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Week of 4 Epiphany B – 01/29 – 02/04/12

January 28, 2012

Week of 4 Epiphany – B

This is a Three-Year Lectionary based on the Lutheran Book of Worship 3-year Lectionary (for public worship), “Prayers of the Day…” (Propers), p. 13-41, Augsburg Publishing House, Minneapolis, 1978. It is based, with only minor variations, on the Revised Common Lectionary, used by many denominations, including the Episcopal, Lutheran, Presbyterian, and Methodist churches:

http://www.commontexts.org/

and:

http://www.commontexts.org/rcl/usage.html

The daily readings are the Propers (Lections) for the following Sunday, so that the daily devotions can prepare us for worship. Additional Lections are from Common Service Book of the Lutheran Church, “Scripture lessons for Matins and Vespers,” United Lutheran Church of America, General Rubrics VIII. Scripture lessons for Matins and Vespers, p. 299 – 304, Philadelphia, 1918.

The previous 2- year Bible Study based on the Lutheran Book of Worship, Daily Lectionary for personal devotions p.179-192, Augsburg Publishing House, Minneapolis, 1978, is available at:

http://shepherdboy.byethost12.com/ (Please bookmark this link).

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To get the most from these studies, it is suggested that you first read the scripture texts for the entry, and then the paraphrase and commentary. It is also recommended that you look up the scripture references, unless you recognize and recall them from memory.

I will post weekly by Saturday, noon, (God willing), Pacific time (UTC-8:00) for the week of the Church Season which begins on Sunday. Please scroll down for the desired day, or save the week to your desktop/hard drive.

Podcast Download: Week of 4 Epiphany B
Sunday 4 Epiphany B
First posted February 1, 2009;
Podcast: Sunday 4 Epiphany B
Deuteronomy 18:15-20 – Test of Prophecy;

Psalm 1 – Rewards of Righteousness; Fate of the Wicked;
1 Corinthians 8:1-13 — Food Offered to Idols;
Mark 1:21-28 – Jesus Heals;

Deuteronomy Background:

Israel was about to enter the Promised Land. Moses was not allowed to enter, because he had taken God’s glory for himself when God provided water from the rock in the wilderness (Numbers 20:8-12). So Moses was giving Israel his last words.

Deuteronomy Paraphrase:

God had told Moses that he would raise up a prophet like Moses from among the Israelites, and Israel was to trust and obey his Word. When God had appeared to Israel at Mount Horeb (Mt. Sinai). Israel had asked Moses to be the spokesman and mediator between Israel and God, because they had been frightened by the voice of God and his appearance as of fire on the mountaintop (Exodus 19:16-24; 20:18-19; Deuteronomy 5:1-5) and God had agreed. God promised to raise up a prophet like Moses, and to give him God’s Word to declare to the people, just as he had done with Moses. God will hold accountable anyone who does not obey God’s Word. But a prophet who presumes to speak the Word of God without instruction from God, or in the name of any other “god” shall die.

Psalm 1 Paraphrase:

People who don’t walk according to the counsel of the wicked, nor stand with sinners or sit with unbelievers will be blessed. Righteous people delight in God’s Word and meditate on it day and night. They are like trees planted near water. Drought doesn’t cause them to wither, they bear fruit abundantly in season, and they prosper in all they do.

The wicked are not like the righteous; they are like chaff that is blown away by the wind. The wicked won’t “stand” in the Day of Judgment, nor will sinners sit among the congregation of the righteous. The way of the righteous is known to God; but the way of the wicked leads to destruction.

1 Corinthians Background:

The Church at Corinth had been founded by Paul’s preaching of the Gospel. In the time of the Apostle Paul, much of the meat for sale in markets was from pagan sacrifices. There was controversy in the congregation as to whether Christians should eat such meat. Social organizations often held banquets in pagan temples.

1 Corinthians Paraphrase:

The people who were not bothered by these questions thought they were more knowledgeable than those were were bothered. Paul suggested that the guiding motive should be love rather than knowledge. Knowledge tends to make people prideful, but love motivates us to build up one another. Any one who thinks that he knows more than others doesn’t yet know what is really important. God knows those who love God.

Concerning food offered to idols, those who considered themselves enlightened among the congregation knew that pagan “gods” don’t really exist, and that there is only one true God. There are many so-called “gods” and many lords; but Christians know there is really only one true God, our Father, “from whom are all things, and for whom we exist” (1 Corinthians 8:6a) and one true Lord, Jesus Christ, “through whom are all things and through whom we exist” (1 Corinthians 8:6b).

Not all have this knowledge. Some former pagans have been accustomed to eat food offered to idols, and so their conscience bothers them. Food will not commend or condemn us to God. We are no better or worse in God’s judgment regardless of what we eat or abstain from eating. But we should not use our freedom in Christ to injure our weaker brethren. If their weaker brethren saw a more knowledgeable believer eating in a pagan temple, the weaker believer might be tempted to eat food sacrificed to idols, and his faith be damaged. So by one’s knowledge a weaker believer is destroyed. Since the weak believer is also one for whom Christ died, the knowledgeable member has sinned against Jesus. So if eating meat injures the faith of a weaker member one should sacrifice one’s own freedom to eat meat, in order to save a weaker member from sinning.

Mark Paraphrase:

After Jesus had called the original Twelve to be his disciples, he took them to Capernaum, and Jesus began teaching in the synagogue on the sabbath. The people were amazed at his teaching; he taught with authority, unlike their scribes. Right away, there was a man in the synagogue who had an unclean spirit. The spirit within the man cried out, addressing Christ as Jesus of Nazareth, and acknowledging Jesus as the Holy One of God.

The demon asked if Jesus had come to destroy them (presumably the man and his demon). Jesus commanded the demon to be silent and come out of the man. Convulsing the man and crying out loudly, the spirit came out of him. The witnesses were amazed and questioned among themselves what they had witnessed, and called it a new teaching! Jesus has authority to command even unclean spirits and they obey him. Immediately Jesus’ fame spread throughout the surrounding region of Galilee.

Commentary:

The history of God’s dealing with Israel recorded in the Bible is intended to be a series of metaphors for life in this world. Moses is intended by God to foreshadow and illustrate the Messiah, Jesus Christ, the Savior and eternal King, who God has designed into the structure of Creation from the very beginning (John 1:1-5, 14).

God’s Word is always fulfilled (Deuteronomy 18:21-22), and because it is eternal, is fulfilled over and over, as the conditions for its fulfillment are met. From the time that Israel entered the Promised Land, God raised up prophets from among Israel to proclaim God’s Word.

The first fulfillment of this prophecy was in Joshua, who replaced Moses and who led Israel into the Promised Land, through the Jordan River on dry ground, as Moses had led Israel through the Red Sea on dry ground (Joshua 3:11-17).

God raised up prophets like Isaiah, Jeremiah, Elijah and Elisha, who had personal relationships with God and who proclaimed God’s Word. Israel’s history is a series of cycles, regarding their heeding of the prophets. When times were good, Israel would fall away from obedient trust in God’s Word. The prophets would warn them of the consequences of disobedience and call for repentance, but the people would not repent and return to obedience until God took away his providence and protection. Then, during their suffering, they would repent and return to obedience, and God would eventually restore a renewed people of God, but not necessarily the same people. The people who disobeyed God’s command to enter and possess the Promised Land died in the wilderness, and the people went into Babylonian exile died in Babylon, since seventy years was a virtual lifetime for adults at the beginning of the exile.

Moses was the first Judge of Israel (Exodus 18:13-26) and when Israel entered the Promised Land God raised up Judges, like Gideon and Samson, to lead the people.

The Lord was the king of Israel, but Israel wanted a human king, like their neighboring countries. Through his prophet God warned Israel what the disadvantages of having a human king would be (1 Samuel 8:5-21), but God allowed them to establish the monarchy. David was the shepherd boy who became the great human king of Israel, who foreshadows the Messiah, Jesus Christ, the son (descendant) of David and the eternal King and heir to the throne of David (2 Samuel 7:5-13; Psalm 89:20-29).

Jesus is the ultimate fulfillment of the promise of a prophet like Moses, whom God’s people are to trust and obey, the Good Shepherd (John 10:11, 14), and eternal King of God’s people.

Moses was the mediator of the Old Covenant of Law. Moses was the prophet who had a close personal relationship with God, and who proclaimed God’s Word to God’s people. Jesus is the “New Moses,” the mediator of the New Covenant (Testament; Hebrews 9:15) of Grace, the New Passover, which Jesus established on the night of his Last Supper (Matthew 26:26-28, RSV note “g”).

Jesus is the “New Moses” who leads his people out of bondage to sin and death in the “Egypt” of this present world order, through the “sea” of baptism into Jesus Christ, by which we pass through without “getting wet” and by which our enemies are separated from us and destroyed. Jesus leads us through the “wilderness” of this lifetime, guiding us by the indwelling Holy Spirit which is the “pillar” of cloud and fire (Exodus 13:21-22). Jesus (the Greek equivalent of the Hebrew name “Joshua”) is the “New Joshua” who leads us through the “river” of physical death, without getting “wet feet” (physical death cannot harm us; Joshua 3:14-17) and into the eternal Promised Land of God’s eternal kingdom in Heaven.

Jesus is the Word of God fulfilled, embodied and exemplified human flesh in this temporal world (John 1:1-5, 14). Jesus’ word is the Word of God (John 14:10, 24), with the creative force of God’s Word (Mark 4:39-41; compare Genesis 1:3, 9). God will hold us accountable on the Day of Judgment for whether we have trusted and obeyed Jesus or not.

We will be accounted righteous (doing what is right, good, and true, according to God’s Word) with the righteousness of Jesus Christ, if we have believed (trusted and obeyed) Jesus and have accepted him as our Lord. God knows who has followed God’s Word of righteousness, and God has made known in his Word the fate of those who have rejected Jesus as Lord and have refused or failed to trust and obey Jesus’ teachings (Matthew 25:31-46; 2 Thessalonians 1:5-10).

Jesus is the only way to be forgiven our sin (disobedience of God’s Word), the only way to know divine, eternal truth, and the only way to have eternal life (Acts 4:12; John 14:6; see God’s Plan of Salvation, sidebar, top right, home). This is only possible through faith (obedient trust) in Jesus, by the gift of the indwelling Holy Spirit, which only Jesus gives (John 1:31-34), only to his disciples who trust and obey Jesus (John 14:15-17). The Holy Spirit is the seal and guarantee that one is in Christ and has eternal life (2 Corinthians 1:22; Ephesians 1:13-14; Romans 8:9b, 11, 15-16). It is not possible for one to be “born-again” by the indwelling Holy Spirit and not personally know it with certainty (Acts 19:2).

Believing that Jesus is the Christ (Messiah), the Holy one of God, won’t save us. Even demons know that (James 2:19); they just won’t voluntarily obey Jesus’ teaching. Faith is not getting whatever we believe if we believe “hard enough.” Faith is not like wishing on a star. Saving faith is obedient trust in Jesus’ teachings. Jesus warns us that calling Jesus our Lord and claiming to be his disciples (the definition of a Christian; Acts 11:26c) won’t save us (Matthew 7:21-27; Luke 6:46).

Jesus has the power and authority to command us and we would have no choice but to obey him, but it is God’s purpose to allow us the freedom to choose whether to trust and obey Jesus or not. Most often Jesus referred to himself as the Son of man, which is true, and allows his hearers to decide for themselves who Jesus is. There is a Day of Judgment coming when he will command and we will have to obey; but in that Day our eternal destinies will be fixed and unchangeable.

Monday 4 Epiphany (Variable) B
To be used only if there is a 5 Epiphany Sunday – Otherwise skip to 8 Epiphany.
First posted February 2, 2009
Podcast: Monday 4 Epiphany B

Psalm 147:1-13 – Praise the Lord;

Paraphrase:

Let us praise the Lord! Our Lord is merciful, kind and compassionate, and he is worthy of our praise. The Lord builds up Jerusalem. He restores the outcasts to Israel. The Lord heals those who are brokenhearted, and bandages the wounded. He determines the number of stars in the heavens, and knows all their names. Great is our Lord; abundant is his power and beyond measure is his understanding. “The Lord lifts up the downtrodden; he casts the wicked to the ground” (Psalm 147:6).

In thanksgiving let us sing to the Lord and make music to our God with stringed instruments. He is the Lord who makes clouds in the skies and provides rain for the earth. He covers the hills with grass. He feeds all the animals.

The Lord doesn’t delight in the strength of a horse, or in the physical abilities of mankind; his pleasure is in those who fear (have the appropriate awe and respect for the power and authority of) God and trust in God’s steadfast love.

Let Jerusalem (the City of God; the Church) and Zion (the temple mount; the citadel of David) praise the Lord their God! It is the Lord who strengthens their fortifications and blesses their sons and daughters within.

Commentary:

The Lord is the Creator of everything in heaven and on earth. He has been progressively revealing his glory to us, first through the goodness of Creation itself, then through God’s Word, the Bible, and ultimately through God’s only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, the “living Word” (John 1:1-5, 14). Everything in Creation glorifies God, except mankind; we have been given the freedom to choose whether to praise and glorify God or not.

This Creation has been designed from the beginning to accomplish God’s eternal purpose. God’s purpose is to establish an eternal kingdom of God’s people who willingly trust and obey God. God has designed Creation knowing that, given the freedom to choose, we would choose to do our own will rather than God’s. Disobedience of God’s Word is the definition of sin. We have all sinned and fallen short of God’s standard of righteousness (Romans 3:23; 1 John 1:8-10), recorded in the Bible and demonstrated in Jesus Christ.

Jesus Christ has been designed into Creation from the very beginning (John 1:1-5, 14). He is not an afterthought after mankind fell into sin. God knew, from the beginning of Creation, that we would all sin. Jesus Christ is God’s one and only provision for forgiveness of our sin and our salvation from eternal condemnation (Acts 4:12; see God’s Plan of Salvation, sidebar, top right, home).

The meaning and purpose of life in this Creation is to seek and come to know and have fellowship with God, our Creator (Acts 17:26-27), and to be spiritually “born-again” (John 3:3, 5-8) to eternal life. These are only possible through faith (obedient trust) in Jesus Christ (John 14:6), by the gift of the indwelling Holy Spirit, which only Jesus gives (John 1:31-34), only to his disciples who trust and obey Jesus (John 14:15-17).The Holy Spirit is the seal and guarantee that one is in Christ and has eternal life (2 Corinthians 1:22; Ephesians 1:13-14; Romans 8:9b, 11, 15-16). The gift of the Holy Spirit is a personally discernible ongoing event; if one has been “reborn” (Acts 19:2) it is impossible not to know it with certainty for oneself.

The indwelling Holy Spirit is the Spirit of God, the Spirit of Christ (Romans 8:9), through whom we have personal knowledge of and fellowship with God, our Creator, and our Lord Jesus Christ. By the indwelling Holy Spirit we feel the love of God for us. It is only by the indwelling Holy Spirit that we can truly praise and glorify our Lord (John 4:23-24; Romans 8:14-16; Galatians 4:6).

The only true security in this world is in the Lord. People can build fortresses, gather armies, train them, and equip them with the latest technology, but unless they trust and obey the Lord, their efforts are ultimately futile (Psalm 147:10-11; compare Psalm 33:17; 127:1-2 RSV). People can build “castles” with security gates and bars and “panic rooms,” they can hoard food and money for times of disaster, but unless they trust and obey the Lord they will ultimately come to eternal spiritual disaster.

God sent his Son into the world to heal the spiritually wounded and brokenhearted. Jesus is the only one who can restore the downtrodden and outcast. But those who think that they can provide their own wellbeing and security will ultimately be overthrown and will spend eternity in eternal destruction in Hell with all evil.

Tuesday 4 Epiphany (Variable) B
To be used only if there is a 5 Epiphany Sunday – Otherwise skip to 8 Epiphany.
First posted February 3, 2009
Podcast: Tuesday 4 Epiphany B

Job 7:1-7 – Suffering;

Paraphrase:

Life is hard and one’s days are like that of a hireling. The hireling longs for his wages; the slave longs for shade. Job’s life was months of emptiness and nights of misery, tossing and turning until dawn. Job’s flesh was filthy and covered with worms. It crusted over and then re-erupted. The days of his life fled faster than a weavers shuttle and ended without hope. Job asked God to remember that his life was fleeting; Job feared that he would never again see goodness in life.

Commentary:

Job had been afflicted with boils, and he was in physical misery (Job 2:1-8). The three friends who came to him believed that Job had done evil and had brought this suffering upon himself.

Job saw his life passing by while he was in misery; his days were empty, and he couldn’t sleep at night. When he thought his skin was healing it broke out again. He feared that he would never see goodness in life.

Sickness and suffering are not signs of God’s disapproval, and wealth and prosperity are not evidence of God’s approval. The world is quick to blame suffering on the sufferer.

Job was a believer in God but he hadn’t had a personal knowledge of and fellowship with God (Job 42:5). Job had no reason to believe that there was life beyond physical death, but he hoped ultimately to see God (Job 19:25-27).

Job longed for a mediator between God and mankind (Job 9:33-35 RSV), and an advocate to defend mankind before God (Job 16:19-21). He believed that the Lord was his redeemer, and that he would come to earth in the last days, and all would face eternal judgment (Job 19:29).

Jesus is the ultimate fulfillment of Job’s hope of a redeemer and vindicator, a mediator between God and mankind (Hebrews 9:15), an advocate for mankind before God (Hebrews 2:17; 4:14-16), and the Righteous Judge (2 Timothy 4:8), to whom all will be accountable on the Day of Judgment (Matthew 25:31-46). Jesus is the fulfillment of Job’s hope that his Redeemer would stand upon the earth, and Job would behold him face to face.

God doesn’t cause suffering but he allows it to happen. Sin (disobedience of God’s Word) is the cause of suffering and evil in this world. When we don’t trust and obey God’s Word he lifts his favor and protection from us and allows us to suffer, in the hope that we will realize our need for him and return to him, so that we can have eternal life in his heavenly kingdom.

God can use our suffering to cause us to examine our beliefs, and to seek God’s Word. Job grew spiritually through his suffering (Job 42:5). God is able to restore us again (Job 42:10-17). I personally testify that this has been my personal experience (see Personal Testimonies, sidebar, top right, home)

Is Jesus your Lord (Matthew 7:21-23; Luke 6:46)? Are you Jesus’ disciple (John 8:31)? Are you trusting and obeying Jesus (John 14:21)? Have you received the indwelling Holy Spirit since you first truly believed (Acts 19:2)? Are you making disciples of Jesus Christ and teaching them to obey all that Jesus commands (Matthew 28:18-20)? Do you know with certainty where you will spend eternity (1 John 5:11-13; Ephesians 1:13-14)?

Wednesday 4 Epiphany (Variable) B
To be used only if there is a 5 Epiphany Sunday – Otherwise skip to 8 Epiphany.
First posted February 4, 2009
Podcast: Wednesday 4 Epiphany B

1 Corinthians 9:16-23 – All Things to All People;

Paraphrase:

Paul could not boast about preaching the Gospel, because it was an obligation. He would receive a reward for doing this willingly, but if he were doing it unwillingly he would still do it because he had a commission. Paul delighted in preaching the Gospel without charge, although he would be entitled to earn his living as an Apostle (messenger; preacher).

Paul was free of obligation to anyone, but he voluntarily accepted an obligation to everyone so that he might attract many to their salvation. He appealed to Jews as a Jew, in order to save them. To those who were under the Law he appealed to them as one under Law, although he was not personally obligated to the Law. To those outside the Law (the Gentiles) he appealed to them as if he were outside the Law, although he was under the law of Christ (Romans 8:1-9). To those who were weak he became like them, so that he could win some to salvation. Paul surrendered his self-will to become the servant of all, so that some might be saved, and so that Paul might share in the blessings of the Gospel himself.

Commentary:

Paul was the prototype and example of a “modern,” “post-resurrection,” “born-again” (John 3:3, 5-8) disciple and apostle of Jesus Christ, as we can become. He had personally experienced the joy of forgiveness and salvation, and he wanted to share that with others (Acts 9:1-22).

All Christians are by definition “born-again” disciples of Jesus Christ (Acts 11:26c). We are to be led in discipleship by “born-again” disciples within the Church (the New Jerusalem) until we have been spiritually “reborn” before going into the world with the Gospel (Luke 24:49; Acts 1:4-5, 8). Then we have a commission from Jesus Christ to make “born-again” disciples of Jesus Christ, and teach them to trust and obey all that Jesus taught (Matthew 28:19-20).

“Born-again” Christians have come to know from experience the truth and joy of Jesus Christ, and want to share that with their families, friends and neighbors. We not only want to share the Gospel but are obligated. Who would not speak out if we saw someone doing something that would kill them? If we know the secret of a better way to live, who would not share it with their families, friends and acquaintances?

The meaning and purpose of life in this world is to seek, find, and have fellowship with God, our Creator, and this is only possible through faith (obedient trust) in Jesus Christ (John 14:6). This lifetime is our only opportunity to be spiritually reborn to eternal life. Eternal life and fellowship with God are only possible by the gift of the indwelling Holy Spirit which only Jesus gives (John1:31-34), only to his disciples who trust and obey Jesus (John 14:15-17). The Holy Spirit is the seal and guarantee that one is in Christ and has eternal life (2 Corinthians 1:22; Ephesians 1:13-14; Romans 8:9b, 11, 15-16). It is possible for one to know with certainty if one has been spiritually reborn (Acts 19:2).

Thursday 4 Epiphany (Variable) B
To be used only if there is a 5 Epiphany Sunday – Otherwise skip to 8 Epiphany.
First posted February 5, 2009;
Podcast: Thursday 4 Epiphany B

Mark 1:29-39 – Jesus’ Ministry Begins;

Paraphrase:

After gathering Simon, Andrew, James and John along the shore of the Sea of Galilee, Jesus began his ministry at the synagogue in Capernaum (Mark 1:16-28). Immediately afterward he entered the home of Simon (Peter) and Andrew with James and John. Simon’s mother-in-law was sick in bed with a high fever. Jesus came, took her hand, lifted her up, her fever left, and she served them.

That same evening at sunset, all who were sick or demon-possessed were brought to him and Jesus healed them all. Jesus would not let the demons speak because they knew Jesus.

Very early the next day Jesus rose and went to an isolated place to pray. His disciples followed him, and told him that lots of people were looking for him. Jesus told his disciples to go with him to the next town, so that Jesus could proclaim his Gospel there also; that was the reason Jesus had gotten up so early. So “he went throughout Galilee, preaching in their synagogues and casting out demons” (Mark 1:39).

Commentary:

Jesus’ Gospel (meaning “good news”) is of forgiveness of sin (disobedience of God’s Word) and salvation from eternal death, which is the penalty for sin ( Romans 6:23; see God’s Plan of Salvation, sidebar, top right, home).

Jesus began his ministry by teaching in synagogues. At the synagogue in Capernaum Jesus healed a man who had been demon-possessed, and the news of the healing quickly spread throughout Galilee.

After “church,” Jesus and his disciples visited the home of Simon and Andrew, where Simon’s mother-in-law was sick with a fever, and Jesus healed her. That evening great crowds of people gathered at the door for healing of physical illness and demon exorcism. Jesus’ healing was so sought for that he had to leave very early the next morning, or he would not have been able to teach in other synagogues in Galilee.

Jesus’ ministry was primarily to bring spiritual healing, spiritual feeding and spiritual, eternal life. Jesus’ physical healing, feeding, resurrection, and demon exorcism were intended to show that Jesus can also heal us spiritually. Physical healing only lasts until the next illness, and physical feeding only lasts until the next meal. What good is physical health if one spends eternity in Hell?

Many people were attracted to Jesus only for what he could do for them physically. Unless they realized their need for spiritual healing they missed what only Jesus can provide. If Jesus had allowed it, his entire ministry would have been spent satisfying people’s physical needs.

Our greatest needs are spiritual, but many do not know or acknowledge that. Unless we realize our spiritual needs, Jesus can’t help us (Mark 2:17).

In many instances, demon-possession is what many today would call psychiatric illness. It is a great physical symbol of spiritual illness. We are all in bondage to Satan (Romans 3:23; Hebrews 2:14-15), unless Jesus frees and heals us by the gift of his indwelling Holy Spirit.

There are demonic forces at work in our world today. As long as we are unaware of them, they don’t make their presence known; it is not in their interest. Unless we have been set free we don’t realize how much we have been controlled and manipulated by them.

Satan and his demons know who Jesus is; they just don’t willingly obey him. Jesus can and does command and they must obey. Jesus commanded this demon not to say who Jesus is, because Jesus wants every one to decide for themselves who Jesus is. Jesus also didn’t want those who he healed to spread that news, so that his spiritual ministry would not be impeded by people seeking only physical benefits (John 6:26-27).

Jesus could command us and we would have no choice but to obey, but he chooses not to. It is God’s purpose to allow us the freedom to choose whether or not to trust and obey him. There is a day coming, the Day of Judgment, when Christ returns, when he will command and we will all, believers and unbelievers, obey; but in that day it will be too late to change our eternal destinies (Matthew 25:31-46).

There are many nominal “Christians” today who are only interested in what the “Church” can do for them physically. Not every one who calls themselves “Christian” is one. A Christian is by definition a disciple of Jesus Christ (Acts 11:26c) who has been spiritually “born-again” (John 3:3, 5-8), by the gift (“baptism;” “anointing;”) of the indwelling Holy Spirit, which only Jesus gives (John 1:31-34), only to his disciples who trust and obey Jesus (John 14:15-17). If we have experienced his spiritual healing, we will certainly want to serve him. The Holy Spirit is the seal and guarantee that one is in Christ and has eternal life (2 Corinthians 1:22; Ephesians 1:13-14; Romans 8:9b, 11, 15-16). It is impossible to be truly “born-again” and not know it personally with certainty by oneself (Acts 19:2).

Friday 4 Epiphany (Variable) B
To be used only if there is a 5 Epiphany Sunday – Otherwise skip to 8 Epiphany.
First posted February 6, 2009
Podcast: Friday 4 Epiphany B

Ezekiel 33:10-16 – Personal Responsibility;
Colossians 3:12-17 – New Life Duties;

Ezekiel Paraphrase:

God commanded the prophet to declare that God’s people had acknowledged that their sins were upon them and they were wasting away because of them. The Lord is not pleased by the death of the wicked; he desires that they turn back from their wickedness. Why would they choose death? They should turn away from their sins.

The righteousness of the righteous will not save them if they turn from righteousness to sin, nor will the wickedness of the wicked condemn them if they turn from their wickedness. The righteous are warned that if they commit what is wicked, their past righteousness will not save them. Similarly, if the wicked truly repent and make restitution for their wickedness and live according to God’s Word, their past wickedness will not be remembered by God and they will not be condemned to eternal death.

Colossians Paraphrase:

New believers are to put off the old worldly nature and put on the new nature of life in the likeness of our Creator (Colossians 3:9-10).

Let us put on the new nature which befits us as God’s chosen, holy (consecrated to God’s use) and beloved people. We are to become compassionate, kind, lowly, meek and patient, forbearing (tolerant) and forgiving of one another, if having a complaint against another. We must forgive others as the Lord has forgiven us (Matthew 6:14-15). Above all of these we are to apply love, which binds all together in complete harmony.

Let us allow the peace of Christ to reign in our hearts, as one body, for which we were called. Let us remember to be thankful. May the fullness of Christ’s word dwell in us as we teach and admonish one another in (divine) wisdom, and as we sing psalms and songs of praise inspired by the Holy Spirit, with thanksgiving to God. Let us, in every word and deed, do so in the name of our Lord, Jesus, with thanksgiving to God through him.

Commentary:

Good works will not save a person who willfully commits sin, and past sins will be forgiven and expunged, if the wicked truly repents and changes his behavior.

We have all sinned (disobeyed God’s Word), and have fallen short of his righteousness (Romans 3:23; 1 John 1:8-10), and the penalty for sin is eternal death (Romans 6:23). Jesus is God’s only provision for our forgiveness and salvation from eternal condemnation and death (Acts 4:12; John 14:6; see God’s Plan of Salvation, sidebar, top right, home).

When we acknowledge our sinfulness and accept salvation through faith (obedient trust) in Jesus, we will turn from our former life and behavior, and learn to live according to Jesus’ word, his teaching and example, one day at a time (Matthew 6:11, 34). As we demonstrate our sincere commitment, we will receive the gift of the indwelling Holy Spirit, which only Jesus gives (John 1:31-34), only to his disciples who trust and obey Jesus (John 14:15-17). By the gift of the indwelling Holy Spirit we are spiritually “born-again” (John 3:3, 5-8) to eternal life. The Holy Spirit is the seal and guarantee that one is in Christ and has eternal life (2 Corinthians 1:22; Ephesians 1:13-14; Romans 8:9b, 11, 15-16).

It is by the indwelling Holy Spirit that our minds are opened to understand the Bible scriptures (Luke 24:25-27, 32, 45), and to know divine eternal truth (John 14:17). The Holy Spirit teaches us all things and brings all of Jesus’ teachings to our remembrance (John 14:26). It is only by the indwelling Holy Spirit that we can truly worship the Lord (John 4:23-24; Romans 8:15-16). The Holy Spirit will provide what to say at the moment we need to testify (Matthew 10:19-20; Luke 21:14-15).

The Holy Spirit is given to us to help us live according to God’s Word (Romans 8:1-9), motivated by love, rather than by fear (John 14:15). It is by the Holy Spirit that we experience the love of the Lord for us. It is by the indwelling Holy Spirit that we have personal knowledge of and fellowship with God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ (John 14:23). It is by the indwelling Holy Spirit that we have the peace of Christ within us (John 14:27; Hebrews 2:14-15).

We are all God’s “chosen” people. God has chosen us to be his obedient trusting children. Have we chosen him to be our Father and our Lord?

Saturday 4 Epiphany (Variable) B
To be used only if there is a 5 Epiphany Sunday – Otherwise skip to 8 Epiphany.
First posted February 7, 2009
Podcast: Saturday 4 Epiphany B

Matthew 13:24-30 – Weeds Among Wheat;

Paraphrase:

In a parable, Jesus described the kingdom of God like a wheat field. The farmer sowed good seed, but during the night his enemy sowed weeds among the wheat. When the wheat sprouted the weeds sprouted also. The farmer’s servants asked the farmer how the weeds got into the field and the farmer told them that his enemy had done this. The servants asked if they should weed the field, and the farmer told them not to, or they might damage the wheat. The farmer allowed both to grow until the harvest. Then God’s reapers will bind the weeds into bundles and burn them, and gather the wheat into the farmer’s barn.

Commentary:

A parable is a story of a common earthly experience used to describe a spiritual truth. This Creation is God’s wheat field, where he is growing people who will trust and obey God, to become citizens of God’s eternal kingdom in heaven. The weeds are the children of Satan, the enemy of God.

This Creation has been designed for God’s purpose, to allow people freedom to choose whether or not to obey God’s Word, and the opportunity to learn by trial and error that God’s will is their best interest. God allows the wicked to live among the righteous (those who do what is right, good and true according to God’s Word) for now, but at the end of time the angels of God will gather the weeds and burn them, and will gather the wheat into God’s “barn,” God’s kingdom in heaven.

God created this world and it was very good (Genesis 1:31). God didn’t cause the evil that is present in the world, but he allowed it to happen because he allowed for the possibility for sin (disobedience of God’s Word). Otherwise we would not be free to choose whether to trust and obey God or not. It is people who have caused this Creation to be less than the perfect world God created, because we haven’t trusted and obeyed God’s Word.

We are all guilty of sin because we have all disobeyed God’s Word and fall short of God’s righteousness (Romans 3:23; 1 John 1:8-10). The penalty for sin is eternal death (Romans 6:23). God knew when he created this world that we would sin, and he designed a Savior, Jesus Christ, into Creation from the very beginning (John 1:1-5, 14, Romans 5:8; John 3:16-17; see God’s Plan of Salvation, sidebar, top right, home).

God is not willing to tolerate rebellion and disobedience forever, or at all in his eternal kingdom. So this Creation and we ourselves have been limited by time. Time will end for each of us at the moment of our death, and the next moment is Judgment, not reincarnation, not “nothingness,” at the throne of Jesus Christ (Hebrews 9:27). Each of us will be accountable to the Lord on the Day of Judgment for what we have done in this lifetime (John 5:28-29).

There is forgiveness of sin and salvation from eternal condemnation and death only by faith (obedient trust) in Jesus (Acts 4:12; John 14:6). Salvation is the free gift of God to all who are willing to receive it through Jesus Christ (Ephesians 2:8-9). Those who have accepted Jesus as their Lord, who have trusted and obeyed Jesus will have been spiritually “reborn” (John 3:3, 5-8) by the gift of the indwelling Holy Spirit now, in this lifetime, and will enter God’s eternal kingdom in heaven. Those who have rejected Jesus as Lord, who have refused or failed to trust and obey Jesus will be condemned to eternal death in Hell with all evil (Matthew 25:31-46; 2 Thessalonians 1:5-10).

The Holy Spirit is the seal and guarantee that one is in Christ and has eternal life (2 Corinthians 1:22; Ephesians 1:13-14; Romans 8:9b, 11, 15-16). Only Jesus gives the gift (“anointing;” “baptism”) of the indwelling Holy Spirit (John 1:31-34), only to his disciples who trust and obey Jesus (John 14:15-17).

Not everyone who claims to be a Christian, who claims to be “born-again,” who claims that Jesus is their Lord, is going to be saved (Matthew 7:21-27; Luke 6:46). Saving faith is not getting whatever one believes, if one believes “hard enough.” Saving faith is not an “opinion.” Saving faith is obedient trust in Jesus Christ through the indwelling Holy Spirit.

No one can be sure of living until tomorrow. Today is the only day we can be sure of. Today is the Day of Salvation (2 Corinthians 6:2).

Tags: christian, christian maturity, faith, jesus, maturity, spiritual growth, spirituality, supernatural
Posted in Catholic Church, Episcopal Church, lutheran book of worship, lutheran church, Methodist Church, personal devotions., Presbyterian Church, revised common lectionary, scripture texts | Leave a Comment »

Week of 3 Epiphany – B 01/22-28/2012

January 21, 2012

Week of 3 Epiphany – B

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Podcast Download: Week of 3 Epiphany – B

Sunday 3 Epiphany – B
First Posted 1/25/2009;
Podcast: Sunday 3 Epiphany – B

Jonah 3:1-5, 10 – Jonah’s Second Call;

Psalm 62:6-12 – Wait for the Lord;

1 Corinthians 7:29-31 – The Lord is at Coming;

Mark 1:14-20 – The Kingdom of God is at Hand;

Jonah Paraphrase:

The first time God called Jonah to proclaim God’s Word of judgment against Nineveh, Jonah tried to flee. After repenting, Jonah was again called by God, and Jonah reluctantly obeyed God’s command. Nineveh was so large that it would take three days to travel from one end to the other. Jonah went a day’s journey into the city and began to proclaim that in forty days God would destroy Nineveh. The people believed God, and proclaimed a fast, and all dressed in sackcloth (the garb of ritual mourning), regardless of their social standing in the city.

When God saw their repentance and their change in their ways, God relented and renounced his intention to destroy the city as he had said.

Psalm Paraphrase:

God is the only source of salvation; the only safe eternal refuge; the only solid rock on which to build our lives, so that we cannot be shaken. In God alone can we find deliverance, honor and refuge.

Let us always trust in him, everyone. We can pour out our hearts to him, and he will give us refuge.

Social status, worldly wealth and power are a delusion; they amount to no more than a puff of air. Let us not resort to extortion or robbery to gain wealth or power. Let us not desire or rely upon material resources.

God has declared, and I am doubly sure, that power belongs to God, who is worthy of our steadfast love. The Lord alone judges mankind according to our individual behavior.

1 Corinthians Paraphrase:

Paul was “discipling” the Roman Christians, teaching them to not become too distracted by worldly things and affairs. We should spend every day in anticipation of the Lord’s immediate return. We must not become too focused on spouses and family. We may have mourning but we should not allow that mourning distract us from our expectation of Christ’s return. We can celebrate with the joyful, without letting celebration interfere with our preparation for the coming of Jesus. We still have to shop for the necessities of life, and conduct worldly affairs, but without becoming preoccupied and distracted by material possessions and worldly matters. We should consider ourselves citizens of the coming age and God’s eternal kingdom.

Mark Paraphrase:

After Jesus had been baptized by John the Baptizer, John had been imprisoned, when Jesus began his public ministry. Jesus went about in Galilee proclaiming God’s Gospel, God’s “good news” for mankind, and declaring that the time had come; the kingdom of God was at hand. Jesus urged his hearers to repent and believe the Gospel.

As Jesus walked along the shore of the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers fishing with a throw-net. Jesus invited them to follow him and he would teach them to become “fishers of men.” They immediately abandoned their nets and followed Jesus.

A little farther on, Jesus saw two men, James and John, the sons of Zebedee, in their father’s boat with their father, mending nets. Jesus called them to follow him and they immediately left their father, their nets, and the boat and followed Jesus.

Commentary:

Jonah tried to flee from God’s call and got swallowed and spent three days in the belly of a big fish (whale). This is a parable and a metaphor. God calls each one of us to trust and obey God. The belly of the fish is a metaphor for the grave (Matthew 12:40). When Jonah repented and prayed to the Lord, God raised him to life again, and gave him a second chance.

Jonah’s “resurrection” prefigures Jesus’ resurrection, through whom by faith (obedient trust) we can be raised from spiritual and physical death to eternal life, but if we flee from God’s call in Jesus Christ, we will be swallowed up by death, and have no second chances.

God doesn’t want anyone to perish eternally. He wants all of us to live eternally in paradise restored in his heavenly kingdom (John 3:16-17). He is always ready to forgive us when we repent and become obedient to his Word, right up to the moment death comes, but don’t plan on waiting until the last possible moment, because it takes some time for us to learn what we need to know from this lifetime. Death may come suddenly, without opportunity for repentance, or we may deteriorate mentally before our death. At our death our eternal destiny will be fixed and unchangeable for eternity, and our families and friends will not be able to “pray” our way out of “purgatory,” a doctrine not supported in the Bible.

God has designed this Creation for his purpose, to establish an eternal kingdom of his people who willingly choose to trust and obey him. He has designed this world with freedom for us to choose whether to obey God or not and the possibility of learning by trial and error. God knew that given that freedom, we would all choose to do our own will and disobey God’s Word, which is the definition of sin (Romans 3:23; 1 John 1:8-10). The penalty for sin is eternal death (Romans 6:23).

Jesus Christ is God’s one and only provision for our forgiveness and salvation from eternal condemnation and destruction in hell with all evil (Acts 4:12; John 14:6). God designed Jesus into the structure of Creation from the very beginning (John 1:1-5, 14; see God’s Plan of Salvation, sidebar, top right, home).

Jesus is the fulfillment of God’s Word of forgiveness and salvation. Jesus is the only source of true eternal security. Jesus demonstrated that he can heal the spiritually sick, feed the spiritually hungry and raise up the spiritually and physically dead to eternal life.

This lifetime is our only opportunity to be spiritually “born-again” (John 3:3, 5-8) by the gift of the indwelling Holy Spirit which only Jesus gives (John 1:31-34), only to his disciples who trust and obey Jesus (John 14:15-17). The Holy Spirit is the seal and guarantee that one is in Christ and has eternal life (2 Corinthians 1:22; Ephesians 1:13-14; Romans 8:9b, 11, 15-16).

The psalmist warns us not to rely on material wealth and physical resources. We should keep a “loose grip” on material and worldly things. Those things can’t save us; they can only tie us down and distract us from spiritual life and truth. Those who trust in God’s Word will become “doubly certain,” as they receive the fulfillment of God’s promises and experience his power (John 6:68-69).

Paul taught the new disciples at Rome to “keep a loose grip” on the things of the world. We can’t avoid worldly affairs and concerns, but we need to remember that what is most important is learning to serve the Lord. The meaning and purpose of this lifetime is to seek, find, know and have fellowship with God our Creator (Acts 17:26-27). Our main purpose should be learning to know, trust and obey Jesus’ teaching, and learning to know his will for us on a day-by-day basis (Matthew 6:11, 34). As we do he will cause us to grow to spiritual maturity at the Day of Christ’s return (Philippians 1:6 RSV).

Jesus’ physical manifestation and sacrificial death on the cross began the coming of God’s kingdom. John the Baptizer called for the people to repent and return to obedience in God’s Word in preparation to receive the promised Messiah. Those who believed God’s Word through John were prepared to receive Jesus as their Lord and Savior, but many in Israel didn’t believe, were unprepared, and did not receive the promise of forgiveness, salvation and eternal life (John 1:10-13).

When Jesus appeared, after John had identified him (John 1:26-34), Jesus began to preach the Gospel and the coming of God’s kingdom. The Church is the heir to the ministry of John the Baptizer. Once we have identified Jesus and have come to know him, we testify that he is the Christ, the Son of God, who died and arose from the dead. We call people to repent and return to obedient trust and receive water baptism for repentance and forgiveness, to prepare to receive Jesus through the gift of the indwelling Holy Spirit. Jesus comes again to us personally and individually through the indwelling Holy Spirit.

Jesus has promised to come again at the end of this Messianic age, the age of grace (God’s free gift of forgiveness and salvation through faith in Jesus), the end of time and of this Creation. Jesus will judge the living (“quickened”) and the dead (1 Peter 4:5), in both physical and spiritual senses. Those who have accepted Jesus now as their Lord and have trusted and obeyed Jesus will enter eternal life with him in his eternal heavenly kingdom, but those who have rejected Jesus and have refused or failed to trust and obey Jesus will enter eternal destruction in hell with all evil (Mathew 25:31-46; John 5:28-29; 2 Thessalonians 1: 5-10).

That Day of Judgment is not far off. We will all experience it immediately after our physical death, and none of us can be sure how much time we have. Today is the only day we can be sure of; today is the day of salvation (2 Corinthians 6:2). Today Jesus is calling, and when we hear his voice let us not resist his call (Hebrews 3:7-8).

Monday 3 Epiphany – B (Variable)

To be used only if there is a 4 Epiphany Sunday – Otherwise skip to 8 Epiphany.

First Posted 1/26/2009;

Podcast: Monday 3 Epiphany – B

Psalm 1 - Righteous and Wicked Contrasted;

Paraphrase

Those who don’t walk in (follow) the counsel of the wicked, nor stand in (serve) the way of sinners, nor sit with (join) scoffers will be blessed. The blessed are those who delight in God’s Word and meditate on it day and night. They are like a tree planted near a stream that doesn’t wither, but produces fruit in its season. They prosper in all that they do.

The wicked are not like that; they will be carried off like chaff blown by the wind. The wicked will not stand (prevail) in the judgment; they will not be allowed to sit in (join) the congregation of the righteous. The Lord knows the way (the deeds, and the eternal reward) of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will result in eternal destruction.

Commentary:

God has designed this Creation from the very beginning to allow us the freedom to choose whether to obey God’s Word or not. His purpose is to establish an eternal kingdom of his people who willingly choose to trust and obey God. This present Creation and we ourselves are limited by time, because God is unwilling to allow rebellion and disobedience forever, or at all in his eternal kingdom, or it wouldn’t be heaven.

We are all eternal souls in physical bodies. We’re all born physically alive but spiritually “unborn” into this world. This lifetime is our only opportunity to be spiritually “born-again” (John 3:3, 5-8) to eternal life. This lifetime is our opportunity to seek and find God our Creator (Acts 17:26-27), and to learn to trust and obey God’s Word.

God knew that, given the freedom to choose, we would all choose to follow our way, instead of God’s. Sin is disobedience of God’s way. We have all sinned and fall short of God’s righteousness (Romans 3:23, 1 John 1:8-10). God designed a Savior into this Creation from the very beginning (John 1:1-5, 14). Jesus is God’s one and only provision for the forgiveness of our sins. Jesus is the only way for us to be forgiven, restored to fellowship with God which was broken by sin, the only way to know divine eternal truth, and the only way to true eternal life (John 14:6; see God’s Plan of Salvation, sidebar, top right, home).

God has been progressively revealing himself and his purpose for Creation, first in the goodness of Creation itself, then through his Word, the Bible, and now through his only begotten Son, Jesus Christ (Hebrews 1:1-2), the “living Word:” the fulfillment embodiment and example of God’s Word, lived in this world in human flesh (John 1:14).

In order to get the most out of our lives in this Creation, we should investigate the “Owner’s Manual,” the Bible. (God is the owner of everything in this Universe.) It is the testimony of every “born-again” Christian that the Bible is the Word of God and that Jesus is the only way to true eternal life in God’s kingdom restored to paradise in heaven. The test of God’s Word is that it is absolutely true and reliable (Deuteronomy 18:21-22), and that it is fulfilled over and over as the conditions for its fulfillment are met.

This lifetime is God’s gift to us to allow us to seek and find him, and to learn from experience that his Word is good, possible for us to do, and our perfect best interest (Romans 12:2). God’s Word warns that everything physical and material will pass away; only what is spiritual is eternal (Matthew 24:35; 1 Corinthians 13:13; 2 Peter 3:10).

Every believer (who has trusted and obeyed God’s Word) has experienced and testifies to the truth of God’s Word, and that includes the psalmist. If we will trust and obey God’s Word we will come to know with certainty that it is the only way to have true, eternal life (John 6:68). There are two ways to learn by trial and error: We can know now with certainty that it is God’s Word, that Jesus is the way, truth and life, and that we are in Jesus and have eternal life, or we can ignore God’s Word and continue to pursue our worldly life and our own will, and discover that we have condemned ourselves to eternal destruction on the Day of Judgment, when it is too late to change our eternal destiny.

It is not true that we can’t know for sure whether there is a heaven and a hell and eternity until we die. The only people who don’t know are those who are eternally lost and perishing. Now is the day of Salvation (2 Corinthians 6:2), now is the only time we can change our eternal destiny.

Tuesday 3 Epiphany – B(Variable)

To be used only if there is a 4 Epiphany Sunday – Otherwise skip to 8 Epiphany.
First Posted 1/27/2009;

Podcast: Tuesday 3 Epiphany – B

Deuteronomy 18:15-20 – Test of Prophecy;

Background:

Israel was poised to enter the Promised Land, and Moses was giving them his farewell address.

Deuteronomy Paraphrase:

Moses told the people of Israel that God was going to raise up a prophet like Moses from among Israel. They were to obey him as they had Moses, when they asked him at Mount Horeb (Sinai) to be their mediator between God and Israel. They had been afraid of God’s voice and the fire of his manifestation at Mount Horeb (Exodus 19:16-24; 20:18-19; Deuteronomy 5:1-5). God agreed. God promised to raise up a prophet like Moses to speak to Israel the Word of God. Everyone in the congregation of Israel would be accountable to God if they failed to trust and obey the prophet.

A prophet who presumes to speak words that God had not commanded him to speak, or to speak in the name of another god will die. God gave Israel the test of prophecy by which they would know true prophecy from false: any one who presumes to speak God’s Word which does not come to pass is a false prophet. Such prophets do not speak God’s Word and the people should not be afraid to disregard their words.

Commentary:

The test of God’s Word is its fulfillment. God’s Word is eternal, and is always fulfilled, over and over, as the conditions for fulfillment are met.

Moses is the prototype who foreshadowed the promised Messiah, Jesus Christ (Messiah and Christ each means “anointed” in Hebrew and Greek, respectively). Moses had not been allowed to enter the Promised Land because he hadn’t given God the glory for bringing forth water from the rock (Numbers 20:8-11). Joshua became the first leader like Moses, who led the Israelites through the Jordan River on dry ground (Joshua 3:11-17) and into the Promised Land.

Moses was also the first judge (Exodus 18:13-26). When Israel entered the Promised Land God raised up judges like Moses to be leaders of the people, Gideon and Samson, for example.

The Israelites wanted to have a king, like the nations around them, and God allowed them to, after warning them what it would cost them in terms of resources (1 Samuel 8:5-21). God had been their king, but the people insisted on a human king. David became the ideal shepherd-king, foreshadowing the Messiah, Jesus Christ, the “Good Shepherd,” (John 10:11, 14), the eternal King of kings, the Son of David (Matthew 1:1; 21:9) and heir to the throne of David (2 Samuel 7:5-13; Psalm 89:20-29).

God raised up prophets like Moses, who had a personal relationship with God, like Moses had (Exodus 34:29-35), such as Isaiah, Jeremiah, Elijah and Elisha.

The prophecy promising a prophet like Moses is ultimately fulfilled in Jesus Christ. Jesus is the “New Moses,” the mediator of the “New Covenant” (Testament; Matthew 26:26-28; Hebrews 9:11-15) who leads God’s people out of bondage to sin and death in the “Egypt” of the present world order, through the “Sea” of baptism into Christ, and through the “Wilderness” of this lifetime. Jesus is the “New Joshua” who leads us through the “Jordan River” of physical death, on supernaturally dry ground (Joshua 3:14-17), symbolizing that physical death has no power over us, and into the eternal “Promised Land” of God’s eternal kingdom in heaven. Jesus is the “New Moses” who died physically, but arose from physical death to eternal life, our “New Joshua” (Joshua means “Jehovah the Savior;” Jesus is the Greek form of the Hebrew name Joshua, or Jeshua), and who fights our spiritual battles and protects us from our spiritual enemies.

Throughout the history of God’s dealings with Israel in the Old Testament, God has been progressively revealing his purpose for Creation, through human examples of what God intends. Jesus is God revealed in human flesh (Colossians 2:8-9; John 20:28; John 14:8-11; Matthew 11:27), in a non-threatening way. Jesus came humbly, as a new-born infant. His earthly ministry was gentle. His physical healing and feeding and resurrection miracles were intended to show that he can provide spiritual healing and feeding and life from physical death. He allowed humans to kill him in the most painful way imaginable (Philippians 2:8).

Jesus didn’t come to condemn us but to save us (John 3:16-17). Those who do not believe (trust and obey) him condemn themselves because they have not believed the name (the whole person and character) of the only Son of God (John 3:18).

Jesus is the ultimate fulfillment of the prophet like Moses. Jesus’ word is the Word of God (John 14:10, 24) with the creative power of God’s Word (Mark 4:39-41; compare Genesis 1:3, 9). Jesus is the “living Word;” the Word of God fulfilled, embodied and exemplified in human flesh in this world (John 1:1-5, 14).

“In many and various ways God spoke of old to our fathers by the prophets; but in these last days he has spoken to us by a Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the World” (Hebrews 1:1-2)

Wednesday 3 Epiphany – B(Variable)

To be used only if there is a 4 Epiphany Sunday – Otherwise skip to 8 Epiphany.
First Posted 1/28/2009;
Podcast: Wednesday 3 Epiphany – B

1 Corinthians 8:1-13 – Knowledge and Love;

Background:

There was controversy in the Corinthian congregation over eating meat, because much of the meat for sale came from animal sacrifices to idols. People who had no ethical reservation about eating such food felt superior to those who did. Banquets of social clubs and guilds were often held in pagan temples.

Corinthians Paraphrase:

On the subject of food offered to idols, we all have knowledge. Knowledge produces the feeling of one’s superiority, while love builds up others and ourselves. Anyone who imagines himself superior to others by his knowledge demonstrates that he doesn’t yet know what he should. If we love God we will be known by him.

So, regarding food offered to idols, we know that idols have no real existence, and there is only one true God. While there are many so-called gods and lords, for us there is only one true God, the Father, “from whom are all things, and for whom we exist, and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things and through whom we exist” (1 Corinthians 8:6).

Not everyone knows this; some who were accustomed to eating food sacrificed as really sacrificed to idols are defiled by a weak conscience. What food we eat does not commend us to God. What we eat doesn’t make us better off, and what we abstain from eating doesn’t make us worse. What is important is to not allow our liberty to cause another who is weak to stumble spiritually. If those who are knowledgeable are seen at a banquet in a pagan temple, a weaker believer might be encouraged to eat food as really sacrificed to idols, and cause him to sin. Our knowledge must not cause another to sin. Causing one of our brethren, for whom Christ died, to sin would be our sin against Christ. So if eating meat would cause a brother to sin, we should abstain for his sake.

Commentary:

Our knowledge should not be used to harm our brethren. Instead of pride, we should be motivated by love. None of us can boast of our love, either, because God first loved us, and we can only truly love others by God’s love for us. Anyone who claims spiritual knowledge but has no concern for weaker brethren, doesn’t yet have the true knowledge which is most important: that we should love others as God has loved us.

Christians know that there is only one true God, and only one true Lord, Jesus Christ (John 6:68-69 RSV). God is the Creator of the Universe, and our Father, who has created us to be his children. Jesus is the one through whom all things were created and through whom we exist (John 1:1-5, 14).

We come to personally know and have fellowship with God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ through the gift of the indwelling Holy Spirit, which only Jesus gives (John 1:31-34), only to his disciples who trust and obey Jesus (John 14:15-17).The Holy Spirit is the seal and guarantee that one is in Christ and has eternal life (2 Corinthians 1:22; Ephesians 1:13-14; Romans 8:9b, 11, 15-16).

We know that idols have no real existence; they are made by the imagination and hand of man. Pagans call them “gods” and lords, but that doesn’t make it so. But the Corinthian Christians and we ourselves should not allow our spiritual “enlightenment” to lead ourselves to sin against ourselves or others. Idols themselves have no real existence, but there are real demons behind idols (1 Corinthians 10:20-22; Deuteronomy 32:17). When we know this, we will not treat idols lightly.

God our Father has created this world for his purpose, which is to establish an eternal kingdom of his people who willingly trust and obey God. We have been created to become his obedient, trusting children and citizens of his eternal kingdom.

This lifetime is our opportunity to seek and find God (Acts 17:26-27), and this is only possible through Jesus Christ by the gift of the indwelling Holy Spirit (John 14:6). We receive every good gift in the heavenly realm through Jesus.

We are all born physically alive but spiritually “unborn.” This lifetime is our only opportunity to be spiritually “born-again” to eternal life, through the gift of the indwelling Holy Spirit. We receive eternal existence through Jesus Christ.

Thursday 3 Epiphany – B(Variable)

To be used only if there is a 4 Epiphany Sunday – Otherwise skip to 8 Epiphany.
First Posted 1/29/2009;
Podcast: Thursday 3 Epiphany – B

Mark 1:21-28 – Healing Spiritual Illness;

Paraphrase:

According to Mark, after gathering his disciples, Jesus entered Capernaum and right away Jesus began teaching in the synagogue. The people were amazed at his teaching because he taught with authority, unlike the scribes.

There was a man there who was possessed with a demon, and he cried out, addressing him as Jesus of Nazareth, asking what Jesus would do about them; had Jesus come to destroy them? Jesus commanded the demon to be silent and come out of the man. Crying out with a loud voice, and convulsing the man, the demon came out. The onlookers were amazed and questioned among themselves what to make of this; it was a new teaching! They were amazed that Jesus had authority even over demons. Immediately Jesus’ fame spread out through all the surrounding area of Galilee.

Commentary:

Jesus’ mission was to give spiritual, eternal life and to heal and feed us spiritually. His mission of physical resurrection, healing and feeding was intended to show that he is able to similar things for us spiritually.

In a sense we are all in bondage to sin, death and the power of Satan (Hebrews 2:14-15), and only through faith (obedient trust) in Jesus are we set free (see God’s Plan of Salvation, sidebar, top right, home). God has consigned us all to sin, so that he might have mercy on all who believe in (trust and obey) Jesus (Galatians 3:22; 1 John 1:8-10).

Satan and his demons are a spiritual reality in the world today. The modern diagnosis of the man might be mental illness, but he was spiritually ill, controlled by evil, and only Jesus was able to heal him and restore him to the community and worship of God.

There is a lot of spiritual illness in our society today; not only mental illness, but also antisocial behavior, such as gangs, drugs, and sexual immorality. Our society urgently needs the kind of spiritual healing that only Jesus can provide.

Many in our society realize their spiritual emptiness and are seeking spiritual meaning and fulfillment in all the wrong places. Many are interested in the supernatural, but don’t read the Bible. The Bible is the true source of spiritual fulfillment, and the source of true supernatural power.

Many people in the time of Jesus’ physical ministry were attracted to him for physical healing and feeding. Physical food only lasts until the next meal. Physical healing only lasts until the next illness. Jesus healed and fed them physically, but unless they acknowledged their spiritual condition and need, they missed the real healing and sustenance which is eternal.

I assert that the meaning and purpose of life is to seek, find, come to know and have fellowship with God our Creator (Acts 17:26-27), and this is only possible through faith (obedient trust) in Jesus Christ. Jesus is the only way to come to God the Father, the only way to know divine, eternal truth, and the only way to have eternal life (John 14:6). This is only possible through the gift of the indwelling Holy Spirit which only Jesus gives (John 1:31-34), only to his disciples who trust and obey Jesus (John 14:15-17). The Holy Spirit is the seal and guarantee that one is in Christ and has eternal life (2 Corinthians 1:22; Ephesians 1:13-14; Romans 8:9b, 11, 15-16). The gift of the indwelling Holy Spirit is a personally discernible ongoing event (Acts 19:2).

God’s purpose for Creation is to establish an eternal kingdom of his people who willingly choose to trust and obey God’s Word. This temporal Creation is the “seed bed” from which God is growing his eternal people. We are all spiritual beings in physical bodies. We are all born into this Creation physically alive but spiritually “unborn.” This lifetime is our only opportunity to be spiritually “born-again” (John 3:3, 5-8) to eternal life.

This Creation has been designed to give us the freedom to choose whether to trust and obey God’s Word or not, and the opportunity to learn by trial and error that God’s Word is good, reasonable, and our very best interest (Romans 12:2). This Creation and we ourselves are limited by time, because God is not willing to tolerate rebellion and disobedience forever, or at all in his eternal kingdom, or it wouldn’t be Heaven.

Friday 3 Epiphany – B(Variable)

To be used only if there is a 4 Epiphany Sunday – Otherwise skip to 8 Epiphany.
First Posted 1/30/2009;
Podcast: Friday 3 Epiphany – B

Exodus 14:21-31 — Crossing the Sea;

Background:

God had delivered Israel from slavery in Egypt, but the Egyptian army had pursued them and had trapped them between the Egyptians and the Red Sea. The Spirit of God, the Holy Spirit, in the pillar of cloud and fire, had stood between Israel and the Egyptians all night (Exodus 14:19-20).

Exodus Paraphrase:

Moses did as the Lord had commanded (Exodus 14:16-18); he stretched his arm out over the sea and the Lord drove the sea back by a strong east wind, dividing the waters of the sea and drying the sea bottom so the Israelites were able to pass through the sea on dry ground with a wall of water on each side of them. Then the Egyptians pursued them; and the Lord, in the pillar of cloud, caused the Egyptians chariot wheels to bog down. The Egyptians tried to flee from the Israelites because they saw that the Lord fought for them against the Egyptians.

The Lord told Moses to stretch out his arm over the sea, so that the water would return and come upon the chariots and horsemen of the Egyptians. When Moses did so the waters returned wiping out the Egyptian army so that not one was left. But the Israelites passed through the sea, with a wall of water on either side.

Israel had thus been saved from the Egyptians by the power of the Lord. The Israelites saw the Egyptian soldiers dead and strewn along the shoreline. The Israelites witnessed the great miracle the Lord had done against the Egyptians on their behalf, and they feared (had appropriate awe and respect for the power and authority of) the Lord and believed in him and Moses, his servant.

Commentary:

The whole history of Israel’s deliverance from slavery in Egypt, and their journey to the Promised Land was intended by God to be a metaphor of life in this world, and to prefigure God’s plan for Creation. We’re all in slavery to sin and death in the “Egypt” of this world, and Jesus is the “New Moses” who can free us from the “pharaoh” of this world, Satan. Baptism into Jesus Christ is the “parting of the sea,” which allows us to escape from our spiritual enemies. We pass through unharmed, but our spiritual enemies are destroyed.

The final plague upon the Egyptians was the death of the first-born of Egypt (Exodus 12:1-13). The Israelites were saved from the destroying angel of God by the blood of the lamb which was sacrificed for the Passover Feast, instituted by God on the eve of the final plague. Jesus is the “New Lamb” of the “New Passover” feast, the “Lord’s Supper” (Holy Communion; Eucharist), which Jesus instituted on the night of his betrayal and arrest (Matthew 26:26-28). Jesus’ blood, shed on the cross, marks all who believe (trust and obey) Jesus, to be “passed over” by the destroyer, and saved from eternal death (see God’s Plan of Salvation, sidebar, top right, home).

God had given Israel a pillar of cloud by day, and a pillar of fire by night to guide and protect God’s people through their journey to the the Promised Land (Exodus 13:21-22). This is intended by God to illustrate the gift (“baptism”) of the indwelling Holy Spirit which is given through faith (obedient trust) in Jesus Christ.

The “sea” of water baptism into Jesus Christ is the baptism of John the Baptist, the baptism by the Church, for repentance, to prepare us to receive Jesus Christ (Matthew 3:1-3), by the gift (“baptism”) of the Holy Spirit, the “pillar of fire and cloud.” Only Jesus gives the indwelling Holy Spirit (John 1:31-34), only to his disciples who trust and obey Jesus (John 14:15-17). Only Jesus baptizes with the Holy Spirit and with fire (Matthew 3:11; Acts 2:3). The Holy Spirit is the seal and guarantee that one is in Christ and has eternal life (2 Corinthians 1:22; Ephesians 1:13-14; Romans 8:9b, 11, 15-16).

The Church is the heir to the role of John the Baptist. Our role is to call people to repent and be baptized with water for forgiveness of sins (disobedience of God’s Word), to prepare us to receive Jesus by the gift of the indwelling Holy Spirit, the Spirit of God, the Spirit of Christ (Romans 8:9). The Church is to point people to Jesus (John 1:35-37), to teach them to trust and obey all that Jesus teaches (Matthew 28:20), to keep “discipling” them within the Church (the “New Jerusalem”) until they have been “born-again” (John 3:3, 5-8; note: Luke 24:49; Acts 1:4-5, 8), and then to send them into the world to carry on the mission of Jesus Christ to bring forgiveness of sin and salvation from eternal condemnation to all who are willing to receive it by faith in Jesus Christ (Matthew 28:19-20).

Saturday 3 Epiphany – B (Variable)
To be used only if there is a 4 Epiphany Sunday – Otherwise skip to 8 Epiphany.
First Posted 1/31/2009;
Podcast: Saturday 3 Epiphany – B

Romans 13:8-10 – The Commandment to Love;

Matthew 8:23-27 – Calming the Storm;

Romans Paraphrase:

Paul was “discipling” new believers in the Roman Church. He was telling them his understanding of the Gospel in anticipation of a future visit. Paul advised them not to get into debt with anyone; their only obligation should be to love one another. Love fulfills the the Law of Moses, the Ten Commandments. The commandments dealing with our relationship with others, adultery, murder, stealing, coveting, and others (dishonoring parents; lying), can be summarized by the commandment to love ones neighbor as oneself. Love for our neighbor prevents us from doing our neighbor any harm.

Matthew Paraphrase:

Great crowds were gathering around Jesus seeking physical healing, and Jesus healed many (Matthew 8:14-17). To get relief from the throng, Jesus and his disciples got into a boat to cross the Sea of Galilee.

A violent storm arose and was threatening to swamp the boat, but Jesus was asleep in the stern. His disciples awoke Jesus and asked him to save them, because they were afraid they were going to drown. Jesus asked them why they were afraid; was their faith so little? Then Jesus rose and commanded the wind and waves to cease, and there was a great calm. The disciples were amazed, and wondered among themselves who Jesus really was, that he had power over the wind and sea.

Commentary:

The disciples had just seen Jesus do many miracles of healing (Matthew 8:1-4, 5, 13-17). Some of them had been professional fishermen and boatmen; they knew the danger of the storm, and their lack of their own ability to do anything about it. They looked to Jesus for salvation in this storm, but they were amazed that Jesus was able to control the forces of nature.

They believed and knew that Jesus was the Messiah, God’s “anointed” Savior and eternal King, but this miracle was beyond their expectations; only God can command the forces of nature (Genesis 1:3, 9). It took a relatively long time for them to understand fully who Jesus is.

They could hardly believe Jesus’ resurrection, after having seen him raise the dead to life on several occasions (Lazarus, Jairus’ daughter, the son of the widow of Nain), and having heard Jesus three times predict his death and resurrection (Matthew 16:21; 17:22-23; 20:17-19). Thomas was one of the last of the disciples to believe Jesus’ resurrection (John 20:17-19). Cleopas (Clopas) was one of two disciples on the road to Emmaus, on the first Easter day; they had talked to the risen Jesus without recognizing who he was, until they invited him in to dinner with them (Luke 24:13-35).

Jesus is God in human flesh (Colossians 2:8-9; John 20:28). Anyone who has “seen” Jesus has “seen” God the Father (John 14:8-11). No one can know God except through Jesus (Matthew 11:27; John 14:6). Jesus’ word is the Word of God (John 14:10, 24) with the creative force of God’s Word (Mark 4:39-41).

Jesus doesn’t reject us for having too little faith. All we need is the “mustard seed” of faith, our “yes” to Jesus, and he will cause it to grow to spiritual maturity, larger than our expectations.

Jesus’ mission was to bring us spiritual healing and spiritual “rebirth” (John 3:3, 5-8). We have all sinned, and fall short of God’s standard of righteousness (Romans 3:23; 1 John 1:8-10). We have all been born into this creation physically alive but spiritually “unborn.” His miracles of physical healing, feeding, and resurrection were intended to show that he can also heal, feed, and “resurrect” us spiritually, now (John 3:3, 5-8), and ultimately in eternity (see God’s Plan of Salvation, sidebar, top right, home).

Throngs of people were coming to Jesus for physical healing and feeding (Matthew 8:1-4, 5, 13-17; John 6:22-40). They were actually impeding Jesus’ ministry. Jesus told those he healed physically not to tell anyone but their priest (Matthew 8:4; Mark 7:36). Those who had been healed thought they were helping Jesus by telling others, but they weren’t, and they weren’t obeying Jesus’ command. Unless they realized who Jesus was and what he could do for them spiritually, those who were healed physically received only that. Physical feeding only lasts until the next meal; physical healing lasts only until the next illness.

The meaning and purpose of life is to seek, find, come to know, and have fellowship with God our Father and our Lord Jesus Christ (Acts 17:26-27). This is only possible through faith (obedient trust) in Jesus Christ. Only Jesus gives the gift of the indwelling Holy Spirit (John 1:31-34), only to his disciples who trust and obey Jesus (John 14:15-17). The Holy Spirit is the seal and guarantee that one is in Christ and has eternal life (2 Corinthians 1:22; Ephesians 1:13-14; Romans 8:9b, 11, 15-16).

This lifetime is our only opportunity to be spiritually “reborn” to eternal life, and this is only by the gift of the indwelling Holy Spirit. Unless we have been reborn we can’t see the kingdom of God all around us now, or see and enter it ultimately in eternity.

Jesus commanded the wind and waves and they obeyed him. Jesus commanded demons and the forces of evil and they obeyed him (Luke 10:17; Mark 1:34; Luke 4:41; James 2:19.) Jesus could command us to trust and obey him and we would have no choice but to obey, and there is a day coming at the end of time, the end of our individual lives, when he will command, and there will be no choice but to obey (Philippians 2:10-11; John 5:28-29; Matthew 25:31-46).

God’s purpose for this creation is to give us the freedom to choose whether to trust and obey God’s Word, and the opportunity to learn by trial and error that God’s will is good, reasonable and our very best interest (Romans 12:2). Jesus usually referred to himself as the son of man, which is true, but which allows his hearers to decide for themselves who Jesus is. Jesus told his disciples not to tell anyone who Jesus is (Matthew 16:15-16, 20).

Jesus condensed the Ten Commandments into two: to love God with everything we are and possess, and to love our neighbors as ourselves (Matthew 22:36-40). Jesus commands his disciples to love one another as he has loved us (John 13:34), and by our love of others we will be known as Jesus’ disciples (John 13:35).

Jesus said that we show our love for God the Father and Jesus Christ by obedient trust in their word (John 14:15-17), and that Jesus will reveal himself to those who keep doing his commandments (John 14:21).

Jesus commanded his disciples to wait in Jerusalem (the Church is the “New Jerusalem”) until they had been spiritually reborn (Luke 24:49; Acts 1:4-5, 8), and then to go into the world making disciples of Jesus Christ, teaching them to trust and obey all that Jesus teaches (Matthew 28:19-20).

Tags: bible, christian, christian maturity, discipleship, faith, jesus, maturity, spiritual growth, spirituality, supernatural
Posted in Catholic Church, Episcopal Church, lutheran book of worship, lutheran church, Methodist Church, personal devotions., Presbyterian Church, revised common lectionary, scripture texts | Leave a Comment »

Week of 2 Epiphany – B – 01/15 – 21/2012

January 14, 2012

Week of 2 Epiphany – B

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Podcast Download: Week of 2 Epiphany B

Sunday 2 Epiphany B
First Posted 01/15/2006;
Podcast: Sunday 2 Epiphany B

1 Samuel 3:1-10 — The Call of Samuel;

Psalm 67 — Let All People Praise the Lord!

1 Corinthians 6:12-20 — Warning Against Unrestraint;

John 1:43-51 — Philip and Nathanael;

Samuel Background:

Samuel was the son God had given Hannah, who had been barren, in answer to her prayer. She had promised to “lend” him to the Lord’s service all his life (1 Samuel 1:1-28). When the child was weaned, she brought him to the temple at Shiloh to serve under Eli the priest. The temple (tabernacle) had been located in Shiloh, about ten miles north of Bethel, after Israel had gained territory in the Promised Land (Joshua 18:1-10).

1 Samuel Paraphrase:

In this period of Israel’s history, the revelation of God’s Word and “visions” were rare. Eli’s sight had begun to fail. He was sleeping in his customary place, and Samuel was sleeping in the temple where the ark was, and the lamp of the Lord’s presence, which burned through the night, had not yet gone out (so it was before dawn).

The Lord called to Samuel, calling him by name. Samuel got up and went to Eli, thinking that Eli had called him. Eli told him that he had not called, and Samuel returned to his bed. This happened a second time with the same results.

A third time, the Lord called Samuel, and Samuel again went to Eli. Eli realized that the Lord was calling Samuel, and told Samuel to return to his bed. When the Lord called, Samuel was to say, “Speak Lord, for your servant hears” (1 Samuel 3:9). Samuel did as Eli instructed and answered as he had been told, when the Lord called again.

Psalm Paraphrase:

“May God be gracious to us and bless us and make his face to shine upon us” (Psalm 67:1), so that all the peoples and nations of earth may know God’s ways and his power to save. May all peoples praise the Lord!

May all nations rejoice and sing, because the Lord judges all peoples with perfect fairness. The Lord guides the nations of earth. Let us all praise the Lord!

“The earth has yielded its increase; God, our God has blessed us. God has blessed us; let all the ends of the earth fear (have appropriate awe and respect for the power and authority of) him” (Psalm 67:6-7).

1 Corinthians background:

False doctrines were arising in the Corinthian congregation Paul had founded. He was continuing to “disciple” the new Christians by letter. One of the false teachings was abuse of God’s grace.

1 Corinthians Paraphrase:

Libertines in the congregation asserted that all things were lawful, since they were not under the Old Covenant (Testament) of Law, but the New Covenant of Grace. Paul replied that not all things were beneficial spiritually to them, and that believers must not become enslaved to anything. Libertines asserted that food and the physical body were made for each other (and that the same was true for sex), but Paul replied that both would be subject to God’s judgment. God did not create the body for immorality. The Lord Jesus gave himself for us, and we should give ourselves for him. God raised Jesus (from death to immortality), and he will raise us up also by his power.

We must remember that our bodies are members of Christ through the indwelling Holy Spirit. How then can we make them members of a prostitute. Let that never happen! When we join another in sexual union we become one flesh (Genesis 2:24). One who is united with the Lord (by his indwelling Holy Spirit) becomes one spirit with the Lord.

We must shun immorality! All other sins are committed unto others, but immorality is a sin which damages our own bodies. Our bodies are the temple of the indwelling Holy Spirit, which God has given us. Remember that we have been redeemed (purchased from sin and eternal death) by the precious blood of Jesus Christ, so let us glorify God in our physical lives.

John Paraphrase:

Two days after Jesus’ baptism in the Jordan River in Judea the southernmost of three divisions of Palestine, by John the Baptizer, Jesus decided to go to Galilee. He found Philip (who may have been one of two disciples of John who had heard John’s testimony and followed Jesus the preceding day; John 1:35-37), and invited him to follow Jesus.

Philip lived in Bethsaida in Galilee (the northernmost division of Palestine), the city of Andrew and Simon Peter. Philip went to his friend Nathanael, and told him that Philip had found the promised Messiah, Jesus of Nazareth. Nathanael was skeptical that anything good could come from Nazareth, but Philip urged him to come and see for himself.

Jesus saw Nathanael coming, and declared that Nathanael was an Israelite without guile (unlike Jacob, also known as “Israel,” the father of the heads of the Twelve Tribes; Genesis 25:29-34; 27:1-46). Nathanael asked how Jesus knew him, and Jesus told Nathanael that he had (supernaturally) “seen” him under a fig tree before Philip had come to him.

Nathanael was amazed, and declared that Jesus was more than a teacher; he was the Son of God and King of Israel (the promised Messiah). Jesus replied that Nathanael had believed because Jesus had revealed his supernatural knowledge, but Nathanael would see even greater things: he would see the fulfillment of the dream of Jacob’s ladder in the “Son of man” (Jesus; the Son of God).

Commentary:

God knows our needs before we ask (Mathew 6:8b), but God is not obligated to answer prayer, or to be everything that a loving and merciful, all-powerful God implies, unless we are willing to be his obedient, trusting people (Jeremiah 7:23; see Conditions for Answered Prayer, sidebar, top right, home). Hannah subjugated her will to the Lord’s. She wanted a son, but she committed that son to serve the Lord.

God knows us and calls each of us, personally, by name, but we have the freedom to respond or not. God has blessed us with his grace (unmerited favor; a free gift); the forgiveness of sins (disobedience of God’s Word), and salvation (from eternal condemnation, destruction and spiritual death, which is the penalty for sin; Romans 6:23) in Jesus Christ, but we have the freedom to accept or reject him (see God’s Plan of Salvation, sidebar, top right, home).

God has designed this Creation to allow the possibility of sin, so that we have the freedom to choose whether to trust and obey God’s Word or not. God is not willing to tolerate rebellion and disobedience forever, or at all in his eternal kingdom, so he has limited this Creation and we ourselves by time. This Creation is God’s “seedbed,” to grow an eternal kingdom of God’s people who willingly choose to trust and obey him.

This Creation is and will yield God’s increase; God’s harvest of his eternal people. Worldly people think that this lifetime is their opportunity to indulge themselves, to accumulate material resources, and gratify their physical appetites. But God’s purpose for this Creation is to be united with his people by the indwelling Holy Spirit, in spiritual “marriage.”

This lifetime is our only opportunity to seek and find God our Creator (Acts 17:26-27). This lifetime is our only opportunity to be spiritually reborn to eternal life in God’s kingdom in paradise. This lifetime is our only opportunity to “come and see,” and to learn by trial and error that God’s will is our best good, perfectly feasible, and our very best interest (Romans 21:2c).

This Creation has been designed from the very beginning to accomplish God’s eternal purpose which is to establish an eternal kingdom of his people who willingly trust and obey him. God has designed Creation in such a way that no one is sinless, and that no one is deserving of forgiveness or salvation, so that he can give us forgiveness and salvation as an undeserved free gift.

Jesus is God’s only provision of forgiveness and salvation (Acts 4:12), and has been designed into the very structure of Creation (John 1:1-5, 14). No one can come to know and have fellowship with God except through Jesus Christ (John 14:6). Jesus is the fulfillment of Jacob’s dream of a ladder reaching to heaven, through whom we receive the blessings of heaven, and by whom we can ascend to heaven.

Monday 2 Epiphany B
First Posted 01/16/2006;

Podcast: Monday 2 Epiphany B

Psalm 62:6-14 — My Salvation;

Paraphrase:

The Lord is my only rock, my fortress and salvation; I will not be shaken. My deliverance and honor rest upon the Lord. God is my mighty rock of refuge.

Let us always trust in him, everyone. We can pour out our hearts to him. In him we can find refuge.

Worldly status is a vain hope, a delusion. In the scales of justice both low and high estate are but a puff of air, lighter than a breath. Don’t practice extortion or robbery in order to gain wealth. Do not allow your heart to desire riches. God has declared that power belongs to him. God is also merciful; he will reward every person according to his deeds.

Commentary:

There is no genuine security in this world except in the Lord. Worldly security is a delusion. The more we have the more we have to protect, and security always requires just a little bit more. Everything we’ve worked for and accumulated can be lost in an instant.

If we seek worldly security before we seek the Lord and his eternal kingdom, we’ll never get around to it. Jesus tells us to seek the Lord and his righteousness and we will have all the material things we need as well (Matthew 6:33).

I’m convinced that the meaning and purpose of life in this world is to seek and find God our Creator (Acts 17:26-27). This lifetime is our opportunity to be spiritually “reborn” (John 3:3, 5-8) to eternal life. All this can only be accomplished through faith (obedient trust) in Jesus Christ.

Jesus is the only way (John 14:6) to know divine, eternal truth, the only way to be forgiven our sin (disobedience of God’s Word; Romans 3:23; 1 John 1:8-10), to be saved (from God’s eternal condemnation of us to destruction in hell; Acts 4:12; Romans 5:8; John 3:16-17); the only way to be restored to fellowship with God which was broken by sin (John 14:23), and the only way to have eternal life by spiritual rebirth through the gift of the indwelling Holy Spirit (see God’s Plan of Salvation, sidebar, top right, home).

Only Jesus gives the gift (“baptism;” “anointing”) of the indwelling Holy Spirit (John 1:31-34), only to his disciples who trust and obey Jesus (John 14:15-17). The Holy Spirit is the seal and guarantee that one is in Christ and has eternal life (2 Corinthians 1:22; Ephesians 1:13-14; Romans 8:9b, 11, 15-16).

There is a Day of Judgment coming when Jesus will return in glory and power to judge everyone who has ever lived in this world. Jesus is the righteous judge, and the standard of judgment against which all will be judged. Those who have accepted Jesus as Lord will have been spiritually “born-again” in this lifetime, and will enter eternal life in God’s kingdom in paradise. Those who have rejected Jesus and have refused or failed to trust and obey Jesus will be condemned to spiritual eternal death and destruction in hell with all evil (Matthew 25:31-46; 2 Thessalonians 1:5-10).

In that Day of Judgment worldly social rank and material wealth will be of no value whatever. The only thing which will matter at all is a personal relationship with the Lord through his indwelling Holy Spirit.

Tuesday 2 Epiphany B
First Posted 01/17/2006;

Podcast: Tuesday 2 Epiphany B

Jonah 3:1-5, 10 — Jonah’s Second Call;

Paraphrase:

After fleeing from God’s first call to preach God’s Word of Judgment against Nineveh, Jonah reluctantly obeyed the second call.

The Lord told Jonah to go to Nineveh and proclaim the message God gave him. So Jonah did as God had commanded. Nineveh was so large that it would take three days to travel through. Jonah entered the city and went a day’s journey. Jonah began to proclaim that in forty days the city would be destroyed. Nineveh’s people believed God. They proclaimed a fast and everyone put on sackcloth (the ritual mourning garb).

Seeing the Ninevites repent and change their ways, God relented, and renounced his intention to destroy them as he had said.

Commentary:

God’s Word, the Bible, contains both great promises and ominous warnings. The warnings are given to us to help us avoid the consequences of disobedience of God’s Word (which is the definition of sin).

The penalty for unforgiven sin is eternal death (Romans 6:23). We are all sinners who fall short of God’s righteousness (Romans 3:23; 1 John 1:8-10), and Jesus is God’s only provision for our forgiveness and salvation (see God’s Plan of Salvation, sidebar top right, home).

It isn’t pleasant for the messengers of God’s Word to rebuke sin and call people to repent. It isn’t pleasant for the hearers to listen to, either.

In today’s world, particularly in the American culture and the American Church, there are many instances where messengers of God’s Word are avoiding preaching about sin and eternal destruction in hell, because people don’t want to hear it. They want to hear only the parts of God’s Word which make them feel good. They want God to bless their sinful ways, instead of repenting and living according to God’s ways.

Messengers of God’s Word aren’t doing sinners any favor if they don’t confront sin and point out the need for salvation. By false assurance of church “membership,” people feel no shame for sin, and no need for confession and repentance.

Throughout the history of God’s dealing with Israel recorded in the Bible, God sent prophets to warn his people to repent and change their ways, and the people refused to heed the prophets until it was too late to avoid the consequences. The destruction of the Northern Kingdom of the ten tribes by the Assyrians in 721 B.C., and the exile of Judah, the remnant of Israel to Babylon for seventy years, from 587-517 B.C., are examples.

God loves us and doesn’t want any of us to perish eternally (Romans 5:8; John 3:16-17). He wants us to hear his Word fully and accurately proclaimed, so that we can repent, be forgiven, and live in accordance with it.

Thank God for the time and opportunity to hear his call to repent and be saved. Notice that the Ninevites didn’t put off repentance and fasting until the last moment; their response was immediate. Today is the day of salvation (2 Corinthians 6:2).

Wednesday 2 Epiphany B
First Posted 01/18/2006;
Podcast: Wednesday 2 Epiphany B

1 Corinthians 7:29-31 — Time is Short;

Mark 1:14-20 — God’s Kingdom is at Hand;

1 Corinthians Paraphrase:

Christians should live as though the Lord will come back at any moment. Those who are married should not become preoccupied with their wives (and families). Those who mourn should not focus on their mourning, and those who rejoice should not focus on their rejoicing. We must continue shopping for things we need, but we should live as though we have no possessions. We still must have dealings with the world but we must not become distracted, always keeping in mind that the things of this world are passing away.

Mark Paraphrase:

Jesus’ began his public ministry by announcing that the kingdom of God is at hand, and he urged his hearers to repent and believe in the Gospel (the “good news” of forgiveness, reconciliation and peace with God; salvation from his eternal condemnation).

As Jesus walked along the shore of the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon (whom the Lord named Peter) and his brother Andrew fishing with a casting net, and invited them to follow Jesus and become “fishers” of men. They immediately left their nets, and followed Jesus. A little farther on, Jesus saw James and John in a boat with their father Zebedee, mending their nets. Jesus called them and immediately they left their father and followed Jesus.

Commentary:

Since Jesus’ first appearance, the kingdom of God has been coming and is near to us. He invites those who encounter Jesus to follow him and as they do so, they enter God’s eternal kingdom, which begins now in this world.

To those who follow Jesus in faith (obedient trust) he gives spiritual “rebirth” (John 3:3, 5-8) through the gift of the indwelling Holy Spirit, which only Jesus gives (John 1:31-34), only to his disciples who trust and obey Jesus (John 14:15-17). The Holy Spirit is the seal and guarantee that one is in Christ and has eternal life (2 Corinthians 1:22; Ephesians 1:13-14; Romans 8:9b, 11, 15-16).

Today is the day of Salvation. Yesterday is passed, tomorrow may never come; today is the only day we can be certain of, and our only opportunity to respond to Jesus’ call (Hebrews 3:8, 15). Today Jesus is calling, and to follow him we must leave our preoccupation with worldly affairs. We must be willing to leave family, career, and possessions, if necessary, and become his disciples.

Jesus began his ministry by calling people to become his disciples. Jesus established and mediates a New Covenant (“Testament”) of salvation (from sin, which is disobedience of God’s Word, and from eternal destruction, which is the penalty for sin) by God’s grace (unmerited favor; a free gift) to be received by faith (obedient trust) in Jesus Christ (Ephesians 2:8-9; see God’s Plan of Salvation, sidebar, top right, home).

Jesus established the New Covenant, in the “New Feast of Passover” (the Lord’s Supper; Holy Communion; the Eucharist) which he instituted on the night of his betrayal and arrest (Matthew 26:26-29 RSV note “g;” Hebrews 8:8; 9:20;12:24; Jeremiah 31:31-34). Jesus’ disciples are to continue Jesus’ mission to proclaim the the Gospel, “good news” of the New Covenant between God and mankind, to be received through faith in Jesus.

Jesus modeled the ministry of the Church, to become Jesus’ disciples, to learn to trust and obey his teachings, to seek, wait for (Luke 24:49, Acts 1:4-5, 8) and receive spiritual “rebirth,” guidance and empowerment through the gift (“anointing;” “baptism”) of the indwelling Holy Spirit, and then to make (“born-again”) disciples of Jesus Christ (Matthew 28:19-20) and teach them to repeat the process (2 Timothy 2:2).

A Christian is a “born-again” disciple of Jesus Christ (Acts 11:26c). Sadly, in too many instances the “nominal” Church today has failed to make “born-again” disciples, and has settled for building buildings and making “members:” nominal (“fair-weather”) Christians. In order to make “born-again” disciples we must be willing to be “born-again” disciples.

Thursday 2 Epiphany B
First Posted 01/19/2006;
Podcast: Thursday 2 Epiphany B

Romans 12:16b-21 — Christian Life;

John 1:29-34 — John the Baptizer’s Testimony;

Romans Paraphrase:

Christians are to live in harmony with each other; to avoid arrogance, conceit, and social distinctions. Instead of repaying evil with evil, let us do what everyone will consider noble. As best we can, we are to live peaceably with all. Let us never seek vengeance ourselves, but leave vengeance to the wrath of God; God’s Word declares that vengeance is God’s prerogative, not ours (Deuteronomy 32:35). Instead let us show kindness to our enemies; give them food if they are hungry, and drink if they are thirsty. In so doing they will be ashamed of their behavior. We will “not be overcome by evil, but will overcome evil with good” (Romans 12:21).

John Paraphrase:

John the Baptizer testified that Jesus is the “Lamb of God” (the sacrificial lamb of Passover; Ex 12:1-14; Isaiah 53:7) who takes away the sin of the world. John had preached that one was coming after John who ranks before John and existed before John (John 1:1-3, 14; John 8:58). John hadn’t known who that one was, until it was revealed to him by God, who had called John to his ministry, which was to reveal that one (the Messiah) to Israel.

God had directed John to preach baptism with water for repentance to prepare the people for the coming of the Messiah, who would “baptize” them with the Holy Spirit. God had given John a sign, the Holy Spirit descending upon Jesus in the form of a dove, when John baptized him, and John testified that he had seen this, and that Jesus is the Son of God.

Commentary:

Christians are disciples of Jesus Christ (Acts 11:26c) who have been baptized by water and the Holy Spirit. The Church is the heir to the role of John the Baptist: to baptize with water for repentance in preparation for the coming of Jesus in the baptism with the Holy Spirit, which only Jesus gives (John 1:31-34), only to his disciples who trust and obey Jesus (John 14:15-17).

The Church was “born” on the Day of Pentecost, with the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the disciples (Acts 2:1-13). The “baptism” with the Holy Spirit is the spiritual “rebirth” (John 3:3, 5-8) of the disciple. It is a discernible ongoing event (Acts 19:2). One does not need to consult a religious authority and take their word; if one is uncertain, one has not been reborn. Instead of the believer asking the Church, the Church should be asking the believer.

Rebirth is a personal relationship with the risen and ascended Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit is the seal and guarantee that one is in Christ and has eternal life (2 Corinthians 1:22; Ephesians 1:13-14; Romans 8:9b, 11, 15-16).

The new believer is to be discipled in the Church (the “New Jerusalem”) by a “born-again” disciple of Jesus Christ, until the new believer is “baptized” with the indwelling Holy Spirit (Luke 24:49; Acts 1:4-5, 8). Then the indwelling Holy Spirit will guide the believer to spiritual maturity.

Paul (Saul of Tarsus), the author of the letter to the Romans, is the prototype and example of a “modern,” “post-resurrection,” “born-again” disciple and apostle of Jesus Christ, as we all can be. He had been “discipled” by a “born-again” disciple, Ananias, until Paul had been “reborn” (Acts 9:1:22). Paul was “discipling” the Roman congregation; he was fulfilling the Great Commission (Matthew 28:19-20), which Jesus gave to his disciples to be carried out after they had been “reborn” (Luke 24:49; Acts 1:4-5, 8). Paul was teaching believers to trust and obey all that Jesus taught by Jesus’ by word and example.

Christians are to be transformed (Romans 12:2) from the ways of the world to the ways of the Lord; from our former manner of living to the example and teaching of Jesus. We need to be informed by the Bible to know what Jesus taught and to begin living accordingly. As we do so we will be “baptized” and filled with the indwelling Holy Spirit.

Friday 2 Epiphany B
First Posted 01/20/2006;
Podcast: Friday 2 Epiphany B

2 Kings 5:1-15 — Naaman’s Leprosy Healed;

Background:

Elisha was a prophet in Israel for sixty years (892-832 B.C.*). Samaria was the capital city of the Northern Kingdom of Israel built by King Omri (880-876**). The Northern Kingdom of Israel was under military domination of Syria from about 840-800 B.C. ** Samaria fell to the Assyrians in 721 B.C,** and the Northern Kingdom ceased to exist.

2 Kings Paraphrase:

Naaman was the commander of the army of the king of Syria. The king of Syria thought highly of him, because Naaman had given Syria victory. He was a powerful man of great courage, but he had leprosy.

During a raid on Israel, the Syrians had captured a young girl from Israel who became the slave of the wife of Naaman. The girl told her mistress that she wished Naaman could go the prophet (Elisha) who was in Samaria, because the prophet would cure Naaman’s leprosy. Naaman told the king what she had said, and the Syrian king wrote the king of Israel and sent it with Naaman to Samaria.

Naaman took with him ten talents (seventy five pounds each) of silver, and six thousand gold shekels and ten festal garments. When the king of Israel read the letter commanding him to heal Naaman’s leprosy, he tore his clothes (an indication of mourning), thinking that only God has the power of life and death. The king thought that Syria was provoking a fight with Israel.

Elisha, the prophet of the Lord, heard that the king had torn his clothing, and sent word to the king asking why the king was upset; he should send Naaman to Elisha, so that Naaman might know that there was a prophet in Israel. Naaman came to Elisha’s door and Elisha sent a messenger to Naaman, telling him to bathe in the Jordan river seven times and he would be healed.

Naaman was angry and left, telling his servant that if he could be healed by washing in a river, he could have done so in the rivers of Syria. Naaman was angry that Elisha had sent a servant with a message and had not personally come out to Naaman. Naaman had expected Elisha to do some sort of ritual and invoke God’s name. But Naaman’s servants urged him to do as the messenger had said. They suggested that if Elisha had asked Naaman to do some difficult thing, Naaman would have done it. Why not do the relatively simple thing as Elisha had said? So Naaman went and dipped himself into the Jordan seven times and his leprosy was healed, and his skin was restored to that of a young child.

Commentary:

The reason for the ultimate collapse of the Northern Kingdom was because its political leaders were not trusting and obeying God’s Word; they were living according to their own will; they were doing what they thought was right in their own judgment. God had raised up prophets who proclaimed God’s Word, calling them to repent and return to obedient trust in the Lord. Instead they turned to worldly alliances.

The king of Israel described here illustrates that lack of faith. He was frightened by the king of Syria’s request, and was seeking worldly help. He knew that he on his own couldn’t heal Naaman. It didn’t occur to him to get spiritual advice. Elisha had to contact him.

Elisha suggested to the king of Israel to send Naaman to him, so that at least one person, even a Gentile, would know that there was prophet, a man of God, in Israel, as apparently the king of Israel did not.

Naaman nearly missed his healing, because he was expecting Elisha to come out to him in person, and do some sort of religious ritual, invoking God’s name. Naaman was a man of great worldly power and authority. He had great influence with the king of Syria, but it took the faith of a Jewish slave girl to point him to the source of true healing. He felt the equal of the king of Israel, and therefore equal with the prophet, but the prophet had sent the message through his servant.

God’s Word comes to us through his servants. Jesus is the ultimate fulfillment, embodiment and example of God’s Word, lived in this world in human flesh (John 1:1-5; 14). Jesus is the ultimate servant of the Lord, perfectly obedient to God’s Word.

Israel was looking for the Messiah, but they were expecting a worldly concept of a king, a political savior who would restore the kingdom to Israel (Acts 1:6; John 18:36). They rejected Jesus and his message, and they missed the spiritual healing that only Jesus can provide.

Salvation (from bondage to sin and death; from eternal condemnation) is not through religious ritual, but through faith (obedient trust) in Jesus. Many people today are seeking “signs and wonders,” as was Israel at the time of Jesus’ physical ministry on earth (Matthew 27:42; John 6:30). The signs were all around them but they did not see them because they are spiritually discerned (1 Corinthians 2:14).

Salvation is not by some work that we do to earn and deserve it (Ephesians 2:8-9). Jesus has already done the work for us on the cross. All we have to do to receive it is to say yes to Jesus’ lordship over our lives, and to begin to know, trust and obey Jesus’ teachings (Matthew 7:21-27).

Jesus’ miracles of physical healing, feeding and raising the dead were intended to reveal that he has the power to heal and feed spiritually, and to raise us from physical death to eternal life, through the gift (baptism; anointing) with his Holy Spirit, which only Jesus gives (John 1:31-34), only to his disciples who trust and obey Jesus (John 14:15:17). The Holy Spirit is the seal and guarantee that one is in Christ and has eternal life (2 Corinthians 1:22; Ephesians 1:13-14; Romans 8:9b, 11, 15-16).

We have the eyewitness testimony of the disciples in the New Testament, that Jesus was raised from physical death to eternal life (1 Corinthians 15:3-8). Every truly “born-again” (John 3:3, 5-8) believer can personally testify that Jesus has risen and is eternally alive through the indwelling Holy Spirit within him. We have the promises of scripture; all we have to do to receive them is to act in faith (obedient trust) on them. As we do so he will reveal himself to us (John 14:21)

*Easton’s Bible Dictionary, “Elisha” digital edition, SwordPROJECT BibleTime 1.6.4 (for Linux KDE 3.5.7) http://wwwbibletime.org

**According to The Oxford Annotated Bible, Revised Standard Version, Ed. by Herbert G. May and Bruce M. Metzger, Chronological Tables of Rulers , p. 1532-1533, New York, Oxford University Press, 1962.

Saturday 2 Epiphany B
First Posted 01/22/2006;
Podcast: Saturday 2 Epiphany B

Matthew 8:1-13 — Our Healer;

Paraphrase:

After the Sermon on the Mount, large crowds followed Jesus. A leper came to Jesus and knelt before him, addressing him as Lord, and declaring that Jesus could heal him if Jesus was willing. Jesus told him he was willing, and commanded his healing. Jesus told the healed leper not to mention his healing to anyone, except to present himself to the priests and give the offering specified in the Law of Moses (Leviticus 14:2-32), for proof to the people.

Jesus entered Capernaum (in Galilee), and a Centurion (Gentile; Roman soldier) came to Jesus asking Jesus to heal the Centurion’s servant, who had suffered paralysis and was in great distress. Jesus told the Centurion that Jesus would go with him to his home to heal his servant, but the Centurion replied that he was not worthy to have Jesus to enter his home. Since the Centurion was used to exercising authority in the military and in his own household, and he declared his faith that Jesus could just say the command, and it would be done as he commanded.

When Jesus heard the Centurion’s declaration, he was amazed, and he said to the crowd that he had not found such faith in all of Israel. Jesus said that in eternity, people from all over this world and from every nation will have fellowship with the patriarchs, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, while the sons of the kingdom (the heirs of the patriarchs; the Jews who rejected Jesus) will be excluded from the kingdom of God, in torment and mourning in the outer darkness. Then Jesus said that the Centurion could go on his way; what he had asked of Jesus in faith had been done for him. And the Centurion’s servant was healed at that very moment.

Commentary:

Jesus is God’s “anointed” eternal Savior and King of God’s eternal kingdom (“Messiah” and “Christ;”each mean “anointed” in Hebrew and Greek, respectively). The leper acknowledged his faith in Jesus as Lord, and Jesus’ power to heal him, and he received what he asked of the Lord.

The Roman Centurion was a Gentile (non-Jew), but he acknowledged that Jesus had authority over him, and over physical infirmities, and because he asked in faith, he received what he requested of the Lord. But many Jews, the chosen people of God, missed the inheritance intended for them through the patriarchs, because they didn’t accept Jesus as their Messiah and Lord.

Jesus is the ultimate fulfillment of the promises of God’s Word (John 1:1-5, 14), but the fulfillment of those promises is only by faith, which is obedient trust in Jesus. Forgiveness of sin (disobedience of God’s Word), salvation from God’s eternal condemnation, and eternal life are only possible through obedient trust only in Jesus Christ (Acts 4:12; John 14:6; Ephesians 2:8-9; see God’s Plan of Salvation, sidebar, top right, home).

In order to have eternal life we must be spiritually “reborn” (John 3:3, 5-8), which is only possible through the gift of the indwelling Holy Spirit. Only Jesus gives the gift of the indwelling Holy Spirit (John 1:31-34), only to his disciples who trust and obey Jesus (John 14:15-17). The only way Jews or anyone else will be saved is through acceptance and faith in Jesus Christ (John 14:6; Mathew 23:37-39).

God is God, whether we acknowledge him or not, but God is not obligated to be all that an all-powerful, loving God implies unless we are willing to be his obedient, trusting people (Jeremiah 7:23; Ezekiel 11:20; Leviticus 26:3; see also Jeremiah 11:4c-5a). There are conditions which we must meet in order to expect God to listen to and answer our prayers (see Conditions for answered prayer, sidebar, top right, home).

Jesus is God, God, the Son of God (Colossians 2:8-9; John 20:28), and (God the) Son of man, which is how Jesus usually referred to himself. It is true, and it allows us to decide for ourselves who he is, with a hint from Daniel 7:13.

Jesus is Lord, whether we acknowledge him or not. Right now we have the freedom to choose or reject him as Lord, but in the Day of Christ’s return in glory and power to judge the living (“quickened”) and dead (1 Peter 4:5; in both physical and spiritual senses), “every knee should (shall) bow and every tongue confess that Jesus is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Philippians 2:10-11). In that Day he will command and we will have no choice but to obey (Matthew 25:31-46). In that Day, those who have rejected Jesus as Lord and have refused to trust and obey Jesus will be cast into outer darkness of eternal torment and misery (2 Thessalonians 1:5-10).

Jesus came to give us spiritual healing and true, eternal life. Jesus did miracles of physical healing, feeding, and resurrection, to demonstrate that he also has the power to spiritually heal, feed and raise to eternal life. Our real needs are spiritual; we will all face physical death, but where will we spend eternity?

Many people were attracted to Jesus for the physical healing and feeding he could offer, but people who came only for that missed the spiritual healing only he can provide. Jesus didn’t want the leper to publicize his physical healing so as not to attract those who are only interested in physical benefits.

Being born into God’s chosen people (the Church is the New Israel) does not guarantee us salvation and eternal life. Church membership and religious ritual won’t save us. The Jews thought they were saved because they were the children of Abraham, but it is the followers of Jesus Christ who trust and obey Jesus who are the true children of Abraham (Matthew 3:7-9; John 8:37-59; Galatians 3:6-9). Jesus warns us that it is not those who call themselves Christians who will be saved, but those who trust and obey God’s Word (do God’s will; Matthew 7:12-27; Luke 6:46).

Tags: bible, christian, christian maturity, discipleship, faith, jesus, spiritual growth, spirituality, supernatural
Posted in Catholic Church, Episcopal Church, lutheran book of worship, lutheran church, Methodist Church, personal devotions., Presbyterian Church, revised common lectionary, scripture texts | Leave a Comment »

Week of 1 Epiphany – B – 01/08 – 14/2012

January 7, 2012

Week of 1 Epiphany – B

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Podcast Download: Week of 1 Epiphany – B

Sunday 1 Epiphany – B
First posted January 11, 2009;
Podcast: Sunday 1 Epiphany – B

Isaiah 42:1-7 – The Lord’s Servant;

Psalm 45:7-9 – The Bridegroom;

Acts 10:34-38 – The Gospel Proclaimed to Gentiles;

Mark 1:4-11 – Jesus’ Baptism;

Isaiah Paraphrase:

The Lord delights in and upholds the servant whom he has chosen. The Lord has put his Spirit upon him, and he will give justice to the nations (including the Gentiles). The servant will faithfully bring forth justice; he will not incite or harangue crowds; he won’t break a bruised reed or quench a dimly burning wick. He will not fail to establish justice on earth; he will not become discouraged. Distant lands await his law.

The Lord God, who created the heavens, who caused the earth to appear, and what comes from it, “who gives breath (life) to the people upon it and spirit (the Holy Spirit; the breath of eternal life) to those who walk in it” (in obedience to the Holy Spirit; Isaiah 42:5d, e).

The Lord has called his servant forth, and has guided and protected him; the Lord has given his servant as a covenant to the people, to be a light to the nations (including Gentiles). to give sight to the blind, to release prisoners from the dungeon and those who are imprisoned by spiritual darkness.

Psalm Paraphrase:

This psalm was written for the celebration of a wedding or a wedding anniversary of a king of Israel. It is prophetic and applies also to the ultimate fulfillment of the wedding of God’s “anointed” eternal king and his “bride,” the Church.

The Lord’s “anointed” loves what is righteous and hates what is wicked (according to God’s Word). That is why the Lord has anointed him “with the oil of gladness” above his peers. He is clothed in robes fragrant with myrrh, allies and cassia (herbs used in perfumes, and also in embalming; John 19:39; myrrh was given the the Christ child by the Magi, “Wise Men,” Matthew 2:11; was also mixed with wine and used as an opiate; Mark 15:23).

The marriage setting is an ivory palace, with music by stringed instruments. The ladies of honor are the daughters of royalty, and at the “anointed” king’s side is his bride, adorned in gold from Ophir.

Acts Paraphrase:

Cornelius was a Roman Centurion, a Gentile, but a God-fearing man, living in Caesarea, the capital of the Roman province of Judea. The Holy Spirit guided Cornelius to send servants to Joppa, where Peter, one of the original Twelve of Jesus’ disciples, was staying. At the same time the Holy Spirit was preparing Peter to present the Gospel of Jesus to Gentiles. Peter came to Cornelius’ house in Caesarea, and when the household had gathered, Peter began to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ with them (Acts 10:1-33).

Peter said that he had learned (by the Holy Spirit, who had revealed to him by a vision; Acts 10:9-16) that God is not partial to anyone, and whoever does what is right (according to God’s Word) is acceptable to him. Cornelius probably had already heard of Jesus’ activity, and Jesus’ Gospel, so Peter reviewed it for Cornelius. After the (water) baptism of John, the Baptizer, Jesus began proclaiming throughout all Judea, beginning from Galilee, the “good news” (“gospel” means “good news”) of peace with God. God had anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with (supernatural) power, and Jesus went about doing good “and healing all who was oppressed by the devil” by the power of God within him.

Mark Paraphrase:

In the wilderness outside Jerusalem, at the Jordan River, a man called John the Baptizer, began preaching a (water) baptism for repentance and forgiveness of sin (disobedience of God’s Word). Everybody in Judea and Jerusalem was going to him for baptism, confessing their sins.

John was dressed in a camel’s hair shirt and a leather belt (Mark 1:6; the same clothing worn by Elijah, the great Old Testament prophet and forerunner of John; 2 Kings 1:8), and John lived on locusts and wild honey (which he could forage in the wilderness). He preached that someone greater than John was coming, of whom John was not worthy of being a most menial servant. John declared that he had baptized people with water; but the coming one would baptize them with the Holy Spirit.

At that time, Jesus came from his home in Nazareth in Galilee, and was baptized in the Jordan River by John. When Jesus came up out of the water, John saw the Holy Spirit, in the form of a dove, decend and remain on Jesus, “and a voice came from heaven, “Thou art my beloved Son; with thee I am well pleased” (Mark 1:11)

Commentary:

In the Old Testament, “the Lord’s servant” refers to the nation of Israel, and also to individuals who are committed to serving God, but also to the promised Messiah. Jesus is the ultimate fulfillment of the promised Messiah and Servant of the Lord. The Church is the heir to the call of Israel be the Lord’s servant.

Jesus was not a demagogue, a political agitator. He was not trying to stir up the people to political revolution. His teachings offended the religious leaders of Israel, and continue to offend all who believe they are “good people,” because of the “good things” they do; they don’t want to face (divine, eternal) truth, and admit their sinful nature.

Jesus came, not to condemn us, but to heal and save us. He didn’t come to break spiritual “bruised reeds” or quench “dimly burning spiritual wicks;” he came to give us forgiveness of sin, spiritual healing, salvation (from eternal condemnation), and true, abundant, eternal life. But he cannot help people who aren’t willing to hear truth and acknowledge their sinfulness (Matthew 11:6).

Jesus is the example of the Lord’s Servant for us to follow. We cannot become Jesus; we cannot become God, but we can be “like” Jesus (followers of his example), when we are fully trained (Matthew 10:24-25; but note that the desire to become “God” is one of the original and basic, fundamental temptations in this world; Genesis 3:5).

God’s Word is eternally true, and is fulfilled over and over again, as the conditions for its fulfillment are met. The promise of God’s Word is that those who are willing to become servants of God are those in whom he delights and whom he chooses to be his people, and he promises to put his Spirit upon them.

The gift of the “anointing” of the Holy Spirit is conditional upon the commitment to be obedient to God’s Word. God has given us physical life (the breath of life). This lifetime is our only opportunity to claim and receive the indwelling Holy Spirit, who is the breath of spiritual, eternal life within us. Only Jesus gives the gift of the indwelling Holy Spirit (John 1:31-34) only to his disciples who trust and obey Jesus. Jesus says that one must be “born-again” (John 3:3, 5-8) by the gift of the indwelling Holy Spirit in order to see the kingdom of God which is all around us now, and to see and enter it ultimately in eternity. The Holy Spirit is the seal and guarantee that one is in Christ and has eternal life (2 Corinthians 1:22; Ephesians 1:13-14; Romans 8:9b, 11, 15-16).

“Born-again Christians have the same call to carry on Christ’s mission by the guidance and empowerment of the indwelling Holy Spirit; to work for divine justice, to be light is the spiritual darkness, to give spiritual hearing and sight to the spiritually deaf and blind; to offer release to the prisoners of sin and spiritual darkness, and to give hope beyond physical death.

Jesus is the Bridegroom and the Church is his bride. The Holy Spirit is the “anointing” with the oil of gladness, which we, too, can receive through faith (obedient trust) in Jesus Christ. Jesus provides the “garment” of salvation; the righteousness that is only through faith in Jesus by the gift of the indwelling Holy Spirit (Romans 3:21-22).

The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of God, the Spirit of Christ (Romans 8:9). The Holy Spirit is at work in the world today, and he is near to us. He confronts us when we are heading for disaster, like he confronted Paul (Saul of Tarsus) on the road to Damascus (Acts 9:1-6; although not always so dramatically).

I personally testify to a similar confrontation. As a result I turned to the Bible for answers, and as I began reading the entire Bible, I felt the Holy Spirit at my right hand, opening my mind to understand the scriptures (Luke 24:45). By the time I had finished reading the Bible through, I was convinced that Jesus is the way, truth and life, and I accepted him as my Lord and Savior.

He discipled me as I continued to read a portion of the Bible daily, with meditation and prayer, seeking his guidance one day at a time. After several years of learning to walk with the Lord daily, he asked me if I believed that if I pursued a spiritual “pilgrimage” during the Lenten season to Pentecost I could be “born-again” by the “anointing” of the Holy Spirit. I said yes, and that is exactly what happened, in my Lutheran congregation (see Personal Testimonies, sidebar, top right).

Peter is the example of a “born-again” Christian disciple that we can be. Peter, who had been afraid to admit that he was a disciple of Jesus to a menial servant of the high priest on the night Jesus was betrayed (Mark 14:66-72), was dramatically transformed into a bold preacher of the Gospel on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2:14-42) by the inspiration and empowerment of the indwelling Holy Spirit.

Cornelius submitted to the prompting of the Holy Spirit beside him, and sent for Peter, a “born-again” disciple who could disciple him until Cornelius and his household received the “anointing of the Holy Spirit (Acts 10:44-48). It takes “born-again” disciples to make “born again disciples. How can an “unregenerate” (not “reborn”) disciple make “reborn” disciples? He has no idea what he is missing, and no idea how to get it!

Jesus is the only one who baptizes with the Holy Spirit. The Church has the role of John the Baptizer, to call people to repent and be baptized with water for the forgiveness of their sins so that they are prepared to receive the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ through the “baptism” of the indwelling Holy Spirit.

The Messiah was revealed to John by the Holy Spirit (Mark 1:9-11; John 1:29-34), and then John pointed people to Jesus, testifying that Jesus was the Messiah (John 1:35-42). Those who received John’s testimony followed Jesus and became Jesus’ disciples (John 1:43-51). This is what the Church is called to be doing.

God showed John the visible sign that Jesus was the Messiah, and that he had the “anointing” of the Holy Spirit. Jesus taught his disciples to seek and wait for the “anointing” of the Holy Spirit (Luke 24:49; Acts 1:4-5, 8), and, as his disciples trusted and obeyed, they experienced the fulfillment of that promise; and the Church was born on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2:1-4). The transformation of the disciples was apparent to those around them (Acts 2:5-12), but was subject to various individual interpretations Acts 2:13).

Monday 1 Epiphany – B
First posted January 12, 2009;

Podcast: Monday 1 Epiphany – B

Psalm 67 – Let All People Praise the Lord!

Paraphrase:

“May God be gracious to us and bless us and make his face to shine upon us, that thy way may be known upon earth, thy saving power among all nations. Let the peoples praise thee, O God; let all the peoples praise thee! “Psalm 67:1-3).

The Lord guides the nations and judges all the peoples with fairness and righteousness, so let all nations and peoples rejoice and sing for joy. Let us all rejoice and sing for joy, and give praise to our Lord.

The earth has produced its harvest. God has blessed us. Let all in the farthest corners of the earth fear (have appropriate awe and respect for the power and authority of) the Lord.

Commentary:

This is the kind of ecstatic song of praise that is inspired by the indwelling Holy Spirit. When we realize how gracious God has been to all of us, even those who do not acknowledge him, we will want to praise the Lord, and we will want to share the “good news” the Gospel of Jesus Christ with the world.

God called Israel to be his chosen people, so that the other nations would see the goodness of the Lord toward Israel, and so that the blessings of God would come to all people of the world through Israel (Genesis 12:2-3). At the right moment in history, the Messiah (Christ), the Savior of the world, and eternal King came into the world. At his coming he established a New Covenant (“Testament;” Matthew 26:28 RSV note “g;” Hebrews 8:6-8; 12:24; of grace through faith (obedient trust; Ephesians 2:8-9), and through that Covenant, a “New Israel,” the Church of Jesus Christ.

Jesus is the fulfillment of all the promises of God’s Word, and the source of all the blessings of God to the world. Jesus has been designed into Creation from the beginning (John 1:1-5, 14).

This earth is designed to be a garden, a “seedbed” to produce eternal children of God, to be “transplanted” into God’s eternal kingdom. God’s Word is the “seed” which germinates in our hearts and comes to life within us by the indwelling Holy Spirit. The earth has produced, and is producing a spiritual harvest of eternal life.

We must be spiritually reborn (John 3:3, 5-8) in this lifetime in order to see the kingdom of God which is all around us now, and to see and enter it ultimately in eternity in heaven. This spiritual rebirth is only by the “baptism” (“anointing,” “gift”) of the indwelling Holy Spirit which only Jesus gives (John 1:31-34), only to his disciples who trust and obey Jesus (John 14:15-17). The Holy Spirit is the seal and guarantee that one is in Christ and has eternal life (2 Corinthians 1:22; Ephesians 1:13-14; Romans 8:9b, 11, 15-16).

God blesses us with all the spiritual gifts in heaven through the indwelling Holy Spirit, but that blessing is to be a spring of “living” water flowing through us out into the world (John 7:38-39; John 4:10-14) to give real, eternal, life to the people in the farthest corners of the world.

The Lord is God, whether we acknowledge and accept him as our Lord or not. His will will be done, whether we are willing to do it or not. During this lifetime in this Creation he allows us to freedom to choose for ourselves whether or not to trust and obey God’s Word. This lifetime is our opportunity to seek and find God (Acts 17:26-27), and to learn by trial and error that God’s will is good, feasible, and our very best interest (Romans 12:2).

“Born-again” Christians have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ and God our Father through the gift of the Holy Spirit. We have “tasted” the Lord’s goodness (Psalm 34:8). We rejoice because our Lord is in control of this world, whether or not it seems so at times. We rejoice that ultimately we will be vindicated and that we will be fairly judged by the Lord. The Lord will fulfill his promise to redeem us from sin and save us from eternal destruction.

There is a Day of Judgment coming for everyone who has ever lived on this earth. In that Day every one who has ever lived will bow before Jesus and acknowledge him as Lord (Philippians 2:9-11). In that Day, the Lord will command, and we will have no choice but to obey. In that Day it will be too late to change our eternal destiny.

Those who haven’t sought to know the Lord now, won’t be known by him as his eternal children in that Day (Matthew 7:22-23). Those who haven’t been “reborn” to spiritual, eternal life, will go to their eternal death and destruction in hell with all evil, separated eternally from the love and providence of the Lord. (Matthew 25:31-46; 2 Thessalonians 1:5-10).

Tuesday 1 Epiphany – B
First posted January 13, 2009;
Podcast: Tuesday 1 Epiphany – B

1 Samuel 3:1-10 - The Call of Samuel;

Samuel’s background:

Samuel was the child God had given Hannah, who had been barren, in answer to her prayer. She had promised that if God gave her a child, she would “lend” him to the Lord’s service all his days (1 Samuel 1:1-28).

Samuel, who was about twelve at the time, was serving in the temple at Shiloh, about ten miles north of Bethel, where the tabernacle and ark were set up, after Israel had entered and established territory in the Promised Land (Joshua 18:1-10). Samuel was serving in the tabernacle under Eli, the priest.

1 Samuel Paraphrase:

During this time in Israel’s history, “the Word of the Lord was rare in those days; there was no frequent vision” (1 Samuel 3:1b). Eli had begun to lose his eyesight. He was sleeping in his accustomed place, and Samuel was sleeping in the temple where the Ark of the Covenant was (perhaps tending the lamp of God’s presence). The lamp (which burned all night) had not yet gone out (so it must have been near dawn).

The Lord called Samuel by name, and Samuel answered and ran to where Eli was and asked Eli what he wanted, thinking that it was Eli who had called him. But Eli told him to go back and lie down, because Eli had not called him. This happened a second time with the same results.

“Samuel did not yet know the Lord; and the Word of the Lord had not yet been revealed to him” (1 Samuel 3:7). The Lord called Samuel a third time, and when Samuel went to Eli, Eli realized that it was the Lord who was calling Samuel. He told Samuel to go back and lie down, and if the Lord called, he was to say, “Speak, Lord, for thy servant hears” (1 Samuel 3:9). And the Lord called again, and Samuel replied as Eli had told him.

Commentary:

Throughout the history of God’s dealings with Israel he revealed himself and spoke with a few individuals he chose, to accomplish his purpose and to make his will known, but this was rare. God began preparing his people to receive the promise of a personal fellowship with the Lord (Numbers 11:29b), which Jesus later made possible through the gift of the indwelling Holy Spirit.

Jesus came to be the one and only sacrifice acceptable to God to cleanse us from sin and make it possible for us to be individually temples of the Holy Spirit. By the indwelling Holy Spirit we are in his presence as he is within us.

Only Jesus gives the gift of the indwelling Holy Spirit (John 1:31-34), only to his disciples who trust and obey Jesus (John 14:15-17). The Holy Spirit is the seal and guarantee that one is in Christ and has eternal life (2 Corinthians 1:22; Ephesians 1:13-14; Romans 8:9b, 11, 15-16). It is possible for one to know with certainty that one has been spiritually “reborn” (John 3:3. 5-8) by the gift of the indwelling Holy Spirit within.

In my own personal experience, when I turned to trust and obey Jesus, I began to hear the Lord speak to me, in the “still, small, inner voice,” at “my right hand,” before I was “reborn.” As I began to hear and respond, praying back what I heard, the Lord began to lead me (see Personal Testimonies).

Samuel heard the call so clearly that he thought it must be Eli calling him. Eli helped Samuel understand that it was the Lord who was calling Samuel. This is why it takes “born-again” disciples to make “born-again” disciples.

The Bible warns us not to believe every spirit, but to test the spirits to see whether they are of God, because there are also demonic spirits (1 John 4:1). In one early experience, I heard his voice clearly, and I asked who I was hearing, and he replied, “The Lord and giver of life” (the third person/article of the Nicene Creed; i.e. the Holy Spirit; see Personal Testimony; Spiritual Growth). God is able to identify himself to us in a uniquely personal way. Note that the Lord will never contradict Bible scripture, or ask us to do anything which would harm ourselves or others.

As I began to seek the Lord’s guidance daily, with Bible reading, meditation and prayer the Lord “discipled” me and led me to spiritual rebirth by the gift of the indwelling Holy Spirit. As he began showing me things in his Word I prayed them back to make sure I understood.

The Lord wants us to seek and find him (Acts 17:26-27). He wants to reveal himself to us (John 14:15-17, 21, 23). He wants us to hear him and listen to him. He wants to guide and empower us through the gift of his indwelling Holy Spirit. He wants us to be spiritually reborn to eternal life, so that we can spend eternity in his presence in his kingdom in heaven.

When we are committed to seeking God’s Word, one day at a time (Matthew 6:11, 34), for the purpose of doing it, for trusting and obeying it, he is willing and able to make his Word known to us. One of the seemingly hardest things to do in this society is to live one day at a time, and to wait upon the Lord. It takes faith and commitment.

Wednesday 1 Epiphany – B
First posted January 14, 2009;
Podcast: Wednesday 1 Epiphany – B

1 Corinthians 6:12-20 – Spiritual Discipline;

Background:

The Church at Corinth had been founded by Paul’s preaching of the Gospel. He was writing this letter to correct some doctrinal and ethical problems that had arisen after Paul had left. One of the issues was abuse of God’s grace (see False Teachings, sidebar, top right).

1 Corinthians Paraphrase:

Libertines in the congregation were saying that everything was lawful (since they were not under law but grace – God’s unmerited favor). Paul responded that they were not bound by the law, but not everything was beneficial, and one should not become enslaved to anything.

Some were saying that the stomach was created for food, and food for the stomach, but Paul pointed out that both will pass away (and the same thing is true of sex). Our bodies are not created for immorality but for the Lord. The Lord Jesus gave himself for us, and we should give ourselves for him. God raised up Jesus and he will raise us up (from death to immortality) by his power.

We must realize that our bodies are members of Christ (the Holy Spirit is within the bodies of “born-again” Christians), and when we have sexual union we become one flesh with our partner. How can members of Christ allow themselves to become members of a prostitute. Let that never happen! One who is united with the Lord becomes one spirit with Christ.

Reject all forms of immorality! Every other sin is committed against others outside our own bodies, but immorality damages our own bodies. We must realize that our bodies are temples of the indwelling Holy Spirit which we have received from God. Remember that we have been redeemed (purchased from slavery to sin by the precious blood of Jesus), and therefore we belong to the Lord; we are not our own. So in our bodies let us glorify God.

Commentary:

The Corinthians were new Christians living in a licentious society. Paul was “discipling” them. There were false teachers within the church, who were teaching that because we have been saved from eternal condemnation by God’s grace as a free gift (Ephesians 2:8-10) and are no longer under the obligation of the Law of Moses, they were free to indulge their bodies and to enjoy their freedom in any way they chose. The same conditions exist today, particularly in America and the American Church.

Christians are freed from obedience to the Law of the Old Testament, provided that we are obedient to the indwelling Holy Spirit (Romans 8:1-9). Obedience to the Old Covenant of Law was motivated by fear of eternal punishment, and it is impossible for us to satisfy all the of the requirements of the Law (Galatians 2:16). Our best efforts would never be enough.

The New Covenant of grace through faith (obedient trust; Ephesians 2:8-9) is motivated by love, in gratitude for what God has done for us in Jesus Christ. Only God’s grace through Jesus Christ is abundantly sufficient to bridge the gap between our best efforts and God’s standard of righteousness (doing what is right, and good, and true according to God’s Word).

The false teaching that was disturbing the Corinthian congregation is still present and being taught in the nominal “Church” today. Dietrich Bonhoeffer, German Lutheran pastor and Theologian, executed by the Nazis for his opposition to Hitler, called it “Cheap Grace”* meaning the teaching of Salvation by Grace (which is true), without the requirement of discipleship and obedience to Jesus’ teaching (which is false; see False Teachings, sidebar, top right).

We have been redeemed from slavery to sin so that we could become servants of the Lord. The result of slavery to sin is eternal destruction, but the result of serving the Lord is eternal life. Satan is a cruel master; Jesus is the good master. Jesus’ yoke is gentle and his burden is light (Matthew 11:29:30). We will either serve the Lord or we will serve Satan (Matthew 6:24).

*See: The Cost of Discipleship, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Collier Books, Macmillan Publishing Co., NY 1963 ISBN 0-02-083850-6

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dietrich_Bonhoeffer

Thursday 1 Epiphany – B
First posted January 15, 2009;
Podcast: Thursday 1 Epiphany – B

John 1:43-51 – Philip and Nathanael;

John Paraphrase:

After his baptism by John the Baptizer(Matthew 3:13-17; John 1:31-34), Jesus decided to return to Galilee, and he found Philip and invited him to follow Jesus. Philip was from Bethsaida in Galilee, the city of Andrew and Simon (whom Jesus had named Peter; John 1:42), who had become Jesus’ disciples from the testimony of John the Baptizer the previous day (John 1:35-41). Philip went and found Nathanael (probably the same person as Bartholomew), and told him that Philip had found Jesus of Nazareth, son of Joseph, the one foretold in the (Old Testament; the Jewish Bible) scriptures of Moses and the prophets (the Messiah; Christ, both mean “anointed” in Hebrew and Greek respectively). Nathanael expressed skepticism that anything good could come from Nazareth, but Philip told him to come and see for himself.

Jesus saw Nathanael coming, and said of Nathanael that he was a guileless Israelite (unlike Jacob, before God changed his name to Israel; Genesis 27:35; 32:28). Nathanael asked how Jesus knew about him, and Jesus told Nathanael that he had seen Nathanael under a fig tree before Philip had come to him. Nathanael was amazed and declared that Jesus was not only a teacher, he was the Son of God and King of Israel (the Messiah). [It is important to note that Jesus did not refute Nathanael's proclamation (compare Acts 14:11-18; John 20:28-29.]

Jesus said that Nathanael had believed because Jesus had said he had seen (supernaturally) where Nathanael was and what he was doing before Philip found him. Jesus told Nathanael, “Truly, truly, I say to you, you will see heaven opened and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of man” (John 1:51).

Commentary

Jesus invited Philip to follow Jesus, and Philip was convinced that Jesus was the Messiah (Philip may have been the other disciple of John who had heard the testimony of John the Baptizer that Jesus was the Lamb of God, the unblemished sacrificial “lamb” of Passover, and had followed Jesus with Andrew the preceding day; John 1:35-37). Philip went to his friend Nathanael and testified that Jesus of Nazareth was the Messiah.

Jacob was the second-born twin son of Isaac, the son of the promise (Genesis 12:1-3; 15:1-4), and grandson of Abraham (Abram). The first-born son is the inheritor of the birthright, a double-portion of the father’s estate and superior rank. But Jacob tricked and took the birthright from his twin brother, Esau (Genesis 25:29-34).

Jacob, who God renamed Israel Genesis 32:28), was the father of the heads of the Twelve Tribes, and whose name was given to his descendants, the “Israelites,” and the nation of “Israel.”

After gaining the birthright, Jacob went to the land of his forefathers to take a wife from his forefathers’ people in Haran (in Chaldea; Babylon; on the border between modern Syria and Iraq), but also to escape his brother, Esau’s, revenge for being tricked out of the birthright. On his way to Chaldea, he camped overnight at Bethel (then known as Luz; the name Bethel means “House of God”), where he had the dream of Jacob’s Ladder (Genesis 28:10-19). When Jacob awoke from the dream he realized that God was present even in that place, and declared that it was the “house of God” and “the gate of heaven” (Genesis 28:17).

When Jacob returned to the Promised Land, about twenty years later Genesis 31:41), after acquiring two wives, he again camped at Bethel, and during the night he wrestled with the angel of God. It was then that God changed Jacob’s name to Israel (Genesis 32:25-31).

Jesus’ physical, public ministry is intended to be a series of visual “parables” (worldly “pictures” of spiritual truths). Jesus came to show us how to be God’s children. At the beginning of Jesus’ public ministry, he was revealed to John the Baptizer at Jesus’ baptism. John the Baptizer witnessed and testified that Jesus is the Son of God, who baptizes with the Holy Spirit (John 1:33-34).

John was not making disciples of himself; he was pointing people to Jesus. John testified that Jesus is the Lamb of God. The Passover lamb was a spotless, blemish-free lamb, sacrificed on the night of the Passover feast. The lamb’s flesh provided the main course of the feast, and the blood, applied to the door of the house, protected the Israelites from the destroyer who killed the Egyptians’ first-born (Exodus Ch 12-13; Leviticus 23:4-8).

Jesus is the fulfillment of the promise of the Passover. Jesus’ is the spotless, unblemished “lamb” whose flesh provides the main course of the spiritual feast of the Holy Sacrament (the Eucharist; the Lord’s Supper), which Jesus instituted on the night of his betrayal (which was the night of Passover; Matthew 26:1-28). Jesus’ blood, shed on the cross is the sign that marks his disciples to be “passed over” by the eternal destroyer.

Jesus had been revealed by God to John the Baptizer, and then John testified of Jesus to his disciples and they followed Jesus, and became Jesus’ disciples. They went and told their friends that they had found Jesus, and invited their friends to “come and see” for themselves. When we trust in the witness of Jesus’ disciples and come to “see for ourselves,” the Lord will reveal himself to us (John 6:69).

Jesus is the fulfillment of Jacob’s dream of a ladder to heaven. Jesus is the “ladder” by which the spiritual blessings of heaven descend upon us, and only by whom we can ascend into heaven (John 3:13). Jesus is the only way to know divine, eternal, truth, the only way to be restored to fellowship broken by sin (disobedience of God’s Word), the only way to true, eternal, life (John 14:6).

Friday 1 Epiphany – B
First posted January 16, 2009;
Podcast: Friday 1 Epiphany – B

Isaiah 61:1-6 – The Year of the Lord’s Favor;

Isaiah Paraphrase:

“The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me to bring good tidings to the afflicted (or poor); he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound; to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor, and the day of vengeance of our God” (Isaiah 61:1-2).

The Lord’s servant comes to comfort those who mourn in Zion (Israel; the people of God; the Church), to give them, instead of ashes, the garland of celebration; instead of mourning, the “oil of gladness,” instead of a faint spirit, “the mantle of praise” (Isaiah 61:3), so that they may be known as the planting of the Lord, mighty oaks of righteousness, to his glory. “They shall build up the ancient ruins, they shall raise up former devastations; they shall repair the ruined cities, the devastations of many generations” (Isaiah 61:4).

Foreigners will be the servants of God’s people; aliens will tend their flocks and their fields and vineyards, but God’s people will be known as ministers of God; they will receive and enjoy the wealth of nations.

Commentary:

This portion of Isaiah was written right before and in the generation following the conquest of Babylon by Cyrus of Persia, which made it possible for the remnant of Israel, in exile in Babylon, to return to their Promised Land, after seventy years of exile, in fulfillment of God’s Word (Jeremiah 25:12).

This prophecy of the Lord’s servant applies to the prophet, Isaiah, in the context of the exile, but it is ultimately fulfilled in Jesus Christ (Luke 4:16-21). It also applies to God’s people, the disciples of Jesus Christ; the Church.

The real needs of this world are spiritual. God’s Word is good news to the afflicted, the poor, the brokenhearted, the captives and prisoners of this world, particularly in the spiritual sense (compare Matthew 5:1-10), although physical problems can cause us to be aware of our spiritual needs and seek Jesus’ healing.

Jesus’ miracles of physical healing, feeding, and resurrection were intended to demonstrate that Jesus can heal, feed, and resurrect us spiritually unto eternal life. But Jesus cannot heal, feed and raise people who do not know and acknowledge their spiritual need (Matthew 9:12). People who do not realize their spiritual need will not be able to appreciate or benefit from what Jesus can do for them spiritually (Luke 6:24-26).

Before the coming of Jesus Christ, only a few individuals, like Isaiah, were chosen by God and “anointed” with the Holy Spirit to proclaim God’s Word. Jesus came to offer himself as the one and only sacrifice acceptable to God for the forgiveness of our sins (disobedience of God’s Word). Through faith (obedient trust) in Jesus, we can be spiritual cleansed and individually become temples of God through his indwelling Holy Spirit abiding within us (see Numbers 11:29).

We have all been born physically alive, but spiritually dead. This lifetime is our only opportunity to be spiritually “reborn” to eternal life, and this is only possible through the “anointing” (gift; “baptism”) of the indwelling Holy Spirit (John 3:3, 5-8).

The gift of the indwelling Holy Spirit is not optional; not only for “super Christians.” God’s people are called to be God’s servants to the poor, helpless, afflicted and spiritually lost of this world. We are called to carry on the mission of Christ to the world, but that can only be done by the guidance and empowerment of the indwelling Holy Spirit within us (Zechariah 4:6).

The gift of the indwelling Holy Spirit is the “Comforter” (“Paraclete,” meaning: intercessor; consoler; advocate; comforter; John 14:16, 26 KJV). The “anointing” of the Holy Spirit” is the “anointing” with the “oil of Gladness.” The Holy Spirit within us is our “robe” of praise; our reason and our ability for praising the Lord.

In a sense, God is our Father because he is our Creator, whether we acknowledge him or not. We are all, in a sense, prodigal sons and daughters of God our Father (Luke 15:11-24), because we have all strayed from obedient trust in his Word. When we return to him with the commitment to serve him, he welcomes us with the “garland of celebration” the “robe of praise,” and the anointing of the “oil of gladness.” God has prepared a feast for us, which begins now in the celebration of the Lord’s Supper (Holy Communion; Eucharist), and is fulfilled in God’s kingdom in heaven (Matthew 26:29).

Jesus is the only way to forgiveness and restoration to fellowship with God which was broken by our sin (Acts 4:12; John 14:6). Jesus is the only way to know God (Matthew 11:27; see God’s Plan of Salvation, sidebar, top right).

This is the “year” of the Lord’s favor; now is the time of Salvation, the only time we have to be forgiven of our sins, to be saved from eternal condemnation and destruction, and to be “reborn” to true, eternal life.

There is a “day” of Judgment coming when everyone who has ever lived on this earth will be accountable to the Lord for what we have done in our lifetimes. Jesus is the righteous judge, and the standard by which all will be judged. Those who have accepted Jesus as their Lord, and have trusted and obeyed Jesus will have been “reborn” during this lifetime, and will enter eternal paradise in God’s kingdom. Those who have rejected Jesus and have refused or failed to trust and obey Jesus will be condemned to eternal destruction and spiritual death, with all evil (Matthew 25:31-46; 2 Thessalonians 1:5-10).

Saturday 1 Epiphany – B
First posted January 17, 2009;
Podcast: Saturday 1 Epiphany – B

Romans 12:6-16a – Christian Life;
John 2:1-11 – Wedding at Cana;

Romans Paraphrase:

Each disciple has been given differing gifts by God’s grace, to be used for the benefit of the Church and the kingdom of God. Examples are prophecy, serving (ministry), teaching, exhortation, financial contribution, administration, compassionate aid. Whatever our gifts, we should use them enthusiastically to the best of our ability.

Let our love be genuine. Let us abhor evil, and pursue what is good. Let us have brotherly affection for one another. Let us try to outdo one another in giving honor to others. Let us remain zealous, radiant with the Holy Spirit, serving the Lord. Let us always rejoice in our hope, endure tribulation patiently, and pray constantly. Let us be generous in contribution to the needs of the saints (believers; those consecrated to God’s service; our spiritual brothers and sisters) and practice hospitality.

Instead of cursing them, let us bless those who persecute us. Let us share in joy with those who rejoice, and share the sorrow of those who mourn. Let us live together with one another in harmony, never being haughty or conceited, nor regarding and shunning others as inferior.

John Paraphrase

After his baptism by John the Baptizer, Jesus returned to Galilee with his new disciples (John 1:29-51), and they went to a wedding in Cana, near Nazareth, where Jesus and his mother, Mary, had been invited. When the host ran out of wine, Mary told her son. But Jesus asked her why she was telling him, because his hour (of self-disclosure) had not yet come. His mother told the servants to do what ever Jesus would tell them.

There were six stone jars at hand for Jewish ceremonial purification, and Jesus told the servants to fill them with water, and they filled them to the brim. Then Jesus told them to draw a sample and take it to the steward of the feast, and the servants did so. The steward did not know where the sample had come from, although the servants did. When he tasted the water which had become wine, he summoned the bridegroom and told him that people use the good wine first, and then when the guests have drunk freely, the poorer quality wine, but the groom had apparently kept the good wine until this moment. “This, the first of his signs, Jesus did at Cana in Galilee, and manifested his glory; and his disciples believed in him” (John 2:11).

Commentary:

This Creation has been designed by God to be a garden, a “seedbed” to grow spiritual children of God to live eternally with God in his kingdom in paradise. Jesus has been designed into this Creation to accomplish this purpose from the very beginning (John 1:1-5, 14).

This lifetime is our opportunity to seek, find and come to fellowship with God our Creator (Acts 17:26-27). This is possible only through Jesus Christ, by the gift of the indwelling Holy Spirit. Only Jesus gives the gift (“baptism,” “anointing”) of the indwelling Holy Spirit (John 1:31-34), only to his disciples who trust and obey Jesus (John 14:15-17).

We are all born physically alive, but spiritually dead. This lifetime is our only opportunity to be spiritually “reborn” (John 3:3, 5-8) to eternal life, which is only possible through the gift of the indwelling Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is the seal and guarantee that one is in Christ and has eternal life (2 Corinthians 1:22; Ephesians 1:13-14; Romans 8:9b, 11, 15-16).

The Holy Spirit is given to those who trust and obey Jesus, so that they can be guided and empowered to carry on the mission of Jesus Christ in the world. Christ’s mission is to bring forgiveness of sin (disobedience of God’s Word; Romans 3:23; 1 John 1:8-10) and salvation (from God’s eternal condemnation and destruction in hell with all evil, which is the penalty for sin; Romans 6:23; see God’s Plan of Salvation, sidebar, top right).

Christ’s mission is to make “born-again” disciples and to teach them to live according to his teaching and example; and his disciples are to carry on that process (Matthew 28:19-20).

A Christian is a “born-again” disciple of Jesus Christ (Acts 11:26c). New believers are to be discipled by “born-again” disciples in the Church (the “New Jerusalem”), before they are sent out into the world to carry on Christ’s mission (Luke 24:49; Acts 1:4-5, 8). Christ’s mission cannot be accomplished without the gift of the indwelling Holy Spirit (Zechariah 4:6). It takes “born-again” disciples to make “born-again” disciples.

Believers need to learn to recognize the “still, small voice” of the Lord, and to be guided by God’s Word and the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, one day at a time (Matthew 6:11, 34). As we begin to trust and obey Jesus, he will guide us, by his indwelling Holy Spirit (Romans 8:9), to know his will for us personally and individually; and he will provide every resource to do what he leads us to do.

As we walk in obedient trust he will show us that he is completely faithful and trustworthy, and will cause our faith to grow as we experience the fulfillment of his promises. As we grow spiritually the Lord will give us opportunities that are suitable for our level of faith and our situation and resources (see Personal Testimonies, sidebar, top right).

Paul was “discipling” the Roman Christians. Discipleship is not learned instantaneously, nor accomplished automatically upon church membership. Discipleship is a spiritual growth process, with the goal of spiritual maturity at the Day of Christ’s return (Philippians 1:6). It requires a lot of practice. We need to learn new ways of thinking and of living, according to Jesus’ example and teaching (Romans 12:2).

Jesus taught by example as much as by word. Jesus modeled “disciple-making,” and taught his disciples to repeat the process (Matthew 28:19-20). Jesus submitted to water baptism by John the Baptizer before beginning his public ministry, and John testified that Jesus was the Messiah (Christ). John testified that he had seen the Holy Spirit descend and remain upon Jesus at Jesus’ baptism, and that God had revealed to John that Jesus was the one who would baptize with the gift of the indwelling Holy Spirit (John 1:31-34).

Jesus did not change the water into wine at Cana to please his mother, or to impress his disciples. Jesus was guided by the Holy Spirit. But Mary demonstrated her faith in her son by preparing the servants to do whatever Jesus would tell them.

Beginning disciples must trust in Jesus, and be willing to wait for him to disclose himself and his power to them. We cannot expect Jesus to answer our prayers the moment we decide to be his disciples. We need to demonstrate our commitment. We’re going to have to continue to trust and obey even if the answer is not immediate. But when we begin to experience his manifestation of himself to us (John 14:21), our faith will grow.

The Holy Spirit is the “good wine,” of the wedding of Jesus Christ and his bride, the Church, anticipated now in the Lord’s Supper (Holy Communion; Eucharist), and ultimately fulfilled in eternity in heaven (Matthew 26:29).

Week of 1 Christmas – B – 01/01 – 07/2012

December 31, 2011

Week of 1 Christmas – B

http://www.commontexts.org/

and:

http://www.commontexts.org/rcl/usage.html

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Podcast Download: Week of 1 Christmas – B

First Sunday After Christmas – B
First Posted December 28, 2008;

Podcast: Sunday 1 Christmas – B

Isaiah 45:22-25 -   Turn to the Lord;
Psalm 111   -    Praise the Lord;
Colossians 3:12-17   -    New Life in Christ;
Luke 2:25-40   -    Presentation of Jesus;

Isaiah Paraphrase:

The Lord is the only God. He invites everyone, to the farthest parts of the world, to turn to him and be saved. The Lord has declared and sworn in righteousness that every knee shall bow and every tongue shall swear.

Righteousness and strength are in the Lord alone. All his enemies shall come to him and be put to shame. The children of Israel will be vindicated and glorified in the Lord.

Psalm Paraphrase:

Praise the Lord! With my whole heart I will thank the Lord in the congregation of the righteous. The Lord has done great things, and those who study them will take pleasure in them. The Lord is honorable and majestic in everything he does, and his righteousness will never end. He has done great things so that they will be remembered, because the Lord is gracious and merciful.

The Lord continually remembers his covenant; he provides sustenance for those who fear him. In all his works he reveals his power to his people and gives them a share in the inheritance of the nations. He is faithful and just in all his deeds, and all his teaching are trustworthy and eternal; they are to be carried out with righteousness and faithfulness. He has declared that his covenant is eternal. “He sent redemption to his people” (Psalm 111:9a). His name is awesome and Holy (reverenced; venerated). “The fear (appropriate awe and respect for the power and authority) of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; a good understanding have all those who practice it. The Praise of the Lord endures forever” Psalm 111:10).

Colossians Paraphrase:

Since we have been chosen and beloved by God, we should endeavor to be compassionate, kind, humble, meek, patient and forbearing and forgiving of one another, if anyone has a complaint. Remember how much the Lord has forgiven us, and be forgiving of others also as we have been forgiven. Above all we must be loving, because love binds everything together in complete harmony. Allow the peace of Jesus Christ reign in our hearts since that is the hope in which we were called into the body of Christ, the Church. “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, as you teach and admonish (caution) one another in all wisdom, and as you sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs with thankfulness in your hearts to God” (Colossians 3:16). Let us do everything that we do in the name of the Lord Jesus, in thanksgiving to God through him.

Luke Paraphrase:

At the time for their purification according to the Law of Moses (on the eighth day after the birth; Leviticus 12:2); Mary and Joseph brought Jesus to the temple to be circumcised (Genesis 17:12), and to present him to the Lord as their first-born son (Luke 2:22-23).

A man named Simeon, who was righteous and devout, lived in Jerusalem. He was looking for the consolation of Israel (the coming of Messiah), and he was filled with the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit had revealed to Simeon that he would not die before he had seen the “Lord’s Christ” (God’s promised “Messiah”). “Inspired by the Spirit, he came into the temple” (Luke 2:27), where he encountered Jesus and his parents, who had brought Jesus to fulfill the custom of the law. Simon took the baby Jesus in his arms and said: “Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, according to thy Word; for mine eyes have seen thy salvation which thou hast prepared in the presence of all peoples, a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory to thy people, Israel” (Luke 2:29-32).

Mary and Joseph were amazed at what Simeon had said about their baby; and Simeon blessed them and said, “Behold, this child is set for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign that is spoken against (and a sword will pierce through your own soul also), that thoughts out of many hearts may be revealed” (Luke 2:34b-35).

There was a prophetess, Anna, the daughter of Phanuel (who is otherwise unknown) of the tribe of Asher, the descendants of Jacob’s eighth son. [The tribe of Asher was the only tribe west of the Jordan River (except the tribe of Simeon, second son of Jacob by Leah, not the Simeon of Luke 2:25) which produced no hero or judge for the nation]. Anna had been widowed after only seven years of marriage, and remained a widow to age eighty-four. She was in the temple, never leaving; worshiping, fasting, and praying day and night. At the very hour that Jesus was presented, she came up and gave thanks to God; and she spoke about Jesus to everyone who was seeking the redemption of Jerusalem.

When Mary and Joseph had fulfilled the requirements of the law, they returned to Nazareth in Galilee. And the child grew up and became strong, and God’s favor was upon him.

Commentary:

The Lord is the one and only true God. He is Lord and God, whether we acknowledge and accept him as our Lord and God or not. God has given us the freedom to choose whether to trust and obey him or not, but there is a day coming when we will face the final judgment and be accountable to him for what we have done in this lifetime. In that day, everyone who has ever lived will acknowledge him as Lord and God, and everyone will bow before him in obedience; but then it will be too late to change our eternal destinies.

Those who have rebelled and opposed the Lordship of God in this world will be put to eternal shame, but those who have become his children by faith (obedient trust) in Jesus Christ will be vindicated and glorified in the Lord. “Born-again” (John 3:3, 5-8) Christians are the adopted children of the “New Israel,” the Church.

In that day the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed (Luke 2:35b). There are many who claim to be Christian, and who even claim to be “born-again,” who are not “saved” from eternal destruction, and are not spiritually “born-again.” Not everyone who calls Jesus “Lord” is a Christian (Matthew 7:21-27; Luke 6:46).

The Lord never forgets his covenant with his people, the New Covenant of grace (unmerited favor; a free gift) through faith in Jesus Christ, initiated by Jesus on the night of his betrayal, the eve of his crucifixion (Matthew 26:26-28). God sustains those who fear (have appropriate awe and respect for the power and authority of) God, physically and spiritually, through Jesus Christ by the gift of the indwelling Holy Spirit which only Jesus gives (John 1:31-34), only to his disciples who trust and obey Jesus (John 14:15-17). The Holy Spirit is the seal and guarantee that one is in Christ and has eternal life (2 Corinthians 1:22; Ephesians 1:13-14; Romans 8:9b, 11, 15-16). The gift of the indwelling Holy Spirit sustains us to eternal life.

Through the gift of the indwelling Holy Spirit the Lord reveals his power to his people and gives them a share in the inheritance of eternal life. Jesus is the one and only Redeemer (“Savior;” Acts 4:12; John 14:6), the redemption which God has provided for his people who trust and obey the Lord. Jesus is the name of the Lord.

Those who do not believe in God and the concept of God won’t fear him, because they are spiritually ignorant and eternally “lost.” Until one one understands that God exists, that he is all-powerful and all-knowing, and that he has the power of eternal life or eternal death over us individually, we don’t know anything of eternal spiritual value.

We have all been chosen and beloved by God, but not everyone realizes and acknowledges this. Unless we understand ourselves in relationship with God, we cannot receive the healing and “redemption” God offers us in Jesus Christ.

In comparison to God, he alone is righteous (doing what is right, good, and true, according to God’s Word), and we are unrighteous ; he is sinless (sin is disobedience of God’s Word), and we are sinful; he is strong and we are weak; he is wise and we are spiritually ignorant. We should seek to know and apply God’s Word in our daily lives. Only then are we able to teach and caution others. We cannot comprehend what God has done for us in Jesus Christ until we recognize our own unrighteousness and sinfulness, and our need for redemption and salvation. When we realize who Jesus is and what the Lord has done for us in Jesus Christ, we will want to give thanks to God and to glorify the name of Jesus.

Simeon was looking for the consolation, redemption and salvation of Israel, and as he was instructed and guided by the Holy Spirit he received what he had prayed for; he saw the fulfillment of God’s promise of a Savior, the Messiah. Before the coming of Jesus Christ only a few individuals were chosen by God to have fellowship with God by the Holy Spirit. Simeon and Anna are examples.

Jesus is the promised Savior provided by God for all people, to be received by faith (obedient trust). Jesus is intended to be the revelation of God and God’s purpose to the Gentiles, and the fulfillment of God’s promise to glorify Israel.

Jesus is “good news” to those who are God’s people, who accept Jesus as their Lord and choose to trust and obey Jesus, and “bad news” to those who reject Jesus as Lord and refuse to trust and obey Jesus. Jesus is the stone which the “builders” (Israel; and the World) rejected, which has become the “cornerstone,” the “keystone” which creates the solid foundation, and locks the construction of God’s eternal kingdom in place (Luke 20:17-18).

Anna is the example of a child of God; a believer in the Gospel of Jesus Christ. She was constantly in the temple praying for and looking for the fulfillment of God’s promise of a Messiah, the Savior of the World. As she was obedient to the Holy Spirit, the Lord led her to encounter the fulfillment of that promise in Jesus Christ at his circumcision in the temple.

After she had encountered the Christ, she spoke of him to everyone who was looking “for the redemption of Jerusalem. We can long for the coming of the Messiah, and if we truly do, and become obedient to God’s Word, he will reveal himself to us (John 14:21). But unless and until we have personally experienced Jesus, by the indwelling Holy Spirit, we cannot be witnesses testifying to that spiritual reality.

January 2 – B

First posted 01/02/2009

Podcast: January 2 – B

John 1:1-18 – Prologue of John;

Paraphrase:

The Word of God was with God at the beginning of Creation, and is God, divine, eternal, and powerful. Through him all things were made, and nothing that exists was made without him. “In him was (true, eternal) life, and the life is the light of men” (John 1:4). “The light (of righteousness, divine enlightenment, and eternal life) shines in the darkness (of unrighteousness, spiritual ignorance, and spiritual death), and the darkness has not overcome it” (John 1:5).

John, the Baptizer was sent by God. He came to testify to the light so that everyone might believe by his testimony. He made it clear that he, himself, was not the light, but he bore witness to the light.

“The true light that enlightens every [person] was coming into the world” (John 1:9).

He was in the world, which had been made through him, but the world didn’t recognize him. His own home and people didn’t recognize, accept, and welcome him. “But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave the power to become children of God; who were born, not of blood nor of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God” (John 1:12-13).

“And 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, full of grace and truth” (John 1:14).

John testified that this was the one who was coming after John, but who ranks above John and existed before John. In him is inexhaustible grace (unmerited favor; a free gift) for all, to be received grace upon grace. The law came through Moses; grace and truth come (only) through Jesus Christ. No one has ever seen God; only Jesus, who is in perfect communion with God, has revealed him.

Commentary:

Jesus is fully God in human flesh (Colossians 2:8-9; John 20:28). Jesus has been designed into Creation from the very beginning; he’s not an after-thought, “Plan B,” added after mankind introduced sin (disobedience of God’s Word) into Creation.

God designed Creation so that we would have the freedom to choose whether to trust and obey God’s Word or not, and the opportunity to learn by trial and error that God’s will is our best interest. God knew that given that freedom, we would all sin (Romans 3:23; 1 John 1:8-10), and fall short of God’s righteousness (doing what is right, good, and true in accordance with God’s Word). The penalty for sin is (eternal, spiritual) death (Romans 6:23; the “second death:” Revelation 20:14; 21:8). Jesus is God’s only provision for the forgiveness of our sins, salvation from eternal destruction, and restoration to fellowship and eternal life with God which was broken by sin (Acts 4:12; John 14:6; see God’s Plan of Salvation, sidebar, top right, home).

Jesus is the Word of God, fulfilled, embodied and demonstrated in human flesh in this world (John 1:1-3, 14). Jesus’ word is the Word of God (John 14:10, 24), with the creative force of God’s Word (Mark 4:41; compare Genesis 1:3).

Only in Jesus is true, eternal life. He existed with God from the beginning of Creation. He is God who became human (not a man who became God). He died physically on the cross as the only sacrifice acceptable to God for the forgiveness of the sins of all people for all time who are willing to receive it by faith (obedient trust) in Jesus. His resurrection from physical death to eternal life demonstrates that there is existence after physical death (not “nothingness;” not reincarnation: Hebrews 9:27).

We are eternal beings in physical bodies. We were born physically alive but spiritually dead because of sin. Jesus came to make it possible for us to be forgiven and cleansed, so that we could receive the gift of eternal life through the indwelling Holy Spirit. Only Jesus gives the gift of the indwelling Holy Spirit (John 1:31-34), only to his disciples who trust and obey Jesus (John 14:15-17).

In order to live eternally in God’s heavenly kingdom, we must be spiritually “born-again” (John 3:3, 5-8). This lifetime is our only opportunity to be “reborn.;” the moment we die physically, our eternal destiny is eternally fixed and unchangeable. The Holy Spirit is the seal and guarantee that one is in Christ and has eternal life (2 Corinthians 1:22; Ephesians 1:13-14; Romans 8:9b, 11, 15-16).

Jesus is the light of the World (John 1:4, 8:12); the light of righteousness (John 1:5; 3:19-21), the light of spiritual enlightenment (John 1:9), the light of eternal life (John 8:12).

John the Baptist was the fulfillment of God’s Word, prophesied four or five hundred years earlier, of a prophet like Elijah who would herald the coming of the Messiah (Malachi 3:1, 4:5; Matthew 17:10-13). John did not claim to be a great prophet like Elijah; he just considered himself a voice crying in the wilderness, calling people to repent and prepare to receive the Messiah, in fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophecy (Isaiah 40:3). John was not a failed attempt to become the Messiah (John 1:8, 20).

God has been progressively revealing his purpose for Creation from the very beginning. God wasn’t surprised by the fall of man through sin in the Garden of Eden. Jesus had already been designed into Creation.

“Messiah” is the Hebrew word meaning (God’s) “anointed” (“Christ” is the Greek equivalent). With the giving of the Law, God commanded Moses to “anoint” Aaron and his sons with oil to consecrate them as priests of God (Exodus 28:41), prophets (and Kings (1 Kings 19:16; 1 Samuel 9:16; 16:3; 2 Samuel 12:7).

So from the very beginning of the Bible, God had been preparing Israel for the coming of the Messiah who would be the eternal prophet, priest and king of God’s people. Jesus is the ultimate eternal prophet who declares the Word of God (Deuteronomy 18:15; John 14:10, 24), he is our great high priest (Hebrews 4:14; 5:5-6; 9:11-14; Psalm 110:4), and he is God’s “anointed” eternal King above all kings (1 Timothy 6:15; Revelation 17:14).

Jesus is the promised Messiah who came into the world in human flesh, but although the Jews were expecting the Messiah, they did not recognize and accept Jesus. His own hometown and his own family didn’t recognize and accept him (Mark 3:21; John 7:1-5; Luke 4:16-30).

To everyone who believes that Jesus is the Messiah and Son of God (and trusts and obeys Jesus) he gives the power (the ability; the authority) to become children of God, but note that we must claim and appropriate the promise for ourselves by obedient trust in Jesus. The gift of the indwelling Holy Spirit is our “rebirth” by God’s will and power as God’s “adopted” Children.

Jesus is the only “begotten” Son of God, begotten of Mary, by the power of the Holy Spirit (Matthew 1:20-23; Luke 1:31-35). Jesus existed before John or before anyone in Creation because he was eternal with God and is eternal God (John 1:1, 8:56-58).

Jesus is the “New Moses.” Moses was the mediator of the Old Covenant of law. Jesus is the mediator of the New Covenant of grace (unmerited favor; the free gift of salvation) by faith (obedient trust) in Jesus Christ. Through faith in Jesus we have an inexhaustible source of grace.

No one was ever able to fulfill the requirements of the law; to be righteous as God is righteous (Romans 3:23; Galatians 2:16; Ephesians 2:8-10). The gift of the indwelling Holy Spirit makes it possible for us to fulfill the requirements of the righteousness of God’s law through obedience to the indwelling Holy Spirit (Romans 8:1-9 Galatians 3:3-14) through faith in Jesus.

God is Spirit. He is invisible. Jesus existed with God from the beginning of Creation, and is, in his very nature, God. Jesus is the ultimate revelation of God to the world in human flesh.

The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of God, the Spirit of Jesus (Romans 8:9). The Holy Spirit is the ultimate revelation of God to us individually and personally (John 14:21-23). Jesus is the only way to know and have fellowship with God our Creator John 14:6, and Jesus reveals himself and God the Father to us through his indwelling Holy Spirit (John 14:21, 23). The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of (divine, eternal) truth (John 14:17).

January 3 – B

First posted 01/03/2009

Podcast: January 3 – B

Psalm 72 – Bless the King;

Paraphrase:

O God, give the king thy justice and righteousness, that he may judge your people in righteousness and give justice to the poor. May the mountains and hills produce prosperity and righteousness. May the king “defend the cause of the poor of the people, give deliverance to the needy, and crush the oppressor” (Psalm 72:4)!May the king live as long as the sun and moon, throughout all generations. Let him be like rain showers that refreshes mown grass, and waters the earth. May righteousness and peace abound in his day, until the moon ceases to exist.

“May he have dominion from sea to sea, and from the river to the ends of the earth” (Psalm 72:8). May his foes grovel in the dust in his presence. May the kings of Tarshish (in the western Mediterranean), Sheba and Seba (in south Arabia) pay him tribute and bring him gifts. “May all kings fall down before him, all nations serve him” (Psalms 72:11)!

When the needy, the poor and helpless call upon him he delivers them; he has pity on them and saves them. He regards their blood as precious, and redeems their lives from oppression and violence.

May he live long, may the gold of Sheba be given to him. Let prayers be offered for him continually, and blessings invoked for him daily. May the land overflow with an abundance of grain and fruit, and may the people fill the land like grass of the field. May his name endure forever, and his fame be known as long as the sun exists. May all people and nations bless themselves by him and call him blessed.

“Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, who alone does wondrous things. Blessed be his glorious name for ever; may his glory fill the whole earth! Amen, and Amen” (Psalm 72:18-19).

Commentary:

Jesus is the ultimate fulfillment of this psalm. Jesus is God in human flesh (Colossians 2:8-9; John 20:28), and possesses the character of God. He has been given God’s righteousness and justice, which is far above human ability.

He alone is righteous. In his physical lifetime, he was tempted just as we are, but he was sinless: perfectly obedient to God’s Word, unto a terrible death on the cross.

Jesus is the righteous judge, who will return on the Day of Judgment, and judge all people with the justice of God. He will not judge us by the world’s standard of justice. In this world’s justice, the rich and powerful are favored and the poor, weak and needy are oppressed and exploited.

Jesus will be the standard of judgment, against which all will be judged. Those who have accepted Jesus as their eternal Lord and King, and have trusted and obeyed him will have been “born-again” (John 3:3, 5-8), and will enter eternal life in God’s heavenly kingdom. But those who have rejected Jesus and have refused or failed to trust and obey Jesus will be condemned to eternal destruction in Hell (Matthew 25:31-46; 2 Thessalonians 1:5-10).

Jesus is the eternal King who will reign in God’s kingdom forever. The sun and moon of this Creation will pass away, but his kingdom will endure forever.

Jesus is King of Kings and Lord of Lords. His dominion is over all Creation, but not everyone acknowledges and accepts his dominion. This is the age of God’s grace and salvation. He allows us the freedom to choose whether or not to trust and obey God’s Word, and to learn by trial and error that his Word is good, feasible, and perfectly in our best interest (Romans 12:2). But God isn’t going to tolerate rebellion for ever, or at all in his heavenly kingdom, or it wouldn’t be heaven!

The Day of Judgment is coming, at the end of our individual lives, when God’s grace and salvation will no longer be available. When we die, time stops for us, and our eternal destiny is fixed and unchangeable. In that Day, the Lord will command and we will have no choice but to obey. Those who are saved by faith (obedient trust) in Jesus will rejoice, but the enemies of Jesus who rejected and disobeyed him will be in eternal misery and destruction in Hell.

Jesus is the “son of David” (Matthew 1:1-17; 21:9) the fulfillment of God’s promise to David that his descendant would inherit his throne eternally (2 Samuel 7:5-13; Psalm 89:20-29). The Queen of Sheba brought gold and gifts to King Solomon, the son of David. The magi (wise men; “the three kings”) brought gifts and gold to Jesus at his birth (Matthew 2:1-12). Jesus is the eternal heir to David’s throne.

The Lord helps the poor, weak and needy when they call to him in faith. He also withholds blessings from the rebellious and disobedient, in the hope that they will turn to the Lord and acknowledge that he is the provider of every good thing (Psalm 39:10-11 RSV; Deuteronomy 28:38-42; Malachi 3:10-11; 2 Chronicles 7:13-14).

I think America today is experiencing God’s corrective discipline. People work longer and harder and have less to show for it. It now takes two incomes to maintain the same standard of living which used to be provided by one income. Fires and floods are ravaging the land. America needs to wake up and return to obedient trust in God’s Word, so that the Lord will again bless us with prosperity.

January 4 – B

First Posted 01/04/2012

Podcast: January 4 -B

Isaiah 60:1-6 – Arise and Shine!

Paraphrase:

Arise and shine, your light has come and the Lord’s glory has risen upon you.Look and see! Thick spiritual darkness covers the earth and the peoples, but the light of the Lord will rise upon you and and all people will see God’s glory upon you. All nations and peoples will be attracted to that light.

Look around and see; your sons and daughters will return to you carrying their children in their arms. The abundance of the seas and the wealth of nations shall come to you; you will be radiant and your hearts will rejoice. “A multitude of camels shall cover you, the young camels of Midian (on the east bank of the Red Sea and Ephah (northeast bank of the Red Sea; both in what is now Saudi Arabia) all those from Sheba (Saba, in Southern Arabia, south of Midian) shall come. They shall bring gold and frankincense, and shall proclaim the praise of the Lord” (Isaiah 60:6).

Commentary:

This text was probably written right before the fall of Babylon (Chaldea) to Cyrus of Persia (October 29, 539 B.C.*), where the remnant of Israel was in exile. During the following generation, Cyrus allowed the exiles to return to their Promised Land, fulfilling the prophecy of Jeremiah 25:12, of return after seventy years, counted from the destruction of the temple to the rebuilt temple’s dedication. Israel’s children did return from exile in fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophecy.

During the reign of Solomon (961-922) the Queen of Sheba visited King Solomon of Israel, known for his divine wisdom, and as the son of David. David was the great “shepherd-king” of Israel. She brought gifts of gold, spices and precious stones (1 Kings, 10:1-13). These three regions, Midian, Sheba, Ephah, were famous for raising camels.

Jesus is the ultimate son of David, the eternal heir to the throne of David, and the ultimate great “shepherd-king” of Israel (John 10:11-15). The prophecy of this portion of Isaiah was fulfilled at Jesus’ birth by the Magi (the Wise Men; the Three Kings; Matthew 2:1-12) from the east, who brought gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh (a resin produced in Arabia, used in preparation for burial of the dead).

Jesus is the light of the world; the light of righteousness (John 3:19-21), spiritual enlightenment (John 1:9; Luke 24:45) and eternal life (John 1:4; 8:12).

The Church is to be the “New Israel” and the “New Jerusalem” on earth. We are to be the light of the world, too, as we have Jesus’ example and teaching (Matthew 5:14-16). We are to reflect the light of the Gospel of Jesus Christ to a spiritually lost and eternally dying world. We are to live in obedience to Jesus’ teachings and to be “born-again” (John 3:3, 5-8), by the gift of the indwelling Holy Spirit which only Jesus gives (John 1:31-34), only to his disciples who trust and obey Jesus (John 14:15-17).

It is the Holy Spirit within us who leads us into divine, eternal truth, teaches us all things, and gives us eternal life (John 14:6, 14:17, 26). The Holy Spirit gives Jesus’ disciples what to say in testimony at the moment it is needed (Mark 13:11; Luke 12:11-12). The Holy Spirit is the seal and guarantee that one is in Christ and has eternal life (2 Corinthians 1:22; Ephesians 1:13-14; Romans 8:9b, 11, 15-16).

It is the power of the Holy Spirit, working in and through Jesus’ “born-again” disciples, who reveals the light of the Gospel, and attracts the lost to Jesus Christ. We cannot accomplish Christ’s mission of forgiveness of sin (disobedience of God’s Word) and salvation (from our eternal condemnation and destruction by God) to the world in our own human resources (Zechariah 4:6).

Jesus warned his disciples to stay in Jerusalem until they had received the gift of the indwelling Holy Spirit, before going into the world to proclaim the Gospel and make disciples (Luke 24:49; Acts 1:4-5, 8). We must be “born-again” disciples (students; of the Gospel of Jesus Christ) before we can be apostles (messengers). It takes “born-again” disciples to make “born-again” disciples).

*The Oxford Annotated Bible, Revised Standard Version, Ed. by Herbert G. May and Bruce M. Metzger, Introduction to Isaiah, p. 822) New York, Oxford University Press, 1962.

January 5 – B

First Posted 01/05/2009
Podcast: January 5 – B

Ephesians 3:2-12 – Prayer for wisdom;

Paraphrase:

Paul (Saul of Tarsus) was a prisoner for preaching the Gospel. He was “discipling” new Christians by letter. Paul had been given the stewardship of God’s grace on their behalf. The mystery (of God’s plan for creation) which had not been known in previous generations had now been revealed to the apostles (messengers; of the gospel) and prophets (those who proclaim God’s Word revealed to them by the Holy Spirit). The mystery had been revealed to Paul personally by the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of the risen Jesus (Romans 8:9), as Paul had written elsewhere (Acts 9:3-6; Galatians 1:12). Part of the mystery was that God intended salvation for all people, not just the Jews; the Gentiles are fellow heirs, part of the same body, and partakers of the same promise in Jesus Christ through the Gospel.Paul had been made a minister (servant) of the Gospel by the grace of God given to him by God’s power. Paul considered himself the least of the saints (believers; consecrated to God’s service), because Paul had formerly persecuted Christians (1 Corinthians 15:9). But by God’s grace (unmerited favor; a free gift), Paul had been given the ministry of the Gospel to preach the incalculable riches of Christ to the Gentiles. Paul’s ministry was also to make all people aware of the of the mystery of God’s plan, which had been unknown for ages past, by God who is the creator of all things, so that through the Church the great boundless wisdom of God might be revealed to all powers and authorities in the universe, according to God’s eternal purpose which he accomplished in Jesus Christ our Lord.

Commentary:

Paul was, by God’s intention, the prototype and example of a “modern,” “post-resurrection,” “born-again” (John 3:3, 5-8), disciple and apostle of Jesus Christ, as we all can be. I believe that he was also God’s choice of the disciple to replace Judas Iscariot, Jesus’ betrayer (Acts 1:15-26).

Paul was on his way to persecute Christians when he was confronted by the Spirit of the risen Jesus. Paul accepted Jesus’ rebuke, he repented and became obedient to Jesus (Acts 9:1-9). Paul was “discipled” by a “born-again” disciple, Ananias until Paul was “reborn” (Acts 9:10-18), and then, led and empowered by the gift of the indwelling Holy Spirit, he began fulfilling the “Great Commission” (Matthew 28:19-20), which Jesus gave his disciples to be carried out after they had been “reborn” (Luke 24:49; Acts 1:4-5, 8).

Paul was a “born-again” disciple making “born-again” disciples (2 Timothy 1:6), and teaching them to repeat the process (2 Timothy 2:2) as was Paul. He was continuing the process of discipling new Christians, at Ephesus, and elsewhere, by letter, since he was in prison.

Paul was as much an apostle as Peter or the others of the eleven remaining of Jesus’ original Twelve, although Paul hadn’t known Jesus personally, during Jesus’ physical ministry. Paul had a personal relationship with Jesus through the gift of the indwelling Holy Spirit, which only Jesus gives (John 1:31-34), only to his disciples who trust and obey Jesus (John 14:15-17). The Holy Spirit is the seal and guarantee that one is in Christ and has eternal life (2 Corinthians 1:22; Ephesians 1:13-14; Romans 8:9b, 11, 15-16).

Jesus promised that he would manifest (reveal) himself to his disciples (John 14:21). Jesus promised that the indwelling Holy Spirit would teach them all things and recall to their minds all that Jesus taught (John 14:26). Jesus promised that the Holy Spirit would equip and empower his disciples to carry on the mission of Christ (Luke 21:14-15). Jesus’ disciples are prophets, because they proclaim God’s Word fully and accurately, as they have received it from the indwelling Holy Spirit.

But note that not every person is what he or she claims to be. There are many nominal “Christians” who are not disciples of Jesus Christ. Many claim to be “born-again” who do not know and are not obedient to Jesus’ teachings. There are many nominal “Churches” that aren’t spirit-filled and spirit-led. There are many false teachers and false prophets in the world and in the “Church” today.

How is a person to know? By reading the whole Bible, and reading portions of it daily. The Bible is the standard by which all Church “doctrine” and all teaching must be judged. Any average reader can read the Bible in one year, and there are many plans available (see Free Bible Study Tools, sidebar, top right, home).

God wants us to know his Word so that we can trust and obey it. If we are willing to understand, so that we can apply it daily in our lives and seek his guidance from his Word, one day at a time (Matthew 6:11; 34), he will open our minds to understand his Word (Luke 24:45).

But remember that the Bible must be understood in context, in relationship to the whole, and from the perspective of the New Testament. Those who are “born-again” are in the Holy Spirit, and are no longer obligated to keep the Jewish Law (Romans 8:1-9). They fulfill the demands of the Law from love by the power of the Holy Spirit, rather than by fear of condemnation. In Paul’s day, Jewish Christians wanted to force Gentile Christians to keep Jewish Law, and Paul vigorously opposed that “legalistic” faction (Galatians 5:1-6; Acts 15:1-31).

Paul’s Gospel, received from revelation by the Holy Spirit, was no different than the Gospel of Peter and the other remaining original disciples. It is the Biblical (recorded in the Bible) apostolic (as taught by the apostles including Paul) doctrine, and Paul suffered in order to preserve it fully and accurately.

In the first century Church, false doctrines and false teachers and false prophets were already occurring in the Church and are refuted in the New Testament; and they are still present in the Church today (see False Teachings, sidebar, top right.

Ministry is stewardship of the “Gospel of Grace through Faith” (obedient trust) in Jesus Christ (Ephesians 2:8-9). Ministers are to be shepherds of God’s “flock.” At the time of Jesus’ physical ministry, the religious leaders of Judaism had departed from that stewardship. For example, they cared nothing for Judas Iscariot’s spiritual condition (Matthew 27:3-5). They conducted their office as their personal empire (Matthew 23:13-16; Mark 12:40; Luke 20:46-47). In too many instances, the nominal “Church” today, particularly in America, is in the same situation as Judaism at the time of Jesus’ first advent (coming) When Christ returns will he find faith (Luke 18:8b)?

Epiphany, January 6 – B

First Posted 01/06/2009;
Podcast: Epiphany – January 6 – B

Isaiah 60:1-6   –    Restoration;
Psalm 72   –    Coronation;
Ephesians 3:2-12   – Mystery Revealed;
Matthew 2:1-12    – The Wise Men;

Epiphany means “manifestation.” The Church commemorates the first manifestation of Christ to the Gentiles, at the coming of the Magi (“Wise Men”).

Isaiah Paraphrase:

“Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you” (Isaiah 60:1). Isaiah prophesied that the darkness of sin and spiritual ignorance covers the earth, but the light of righteousness John 3:19-21), spiritual enlightenment (John 1:9), and eternal life (John 1:4-5; 8:12) of the Lord shall be seen upon God’s people. Nations and kings will be drawn to that light.

Look and see; the sons and daughters of Israel shall return from afar. Then God’s people will rejoice and be radiant with joy. “The abundance of the sea shall be turned to you, and the wealth of nations shall come to you, the young camels of Midian and Ephah all those from Sheba shall come. They shall bring gold and frankincense, and shall proclaim the praise of the Lord” (Isaiah 60:4-6; compare Matthew 2:10-11).

Psalms Paraphrase:

This psalm was probably composed for the coronation of the earthly king of Israel. It is prophetic and applies to the Messiah, the eternal king also.

The Psalmist prays that God will give the king God’s justice, and God’s righteousness to the royal son. May he give judge God’s people with righteousness, and give justice to the poor. May the land be fertile and prosperous, and bear the fruit of righteousness. May the king defend the rights of the poor, deliver the needy and crush the oppressors of God’s people.

Let the king live and reign as long as the sun and moon endure, throughout all generations. May his government be like the rain which refreshes mown grass and like showers which refresh the earth. May righteousness flourish and peace abound during his reign, until the moon ceases to exist.

Let his dominion be from sea to sea, and from the river (Euphrates; the cradle of civilization) to the ends of the earth. May his enemies and foes be utterly defeated and subjugated to him. May the kings of Tarshish (the seacoast; ships from afar; the Phoenician port in Spain), pay tribute, and Sheba and Seba (the kingdom of Southern Arabia; the Queen of Sheba -queen of the south- brought gold and jewels to King Solomon; 1 Kings 10:1-13) bring gifts. “May all kings fall down before him, all nations serve him, all nations serve him” (Psalm 72:11).

When the poor, the needy and helpless call upon him, the king helps and delivers them. He redeems them from oppression and violence. He regards their lives as precious.

Long may the king reign. “may gold of Sheba be given to him” (Psalm 73:15). Let us pray for him and bless him at all times. May the land be fruitful and bring forth grain in abundance. May the people thrive and prosper. “May his name endure for ever, his fame continue as long as the sun! May [people] bless themselves by him and all nations call him blessed” (Psalm 72:17).

Ephesians Paraphrase:

Paul was given the stewardship of the Gospel of God’s grace (unmerited favor; a free gift) for the benefit of believers. The mystery of God’s plan for Creation, to be accomplished through Jesus Christ, has been revealed. Paul had been given insight into the mystery by revelation (by the Holy Spirit). This mystery had not been made known to earlier generations, as now made known through the Holy Spirit to the apostles (messengers; of the Gospel) and prophets (those who proclaim God’s Word by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit). That is, how Gentiles (non-Jews) share in the inheritance, are fellow members of the body (of Christ; the Church) and partake in the same promises of Christ Jesus, through the Gospel (“good news;” of forgiveness of sin and salvation from eternal destruction by grace, through faith -obedient trust- in Jesus Christ).

Paul was made a minster of that Gospel by the grace of God which Paul received by God’s power. Although Paul considered himself the least of the saints (consecrated to God’s service), he had been given the call to preach to the Gentiles the incalculable riches of Christ, and to reveal to all people God’s previously unknown plan for Creation. Through the Church, the great wisdom of God, the Creator of all things, is made known to all authorities and powers in the universe. God’s eternal purpose has been accomplished in Jesus Christ. Through faith (obedient trust) in Jesus, we are able to have boldness and confidence of access to God.

Matthew Paraphrase:

Jesus was born in Bethlehem (the “City of David;” The great shepherd-king’s birthplace) in Judea during the reign of Herod the King. Wise men (astrologers from Persia -present-day Iran-) came to Jerusalem seeking the king of the Jews who had been born. They had seen his star in the east and had come to worship him.

When Herod the King heard, he was troubled and all Jerusalem too. Herod assembled the Jewish religious authorities to find out from Bible prophecy where Jesus was to be born. They told the King that the birthplace was Bethlehem in Judea, according to the prophecy of Micah 5:2.

Herod secretly summoned the wise men and told them to search thoroughly for the child, and when they had found him, to tell Herod where he was, saying that Herod wanted to go and worship him also. Then they left and the star that they had seen in the east led them to where Jesus was. Seeing this, they rejoiced with great joy and entered the house, where they saw Mary, his mother, with the baby. They fell down and worshiped him. Then they gave gifts of their treasures of gold, frankincense and myrhh. In a dream, they were warned not to return to Herod, so they went home by another way.

Commentary:

Jesus is the light of the world (John 8:12; 12:46); the light of real, spiritual, eternal life (John 1:4-5); the light of spiritual enlightenment (John 1:9), the light of righteousness (John 3:19-21). Jesus is the glory of God, risen upon us. The followers of Christ are called upon to reflect his light in the spiritual darkness of this world.

“Nations (Gentiles; non-Jews) and kings will be drawn to that light” (Psalm 60:3). That text was fulfilled when the Magi (Wise Men; astrologers; from Persia) observed the brightness in the sky, the Christmas Star, (probably the conjunction of several bright planets; Numbers 24:17). They came, seeking the newborn king (Matthew 2:2), bringing gifts for a king, of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. They came on camels. They brought the wealth of nations (Isaiah 60:5d), as the Queen of Sheba had, when she visited King Solomon (1 Kings 10:1-2).

Jesus is the righteousness and justice of God (Romans 1:16-17). Through faith (obedient trust) in Jesus we are robed in God’s righteousness (Romans 3:21-22; not any righteousness of our own). Jesus is the royal Son of God, the King of kings and Lord of lords (1 Timothy 6:15). Jesus is the King who defends the rights of the poor, delivers the needy and crushes the oppressors of God’s people.

Jesus is the eternal king who reigns forever. His reign is that which revives and refreshes us. When we accept him as our Lord, and trust and obey him, he gives us new spiritual life, through the gift of his indwelling Holy Spirit, which only Jesus gives (John 1:31-34), only to his disciples who trust and obey Jesus (John 14:15-17). His kingdom is characterized by righteousness and peace.

The Magi are the beginning of the fulfillment of the prophecy of this psalm. This is the beginning of the time when all worldly authorities will fall down before him and serve him. The wealth of nations will come to him. It will climax on the Day of Judgment (Philippians 2:9-11).

Jesus is God’s plan for Creation, which God made at the beginning of Creation. Jesus has been designed into this Creation (John 1:1-5, 14). God has always intended to establish an eternal kingdom of his people who willingly trust and obey God. This Creation has been designed to allow for the possibility of sin (disobedience of God’s Word, but God is not going to tolerate rebellion and disobedience forever, or at all in his eternal heavenly kingdom (or it wouldn’t be heaven). This Creation and we ourselves are limited by time.

God has gradually been revealing his plan for Creation, first through Creation itself, then, beginning with God’s call to Abraham, he has been revealing it through his people, as recorded in the Bible. When Jesus Christ appeared, he was the ultimate revelation of God and God’s plan for all the world to see.

Those who accept, trust and obey Jesus, like Paul, receive the ultimate revelation of God and his plan, personally and individually through the gift of the indwelling Holy Spirit. God’s plan has been made known to, and experienced by, the “born-again” disciples of Jesus Christ, who are to be apostles (messengers; of the Gospel) to the world. The Gospel of forgiveness and salvation is for all people, to be received as a free gift from God by grace (unmerited favor) through faith (obedient trust) in Jesus Christ. By the gift of the Holy Spirit we have bold and confident access to God.

Jesus is the fulfillment, embodiment and example of God’s Word, lived in this world in human flesh (John 1:1-5, 14). All of the promises of God’s Word are fulfilled in Jesus.

The Magi had worldly knowledge and wisdom. They became aware of the advent of the Messiah through astrology (“Creation”), but they needed to know the Bible scriptures to know where to look. The Jewish religious authorities had the knowledge of the Bible scriptures, but they didn’t benefit, because they didn’t apply the Biblical knowledge they had to seek the Messiah.

Worldly authorities and powers are unable to prevent God’s plan from being fulfilled. God knows our innermost thoughts and motives.

Herod the Great died in 4 B. C. which many consider the actual birthyear of Jesus.

January 7 – B

First Posted 01/07/2009
Podcast: January 7 – B

Psalm 45:7-9 – The Bridegroom;

Paraphrase:

The Bridegroom loves righteousness and hates wickedness. Because of that, he has been anointed with the oil of gladness, above his peers (quoted in Hebrews 1:9). His clothes are perfumed with myrrh, aloes, and cassia (spices used to perfume olive oil for anointing and also in embalming. Myrrh was also used as an opiate; Mark 15:23). His palace is decorated in ivory; he has music provided by stringed instruments; the daughters of kings are among his courtiers; his queen stands beside him at his right hand, adorned with gold from Ophir.

Commentary:

Jesus is the fulfillment of the Bridegroom, and his Church is his bride. He is God’s “anointed,” above all people. Christ and Messiah both mean “anointed” in Greek and Hebrew, respectively. Jesus was perfectly obedient to God’s Word (sinless; Hebrews 4:15; sin is disobedience of God’s Word), even unto death on the cross.

He and the setting are described in terms of earthly experience. He is worthy of a lavish palace, and his bride, the Church, is richly adorned, which he supplied at great cost: his life, sacrificed on the cross.

Priests (Exodus 29:29; Leviticus 4:3), prophets (1 Kings 19:16; 1 Chronicles 16:22; Psalm 105:15) and kings (1 Samuel 16:13; 2 Samuel 2:4) were “anointed,” at the command of God, to consecrate them to God’s service, and were referred to as “the (Lord”s) anointed.” Olive oil, commonly perfumed, was used. Anointing was an act of celebration, and also an act of hospitality. Jesus Christ is the promised deliverer, the Messiah (Psalm 2:2; John 1:41; Acts 9:22; 17:2-3; 18:5, 28), God’s anointed eternal Savior and King.

The “anointing” (“baptism;” “gift;” “infilling”) with the indwelling Holy Spirit is the “oil of gladness.” (1 Samuel 16:13; Isaiah 61:1) Only Jesus “anoints” with the Holy Spirit (John 1:31-34), only his disciples who trust and obey Jesus (John 14:15-17). The Holy Spirit is the seal and guarantee that one is in Christ and has eternal life (2 Corinthians 1:22; Ephesians 1:13-14; Romans 8:9b, 11, 15-16).

Jesus told his disciples to wait in Jerusalem (the Church is the “New Jerusalem,” the “City of God” on earth) until they had received the “anointing” of the indwelling Holy Spirit (Luke 24:49; Acts 1:4-5, 8; Acts 2:1-13), and then they were to go into the world and make spiritually “born-again” disciples of Jesus Christ, teaching them to trust and obey all that Jesus taught; discipling them until they had been “anointed” with the indwelling Holy Spirit (Matthew 28:19-20), and teaching them to repeat the process (2 Timothy 1:6, 2:2).

The anointing with the indwelling Holy Spirit is a definitely discernible and ongoing event. Anyone who has to ask some religious authority whether one has been “reborn,” hasn’t been (Acts 19:2)!

Week of 4 Advent – B – 12/18 – 24/2011

December 17, 2011

Week of 4 Advent – B

This is a Three-Year Lectionary based on the Lutheran Book of
Worship 3-year Lectionary (for public worship), “Prayers of the
Day…” (Propers), p. 13-41, Augsburg Publishing House, Minneapolis,
1978. It is based, with only minor variations, on the Revised Common
Lectionary, used by many denominations, including the Episcopal,
Lutheran, Presbyterian, and Methodist churches:

http://www.commontexts.org/

and:

http://www.commontexts.org/rcl/usage.html

The daily readings are the Propers (Lections) for the following
Sunday, so that the daily devotions can prepare us for worship.
Additional Lections are from Common Service Book of the Lutheran
Church, “Scripture lessons for Matins and Vespers,” United Lutheran
Church of America, General Rubrics VIII. Scripture lessons for
Matins and Vespers, p. 299 – 304, Philadelphia, 1918.

The previous 2- year Bible Study based on the Lutheran Book of
Worship, Daily Lectionary for personal devotions p.179-192, Augsburg
Publishing House, Minneapolis, 1978, is available at:

http://shepherdboy.byethost12.com/
(Please bookmark this link).

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Podcast Download: Week of 4 Advent B

Sunday 4 Advent B

First Posted 12/18/11;

Podcast: Sunday 4 Advent B

2 Samuel 7:(1-7) 8-11, 16 – Eternal
Kingdom;

Psalm 89:1-4, 14-18 – God’s
Covenant with David;

Romans 16:25-27 – Benediction;

Luke 1:26-38 – Announcement;

Samuel Paraphrase:

After David had become king of all Israel, he built a
palace, in Jerusalem, on the hill of Zion, the site of a
Jebusite fortress, and it became known as the “City of
David.” Since he was settled into his house, and had peace
from his enemies, David told his prophet, Nathan, that David
wanted to build a house for the Lord, a temple, instead of
the tabernacle, which was a tent, a portable temple. Nathan
told David to do what David desired, because God (God’s
favor) was with David.

But that night the Lord spoke to Nathan and gave him God’s
Word to David. God said that he had not lived in a house,
but in a tent, since he had led Israel out of Egypt. Why
would David want to build God a house to dwell in? God had
never asked Israel to build God a house.

God told Nathan to tell David that God had taken David from
tending sheep to be a prince over God’s people. God
had been with David wherever David went, and had given David
victory over all his enemies. God declared that he would
make David’s name great throughout the world. God promised
to give his people, Israel, a permanent place where they
could dwell securely, where they would no longer be
disturbed by violent people. God declared that he would make
David a house. And David’s house, his kingdom and his
throne would endure forever.

Psalm Paraphrase:

I will sing of the steadfast love of the Lord forever; I
will proclaim his faithfulness to all generations. His
steadfast love will endure forever; his faithfulness is as
unchanging as the heavens.

God has said: “I have made a covenant with my chosen one, I
have sworn to David my servant: I will establish your
descendants for ever and build your throne for all
generations.

That eternal throne is founded on God’s righteousness and
justice, and is characterized by steadfast love and
faithfulness. “Blessed are the people who know the festal
shout, who walk, O Lord, in the light of thy countenance,
who exalt in thy name all the day, and and extol thy
righteousness” (Psalm 89:15-16). We glory in the strength of
the Lord; we are strengthened by God’s favor. Our allegiance
belongs to our king, the Holy One of Israel.

Romans Paraphrase:

At the end of the letter to the Roman Church, Paul invoked a
blessing on them, that the Lord would strengthen them by
Paul’s preaching of the Gospel and his proclamation of Jesus
Christ. Jesus is the revelation of the mystery of God’s
purpose which was unknown from the beginning of Creation
until Christ’s advent (coming). “But now [it] is now
disclosed and through the prophetic writings (the Bible) is
made known to all nations, according to the command of the
eternal God, to bring about the obedience of faith” (Romans
16:26). Glory be to the only eternal and wise God through
Jesus Christ. Amen!

Luke Paraphrase:

In the sixth month (Elul: August-September) God sent an
angel, Gabriel, to Nazareth in Galilee with a message for a
virgin named Mary, who was betrothed to a man named Joseph,
a descendant of David (the great shepherd-king of Israel).
The angel greeted Mary saying that she was favored by God,
and that the Lord was with her. Mary was worried about the
sort of greeting it might be, but the angel told her not to
be afraid, because she had God’s approval. The angel told
Mary that she would conceive and give birth to a son whom
she was to call Jesus.

The angel said, “He will be great, and will be called the
Son of the Most High (God); and the Lord God will give him
the throne of his father (ancestor) David, and he will reign
over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there
will be no end” (Luke 1:32-33).

Mary asked the angel how this could be, since she was
unmarried. The angel told her that she would conceive by the
Holy Spirit and the power of God. Thus the child she bore
would be called holy, the Son of God.

The angel told her that her kinswoman, Elizabeth, who was
barren and past the age of childbearing, was six months
pregnant with a son, and that nothing would be impossible
for God. Mary acknowledged that she was God’s servant, and
accepted God’s Word and will for her. Then the angel
left her.

Mary and Joseph were living in Nazareth in Galilee, when the
angel announced to Mary the impending birth of Jesus, but
Jesus was born in Bethlehem, the “City of David” (David’s
birthplace), because the Roman government required the Jews
to return to their city of birth, to register, for tax
purposes, and Joseph was a descendant of David.

Commentary:

After David had become king of all the tribes of Israel, he
built a house for himself in the former Jebusite fortress on
Zion, a high place in Jerusalem, surrounded on three sides
by valleys, and that became known as the City of David.
Since David had a permanent house, he thought he should
build a permanent house (temple) for God also, instead of
the portable tent called the tabernacle.

When David told Nathan, the prophet, his plan, Nathan at
first told him to do as his heart desired, because God’s
favor was with David. But that night God spoke to Nathan and
told him to tell David that God did not need David to build
him a house, and did not need to dwell in a house.

God had raised up a humble shepherd boy to be the prince
over the tribes of Israel. God had given David success and
victory over his enemies. God promised to give his people,
Israel, a permanent dwelling where they would be safe and
undisturbed by violent people. God promised that he would
make David a house (dynasty), and David’s house, kingdom and
throne would endure forever.

The psalmist recalls the promise of God to David to
establish his descendants and his throne for ever. That
eternal throne of David is founded on God’s righteousness
and justice and characterized by steadfast love and
faithfulness.

Jesus is the fulfillment of God’s covenant, his promise, to
David. Jesus is the son of David and heir to the eternal
throne of David. Through Jesus, God has established a
permanent place for his people where we can dwell securely
where we will not fear our enemies or violent people. That
permanent place is God’s eternal kingdom in heaven. Through
faith (obedient trust) in Jesus Christ, we are the
spiritual descendants of David.

Jesus is the revelation of the mystery of God’s purpose
which has been unknown to us since the beginning of
Creation, until Jesus’ coming (advent). God has always intended to establish an eternal kingdom of
his people who willingly trust and obey Jesus. Jesus has
been designed into this Creation from the very beginning
(John 1:1-5, 14)

God has designed creation to allow us the freedom to choose
whether to trust and obey God or not, and so we can learn by
trial and error that God’s way is good, reasonable, and our
best interest (Romans 12:2). But God is not
going to tolerate rebellion and disobedience forever, and
not at all in his heavenly kingdom or it wouldn’t be heaven.
This Creation and we ourselves are limited by time.

The reason and purpose of life in this world is to seek,
find, and know God our Creator (Acts 17:26-27) and this is
only possible through Jesus Christ (John 14:6). Jesus is the
fullest revelation of God to us in human flesh. Jesus is God
(Colossians 2:8-9; John 20:28). Jesus’ word is the Word of
God (John 14:10, 24), with the creative force of God’s Word
(Genesis 1:3; Mark 4:41). Those who have “seen” and “know”
Jesus have “seen” and “known” God (John 14:9). The Holy
Spirit is the Spirit of God, the Spirit of Jesus (Romans
8:9). The indwelling Holy Spirit is the fullest revelation
of God to us individually and personally.

We have all been born physically alive, but spiritually
dead. This lifetime is our opportunity to be “reborn” (John
3:3, 5-8) to true, eternal life. This is only possible
through faith (obedient trust) in Jesus Christ. Only Jesus
gives the gift (“baptism;” “anointing”) of the indwelling
Holy Spirit (John 1:31-34), only to his disciples who trust
and obey Jesus (John 14:15-17). It is the indwelling Holy
Spirit within us which gives us spiritual life. The Holy
Spirit is the seal and guarantee that one is in Christ and
has eternal life (2 Corinthians 1:22; Ephesians 1:13-14;
Romans 8:9b, 11, 15-16).

Jesus is the fulfillment of the Old Testament prophecies,
through which God has been progressively revealing his
purpose for Creation. David is the forerunner and
illustration of the Christ. David was the shepherd boy whom
God exalted to prince (earthly king; only the Lord is the
eternal heavenly king) of Israel. Jesus is the Good Shepherd
who is God’s “anointed” eternal heavenly King of God’s
kingdom of God’s people.

God promised to make David’s name great and he fulfilled
that promise. David’s name is mentioned as the ancestor of
Jesus Christ throughout the New Testament and throughout the
Church year, notably at Christmas and on Palm Sunday.

The Bible scripture and the earthly advent of Jesus
have been revealed to all nations, so that all can come to
obedient trust in God’s Word.

Elizabeth, the kinswoman of Mary had been barren and had
passed the time of childbearing. Her barrenness was a source
of shame in her society because it was understood as God’s
disfavor. When she became pregnant she was exalted because
it was a sign of God’s favor.

Pregnancy of a unmarried, betrothed, girl was a mark of
shame in the society, but Mary believed the Word of God told
to her by the angel Gabriel and accepted God’s will. The
name of this obscure young girl became famous throughout the
world as the mother of Jesus (Luke 1:48).

There is a lesson for us to learn in the comparison of God’s
favor on David, and on Mary. David had God’s favor because
David trusted and obeyed God’s Word. David thought he would
be doing God a favor by building a fancy house for God. It
is tempting to think that since we’re member’s of God’s
family we can and should do what seems right to us, because
we have God’s favor.

What we perceive as God’s favor or disfavor is not
necessarily so. Barrenness is not necessarily a sign of
God’s disfavor, nor is fertility necessarily a sign of God’s
favor. Neither is wealth and success necessarily a sign of
God’s favor, nor poverty a sign of God’s disfavor.

Until Jesus’ advent only a few select individuals had
personal fellowship with the Lord by his Holy Spirit. David
was a prophet, but perhaps didn’t have the same relationship
with God which we can through Jesus. Nathan served as a
spiritual mediator to David. Nathan’s first response was for
David to do what seemed right to David, since God’s favor
was with David.

But that wasn’t the right answer. That night the Lord spoke
to Nathan and revealed his will for David, which Nathan was
to convey. We don’t need a “Nathan” if we are “born-again”
and filled with the Holy Spirit, but we do need to have a
“quiet time” with the Lord, perhaps at bedtime, when we can
listen to the Lord and hear what he’s really saying, along
with scripture reading and prayer.

Note, though, that if we are not yet “reborn,” seeking God’s
will through a spiritual adviser is only acceptable as one
is “discipled” by a “born-again” disciple, only until they
have been “born-again. God wants us to seek him personally,
and he wants to reveal his will for us personally, only as
we are committed to do it.

In contrast to Elizabeth, God revealed his will to Mary and
she accepted God’s Word and saw God’s blessing for her, even
though it was not her heart’s desire to be pregnant
out-of-wedlock.

Monday 4 Advent B

First Posted 12/19/11;

Podcast: Monday 4 Advent B

Psalm 97 – The Lord Reigns;

Paraphrase:

Let the earth rejoice, for the Lord reigns! Rejoice all
coastlands! The Lord conceals himself as in thick clouds and
darkness. His throne is founded upon righteousness and
justice. Fire precedes him and burns up his adversaries. His
lightening bolts light the whole sky and the earth trembles.
“The mountains melt like wax before the Lord, the Lord of
all the earth” (Psalm 97:5).

The universe proclaims his righteousness, and his glory is
revealed to all people. Those who worship and trust
worthless idols will be put to shame. All other “gods” bow
before the Lord. Zion (the people of God) rejoices in the
Lord’s judgments. The Lord is high above all earthly rulers,
and exalted far above all other “gods.”

Those who love the Lord hate evil. The Lord preserves the
lives of his saints (those consecrated to God’s service) and
delivers them from the wicked.

“Light dawns for the righteous and joy for the upright in
heart. Rejoice in the Lord, O you righteous, and give thanks
to his holy name” (Psalm 97:11-12)!

Commentary:

The Lord is King of Creation, whether we acknowledge and
accept him or not. The Lord reigns in the hearts of his
people. His kingdom begins now in this world, and his people
rejoice in his reign. Those who have trusted and obeyed the
Lord know from experience that the Lord is righteous, just,
faithful and loving in all his ways.

The Lord’s manifestation is described in terms of the Lord’s
manifestation to Israel at the giving of the Law to Moses on
Mt. Sinai (Psalm 97:2-5; compare Exodus 19:16-22). The Lord
is near at hand, but he conceals himself as in thick cloud
and darkness (obscurity). Those who need to “see” in order
to believe can’t “see” him; but he reveals himself to those
who trust and obey his Word (John 14:21, 23).

The Lord has been progressively revealing himself to the
world, first in the goodness, orderliness, and intricacy of
Creation. Then he called Abraham (Abram) to trust and obey
God’s Word, and the record of God’s dealing with Abraham and
his descendants is recorded in the Old Testament of the
Bible.

Jesus is the ultimate revelation of God to the world, in
human form, in a non-threatening way. Jesus is the only way
to come to know and have fellowship with God, the only way
to know divine eternal truth, and the only way to have true
spiritual eternal life (John 14:6).

Through faith (obedient trust) in Jesus we receive the gift
(“baptism;” “anointing”) of the indwelling Holy Spirit,
which only Jesus gives (John 1:31-34), only to his disciples
who trust and obey Jesus (John 14:15-17). The indwelling
Holy Spirit is the ultimate revelation of God to us
individually and personally. The Holy Spirit is the seal and
guarantee that one is in Christ and has eternal life (2
Corinthians 1:22; Ephesians 1:13-14; Romans 8:9b, 11,
15-16).

The gift of the Holy Spirit is the dawn of the light of
righteousness (John 3:19-21), spiritual enlightenment (John
1:9), and eternal life (John 1:4-5; John 8:12).

The Lord doesn’t force his reign upon anyone. We have the
freedom to accept or reject his reign, but if we are not
ruled by the Lord we will be ruled by Satan, and will be
slaves of sin and spiritual death (Luke 16:13).

There is a day coming, the Day of Jesus’ Second Coming
(advent), the Day of Judgment. In that day every knee will
bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus is Lord
(Philippians 2:10-11). In that day his people will rejoice,
and his enemies will be destroyed by fire in Hell with all
evil.

Jesus is the eternal King and Righteous Judge whom God has
“anointed” to judge Creation. Jesus is the standard by which
everyone who has ever lived will be judged. Those who have
accepted Jesus as their Lord will have been spiritually
“reborn” (John 3:3, 5-8) in this lifetime, and will enter
eternal life in God’s heavenly kingdom. Those who have
rejected Jesus as Lord, who have refused or failed to trust
and obey Jesus will be condemned to eternal destruction and
spiritual eternal death in fire in Hell with all evil
(Matthew 25:31-46; 2 Thessalonians 1:5-10).

Tuesday 4 Advent – B

First Posted 12/20/11;
Podcast: Tuesday 4 Advent B

Isaiah 52:7-10 – The Coming of the
Lord;

Paraphrase:

How beautiful are the footsteps of those who cross mountains
to bring good tidings, who publish peace and salvation,
who declare to Zion (God’s people; the Church) that their
God reigns (compare Romans 10:15). Listen! The watchmen
cry out with joy; they see eye-to-eye the return of the
Lord to Zion. The waste places of Jerusalem sing together
because the Lord has redeemed Jerusalem and comforted his
people. The Lord has revealed his holy arm to all nations,
and the ends of the earth will see the salvation of our
God.

Commentary:

Jesus is the mighty arm of God whom God has revealed to
the whole world. Jesus is God’s “anointed” Savior, the
Messiah (Christ; both words mean God’s “anointed”), whom
God has revealed to the world. Jesus is God’s only
provision for our salvation (Acts 4:12) from sin
(disobedience of God’s Word; Romans 3:23; 1 John 1:8-10)
and eternal death (the penalty for sin; Romans 6:23; see
God’s Plan of Salvation, sidebar, top right, home).

Jesus has redeemed his people, he has paid the price for
our sin. He has comforted us. We need no longer fear
physical death (Hebrews 2:14-15). He has given our lives
meaning and purpose. Life isn’t just a “rat-race;” not
just a contest to accumulate the most “things” or indulge
our senses.

Jesus came physically as a baby, to grow up and die on
the cross, as the only sacrifice acceptable to God for the
forgiveness of our sins. His resurrection from death to
eternal life demonstrates that there is existence after
physical death. Every truly “born-again” Christian
testifies that Jesus is eternally alive.

Jesus came to give us true, spiritual, eternal life.
Jesus declares that we must be “born-again” (John 3:3,
5-8) spiritually, now, in this lifetime, in order to see
God’s eternal kingdom all around us now, and ultimately to
enter it in eternity. Only Jesus gives the gift of the
indwelling Holy Spirit (John 1:31-34), only to his
disciples who trust and obey Jesus (John 14:15-17). The
Holy Spirit is the seal and guarantee that one is in
Christ and has eternal life (2 Corinthians 1:22; Ephesians
1:13-14; Romans 8:9b, 11, 15-16).

Jesus has come once in human flesh. He comes to each
believer spiritually and reveals himself to them
personally and individually by the indwelling Holy Spirit
(John 14:21; Romans 3:20). He has promised to come again,
on the Day of Judgment, to judge the living and the dead
(1 Peter 4:5), in both the physical and spiritual senses.

In a sense the Church and all “born-again” Christians are
the watchmen who behold the coming of the Lord and cry out
in joy, to alert the world of his coming. “Born-again”
Christians have experienced the Lord’s coming personally
and individually. Our God reigns within us now.

Wednesday 4 Advent B

First Posted 12/21/11;

Podcast: Wednesday 4 Advent B

Hebrews 1:1-9 – Christ, the “living Word;”

Paraphrase:

From God’s call to the patriarchs, he has spoken in many
ways, through his prophets. But at last he has spoken to us
by his Son whom he “appointed the heir of all things,
through whom also he created the world” (Hebrews 1:2). Jesus
is the reflection of God’s glory, has God’s identical nature
(Colossians 2:8-9), and his word has the creative power of
God’s Word (Mark 4:39-41; Compare Genesis 1:3, 9). Jesus,
having made the sacrifice on the cross that purifies us of
sin (through faith: obedient trust), he ascended into heaven
and is seated at the right hand of God (in the words of the
Second Article of the Apostles Creed). He has become very
much more superior to angels as his name is more excellent
compared to theirs (Acts 4:12; Matthew 28:18).

God said of Jesus, not angels, that he was God’s Son, whom
God had begotten (Psalm 2:7). God said of Jesus that God
would be his Father, and he would be God’s son ( 2 Samuel
7:14). When God brought his first-born Son into the world he
commanded the angels to worship him (Deuteronomy 32:43;
compare Psalm 97:7). God says in Psalm 104:4 that his angels
are spirits (winds), and his servants tongues of fire
(filled with the Holy Spirit: Acts 2:3; Luke 3:16). About
Jesus, God’s Word says that Jesus’ throne is forever and
that he is God (Colossians 2:8-9; John 20:28). Righteousness
is the scepter of his kingdom. Jesus has loved righteousness
and hated lawlessness (sin, which is disobedience of God’s
Word). Therefore God has anointed Jesus with the oil of
gladness above his peers (“Christ” and “Messiah” each mean
God’s “anointed” eternal Savior and King of God’s eternal
kingdom, in Greek and Hebrew, respectively).

Commentary:

The Old Testament of the Bible is the record of God’s
speaking through his prophets. The Old Testament scriptures
are deliberately intended to be a series of parables to
convey spiritual truth about life in this Creation. God’s
purpose has always been to establish an eternal kingdom of
his people who willingly trust and obey God. This Creation
has been deliberately designed by God to be a “seedbed” to
raise God’s obedient and trusting people. God has designed
Creation so that everyone is guilty of sin (disobedience of
God’s Word; Romans 3:23; 1 John 1:8-10). God has designed a
Savior, Jesus Christ into the structure of Creation from the
very beginning (John 1:1-5, 14). Jesus is the “living Word”
of God, fulfilled, embodied and exemplified. Salvation from
God’s eternal condemnation is available to all as a free
gift, unmerited favor, to be received by faith (obedient
trust in Jesus Christ).

God intentionally created the understanding of a “Promised
Land” and of inheritance of that land in the Law of the Old
Covenant. The first-born received a double share of the
inheritance. Jesus is the first-born, and inherits a double
portion of the inheritance, the new eternal Promised Land
but he shares the inheritance with his disciples.

At the right time, at the very center of history, Jesus, the
promised Savior and eternal King, the only begotten Son of
God, came into the world to become the one and only
sacrifice acceptable to God for the forgiveness of our sins,
our salvation from God’s eternal condemnation of us to
eternal destruction, to restore us to fellowship with God
which was broken by our sin, and to give us eternal life in
God’s heavenly kingdom (John 14:6; see God’s Plan of
Salvation, sidebar, top right, home).

Thursday 4 Advent B

First Posted 12/22/11;

Podcast: Thursday 4 Advent B

John 1:1-14 – The “Living Word;”

Paraphrase:

“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 was not
anything made that was made. In him was life, and the life
was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and
the darkness has not overcome it” (John 1:1-5).

John (the baptizer) was sent by God to testify to the coming
of the true light. John came to announce the coming of the
light, so that everyone would believe through him. He was
not the light, but came to testify to the light.

The true light was coming into the world to enlighten
everyone. He was the Creator of the world and everything in
it, but the world did not recognize him. He came to his own
people, the Jews (Matthew 23:37-39), and his fellow
residents of Nazareth (Luke 4:16-31), and even his own
family (John 7:2-5;10), and they did not receive him. “But
to all who received him, who believed on his name (his total
person and character) he gave power to become children of
God; who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the
flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God” (John 1:12-13).

“And 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” (i.e. God the Father; John 1:14).

Commentary:

Notice that the opening sentence is deliberately intended to
recall the Book of Genesis (Genesis 1:1). Everything in this
universe has been created by the Word of God; he spoke, and
it came into existence (Genesis 1:3). God’s Word has
creative power.

God has designed a Savior and eternal King (Messiah; Christ;
both mean “anointed”) into Creation from the very beginning.
God has always intended to create an eternal kingdom of his
people who willingly choose to trust and obey God’s Word.
This lifetime is our only opportunity to seek and find God
(Acts 17:26-27), and to learn to trust and obey Jesus.

Now that the promised Messiah has come we have a new
understanding of God and a new perspective of the Creation
through Jesus Christ. Jesus is the fulfillment, embodiment
and example of God’s Word living in this world in human
flesh. Jesus is the “living Word.” Jesus’ word is the Word
of God (John 14:10, 24), with the creative force of God’s
Word (Mark 4:39-41; compare Genesis 1:9).

Jesus is what God looks and acts like in human flesh
(Colossians 2:8-9; John 20:28). Only Jesus knows God the
Father, and only Jesus can reveal the Father to whomever
Jesus chooses (Matthew 11:27). Jesus is the only way to know
and have fellowship with God our Creator (John 14:6). This
is only possible through the gift (“baptism;” “anointing”)
of the indwelling Holy Spirit which only Jesus gives (John
1:31-34), only to his disciples who trust and obey Jesus
(John 14:15-17). The Holy Spirit is the seal and guarantee
that one is in Christ and has eternal life (2 Corinthians
1:22; Ephesians 1:13-14; Romans 8:9b, 11, 15-16).

Jesus is the light of righteousness (John 3:19-21), the
light of spiritual enlightenment (John 1:9), and the light
of eternal life (John 1:4; 8:12).

John, the Baptizer, called people to prepare for the coming
of the Messiah, by water baptism for repentance and
forgiveness of their sins (Mark1:4). I believe that the
Church has inherited the role of the water baptism of John.
Only Jesus baptizes with the Holy Spirit (John 1:31-34). We
don’t have to understand how that happens, any more than we
need to understand what makes the wind blow; but we can see
the effect (John 3:8). Spiritual rebirth is a discernible
ongoing event; if one is uncertain, one hasn’t been.

Christians are by definition disciples of Jesus Christ (Acts
11:26c) who have been “born-again” by the gift of the
indwelling Holy Spirit. Jesus warns us that we must be
“born-again” (John 3:7)

The true Church is led by “born-again” (John 3:3, 5-8)
disciples and apostles of Jesus Christ, who are commanded to
go into the world and make (by preparing them to seek and
receive the “baptism” of the Holy Spirit), “born-again”
disciples of Jesus Christ, teaching them to obey all that
Jesus commands (Matthew 28:19-20), after they have received
the gift of the indwelling Holy Spirit (Luke 24:49; Acts
1:4-5; 8). Sadly, in too many instances, this isn’t
happening in the nominal “Church.”

Mainline denominations today are not making disciples, but
rather “members,” fair-weather Christians” who participate
in the Churches program if it suits them. These nominal
Churches discourage members from seeking spiritual rebirth,
by teaching that it is automatically received by some Church
ritual such as water baptism. Some also actually discourage
members from obedience to Jesus’ teachings, by the false
teaching of “Cheap Grace” (see False Teachings, sidebar, top
right).

The place to begin change is to commit oneself to become a
disciple of Jesus and seek spiritual rebirth. To those who
welcome Jesus into their hearts to be their Lord (Revelation
3:20) he gives the power to become God’s children (John
1:12), but we must use that power to receive what is
promised.

Believers need to read the Bible completely and then read
portions of it daily with prayer and meditation, seeking
God’s guidance one day at a time (Matthew 6:11, 34). An
average reader can easily read the Bible in one year (see
Free Bible Study Tools, sidebar, top right, home). Unless one has
read the entire Bible one is very vulnerable to False
Teachings and Teachers (1 John 4:1-6).

Friday 4 Advent B

First Posted 12/23/11;

Podcast: Friday 4 Advent B

Isaiah 9:2-7 -
The Messianic King;

Titus 2:11-14 - Grace and Salvation;

Isaiah Paraphrase:

“The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light;
those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them has
light shined” (Isaiah 9:2). The Lord has increased the
nation (of Israel; God’s people) and has given it great joy.
They celebrate before the Lord as with a great harvest, and
as victors rejoice in the spoils of conquest. The Lord has
removed the yoke of involuntary servitude, the chastisement
and punishment of the oppressor of his people, as on the day
of Midian (the great victory of Gideon and his men at
Midian; Judges 7:15-25). The boots of warriors who have
engaged in the tumult of battle, and every bloody garment
will be as fuel for the fire (of judgment and condemnation).

“For unto us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the
government will be upon his shoulder, and his name will be
called ‘Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father,
Prince of peace’” (Isaiah 9:6). His government and peace
will increase and never end. Upon the throne of David he
will establish and uphold his kingdom with justice and
righteousness now and eternally. God’s great desire will
accomplish this.

Titus Paraphrase:

The grace (unmerited favor; free gift) of God for the
salvation of all people has been revealed, to teach us to
renounce ungodliness and worldly lusts, and live sober,
upright, godly lives, as we wait for the appearing of our
great God and Savior, Jesus Christ in great glory. Jesus
gave himself for us, to pay the price for our redemption
from sin, and to purify us as his people, who are eager to
do good deeds.

Commentary:

These passages in Isaiah are familiar to everyone who has
ever gone to a Christian Christmas pageant.

This world is in the darkness of sin and spiritual
ignorance. Jesus is the light of the world (John 8:12a), the
light of righteousness (John 1:5 3:19-21), spiritual
enlightenment (John 1:9) and eternal life (John 1:4; 8:12b).

The Church is the New Israel, the new people of God. God has
increased his nation with all the people who have believed
(trusted and obeyed) Jesus. God’s purpose for this Creation
has always been to establish an eternal kingdom of his
people who willingly choose to trust and obey God. This
world is God’s “seedbed,” in which to “grow” citizens for
his eternal kingdom.

God has designed this Creation to allow us freedom to choose
whether to trust and obey God or not, but God is not going
to tolerate rebellion and disobedience forever, or at all in
his eternal kingdom. So this Creation and we ourselves are
limited by time. This is our only opportunity to seek and
find God (Acts 17:26-27), and learn to trust and obey him.
Jesus is the only way to be forgiven our sins (disobedience
of God’s Word; Romans 3:23; 1 John 1:8-10), the only way to
be restored to fellowship with God which was broken by sin,
the only way to know divine, eternal truth, and the only way
to have eternal life (John 14:6; Acts 4:12; see God’s Plan
of Salvation, sidebar, top right, home).

The Church is engaged in a spiritual harvest, by the
guidance and empowerment of the indwelling Holy Spirit. We
will rejoice in heaven at the eternal treasures that belong
to spiritual victors who persevere.

We are all born in slavery to sin and death in the “Egypt”
of this present world. Jesus is the “New Moses” who can set
us free from slavery and oppression. Satan is the “Pharaoh”
of this world. Jesus came in human flesh to die physically,
in order to free us from the power of Satan (Hebrews
2:14-15). Jesus’ resurrection demonstrates that there is
existence after physical death.

There is a spiritual battle going on in this world between
the forces of Satan and evil, and the forces of
righteousness of God through Jesus Christ. Jesus has already
won the victory at the cross. When Christ returns on the Day
of Judgment, the enemies of God will be condemned to eternal
destruction in the fires of Hell (2 Thessalonians 1:5-10).

We are all born physically alive but spiritually “unborn.”
This lifetime is our only opportunity to be spiritually
“born-again” (John 3:3, 5-8) to eternal life. This is only
possible through faith (obedient trust) in Jesus Christ.
Only Jesus gives the gift of the indwelling Holy Spirit
(John 1:31-34), only to his disciples who trust and obey
Jesus (John 14:15-17). We are spiritually reborn by the gift
of the indwelling Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is the seal
and guarantee that one is in Christ and has eternal life (2
Corinthians 1:22; Ephesians 1:13-14; Romans 8:9b, 11,
15-16).

Jesus is the “living Word,” the fulfillment, embodiment, and
example of God’s Word, lived in human flesh in this world
(John 1:1-5, 14). Jesus is the Son of God, born as a tiny
infant, the Son of David (Matthew 1:1, 20b; 21:9), who is
the heir to the throne of David, the fulfillment of God’s
promise to David (2 Samuel 7:5-13; Psalm 89:20-29).

God has designed Jesus Christ, the Messiah, God’s anointed
eternal Savior and King of God’s kingdom, into this Creation
from the beginning. God knew that by giving us freedom to
choose whether to trust and obey God’s Word would all choose
to disobey God’s will to seek their own will. We’re all
guilty; none of us deserves mercy and forgiveness. God’s
forgiveness and salvation is a free gift, to be received by
faith (obedient trust) in Jesus (Ephesians 2:8-9).

Jesus came to make it possible for us to be freed from sin,
so that we can learn to know and do God’s will. Jesus paid
the price of our sin on the cross, and his blood cleanses us
spiritually so that we can be temples of the indwelling Holy
Spirit. By the indwelling Holy Spirit we know God’s love,
and are eager to please him from love and gratitude, rather
than from fear of punishment.

Saturday 4 Advent B

First Posted 12/24/11;

Podcast: Saturday 4 Advent B

Luke 2:-1-14 – Birth of Jesus;

1 John 4:7-16 – Abiding in Love;

Luke Paraphrase:

During the reign of Caesar Augustus (27 B.C. To 14 A.D.; *)
he commanded a census of the Roman Empire (6-5 B.C.*), when
Quirinius was governor of Syria (12-6 B.C.**). Everyone had
to return to his birthplace to be recorded. Joseph went from
Nazareth in Galilee to Bethlehem, the city of David, since
Joseph was a “son” (a descendant) of David. He took Mary,
his betrothed, a virgin (Luke 1:34-35; Matthew 1:18-25), who
was pregnant. While there she gave birth, her first-born
son. According to common practice she swaddled him with
cloths, and they used a manger for a cradle (which was
unusual). They had to use a stable, since the inn was full
because of the census.

There were shepherds in the fields nearby guarding their
flocks, and an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the
angel was radiant with the glory of God. The shepherds were
afraid, but the angel reassured them, and announced the good
news of great joy for all people. That day in Bethlehem, the
city of David, a child had been born who is Christ the Lord.
As a sign of this birth the shepherds would find a babe
swaddled with cloths, and lying in a manger. Suddenly the
angel was joined by a great number of heavenly beings,
praising God and glorifying God above all. The birth would
result in peace among people and with God for those who
pleased God.

1 John Paraphrase:

Believers should love one another, because God’s nature is
loving, and if we are born of God and know God we will love
one another. Anyone who doesn’t love others does not know
God. We know that God loves us because he sent his only
(begotten) Son to give us (eternal) life through him. God
did this not because we loved him, but because he loved us
(while we were yet sinners; i.e. disobedient of God’s Word;
Romans 5:8; John 3:16-17), and sent his Son to make
atonement (restitution) for our sins. If we realize how much
God has loved us, we should be glad to love one another.

Commentary:

God wasn’t surprised that mankind chose to do their own will
rather than God’s. God designed Creation to allow us the
freedom to choose whether to obey God or not, and the
opportunity to learn by trial and error that God’s way is
better than ours. God, knowing that we would all sin (Romans
3:23; 1 John 1:8-10), built a Savior into Creation from the
very beginning (John 1:1-5, 14).

The birth of Christ is verified in historical context. The
birth of Jesus is the fulfillment of prophecy throughout the
Old Testament scriptures, beginning in Genesis 3:15 at the
fall of mankind to sin. He is Shiloh in Genesis 49:10. He is
the fulfillment of Balaam’s prophecy in Numbers 24:19, the
Branch from the stump of Jesse (David’s father) in
Isaiah11:1-2, the Lord our righteousness in Jeremiah 23:5-6,
and 33:14-16. He’s the Lord’s “anointed” in Psalm 2:2, the
seed of David in Psalm 132:10-11, the holy arm of the Lord in
Isaiah 52:9-15, the righteous servant in Isaiah 53-1-12.

God has also been revealing his Savior throughout the Old
Testament, by a series of verbal images of forerunners to
illustrate God’s plan. Moses prefigures the Christ as God’s
Savior who leads God’s people out of slavery to sin and
death in “Egypt,” into God’s “Promised Land,” and who
mediates the new and better Covenant of grace (Hebrews
12:24). David, the shepherd who became the great king of
Israel, prefigures the “Good Shepherd” (John 10:11, 14) and
eternal King, Jesus Christ. Jesus is the fulfillment of
God’s promised eternal king who would inherit the throne of
David (2 Samuel 7:5-13; Psalm 89:2-4, 20-29).

Christ and Messiah each mean (God’s) “anointed.” Priests,
prophets and kings were “anointed” with olive oil and
consecrated for their offices. Jesus is God’s “anointed”
prophet, priest and king. Jesus is the prophet (Hebrews 1:1-2),
priest (Hebrews 2:17-3:1), like Melchizedek (Psalm 110:4),
who was priest, and king of righteousness and peace; and
eternal, since Melchizedek has no birth or death recorded in
the Bible (Hebrews 7:1-3). Jesus is the eternal heir to the
throne of David.

The birth of the Christ was announced to shepherds nearby,
humble people, rather than the powerful. In fact if they had
told King Herod, he would have killed the child as his rival,
as he tried to do when informed by the Gentile Wise Men who
followed the star. (Matthew 2:1-12). The Jewish religious
leaders also saw the Christ as their rival, and ultimately
had him killed. When the shepherds went to see, they found
the Christ Child just as the angels had foretold.

Jesus was born to become the only sacrifice acceptable to
God for the forgiveness of our sins (disobedience of God’s
Word), to save us from eternal condemnation, and to restore
us to fellowship and eternal life with God which was broken
by our sins (Matthew 14:6). Through faith in Jesus we have
peace with God (Romans 5:1) and with one another (Ephesians
2:12-18).

God loved us when we were sinners, and gave his only Son to
die for us, before we knew we needed a Savior. Salvation is
a free gift for everyone who is willing to receive it by
faith (obedient trust) in Jesus Christ (Ephesians 2:8-9).

As in the physical ministry of Jesus, many people today do
not realize and admit that they are sinners who need a
savior, and until one does, Jesus can’t help us (Matthew
9:12-13). Often, it takes a major disaster in our lives to
cause us to examine our beliefs and to realize that we need
Jesus.

God is like a loving parent with new infant. When we were
born, we were only concerned about ourselves; were we hungry,
tired, or wet? Our parents gave us what we needed without
requiring us to demonstrate love and concern for them. Then
as we grew we learned that we needed our parents, and we
learned to love them by the love we experienced from them.
Of course some parents are not good and loving, but even if
we haven’t known loving parents, we should be able to
imagine parents who were loving.

If we realize the love of God for us through Jesus Christ we
should respond to him with love, and should love others as
he has loved us, because we want to please our heavenly
Father. Our relationship with other people reflects our
spiritual condition.

*The Oxford Annotated Bible, Revised Standard Version,
Ed. by Herbert G. May and Bruce M. Metzger, Luke 2:1n, p.
1172, New York, Oxford University Press, 1962.

**Eerdmans Dictionary of the Bible, “Quirinius,” p. ll04,
David Noel Freedman, William B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.,
Grand Rapids Michigan, 2000, ISBN 0-8020-2400-5

Week of 3 Advent – B – 12/11 – 17/2011

December 10, 2011

Week of 3 Advent – B

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Podcast Download: Week of 3 Advent B

Sunday 3 Advent B
First Posted 12/14/2008;
Podcast: Sunday 3 Advent B

Isaiah 61:1-3, 10-11 - The Lord’s Servant;

Luke 1:46b-55 - Magnificat;

1 Thessalonians 5:16-24 - Christian Living;

John 1:6-8, 19-28 - Testimony of John;

Isaiah Paraphrase:

“The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me to bring good tidings to the afflicted; he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound; to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor”… (Isaiah 61:1-2a), and the day of God’s vengeance.

The Lord’s servant comes to comfort all who mourn; to give the mourners in Zion (the temple mount; Jerusalem; the people of God), instead of the ashes of mourning, a garland of celebration; instead of sorrow, the oil of gladness, instead of a weak spirit, the cloak of praise, so that they may be known as the oaks of righteousness, planted by the Lord for his glory. The Lord my God has clothed me with the garments of salvation and the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom or a bride is adorned in finery. So I shall greatly rejoice in the Lord and exalt him in my soul.

The Lord will cause righteousness and praise to come forth in the sight of all nations and people, like shoots come forth from the earth and as a garden causes what is sown it it sprout and grow.

Luke Paraphrase:

When the angel of the Lord had announced Mary’s pregnancy he told her that her kinswoman, Elizabeth, was already six months pregnant Luke 1:36-37) with the future John, the Baptizer. Mary went to visit Elizabeth and remained about three months (Luke 1:56).

When Mary arrived they greeted one another, and Mary began a song of praise to the Lord, saying that she “magnifies” or exalts the greatness of the Lord, and her spirit rejoices in God, her savior. Although Mary was an insignificant Jewish girl, God had exalted her and as a result she would be called blessed by all future generations. God who is mighty had done great things for Mary, and she reverenced his name.

She declared that God’s mercy is on those in every generation who fear (have the appropriate awe and respect for the power and authority of) God. God has revealed his arm of power. He scatters those who exalt themselves in their own imagination. He pulls the mighty from their thrones, and exalts the poor and humble. He satisfies the hungry with good things but sends the rich away empty. God has helped Israel, his servant, by his mercy in remembrance of the promise of his Word to the patriarchs, to Abraham and his offspring forever.

1 Thessalonians:

Paul taught the Thessalonian Christians to rejoice and give thanks to God in all circumstances, because that is the will of God for us. Let us not quench the Spirit or disregard prophesying, but test everything so that we can accept what is good and avoid everything evil.

May the God of peace bring us to complete sanctification (consecration; purification from sin; spiritual maturity) at the day of Christ’s return. God is able and faithful to do this.

John Paraphrase:

God sent a man named John to testify and bear witness to the “light” (of God’s righteousness, revealed in Jesus Christ), so that all could believe through him. John wasn’t himself the light, but the witness bearing testimony to the light.

This is the testimony John came to bring. When the Pharisees (John 1:24) heard about John’s activity, they sent priests and Levites (members of the tribe of Levi; assistants to the priests) to ask John who he was. Right away John told them that he was not the Christ, so they asked him if he were Elijah, who was prophesied to return to announce the coming of the Messiah, but John said no. Was he a prophet, they asked and again John said no. So they asked John to tell them who he was and who had sent him. John replied quoting Isaiah 40:3, prophesying the voice of God’s herald in the wilderness calling the people to repent and prepare for the coming Messiah.

So the Pharisee’s delegation asked John why then he was baptizing, if he weren’t Christ or Elijah or a prophet. John replied that he was baptizing with water (for repentance for forgiveness of sins; Luke 3:3) in preparation for the one who was among them unrecognized, who was going to be revealed after John’s ministry. John acknowledged that the one who was coming was so much greater than John that John was not worthy to be his most menial servant. This took place at Bethany (Bethabara; on the Jordan River at a shallow crossing).

Commentary:

The definitive characteristic of God’s Word is its fulfillment (Deuteronomy 18:21-22). God’s Word is always fulfilled, and is fulfilled over and over as the conditions for its fulfillment are met.

Jesus is the ultimate fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophecy of the Lord’s “anointed” (“Messiah;” Christ;” both mean “anointed”). At Jesus’ birth, angels announced to shepherds the “good news” of great joy for all people, through the coming of the promised Messiah, the eternal Savior and King. Jesus came to bring the Gospel, the “Good News” of forgiveness of sin (disobedience of God’s Word), of salvation from eternal destruction, which is the penalty for sin; (see God’s Plan of Salvation, sidebar, top right, home), and of spiritual healing and rebirth, as a free gift from God to be received by faith (obedient trust) in Jesus Christ.

We are all born physically alive but spiritually dead. This lifetime is our opportunity to seek and find fellowship with God our Creator (Acts 17:26-27), and to be spiritually “reborn.” This is only possible through Jesus Christ (John 14:6). Jesus is the only way to be restored to fellowship with God, the only way to know divine, eternal truth, and the only way to receive true, eternal life.

Spiritual rebirth is only by the “baptism” (“anointing;” gift”) of the indwelling Holy Spirit, which only Jesus gives (John 1:31-34), only to his disciples who trust and obey Jesus (John 14:15-17). We must be spiritually “born-again” by the gift of the indwelling Holy Spirit, to see God’s kingdom now all around us, and ultimately, in eternity (John 3:3, 5-8). The Holy Spirit is the seal and guarantee that one is in Christ and has eternal life (2 Corinthians 1:22; Ephesians 1:13-14; Romans 8:9b, 11, 15-16).

The indwelling Holy Spirit is the “garment of salvation” and the “robe of righteousness;” not our own righteousness but the righteousness of Jesus Christ attributed to us by God by faith (obedient trust) in Jesus (Philippians 3:9). The Holy Spirit is the “wedding garment” without which we cannot get into the “marriage feast of the Lamb,” Jesus Christ, and his bride, the Church, in heaven.

The Holy Spirit is the comforter (the Paraclete: our advocate, intercessor; consoler; comforter; Strong’s Greek #3875). Through the indwelling Holy Spirit we experience the joy of of our salvation. The Holy Spirit is the “anointing” with the “oil of gladness.” The Holy Spirit is the mantle of praise. The Holy Spirit gives us the power, resources and guidance to proclaim the Gospel boldly.

This Creation is God’s spiritual garden. His purpose has always been to create an eternal kingdom of his people who willingly trust and obey God’s Word, fulfilled, embodied, and exemplified in Jesus Christ (John 1:1-5, 14). He causes righteousness and praise to spring forth from the mustard seed of faith (obedient trust) by the Holy Spirit, to sprout and grow into “oaks of righteousness.”

Mary’s song of praise was inspired by the song of Hanna, a barren woman too old for childbearing, who had prayed for a son and had given birth to Samuel, who became a priest, prophet and judge (political leader) of Israel (1 Samuel 2:1-10). Elizabeth’s circumstances were similar to Hannah’s; both were barren, and beyond childbearing age. Mary wasn’t too old; she just didn’t have a husband at that point (Luke 1:34-37).

Both Hanna and Elizabeth were stigmatized in their society because of their infertility. Mary was also stigmatized because she was pregnant and unmarried. They are examples of how the Lord exalts the poor and humble who fear, trust and obey God’s Word, and blesses them with good things.

Jesus is the right hand of God: God’s power revealed in this world in human flesh (Colossians 2:8-9). Jesus’ word is the Word of God, with the creative force of God’s Word (John 14:10, 24; Genesis 1:3; Mark 4:39-41). He is the fulfillment of the “year” of salvation, the messianic age of grace (God’s unmerited favor) but he will also be the fulfillment of the “Day” of God’s vengeance, when all who rejected Jesus as Lord and refused or failed to trust and obey Jesus will be condemned to eternal destruction in Hell with all evil (Matthew 25:31-46; 2 Thessalonians 1:5-10). In that day the poor and humble who fear, trust and obey God will be exalted, but the arrogant and proud will be brought low.

Paul (Saul of Tarsus) is the prototype and example of a “modern,” “post-resurrection,” “born-again” disciple and apostle of Jesus Christ, as we all can be. He was confronted on the road to Damascus by the Holy Spirit of the risen and ascended Jesus (Romans 8:9), he repented, became obedient to Jesus as his Lord. He was discipled by a “born-again disciple, Ananias, until Paul was “born-again,” and then, guided and empowered by the Holy Spirit, he began to proclaim the Gospel and make “born-again disciples of Jesus Christ, in obedience the the Great Commission Christ gave to his disciples (Matthew 28:19-20), on the condition that they wait in Jerusalem (the Church is the New Jerusalem) until they had been “born-again” (Luke 24:49; Acts 1:4-5, 8).

Paul had founded the Church in Thessalonica and he was continuing to disciple the new Christians by letter. When we are filled with the Holy Spirit we can rejoice in any and all circumstances. If we are willing to know God’s will for us with the commitment of doing it, he will reveal it to us. As long as we are where he wants us, doing what he wants, there is no circumstance he cannot bring us through. There is great joy in knowing that we are in the center of his will for us.

In order to abide in his will, we need to pray continually to maintain the bond with the Spirit. Let us count our blessings and give thanks in all circumstances because that is God’s will for us. Let us not do anything to quench or grieve the Holy Spirit. We should seek the prophetic Word in the Church, and we should be willing to speak the prophetic Word as the Holy Spirit guides and empowers us.

Christians need to read and know the entire Bible, because the Bible is the standard by which we can test everything, and discern truth from error. There are many false teachings and false prophets in the world and in the nominal Church today (see False Teachings, sidebar, top right). We won’t be deceived if we know what the Bible says. We don’t need post-graduate degrees in Bible or theology. Any average reader can understand and remember the Bible if they truly want to, because the Lord can open our minds to understand the scripture (Luke 24:45), teach us all things, and call to our remembrance all that Jesus teaches (John 14:26).

Christian discipleship is a spiritual growth process. If we cooperate with the indwelling Holy Spirit he will guide us and give us the growth we need to be spiritually mature at the Day of the Lord.

John the Baptist is an example of a humble servant of God. He wasn’t out to establish a cult to himself (John 3:26-30). John was the fulfillment of the promise of the coming of Elijah to announce the Messiah (Malachi 4:5; Matthew 17:9-13), but John didn’t consider himself equal to Elijah, or even compare himself to other Old Testament prophets.

John baptized with water for repentance for forgiveness to prepare the people to receive the Messiah, Jesus who will baptize with the Holy Spirit (and with fire; Matthew 3:11; Acts 2:3-4). John’s role is the example of the role of the Church, to preach repentance in preparation for the coming of Jesus Christ, to point them to Jesus, to disciple them in the Church awaiting the coming of Jesus personally and individually in the “baptism” of the Holy Spirit, and then to send them out into the world to proclaim the Gospel.

John didn’t shy away from proclaiming the prophetic Word: he called the religious leaders of the day “poisonous snakes” to their faces and accused them of trying to escape their deserved punishment by God’s wrath (Matthew 3:7-10). Would anyone dare to preach with such boldness in many of the Churches today? How many Church Leaders would tolerate their parishoners correcting them and calling them to repentance? Many church members don’t want to hear about sin and Hell and eternal damnation. They want to hear messages that make them feel good (2 Timothy 4:3-4). Church leaders don’t do their people any favors by failing to confront sin and call for repentance and reform.

Monday 3 Advent B
First Posted12/15/2008;

Podcast: Monday 3 Advent B

Psalm 89:1-4, 14-18 - The Eternal Throne;

Paraphrase:

I will sing of the Lord’s steadfast love forever; I will proclaim his faithfulness to all generations. He established his steadfast love for ever; it is as unchanging as the heavens. The Lord has made a covenant with his chosen one; with David he has sworn to establish his descendants for ever, and will establish his throne for all generations.

His throne will be founded on righteousness and justice. Steadfast love and faithfulness accompany him wherever he goes. Those who experience the festal shout, who walk in light of the Lord’s countenance, who extol his name and his righteousness will be blessed. In the Lord’s strength we glory; by his favor we are empowered and exalted. Our allegiance belongs to God our protector; our king is the Holy One of Israel.

Commentary:

God promised David, the great shepherd-king of Israel, that his descendants would reign on David’s throne forever (2 Samuel 7:5-13; Psalm 89:20-29). Jesus is the “son” (descendant) of David (Matthew 1:1-17; 21-9), the Lord’s “anointed” eternal Savior and King.

Jesus is the steadfast love and faithfulness of God made visible in this world in human flesh. Jesus is God in human flesh (Colossians 2:8-9; John 20:28). Whoever has “seen” Jesus has seen God the Father (John 14:7-10).

The Bible record documents God’s faithfulness in all his covenants. Jesus is the fulfillment not only of God’s promise to David, but of all the promises of God’s Word. Jesus is the fulfillment, embodiment and example of God’s Word lived in this world in human flesh (John 1:1-3, 14).

Jesus’ throne and the Word of God are founded on righteousness and justice. They reveal the Lord’s essential character and nature, which is steadfast love and faithfulness.

Jesus is the standard of God’s righteousness against which we will all be held individually accountable. We have all sinned and fall short of God’s righteousness (Romans 3:23; 1 John 1:8-10). Jesus is God’s only provision for the forgiveness of our sin (disobedience of God’s Word), and salvation (Acts 4:12) from eternal condemnation and eternal death (which is the penalty for sin; Romans 6:23; see God’s Plan of Salvation, sidebar, top right, home).

Jesus is the only way to know God, to have spiritual enlightenment, and to have forgiveness, salvation, and eternal life (John 14:6). These are only possible through the gift (“anointing;” “baptism”) of the Holy Spirit (John 1:31-34), which only Jesus gives only to his disciples who trust and obey Jesus (John 14:15-17). The Holy Spirit is the seal and guarantee that one is in Christ and has eternal life (2 Corinthians 1:22; Ephesians 1:13-14; Romans 8:9b, 11, 15-16).

Those who accept Jesus as Lord, and trust and obey Jesus, will be spiritually “reborn” (John 3:3, 5-8) by the gift of the indwelling Holy Spirit. The infilling is a discernible ongoing event. One does not need to ask a religious authority whether one has been reborn; if one needs to ask, one hasn’t been (Acts 19:2).

“Born-again” Christians are the ones who walk in the light of the Lord’s “countenance” (his “smiling” face; his approval). That is how one becomes spiritually filled and “reborn.” By the indwelling Holy Spirit we experience the Lord’s love and approval for us personally and individually. By the indwelling Holy Spirit we experience the “festal shout;” the Holy Spirit makes our expression of the “festal shout” possible (1 John 4:1-3; Romans 8:15-16).

Only those who have experienced Jesus personally through the gift of the indwelling Holy Spirit can really exalt his name and extol his righteousness. By the indwelling Holy Spirit we personally experience the Lord’s strength and rejoice in him. As we walk in obedient trust in the Holy Spirit we experience his empowerment and he will give us success, by which we will be exalted. As we give the Lord Jesus our allegiance and make him our King, we will experience his favor and protection.

Tuesday 3 Advent B
First Posted12/16/2008;

Podcast: Tuesday 3 Advent B

2 Samuel 7:(1-7), 8-11, 16 – Everlasting Dynasty;

Paraphrase:

After David had become king of Israel, he built a palace on the hill of Zion in Jerusalem, previously a Jebusite fortress, which became known as the City of David.

When David settled into the palace and had peace from his enemies around him, he proposed building a house (temple) for the Lord, to replace the tabernacle (tent; portable temple). Nathan, the prophet, David’s adviser, at first told David to do what he desired, because the Lord was with David, but that night the Lord spoke to Nathan. The Lord told Nathan to tell David that the Lord had dwelt in a tent since he had led Israel out of Egypt, and had never asked for a permanent house.

The Lord told Nathan to say to David that the Lord had taken David from the sheep-pasture and had made him prince (king) of God’s people. David had the Lord’s favor and power over his enemies, and the Lord promised to make David’s name great throughout the world. The Lord promised to give Israel a place of their own, where they would not be disturbed by their enemies as they were, formerly, in the era of the Judges of Israel.

The Lord declared that he would make David a house (dynasty). The Lord declared that David’s house (dynasty), and his throne and kingdom will be established forever.

Commentary:

This text involves a play on the various meanings of the word “house.” It can mean “palace,” “temple,” “dynasty,” and “family.” David is the great shepherd-king of Israel. David had been a shepherd of his earthly father, Jesse’s, sheep when God called him.

David is the forerunner and illustration of the Christ who was to come. Jesus is the fulfillment, the Good Shepherd (John 10:11, 14), who is God’s “anointed” (Christ and Messiah each mean “anointed”) eternal King and heir to the throne of David.

David was a man after God’s own heart whom God declared would do all God’s will (Acts 13:22; Psalm 89:20; 1 Samuel 13:14), but David was not perfect. David sinned grievously with Bathsheba (2 Samuel 11:1-12:25), but was forgiven. Jesus was the perfect, sinless, Son of God, who was completely obedient to God’s Word, even to his death on the cross (Hebrews 4:15).

Jesus’ birth was announced first by angels to shepherds out in the fields watching over their sheep at night (Luke 2:8-20). They became the first evangelists (Luke 2:17). Note that they acted in obedient trust, on the Word of God, and came to experience Jesus personally. Then they were able to tell others what they had experienced.

Jesus was born in Bethlehem, the City (birthplace; Luke 2:4, 11) of David. Zion became the City of David, the king (2 Samuel 5:7). Zion becomes the symbol for the Church, the City of God on earth, and of the eternal City of God in heaven.

God fulfilled his promise to make an eternal temple, dynasty and family of David. Jesus is the son of David and Son of God through whom we are adopted into God’s household and family.

God has established his house, the Church, through Jesus Christ. Jesus came to make it possible for us to be forgiven and cleansed so that we can individually become the temple of the Lord through the gift of the indwelling Holy Spirit, which only Jesus gives (John 1:31-34), only to his disciples who trust and obey Jesus (John 14:15-17). The Holy Spirit is the seal and guarantee that one is in Christ and has eternal life (2 Corinthians 1:22; Ephesians 1:13-14; Romans 8:9b, 11, 15-16). We should desire to make ourselves available to be God’s temple (1 Corinthians 3:16-17).

Through faith (obedient trust) in Jesus, we have a place we will inherit and possess where we will not be disturbed by our enemies, in the eternal kingdom of God in heaven (see God’s Plan of Salvation, sidebar, top right, home).

David’s desire to build a temple is a lesson for us. Just because we desire to do something for the Lord, we should not assume that whatever we do is his will. We should seek God’s will by prayer and meditation on God’s Word, and wait for an answer, before we act. When God answers we should “pray it back” to him to make sure we have understood. But note that God will never tell us to do anything contrary to God’s Word (which is a good reason to read the entire Bible) or anything which will harm ourselves or others (see 1 John 4:1-3).

Wednesday 3 Advent B
First Posted12/17/2008;
Podcast: Wednesday 3 Advent B

Romans 16:25-27 – Benediction;

Isaiah 40:9-11 – Herald of Good News;

Romans Paraphrase:

Paul concluded his letter to the Church at Rome with this invocation of blessing upon them.

Paul commended the Roman Christians to God, who is able to strengthen them through the Gospel, the preaching of Jesus Christ, proclaimed by Paul. God has revealed the mystery which was kept secret for long ages, but has now been revealed, and through the Bible has been made known to all nations, by the command of God who is eternal, to bring about obedience of faith. May God, who alone is wise (1 Corinthians 1:17-25), be glorified through Jesus Christ.

Isaiah Paraphrase:

God calls his people to herald good news from the mountain tops. Let us lift our voices; let us not be afraid to speak boldly. Look and see our God. Watch, for the Lord God comes with might. He rules by his mighty arm; he brings his recompense with him.

“He will feed his flock like a shepherd, he will gather the lambs in his arms, he will carry them in his bosom, and gently lead those who are with young” (Isaiah 40:11).

Commentary:

God’s plan for Creation was a mystery, unknown to the world, from the beginning. God has been gradually revealing his plan, first through the goodness of Creation, then through his call to Abraham to be the father of the nation of God’s people. Through the Bible record of God’s dealing with Israel he further revealed himself and his purpose.

At last God revealed himself and his purpose to the world in the fulfillment of the promised Messiah, Jesus Christ, the eternal Savior and King. Jesus is the fullest revelation of God in human flesh (Colossians 2:8-9; John 20:28; John 14:9).

Jesus came to make it possible for us to be forgiven and cleansed of sin (disobedience of God’s Word), so that we could be restored to fellowship with God and to eternal life in his heavenly kingdom, which is only possible through faith (obedient trust) in Jesus Christ. Jesus is God’s only provision for our forgiveness and salvation (Acts 4:12). Jesus is the only way to find and know God, the only way to know divine, eternal truth, and the only way to have eternal life (John 14:6).

We’re all born into this world physically alive but spiritually dead. This Creation is God’s “garden” for growing spiritually alive people who willingly trust and obey God’s Word. Jesus says that in order to see the kingdom of God which is all around us, and to see and enter it ultimately in eternity, we must be spiritually “born-again,” (John 3:3, 5-8) which is only by the gift (“baptism,” “anointing”) of the indwelling Holy Spirit, which only Jesus gives (John 1:31-34), only to his disciples who trust and obey Jesus (John 14:15-17).

The Holy Spirit is the seal and guarantee that one is in Christ and has eternal life (2 Corinthians 1:22; Ephesians 1:13-14; Romans 8:9b, 11, 15-16). Through the indwelling Holy Spirit we have personal knowledge of and fellowship with God the Father and Jesus Christ (John 14:23). The gift of the indwelling Holy Spirit is the ultimate revelation of God to us personally and individually.

Jesus is the example of complete trust and obedience of God’s Word. Jesus is the fulfillment, embodiment, and illustration of God’s Word, lived out in this world in human flesh (John 1:1-5, 14).

Jesus came to establish a New Covenant with God’s people (Hebrews 8:6-10), of forgiveness, and salvation from the penalty for sin, which is eternal destruction, by grace (unmerited favor; a free gift) to be received by faith (obedient trust) in Jesus Christ (Ephesians 2:8-9). The New Covenant motivates our obedient trust in Jesus from love, rather than the fear of law and punishment (John 14:21).

Christians are disciples of Jesus Christ (Acts 11:26c) who have been “reborn” by the gift of the indwelling Holy Spirit. We are the New Israel. The Church is the New Jerusalem, God’s “city” in this world. The true Church and individual Christians are called to be the heralds of the “Good News” (Gospel; which means “Good News”) of Jesus Christ, boldly, from the mountain tops and rooftops in this world. We are to fulfill the Great Commission to make disciples and teach them to trust and obey Jesus (Matthew 28:19-20), which Jesus gave his disciples, to be carried out after they had been “reborn” (Luke 24:49; Acts 1:4-5, 8).

Jesus is the fulfillment of the promise of the Good Shepherd (Isaiah 40:11; John 10:11, 14-15), who will lovingly care for God’s “sheep,” the people of God’s “pasture.”

The Church and Christians are to proclaim Christ’s advent (coming). We proclaim that Christ has come in the flesh, has died for our sins and has risen again to eternal life. We proclaim that Jesus Christ comes to us personally and individually through the gift of his indwelling Holy Spirit. We proclaim that Christ will come again, within the span of our individual lifetimes, to judge the living and dead in both the physical and spiritual senses (1 Peter:4-5; John 5:28-29).

Jesus is the mighty arm of God, who is coming to reign. Jesus is bringing God’s recompense with him.

Jesus is the standard by which all people will be accountable. Those who have accepted Jesus as their Lord, and have trusted and obeyed Jesus will have been “reborn” during this lifetime, and will enter eternal life in God’s eternal kingdom. Those who have rejected Jesus, who have refused or failed to trust and obey Jesus, will be condemned to eternal destruction in Hell with all evil (Matthew 25:31-46; 2 Thessalonians 1:5-10).

Thursday 3 Advent B
First Posted12/18/2008;

Podcast: Thursday 3 Advent B

Luke 1:26-38 - Announcement;

Paraphrase:

In the sixth month (Elul; August-September) God sent an angel, Gabriel, to Nazareth in Galilee, to a virgin named Mary who was betrothed to a descendant of David (the great shepherd-king) named Joseph. The angel appeared to Mary and greeted her saying “Hail, O favored one, the Lord is with you” (Luke 1:28). Mary was troubled and wondered what this greeting would mean for her. The angel told her not to be afraid because she was favored by God. The angel told her she would conceive and give birth to a son whom she was to name Jesus.

“He will be called great, and will be called the Son of the Most High (God); and the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father (ancestor) David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob (inheritor of the birthright; Genesis 27) for ever; and of his kingdom there will be no end” (Luke 1:32-33). Mary asked how this would be possible, since she was an unmarried virgin. The angel told her that she would conceive by the Holy Spirit and the power of God; thus the child would be holy, the Son of God.

The angel told Mary that her kinswoman, Elizabeth, who was barren and beyond childbearing age had conceived a son and was already six months pregnant. Nothing is impossible for God. Mary declared that she was the servant of God, and accepted the Word of God declared to her by Gabriel, and the angel departed.

Being betrothed but unmarried and becoming pregnant was stigmatized (a matter of great shame) in her culture. But Mary believed the angel, and accepted God’s will for her. She trusted and obeyed God’s Word. She had God’s approval, although not society’s.

In contrast, her relative, Elizabeth, had been stigmatized for being barren, since barrenness was interpreted as a sign of God’s disfavor, and now Elizabeth’s pregnancy was a sign of God’s approval.

Joseph, under ordinary circumstances, would have broken the engagement, because he would have interpreted Mary’s pregnancy as unfaithfulness. Joseph was considering how to break the engagement without causing Mary great public shame, when an angel of the Lord came to him. The angel told Joseph not the hesitate to marry Mary, because the child had been conceived by the Holy Spirit (and was therefore holy; Matthew 1:18-20 ). Joseph trusted and obeyed God’s Word.

The angel told Joseph that the child was to be named Jesus, because he would save his people from their sins (Matthew 1:21-22). The name “Jesus” is similar to the Hebrew and Aramaic forms of the name “Joshua” meaning “Jehovah the Savior.” It is like naming him “Savior” because he will save.

All of us have sinned (disobeyed God’s Word and fall short of God’s righteousness (Romans 3:23; 1 John 1:8-10). The penalty for sin is eternal death (Romans 6:23). God doesn’t want anyone to perish eternally but to have eternal life in his kingdom in heaven (John 3:16-17; Romans 5:8). Jesus is the fulfillment of God’s promise to provide a Savior to save us from sin and eternal death. Jesus is the only provision for our forgiveness and salvation (Acts 4:12; see God’s Plan of Salvation, sidebar, top right, home).

Jesus is the son of David, the fulfillment of God’s promise to David of an eternal heir to the throne of David (2 Samuel 7:5-13; Psalm 89:20-29). Jesus is the son of David by adoption through his earthly father, Joseph. We become the spiritual children of Abraham and thus are God’s “adopted” children through faith (obedient trust) in Jesus Christ (Romans 4:11-13; Galatians 3:6-7).

Jesus is called the Son of God (Mark 1:1). He is fully human through his mother, Mary, and fully God because of his conception by the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of God. In Jesus the whole fullness of God dwells bodily (Colossians 2:8-9; Lk23:1, 38; John 1:34; John 20:28).

Jesus usually referred to himself as the Son of man, which is true, but which allows us to decide for ourselves who Jesus is (Matthew 16:13-16), and gives us a hint from Daniel 7:13). Jesus is God the Son of man. Not a man who became God, but God who became a man.

Who we decide that Jesus is is a matter of eternal consequences for us personally and individually. The entire New Testament is written to help us realize, accept and receive who Jesus is (John 20:30-31).

Jesus is God’s “anointed” Savior and eternal King. Christ and Messiah each mean (God’s) “anointed.” Through faith in Jesus Christ as our Lord and King, Christians are the spiritual children of Abraham, of the house of Jacob, and the inheritors of the birthright of eternal life and citizenship in the eternal Kingdom of God (Ephesians 1:10-11; 1 Peter 1:3-4).

Friday 3 Advent B
First Posted12/19/2008;
Podcast: Friday 3 Advent B

Deuteronomy 18:15-19 – New Moses;

Philippians 4:4-7 – The Lord is at Hand;

Deuteronomy Paraphrase:

God promised to raise up for his people, a prophet like Moses, from among them, whom they were to obey. On the day when the Lord manifested himself on Mt. Horeb (Mt. Sinai; Exodus 19:9-24) the people were terrified and asked that they no longer hear God’s voice or see the great fire which accompanied God’s manifestation, for fear of death (Exodus 20:18-20). The people asked that Moses be their mediator, to relay God’s Word to them.

The Lord declared that he would raise up a prophet like Moses from among Israel. God would give him God’s Word, and he would declare God’s Word to his brethren as God commands him. Whoever doesn’t heed God’s Word which he declares in God’s name, will receive the penalty from God.

Philippians Paraphrase:

Paul was “discipling” believers in his letter to the Philippians. In his closing remarks he urged them to rejoice always in the Lord, and he repeated it for emphasis. We are to be forbearing (patient; forgiving) with all people. The (second) advent (coming) of the Lord is at hand. Let us not be anxious for anything, but in everything we are to make our requests to God by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving. “And the peace of God which passes all understanding, will keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:7).

Commentary:

Moses is the forerunner and illustration of Christ. Jesus is the “New Moses,” who leads God’s people out of bondage to sin and death in the “Egypt” of this world, through the “sea” of baptism, through the “wilderness” of this lifetime, through the “river” of physical death, and into the eternal “Promised Land” of God’s kingdom in heaven. Jesus is the “prophet like Moses” whom God promised to raise up from the people of Israel to lead the people according to God’s Word. Jesus word is the Word of God (John 14:10, 24), with the creative force of God’s Word (Mark 4:41; Genesis 1:3) and God will hold accountable any one who doesn’t trust and obey Jesus.

Jesus is the mediator of the New Covenant (Testament) of grace (unmerited favor; a free gift), instituted at the Last Supper, on the night of his betrayal (Matthew 26:26-28 RSV note “g”; Hebrews 12:24), as Moses was the mediator of the Old Covenant of Law. Jesus is the Word of God, fulfilled, embodied and exemplified in human flesh, in this world (John 1:1-5, 14) manifested in a non-threatening way.

Jesus is God made visible in human flesh (John 14:9; Colossians 2:8-9). Jesus demonstrates God’s love by sacrificing himself for our sins on the cross, so that we need not die eternally for our sins ourselves. Jesus has the almighty power of God, but he set that aside, and allowed himself to be crucified (Philippians 2:6-8; Matthew 26:53-54).

Christians are, by definition, “born-again” (John 3:3, 5-8) disciples of Jesus Christ (Acts 11:26c). We have received the gift of the indwelling Holy Spirit which only Jesus gives (John 1:31-34), only to his disciples who trust and obey Jesus (John 14:15-17). The Holy Spirit is the seal and guarantee that one is in Christ and has eternal life (2 Corinthians 1:22; Ephesians 1:13-14; Romans 8:9b, 11, 15-16).

Christians are to grow in discipleship to spiritual maturity as we await Christ’s return on the Day of Judgment. We can rejoice in all things, because we have the encouragement of the Spirit, and the confidence that we are in God’s will, and have eternal life. The Holy Spirit is the “Paraclete” (intercessor, consoler; advocate, comforter) our intercessor and advocate with God on our behalf, and our consoler and comforter in times of trial, as any “born-again” Christian can testify.

We can trust in the Lord’s providence for what we truly need, and instead of worrying, we should commend our worries and needs to God in prayer, with thanksgiving. No matter what our circumstances, we can recall our blessings with thanksgiving. We can have the peace which only God can give, keeping our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. We can believe and know from experience (John 6:69 RSV) that the Lord is able and faithful; that there is no circumstance that we can experience that the Lord can’t bring us through and deliver us from.

Jesus has promised to return, on the Day of Judgment at the end of this temporal age. In that day everyone who has ever lived will be accountable to the Lord for what we have done in this life with his teachings (John 5:28-29). Jesus is the standard by which all will be judged. Those who have accepted Jesus as their Lord and have trusted and obeyed Jesus will have been “born-again” in this lifetime, and will enter eternal life in God’s heavenly kingdom. Those who have rejected Jesus and have refused or failed to trust and obey Jesus will be condemned to eternal destruction (second death; spiritual, eternal death) in Hell with all evil (Matthew 25:31-46; 2 Thessalonians 1:5-10).

Jesus’ Second Coming will be within our individual lifetimes, and no one can be certain how long they will be. At the moment of death, time ceases for us, and our eternal destinies are fixed and unalterable. Today is the only day we can be sure of; today is the day of Salvation (2 Corinthians 6:2).

Saturday 3 Advent B
First Posted12/20/2008;
Podcast: Saturday 3 Advent B

John 1:19-28 - Testimony of John the Baptizer;

Paraphrase:

The Pharisees (legalistic religious authorities) sent priests and Levites (temple assistants) to John the Baptizer to ask him who he was. John told them he was not the Christ (Messiah; God’s “anointed”), so they asked him if he were Elijah or a prophet (who was prophesied to come before the Messiah) John said, “No.” So the delegation asked John to tell them who he was, so they could report to the Pharisees, who had sent them. John said that he was the voice in the wilderness, crying out for people to straighten the way of the Lord, as Isaiah had prophesied.

The delegation asked John why he was baptizing if he wasn’t the Christ or Elijah? John replied that he baptized with water; but among them was one they did not know, the one who was to come after John, who was so much greater than John that John was unworthy to be his most menial servant. John was baptizing at “Bethany beyond Jordan” (not Bethany on the Mount of Olives; rather, at a shallow crossing of the Jordan River).

Commentary:

John was not trying to assume the role of the Messiah, and he didn’t consider himself a great prophet like Elijah (although Jesus said that John was the fulfillment of the prophecy of Elijah’s (Elias’) return: Matthew 17:10-13). He didn’t even claim to be a prophet at all. He was just the fulfillment of the prophecy of Isaiah: a voice crying in the wilderness, calling people to prepare for the coming of the Lord (Isaiah 40:3).

A prophet isn’t a great seer! A prophet simply declares God’s Word fully and accurately. God’s Word is not obscure. God wants us to know and understand his Word so that we can trust and obey it. The fact that God’s Word is always fulfilled is not the result of the prophet’s ability, but the evidence that it is truly God’s Word. Fulfillment is the definition and test of God’s Word (Deuteronomy 18:21-22).

Israel had been anticipating the coming of the Messiah for a long time. They were expecting Elijah, the great prophet of Israel who had been carried up to heaven alive (2 Kings 2:11), to return, or a prophet like Elijah to arise, to announce the coming of the Messiah (Malachi 4:5).

The Pharisees and their delegation wanted to know why he was baptizing (and who gave him the authority), if he wasn’t the Messiah or Elijah. John told them he was baptizing with water (for repentance and purification from sin) to prepare the people for the coming of the Lord.

John’s baptism was for spiritual cleansing, so that people could accept Jesus. The Messiah would baptize with the indwelling Holy Spirit and with fire (Matthew 3:11). Jesus, by his sacrificial death, made it possible for us to be cleansed of all sin, through faith (obedient trust) in Jesus, so that the the Holy Spirit can abide within us. The prophecy of the baptism with the Holy Spirit and with fire was fulfilled on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2:1-3).

John identified Jesus as the Messiah, by the Holy Spirit. Even John didn’t know who the Messiah was until God revealed it to John, by the visible manifestation of the Holy Spirit, as a dove which descended upon Jesus as he was baptized by John, the sign the Lord had given John (John 1:31-34). Once he had been revealed to John, John pointed people to Jesus so that they could follow Jesus, rather than John (John 1:35-37).

John’s role is the role of the Church. The true Church (as distinct from the nominal Church) has the Word of God, and the testimony of the Holy Spirit within them, that Jesus is the Christ, God’s anointed eternal Savior and King. The Church testifies that Jesus is the Christ, baptizes people with water for repentance to prepare them to receive Jesus, and points people to follow Jesus in discipleship.

The Church is to be a “disciple-making” organization, composed of “born-again” (John 3:3, 5-8) Christian disciples, who are discipling new believers (Matthew 28:19-20) until they have been “born-again” (Luke 24:49; Acts 1:4-5, 8), before sending them into the world with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. It takes “born-again” disciples to make “born-again” disciples.

Only Jesus baptizes with the indwelling Holy Spirit (John 1:31-34), only his disciples who trust and obey Jesus (John 14:15-17). The Holy Spirit is the seal and guarantee that one is in Christ and has eternal life (2 Corinthians 1:22; Ephesians 1:13-14; Romans 8:9b, 11, 15-16).

In too many instances the nominal “Church” today has failed to make disciples and build the kingdom of God, and has instead settled for building “buildings” and making “members;” “fair-weather” “Christians,” who will “participate” in “Church” if it is convenient. There are lots of false teachings and false teachers in the “Church” and in the world today (see False Teachings, sidebar, top right, home). The Holy Spirit is not automatically conferred by the “Church” by some ritual such as (water) “baptism” or rite of membership.

There are many “disciples” of the “Church” (rather than of Jesus Christ), who know only “the baptism of John” (water baptism; Acts 19:2-5). The “baptism” (“anointing;” “gift,” “infilling”) is an ongoing, discernible event. If one has to rely on the word of some religious “authority” to determine if one has been filled with the indwelling Holy Spirit, one hasn’t been!

The Jewish religious leaders, experts in the Bible Scriptures, failed to recognize John’s fulfillment of prophecy. They were administering their office for their own status and benefit, rather than as stewards of God’s house and shepherds of God’s flock. They hadn’t authorized John’s ministry, and so they failed to heed the Baptizer’s call to repent and be baptized to prepare for the coming Messiah. They were thus unprepared to receive and did not recognize Jesus as the Messiah.

In many ways the nominal Church today is in the same situation as Judaism at the time of Jesus’ first coming. There are many “Church” leaders today who know a lot about God, but don’t know God personally, because they haven’t been baptized with the Holy Spirit. They have been formally educated in the Bible, but espouse and teach doctrines which are not supported by Scripture.

Many of the Jewish people had more knowledge of the Bible of their day than many “Christians” do today, and yet they failed to recognize Jesus as the Messiah. In some cases the nominal “Church” has actually discouraged the reading of the Bible by laymen (non-ordained members). That’s the same attitude that the Pharisees had about John’s authority to baptize and preach.

God wants us to know his Word and his will, and if we earnestly seek it with the commitment to trust and obey, he is abundantly able and willing to reveal his Word and his will for us personally. The Holy Spirit will open our minds to understand the Bible Scripture (Luke 24:45), teach us all things, call to our remembrance all that Jesus taught (John 14:26), and give us what to say in testimony at the moment it is needed (Mark 13:11; Luke 12:11-12). I, personally, and every truly “born-again” Christian, testify to these truths.

The Bible is the standard by which Church doctrine is to be judged. Unless and until we have read the entire Bible for ourselves, we have no standard by which to determine truth from error, and no protection from false teaching and false teachers. Reading the entire Bible is not difficult; the average reader can easily read it in one year, and there are numerous Bible-in-a-year programs (see Free Bible Study Tools, sidebar, top right, home).

Week of 2 Advent B – 12/4 – 10/11

December 3, 2011

Week of 2 Advent B

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Podcast Download: Week of 2 Advent B

Sunday 2 Advent B
First Posted December 7, 2008;
Podcast: Sunday 2 Advent B

Isaiah 40:1-11 — The Lord is Coming;

Psalm 85 — Revive Us Again;

2 Peter 3:8-14 — The Day of the Lord;

Mark 1:1-8 — Prepare the Way of the Lord;

Isaiah Paraphrase:

The prophet of the Lord is called to comfort God’s people and tenderly tell them that their hardship is ended, their iniquity is pardoned, their punishment has more than compensated for their sin. God’s herald calls out to prepare a way in the wilderness for the Lord to come; to make a straight highway through the desert for the Lord. Mountains must be moved and valleys filled in; the ground must be leveled and the rough places made smooth. “And (then) the glory of the Lord shall be revealed and all flesh shall see it together” (or “alike;” Isaiah 40:5), for God has declared it.

God commands his herald to cry out, and the herald asks what he is to announce. All human flesh is like grass and its beauty is as transient as wildflowers. When God breathes upon them, grass withers and flowers fade; but the Word of God is eternal.

God commands Zion (the Temple Mount; God’s people; Jerusalem; the City of God; the Church) to herald “good tidings” from the mountaintop. Jerusalem (the Church) is to boldly and fearlessly proclaim “good tidings.” They are to proclaim the coming of the Lord in power. His right hand (his righteous authority; Jesus Christ) rules in the name of the Lord. He is bringing both reward and punishment. “He will feed his flock like a shepherd, he will gather his lambs in his arms, he will carry them in his bosom, and gently lead those that are with young” (Isaiah 40:11).

Psalm Paraphrase:

The psalmist recalls the times of God’s favor in the past. God restored his peoples’ circumstances, he forgave and pardoned their sin. When he was angry, God was forbearing, turning away from executing his anger and wrath.

So the psalmist acknowledges God as his God and Savior, and asks him to again be forbearing and not to prolong his anger against his people forever. May God yet revive his people again, that they may rejoice in him. May he show them his love and give them his salvation.

Let us listen to God’s Word because he will speak peace to his people, to his saints (those dedicated to God’s service), to those who submit to him with their entire being. His salvation is surely coming to those who fear (have appropriate respect for the power and authority of) God, so that God’s glory will dwell in our land.

When God’s glory fills our land, we will be characterized by steadfast love, faithfulness, righteousness and peace. God will cause faithfulness to arise within us and we will receive righteousness from heaven. The Lord will bless our land and give us what is good. God’s righteousness will go before him (Jesus) and Jesus’ footsteps will make a way (for us to follow).

2 Peter Paraphrase:

The author of the second letter of Peter reminds us that the Lord’s timing is different than humans’ timing.

For the Lord a day is like a millennium and a millennium is like a day (because eternity is timeless). The promise of the Lord is not delayed, as we might suppose; it is his forbearance toward us, so that all should reach repentance and none perish. But the Day of the Lord, the Day of Judgment, is coming like a thief. Suddenly the heavens will disappear with a loud noise and the elements of the physical universe will be burned up.

Since all physical and material things will be destroyed, we should think seriously about what we should be doing in this lifetime, as we await the Second Coming of Jesus, so that we can hasten that Day. We are awaiting a New Creation, in which righteousness (doing what is good, acceptable and perfect according to God’s Word) is the standard of life. So as we await Jesus’ return, let us be zealous to be forgiven and blameless, and at peace with God at the Day of Judgment.

Mark Paraphrase:

The Gospel (“Good News”) begins with the appearance of John, the Baptizer. John fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah (and Malachi) of a herald, a messenger, to announce the coming of the Messiah, and to prepare the people to receive him. John appeared in the wilderness, calling for repentance for the forgiveness of sin (disobedience of God’s Word).

All the people of Judea (the southern third of Israel under Roman occupation, including Jerusalem) came to him in the wilderness and, confessing their sin, were baptized in the Jordan River. John wore the garb of the Old Testament prophets: a camel hair garment and a leather belt. He lived in the wilderness on food he could forage: locusts and wild honey.

John preached that he was heralding the coming of one greater than himself, whose sandals John was unworthy even to untie. John declared that he baptized with water, but that the one who was coming would baptize with the Holy Spirit.

Commentary:

Five hundred years before, God’s Word promised a herald to announce the coming of the eternal Savior, Jesus Christ. Jesus, the eternal Savior and Lord was designed and built into Creation from the very beginning (John 1:1-5, 14).

John the Baptizer was the fulfillment of that prophecy (John 1:23). He announced the coming of Jesus “Christ” (“Messiah;” both words mean God’s “anointed” in Greek and Hebrew, respectively). John called God’s people to repent and return to obedient trust in God’s Word, in preparation to receive the promised “anointed” eternal Savior and eternal King. Jesus Christ is the glory of God revealed in this world in human flesh (John 14:9; Matthew 11:27; Colossians 2:8-9).

The Gospel of Jesus Christ is the one and only “good tidings.” Gospel means “good news.” Jesus is the “Good Shepherd” (John 10:11, 14). The Church is the New Jerusalem, commanded by God to boldly and fearlessly proclaim the “good news” of Jesus Christ. Jesus is the “right hand of God” (Matthew 26:64; Mark 14:62).

The Lord is always willing to forgive, save and revive us if we are willing to acknowledge our sin (disobedience of God’s Word) and are willing to trust and obey him. When we are experiencing trials and difficulties we must remember God’s goodness and mercy in the past, beginning in the Bible record. As we walk in obedient trust, we will experience for ourselves his mercy and forgiveness. Then we can claim the promise of forgiveness and restoration from his Word and from his grace and mercy in our own past experience.

Knowing God’s Word is absolutely essential to us, now and eternally. Until and unless we have read the entire Bible, we cannot claim the promises of God’s Word; we cannot experience the peace of God and the joy of knowing his salvation personally.

Faith is not “wishing on a star;” faith is not getting whatever we believe if we believe “hard enough!” Faith is the simple “mustard seed (Matthew 13:31-32),” our “yes” to God’s Word. When we say “yes” to God he will show us that he is absolutely trustworthy and true, and will cause our “mustard seed” of faith to grow within us to spiritual maturity.

Jesus is the righteousness of God personified. Jesus is the pioneer, in human flesh, of faith in God, whose path makes a way for us to follow.

John the Baptizer called God’s people to repent, confess their sins, and return to obedient trust in God’s Word. The true Church is the new “Elijah,” the new “voice crying in the (spiritual) wilderness” of this world, calling us to repent, confess our sins, and return to obedient trust in God’s Word. Jesus is the Word of God, fulfilled, embodied, and exemplified in this world in human flesh (John 1:1-5, 14).

The Church is the new herald, the new “John the Baptizer,” announcing the coming of the Savior, Jesus Christ, personally and individually, by the gift of the indwelling Holy Spirit, which only Jesus gives (John 1:31-34), only to his disciples who trust and obey Jesus (John 14:15-17). The Church is to proclaim the imminent Second Coming of Jesus, ultimately, within our individual lifetimes, in the Day of Judgment at the end of this temporal age.

The Day of Judgment is coming, when we will all be accountable to the Lord for what we have done in this lifetime, and the standard of judgment will be Jesus Christ. All who have accepted Jesus as their Lord and have trusted and obeyed Jesus will have been spiritually “reborn” (John 3:3, 5-8) and will receive eternal life with him in paradise restored to perfection in the kingdom of God. Those who have rejected Jesus, and have refused or failed to trust and obey Jesus will be condemned to eternal death and destruction in hell with all evil (Matthew 25:31-46; 2 Thessalonians 1:5-10).

Monday 2 Advent B
First Posted December 8, 2008;

Podcast: Monday 2 Advent B

Luke 1:46b-55 — Magnificat;

Paraphrase:

Mary, the future mother of Jesus, visited her kinswoman Elizabeth, who was six months pregnant with the future John the Baptizer. And when Elizabeth greeted her, Mary said that her soul glorified and exalted the Lord, her God and Savior. He had had compassion on Mary’s humble status, and she realized that all future generations would call her blessed. The mighty God had done great things for her, and she reverenced his name. He has mercy on all in each generation who fear (have the proper awe and respect for the power and authority of) God. He has revealed his strength with his arm, and has scattered those who were prideful in their own imagination. The Lord tears down the thrones of the mighty, and lifts up the weak and humble. He satisfies the hungry with good things, and turns away, emptyhanded, the rich. He has given help to Israel, his servant, in remembrance of his promises to their fathers.

Commentary:

Mary’s prayer follows the pattern of the Song of Hannah (1 Samuel 2:1-10), the mother of Samuel, the prophet and judge of Israel. Hannah had been, like Elizabeth, unable to conceive, and Hannah was stigmatized because of her infertility. She prayed to the Lord for a son, and promised to give him to the Lord’s service (1 Samuel 1:11). Samuel was raised as a Nazarite, consecrated to the Lord, by vows to drink no alcohol, not cut their hair, and have no contact with corpses.

John the Baptist was also consecrated to the Lord with the vows of a Nazarite from his conception (Luke 1:15). Elizabeth had also been stigmatized because of her infertility which the birth of John resolved (Luke 1:25). John the Baptist was the fulfillment of prophecy of a prophet in the spirit and power of Elijah who would precede the coming of the Lord (Luke 1:16-17; Matthew 17:9-13).

The conceptions in Hanah, Elizabeth and Mary were miraculous. In the first two the women had been unable to conceive, and in Mary’s case she was betrothed but the marriage had not been consumated (Luke 1:34-35). Hannah and Elizabeth had been stigmatized by barrenness; Mary was stigmatized by pregnancy out of wedlock (Matthew 1:18-23).

Mary accepted God’s call upon her in obedient trust (Luke 1:38). She recognized that God had blessed her, and that she who was once an insignificant Jewish girl would be recognized and regarded as blessed by all generations.

God is the provider of everything we enjoy in this lifetime, but he gave it equally to all people. Poverty is caused by human sin (disobedience of God’s Word), and unfair distribution of resources. This age is coming to an end for us individually at the end of our physical lifetimes. In the New Creation, in the New Age, those who have accepted Jesus as Lord and have trusted and obeyed Jesus’ teachings will live eternally with the Lord, the Creator and supplier of every good thing. But those who have rejected Jesus as Lord, and have refused or failed to trust and obey his teachings will be condemned to eternal destruction, separated eternally from the providence and love of God.

God’s character is to lift up the poor, weak and humble, and to bring down the rich, proud and arrogant. But this happens in God’s timing. The rich and powerful may seem to prosper for a time, but all people will be accountable to God for what they have done in this lifetime. Those who have had mercy and compassion on the poor and weak, as God does, will be exalted as blessed and will be rewarded with eternal life in God’s kingdom in paradise. But those who have ignored the poor and helpless will lose everything they thought they possessed, and will spend eternity in hell in eternal destruction and agony (Matthew 25:31-46; 2 Thessalonians 1:5-10).

Jesus is the right hand of God (Isaiah 41:10; Matthew 22:44; 26:64). Jesus is the love and power of God revealed to all people. Jesus is God’s one and only provision for the forgiveness of our sin (disobedience of God’s Word; Romans 3:23, 1 John 1:8-10) and salvation from eternal destruction which is the penalty for sin (Romans 6:23; Acts 4:12; see God’s Plan of Salvation, sidebar, top right, home).

Tuesday 2 Advent B
First Posted December 9, 2008;

Podcast: Tuesday 2 Advent B

Isaiah 61:1-3, 10-11 — The Lord’s Servant;

Paraphrase

“The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me to bring good tidings to the afflicted; he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound; to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor…” (Isaiah 61:1-2a), but also the Day of God’s vengeance (Isaiah 61:2b).

The Lord’s servant comes to comfort those who mourn. Instead of ashes (of mourning), a garland; instead of sorrow, the oil of gladness; instead of heaviness of heart, a garment of praise. God’s people will be called oaks of righteousness, whom the Lord has planted, for his glory.

I will rejoice greatly in the Lord and exalt my soul in him “for he has clothed me with the garments of salvation, he has covered me with the robe of righteousness” (Isaiah 61:10). I am thus adorned as a bridegroom or a bride in finery. God is going to raise up righteousness and praise from all nations, like the way the earth brings forth new growth, and like a garden causes seeds to sprout and grow.

Commentary:

After he began his public ministry, Jesus came to Nazareth and read from this text (61:1-2a) in the synagogue on the Sabbath (Luke 4:16-20). He told them that they were witnessing the fulfillment of that text, but they were offended. They thought they knew all about Jesus and his parents, because he had grown up among them (Luke 4:21-22). Instead of accepting his correction and teaching, they became angry, and threw him out of town (Luke 4:23-31). Jesus went on to Capernaum, where his teaching was well-received.

Jesus came to bring “good news,” the Gospel of forgiveness of sin (disobedience of God’s Word; Romans 3:23; 1 John 1:8-10) and salvation (from eternal destruction, which is the penalty for sin; Romans 6:23; See God’s Plan of Salvation, sidebar, top right, home). He came to comfort the afflicted, and to “afflict the comfortable,” in the hope that they might be restored to God’s favor and fellowship.

Jesus can heal the brokenhearted and release the captives, but he can’t help people who are satisfied with the sinful ways of this present world, and are unaware of their bondage to sin and death (Luke 4:23; 5:31-32; 6:20-26). If we know and accept God’s Word we can learn his plan for Creation and what real life can become. This Creation has been designed by God to be a spiritual garden in which to grow his eternal people who willingly choose to trust and obey his Word, fulfilled, embodied and exemplified in Jesus Christ (John 1:14). We can become strong and long-lived “oaks,” of righteousness according to his Word and glorify him.

Jesus provides us with the “garment” of salvation by faith (obedient trust) in him. As we begin to trust and obey Jesus we will experience healing of spiritual sickness and blindness (Luke 4:18), and release from bondage to sin and death (Hebrews 2:14-15). We will be spiritually “reborn” (John 3:3, 5-8) to eternal life by the “anointing” (“gift,” “baptism”) of the indwelling Holy Spirit, which only Jesus gives (John 1:31-34), only to his disciples who trust and obey Jesus (John 14:15-17).

The Holy Spirit is the “Comforter” (John 14:16 KJV; “Paraclete:” intercessor, consoler, advocate, comforter), the “anointing oil” of gladness, the “garland of joy” instead of the ashes of mourning, the “mantle of praise” upon us, the “boldness of spirit” we need to proclaim the Gospel (Luke 12:11-12).

The Holy Spirit is the “garment of salvation” and the “robe of righteousness;” not our own righteousness, but the righteousness of Jesus which we have by faith (obedient trust) in him (Romans 3:22; Galatians 5:5; Philippians 3:9). The Holy Spirit is the “wedding garment” without which we will not be allowed to enter the wedding feast of Christ and his bride, the Church, in heaven Matthew 22:11-14). The Holy Spirit is the seal and guarantee that one is in Christ and has eternal life (2 Corinthians 1:22; Ephesians 1:13-14; Romans 8:9b, 11, 15-16).

This is the “year” of the Lord’s favor, although no one knows when it will end. Surely it will be within our individual lifetimes, because the moment we die, our eternity is fixed and unchangeable, and the next moment we will be at the throne of Judgment. The only day we can be sure of is today.

But there is a day of vengeance coming, on the Day of Judgment, when Christ will return to judge everyone who has ever lived. Jesus is the righteous judge and the standard of judgment by which all will be judged. Those who have accepted Jesus as their Lord and have trusted and obeyed Jesus will have been spiritually “reborn” (John 3:3, 5-8) during this lifetime and will enter eternal life in God’s kingdom in paradise restored in heaven. But those who have rejected Jesus and have refused or failed to trust and obey Jesus will receive eternal condemnation and eternal death in Hell with all evil (Matthew 25:31-46). It will be a day of God’s vengeance upon those who have rebelled against and defied his Word and rejected the Gospel of Jesus Christ (2 Thessalonians 1:5-10).

Wednesday 2 Advent B
First Posted December 10, 2008;
Podcast: Wednesday 2 Advent B

1 Thessalonians 5:16-24 — Christian Life;

Paraphrase:

Christians should rejoice at all times, and pray continually, giving thanks in all circumstances, because we are in the will of God in Jesus Christ. Let us not do anything which hinders the Holy Spirit within us, nor avoid prophesying, but test all things; keep what is good and abstain from evil.

May our God of peace complete our sanctification (spiritual growth; consecration), and keep us sound and blameless in our whole being, physically, emotionally, and spiritually, at the Lord’s return. Our Lord is faithful and will do so.

Christians are to grow spiritually as we await Christ’s return. We may experience trials and hardship but let them not be caused by our disobedience (or ignorance) of God’s Word. Let them rather be for the sake of the Gospel. Then we can rejoice and give thanks in all circumstances, and can be encouraged by the knowledge that we are within God’s will.

We should endeavor to submit fully to the Holy Spirit within us so that we not quench or grieve the Spirit, and so that we can grow spiritually to maturity. We should be constant in prayer, seeking guidance, and maintaining the bond with the Holy Spirit. We can be confident that the Lord will complete our sanctification for the Day of the Lord. He is faithful and able to do it as we submit to him.

Commentary:

We should desire and seek to hear God’s prophetic Word, and we should be faithful to proclaim it. We should test all things by the Word of God, so that we can discern good from evil (1 John 4:1-3). Then we can hold on to what is good and avoid evil.

There are two major false teachings in the (nominal) Church today which occurred in first-century Church, and are refuted in the New Testament of the Bible. One is “Cheap Grace:” teaching that salvation is by grace (unmerited favor; a free gift, which is true), but without the requirement of discipleship and obedience to Jesus’ teachings (false). The other is “works righteousness:” that salvation must be earned by doing good deeds (see False Teachings, sidebar, top right). The Bible is the Word of God and the standard by which we can discern truth from error.

Christians are to be “born-again” (John 3:3, 5-8) disciples (students) and apostles (messengers; of the Gospel) of Jesus Christ (Acts 11:26c). Paul (Saul of Tarsus), the author of the letter to the Thessalonians is the prototype and example of the “modern,” “post-resurrection,” “born-again,” disciple and apostle of Jesus Christ, as we can become. He was convicted by the Spirit of the risen and ascended Jesus on the road to Damascus. Paul repented, accepted Jesus as his Lord, and obeyed Jesus’ instructions.

He was discipled by a “born-again” disciple, Ananias, until Paul was “reborn” (John 3:3, 5-8) and then Paul began preaching the Gospel and making “born-again” disciples (Acts 9:1-22), and teaching them to do the same (2 Timothy 1:6; 2:2), in fulfillment of Christ’s Great Commission (Matthew 28:19-20). The Thessalonian congregation was founded by Paul’s preaching, and his letter was continuing Paul’s “discipling” of the Thessalonians.

The Church is to be a disciple-making organization, but in too many instances the (nominal) Church has failed to make disciples. Instead, it has settled for making “members” and building buildings.

In too many instances the (nominal) Church has suppressed the emphasis of spiritual “rebirth.” It has failed to “disciple” believers until they have been filled with the indwelling Holy Spirit. Christ’s call to disciples to go into the world with the Gospel was with the condition that the disciples be “born-again” first (Luke 24:49; Acts 1:4-5, 8).

The Holy Spirit is not automatically given by religious ritual or church membership. Only Jesus gives the gift of the indwelling Holy Spirit (John 1:31-34), only to his disciples who trust and obey Jesus (John 14:15-17). The Holy Spirit is the seal and guarantee that one is in Christ and has eternal life (2 Corinthians 1:22; Ephesians 1:13-14; Romans 8:9b, 11, 15-16).

Thursday 2 Advent B
First Posted December 11, 2008;
Podcast: Thursday 2 Advent B

John 1:6-8, 19-28 — John the Baptizer;

Paraphrase:

God sent a man named John (the Baptizer; Malachi 3:1). He came to testify and bear witness to the light (of righteousness; of true life: John 1:4-5), so that through his testimony all might believe. John was not the light but the witness to the light.

This is the testimony of John. When the priests and Levites from Jerusalem were sent by the Pharisees (John 1:24) to ask John who he was, he confessed that he was not the Christ. When they asked him if he was Elijah, he said “no.” They asked him if he was a prophet and again he replied “no.” So they asked John to tell them what he had to say about himself. John answered that he was the fulfillment of the prophecy of Isaiah of a voice crying in the wilderness, calling people to straighten the way for the coming of the Lord (Isaiah 40:3).

The religious leaders asked John why he was baptizing, since he was not the Christ nor Elijah (Elias). John said that he baptized with water, but there was a person among them who they did not recognize, who was coming after John’s appearance, who John was unworthy to be his most menial servant. This took place at Bethany (Bethabara) beyond (east of) the Jordan, where John was baptizing.

Commentary:

Elijah had been carried up into heaven in a whirlwind (2 Kings 2:11). The Old Testament scriptures prophesied that Elijah would return to prepare for and announce the coming of the Messiah (Malachi 4:5).

John was the fulfillment of that prophecy of Malachi 3:1, and Isaiah 40:3 of a messenger and a voice crying in the wilderness, preparing the people for the coming of the Messiah. He was also the fulfillment of the prophecy of the return of Elijah (Malachi 4:5), according to Jesus (Matthew 17:9-13), although John didn’t claim to be a great prophet. Actually Peter, James and John, the three disciples of Jesus’ inner circle, witnessed the return of Elijah on the mountain of Jesus’ transfiguration, but it was not a public appearance (Matthew 17:1-9).

John’s baptism was of water for repentance to prepare people to receive the Messiah (Matthew 3:11), but Jesus would baptize with the Holy Spirit and with fire (Acts 2:1-13). John himself did not know who the Messiah was until God revealed it to John after John had baptized Jesus (John 1:31-34). Then John began pointing people to Jesus (John 1:35-37). John didn’t try to build up his own ministry. He wasn’t trying to make disciples of himself (John 3:26-30).

John is the last of the Old Testament prophets (Matthew 11:11). John is also an example of the role of the Church and individual “born-again” Christian disciples. The Church is to be the messenger; the voice crying in the spiritual “wilderness” of this world. The Church is to testify to Jesus Christ as the Messiah, to baptize with water for repentance, and to point people to receive Jesus, who will baptize them with the Holy Spirit. Only Jesus baptizes with the Holy Spirit (John 1:31-34), only his disciples who trust and obey Jesus (John 14:15-17). The Holy Spirit is the seal and guarantee that one is in Christ and has eternal life (2 Corinthians 1:22; Ephesians 1:13-14; Romans 8:9b, 11, 15-16).

Jesus comes to a personal fellowship with each “born-again” (John 3:3, 5-8) disciple through the gift of the indwelling Holy Spirit (John 14:21, 23; Revelation 3:20). The Church is to disciple believers until they are spiritually “reborn,” until they have “seen” Jesus, and then to encourage them to continue their spiritual growth through obedient trust in Jesus and the guidance of the Holy Spirit within them.

John was “filled” with the Holy Spirit from his mother’s womb (Luke 1:15). God had called and prepared John for his specific ministry and John followed the guidance of the Holy Spirit. God revealed Jesus to John so that John could testify to and point people to Jesus. This is what the Church is to do. Believers are to be filled with the Holy Spirit and then are to testify to and point people to Jesus, so that they can be spiritually “reborn” and have personal fellowship with Jesus.

This is the message of this season: Jesus is coming; let us repent, straighten our ways, and prepare to receive him.

Friday 2 Advent B
First Posted December 12, 2008;
Podcast: Friday 2 Advent B

Isaiah 40:1-8 — Consolation of Israel;

Background:

This portion of Isaiah is thought to have originated shortly before the conquest of Babylon by Cyrus of Persia (October 29, 539 B.C.*), which made the return of the Jewish exiles to their Promised Land possible.

Paraphrase

The Lord called his prophet to speak words of comfort to God’s people in exile, and to tell them that their time of hardship was over. Their sin had been forgiven, and their punishment had been more than sufficient to atone for their sin.

The Lord’s herald calls God’s people to prepare the way of the Lord, to make a straight highway in the desert for the Lord’s coming. Mountains must be moved and valleys filled in, uneven ground must be leveled and rough places made smooth. God’s glory will be revealed to all people, because God has said so.

God calls his herald to cry out, and the herald asks what he should say. Flesh is like grass and its beauty like wildflowers. Grass withers and flowers fade at the breath of God. People are just the same. God’s Word will stand forever, unlike flowers and grass (and flesh) which quickly pass away.

Commentary:

The Southern Kingdom, Judah, had ignored the prophets warning them to repent and turn from disobedience of God’s Word and idolatry, and had failed to learn from the example of the conquest and destruction of the Northern Kingdom of the ten tribes by the Assyrians with the fall of the Capital, Samaria in 721 B.C.

God prophesied that Judah, the remnant of Israel, would be carried of to exile in Babylon for seventy years (Jeremiah 25:12). Judah could have avoided exile if they had repented up to the day that Jerusalem fell to King Nebuchadrezzar (Nebuchadnezzar) of Babylon. From the time of the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple, until the dedication of the second temple was seventy years: 587-517.

God’s Word was fulfilled amazingly through Cyrus of Persia. Cyrus conquered Babylon at the right moment in history, and he not only allowed the remnant of Israel to return to their Promised Land; he gave them the gold and silver temple implements that Nebuchadrezzar had looted, and he gave them money, materials, and authority to rebuild the temple and the city walls. Who would ever have imagined that! It was all God’s doing; Cyrus was just a tool used by God to accomplish his purpose.

John the Baptizer is the fulfillment of the prophecy of the voice crying in the wilderness, calling people to repent and return to obedient trust in God’s Word, in preparation for the coming of the promised Messiah, God’s anointed eternal Savior and King. Jesus is the fulfillment of God’s promise of the Messiah.

Jesus is the glory of the Lord revealed to all people (John 1:14b). All people will see him “together” (“alike;” Isaiah 40:5b; Strong’s Hebrew #3162). I take this to mean that all people will have an equal opportunity to see the glory of God in Jesus Christ and to decide for themselves who Jesus is; not that they will all reach the same conclusion. On the Day of Judgment no one will be able to claim ignorance.

In a sense, we are God’s people in exile in the “Babylon” of this present world. Jesus is the “Cyrus” who conquers our spiritual enemy, Satan, and leads us back to the heavenly city of God, if we trust and obey God’s Word, fulfilled, embodied and exemplified in Jesus Christ (John 1:1-5, 14). We have all sinned (disobeyed God’s Word) and fall short of God’s glory (Romans 3:23; 1 John 1:8-10). Through Jesus, God gives everyone the same opportunity to be forgiven and restored to fellowship with God, which was broken by sin, and to be saved from eternal destruction which is the penalty for sin (Romans 6:23).

Jesus is God’s one and only provision for our forgiveness and salvation (Acts 4:12; John 14:6; see God’s Plan of Salvation, sidebar, top right, home). Forgiveness and salvation are the free gift of God to all who are willing to accept it by faith (obedient trust) in Jesus Christ (Ephesians 2:8-9).

Christians are disciples of Jesus Christ (Acts 11:26c) who have been “born-again” (John 3:3, 5-8) by the gift of the indwelling Holy Spirit which only Jesus gives (John 1:31-34), only to his disciples who trust and obey Jesus (John 14:15-17). The true Church is constituted of “born-again” Christian disciples, who are fulfilling the Great Commission (Matthew 28:19-20) which Christ gave to his disciples to be carried out after they had been “born-again” (Luke 24:49; Acts 1:4-5, 8). They are to make “born-again” disciples of Jesus Christ (2 Timothy 2:2). Paul (Saul of Tarsus) is the example of that discipling process (Acts 9:1-22; 2 Timothy 1:6).

The Church and individual Christians have the role of John the Baptizer. We are to be the voice crying in the spiritual wilderness of this world, calling people to repent, to be baptized with water for repentance, and to be discipled in the Church the “New Jerusalem” on earth, to prepare them for the coming of Jesus, personally and individualy, by the “baptism” of the Holy Spirit, which is spiritual rebirth and eternal life.

*The Oxford Annotated Bible, Revised Standard Version, Ed. by Herbert G. May and Bruce M. Metzger, Isaiah, (introduction), p. 822, New York, Oxford University Press, 1962.

Saturday 2 Advent B
First Posted December 13, 2008;
Podcast: Saturday 2 Advent B

1 Corinthians 4:1-5 — Servants of Christ;

Matthew 11:2-10 — Jesus and John the Baptist;

1 Corinthians Paraphrase:

Teachers in the Church are to be the Lord’s servants and stewards of the mysteries of God. It is important that stewards be trustworthy. Paul was not concerned with the judgment of him by other people or even his own judgment of himself. The Lord’s judgment is all that matters, and we should not presume to pass judgment before the day of Christ’s return. In that day, the Lord will reveal things which are now hidden in darkness, and the inner motivations of the heart will be exposed. Then every person will receive commendation from God, (or not, depending on what he has done in this lifetime).

Matthew Paraphrase

John the Baptizer had been imprisoned by Herod for publicly charging Herod with sin for marrying Herod’s brother Philip’s wife (Matthew 14:3-4). While languishing in prison, John heard what Jesus was doing and sent his disciples to ask Jesus for reassurance that he was the Christ (Messiah). Jesus told them to report back to John what they had seen and heard from Jesus. The blind see, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the poor hear good news. Those who are not offended by Jesus will be blessed.

When John’s disciples left, Jesus asked the crowds what they had gone out into the wilderness to John to see; reeds shaken by the wind? (Normally, that’s about all there is to see in the wilderness.) To see a man in fine clothing? People dressed in fine clothing are not in the wilderness, but in palaces. So did they go to see a prophet? Yes, but John is more than a prophet. John is the fulfillment of the prophecy Malachi 4:5: a messenger preceding the coming of the Messiah, to prepare his way.

Commentary:

The season of Advent is the season of preparation, to receive the Messiah, God’s “anointed” eternal Savior and King (Messiah and Christ both mean [God's] “anointed”). We are to prepare to receive Jesus as a baby at his first coming (advent), and celebrate his birth. We are also to prepare for his Second Coming, at the end of time, on the Day of Judgment, when we will all be accountable to him for what we have done in this lifetime. We are also to prepare for his coming, personally and individually to believers, by the “anointing” (“baptism;” “gift”) of the indwelling Holy Spirit.

Jesus’ birth and physical ministry, his death, and resurrection from the dead is recorded in the Bible so that we might believe in Jesus (John 20:30-31). Jesus is going to return at the end of each of our individual lives, when we will all be accountable to him at his throne of judgment (John 5:28-29). The time between is our opportunity to seek a personal relationship with the Lord (Acts 17:26-27) and to receive his coming to us personally and individually through his indwelling Holy Spirit.

Only by faith (obedient trust) in Jesus can we come to have a personal fellowship with God the Father and Jesus Christ through the gift of the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of God, the Spirit of Christ (Romans 8:9). Jesus is the only way come to know God, to know divine, eternal truth, and to have eternal life (John 14:6), by spiritual rebirth by the gift of the indwelling Holy Spirit (John 3:3, 5-8).

Only Jesus gives the “anointing” (“gift;” “baptism”) of the Holy Spirit, (John 1:31-34), only to his disciples who trust and obey Jesus (John 14:15-17). The Holy Spirit is the seal and guarantee that one is in Christ and has eternal life (2 Corinthians 1:22; Ephesians 1:13-14; Romans 8:9b, 11, 15-16).

John the Baptizer was the last and greatest of the Old Testament prophets, but he was more than a prophet. John was the fulfillment of God’s Word of a prophet like Elijah (Elias) who would herald the coming of the Messiah (Malachi 4:5; Matthew 17:9-13). John was the voice crying in the wilderness (Isaiah 40:3; John 1:23), calling people to repent and be baptized with water for forgiveness and cleansing of sin in preparation to receive the Messiah (Matthew 3:11). John testified to the indentity of the Christ and pointed people to Jesus, who would “baptize” them with the Holy Spirit.

John is the prototype and example of the role of the Church. The Church is to to testify to Jesus as the promised Messiah, God’s “anointed” eternal Savior and King, to call people to repent and turn to obedient trust in the Lord, to baptize with water for repentance, to point people to Jesus and to prepare them to receive Jesus and to seek and receive spiritual rebirth through the gift (“baptism”) of the Holy Spirit.

When the Holy Spirit comes, he teaches us all things, recalls to our memory all that Jesus teaches (John 14:26), and gives us what to say when we testify to the Gospel (Mark 13:11). The Holy Spirit will equip, guide and empower us to proclaim the Gospel and make disciples, in fulfillment of Christ’s Great Commission (Matthew 28:19-20). Believers are to wait in the Church (the New Jerusalem) until they have been “reborn” before going out into the world to proclaim the Gospel (Luke 24:49; Acts 1:4-5, 8). The mission of Christ cannot be accomplished by our physical resources but only by the Spirit working in and through us (Zechariah 4:6).

In too many instances the (nominal) Church has failed to make “born-again” disciples and therefore has failed to make “born-again” apostles (messengers of the Gospel; teachers in the Church). Spiritual rebirth is an essential mystery of God of which the Church is to have stewardship. Unless Church leaders are “born-again,” how can they teach and lead others to be “reborn” (John 3:9-11 RSV)? How can the spiritually blind lead the spiritually blind (Luke 6:39)? Unless one is willing to be a disciple of Jesus, one cannot make disciples of Jesus.

The problem in Judaism at the time of Jesus’ first coming was that the religious leaders were running the religion for their own benefit: to be praised and honored by people; to have authority and influence over people. They weren’t serving the Lord or the people; they were serving themselves. They were not trustworthy stewards of God’s Word.

Paul, on the other hand, is the example of what a Church leader and teacher should be. He was a “born-again” disciple and apostle of Jesus Christ. He served believers by making his preaching and teaching free, and supporting himself at his secular trade (tent-making) instead of burdening the church members with his support. Paul was trustworthy of the stewardship of the Gospel. He worked hard to accurately preserve and transmit the Gospel he received from Jesus Christ, resisting, for example, the “circumcision party’s” efforts to require Gentile Christians to be circumcised and abide by the requirements of Jewish religious law (the Old Covenant of the Law of Moses; the Jewish Bible; Acts 15:1-35).

Paul didn’t let the judgment of people prevent him from preaching and teaching the full apostolic Gospel. His ambition was not to be well-thought-of by people but to be commended by God. Paul wound up imprisoned for preaching the Gospel, which the leaders of society and religion found offensive.

John the Baptizer is another example of a servant of the Lord, filled with and led by the Holy Spirit (Luke 1:15), who proclaimed the Word of God fully, faithfully and accurately, without being influenced by public opinion. He publicly called the leaders of Judaism “poisonous snakes,” and called them to repent and return to obedient trust in God’s Word (Matthew 3:7-10). He was imprisoned for publicly rebuking Herod (Antipas), the king, for marrying Herod’s brother’s wife. John wasn’t trying to be popular. John wasn’t seeking to make his ministry a personal empire. He wasn’t making disciples of himself; he was pointing them to Jesus.

The Gospel is offensive to worldly people. Only those who are willing to be confronted with their sin (disobedience of God’s Word; Romans 3:23; 1 John 1:8-10), can repent and be forgiven and saved from the penalty of sin which is eternal death (Romans 6:23; See God’s Plan of Salvation, sidebar, top right, home).

Only those who realize and admit that they are spiritually blind, lame, deaf and dead can be healed by Jesus. Only those who take no offense at the Gospel of Jesus Christ can benefit from it. The Gospel of Jesus Christ is “Good News” to those who are being saved; but to those who are spiritually lost and spiritually dead, it is bad news.

The bad news is that there is a Day of Judgment coming when everyone will be accountable to the Lord for what they have done in this lifetime. Those who have rejected Jesus as Lord and have refused to trust and obey him will be condemned to eternal destruction in Hell with all evil (2 Thessalonians 1:5-10).

The Good News is that forgiveness of sin and salvation from eternal destruction is the free gift of God to all who accept Jesus as Lord and trust and obey Jesus (Ephesians 2:8-9). They will have been spiritually “reborn,” raised from “spiritual death” to eternal life. On the Day of Judgment Jesus will acknowledge them as his own, and they will enter into the eternal kingdom of God in paradise restored in heaven (Matthew 25:31-46).

Week of 1 Advent – B – 11/27 – 12/03/11

November 26, 2011

Week of 1 Advent – B

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Podcast Download: Week of 1 Advent – B
Sunday 1 Advent – B
First Posted November 30, 2008;
Podcast: Sunday 1 Advent – B

Isaiah 63:16b-17; 64:1-8 — Prayer for the Lord’s Coming;
Psalm 80:1-7 — Restoration;
1 Corinthians 1:3-9 — Shepherd of Israel;
Mark 13:33-37 — Savior and Sustainer;
Mark 11:1-10 — Triumphal Entry;

Isaiah 63 Paraphrase:

The Lord is our Father and our Redeemer from long ago. Why does the Lord allow us to stray from his ways, and allow our hearts to be hardened so that we no longer fear him? Lord, return to us for the sake of your servants and your heritage.

Isaiah 64 Paraphrase:

Oh that the Lord would part the heavens and come down and cause the mountains to shake at his presence, like brushwood is thrown on a fire and causes the kettle to boil, to make the name of the Lord known to his enemies and the nations and cause them to tremble. When the Lord came down upon the mountain and did awesome things which we did not expect, the mountain trembled at his presence (Exodus 19:16-18). From the very beginning there has never been a God except the Lord, “who works for those who wait for him” (Isaiah 64:4). The Lord comes to those who do what is right according to God’s Word and do what he teaches.

We have (all) sinned and have been sinning for a long time, and the Lord is right to be angry. Can we yet be saved? We have all become spiritually unclean, like spiritual lepers, and our righteous deeds are like filthy garments. We all fade like leaves in the fall, and our iniquities sweep us away like dry leaves in a wind. No one bothers to call upon the Lord, no one bothers to seek and lay hold of the Lord, because the Lord has hid his presence from us and has delivered us into the consequences of our sins.

Psalm Paraphrase:

Hear us, Shepherd of Israel who leads Joseph (favorite son of Jacob/Israel by Rachael). Let the Lord who is enthroned on Cherubim shine forth upon Ephraim, Manasseh (sons of Joseph, born in Egypt) and Benjamin (Joseph’s brother; beloved youngest son of Israel; by Rachael). May the Lord gather his might and come to save us.

“Restore us, O God; let thy face shine, that we may be saved” (Psalm 80:3, 7).

How long will the Lord be angry with the prayers of his people? He has given them tears to eat and drink until they are full. The Lord has allowed the enemies of the Lord’s people to scorn them and laugh at them among themselves.

1 Corinthians Paraphrase:

Paul was the first Christian missionary to preach the Gospel in Europe and the first to preach the Gospel in Corinth where he founded the Church. Paul kept in touch with the young church by letter.

Grace and Peace are only possible from God the Father, through Jesus Christ. Paul let the Corinthian Christians know that he gave thanks to God for the grace of God which the Corinthians had received through Jesus Christ, and for the spiritual growth in wisdom, eloquence, and divine knowledge, which they received by the gift of the indwelling Holy Spirit.

The testimony to Jesus was confirmed among them by their changed lives and by the presence of the Holy Spirit within them. Through the Holy Spirit they would not lack any spiritual gift. They knew that they were to await the revealing of Jesus Christ at his Second Coming on the Day of Judgment, and they could be sure that Jesus would sustain them and keep them free of guilt through his Holy Spirit until the Day of Christ’s return. God had called them to the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ, and God is entirely faithful and able to do what he has promised.

Mark Paraphrase:

Jesus warned his disciples that we must pay attention, be alert and watchful for the Day of Christ’s return, because no one knows when that will be. Jesus said that it will be like a master who went on a journey and left his servants in charge of his house. He told his doorkeeper to be watchful. No one knows when the master will return; he may come at any hour of the day or night, so we must remain watchful and not be caught sleeping. Likewise we all must remain alert for the Lord’s return.

Mark 11 Paraphrase:

Jesus was on his way with his disciples to Jerusalem, where he knew he would be crucified, as he had told them three times (Mark 8:31, 9:31; 10:32-34). As they got near to Jerusalem, at Bethphage and Bethany (both on the Mount of Olives; about 2 miles from Jerusalem), Jesus told two disciples into the village, where they would find, tied up, a colt which had never been ridden. They were to untie it, and if anyone questioned them they were to say that the Lord needed it.

They went and found everything exactly as Jesus had said; and they brought the animal to Jesus. They put their cloaks upon it and Jesus sat on it. Many spread their garments and tree branches on the road for the Lord to ride over. Groups of people went ahead and followed behind Jesus shouting “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Blessed is the kingdom of our father David that is coming! Hosanna in the highest!

Commentary:

God’s purpose has always been to create an eternal kingdom of his people who willingly choose to trust and obey the Lord. God has designed this Creation to allow us the freedom for us to choose whether to trust and obey God, and the opportunity to learn by trial and error that God’s way is our best interest. God knew that freedom to choose would lead to sin (disobedience of God’s Word; Romans 3:23; 1 John 1:8-10) and eternal death (the penalty for sin; Romans 6:23), and he intentionally designed a Redeemer, the Messiah, Jesus Christ, into the very structure of Creation from the beginning (John 1:1-5, 14; see God’s Plan of Salvation, sidebar, top right, home).

This lifetime is our only opportunity to seek and find God (Acts 17:26-27), and this is only possible through faith (obedient trust) in Jesus Christ (John 14:6). This lifetime is our only opportunity to be spiritually “reborn” to eternal life, which is only possible by the gift of the indwelling Holy Spirit, which only Jesus gives (John 1:31-34), only to his disciples who trust and obey Jesus (John 14:15-17). The Holy Spirit is the seal and guarantee that one is in Christ and has eternal life (2 Corinthians 1:22; Ephesians 1:13-14; Romans 8:9b, 11, 15-16).

God manifested himself to Israel at Mount Sinai (Horeb) after he had led them out of bondage to sin and death in Egypt; and the mountain quaked at his presence. God reveals himself and his will to those who are willing to wait for him. But we find waiting hard! We want immediate action, and we are tempted to act on our own; to be “self-sufficient!” We must trust in him and yield our personal autonomy to him in order to receive what he promises. The Lord manifests himself to those who trust and obey God’s Word (John 14:15-17).

God is the only “god,” from the beginning of Creation, who answers prayer and manifests himself. There is no other god; all other “gods” are the creation of mankind’s hands and imaginations.

God has promised to be the Shepherd of Israel, since the call of Abraham. He led Abraham to the Promised Land, and he led Israel out of slavery to sin and death in Egypt, through the wilderness and into the Promised Land as a shepherd leads his flock.

Jesus is the fulfillment, embodiment and example of God’s Word, lived out in this world in human flesh (John 1:1-5, 14). Jesus is the ultimate fulfillment of God’s promise of the Good Shepherd (John 10:11, 14). Jesus is the “New Moses” who leads God’s people out of slavery to sin and death in the “Egypt” of this world, through the “Sea” of Baptism, through the “Wilderness” of this lifetime, through the “River” of physical death, and into the eternal “Promised Land” of God’s kingdom in heaven.

Paul (Saul of Tarsus), the author of the Letters to the Corinthians, is the prototype and example of a “modern,” “post-resurrection,” “born-again” (John 3:3, 5-8) disciple (student) and apostle (messenger; of the Gospel) of Jesus Christ, as all of us can be. Paul was convicted by the Holy Spirit of the risen Christ on the road to Damascus (Acts 9:1-4). He repented (Acts 9:9), accepted Jesus as Lord (Acts 9:5), was “discipled” (Acts 9:17) by a “born-again” disciple, Ananias (Acts 9:10-16), until Paul had received the indwelling Holy Spirit (Acts 9:17-18), and then he began making “born-again” disciples by the guidance and empowerment of the Holy Spirit (Acts 9:20-22; 2 Timothy 1:6), and teaching them to repeat the process (2 Timothy 2:2).

Paul was “discipling” the Corinthian Congregation he had founded by preaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 1:17-25). Paul continued to disciple them by letter. Paul taught the Corinthian Christians to await the manifestation of Jesus Christ at the Second Coming, on the Day of Judgment. He assured them that Jesus was able to sustain them in faith and salvation until that Day.

Paul had not known Jesus during Jesus’ earthly ministry. Yet he was as much a disciple and apostle as the Eleven remaining original apostles. Jesus warned his disciples to be alert and watchful for the Day of Christ’s return, but this warning applies to all people, not just to believers, disciples, and apostles. God has given us his Word in the Bible and in Jesus Christ and we will be accountable for what we have done with God’s Word in this lifetime.

The New Testament, and every authentic “born-again” Christian, testifies that what Jesus teaches is absolutely true and reliable. As we begin to trust and obey Jesus’ teachings, first, as recorded in the New Testament, and then by the indwelling Holy Spirit, we will learn by experience that Jesus’ word is the Word of God (John 14:10, 24b), is completely true, and our best interest.

Every one who has trusted and obeyed Jesus has experienced the spiritual reality of Jesus’ resurrection, and eternal life, through the indwelling Holy Spirit. We have experienced the joy of his presence, and long for him to “open” the heavens and come down, to fill his church and his people with his glory until the church windows and our “teeth” rattle.

By faith (obedient trust) in Jesus Christ, we can be forgiven and saved, no matter how long, great, or numerous our sins. When we experience the complete forgiveness of our sins, we will be happy and eager to pray, work for, and look forward to Christ’s return.

But watch out! Don’t assume that church membership, or some “religious ritual” will save us. Jesus warns that it is not those who call him “Lord” or who call themselves “Christians who are saved, but only those who trust and obey Jesus (Matthew 7:21-24; Luke 6:46). Only a personal relationship with Jesus by the gift of his indwelling Holy Spirit will save us. Only Jesus gives the gift (“baptism;” “anointing”) of the indwelling Holy Spirit (John 1:31-34), only to his disciples who trust and obey Jesus (John 14:15-17).

There are many “church members” and nominal “Christians” who are spiritual “lepers,” clothed in “filthy garments,” instead of the righteousness of Jesus Christ, because they rely on their “good works” rather than faith (obedient trust) in Jesus. There are many nominal “Christians” who are dry leaves, who will be swept away by sin as by a wind. There are many nominal “Churches” today where the Spirit of the Lord has departed, and hid his presence from them and they have not even noticed!

Monday 1 Advent – B
First Posted December 1, 2008;
Podcast: Monday 1 Advent – B

Psalm 85 — Prayer for Restoration;

Paraphrase:

The psalmist recalls earlier times when the Lord was favorable toward Israel and restored their fortunes. The Lord forgave and pardoned the sins of his people. The Lord turned from hot anger and wrath.

O God our Savior, restore us again and turn away your indignation from us. Don’t be angry with us forever. Will your anger extend to all generations? Will you not revive us again so that we can rejoice in you? Let us see your steadfast love and grant us your salvation.

Let us hear what our Lord God will speak, because he will speak peace to his people, to his saints (consecrated to God; holy to God by profession and covenant*), to all who trust and obey God from their hearts. For those who fear (have appropriate awe and respect for God’s power and authority) salvation is surely at hand, that our land would be filled with [God's] glory.

Steadfast love and faithfulness will be united; righteousness and peace will kiss. Righteousness will look down from heaven and faithfulness will spring up from the ground. The Lord will give us what is good; he will prosper our land and crops. Righteousness will lead him, and his footsteps will become our path.

Commentary:

Throughout the history of God’s dealing with Israel recorded in the Bible, when times were good Israel would turn away from obedient trust and stray into idolatry. The Lord would warn them through his Word and his prophets. Often they refused to heed God’s Word of warning, and God would lift his favor and protection from them, like a good father disciplines his children, in the hope that they would return to obedient trust in God. This was true of the destruction of the Northern Kingdom of Israel of the divided monarchy by the Assyrians in 721 B.C., and it was true of the Babylonian exile of the Southern Kingdom of Judah from 587-517B.C.

Judah, the remnant of Israel, returned from Babylon a renewed people, but they forgot the lessons learned in exile, and were unprepared for the coming of Messiah, Jesus Christ (Christ is the Greek equivalent of Messiah; both mean “anointed”). As the result, God removed his favor and protection from Israel, and Jerusalem and the temple were destroyed in 70 A.D. by the Romans. The Jews were scattered throughout the world and Israel ceased to exist as a nation until reestablished following World War II.

In a sense America and the Church are each the “New Promised Land” and the “New People of God.” Both are in a very similar situation now as Israel and Judaism were at the time of Jesus’ first advent (coming). We think we are righteous because of our own deeds, and we take our prosperity as a sign of God’s divine approval.

The Biblical record was written to teach us not to make the same mistakes Israel made (1 Corinthians 10:11). Throughout the history of America, we have experienced times of prosperity during which we turned from obedient trust in God’s Word and to idolatry. Then when times were difficult there was a revival of obedient trust in God’s Word and a return from idolatry, and to the Lord, the Great Awakenings (revivals) of 1734***, and 1799-1800**

Often it is perverse human nature to take credit ourselves for prosperity and success, and blame God for the bad things that happen, so-called “acts of God.” When things are going well we should be careful to heed God’s Word and not stray into disobedience and idolatry as Israel did. When times are difficult, we should recall the times in the past that the Lord has favored us and blessed us, first in Biblical accounts, and then, as we begin to follow Jesus in obedient trust, we will personally experience his favor and providence.

Superficially we appear to be prospering, but more and more work produces less and less. It used to be possible for the average man to earn enough to support his family. Now it takes the work both husband and wife to accomplish the same result.

There has never been a time in America when we have needed revival more urgently. The Lord can revive and restore us personally and individually. God will speak to us personally and individually as we read his Word. The Lord will fill us individually with his indwelling Holy Spirit and cause us to be spiritually “reborn” to true, eternal life.

All of us have sinned (disobeyed God’s Word (Romans 3:23; 1 John 1:8-10). Jesus is God’s only provision ( Acts 4:12) for the forgiveness of our sin (disobedience of God’s Word), and salvation (from eternal destruction and eternal death, which is the penalty for sin; Romans 6:23). Jesus is the righteousness of God who must lead us, and his footsteps will be our only path to God’s eternal kingdom in heaven (John 14:6; see God’s Plan of Salvation, sidebar top right).

Are you ready for Christ’s return? Is Jesus your Lord (Matthew 7:21-23; Luke 6:46)? Are you Jesus’ disciple (John 8:31)? Are you trusting and obeying Jesus (John 14:21)? Have you received the indwelling Holy Spirit since you first truly believed (Acts 19:2)? Are you making disciples of Jesus Christ and teaching them to obey all that Jesus commands (Matthew 28:18-20)? Do you know with certainty where you will spend eternity (1 John 5:11-13; Ephesians 1:13-14)?

*Easton’s Bible Dictionary, “Saint” digital edition, freeware, SwordPROJECT BibleTime 1.6.4 (for Linux KDE 3.5.7) http://www.bibletime.info

**Marshall, Peter, J., Jr. and Manuel, David, The Light and the Glory, “Great Awakening” Fleming H. Revell, Baker Books, P.O. Box 6287, Grand Rapids, Mich. 41956-6287. ISBN 0-8007-5054-3 (paper).

***Marshall, Peter, J., Jr. and Manuel, David, ” From Sea to Shining Sea,” p. 64, Fleming H. Revell, Baker Books, P.O. Box 6287, Grand Rapids, Mich. 41956-6287. ISBN 0-8007-5308-9 (paper).

Tuesday 1 Advent – B
First Posted December 2, 2008
Podcast: Tuesday 1 Advent – B

Isaiah 40:1-1 — Our Lord Comes;

Paraphrase:

The Lord speaks comfort to his people. Tell Jerusalem tenderly that that her struggle is ended, her sins are pardoned; she has received double for sins from the hand of God. Prepare the way of the Lord, a voice cries in the wilderness. In the desert make straight a highway for our God. The valleys will be filled and the mountains leveled to make the ground flat and the rough places smooth. The Lord’s glory will be revealed and every one will see it, for the Lord has spoken.

God’s spirit tells the prophet to cry out, and the prophet asks what the Lord wants him to say. Human flesh is like grass and its beauty like wildflowers. Grass withers; flowers fade, but God’s Word is eternal.

Zion, the herald, is to go up upon the mountaintop and proclaim good tidings. Fear not, Jerusalem, speak up, fear not; herald good tidings. Say to Judah to look and see that their Lord comes in great power. His right arm reigns for him. Look, he is bringing his reward and his recompense.

Like a good shepherd he will feed his flock; the young lambs he will gather in his arms and carry in his bosom. He will gently lead those who are nursing their young.

God’s Word comforts his people. He declares to the Church, his New Jerusalem on earth, that their struggle is at an end. Her sins have been pardoned. God is more than satisfied by her penance.

Commentary:

God’s people are to cry out in the wilderness of this world, announcing the coming of the Lord. We are to level mountains and fill in valleys, to make a smooth highway for the coming of our Lord.

God promised to reveal his glory to all people and he fulfilled that promise in the first advent (coming) of Jesus Christ, and his resurrection from physical death. John the Baptist fulfilled this prophecy of heralding the coming of Jesus and preparing the way by calling God’s people to straighten their ways (John 1:23; Matthew 3:1-3).

God’s Word is eternal and is fulfilled over and over again as the conditions for its fulfillment are met. The Church is to be the herald of the Second Coming of Jesus in great glory and power, to judge the living and the dead (1 Peter 4:5) in the spiritual and physical senses. Every eye will see his coming (Matthew 24:30). He will come with clouds from heaven, the same way he ascended into heaven (Acts 1:11). People will be fainting with fear (Luke 21:26) but there will be no escape from his judgment. Every knee will bow to him and acknowledge him as Lord (Philippians 2:10-11).

Jesus is the right arm (symbol of righteous power; Mark 16:19; Luke 22:69) of God who reigns eternally as King of kings and Lord of lords, by God’s authority (Matthew 28:18). He is bringing his reward, eternal life in creation restored to paradise, for those who have accepted Jesus as Lord and have trusted and obeyed Jesus, and his recompense (retribution; punishment) of eternal destruction for those who have refused to accept him as Lord and have refused, or failed, to trust and obey Jesus.

Jesus is the Good Shepherd (John 10:11, 14-15), the fulfillment of God’s promise to be the shepherd of his flock (Ezekiel 34:12, 23). He leads his flock through the “wilderness” of this world, through the “river” of physical death, and into green “pasture” in the eternal “promised land” of God’s heavenly kingdom (Psalm 23), by his indwelling Holy Spirit, which only Jesus gives (John1:31-34), only to his disciples who trust and obey Jesus (John 14:15-17). The Holy Spirit is the seal and guarantee that one is in Christ and has eternal life (2 Corinthians 1:22; Ephesians 1:13-14; Romans 8:9b, 11, 15-16).

The coming of the Lord is good news to his disciples, the fulfillment of the Angles’ song on eve of Christ’s birth (Luke 2:8-14), but it will be bad news to the enemies of the Lord who have rebelled against him and refused to trust and obey him.

Is Jesus your Lord (Matthew 7:21-23; Luke 6:46)? Are you Jesus’ disciple (John 8:31)? Are you trusting and obeying Jesus (John 14:21)? Have you received the indwelling Holy Spirit since you first truly believed (Acts 19:2)? Are you making disciples of Jesus Christ and teaching them to obey all that Jesus commands (Matthew 28:18-20)? Do you know with certainty where you will spend eternity (1 John 5:11-13; Ephesians 1:13-14)?
Wednesday 1 Advent – B
First Posted December 3, 2008;
Podcast: Wednesday 1 Advent – B

2 Peter 3:8-14 — The Day of the Lord;

Paraphrase:

One of the main themes of the Second Letter of Peter is the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. The Author here quotes Psalm 90:4 to show that God’s timing is different from ours (because he is eternal and we are temporal). For him a thousand years are like a day, and a day like a thousand years. The Lord is not slow in coming. We should realize that a delay is because of his forbearance, his desire that all should come to repentance so that none might perish (eternally). “But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a loud noise, and the elements will be dissolved with fire, and the earth and the works that are upon it will be burned up” (2 Peter 3:10).

Since the things of this earth will be destroyed, we should live lives of holiness and godliness as we await the coming of the Day of the Lord. In that day the heavens will be dissolved, and the elements will melt with fire. The author cites God’s promise of Isaiah 65:17 and 66:22 to create a new heavens and a new earth, and the vision of Revelation 21:1-27 of the new Creation. Therefore as we await the new Creation we should be zealous to be judged blameless and at peace at the coming of the Lord.

God has always intended to create an eternal kingdom of his people who willingly trust and obey him. This Creation is not intended to be eternal; it is a “nursery” to grow “God’s (eternal) people.” This Creation, and we ourselves are limited by time. This lifetime is our opportunity to seek and find God, our Creator (Acts 17:26-27), and to be spiritually “born-again” (John 3:3, 5-8) to eternal life. These goals are only possible through faith (obedient trust) in Jesus Christ.

We have all sinned (disobeyed God’s Word; Romans 3:23; 1 John 1:8-10), and the penalty for sin is eternal death (Romans 6:23). Jesus is God’s only provision for the forgiveness of our sin and salvation from eternal condemnation (Acts 4:12). Jesus is the only way to know divine, eternal truth, the only way to be restored to fellowship with God, our Creator, which was broken by sin, and the only way to true, eternal life (John 14:6; see God’s Plan of Salvation, sidebar, top right, home).

We must be “born-again” in order to see the kingdom of God, all around us now in this present world, and to ultimately see and enter it in eternity. That spiritual “rebirth” is by the gift of the indwelling Holy Spirit, which only Jesus gives (John 1:31-34), only to his disciples who trust and obey Jesus (John 14:15-17). The Holy Spirit is the seal and guarantee that one is in Christ and has eternal life (2 Corinthians 1:22; Ephesians 1:13-14; Romans 8:9b, 11, 15-16).

We have all been created as eternal beings in physical bodies (John 5:28-29). We have all been born physically alive, but spiritually dead. Unless we are reborn spiritually now in this world we will be eternally trapped in physical bodies in the destruction of this present world.

The Day of the Lord is coming suddenly and unexpectedly, whether we are physically living or dead, and it will come for each of us by the end of our physical lifetime. No one can be sure of living until tomorrow, and when we die physically our eternal destiny will be fixed and unchangeable. While we are still physically living in this world we have the opportunity to be saved and spiritually reborn.

We will all be accountable to the Lord for what we have done in this lifetime (Hebrews 9:27), and the standard of judgment will be Jesus Christ. Those who have accepted Jesus as Lord will trust and obey him and will be reborn by the indwelling Holy Spirit; but those who have rejected Jesus and have refused or failed to trust and obey Jesus will be condemned to eternal destruction and spiritual death along with the elements of this present Creation (Matthew 25:31-46).

The only way we can have God’s righteousness (Romans 3:22) and be blameless and at peace with God (John 14:27; Philippians 4:7, 9) is by faith (obedient trust) in Jesus Christ.

If we know that this present Creation is passing away, why would we waste our time and effort pursuing and accumulating the things of this world, and neglect pursuing the things which are eternal? Why would we spend so much effort and money trying to stay physically young and healthy, and neglect our spiritual life and health? Jesus has warned us to seek first God’s eternal kingdom and his righteousness, and all these other things (the physical necessities of life in this world) will be ours as well (Matthew 6:33). On the other hand, if we seek worldly security first, we will never possess it, because it will always take “a little more” than we have.

Putting the Kingdom of God and his righteousness first can and must be done on a daily basis. We don’t have to quit our jobs, give away all our possessions, and wait until we are “born-again” before we do anything else.

The place to start is to make time daily to read the Bible, meditate and pray. I prefer doing this in the morning, and then I am prepared for the day, but doing it in the evening is alright. In that case we should try to recall the message the next morning, on arising. The important thing is to seek God’s will and guidance one day at a time (Matthew 6:11).

Thursday 1 Advent – B
First Posted December 4, 2008;
Podcast: Thursday 1 Advent – B

Mark 1:1-8 — John the Baptizer;

Paraphrase:

The Gospel (“good news”) of Jesus Christ (Messiah), the Son of God, begins with the ministry of John the Baptizer, the fulfillment of prophecy (Malachi 3:1, Isaiah 40:3) of a messenger, a voice crying in the wilderness, calling people to repentance, to prepare the way for the coming Messiah. In the wilderness, John the Baptizer began preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. All the people of Jerusalem and Judea went to him for baptism by him in the Jordan River, confessing their sins. John was dressed in a Camel-hair garment with a leather belt around his waist and he ate locusts and wild honey he foraged in the wilderness. John preached that there was one coming after him who was greater than John; John was unworthy even to untie that one’s sandals. John had baptized with water, but the one who was coming would baptize with the Holy Spirit.

Commentary:

Five hundred years before, God’s Word foretold the herald of the Messiah who would prepare the people to receive him and announce his coming. Malachi foretold the return of Elijah as the herald (Malachi 4:5). John the Baptist was the fulfillment of those prophecies. John was the voice crying in the wilderness (John 1:23) and the fulfillment of the return of Elijah (Matthew 17:10-13). John was the greatest of the Old Testament prophets (Matthew 11:11).

John’s baptism was with water for repentance in preparation to receive Jesus. Jesus himself did not baptize with water; only his disciples did (John 4:2). Jesus is the only one who baptizes with the Holy Spirit (John 1:31-34), only his disciples who trust and obey Jesus (John 14:15-17).

This is still true. In a sense, the true Church is “Elijah,” the “voice crying in the (spiritual) wilderness” of this world, calling people to repentance and forgiveness of sin (disobedience of God’s Word). The Church baptizes with water for repentance in preparation for the coming of Jesus in the Holy Spirit, and for his return on the Day of Judgment.

The Holy Spirit is not automatically conferred by Church ritual (consider John 1:12-13: “the ‘power’ to become…”). The “baptism” (“anointing;” “infilling;” “gift”) of the Holy Spirit is the spiritual “rebirth” (John 3:3, 5-8) within the person. The “infilling” is a discernible ongoing event; if one must ask a religious authority or take their word on whether one has been “born-again” by the indwelling Holy Spirit, one hasn’t been (consider Acts 19:2).

My understanding from Scripture and from personal experience is that water baptism is a covenant between God and the candidate, or in the case of minors, their parents, on behalf of the candidate. God is absolutely faithful. When the candidate fulfills his part of the covenant, by accepting Jesus as Lord and trusting and obeying Jesus, he will be filled with the “anointing” of the indwelling Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Christ, the Spirit of God, the Holy Trinity (Romans 8:9).

Is Jesus your Lord (Matthew 7:21-23; Luke 6:46)? Are you Jesus’ disciple (John 8:31)? Are you trusting and obeying Jesus (John 14:21)? Have you received the indwelling Holy Spirit since you first truly believed (Acts 19:2)? Are you making disciples of Jesus Christ and teaching them to obey all that Jesus commands (Matthew 28:18-20)? Do you know with certainty where you will spend eternity (1 John 5:11-13; Ephesians 1:13-14)?
Friday 1 Advent – B
First Posted December 5, 2008;
Podcast: Friday 1 Advent – B

Malachi 4:1-6 — Elijah’s Return;
Romans 15:4-13 — Hope of the Gentiles;

Malachi Paraphrase:

The day, which will be like a hot oven, is coming, when all who are arrogant and all evildoers will be burned up like stubble. The Lord of hosts (large multitudes; armies) declares that neither root or branch will remain. But for those who fear (have appropriate awe and respect for the power and authority of) the Lord’s name (his person and character) , “the sun of righteousness shall rise with healing in its wings” (Malachi 4:2). We will go forth like frisky calves released from their stalls. In that day, the wicked will be like ashes under our feet, to be trodden down.

Remember the Law which the Lord gave to Moses to be obeyed by God’s people.

“Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the great and terrible day of the Lord comes” (Malachi 4:5). “And he will turn the hearts of fathers to their children and the hearts of children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the land with a curse” (Malachi 4:6).

Romans Paraphrase:

What was written in earlier times (in the Bible) was written for our instruction (compare 1 Corinthians 10:11), so that we might have hope through encouragement and steadfast perseverance. God’s nature is steadfastness and encouragement; pray that he will grant us to live together in harmony with one another and in accordance with Jesus, that together we will glorify God in unison.

So let us welcome one another as Christ has welcomed us, for God’s glory. Jesus came from and for the Jews, to confirm God’s promise to the patriarchs and his Word in scripture. And also that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy (to them). Paul quotes scriptures to show that salvation was given also for the Gentiles. “Therefore I will praise thee among the Gentiles , and sing to thy name”(Psalm 18:49), “Rejoice, O Gentiles, with his people (Deuteronomy 32:43), “Praise the Lord, all Gentiles, and let all the people praise him” (Psalm 117:1), and “The root of Jesse shall come, he who rises to rule the Gentiles; in him shall the Gentiles hope” (Isaiah 11:10).

Commentary:

The Day of the Lord is the Day of Judgment of all who have ever lived in this Creation. It will be a day like a hot oven for those who have not feared the Lord or believed (trusted and obeyed) his Word. It is the height of human arrogance to ignore and defy God’s Word. Doing what is contrary to God’s Word is the definition of evil.

All of us have sinned (done what is contrary to God’s Word) and fall short of God’s righteousness (doing what is right, good and acceptable according to God’s Word; Romans 3:23; 1 John 1:8-10), and the penalty for sin is (eternal) death (Romans 6:23; see God’s Plan of Salvation, sidebar, top right, home).

Jesus is the name of the Lord. Jesus is the image of the invisible God made visible (Colossians 1:15; John 14:9). Jesus is the Word of God, fulfilled, embodied, and exemplified in this world in human flesh (John 1:1-5, 14). The Holy Spirit is the spirit of God, the Spirit of Christ (Romans 8:9), the Holy Trinity. Don’t let anyone deceive you; Jesus is God in human flesh (Colossians 2:8-9; John 20:28).

Jesus is the sun (and Son) of righteousness (characterized as light). Jesus is the sole source of spiritual light and healing.

God’s people have been confined in this present Creation. When the Day of the Lord comes, we will be released from our confinement. Our spiritual enemies will have been eternally destroyed.

The Bible is the Word of God, recorded so that we could learn from it, to avoid the mistakes the Israelites made, and to receive hope and encouragement, so that God may be glorified through us by our obedient trust in Jesus.

God’s people are defined and characterized by obedient trust in God’s Word. God is glorified by our obedient trust in God’s Word.

John the Baptizer is the fulfillment of Malachi’s prophecy of the return of Elijah (Matthew 17:10-13) to herald the Day of the Lord (the first Advent of Jesus, the Messiah; the Christ).

One interpretation of Malachi 4:6 is that adults must become “childlike” (but not “childish”) in trust in their Father (God) and that we, as God’s children, must become obedient to our Father, God. Jesus is the one and only way to accomplish those goals (John 14:6).

The Bible is the record of God’s dealing with his people. God has been progressively revealing himself, first through Creation, then in the Bible, then in Jesus Christ, and ultimately in the gift of the indwelling Holy Spirit.

The Bible has been given to us so that we can learn, from the example of Israel, the nature and purpose of God’s eternal plan. The Bible has been given to us to encourage us to persevere in faith (obedient trust) in God’s Word, Jesus Christ. As we do so, God will be glorified in us!

God has always intended this Creation to establish an eternal kingdom of his people who willingly trust and obey him. This lifetime is our opportunity to seek and find God, our Creator (Acts 17:26-27), and to be spiritually “reborn” (John 3:3, 5-8) to eternal life.

Jesus is God’s one and only provision for our forgiveness of sin (disobedience of God’s Word; Romans 3:23; 1 John 1:8-10) and salvation (from eternal condemnation, death, and destruction in hell with all evil; Acts 4:12; John 14:6). God’s forgiveness and salvation came through the Jews, but is intended for all people, all non-Jews, as well as Jews. When we are “born-again” (John 3:3, 5-8), we will welcome all people, regardless of race, to the encouragement and hope in Jesus Christ. Jesus is God’s one and only “anointed” eternal Savior and Lord of all people.

Saturday 1 Advent – B
First Posted December 6, 2008;
Podcast: Saturday 1 Advent – B

Luke 21:25-33 - The End of the Age;

Paraphrase:

Jesus said that there will be astronomical signs in the sky, and disturbances of nature on the earth preceding the Day of the Lord. Nations will be distressed and individuals will be “fainting with fear and foreboding with what is coming on the world” (Luke 21:26). Then all will see Jesus “coming on a cloud with power and great glory” (Luke 21:27; compare Acts 1:9-11). When believers see the signs Jesus described they are to raise their heads and look upward, because their redemption is coming soon.

Jesus used an example of deciduous trees to illustrate signs of nature. When trees begin to put forth leaves, one can know that summer is near. So we can also know that the kingdom of God is near when we see the signs Jesus described. Jesus said, “Truly I say to you, this generation will not pass away till all has taken place” (Luke 21:32). Jesus declared that this Creation will pass away, but his word will endure for eternity.

Commentary:

This world and everything in seems so solid and unchanging but that is not so. Creation and we ourselves are limited by time. God has given us the freedom to choose whether to trust and obey him or not, and the opportunity to learn by trial and error that his way is good, reasonable and our best interest. But God is not going to tolerate rebellion and disobedience forever.

There is a Day coming when each of us will be accountable to the Lord for what we have done in this lifetime. Jesus has promised to return on that Day as the righteous judge, and he is the standard by which we will all be judged.

Those who have accepted Jesus as their Lord and have trusted and obeyed him will have been spiritually “reborn” (John 3:3, 5-8) by the gift of the indwelling Holy Spirit, which only Jesus gives (John 1:31-34), only to his disciples who trust and obey Jesus (John 14:15-17). The Holy Spirit is the seal and guarantee that one is in Christ and has eternal life (2 Corinthians 1:22; Ephesians 1:13-14; Romans 8:9b, 11, 15-16). The disciples of Jesus will enter eternal life in God’s kingdom in heaven, but those who have rejected Jesus and have refused or failed to trust and obey Jesus will be condemned to eternal destruction in hell with all evil (Matthew 25:31-46).

God has spoken through his prophets, and the Day of Judgment and the accompanying signs have been foretold in God’s Word (Isaiah 13:10; Joel 2:10; Zephaniah 1:15; Revelation 6:12-13). Jesus is the righteous judge (2 Timothy 4:8; Matthew 28:18) with the authority to judge the living and the dead in both the physical and spiritual senses (1 Peter 4:5).

But Christians are not to waste time speculating on the timing of the end of the age (Acts 1:7). We can be certain that it will come within our “generation,” our individual lifespans, because at the moment of our death we will immediately be at the throne of judgment. At the moment of our death our eternal destiny will be fixed and unchangeable.

God’s Word is the only thing eternal and unchangeable in this Creation. Jesus is the Word of God, the fulfillment, embodiment, and example of God’s Word, lived in this world in human flesh (John 1:1-5, 14). Jesus is eternally alive, as any truly “born-again” Christian gladly testifies.

God’s Word declares that we have all sinned (disobeyed God’s Word) and fall short of his righteousness (doing what is good, right and true, according to God’s Word (Romans 3:23; 1 John 1:8-10). The penalty for sin is eternal death (Romans 6:23). God loves us and doesn’t want any of us to perish eternally (John 3:16-17; Romans 5:8). Jesus Christ is God’s one and only provision for the forgiveness of our sin and our salvation from eternal condemnation and destruction in hell (Acts 4:12; John 14:6; see God’s Plan of Salvation, sidebar, top right, home). It’s God’s way or the highway that leads to eternal destruction (Matthew 7:13-14).Luke 21:25-33).

Today is the only day we can be sure of. Today is the day of salvation (2 Corinthians 6:2).

Week of Christ the King – A – 11/20 – 26/2011

November 19, 2011

Week of Christ the King – A

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Podcast Download: Week of Christ the King – A

Sunday Christ the King – A
First Posted November 23, 2008;
Christ the King is the last Sunday of the Church year. It looks back to the first coming of Jesus to Jerusalem on the week before his crucifixion and forward to his triumphal coming at the Day of Judgment and Jesus’ Second Coming.
Podcast: Sunday Christ the King – A

Ezekiel 34:11-16, 23-28 — The Good Shepherd;

Psalm 95:1-7a — The Rock of Salvation;

1 Corinthians 15:20-28 — The Resurrection;

Mathew 25:31-46 — The Great Judgment;

Ezekiel Paraphrase:

The Lord declared that he would be the shepherd of his sheep, and would seek them out when they are scattered by a dark, stormy day. He will bring them out of the peoples and countries and bring them into their own land. He will feed them in good pastures on the mountains of Israel, by fountains of water. They shall rest in lush pastures of good grazing. The Lord himself will be their shepherd. He will give them rest. The Lord will seek the lost, bind up the crippled and strengthen the weak, and will guard over the fat and strong. He will give them justice.

The Lord will set one shepherd over them, David, the Lord’s servant, and he will feed them and be their shepherd. The Lord will be their God and his servant David will be a prince among them.

The Lord promised to make a covenant of peace with his people. He will ban wild animals from their land so that God’s people can live securely in the wilderness and sleep peacefully in the forests. He will bless them and the area around his mountain (Mt. Zion). He will give them rain in season, and will shower them with blessings. The Lord will bless them with fruitful harvests and they will dwell securely in their land.

The Lord will break the yoke of the oppressors of his people and deliver them from bondage, and then they will know that the Lord is God. They will no longer be preyed upon by the nations, nor by wild beasts, but will dwell securely in their land without any fear.

Psalm Paraphrase:

The Lord is the Rock of our salvation let us sing and make a joyful noise to him. Let us enter his presence with thanksgiving and praise him with song, because the Lord is the great God and King above all gods. He is the Creator who has formed the depths of the earth and the heights of the mountains. He created the seas and formed the lands.

“O come, let us worship and bow down, let us kneel before the Lord, our Maker. For he is our God, and we are the people of his pasture and the sheep of his hand” (Psalm 95:6-7a).

1 Corinthians Paraphrase:

The fact of the resurrection is of central importance in our Gospel (1 Corinthians 15:3-4). Jesus’ resurrection was witnessed by over five hundred people (1 Corinthians 15:5-8). Jesus’ resurrection is the “first-fruits” of eternal life for those believers who have died physically. Sin and death were introduced into Creation, by one man, Adam; but eternal life has been offered only through one person, Jesus Christ. But each event will occur in the appropriate time: Jesus is the “first-fruits;” then when Jesus returns, those who belong to Jesus. Then comes the end of time, when all Jesus’ enemies will be eternally destroyed, the last enemy is death. Then Jesus will deliver the kingdom of his people to God the Father. God has subjugated all things under Jesus, and Jesus is perfectly subjugated to God the Father, so that God will be supreme over everything and everyone.

Matthew Paraphrase:

Jesus said that when the Son of man (Jesus) comes in his glory, with all the angels, he will sit on his throne in majesty, and all the nations will be gathered before him. He will separate them into two groups, one on his right and one on his left, like a shepherd separates sheep from goats. To his “sheep” on his right he will tell them that they are blessed by God and will inherit the kingdom prepared for them from the beginning of Creation. They are chosen because they have given food, drink when Jesus was hungry and thirsty, have clothed him when he was in need, and visited him when he was sick and in prison. They will ask when they had done these things, and he will tell them that as they had done it to the least significant of people they had done it to Jesus.

The Lord will tell the group on the left to depart from his presence into the eternal fire of hell, prepared for Satan and his demons, for they are cursed. They had not given food and drink or clothed Jesus when he was in need, and had not visited Jesus when he was in prison. They will deny knowing that Jesus ever needed any of those things, and Jesus will tell them that as they did not do it to the least of people, they had failed to do it to Jesus. Then they will go away into eternal torment and destruction, but the righteous will enter eternal life.

Commentary:

God promised to be the shepherd of his sheep. He will care for them as the Good Shepherd. He will seek them when they stray, will feed and water them in lush pastures and springs of water. He will heal the sick, strengthen the weak, and guard over them all. He will give them justice.

The Lord promised that there will be one shepherd over his flock. The Good Shepherd is the Lord’s servant, descended from David, the prince under God, among God’s people. Jesus is the fulfillment of that promise. Jesus is the Good Shepherd (John 10:11-15), the Son (descendant) of David (Matthew 1: 1-17; Matthew 21:9) and the heir to the eternal throne of David, according to God’s promise (2 Samuel 7:5-13; Psalm 89:20-29).

Jesus is the Rock of our salvation (from eternal destruction; Matthew 7:24-27; see God’s Plan of Salvation, sidebar, top right, home). Jesus is the King of kings and Lord of lords (1 Timothy 6:15; Revelation 17:14).

Jesus is the mediator of a new Covenant of peace with God by faith (obedient trust) in Jesus Christ, which Jesus established on the eve of his crucifixion (Matthew 26:26-28, RSV note “g;” Hebrews 8:8, 13; 12:24). Through Jesus Christ we inherit a new Creation, prepared for us in heaven, where we will dwell securely without fear. Wild beasts and (Gentile; non-Christian) nations and people will be banished. Jesus is the Savior who breaks the yoke of sin and death by the oppressors of God’s people, who are ultimately Satan and his demons (Hebrews 2:14-15).

God’s people are the sheep of his hand; his sheep who he protects and provides for by his power. Jesus is the right hand of God, his servant, who wields God’s power and authority.

Jesus’ resurrection and his miracles of raising the dead, like Lazarus (John 11:38-44) and Jairus’ daughter (Matthew 9:18-26) demonstrate that there is existence after physical death. Adam introduced sin and death into this Creation, and we have all sinned (Romans 3:23) and are under condemnation of (eternal) death (Romans 6:23). Jesus Christ is the one person through whom resurrection and eternal life are restored, and through whom we inherit a new Creation of unspoiled paradise, where sin and evil are eternally banished.

Jesus’ resurrection is the “first-fruits,” the guarantee, that there is eternal life. As we trust and obey Jesus by the assurance of that promise, we will receive the indwelling Holy Spirit, which only Jesus gives (John 1:31-34), only to his disciples who trust and obey Jesus (John 14:15-17). The Holy Spirit is the seal and guarantee that one is in Christ and has eternal life (2 Corinthians 1:22; Ephesians 1:13-14; Romans 8:9b, 11, 15-16).

Through the indwelling Holy Spirit we know and have fellowship with Jesus Christ and God the Father. All spiritually “born-again” (John 3:3, 5-8) disciples, by the gift of the indwelling Holy Spirit, personally testify that Jesus is risen and eternally alive.

God’s Word declares that God has designed this Creation so that people die once, and then comes judgment (Hebrews 9:27); not “nothingness;” not reincarnation. On the Day of Judgment Jesus will return to judge the living (quickened) and the dead in both the physical and spiritual senses.

Jesus is the shepherd who will separate the spiritually living from the spiritually dead. The standard of judgment will be Jesus Christ. Those who have accepted Jesus as Lord, and have trusted and obeyed Jesus will have been reborn to spiritual, eternal life, and will enter God’s new Creation, his eternal kingdom in heaven. Those who have rejected Jesus and have refused or neglected to trust and obey Jesus will perish eternally in Hell with Satan and all evil.

God’s Word promises that those who hate, defy, and rebel against God and God’s anointed eternal savior and king will be eternally destroyed. Jesus is also the rock that will trip up and destroy the wicked (Romans 9:33; I Peter 2:8).

Monday Christ the King – A
First Posted November 24; 2008;

Podcast: Monday Christ the King – A

Psalm 80:1-7 — Shepherd of Israel;

Paraphrase:

O shepherd of Israel, who leads Joseph like a flock, hear our cry. You who are enthroned on Cherubim, shine forth before Ephraim, Benjamin and Manasseh. Rise up in power and come and save us.

“Restore us, O God; let thy face shine that we may be saved” (Psalm 80:3)!

How long will you be angry with your people’s prayers, O Lord? You have abundantly given them tears as bread to eat and tears as drink. You have made us the scorn of our neighbors; our enemies laugh at us.

“Restore us, O God; let thy face shine that we may be saved” (Psalm 80:7)!

Commentary:

Joseph was the favorite son of Jacob (Israel). The tribes mentioned are some of the ten tribes of the Northern Kingdom of Israel of the divided monarchy.

The Lord was visualized as enthroned on cherubim, mythological winged creatures. The Ark of the Covenant, had a “mercy seat” with cherubim on each side, where the presence of God rested (Exodus 25:17-20).

The Lord is the Good Shepherd who cares for his people like a shepherd cares for his flock. God promised to be their shepherd. God did shepherd his people through his prophets, but he ultimately fulfilled it in the Messiah, Jesus Christ (John 10:11, 14), the son (descendant) of David (Matthew 1:1, 21:9); David was the great human shepherd-king, and Jesus was the eternal heir to David’s throne (2 Samuel 7:5-13; Psalm 89:20-29).

The Northern Kingdom was repeatedly warned by God’s prophets to repent and return to obedient trust in God’s Word, but they kept being disobedient and worshiping idols. So God lifted his providence and protection from them and they were conquered by the Assyrians in 721 B.C.* Because the Assyrians deported all but the weakest and poorest to other lands, and brought in aliens from other conquered lands, the northern ten tribes effectively ceased to exist. The remnant intermarried with the aliens and became the Samaritans of mixed race and religion at the time of Jesus’ physical ministry.

The Lord removes his favor and protection from his people and allows them to taste sorrow and scorn in the hope that they will repent and return to obedient trust in the Lord so that the Lord can save them. The Northern Kingdom could have been restored up to the day of the fall of Samaria, but they refused.

When Moses returned from the mountain and the presence of God, his face shone with the fading splendor of God’s presence (Exodus 34:29-35). When the tabernacle was set up, the pillar of cloud and fire that had led Israel in the wilderness (Exodus 13:21-22) descended and filled the tabernacle with the glory of God’s presence (Exodus 40:34-38). Asking God to let his face shine upon us is asking for his favor be upon us, to smile upon us and bless us with his glory. Asking God to restore us and bless us is not going to be effective if we aren’t willing to repent and return to obedient trust in his Word (see Conditions for Answered Prayer, sidebar, top right, home).

*The Oxford Annotated Bible, Revised Standard Version, Ed. by Herbert G. May and Bruce M. Metzger, Chronological Tables of Rulers, p. 1533, New York, Oxford University Press, 1962.

Tuesday Christ the King – A
First Posted November 25, 2008;

Podcast: Tuesday Christ the King – A

Isaiah 63:16b-17; 64:1-8, — Prayer for Restoration;

Paraphrase:

You are our Father, O Lord. You have been known as our Redeemer from ancient times. Why do you allow us to stray from your ways and and to harden our hearts so that we no longer fear you? For the sake of your servants and the tribes of your heritage, return to us.

We pray that you would rend the heavens and come down; that at your presence, the mountains would quake, like when brushwood catches fire and causes a pot of water to boil. Let your name be made known to your adversaries, that all nations might tremble at your presence.

When you did awesome things that we were not expecting, you came down, and the mountain quaked at your presence. No one has ever heard or seen, from earliest times, a God like you who works for those who wait for you. You meet those who rejoice in doing what is right, those who remember your ways.

You have been angry because we have sinned, and we have been sinning for a long time; can we yet be saved? We have all become like lepers, and all our deeds are like filthy garments. We fade away like leaves, carried off by our iniquities like the wind. No one calls upon your name or reaches out to take hold of you. You have hidden your face from us and delivered us unto the consequences of our sins.

Commentary:

God has designed this world to allow us the freedom to choose whether or not to trust and obey God’s Word and the opportunity to learn by trial and error. Sin is straying from obedient trust in God’s Word and leads to more and more disobedience. It hardens our hearts so that we lose the healthy fear of God’s power and authority.

When we trust and obey God he is close to us, but when we sin (disobey God’s Word) he separates himself from us. The long history of God’s dealing with Israel, recorded in the Bible, reveals that when Israel was rebellious and idolatrous, God lifted the favor and protection of his presence from them and allowed them to suffer the consequences of their sin, in the hope that they would realize their sinfulness and repent and return to obedient trust in God’s Word.

Israel experienced the awesomeness of God’s presence when God came down upon Mt. Sinai (Mt Horeb), to meet Moses and give him the Ten Commandments (Exodus 19:3-25). Moses was the mediator of the Old Covenant of Law. The people asked Moses to be their intermediary between God and themselves, because they were terrified to hear God’s voice (20:19-20).

Jesus is our “New Moses” the mediator of the New Covenant of grace through faith (Ephesians 2:8-9), the intermediary between God and ourselves. Jesus is the non-threatening image of God (John 14:9), through whom we hear God’s Word and are able to do it by the gift of the indwelling Holy Spirit, not out of fear but out of love.

Only Jesus gives the gift of the indwelling Holy Spirit (John 1:31-34), only to his disciples who trust and obey Jesus (John 14:15-17). The Holy Spirit is the seal and guarantee that one is in Christ and has eternal life (2 Corinthians 1:22; Ephesians 1:13-14; Romans 8:9b, 11, 15-16). Through the indwelling Holy Spirit we experience the love of God for us, personally and individually.

God is the only true God. Jesus is the Word of God, the fulfillment, embodiment and example of God’s Word lived out in this world in human flesh. Jesus is the only way to know divine, eternal truth, the only way to come to know and have fellowship with God our Creator, and the only way to have true, eternal life (John 14:6). Only by the gift of the indwelling Holy Spirit can we be spiritually “reborn” (John 3:3, 5-8) to eternal life.

If we trust and obey God’s Word and wait for his timing, we will receive what God promises. The Lord will reveal himself to those who remember his ways, and rejoice in doing what is right according to God’s Word (John 14:21, 23).

Jesus is the fulfillment of the promise of God to be our redeemer. He paid, on the cross, the price for our release from bondage to sin and and eternal death, which is the consequence of sin. Jesus is God’s only provision for the forgiveness of our sin and salvation from condemnation to eternal death (Acts 4:12; see God’s Plan of Salvation, sidebar, top right, home).

“Born-again” Christians experience a foretaste of the joy of the glory of the presence of God. We look forward to Jesus’ return in glory and power. We pray “maranatha!” which means “Our Lord, come!” But the Day of his coming will not be joy for nominal “Christians” or unbelievers.

Not every one who calls Jesus his Lord, or calls himself a “Christian” will be saved. Church membership won’t save us; religious ritual won’t save us. Only a personal relationship with Jesus through the gift of his indwelling Holy Spirit will save us.

If Jesus is our Lord we will trust and obey all that he teaches (Matthew 7:21-27). Christians are disciples (Acts 11:26c) who trust and obey Jesus and have been filled with the Holy Spirit.

A lot of “God’s people” have become spiritual lepers. Their flesh is rotting and they are spiritually dead. They think they’re saved because they think they’re “good people,” but their “goodness” is like filthy clothing. They’re like dried up leaves, about to be carried off by their sins like the wind. They may call upon the Lord, but not effectively. God is under no obligation to hear and answer prayers of those who don’t listen, trust and obey God’s Word (see Conditions for Answered Prayer; sidebar, top right, home).

They may seek the Lord, but not with all their heart and soul (Deuteronomy 4:29). They’re not willing to hear the whole Gospel, both the promises and the warnings. They’re not willing to make time daily to read the Bible and seek God’s guidance. They’re not willing to wait quietly for the Lord to answer and reveal his will to them. The Holy Spirit has departed from many “churches” and his presence isn’t missed.

The meaning and purpose of life in this world is to seek and come to know and have fellowship with God our Creator (Acts 17:26-17). Now is the time to seek God’s presence while he may be found (Isaiah 55:6; 2 Corinthians 6:2).

Wednesday Christ the King – A
First Posted November 26, 2008;
Podcast: Wednesday Christ the King – A

1 Corinthians 1:3-9

Paraphrase:

Paul greeted the Corinthian congregation with grace (unmerited favor) and peace from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Paul was thankful to God for the grace of God which the Corinthian Christians had received through Jesus Christ, that they were enriched in speech and knowledge, and their testimony to Christ was confirmed among them (by changed lives). They have received all the spiritual gifts for their benefit as they await the return of Jesus. Jesus will sustain them and preserve them guiltless at the Day of Judgment. God who had called them to fellowship in his Son Jesus Christ is faithful in keeping his promises.

Commentary:

Jesus Christ is the only source of the grace of God and peace with God and mankind. In Jesus Christ, God forgives us all our sin (disobedience of God’s Word) as a free gift (Ephesians 2:8-9, so we have peace with God which was broken by sin.

Paul rejoiced that the Corinthian Christians were growing spiritually, by the guidance and empowerment of the gift of the indwelling Holy Spirit, who confirmed their testimony to Christ Jesus by their changed lives. The indwelling Holy Spirit teaches “born-again” (John 3:3, 5-8) disciples all things and brings to their remembrance all that Jesus taught (John 14:26). It is only by the indwelling Holy Spirit that Christians are equipped, guided and empowered to testify to the Gospel of Jesus Christ (Mark 13:11; Luke 12:11-12; Zechariah 4:6).

Jesus commanded his disciples to go into all the world to make disciples of Jesus Christ, and to teach them to obey all that Jesus commands (Matthew 28:19-20) but Jesus warns them to stay in Jerusalem (the Church is the New Jerusalem on earth), until they have received the gift (baptism; anointing) of the indwelling Holy Spirit (Luke 24:49; Acts 1:4-5, 8).

Paul (Saul of Tarsus) was a “born-again” disciple (Acts 9:1-22) who had been discipled by a “born-again” disciple, Ananias (Acts 9:10-16), until Paul was spiritually reborn (Acts 9:17-22). Paul’s conversion was exceptional for its suddenness, but Paul had been formally trained in Judaism and Scripture, and had zeal for God; he just needed to be pointed toward the Messiah, Jesus.

Paul was making disciples, leading them to be spiritually reborn (2 Timothy 1:6), and teaching them to repeat the process (2 Timothy 2:2). There were people in various stages of spiritual growth in the Corinthian congregation just as in any church today. There were doctrinal and ethical problems within the congregation which Paul was dealing with. New “Christians” had enthusiasm but not practical experience.

There is a tendency among new converts to think they have already “arrived” at spiritual wisdom and maturity. Entry into Church membership, or Baptism, or “Confirmation” or other religious ritual is the beginning of spiritual growth, not certification of spiritual maturity. They must be guided to persevere in discipleship and obedient trust in Jesus Christ until they have received the indwelling Holy Spirit.

New believers in Corinth were causing division within the congregation by claiming loyalty to one apostle (pastor) over another, as if the efficacy of baptism depended on which apostle had done it (1 Corinthians 1:11-16). There are the same divisions in the Church today. Some are becoming disciples of a certain preacher, rather than disciples of Jesus Christ through his indwelling Holy Spirit.

Denominations squabble over infant baptism versus “believers baptism,” and over the amount of water used (immersion versus “sprinkling”), as if that had some influence on its efficacy. Some of the Corinthian Christians were carried away with the grace and freedom in Jesus, and thought therefore that they were free to indulge themselves (1 Corinthians 6:12-20). The same thing, called “Cheap Grace,”* is taught in some “Churches” (Denominations) today (see False Teachings, sidebar, top right, home).

*The Cost of Discipleship, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Collier Books, Macmillan Publishing Co., NY 1963 ISBN 0-02-083850-6. “Cheap Grace” “Libertinism;” “Nicolaitanism;” false freedom from self-discipline; i.e., licentiousness; see Ephesians 4:17-24; 1 Corinthians 5:1-13; 6:9-20. See False Teachings, sidebar, top right, home.

Thursday Christ the King – A
First Posted November 27, 2008;
Podcast: Thursday Christ the King – A

Mark 11:1-10 — Triumphal Entry;

Mark 13:33-37 — Be Watchful;

Mark 11 Paraphrase:

Jesus, with his disciples, was on his way to Jerusalem where he knew he would be crucified. When they got to Bethphage and Bethany on the Mount of Olives (about two miles outside of Jerusalem), he sent two disciples into the the village where they would find a colt (of a donkey) which no one had ever ridden. They were to untie it and bring it to Jesus. If anyone questioned them they were to reply that the Lord had need of it and that they would bring it back immediately. The disciples did as Jesus had directed, they untied the colt, were questioned, and replied as Jesus had told them.

They brought the donkey to Jesus. They put their cloaks on the donkey and Jesus sat on it. Many of the crowd of followers spread their cloaks on the ground and others spread leafy branches on the road for a carpet for Jesus to ride over. Some went ahead and others followed behind shouting “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Blessed is the kingdom of our father David that is coming! Hosanna in the highest” (Mark 11:9-10)!

Mark 13 Paraphrase:

Jesus told his disciples to be alert and watchful (for the Second Coming of Jesus Christ on the Day of Judgment; Mark 13:26), because no one knows the time of his return. Jesus said it will be like a master who was going on a journey and put his servants in charge of his household, and commanded the doorkeeper to be on watch. So we are to watch, because the master could return at any hour of the day or night. We don’t want him to find us sleeping. Jesus’ warning applies to all people.

Commentary:

Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem was a visual “parable.” Jesus is the Messiah (Christ; both mean “anointed”), God’s anointed Savior and eternal King who was to inherit the throne of his ancestor David, the great shepherd-king of Israel (2 Samuel 7:5-13; Psalm 89:20-29). But Jesus wasn’t entering Jerusalem in a chariot, as a worldly king would, but on a young donkey which must have seemed disproportionately small in relationship to Jesus. His followers weren’t armed soldiers on horseback, but they used what they had to give Jesus a “royal” welcome.

Jesus’ disciples trusted Jesus, did what he told them to do and they found the job of fetching the donkey to be just as he had told them. Later that week Jesus sent them to prepare for the Passover feast, the “Last Supper” and gave them the same sort of instructions; and then, as they did what he said, they found it exactly as he had told them (Mark 14:12-16).

Jesus knew beforehand what would take place. He knew and had told his disciples three times that he was going to be crucified and would rise from the dead on the third day (Mark 8:31; 9:31; 10:32-34). Jesus knew, the same way he knew all about the Samaritan woman at the well (John 4:16-19); the same way he knew Nathanael before Jesus met him (John 1:43-49). People who trust and obey Jesus will learn from experience that what Jesus says is absolutely true and reliable. (But we must listen and be sure we understand what he is saying. Jesus will never tell us to do anything contrary to God’s Word, the Bible, or anything which will harm ourselves or others.)

Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem foreshadows his Second Coming at the end of time on the Day of Judgment. Jesus has promised to return to judge the living and the dead, in both the physical and spiritual senses (1 Peter 4:5; John 5:28-29).

Jesus is the ideal judge, perfectly righteous, obedient, and sinless, according to God’s Word. We have all sinned (disobeyed God’s Word) and fall short of God’s righteousness (Romans 3:23; 1 John 1:8-10). The penalty of sin is eternal death (Romans 6:23). We have all “crucified” Jesus because we have all sinned and made his sacrificial death on the cross necessary for our salvation from eternal condemnation. By God’s intentional design, Jesus is the only one who can forgive our sins (Acts 4:12; Mark 2:10; see God’s Plan of Salvation, sidebar, top right, home).

Jesus is going to return on the Day of Judgment, not humbly on a donkey, but with great power and glory, and with his angelic army. Jesus is the standard of judgment by which all will be judged. Those who have welcomed the humble Jesus and proclaimed him Lord, and trusted and obeyed him during this age, will be rejoicing at his Second Coming, and Jesus will acknowledge them as his disciples. But those who have refused or failed to repent, accept him as Lord, and trust and obey him will be condemned to eternal destruction in hell with all evil (Matthew 25:31-46).

This lifetime is our opportunity to seek and come to know God our Creator (Acts 17:26-27) and this is only possible through faith (obedient trust) in Jesus Christ (John 14:15-17). This lifetime is our opportunity to be spiritually “reborn” (John 3:3, 5-8), which is only possible by the gift (“baptism;” “anointing”) of the indwelling Holy Spirit, which only Jesus gives (John 1:31-34), only to his disciples who trust and obey Jesus (John 14:15-17). The Holy Spirit is the seal and guarantee that one is in Christ and has eternal life (2 Corinthians 1:22; Ephesians 1:13-14; Romans 8:9b, 11, 15-16).

Jesus is Lord and Master, whether we acknowledge him or not Matthew 28:18). Right now we have the freedom to choose whether to trust and obey him or not, but there is a day coming when he will command and we will have no choice but to obey (John 5:28-29; Philippians 2:10-11; Matthew 25:31-46).

It isn’t sufficient to call Jesus our Lord, or to call ourselves “Christians,” without learning to know and do what he commands (Matthew 7:21-24; Luke 6:46). Church membership and “religious ritual” won’t save us. Only a personal relationship with Jesus through the gift of his indwelling Holy Spirit will save us.

Jesus’ warning is to all, not just to his disciples. Jesus has given us his instructions which we are to carry out while he is away on his journey. His instructions are in the Bible. We will not be able to claim that we didn’t know or weren’t told. When he returns, we will each be individually accountable to him for what we have done while he was away. His return will not be some day far off. He will return within the span of our individual lifetimes, and no one knows how long that will be.

Friday Christ the King – A
First Posted November 28, 2008;
Podcast: Friday Christ the King – A

Jeremiah 33:14-18 — Righteous Branch;

Colossians 1:12-23 — God’s Promise Fulfilled;

Jeremiah Paraphrase:

God said he would fulfill the promise he had made to Israel and Judah to bring forth a righteous branch for David, who will establish justice and righteousness in the land. Then Judah will be saved and Jerusalem will be secure. And Jerusalem will be called “The Lord is our righteousness” (Jeremiah 33:16).

The Lord promised that the throne of David would never be vacated, and the Levitical priesthood will never lack a man to make sacrifices and offerings in God’s presence for ever.

Colossians Paraphrase:

Paul urged the congregation at Colossae (in Phrygia in Asia Minor; present-day Turkey) to continually give thanks to God who has given us a share in the inheritance of the Saints (those consecrated to God in Jesus Christ) in the kingdom of light (of God’s righteousness). We have been transferred from the power of darkness to the kingdom of his beloved Son, by whom we have been redeemed and receive forgiveness of sin.

Jesus is God made visible, and the first-born of all Creation. All things were created in, by and for Jesus, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible; all authority and power in heaven and on earth has been given to him. He is before and above all things, and essential to the stability of all things.

Jesus is the head of the Church like a human head of a of a physical body. He is the first-born of the dead. He is preeminent over all things. “In him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell” (Colossians 1:19; compare 2:8-9). Through him God was pleased to reconcile all things to himself, in heaven and on earth, making peace by his blood shed on the cross.

We were all once separated from, and hostile to God by sin (disobedience of God’s Word). But now God has reconciled us to himself by the death of Jesus’ physical body, so that we can be presented to God as holy (perfectly consecrated to God), blameless and irreproachable, “provided that you continue in the faith, stable and steadfast, not shifting from the hope of the gospel” (Colossians 1:23), which they heard by Paul’s preaching, and which has been made known to all people on earth.

Commentary:

Jesus is the fulfillment of God’s promise to bring forth a righteous branch from David, the great human shepherd-king of Israel. Jesus is the long-awaited eternal Savior and eternal King, the son of David (Matthew 1:1, 17; 21:9b), the Good Shepherd (John 10:11, 14), and eternal heir to David’s throne. Jesus is the righteous judge (2 Timothy 4:8). Jesus is the perfection of the Levitical priesthood. (Hebrews 7:1-28; NB: v. 11); our great high priest (Hebrews 4:14). Jesus made intercession once for all time and all people on the cross (Hebrews 7:28).

We should give thanks to God constantly for the gift of forgiveness of sin (disobedience of God’s Word; Romans 3:23, 1 John 1:8-10) and salvation (from eternal condemnation and death, which is the penalty for sin; Romans 6:23), which he gave us as a free gift (unmerited favor) to be received through faith (obedient trust) in Jesus Christ (Ephesians 2:8-9). We are redeemed (our release from slavery to sin and death has been purchased; by Jesus’ life-blood), We have been transferred from the power of darkness (evil; unrighteousness; Satan’s power) to the kingdom of light (of Jesus’ righteousness), and receive the forgiveness of all our sins through faith in Jesus.

Jesus is the image of the invisible God made visible in human flesh in this world. Jesus is fully God and fully human (Colossians 2:8-9). Jesus is the Word of God, fulfilled, embodied and illustrated in human flesh in this world (John 1:1-5, 14). Jesus has been built into the structure of Creation of the entire universe. He is one with the Creator, and Creation has been created by and for him. Jesus has been given all power and authority above any worldly power and authority (Matthew 28:18). Jesus existed before all Creation and is above all Creation. He is essential to the stability of the entire created universe.

Jesus is the first-born from physical death to eternal life. Jesus’ resurrection from physical death, and his miracles of resurrection (of Lazarus and Jairus’ daughter, for example; Matthew 9:18-26; John 11:38-44) demonstrate that there is existence after physical death.

God has always intended to create an eternal kingdom of his people who willingly choose to trust and obey God. God has designed this Creation to allow us the freedom to choose whether to trust and obey God or not. But God is not willing to tolerate rebellion and disobedience forever, or at all in his eternal kingdom. This Creation and we ourselves are limited by time and death.

We have all sinned (disobeyed God’s Word; Romans 3:23; 1 John 1:8-10), and the penalty for sin is eternal death (Romans 6:23). Jesus is God’s only provision for our forgiveness and salvation (Acts 4:12; see God’s Plan of Salvation, sidebar, top right, home).

We have all been separated from fellowship with God because of our sin. God took the initiative to restore us to fellowship with him through Jesus Christ. Jesus has become the only sacrifice acceptable to God for the forgiveness of our sin and our salvation. By faith (obedient trust) in Jesus, we are marked by the blood of Jesus, the perfect Passover Lamb, for us to be “passed over” by the destroying angel (Exodus 12:13). By faith in Jesus, his blood reconciles us to God and attributes to us Jesus’ perfect sinlessness and righteousness, provided that we hold fast the Gospel of Jesus Christ proclaimed by Paul and the other Apostles and recorded in the Bible.

The Gospel has been proclaimed for more than two thousand years, and is available in every language. No one can claim to have never heard it. There is a day coming when Christ will return, to judge the living and dead, in both physical and spiritual senses. Every one who has ever lived will be accountable to him for what we have done in this lifetime with the Gospel. Those who have accepted Jesus as Lord, and have trusted and obeyed Jesus will have been spiritually “reborn” (John 3:3, 5-8) and will be acknowledged and receive eternal life in God’s kingdom in heaven. Those who have rejected Jesus, who have refused to trust and obey Jesus, will be condemned to eternal destruction and eternal death in hell with all evil (Matthew 25:31-46; 2 Thessalonians 1:5-10).

Saturday Christ the King – A
First Posted November 29, 2008;
Podcast: Saturday Christ the King – A

Luke 1:1-25 — Conception of John the Baptizer;

Background:

This Gospel is traditionally attributed to Luke, a physician and friend of Paul, the Apostle, who also wrote the book of Acts (see Acts 1:1). It is addressed to Theophilus, meaning “lover of God,” who may have been an individual Christian, or it may be a salutation to all people who love God.

Luke Paraphrase:

During the reign of Herod, king of Judah (37-4 B.C.; the approximate date of the events described here is 7-6 B.C.*), there was a priest, of the division of Abijah (a descendant of Eleazar, the son of Aaron), named Zechariah. Zechariah was married to Elizabeth who was also a descendant of Aaron and a relative of Mary, the mother of Jesus. They were both righteous, living in obedience to God’s Word, but they were childless. Elizabeth was beyond the age of childbearing (Luke 1:36), and Mary was a virgin (Luke 1:31-35).

When Zechariah’s division was on duty, Zechariah was chosen to enter the temple and burn incense, and there was a large crowd of people praying outside at the appointed time of incense. An angel of the Lord appeared to Zechariah beside the altar of incense, and Zechariah was frightened. The angel told him not to be afraid; Zechariah’s prayer had been heard and Zechariah’s wife would bear a son, who was to be named John.

The angel said that many would rejoice at the birth, not only Zechariah and Elizabeth. John would be great in God’s judgment. He would drink no alcohol, and would be filled with the Holy Spirit from the womb. John would turn many in Israel to the Lord. The angel declared that John would go before the Lord in the spirit and power of Elijah. He would soften the hearts of adults to become tender like children’s.** He will turn “the disobedient to the wisdom of the just” (to obedience of God’s Word, which is divine, eternal wisdom), to prepare the people for the Lord (the coming Messiah).

Zechariah asked the angel how this could be since both he and his wife were beyond the age of childbearing. The angel replied that his name was Gabriel, who served in God’s presence, and had been sent to bring Zechariah this good news. The angel declared that Zechariah would be unable to speak until the angel’s message had been fulfilled, because Zechariah had not believed the angel’s message.

The people outside the temple were waiting for Zechariah to come out and wondered what had delayed him. When Zechariah reappeared, he was unable to speak. The people realized that he must have seen a vision in the temple, and Zechariah tried to communicate with hand signs. At the end of his duty at the temple he returned home.

Later, his wife became pregnant, and she hid her pregnancy for five months. She realized that the Lord had taken away her shame among her people because of barrenness.

Commentary:

Until the coming of Jesus, only a few people were filled with the Holy Spirit, as the Lord chose them to be his prophets. John was chosen before his conception, and was filled with the Holy Spirit from birth, and perhaps even within the womb (Luke 1:41).

John was the last of the Old Testament prophets, chosen by God to prepare the people of Israel for the coming of the Messiah. John is the fulfillment of God’s Word of the return of Elijah (Elias) to herald the coming of Messiah (Luke 1:17a; Matthew 17:11-13). Elijah himself did also return but not publicly; it was witnessed only by the three disciples of Jesus’ inner circle, at the transfiguration (Matthew 17:1-2).

John was a descendant of Aaron (the original High Priest and brother of Moses), through both of his parents, and he was related to Jesus through his mother. John didn’t consider himself equal to Elijah (John 1:21); he was merely a messenger guided by the Holy Spirit to call Israel to repentance and point to the coming of Messiah. He didn’t know who the Messiah was until God gave him the sign (John 1:31-34).

The water baptism of John’s ministry was for repentance.

Jesus’ disciples continued the water baptism of John’s ministry (John 4:2). Jesus came to make it possible for all people to receive the “baptism” (gift; anointing) of the Holy Spirit, which only Jesus gives (John 1:31-34), only to his disciples who trust and obey Jesus (John 14:15-17). The Holy Spirit is the seal and guarantee that one is in Christ and has eternal life (2 Corinthians 1:22; Ephesians 1:13-14; Romans 8:9b, 11, 15-16).

The gift of the Holy Spirit wasn’t given until after Jesus’ crucifixion and resurrection (John 7:37-39; John 16:7). Jesus told his disciples to stay in Jerusalem and wait for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit before going into the world with the Gospel (Luke 24:49; Acts 1:4-5, 8; Acts 2:1-13).

The apostle Paul (Saul of Tarsus) is the prototype and example of a “modern,” “post-resurrection,” “born-again” (John 3:3, 5-8) disciple and apostle, as we also can be. He was discipled by a “born-again” disciple Ananias, until he was spiritually “reborn” (Acts 9:10-17), and then, guided and empowered by the indwelling Holy Spirit, he made disciples of Jesus Christ (Acts 9:20), as Jesus had commanded (Matthew 28:19-20), until they were “reborn.” Then he taught them to repeat the process (2 Timothy 2:2).

Paul encountered disciples of John the Baptist who had only been baptized with water, and were unaware of the gift of spiritual rebirth by the indwelling Holy Spirit (Acts 19:1-7). They had been disciples of John, but they needed to become disciples of Jesus. They needed to be guided by a “born-again” disciple as Paul had needed to be guided by “born-again” Ananias (Acts 9:10-17).

Spiritual rebirth is a discernible ongoing event. Anyone who isn’t sure for one’s self hasn’t been reborn. Christians need to be aware of the gift of the indwelling Holy Spirit and to seek “rebirth” themselves.

*The Oxford Annotated Bible, Revised Standard Version, Ed. by Herbert G. May and Bruce M. Metzger, Luke 1:5n, p. 1239, New York, Oxford University Press, 1962.

**The Living Bible, Tyndale House Publishers, Wheaton, Illinois 60187, 1971, ISBN 8423-2250-7

Tags: christian, christian maturity, discipleship, faith, jesus, maturity, spiritual growth, spirituality, supernatural
Posted in Catholic Church, Episcopal Church, lutheran book of worship, lutheran church, Methodist Church, personal devotions., Presbyterian Church, revised common lectionary, scripture texts | 1 Comment »

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