March 28, 2013

"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God.  All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it. There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. This man came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all through him might believe. He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light. That was the true Light which gives light to every man coming into the world. He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him.  But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. John bore witness of Him and cried out, saying, “This was He of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me is preferred before me, for He was before me.’” And of His fullness we have all received, and grace for grace. For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. No one has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him." John 1:1-18

"I am the Way, the Truth and the Life. No one comes to the Father but by Me." John 14:6

The Bible is referred to as the Word of God.

John records in his much loved and highly acclaimed Gospel that Jesus was the "Word that became flesh". He therefore identifies Jesus as the living Word of God.

Jesus identified Himself as such.

Bible scholars have identified as many as 300 prophecies fulfilled in the events surrounding the virgin birth, life, sacrificial death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. There was not one prophecy that went unfulfilled. In other words, the scorecard reads "God - 300" "skeptics - 0".

Remember that those prophecies were recorded centuries before the birth of Jesus and were regularly taught to and by the rabbi's and religious leaders of the Jews.

The capstone of these hundreds of prophecies was the resurrection of Jesus just as foretold by ancient prophets.

Biblical historians claim that the resurrection of Jesus Christ is one of the best documented events in history.

The Romans inadvertently provided evidence in their attempt to prevent the predicted resurrection from happening. By sealing the tomb and posting guards they assured the body of Jesus was not stolen out of the tomb.

There are eleven references in the New Testament concerning post-resurrection appearances of Jesus.

Paul, the well-regarded scholar and Apostle made this claim in one of his letters and it is presented in a way that assumes his hearers are familiar with the fact of his claim:

"I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures,5 and that He was seen by Cephas, then by the twelve. 6 After that He was seen by over five hundred brethren at once," I Corinthians 15:3-6

So, the historical evidence of 300 fulfilled prophecies, the Romans at the tomb and the documented appearances of Jesus up to 40 days after His resurrection make a strong case for the fact that Jesus is the Son of God and that the Bible is the reliable Word of God.

Anyone who claims otherwise stands on shaky ground with dubious evidence.

One more reason to celebrate Easter and one more case where Jesus is right and all who doubt Him are wrong!

March 27, 2013

"He is not here, but is risen: remember how he spoke to you when he was yet in Galilee?" Luke 24:6

 

What is wrong with us that we don't believe what Jesus tells us?

 

Could it be SIN maybe?

 

Maybe!

 

The Resurrection of Jesus Christ is the central tenet of the Christian Faith. If it isn't true Christianity is just another mythical mystical religion.

 

BUT IT IS TRUE! Jesus DID die to take our judgment for our sins (the atonement) and He DID arise from the dead on the third day AS HE HAD PREDICTED!

 

Amazing as it is, while the disciples either didn't grasp His prediction or didn't believe it the Romans did! They posted several guards in an attempt to prevent it. Ironically, by placing guards by the tomb to prevent the prediction of Jesus rising from the dead they actually helped to DOCUMENT IT!

 

As I claimed in yesterday's post, the Resurrection of Jesus Christ proves conclusively once and for all that any and all who doubted the claims of Christ are wrong and He is right! So, if they are wrong about the resurrection I wonder what else they are wrong about?

 

Yesterday I made the case that those who disagree with Jesus about the definition of marriage as exclusively between a man and a woman are wrong and He is right! Until you rise from the dead I would encourage you to not disagree with One who did!

 

This morning I would like to make the case for life since those who embrace the truth of the resurrection also tend to embrace the sanctity of life. Those who champion abortion tend to have doubts about the sanctity of human life.

 

When the angel announced to Mary that the Holy Spirit would cause her to conceive and she would become pregnant with the Son of God, (Luke 1:26-38) he wasn't referring to "an unviable tissue mass". He was proclaiming the miraculous merging of the divine life with human life indicating that Jesus was very much alive at the moment of the Immaculate Conception!

 

Not only is Jesus a champion of life, He IS LIFE! "I am the Way, the Truth and the Life" declared Jesus! (John 14:6) Given the fact that Jesus arose from the dead it is rather hard to argue again this claim. Again, I say, when you arise from the dead then you are in a position to disagree with His proclamations.

 

Jesus is pro-life - human life, abundant life, and eternal life - and He believes abortion is evil. He is right and anyone who disagrees with Him is wrong.

 

The Resurrection is proof He is right! What is your proof?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

March 26, 2013

"Now after the Sabbath, as the first day of the week began to dawn, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to see the tomb. And behold, there was a great earthquake; for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat on it. His countenance was like lightning, and his clothing as white as snow. And the guards shook for fear of him, and became like dead men. But the angel answered and said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. He is not here; for He is risen, as He said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay. And go quickly and tell His disciples that He is risen from the dead, and indeed He is going before you into Galilee; there you will see Him. Behold, I have told you.” Matthew 28:1-7

 

Easter Sunday is the most important day of any year and it is one of the top three or four events of history! (Creation was real important! Noah building the ark was real important! The birth of Jesus was very important! The second coming of Jesus will be real significant!)

 

Not only is the resurrection of Jesus of central importance to the Christian faith as an historical event, it is equally as significant on this 26th of March, 2013!

 

Let me show you what I mean and why the resurrection REALLY matters!

 

In John's account of the resurrection, as in the other three Gospels, the followers of Jesus went to the tomb at dawn on the third day expecting to find a body to prepare. In each case they were shocked to find the tomb empty, the body gone and an angel present. In other words, they were wrong!

 

It wasn't that Jesus hadn't told them that He would rise again because He clearly had! They just didn't get it. He told them right but they heard it wrong!

 

Therefore, the resurrection of Jesus is an enduring reminder that He was right and His disciples were wrong. He always is right and when we disagree with Him we are always wrong!

 

Doesn't it make you wonder what else He is right about that we have wrong? I can think of several relevant issues where men think they are right but God says is wrong.

 

How about a moral issue that is begin considered today by our Supreme Court - the issue of same-sex marriage?

 

Here is what God says is right:

 

"Then He arose from there and came to the region of Judea by the other side of the Jordan. And multitudes gathered to Him again, and as He was accustomed, He taught them again. The Pharisees came and asked Him, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?” testing Him. And He answered and said to them, “What did Moses command you?” They said, “Moses permitted a man to write a certificate of divorce, and to dismiss her.” And Jesus answered and said to them, “Because of the hardness of your heart he wrote you this precept. But from the beginning of the creation, God ‘made them male and female.’ ‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’; so then they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate.” Mark 10:1-9

 

The conclusion Jesus gave is that if God has designed marriage as a lifelong relationship, why end it? Yes, adultery/sexual immorality and desertion are named in other places in the New Testament as reasons (and these can possibly be interpreted broadly to include other situations), Jesus' standard is lifelong, monogamous, male-female marriage.

 

Some argue that marriage ought to be redefined to include two partners of the same sex. Jesus said on this and other occasions that marriage is defined as and therefore limited to a man and a woman.

 

Just as it was with the resurrection, He is right and those who want to redefine marriage are wrong.

 

Furthermore, not only is the Supreme Court being asked to redefine marriage but it is being asked to overturn Proposition 8 which was a referendum passed in California by a majority of the voters in that State to legally uphold the definition of marriage as being between a man and a woman.

 

So, not only are these proponents of same-sex marriage asking the Court to say the expressed will of God is wrong but they are also wanting the Court to overturn the expressed will of the people of California! (And 30 other states who have voted to support the Biblical definition of marriage!)

Jesus told everyone who would listen He would be killed and would rise again on the third day. No one believed Him but the First Easter is proof that God is right and anyone who disagrees with His Word is wrong!

 

 

 

 

March 25, 2013

^"The next day the great crowd that had come for the festival heard that Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem.  They took palm branches and went out to meet him, shouting,
 

“Hosanna!”
 

“Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!”
 

“Blessed is the king of Israel!”

 

Jesus found a young donkey and sat on it, as it is written: “Do not be afraid, Daughter Zion, see, your king is coming, seated on a donkey’s colt.” John 12:12-15

It was one of the most inspiring sights of World War II. Four chaplains were standing on the deck of the USS Dorchester, hand-in-hand, singing the old hymn "Nearer My God To Thee." But then, these were inspiring men. And this was a scene the men of the USS Dorchester would never forget.

 

George Fox was the oldest of the chaplains. A veteran of WW I and a recipient of the Silver Star for bravery. He had become a public accountant after the war and then a minister. When WW II began he told his wife he would have to go. "I know from experience what our boys are about to face," he said, "They need me."

 

Alexander D. Goode was the only Rabbi in the group. A father of four and a medical doctor, he was patriotic to the core.

Johnny P. Washington came from a poor Irish immigrant family. He grew up in the slums of Newark, New Jersey, but went on to become a Catholic priest. He was known for his laughter and his love of music.

 

Clark V. Poling, the youngest of the four chaplains, was a minister from the Dutch Reformed church. Clark was the seventh generation in an unbroken line of ministers. However, he wanted to be a fighting soldier instead of a chaplain. He didn’t want people to think he was "hiding behind the church." But when he found out that the mortality rate of the chaplains was the highest of all he felt he would be doing his full part as a chaplain.

 

It was a stirring sight to see these four men united, hand-in-hand, on the deck of that ship. But they weren’t conducting a service for the men as you might think -- they were preparing to die. It was in the early morning hours of February 3, 1943. The ship was bound for Greenland with 906 men on board. Suddenly a torpedo from a Nazi U-boat ripped through the hull and the ship began to sink in the icy waters of the North Atlantic.

 

Fear gave way to panic among the soldiers. Rushing to the deck, many left their lifejackets below. The chaplains helped calm the panic by helping the men escape the sinking ship. Then, with the lifeboats full, they gave their own lifejackets to soldiers who had none. The ship completely sank in only twenty-seven minutes.

 

As the men who had escaped looked back at their doomed ship they saw the four chaplains standing on board the sinking ship hand-in-hand and listened as the men lifted their voices to God. It was a sight that would forever be etched in their memories.    

 

Had the sovereign hand of God directed each of them down the same road or had they chosen it for themselves? What we know for sure is that they chose to give their lives for others. Jesus said, "Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends." (John 15:13) Jesus was traveling this road into Jerusalem to do just that -- lay down His life for His friends.

 

This "triumphal entry" was actually a road of sorrow He chose for himself. It too was an inspiring sight for those who can see it for what it was.

March 24, 2013

^"Still other seed fell on good soil. It came up, grew and produced a crop, some multiplying thirty, some sixty, some a hundred times.” Mark 4:8

 

Have you learned more by asking or by listening?

 

Before Jesus told the Parable of the Sower he emphasized, "Listen!" And again, when He ended it He said, "Listen!"

 

Actually, He said, "He who has ears to hear let him hear." In other words, "Listen!"

 

The parable is about listening, or at least hearing, the message of the Gospel. Jesus identifies four different types of hearers.

 

First is the Egocentric Hearer as represented by the seed that fell on the path.

 

This person listens to hear what he wants to hear or for what sounds good to him and dismisses anything else. Ignoring or dismissing truth will harden your heart.

 

Second is the Emergency Hearer as represented by the rocky soil.

 

The emergency hearer usually begins listening when things get rocky or painful in his and life. But because he only wants relief but not the responsibility of a relationship he fails to grow roots to sustain him.

 

Third is the Emotional Hearer as illustrated by the thorny soil.

 

An emotional hearer listens and learns but falls in love the feeling rather getting grounded in faith. So when the trials of life begin to pressure him and the emotions turn from good to bad his faith wanes.

 

Finally is the Effective Hearer as represented by the good soil that produced a bountiful harvest.

 

An effective hearer listens to the Word, he learns the Word, loves the Word and most importantly - he lives the Word. Because he lives the Word it affects other lives through him.

 

Jesus identifies four types of hearers.

 

One of those four is you. Which is it?

 

What will you do about it?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

March 23, 2013

 

 "Again Jesus began to teach by the lake. The crowd that gathered around him was so large that he got into a boat and sat in it out on the lake, while all the people were along the shore at the water’s edge. He taught them many things by parables, and in his teaching said: “Listen! A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants, so that they did not bear grain. Still other seed fell on good soil. It came up, grew and produced a crop, some multiplying thirty, some sixty, some a hundred times.” Then Jesus said, “Whoever has ears to hear, let them hear.”  Mark 4:1-9

Growing up in Northern Indiana I am very familiar with seed and planting and soil. In that part of the country we were blessed with some of the most fertile soil in the world. But, as good as the soil is it still has to be plowed and harrowed and fertilized in order to be prepared for the seed that will be planted.

In the parable Jesus told in Mark  4 the seed represents the Word of God which is always fertile seed, but the emphasis is placed on the condition of the soil. The soil represents the human heart and He mentions four soil conditions, or conditions of the heart.

The first condition is represented by the path. Because of the constant foot traffic over this soil it has become hardened and unreceptive to the seed. Before the seed has a chance to put down roots it is either crushed under foot or snatched by the birds.This is the hearer who may hear the Word but doesn't listen to it.

I call him the ego-centered hearer. He doesn't think he really needs to hear the Word and so when he does he only listens to what he wants to hear. Therefore, his heart becomes hardened.

The second sort of hearer mentioned in the Parable of the Sower is represented by the rocky soil. This is the hearer who listens to the Word and receives it gladly. His faith is stirred and is initiated within his spirit.

Often this is the person who experiences trouble and rocky times in his life and turns to faith looking for help. And he finds it because any time you sincerely call on the name of the Lord you will find Him.

But while he heard the Master's voice and listened, he didn't have time to learn from the Word and put down deep roots. Since his faith is shallow from lack of knowledge he doesn't withstand the heat of life's trials and faith dies.

 

Regarding the second hearer, he is what I call the emergency hearer. This hearer finds himself in a bad situation and his life has become rocky so he turns to God for help. Sure enough, he finds help from a faithful God. But he doesn't diligently continue to listen and learn from the Word so his shallow spiritual roots are not deep enough to sustain him.

 

Jesus talked about a third condition illustrated by thorny ground. When the seed lands among the weeds and thorns it springs up quickly but is choked out by the weeds before it can produce a harvest.

 

Such a heart is one who hears the Word and listens but doesn't learn the truth of it. Therefore, it cannot survive the attacks of the weeds. I call this the emotional hearer. He hears the Word at an emotional point in his life, listens and believes but depends on emotions when emotions change so does he.

 

Let me ask you, "Which sort of soil is in your heart?"

 

One of these conditions is true of your heart.

 

Are you an ego-centric hearer, an emergency hearer or an emotional hearer?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

March 22, 2013

"Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root." Mark 4:5-6

 

When I was growing up one of the leading brands of electronic products was RCA. Their logo showed a dog sitting near an old Victrola-style phonograph with a listening ear leaned toward the speaker. The tag line attached to the logo was, "The master's voice".

 

 

Shouldn't this be the picture of a Christian listening to hear the voice of their Master?

 

The second sort of hearer mentioned in the Parable of the Sower is represented by the rocky soil. This is the hearer who listens to the Word and receives it gladly. His faith is stirred and is initiated within his spirit.

 

Often this is the person who experiences trouble and rocky times in his life and turns to faith looking for help. And he finds it because any time you sincerely call on the name of the Lord you will find Him.

 

But while he heard the Master's voice and listened, he didn't have time to learn from the Word and put down deep roots. Since his faith is shallow from lack of knowledge he doesn't withstand the heat of life's trials and faith dies.

 

So, we have the hearer who doesn't listen and we have the hearer who listens but doesn't learn.

 

The first I call the ego-centered hearer. He doesn't think he really needs to hear the Word and so when he does he only listens to what he wants to hear. Therefore, his heart becomes hardened.

 

Regarding the second hearer, he is what I call the emergency hearer. This hearer finds himself in a bad situation and his life has become rocky so he turns to God for help. Sure enough, he finds help from a faithful God. But he doesn't diligently continue to listen and learn from the Word so his shallow spiritual roots are not deep enough to sustain him.

 

Do either of these scenarios apply to you?

 

Are you listening to the voice of God through His Word or through preaching or teaching ministries? Are you studying to learn from God's Word so you can put down deep roots?