Freedom is Good News Part 186

In December of last year (six articles ago) I proposed that we who are interested in good news (i.e. the Gospel) might consider that this Gospel can be understood within a four-fold purpose of God.  I hope that all of you are with me on this topic, for we are to begin looking into the fourth phase.

The final purpose of the Gospel is not the death, burial and resurrection of our Savior, Jesus Christ.  It is not the receiving of the Holy Spirit as a gift to those who accept the blood of Jesus, who repent of their sins and who undergo the waters of Baptism.

The real goal of the gospel, as Paul states it is, “Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed.  For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality.  When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written: ‘Death is swallowed up in victory.’” (1Corinthians 15:51-54)

The implications of this scripture, if completely understood, should bring forth immense joy to all who will believe.  God, our God, our Father in heaven desires to impart to us an imperishable and immortal body!! 

Paul says a very similar thing in his first letter to the Thessalonians, “But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope.  For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep.  For this we declare to you by a word from the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep.  For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first.  Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord.  Therefore encourage one another with these words”

Paul tells us that these words are for those of us who have a hope.  This is not a hope such as “I hope it doesn’t rain” or “I hope I’ll catch some fish”.  Those uses of the word hope are actually a wish based on nothing real.  The hope that God intends for us is an assurance of what He has promised based on His word of truth.  And God’s words are pure, holy and true.  Some of us believe this and some of us do not. 

First, to those who do not believe I must ask, what do you place your hope in?  Is it in this life that only ends in death?  That seems to me to be quite short sighted and actually very sad.  The world today seems to be spinning helplessly out of control (to borrow a lyric from Willie Nelson). 

But wait… let us rather look at the Good News.

Freedom is Good News Part 185

It seems as though I left our previous article with two separate thoughts that didn’t have an obvious connection.  I began by talking about water and its spiritual application to the gospel.  I mentioned how this water represented the pouring out of God’s Holy Spirit upon the believer.  But then I ended with a Greek lesson on the word “zoe”; the word used in the Greek scriptures to introduce us to the spiritual life we have in our Savior, Jesus Christ.  Let’s see how these two ideas are connected.

First of all, you need to answer a couple of questions.  Have you received the gift of the Holy Spirit?  Do you understand the ramifications of being indwelt by God’s Spirit?  God sent His Son to prepare His disciples for a life of Godliness; but He did not leave the disciples (or any of us) all alone to face the problems and trials of this world – He poured out His Spirit into those who would believe in His Son, who would repent of the life they had been leading (as Paul put it, ‘slaves to sin’) and who would make that public declaration of being immersed in the waters of baptism.

“Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death?  We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.” (Romans 6:3-4)  This is one of the most amazing statements concerning the new life of a Christian. 

It is with this statement that we can begin to see the connection between water and life!  In Acts 2:38, Peter told the crowd that had gathered to “repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”  It is here that we see the progression of water in baptism to the water that is symbolic of the gift of God’s Holy Spirit. 

It is the river of John 7:38 that reveals to us the gift of the Spirit that flows from the inner most part of a new believer.  “Whoever believes in Me” Jesus said, “Rivers of living water shall flow from within him”.  And now we may connect the differing thoughts from our previous article, ‘water’ and ‘life’!!

Paul tells us that if we have never taken this most precious step of repentance and baptism, we are, “Dead in the trespasses and sins in which we once walked.” (Eph. 2:1)

But now hear this, “He said to me, ‘It is done!  I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end.  To the thirsty I will give from the spring of the water of life without payment.  The one who overcomes will have this heritage, and I will be his God and he will be my son.” (Rev. 21:6-7)  This is the remarkable part of the third phase of the gospel – we can have the life of our God dwelling in us!! And it is absolutely free.

Stay tuned for phase four of this “Good News of God”.

Freedom is Good News Part 184

“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.  Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters. …. And God said, ‘Let there be an expanse between the waters to separate water from water.’ …. And there was evening and there was morning – the second day.” (Gen. 1:1-6)

We know that God created light on the “first day” but for our intents and purposes we need to consider the second day when God was working with water!  Now let us jump all the way to the last book of the bible, Revelation.  In the final chapter, 22:1 we read this, “Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb down the middle of the great street of the city.”  Toward the end of this final chapter, verse 17, we read, “The Spirit and the bride say, ‘Come!’  And let him who hears say, ‘Come’!  Whoever is thirsty, let him come; and whoever wishes, let him take the free gift of the water of life.”

We read about water in the first chapter of the first book of the bible and we again read about water in the final chapter of the last book of the bible.  Do you think we might find references to water elsewhere in scripture?  Indeed we do!!  There are over 700 references to water in the Old and New Testaments. We have neither the time nor the inclination to check out all these scriptures but perhaps we might ponder a few of them.

In our previous article we saw Jesus speak of the living water as though it would flow from within God’s people as a river. (John 7:38)  John informs us that, “by this He meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in Him were later to receive.”  This receiving of the Holy Spirit is perhaps the highlight of the third phase of the Gospel.

I don’t believe I have to elaborate upon the idea that water is essential to life.  Every one of us has at some time or another been thirsty – perhaps even to the point of fainting.  Our bodies are over 60% water and we are told over and over again to make sure we stay hydrated.  Drinking a sufficient amount of water each day is vital to good health. 

We know this from a physical point of view but how about from a spiritual point of view?  Much of the time when one of the authors of the bible talks about life, they are using a word that should lead us to understand the reality of our spiritual life. In the New Testament Greek the word used is “zoe” (pronounced ‘dzo-ay’).  From Vine’s Greek dictionary of the New Testament we find this definition: “Zoe means life in the absolute sense; life as God has it, and which the Father has in Himself.  It was from this life that Adam and Eve became alienated as a consequence of the fall.”

There are 3 words from the Greek which are translated ‘life’ in scripture: Zoe, Bios, and Psuche.  Bios is the word from which we get our English words, Biology (the study of life) or Biography (the ‘mapping out’ of one’s life).  Psuche simply means ‘breath’ – that which all living things need.  And so we have a lesson in Greek – Zoe is the spiritual word we are seeking and we will consider it next time.

Freedom is Good News Part 183

In our previous articles we have been considering, what I’ve been calling, the four phases of the Gospel.  The first phase was creation, some 6000 years ago, when the Father ordained that man would need a Savior; “The precious blood of the Messiah, a lamb without blemish or defect was chosen before the creation of the world” (1 Peter 1:19).

The second phase is the birth, life and death of Jesus Christ upon this earth; “Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you. …For I delivered unto you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures.” (1 Corinthians 15:1-4)

We began looking at the third phase in our previous article.  It started with Christ’s ascension to the “Right hand of the Majesty on High” as it is stated in Hebrews 1:3.  We also saw, as a direct result of His resurrection into the heavenly realm, that we might become recipients of the Holy Spirit!

This is an awesome piece of information.  You and I, whom-ever we may be, have the incredible opportunity to have a part of the Godhead residing within us.  Does that understanding affect you in any way?  It should!

This understanding is taught throughout the scriptures.  In the book of Ezekiel 36:26-27 it says this, “And I will give you a new heart, and a new Spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.  And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my laws.”  The prophet Isaiah says this, “For I will pour water on the thirsty land, and streams on the dry ground; I will pour my Spirit on your offspring and my blessings on your descendants.”  And Joel has this, “And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, and your young men shall see visions.  Even on the male and female servants in those days I will pour out my Spirit”.

Our God is a holy God.  The Spirit of God is a holy Spirit.  And this Holy Spirit of God is that which is to be poured out upon the children of God!!  Wow!

In the Gospel of John chapter 7 verse 37, Jesus says, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink.  Whoever believes in me, as the scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within him.”  The next sentence reveals what Jesus meant, “By this He meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in Him were later to receive.”

And by these words we have come full circle in these articles going all the way back about 6 articles.  So what is this living water and what does it mean to receive the gift of the Holy Spirit?

Freedom is Good News Part 182

Who in the world said that there were four phases to the Gospel of Jesus Christ?  OH!  I believe that I said that in our previous article.  So let me just say that this is an opinion of mine; but it is an opinion based on the scriptures.

Today we are to consider the third phase – let us do just that. 

In approximately 33 AD our Savior, having finished His ministry, gave up His life for you and me.  Thus the second phase was over, i.e. He shed His blood on the cross in order to redeem us from our slavery to sin.  After three days in the grave we know that Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to the tomb.  (We read this in Matthew 28.)  As they approached, they felt the earth quake and an angel of the LORD rolled away the stone.  The tomb was empty.  The angel told them that Jesus had risen from the dead and that He would meet them in Galilee.

In Acts 1:3 we find that He appeared to the disciples for 40 days.  After these 40 days, we read in verse 9 that He was taken up before their eyes into heaven.  We now turn to Hebrew 1:3 and read that, “After He had provided purification for sins; He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on High”.  And yes, the news of His sacrifice was good news but this turn of events is ‘really, really GOOD NEWS!!

In John’s first epistle, 2:1, we find that “Jesus Christ, the Righteous One, sits as a counselor to the Father on our behalf”.  We also read this statement by Jesus in John’s gospel chapter 16:7, “Unless I go away, the Counselor (that is the Holy Spirit) will not come to you; but if I go, I will send Him to you”.  The coming of the Holy Spirit was contingent upon Jesus resurrection and ascension into heaven.  Phase three had begun!!

In Acts chapter 2:37, when the crowd asked Peter what they were to do with his message to them, he replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”

This repentance and baptism would be the beginning of a new life for those who would believe.  The Apostle Paul, in his letter to the Romans 6:1, says it like this, “What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound?  By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it?  Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death?  We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.”  Paul says that we are not to continue in sin, for we have had to repent of our sins and repentance is not just feeling sorry for sins, but a turning from that kind of life and toward a new life abiding in the Savior.

Wow!! We’ve said a mouthful (or at least Paul did) and there is a lot to digest here; so until our next issue let me remind you that we do have good news.

Freedom is Good News Part 181

For God so loved His creation that He gave His only begotten Son; you and I are a part of that creation.  It was for us that Jesus died.  And so begins the story of the Gospel.  But that story did not begin some 2000 years ago with the birth of Jesus of Nazareth – that story began from the creation of the world.

Our God had known from the beginning of time that mankind would need a Savior and so His plan was set in motion.  In his first letter Peter makes this statement, “The precious blood of the Messiah, a lamb without blemish or defect was chosen before the creation of the world” (1 Peter 1:19).  People like to ask the question as to what would have happened if Adam and Eve had not sinned.  But this is not a profitable question.  The reality is that they did sin and so for about 6000 years mankind has had to suffer the consequences.

God knew their frame and their abilities.  He knew the adversary, Satan, would be a more than formidable opponent.

But what about this gospel, this good news that began before the world began.  I suppose we might understand that the good news we are considering started with creation: for in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth the sea and all that is in them and on the seventh day He rested. 

Approximately 4000 years later the Savior, the Son of God, was born of a virgin into some very humble beginnings.  At the age of about 30 Jesus began His ministry with His baptism by John and then went to Galilee.  Luke puts it this way:  “Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit, and news about Him spread through the whole countryside.  He taught in their synagogues and everyone praised Him.  He went to Nazareth, where He had been brought up, and on the Sabbath day He went into the synagogue, as was His custom.  He stood up to read and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to Him.  Unrolling it, He found the place where it is written: ‘The Spirit of the LORD is on me, because He has anointed me to preach good news to the poor.  He has sent me to proclaim freedom to the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the LORD’s favor.’”

Yes, this section of scripture from Isaiah 61:1 was His mission statement.  What happened next is best told by Mathew, “Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness among the people. (Matt.4:23)  These things He continued to do for three and a half years.  We know that His life was taken at the time of Passover and if we back up those three and a half years we come to the fall of approximately 27 A.D.  This was the second phase of God’s good news.  Many people heard the gospel and news of Him spread quickly.

We shall visit about the third and fourth phase of this gospel in the future, God willing.

Freedom is Good News Part 180

Sometimes, friends and brethren, as I sit to write another article, I am overwhelmed by the width, the depth, the length and, oh yes, the vastness, of the number of topics we might pursue when considering these articles.  In many ways, God’s word is infinite.  I am convinced that no human being could ever exhaust the study of the things our Father has for us in His word.  So let’s just pick up the thread we have already started.

In our previous article I mentioned that Jesus quoted from the prophet Isaiah saying, “These people honor me with their lips but their hearts are far from me.  They worship me in vain; their teachings are but rules taught by men.” (See Isa. 29:13 and Matt. 15:7-9)  In this quote, Jesus was railing against the Pharisees and teachers of the law, but I must ask the question, does this apply to us today?

Each and every one of us must answer this question for ourselves.  Growing up in a rather large metropolitan area on the eastern seaboard, I was taught to accept those things that were imparted to me in my religious studies.  Sometime later I was challenged by a teacher to question the ideas that had been drilled into me.  I started to see some major incongruities and hypocrisies in those things I had been taught.  I fled from religion but still kept a loose understanding of God in my heart.

It was about 7 years later that I felt like God was drawing me back to Him.  I fought that feeling, that calling of God, for another 2 years.  God was patient!  God was persistent!  I had to look into His word for myself and in that word, I found so many wonderful things that I had no recourse but to answer His call.  I will be very honest with you, in that day I wanted nothing else but a true and close relationship with my Heavenly Father and with His Son.  I have not changed my mind.

I believe that the 27th Psalm might say it best.  This Psalm was written by King David and he was known to be ‘a man after God’s own heart’.  Here is what David wrote in verse 7&8, “Hear my voice when I call, O LORD; be merciful to me and answer me.  My heart says of you ‘Seek His face!’  Your face, O LORD, I will seek.”

David put it this way in Psalm 24:5-6, “He will receive blessing from the LORD and vindication from God His Savior; for such is the generation of those who seek Him, who seek your face, O God of Jacob.” 

How about you?  Have you ever considered it your life’s goal to seek the face of God and so find a close and personal relationship with Him?  The word ‘seek’ in the previous scripture literally means to ‘beat a path toward’!!  I think we understand what it means to beat a path toward something.  If we walk through tall grass to get to the barn only once, we merely disturb the grass.  But if we go back to that barn through that tall grass again and again and again, we begin to beat a path through the grass.  And my friends, so it is with God and with His Son.  Never be satisfied with a so-so relationship.  Beat a true and everlasting path to Him; oh what joy that will bring!  Seek His face.                                                    

Freedom is Good News Part 179

Many of us reading this article would perhaps call ourselves ‘Christians’.  And if we are truly following our Savior Jesus Christ, we would be correct in calling ourselves this. 

It is in the book of Acts that we first find the term ‘Christian’.  In chapter 11 verse 25-26 we read this, “Then Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for Saul (aka Paul), and when he found him, he brought him to Antioch.  So for a whole year Barnabas and Saul met with the church and taught great numbers of people.  The disciples were called Christians first in Antioch”.  As an historical note, Antioch is in, what we know of today as, Syria.  It is about 350 miles north of Jerusalem and was considered to be Paul’s home base.  He either began or ended all of his missionary journeys there.  Antioch was the third leading city in the Roman Empire - just behind Rome and Alexandria.

Being called a Christian in this hugely pagan city of Antioch was not necessarily a compliment.  Most commentators believe this designation to be a derogatory term.  In some areas of the Roman Empire the disciples were called ‘the followers of the Way’ or simply ‘a sect of the Jews’.

And so today, being called a Christian is more and more becoming a thing that brings persecution in many parts of the world.  Even here in the USA the term Christian is being looked down on and if we are honest, we can see the seeds of persecution being planted. 

So, are you calling yourself a Christian?  How deep is your conviction?  In John 15:20 Jesus says, “Remember the words I spoke to you: ‘No servant is greater than his master’.  If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also …. They will treat you this way because of my name.”  In Matthew 10:22 we read, “All men will hate you because of me.” 

“Whoa Bill, I thought this article was about good news!!!”  And it is, so let’s read on concerning some of these passages.  In Luke 6:22 Jesus says, “Blessed are you when men hate you, when they exclude you and insult you and reject your name as evil, because of the Son of Man.  Rejoice in that day and leap for joy, because great is your reward in heaven.”

The disciples remembered these words of their Master when in the book of Acts chapter 5, we read that they were thrown in prison and flogged for the name of Jesus Christ.  “The Apostles left the Sanhedrin, rejoicing because they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name.  Day after day in the temple courts and from house to house, they never stopped teaching and proclaiming the good news that Jesus is the Christ.” (Acts 5:41-42)3

But you and I must be careful because in Matthew 15:7 we read these words of Jesus, “You hypocrites!  Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you:  ‘These people honor me with their lips but their hearts are far from me.  They worship me in vain; their teachings are but rules taught by men’.”  We’ll talk more on this next time.

Freedom is Good News Part 178

As a slight refresher, let me mention that we have been talking about God’s statement through the prophet Isaiah, “Remember not the former things, nor consider the things of old.  Behold, I am doing a new thing.  Now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?  I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.” (Isa. 43:18-19)  And in our previous article we ended with the prophet Joel telling us that God would pour out His Spirit upon all people (Joel 2:28-29)

We also talked about Jesus equating the giving of the Holy Spirit with “rivers of living water”.  And yes, this giving of the Holy Spirit is to be considered a ‘new thing’.  But one thing that was never fully understood in ancient times, was that the Spirit of God was to be ‘poured out on all people’!!  This is why when Jesus is found speaking with the Samaritan woman at the well in John 4:7-26, the disciples were surprised that He was speaking with her.  The woman herself was surprised that Jesus was talking with her; she said “You are a Jew and I am a Samaritan woman …. For Jews do not associate with Samaritans.”

This is also why in Acts 10, Peter had to be compelled by the Spirit to go with some men to the gentile centurion’s house to teach Cornelius and his family concerning the gospel.  And when the Holy Spirit was poured out upon those who heard his message the Jews who accompanied Peter were astonished that these gentiles were included in God’s gift. (Acts 10:44-45)

Oh, my!!  “And of His kingdom there shall be no end” (Luke 1:33).  God had plans for His ever expanding kingdom when He gave the blessing to His servant Abraham “And in you all families of the earth shall be blessed”.  According to Paul, Abraham understood this.  Check this out in Paul’s letter to the Galatians, chapter 3:6-9 “Consider Abraham, ‘he believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness’?  Know then that it is those of faith who are the sons of Abraham.  And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, ‘In you shall all the nations be blessed.’  So then, those who are of faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith.”

Abraham was but one man and yet we read this in the eleventh chapter of Hebrews verse 12, “Therefore from one man (Abraham) and him as good as dead, were born descendants as many as the stars of heaven and as many as the innumerable grains of sand by the seashore. 

If you are looking for some good news, it does not get any better than this: to understand God’s love and mercy to every nation under heaven.  God promised a ‘new thing’ and had it proclaimed throughout the Old Testament.  We have seen it in Isaiah and in Joel; it is found in Jeremiah, Daniel, Zechariah, in Ezekiel and, yes, even in the book of Genesis!

God is our creator, sustainer, our provider; He has plans for all His children and like any good parent, He wants, even desires, for us to succeed.  What an awesome God we serve.

Freedom is Good News Part 177

In our previous article I initiated a couple of ideas that somehow seemed divergent.  I first mentioned that through Isaiah, God said He was doing a new thing; I then took us all the way back to Abraham to consider the sevenfold blessing that God gave to Abraham.  Does this ‘new thing’ involve Abraham? 

The blessing he received that ‘all families of the earth will be blessed’ through him was a statement that prophesied a Savior who would come from the lineage of Abraham.  In other words (as Paul put it), ‘God would justify the Gentiles by faith, and preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, ‘In you shall all the nations be blessed.’  

This Savior, from the lineage of Abraham is, of course Jesus Christ.  But that’s not really a new thing is it?  Let’s check back in with Isaiah (where we started this whole discussion), “Remember not the former things, nor consider the things of old.  Behold, I am doing a new thing.  Now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?  I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.”  So this ‘new thing’ has to do with water?  Isaiah goes on to say “The wild animals will honor me … because I provide water in the wilderness and rivers in the desert to give drink to my chosen people, the people I formed for myself that they may proclaim my praise.” (Isa. 43:19-21)

Water is not a ‘new thing’ so what is God trying to show us here?  In John Chapter 7 we find Jesus attending the Feast of Tabernacles.  John (in verse 14) tells us that He did not go up to the temple courts to teach until halfway through the feast.  And then in verse 37 John writes this, “On the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and cried out, ‘If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink.  Whoever believes in me, as the scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’  Now this he said about the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were to receive, for as yet the Spirit had not been given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.”

We, who live in the United States today, tend to take water for granted.  A twist of the faucet handle and we have an abundant supply of water.  Water was precious in the ancient Middle East and so Jesus uses it as a metaphor for the precious Holy Spirit!  Could this be the ‘new thing’ Isaiah was talking about?

Well in a way, yes; but it goes much further than that.  Remember what the blessing to Abraham was?  ‘In you shall all the nations be blessed.’  

You see, God’s kingdom was prophesied to increase without end.  In Isaiah’s prophecy concerning Jesus Christ (Is. 9:7) we read this, “And of the increase of His government and peace there will be no end.  He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom.”  The rulership of Jesus Christ will increase in number and remain forever. 

Joel put it this way, “I will pour out my Spirit on all people.  Your sons and daughters will prophecy, your old men will dream dreams and your young men will see visions.”  Please stay tuned we are just getting started!!

Freedom is Good News Part 176

So what’s new with you?  Something good I hope!!

The concept of something new causes me to think of a verse in scripture, “Remember not the former things, nor consider the things of old.  Behold, I am doing a new thing.

Now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?  I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.” (Isa. 43:18-19)  What is this new thing that God says He is doing? 

In the book of Ecclesiastes Solomon says that there is “Nothing new under the sun” (Eccl. 1:9).  What shall we make of these two verses?  Maybe we should take a closer look? 

I believe the problem here can be solved by noting Solomon’s words, “under the sun”!  This phrase is used by Solomon in the book of Ecclesiastes some 29 times and it appears to be his catch phrase for the place where mankind resides without God. It concerns the things mankind does without any use for God in their lives. In chapter 1 verse 14 Solomon says, “I have seen all the things that are done under the sun; all of them are meaningless, a chasing after the wind.”  Let me state emphatically here that nothing God does or has His hand in is meaningless or a chasing after wind.  We’ll talk about this enigmatic book of Solomon’s in a future article.

But for today, let’s consider the new thing God is doing.

I would like to take us all the way back to the days of Abraham.  You see, there was a promise made to him in Genesis 12 that gives us a clue: “I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing.  I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”  I see here a seven-fold blessing given to Abraham.  In many ways, this man Abraham began the lineage of the one we call Jesus Christ. 

Some people consider the nation of Israel to be the chosen of God; many consider the Jews to be the chosen; but really the story of those chosen of God begins with Abraham.

And even the Gospel of Matthew sheds some light upon this by beginning with these words, “The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.” 

But why would we be looking all the way back to Abraham to understand this ‘new thing’ that God is doing?  Well, that is a long and interesting story, but ones that is integral to our desire for Good News.  Hope you’re here next week – it is good to be back!

Freedom is Good News Part 175

In our previous article I mentioned that we can trust God to take care of us in troublesome times and I said that His protection is indeed, good news.  After all, the bible does talk about pestilence and plague, wars and rumors of war which may or may not be sent by the hand of God.  Could this be His chastisement?

The book of Deuteronomy is, in my opinion, a book apropos for our time.  In chapter 28 we read about the blessings and curses of God: ‘His blessings for obedience and curses for disobedience’.  A casual reader might say that this portion of the bible is for Israel and not for us – but I believe God said the bible is written for ‘His people’!!  We, in the United States, like to claim God is for us.  We even put on our money, “In God We Trust” and I do not think that God takes that lightly.  So in Deuteronomy 28:15 we read, “If you will not obey the voice of the LORD your God or be careful to do all his commandments and his statutes that I command you today, then all these curses shall come upon you and overtake you.  Cursed shall you be in the city, and cursed shall you be in the field.”  The rest of the chapter is difficult reading for its blunt description of the curses but it is well worth the effort so that we may see, God is a God of justice.  Remember, you cannot have God’s mercy without His justice. 

If we like to claim that God is the one who has blessed the USA until we are the richest nation ever to exist on the face of the earth, then we should understand that our disobedience will bring the opposite effect.  Could this be happening?  I am not one of His prophets and I am not qualified to make that call.

But I will say this; Christianity has been in decline for the past 100 years.  The number of people who claim that they follow Christ has taken a steep drop.  But that’s not the half of it!  Those who claim to be Christians have been striving to water down the message of our Savior and of His Father until it would be unrecognizable to a first century Christian.  My friends and Brethren we find ourselves in very shallow waters these days.  And again, I do not believe God takes that lightly. 

So let me put it this way, the good news is that our relationship with the Eternal God is not a group endeavor.  God calls individuals, one by one, into His family and He is building a family!  Our repentance before our God is a personal thing; remember, “God’s kindness leads us to repentance.” (Romans 2:4)  Some people have been calling for a revival.  Revivals have happened in this nation before.  And the thing about revival is they also are very personal.  They begin with you and they begin with me.

A revival within your heart is not a political entity, it is a spiritual one.  The reality is that Jesus said in John 18:36, “My kingdom is not of this world.”  What are you going to do with that?  Where are you going to invest your time for the next several weeks while we have turmoil in our land?  Prayer, repentance and seeking God will do us all the most good.  If a sparrow does not fall to the ground without His notice, do you think a global pandemic is not in His vision?  I believe we know what we need to do!

Freedom is Good News Part 174

My brothers, sisters and friends, there is so much to talk about today.  So much of what is happening around us these days is quite unprecedented.  There are very few among us who remember the upheavals and turmoil of the Second World War.  Those were times of sacrifice and changes and I was not one who lived through them.  What’s a citizen to do?  The things we read about and watch on TV or our smart phones have the potential to change the way that society operates.  And my question to you is, “Is this good news?”

Well, you will notice that I haven’t changed the title of this article – so yes, there is good news. 

I have a scripture that helps me in times of trouble and turmoil and I would like to share it with you for your use and comfort.  It is a short, simple and to the point instruction, found in Psalms 46:10 and it reads like this, “Cease striving, and know that I am God.”

Now obviously that is only one line in a Psalm of 11 verses, but I bring it forth to help us understand who is in charge of all things – GOD!!  Do you comprehend that?  Allow me to say it again; GOD is in charge of all things!  There are several places in the bible where we read, “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of Wisdom.”  They are found in Job 28:28, Psalm 111:10 and Proverbs 9:10.  It is God that we are to fear and not the things of this world.  It is God whom we should revere and worship and bow down before. 

Let’s go back and take a look at Psalm 46.  It begins this way, “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.”  This first verse in the Psalm begins with the word ‘God’ and gives us insight into His character.  Verse 2 continues: “Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, thought its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging.”  This portion of the Psalm reminds us that there is nothing on this earth that should cause us to fear anything but God Himself.

Isaiah has something to say concerning this topic (chapter 41:10), “Do not fear, for I am your God, I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”  In verse 13 he says, “For I am the LORD your God, who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, ‘Do not fear; I will help you.’”

So has all this talk about Covid 19 or the wars in the middle east and elsewhere; or perhaps the political situation in the US, have you worried, concerned, depressed or in fear?  The outcome of it is in the hands of a great Creator God who rules, not just over us and our planet, but over the entirety of the universe.  How big is God?  I am reminded of a contemporary song, “Our God is an awesome God!”  He promises to take hold of your hand – He is your Father.  He cares for His children; are you one of them?  Have you ever thought of taking your right hand and lifting it up in the air and inviting God to take hold of it?  Just find a quiet place, come alone before God, get down on your knees, lift up your right hand and feel the strength of a mighty and awesome God!!  He is a God of comfort and love.  Take precautions; watch always; but trust in God.

Freedom is Good News Part 173

It has been many years ago that this endeavor of writing an article on “good news” began.  This article marks the 200th article I have written.  Seems like a mile stone of sorts, maybe even an opportunity for celebration!!

But before we start that, I have a question for all of us; have these articles done us any good?  What in the world could I mean by that?  Well, if my effort in writing and your effort in reading have not had some effect on our lives then we are operating in the realm of vanity.  And what is the definition of vanity?  Webster’s dictionary says, “Any act that is empty, futile or worthless”.  I, for one, am not comfortable operating in that manner and I hope you are not either.

So, perhaps this is confession time!  This really has been a fulfilling endeavor for me.  I do not just write them only in the hope that you are edified, but I write them in the desire that I, too, learn something – and I have.  So let’s move forward with this.

There is much that goes on in this world that might be labeled vanity.  In our previous article I wrote, “Satan will take one of God’s truths and place an hundred lies around it.  He really does not care which lie we choose; if we bite on any of the “hooks” he has set up, he wins.”  This, of course, happens quite often in many religious circles.  Satan knows just how to spend his time while getting us to waste our time.

One of the greatest lies that he has put forth is indeed, vanity; that which is empty, futile and worthless.  We live in the greatest, most affluent nation the world has ever seen.  Our lives revolve around many episodes of vanity.  We see something that has great value and yet we treat it as empty and worthless – I might label many things along this line.  The bible is one thing that comes to mind.  There is no book on the face of this earth so valuable as God’s word and oft times we let it lie on a shelf collecting dust. 

Satan wants us to spend our time with that which is vanity.  Take for instance a simple work of fiction, written by a mere human and we treat it with adoration and recommend it to our friends and loved ones.  Oh, I’m not pointing any fingers here for I too have done this.  There is nothing intrinsically wrong with reading a good piece of fiction – reading is always stimulating to the mind and will usually increase our outlook and intellect.  It may be labeled as entertainment and we all need some of that.  It only becomes problematic when this is the only reading we allow into our lives.

We could go on looking at many areas of our society for the empty things it provides for us but let me ask another question – what is the opposite of empty and worthless?  Well, that’s easy; and you say; “that which is full and valuable”.  In the bible, however, the opposite of vanity is “glorious”.  On the one hand we have, “Do not take the name of the LORD your God in vain.”  And on the other hand we read, “Ascribe to the LORD the glory due His name.”  One thing we are told not to do and the other we are urged to do.  Vanity verses Glory – it is worth thinking about.  Until next time – consider the good news and give glory to God!!

Freedom is Good News Part 172

When we hear the term, “Secret Service” we often think of that branch of law enforcement that has been entrusted with protecting the President of the United States – and of course we are correct.  But they also are given another duty, one of overseeing the criminal act of counterfeiting our currency.

Those charged with this duty undergo rigorous training in how to spot the fake bills that could undermine our economy.  But they are shown only one thing; a real honest to goodness piece of currency!  It would be a waste of time for them to consider the many ways that a criminal might make a mistake in forging a counterfeit bill.  If they know, without a shadow of a doubt, what a true twenty dollar bill looks like; they will intrinsically know the phony one!!

Let’s apply this to our understanding of God’s ways.  In our previous article I wrote that, “There are tens of thousands of lies out there today that our adversary (the Devil) has placed in front of us.”  How are we supposed to know them as lies?  Shall we take a lesson from the secret service?  We only have to know one thing – what does the truth look like?

Satan will take one of God’s truths and place an hundred lies around it.  He really does not care which lie we choose; if we bite on any of the “hooks” he has set up, he wins!!

I can hear some of you saying, “Yeah but!  The bible is not the easiest book in the world to read and understand.”  You have spoken correctly.  It is not!  But my answer is a firm, “So what?  That is no excuse.”  The best things in life, the most wonderful journeys we might take and the most beautiful portraits we might paint are never the easiest tasks we could endeavor to embark on.  What is that old adage?  “The longest journey begins with a single step.

Some people have asked me where they should start in studying the true ways of God.  I answer simply, “the bible”.  In all honesty and humility, get down on your knees (if you can) and ask God where to start.  Begin your reading with the attitude that you know nothing.  After forty years of reading the bible, I still come to God realizing that I know nothing, compared to His knowledge, wisdom and understanding.  In this attitude you cannot go wrong for “God gives grace to the humble”.

I have never endeavored to be a great artist, a great pianist or a great engineer.  I do not have the time or the energy to put into such a project.  But to be a knowledgeable child of God, to be one who desires greatly to have a relationship with my heavenly Father and to love the LORD my God with all my heart, strength and life, this is what I truly desire and this is what I choose to put my effort into.

His word is good, His word is true, His word is perfect and any effort that we put into knowing it will be worth it!!  God is there to help.  Never forget, He wants your love, attention and discipline.  Our God is good, true and perfect and He loves us.

Freedom is Good News Part 171

Sally and I have just purchased a “new to us” vehicle.  Oh yes, we now have a car that was built in the 21st century.  There are a lot of ‘bells and whistles’ that we have never seen before and so have caused some consternation for us.  Thankfully, this car came equipped with a manual that explains, in detail, how the automatic temperature control works; how the CD player works; oh yes, even how the headlight system works.  I say thankfully, because it makes things much easier!

Many things around us today are quite technologically superior to our experience and so we need to understand how they work and how to use them so that we might enjoy the product more fully – the engineers that designed our car, our microwave, our DVD player and yes, even this computer, had the forethought to supply a manual of operation with the product.

These items I have just mentioned are really quite simple, one might say infinitely more simple than the human beings that God created with Adam and Eve.  And so, yes, they (and we) need instruction on how to conduct themselves.  God put Adam in the garden and told him to work the garden and take care of it.  Work is part and parcel of living a good and productive life.  Work is necessary to sustain the life of an individual – we all need to eat!

They were also commanded, by God, not to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.  However, in this story of Adam and Eve, we find that they bought into the lie that Satan brought to them.  The serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die; for God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”  Satan convinced them that it was they, and not God, who should make the rules. 

Have you bought into Satan’s lie?  In many ways all of us have accepted this lie and we want to decide how to run our own lives.  But you and I have been given a manual to guide us – He has given to us the bible, the written word of God.  It is filled with wisdom.

Things were much simpler back in the days of our first parents.  God started them off with only a few instructions and so Satan only had to convince them to accept one lie.  They sinned and of course, the rest is history.  There are tens of thousands of lies out there today that our Adversary has placed in front of us; harmful lies; lies that lead to death.  But God, the creator and designer of mankind, has equipped us with an amazing manual of how we should conduct our lives so as to have an easier life, a safer life and a more Godly life.  And yet many have never read these easy, gentle and Godly words from our Father in heaven.

I have you have appreciated the many articles printed here in this web site.  My hope and prayer is that they may draw you into a closer relationship with God.  But they will never and should never take the place of the words that proceed from the mouth of God.  Good words they are!!

Freedom is Good News Part 170

In Psalm 1 we learn that if a person does not walk with the wicked, stand in the way of sinners or sit with mockers; if his delight is in the law of the LORD and meditates upon it day and night then, “He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers” (Psalm 1:1-3)

I believe all of us understand what a simile is: a comparison between two things by using the words “like or as”; an individual can be like a tree which yields fruit. 

John the Baptist confronts the Pharisees and Sadducees when he says this in Matthew 3:10, “The ax is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.”  Be careful Pharisees and Sadducees your fruit is not looking so good!!

Why tell you all this?  In our previous article we talked about a tree and its fruit in the Garden of Eden – actually there were many trees in Genesis 2:9.  Most of them were good for food and free to eat from, but at the center of the garden there were only two trees: the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.  In our lessons as children, we may have been taught that Eve partook of an apple from this tree.  Ah, such a wonderful fruit bearing such a heavy burden!!

But really, what are we to learn here?  There are only two ways to walk in this world; the way of life or the way of death.  God’s way is, of course, the way of life!  Jesus Himself said that He was the way, the truth and the life (John14:6).  He also told Martha before they went to her Brother Lazarus’ grave that “I am the resurrection and the life”.

God gave Adam and Eve only one commandment, “You must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.”  They broke that one commandment and so were banished from the Garden of Eden.  And so the curse, the curse of death, has been placed upon all of their descendants – i.e. us!!

In believing the lie of Satan, these two original parents of ours, told God that they wanted to be able to choose for themselves what is good and what is evil.  And so we, today, desire to follow in their footsteps and decide for ourselves what is good and what is evil – what is right and what is wrong.  As I pondered the direction of our previous article I see that I made this statement, “As I take a look around me and at our society and yes, even at the entirety of the world, I have to wonder where we have gone wrong.  The things of God seem to be far from us.”

You do remember that mankind went so far astray from God’s way of life 1650 years after Adam was created, that He brought a flood upon the earth and except for God’s grace with Noah all of creation would have been wiped out. 

Yes, God is a gracious God.  Noah and family, by being in the ark, were saved through water.  And that is the good news – we’ll consider this topic again next time.

Freedom is Good News Part 169

I just noticed that our previous article ended with the words, “Think about these things”.  And of course I was considering the beautiful and wonderful reward that our God has.  But I wonder how many of us truly think about, or meditate on the “things of God”?

One comment I made previously was that God desires for us to have an intimate relationship with Him.  Are we human beings hard wired in our make up so as to have that same desire?  In one sense the answer is yes, we are!  But as I take a look around me and at our society and yes, even at the entirety of the world, I have to wonder where we have gone wrong.  The things of God seem to be far from us.

The bible teaches us that “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever” (Hebrews 13:8).  In the last book of the Old Testament, the book of Malachi, we read, “I, the LORD do not change” (Malachi 3:6).  God set out, in His creation of the universe and the earth and the people there-in, to bring forth beauty and wonder and awesomeness; and to share His love and goodness, His being and His beauty with those He has created.  His purpose has never changed!!

The failures in our society and civilization lay squarely upon our shoulders.  Remember at the end of the sixth day of creation, God looked around, saw all that He had made and “it was very good”.  But somehow we are not satisfied with all God has given us and it started with our original ancestors, Adam and Eve.

 “Now the LORD God planted a garden in Eden, in the east, and there he put the man whom he had formed.  And out of the ground the LORD God made to spring up every tree that is pleasant to the sight and good for food.  The tree of life was in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.  A river flowed out of Eden to water the garden.” …. “The LORD God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and keep it.  And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, “You may surely eat of every tree of the garden, but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.” (Genesis 2:8-9 & 15-17)

I believe we all know how this story unfolds.  “The serpent was more crafty than any of the creatures the LORD God had made.” (Gen. 3:1)  This serpent, who we know as Satan, deceived our first father and mother.  Satan lies to the woman by questioning what God had said, “You will not surely die, for God knows that when you eat thereof, your eyes will be opened and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”  In other words, Satan tells her that God is keeping something from her and her husband.

So the woman considers this and sees that the fruit on this tree is “good for food and pleasing to the eye”.  In this she was correct for God had said these very words above in verse 9.  But she added that it was, “also desirable for gaining wisdom”.  Eve bought Satan’s lie – God never said anything about wisdom.  Oh yes, there is much more here; but we’ll save that for next time.  Think about these things.

Freedom is Good News Part 168

As we finish this six week study let me summarize by saying that salvation comes by faith and the reward that our Savior is bringing with Him is based upon our obedience in doing His word and His will – as our father Abraham did.

In Matthew we find a very curious scripture that talks about these two aspects of doing God’s word and His will, it is found in 7:21, “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.  On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’”

Here we find “many” who, after prophesying, casting out demons and doing mighty works in the Lord’s name, have Jesus say unto them that He never knew them and He tells them to depart!  Why?  Evidently they did not do the will of the Father and they were workers of lawlessness.

Let’s consider this for a few minutes.  First of all, what is the will of God?  This sounds quite serious because we do want to be able to enter the kingdom of God!!  We could possibly fill a book seeking to answer this but let’s look for our answer in a different area of this scripture in Matthew.  Jesus declares that ‘I never knew you’.  This word ‘knew’, in the Greek language, is “ginosko”.  Vines dictionary of biblical Greek tells us that the word frequently indicates a relationship, often between God and man or between a husband and wife.  This is a word that shows intimacy and so Jesus is intimating a lack of relationship.  If one does not have a relationship with Him then He does not know them.  Hence, it is God’s will that we seek Him with all our heart so as to form a relationship of love with Him!

But what about this statement, “Depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.”  What is a worker of lawlessness?  Again, we can go to the Greek to understand this word – it is used of one who “acts contrary to law”.  Paul tells us that God’s law is holy, righteous and good and Jesus wants us to be a “worker of the law” or, one who is “obedient in doing His word” as I mentioned in the first paragraph.

In the Gospel of John, chapter 14:23, Jesus says, “If anyone loves me, he will obey my word.  My Father will love him and we will come to him and make our abode with him.”  Wow!!  The Father and Son will choose to live in me – now that is a heavy statement.  A couple of verses before that, Jesus says, “Whoever has my commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves me.  He who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love him and manifest myself to him.”  Friends and brethren, this is the relationship Abraham had with God.  It is as intimate as it gets.  There is no greater reward for us to receive than to have this intimacy with the Father and His Son.  And this is what we should strive for.  Salvation?  Yes!  Access to God through Jesus’ blood?  Of course!  But what a reward He has set before us!!!  Think about these things.

Freedom is Good News Part 167

So, picking up from last week, we read that Abraham kept God’s commands, requirements, decrees and laws; and he did so some 400 years before God codified them and gave them to Moses and the children of Israel.  We know Abraham as a man of faith but he was also a man of obedience.  These laws of God have been in effect since creation.

We read of these laws in the books of Exodus and Deuteronomy, and many feel that they were just for the Israelites but do not take into consideration that the laws of an all wise God, creator of mankind, were meant for the benefit of all of Abraham’s children as well as for all of mankind.  Yes He loves all of His creation.

Let me pause here so as to help us keep our focus.  Our original thought was that which is found in Revelation 22:12, “Behold, I am coming soon!  My reward is with me, and I will give to everyone according to his works.”  In speaking of the law which is to be obeyed, we are in no way suggesting that salvation may be earned!  No, we have already established that Paul tells us in Ephesians 2:8, “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith … not by works, so that no one can boast.”  Let us never forget that!!  This is our fifth consecutive article on the dual subject of; 1) the rewards for works and 2) the faith and obedience of Abraham. 

The writer of the book of Hebrews touches on this subject in a couple of ways.  In chapter 3 he gives us a quote that he lifts from Psalm 95:7-11 “Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion, on the day of testing in the wilderness, where your fathers put me to the test and saw my works for forty years.

Therefore I was provoked with that generation, and said, ‘They always go astray in their heart; they have not known my ways.’  As I swore in my wrath, ‘They shall not enter my rest.’”

Today we do have His voice to hear, for His words are recorded in our bibles.  But oft times we harden our hearts against them.  Let us not provoke God as they did!  And who were they?  Hebrews 3:16 tells us: “For who were those who heard and yet rebelled?  Was it not all those who left Egypt led by Moses?  And with whom was he provoked for forty years?  Was it not with those who sinned, whose bodies fell in the wilderness?  And to whom did he swear that they would not enter his rest, but to those who were disobedient?”

So we see that they were unable to enter the Promised Land because of unbelief.  Here in the book of Hebrews we learn that disobedience is equated with unbelief.  And what “reward” did they receive?  They were not allowed the blessing of entering the land promised to Abraham.  The book of Hebrews goes on to teach us something more: “Therefore, while the promise of entering his rest still stands, let us fear lest any of you should seem to have failed to reach it.  For good news came to us just as to them, but the message they heard did not benefit them, because those who heard did not combine it with faith.”  And yet Abraham did!!  Do you combine faith with obedience?  Stay with me here – this topic is important.