Jerusalem

Apr

2011

There’s a Promise Coming – Restoration

“Therefore repent and return, so that your sins may be wiped away, in order that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord; and that He may send Jesus, the Christ appointed for you, whom heaven must receive until the period of restoration of all things about which God spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets from ancient time.” (Act 3:19-21)

Journal,

The eyes of the world are on the Middle East. We are seeing a conflagration (uncontrolled fire) working its way out from the regions of ancient Babylon. The heat is intense in Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan, Lebanon, Israel, Somalia, Egypt, Syria, Libya, not to speak of all the ‘***istan’ nations of the former Soviet Union. Keep in view that all these nations with the exception of Israel, are Islamic.

So much for all the diatribe on Islam being a religion of peace.

The apostle Peter told the Jewish people that Jesus had been received into heaven and would stay there, but would send times of ‘refreshing’ [special moves of the Holy Spirit] until the period of restoration of all things.

What did he mean by the term restoration? The Greek term ‘apokatastasis‘ means a restitution of a thing to its former condition. This expression denotes the times when the ‘fullness of the Gentiles’ is completed, and the conversion of the Jewish nation is at hand.

This was a primary concern for the Lord’s Hebrew apostles. Jesus clearly taught that the kingdom of God would be taken away from the nation of Israel until the day came when they would say of Him, “Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord.”

In Acts 1:6, they asked Him,

“‘Lord, is it at this time You are restoring the kingdom to Israel?’ Jesus responded, ‘It is not for you to know the times or epochs which the Father has fixed by His own authority.'”

The clock is ticking

This is why May 14, 1948 is so important to redemption history. Israel lost her nationhood in the year 70 a.d. She was brought forth again as a nation in 1948, and took her place among the nations. Thus we have Isa66:8 fulfilled;

“Who has heard such a thing? Who has seen such things? Can a land be born in one day? Can a nation be brought forth all at once? As soon as Zion travailed, she also brought forth her sons.”

Then we have this from the Lord:

“And they will fall by the edge of the sword, and will be led captive into all the nations; and Jerusalem will be trampled under foot by the Gentiles [other nations] until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.” (Luke 21:24)

Some like to think that a nation being brought forth all at once has to do with the church. However, this does damage to the prophecy. Notice carefully that it is not simply a nation, but also a land that will be born in one day. The Hebrew for land [’erets] speaks of the earth. The land took on the name Israel on May 14, 1948, and land of Israel once again took her place among the nations of the world.

Without laboring this too much we also need to understand that the nation of Israel today is not the nation she is going to be. The Jews returning to the land is at the heart of Old Testament prophecy. Yet Israel today is largely secular, with Talmudic Judaism in charge of her religious affairs. The fact that Israel is largely secular is not a bad thing in comparison to the Christ-hating Talmudic religion.

(Most Jews do not hate Jesus. There are even Jewish-Christian churches and synagogues in Israel. According to my sources, the number one topic of discussion among Israelis today is about Jesus. The Lord is stirring their hearts. Any hatred towards Jesus and Christians comes largely from Orthodox-Talmudic Judaism.)

The mystery of the dry bones

When God spoke to Ezekiel about the dry bones, it had to do with the restored captivity of that time. However, it had a deeper meaning that would reach forward to the day when Israel turns to Jesus, and call upon Him as their Lord and Savior..

“He said to me, ‘Son of man, can these bones live?’ And I answered, ‘O Lord GOD, You know.’ Again He said to me, ‘Prophesy over these bones and say to them, “O dry bones, hear the word of the LORD.”’

“Thus says the Lord GOD to these bones, ‘Behold, I will cause breath to enter you that you may come to life. ‘I will put sinews on you, make flesh grow back on you, cover you with skin and put breath in you that you may come alive; and you will know that I am the LORD.'” (Eze 37:3-6)

Now lets combine two Scriptures, one from the old and the other from the new. Both with the same goal.

First Zechariah 12:10:

“I will pour out on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the Spirit of grace and of supplication, so that they will look on Me [This is Yahweh speaking] whom they have pierced; and they will mourn for Him [Jesus the crucified One], and they will mourn for Him, as one mourns for an only son, and they will weep bitterly over Him [Jesus] like the bitter weeping over a firstborn.”

Now Romans 11:25-27:

“For I do not want you, brethren, to be uninformed of this mystery — so that you will not be wise in your own estimation — that a partial hardening has happened to Israel [the Christ-rejecting nation group] until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in; and so all Israel will be saved [nation group looks to Jesus]; just as it is written, ‘The Deliverer will come from Zion, He will remove ungodliness from Jacob. This is My covenant with them, when I take away their sins.'”

The sins of the Christ-rejecting Israel can only be taken away when they come to faith in the atonement of Jesus Christ.

The message to Israel has never changed. When Peter addressed the Jewish leadership, this is what he said:

“He [Jesus] is the stone which was rejected by you, the builders, but which became the chief corner stone. And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved.” (Act 4:11-12)

No one can ever be saved aside from receiving Jesus Christ, the Son of God, as both Lord and Savior. There are no exceptions.

A house restored

Let’s come back to what Peter said about the times of restoration:

“…that He [the Father] may send Jesus, the Christ appointed for you, whom heaven must receive until the period of restoration of all things about which God spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets from ancient time.” (Acts 3:20,21)

The Greek term for ‘period‘ is chronos. It speaks of a particular time or space or season of events.

The Greek term for ‘restoration‘ is a double compound. It is only used here. But interestingly enough it is also used by Flavius Josephus for the return of the Jews from captivity, and for the restoration of the year of Jubilee. That is the how the term was understood during the time of Christ.

The period of refreshing and restoration that Peter speaks of has a dual focus. It includes the Church being refreshed during her journey on heart. And while the Church is being prepared for her departure, the Jewish people are being gathered to the land of Israel to fulfill her prophesied purposes. Hence, God is working with the Jews and with the Christians.

For the Jew there is a period of tribulation they must endure before the Savior comes out of Zion. The Bible also gives place for a pseudo-Church during the last hours of this age. (Pseudo refers to something that appears to be true but is not. A false pretender.)

The true church refers to those who are inborn of the Spirit and will not follow anyone other than Jesus, in spite of signs and wonders. The true Church will make her departure from the earth at the proper time. The pseudo Church will follow after lying wonders.

Tears for Jerusalem

Let’s listen to some of the last words that Jesus spoke over Jerusalem.

“When He approached Jerusalem, He saw the city and wept over it, saying, ‘If you had known in this day, even you, the things which make for peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes. For the days will come upon you when your enemies will throw up a barricade against you, and surround you and hem you in on every side, and they will level you to the ground and your children within you, and they will not leave in you one stone upon another, because you did not recognize the time of your visitation.” (Luke 19:41-44)

And again,

“Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, the way a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were unwilling. Behold, your house is being left to you desolate! For I say to you, from now on you will not see Me UNTIL you say, ‘Blessed is He [Jesus] who comes in the name of the Lord.” (Matt23:37,38)

So, will the kingdom of God be restored to Israel? Will Israel really turn to the Lord Jesus and become part with His people? Can it be proved by the Scriptures? I believe it can. For your extra study consider these Scriptures: Isaiah 1:26; Jeremiah 23:3-6; Hosea 3:4,5; 5:15; 6:1-3.

That’s it for now.

Here is your song. Let the Lord refresh your heart. ‘There’s a Promise Coming Down’ by Joy Gardner…

Blessings,

Buddy

Nov

2010

When Zion travails – She brings forth children

The Jewish philosopher Martin Buber wrote:

From my youth onwards I have found in Jesus my great brother. That Christianity has regarded and does regard him as God and Savior has always appeared to me a fact of the highest importance which, for his sake and my own, I must endeavor to understand…I am more than ever certain that a great place belongs to him in Israel’s history of faith and that this place cannot be described by any of the usual categories.”

Albert Einstein observed:

“As a child I received instruction both in the Bible and in the Talmud. I am a Jew, but I am enthralled by the luminous figure of the Nazarene…No one can read the Gospels without feeling the actual presence of Jesus. His personality pulsates in every word. No myth is filled with such life.”

The former president of Hebrew Union College, Rabbi Kaufman Kohler addressed Congress in 1893 in the following fashion:

“No ethical system or religious catechism, however broad and pure, could equal the efficiency of this great personality, standing, unlike any other, midway between heaven and earth, equally near to God and to man…Jesus, the helper of the poor, the friend of the sinner, the brother of every fellow-sufferer, the comforter of every sorrow-laden, the healer of the sick, the up-lifter of the fallen, the lover of man, the redeemer of woman, won the heart of mankind by storm. Jesus, the meekest of men, the most despised of the despised race of the Jews, mounted the world’s throne to be earth’s Great King.”

Journal,

While reading the Jerusalem Post an ad jumped out at me. The ad was by a Jewish rabbi who was coming against Christian missionaries. I thought, ‘What a strange thing for a Jewish rabbi to say.’

See what you think. The ad read:

What Are We Doing Wrong, and What are They doing right? Why Have more Jews Converted to Christianity in the Last 19 Years than in the Last 1,900 Years? Rabbi Tovia Singer – Jerusalem Post [Of course he was out to sell his 24 tape package for $113.]

If I were a Jew reading this ad, I wouldn’t be concerned with buying Tovia’s tapes. I would want to know why more Jews have converted to Christianity in the last 19 years than in the last 19 years?

Let’s see if we can put a face on this. The only place to begin is to…

Take a delve into a bit of history

The Bible of the early Church was the very same Bible used by all the Jewish people. The earliest believers simply studied Moses and the prophets. They did this in light of the new covenant. The Holy Spirit was ever-present to guide these new believers into the wonderful treasures of Christ as found in the former covenant. They began to realize that the entire Bible wraps itself around Jesus.

You can imagine the activity of the Holy Spirit among the early believers in helping them draw on the sacred writings of Moses and the prophets. And even when the memoirs of the apostles were being collected, Paul still admonished believers to never exceed what had been written by Moses and the prophets. (1Co4:6)

Paul’s point is that everything that is taught in the Christian Church must agree with what had been set forth in the former testament. Thus we have the idiom, ‘The new is hidden in the old, and the old is revealed in the new.’

The theology of the early Church did not have the complexities that later came to dominate the Christian faith. For one thing the early believers never departed from the ancient creed of Israel.

Paul wrote,

Yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom are all things and we exist for Him; and one Lord, Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we exist through Him.” (Paul is drawing from the Schema of Israel – 1Co8:6. Cf. Deut6:4)

Grappling with Israel

An issue that Christians have concerned themselves with through the centuries has had to do with our relationship to the people known as the Jews. The issue is not put to rest by quoting Scriptures such as,

There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s descendents, heirs according to promise.” (Gal. 3:28,29)

This Scripture has to do with our salvation in Christ. It was not intended to resolve the relationship of Christ Jesus, the Church, and the Jewish people. Yes, even the earliest Jewish Christians also struggled over the Jewish question.

This brings us to…

The oracles of God

Knowing that a great part of the Jewish nation through their leaders had rejected Jesus as the Messiah, someone asks Paul a question;

Then what advantage has the Jew? Or what is the benefit of circumcision?” (Rom3:1)

Paul’s reply is straight forward. He says,

Great in every respect. First of all, that they were entrusted with the oracles of God.” (Rom3:2)

Being entrusted with the oracles of God meant that while the sacred writings of God were intended for the whole of mankind, they were to be preserved in safe keeping by the Hebrew people. No other people group would have a set of writings that could literally detail future events.

Think about it. Which of the prophets were not of the stock of Abraham? Which of the apostles were not of the stock of Abraham? The Bible we read today was God’s gift, given to the world through the Hebrew apostles and prophets.

Someone may say, “Well, Noah was not a Jew. Nor were Enoch or Adam or even Abraham.” The answer is quite simple. We would not have known about Noah or Enoch or Abraham had it not been for the Hebrew man, Moses.

The world would not have known where the Messiah would be born, and when He would be born had it not been for the prophet Micah and Daniel. Men from the east would not have journeyed so far to find the infant Jesus, had they not studied these ancient oracles.

Paul was saying that the Hebrews alone were entrusted with preserving God’s living words in safe keeping. This trust was for the benefit of all of humanity.

The prophets speak

These oracles would be bound in a book. Some of the things in the book would not be understood completely until an appointed time. The book spoke of the Lamb of God who would take away the sin of the world. Jesus holds the key to the book.

Isaiah wrote,

On that day the deaf will hear the words of a book, and out of their gloom and darkness the eyes of the blind will see. The afflicted also will increase their gladness in the Lord, and the needy of mankind will rejoice in the Holy One of Israel.” (Isa29:18,19)

Notice that it is the needy of mankind who will rejoice in the Holy of Israel. This reaches back to the truth we must not forget;

For God so loved the world.” (John 3:16)

But that isn’t the only question Paul had to answer. Some Gentile believers wanted to boast against the Jewish branches that had been broken off from the redemptive faith. Someone asked him does that not place the Gentiles before the Jews.

His response was,

Not at all; for we have already charged that both the Jews and the Greeks are all under sin; as it is written, `There is none righteous, not even one, etc.” (Rom3:9,10)

About the appointed times

Moses knew that the Lord did not select the tribal people of Jacob because they were more righteous than other people.

The book of Revelation calls attention to Moses with regard to a song.

The song of Moses, the bond servant of God, and the song of the Lamb.” (Rev15:3)

Moses sang about the Lamb. Take time to study the Song of Moses and you will find the story redemption and the history of the Hebrews laid out wonderfully. (Deut32)

In this song, Moses says something about the Hebrew people that may sound strange. He says,

They have acted corruptly toward Him, they are not His children, because of their defect; but are a perverse and crooked generation.” (Deu32:5)

The One they acted corruptly towards was ‘the Rock of Israel,’ the very One of whom the new covenant people of God would be built up upon. What was this defect that disallowed the Hebrew nation from being God’s children? The defect was the sin of Adam. They carried the sin defect as did all the people of the earth.

Peter alludes to this very Scripture on the day of Pentecost in admonishing the Jews to turn to Jesus. It says,

And with many other words he solemnly testified and kept on exhorting them, saying, `Be saved from this perverse generation.'” (Acts 2:40)

The apostle did not want the people thinking that because they were Jews, that automatically saved them.

Moses said more about the times

Would that they were wise, that they understood this, that they would discern their future!”

Moses reaches across history, and speaks of their scorning the Rock of their salvation; that they would be scattered among the nations. Then he says,

In the latter days you will return to the Lord your God and listen to His voice.” (Deu4:30)

Hearing the voice of Jesus is the very key to redemption. Now we come back to our original question. What relationship does the Christian have to the Jewish race? The answer is that God’s redemption plan unfolds itself around this people.

It begins and ends in Jerusalem

Think about it for a moment – Where did the new covenant have its inception? Did it begin in Rome? Did it begin in China? The new covenant was put in place in Jerusalem. Where does it complete itself? According to the prophets, according to the apostles, and according to the Lord Himself, the new covenant will complete itself in Jerusalem. It makes a full circle back to its beginning point.

One day the Jewish people will look at the nail pierced hands of Jesus and ask the question,

What are those wounds between your arms [hands]?”

The Lord will say,

Those with which I was wounded in the house of my friends.” (Zech. 13:6)

The prophet further says that when the Lord returns, His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives. (Zech14:4) The Mount of Olives is just east of Jerusalem.

The wounded or pierced Messiah is a major theme of prophecy.

Isaiah says,

But He was pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the chastening for our well-being fell on Him, and by His scourging we are healed.”

He goes on to say,

Surely our griefs He Himself bore, and our sorrows He carried. All of us like sheep have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; but the Lord has caused the iniquity of us all to fall on Him.” (Isa53)

The wounds that Isaiah speaks of in this chapter are the very wounds that Zechariah says theJewish nation will see in the second coming of Christ.

Paul said to the Gentiles believers,

I do not want you, brethren, to be uninformed of this mystery so that you will not be wise in your own estimation that a partial hardening has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in; and so all Israel will be saved; just as it is written, etc.” (Rom11:25,26)

Paul cautions the Gentile branches not to exalt themselves over the Jewish branches that have been broken off. He reaches into the distant future to explain a mystery. One day, he says, after the gospel has penetrated all the nations and the full measure of salvation has been preached among the Gentiles, an interesting thing will happen. The Jewish people are going to turn to Jesus with a full heart. Then, he says,

All Israel will be saved.” [Perhaps ‘all Israel’ has in view all true believers in Jesus Christ, those of the nations and those of Israel.]

When Jesus wept over Jerusalem, he said,

From now on you will not see Me until you say, `Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord.'” (Mat23:39)

He was weeping over a physical Jerusalem. This can only be fulfilled in a physical Jerusalem.

With this the prophets agree. God speaks through Hosea, saying,

I will go away and return to My place until the acknowledge their guilt and seek My face.” (Hosea 5:15)

What guilt must they acknowledge? They must acknowledge that the Man of the cross was and is the true Messiah of Israel, the Lord God revealed in the Son.

The birth pangs of redemption

At some point in redemption history all the nations are going to make a stand against Jerusalem. It is in this time frame that the Spirit of grace will once again be poured out on Jerusalem. Zechariah 12:9, says,

And in that day I will set about to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem.”

Listen further – Zechariah 12:10 says,

I will pour out on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the Spirit of grace and of supplication, so that they will look on Me whom they have pierced; and they will mourn for Him, as one mourns for an only son, and they will weep bitterly over Him like the bitter weeping over a firstborn.”

What did Jesus say over Jerusalem?

You will not see Me until you say `Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord.'”

What does Zechariah say?

They will look on Me [Jesus/Yeshua] whom they have pierced.”

All this takes place as the Spirit of grace is poured out. The partial blindness is fully removed.

Mourning for an only Son

The terms used in Zechariah, are terms used in the New Testament. He says,

They will mourn for Him, as one mourns for an only son.”

The `only son’ imagery speaks of God’s only begotten son. Then,

they will weep bitterly over Him like the bitter weeping over a first born.”

The first-born imagery also belongs to Jesus Christ.

The greatest revelation of all is that they will know that Jesus Christ is somehow Yahweh incarnate.

The prophet said,

They will look on Me whom they have pierced.”

In this prophetic portion it is Yahweh who is speaking.

Hosea also lays out the great substitution doctrine of Christ:

Come, let us return to the Lord. For He has torn us, but He will heal us; He has wounded us, but He will bandage us. He will revive us after two days; He will raise us up on the third day, that we may live before Him. So let us know, let us press on to know the Lord. His goings forth is as certain as the dawn; and He will come to us like the rain, like the spring rain watering the earth” (Hosea6:1-3)

So again, what relationship does the Church have with the natural race of Abraham?

Paul said,

From the standpoint of the gospel they are enemies for your sake, but from the standpoint of God’s choice they are beloved for the sake of the fathers.” (Rom11:28)

Strange isn’t it. What other reason can there be for this strange attraction Christians and Jews have for one another? Rabbi Tovia said it well enough, ‘More Jews are converting to Christianity in last 19 years than in the past nineteen centuries.’

What did Moses say in this regard? He said,

When you are in distress and all these things have come upon you, in the latter days you will return to the Lord your God and listen to His voice. For the Lord your God is a compassionate God; He will not fail you nor destroy you nor forget the covenant with your fathers which He swore to them.” (Deu4:30,31)

From sea to shining sea.

The prophet said of Israel,

In the days to come Jacob will take root, Israel will blossom and sprout, and they will fill the whole world with fruit.” (Isa 27:6 NASB)

The greatest friends of Israel today are evangelical Christians. We know that one day the promise will be fulfilled when ‘All Israel will be saved.’ Yes, Indeed – One day that nation in the middle east called Israel, will call upon the Lord Jesus.

What does this have to do with ‘Sea to Shining Sea.’ Much indeed. This Thursday is Veteran’s Day. I’ll complete this entry with a video of the Christian warriors of Christian Challenge. And, yes, we love Israel. Her weeping may last for a night but a shout of joy comes in the morning. (Psa30:5)

Much love coming your way,

Buddy

Veteran’s Day Tribute from Christian Challenge on Vimeo.

Nov

2010

The Corinthian Dilemma – The Demise of a Church

Every kind of honor and happiness was bestowed upon you, and then was fulfilled that which is written, ‘My beloved did eat and drink, and was enlarged and became fat, and kicked.’ Hence flowed emulation and envy, strife and sedition, persecution and disorder, war and captivity.

“So the worthless rose up against the honored, those of no reputation against such as were renowned, the foolish against the wise, the young against those advanced in years. For this reason righteousness and peace are now far departed from you, inasmuch as everyone abandons the fear of God, and is become blind in his faith, etc.” – The First Epistle of Clement to the Corinthians

Journal,

The purpose of this entry is to provide a bit of education on the issues that Paul had to deal with concerning the church at Corinth. It is well worth the reading.

Let’s begin with Clement. The afore quote is from a letter of Clement to the Church of Corinth. Scholars are in favor that this letter was written by the traveling companion of the apostle Paul. When Clement wrote this letter both Paul and Peter had been martyred not too many years prior.

Paul speaks of Clement and other workers who helped him;

[They] have shared my struggle in the cause of the gospel, together with Clement also and the rest of my fellow workers, whose names are in the book of life.” (Phil4:3) [Clement lived A.D. 30-100]

This letter by Clement was written either following the destruction of Jerusalem, or just prior. It was only one of several letters written by those who knew the apostles, that were read in the Churches. Clement along with Barnabas, and a couple more writings, were given consideration with regard to being placed in the New Testament canon of Scriptures. The church historian Eusebius held Clement in high esteem. (Clement is in the 1st volume of ANF and is found in the Alexandrian manuscripts.)

What were the problems at Corinth?

There were so many that it would take too much effort to try to address them all. However, there was one very serious situation that called for special concern by the apostle Paul. It had to do with the gifts of the Spirit and in particular the gift of speaking in foreign or other languages.

There is much more to this story. The City of Corinth was less than 50 miles across the Corinthian Gulf from Delphi. To the Greeks, Delphi was considered the center of the earth. There was a stone set in place that was called the navel of the earth. Delphi had the Delphic oracle, which belonged to the Earth goddess, and was supposedly guarded by a serpent, Python. (Keep the serpent Python image in view.)

At the Delphi temple they practiced a pagan glossolalia or speaking in tongues, but not in any language that could be understood. This influence of the pagan glossolalia was strongly felt not only in Corinth, but also in the entire Grecian world. (You can study this in most encyclopedias.)

The way the oracle worked was that a male prophet at the temple would receive a question from an inquirer. The question could be personal, or about government affairs, or whatever. The inquirer would be brought into the presence of a young woman priestess of Apollo who was said to have a “pythonic spirit.” The young woman would speak in unintelligible utterances, often fall out in a frenzy, supposedly through the spirit of Apollo in her, and the prophet would interpret the message.

It seems that Paul encountered this pythonic spirit at work in Philippi.

It happened that as we were going to the place of prayer, a slave-girl having a spirit of divination [puthõna] met us, who was bringing her masters much profit by fortune-telling.” (Act 16:16 NASB)

The issue of gifting

It is important to understand that Paul never took away from their being a gifting from God concerning speaking in other languages. The problem seems to be that certain ones who had been to the Delphic priest were beginning to show up in the congregation, and very likely, even some of the priests and priestesses were entering.

The Christians would have been considered a threat to the Delphic oracle. In addition the Corinthian believers may have felt like they were in competition with the Delphic oracles. This was probably why Paul had to deal so much with the issue of speaking in tongues with the Corinthian church. You don’t find it in any of the other churches.

If you read the Corinthian letters with this background in mind, it will help you appreciate some of the things Paul is addressing. Listen carefully to the language:

Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I do not want you to be unaware. You know that when you were pagans, you were led astray to the mute idols, however you were led.” (1Co12:1,2.)

From this we can assume that some of the Corinthian believers had taken part in the Delphic oracles. It was the spirit of divination that had led them astray. (Keep in view the term, ‘led
astray’. We are going to see it again in Paul’s second letter to the Corinthians. )

Again:

Therefore I make known to you that no one speaking by the Spirit of God says, ‘Jesus is accursed’; and no one can say, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ except by the Holy Spirit.” (1Co12:3)

Someone was speaking by a spiritual power that declared Jesus was accursed. Paul’s contention was that the Holy Spirit would most certainly not say that Jesus is accursed. There is a vast difference between Jesus being accursed and Jesus taking the curse of the Law upon Himself at the cross. But these false outbursts of prophecies were leading the people astray.

Can a person confess the wrong Jesus?

For someone to truly make the confession that Jesus is Lord, would be an act of the Holy Spirit.

Anwk cross - Egyptian godsHowever, can someone say that Jesus is Lord and it not be of the Holy Spirit? Yes, if there is a occultic spirit involved. Paul addresses this issue in his second letter. He says it is possible to preach a Jesus who is not the Jesus of the Bible. (See the book 'The Beautiful Side of Evil by Michaelson.)

Listen to Paul:

But I am afraid that, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, your minds will be led astray from the simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ.” (2Co11:3)

Remember the term ‘led astray.’ There it is again. Paul used it in both letters. In this second letter, Paul is coming even more strongly against the people being led astray.

Notice the background of being led astray is still the ‘serpent.’ The inference may possibly be to the pythonic spirit again. ‘Led astray’ is the Greek word phtheiro, which means to corrupt or spoil. The corrupting is a spiritual deception.

This word is used in Rev19:2, where it says,

He has judged the great harlot who was corrupting (phtheiro) the earth with her immorality, and He has avenged the blood of His bondservants on her.”

Paul shows how this corrupting influence works. He said,

For if one comes and preaches another Jesus who we have not preached, or you receive a different spirit which you have not received, or a different gospel which you have not accepted you bear this beautifully” (2Co11:4)

The Corinthian group was coming under the influence of the occult. There is no other way to explain an involvement with a different Jesus, a different spirit, and a different gospel. You may think this is hard to do, but Church history has proven that this has always been a real danger for believers.

Clement has more to say.

Let’s come back to Clement’s letter which was written after the passing of Paul and Peter. I want to share a few notable quotes from his letter. It gives an idea of what happened to the church in Corinth, and what can happen in a church today if a spirit of occultism enters the scene.

Your schism has subverted the faith of many, has discouraged many, has given rise to doubt in many, and has caused grief to us all. And still your sedition continues.”

“The height to which love exalts is unspeakable. Love unites us to God. Love covers a multitude of sins. Love beareth all things, is long-suffering in all things. … Love admits no schisms.”

“All the generations from Adam even unto this day have passed away; but those who, through the grace of God, have been made perfect in love, now possess a place among the godly.”

“Through envy and jealousy, the greatest and most righteous pillars of the Church have been persecuted and put to death. … Peter, through unrighteous envy … Paul also obtained the reward of patient endurance, after being seven times thrown into captivity … Thus was he removed from the world and went into the holy place…”

Did the Church at Corinth ever revert itself? Who knows. We do have a promise that the Lord will not lose any that belong to Him. It is possible that the Lord simply removed His people to a place of His choosing. But this is speculation

Historically speaking…

Historically there is no evidence that ‘glossais lalein’ [speaking in another language] played a continuing role in the advance of early Christianity. There have been resurgences in this area but they almost always proved to be of the occult. Paul gives the only Scriptural explanation that we can find as to why. Some find this a difficult Scripture, but it needs to be considered.

Paul said,

Love never fails; but if there are gifts of prophecy, they will be done away; if there are tongues, they will cease; if there is knowledge, it will be done away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part; but when the perfect comes, the partial will be done away with.” (1Co13:8-10)

Paul doesn’t say when these things will happen. Some think he is speaking of heaven. Others think he is speaking of the apostolic era. But there is a word that Paul uses that may be the key. It doesn’t speak of heaven or of the apostolic era perse.

Listen carefully. Paul said,

But when the perfect comes, the partial will be done away.” (v10)

If we stopped there, it could easily mean heaven. But Paul continues;

When I was a child, I use to speak like a child, think like a child, reason like a child; when I became a man, I did away with childish things.” (Vs11)

Paul is using a word here that he only uses one way. It has regard to maturity. He said,

But when the perfect (teleois) comes, the partial will be done away.”

I can’t emphasis enough the usage of this word. It is never used with regard to heaven. It means when something reaches its desired goal, or a state of maturity. What did Paul mean by perfect? It is possible that he had the transition of covenants in view.

The new covenant taking its place

Listen to this statement in Hebrews 8:13;

When He said, ‘a new covenant,’ He has made the first obsolete. But whatever is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to disappear.”

The old covenant had not disappeared as long as the temple was visible. As long as the temple sacrifices were in place the former covenant was still visible for all to see. This was a special time in the changing of covenants. Many of the people were still thinking on an old covenant level. They did not have the spiritual maturity that would replace entirely the old.

The temple sacrifices offered no atonement for sin. Yet a great many of the priests had received Jesus as Lord, and still involved in temple sacrifices. (Cf. Acts 6:7)

The book of Hebrews was written not long before the destruction of Jerusalem. It was like a final warning to the Jewish people.

The prophets testimony

This brings us back to the prophet’s testimony concerning the purpose of ‘glossais lalein’, that is, speaking in other languages. God speaking in Isaiah 28:11,12, said,

Indeed He will speak to this (Jewish) people through stammering lips and a foreign tongue … but they would not listen.”

Follow through with Isaiah 28:13;

… they may go and stumble backward, be broken, snared and taken captive.”

This is exactly what happened in 70 a.d. The temple was destroyed, Jerusalem burned to the ground, and the people were taken captivity into the nations. In addition, there was no longer any visible evidence of the former covenant in place. The transition was over.

What had happened? The superior covenant was fully in place. This is likely what Paul had in mind, when he said that prophecy would be done away with and tongues would cease. These things would be replaced by something superior, that is, a mature spiritual walk with the Lord, where each child of God is able to hear from the Lord for himself.

And this is where believers today need to learn to live their life on a new covenant level. When Paul speaks of prophecy, it is likely he was speaking of a prophet sharing from the voice of God. Yet in the new covenant experience, that is not God’s best. One of the defining marks of the new covenant is that every person hears God personally. Jesus said,

My sheep know My voice, and another they will not follow.”

Notice how the book of Hebrews begins;

God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways, in these last days has spoken to us in His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the world.” (1:1,2)

God now speaks to His people through the voice of His Son. The Old Testament prophetic ministry had come to a close. We see this on the Mount of Transfiguration. When Moses and Elijah disappeared we hear a voice from heaven,

This is My beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; LISTEN TO HIM.” (Caps for emphasis only.)

Did not Jesus say that the law and the prophets were until John?

In the new covenant every true believer has the attending voice of Jesus speaking into his or her life. This is one of the validating factors that we have entered the kingdom of the beloved Son.

In the former covenant, you had to seek out a prophet. Not so in the covenant of Christ. God spoke through the prophet, and said,

For all will know Me, from the least to the greatest of them. For I will be merciful to their iniquities, and I will remember their sins no more.”

Time for a check up

And here is where we need to use caution. Paul did not say that these elements of prophecy and speaking in other languages would be ‘destroyed.’ What he said was that they would be rendered useless, or, ‘idled.’ Paul was simply telling the Corinthians, not to get over-focused on these particular gifts. There is no question that the Lord can speak to us through others. But to go about seeking a prophet today can do much damage to a believer’s walk with the Lord.

I realize everyone has their own thoughts, opinions, and experiences. But in the study of Scriptures, it is important not to let our experiences determine what we believe. We must learn to be true to the Scriptures.

Everything I have shared in this entry is for educational purposes. My advice to believers today is to remain on guard against any form of occultism. Familiar (pythonic) spirits love to enter into congregations and play off as being from the Lord.

Here is your song for today. Please listen to it. It is titled, ‘In Christ Alone.’

May the Lord’s blessings rest upon you and all that is yours,

In Christ always,

Buddy

Aug

2010

Under the Shelter of His Wings…

“May the LORD reward your work, and your wages be full from the LORD, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to seek refuge.” Ruth 2:12 nasb – (Boaz to Ruth)

Readers,

Before I venture into the subject, ‘The Shelter of His Wings,‘ for those interested, here is a list of my top journal entries that are presently receiving the largest number of readers:

“Speaking in Other Languages” – http://buddymartin.net/blog/2009/12/speaking-in-other-languages/

“Walking Down Memory Lane” – http://buddymartin.net/blog/2010/08/walking-down-memory-lane-gods-faithfulness/

“Mercy Triumphs Over Judgment” – http://buddymartin.net/blog/2009/11/mercy-triumphs-over-judgment/

“Passing Through the Valley of Baca” – http://buddymartin.net/blog/2010/01/passing-through-the-valley-of-baca/

And now…

Under The Shelter of His Wings

There was a lady who suffered greatly from a female disorder. Hearing about Jesus, she said to herself, “If I only touch His garment¹, I will get well.” (Mt9:21) We don’t often catch what she was really saying. The part of His garment she wanted to touch was the fringe (tassel) of His cloak. (¹The Luke account has krispedon for garment, which literally means ‘fringe’ or ‘tassel.’)

The ancient Jews had a tradition concerning the fringe of the cloak that had to do with God’s Messiah, and of His healing presence. The background for this came from God’s commandment to Moses, saying,

“Speak to the sons of Israel, and tell them that they shall make for themselves tassels on the corners of their garments throughout their generations, and that they shall put on the tassel of each corner a cord of blue.”(Num15:38)

The cord of blue was said to represent the throne of glory, or the heavenly life. Over time these tassels took on the term ‘wings.’ Keep this in mind and you’ll have a bit more insight into those Scriptures that speak of God’s wings and why the lady wanted to touch the garment (tassels) of Jesus.

Listen:

“He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty … He will cover you with His pinions, and under His wings you may seek refuge.” (Ps91:1,4)

And,

“But for you who fear My name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its wings; and you will go forth and skip about like calves from the stall.” (Mal4:2)

Then we hear Jesus say,

“Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, the way a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were unwilling.” (Mt23:37)

The language that Jesus uses here speaks to who He really is. The Lord God in the person of His Messiah, walked the land of Israel. The leadership refused Him. Isaiah speaks of Jesus as God Himself:

“Get yourself up on a high mountain, O Zion, bearer of good news [the gospel], lift up your voice mightily, O Jerusalem, [message of the apostles]; lift it up, do not fear. Say to the cities of Judah, ‘Here is your God.'” (Isa40:9)

Take time to read this larger prophecy. I’ll break it down by portions for emphasis:

“Who has believed our message? And to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed?

“For He grew up before Him like a tender shoot, and like a root out of parched ground; He has no stately form or majesty that we should look upon Him, nor appearance that we should be attracted to Him.

“He was despised and forsaken of men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; and like one from whom men hide their face He was despised, and we did not esteem Him.

“Surely our griefs He Himself bore, and our sorrows He carried; yet we ourselves esteemed Him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But He was pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; thechastening for our well-being fell upon Him, and by His scourging we are healed.

“All of us like sheep have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; but the LORD has caused the iniquity of us all To fall on Him.

“He was oppressed and He was afflicted, yet He did not open His mouth; like a lamb that is led to slaughter, and like a sheep that is silent before its shearers, so He did not open His mouth.

“By oppression and judgment He was taken away; and as for His generation, who considered that He was cut off out of the land of the living for the transgression of my people, to whom the stroke was due?” (Isa 53:1-8 NASB)

But there were those who believed that Jesus was the Messiah.

This is why the peoples crowded around Jesus, hoping just to touch the fringes of His garment. Notice how deeply felt this belief was concerning the garment of Messiah.

“Wherever He entered villages, or cities, or countryside, they were laying the sick in the market places, and imploring Him that they might just touch the fringe of His cloak; and as many as touched it were cured.” (Mar6:56)

Keep in mind that to the people the blue fringe represented the throne of glory and the heavenly life. The heavenly life was walking among them. They were taught that the Messiah would bring with Him the very life of God.

But a question remains —

Does this idea of the wings of God have any relationship to the sacred Scriptures themselves? Can the heavenly life be found in the Bible? …

Paul said that the Scriptures carry in them the very breath of God. The Bible comes to us from the throne of glory. Therefore it can be said that when we believe the message of God’s Messiah that flows through the Scriptures, that in our believing we actually come under the shelter of His wings.

However, it is important to understand that it isn’t simply the Bible in itself that causes miracles and gives us the answers that we need. It is the heavenly voice that speaks to us from the Scriptures. Make this distinction and you have the true essence of why we love the book of heaven so deeply, and why we can say that the Bible is imbued with the life of Jesus.

Once again let’s hear the prophet…

Is it any wonder why the book of Isaiah is spoken of as the fifth gospel. When Jesus opens the scroll of Isaiah, He begins to read,

“The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor. He has sent Me to proclaim release to the captives, and recovery of sight to the blind, to set free those who are oppressed, to proclaim the favorable year of the Lord.” (Cf. Luke 4:16-22)

What happens next? The people are astonished at what they are hearing. They were wondering at the gracious words that were flowing from His lips. What made the difference in this case? It was Jesus speaking from the Scriptures. The people were hearing a living voice speaking from the book of heaven. It is the voice of heaven that makes the Bible the book of heaven.

Once again listen to the prophet:

“On that day the [spiritually] deaf will hear words of a book [gospel], and out of their gloom and darkness the eyes of the blind will see. The afflicted also will increase their gladness in the LORD, And the needy of mankind will rejoice in the Holy One of Israel.” (Isa 29:18-19 NASB)

The apostolic writer said that the entire Bible wraps around Jesus as a scroll.

Jesus said to the Jewish leaders,

“You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; it is these that testify about Me.” (Jn5:39)

And again,

“Therefore, when He comes into the world, He says, ‘Sacrifice and offerings You have not desired and sacrifices for sin You have taken no pleasure’ … Then I said, ‘Behold, I have come (in the scroll [or volume] of the book it is written of Me) to do Your will, O God.’” (Heb10:5-7)

The term for ’scroll’ is a reference to the total volume of the book and to the spindle around which the scroll wraps itself. The picture being presented is Jesus as the spindle around which the entire Bible wraps itself.

The blue thread of heaven…

Now back to the lady with the issue of blood. She had been taught that the blue thread in the fringe (tassel) represented the throne of glory and the heavenly life. She saw Jesus as that heavenly life that comes from the throne of God. It was her faith in Jesus as the heavenly life that brought her healing.

It takes awhile for the child of God to understand the principle of how God speaks to us. This is why it is so important for the believer to be in the congregation of God’s holy people. As the man of God speaks from the Scriptures, we began to hear the Lord speaking to our own hearts. It isn’t the man of God who is speaking to us. It is the Lord speaking from the book of heaven. This is what Jesus is speaking of when He said,

“For where two or three have gathered together in My name, I am there in their midst.” (Mt18:20 – He is present in His Word.)

Is the Bible a living book to you or do you just use it to argue doctrine? Everything rests upon how you view the Scriptures.

These are the hard questions — But there is an issue involved. Do you really know the Lord, or do you simply know some form of religion? What think ye? Is the Bible the book of heaven?

Think about it.

Here is your song by Carmen. (Tell Me the Story of Jesus, I Surrender All, What A Friend We Have in Jesus.)

I love you with the love of Jesus,.

Buddy

Jul

2010

When the Nations Shutter and Shake…

“And His voice shook the earth then, but now He has promised, saying, ‘YET ONCE MORE I WILL SHAKE NOT ONLY THE EARTH, BUT ALSO THE HEAVEN.’” Heb12:25,26)

Readers,

The eyes of the world remain focused on the Middle East. We are seeing an uncontrolled fire storm that began working its way out from the environs of ancient Babylon. The fire continues to break out here and yon. Right now the fire is burning intensely in Afghanistan. Break outs continue in Iraq, Lebanon, Israel, Somalia, not to speak of all the ‘***istan’ nations of the former Soviet Union. The fire in Iran continues to smolder.

What’s it all about? Believe it or not, the final thrust of anti-Christ Islam will be on Jerusalem. It all ends in Jerusalem. That is where the story of redemption had its beginning and that is where it has its ending. Jesus Christ is returning to Jerusalem.

As I have often said, the Bible is the only book under heaven that records history before it happens. As for Christians, we have our instructions. Jesus said that men’s hearts would began to fail because of the things coming on the earth. Not so with God’s people.

Jesus said,

“Do not let your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father’s house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you. If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also.” (Joh 14:1-3 NASB)

And again,

“Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful. You heard that I said to you, ‘I go away, and I will come to you.’ If you loved Me, you would have rejoiced because I go to the Father, for the Father is greater than I. Now I have told you before it happens, so that when it happens, you may believe.” (Joh 14:27-29 NASB)

The war over souls

You can be sure that all the wars fought on this planet have a spiritual backdrop to them. From time immemorial warfare has always been about the minds and souls of men and women. So while believers are told to remain focused on Jesus, the fact remains that we are engaged with spiritual forces. In the midst of all this we are told to keep ourselves aligned with the victory of Christ.

With this in mind I want to share part of a counseling session I had with a brother in Iraq. The enemy was playing with his mind. I was able to help him regain his footing.

Bob: I know the enemy is the “prince of the air” and I try to keep myself covered in prayer because of all the Muslim prayers that are broadcast over P.A. systems all around me 5 times a day.

Buddy: You are most correct that the enemy is called ‘prince of the air.’ Your situation is unique because of where you are. Islam is actually antichrist. Most people do not realize this. Satan has been preparing his antichrist armies for 1400 years in preparation for the count down.

I don’t mean to begin on a negative note, but it is very important that you understand this. Where you are, the ‘thoughts’ of darkness will be everywhere. This is why you are having battles in your mind. To ‘hear’ Muslim prayers 5 times a day is certainly a downer.

Bob: Lately I’ve started having troubling questions pop into my mind, even when I’m in prayer or reading the Bible. Basically, I find myself thinking, “How can this be true? Does God really exist? Is Christ a reality?” Now, mind you, this all happens while I am in fervent prayer to God or reading about Christ. I try to tell myself “If you didn’t believe you wouldn’t be praying to Him so intensely and talking to Him so much.”

Buddy:You are describing the battle of ‘thoughts’ perfectly. Two things are going to be very important for you in this regard. Foremost, recognize where all these doubts are coming from. (Remember Eve’s battle.) Knowing this is the key to knowing how to do spiritual warfare correctly. Here is your foundation Scripture:

“For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh, for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses. We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing [thoughts, etc.] raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ.” (2Co10:4,5)

The second thing is going to come straight from you. This is the time to make quality decisions. I cannot stress this enough. Until you make a consistent, firm, and resolute decision that Jesus Christ is Lord of your life, and that God’s Word is true, regardless, your whole thinking process will be honeycombed with doubts. Indecision is the path of failure. This is why you find so much in the Bible about making choices. The Lord does not remove our ability to choose for Him. Also keep in the background of your faith that the Lord will reinforce every decision you make for Him.

Bob: I’m troubled by even entertaining these questions. God has been so merciful to me and blessed me so greatly. Jesus has redeemed me from the darkness into the Kingdom of Light by paying for my sins by His sacrifice upon the cross. I do NOT like these troubling thoughts.

Buddy: If you are going to doubt anything, doubt your doubts. Do not allow even for a moment any thought to remain that speaks against your faith in Jesus.

Other things you can do are:

(1) Each morning as soon as you have time, reach for your Bible and pray the prayer of David; “Open my eyes, Lord, that I may behold wonderful things from Your Law.”

(2) Join yourself to another believer and began to extend your fellowship circle. Ask the Lord to lead you in this.

(3) Keep writing me. I will support you in all that I can. Ask questions. Share your thoughts. I will never stop being your friend.

…. End of Exchange….

Consider this news report from Washington (Military brief. July 26, 2010): “Suicides among Army and Air National Guard and Reserve troops have spiked this year, and the military is at a loss to explain why. … Suicides among military personnel and veterans are at an epidemic rate, and it’s getting worse,” said Tim Embree, a former Marine who served two tours in Iraq and is now a legislative associate for Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, an advocacy group.” – Don’t think for a moment that there isn’t a spiritual component behind this.

The intricacies of endtime events

Now let’s continue on with the study on the shuttering of the nations. The intricacies of endtime events go much further than this study can cover and certainly beyond my own limited understanding. But there are some things in the Scriptures that speak pretty conclusive to what we can expects as the days of redemption grow shorter.

Jesus was accosted by the Pharisees and Sadducees in their asking Him for a sign. He said,

“Do you know how to discern the appearance of the sky, but cannot discern the signs of the times?” (Matt. 16:3)

The Lord was saying that while they claimed to understand the elements of nature, they were blind in regard to what was happening before their very eyes. The Messiah was present. Redemption had come and they did not recognize it.

Does this have any relevance to the church today? Most assuredly. The church is now in a very special phase of redemptive history. As a relevant sign in the count down God give us a fixed point. Both Jesus, the prophets of old, and the apostles all pointed to the rebirth of the nation of Israel as a prominent fixture that the times of the Gentiles was closing. That sign was fixed May 14, 1948.

The apostle Peter told the Jewish peoples that Jesus had been received into heaven and would remain there, but would send ‘refreshing(s)’ [special moves of the Holy Spirit] until the period of restoration of all things.

What did Peter mean by the term restoration? The Greek term ‘apokatastasis‘ means a restitution of a thing to its former condition. This expression denotes the times spoken of as ‘the fullness of the Gentiles,’ and would then include conversion of the Jews to Jesus.

This was a primary concern for the Lord’s Hebrew apostles. In Acts 1:6, they asked Him,

“Lord, is it at this time You are restoring the kingdom to Israel?”

Jesus responded,

“It is not for you to know the times or epochs which the Father has fixed by His own authority.”

Thus while we cannot know the exact moments for the unfolding of events, we do have one fixed sign. This is why May 14, 1948 is so important to redemption history.

Israel who had lost her nationhood in the year 70 a.d., was brought forth again as a nation among other nations. Thus we have Isaiah 66:8, fulfilled;

“Who has heard such a thing? Who has seen such things? Can a LAND be born in one day? Can a NATION be brought forth all at once? As soon as Zion travailed, she also brought forth her sons.” (Caps always for emphasis only.)

Then we have this from the Lord:

“And they will fall by the edge of the sword, and will be led captive into all the nations; and Jerusalem will be trampled under foot by the Gentiles [other nations] until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.” (Luke 21:24 – Until the gospel has gone into all the world. Cf. Mat24:14)

Point at hand is that the nation of Israel today is not the nation she is going to be. Jews returning to the land is at the heart of Old Testament prophecy. Israel today is largely secular, with Talmudic Judaism in charge of her religious affairs. The fact that Israel is largely secular is not a bad thing in comparison to the Christ-hating Talmudic religion.

The spirit of grace

Now let’s combine two Scriptures, one from the old and the other from the new. Both with the same objective.

First Zechariah 12:10:

“I will pour out on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the Spirit of grace and of supplication, so that they will look on Me [This is Yahweh speaking] whom they have pierced; and they will mourn for Him [Jesus the crucified One], and they will mourn for Him, as one mourns for an only son, and they will weep bitterly over Him [Jesus] like the bitter weeping over a firstborn.”

Now Romans 11:25-27:

“For I do not want you, brethren, to be uninformed of this mystery — so that you will not be wise in your own estimation — that a partial hardening has happened to Israel [the Christ-rejecting nation group] until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in; and so all Israel will be saved [nation group looks to Jesus]; just as it is written, ‘The Deliverer will come from Zion, He will remove ungodliness from Jacob.

“This is My covenant with them, WHEN I TAKE AWAY THEIR SINS.'”

The sins of the Christ-rejecting Israel can only be taken away when they come to faith in the atonement of Jesus Christ.

The coming restoration

Let’s come back to what Peter said about the times of restoration:

“…that He [the Father] may send Jesus, the Christ appointed for you, whom heaven must receive until the period of restoration of all things about which God spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets from ancient time.” (Acts 3:20,21)

The Greek term for ‘period’ is chronos. It speaks of a particular time or space or season of events. This takes in various things that belong to the season of restoration.

The Greek term for ‘restoration’ is a double compound. It is only used here. Interestingly enough it is also used by the Jewish historian, Flavius Josephus, for the return of the Jews from captivity, and for the restoration of the year of Jubilee. That is the how the term was understood during the time of Christ.

Of course the Jewish people in the time of the apostles would understand this much better than the ‘Johnny-come-lately’ folk of today’s western Christianity, who think they have the answers for everything.

The period of restoration has a dual focus. I believe it includes the Church restored to her lost heritage in preparation for her departure. More and more Christians today are breaking free of sectarian separations and from religious yokes of bondages, and are rediscovering their true freedom in Christ.

The second focus is the land of Israel. (As I’ve already shared.)

What makes the period of restoration so unique is the overlap of focus in the kingdom of God. At the same time the Church is being prepared for her departure, the Jewish peoples are being gathered to the land of Israel to fulfill her prophesied purposes. In this sense God is working with the Jews and with the Christians. The Jews are being prepared for their Messiah.

A time of special insight

The prophet Daniel was told that there would be a time of special insight given God’s people in the latter days. This would certainly apply in part to the Christian church, but it would especially apply to Jewish peoples during the tribulation. (That insight was to be locked up until the time came. I see it as belonging to the book of Revelation.)

As for the Christian portion, Paul elaborates on this in 1 Thess. 5:1-3,9-10 and 2 Thess. 2:1,5-13. (You may wish to view these Scriptures.)

For the Jew there is a period of tribulation they must endure before the Savior comes out of Zion. The Bible also gives place for a pseudo-Church during the final hours of this age. (Pseudo refers to something that appears to be true but is not. A false pretender.)

The true church refers to those who are inborn of the Spirit of truth and will not follow anyone other than Jesus, in spite of signs & wonders. However, the pseudo Church will follow after lying wonders.

Let’s listen to some of the final words that Jesus spoke over Jerusalem.

“When He approached Jerusalem, He saw the city and wept over it, saying, ‘If you had known in this day, even you, the things which make for peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes. For the days will come upon you when your enemies will throw up a barricade against you, and surround you and hem you in on every side, and they will level you to the ground and your children within you, and they will not leave in you one stone upon another, because you did not recognize the time of your visitation.” (Luke 19:41-44)

And again,

“Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, the way a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were unwilling. Behold, your house is being left to you desolate! For I say to you, from now on you will not see Me UNTIL you say, ‘Blessed is He [Jesus] who comes in the name of the Lord.” (Matt23:37,38)

Yes, it is all there. But the point remains as I said at the beginning of the study, Christians are not to let their hearts become troubled over all these things. Our eyes are to remain focused on Jesus alone.

Can nature be speaking

Have you considered the oil situation in the Gulf of Mexico. China is fighting the same thing. In addition to the anti-Christ armies making their way towards Jerusalem, you have hurricanes, tsunamis, earth quakes in various places, along with weather doing strange things.

Consider these Scriptures:

“…and a third of the creatures which were in the sea and had life, died; and a third of the ships were destroyed.” (Rev 8:9 NASB)

“When you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be frightened; those things must take place; but that is not yet the end. For nation will rise up against nation, and kingdom against kingdom; there will be earthquakes in various places; there will also be famines. These things are merely the beginning of birth pangs.” (Mar 13:7-8 NASB)

“For the anxious longing of the creation waits eagerly for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself also will be set free from its slavery to corruption into the freedom of the glory of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation groans and suffers the pains of childbirth together until now.” (Rom 8:19-22 NASB)

The shuttering and shaking

Are the nations beginning to shutter? What do you think? Is the time of giving birth close at hand?

Consider once again this warning from the book of Hebrews concerning a shaking to come:

“See to it that you do not refuse Him who is speaking. For if those did not escape when they refused him who warned them on earth, much less will we escape who turn away from Him who warns from heaven. And His voice shook the earth then, but now He has promised, saying, ‘YET ONCE MORE I WILL SHAKE NOT ONLY THE EARTH, BUT ALSO THE HEAVEN.’

“This expression, ‘Yet once more,’ denotes the removing of those things which can be shaken, as of created things, so that those things which cannot be shaken may remain. Therefore, since we receive a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us show gratitude, by which we may offer to God an acceptable service with reverence and awe; for our God is a consuming fire.” (Heb 12:25-29 NASB)

OK children of the Lamb. Here is your song…

x
[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SCxU8QGCFX0[/youtube]

Much love in Jesus,

Buddy

Apr

2010

Songs of the mirror…

x– You go to bed a little troubled. You wake up still unsure about how to handle a situation. You are standing before the mirror in the bathroom, and for some unknown reason, you begin singing. You now find yourself with an uplifted mind. What happened to bring about this change? You didn’t just decide to start singing. The song just sort of arrived! But where did it come from? –

Journal,

Perhaps we need to talk about this. Does Jesus ever sing over His own? What a strange question. Most of the pictures we see of Jesus are about his sufferings. Do we ever see a picture of Him joyful? Actually, there are Scripture references to Jesus singing and even dancing. We will look at this area a bit later.

But it does seem that someone decided we needed a picture of Jesus full of laughter and joy. Here it is.

And this brings me to another question. What does the Bible mean by ‘a song of deliverance’? Are songs of deliverance a part of our walk with the Lord?

Let’s pick up with a thought from David:

“Blessed be the Lord, because He has heard the voice of my supplication. The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in Him, and I am helped; therefore my heart exults, and with my song I shall thank Him.” Psalm 28:6-7

Here David speaks of his song. In another place, David draws attention to another kind of song.

“You are my hiding place; You preserve me from trouble; You surround me with songs of deliverance.“ (Psalm 32)

Here David draws attention to songs that have their origin in God Himself.

Psalm 32 is a Psalm of correction and repentance. Note some of the beginnings of this Psalm:

“When I kept silent about my sin, my body wasted away through my groaning all day long.”

Then David adds,

“I acknowledged my sin to You, and my iniquity I did not hide; I said, ‘I will confess my transgressions to the Lord’; and You forgave the guilt of my sin.”

Hence the song of cleansing.

And here is where David speaks of being surrounded with songs of deliverance. David’s songs of deliverance came when his thoughts were directed to the Lord, and his heart changed through his repentance. And so it is with us. [By the way, the apostle Paul quotes from this Psalm in saying, “Blessed are those whose lawless deeds have been forgiven, and whose sins have been covered.” Rom4:7]

OK, back to the now. Sometimes our minds are troubled because we have failed to correct a situation. We convinced ourselves of our rightness. Isn’t it amazing how we can justify ourselves to ourselves? And yet we go to bed troubled in mind. And we wake up with a troubled mind.

What happens in front of the mirror? If you are a man, you are possibly shaving. If a lady, you are making your face even more lovely. The point is that we are now facing yourself. It is in this quiet moment that the musings of the heart begin. The Holy Spirit begins reflecting on our heart. Our thoughts go to, “Boy, I had no right to do what I did. It was wrong. I was wrong.”

Conviction is at work.

Conviction is a judicial word where the guilty person is forced to face the facts and is then left without a defense. When the pang of guilt is felt, the work of conviction is being completed.

This is the spiritual side of the working of repentance. We feel sorrow in our heart. We are sorry for the misdeed and we ask the Lord’s forgiveness. (By the way, it doesn’t have to take place in front of a mirror does it.)

Back to the song? The song is a cleansing release from the burden of our misconduct. We now have a heart of repentance. The song is a song of our deliverance. It is a song brought to bear by the Holy Spirit. This is what David is describing in Psalm 32.

I like to call these songs ‘Songs of the Mirror.’

What does that mean? In my case, much of my daily musings take place at the mirror. But it doesn’t have to be a case of repentance. Sometimes it is just pure joy springing up and the song overflows.

In any event, the mirror song is the Word of the Lord reflecting itself on our heart. Jesus is speaking to us in our thought life. The song can be a song of cleansing or just an overflowing heart as we think about the goodness of the Lord.

Let me use a play on words where Paul shares how the Lord changes our lives by a special working of the Holy Spirit. Listen:

“But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit.” (2Co 3:18 NASB)

In this case, the mirror actually is the Word of God. John also speaks of this cleansing grace. He said,

“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (1Jn1:9)

There are other aspects to special songs of the Spirit.

Now let’s talk about Jesus singing over us. In one place we hear of the joy of Christ described as a song He sings over the redeemed. Listen –

“I will proclaim Your name to My brethren, in the midst of the congregation I will sing Your praise.” (Heb2:12)

Does this not mean that Jesus rejoices in us and with us? Indeed it does. The apostolic writer tells us that Jesus endured the cross because of the joy that was set before Him. Evidently, the heavenly Father pulled back the curtain of redemption and there Jesus saw all the redeemed people of the ages who would be saved because of the cross.

“Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith…

“… who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” (Heb 12:1-2 NASB)

How do we know it is the redeemed that Jesus is rejoicing over? We hear it in Hebrews 2:13, where Jesus says, “Behold, I, and the children whom God has given Me.”

But we also hear it this joy in Luke 10:21, where Jesus literally leaps for joy over the joy that has been set before Him.

Here is the setting:

“At that very time He rejoiced greatly in the Holy Spirit, and said, ‘I praise You, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and intelligent and have revealed them to infants. Yes, Father, for this way was well-pleasing in Your sight.'” (Luk 10:21 NASB)”

It is very easy to miss what is happening in this picture. Where it says that Jesus ‘rejoiced greatly’ the Greek term ‘agalliao’, literally means to show one’s joy by leaping and skipping. It is a term that speaks of ecstatic joy and delight. In the Septuagint Greek translation of Old Testament, this word is used to describe a rejoicing in song and in dance.

Let me share one more Scripture setting that describes the Lord singing with shouts of joy. It has to do with Israel’s full redemption. (A moment in history that we are quite close to.) Listen carefully:

“In that day it will be said to Jerusalem: ‘Do not be afraid, O Zion; Do not let your hands fall limp. he LORD your God is in your midst, a victorious warrior. He will exult over you with joy, He will be quiet in His love, He will rejoice over you with shouts of joy.” (Zep 3:16-17 NASB)

That last statement in the Hebrew language is a very strong rejoicing language. “He will exult over you with loud singing.” It even includes the idea of a twirling dance.

Now is the time to think about all this. Do you have need of repentance? Do you need a cleansing in your inner life? Have you had any mirror songs lately? How is your shout doing? When is the last time you felt like dancing out of sheer joy?

Now is the time to start looking up. Our redemption is drawing near. The clock is ticking and Jesus said that He would shorten the days for the sake of His people.

In the meantime take a listen to this Jewish Christian group ‘The Isaacs’ as they sing ‘Hallelujah‘. They are singing in the city of Jerusalem. (Did you know that the day is coming with Jews and Christians will sing the same song.)

Much love in Jesus,

Buddy

Apr

2010

Israel’s prophets and apostles…

“Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, the way a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were unwilling. Behold, your house is being left to you desolate! For I say to you, from now on you will not see Me until you say, ‘BLESSED IS HE WHO COMES IN THE NAME OF THE LORD!'” (Mat 23:37-39 NASB)

Journal,

It is important to place the apostolic writings in their proper role. The apostles were not simply apostles to the Church. They were also apostles to Israel. It is in this sense that the apostles took up the mantle of the prophets of old. Jesus said to them, “I sent you to reap that for which you have not labored; others [the prophets] have labored and you [apostles] have entered into their labor.” (John4:38)

The prophets spoke to the coming of Messiah. Their work was completed with John the Baptist. They were His beforehand servants. The apostles spoke after the fact, that is, Israel’s Messiah had come, had ministered to the people, had been rejected, was crucified, rose from the dead, ascended on high and is now at the right hand of the glory on high. The final atonement for sin had been offered. Temple sacrifices were now null and void. The apostles were His witnesses.

A second part of the picture involves the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple in 70 A.D. Israel’s transitional time was over. With the destruction of the temple Israel no longer would exist as a nation and no more temple sacrifices would be possible.

The judgment in 70 a.d. had its centering on the rejection of Jesus Christ. Israel’s house was left desolate. The land was now under a curse. Israel’s role as a viable nation would disappear entirely, that is, until May 14, 1948.

Both Israel’s prophets and Israel’s apostles issued this time piece of Jerusalem.

Hence our beginning Scripture where Jesus tells Jerusalem that her house is being left desolate, and the one to follow. Listen carefully:

“So you are witnesses and approve of the deeds of your fathers; because it was they who killed them [the prophets], and you build their tombs. For this reason the wisdom of God said, ‘I will send to them prophets and apostles, and some of them they will kill and some they will persecute, so that the blood of all the prophets, shed since the foundation of the world, may be charged against this generation.” (Cf. Luke 11:46-51)

This is a matter of redemption history.

Why would the blood of the prophets and the apostles be charged against that generation? It would be due to the greater sin of their leaders. If anyone should have recognized Jesus Christ as Israel’s Messiah, it would be that generation. All the prophets from ancient time spoke of the days of Christ. They set forth both his rejection and His sufferings. The very time of Messiah had been prophesied by Daniel.

The deeper side is that when the high priest and the elders of Israel rejected Jesus Christ, they were rejecting God Himself. The blood that ran through the veins of Jesus was the very blood of God. And because they had rejected God, all that was left was a judgment. Israel would be given a transitional time of forty years for entering into the new covenant of Christ. The sword would come in 70 a.d. Believing Israel would be separated from unbelieving Israel.

Jesus said to Pilate,

“You would have no authority over Me, unless it had been given you from above; for this reason he who delivered Me to you has the greater sin.” (Jn19:11)

The greater sin was the sin of knowledge. Many of the leaders knew that Jesus was the Messiah. A careful search of the gospels shows this to be the case. (It wasn’t the godly leadership that rejected Jesus. It was those of the house of Satan.)

And so we hear in the book of Hebrews this final warning:

“For if we go on sinning willfully [Jewish people by rejecting Jesus] after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a terrifying expectation of judgment and the fury of a fire which will consume the adversaries.

The apostolic writer goes on to say,

“Anyone who has set aside the Law of Moses dies without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. How much severer punishment do you think he will deserve who has trampled under foot the Son of God, and has regarded as unclean the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and has insulted the Spirit of grace? For we know Him who said, ‘Vengeance is Mine, I will repay.’

And again,

‘The Lord will judge His people.’ It is a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God” (Cf. Heb10:26-31)

The book of Hebrews has to do with whole of the Jewish peoples. It was written as a final warning not long before the destruction of Jerusalem and of the temple in 70 A.D. The temple went up in a fiery judgment. The transition was over. The gospel had been sent to the Jew first. The new covenant no longer have a Jewish exclusiveness to it. It would belong to the people of the world.

The words of a book.

God speaks in Isaiah, saying,

“On that day the deaf will hear words of a book, and out of their gloom and darkness the eyes of the blind will see. The afflicted also will increase their gladness in the Lord, and the needy of mankind will rejoice in the Holy One of Israel.” (Isa 29:18,19)

This prophecy reaches across the church age and into the future. While the book has been releasing its treasures throughout the church age, it will also fulfill its purpose for the Jewish peoples in the final days of the age and into the future.

Two thousand years ago and old man prophesied over the child Jesus and His mother, saying,“Behold, this Child is appointed for THE FALL and RISE of many in Israel, and for a sign to be opposed.” (Luke 2:34)

The fall came with the rejection of Jesus. The rise comes with the acceptance. The cross was a sign that has been opposed by Rabbinic Judaism throughout the church age. What will bring about the rise in Israel? Listen to another prophet:

“And in that day I will set about to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem. I will pour out on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the Spirit of grace and of supplication, so that they will look on Me whom they have pierced; and they will mourn for Him, as one mourns for an only son, and they will weep bitterly over Him like the bitter weeping over a firstborn.” (Zech12:9,10)

The testimony remains in place today.

Christianity was not some upstart religion to be counted among the various movements in Judaism of the day. The testimony of God, the testimony of Moses, the testimony of the prophets, of David, of John the Baptist, the testimony of nature itself, the wonders and miracles, and the testimony of those Jews who had truly received Him as Lord and Savior, all bore witness against those who would reject Him. No further testimony was needed.

And so, where are we in redemption history? Earlier I pointed to a date, May 14, 1948. Israel had to take her place once again among the nations. The rejection of Jesus took place in Jerusalem. The acceptance of Jesus Christ will also take place in Jerusalem. Jerusalem is God’s time clock.

“For I say to you [Jerusalem], from now on you will not see Me until you say, ‘BLESSED IS HE WHO COMES IN THE NAME OF THE LORD!'”

Take time to listen to the song, ‘Jerusalem.’

Think about it.

Blessings,

Buddy

Feb

2010

Where is the God of Israel…

Jesus Christ by AshraFekry. Journal,

Did you know that the greater part of the citizenry of Israel is secular and not religious. How can that be?

We know that Israel fulfilled prophecy in becoming a nation among nations in 1948. The prophets foretold the gathering of the Jewish people in the latter days. Since all this was written beforehand, how can it be that so many Jews in Israel are either secular, and with a great many who are either atheists or agnostics?

Does that surprise you that many Jews are atheists? According to statistics a full 37% of the people of Israel are either atheists or agnostics. This makes Israel fourth on the list of nations with the highest percentage of atheists.

It is not as if the Bible leaves all this unsaid. The Bible is the only book in existence that records history before it happens. It would not be difficult to give an extended list of Scriptures to show just how relevant all this is to the days that we live in. Rather than do that, we can pick up a Scripture here and there that will make that point well enough. Heroes of Israel by Templar1307.

Now for another surprise. There is a Rabbi in Jerusalem who is very much anti-missionary. Rabbi Tovia Singer of Jerusalem often places an ad in the Jerusalem Post to try to sell his anti-missionary tapes. Listen carefully to the following statement that is part of his ad.

“What Are We Doing Wrong, and What are They doing right? Why Have more Jews Converted to Christianity in the Last 19 Years than in the Last 1,900 Years?”

Now, if I were a Jew in Israel and read such a statement by a noted Rabbi, it would not make me want to buy Tovia’s tapes. It would make me want to look into WHY so many Jews were coming Christian.

The time clock of redemption was set in Jerusalem, 2000 years ago

It began with the rejection of the Lord Jesus, the Messiah and the King of Israel. When they rejected Jesus, they lost citizen rights to being the people of God. There is no kingdom without a king. The Jews who rejected Jesus, became a people without God. This does not mean that the people of Israel no longer figured into God’s plan for the ages. Quite the contrary. Their rejection of Jesus and God’s rejection of them as His people is well noted in Scripture. But also noted in Scripture is their coming to know Jesus as their Messiah.

I realize that the first thing that is thrown at anyone who would place the Jews in a bad light, is the term ‘anti-Semitic.’ But anyone who reads and studies the Scriptures knows how ridiculous that statement is. If someone like me is anti-Semitic, then Moses, the prophets, the apostles, and even Jesus would have to be called anti-Semitic. The very things that I share come from the writings of the Old Testament prophets, and the new covenant apostolic writers.

Actually it all goes back to the first books of the Bible, that is, to the writings of Moses. Moses wrote Genesis.

When Moses was about to leave the earthly scene, he sang a prophetic song over Israel. In this song Moses called attention to the falling away of Israel, of Israels wandering through the nations, of their peril of life, and of Israel’s return. Moses actually lays out the history of Israel. (Found in Deu32),

In his song, Moses says, “They have acted corrupted toward Him, they are not his children, because of their defect; but are a perverse and crooked generation.” (v5) Peter quotes from this verse of the song of Moses on the day of Pentecost.

Moses goes on to call them a foolish and an unwise people from whom He will hide His face. He says that God will make Israel jealous with a people who were not a people. He also says, “Would that they were wise, that they understood this, that they would discern their future.”

When God hid His face

The fact that God would hide His face from Israel is a theme that trances its way through the Bible. God speaks through the prophet Hosea, saying,

I will go away and return to My place until they acknowledge their guilt and seek My face; in their affliction they will earnestly seek Me.” (Hosea 5:15)

Recall what Jesus said over Jerusalem? “You will not see Me until you say, ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord.”

Yet there is something else I need to share about Moses. Moses wrote the first five books of the Bible. Did you know that the rest of the Bible including the New Testament actually work out from the books of Moses? If there were no Genesis, the book of Revelation would make little sense, and thus and so.

I wish I had time to take my readers through the entire song of Moses. Hopefully many of you are already picking up on the prophetic elements in this song. But that is not the end of the story of Israel. Paul said,

For if their rejection is the reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance be but life from the dead?” (Rom11:15)

Does any of this tell us why Israel is so secular with so many atheists and agnostics among here citizenry? Yes, there is a lot to be said. There are two elements that help to understand this dilemma. For one thing, the Jews are only of late rediscovering Jesus for themselves. For the most part the Jews never knew that Jesus was Jewish and that He and the apostles were ‘sabras.’ (Of the land.) They were led to believe that Jesus was some kind of Roman or Greek God. They are now intrigued with Jesus.

The people are turned off

A second issue is that their rabbis have misled them so often that the people by and large are turned off by the Jewish religion. The Bible also told us this would happen. God spoke through Isaiah, saying,

Therefore behold, I will once again deal marvelously with this people, wondrously marvelous; and the wisdom of their wise men [rabbis] will perish, and the discernment of their discernment men will be concealed.” (Isa 29:14)

But one major fact remains — In the heart of the Jew is a vacancy that can only be filled by the God of Israel Himself.

This is why so many Jews are finding Jesus as their Messiah. And this vacancy will be the turning point of the nation. Keep in mind what Jesus said, “Until you say, ‘blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord.’

The prophet Zechariah told us how this would happen. Israel and Jerusalem are going to face a war in the not too distant future that will bring about this cry for Jesus. I would encourage my readers to read the whole of Zechariah 12.

Listen to this one verse:

I will pour out on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the Spirit of Grace and of supplication, so that they will look on Me whom they have pierced; and they will mourn for Him, as one mourns for an only son, and they will weep bitterly over Him like the bitter weeping over a firstborn.” (Zech12:10)

What will happen to Israel? Paul said that all Israel would be saved. Listen:

For I do not want you, brethren, to be uninformed of this mystery–so that you will not be wise in your own estimation–that a partial hardening has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in; and so all Israel will be saved; just as it is written, “THE DELIVERER WILL COME FROM ZION, HE WILL REMOVE UNGODLINESS FROM JACOB. THIS IS MY COVENANT WITH THEM, WHEN I TAKE AWAY THEIR SINS.” (Rom 11:25-27)

Friends, it began in Jerusalem. It has to end in Jerusalem. And remember the church cannot be fully completed without Israel. Yes it is an enigma. The apostle said, “From the standpoint of the gospel they are enemies for your sake, but from the standpoint of God’s choice they are beloved for the sake of the fathers; for the gifts and calling of God are irrevocable.”

Think about it. Here is your song by the Hoppers – ‘Jerusalem’

Much love to be found in Jesus,

Buddy

Feb

2010

How do you know that you are saved?

“He was despised and forsaken of men, a man of sorrows and acquianted with grief; and like one from whom men hide their face He was despised, and we did not esteem Him.” Isaiah 53:3 nasb

How does a person truly know that they are saved?

There are several answers to that question, but the decisive point centers upon a love for Jesus Christ. To know Jesus personally is to love Him personally. This abiding love for Jesus carries its own testimony in the hearts of all true believers. It is this love for Jesus that becomes our guideposts to our journey of life. For believers a love for Jesus and faith in Jesus cannot be separated.

Peter clears this issue up:

…so that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which is perishable … though you have not seen Him, you love Him, and though you do not see Him now, believe in Him, you greatly rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory.” 1Pe 1:7,8;

Did you catch it. The proof of your faith is that you love Jesus and you believe in Jesus. Believing in Jesus is what distinguishes Biblical Christianity from every other religion on planet earth, and especially in regard to Judaism and Islam. However, we need to understand what believing in Jesus really means and what loving Jesus and living for Jesus really means.

"Follower" Poster

Let me explain what believing in and loving Jesus means to a believer:

‘True believers have come to know Jesus Christ personally as their Lord and Savior, as the Son of God, as the only One who can save humankind, as the One who died for our sins, was crucified, buried, resurrected the third day, and ascended into heaven, as the One of whose blood has been sprinkled on our hearts, the One who is the center of our joy and rejoicing, the One of whom we anxiously await His second coming, and the One in whom we love with a love that is beyond words, a love that speaks of joy, that is inexpressible and is full of glory.’

Now…

How does a love for Jesus fit into the religions of Islam and of Judaism.

I will only address the basic elements of Islam and Judaism, as are found in their holy writings, for Islam, the Qur’an, and for Judaism, the Talmuds.x

Jesus in Islam…

The teachings about Jesus in Islam are far less pervasive that what you find in Judaism. In Islam, Jesus is given special respect as one of the five great messengers (prophets) of God.

Islam regard Adam as the first prophet and Muhammad as the last prophet. Muhammed’s title is called, ‘Seal of the Prophets.’ The five great prophets (messengers of God), are Noah, Abraham, Noses, Jesus, and Muhammed. None of these are divine.

Islam regards Adam as the first prophet and Muhammad as the last prophet. Muhammad’s title is called, ‘Seal of the Prophets.’ The five great prophets (messengers of God), are Noah, Abraham, Moses, Jesus, and Muhammad. None of these are divine.

In Islam, with respect to Jesus, He is called the son of the Virgin, however, He is not divine, nor is Jesus the Son of God; He was not crucified, nor does He have anything to do with the salvation of humanity. The strange one is that Jesus is considered as the Messiah, but not in the same sense as is found in the gospels. Actually Jesus comes in second to Muhammad.

The point at hand is that Islam would never defame Jesus in any way, but their true knowledge of Jesus is limited. The good news is that many millions of Muslim are having their eyes opened and are turning to Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.

Their greatest need is to hear the true gospel of Jesus Christ. On the temple mount in Jerusalem there is written inside their mosque, ‘God has no son.’

Many Muslims are finding that God does indeed has a Son. They are turning to Jesus by the multiplied thousands largely because a New Testament has been placed in their hands.

Jesus in Judaism …

Jesus told Pilate that the Jewish leadership would be charged with the greater sin. What was their greater sin? It was not only the sin of their total rejection of Jesus Christ as Messiah, but it would include their continual rejection of Him.

Keep in mind that there are various movements and trends in Judaism, just as their are movements of Islam, as well as movements of Christianity. But here I need to draw on the writings of Talmudic Judaism. These writings remain the holiest books of Orthodox Judaism. Orthodox Jews consider themselves as the only true Jewish faith. But they do not speak for Conservative or Reform Jews.

"Worshippers at Wailing Wall, Jerusalem, Israel" Photographic Print

Most people are not aware of how Jesus is treated in the Talmud. Here is a sample:

He [Onqelos] sent and brought up Jesus the Nazarene (Yeshu ha-notzri) out of his grave by necreomancy and asked him: ‘Who is important in that world?’

Jesus answered, ‘Israel.’

Onqelos: ‘What then about joining them?’

Jesus: ‘Seek their welface, seek not their harm. Whoever touches them is as though he touches the apple of God’s eye!’

Onqelos: ‘What is your punishment?’

Jesus: ‘With boiling excrement.’

There is much more to be said, but this gives the idea of how Talmudic Judaism sees Jesus. Mary is treated as a whore, and Jesus as the son of a Roman soldier. There are a number of code words for Jesus in the Talmudic writings. None of them are pleasant.

What is the plus side in all this? The plus side is similar to what is happening in Islam. Many Jews are discovering Jesus for who He really is. Many people of Judaism and Islam are realizing that they’ve been lied to about Jesus Christ. However, there is a final stage to be reached in Judaism. It began in Jerusalem, it has to end in Jerusalem. Jerusalem’s warfare is not ended. Her sorrow is yet to come.

We’ve been to Jerusalem – We’ve been to the Eastern Gate.

I went to the section of the wailing wall where only men are allowed. Betty and I have walked the streets of the old city of Jerusalem. We’ve been to Masada. We’ve been on a boat in the Sea of Galilee when a storm came upon us. We’ve seen the land of Israel and Bethlehem, and Nazareth, and many other places. It is a land that has been reclaimed and rediscovered. But it is a land still in anguish.

The Orthodox Jews believe that the Shekinah (divine presence) is in the wailing wall. This is why they weep there. When I stood before the wailing wall there was only deadness there. But I do remember one thing that stirred my heart deeply. It spoke to me of the Jewish plight. As I talked with our Jewish tour guide about Jesus, he said to me, ‘I don’t have to be saved. I am a Jew.’

How sad. And to know that their day of weeping is not over. Yet it is written in God’s book that these children of Israel will one day reach out to Jesus. It will be in a moment of deep crisis. Today many are finding Jesus in the quietness of their own heart. But the day will come when the Jewish leadership will call upon the Lord Jesus Himself. Howx

Jesus said:

Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, the way a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were unwilling. Behold, your house is being left to you desolate! For I say to you, from now on you will not see Me until you say, ‘BLESSED IS HE WHO COMES IN THE NAME OF THE LORD!'” (Mat 23:37-39)

So perhaps the great question of all the ages still remains...

Will the Father say to all people,

What have you done with My Son?

Did you treat Him as holy?

Did you love Him?

Or, did you trample Him underfoot as nothing of worth?

How about you.

Do you love Jesus? x

While you are thinking on these things, take time to listen to The Isaac, as they sing, ‘Stand Still.’

I dedicate this song to Israel.

May the Lord richly bless you in a discovery of all His will for your life.

In Christ,

Buddy

Dec

2009

The sad story of a Rabbi…

So Pilate *said to Him, “You do not speak to me? Do You not know that I have authority to release You, and I have authority to crucify You?” Jesus answered, “You would have no authority over Me, unless it had been given you from above; for this reason he who delivered Me to you has the greater sin.”

(Joh 19:10-11 NASB)

“So Pilate said to Him, ‘You do not speak to me? Do You not know that I have authority to release You, and I have authority to crucify You?’ Jesus answered, ‘You would have no authority over Me, unless it had been given you from above; for this reason he who delivered Me to you has the greater sin.’” (John 19:10-11 NASB)

Journal,

In the time of Jesus, the Jerusalem Sanhedrin represented the supreme leadership of world Judaism. When the chief priests and elders delivered Jesus over to the Roman authorities to be crucified, they set in motion a chain of events that would have negative effects on the Jewish people throughout their generations.

We see this taking form in 70 AD, with the destruction of the temple and Jerusalem. Was the destruction a judgment from God? According to the gospels, yes. And according to the Talmudic writings, also a yes. While the reasons given may differ, that it was a judgment from God was accepted early on.

Out of the ashes

Sadly enough, out of the ashes of Jerusalem would evolve a new Judaism that would have no likeness to the ancient worship of Moses and David. The rabbis set about to fashion a Judaism where they would become raised figures. This new Judaism would become known as Rabbinical Judaism or Talmudic Judaism. It would become an expanded continuation of the Pharisees. (The Sadducee and the priestly temple ministry disappeared in the destruction.)

The rabbi who carried the greater responsibility for the reinvention of Judaism was Rabbi Jochanan ben Zaccai. According to John Lightfoot, Rabbi Jochanan ben Zaccai knew Jesus and most certainly had encounters with the apostles. He was likely one of the Sanhedrin members who held responsibility for the crucifixion of Jesus.

Zaccai escaped the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD. He afterwards determined that the blood sacrifices were no longer needed, and that prayer, good deeds, and fasting were all that was needed to get God’s forgiveness.

It is important to understand the time line of Rabbi Jochanan ben Zaccai. He was one of the top religious figures in Jerusalem during the time of Christ and up to and after the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD. Zaccai lived to be 120 years old. He held such a honored role in Judaism that he became known as the ‘Light of Israel, Pillar of the Right Hand, Strong Hammer.’ Zaccai was well acquainted with the Christian movement.

The sad note in all this comes from the Talmudic writings themselves where the death of Rabbi Jochanan ben Zaccai is recorded.

“When R. Jochanan ben Zaccai was taken ill, his disciples went to visit him. As soon as he beheld them, he began to weep. His disciples said unto him, ‘O Light of Israel, Pillar of the Right Hand, Strong Hammer, why dost thou weep?’ He answered and said unto them… ‘Now when I am to be led into the presence of the King of kings, the Holy One, blessed be He, who lives and is through all eternities, whose anger — if He is angry with me — is an eternal anger; whose fetters — if He will bind me — are everlasting fetters; and whose death — if He put me to death — is an eternal death; whom I cannot appease with words, nor bribe with money; and not only so, but two ways open before me — the one leading to Paradise and the other to hell (Gehenna), and I do not know upon which of these two ways I shall be led, shall I not weep?‘”

Self honoring

The Judaism that Zaccai held great responsibility for sallied forth with all kinds of strange notions about God. But the prophets said this would happen. The strangest notion of all had to do with the self-honor that the rabbis placed upon themselves. In honor of Zaccai, we hear in Bava Bathra that this Rabbi was said to understand the language of devils, of trees, and of angels. Of course this is pure fabrication.

It should be noted that the Talmud sets precedence for necromancy. (The belief in magical spells that harness occult forces or evil spirits to produce unnatural effects in the world; conjuring up the dead, especially for prophesying.)

But there was a purpose in this new Judaism. The new Judaism had to have its own power structure and authority. The rabbis set themselves up as the last voice of God. This is why the new Judaism is often called Rabbinic Judaism. They even went so far as to tell the story of how they outwitted God Himself.

Now back to a bit of history on Rabbi Jochanan ben Zaccai. Does the Bible itself ever call attention to this rabbi? Perhaps so. According to Lightfoot, who is one of the preeminent Christian scholars on the Talmuds, Rabbi Zaccai was most likely the ‘John’ that sat on the council who commanded Peter and John to stop preaching in the name of Jesus. The gathered rulers included, “Annas the high priest was there, and Caiaphas and John and Alexander, and all who were of high-priestly descent.” (Cf. Acts 4)

The reason that the name John is mentioned without further identification is because Rabbi Jochanan ben Zaccai was so well-known among the Jews that no other term was required. Note how the John is placed right in the center of Annas, Caiaphas, and Alexander. It says they were all of high-priestly descent. This would include John.

As I mention earlier, it is quite likely that Rabbi Zaccai knew Jesus and was involved in His being turned over to Pilate. Notice carefully what happens when the apostles are brought before these men. It says, “Now as they observed the confidence of Peter and John and understood that they were uneducated and untrained men, they were amazed, and began to recognize them as having been with Jesus.” (v13)

What makes the death of this rabbi even more frightening comes from something that Jesus said to Pilate. When Jesus kept quiet, Pilate says, “You do not speak to me? Do You not know that I have authority to release You, and I have authority to crucify You?”

Listen carefully to the Lord’s response: “You would have no authority over Me, unless it had been given you from above; for this reason he who delivered Me to you has the greater sin.” (Cf. John 19:10,11)

The greater sin

Did you catch it? Whoever delivered Jesus over to Pilate was charged with ‘the greater sin.’ This can only mean that those noted beforehand, that is Annas the high priest, and Caiaphas, and John, and Alexander, and all who were of high-priestly descent, would be charged with this greater sin.

Why would these leaders be charged with the greater sin but not Pilate or the Roman soldiers? It was because these leaders knew more about Jesus than they were putting on. Is it possible that some of them actually knew that Jesus was the Messiah? This seems to be the case. Read the parable of ‘the landowner who planted a vineyard’ and the story is made clear. (Cf. Mat 21:33-45)

Take note of how the Lord ends the afore parable:

“Jesus said to them, ‘Did you never read in the Scriptures, “The stone which the builders rejected, this became the chief corner stone; this came about from the Lord, and it is marvelous in our eyes:?’ “Therefore I say to you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people, producing the fruit of it. And he who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces; but on whomever it falls, it will scatter him like dust. “When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard His parables, they understood that He was speaking about them. When they sought to seize Him, they feared the people, because they considered Him to be a prophet.” (Mat 21:42-46)

Would you like to see what distinguishes the death of Rabbi Zaccai and a rabbi who accepted Jesus as the Messiah of Israel? Whether we can apply the term ‘rabbi’ to Paul before he became a believer is not known. We do know that Paul was a disciple of Gamaliel and a persecutor of the church. When this apostle was facing death, this is what we read about him:

“For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure has come. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith; in the future there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day; and not only to me, but also to all who have loved His appearing.” (Cf. 2Ti 4:7,8)

Do you see the difference? Rabbi Zaccai was terrified. The apostle Paul was ready for his journey home. What made the difference? It all comes back to the atonement sacrifice. To reject the cross is to reject any hope of salvation. And it is not as though Zaccai had no warning. A special letter was sent to Jewish people by an apostolic writer not long before the destruction of the temple. In it we read:

“For if we go on sinning [the sin of rejection of Jesus] willfully after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a terrifying expectation of judgment and the fury of a fire which will consume the adversaries. Anyone who has set aside the Law of Moses dies without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. How much severer punishment do you think he will deserve who has trampled under foot the Son of God, and has regarded as unclean the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and has insulted the Spirit of grace?” (Cf. Heb 10:26- 29)

As a minister of well over 40 years I’ve attended the last hours of various believers. These were precious moments. There was no fear. And when it neared the time of passage, there was a special anointing that came upon the child of God. It was as though they were already experiencing the heaven side of their passage. As for others — I’ll leave that unsaid.

However, there is much more to the story. One day the Jewish people will realize that they’ve been duped and misled in their Talmudic religion about Jesus. God spoke through the prophet, saying,

“Therefore behold, I will once again deal marvelously with this people, wondrously marvelous; and the wisdom of their wise men will perish, and the discernment of their discerning men will be concealed.” (Isa 29:14)

It seems to me that day is not too far removed from where we are today.

Well, we do know that there is a heavenly Jerusalem. It is called ‘the city of God.’ Here is a song you will enjoy. It is titled ‘Jerusalem’ by the Hoppers…

May the Lord bless you,.

Buddy

Jerusalem

There’s a Promise Coming – Restoration

When Zion travails – She brings forth children

The Corinthian Dilemma – The Demise of a Church

Under the Shelter of His Wings…

When the Nations Shutter and Shake…

The war over souls

The intricacies of endtime events

The spirit of grace

The coming restoration

A time of special insight

Can nature be speaking

The shuttering and shaking

Songs of the mirror…

Israel’s prophets and apostles…

Where is the God of Israel…

The time clock of redemption was set in Jerusalem, 2000 years ago

When God hid His face

The people are turned off

How do you know that you are saved?

The sad story of a Rabbi…

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