Blazing

When you are living through your life, you don't recognize that you are part of making history.  Or, at least, most of us don't.  Only later do you "wake up" to discover your life and your choices were part of a documented "movement".

The 1960s, which I only remember through the eyes of a child, were nationally a very turbulent time.  The birth control pill had emerged on the scene and changed the social fabric of our society completely.  The generation just ahead of mine began to throw off the "chains" that kept them bound to sexual purity, before marriage and after.  As the Bible predicts, calamity followed.  In reaction to this, the Christian church took one of two positions: either to remain entrenched in traditions or to reach out and win the damaged souls of those who had fallen victim to the sins of the age.  It was an earth-shattering, ground-breaking era, one in which even the "experts" were unsure how to respond.

Today's passage is Ephesians 4:17-24 (The Message) - - -

^17-19 And so I insist—and God backs me up on this—that there be no going along with the crowd, the empty-headed, mindless crowd. They’ve refused for so long to deal with God that they’ve lost touch not only with God but with reality itself. They can’t think straight anymore. Feeling no pain, they let themselves go in sexual obsession, addicted to every sort of perversion.

^20-24 But that’s no life for you. You learned Christ! My assumption is that you have paid careful attention to him, been well instructed in the truth precisely as we have it in Jesus. Since, then, we do not have the excuse of ignorance, everything—and I do mean everything—connected with that old way of life has to go. It’s rotten through and through. Get rid of it! And then take on an entirely new way of life—a God-fashioned life, a life renewed from the inside and working itself into your conduct as God accurately reproduces his character in you.

It was in the 1970s that I became a teenager and realized the gravity of the situation.  Although I had accepted Jesus Christ as Lord at age 9, I saw as a teen the spiritual poverty surrounding me and understood that I was living on a battlefield.  I could either retreat and withdraw, leaving the culture to rot on its own; or, I could engage it with more relevant methods.

In the scripture passage, the Gentiles were the pagan people groups who were not of Jewish descent.  However, as more non-Jewish people (such as the Ephesians) came to know Jesus Christ, "the Gentiles" began to mean any people who reject Jesus Christ and His ways, regardless of ethnic background.  The same is true today.

At first, I chose to adopt a separatist position, in an attempt to preserve the purity of the theology, fearing that in those perilous times, truth would become lost.  Holiness "preserved" by separatism.  Was that the correct response?  I was not "going along with the crowd", for sure.

When Paul was writing, as it is today, sexual obsession and perversion - - the consequences of lives lived in opposition to God and His way of life - - - were (and are) rampant.  Then, as today, Christians are surrounded by people from all walks of life who think that we who adhere to the truths of scripture are wingnuts and whack-jobs.  It is only "natural" to want to withdraw and refuse to engage a rotting culture.

However, that is not what Paul is advocating here.  I'm so glad that, as a teenager, the Jesus Movement1 began as a reaction to the ever-increasing disintegration of Judeo-Christian values in American culture.  I am a product of that movement, which advocated
---standing firm on the Word of God,
---having a personal encounter with Jesus Christ (that is, making a personal decision to follow Him),
---reaching out to serve and evangelize damaged, lost souls
---while maintaining a pure and faithful Christian walk.

We need, desperately need, some "Jesus freaks" today.  By and large, the traditional church, with its "walled off" protectionism has failed to reach the lost.  Church attendance is down, as church members are more concerned with protecting their modes of worship and evangelism than they are with reaching those sin has destroyed.  Watering down the truth message has been another tactic of "the politically-correct church".  Likewise, this has failed miserably.  While this approach does attract more "followers", they merely put on Christianity like a new garment.  Then, as soon as they come to see the emptiness of the message, a gospel that has been eunuched, and the perfidy of those who "claim the name" of Jesus Christ, these new converts throw off the trappings of Christian faith to live lives indistinguishable from the rest of the world.

The pressure on the church of Jesus Christ is nearly intolerable.  The world screams,  "Conform!  Conform!  Conform!"  It's why so many of us, and so many of our churches, ... have.  Yet, I ask - - - "Has this worked?  Have the Gentiles been converted?  Do we see our churches growing?"  No, we see just the opposite, in fact.  The average size of a Southern Baptist church today is about 35 people.  That is the case in my childhood church which, in my small community, ran between 100 and 200 on a weekly basis in the 1970s.

What, then, IS the answer?  Paul expounds on the first part of the answer and then alludes to the second, in this passage.

The first component is what I call "blazing holiness", a way of life that is in sharp contrast to the way the Gentiles live.  This way of living is produced from the regenerated, reborn, entirely new human heart, the heart of one who has become a new creation in Christ Jesus.  It can't be produced any other way.  It absolutely must begin with a "Jesus encounter", a personal decision to adopt Jesus Christ as Lord and master, as King of Kings, to turn from that former way of living and invite Him to reproduce His character in the individual heart/life.

"Blazing holiness" is courageous, with biblical truth as its core and foundation.  It does not cave to worldly philosophies, does not conform to the culture's decadent fashions.  It draws life-sustaining oxygen from Heaven, where Christ Jesus reigns as Mediator between God and mankind.  It is not dependent on the fetid air that surrounds it here for its fuel.

The second equally necessary component is "blazing love" for others.  Holiness divorced from God's amazing love is legalism, which does nothing to win the world for Christ.  Unbelievers see it for the fraud it is.  No, "blazing love" is a fearless love which is stronger than the strongest material found on Earth.  It is a love which can withstand the sharpest examinations and produce the most brilliant sacrifices.  The world cannot comprehend such love, because it is not merely "counterintuitive"; it is incomprehensible.

Paul is not calling us to be a flicker of candlelight in the darkness.  God's Word insists upon this: We are called to blaze!

Dear Lord Jesus, thank you for those fearless, loving, blazing Jesus people of a generation ago.  Most of us are so seduced and lulled into conformity through pressure from the godless world around us.  Please set us on fire, Lord, and give us through Your Holy Spirit the courage to blaze!  In Jesus' name, amen.

Source:

http://shilohworshipmusic.com/ShilohWorshipMusic/The_Jesus_Movement_of_the_70s.html 

The Gift-Givers

This is a frightfully busy week for me, work-wise, which is why I didn't blog yesterday.  An additional reason is that, in the midst of the work-related mayhem, I wasn't up to tackling Ephesians 4:7-12, today's text.  But, I found, as the day wound on yesterday that I missed my time here in the Word terribly.  I regretted not ordering my priorities well.  Here's today's text (NET):

7But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of the gift of Christ. 8Therefore it says, “When he ascended on high he captured captives; he gave gifts to men.” 9Now what is the meaning of “he ascended,” except that he also descended to the lower regions, namely, the earth? 10He, the very one who descended, is also the one who ascended above all the heavens, in order to fill all things. 11It was he who gave some as apostles, some as prophets, some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, 12to equip the saints for the work of ministry, that is, to build up the body of Christ

Here's the gist of it:  Father God gave us His Son.  Then, when Jesus Christ finished the work pre-ordained by God the Father, He was given by Father certain gifts and rights.  He, in turn, gave gifts to us, the members of His Body, the Church.  Not all the gifts look the same or are the same.  He gave to each of us, at the moment of our receiving Him as Savior, the exact spiritual gifts we would need in order to build up His people and to evangelize the world.

Ok, so what is meant by all this ascending and descending?  In these words, Paul is referring back to Psalm 68.  Let's turn there and take a look.  When you read Psalm 68, a long song of praise to God for His triumphing over His enemies, you will notice that verse 18 is quite similar to Ephesians 4:8-10.  The origin of Psalm 68 is that it was written to commemorate the triumphal bringing of the ark of the covenant to Mt. Zion.

When did this occur?  It happened about 1000 years before Jesus Christ was born as a baby (incarnated).  King David had both wanted to build the first Temple in Jerusalem and also to give the ark of the covenant its permanent home there.  But, God decreed that his son, Solomon, should do this.  Solomon built the Temple and the ark was triumphantly installed there, in the Temple's Holy of Holies, where it remained for about 450 years, until the Babylonian invasion.  There it remained, high above all its foes, a symbol of the triumph of God above all His enemies.  This was the first time the Ark had had a "permanent" home.

In his commentary, Barnes1 says this:

 The fact that the ark of God thus ascended the hill of Zion, the place of rest; that it was to remain there as its permanent abode, no more to be carried about at the head of armies; was the proof of its triumph. It had made everything captive. It had subdued every foe; and its ascent there would be the means of obtaining invaluable gifts for people; Mercy and truth would go forth from that mountain; and the true religion would spread abroad, even to the rebellious, as the results of the triumph of God, whose symbol was over the tabernacle and the ark

We see Jesus Christ's triumphal ascension to the throne room of God, after His resurrection pictured in Revelation 4-5.  The Father, seated on His throne, gave to the Lion of the Tribe of Judah, who has triumphed (emphasis mine) a sealed scroll.  Because of his triumph, His finished work, He began to open the seals on the scroll as the Church Age began to unfold.  We are currently approaching the Sixth Seal, which will occur with a mighty world-wide earthquake, when the Church is raptured; and, this will usher in the reign of THE Antichrist and the 7-year Tribulation period.2  But, I digress from todays' topic.

So, Father gave His  Son gifts, and the Son gave us gifts, the first of which is grace - - - grace that is offered to all, even to "the rebellious" (Psalm 68:18), should they turn and accept His offer.  Salvation is offered to every man and woman.  (It is a comfort to me that God has patience and is long-suffering toward those who, for a time, run from Him.)  In addition to that saving grace, Christ bestows on us the gift of His Holy Spirit, and through the Holy Spirit, the various "spiritual gifts".   I've written about those extensively, and won't re-plow that row here.  But, I'll put the links under Sources: below.3

Now, we come to the difficult part of this passage, if you compare it to other related passages.  By itself, Ephesians 4:8-10 seems to say that Jesus was in Heaven, was born (came to Earth), died, was buried, was resurrected and ascended back to Heaven after walking the Earth alive for about 40 days. All of that is true.  But, there are other relevant scriptures, by other writers, which add dimension to Paul's verses here.  Take your Bible and look these up:

• Matthew 12:20 tells us that Jesus was three days and nights "in the heart of the earth".  This goes beyond Joseph of Arimathea's tomb...
• Luke 16:19-28 and Luke 23:42-43 tell us that Paradise and the place of eternal fire and torment were in the same location.  Ephesians 4:9 (NIV) calls this "the lower, earthly regions". This is where the spirits of Jesus and the thief on the cross went after death.
• 1 Peter 3:18-20 tells us that Jesus preached to the spirits in prison who had caused all that mayhem that led up to the Great Flood.  This is part of His "triumph" over His enemies.4

Other sources talk about how Christ changed the entire structure of the abode of the dead with his death, burial and resurrection.  But, that is sort of controversial.  However, I'm not going there (lol!) at the moment....because all of this is plenty enough for one day!

Sources:

1  http://biblehub.com/commentaries/ephesians/4-8.htm

2  Lowe, David W. Earthquake Resurrection: Supernatural Catalyst for the Coming Global Catastrophe. Place of Publication Not Identified: D.W. Lowe, 2005. Print.

3  http://resplendentdaughter.blogspot.com/2015/10/to-each-his-own.html
    http://resplendentdaughter.blogspot.com/2015/10/gifts-small-and-great.html
    

4  http://heavennet.net/writings/did-jesus-go-to-hell-after-he-died/

Moving Rhythmically and Easily

Speaking as a parent, I'd say one of the biggest heartbreaks is when your children live in alienation from each other.  When they are small, you expect a fair amount of fracas ... because they are immature; they are children! Each one is behaving selfishly, wanting his or her own way.  A former pastor used to say that anyone who has children has no trouble believing in the concept of "original sin"!

As children grow and mature, they learn how to behave unselfishly within the family; or, at least, they should.  I was thinking of this as I read today's passage, Ephesians 4:1-16.  Look specifically today at verses 13-16 (The Message).

...{Jesus, the One} working within Christ’s body, the church, until we’re all moving rhythmically and easily with each other, efficient and graceful in response to God’s Son, fully mature adults, fully developed within and without, fully alive like Christ.

14-16 No prolonged infancies among us, please. We’ll not tolerate babes in the woods, small children who are an easy mark for impostors. God wants us to grow up, to know the whole truth and tell it in love—like Christ in everything. We take our lead from Christ, who is the source of everything we do. He keeps us in step with each other. His very breath and blood flow through us, nourishing us so that we will grow up healthy in God, robust in love.

God is our Father, and I do love the aspect of His character that parents us, His children.  (More than one blog post could be written about that, but I will refrain and restrain myself for now, haha!)  Paul uses this illustration to describe unity within the church of Jesus Christ.

I have noticed a troubling trend in the local churches in my part of the world.  A member gets upset about something and leaves. (Sometimes this is because an "imposter" has caused division and other times not.) Often, there is no attempt by the member to dig deeper and find a solution to the problem, because "the grass looks greener" elsewhere.  By the same token, the attitude within the church being left is lackadaisical and prideful, if you can imagine such a combination.  At first, there is hurt and offense that the brother or sister would consider leaving, and that morphs into a sort of stubborn pride that prevents them from reaching out to say, "Wait a minute...let's try to work this out."  Church members are seen, by and large, as expendable.  And, you have a "church divorce".

Other times, this pridefulness manifests as a critical spirit in the church. (And, if your mind just now went to one of your Christian brothers or sisters, well, then, you'd just better hold up and check your own heart.  As the current commercial says, "Check yo'self, Rodney!")
Listen, brother or sister, your local church was not established by the Lord to give you everything you want or to let you have your preferences all the time!  That is not its purpose!  But, sometimes, unless a dear brother or sister gets his or her way, out the door they go.  (You know I am not talking about confronting legitimate major doctrinal heresies, but about minor preferences.)

Focusing on Christ, our Unifier, is key.  When we begin to focus on ourselves and on our differences and/or on others' faults, we move the focus off of Jesus, don't we?  Humility and discipline (as mentioned in 4:3) take the nearest route out the back door.  We stop exercising the gifts of the Holy Spirit.  We wander off the path of our individual calling, to chase some sort of self-gratifying desire.

This prideful behavior breaks God our Father's heart (Eph. 4:30) because it is an example of "prolonged infancy" - - baby Christian behavior.  Even those who are mature in the faith can exhibit it from time to time - - this includes "yours truly".  The point is that we need to be watchful and wary of it, so that "imposters, wolves in the sheep pen" can be called out ... so that our local bodies of believers can "move rhythmically and easily, efficient and graceful" with each other, as we exercise our spiritual gifts.

Look at today's picture.  Isn't that a beautiful scene?  Young and old, celebrating together, some dancing, some clapping, some singing, some smiling, one with hands raised ... among the many expressing themselves differently, we see unity.

Paul's admonition does not only apply to local groups of Christians, but also to culturally disparate groups of believers around the world.  Each locale has its own peculiar challenges, as well as customs.  Here's one example of a culture juxtaposition:  In many countries, it is accepted practice for a nursing mother to nurse her infant anywhere, under any circumstances.  I once witnessed a nursing mother nurse her baby as the gospel was being presented to her by a group of men.  Many in my country would find that behavior on her part so totally inappropriate that it would cause disunity. In a similar vein, behavior in church services has wildly different standards and appearances around the world.  But, unless something in scripture is being violated ... let's retain our brotherhood and sisterhood ... our robust love for one another, so that the world will see this magnificent brotherly love, and marvel at our Savior.

Paul urged believers well in verses 1-3 (NET):

I, therefore, the prisoner for the Lord, urge you to live worthily of the calling with which you have been called, 2with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, 3making every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.

Father, we want to show this lost and broken world Your beautiful Son, Jesus, who created all that is, who became our Savior, who is the Source of everything we are as redeemed souls.  Protect us from wolves, heavenly Father, namely those divisive persons who pretend to be Yours but who are not, who stroke their own pride rather than building up others for the sake of Your kingdom.  Give us discernment and humility, Lord, because it does not "come naturally".  Grow us up in You, Lord Jesus!  Nourish us, so that we will be healthy, robustly healthy, bursting with Your love!  In Jesus' name, amen.

Full

The French have an expression: "Vivez le vie pleinement!", which basically means, "Live life to the fullest!"

I think it would be an interesting thing to do one of those "man on the street" polls and ask people this question: "What does it mean to live life to the fullest?"  Here are a few of the answers I think you'd hear:

• Be goal-driven.  Only you are responsible for your own success.
• "I did it my way!"
• Embrace failure, so you can learn from it.
• Conquer your fears.
• Live to please yourself.
• Live to please others.
• Have a positive attitude.
• Make a bucket list and check it off.

You get the idea.  Some would say that Mark Zuckerman lives life to the fullest.  He developed a product where there was a need, and that product has become wildly successful.  Some would say that Prince lived life to the fullest, but he died relatively young under less-than-ideal circumstances (jury is still out on that one...).  Some would say that Mother Theresa lived life to the fullest.

I guess it all depends on your point of view.

What does the apostle Paul say about a life lived to the fullest?  The Bible's answer is totally opposite to the world's prescription for fullness of life.
Today's text is Ephesians 3:14-19.

14-19 My response is to get down on my knees before the Father, this magnificent Father who parcels out all heaven and earth. I ask him to strengthen you by his Spirit—not a brute strength but a glorious inner strength—that Christ will live in you as you open the door and invite him in. And I ask him that with both feet planted firmly on love, you’ll be able to take in with all followers of Jesus the extravagant dimensions of Christ’s love. Reach out and experience the breadth! Test its length! Plumb the depths! Rise to the heights! Live full lives, full in the fullness of God.

20-21 God can do anything, you know—far more than you could ever imagine or guess or request in your wildest dreams! He does it not by pushing us around but by working within us, his Spirit deeply and gently within us.

Glory to God in the church!
Glory to God in the Messiah, in Jesus!
Glory down all the generations!
Glory through all millennia! Oh, yes!

1.  Paul emphasizes that, in order to live life to the fullest, we must first reach out and experience the love of Jesus Christ.  This begins by opening the door to Him and inviting Him in, to possess you, and to mark you as His by giving you His Holy Spirit.

Many people do not want to surrender themselves in this way.  In fact, they go out of their way to avoid what they view as a capitulation.  The rocker, Jimi Hendrix, typified this view when he famously said, "I'm the one who's got to die, when it's time for me to die; so, let me live my life the way I want to."

I maintain that one reason for their resistance is that they have never comprehended the love of Jesus Christ, which is why Paul emphasizes that our feet must be firmly planted ("established") in this great truth.  To be able to see oneself honestly, from hopelessly sin-plagued sinner to reborn, redeemed saint, and all this due to the magnificent love of Christ, is treasure indeed.  Fullness of life begins here.*

2.   Then, Paul goes on to talk about inner strength, something we all need to weather the ups and downs of this life.  The "downs" can steal away that joy, that fullness, if we aren't watchful.  As we open ourselves more and more to Jesus Christ, He works in us fullness, abundance by giving us His glorious, inner strength.  His Spirit works deeply and gently within us.

Although it is the world's way, our glory-grabbing never leads to fullness of life.  Christians, those who truly know Jesus Christ, recognize that all of our dreams are from Him and all our "accomplishments" are through Him.  And, for this reason Paul extols at the end of this chapter, ascribing all the glory - - -all of it - - - to God.

3.   The capstone of fullness of life is praising and worshipping our incredible God for the things HE has done.  Here is where I tend to fall down and lose some of my joy.  I forget to praise Him and thank Him when my tank is running low.  Satan sneaks in with discouragement and despondency. The only way to fend that off is to re-frame, re-focus on God's truths and then to praise Him for His magnificent work.  Look at Paul here - - - he got down on his knees and not only petitioned God for the Ephesian church, he glorified, praised and thanked God in prayer!  What a wonderful example He provides us in the apostle Paul!

Father, thank you that You made for all those who seek and choose You the path to abundant life. To paraphrase Psalm 16:11 - - - I praise You that You made known to me the path of life.  I'm so grateful that in Your presence there is fullness of joy and that at Your right hand are eternal pleasures! In Jesus' name, amen. 

Sources:

Here are some great, classic books on the love of God.  If you have trouble with this first step, I recommend you check out one of these:

1.  God's Love, by R.C. Sproul  http://www.amazon.com/dp/143470422X/ref=pd_lpo_sbs_dp_ss_2?pf_rd_p=1944687442&pf_rd_s=lpo-top-stripe-1&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=0849910811&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=0ARTXHKD5NTAJ44GD3HG

2.  The Love of God, by John MacArthur  http://www.amazon.com/Love-God-John-MacArthur/dp/0849910811

3.  God Loves Broken People, by Sheila Walsh  http://www.christianbook.com/god-loves-broken-people/sheila-walsh/9781400202454/pd/202454?dv=c&en=google&event=SHOP&kw=christian-living-0-20%7C202454&p=1179710&gclid=Cj0KEQjw3-W5BRCymr_7r7SFt8cBEiQAsLtM8lJ259j7cdPlOZtFmavtBhAgEMuUiTfQcJv428Wp5WQaAnuu8P8HAQ

A Christian Temple

www.ChristianForums.com

If you are like me you have customarily viewed a temple as being a building in which something or someone other than Jesus Christ is worshipped.  The most common association is with the historical Jewish temple, although one no longer exists.  When traditional Jews gather together for worship, they meet in a building called a synagogue.  Then, there's the Yaarab Temple, which is the gathering place for Shriners, the highest order of Masonic worship.  Again, not Jesus Christ.  Then, around the world there are temples to other false gods of Buddhism, Taoism, Hinduism, etc.

So, why is the title of this post, "A Christian Temple".  Christians don't worship in temples....do they?

My family attends church in a lovely building.  It does not resemble a traditional church, which has earned it the nickname in the community "the ski lodge".  Is that our "temple"?  Not hardly. Architecture does not define the Christian temple.  Take a look at what does.

17And he came and preached peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near, 18so that through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father. 19So then you are no longer foreigners and noncitizens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of God’s household, 20because you have been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the cornerstone. 21In him the whole building, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord, 22in whom you also are being built together into a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.

Ephesians 2:17-22 (NET)

Try to realize how controversial these statements would have been to Jews of Paul's day, people who had been trained from birth to conceptualize the Temple as a sacred stick-n-stone building, a holy building, a physical place where the presence of God dwelled.  You might as well tell a Catholic today that the Vatican has been moved to the bottom of the ocean and is now called Atlantis.  It was unheard of, a sort of heresy!

But, the point that Paul was trying to make is that the Christian temple is not a physical building at all.  So, what IS it?

1.  The Christian Temple is wherever the Holy Spirit of God resides.
Now, don't be confused.  God's spirit is omnipresent, which is to say He is "everywhere, all at once". But, being present is not the same as "dwelling".  Example:  you may attend a business meeting. You are THERE; you are present.  But, that meeting place is not your home.
The home of God's Holy Spirit is ever "under construction", because there are always "additions" being built (vs. 22).
God's Holy Spirit's home is in the heart of every believer in Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord.  As more and more people become part of God's family by accepting Christ, God's "home" expands and grows.

2.  Temple Features
What is this temple like?
a.  Its cornerstone, the stone that holds the hold building together, is Jesus Christ.  Without Him, God's Spirit is absent.
b.  It's firm and sure foundation are the holy scriptures, those eyewitness accounts, both Old and New Testaments, from the prophets and apostles.  Any claim to represent God that is divorced from the written Word of God is heresy.
c.  It's building blocks, holy stones, if you will, are WE, God's children...Jesus' disciples.  This makes us members of God's home, God's household (vs. 19).  HE has built us into His home.  And, it is in us He dwells.  Our very bodies are His Temple (1 Cor. 6:19-20).

This means that our citizenship is not here.  If you are Jesus Christ's own beloved, His own dear child, it doesn't matter where your physical body resides.  Your citizenship is not in America or Canada or Ireland or Dubai or in any other earthly geographical locale.  You are a "stranger and alien" in this sin-scarred world, on this battleground.  Your spiritual country's capital is in Heaven, in another dimension of "reality" altogether.

"I have found a desire within myself, that no experience in this world can satisfy;

the most probable explanation is that I was made for another world."
C.S. Lewis

I was reading this morning about the extreme opposition currently raging against a faith-based enterprise in Williamston, KY.  Some of you readers may have visited it - - the Creation Museum, soon to be the Creation Museum and Ark Encounter.  If you have time, read this piece:

https://answersingenesis.org/blogs/ken-ham/2016/05/11/secularists-want-to-hurt-kentucky/?utm_source=facebook-aig&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=facebook-aig

But, if you don't, let me briefly summarize to say that this organization has had to fight Satanic opposition to its "creation", every step of the way!  I was just amazed at the degree of vitriol.  Then again, maybe not.  We reside in a "foreign land"....

Do you see it?  The Temple?  Look at the picture at the top of this blog.  There's one visual representation. I could have chosen many.  No one picture can capture the beauty of the Body of Christ, the Bride ... the Temple!

Father, Son, Holy Spirit, thank you for making your home in me and corporately in all of Your true children.  Please continue to "build us", to make us more holy, a Temple suitable for Your presence. In Jesus' name, amen.

In the Cocoon (Killing the Hostility, 2/2)

I'm writing part 2 of the Killing the Hostility posts on May 11, 2016, the modern-day nation of Israel's 68th birthday, Yom Haatzmaut.  68 years ago, God did a miracle, fulfilling the Old Testament prophecies of Ezekiel 36-39, most specifically Ezek. 37:1-14.  The dry bones live! And, Israel's population is 10x what it was in 1948.1  For your listening and viewing pleasure today:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XgXXJBmwBJg

Now....consider the cocoon.  What began as eggs on a leaf transformed next into caterpillars.  This stage moved to that of a pupa (chrysalis, cocoon).  From that hatched a beautiful butterfly.  Yet, all were stages of the same organism, despite their disparate appearances.

Once again, today's (and yesterday's passage) - - Ephesians 2:11-16 (NET)

1Therefore remember that formerly you, the Gentiles in the flesh – who are called “uncircumcision” by the so-called “circumcision” that is performed on the body by human hands – 12that you were at that time without the Messiah, alienated from the citizenship of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. 13But now in Christ Jesus you who used to be far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ. 14For he is our peace, the one who made both groups into one and who destroyed the middle wall of partition, the hostility, 15when he nullified in his flesh the law of commandments in decrees. He did this to create in himself one new man out of two, thus making peace, 16and to reconcile them both in one body to God through the cross, by which the hostility has been killed.

In eternity past, God saw all and planned all.  Yes, the Jews became manifested as His chosen race from the days of Abraham.  Still, he saw the Ephesian Christians, even then.   He saw every believer "in Christ", even then.  We are all part of the butterfly life cycle.  The Jews were the first manifestation of His redemptive grace through faith (Genesis 15:6; Habakkuk 2:4  - - "the just shall live by faith").  However, the Church of Jesus Christ was grafted in, bound up in the cocoon with the Jewish people from the time of Jesus Christ's resurrection onward.  At the moment, the Christian Church age is continuing to unfold.  But, the end of the story is not yet.

Look, the honest seeker will find that there are hundreds of Old Testament prophecies about Messiah, and that Jesus Christ fulfilled/is fulfilling the ones which predicted the suffering prophet and Melchizedekian priest.  He has yet to fulfill the ones about the messianic conquering King.  That will occur in the "final stage of the butterfly's development".  Two illustrative links:

http://christianity.about.com/od/biblefactsandlists/a/Prophecies-Jesus.htm

http://www.accordingtothescriptures.org/prophecy/353prophecies.html

So, now to the central tenet of our text and the central question from yesterday's part 1:  How do we heal the schism? There is only one path to healing, and that is through "the Way, the Truth, and the Life" (John 14:6), Jesus Christ. Ephesians 2:14 states "He is our peace" - - - not only the Christian's peace but the Jew's peace as well.

Currently, we are like that ridiculous image posted in yesterday's blog - - that of the 2-headed monster, with one eye in each head.  Yet, despite how we act toward one another, in reality, we are all, Jew and Gentile, bound up in the cocoon of God's eternal plan, hatched before the foundations of this world were ever laid.

Through His blood sacrifice, Jesus overrode (but did not negate) the Mosaic Law with His law of love and grace.  His new commandment pushed the traditions of the first century off of their pedestal and re-framed the theology.  At the end of the Church Age, He will return as conquering King.  At that time, the eyes of the Jewish people will be opened, and they will embrace Him as their true Mashiach (Messiah).   Messianic Jews know this truth and have already embraced Him as their Mashiach.

The reconciliation has already occurred, positionally, in the heavenly realm that exists independent of time and space.  God's divine plan is established and sure.  Through the cross of Jesus Christ, the hostilities between Jew and Christian have been slain.

As God fulfilled the Ezekiel 37 prophecies 68 years ago, He is continuing to unfold His plan in our modern time.  As surely as prophecies were fulfilled centuries ago, the remainder will be fulfilled in the centuries to come.  Our immutable Jehovah G-d has promised.  And, His Word can never be undone.

One Body - - Jew and "Greek" - - even so come, Lord Jesus!

Source:

https://flashtrafficblog.wordpress.com/2016/05/11/four-big-things-to-celebrate-on-israels-68th-modern-birthday/

Killing the Hostility

Consider this curious creature, cartoonish though it be.  It seems to have two heads, with one eye in each head.  But, would you say that, despite this, it is all part of the same being, the same life form?  I would say so.

Today's post, part 1 of a 2-part series, will offend, unintentionally, some sincere, practicing Jews and probably even some Christians.  Honestly, I doubt that any Jews (other than Messianic Jews) read this blog anyhow; but, well, there you go.  If you are courageous, please read on.

I've said elsewhere in this blog that I have a great love for Jewish people, firmly believing the Old Testament writings, which record how God chose the Jews to be His very own race of people.  Few things would make me happier than to go onto ancestry.com and discover that I have Jewish heritage, though this is "unicorn talk" for the most part.  (In other words, there's about as much chance of that happening as there is of seeing a unicorn....)

The scripture passage for today is Ephesians 2:11-16.  Paul was writing to Gentile Christians, those who lived in Ephesus.  He was not writing to Jews.

1Therefore remember that formerly you, the Gentiles in the flesh – who are called “uncircumcision” by the so-called “circumcision” that is performed on the body by human hands – 12that you were at that time without the Messiah, alienated from the citizenship of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. 13But now in Christ Jesus you who used to be far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ. 14For he is our peace, the one who made both groups into one and who destroyed the middle wall of partition, the hostility, 15when he nullified in his flesh the law of commandments in decrees. He did this to create in himself one new man out of two, thus making peace, 16and to reconcile them both in one body to God through the cross, by which the hostility has been killed.

The rest of this post will deal with establishing background, reviewing history, which is a necessary context to this scripture passage.

Paul was already seeing the schism between orthodox Jews and orthodox Christians play out in the first century.  It was easy to see the beginnings of this in Jesus' ministry.  Although He declared that He had not come to abolish the Law of Moses, but to fulfill it (Matthew 5:17-20), Jesus was perceived a threat to the established, entrenched Jewish traditions and culture of His day. Accordingly, the Jewish religious leaders riled up a segment of the Jewish people to force the Roman government to put Jesus to death.  Paul, himself, persecuted Christians, whom he perceived to be a cancer on the Jewish religion.

Unfortunately, misguided people have, over the ensuing centuries, blamed and punished the Jews for this "crime" of "killing Jesus", as well as for other "crimes", such as being successful, prosperous citizens.  In particular, the Christian Church has, like an unruly child, persecuted its parent, the Jewish faith. Here are just a few of the atrocities committed against the Jews since the first century.
1.  Jesus as Messiah
Obviously, this was viewed by Jews as an extreme persecution and perversion of their faith. Although there were sincere attempts to reconcile, recruit, proselytize Jews to Christianity during the first century, this attempt was hampered by misinformation spread by the Jewish leadership as well as the Roman diaspora, that destroyed the Temple and ran Jews out of Jerusalem in large numbers.  Still many Jews converted to Christianity, as did many Gentiles.
2.  Early Christian Church Fathers
Satan continued to foster enmity between Jews and Christians through some early church fathers, such as Augustine, who advocated leaving Jews to stew in their suffering, due to their "murder of Christ".  Not all held this view.  (Eusebius was a notable exception.)  But, still, many did.
3. Constantine (300s A.D.)
Widely considered the first Christian monarch, Constantine's love for Christianity was tempered by his revulsion for Jews.  He, along with Hadrian, issued edicts making it very difficult for Jews to practice their faith.
4.  I could go on and on, to talk about the Crusades, Hitler, etc.  But, I'm sure you get my point.

It is heartbreaking for me personally to know that I have sprung from a beautiful faith which has at times been co-opted, besmirched and soiled by heinous actions toward Jews.  I say "co-opted", because such actions are not of God, nor were they advocated by Jesus Christ.  Such actions were, at best, misguided and, at worst, demon-driven.

As Jesus said in Matthew 5, Christianity can no more become divorced from Judaism as our Christian Bible can expel the Old Testament.  Christianity is "Judaism 2.0".  It sprang from Judaism.

As a result of this Satanic persecution (and one can understand why!) most Jewish people find the name of Jesus Christ highly repugnant and offensive.  To even try to talk to a Jew about Jesus is extremely difficult because walls immediately go up.  And, to the opposite, Jews do not try to convert Gentiles to Judaism, as that is generally considered patently ridiculous.

So, what is the solution to this schism?  Can it ever be healed?  What does the Bible (not just the New Testament) say?

We'll resume there in tomorrow's post, beginning with the Old Testament.  Who knows?  We may see a unicorn yet!

Father, I hate this enmity that exists between some Christians and some Jews.  I also hate the fact that even when no such enmity exists, we are so far apart theologically.  This is a schism only You can heal, Father.  I may not see it in my lifetime, but I do trust Your promises, revealed in Your holy Word.  Teach us Truth, O great Supreme Truth!  Open our eyes to see and worship You as You truly are!  In Jesus' name, amen.