhealthy relationship with someone close to Him. But let’s take a look at it.

Judas Iscariot was hand-picked by Jesus to be one of the Twelve Disciples, His inner circle (Mark 3:19). Judas was the treasure for the group and is recorded to having been a “thief.” John 12:6 reads, “Not that he cared for the poor—he was a thief, and since he was in charge of the disciples’ money, he often stole some for himself.” [NLT]

He is probably best known for betraying Jesus. The Bible does not tell us his motivation for such a dastardly deed. But it does seem cruel to betray a close friend (Psalm 41:9). Judas had invested three years into following Jesus. Judas listened to everything Jesus taught and watched every miracle. Jesus even washed his feet at the “Last Supper.” John 13:27 notes Satan entered Judas after he had eaten the bread (Eucharist, communion, Lord’s Supper). But Jesus already knew Judas’ future was bad, very bad. (John 6:70 – 71)

What happened to him? I’m glad you asked!!!

A clue might be found in John 13:2 which tells us, “It was time for supper, and the devil had already prompted Judas, son of Simon Iscariot, to betray Jesus.” [NLT] The word translated “prompted” is the Greek word βάλλω (ballō) which means “to throw.” This throwing action carries with it the idea of being violent and intense.

Despite following Jesus, Judas had a character flaw and the tendency to steal. This love of money became the wedge between him and God. At a critical moment in John 12, he was angry at losing a chance to gain more. Thus Satan had an opportunity to violently invade Judas’ soul. In fact, Luke 22:3 claims, “Then Satan entered into Judas Iscariot, who was one of the twelve disciples.”

Judas had a pattern of sin in his life that left the door open for Satan to violently invade his decision making process at a critical moment. This destroyed what should have been Judas’ most critical relationship.

I am suggesting this is still a pattern, one of Satan's schemes. We give the devil critical space in our life with desire and behavior. Thus, we are prompted to say or do something cruel at a critical moment. I have watched this pattern repeat countless times in believer's lives.... and cried.

Call it a “stronghold” from which to operate (2 Corinthians 10:4). This space can betray us at a critical moment causing us to destroy a relationship or someone we love. Judas traded three years and the Messiah for 30 pieces of silver. A token price paid for a slave. This was a fulfillment of prophecy (Zechariah 11:12 -- 14).

Watch out. In this trying time of “lock down” and “social distancing” there will be a lot of opportunity for Satan to grab something in your life and cause you to damage the ones you love. Then again, maybe this is just exposing something unhealthy that needs to be corrected.

"Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour." [1 Peter 5:8 NLT]

Pandemic Tip #9

April 1, 2020

Decisions, decisions. We all make choices. Those choices shape our current circumstances and future destinies. Some are choosing to stay in place, others are deciding to ignore common sense guidelines.

The prophet Joel spoke about a time of decision. Joel 3:14 states, “Multitudes, multitudes, in the valley of decision! For the day of the Lord is near in the valley of decision.” [ESV]

What is Joel talking about? I am glad you asked!!!

First Joel is thought to have lived in the 9^th century B.C. Probably a contemporary of Elisha, he would have been one of the earliest writing prophets. He gives striking detail to “the Day of the LORD” which is believed to be an end time prophecy. It was Joel that Peter used on the day of Pentecost to prove the coming of the Holy Spirit.

Joel points to a time when Israel would be restored (verse 1). So he is speaking about a time AFTER Israel is distressed or disbanded. One possible meaning would be the re-founding of the nation of Israel in 1948.

Verse 2 refers to the “Valley of Jehoshaphat.” This location is where nations will be judged (also in verse 12). There is a complaint God has against the nations trading boys and girls for prostitutes and alcohol (verse 3). A revolving door of slavery is discussed in verses 4 – 8. The nations are called to war against Israel (verses 9 – 11).

This brings us to the critical time of decision. “For the day of the LORD is near” declares verse 14. The idea of "decision" is odd because the verses surrounding it are clear that this is a terrifying time of judgement. God's judgement has already been rendered. Joel must be referring to some thing else. In other words, Joel is talking about a “decision” made by humans, not made by God. 

The decision for the nations (that's us) to make is whether we will bend our knee to the King of Glory or remain in rebellion. The first offers eternal life in an eternal and literal heaven (and new creation). The second offers eternal torment in an eternal and literal lake of fire (typically known as "Hell" -- Revelation 20:14).  By the way, Jesus is very descriptive of what we generally call “Hell” as being a place of eternal emotional misery and physical torment. 

Contrary to "popular belief" God does not send anyone to Hell. We choose an eternity of misery and torment over the loving offer of eternal bliss. Then again, maybe this eternal misery is better than spending eternity in the presence of a God we have generally rejected and some have despised. But that is our decision. 

How do we make this decision? First, admit you have done wrong (“sinned”) and fall short of any and all standards of God. You have no hope in yourself or in any means, other than Jesus, to reach heaven. (Romans 3:23)

Believe in Jesus. (Acts 16:3) What we cannot do, Jesus did for us. In fact, Paul claims, “For our sake he (God the Father) made him (Jesus, God the son) to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” [ESV]

We must confess Jesus is Lord. This claim is audacious because it is declaring Jesus to be God, to be the sole rightful ruler of all, and to be the only one that saves. Claiming this in the Jewish/Roman world was hazardous. It cost social standing, economic well-being, and for some life. “If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. ¹⁰ For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by openly declaring your faith that you are saved.” (Romans 10:9 – 10 NLT)

Does that seem too easy? Maybe that’s the point. All are invited. No one is excluded. So easy even a child can do it. It's as easy as A - B - C. Kind of hurts the pride, eh?

Pandemic Tip #8

March 30, 2020

I’m still seeing misunderstanding among Christians about “fear” and “faith.” Let me take apart a very important verse in this discussion.

“For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.”  [2 Timothy 1:7 KJV]

I’m not doing a “smarter than you" type thing. It’s what I am trained to do. Kind of like going to a doctor if you are sick. It’s what the doctor has trained to do. 

The word “fear” is the Greek word δειλία (deilia). Literally it means “timidity” or better yet “cowardice.” This is in context to unfeigned faith (v 5), gift of God (v 6), and not being ashamed (v 7). What Paul is saying is that in the exercise of our faith and the spiritual gifts God has given us; we are not to be afraid or ashamed. Encouraging one another in context to the exercise of our faith using our spiritual gifts is proper.

Let me see if I can help you understand this better. 2 Timothy 2:7 is the ONLY place in the New Testament that “deilia” is used. Typically in studying Scripture, it is unwise to build a theology off a single passage (or worse yet one word). We must pay attention and take it seriously. Which means we need to understand it and not add meaning to the text.

So for instance when the Bible says “I can do all things…” it does not mean I will quarterback the next Super Bowl championship team. The context to the “all things” was hardship and comfort.

The “fear” is contrasted to three things. First, there is “power.” The word here is δύναμις (dunamis). In the Greek this is the “ability” type power. (The Biblical Greek has multiple words for our English “power” each means something different.) Power is one of Paul’s favorite concepts (behind faith, hope, and love). A believer without power or the “ability” to exercise their faith is useless.

The next contrast to “fear” is “love.” Here you have it. The opposite of fear is not courage, it is love. Again, the Greek, has multiple terms for our English word “love.” We see Paul using the word, ἀγάπη (agapē). If you have been in church and heard this explained you will know this is understood as “unconditional love.” Maybe a more complete understanding would be “unconditional love in action.” This kind of love drives out fear (1 John 4:18), which is φόβος (phobos). That’s the kind of fear that inspires dread and terror. It’s paralyzing panic. Love and fear cannot exist in the same person at the same time.

The final contrast to “fear” is translated “sound mind” while modern translations generally say something like “self-control” or “discipline.” The Greek is σωφρονισμός (sōphronismos). To paint a word picture, think “sober.” Meaning not under the influence of panic.

So God has given the follower of Christ the ability to deal with circumstances and people who would try to intimidate the follower from exercising their faith. Love is the pivot point. As in, do we love God best and most? And finally, we are given the skill to think clearly outside the influence of trying circumstances and unhealthy people.

Let me make this clear. Follow your local government and health officials recommendations. At the present, our government is saying, if you are sick, older, or have an undying condition “stay home.” Other guidelines include, practice social distancing and proper hand washing. This is not fear, it’s exercising the sober judgement of a sound mind. It is an act of love, protecting the vulnerable among us. It is the ability to trust God regardless of the confusion and fear that is walking among us.

Is this the Apocalypse? (part 2)

March 29, 2020

The internet is full of people proposing Biblical explanations for what is happening. It seem the whole world is in some form of self-imposed isolation, lock down, or social distancing.

One such explanation comes from Isaiah 26:20 which states, “Go, my people, enter your rooms and shut the doors behind you; hide yourselves for a little while until his wrath has passed by.” [NIV]

Isaiah 26 is one of my favorite chapters, in one of my favorite books. There was a time when I was disgusted with Christianity and wanted to give up. I felt that I needed to read the Bible one more time before I walked away. It was the book of Isaiah that put an end to my bitterness. Yes, I was still disgusted with Christians. But who was I, a flawed person, to judge another flawed person?

Back to Isaiah’s prophecy. Isaiah 26:20 talks about shutting the doors and hiding from the “his wrath” (or anger, or fury). The very next verse states, “See, the Lord is coming out of his dwelling to punish the people of the earth for their sins. The earth will disclose the blood shed on it; the earth will conceal its slain no longer." (Isaiah 26:21 NIV)

Isaiah 25 is about the final days when “(God) will swallow up death forever; and the Lord God will wipe away tears from all faces…” (Isaiah 25:8a ESV) These images are Christian images for the “end times” when God will set all wrongs right.

Chapter 26 starts, “In that day this song will be sung…” Verse 19 promises a physical resurrection from the dead, “Your dead shall live; their bodies shall rise. You who dwell in the dust, awake and sing for joy!” [ESV] 

Why does this happen? I am so glad you asked! 

“But when grace is shown to the wicked, they do not learn righteousness; even in a land of uprightness they go on doing evil and do not regard the majesty of the Lord.” (Isaiah 26:10 NIV) However, bad times create possibilities, “O Lord, in distress they sought you; they poured out a whispered prayer when your discipline was upon them.” (Isaiah 26:16 ESV)

My heart’s cry has always been to see the beginning of the end. Is this it? I don’t know. Remember, the Jewish scholars knew where the Messiah (Jesus) was to be born. Somehow they missed it. At the crucifixion they even fulfilled prophecy, unknowingly. When in an event, it is hard to see if it lines up with prophecy or not. Only time and hindsight can answer the question.

I do know that Isaiah offers advice to God’s faithful, “You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you. (Isaiah 26:3 ESV) Do you “trust” God or are you relying on something that is other than Jesus?

“Amen! Come, Lord Jesus!” (from Revelation 22:20)

Pandemic Tip #7

March 28, 2020

I have a “love/hate relationship” with words like revival, refresh, and renewal.

My dislike for those words come from the idea behind the prefix “re-“ which means, in English, “again.” In other word, to “renew” means to make something new again. “Revival” means to bring to life again. "Refresh" means to make something stale fresh again. The point is that something that was once is no more. Kind of like “refuel.” We refuel our vehicles because they are low on fuel.

Okay, maybe that’s something necessary. If we are low on energy we need to “refuel” through energy giving actions. It works that way spiritually. God describes Himself in Isaiah 57:17c, “I restore the crushed spirit of the humble and revive the courage of those with repentant hearts.” [NLT] This is God’s character. It’s what He does because it is who He is…

The first key is to be humble. Over and over in the Bible, we are told God opposes the proud. Repentance, on the other hand, is the key to entering a right relationship with God. We cannot be "saved" without having a repentant heart. We cannot walk with God without having a repentant heart. We cannot enter heaven without a repentant heart.

But what does that mean? I am so glad you asked!

Being humble is to understand yourself correctly. Not more highly than you should. Being humble means you are not drawing attention to yourself but point people to Jesus. Being humble requires intentional reorienting your life toward God.

To repent means to admit “I am wrong and God is right.” The Hebrew word for repent means to change the behavior. The Greek word means to change the mind (which in context of the culture meant changing behavior). We don’t use words like wrong and right anymore, because we do not like the possibility… 

Modern humanity wants to deny the existence of God. We gravitate to anything that would give us a plausible excuse for not believing there is a God. The thing that comes to mind first is the “theory of evolution.” Evolution’s core belief is “survival of the fittest.” Have you noticed when “the rubber meets the road” our society is doing everything it can to protect the venerable? So we have disconnected belief and praxis (action based on principle). 

But, maybe that happens on a smaller personal level as well. We say we follow Jesus, but we do things that Jesus would not do. We say we follow Jesus, but refuse to do what Jesus would do. That is were humility and repentance come into play. We need to confess these things are “wrong.” Theologically speaking we say they are “sin.”

It’s not a far reach to suggest these dark and dank things are draining you of your spiritual energy. Like the fuel tank running low needs attention. So our spiritual lives need constant and deliberate attention. The odd part about all this is if you are still reading and feel you are fine; two possibilities exist. Either you are fine or you have shut off the voice of God from your life. (Meaning spiritually dead or dying.)

Time to fearlessly check your life’s orientation.

Pandemic Tip #6

March 26, 2020

Kicking around the internet, I found a new website that I really like. I like it because it gives numbers and statistics to all sorts of things. It's called “worldometer.” Before I go any further, when I mention a website or source, or movie, or book, etc… I am not necessarily endorsing it.

According to worldometer the current world population is a little over 7.7 Billion people with around 237k (at the moment of my writing this) births… today. Yes, that is JUST today.

Infants need care. They need food, they need moved, and they need loved. Much like what the Bible does for us. Reading 1 Peter 2:2 – 3, we find, “Like newborn babies, you must crave pure spiritual milk so that you will grow into a full experience of salvation. Cry out for this nourishment, now that you have had a taste of the Lord’s kindness.” [NLT]

This is contrasted with verse one, “So get rid of all evil behavior. Be done with all deceit, hypocrisy, jealousy, and all unkind speech.” [NLT] Wow… that’s a laundry list of political behavior. It’s also a candid list of what we were born to do because that is what we are… Theologically we call this the “sinful nature.” That means we are born with the natural pull to commit sin. It also means that when we sin by doing something we are told by God that leads to death (or not doing something we are told by God that leads to life) we are acting according to our base sinful nature.

However, when we are “born again” (as Jesus painted it). We start a new life as “newborn babies” as Peter tells us. To grow we need food, we need to be moved forward, and we need loved. Where does that come from? I am so glad you asked!

The “spiritual milk” the will nourish us so we grow into a “full experience of salvation” is the Bible. The reality is there are people who START as spiritual newborn babies and END that way. My suspicion is that is a shame. Imagine all the wasted potential of people who refuse to grow up. Peter Pan anyone? And they wonder why there is no real joy or peace. Instead of peace there is panic. They do not fulfill their purpose or function on this earth. (The meaning of the Greek word "teleos," often translated "perfect" is closer to the modern English idea of fulfilling purpose or function.)

My suspicion is that your reaction to this pandemic, peace or panic, is conditioned on whether or not you have craved “pure spiritual milk.” If you have tasted the “Lord’s kindness” (or goodness) then I doubt much will disturb your balance in times like these. So take time today, tomorrow, and for the rest of your life to deliberately study the Bible… to deliberately grow up (be moved)… to deliberately enjoy the “full experience of salvation.” (be loved)

Pandemic Tip #4

March 22, 2020

There are a lot of things to do at home during this time of self-imposed isolation. There are plenty of books being offered for free. [BTW, if you can find anything by C. S. Johnson grab it. She writes “young adult” type books along the “urban fantasy” and “space opera” genres.] Want to learn to play the guitar? Look around, someone is offering free lessons on-line. Art classes are being made available for no charge. Chess lessons are being offered for free. There is always YouTube; where it’s been said anyone can learn anything. You name it, it’s probably available. Go ahead and learn something new or brush up on an old skill. The extension of good will is impressive.

The real human need is contact with others. If they are family, friends, and neighbors; the bottom line is humans are social creatures that need to interact with one another. It’s the way we are designed by our Creator. However, at this point we are being told to practice “social distancing” (which some would argue is NOT enough). Which means we are going to feel a deep sense of isolation, even if we find distraction.

Technology has given us several ways to stay connected. To steal a phrase from an old TV show, “phone a friend.” Some of us still have “phones with tails.” (The ones that plug into the wall and have a curly cord between the handset and the rest of the contraption.) Others are carrying incredible computers in our pockets that can even show us live pictures of the people we are chatting with… or maybe write a short note.  Sure it’s not the physical proximity and contact that we crave and need, but it is contact.

Calling someone is a way to find out if some is in need or if help is required. It's also a great time to share stories and maybe laugh together. You never know what you might learn.

Speaking of calling someone, maybe one of the best calls we could make is to God.  In Psalm 86:7 David admits, “In the day of my trouble I shall call upon You, For You will answer me.” [KJV] David's life was not easy, it should have been but his disobedience and criminal activity cost him dearly. Through it all David maintained his prayer life and experienced mercy and grace.

My suspicion is what we need most is a meaningful, authentic, and right relationship with God. Go ahead, give Him a call. You might be surprised to find that He’s listening and cares more about you than you could possibly imagine. You might just find the mercy and grace you desperately need in this life, and in eternity.

Pandemic Tip #3

March 20, 2020

There is a tendency to think of right and wrong in absolutes. It’s not our fault. When we were in school we were taught that 2 + 2 = 4, any other answer is wrong. Let’s face it, we carry that over to questionable matters like politics and religion. We develop a “we is us, and they is them” mentality. I can, with almost certainty, declare that this blindness will bring death.

There seems to be an idea that “faith” and “fear” are opposites. Some churches will not be meeting as a congregation until the pandemic has passed. They might be accused of “fear.” Other churches will continue to meet under the guise of “faith.” Others might call it dangerous (at best).

I’m going to propose the unthinkable. Neither are right or wrong. What if, they are not on opposite ends of the stick? Maybe we should look at them as different sides of the cut gem. Both correctly looking at the same thing from a different perspective.

The Bible states that the “fear of the LORD” is the beginning of “wisdom.” [Proverbs 9:10] It also claims the “fear of the LORD” is the beginning of “knowledge.” [Proverbs 1:7] We are also told the “fear of the LORD” is a “fountain of life.” [Proverbs 14:27 KJV]

But God is such a loving God, why should we “fear the LORD?” Without fear we will not gain knowledge or wisdom. Let’s face it, some things are just plain dangerous. A healthy fear will go a long way in keeping us alive. That’s the “fountain of life” thing. But this is where we begin to understand “faith.”  Without one you can’t have the other. Fear by itself will make us irrational, unthinking animals. Faith, without correct knowledge will never give us the wisdom we need. Knowledge and wisdom only come from  _________. (Okay, class what is the answer? Hint, four letters and starts with “f.”)

Ummm, back to matters at hand. Should we “fear” the pandemic? My suspicion is we should. We need to take this seriously and take every possible measure to protect ourselves and others against this virus. On this matter, I also believe we need to obey our governing authorities because they probably have the most accurate information about the situation and are acting in good faith.

Then “faith” steps in… What is the worst that is going to happen to you? If you have experienced the mercy and grace of God, then there should be an absolute trust you will spend eternity in heaven. If you have never repented of your sins and trusted what Jesus has done by shedding His blood on the cross, then you are correct to be in absolute terror of this plague.

Then again, the choice is yours.

Pandemic Tip #2

March 19, 2020

When I was growing up, I loved the nursery rhymes and children’s stories. When I grew older, I discovered that the original stories were meant to teach children (and parents) basic “common wisdom” lessons. Like Aesop’s Fables, only the “moral of the story” was left for the reader to figure out.

One such story is “Chicken Little.” The story I heard was the King solved Chicken Little’s problem at the end by giving her an umbrella so the falling acorns would not be a problem. However, this story has a very long and dark past.

The earliest recorded versions of the story had Chicken Little and the rest of her friends (all of them birds) meeting a fox and mindlessly going to the fox’s den, where they never came out. Some have declared the moral of the story is “don’t believe everything you hear.” While that might be part of the message of the story, I think there is also another point. Simply put, “don’t panic.” Basically panic created a situation where an event was interpreted in such a way that reason was lost. Once the emotional panic set in, it became a disease that spread to the other animals. It ended in a fox taking advantage of the panicked birds.

The line that maybe be the best known line in the story is “the sky is falling.” It comes from the version published in 1850. Students of history will recognize that the world was coming off, and in the middle of sicknesses that included Yellow fever, Influenza, and Cholera that did a lot of damage as far as death and fear was concerned.

Jesus warned us about worry when He said, “So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today.” [Matthew 6:24 NLT] Do you see it? What Jesus is saying is that when we worry we are thinking about things that may never happen. Energy is spent in “panic mode.” Once panic mode hits, we forget the things we have to deal with today. My suspicion is that once we start into panic mode; we essentially create the thing we fear BECAUSE we are not paying attention to what is important today.

I believe there is good news. Jesus gives peace. “I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid.” [Jesus, from John 14:27 NLT] I think the old meme is correct, “Know Jesus, know peace. No Jesus, no peace.”

So while attention is diverted to “am I going to have enough toilet paper tomorrow,” we are missing the real question. The real question you need to ask yourself, “am I on the path to heaven today?”

Pandemic Tip #1

March 18, 2020

Due to the current pandemic of the coronavirus (COVID – 19), services at Faith Alliance Church are suspended for March 22^nd and 29^th. Keep posted for the latest church news. Until then I will be posting some spiritual thoughts for all…

Our local TV station informed me last night that we have been without sports for 5 days. The sports reporter posted a video of him playing ball with his dog in what looked like the news room. Since much, if not all of the world is on voluntary to mandatory “lock down” I was wondering what there would be to do. How are we going to keep our sanity?

Playing ball with the dog or laser tag with the cat sounds fun. Eating with the family sounds intimidating. For some that means actually communicating. Maybe snuggling with your favorite person. All these are good, and maybe they are a much need Sabbath in our competitive and fast-moving world.

Speaking of Sabbath. It started when God created the world and rested on the seventh day. Genesis 2:2 – 3 states, “On the seventh day God had finished his work of creation, so he rested from ALL his work. ³ And God blessed the seventh day and declared it holy, because it was the day when he rested from all his work of creation.” [NLT]

Wait, read that again. We are talking about the ALMIGHTY God, who can do whatever He wants, anyway He wants, anytime He wants. The ALMIGHT God took a day off. Let it sink in... The New Living Translation has a foot note that “rested” means He “ceased.”

Ummm, would that have caused everything to stop? After all Colossians 1:17 declares, “He existed before anything else, and he holds all creation together.” [NLT] So if God took a day off ALL his work including holding everything together; wouldn’t that cause everything to “fall apart at the seams?”

Or maybe God trusted His design to work the way it is supposed to work, at least for one day. Fragile yet durable. Dependent on rest. Now’s a good time to re-evaluate life-driving priorities, re-connect with our loved ones on a meaningful level, re-consider our spiritual path (as in; does it lead to heaven).

So my first bit of advice during this pandemic is “rest.” My suspicion is this is the time for everyone to "give careful thought" to their eternal destiny.