Tag: Exhortation

From Shame to the King’s Table

On By TimIn 2 Samuel 9, Jesus, RedemptionLeave a comment

Now there was a servant from the house of Saul whose name was Ziba. So they summoned him to David. The king said to him, “Are you Ziba?”
He replied, “I am your servant.”
The king said, “Is there no one else from the house of Saul to whom I may show the kindness of God?”

2 Samuel 9:2–3a

I set out last night to dutifully read the next daily portion of the chronological reading plan. I am about a year behind. I was basically just reading to mark the checkbox. I read through all of 2 Samuel 8 and how David is blessed by God, and everything he sets out to do happens favorably for him.

Reading of David’s derring-do is epic. But chapter 8 was just a synopsis of things with little detail. Then I start chapter 9.

David remembers his friend Jonathan and desires to do right to his remaining family, if any exist. One is found… Mephibosheth.

This intruding thought enters my mind: “What do you think those names mean?”

It was followed by another; you could just ask AI to rewrite it with the meanings of the proper nouns replacing the names.

I did that. I used Perplexity. Usually there is a few-second delay as Perplexity collects consensus. When I put in the six to seven verses, the response was immediate.

“Statue responded to the king, ‘There is still a son of Yahweh Has Given who is crippled in both feet.’
The king said to him, ‘Where is he?’
Statue told the king, ‘He is at the house of Sold son of My Kinsman Is God, at No Pasture.’
So King Beloved sent for him and brought him from the house of Sold son of My Kinsman Is God, from No Pasture.
From the Mouth of Shame—the son of Yahweh Has Given, the son of Asked For—came to Beloved, fell facedown, and bowed. Then Beloved said, ‘From the Mouth of Shame,’ and he replied, ‘Here is your servant.’”

The first thing to catch my attention was the meaning of Saul’s name… Asked for. Saul was the king that Israel asked for. David’s name is beloved. It goes far deeper than Israel, and I have to sort out what is here.

Saul is a typification of the adversary, or Satan as we think. God had given dominion of creation to Adam and Eve. By disobedience and taking what was not theirs, they asked for a new king. Because of the disobedience of this king, God anointed another Beloved One.

Just as David’s life goes, shortly after being anointed, he is sent to his brothers in the presence of Saul. He encounters the blasphemy of Goliath. We know the tale: he subdues the enemy of the people and the king and takes his head.

But it would be a long time before Saul is actually deposed and David takes his rightful throne. And that comes with civil war in Israel.

Think about how God had selected another King for the people of the world. He was sent at just the right time to defeat the enemy of the people and God. That enemy was death. Jesus did that at Calvary.

Calvary, from Latin, meaning skull. Jesus was crucified at the place of the skull… Golgotha. Say it out loud. Could it be Goliath of Gath, the place of the skull?

When David slew Goliath, he brought the giant’s head back to Jerusalem. Dead bodies made one unclean; therefore, the skull would remain outside the camp… Even though Jerusalem was a Jebusite city at the time. There are some who think that David set up Goliath’s skull as a trophy and warning to the Jebusites occupying Jerusalem. The place of that skull is thought to be the very same place where Jesus was crucified.

There is another typification of Jesus in what David did. Remember Genesis 3:15: the seed of the woman bruises the head of the serpent. David beheaded the giant, thought to be the seed of fallen angels. I will let that sit with you to ponder.

That is like a high-level concise view of Earth, and a partial view into the Gospel.

Ziba responded to the king, “There is still a son of Jonathan who is crippled in both feet.”

2 Samuel 9:3b

There is one son of Jonathan found. His name is Mephibosheth. He was crippled. He would have difficulty standing.

Think about that. Is not that our position before a Holy God… Being unable to stand?

The king said to him, “Where is he?”
Ziba told the king, “He is at the house of Makir the son of Ammiel at Lo Debar.”

2 Samuel 9:4

Mephibosheth is in the house of Makir at Lo Debar. Mephibosheth means from the mouth of shame. Makir means sold. And Lo Debar means no place. What does David do?

So King David sent for and brought him from the house of Makir the son of Ammiel, from Lo Debar.

2 Samuel 9:5

Beloved sent for him from the mouth of shame. He was crippled and had difficulty standing. He was summoned to the house of Sold, which had no place.

Mephibosheth the son of Jonathan the son of Saul came to David and fell upon his face and bowed down. Then David said, “Mephibosheth,” and he responded, “I am your servant.”
David said to him, “Do not be afraid, for I will certainly show you kindness on account of Jonathan, your father. I will return to you every field of Saul, your father, and you will eat at my table perpetually.”

2 Samuel 9:6–7

This destitute person is restored and has a perpetual seat at the table of the king.

He bowed low and said, “What is your servant that you should be concerned for a dead dog like me?”

2 Samuel 9:8

What is it that the God of the universe should be concerned with a dead dog like me?

The king summoned Ziba the servant of Saul, and he said to him, “All that belonged to Saul and to all his house, I have given to the son of your master. You will work the ground for him—you, your sons, and your servants. You will bring in the produce so that the son of your master will have food to eat; but Mephibosheth, the son of your master, will always eat at my table.” Now Ziba had fifteen sons and twenty servants.
Ziba said to the king, “Everything that my lord the king has commanded his servant, your servant will do.” So Mephibosheth ate at the table of David like one of the sons of the king.

2 Samuel 9:9–11

The one from shame, sold, and no place was summoned by the king. He had one obligation… To respond to the summons or not.

Listen, in those times, it would be acceptable for the new king to kill all of the household of the deposed king. I can imagine hesitation to respond. But either way, in that mindset, Mephibosheth was as good as dead. He came to David and humbled himself.

David raised him up; he was treated as a son of the king.

If you see Jesus here… That is exactly the point. He summons all of the ashamed to His presence… Not for condemnation that we may be afraid to approach Him. He calls us to lift our heads and gives us a place at the table to be treated like children of God.

That is the Gospel.

The true Light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world. He was in the world, and the world was created through Him, yet the world did not know Him. He came to His own, and His own people did not receive Him. Yet to all who received Him, He gave the power to become sons of God, to those who believed in His name, who were born not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.

John 1:9–13

Like Mephibosheth, you and I have to respond to the summoning of the King to have a perpetual place at His table.

Revisiting the Sign of Jonah

On By TimIn Israel, Matthew 122 Comments

But He answered them, “An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, and no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. The men of Nineveh will stand up at the judgment with this generation and will condemn it, because they repented at the preaching of Jonah. And now One greater than Jonah is here. The Queen of the South will rise up at the judgment with this generation and will condemn it, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon. And now One greater than Solomon is here.

Matthew 12:39–42

It is a common understanding that the sign of Jonah is resurrection after death. But… What if there is another aspect of that sign. Resurrection itself is a powerful thing to leave as a sign to Israel. Yet Jesus expands on the idea that the Ninevites readily responded to the preaching of Jonah.

Could the entire narrative of Jonah be an outline of the failure of Israel to share God with the entire world?

There were some in the nation who believed Jesus when He came to Earth. Before leaving, He left instructions to go to all nations and preach. He even had to give Peter a dream to prod him.

The voice spoke to him a second time: “What God has cleansed, do not call common.”

Acts 10:15

While Peter was wondering what that could mean, three men called for him. They said they served Cornelius, a Gentile centurion. He sent them to summon Peter to Him at the prodding of an angel.

Peter was astonished at what happened. While he was preaching to the house of Cornelius in Caesarea, all who heard were given the Holy Spirit. That is, Gentiles received the same salvation and gifting from God as Israelis.

The aftermath of the event reached far and wide. And Peter was challenged by religious authorities for what had happened.

The apostles and the brothers throughout Judea heard that the Gentiles also had received the word of God. So when Peter went up to Jerusalem, those who were circumcised disputed with him, saying, “You went in and ate with uncircumcised men!”

Acts 11:1–3

Peter explained how God had worked in his meeting with Cornelius. He recounted how it was he who entered the house of a goyim. He also recounted what had happened when he spoke.

As I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell on them, as He fell on us at the beginning. Then I remembered the word of the Lord, how He said, ‘John indeed baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit.’ If then God gave them the same gift as He gave us when we believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I to be able to hinder God?”

Acts 11:15–17

It is not hard to discern the resistance of Jewish folk sharing with Gentiles. Especially when it comes to sharing their God to Whom they assumed exclusive rights. Keep in mind the reluctance of both Peter and the council in Jerusalem, and how it changed.

When they heard these things, they were silent. And they glorified God, saying, “Then God has granted to the Gentiles also repentance unto life.”

Acts 11:18

I have questions. Did not these apostles know the account of Jonah?

Did they not know that the Ninevites responded to Jonah’s preaching?

Jonah had the same cultural reluctance. Even though God orchestrated both things, it is Jonah’s response afterward that needs to be understood.

Now this greatly displeased Jonah, and he became angry. He prayed to the Lord and said, “O Lord! Is this not what I said while I was still in my own land? This is the reason that I fled before to Tarshish, because I knew that You are a gracious God and merciful, slow to anger, abundant in faithfulness, and ready to relent from punishment. Therefore, Lord, take my life from me, for it is better for me to die than to live.”

Jonah 4:1–3

I mean, can you imagine that bitterness?

God sought to teach Jonah a lesson. He caused refreshing shade to fall on Jonah, for which he was happy. Then God took the plant that brought the refreshment away. Jonah played martyr and declared it was better for him to die rather than live.

The Lord said, “You are troubled about the plant for which you did not labor and did not grow. It came up in a night and perished in a night. Should I not, therefore, be concerned about Nineveh, that great city, in which there are more than a hundred and twenty thousand people, who do not know their right hand from their left, and also many animals?”

Jonah 4:10–11

What if that anger and reluctance to share God with Gentiles is part of the sign of Jonah?

Could that provoke jealousy to the Jewish folks?

It has been almost 2,000 years since the Temple was destroyed and Jerusalem trampled over.

Today… The word of the Lord is heard worldwide. Jonah pouted that Gentiles got saved. He tells God that is why He sought repentance from His call to go to Nineveh. He did not want them to know God is merciful. His anger was so bad, he even waited around to see what would happen… Would God judge them finally?

The issue with Jonah was unresolved. Could that be part of the sign?

What did God do with Jonah… And what is God going to do with Israel?

It is like Jonah was jealous over how God treated Nineveh. It seems like jealousy of God, who is seeking the salvation of the world through Christians, would be part of the seemingly unresolved close to the account of Jonah.

For I am speaking to you Gentiles. Inasmuch as I am the apostle to the Gentiles, I magnify my ministry, if somehow I may make my kinsmen jealous and may save some of them. For if their rejection means the reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance mean but life from the dead?

Romans 11:13–15

Must the Sword Consume Forever?

On By TimIn 2 Samuel 2, SinLeave a comment

Abner called to Joab, “Must the sword consume forever? Do you not understand that a bitter taste will result in the end? How long will you refuse to command the people to withdraw from chasing their brothers?” 2 Samuel 2:26

Saul had perished, and Ish-Bosheth his son arose to the throne to rule Israel. Hod had already chosen the line of David to replace Saul. This would be forever.

The two factions went to war. Abner installed Ish-Bosheth as king and led the Benjamites, and Joab led David’s valiant men. The bloodshed was real. The fighting intense among Israelis… Brothers.

Joab pursued Abner. Abner stopped and his men assembled on a hilltop. This would be the last stand. Abner asks three seeming normal questions.

Must the sword consume forever?

No. The point was that this fighting would destroy all until it was gone. This question also has a practical application. Jesus came just to ensure that the aword, that is death, would not consume forever.

For since death came by man, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. But every man in his own order: Christ the first fruits; afterward, those who are Christ’s at His coming. Then comes the end when He will deliver up the kingdom to God the Father, when He puts an end to all rule and all authority and power. For He will reign until He has put all enemies under His feet. The last enemy that will be destroyed is death. 1 Corinthians 15:21–26

Death is the last enemy to be defeated.

Abner continued… Do you not understand that a bitter taste will result in the end?

Yes. There would be bitterness for the families who lost loved ones. Abner would end up with 18 times more casualties more than David. This has echoes back to the previous account where all of Israel pursued and almost wiped out the tribe of Benjamin. All of the tribe of Benjamin would understand the bitterness of the devastating casualties.

Yet as before, this question has a broader scope of application in the answer. Death would consume the entirety of Adam’s race. Death would bring judgment, and all condemned in it.

Jesus has defeated death by giving the gift of eternal life to anyone who wants it. For those who have not availed themselves of this free gift, that bitter taste will come when standing before the judgement of Jesus as an infidel. Knowing He is King and this is regrettably the consequences of your own choice.

As it is appointed for men to die once, but after this comes the judgment, so Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many, and He will appear a second time, not to bear sin but to save those who eagerly wait for Him. Hebrews 9:27–28

It does not have to be that way.

Abner finally asked… How long will you refuse to command the people to withdraw from chasing their brothers?

The questions caused Joab to call off the not-so-civil war.

Abner had just as much culpability in the fight as Joab and his brothers. But Joab was hotly pursuing Abner to avenge the brutal death of Asahel. Joab would not have stopped pursuit of judgment.

Again, the answer has a practicality that transcends the time and place. Joab could have rightly pursued judgment, but to what end?

It could not replace what was already lost. That is the same futility every human has when they understand the perfection required to gain eternal life with God. No amount of obedience can rectify past disobedience.

If you fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing well. But if you show partiality, you are committing sin and are convicted by the law as sinners. For whoever shall keep the whole law and yet offend in one point is guilty of breaking the whole law. For He who said, “Do not commit adultery,” also said, “Do not kill.” Now if you do not commit adultery, yet you kill, you have become a lawbreaker. James 2: 8–11

Abner sought mercy from certain death. Joab relented. Just as is necessary for any human to seek mercy from the justice due for sins… Death. Sin pursues, bringing the bitterness of death. God offers mercy from that judgment.

Just as the brother of Jesus wrote… There is another way.

So speak and so do as those who will be judged by the law of liberty. For he who has shown no mercy will have judgment without mercy, for mercy triumphs over judgment. James 2:12–13

Just as we have been granted mercy, we should freely give it to others.

Be like Abner, seek mercy.

Be like Joab, freely give mercy.

Be Perfect

On By TimIn 2 Samuel 1, ExhortationLeave a comment

Second Samuel begins with a war worn refugee coming to David with news of what happened when Saul fought the Philistines. David asked for a report. The man said Israel had been defeated. David’s best friend Jonathan was dead, as was his father Saul.

The man spoke of all that occurred. Saul had been mortally wounded and asked to be dispatched by the man as the enemy was approaching. The man killed him. He removed Saul’s crown and armlet and brought them to David

All present rent their clothes to mourn. David inquired of the man’s origin. He was an Amalekite refugee. The account then takes a turn…

David said to him, “How is it that you did not fear raising your hand to destroy the anointed of the Lord?”

2 Samuel 1:14

Before the man could answer David called for the man’s execution. Though the act was merciful, it also demanded a blood price. The Tanakh is replete with the idea that the blood and ground cry out for justice when blood is spilled.

Yeah, that was way back in the days when fealty to the crown was part of righteousness. What can we learn?

Let every person be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except from God, and those that exist are appointed by God. Therefore whoever resists the authority resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment.

Romans 13:1–2

Wait… What? Resisting the government authorities comes with judgment?

Rulers are not a terror to good works, but to evil works. Do you wish to have no fear of the authority? Do what is good, and you will have praise from him, for he is the servant of God for your good. But if you do what is evil, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain, for he is the servant of God, an avenger to execute wrath upon him who practices evil.

Romans 13:3–4

Remember, Paul wrote this under Roman rule. Romans were ruthless when it came to sedition. Contemporarily, for US citizens, we have the right to redress our grievances against governing authorities.

Listen, I hate politics. It is often a slanderous game of personal hatred. It is so common, many do not even balk at the grossness anymore. Instead of a marketplace on the merits of ideas, we have been taught to despise others in a created dilemma of this or that. It is designed to trap the mind. And for Christians, unwary participation can become a bit unseemly.

Many unwittingly join in the chorus of cursing politicians. That is, they vote for who they like or dislike… Not the ideas offered. Worse, many wear the dislike of these as some sort of merit badge. Listen, I do not care if you like someone or not… But you give yourself over to the dialectic. That dislike of any person clouds proper discernment.

Now I know that reading this, there may be names of politicians coming to mind. Some may even experience some profound emotions with that. And there is where the problem lies. Emotions tend to marginalize and even exclude clear thinking and proper discernment.

Selfishly, when one does not like someone, it becomes easy to dehumanize and marginalize them. Yes… It is selfish as a personal subjective experience. What happens is that the persons disliked become enemies. Ones that arise as figments of the mind.

Listen… As Christians, we do have real enemies. They are not humans and they are not imaginary. People are not ever to be enemies. At least we should not make them that. It is the antithesis of what is written that love is in 1 Corinthians 13.

This is a clear principle… Dislike leads to exclusion. Exclusion is persecution. What then, is the better stance?

Jesus tells us:

“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet your brothers only, what are you doing more than others? Do not even the tax collectors do so?

Matthew 5:43–47

If one proudly telegraphs their dislike of people, are they not flagrantly rebelling against Jesus’ instructions?

Furthermore, what of the next requirement?

Therefore be perfect, even as your Father who is in heaven is perfect.

Matthew 5:48

Jesus is saying be perfect. No, this is not moral perfection. The instruction is to be mature. He is saying… GROW UP!

The wanton immaturity gap in Christian circles is startling.

Are You Counted Worthy to Escape?

On By TimIn Rapture, Revelation 03Leave a comment

Because you have kept My word of patience, I also will keep you from the hour of temptation which shall come upon the entire world, to test those who dwell on the earth.

Revelation 3:10

This is the promise Jesus makes to the church at Philadelphia. He says He will keep these faithful from a time when all the Earth will be tested. What could that ever be?

Well, there are many today who try to deny reality. They say that there is no rapture, just the return of Jesus. Others mock it by calling it a secret thing. There are those that say it is a recent invention, and that our Hope is just escapism generated by Tim LaHaye’s “Left Behind.” What they all have in common is starting with the necessary startling reality of the rapture. Then they attempt to debunk it.

To them I ask, “What did Jesus mean when He said He would keep the Philadelphians from the hour of temptation that is going to come to the entire world?

I say the escape is real! Jesus taught it, if you know how and where to look, it is plain. He told the Philadelphians they would be kept from it. So what is it?

“Take heed to yourselves, lest your hearts become burdened by excessiveness and drunkenness and anxieties of life, and that Day comes on you unexpectedly. For as a snare it will come on all those who dwell on the face of the whole earth.

Luke 21:34–35

What day comes as a snare unexpectedly?

And the day comes to all those on the face of the whole Earth. Reading for context in Luke 21, clearly Jesus is speaking of the events of the end of the age. Specifically to Jewish people who asked about their end and when Jesus would return. That conversation began with a simple observation.

As some spoke of how the temple was adorned with beautiful stones and gifts, He said, “As for these things which you see, the days will come when not one stone shall be left on another that will not be thrown down.”
They asked Him, “Teacher, when will these things be, and what will be the sign when this is about to happen?”

Luke 21:5–7

What follows as Jesus begins to answer, is clearly a time of testing before the end. One that is very Jewish in nature. False Messiahs come, wars, rumors of wars, famine, and pestilence. And those are just the start. The words of Jesus in Luke 21:8–11 clearly track with the very things John describes in Revelation 6:1–8.

Jesus then goes on to warn of coming persecution to the Jewish people in Luke 21:12–19. This tracks with later parts of the book of Revelation when the whoke world assails Israel.

Where in Revelation chapter 6, John provides a macro-level outline of events if that Day. Jesus also warns of the trampling of Jerusalem by Gentiles. While the latter may seem to have happened in AD 70, I consider that just the beginning of the time of Gentiles.

When considering the times we live in, Jerusalem is not a wholly Israeli city. It is still a contested with a significant Gentile population vying for rule. The nation of Israel controls east Jerusalem. That marks a significant shift from complete Gentile rule. The trend shows a waning Gentile control, and the foreshadows of that Day of complete Israeli control are perceived today.

Likewise, the recent rise of antisemitism becomes more pressing seemingly daily. People do not even understand their own participation in it. If Jewish folk are going to experience unprecedented persecution in that Day, it follows, that like waning Gentile control of Jerusalem, it would ramp up.

These are the precursors of what is going to happen in that Day that cast shadows on us today.

As the high-level view continues in John 6:9–16, events unfold to a seminal event. That climax is the return of Jesus Christ to Earth to rescue Israel. The fear leading up to that moment is palpable, as men hide themselves knowing the wrath of God is at hand.

“There will be signs in the sun and the moon and the stars; and on the earth distress of nations, with perplexity, the sea and the waves roaring; men fainting from fear and expectation of what is coming on the inhabited earth. For the powers of heaven will be shaken. Then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.

Luke 21:25–27

Remember the question the disciples poaed to Jesus, “(W)hat will be the sign when this is about to happen?”

The precision is important to note, it is not when this would happen, but about to happen. His answer follows all of the really testing things He described.

When these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, for your redemption is drawing near.”

Luke 21:28

The sign is when these things begin to happen. I contend that we are clearly experiencing the beginning of those things. As such, our first expectation should be directed up, toward Jesus, and not forward to what is happening on Earth.

So when Jesus says to Philadelphia, they will be kept from the hour of temptation, it is clear what that hour is. Jesus also said that time comes as a surprise to all on Earth. Doesn’t it follow that those who expect these signs would not be surprised?

Which means, by Jesus’ words, they are not on the Earth… Right?

I am one that knows Paul had the privilege of revealing the mystery of the Rapture. He did not invent it. Neither did Darby. It was always in parts of the Tanakh, and even present in the things Jesus spoke and taught.

This time of testing is NOT for believers… It is for unbelievers. Some of those unbelievers clearly begin to believe during it. But as is shown, today’s believers expect the unprecedented time. It won’t be a surprise at all. Because they have heard the promises of Jesus and are already not present.

Therefore watch always and pray that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will happen and to stand before the Son of Man.”

Luke 21:36

The question that should press on your conscience… Are you counted worthy to escape?

No One Can Come, Really?

On By TimIn Exhortation, John 061 Comment

No one can come to Me unless the Father who has sent Me draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day.

John 6:44

I had a hyper-Calvinist quote this to me recently. He then gets on his preacher mode and says: “There are several arguments/interpretations of this verse.”

The first point, is that logical fallacy. He is building a straw man he will dutifully attempt to destroy. He pitched it this way: “(B)ut the truth is simple. Coming here is believing(.)”

This kind of thinking is very flawed. But it is the kind some use to prop up the fatalism expressed in their understanding of this verse. Oh, they may argue and say this is determinism. But that is the proverbial lipstick on the pig of fatalism. It may be dressed up, but it is still fatalism.

The fallacy exists because their beliefs do not reconcile. Truth always reconciles.

Simply put… Coming is coming… And believing is believing. Neither are compulsory, and coming doesn’t mean one believes. That is why the conjunction exists between the two separate ideas. One comes to Jesus, and one must believe, too. They are not the same. Simple elementary school language lessons reveal this. But the tricksters are taught to use flowery religious language to obscure the truth.

Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to Me shall never hunger, and whoever believes in Me shall never thirst.

John 6:35

Jesus is speaking to a crowd that was already drawn to Him by the Father. He is explaining that point to them. They were in His presence on account of the Father’s drawing. And they came to Him at least twice, according to the context. They came to Him, saw Him, and even spoke with Him. Yet something is missing.

But I told you that you have seen Me, and yet do not believe.

John 6:36

Yet oddly, they don’t believe. So Jesus debunks the reformers’ fatalism the right there. Jesus goes further. He upends the idea that coming is believing. And frankly any other reformed notion centering on the text in John 6.

All whom the Father gives Me will come to Me, and he who comes to Me I will never cast out.

John 6:37

Reading the entirety of John 6, it is clear that all of those that came to Jesus that day were not ever turned away by Him. They left of their own accord and in disbelief.

For I came down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me. This is the will of the Father who has sent Me, that of all whom He has given Me, I should lose nothing, but should raise it up at the last day.

John 6:38–39

Jesus is telling them that if they don’t believe Him, it’s on them. Because all things are given to Jesus, He’s not going to lose any… And He alone has the power of resurrection. This should not be a surprise to anyone who knows and honors the Father Who has the power of life and death. There is not a human that Jesus will not raise… Some to life, others to perdition, and He has already told them that in another place before they came to Him in Capernaum.

“Do not marvel at this. For the hour is coming in which all who are in the graves will hear His voice and come out—those who have done good to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil to the resurrection of judgment.

John 5:28–29

But just because one comes to the Son and even sees and hears Him… Does not mean one has eternal life. One must do something with what they see and hear.

This is the will of Him who sent Me, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him may have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.”

John 6:40

In case you are not able to understand exactly what Jesus is saying, the Jewish folk present at that time did. Their reaction is recorded for our edification.

The Jews then murmured about Him, because He said, “I am the bread which came down from heaven.” They said, “Is this not Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How is it then that He says, ‘I have come down from heaven’?”

John 6:41–42

They know His claim is to be the very God of their Fathers. They struggled at that because of the legalism inherent in their beliefs. They could not quite grasp the truth, even though their Scriptures plainly spoke it. A Son is given. He shall be called Mighty God, Everlasting Father. He is rightly expecting them to expect Him, God in flesh!

Jesus therefore answered them, “Do not murmur among yourselves. No one can come to Me unless the Father who has sent Me draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day.

John 6:43–44

In other words: You are here in My presence because I, the Father have drawn you here. I Am (He,) because nobody else raises people from the dead.

It is written in the Prophets, ‘They shall all be taught by God.’ Therefore everyone who has heard and has learned of the Father comes to Me.

John 6:45

You should know this!

Not that anyone has seen the Father, except He who is from God. He has seen the Father. Truly, truly I say to you, whoever believes in Me has eternal life. I am the bread of life. Your fathers ate manna in the wilderness, and they died. This is the bread which comes down from heaven, that one may eat of it and not die. I am the living bread which came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. The bread which I shall give for the life of the world is My flesh.”

John 6:46–51

It’s necessary that you do something, other than just coming to Him, seeing Him, and hearing Him.

Don’t let a reformer (whether Calvinist or Arminian) twist this text to say something it does not. They will try to teach it is from a god with stingy grace only available to a few chosen people, the rest this God sends to perdition. What this text is showing, and the entire macro level view of John 5 through John 6 is the lavish and extravagant love of the Father to save anyone who wants it.

To understand takes one back to the lesson of the loaves from when Jesus fed these people earlier. Though all of them ate until they were glutted there were twelve baskets left over. The extravagance in providing for their needs left nobody wanting, and what is leftover is not wasted.

Never Die Forever

On By TimIn Death, Eternal Security, John 11Leave a comment

Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me, even if he dies, will live, and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die ⌊forever⌋. Do you believe this?”

John 11:25–26 (LEB)

Most Bibles will miss something profound in this text. I know this is not the normal version I read, but is one of the study bibles I use.

I draw attention to bracketed weird. This hints at something important. That bracketed word forever indicates a Semitic style emphasis in the Greek. The emphasis of this Hebraism is usually not translated. In the surrounding context, Jesus is speaking to Lazarus’ sister after he has passed. He was assuring her that her brother would live.

Jesus is saying that the one who believes in Him, even if such dies, they will live. That’s a promise of resurrection.

Furthermore, everyone who lives AND believes in Him… Those are present tense verbs… such will never-ever die, forever. The profound reality is that believers will not die for eternity.

It is important to understand the significance of what John was conveying from Jesus’ words. It just cannot and will not happen.

That means clearly, if you are alive and believe in Him right now, you’ll never-ever die forever. If you’re worried about some point in the future where you fear your faith might fail… you’re still never-ever gonna die forever.

That is the true freedom Jesus gives. There is no more bondage of death for believers.

The Church that Follows the Free Man

On By TimIn Church, John 04Leave a comment

Jesus said to them, “My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me, and to finish His work. Do you not say, ‘There are yet four months, and then comes the harvest’? Listen! I say to you, lift up your eyes and look at the fields, for they are already white for harvest. He who reaps receives wages, and gathers fruit that leads to eternal life, that both he who sows and he who reaps may rejoice together. For in this is the saying true, ‘One sows, and another reaps.’ I sent you to reap a crop for which you did not labor. And you have benefited from their labor.”

John 4:34–38

It’s interesting how discussions go. This was part of our small group Bible study earlier this week. The discussions around it were intriguing and eye-opening. Hopefully, you will gather some encouragement from it, too.

This part of the Scriptures is where Jesus encounters the Samaritan woman. It is after His encounter with her that His friends were encouraging Jesus to eat. He said He had food they didn’t know about. He heard their murmuring and He answered them as above.

Now, I am going to tell you that Charlie Kirk lived to do the same as Jesus, His Father’s will. He would be at it until the work was complete. Charlie was taken home this last week, signifying his work is finished. He now enjoys the rewards of it.

The rewards of the work are not going to heaven and escaping Hell. No, those are on top of that free gift that He has from the Holy Spirit.

Like Jesus having His life cut short, Charlie’s was, too.

Like those Jesus spoke to, we Christians today are going to get the same benefits. The fields are ripe. Charlie sowed much, and the harvest is here. It’s our turn. Jesus sends us all to reap a crop for which we did not labor.

Are you ready to do that?

I think there is a bit more here… Remember those two witnesses who will come during the Tribulation?

When they have finished their testimony, the beast that ascends from the bottomless pit will wage war against them and overcome them and kill them. Their dead bodies will lie in the street of the great city, which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified. Those from every people and tribe and tongue and nation will see their dead bodies for three and a half days, and will not allow their dead bodies to be put in graves.

Revelation 11:7–9

Well, there seems to be a small bit of parallel, or maybe we all had a sneak-peak at the future as one might say.

When Mr. Kirk did what he did best, he prophesied. No, he didn’t predict future events. New Testament prophets speak God’s truth plainly and forthrightly. There is little argument that he did just that. He did it boldly, without fear, and without trepidation.

Yes, there are prophets in the church.

God has put these in the church: first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, governments, and various tongues.

1 Corinthians 12:28

I consider this an ordered list of value. There are no apostles today, well, probably not. (Ask me about the apostle John one day.) Apostles were eyewitnesses to the life of Jesus. Which disqualifies virtually everyone alive today from being an apostle. The gifts of the Spirit are real, and as here, there is an amplified list elsewhere…

He gave some to be apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers, for the equipping of the saints, for the work of service, and for the building up of the body of Christ,

Ephesians 4:11–12

These offices are for the equipping of the church. These exist until the church reaches maturity.

That was a bit of a diversion, but back to those two prophets in the future… And Charlie Kirk.

I think the parallel is the aftermath of what happened. There were plenty of people rejoicing over the death of Charlie. It almost resembles a precursor to the fallout that occurs after the two prophets are overcome.

Those who dwell on the earth will rejoice over them and make merry and send gifts to one another, because these two prophets tormented those who dwell on the earth.

Revelation 11:10

I tell you, last Wednesday… I expected God to raise Charlie up, just like he had those two prophets. He didn’t, yet it was expected.

Perhaps that was just a precursor to my small group study, and eventually to all that I write here. I think that what we encountered after Charlie was murdered was a small shadow of the attitudes of the masses of people in the future. These people celebrate the deaths of the two prophets. The outpouring of that kind of inhumanity is alive in an astonishing number of people even today. It’s like things are ramping up to that time, as the attitudes become firmly cemented in hearts. These are those who hate the Truth, so they eliminate those who are truth-tellers.

Back to revelation…

He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”

Revelation 3:22

In the seven epistles Jesus gave to the seven churches in Revelation 2 and 3, this phrase is used in all of them. Intriguingly, it is the closing line on the last four letters.

When considering the way Revelation is constructed, a chronological timeline of church history seems to be included in the seven epistles. Intriguingly, any other order and that chronology would not exist. Concerning the last four, these are present today. Thyatira would represent the Catholic era and the churches that are part of it today. Sardis represents the reformation era and the churches from that era. Likewise, Philadelphia, being the great awakening era, and Laodicia, bringing in today’s seeker-forward-style church. These types of churches make up the bulk of Christianity today.

Back to that last line, which is included as such in the last four letters.

He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.

Revelation 3:22

The appeal is for the free man to hear what the Spirit says to the churches. The name Charles means free man. The word Kirk is an old Scottish word for church. Make of that what you will.

But when you consider that Charles James Kirk was taken out suddenly and unexpectedly, shocking the world. And that Charlie’s life could be summed up simply as he wanted men to be free and to be part of the body of Christ, His church. He lived up to his own name… While pointing to Jesus Christ.

I’ve already told you that Charlie means free man. And that Kirk is church. But James is the English form of Jacob. We know Jacob means heal catcher, but there is a different meaning in that name. It is the one who follows.

Considering his sudden removal, could Charlie’s sudden removal from earth announce the next thing for the church?

Is it the one that follows the free man following the church, or is it the free man that is the one who follows the church?

Let that sink in for a moment.

Make no Provision for the Flesh

On By TimIn Love, Romans 13, SinLeave a comment

But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh to fulfill its lusts.

Romans 13:14

Pervious to this verse, Paul is exhorting the Roman church to act correctly. Not because of legalism, or to put on a show of righteousness. No. Proper behavior has an edifying effect. In it, there is also no way for the fleshly desires to be fulfilled.

As follow up to the recent post on love and lust where I did mention how serving desire was the downfall of Eve (and eventually Adam,) it is necessary to show exactly how difficult doing the right thing is for Adam’s race.

I know the popular phrases with the loaded baggage. It is why those phrases are just wrong to use. One that immediately comes to mind is original sin. If it was just about what Adam did to bring corruption into perfection, that’s one thing. Most often, it is used to burden the entire race with the moral culpability from Adam’s sin. That’s clearly not the case. We did not inherit sin or immorality.

As a result of that error, some lay the moral failures of humanity on Adam. They blame him for all the carousing and carrying on in sin that is rampant these days. That is not the case either. But is exposes another flub, we did not inherit a sin nature.

Humans inherited corrupt flesh and the knowledge of good and evil.

Corruption of the Flesh

The sin of Adam introduced corruption into the perfect creation. It also disturbed his genome. While the Bible doesn’t actually come out and say that Adam poisoned himself, there are enough clues to infer that may indeed be the case why humans die. It comes here:

Out of the ground the Lord God made to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight and good for food. The tree of life was also in the midst of the garden, along with the tree of knowledge of good and evil.

Genesis 2:9

Adam was given every tree that was deemed good for food to eat (as food.) There were two trees that did not fit this category. They are named in that text. Neither were given as good for food.

Eve deemed the fruit of the tree of good and evil by its appearance. She considered it good for food and consumed it.

When the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasing to the eyes and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate; and she gave to her husband with her, and he ate.

Genesis 3:6

This needs some considerable attention. More than just a flippant Adam’s original sin brought all humanity a sin nature. If there is a sin nature inherited from Adam which brings death to all, why did his woman eventually die?

Some understanding of inheritance of traits by genetics can help. Human males have a XY chromosomes and human females have XX chromosomes. It would not be an incorrect inference that the three X chromosomes would be identically perfect. Eve was made of Adam’s rib, therefore all of them came from Adam. And before the fall. If the fruit poisoned the genetics of both because it was not to be used for food, that explains why lifespans were encumbered by death for both. Eve didn’t inherit sin from Adam, nor did she receive addled genetics from him.

Entropy entered their genetics fulfilling God’s warning they would die. He literally said, “Dying you shall die.” Which is an apt definition of entropy.

The Knowledge of Good and Evil

The knowledge of good and evil became part of the human experience.

For years I struggled with the idea that evil here is equivalent to moral failure or even sin. It didn’t make sense that this kind of knowledge is reserved for God. God is not immoral at all. In reality, we know what is moral not by the law.., But by Who He is.

As with all of those times spent grappling with the words in the Bible, eventually the Truth was revealed. The knowledge of good and evil is better understood as knowing good and calamity. Or the difference in how to alleviate or not experience calamity, and make and experience calamity.

To put it like that previous post entails, it would be called the knowledge of love and lust.

When loving others as God loves us sacrificially, it is doing good to them. It is to look after another’s interest and well-being first. As Paul wrote in our introductory verse, doing that makes no provision for the flesh.

But when we seek to satisfy our desires, it brings calamity on ourselves and most likely on others, too.

That is what putting on Christ is… Sacrificially caring for others purposefully and unconditionally with reckless abandon. Just as Jesus did, not counting Himself and His well being first.

Consider God’s top ten… It is correct to look at the list from top to down. What lies at the foundation of the list is startling.

Do not covet.

I am going to say that almost every single has its foundation in coveting. We want something that is not ours. Eve did it. Adam did it. We do it because we are looking to satisfy ourselves and our own felt needs, often with no regard to others.

What Adam and Eve did not have to go with the knowledge of good and evil were the skills necessary for that knowledge. That is the entirety of the Bible. Because we don’t know how to use the knowledge we must be taught. Paul said “Put on the Lord Jesus Christ.” Do things the right way.

If coveting comes from lustful desires (not just sexual) then is it any wonder that such thinking is hostile expulsion of God. Adam and Eve ran to hide from God.

Good and evil.

Love and lust.

Spirit and flesh.

In these, the latter is to exclude the former. Therefore, if one looks after their own needs first, such is not spiritually minded. One cannot be in that.

For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. To be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace, for the carnal mind is hostile toward God, for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can it be, and those who are in the flesh cannot please God.

Romans 8:5–8

We must be mindful to do better, every day.

Ardent, Vehement, Yet Fully Tender and Intimate

On By TimIn 1 John 02, Love2 Comments

Brothers, I am writing no new commandment to you, but an old commandment which you have had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word which you have heard from the beginning. Yet a new commandment I am writing to you, which holds true in Him and in you, because the darkness is passing away, and the true light is already shining.

1 John 2:7–8

I am thinking over the things that were discussed at a recent meeting meeting. It was a many-faceted, yet casual talk over biblical doctrines on marriage, divorce, gender, and sexuality. These tend to be sensitive subjects. Of course, questions came from the audience considering hypothetical situations. Some of those questions seemed to drift off-topic.

These personal situations and concerns seem to be directed toward the symptoms of a deeper problem. One that, a proper foundation may provide answers even before questions come. John did just that in his first epistle as will be shown. He is going to demonstrate the differences between love and lust. (The latter has a broader application than most consider.)

John is referencing the old commandment…

You shall not take vengeance, nor bear any grudge against the children of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the Lord.

Leviticus 19:18

The new commandment is now very much central to the teaching Jesus gave. It is not just to love each other, but to love others in the selfless, steadfast way the Father loves the Son. It is the same way Jesus loves us. That is, even to the point of dying for others.

Somehow the latter part is missed by a majority of Christians these days.

Whoever says he is in the light but hates his brother is in darkness even until now. Whoever loves his brother lives in the light, and in him there is no cause for stumbling. But whoever hates his brother is in darkness, and walks in darkness, and does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes.

1 John 2:9–11

John is using words that may be unsettling to some. But to be indifferent and even dismissive towards another is to walk in darkness. It is difficult to come to terms with that. Darkness tends to blind us, just as Paul instructed in the first chapter of his epistle to the Roman church. That principle is that sin suppresses the knowledge of God. Sin blinds indiscriminately. That is why the counsel is to be circumspect.

I am writing to you, little children,
because your sins are forgiven for His name’s sake.
I am writing to you, fathers,
because you have known Him who is from the beginning.
I am writing to you, young men,
because you have overcome the evil one.
I am writing to you, little children,
because you have known the Father.
I have written to you, fathers,
because you have known Him who is from the beginning.
I have written to you, young men,
because you are strong,
and the word of God lives in you,
and you have overcome the evil one.

1 John 2:12–14

I find it apropos that John is calling out to men… Fathers and young men. He is not questioning their Christianity at all. He is challenging them to a different way of abiding as a real-life epistle that others may read.

Look again, John uses a rhetorical device of repetition. This is to emphasize the importance of what he is writing. Not just that, he is drawing laser-focused attention to his audience… Men!

Why?

We think that love and hate are opposites. Indifference actively opposes love. As does dismissiveness.

The kind of love John is speaking of is commonly understood by the Greek word used… Agape. That Greek term is used in the Septuagint to translation the Hebrew word ahab. Both terms are meant to convey a sacrificial and unconditional, ardent and vehement inclination of the mind toward others. It comes with tenderness and fullness of affection. It is an act of the will, meaning one chooses to love others not because of who they are or even what they do. Love sacrifices self for the well-being of others.

This is what John is calling Christians to. It is severely absent these days, and waning more every day.

As an aside, Hebrew has some peculiarities that draws attention. One of those is about that Hebrew word ahab. This word construction has nuances that are staggering. The proto-Hebrew used symbols as representing letter sounds. These figures were not unlike Egyptian hieroglyphics. These symbols were combined to make words. Yet each individual pictogram in itself conveys meaning. (I know scholars tend to dismiss this as hokey.) But knowing the meanings behind those pictograms can help us grasp the meaning of a Hebrew word.

The first letter of ahab is the first letter of the Hebrew alphabet aleph. It was drawn like the head of a bull. With that, the letter generally coveys the idea of head or first, as in leader. The last letter of ahab is the second letter of the Hebrew alphabet. It is beth. It is drawn Like an upside-down v, symbolic of a tent. Think Bethlehem, which means house of bread. Taking the aleph and the beth together is a familiar Hebrew word, ab. Ab is the Hebrew word for father, generally considered the leader of the house.

That’s fascinating. But insert the Hebrew letter heh between the aleph and beth to make ahab. Heh means breath. God added heh to both Abram’s and Sarai’s name. It can also mean the very essence of something, like breath is to life. Taking that together ahab is the essence of the Father.

God is Love.

But you knew that. My hope is for you the reader to understand the astounding love lavished on us by the Father. Nothing is ever wasted with Him.

Since we are to be about our Father’s business. We are to lavish that kind of love on others.

Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.

1 John 2:15

Here is where John drives the point to home. It is the age-old conflict between God’s program… Love; and the enemy’s program desire from flesh. That was the trick used to get Eve, awaken desire in her flesh. Desire is not necessarily sexual.

For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father, but is of the world.

1 John 2:16

The desire of the flesh is to satisfy itself. Hunger makes us want to eat. That is why fasting is important, as it teaches us that we can master desire by will.

The desire of the eyes is the basis of not just sexual sins. It is really based in coveting. Wanting something that is not ours.

That’s what the world does. That’s the enemy’s program.

Love is an act of the will.

Lust or desire is caving into the wants of the flesh.

The English language tends to be very precise, but these two words as used contemporarily, are not. They come with sensual baggage, and are often confused and conflated, as if they go together.

In English, lust almost always is used in a sexual nature. This adds confusion with the word love, too. This is especially true in conversations about marriage, divorce, gender, and sexuality.

Yet the way the Bible uses them is in a stark contrast. It is simple.

Love always seeks to sacrifice self to what is best for others. Just as Jesus did for us.

Lust (or desire) seeks what is best for self with little and often no regard to others.

I think that when questions arise about marriage, divorce, sexuality, gender identity, and even personal relationships… They should first be sorted. Is it love or lust?

I think any questions will almost always be answered there.