Respecting Authority

Deep in the Old Testament there is the story of King Saul’s failure to respect God’s authority. After having only partially obeying God’s explicit commandments, he tried to make up for his self-willed action by promising to offer burnt offerings and sacrifices to God. At this point the Scriptures present one of the finest statements in the entire Bible concerning the importance of obedience: “Has Jehovah as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of Jehovah? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams. For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as idolatry and teraphim.” (1 Samuel 15:22-23) The principle of obedience runs through all of God’s dealings with man. It was a vital principle during the Patriarchal Age and the Mosaical Age, as it continues to be today during the Christian era. In all of the 1189 chapters of the Bible there is no more fundamental principle than that God expects man to obey His commandments. This is seen in a statement from the Prophet Isaiah, “If you are willing and obedient, you shall eat the good of the land: but if you refuse and rebel, you shall be devoured with the sword; for the mouth of Jehovah has spoken it.” (Isaiah 1:19-20) God created the universe for man and then placed him upon the Earth as His crowning work of creation. God then gave men guidelines about how to live in order to make his life happy and successful. These rules and commandments are not arbitrary, but are given out of the infinite love of God for mankind, for the purpose of making mankind’s life meaningful. When man violates these laws he destroys himself. It is seen more readily when man violates the law of gravity, but it is nevertheless true in the moral and spiritual realms that when man violates God’s laws, he crushes himself. In the Gospel of Matthew Jesus Christ said, “Not everyone that says unto Me, ‘Lord, Lord, shall enter into the Kingdom of Heaven; but he that does the will of My Father Who is in Heaven,’” (Matthew 7:21). A similar statement is found in James 1:22, where the writer says, “Be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deluding your own selves.” In the entire Bible there is no more fundamental principle than that of obedience. All of us are aware, out of our own experience, that it is not easy to be obedient to authority. It appears that there is an innate desire on the part of all of us to be independent and to have our own way. This seems to be an inborn, natural, universal tendency of man. Even our children do not like to be told when to get up, how to dress, what to eat, what to do, and where to go. Any superimposed authority from outside ourselves is likely to be met with resentment. But when we refuse to obey God, the results are always disastrous.

A Kingdom of Priests

Good morning, fellow priests and priestesses! That is not a typical greeting one hears when a church of Christ gathers, but it certainly is appropriate!

The New Testament teaches that all believers who have followed the gospel plan of salvation are to be priests in the service of their King. 4. Come to Him, to that Living Stone, rejected by men but in God's sight chosen and precious; 5. and like living stones be yourselves built into a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. 9. But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God's own people, that you may declare the wonderful deeds of Him Who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light. (1 Peter 2:4-5; 9 [RSV]) There is no longer any special class as there was under the Law of Moses with the Levitical priesthood, for no longer will God accept any mere man to act as mediator between Him and man. Why should He? He already has the perfect Mediator in His Son, Jesus Christ: “For there is one God, and there is one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus” (1 Timothy 2:5 [RSV]).

With the advent of the New Covenant of liberty of Jesus Christ, which is far superior to the Old Covenant under the Law of Moses, we see fulfilled in this priesthood what God intended originally for the nation of Israel: 5. Now therefore, if you will obey My voice and keep My covenant, you shall be My own possession among all peoples; for all the Earth is Mine, 6. and you shall be to Me a Kingdom of priests and a holy nation. (Exodus 19:5-6 [RSV]) Because of their disobedience, the priesthood fell to the tribe of Levi only, and Isaiah prophesied of a time to come when a new nation of priests would come to the Gentiles: “but you shall be called the priests of the Lord, men shall speak of you as the ministers of our God; you shall eat the wealth of the nations, and in their riches you shall glory” (Isaiah 61:6 [RSV]).

To become a priest under the Law of Moses one needed to undergo a consecration process involving a cleansing and an anointing ceremony. This ceremony involved a washing, an oil anointing and the sprinkling of sacrificial blood (Exodus 29:1; 4; 7 and 20). In the New Covenant of Christ we, too, are consecrated to be priests when we are cleansed and anointed. We are cleansed by the blood of Jesus Christ (Ephesians 5:26) our sacrificial Lamb (Revelation 7:14) when we are immersed into Him and clothed with His holy garments (Galatians 3:27), washing away our sins (Acts 22:15). We are simultaneously anointed with His Holy Spirit when we undergo baptism. The Apostle Peter said on the Day of Pentecost, “Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit” (Acts 2:38 [RSV]). This gift of the Holy Spirit is bestowed upon all obedient believers in Christ, and it is also our down payment and promise of eternal life: 13. In Him you also, Who have heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and have believed in Him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, 14. Which is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of His glory. (Ephesians 1:13-14 [RSV])

To Know Him Is To Know Love

As we have discussed previously, the Gnostics believed they were better than everyone else. They believed they were the special, enlightened individuals who held secret knowledge only elites such as themselves were privy to, and from this secret knowledge they could unlock the mysteries of the universe and become gods themselves. Their very name Gnostic comes from the Greek word for knowledge, gnosis.

In his ongoing battle against the heretical Gnostics who denied that Jesus came in the flesh, the Apostle John, the beloved disciple of the Lord, wrote in 1 John 2:20-23 [RSV], 20. But you have been anointed by the Holy One, and you all know. 21. I write to you, not because you do not know the truth, but because you know it, and know that no lie is of the truth. 22. Who is the liar but he who denies that Jesus is the Christ? This is the antichrist, he who denies the Father and the Son. 23. No one who denies the Son has the Father. He who confesses the Son has the Father also.

John goes on the offensive quite strongly here in defense of the true gospel of salvation found only in our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. The word translated “know” above comes from the Greek word ginosko. This word ginosko is gnosis on steroids for it means to come to understand completely. John uses ginosko 40 times alone in 1 John to drive home his point: Have nothing to do with those Gnostics for you know better. There is no secret mystery yet to be revealed to only a select few. That mystery “was revealed to them that they were serving not themselves but you, in the things which have now been announced to you by those who preached the good news to you through the Holy Spirit sent from Heaven, things into which Angels long to look” (1 Peter 1:12 [RSV]) when “the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, full of grace and truth; we have beheld His glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father” (John 1:14 [RSV]). As the Apostle Paul put it, “Great indeed, we confess, is the mystery of our religion: He was manifested in the flesh, vindicated in the Spirit, seen by Angels, preached among the nations, believed on in the world, taken up in glory” (1 Timothy 3:16 [RSV]).

God has given us all we need in order to have complete knowledge of where our salvation lies. It is this knowledge, this coming to understand completely, that gives us assurance, just as it did the Apostle Paul (2 Timothy 4:7-8), of our final and eternal salvation in Christ as long as we, too, remain “faithful unto death” (Revelation 2:10 [RSV]) whereby we will receive “the crown of life” (Revelation 2:10 [RSV]).

Finally, because we know Him in Whom our salvation lies we also know true love. As John writes, “By this we know love, that He laid down His life for us; and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.” (1 John 3:16 [RSV])

No Gods

After a drought of three years, Elijah presented himself to Ahab, the king of Israel, with the promise that the Lord would provide rain. Elijah then challenged 450 prophets of Baal and 400 prophets of Asherah to a contest on Mount Carmel. “And Elijah came near to all the people, and said, ‘How long will you go limping with two different opinions? If the Lord is God, follow Him; but if Baal, then follow him.’ And the people did not answer him a word.” (1 Kings 18:21 [RSV])

Each side made sacrifices to their God without building a fire. The lighting of the fire was to be performed by the strongest god, and would thus reveal Jehovah as the true and liviing God.

During the battle between the Prophet Elijah and the prophets of Baal and Asherah, Baal was silent. Elijah mocked the prophets of Baal. The Bible tells us, 27. And at noon Elijah mocked them, saying, “Cry aloud, for he is a god; either he is musing, or he has gone aside, or he is on a journey, or perhaps he is asleep and must be awakened.” 28. And they cried aloud, and cut themselves after their custom with swords and lances, until the blood gushed out upon them. 29. And as midday passed, they raved on until the time of the offering of the oblation, but there was no voice; no one answered, no one heeded. (1 Kings 18:27-29 [RSV]) Elijah poured a large amount of water over his sacrifice and asked Jehovah to reveal Himself by consuming the sacrifice. 38. Then the fire of the Lord fell, and consumed the burnt offering, and the wood, and the stones, and the dust, and licked up the water that was in the trench. 39. And when all the people saw it, they fell on their faces; and they said, “The Lord, He is God; the Lord, He is God.” (1 Kings 18:38-39 [RSV])

Many people in this world who are seemingly successful and on the outside happy as can be are, in fact, completely miserable. They are miserable because they have placed their faith in the wrong things, just as those prophets of Baal and the Asherah did centuries ago. How tragic that is! Those prophets were sincere to the point of frenzy in their worship, but it was all to no avail. Elijah mocked them, but he also pointed out an important truth, which was that nobody was home. There was no voice and there was no answer to their please because there was no god to pay attention to their cries. Their religion was empty. And ultimately it caused their death (1 Kings 18:40).

Everything the world offers is likewise empty. The money, the fame, the “good times” cannot fill the void in our lives because they have no substance. They seem real when we casually observe them, but the moment the stresses of life hit, they dissolve like cotton candy. Eventually, they also lead to our death, which is eternal separation from the Father. Do not make the same mistake the prophets of Baal did! Make sure that what you put first in your life is real.

Lucifer and the Stones of Fire

The Book of Job, the oldest book of the Bible, mentions many known celestial objects by name:

31. "Can you bind the chains of the Pleiades, or loose the cords of Orion? 32. Can you lead forth the Mazzaroth in their season, or can you guide the Bear with its children?" (Job 38:31-32 [RSV]) The Pleides are a cluster of stars in the northeastern skies also known as the Seven Sisters. Orion is the most easily recognizable constellation in the winter skies and is also associated with the evil Nimrod of the Tower of Babel fame. Mazzaroth is another name for what we commonly refer to as the Zodiac. It is also noteworthy that the Latin Vulgate interprets Mazzaroth as "Luciferum." (This same word is translated "constellations" in 2 Kings 23:5.) The Bear is a great northern constellation that includes the very familiar Big Dipper within it.

I am beginning to think that the Book of Job, which gives a great insight into the relationship of Satan with God and how the Lord interacts with "the sons of God," the Angels, (Job 1:6; Job 2:1 and Job 3:8), may actually mention by name a planet that no longer exists, but did at one time in the ancient past. This planet's remnants have been left behind in what is now the asteroid belt that orbits the Sun between Mars and Jupiter. I believe this planet's name was "Rahab."

11. The pillars of heaven tremble, and are astounded at His rebuke. 12. By His power He stilled the sea; by His understanding He smote Rahab. 13. By His wind the heavens were made fair; His hand pierced the fleeing Serpent. (Job 26:11-13 [RSV]) "Rahab" literally means "blustering pride." It was pride that was the downfall of Lucifer: "Your heart was proud because of your beauty; you corrupted your wisdom for the sake of your splendor. I cast you to the ground; I exposed you before kings, to feast their eyes on you." (Ezekiel 28:14 [RSV]. See also Isaiah 14.) I do not believe it is a mere coincidence that we are told the Lord smote Rahab and that He also pierced the fleeing Serpent in the same paragraph. We are told specifically in the Book of Revelation just who this Serpent is and where he was cast down to: it was the Earth: "And the great Dragon was thrown down, that ancient Serpent, who is called the Devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world--he was thrown down to the Earth, and his Angels were thrown down with him." (Revelation 12:9 [RSV])

The word translated above as "smote" in Job 26:12 is "machats" which literally means to smash or dash asunder. This very much describes what has been left behind in the asteroid belt. So it very possibly may be that "the stones of fire" Lucifer walked among as we are told in Ezekiel 28:14 just may refer to the planets themselves. But I could be wrong.

Things Are Not Always What They Seem To Be

Sometimes, things are not what they seem at first blush. Take, for example, the following:

"But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the Angels of Heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only." (Matthew 24:36)

What Jesus stated above is what is called a Jewish idiom. In brief, an idiom is an expression taken to mean something entirely different from the normal definition of the individual words found within the idiom. We use idioms in our own speech all the time. Examples of American idioms commonly stated are "hold your horses" or "keep your pants on," neither of which has a thing to do with horses or pants, but instead they both mean "be patient."

So how does all of this relate to what Jesus said in Matthew 24:36? It means we are not to take these English words literally. This is a perfect example as why Paul instructed, “Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15 [RSV]). It is incorrect for us to apply a literal meaning to these English words that were not meant to be taken in that fashion as they were spoken in the Aramaic (Hebrew) originally and understood by that First Century audience. So what, then, is meant by this Jewish idiom, "But of that day and hour, no one knows"? According to the Jewish rabbis I have researched, this is an expression used in reference to Rosh Hashana, the Jewish New Year in which the shofar, the ram’s horn, was blown. The Jews operated on a lunar calendar year, not a solar one as we do, so the New Year began at different times from one year to the next, as much as 36 to 48 hours. That is why the Jewish Rosh Hashana is celebrated over two days, and not one, because it required two witnesses to determine the new month had arrived at dusk when the New Moon or sliver of the Moon first appeared in the sky. The Rosh Hoshana shofar ram's horn was then blown, and the celebration began. So Jesus was referring to Rosh Hashana in this verse!

So it is possible Jesus was saying that when these things occur He was speaking about in Matthew 24, a new day would be dawning for mankind.

A few themes linked to this Jewish festival of Rosh Hashana are resurrection, repentance, kingship, coronation and a marriage feast. Rosh HaShanah is not only the start of the Jewish New Year, it is also the day of the resurrection! It has to do with the Moon and its 29-day cycle of renewal.

In this period of slightly less than 30 days, the Moon goes from darkness to light and back to darkness again. This is not a haphazard occurrence attributed to evolution or science. God planned it for many reasons, one being as a picture of resurrection and renewal. With each cycle of nearly 30 days the ancient rabbis understood the Moon was being reborn or "born again" (Sefard Siddur, Mussaf for Shabbat and Shabbat Rosh Chodesh, p. 509 and 646-648). And that is why God had them operate on a lunar cycle as a constant reminder of resurrection in Him!

Fascinating!

God Is Light, God Is Life and God Is Love

“This is the message we have heard from Him and proclaim to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all” (1 John 1:5 [RSV]).

“The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it” (John 1:4-5 [RSV]).

“As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world” (John 9:5 [RSV]).

What the Apostle John is teaching here is that God is essential. When man sinned he was swept into darkness, no longer having that illuminated fellowship with his Creator. Just as all life depends on the light of the sun to exist, all who wish to return to that light of God lost in the Garden of Eden must do so by going through the light of the Son, Jesus Christ, for all light flows from this fountain of light. David prophesied 1,000 years before the time of Christ, “For with Thee is the fountain of life; in Thy light do we see light.” (Psalm 36:9 [RSV])

When Jesus came He said, “I am the light of the world; he who follows Me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life” (John 8:12 [RSV]). “The light is with you for a little longer. Walk while you have the light, lest the darkness overtake you; he who walks in the darkness does not know where he goes. While you have the light, believe in the light, that you may become sons of light.” (John 12:35-36 [RSV])

We become “sons of the light” by coming to the Lord in obedient, saving faith, for only then are we clothed in His holy and pure garments (Galatians 3:27). It is only through Jesus that anyone is saved. Jesus said, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but by Me” (John 14:6 [RSV]). But we must remain faithful to the Lord and reject the darkness to continue in His fellowship. 6. If we say we have fellowship with Him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not live according to the truth; 7. but if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin. (1 John 1:6-7 [RSV])

In Jesus is both light and life. John writes, “In Him was life, and the life was the light of men” (1 John 1:4). That light and life of men is also pure, unadulterated love. John continues, writing, “He who does not love does not know God; for God is love” (1 John 4:8 [RSV]). We must continue to remain steadfast and unmovable in this love. “So we know and believe the love God has for us. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him” (1 John 4:16 [RSV]). God proved His enduring love to mankind by sending us His Son: “For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16 [RSV]).

Hair Is the Covering

I was asked recently,

“How do we distinguish in Scripture what is literal and what is cultural? For example, we say head coverings is a cultural thing yet we say women not being able to preach is a literal thing even though when that was written women did not have the same rights or status as they do now. What are your thoughts?”

I believe the Apostle Paul supplies the answer to this question himself when he says in 2 Timothy 2:11-14,

11. Let the woman learn in silence with all subjection. 12. But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence. 13. For Adam was first formed, then Eve. 14. And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the transgression.

Verse 13, in particular, is your answer. Man (Adam) was first formed, and he was not deceived. That has nothing to do with one's culture. It is just the way it is. Additionally, Genesis 3:16 still applies everywhere, regardless of culture. "Unto the woman He said, 'I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception; in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children; and thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee.'" Do women still have excruciating pain during childbirth? Yes, they do, and since they still do, then men are to rule over them, and the women are not to usurp authority over them.

As for the head covering, I do not believe that is cultural, either, because I believe the head covering in question is the woman's hair. Culturally, it was men who wore a head covering in the Jewish synagogues, called a sudarium, which is a white linen cloth. Today, they wear what is called a Yarmulke, or "Kippa" in Hebrew. So to believe Paul was telling the men in Corinth it was a shame for them to be covered with a Kippa is without merit.

It is just as equally fallacious to believe that Paul was telling the women it was a shame for them to pray uncovered without a hat or veil. Once again, this is not a cultural issue, either. It has to do with how God has always wanted men to be men, and women to be women. Look at what Paul says in this chapter:

7. For a man indeed ought not to cover his head, forasmuch as he is the image and glory of God: but the woman is the glory of the man. 8. For the man is not of the woman; but the woman of the man. 9. Neither was the man created for the woman; but the woman for the man. 10. For this cause ought the woman to have power on her head because of the Angels. (1 Corinthians 11:7-10)

13. Judge in yourselves: is it comely that a woman pray unto God uncovered? 14. Doth not even nature itself teach you, that, if a man have long hair, it is a shame unto him? 15. But if a woman have long hair, it is a glory to her: for her hair is given her for a covering. (1 Corinthians 11:13-15) So there you have it. Paul says the woman’s hair is her covering, not a hat or a veil. Her hair is her glory.

Some people claim Paul was going back and forth here, talking about hair in one verse, and then talking about hats in others. That, too, is an inaccurate conclusion to draw because Paul was not schizophrenic and confused, going back and forth between hats and hair as if he had no idea what he was teaching. Hair is the covering. What Paul is doing is condemning the practice of androgyny in which men try to dress and look and act like women, and women try to dress and look and act like men. Paul says this goes against nature itself (verse 14). Women should have feminine hair styles, and men should have masculine hair styles. Man is the glory of God, and woman is the glory of man (verse 7). Again, this has nothing to with culture at all, but with the very fact of how God created us, and that has never changed.

May the Lord bless you and your family!

Don't Blame God

The following is the first public devotional my 12 year old son, Damien, gave last night at our mid-week Bible study.

It is easy being a Christian when everything is going well, but for some people as soon as the going gets rough they leave. They want to just give up. Jesus talked about this type of person when He said in Matthew 13:20-21, 20. What was planted on rocky soil is the person who hears the message and accepts it with gladness right away. 21. However, he does not have deep roots in himself; he doesn't last long. When, because of the message, trouble or persecution comes, he soon gets discouraged and gives up.

One of the hardest things to do as a Christian, then, is to remain loyal and true to the Lord even when things aren’t going so well. As you probably know, this past Sunday evening I was bit in the face by one of our dogs. It’s possible I might be disfigured from this, but at the least, I will have scars. I didn’t want this to happen to me, I don’t know why this happened to me, but it did. Maybe this is part of the cross Jesus said I should take up and bear (Matthew 16:24).

My Mom and Dad have always taught my brothers and me that regardless of what happens in life, we should never blame God or quit serving Him. I’m so glad they have done this, because it’s also true that Jesus never said that being a Christian meant nothing bad would ever happen to us again. No, He didn’t say that, but He did say that He has promised that He will always love us and be with us forever. And I believe and trust that, and I take comfort in those words, even when bad things happen to me!

So whenever something goes wrong in your life please remember what the Lord tells us in Hebrews 13:5:

“God Himself has said this: ‘I will never leave you. I will never abandon you.’”

And if we truly believe and trust in Him then one day we will get to hear those great words,

“Fine! You are a good and faithful servant. I see that I can trust you with small things. Therefore, I will put you in charge of important things. Come and share your master's happiness.” (Matthew 25:23)

Discernment

In His Sermon on the Mount Jesus made an interesting statement in Matthew 7:6 [RSV] when He stated, "Do not give dogs what is holy; and do not throw your pearls before swine, lest they trample them underfoot and turn to attack you.” Jesus did not just make this statement out of thin air. He made it in context of exercising and using proper judgment.

So how is one to determine if one is casting pearls before dogs and pigs? Well, when you hear the snort of scoffing that is against your message, you are dealing with a pig! And if you hear the snarling after giving your message, you are dealing with a dog!

When you see a lack of interest in your time and spiritual truths you have to offer, you know you are dealing with swine and dogs. Jesus advised us in Matthew 7:16 [RSV], “You will know them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thorns, or figs from thistles?”

If we turn to God in prayer and ask Him to grant us wisdom and discernment in these matters, we need to trust that He will do so. We are urged to ask God for wisdom in these and other matters. James, the Lord’s brother, writes in James 1:5-8 [NRS],

5. If any of you is lacking in wisdom, ask God, Who gives to all generously and ungrudgingly, and it will be given you. 6. But ask in faith, never doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind; 7. for the doubter, being double-minded and unstable in every way, 8. must not expect to receive anything from the Lord.

We must realize that sometimes the right thing to do is to say, “No.” A good steward learns when those times are.

May the Lord bless us all and give us the wisdom and courage to give not what is holy to the dogs and to cast not our pearls before swine!

The Seven "I AM" Statements in John

Of all the accounts of the life and ministry of Jesus Christ, the Gospel of John arguably provides the most evidence of His Divine nature, and probably none more so that the seven “I AM” statements Jesus makes about Himself. Each of these seven declarations gives insight into the Godly character of Jesus as the Son of God.

“I AM the Bread of life” (John 6:35 [RSV]). Jesus was the Manna from God, but He also is the Living Word that sustains mankind (Deuteronomy 8:3; John 1:1).

“I AM the Light of the world” (John 8:12 [RSV]). “God is Light and in Him is no darkness at all” (1 John 1:5 [RSV]). Can it be any clearer Who Jesus is?

“I AM the Door” (John 10:9 [RSV]). Jesus is the passage to the Father that all must pass through for salvation from their sins.

“I AM the Good Shepherd” (John 10:11 [RSV]). “The Lord is my Shepherd” wrote David in Psalm 23:1. Jesus is that Lord!

“I AM the Resurrection and the Life” (John 11:25 [RSV]). Only those in Christ will be resurrected to eternal life, something only God can bestow.

“I AM the Way, and the Truth, and the Life” (John 14:6 [RSV]). Jesus, and only Jesus, is the pathway to the eternal truth of God and life in Him.

“I AM the True Vine” (John 15:1 [RSV]). Any other vine is false and will lead to utter and eternal destruction from God’s Presence.

Perhaps the most compelling statement of His Divinity came when Jesus forthrightly declared in John 8:58 [RSV], “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM.” Anyone could make such a claim, but only Jesus could back it up. The miracles He performed culminating in His resurrection proved He was Divine. Jesus was and is the Living God Who took on human flesh!

May the Living God bless you and your family!

Without Excuse

In Hebrews 11:1 [NKJ] we are told, “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” Yes, it is true that God expects us to “walk by faith, not by sight” (2 Corinthians 5:7 [NKJ]), but unlike other belief systems, ours is not a blind faith. God’s word tells us that He has revealed Himself to mankind in many and various ways. David writes, “The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament shows His handiwork” (Psalm 19:1 [NKJ]). In the conclusion of his Gospel account of the ministry of Christ John relates in John 20:30-31 [NKJ], 30. And truly Jesus did many other signs in the presence of His disciples, which are not written in this book; 31. but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name. Additionally, the Apostle Paul states in Romans 1:20-23 [NKJ], 20. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse, 21. because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22. Professing to be wise, they became fools, 23. and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man and birds and four-footed beasts and creeping things.

David, John and Paul are all saying the same thing: No one has been denied the opportunity to come to a belief and faith in the Lord and Creator of the universe. All who reject Him are without excuse. As Paul continues, 24. Therefore God also gave them up to uncleanness, in the lusts of their hearts, to dishonor their bodies among themselves, 25. who exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, Who is blessed forever. Amen. (Romans 1:24-25 [NKJ])

May the Lord bless you and your family!