Learning from the Past

Based on Ezra 3 (New King James Version)

“And when the seventh month had come, and the children of Israel were in the cities, the people gathered together as one man to Jerusalem. Then Jeshua the son of Jozadak and his brethren the priests, and Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel and his brethren, arose and built the altar of the God of Israel, to offer burnt offerings on it, as it is written in the Law of Moses the man of God. Though fear had come upon them because of the people of those countries, they set the altar on its bases; and they offered burnt offerings on it to the Lord, both the morning and evening burnt offerings. They also kept the Feast of Tabernacles, as it is written, and offered the daily burnt offerings in the number required by ordinance for each day. Afterwards they offered the regular burnt offering, and those for New Moons and for all the appointed feasts of the Lord that were consecrated, and those of everyone who willingly offered a freewill offering to the Lord. From the first day of the seventh month they began to offer burnt offerings to the Lord, although the foundation of the temple of the Lord had not been laid. They also gave money to the masons and the carpenters, and food, drink, and oil to the people of Sidon and Tyre to bring cedar logs from Lebanon to the sea, to Joppa, according to the permission which they had from Cyrus king of Persia. Now in the second month of the second year of their coming to the house of God at Jerusalem, Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, Jeshua the son of Jozadak, and the rest of their brethren the priests and the Levites, and all those who had come out of the captivity to Jerusalem, began work and appointed the Levites from twenty years old and above to oversee the work of the house of the Lord. Then Jeshua with his sons and brothers, Kadmiel with his sons, and the sons of Judah, arose as one to oversee those working on the house of God: the sons of Henadad with their sons and their brethren the Levites. When the builders laid the foundation of the temple of the Lord, the priests stood in their apparel with trumpets, and the Levites, the sons of Asaph, with cymbals, to praise the Lord, according to the ordinance of David king of Israel. And they sang responsively, praising and giving thanks to the Lord: ‘For He is good, for His mercy endures forever toward Israel.’ Then all the people shouted with a great shout, when they praised the Lord, because the foundation of the house of the Lord was laid.  But many of the priests and Levites and heads of the fathers’ houses, old men who had seen the first temple, wept with a loud voice when the foundation of this temple was laid before their eyes. Yet many shouted aloud for joy, so that the people could not discern the noise of the shout of joy from the noise of the weeping of the people, for the people shouted with a loud shout, and the sound was heard afar off.”

Lord Acton said, “History is not a burden on the memory, but an illumination of the soul.” History is a fantastic teacher. And this is one of the greatest values of the Bible; that it is loaded with historical facts. Within its pages are contained the great triumphs and accomplishments of those that sought after God and obeyed the Almighty. Also contained within the Bible are many stories of those who failed miserably due to their pride and disobedience, casting away God’s counsel; thinking that they were more than the Creator of heaven and earth. The Bible even explains the catastrophic fall of Lucifer (better known now as the Devil or Satan), where his pride and covet for the Throne of God destroyed him forever.
 
The Devil, in his quest to continue challenging God and trying to destroy as many people as possible, tries to temp us in a subtle yet effective manner. You might ask, “What is Satan’s incentive to temp and destroy people?” Well, when you are able to understand the nature of something, then you are able to understand what it is capable of. Since Satan is the complete opposite of God (Satan being 100% evil), then his sole intention is to do that which is evil. Something may all look good at first, and absolutely appealing (which is the lure to the trap), but the end is destruction and condemnation. 
 
So having said that, one of Satan’s main weapons is doubt. Here is where we start getting into today’s passage and how it applies. The enemy will usually try to plant the seed of doubt in a person’s mind. For instance, “Is the Bible true; and should I trust it?” He will then try to plant another seed of doubt which is, “It’s not really that bad what I’m doing”. And yet another seed could be, and now in the context of using Biblical history as a learning tool, “That happened to them, but you are smarter than them; it won’t happen to you.” This is probably one of the greatest tactics he has and people fall into it all too easily because it is appealing, alluring, and almost adventurous; that you are smarter than those others that failed before you. It appeals to a person’s pride and arrogance. And when a person accepts that seed within them, that is the “coup de grace” or the “death blow”. Destruction is just around the corner. It’s just a matter of time.
 
So what is one way we can look at today’s passage? There were people that were celebrating something great. But there were those that were mourning while the celebration was happening, because they remembered that the former things were better. What had happened to the previous, grander temple that Solomon built? God allowed for the enemies of Israel to come upon them because of Israel’s constant rebellion and sinfulness against Him, because they forget about the One that made them great and granted them great things. Their desire was to do whatever they wanted, and that they were untouchable. Sound familiar?  
 
So here is some Godly counsel: If are doing well now (by God’s grace), honor Him and continue looking for the Lord, or else it will all come down. If you are in a position of starting over or rebuilding, honor and look for the Lord as well, so He can help you through it. Learn from the past so you don’t suffer the same or worse consequences. Stay close to those who look for the Lord also. And finally, forget your pride (because it never helps) and “always” look for God!

Lord bless! John

Knowing Jesus

Based on John 1:1-34 (New King James Version)
 
“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.  Now this is the testimony of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, “Who are you?” He confessed, and did not deny, but confessed, ‘I am not the Christ.’ And they asked him, ‘What then? Are you Elijah?’ He said, ‘I am not.’ ‘Are you the Prophet?’ And he answered, ‘No.’ Then they said to him, ‘Who are you, that we may give an answer to those who sent us? What do you say about yourself?’ He said: ‘I am ‘The voice of one crying in the wilderness: ‘Make straight the way of the Lord,’’ as the prophet Isaiah said.’ Now those who were sent were from the Pharisees. And they asked him, saying, ‘Why then do you baptize if you are not the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?’ John answered them, saying, ‘I baptize with water, but there stands One among you whom you do not know. It is He who, coming after me, is preferred before me, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to loose.’ These things were done in Bethabara beyond the Jordan, where John was baptizing. The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! This is He of whom I said, ‘After me comes a Man who is preferred before me, for He was before me.’ I did not know Him; but that He should be revealed to Israel, therefore I came baptizing with water.’ And John bore witness, saying, ‘I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and He remained upon Him. I did not know Him, but He who sent me to baptize with water said to me, ‘Upon whom you see the Spirit descending, and remaining on Him, this is He who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.’ And I have seen and testified that this is the Son of God.’’”

I think we all talk about special things that happen to us or special people we meet. For instance, some people talk about a diet and/or exercise that worked very well for them, and share the news with others. Others talk about certain special experiences they went through where they felt some sort of life change. Now that we live in a cybernetic kind of society, there are people that will post things on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram when they want to share something special. As a matter of fact, if a person is famous or has had a particular life experience, the natural thing is usually to write a book. People feel the need to share with the world when something special happens. Nothing wrong with that. But, what happens with Jesus?
 
As our society becomes more and more preoccupied with itself, in fulfilling their own carnal desires, talking about Jesus becomes more controversial, or less desirable. He conflicts with their lifestyle. To many, He is a thing of the past. Many people even doubt His divine nature, and question whether He is the Son of God or not. That sentiment is understandable for those that have never heard much about or had some sort of experience of knowing Christ. What is alarming is that so-called “believers” are the ones that struggle more and more about sharing their faith, and talking about Jesus with others. Many believers will say that faith in Christ is something very personal, and that it should not be shared openly. So, is losing weight, landing that great job, buying the house or car, talking about that special someone you dated the other night, or taking a selfie with Justin Bieber more important than Christ, the God that came to die for you? So, the question is, “What is really happening?” Is there a deeper issue than just shyness?
 
The issue probably lays somewhere with lack of faith and understanding who Jesus really is; personally. The Jesus of the Bible is much more than the intellectual knowledge of a historical figure. He is everything, and nothing can exist unless He is involved. There is no dawn, no sunset, no world, no universe, and no life unless He wills it. No one else can save you. There is nothing or no one that can compare to God, no matter how good and wonderful those other things may be. It’s just not possible. What the Bible explains is that there needs to be a personal encounter with God, what it refers to as being “born again”. Without that beginning, then true faith is not possible. And of course, without true faith, then Jesus does takes an unimportant role, from a personal perspective. And even with that new beginning with Jesus being the Lord of your life; it is only the beginning. There is a continuation in knowing Him more; His true being becomes more evident as that happens. For it is written: “Come, and let us return to the Lord; for He has torn, but He will heal us; He has stricken, but He will bind us up. After two days He will revive us; on the third day He will raise us up, that we may live in His sight. Let us know, let us pursue the knowledge of the Lord. His going forth is established as the morning; He will come to us like the rain, like the latter and former rain to the earth.” Hosea 6:1-3.
 
So, do you really know Jesus; personally? Lord bless, John
 

Involved with the Wrong Things

“Therefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry. I speak as to wise men; judge for yourselves what I say. The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ? For we, though many, are one bread and one body; for we all partake of that one bread. Observe Israel after the flesh: Are not those who eat of the sacrifices partakers of the altar? What am I saying then? That an idol is anything, or what is offered to idols is anything? Rather, that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice they sacrifice to demons and not to God, and I do not want you to have fellowship with demons. You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons; you cannot partake of the Lord’s table and of the table of demons. Or do we provoke the Lord to jealousy? Are we stronger than He? All things are lawful for me, but not all things are helpful; all things are lawful for me, but not all things edify. Let no one seek his own, but each one the other’s well-being. Eat whatever is sold in the meat market, asking no questions for conscience’ sake; for ‘the earth is the Lord’s, and all its fullness.’ If any of those who do not believe invites you to dinner, and you desire to go, eat whatever is set before you, asking no question for conscience’ sake. But if anyone says to you, ‘This was offered to idols,’ do not eat it for the sake of the one who told you, and for conscience’ sake; for ‘the earth is the Lord’s, and all its fullness.’ ‘Conscience,’ I say, not your own, but that of the other. For why is my liberty judged by another man’s conscience? But if I partake with thanks, why am I evil spoken of for the food over which I give thanks? Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.”

 - 1 Corinthians 10: 14-31

This week’s message is a slight, and unplanned, continuation of last week’s message. In today’s passage, Paul is referring to the sin of idolatry. Idolatry is defined by secular dictionaries as follows: “The religious worship of idols; excessive or blind adoration, reverence, devotion, etc.” Having said that, someone could say, “Idolatry has to do with worshipping something that is outside of God; which could involve praying to that idol, worshipping that idol, or offering sacrifices to that idol.” And yes, that would be the direct form of idolatry or idol worship. However, Paul is referring here to the indirect participation of idolatry, which according to the Bible is just as bad. I will attempt to explain this.

There is not only a problem with the direct form of idolatry. There is also a problem with participating and supporting those things that go against God that involve idols and what those idols stand for. He is explaining the concept that a person can be “guilty by association” or an “accessory” to such things if they are not careful. To add a little more clarity, United States criminal terms (in this case, www.uslegal.com) define both legal terms as follows: Guilty by association “refers to the attribution of guilt without any proof on individuals solely for the reason that those whom they associate with are guilty”, and an accessory, “…is a person who helps in the commission of a crime, such as by commanding the crime, driving the getaway car, providing the weapons, assisting in the planning, providing an alibi, or hiding the main offender after the crime. The accessory may or may not be present during the crime, but must be aware that the crime is going to be committed or has been committed.” 

In addition to that, the Bible warns here about doing certain things that may not be helpful or for edification. In Christ, we are truly made free, which means that not only does a person begin to understand what is truly wrong or right (and why it is damaging), but they are also given a stronger ability, through the regeneration and guidance of the Holy Spirit, to be able to stop doing those things that bring about destruction. But it is just as important to understand that even though you may not be doing certain things directly, you should not be participating in them indirectly as well. For it is written: “And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting; being filled with all unrighteousness, sexual immorality, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, evil-mindedness; they are whisperers, backbiters, haters of God, violent, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, undiscerning, untrustworthy, unloving, unforgiving, unmerciful; who, knowing the righteous judgment of God, that those who practice such things are deserving of death, not only do the same but also approve of those who practice them.” Romans 1:28-32.

Every single human being is free to do whatever they want to do (free will), but with that freedom comes responsibility and consequences, depending on what each person ends up doing. And the actions not only include directly doing those things that are wrong, but also condoning or supporting those things that the Bible says that are detrimental (sin).  

And to finish, the Bible warns here about how our actions or associations (if you will) do not just affect us, but they also affect those around us. When we condone and support certain things, we are sending a message that may cause confusion and/or help guide others towards those things that will perpetuate their own self-destruction. As an example, if I see a close friend do something that is clearly wrong in God’s Word, and I make like everything is ok around them and to others; even if I don’t do the wrong myself, I am sending a message to that person and others that it is ok to do that. So Biblically, there is no real room for a neutral position. Either you are for God, and support those things that please Him; or you are forming part of the other side, by directly or indirectly favoring those things that are wrong.

So, do you clearly understand what you are involved with and what you are supporting, good or evil? Lord bless, John

God's Mercy Has Limits

“Thus says the Lord: ‘For three transgressions of Judah, and for four, I will not turn away its punishment, because they have despised the law of the Lord, and have not kept His commandments. Their lies lead them astray, lies which their fathers followed. But I will send a fire upon Judah, and it shall devour the palaces of Jerusalem.’ Thus says the Lord: ‘For three transgressions of Israel, and for four, I will not turn away its punishment, because they sell the righteous for silver, and the poor for a pair of sandals. They pant after the dust of the earth which is on the head of the poor, and pervert the way of the humble. A man and his father go in to the same girl, to defile My holy name. They lie down by every altar on clothes taken in pledge, and drink the wine of the condemned in the house of their god. ‘Yet it was I who destroyed the Amorite before them, whose height was like the height of the cedars, and he was as strong as the oaks; yet I destroyed his fruit above and his roots beneath. Also it was I who brought you up from the land of Egypt, and led you forty years through the wilderness, to possess the land of the Amorite. I raised up some of your sons as prophets, and some of your young men as Nazirites. Is it not so, O you children of Israel?’ says the Lord. ‘But you gave the Nazirites wine to drink, and commanded the prophets saying, ‘Do not prophesy!’ ‘Behold, I am weighed down by you, as a cart full of sheaves is weighed down. Therefore flight shall perish from the swift, the strong shall not strengthen his power, nor shall the mighty deliver himself; he shall not stand who handles the bow, the swift of foot shall not escape, nor shall he who rides a horse deliver himself. The most courageous men of might shall flee naked in that day,’ says the Lord.”

 - Amos 2:4-16 (New King James Version)

Most things in the universe have limits. You can go only so far with certain things. Even though they have greatly developed, science and technology have their limits. We as humans have our limits. Money has its limits. And the different limits depend on the circumstances, the intended use, or just universal laws.

For instance, I could have a rocket ship, and be able to explore the planets and stars due to its design and speed. But, a rocket ship cannot be used to heal sick people. Money has its value and can be used for a variety of things, but what good is having $1 million dollars cash on you if you are in the middle of desert, hundreds of miles (or km.) from the nearest restaurant, hotel, or water source; and completely alone? What good is it to be in perfect health, with the fitness level of a professional athlete, if you are floating in the middle of Pacific Ocean without a raft, life vest, and no one can find you? Can a college degree help you in the event that you are in an airline jet that is falling to the ground because it’s out of control and the engines aren’t working? I think you get the point.

Incredibly enough, even God has limits with certain aspects. For it is written: “But You, O Lord, are a God full of compassion, and gracious, longsuffering and abundant in mercy and truth.” Psalm 86:15. The term “longsuffering” implies that God has a threshold of patience. Granted, it may be a significant threshold as we experience in everyday life, but it does have a limit. There is a point where God says, “It’s enough!” No matter how much many people try to believe that “longsuffering” means “unlimited”, the definition of the word still stands. God is longsuffering, and there is an abundance of mercy in Him; but there is a limit. He cannot forget His Holiness for love.

The limit to God’s patience is determined by the attitude and disposition of the person, especially after a person has been exposed to the Truth of God; that with knowledge comes responsibility. For it is written: “And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting; being filled with all unrighteousness, sexual immorality, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, evil-mindedness; they are whisperers, backbiters, haters of God, violent, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, undiscerning, untrustworthy, unloving, unforgiving, unmerciful; who, knowing the righteous judgment of God, that those who practice such things are deserving of death, not only do the same but also approve of those who practice them.” Romans 1:28-32. And if you condone or support such things, even if you don’t do them yourself, you are just as guilty.

So, God’s mercy on our lives is dictated by the intention of our heart; by our response to Him. None of us are perfect, and He knows that; but where there is rebellion and disregard to the Truth of God, there will be judgement. The natural consequences of disregarding God’s love through Jesus Christ, and ignoring the principles of God will sooner or later take effect. For it is written: “Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life.” Galatians 6:7-8. God is love, but that does not mean that there should be abuse. And there are certain things that He cannot deal with.

We read in today’s passage that He had enough with what was going on. The people took Him to the limit. He had let certain things go by because He was merciful. But things went beyond His threshold. And all of their strength, knowledge, money, courage, etc. was not going to free them from the consequences. This is true today. In the end, there is nothing manmade that can cure death. Nothing can stop time. And we should not mistake God’s patience for permission.

So, are you appreciating or abusing God’s mercy? Lord bless, John