foreWORD Matthew 1 Good Will

Life Truths Sunday School,
Ever see one of those signs that says "DIP", only they put it right next to the dip and you hit the dip while you're reading the sign?  One comedian once said they should put it after, finding it more valuable as explanation than in warning.  "Whoa, what was that?  OH, the sign says it was a dip!  Ah!"

Anyway, it's 9:27 on Saturday night, and for issues beyond my control but entirely my fault (aka I wrote it two days ago but never hit the send button), here is your "DIP" foreWORD for the morning--you know, 12 hours from now. Well, if nothing else, those who can't be with us can get some fellowship with us on this topic.

We're in Matthew 1 this week and talking of the birth of Christ.  As a foreWORD to the discussion I'd like to jump to Luke.  We know this verse by heart. Pasted below is the Linus version (Charlie Brown Christmas) with the Greek words embedded.  Decide for yourself if you want to have a spotlight and security blanket wrapped around your head while you read it:

Glory δοξα to God θεος in εν the highest υψιστος, and και on επι earth γη peace ειρηνη, good will ευδοκια toward εν men ανθρωπος.

Note highlighted the words "good will".  In Greek, eudokia .  Now look at several other translations of the same verse.  I'll paste a couple below, but to see a much wider array, go to Bible Gateway

ESV

“Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!”
HCSB

Glory to God in the highest heaven, and peace on earth to people He favors!

NASB

“Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased.”

NKJV

“Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!”

NIV

“Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”

The original sources of these translations differ, but just looking at the words on the page, which one seems closest to the word choices?  Which makes the most sense from what you know of the Living God? 

Let's not stop there. Let's look at the same word in other verses.  See if a tone starts rising.

Luke 10:21 In that hour Jesus rejoiced in spirit, and said, I thank Thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that Thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes: even so, Father; for so it seemed good in Thy sight.

Ephesians 1:5-12 Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, To the praise of the glory of His grace, wherein He hath made us accepted in the beloved. In whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace; Wherein He hath abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence; Having made known unto us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He hath purposed in Himself: That in the dispensation of the fulness of times He might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in Him: In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of Him who worketh all things after the counsel of His own will: That we should be to the praise of His glory, who first trusted in Christ.

Philippians 2:13 For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of His good pleasure.

2 Thessalonians 1:11-12 Wherefore also we pray always for you, that our God would count you worthy of this calling, and fulfill all the good pleasure of His goodness, and the work of faith with power: That the name of our Lord Jesus Christ may be glorified in you, and ye in Him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.

The good pleasure of His goodness, the good pleasure as an outflow of His work in us to will and to do, the good pleasure of His adoption of us in Christ...seems to me His good pleasure of receiving us who have no ability to save ourselves is evidence of His favor resting on us who are saved that the One who gave Himself to save us might be glorified in our pursuing with all abandon our own good pleasure in Him. 

Maybe another way to ask. Who's favor is it?  His.  Who's good pleasure is it?  yes.  If God is most glorified in me when I am most satisfied in Him, then His good pleasure in me leads to my good pleasure in Him as all satisfying, and that is more glorifying than the whole heavenly host speaking His praises.  For I am living His praise by pursuing Him as my salvation, rescue, joy, peace, hope, and eternal satisfaction.


Ever wonder why God commanded us to love Him?  Doesn't that seem contradictory?  But it's not.  He commands us to love Him because we wouldn't do it otherwise, in fact we're incapable without Him giving us the ability and demonstrating it by loving us first.  And loving Him is far exceedingly great and more precious than anything else He could give His creation.  Giving us the opportunity to love Him who is perfect in all ways is the message behind the message of sending His Son.  Likewise, enjoying loving Him is the message behind the message of loving Christmas.

Now for homework, ask yourself, "who has the peace, is it with God or among the people, and what people?"  In the meantime, I hope to see you all Sunday when we'll just scratch the surface on a few more powerful questions:

Does the Bible tell us to celebrate His birth?

Did Jesus start His life on Christmas or before then?

Did Jesus come here to find humility or did He bring it with Him?

See y'all there.  Be blessed.
Tim
PS Remember the gospel of 'sweat'?  Well, the afterWORD this week will be the gospel of the 'blue string' if I can remember to send it.  Maybe someone should remind me.

afterWORD Revelation Blood and Adam

Life Truths faithful servants,
This week we got waaaaay too aggressive in studying Revelation, and for that I apologize.  But I wanted to try to develop a systematic approach for your private reading of this incredible book.  I hope there was some good in what we did, though I recognize several were overwhelmed at how fast and how much we were covering.  Point taken...

But I'd like to hit one point we glossed over, and that's numbers.  As such, this week's afterWORD is dam.  Not like beaver's build. It is the Hebrew word for "blood."  In numerology it is represented by the number 44. 

We were talking about blood moons (full lunar eclipse that is aligned exactly such that red light from the sun bends around the earth and makes the moon look blood red).  Specifically a tetrad, which is four consecutive blood moons.  In this case, we're specifically talking about a tetrad that exactly falls on Jewish feast days.  In just about a month, we'll have the fourth blood moon of the current tetrad falling on feast days, and it's only the fourth to have occurred in the last 500 years (only 10 since 1AD). Even more specifically, in the middle of the four blood moons was a full solar eclipse. 

So the word "dam" means "blood" and numerically equals 44 through a millenial old system equating letters with numbers.  The third of the fourth blood moons occured on 4/4 (Passover) and was the shortest full eclipse expected in the entire 21st century. Guess how long it lasted...yep, 4 minutes 44 seconds.

That's 4/4 4:44 of the "44" moon.  Let's not go down the path of "moon," but suffice to say it's got more to it, too.  Crazy stuff.

The next blood moon occurs September 28th, 2015, also falling on a high day, Sukkot, or Feast of Tabernacles.  It's always interesting to consider blood with the Passover, spreading the blood of the lamb on the doorposts (also having to do with 4).  And of course, the crucifixion that occurred on Passover when Christ the Lamb of God was sacrificed to take away the sin of the world. 

For those who missed, the three previous tetrads of this nature occurred:
1492--Spanish Inquisition, persecution of the Jews (some escape to the Americas with Christopher Columbus on his second voyage)
1948--establishment of the Jewish state
1967--reunification of Jerusalem under Israeli rule for the first time since 70AD.  (6 day war)

Next word.  "A-dam".  Isaiah talks of the Messiah as the second Adam or Son of Man, and rabbinical tradition says the only thing that can save man is "44 plus one" or through blood of a "man" plus one, the Messiah.  "dam" plus "a" or aleph, numerically the first letter of the alphabet, is A-dam.  This is in Isaiah, but we'll recognize it more clearly where Romans 5 describes Jesus as the second Adam, as one man sin entered the world, so through the One Man death might be defeated. 

What is the tie?  Some say that 44 is relevant in that if you put Israel's number of kings (including Absalom unseating David and David returning), you get 44.  Similarly there have been 44 presidents...Some say the 44th president will spell disaster (or "blood") to Israel and 44 plus one will bring Israel's greatest triumph. 

Whatever the case, numbers mean a lot in the scripture.  Here are a couple just to toy with:
Genesis 1

1 There are 7 words

2 There are 28 letters = 7 x 4

3 The sentence divides into 2 equal halves.
The first 3 words contain 14 letters = 7 x 2
The second 3 contain 14 letters = 7 x 2

4 The second half divides into 2 equal halves
“The heavens” contains 7 letters
“And the earth” contains 7 letters

5 The 3 nouns God, heavens, earth have 14 letters = 7 x 2

6 The numeric value of the 3 nouns is 777 = 7 x 111

7 The numeric value of the verb created = 203 = 7 x 29

8 The middle word and the word after it contain 7 letters

9 The middle word and the word before it contain 7 letters

10 The value of the first and last letters of the first half = 42 = 7 x 6

11 The value of the first and last letters of the last half = 91 = 7 x 13

12 The value of the first and last letters of all the words taken together = 1393 = 7 x 199

13 The value of the first and last letters of the first and last words only = 497 = 7 x 71

14 The numeric value of the 1st letter of the first and last words is 7 = 7 x 1

15 The numeric value of the last letters of the 1st and last words = 490 = 7 x 70 = 7 x 7 x 10

So there are 15 features of 7 in a single sentence.

(I'll spare you the primes and triangular numbers).

foreWORD Revelation 12 The Forbidden Chapter

Life Truths family,
Thanks to Jeff for a great discussion of the trumpets.  Boy, this stuff is thick and complex.  You might be like me, spending more time in commentaries than in the scripture. I'll send out a fore WORD in a day or two to help us break out of that in preparation for this coming and next Sundays.  This Sunday the core passage is Rev 12, but we will survey much more of the book and focus on the truth hidden in plain sight, and the surprising inability to see it plainly due to our current, personal, educational, historical, literal, and cultural taints and biases.  May not give you the answers you want, but I hope it will give you the skills you need to pursue the character of God as revealed to the seven churches in this letter.  Next Sunday we'll focus on Rev 19-21 and survey the whole book yet again and discuss the profound aspects of worship replete in its pages.

So if you can read as much of Revelation this week, even more than once, and try not to dive into the imagery but just read it at face value and stay focused in the book, that will help tremendously as we train to study together.

In the meantime, yesterday it came up about the Jews, the 144,000 being sealed, and the emblem of the nation of Israel.  Well, speaking on the context of culture and what you've been taught, did you know that long ago the Rabbis decided to stop teaching a certain chapter of the Bible?  And this systematic elimination of this one chapter, which we know and love in our Christian culture, is a hinge pin in the very fabric of understanding the Messiah.  In the Old Testament, prophets saw primarily the coming of the Messiah as a single event, and even the disciples seemed to not be able to get past it, either, at least not until the resurrection.  But we know that it is two appearances, first the cross, then the conquering.  When Jesus read the scriptures and said "this has come true this day in your hearing" He only read the first half of the verse that spoke of the first coming and not the conquering.

Please take 9 minutes this week and sit and watch this video about the "forbidden chapter of the Bible" and see the profound impact it has on everyday Jews as this young man reads with them from the Hebrew scriptures...and watch them see the Messiah in truth for the first time in their lives.  You can almost feel their hearts burning within like the disciples on the road to Emmaus as he reveals what the scriptures say about the coming of the King.

https://www.facebook.com/MedabrimEnglish/videos/828796167189961/

Love y'all.  Praying for you now.

foreWORD Revelation 5 the ONLY Lamb of God

Worthy is the Lamb, the ONLY Lamb of God who comes to take away the sin of the world!

Listen, watch, and read the words of this scripture song: Acts 10:38-42.



now read v43.


See you Sunday.  Praying for each of you today.

afterWORD Revelation 1 Turning Away

If you haven't seen it yet, suggest you start on the foreWORD for this week: 
http://forewordsandafterwords.blogspot.com/2015/07/foreword-and-afterword-revelation-1.html


afterWORD.  Turning Away.
Revelation 1 introduces the Seven Spirits and the seven churches.  As you review the lesson this week, think on Rom 8:26 
Romans 8:26 (ASV) And in like manner the Spirit also helpeth our infirmity: for we know not how to pray as we ought; but the Spirit himself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered;

Incredibly helpful, just as in Revelation, to know that He walks with us in the Spirit and does not leave us alone, even interceding for us when we don't know what or how to pray. 

But not this starts with "and" so go back a few verses.  The Spirit helps us with groanings in like manner as...

Romans 8:22-25 For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now. And not only so, but ourselves also, who have the first-fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for our adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body. For in hope were we saved: but hope that is seen is not hope: for who hopeth for that which he seeth? But if we hope for that which we see not, then do we with patience wait for it.

I mentioned Sunday we've put in our dossier to Haiti  for international adoption, finally! I also mentioned there is a little girl in an orphanage there that was born during the time of the earthquake, and as far as we know has known nothing but this orphanage.  She is special needs in ways we still don't understand.  There are caring people there, some that love the Lord and love this child.  

I don't know if she would understand or remotely grasp the luxury of a home in VA, USA with clean water right out of the tap, lots of fresh and safe food, her own room, toys to play with, doctors and medicine, even vacations at the beach.  Makes me think of CS Lewis describing us as little children who go on making mud pies in the slums unable to picture the offer of a holiday at the sea.  But how could she?  She's lived there her entire life, in an institution with 60+ kids, in an impoverished country riddled with all kinds of troubles. She knows nothing different.  Unless someone reveals it to her.  And what then?  Will she ache for the day we come to take her home?  Or will she have no idea what she's never had and not think much about it?

And what about you?    

So with that perspective, read one of the most misquoted verses in the Bible again:  

Romans 8:27-28 ...and he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God. And we know that to them that love God all things work together for good, even to them that are called according to his purpose.

This is the Spirit which lives in us, a seal of promise for His coming again.  So...how now shall we live?

I know this is a long email, but if you got this far, oh boy!  I hope you kept your spoon (dessert time)! 
Are you seeing this?  Go back to the little girl in Haiti. She can't do things for herself.  She can't pull herself up by her bootstraps (she doesn't even own boots), she can't earn her way out of the orphanage.  She is where she is. It's been a year and a half or more of Robyn and I doing paperwork, two or so years before that when we started getting the call to start the process, plus at least 10 years before that praying for adoption (Robyn much much longer).  And yet, before this little girl was born, before her mom was pregnant, before the earthquake, the Lord was ordaining a family to love her deeply and completely, to do whatever it took however long it took to come for her and take her home to be with us where we are.  And how much more the Father, since before time ever was, has been seeking you and me, who cannot do anything to save ourselves from the mess we are in, and willing to pay so great a price...

Romans 8:29-39 For whom he foreknew, he also foreordained to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren: and whom he foreordained, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified. What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who is against us? He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not also with him freely give us all things?

Who shall lay anything to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth; who is he that condemneth? It is Christ Jesus that died, yea rather, that was raised from the dead, who is at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.

Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or anguish, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? Even as it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; We were accounted as sheep for the slaughter. Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Okay, now read the lyrics of the song:

How Deep the Father's Love for Us

How deep the Father's love for us

How vast beyond all measure

That He should give His only Son

To make a wretch His treasure

How great the pain of searing loss

The Father turns His face away

As wounds which mar the Chosen One

Bring many sons to glory

Behold the Man upon the cross

My sin upon His shoulders

Ashamed to hear my mocking voice

Call out among the scoffers

It was my sin that kept Him there

Until it was accomplished

His dying breath has brought me life

I know that it is finished

I will not boast in anything

No gifts, no power, no wisdom

But I will boast in Jesus Christ

His death and resurrection

Why should I gain from His reward?

I cannot give an answer

But this I know with all my heart

His wounds have paid my ransom 

I really love you peoples.  

Tim

foreWORD Revelation 1 Turning Away

Life Truths family,

I'll warn you I lost control of the keyboard about halfway through...

I have two WORDS this week, the first being a homework assignment in preparation for this coming Sunday.  Normally we do a passage from the book the pastor is preaching from, but this week I’d like to pose a question to discuss.  It fits with the lesson but it requires a lot of thought ahead of time. Can’t spring it on you last minute. Please be prepared to discuss, with references.

1    1.  foreWORD and this week's topic.         

      The song Amy Burchik wonderfully sang yesterday (no idea how she go through that!  I asked her and she said she has to think things like baseball, dirt…  I really believe Stuart Townsend could submit that to a hymnal, it really is that kind of timeless music and lyric.  Lots of great songs on the radio, moving lyrics and music.  But old or new, there is a clear distinction not just in music style but in the thickness of the thought of hymns.

Selah verson (with lyrics):

Spoiler alert!  The topic for this coming week's small groups discussion breakout is the second line of the second stanza:

How great the pain of searing loss

The Father turns His face away

As wounds which mar the Chosen One

Bring many sons to glory

Doubtless most if not all of you have been taught “God turned His face away from Jesus on the cross.”  Is that true?  I offer a reward for anyone who can put the chapter and verse to where the Bible says that.  But let's have this discussion.

Arguments for:

Arguments otherwise:

I want to be clear this isn't about splitting hairs or even having a right or wrong answer, though the process is certainly about gaining better command of scripture.  There is no difference in any of the other lines of the song if you change this line or if you find truth in any viewpoint on the subject of the Father's turning or not turning away.  That's important.  More clearly true is that whether He turned in pain or watched His Son in His most crucial ministry, it does not diminish the Son's glory or the Father's love!  And I believe both perspectives will enrich our lesson in Revelation.

Others say the crucifixion is the physical manifestation of the OT prophecy, the sun (the light who worships the Father, see Psalms 19) was darkened, and the moon (reflection of the Light in the Son, see Col 1) was turned to blood.

Come prepared to discuss.

afterWORD 1 John 1:1-4, "backsliding"

LifeTruths Families,
What a blessing it was for me this morning, great discussion in Proverbs and 1 John.

John says it all starts with the Eternal God, and He chose to become flesh and dwell among us, to be a high priest who in all points could feel what we feel, yet without sin.  He chose to bring many brethren into the house through suffering like us. 

Therefore, John tells us there was a sound that hit his ears, that he could understand. He looked with awe, came near it, studied it, reached out with full power of his hands and held it, experienced it with power, not just an experience but life, the life of Eternity.  And God is glorified as we are satisfied with a God who desires that we visit, that we come boldly, that we put our hands in His hands and His side, a God that desires not only to visit His people but desires to be touched by His people, and we are satisfied most fully with joy when we cling to Him.

Ok, several asked me at the end of class since I didn't get back to Prov 14:14 about "backsliding" so I thought I'd put a few words in email. (yeah, right).  I'll try to be succinct. I'm open to discussion and different opinions.  Please do let me know if any of this blesses you.


Proverbs 14:14 The backslider in heart shall be filled with his own ways : and a good man shall be satisfied from himself.
"backslider" in English (use KJV for standardization) only appears here.  "backsliding" appears in Jeremiah 2:19, 3:6, 3:8, 3:11, 3:12, 3:14, 3:22, 5:6, 8:5, 14:7, 31:22, 49:4 and Hosea 4:16, 11:7, 14:4.  Of significant note, Hos 14 says "I will heal their backsliding, I will love them freely, for mine anger is turned away from him."  (gee, wonder why...maybe Isaiah 53?)

The word in Prov 14:14 is cuwg, pronounced "soog", it s a primary root word meaning to flinch. (Oh, wow!) It can literally mean to go back, retreat, or figuratively mean to apostatize.  In general it is translated "backslider" here, in other places to drive back, go back, turn back or turn away.  I wonder if we joked across a fellowship supper to another Christian saying,  "oh you apostatizer!" if they'd finish their cornbread or just pick up their tea and leave (stopping of course for a piece of cake, especially if it's on a paper plate).

Just to nail it down, that word cuwg, shows up in 14 places in the OT. Try Isaiah 42:17, "they shall be turned back, they shall be greatly ashamed, that trust in graven images, that say to the molten images, Ye are our gods."  But it's different than not ever knowing about God, for Zeph 1:4-6 says "I will consume man and beast...and them that are turned back from the Lord and that have not sought the Lord nor inquired for Him."

A bunch of places is Psalms where it ties enemies, shame, and confounding. Like Ps 53:3  "Every one of them is gone back: they are altogether become filthy; there is none that doeth good, no, not one."  David asks God that He not let us flinch:  Ps 80:18 says "we will not go back from Thee: quicken us, and we will call upon Thy name."  (He that hath the Son hath life, he that hath not the Son hath not life")

There is no soft word like this in the New Testament. Closest is what we're coming to in 1 John, "apostate". 

But Ps 53:3 is quoted in Romans 3:  there is none that seeks after God, no not one.  So in a sense, "backsliding" is all of us before He quickens us.  Now the closest description of the full language of Pr 14:14 applied to someone in the church is Hebrews 6.  "it is impossible to taste and turn back..."  The good seed was planted and it brought up thorns (do a search on "thorns" and see how many times the Bible speaks in this way).  Some say this means we should all be moving forward in maturity, others think it means you were a Christian and denied the faith, or you turned back.  Others say the thorns are false converts, not having ever received with joy in the first place. (parable of the guy that buried his talent, or the parable of the sewer where the seed that fell on wayside, on rocky ground, or among thorns.) These were not prepared to receive the seed with everlasting, life altering joy.  Initial excitement, maybe, but not lifetime joy like in 1 John 1:1-4.

"For that which is from the beginning...lifetime...joy..." is the formula , as He sees fit: "for you were once dead in your sins, but God hath quickened you..."

One last point, PR 14:14  the words "shall be satisfied from himself" are there for vernacular in our language. They don't exist in the transcript.  There are only 6 words in the verse:
"flinch"
"heart--feelings, intellect, will, center of being"
"filled to satisfaction"
"a trodden road or course of life"
"good (in the broadest sense)"
"man"

glad I'm not a translator.  But if you were looking at ancient writings of prose, they like to compare.  So it would make sense to me if it says

"apostates at the core of their being are satisfied with the trodden path, a good man is satisfied not by the path but in [being, doing, having, pursuing, living] good..."

Hmmm, sounds like Matt 7:13-14:  Enter by the narrow gate, for broad is the gate and wide is the path that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter in by it; but narrow is the gate and narrow is the path that leads to life, and there are few that find it.

The satisfaction is not the road but the Master we walk with all the days of our life.  "And to them that believed, He said, 'if you continue in My word, then you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." (John 8:28-32).

I love you folks. I pray today you find the satisfaction of your very souls to filling. Now pass the tea and let's get some cornbread and pie. no, seriously...

afterWORD Malachi 3 Depth Perception

LifeTruths family,
Sorry we didn't get to do the full survey of the minor prophets in class. There were so many amazing things we discovered this quarter, it would have been great to have recapped at least some of them.  And so many critical ties to the Old and New Testaments in these little messages, oracles, burdens.

One thing I thought would be valuable as a transition from studying the end of the Old Testament to the study of the end of the New Testament is to link you to some very interesting diagrams I mentioned in class by Clarence Larkin. He was an American Baptist preacher who studied, taught, and wrote a lot of interesting detailed descriptions, tying together various prophetic images and times tables through books like Isaiah, Daniel, Malachi, and into Revelation. 

The "mountain peaks" I so terribly drew Sunday is listed on the left side of this page:

http://clarencelarkincharts.com/

Worth a look anyway. It's interesting when you read some of the prophecy of the OT and there is little to no distinction of two comings of Christ, it's just one event, the great and terrible day of the Lord.  And in pockets where they saw something of the first coming (Ps 22, Is 53), the suffering servant, to look upon the One whom they pierced, the receiver of the full brunt of the wrath of God, they couldn't get a full grip on its meaning let alone the depth of its eternal power.  I can't, and it happened.  How could they?  Blessed are they that do not see and yet believe...

You could say they had a depth perception problem.  Of course, we have the same thing looking back. Even Pastor Ray said in his sermon on Sunday that "as far as the east is from the west...if you are traveling east, you never go west."  I wonder if that is at all tainted by the fact that we had Pythagoras, Ptolemy, and Eratosthenes and many others to convince us the world was round, but the Psalmist in writing that line knew only a flat, finite world.  Is it possible to view the NT without having to first acclimate ourselves to the knowledge that the prophets of the OT had when they received their visions?  Maybe perhaps time is not just mountain peaks but itself has horizons like a sphere, and we can only see so far in one direction, whether forward or backward, without losing perspective.

If you click in the middle of that page and see the chart on the Revelation, he tries to line up the various images of prophecy and the full spectrum of human history.  Mind boggling.

One last thing I'll mention as a close of the Minor Prophets (named that by the length of the books, not by the value or extent of their vision), and that is the tie between prophecy, the gospel, and the church.  Malachi heard clearly from the Lord that our righteousness is imputed, about being spared from wrath and remembered as His "own son who works for him" (Mal 3:16-18).  He spoke of the need of an intercessor and revealing His own arm of salvation. He talked of a book of remembrance of those who feared the Lord.  He spoke of giving His people spiritual discernment of those who serve and those who don't, what is of God and what is not of God. These things captured in a mere 3 verses in Malachi will take all of the letters of John, Jude, and Revelation to unpack.

Very exciting! My email signature from Jonathan Edwards captures it in one line what just took me a whole blog to say:
"Grace is but glory begun, and glory is but grace perfected."

afterWORD Nehemiah 7 Love of Truth

Church family, living stones,
This week we talked in Nehemiah 7 (after running all over on a mystery chase) that our first step in "playing our part" is to examine to see if we are in fact genuine, if we can trace our existence as heirs to the Kingdom back to the work of Christ on the cross and a repentance unto faith, without any works of our own to pretend to add to it.

I found this quote tonight in Wiersbe's 50 People Every Christian Should Know, in chapter 11 (pgs 65-66) on John Henry Newman (1801-1890). 

It is unfortunate that Newman did not known the better evangelical men of that day. He saw only (or perhaps only wanted to see) a ministry that emphasized correct doctrine and dedicated zeal, but lacked Christian character and true spiritual power.  R.W. Church described evangelicals as people with "an exhausted teaching and a spent enthusiasm."  The evangelical churches were "respectable" and popular with men of position, but (added church) "they were on very easy terms with the world."  If there was one thing Newman hated with a holy zeal, it was a religion of words without reality, words that described an experience but failed to effect it in the lives of people...
One final observation: When I read Newman's sermons, I find myself examining not only my own heart but also my preaching.  I find myself asking: Am I a faithful physician of the soul? Am I preaching to the conscience?  Am I faithful to declare truth, not simply my "clever ideas" about truth? Do I offer Christ as the only Redeemer?  Do I get beneath the surface and help my hearers where they need it most?

It strikes me to ask privately and openly about my part in our fellowship or any fellowship for that matter, whether preacher, teacher, encourager, worker, or witness of His goodness.  If I am genuine, wonderful. If I am zealous for the right reasons for the right purposes in our time together, great.  If I am genuine but not of the most use by our Master, then I must more faithfully render my role or more honestly understand it.  I challenge each of us, in the fellowship of the class, in the local body, in the body of Christ, and to the world around us to "know whom I have believed..."

Are you genuine?
What is your role?
Where is your zeal placed?
Are you a conveyor of the love of truth?

afterWORD Nehemiah 5-6 Prophet's Reward

Well the follow up list is much worse than usual today. We covered Nehemiah 5 and 6 yesterday and I managed to miss a couple cross references worth showing today.

1. small group discussion [Judges 10:1-5]
For those who missed, as you know we've been doing a small group discussion on verses from the book Pastor Ray preached from. This week was Judges 10:1-5, two complete stories in those 5 verses. Each week we take the passage and answer one of the gospel storytelling questions:

• what did you like about the story?
• what did you not like about the story?
• what does the story tell you about man?
• what does it tell you about God?
• what are you going to do with it?
• who are you going to go tell now?

Tola and Jair. The question was "what are you going to do with this?" Tola and Jair served 23/22 years respectively. Tola did his work, up in the mountains, died and was buried. Jair had 30 sons, 30 towns named after him that still are there today. So what are you going to do about it? Seek a name, serve whether you have no name and no one remembers?

Go read Gen 50:24-25
Ex 13:19
Joshua 24:32
And ask the question, how did those bones get there? Who carried those bones around for 40 years and during the conquest of Canaan?

here's the afterWORD:
Now read Heb 11:22. Joseph was accounted for his faith to say "take my bones with you." Jesus said, "he who receives a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet's reward."  What kind of faith does it take to serve in the shadow, to do the labor and toil? And what kind of faith does it take to serve the faith of others?


2. Nehemiah 5-6. We walked through the two passages and found that Nehemiah was an amazing leader, but so much moreso he was a tremendous example of following.
a. he "consulted with himself" (sought deeply what the right thing to do was, evidence God had endowed Him with the Spirit for this task)
b. he made a "covenant with the people" and entered a faithful relationship
c. he "continued the work" always dedicated wholly in fear of God to the burden for the people the Lord had given him
d. he interpreted "counsel with prayer" and sought the Lord's character in what others outside and inside told him, even testing the prophets against the Word of God to find them false.

3. afterWORD
When Nehemiah spoke to the leaders and the priests about financially enslaving their own people, who he was trying to buy out of slavery said, "shall I now by our brethren from you?!" And "they had nothing to say." Romans 3:10-18 makes an inescapable case that no one seeks after God. Rom 3:19 says the Law is so comprehensive, complete in exposing our guild, it leaves us utterly indefensible, and it stops our mouths (Rom 3:19)

Nehemiah could have take the governor's portion but chose not to be a burden to the people God had given him a burden to serve. Put in context of Tola, Jair, and Nehemiah, look back at Romans 3:1-9. Whether you claim tradition, upbringing, position, or name, they do not offer you righteousness in God. Rather, as we serve we must remember "we are no better than they" and that the burden we have for others should be Christ-centered, aimed at showing them God's glory and righteousness--not our own. So whether we have rights or not, a name or not, we can't make God famous or more righteous or more glorified by our righteousness (ours is but filthy rags). Rather

a. our transparency and passion for "truth" can show God's glory in His work in us through faith (v4)
b. our transparency in failure can show God's righteousness in contrast, even His righteous judgment (v5-6), for we cannot earn anything of ourselves
c. our pursuit of holiness for the joy of His glory shown through us or even in spite of us is our only hope when under attack of slander of the enemy and lies of the false brethren (v7-9)
d. including ourselves in "for all have sinned" gives us the only hope of showing the exceeding glory of God in that "the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." (v10-23)



Conclusion.
Lord, fill us with a burden for others constrained only by a fear of You. Fuel the burden with a pursuit of your glory, in context of, through admission of, because of, in spite of, and regardless of our sin. That all might believe and repent and give You the glory You alone are due.

afterWORD Ezra 9-10 Married to Perfection

Life Truths family,
This week's afterWORDs are not mine.  Suggest you have a hanky ready though.  I'm not going to lie to you, this may hurt a lot.  But "He pierces with the Word that He might then apply the balm of the Word."

This week we founded our conversation on the principle of justice: starting in Joshua 19 (recall we're doing a weekly small group discussion from the Bible book Pastor Ray is preaching through). It was of sorts a running start through Ezra 1-8 in order to look squarely into the deep hurt, agony, and struggle by all accounts in Ezra 9 and 10. This is where the repatriated Israelites put their foreign wives and children away for the purity of the remnant's sake.  Right? Wrong?  I think in general what came through our conversation left a lot of loose ends about what in the world this means about holiness, sanctification, consecration, and purity in individuals, families, marriages, and what role faith should play now that we've not only heard OF God but seen Him face to face in the person of Christ...

And then last night, the other foot fell:

“The creation of the world seems to have been especially for this end: that the eternal Son of God might obtain a spouse, towards whom He might fully exercise the infinite benevolence of His nature and to whom He might, as it were, open and pour forth all that immense fountain of condescension, love and grace that was in His heart, and that in this way God might be glorified.”
–Jonathan Edwards, “The Church’s Marriage To Her Sons, And To Her God,” in The Works of Jonathan Edwards, Vol. 25, Sermons and Discourses 1743-1758. Ed. Wilson H. Kimnach (WJE Online Vol. 25), 187.

What we learned through the words of Ephesians and 1 Peter, through the life example of Hosea, and through the shed blood of Christ on the cross--who "while we were yet sinners" ""for the joy set before Him" "gave Himself for [the church]"  "endured the cross, despising the shame" "that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she should be holy and without blemish."

afterWORD?  In the language of creation, God brought all of creation to His Son to show that there was not a mate for Him to be found of this world.  And the bride He took was weak, deceivable, deceived, fallen, riddled throughout with unrighteousness and replete with selfish and self-corrupting unholiness. We were and are infused with our world, but we are redeemed and married to perfection.  For what is man that You should be mindful of him? and what is man that he could be holy?

But Jesus didn't put us away as an act of holiness or justice...Instead, His justice is swallowed up in love.  Through all His power in holiness, giving all of Himself even to the point of bloodshed, He "exercise[s] the infinite benevolence of His nature...and pour[s] forth all that immense fountain of condescension, love, and grace that [is] in His heart, and that in this way God might be glorified."