Tag: Believe

There are Three Who Testify in Heaven

On By TimIn 1 John 5, Triune GodLeave a comment

This is He who came by water and blood—Jesus Christ. He did not come by water only, but by water and blood. It is the Spirit who bears witness, because the Spirit is the truth. There are three who testify in heaven: the Father, the Word, and the Holy Spirit, and the three are one. There are three that testify on earth: the Spirit, the water, and the blood, and the three are toward the one.

1 John 5:6–8

This one is going to take some time to reason through as it is not without controversy. The importance is that John is going to show again that Jesus is indeed Jehovah now. The controversy comes with a discrepancy in the text. In some versions of the Bible, the two verses seven and eight are far less verbose than what is in the King James Version. The text included in the KJV has a technical name. It is called the Johannine Comma. To explain that idea in detail will take much time, I will not do that. There is an excellent article on this posted from the Berean Patriot: The Johannine Comma. It’s a good read that may help all to understand.

Of course, my foundations in the faith comes by Independent Fundamental Baptist preaching. So I’ve heard much on why the King James Version is the only reliable Bible. I don’t embrace that anymore, and consider much of the argumentation proving the case rather juvenile.

Don’t get me wrong, the KJV is a great and reliable Bible. I say that having read up on the issue of textual criticism over the years. Especially since the introduction of Facebook which has greatly broadened my perspectives. As a result, I prefer the non-Alexandrian text of the Textus Receptus, also called the Majority Text and loosely, the Masoretic Texts. There are caveats that must be understood, more than I want to know. I investigate when issues arise and to learn. If you read this blog regularly, it is also clear that I use the Septuagint when it helps to clarify.

As I learn what the Bible says, the issue that guides me mostly, is the avoidance of Greek Gnosticism. Specifically, it is almost exclusively the denial of the humanity and/or divinity of Jesus Christ. The early church encountered this, as did the apostle John. It is one reason for his epistle. This denial is still around today, and embraced by many who call themselves Christians. You may even have some in your church.

It is with that primary concern that provides the purpose for this post… Jesus is Jehovah. I encourage you to take the time to actually say that out loud. It has a unique way of clearing the air and the mind. Those three words are powerful, yet immensely freeing.

I appreciate the indulgence toward me letting you know my approach to the text. With that, let’s go!

By Water and Blood

This is He who came by water and blood—Jesus Christ. He did not come by water only, but by water and blood. It is the Spirit who bears witness, because the Spirit is the truth.

1 John 5:6

When it comes to the apostle John, I am learning that he has a very intimate revelation of Jesus. Not only did He know Him as He walked on earth before His crucifixion and after His resurrection. He was in His divine presence in his book Revelation. One cannot understand what is said here, without the entire panorama of what John wrote. One must start from the beginning of the end in Revelation.

When I saw Him, I fell at His feet as though I were dead. Then He laid His right hand on me, saying to me, “Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last. I am He who lives, though I was dead. Look! I am alive forevermore. Amen. And I have the keys of Hades and of Death.

Revelation 1:17–18

I think John’s reaction to seeing the Divine Jesus is important to note. It’s not like his interactions with Jesus before. John is awestruck at the presence of this Being with burnished orange feet. (That’s probably all he saw falling there. I think the rest of His body has the same skin color. Perhaps this very image is why some direct their hate toward an orange man. There is a real spiritual congruence. No, I am not likening Trump as Jesus or vice-versa. Just pointing out a very real and dark spiritual manifestation. I digress.)

The recurring themes and phrases that thread though John’s major writings are many. There’s the I am (ego eimi.) There’s the after these things (meta tauta.) There are many others to discover. The text in 1 John 5 points to the first of these.

John’s Gospel contains one of the greatest apologetics on the divinity of Jesus. He begins that by saying Jesus is God. He also says that He became flesh. He came by blood, which is the antithesis of being born again which is not by blood. There fore, in my understanding, by blood refers to human birth.

He came by water and by blood.. Though there are differing interpretations of what this means. When I read it, the water immediately points me to John 3 where Jesus is speaking of birth.

Jesus answered, “Truly, truly I say to you, unless a man is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.

John 3:5

This part of the epistle is going to provide a rock solid testimony of the essential Truth. Just as John witnessed to in his Gospel account of Jesus’ own words. The first is that Jesus is indeed born human by water. Which means He gestated in the womb, too. The reference to the blood is the second witness to His humanity. Humans have blood, divine beings do not. It’s not just that He is born human, He is human. He has blood.

The Bible teaches us that a matter is established by two or three witnesses. We have two to His humanity. The third Witness is Divine. John wrote of this briefly from the eyewitness testimony of John the Baptizer.

Then John bore witness, saying, “I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it remained on Him. I did not know Him, but He who sent me to baptize with water said to me, ‘The One on whom you see the Spirit descending and remaining, this is He who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.’ I have seen and have borne witness that He is the Son of God.”

John 1:32–34

The Holy Spirit descended on Him and remained. Other accounts add some detail to the event.

And a voice came from heaven, saying, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”

Matthew 3:17

This event testifies to the Divine Nature of Jesus Christ. He is the Son of God. But knowing some of the Old Testament Scriptures that give a foundation and testify to the idea, Jesus is Jehovah. In Isaiah, the proof is clear: the Son given is called Mighty God and Everlasting Father. Remember, His birth testifies to His humanity, it also testifies to His divinity, He is born of a virgin.

These three witnesses testify to Jesus’ divinity and His humanity. It’s not two natures existing in One being. He is the unique perfection of both joined as One.

Saying Jesus is Jehovah is just as true as saying Jesus is Human.

This refutes the Gnostic idea that Jesus was only divine. It refutes lots of other ideas, like Arianism, Modalism, Sabellianism, and that Jesus was created by God. There are some who say Jesus is not Jehovah because He sits at the right hand of Jehovah.

All of these are heresies that deny the Truth. These three testify of Jehovah in flesh.

Our Testimony

This is the controversy with the Johannine Comma. If these are really words written by John, then there are three in heaven that testify. Which then makes it rock-solid evidence of the reality about Jehovah. One which John knows very well.

Read this paragraph and see what you encounter.

Jesus answered him, “Are you the teacher of Israel, but you do not know these things? Truly, truly I say to you, We speak of what We know and bear witness of what We have seen, but you do not receive Our testimony. If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things? No one has ascended to heaven except He who descended from heaven, even the Son of Man who is in heaven.

John 3:10–13

Did you see it?

We speak of what We know. We have seen. Yet Nicodemus did not believe “Our testimony.” Who is the We to Whom Jesus is refering?

I find it ironic that Jesus was speaking to a scribe there. One who would have known the Scriptures in the Tanakh. The words that testify of Him. And it is always with Jesus encountering Israel’s leaders that He expected them to expect Him. As pointed to above from Isaiah 9, the Mighty God and Everlasting Father would be a Son given to Israel

My Father

Before He came to Nicodemus, Jesus overturned tables in the temple, claiming it as His Father’s house. He claimed God as Father, and that should not have been shocking. No reaction to that was recorded, if there was one. Yet John cites it as a fulfillment of a prophecy in the Psalms.

Jesus testified that the Father so loved the world that He gave His unique Son. The language used is a direct reference to Isaiah 9:6, “a child is born,” and “a Son is given.”

Here is testimony that parallels 1 John 5:

He who comes from above is above all. He who is of the earth is earthly and speaks of the earth. He who comes from heaven is above all. He bears witness of what He has seen and heard, yet no one receives His testimony. He who has received His testimony has certified that God is true. For He whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for God gives the Spirit without measure to Him.

John 3:31–34

Those are the words of John the Baptist. John says Jesus comes from heaven. He testifies to what He has seen and heard. Those that do not believe will not have eternal life. Those that receive what He says, meaning those that take it or lay hold of it, demonstrate that God is real.

After the recording of this, John shows that Jesus intentionally seeks out a Samaritan woman. He reveals to her His divinity, too. He says He is the Messiah. Knowing Isaiah 9, the Son given is a reference to the Messiah. Jesus told her plainly that He is Jehovah.

In John 5, there is the lame man at the pool of Bethesda whom Jesus singled out to heal. He told the man to get up and walk, and the man did. However that day was Shabbat. The authorities took note. The man was then grilled by them because he was carrying his bed—He was working. The man testified he did not know Who healed him, and said as much when asked. Jesus later found the man. That healed man left to tell the authorities that is was Jesus Who healed him. It was then the authorities sought to kill Jesus. It was not for the reason many suspect. The penalty for working on Shabbat is death. Since the man did as he was told, the responsibility for the penalty fell on the One commanding him. (Managers take note.) When the authorities came to Jesus for an explanation, here are the things that followed:

Jesus answered them, “My Father is working still, and I am working.” So the Jews sought even more to kill Him, because He not only had broken the Sabbath, but also said that God was His Father, making Himself equal with God.

John 5:17–18

The authorities immediately knew what Jesus claimed. John is not done with making the Truth about Jesus plain to all. Jesus is still speaking to those authorities that seek to eradicate Him.

Three Who Testify in Heaven

Then Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He sees the Father do. For whatever He does, likewise the Son does. For the Father loves the Son and shows Him all things that He Himself does. And He will show Him greater works than these so that you may marvel. For as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, even so the Son gives life to whom He will. The Father judges no one, but has committed all judgment to the Son, that all men should honor the Son, just as they honor the Father. He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent Him.

John 5:19–23

He continues…

“If I bear witness of Myself, My testimony is not true. There is another who bears witness of Me, and I know that the testimony which He bears of Me is true.

John 5:31–32

Who is the Other Who bears witness of Jesus?

It is the Father in Heaven. He testifies to the truth of Jesus in the works that Jesus does. These things prove that the Father sent Jesus. He is the Miracle Worker of old Who bore Noah through the flood and the Israelis through the sea.

Where John writes his epistle, Jesus has already been caught up to Heaven. He is there now, so it makes perfect sense to say that there are three in Heaven Who bear witness.

The Father, the Word, and the Holy Spirit

I personally don’t like to use the word Trinity. I don’t reject the concept. I reject the oversimplification and the baggage added to the idea. Even though that is simple. God has told us of Himself. I take hold of that testimony, all of it.

Considering Father, Word, and Spirit, there are many overt testimonies to find in the Tanakh. The first one comes from Genesis 1:1… In the beginning God. The Hebrew word for God there is Elohim. Hebrew has many unique peculiarities, this is one of them. Elohim is the plural of the singular Hebrew noun El. Both translate to God. Hebrew nouns come in singular form, dual form, and plural. The dual form is Elohayim, which would signify a set of two. Which means that a Hebrew plural is really more than two. Or at least, three. Elohim is three or more which is the initial idea.

Then there is the Sh’ma Yisrael…

Hear, O Israel: The Lord is our God. The Lord is one!

Deuteronomy 6:4

One, in this verse, is translated from the Hebrew word echad. Which properly means united as one, as in a unity of parts. The word Lord there is the Tetragrammaton. I usually use Jehovah. Jehovah is One!

Two witnesses, but are there more?

Yes, there are a lot of them. Besides the earlier reference to Isaiah 9, there are more. I will reference two.

Thus says the Lord the King of Israel,
and his Redeemer the Lord of Hosts:
I am the first, and I am the last;
besides Me there is no God.

Isaiah 44:6

Thus says Jehovah, the King of Israel. This title that belongs to the Messiah. The Lord (Jehovah) of Hosts is also a title belonging to the Messiah. Finally, the first and the last is also how the Messiah describes Himself in Revelation. There is also a hint of this in Genesis 1:1 where the Hebrew says, “Bereshit bara Elohim et.” Literally in English it is, “In the beginning God.” But the et is not translated. It is two letters encoded in the text. They are the aleph and the tav. These are the first and the last letters of the Hebrew alphabet. It is the equivalent of alpha and omega.

Come near to Me, hear this:
I have not spoken in secret from the beginning;
from the time that it was, there I am.
And now the Lord God has sent me
and His Spirit.

Isaiah 48:16

I encourage the reader to diligence—read all of Isaiah 48. For purposes here, I will tell you that the person speaking is Jehovah. (Back in Isaiah 45:18, Jehovah declares Himself as the One speaking.) When getting to this verse, it is Jehovah’s call to Israel. He identifies Himself yet again, but differently. He declares He, Adonai (Lord) God, sent Jehovah and His Spirit.

This text tells us that Jehovah is the One sent from Adonai. John is borrowing heavily from the Tanakh. The sent One is Jesus, Who is clearly Jehovah. John knew this from Jesus’ Own testimony.

The Father Himself, who has sent Me, has borne witness of Me. You have neither heard His voice at any time, nor seen His form.

John 5:37

The Father sends the Son to give life. One of the previous references above included John 5:21 where Jesus says, “For as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, even so the Son gives life to whom He will.” To another group of people, Jesus will say in John 6:63, “It is the Spirit who gives life.”

By Jesus’ testimony, there are Three Who give life, the Father, the Son, and the Spirit.

One of those other important consistencies, in Isaiah 48 is that Jehovah declared things would happen before they did. It is God Who alone knows the beginning from the end.

Remember the former things of old,
for I am God, and there is no other;
I am God, and there is no one like Me,
declaring the end from the beginning,
and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying,
“My counsel shall stand,
and I will do all My good pleasure,”

Isaiah 46:9–10

Throughout Jesus’ Own testimony in John’s Gospel, He says He tells what happens before it does. In His case to the authorities, He said if one knew the Father they would know Him.

I am He

Back to John. He knew the Father, and he recorded these words from Jesus.

“Now I tell you before it happens, that when it does happen, you may believe that I am He. Truly, truly I say to you, he who receives whomever I send receives Me. And he who receives Me receives Him who sent Me.”

John 13:19–20

When Jesus says He speaks future things before they happen, He is identifying Himself. Remember, God said there is no other like Him, He knows the future. Therefore, if Jesus says He knows the future there is only one conclusion. He says that “I am He.” This is for His friends so that they may believe that.

In some of your Bibles, the He is italicized. That means it is added for clarification. The underlying Greek is ego eimi, literally I am. Jesus is telling everyone present exactly Who He is.

Furthermore, whoever receives who Jesus sends receives Him. What does that mean and Who does He send?

It is the Holy Spirit.

“But when the Counselor comes, whom I shall send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will bear witness of Me. And you also will bear witness, because you have been with Me from the beginning.

John 15:26–27

This verse cements the idea that the Spirit is sent by Jesus. Yet He calls the Spirit Counselor. Recall Isaiah 9:6, the child born and the Son given shall be called… Counselor. Isaiah 48:16 referenced previously says that Adonai sends Jehovah and the Spirit. John 14:26 says that the Father sends the Spirit.

The Father is Jehovah, the Son is Jehovah, and the Spirit is Jehovah. The clear cut reality—Jehovah is One! There is plenty of testimony in John’s own writings that the controversial passage is probably part of the original.

Three testify in heaven, and these Three are One.

Three That Testify on Earth

There are three that testify on earth: the Spirit, the water, and the blood, and the three are toward the one.

1 John 5:8

Just as Three in Heaven testify as One, the three on earth testify toward the One. That is, they testify that God has indeed come in Flesh. He is Emmanuel, God with us.

The testimony from John himself is very consistent. That One God exists in Three Persons is not just a tradition, but a reality from the Tanakh. The rejection of which has dire consequences.

This Witness in You

If we receive the testimony of men, the testimony of God is greater; for this is the testimony of God which He has given concerning His Son. Whoever believes in the Son of God has this witness in himself. Whoever does not believe God has made Him out to be a liar, because he does not believe the testimony that God gave about His Son.

1 John 5:9–10

The testimony of the eyewitnesses of Jesus… Like John’s… Needs to be received. It is eternal life. It is not just John’s testimony, but the greater testimony of God.

These testimonies must agree, that the Man Jesus is indeed Jehovah Himself. Which means if a person comes and says Jesus is not Jehovah, they disagree with the testimony of God. The consequences of that is to make Jehovah a liar. That will not work out well for anyone who does that.

This was a prevalent heresy at the time John wrote. The Gnostics denied the uniqueness of Jesus… Man and Jehovah. This denial of truth is still present today. It has become more subtle. Yet it is easily identified when people scoff at the Truth… Jesus in flesh is Jehovah, He is Jehovah today, sitting at the right hand of Jehovah. That Truth never changes.

Those that believe this, have the same witness in themselves. That is, they have Jehovah in them. That is the Counselor that was sent by Jesus. Receiving Him, one receives Jesus and the Father. The Truth reconciles.

And this is the testimony: that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. Whoever has the Son has life, and whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life.

1 John 5:11–12

That is the consistent testimony of John… That Jesus gives life, and as such… Is indeed Jehovah.

The choice is yours to believe or not.

He who believes in the Son has eternal life. He who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.

John 3:36

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.

Kept from the Hour of Temptation

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

There are two pertinent things that need to be clearly understood in Jesus’ words here.

First, the hour of temptation comes upon the entire Earth, there will be no place to escape it on Earth. And it will test those who dwell on Earth. The language indicates that every individual on the Earth will be tested.

Second, Jesus promises to keep the ones who believe in Him from that hour of temptation. Which means those kept from it are necessarily not on Earth.

The text clearly indicates that believers are relocated off of the Earth before trouble begins.

    The Name: Yours

    On By TimIn Isaiah 62, RedemptionLeave a comment

    For the sake of Zion I will not keep silent, and for the sake of Jerusalem I will not rest until her righteousness goes forth as brightness and her salvation as a lamp that burns. The nations shall see your righteousness, and all kings your glory. And you shall be called by a new name, which the mouth of the Lord shall name. You shall also be a crown of glory in the hand of the Lord and a royal diadem in the hand of your God. You shall no more be termed Forsaken, nor shall your land be termed Desolate; but you shall be called My Delight Is In Her, and your land Married; for the Lord delights in you, and your land shall be married. For as a young man marries a virgin, so your sons shall marry you; and as the bridegroom rejoices over the bride, so your God shall rejoice over you.

    Isaiah 62:1–5

    As Isaiah writes, it is easy to see the love that God has for Israel. Even though her disobedience produced many problems and the land became forsaken, God promises restoration. With that restoration also comes another surprising promise. One is this principle I want to explore.

    Years ago, I wrote a small series of posts on the idea of The Name. It was to show the importance of names, and specifically related to the promises of God. With redemption and restoration, God gives new names. Just as the one we bear now passed on to us by our parents, the Father will give new names to His children.

    Back to Isaiah, the prophet is relating how God perceives Zion. That is, the mountain of God… Jerusalem. Sometimes when names like Zion, Jerusalem, and others are used, it is as a rhetorical device. In this case, Jerusalem is a synecdoche for the people of Israel.

    Many years ago, Mark Twain visited the Holy Land and wrote a travelogue entitled “Innocents Abroad.” There is some controversy in quoting him. Some say it is out-of-context to make it appear as some sort of proof of what the Bible says. But much of what he described in his experience of traveling through the Holy Land is that the land did appear forsaken and desolate. He said of the city of Jerusalem, that it could be circumnavigated on foot at a normal pace in about an hour.

    That was long before Israel became a nation in the early 20th century. For almost 2,000 years, there was no nation. The Israeli people were scattered among the nations of the world. Even though they retained their national identity in diaspora, it would be apt to describe their plight as forsaken.

    We have had and continue to have the privilege to witness firsthand this saga of redemption as God promised would happen. Isaiah wrote much of the future for Israel. There are controversial opinions that the prophecies have been fulfilled, while others think there is yet a future consummation of these. Yet since the birth of the nation in 1948, much seems to bloom as we watch.

    The wilderness and the solitary place shall be glad, and the desert shall rejoice and blossom as the rose; it shall blossom abundantly and rejoice even with joy and singing. The glory of Lebanon shall be given to it, the excellency of Carmel and Sharon. They shall see the glory of the Lord and the excellency of our God.

    Isaiah 35:1–2

    It is a controversial statement to say that the modern state of Israel made the desert blossom. That’s because the world wants Israel to be thought of by her old names Forsaken and Desolate. Perhaps it is just a bit of jealousy. This seeming increasing favor to Israel becomes a silent portent of urgency. I think deep inside, we all know the time of the end is near. It is Israel that is God’s timepiece.

    We mere mortals living now have witnessed an extraordinary move of God in our lifetimes. Some of you may be a bit older than I… Many perhaps younger. But there is no mistake. It is now almost 80 years into the existence of Israel, and the land has had remarkable and noteworthy changes. It is hard not to acknowledge those. It is almost as if Israel were a bride being gussied up for a wedding!

    And what happens to a bride when she gets married?

    Well, traditionally… She takes on a new name. After all, the name is what I am writing about.

    Israel will have a new name. It will be given by the mouth of the Lord. It is a promise of the Lord’s delight in His people.

    Recently, in our small group as we study the book of Exodus, we chatted about how most people perceive the God of the Tanakh as different than how Jesus is portrayed. Having read through the Old Testament many times, it is remarkable how quickly one can be disabused of that idea. He is the same God. Jesus attested to the fact.

    Then they said to Him, “Where is Your Father?”
    Jesus answered, “You know neither Me nor My Father. If you knew Me, you would know My Father also.”

    John 8:19

    If one knows the Father, they would immediately know Jesus. It follows, if one knows Jesus, they would know the Father. It is an inescapable conclusion that they are the same God with the same purpose.

    Some call it the romance of redemption. As Israel is redeemed, a new name will be given. Yet surprisingly, this is a principle that applies to each of us as individuals. God wants to redeem us in the same way He redeems His people collectively. This is one of those promises that is for you.

    I know for me, the world programmed my inner voice to go along with the names it wanted me to go by… Ugly, Fat, Unimportant… Whatever. But now, since I have been redeemed… God calls me His son. Jesus calls me a brother. Yet I know there is something greater in store. Something that is intimately between God and I.

    He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes I will give the hidden manna to eat. And I will give him a white stone, and on the stone a new name written, which no one knows except he who receives it.

    Revelation 2:17

    There is far more than just getting a new name… Being redeemed means to never perish and to never be forsaken. Things the promise to Israel. It is the same promise that Jesus extends to each of us. Jesus Himself will publicly proclaim the name He gives to me before others.

    He who overcomes shall be clothed in white garments. I will not blot his name out of the Book of Life, but I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels.

    Revelation 3:5

    As extraordinary as all of that sounds, I will also be inscribed with Jesus’ own new name.

    He who overcomes will I make a pillar in the temple of My God, and he shall go out no more. I will write on him the name of My God and the name of the city of My God, the New Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from My God, and My own new name.

    Revelation 3:12

    What does this mean?

    Well, I think if you’ve ruined your reputation, there is redemption in Jesus for each of us. I also know, as we watch Israel become more prosperous, it is a reminder of the urgency to be right with God. And that is easy.

    Wherever you are, whatever you’re doing… You can stop and acknowledge God right now. Believe that He came to redeem you. He sent His Son Who satisfied your moral failures taking them upon Himself. He died taking them to the grave. And He rose again, giving the gift of eternal life to any who wishes to have it. Then confess that belief out loud. You may also confess your sins and He takes them away.

    Salvation is easy…

    Acknowledge He is. The Bible calls this repentance.

    Believe He died and rose again for you.

    Confess, tell others about it.

    After Hearing, After Believing, Sealed Forever

    On By TimIn Ephesians 01, Eternal SecurityLeave a comment

    In Him you also, after hearing the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and after believing in Him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory.

    Ephesians 1:13–14

    Like other parts of the Bible, this is a powerful passage. It debunks a majority of erroneous doctrines. Two that come to mind…

    Regeneration before faith is impossible here. Hearing, believing, and sealed are ordered. The tenses of each verb in the Greek are all aorist. The aorist tense is best translated at perfect tenses in English. The best way to describe the tense is once and done, meaning it cannot be undone. After one hears, it cannot be undone. After one believes, it cannot be undone. Once one is sealed, it cannot be undone.

    The latter idea is reinforced in the words that describe Who the Holy Spirit is. This debunks the other popular error, that one can somehow lose or forfeit salvation by free will.

    “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavily burdened, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you, and learn from Me. For I am meek and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy, and My burden is light.”

    Matthew 11:28–30

    Jesus beckoned for all to come unto Him. He promised to give them rest. Not only is that rest from work, it is rest from persevering. It is also rest from worry because He keeps His promises and He keeps His own.

    Just as Paul wrote to the Ephesians. If you’ve heard, and then you believed… You are delivered from death and judgment, being sealed by the Holy Spirit Himself. He is given as earnest money guaranteeing the fulfillment. You don’t have to guarantee the fulfillment by work, perseverance, or worry. He does.

    There are now two witnesses from the Scriptures of this truth. There are more, but one particularly satisfying is from Jesus Himself as recorded by John.

    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. But I told you that you have seen Me, and yet do not believe. All whom the Father gives Me will come to Me, and he who comes to Me I will never cast out. 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. 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 6:35–40

    Everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him. It’s not enough to see or hear about Jesus. One has to make the next step, believe in Him to have eternal life. What does that mean?

    Jesus explained it to the Pharisees…

    Therefore I said to you that you will die in your sins. For unless you believe that I am He, you will die in your sins.”

    John 8:24

    Check the immediate context of that text. Jesus is making the case that He forgive sins. He is the Light. Things that Jewish folks only consider to be of the Father Himself. That is, He is God. That is exactly what He means when He says unless one believes they are still in their sins. Just like those who came to Him in John 6, they saw Him and the miracles… But they did not believe in Him as God.

    See and hear of the Son. Then believe His testimony, trusting in Him as God to forgive sins. He will forgive, and give eternal life to anyone who does that.

    It’s not Over

    On By TimIn Matthew 26, The CrossLeave a comment

    When evening came, He sat down with the twelve. And as they were eating, He said, “Truly I say to you, one of you will betray Me.”
    They were very sorrowful, and each of them began saying to Him, “Lord, is it I?”

    Matthew 26:20–22

    I noticed something as I read this. When reclined at what is called The Last Supper, there was a simple exchange of words that reveal a depth of profundity. This Gospel records it succinctly describing that, which would be followed by a meaningful gesture.

    Since an Easter Sunday service in Greenville, SC over a decade ago, I cannot ever shake this idea that It Was Unexpected. What I mean is that earlier in the text, Jesus spoke of His being prepared for death and burial.

    When Jesus perceived it, He said to them, “Why do you trouble the woman? She has done a good work for Me. For you have the poor always with you, but you do not always have Me. In pouring this ointment on My body, she did it for My burial. Truly I say to you, wherever this gospel shall be preached in the whole world, what this woman has done will be told in memory of her.”

    Matthew 26:10–13

    As it is always my way of seeing this, the statement seems to go largely ignored. Jesus spoke plainly of His impending demise and resurrection. I get that it’s an argument from silence, but the Gospels clearly demonstrate that Jesus’ talk of death and resurrection wasn’t understood well at all by His followers. It was always with a focus on the death and not the resurrection.

    In like manner, there is something similar here. And it also comes with a bit of aloofness in the disciples not quite understanding what is happening.

    Lord, is it I?

    When Jesus speaks here about betrayal by one of His followers, it was received with sorrow, while they wondered who amongst them who it would be. Yet many times He told them that His betrayal must be, “The Son of Man goes as it is written of Him(.)”

    He answered and said, “He who has dipped his hand with Me in the dish will betray Me. The Son of Man goes as it is written of Him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been good for that man if he had not been born.”

    Matthew 26:23–24

    The meaning is that it was the determination in eternity past that the Son of Man would be betrayed and die for the lot of humanity. It is not that Judas was fatalistically chosen to have this lot. The way Jesus identified that betrayer proves it.

    In that time, the sharing of the dipping of bread was a sign of intimate honor. It signified that the one receiving the gesture was really loved. Here, it was offered by the Messiah to the one who would betray Him that there was still time to believe.

    The gesture also came with the assurance of reaping what is sown. That moment was not the culmination of a determination that Judas was the man. It was also an assurance that he was not remanded to eternity in perdition. The grace that Jesus gave to Judas included the same idea that God used to approach Cain.

    The Lord said to Cain, “Why are you angry? Why is your countenance fallen? If you do well, shall you not be accepted? But if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door. It desires to dominate you, but you must rule over it.”

    Genesis 4:6–7

    I want you to pause reading and really think about that. Judas was given the sop. Cain was given a physical mark on his body. Both of these are signs of the abiding love of God toward both of them. In the moment, they were loved without regard to their future endeavors, by a God Who is present with each of them already IN those yet dastardly future endeavors.

    Sin is not to Rule

    One can always say no.

    Yes, this pokes holes in fatalism and determinism. I am also certain there are going to be silent accusations of open theism. Yet it is the truth that the Bible presents. It’s not over until it’s over.

    But the Scripture has confined all things under sin, that the promise through faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe.

    Galatians 3:22

    As long as one is breathing… There is still time to believe. Sin is not the inescapable prison.

    For God has imprisoned them all in disobedience, so that He might be merciful to all.

    Romans 11:32

    Yes, it brings death. But death is delayed. Why?

    Do you despise the riches of His goodness, tolerance, and patience, not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance?

    Romans 2:4

    It’s the goodness of God! The grace that is extended to both Cain and Judas exceeds their betrayals.

    Sin is Rights

    The scriptures say clearly not to give a foothold to the devil. Sin is the foothold. It’s the way he gets in.

    From other Gospel narratives, at some point that night Satan entered Judas. He didn’t master his sin and extirpate it with faith. In a way, Satan’s entry into Judas mocks the Spirit God puts in us Christians. The sin Judas held gave foothold to the enemy, Judas extended him that right. One Gospel narrative pinpoints that this sop is the very moment Satan entered him.

    Now, recall how the group responded with sorrow and wanted Jesus to point out the betrayer.

    Then Judas, who betrayed Him, answered, “Master, is it I?”
    He said to him, “You have said it.”

    Matthew 26:25

    In my mind, I am thinking these are not the words of Judas, but those of the commandant of his body. I can hear the mockery.

    The Goodness of God

    The history is clear. Cain rebelled and never really sought after the things of God. Judas rebelled to the end.

    Considering the grace that is extended in both circumstances. Each lived after their betrayal. They were given stern warnings about the exceeding sinfulness of sin and one reaps what is sown.

    Be not deceived. God is not mocked. For whatever a man sows, that will he also reap. For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life.

    Galatians 6:7–8

    Giving in to sin reaps death… Always. The fact that death doesn’t come suddenly is proof of the goodness of God. Because one has life after they sin, there is still opportunity to sow to the Spirit and reap eternal life.

    The admonition to Judas was to do quickly his intentions. But Judas lived after he did that, proving the goodness of God still gave him time for repentance. Judas still had a choice.

    Do not Comply

    Though it’s over for them, it’s not over for you.

    Yes, Satan entered and rebellion escalated. Judas still had life, he still had opportunity to master sin by faith in what God says.

    That’s the message to you. If you’ve read this far, and you’ve embraced the lies of the enemy… That you’re too far gone… There is great hope in Jesus. There is no rebellion that hasn’t been covered at the cross.

    Maybe it’s embracing the message “You’re not good enough.” Perhaps it’s, “Nobody likes me.” Or it’s like, “I am not very attractive.” Other struggle are body dysmorphia, where the message is “You are not like ____.” These thoughts runs amok in your mind like an incessantly looping program. You can be free with one word, “Jesus!”

    Even if you made a covenant with your own blood, there is a greater covenant that God made with His!

    The Bible says He erased the handwriting of ordinances that was against us and nailed it to the cross. Those you’ve made agreements with have been exposed to not have any real power…

    And having disarmed authorities and powers, He made a show of them openly, triumphing over them by the cross.

    Colossians 2:15

    The enemies trick you into giving rights to them. That is the only way they have it. And you have the authority in Jesus’ name to revoke and renounce it at any time.

    No longer comply. Resist the devil, he has to flee.

    The Contract with Abraham

    On By TimIn Genesis 12, Israel, SalvationLeave a comment

    Now the Lord said to Abram, “Go from your country, your family, and your father’s house to the land that I will show you. I will make of you a great nation; I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. I will bless them who bless you and curse him who curses you, and in you all families of the earth will be blessed.”

    Genesis 12:1–3

    This is the covenant made with Abram. It is God calling Abram to leave all that he knows. He is to go to the place that God shows to him. This covenant, or to understand better contract, comes with all sorts of stipulations. We could bullet point them.

    • Made a great nation
    • Receive blessing
    • Have a well-known reputation
    • For you to be a blessing

    Of course, Abraham believed God and went as he was asked. This is plainly evident in the next verse, “So Abram departed.” He had no proof of anything other than what God told Him would happen. God said “Go.” And Abram left with no discernible delay.

    Looking toward the New Testament and the great Hall of Faith in Hebrews 11, we read the retrospect.

    By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out into a place which he would later receive as an inheritance. He went out not knowing where he was going.

    Hebrews 11:8

    By faith Abram obeyed. His faith was not part of the contract. His obedience was not part of the contract. God’s promises were His alone to keep. And Abram believed God would indeed keep them.

    Abram took Sarai his wife, Lot his brother’s son, and all their possessions that they had accumulated, and the people that they had acquired in Harran, and they set out for the land of Canaan. They came to the land of Canaan.

    Genesis 12:5

    He took all of what he had and set out to the place God wanted him to go.

    The Land Promised

    The Lord appeared to Abram and said, “To your descendants I will give this land.” So he built an altar to the Lord, who had appeared to him.

    Genesis 12:7

    In addition to the promises detailed at first, God will give to Abram the land to which he was sent.

    Now, I know in today’s political climate there is much controversy over this land. Some say it doesn’t belong to Israel, but to Palestinians. But does it really?

    Drawing up the Contract

    After this the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision, saying,
    “Do not fear, Abram. I am your shield, your exceedingly great reward.”
    But Abram said, “Lord God, what will You give me, seeing I am childless and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?” Abram said, “Since You have not given me any children, my heir is a servant born in my house.”
    Then the word of the Lord came to him, saying, “This man will not be your heir, but a son that is from your own body will be your heir.” He brought him outside and said, “Look up toward heaven and count the stars, if you are able to count them.” And He said to him, “So will your descendants be.”
    Abram believed the Lord, and He credited it to him as righteousness.

    Genesis 15:1–6

    I think with this text, we can get a sense of the business acumen of Abram. His negotiating skills are proficient. It might give us a hint as to what his family and business were like in Ur.

    That aside, God promised a blessing, many descendants… meaning Abram would have heirs. The negotiations continue:

    He also said to him, “I am the Lord who brought you out of Ur of the Chaldeans to give you this land to possess it.”
    But Abram said, “Lord God, how may I know that I will possess it?”

    Genesis 15:7–8

    The terms are given. And they’re pretty one-sided… I would say… Exclusively one-sided.

    Establishing the Contract

    So He said to him, “Bring Me a three-year-old heifer, a three-year-old female goat, a three-year-old ram, a turtledove, and a young pigeon.”
    Then Abram brought all of these to Him and cut them in two and laid each piece opposite the other, but he did not cut the birds in half. When the birds of prey came down on the carcasses, Abram drove them away.

    Genesis 15:9–11

    As it was in those ancient days, this is how a contract was made. The Hebrew word for covenant is karath, which means to cut. Animals were cut in half and lain upon the sides of a small ravine. The blood from the animals would drain into the ravine, and the parties to the contract would walk through the collected blood to signify the effectiveness of the contract. The terms for breech… Let this blood be on the one who breeches to contract.

    So what did Abram do?

    As the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell on Abram, and terror and a great darkness fell on him.

    Genesis 15:12

    Well, he did nothing. He went to sleep. The word terror doesn’t describe a feeling Abram had. It is used to describe the darkness of the deep sleep. There is no way Abram could have awakened to be privy to what would happen. It’s a subtle, yet important emphasis that applies today.

    Then He said to Abram, “Know for certain that your descendants will live as strangers in a land that is not theirs, and they will be enslaved and mistreated for four hundred years. But I will judge the nation that they serve, and afterward they will come out with great possessions. As for you, you will go to your fathers in peace and you will be buried at a good old age. In the fourth generation, your descendants will return here, for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet complete.”

    Genesis 15:13–16

    It’s fascinating to consider that Abram was oblivious to this bit of prophecy. It is recorded for his posterity.

    Now, this is important to understand.

    When the sun went down and it was dark, a smoking fire pot with a flaming torch passed between these pieces. On that same day the Lord made a covenant with Abram, saying, “To your descendants I have given this land, from the river of Egypt to the great Euphrates River—the land of the Kenites, the Kenizzites, the Kadmonites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Rephaites, the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Girgashites, and the Jebusites.”

    Genesis 15:17–21

    It was God alone Who walked amidst the blood of covenant. He alone made the land contract. The terms to honor it are all agreed to by God alone. Abram is asleep.

    The Ramifications

    If Abram did nothing to ratify the contract. He can do nothing to nullify or void the contract.

    This is an important thing to understand. God alone promised the land to Abram. God alone promised an inheritance to Abram. God alone promised blessings to Abram. God alone promised a great name to Abram. God also promised Abram would be a blessing to the world.

    We know Abram’s name was changed to Abraham. We know Abraham had an heir of his own bloodline with Sarah. (She was included in that blessing.) We know the blessing to the world came from Abraham… Jesus.

    But, Abraham’s descendants took possession of some of the land promised.

    God Keeps His Promises

    Again the word of the Lord came to me, saying: Son of man, look, the house of Israel says, “The vision that he sees is for many days to come, and he prophesies of the times that are far off.”
    Therefore say to them, Thus says the Lord God: There shall none of My words be prolonged anymore, but the word which I have spoken shall be done, says the Lord God.

    Ezekiel 12:26–28

    God will do what He says He will do. But it happens in His timing, not ours nor when we expect it. We got a glimpse into that in the word spoken by God to Abram while he slept deeply.

    Abram wasn’t privy to the struggles of the future. He believed God, and that God would do as He said, working it all out.

    It’s this simple fact that God keeps His promises that led Paul to say this:

    I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Jesus Christ.

    Philippians 1:6

    You Know the Way

    “Let not your heart be troubled. You 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. I am going to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, you may be also. You know where I am going, and you know the way.”

    John 14:1–4

    As Jesus spoke to His disciples, He promised them He would return. He promised them a place. He gives a blessing that you share it with others.

    Partakers of the Root

    But if some of the branches were broken off, and you, being a wild olive shoot, were grafted in among them and became a partaker with them of the root and richness of the olive tree,

    Romans 11:17

    The Bible teaches us in Romans 11 that we believers are grafted into the Root, Jesus. It says we believers take part in all the promises given to Abram. The same things promised to Abraham are ours and serve as a template or pattern to what God gives the believer.

    That’s why you can believe what Jesus says. Our God keeps His Word!

    Do You Hear?

    Look at how the promises made to Abraham are the template for the promises given to believers by the Risen Savior Jesus.

    “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes I will give permission to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the Paradise of God.

    Revelation 2:7

    He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. He who overcomes shall not be hurt by the second death.

    Revelation 2:11

    He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes I will give the hidden manna to eat. And I will give him a white stone, and on the stone a new name written, which no one knows except he who receives it.

    Revelation 2:17

    “To him who overcomes and keeps My works to the end, I will give authority over the nations—
    He ‘shall rule them with a rod of iron; like the vessels of a potter they shall be broken in pieces’— even as I myself have received authority from My Father. And I will give him the morning star. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.

    Revelation 2:26–29

    He who overcomes shall be clothed in white garments. I will not blot his name out of the Book of Life, but I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.

    Revelation 3:5–6

    He who overcomes will I make a pillar in the temple of My God, and he shall go out no more. I will write on him the name of My God and the name of the city of My God, the New Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from My God, and My own new name. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.

    Revelation 3:12–13

    “To him who overcomes will I grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”

    Revelation 3:21–22

    Abram had an ear to listen. He heard and did as God asked. He believed. His faith led to obedience to what God asked. Yet it wasn’t his obedience that was counted for righteousness. It was his faith.

    I will say that if you are saved, God will never not keep His promises to you. Even if you think in some moment of weakness or rebellion… You might walk away… But really?

    In Him you also, after hearing the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and after believing in Him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory.

    Ephesians 1:13–14

    It’s that indwelling Spirit that is His promise to us. He cannot be taken away.

    If we are faithless, He remains faithful; He cannot deny Himself.

    2 Timothy 2:13

    Like Israel gets the land, and it is theirs by promise He is going to fulfill, your salvation is yours, by the promise He is going to fulfill.

    Tassels on Garments

    On By TimIn Faith, Numbers 151 Comment

    The Lord spoke to Moses, saying: Speak to the children of Israel, and tell them to make for themselves tassels on the corners of their garments throughout the generations to come, and they will put a ribbon of blue on the corners of their garments. And it will be for you a tassel, and you will see it, and you will remember all the commandments of the Lord, and you will do them, and you will not follow the lust of your own heart and your own eyes. So shall you remember and do all My commandments, and be holy to your God. I am the Lord your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt, to be your God: I am the Lord your God.

    Numbers 15:37–41

    Living in South Florida offers a chance to encounter Jewish folk regularly. Some of the men wear tassels on their garments. They are whimsically visible, drawing some attention. They serve a designated purpose.

    The tassels are white and blue. It is a specific blue color called tekhelet in Hebrew. At the giving of the law, it was a very rare color dye. It was expensive being derived from a specific marine creature. These tassels are called tzitzit which means fringes in English. These tzitzit are attached to the corners of the garment. Corner is the English translation of the Hebrew word kanaph. This is how covering or being under the law enters. Kanaph is related to the protection of a covering. Think like the Psalmist did using a related word, “He shall cover you with His feathers, and under His wings you shall find protection” (Psalm 91:4.)

    The significance of wearing tzitzit is to identify oneself as being under the Jewish Law (keeping Torah.) The four tzitzit encircled the body and would be easy to identify from any direction, even when behind the person.

    The Significance of the Fringes

    The men of David said to him, “This is the day of which the Lord said to you, ‘I am giving your enemy into your hand. You may do with him as seems good in your eyes.’ ” Then David arose and secretly cut off the corner of Saul’s robe.

    1 Samuel 24:4

    To many of us, we would not understand the significance of such a thing. The next verse offers a clue as to the importance of what David did.

    Afterward David’s heart troubled him because he had cut off a corner of Saul’s robe. He said to his men, “The Lord forbid that I should do this thing to my lord, the Lord’s anointed, to stretch out my hand against him. For he is anointed of the Lord.” So David dispersed his men by these words and did not let them rise against Saul. And Saul arose from the cave and went on his way.

    1 Samuel 24:5–7

    David’s heart troubled him because he cut off the corner—the kanaph. David still honored Saul as God’s chosen king. Yet what he did troubled him. David had cut off Saul’s covering, his protection.

    David arose afterward and went out from the cave. And he called after Saul saying, “My lord the king!” And when Saul looked behind him, David had bowed down with his face to the ground and paid homage. David said to Saul, “Why do you listen to the words of men saying, ‘David seeks your harm’? This day you have seen with your own eyes that the Lord delivered you today into my hand in the cave. So that some said to kill you, but my eye had compassion on you. And I said, ‘I will not put forth my hand against my lord, for he is anointed of the Lord.’ See, my father! Look at the corner of your robe in my hand. Indeed, I cut off the corner of your robe, but I did not kill you. Observe and see that there is no evil or rebellion in my hand. I have not sinned against you, but you are lying in wait for my life to take it.
    The Lord will judge between me and you, and the Lord will avenge me on you, but my hand will not be against you. As the proverb of the ancients says, ‘From the wicked comes forth wickedness,’ but my hand will not be against you.

    1 Samuel 24:8–13

    David showed Saul that he had no evil intent toward him. By showing the corner of the garment it would prove Saul’s vulnerability. It also shows that David will not avenge himself.

    The unspoken significance, and one we would probably miss… This was a visible demonstration that Saul was no longer keeping Torah. He was operating outside of the law and outside of the covering of God. In other words, Saul would practically know that God’s hand is now against him.

    When David finished speaking these words to Saul, Saul said, “Is this your voice, my son David?” And Saul lifted up his voice and wept. And he said to David, “You are more righteous than I. For you have rewarded me with good, while I have rewarded you with evil. And you have shown today that you have dealt well with me, when the Lord delivered me into your hand and you did not kill me.
    For if a man finds his enemy, will he let him safely go away? Therefore may the Lord reward you well for what you have done for me this day. Now, listen, I know that you will surely be king and that the kingdom of Israel will be established in your hand. Therefore swear to me now by the Lord that you will not cut off my descendants after me and that you will not destroy my name out of my father’s household.”

    1 Samuel 24:16–21

    Saul testifies in his own words what the missing corner signified.

    Fringes of Jesus

    Now consider what happens in the Gospels when we find Jesus on the way to Jairus’ home, there is an encounter we all know well. As people pushed in on and crowded after Jesus on the way…

    And a woman having a hemorrhage for twelve years, who had spent all her living on physicians, but could not be healed by anyone, came behind Him, and touched the fringe of His garment. And immediately her hemorrhage dried up.
    Jesus said, “Who touched Me?” When everyone denied it, Peter and those who were with Him said, “Master, the crowds are pressing against You, and You say, ‘Who touched Me?’ ”
    But Jesus said, “Someone touched Me, for I perceive that power has gone out from Me.”
    When the woman saw that she was not hidden, she came trembling. And falling down before Him, she declared to Him before all the people why she had touched Him and how she was healed immediately. Then He said to her, “Daughter, be of good cheer. Your faith has made you well. Go in peace.”

    Luke 8:43–48

    Did you catch what part of the garment the women touched?

    Luke is the only account to provide this small detail. She touched the fringe of His garment. Perhaps it was the only thing she could reach. Mark’s Gospel provides another detail.

    For she said, “If I may touch His garments, I shall be healed.”

    Mark 5:28

    We see her mindset. She believed if she touched His garment she would be healed. Maybe there is just a bit more going on.

    The woman is most likely Jewish by the reference that Jesus called her daughter. But, how did she know if she touched His garments healing would come?

    It’s that word kanaph. It is translated as corner in some places in the Tanakh. In others it connotes wings… Which are kind of fringy with the feathers. This woman probably knew the Tanakh well. She would know something we might not get because of the way translating works.

    Healing in What?

    But for you who fear My name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its wings. You will go out and grow up like calves from the stall.

    Malachi 4:2

    These are among the last words of God to Israel before the advent of Jesus. The book of Malachi is prophecy of the last days that would include the coming of the Messiah. Over a century had passed since Malachi wrote these words and when Jesus walked the streets of Jerusalem.

    I’m certain you may see the significance in the text. (I dropped the hint.) The woman with the hemorrhage knew the significance of the kanaph. Read it like this: the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its fringes. Sun of Righteousness is considered a messianic title. And Jesus being born under the law would most certainly have tzitzit on the kanaph of His garments. The same tzitzit (fringe) she touched.

    The Divinity of Jesus

    On By TimIn Jesus, Revelation 01Leave a comment

    The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave to Him to show to His servants things which must soon take place. He sent and signified it by His angel to His servant John, who bears record of the word of God, and of the testimony of Jesus Christ, and of all things that he saw. Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of this prophecy and keep those things which are written in it, for the time is near.

    Revelation 1:1–3

    I just encountered this recently. In the first line, we are given a glimpse of exactly what it cost Jesus for us. You can see it in that first sentence.

    Consider this: I assume that most reading this know that Jesus is God. But have you ever considered the humanity of Jesus?

    He is wholly reliant on His Father. Even in glory, He still depends on the Father for everything.

    But here it is, God giving a special briefing to Jesus Christ. He then shared it with John. Who then wrote it for us.

    He really is like us in every way. He teaches us through His own example of complete reliance on the Father.

    Know the Master’s Will

    On By TimIn Daily Walk, Luke 12, SalvationLeave a comment

    “That servant who knew his master’s will, but did not prepare himself or do according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes. But he who unknowingly committed acts worthy of punishment shall be beaten with few stripes. For to whom much is given, of him much shall be required. And from him to whom much was entrusted, much will be asked.

    Luke 12:47–48 — Modern English Version (Thinline Edition.; Lake Mary, FL: Passio, 2014)

    Jesus often spoke in parables. These stories provided a vivid insight into reality and righteous behavior. The insights are for our introspection. They provide opportunities to examine ourselves more closely.

    This part of this one brings to mind something I think is important and may not have been considered. I will address that, but first things.

    There are lots of folks that know what the Master expects of them. The utmost importance is to believe and be saved. That’s what God expects. That’s His will for everyone. If you don’t do that and have been given the Gospel, things aren’t going to go well for you. That same news would go to the Christian that knows and isn’t doing what he’s been called to do by God.

    The solution to both of those predicaments is to confess it. Call out to God. He is the Potter that can remake a marred vessel. Such can be fit for another purpose. If you’re in that position, fix it!

    Now for that other thought… One that might surprise you.

    For before the children had been born, having done neither evil nor good, so that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but through Him who calls, it was said to her, “The elder shall serve the younger.”

    Romans 9:11–12 — Modern English Version (Thinline Edition.; Lake Mary, FL: Passio, 2014)

    This was told to Rebekah while pregnant. It is certain others knew this, too. Others would include her family. It’s not a stretch to say that both Jacob and Esau knew. But God says this about Esau.

    As it is written, “Jacob I have loved, but Esau I have hated.”

    Romans 9:13 — Modern English Version (Thinline Edition.; Lake Mary, FL: Passio, 2014)

    I’m certain you’ve probably understood this verse in light of election to salvation. To connect being elect to being saved doesn’t work well in the Scriptures. At least, not in the way it’s taught.

    Look closely at what is being discussed by Paul. The older shall serve the younger. There’s nothing about the younger one being chosen to be saved… And the older not. It’s about knowing the Master’s will and not doing it.

    In the case of Esau, his whole life was shirking off and running away from that specific call of service God wanted for him to do.