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Psalm 51: Repentance as a Servant of the Lord

Fri, 22 May 2026 15:38:11 -0500

The psalm is one of the first of the Davidic psalms from 51 to 65; 68-70. Psalm 51 is a penitential psalm–The fourth of his seven. David didn’t just repent in the psalm, but he called upon the Lord for mercy after and knowing he displeased Him. Unlike Saul, David had a heart for God.

Psalm 51 emerged from the context of David’s sin with Bathsheba. The superscription, “When Nathan the Prophet went to him, after he had gone in to Bathsheba,” provides the approximate setting in which David composed this psalm of penitence, often called a psalm of repentance. David most likely wrote it in Jerusalem, sometime after the death of the child born to him and Bathsheba.

David failed to recognize the severity of his own sin until Nathan confronted him through a parable and rebuked him (2 Sm 12:1–5, 7). Though anonymous, the parable involved a rich man (David), a poor man (Uriah), and an ewe lamb (Bathsheba). Culturally and theologically, the penalty for stealing and slaughtering an ox or a sheep was not death, but restitution instead (Ex 22:1). (1)

However, in Nathan’s parable, the wrongful act of using the “lamb” (Bathsheba) pointed to David’s adultery and subsequent murder of Uriah. Under the Mosaic Law, both sins, adultery (Lv 20:10) and murder (20:17), were punishable by death. So when David pronounced his judgment on the rich man of Nathan’s parable, David condemned himself to death.

Historical Background

To fully understand the context of this psalm, it becomes necessary to revisit the events in David’s life that culminated in his multiple sins. The plural form remains significant because David’s transgressions extended far beyond adultery alone.

David’s moral decline began with his first failure of neglecting the responsibility God had entrusted to him as king. Rather than accompanying his men into battle, David remained in Jerusalem: “But David tarried still at Jerusalem” (2 Sm 11:1b). Yet God had appointed him to “shepherd My people Israel, and you shall be ruler over Israel” (5:2).

Within the ancient Near Eastern world, kings customarily led their armies into battle to demonstrate courage, solidarity with their people, and their divine responsibility to protect and expand the kingdom. David neglected that responsibility, and one compromise soon led to another. (2)

While walking upon the rooftop of his palace, David noticed a beautiful woman, Bathsheba, bathing herself. Scripture states, “David sent and enquired after the woman. And one said, Is not this Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam, the wife of Uriah the Hittite?” (11:3). At that moment, David knowingly involved others in his sin and deliberately brought a married woman into the palace.

The biblical text continues: “And she came in unto him, and he lay with her; for she was purified from her uncleanness: and she returned unto her house” (11:4).

Soon afterward, Bathsheba conceived (v. 5). What was done in the dark, was surfaced to the light.

David then attempted to cover up the pregnancy. One offense quickly led to another. First, he tried to persuade Uriah to return home to Bathsheba, but Uriah refused and remained loyal to his fellow soldiers. David then made Uriah drunk in hopes that he would go home to his wife (vv. 6–13). When that plan failed, David instructed Joab to place Uriah on the front lines in the fiercest part of the battle and then withdraw protection from him so that he would die (vv. 14–15). Consequently, Uriah died in battle (v. 17).

After a period of mourning, David took Bathsheba as his wife, and she bore him a son. Scripture records, “And when the mourning was past, David sent and fetched her to his house, and she became his wife, and bare him a son” (v. 27).

Servant of the Lord

The Lord identified many Old Testament patriarchs as His servants, often referring to them with the designation “My servant.” This title signified more than simple devotion or obedience. God reserved this designation for individuals who stood in a unique covenant relationship with Him and whom He entrusted with a divine mission. Consequently, such individuals bore the responsibility of walking in righteousness before Him.

David stood among them (2 Sm 7:5). He was called to shepherd and rule over Israel, yet his calling extended far beyond leadership alone. Most importantly, the Lord declared that David would “build a house for My name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever” (7:13). Nevertheless, the covenant also carried accountability. (7:13). There was a caveat. The Lord also specified that if “he commits iniquity, I will chasten him with the rod of men and with the blows of the sons of men. But My mercy shall not depart from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I removed from before you” (vv. 14-15).

This historical and covenantal background highlights the seriousness of David’s later failures. David fully understood Yahweh’s expectations long before his affair with Bathsheba. As the Lord’s servant and Israel’s king, he possessed both spiritual responsibility and covenant accountability before God.

Nevertheless, David abused his authority. He felt he could take what he wanted rather than be satisfied with what God had given him. His actions displeased the Lord (v. 27). David broke covenant because of his sins, both personally and as a leader and servant of the Lord. It had wide implications.

First, God made a covenant with David, which he broke. A servant of the Lord must remain in a covenantal relationship with Him. David broke his call as king to “shepherd My people Israel, and you shall be ruler over Israel.” (5:2). The Lord provided for Himself a king in David from the sons of Jesse (1 Sm 16:1).

Second, David morally broke five of the ten commandments from the Mosaic Law. His people most likely recognized it, and so did the enemy, the Ammonites.

Third, David failed to uphold the covenantal responsibilities associated with the eschatological promises God had given to him. The Lord made an unconditional covenant with David when He promised David and Israel that the Messiah (Jesus Christ) would come from his lineage and the tribe of Judah and would establish a kingdom that would endure forever (1 Chr 17:11-14; 2 Chr 6:16).

We have to wonder why God repeatedly referred to David as His servant even though he broke covenant with Him (2 Sm 7:5-29). David, as a servant of the Lord, had to remain in covenantal relationship with God as His head in full acknowledgement of His sovereignty.

David’s disobedience reflected rebellion against God’s authority over him. Nevertheless, when confronted with his sin, David responded quickly with sincere and profound repentance. Psalm 51 reveals his heartfelt plea for mercy, restoration, and renewed fellowship with a mighty and personal God. Unlike Saul, David recognized the depth of his sins before the sovereign God who ruled over his life.

Theme Progression

Psalm 51 contains several prominent themes that unfold progressively throughout the psalm: Appeal → Confession → Restoration → Transformation. Together, these themes portray repentance as a complete return to God that reshapes both the heart and one’s covenant relationship with Him. Moreover, they anticipate the promises of the New Covenant ultimately fulfilled on the Day of Pentecost. Each of these four themes deserves closer examination.

Theme 1: Appeal — Ps 51:1-2

So, two questions arise here. Why did David ask for God’s mercy if the Lord put off his sin? Did God really forgive David for the sins of adultery and murder? (Not just murder, but by the hands of the Ammonites, enemies of God.) Nevertheless, when David committed evil in the sight of the Lord, it fractured the covenant relationship between him and Yahweh.

David had already confessed his sin in a brief admission, though only after Nathan sharply rebuked him. Following David’s confession, Nathan declared that the Lord had “put away” his sin, meaning that God had removed it and that David would not die. Nevertheless, divine judgment still remained. Nathan warned that the sword would never depart from David’s house and that the child born to Bathsheba would die (2 Samuel 12:13–14).

Perhaps David composed this lament while overwhelmed with shame and remorse, fully aware that he had displeased the Lord. Or, maybe, he may have pleaded for divine mercy in hopes that God, in His compassion, might lessen or relent from the announced judgment.

These circumstances raise two important theological questions. First, why did David continue to plead for mercy if the Lord had already “put away” his sin? Second, did God truly forgive David for the sins of adultery and murder, especially considering that Uriah died through the hands of the Ammonites, enemies of God? Nevertheless, when David committed evil in the sight of the Lord, it fractured the covenant relationship between him and Yahweh.

We read in Psalm 51:1-2:

Have mercy upon me, O God, According to Your lovingkindness; According to the multitude of Your tender mercies, Blot out my transgressions.” Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, And cleanse me from my sin.

“Have mercy upon me!” David speaks in the language of a person who has no right to favor, for his requests. He called God, Elohim, by His covenant name. Then, he appealed to the Lord’s attributes of His generous fidelity toward His people–a loving Father: mercy, lovingkindness, (steadfast love), and tender mercies (the greatness of His compassion). It was a covenant appeal, much like the one Moses made at Mt. Sinai after Israel worshipped the golden calf.

The Lord revealed these same qualities when He passed before Moses and proclaimed: “The LORD, the LORD God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abounding in goodness and truth,” (Ex 34:6). Here, God restored covenant with Moses and Israel.

Of the three, lovingkindness, or hesed, functions as a critical attribute because it provides the foundation for David’s plea. Hesed conveys one of the Hebrew expressions for love, emphasizing God’s completely undeserved kindness and generosity toward His people. Consequently, this covenantal love binds Him to them in faithful commitment. Therefore, hesed reflects God’s unwavering promise of grace, even after grievous sins such as David’s.(3)

However, more than God’s mercy stood at stake for David in relation to forgiveness. The record of his sin still remained before him. Therefore, he also appealed to God to blot out, or wipe away, his sin, much like permanently deleting a record (cf. 32:32; Nm 5:23).

Theme 2: Confession — Ps 51:3-4

Intertwined with the three attributes of God, David made a three-fold confession. The number three in scripture, like seven, symbolizes completeness.

David confessed:

transgression (a willful rebellion against the divine order),
iniquity (disobedience against a right or holy existence),
sin (deviation from one’s proper goal in life: Shepherd God’s people Israel, and be ruler over Israel) ” (5:2).

Martin Luther held that recognizing God’s grace and confessing constitute true repentance. “First, a man has to recognize sin, then he recognizes what grace is.”

So, what did David do that reflected true repentance? Before reconciliation with God, he petitioned for spiritual cleansing.

Step One: He sought God.
Step Two: He had contrition for his sins.
Step Three: He confessed his sins. Confession is a condition for forgiveness.

In Hebrew, cleanse transliterates to harbeh chabbeseeni, which implies multiplication. Literally, it means Wash me very much. He asked for a deep purification from his sin. (5) We see the theme of cleansing throughout the psalm. And, in Old Testament metaphors, he’s comparing himself to foul-smelling, dirty clothing that needs to be washed over and over again before being worn again. (6) His guilt makes him unfit for God’s presence. In verse seven, he requests that he be washed whiter than snow.

In verse three, he laments that “my sins confront me all the day long.” His sins convict him constantly. He direly needs an inward cleansing.

It’s as if he’s saying my guilt is so far-reaching–heinous, purposeful, wicked–that it disrupted my relationship with God, making these crimes against Him. In the deepest possible sense, David said “against you alone have I sinned.”

In fact, he asked for the removal of his guilt not just once but seven times, in a variety of ways.

Have mercy upon me (v. 1).
Blot out my transgressions (vv. 1, 9).
Wash me from mine iniquity (vv. 2, 7).
Cleanse me from my sin (v. 2).
Purify (purge) thou me with hyssop (v. 7).
Hide thy face from my sin (v. 9).
Deliver me from bloodguiltiness (v. 14).

Theme 3: Restoration — Ps 51:11-12

David sought reconciliation and renewal from the Lord. A well-quoted passage from this psalm, David stated in verse ten, “Create in me a clean heart, O God, And renew a steadfast spirit within me.” Sin separates us from God. It’s like a partition or wall that causes division from fellowship from Him. Restoration begins from within. Renew is a plea for restoration of a backslider who found repentance.

This verse points to new birth in the New Testament. New Birth. “If anyone be in Christ, he is a new creature; old things have passed away; all things are become new” (2 Cor 5:17).

Only God can restore the inward parts of the heart from sin. Create in the verse is the same word from the Genesis creation narrative. Genesis 1 – ‘God created…’ and following each description ‘saw that it was good.’

Create (bara) is used exclusively of God. Sovereignty brings into existence what wasn’t and now is. God creates something from nothing with new materials and new results. David knew he couldn’t create a clean heart on his own. David could not restore himself. Only God can do that.

So, what is a clean heart? This would seem a heart that would be virtuous, one that would stand up to temptation, and be steadfast in the service of God.

Theme 4: Transformation for an Inward Renewal (Ps 51:10, 12, 16-

Levitical Law of Offerings

Mon, 06 Oct 2025 20:17:32 -0500

Leviticus 1: Law of the Burnt Offerings

Deep within the Old Testament writings are five major offerings, each pointing to the future fulfillment of Christ’s sacrificial offering Himself on Calvary for the redemption of men. Typologically, each offering portrayed the life, death, and work of Jesus’ earthly ministry.

As recorded in Lv 1, it describes Moses receiving instructions to bring an offering to the Lord. Within this passage, the text focuses on the entire burnt offering, which emphasizes Christ’s willingness to sacrifice Himself for the entire world. In the fullness of time, Jesus, who came as the Lamb of God, would ultimately give Himself as a ransom for others (Rom 3:25). Within this chapter, the animal sacrifice, which was selected from the cattle or the herd, also portrayed the sacrificial death of Jesus on the cross. Thus, these animal sacrifices had to be perfect because Jesus offered Himself as a perfect sacrifice for our sins.

Scripture teaches that the offering had to be a male without blemish. Why? In John’s teachings, he describes Jesus as the perfect Lamb of God who died for man’s sin (Jn 1:29). This offering directs our attention to Jesus, who became the perfect sacrifice. Because of His death on the cross, this offering was to be presented as a voluntary (free will) offering (Lv 1: 3).¹ For an individual’s offering to be accepted for atonement, the person had to approach God for themselves. Then, the Lord would accept his offering as an atonement for his sins. Thus, this offering serves an expression of dedication and faithfulness which is the essence of true worship.

To complete the sacrificial process, the person had to place their hands upon the head of the burnt offering. By placing their hands upon the sacrifice, the individual transferred their sins to the animal. This procedure was a clear picture identifying the animal to be the sacrificial victim. Through this symbol, the guilty person transferred his guilt to the sacrificial victim that would die in his place. The animal sacrifice then served as the propitiation for their sin. In other words, the sacrificial animal became the individual’s substitute for their personal sins. Additionally, placing their hands upon the offering represents the person surrendering to God while accepting His gift freely. Thus, this sacred process portrays Jesus Christ, who became man’s propitiation for sin, as He took our place on the cross. Scripture states, “And He is the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world” (1 Jn 2:2).

To clarify, Lv 1:6, connects the burnt offering to the Abrahamic Covenant. In Gn 15:9-10, the Lord instructed Abraham to take and kill a heifer, a ram, a goat, a dove, and a pigeon.² In addition, He was commanded to cut them in half (except the birds) and lay the pieces in two rows, leaving a path through the center. This covenant was sealed with promises made through blood. By cutting or flaying the burnt offering in halves, it demonstrated the idea that the same will be done to the one who breaks the covenant. In the Torah, ancient covenants were sometimes confirmed by cutting the sacrifices in halves between both parties. This Old Testament covenant points to a new and better covenant (Heb 9:23). Mere animals’ lives cannot remove sin; their blood wasn’t sufficient (10:4). However, in Christ, the shadows of the Old Testament became a reality. Christ fulfilled all the blood covenants with His own blood. Through His sacrificial “free will” offering, Jesus paved the way for our salvation (Jn 3:16). As to the sacrifice itself, the priests were required to offer the sacrifice with fire upon wood. For this reason, the sealing of the covenant is significant. At that moment of the cutting of the sacrifice, the Lord walks between the two pieces and seals the terms of the covenant. Two thousand years ago, Jesus went to the cross for our sins. Isaiah 53 introduces the prophecy of the suffering Messiah whose body was beaten and bruised for our iniquity. Therefore, this burnt offering speaks to men individually to come into this covenant agreement with Jesus. No one else can take your place at the altar; you must come alone and acknowledge your sins before the Lord. Thus, an individual must accept Jesus as their personal savior. Jesus is the only way (Jn 14:6).

Leviticus 2: Law of the Meat Offerings

The second chapter of Leviticus describes the meal offering (meat/food), which emphasizes the balance, fragrance, and purity of the life that was offered. Thus, this offering was crucial because the meat offering unto the Lord was the one offering that did not contain any meat. This offering was classified as a meal offering due to its use of grain and/or cereals made from fine flour (vv. 1-3). In addition, the Lord required the use of oil and frankincense for this offering (v. 1). These ingredients play a crucial role in the salvation process.

In verse three, the Lord reserves a small portion of this offering to be prepared for Aaron and his sons (priest). According to Lv 2:3, the Lord instructs that a remnant of the meat be offered to Aaron’s and his sons, emphasizing its holiness and significance. In accordance with the sacrificial system, this verse highlights the priestly role, as the offering is set apart for the priests. This process was established because the priests were responsible for managing the worship practices and services. To this end, this sacrificial offering speaks of gratitude and devotion to God, reflecting the communal aspect of worship. Additionally, Lv 2:3 underscores the significance for holiness and reverence when approaching God in the role of the priesthood when mediating between God and the people.

Within this context, the word “burnt” translated into Hebrew means to present. In Rom 12:1, Paul admonishes the believers to “present their bodies a living sacrifice.”³ The primary thought behind this offering is that it’s a “gift” that’s being presented to God as an act of worship. Because this product came from the soil as a result of human labor, it symbolized the consecration to God of the fruit of one’s labor. Thus, this sacrifice was in the form of food, and indicated that all our toil or our activities should be dedicated to God (1 Cor 10:31). For this reason, this offering is a free will offering because the Lord gave Himself as a “free will” offering for us. In this, we offer to God the work of our hands (Eph 4:11). Our offering should always be sacrificial by offering Him our best.

Leviticus 3: Law of the Peace Offerings

In this chapter, the peace offering speaks of reconciliation, which was accomplished with Jesus’ death on the cross. Consequently, this sacrificial offering had its fundamental qualities steeped in the concept of fellowship. This concept is indicated as part of the offering that was laid on the altar and burned as a gift to the Lord. Additionally, part of this offering was given to the priest, and the remainder was eaten by the worshiper. Without a doubt, this offering expressed not only joy, peace, and gratitude but also a joint role in participation, fellowship, and friendship with the Lord.

Leviticus points to sacrificial animals as a peace offering unto the Lord. As seen before, the required sacrifice had to be a male or female, without blemish (v. 1). As before, the Lord required each individual to lay their hands upon the head of their offering, and kill it at the door of the Tent of Meeting (v. 2). Furthermore, Aaron and his sons had to sprinkle the animal’s blood upon the altar and the roundabout. Why? Because the peace offering was special and it pointed to our fellowship and relationship with the Lord (v. 3). Included in the offerings were the fatty parts (liver, kidneys, and caul above the liver), which all belong to the Lord. This is why in verse four, the Lord gave instructions to Moses pertaining to these two kidneys, and their fat. The fatty parts of the sacrifice were sacred to the Lord. They had to burn the kidneys upon the altar as a sweet savor unto the Lord (vv. 4-5).

In Lv 3:7-17, God gave the same instructions to be applied to the sacrificial offering from the flock, be it male or female. However, there is one exception between these two offerings. Moses was instructed to retrieve the whole rump of the sacrifice, which was referred to as the broad fat part of the tail of a sheep, along with the two kidneys and the caul above the liver. For this purpose, these fatty parts were special to the Lord, perhaps because the organs represent a way of cleansing the body, which is a type of cleansing for the individual. Also, the peace offerings were given as God’s portions because the Lord is the giver of all good things.

To this end, these offerings were divided between the altar, the priest, and the owner. In addition, the peace offering was given because it restored the relationship between God and man, as they feasted together as a token of friendship.⁴ For this cause, Christ is our Peace, our Peace offering; for through Him alone we can obtain an answer of peace to our prayers. Moreover, the peace offering was offered by way of thanksgiving for some mercy received. We must continually offer to God the sacrifice of praise. Christ is our ultimate Peace offering. Scripture states, “then this shall please the Lord better than an ox or bullock.” These parts were offered as a token of gratitude, expressing love, appreciation, and devotion.

Leviticus 4 & 5: Law of Sin and Trespass Offerings

Both the sin and trespass offering emphasizes the atoning nature of Christ’s sacrifice, saving men from all sin – past, present, and future. Within this passage, the sin and trespass offerings were not a voluntary sacrifice, as were the previous three offerings. This was a mandatory offering required by all priests (4:3-12), the congregation as a whole (vv. 13-21), rulers (vv. 22-26), and common people (vv. 27-35).

Consequently, the sin sacrificial offering became known as the ultimate atonement for sins, whether done through ignorance or unintentionally.⁵ To God, a sin of this type may result from two sources: neglect or ignorance. In any case, the Lord’s justice is always shown. There were different kinds of sin offerings, according to the rank and responsibility of the offender.

The priests were required to bring a young bullock without blemish unto the Lord; this offering was applied to the entire congregation. If it was a ruler, he was to bring a kid of the goats and one of the common people was to bring a kid or lamb. This was not given to indicate different standards of morality, but there were degrees of responsibility corresponding with the rank and position of the individuals. The sin of the ruler was significant because of his wide influence, which might create a greater problem or reproach of the name of God. This type of influential sin creates greater devastation of the common people.

Significance of the Sacrifices – Fulfilled at Pentecost

In summary, pointing to Pentecost, each of these sacrificial offerings find their fulfillment in Jesus Christ as they hold deep theological significance. The burnt offerings emphasize the need for proper worship and sufficient atonement for sin. To this end, it outlined God’s instructions to demonstrate to His people how to approach Him with humility and obedience, which sets the stage for the ultimate sacrifice of Christ, who fulfilled the requirements of the Law.

The meat offering is also significant and finds its fulfillment in Jesus Christ. Thus, Jesus became our meal offering during the Feast of Pentecost.⁶ Because of the fine flour, and not accompanied by the death of an animal, this offering emphasizes the importance of God’s work and their dedication and devotion to Him. This offering is a type that points to Pentecost by highlighting the spiritual and agricultural aspects of the festival, as well as the community. In addition, it serves as a reminder of the importance of God’s people’s work and their dedication, emphasizing the importance of worship, celebration, and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit.

The peace offering is a significant sacrificial offering during the Feast of Pentecost as well. It’s most crucial because it symbolizes the reconciliation and communion between God and man. This offering celebrates the peace and fellowship between the divine and men. Jesus is the glue that reconciles men and restores their relationship with Him. For this reason, Jesus died on the cross to reestablish a perfect relationship with man. It was His blood that bridged the gap. Through the blood of the perfect Lamb, the reconciliation of peace was fulfilled through the perfect sacrifice for sin, which restored the relationship between God and humanity. The Feast of Pentecost, with its prescribed sacrifices, serves as a profound reminder of the Lord’s provision, the necessity of atonement, and the promise of a spiritual renewal and empowerment through the Holy Spirit. This was all fulfilled in Jesus Christ.

Finally, the sin offering played a significant role in the Old Testament sacrifices which also points to the Feast of Pentecost. Thus, the sin offering underscores the need for atonement, purification, while acknowledging human sinfulness drives the necessity for divine forgiveness. The purpose for this offering, whether unintentional or intentional sins, serves as a picture of Jesus Christ, the perfect sacrifice for the sins of the world. Additionally, it underscores the necessity of atonement and the promise of spiritual renewal and empowerment through the Holy Spirit. To wit, the sin offering, along with the other sacrifices, serves as a reminder of God’s provision and the fulfillment of Jesus Christ who became the ultimate, sinless payment for sin.

Pastor Katherine Gethers, 10-6-25

Assistant Pastor, Lighthouse Church of All Nations/Professor of Theology, All Nations Leadership Institute

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The free will (or freewill) offering was a sacrifice regulated by God’s standards in the Mosaic Law, but it was completely voluntary (Lv 23:38). In the Law, the free will offering was to be of a male bull, sheep, or goat with no physical deformities or blemishes, and it was not to have been purchased from a foreigner (Lv 22:17–25). The offering was to include flour mixed with oil and wine; the amounts varied on whether the sacrifice was a lamb, bull, or ram (Nm 15:1–10). As with all sacrifices, the free will offering was to be made in a place of God’s choosing, not in an area formerly used by other religions or at home (Dt 12). Leviticus 1:6 – Bible Verse Meaning and Commentary | Bible Study Tools ︎
Take off its skin; this was the only part of it that was not burnt, and was the property of the priest, (7:8) but who this was done by is not so manifest, since it is in the singular number “he”, and seems to be the bringer of the offering; for Aaron’s sons, the priests that sprinkled the blood, are spoken of plurally; and agreeably, Gersom observed, that the flaying of the burnt offering and cutting it in pieces were lawful to be done by a stranger; but Aben Ezra interprets “he” of the priest; and the Septuagint and Samaritan versions read in the plural number, “they shall flay” and this was the work of the priests, and who were sometimes helped in it by their brethren, the Levites, (2 Chron 29:34) and as this follows upon the sprinkling of the blood, it was never done till that was; the rule is, they do not flay them (the sacrifices) until the blood is sprinkled, except the sin offerings, which are burnt, for they do not flay them at all. What is a free will offering / freewill offering? | GotQuestions.org ︎
While the burnt offering speaks of some of the features of our Lord Jesus Christ having primarily in view the establishment of the will and the pleasure of God, the meal offering speaks, not so much of the death of our Lord Jesus Christ, but of the perfection of His Manhood. The Meal Offering – Leviticus 2: George Davison ︎
The Peace Offering, also known as the “fellowship offering,” is one of the key sacrifices detailed in the Old Testament, specifically within the Levitical law. It is primarily described in the book of Leviticus, where it is presented as a voluntary act of worship, thanksgiving, and communion with God. The Peace Offering is distinct from other offerings such as the burnt offering, sin offering, and guilt offering, each serving unique purp

Mission in the Early Church

Wed, 24 Sep 2025 11:20:06 -0500

What does the book of Acts teach about God’s mission in the early Church? As the narrative unfolded, the author Luke revealed how the Lord arranged every action and event to magnify His saving name in the world and transform communities into His singular image from glory to glory (2 Cor 3:18b). The change agent is the Spirit of Jesus Christ. His salvific actions knew no bounds, beginning first with the Jews and then to the Gentiles. It crossed culture, ethnicity, language, socio-economics, and nations. His message spread in three phases: Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and the ends of the earth (Acts 1:8), transcending challenges and achieving revival. Some view the supernatural events in the Book of Acts as exclusive to the early Church. Believers can rest assured that Jesus gives them the same tools today, including knowledge, access, authority, and power, through new birth so that they can utilize all the rights, benefits, and privileges of the Kingdom.

Tumultuous Birth

The birth of the church occurred in an environment of opposition, characterized by the presence of Palestinian Judaism, the Jewish Diaspora, Hellenists, and Romans. The earliest Christians considered themselves Jews who believed in the long-awaited Messiah, yet they continued to observe Jewish traditions, such as the Sabbath and worship in the Temple. However, fellow Jews mocked (2:13), arrested (4:1; 5:17), and persecuted (7:58; 8:1). Greeks considered Christians (and Jews) pagans because they worshiped one God as opposed to multiple. Christians also disrupted the local economy. Local citizens from Amastris, modern-day Amasra in Turkey, had approached Pliny that meat sales for sacrificial services had decreased because of the Christians.¹ People additionally accused them of engaging in secret rituals involving sexual immorality, as well as of killing children, consuming their organs, and drinking their blood.² To add to false accusations and misunderstandings, widespread and harsh persecutions existed through to Constantine in 324 AD and later. Nonetheless, Christianity became the dominant religion in the Roman Empire by the fifth century.³

Early Christians

Early Christian communities saw themselves as Jews from the true assembly of a renewed Israel. They still attended temple and obeyed the Law, even though they had their own identity. They did not consider themselves separate from Judaism, but distinguished themselves as a faction identifying themselves by Jesus’ name but calling themselves Jews. They acknowledged Jesus as the Messiah and proclaimed His resurrection and imminent return to fulfill God’s kingdom. The group called themselves the ekklesia (or assembly or church), though they adhered to the Law and attended the temple. On the other hand, they called on the name of Jesus in water and Spirit baptism. They also gathered regularly to study the “apostles’ doctrine, and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers” (Acts 2:42). As time progressed, they had difficulty getting along with the Jews and Romans. The Romans viewed Christians as atheists since they worshiped a single, invisible God. Like their Jewish brothers, they would not acknowledge or worship the emperor as a deity.⁴

Jerusalem (Acts 2-5) 一 Local: Same Culture and Religion

“But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth" (Acts 1:8).

The disciples encountered devout men from every nation under heaven representing diaspora from fifteen nations (Acts 2:5-11). A multitude of emotions ensued with the utterance of tongues. Some expressed amazement because they heard it in their own language (Acts 2:6,11). Others mocked them, saying they were full of new wine (2:13). Peter’s pointed address to Israel followed. The 120 spoke in tongues in a public place. Common to that setting, people would openly mock or heckle others. Accusing them of being drunk rubbed in the insult. While Greeks embraced a drunkenness for a “frenzied inspiration by the gods,” Jews viewed intoxication as sinful.5⁵ Nevertheless, this supernatural event of the outpoured Spirit caught the attention of those at the feast and gave rise for Peter to explain it. It also catalyzed Peter’s evangelistic proclamation of the gospel message and subsequent people who believed, calling on the name of the Lord (Acts 2:21; 38).

Three thousand were baptized that same day (2:41), representing the fulfilled firstfruits of the new covenant. With this event, Jerusalem became the initial base of operations and staging area for the spread of the gospel. The apostles did signs and wonders.6⁶ The church membership grew quickly, beginning with the 120 disciples and increasing to 3,000 on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2:41) and later to 5,000 at Solomon’s Portico (4:4). However, the church continued to grow daily (2:47; 5:12-16).

Several factors drove the immediate increase. First and foremost, the power from Jesus’ indwelt Spirit and authority from His Name created the influx. The Spirit let them hear the 120 speaking in tongues, each in their own language. Likewise, I believe the Spirit gave them understanding of Peter’s speech as well. It led to “Men and brethren, what shall we do?” (Acts 2:37) and 3,000 souls baptized in the Name. Scripture also mentioned teachings, healings, and signs and wonders in the name of Jesus prior to the Lord growing His church. In fact, Luke mentioned two different accounts of Peter teaching and healing. Each resulted in his arrest, and both times, the Lord added believers to His church. After Peter healed the lame man and taught in the Name, 5,000 were healed (Acts 3:6, 16; 4:4). Even though the priests and Sadducees told him not to teach in the Name (5:28), “believers were increasingly added to the Lord, multitudes of both men and women” (5:14).

Second, Scripture doesn’t mention growth figures beyond this in the first four chapters. However, consider that the initial 3,000 came not only from the local population but also from a multinational diaspora within the Roman Empire present at the festival. They, in turn, took the gospel with them outside the boundaries of Jerusalem to their home country. In reality, the number of early Christians in the period represented from Acts 1-4 more than likely surpassed the listed amount.

Third, they formed a tight-knit, covenant community. The new believers continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine, fellowship, breaking of bread, and prayer (v. 42). They also shared possessions and goods as members had needs. While they broke bread from house to house, they also continued daily in one accord in the temple (2:42-47). The members supported their spiritual growth and provided mutual support.

Judea (Acts 6-7) 一 Culturally Similar But Some Religiously Different

While the early church centered on the formation of the ekklesia, or the assemblage, as described in Acts 1:4, it concentrated on acts of diakonia as Christianity spread regionally in Judea. Diakonos means “one who, by virtue of the office assigned him by the church, cares for the poor and has charge of and distributes the money collected for their use.” ⁷The New Testament highlights how the apostles and believers carried out their God-given mission through serving others in the name of Jesus. Thus began the ministry of the church with Hellenist Jews.

Hellenist Jews

Now in those days, when the number of the disciples was multiplying, there arose a complaint against the Hebrews by the Hellenists, because their widows were neglected in the daily distribution (Acts 6:1).

As the church continued to grow, Acts 6:1 mentioned the conflict regarding the distribution of food to Christian widows of Hellenist Jewish descent within the early church community. Who were the Hellenist Jewish Christians? According to F. F. Bruce, the Hebrews spoke Aramaic and lived in the Palestine region. Conversely, the Hellenists, also Jewish, spoke Greek and practiced a Greek way of life.⁸ Hellenistic Jews were people from the first-century Jewish dispersion who lived in Jewish communities outside of the Holy Land. C. Peter Wagner noted that Hellenistic practices indicate these Jews “were molded to some degree by Greek culture, including the Greek language.”9⁹ Since the Romans recognized Judaism as an authorized religion, it protected the Hellenist Jewish (Diaspora) communities outside Jerusalem and across the Roman Empire. While they did not participate in Greek civic life, they spoke the language daily and in their synagogues. As the Jewish Hellenists scattered abroad, they interacted with people from other religions. Their actions resulted in them making converts (proselytes) and, thus, gathering God-fearers, ethnic Gentiles who practiced Judaism. Later, Christian missionaries evangelized to these God-fearers.

The Twelve and the multitude of disciples decided to choose men full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom to distribute food to the Hellenist widows, rather than leave ministering the Word (6:2). They chose Stephen, Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas a Jewish proselyte from Antioch一All Hellenists with Greek names (6:5). Stephen, one of the six, did great wonders and signs among the people. He caught the attention of certain men from the Synagogue of the Freedmen who disputed with Stephen. Since they could not match his wisdom and the Spirit by which he spoke, they stirred up the people, elders, and scribes and brought him before the council. After Stephen’s poignant address to them, they cried fiercely, charged upon him, dragged him outside the city walls, and stoned him. Paul, then Saul, entered the scene persecuting the church (8:1-3). With the exception of the apostles, Christians moved throughout Judea and Samaria to escape oppression. The Gospel followed the scattered. After Stephen’s martyrdom, early believers congregated in Antioch of Syria (Acts 11:19–26). Antioch of Syria was located approximately 300 miles north of Jerusalem, in modern southern Turkey near Syria. It was here that believers first became known Christians. Paul launched his missionary journeys from Antioch.

Samaria (Acts 8) 一 Same Language, Different Culture, Ethnicity, and Religion

As Christianity spread, Philip came to the forefront of mission in Samaria. The Samaritans lived north of Judea and south of Galilee. They were a people of mixed ethnicity, exiled Israelites who remained in Assyria after the conquest of the northern kingdom of Israel in 722 BC (2 Kgs 17) and intermarried with the local population. Philip proclaimed the gospel and performed many miracles there. Unclean spirits were driven out, and the paralyzed and lame were healed. Great joy resulted. Now, when the apostles in Jerusalem heard that the people of Samaria had received the word of God, they sent Peter and John to them. They prayed that they might receive the Spirit and also laid hands on them, and the Samaritans received the Holy Ghost (8:17).

Philip also ministered to an Ethiopian eunuch on the road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza as directed by an angel (8:26-27). After encountering him, he heard the eunuch reading from Is 53:8, and he preached Jesus to him. As they went down the road in the middle of a desert, water appeared. Some traditions consider the eunuch to be the first gentile convert. Scripture does not make it clear. Nevertheless, he saw no reason why he couldn’t be baptized. Upon request, Philip baptized him. As the eunuch came up out of the water, the Spirit snatched (Grk: harpazō) Philip away. Philip was found next in Azotus near the coast, located twenty-five miles north of Gaza and thirty-five miles west of Jerusalem. From there, he made his way up to Caesarea (8:40).

End of the Earth (Acts 9-28) 一 Different Geographically, Religiously, Culturally, Linguistically, and Ethnically

Three key events turned mission in a new direction: Paul’s conversion and subsequent trips to minister to the Gentiles, Peter and the salvation of Cornelius a Roman centurion and his household, and the Jerusalem Council.Peter’s sermon in Acts 2, made it clear that the promise of the Spirit is for all believers equally: “For the promise is for you and your children and for all who are far away, as many as the Lord our God will call to himself” (NET Acts 2:39). 10¹⁰ With the inclusion of Gentiles, conflict arose from Jewish Christians who believed Gentiles should follow the Torah requirements for circumcision.

An unlikely candidate as a Christian convert, Paul (once Saul) was born in Tarsus as a diaspora Jew in a culture of strict adherence to the Law. However, Jesus knew Paul from the womb as a chosen vessel to bring the Gospel to the Gentile nations (9:15). His parents, both Pharisees, abhorred anything Greek. Gamaliel trained him at thirteen in Judea, where Paul mastered Jewish history, Psalms, and the works of the prophets during the six years he spent dissecting the Scriptures. He also spoke fluent Greek and passable Latin and had a familiarity with Greek philosophy and literature. The power of Jesus’ Spirit fueled and directed Paul’s knowledge and boldness to take the gospel message to the Gentiles on three mission trips. He carried the Gospel from Antioch of Syria all the way into Europe (Acts 13–14; 15:36–18:22; 18:23–21:17).

In another conversion account, the Lord flipped the tables on established Jewish social beliefs and norms through Peter, even though He commissioned him to preach to the Jews. The conversion of Cornelius and his household in Acts 11 went against the salvation protocol from the Circumcision faction. While praying in Joppa, Peter saw a vision of a sheet from heaven filled with all kinds of animals, including those not kosher. When told to eat, he refused, but the voice replied, “What God has cleansed, you must not call it common” (10:15). Soon messengers from Cornelius, a devout Gentile, arrived, and the Spirit sent him with them to Caesarea. There, Cornelius had gathered his household to hear God’s word.11¹¹ Peter declared that no person should be called unclean. As he preached about Jesus, the Holy Ghost fell on all who heard, and they spoke in tongues and magnified God. To Peter’s astonishment, the Spirit was poured out on Gentiles too. And, Peter baptized them (Acts 10:1–48).

A third event marked a critical juncture in Gentile conversion. Galatians 2:1-10 described the conflict as false brethren from the church in Jerusalem contending that Gentiles must be circumcised to be saved. Acts 15:5 described it further as a sect of the Pharisees who felt that it was not enough that Gentiles should believe in the Lord Jesus Christ. Gentiles had to undergo circumcision and keep the law of Moses. After the apostles and elders disputed the matter, Peter arose and made it clear that God makes no distinction between Jews and Gentiles (Acts 15:7-9). Gentile salvation harmonized with Old Testament prophecy (Amos 9:11-12). The yoke of the law that even Israel’s fathers could not bear did not qualify them or form their identity as Christians (Acts 15:10).

Close

In the initial stages of the early church, the Spirit formed a community with new believers in Jerusalem. They came together in covenant with the Lord. Acts 2:42 shows that they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers, as they established their newfound identity (Acts 2:42). In addition to the 120 disciples from the upper room, people from fifteen nations who were there for the Feast of Pentecost believed that day. Not only did locals hear the gospel message, but the diaspora Jews took it with them to their home countries. Additionally, since the multitudes included proselytes who converted to Judaism (Acts 2:11), Gentiles also received salvation.

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Jan Paron, PhD, September 24, 2025

Robert L. Wilken, The Christians as the Romans Saw Them (New Haven: Yale University Press, 1984), 15. ︎
Ibid., 17. ︎
William Dyer, “The Amazing Growth of the Early Church,” HTS Teologiese

Feast of Pentecost in the Old Testament and Its New Testament Fulfillment

Tue, 16 Sep 2025 19:51:40 -0500

Acts begins in Jerusalem with the Spirit’s outpouring, initiating the birth of the Church. More than a moment in history, Pentecost fulfilled God’s redemptive promises spoken through the prophets. It carried covenantal significance rooted in Jewish tradition. At the same time, a cultural shock reverberated across the empire as the Gospel spread to many nations. In the next post of this series about Pentecost, we’ll examine the prophetic significance of Pentecost in the Old Testament and its fulfillment in the New Testament.

Understanding the feast’s background provides a threefold purpose. First, God reminds us through the feasts what He has done and will do for His people. Pentecost (also called the Feast of Weeks and Shavuot) connects to dwelling in the Promised Land and finding a permanent home (Lv 23:15-22, 33-43; Josh 22:1-5; Ps 81). Second, Pentecost serves as the fulfillment of Christ as the indwelt Messiah. It frames the establishment of the new covenant church through the outpouring of Jesus’ Spirit in Acts 2. Third, it foretells the anticipated ingathering and restoration of Israel, as well as a full harvest of souls from every nation, before the Messiah’s second coming with His final divine appointment with His people.

Pentecost is a covenantal festival. Though not accepted as canonical text, the Book of Jubilees states that Noah was the first to celebrate the Feast of Weeks. He commanded that future generations “should celebrate the feast of weeks in this month once a year, to renew the covenant every year” (6:17). But God commanded the festival at Sinai.

The Feast in Jewish Tradition

The Lord set aside seven holy convocations for Israel for appointments with Him. In Lv 21:1-2, the Lord said to Moses,

Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them: The feasts of the LORD, which you shall proclaim to be holy convocations, these are My feasts” (NKJV).

Scripture first outlined the feasts in Deut 16:9 and later expanded them in Ex 23:14-19 and Leviticus 23. They form part of God’s relationship with Israel, with Pentecost as no exception. The Lord called them “My feasts” for He instituted them Himself. They were more than festivals, rather His specially appointed times reflected in the binding Mosaic covenant made with the collective people of Israel (23:2). The feasts were holy convocations (Heb: miqra or sacred assemblies) that bound Israel to worship and walk in covenant obedience living in God’s presence.

The feast occurred seven weeks after the harvest of the early grain at the end of the season (Ex 34:22). Deuteronomy 16:9 placed it seven weeks after the “sickle is first put to the standing corn.” This act marked the countdown from the Feast of the Firstfruits to the beginning of the grain harvest (wheat). Pentecost took place fifty days after Passover, or seven weeks in a day: seven weeks times seven days equals forty-nine. The Lord specified that Israel should “Count fifty days to the day after the seventh Sabbath; then you shall offer a new grain offering to the Lord” (Lv 23:15-16; cf., Dt 16:9–10). The following day counts as fifty (Grk: pentēkostē) with the festival itself lasting a day in duration.

For the Jewish people, the feast celebrated God as the Lord of the Harvest. They also viewed it as the giving of the Law on Shavuot, fifty days after Passover. In Jesus’ time, Jews considered Shavuot the anniversary of the Law because it fell exactly on the day God gave revelation of the Torah (Law of Moses) to Israel on Mount Sinai (Ex 19–24), commemorating the revelation there. Rabbi Held described it as the “season of the giving of our Torah.”¹

You shall bring from your dwellings two wave loaves of two-tenths of an ephah. They shall be of fine flour; they shall be baked with leaven. They are the firstfruits to the LORD (Lev 23:17).

The Lord specified that Israel give grain, meat, and drink offerings. Some offerings were given on an individual basis, while others were given by the priest on behalf of Israel. They each expressed something different:

FIRSTFRUIT OFFERING (Heb: bikkurim) from each man from Israel brought a basket of the first ripe produce from his fields to present before YHWH as an act of thanksgiving (Ex 23:16; Dt 26:1–2).

WAVE OFFERINGS (Heb: tenufah) of new grain left on the altar reflected their thanksgiving and consecration for the crops that year, acknowledging God as the Lord of the Harvest (Lv 23:16-17; cf. 6:14–23; Nm 28:26).

BURNT OFFERING (Heb: olah) for atonement consisting of seven, one-year-old unblemished lambs; one bullock; and two rams representing total consecration to Yahweh (Lv 23:18; cf. 1:3; 5:1-13; 7:7; Nm 28:27).

GRAIN OFFERING (Heb: minchah) of fine flour mixed with oil: three-tenths of an ephah for each bull, two-tenths for the one ram, and one-tenth for each of the seven lambs; also one kid of the goats for thanksgiving, acknowledgment of provision given alongside the burnt offering² (Lv 23:18; Nm 28:28).

DRINK OFFERING (Heb: nesek) showing joy and worship that goes with the burnt/grain offerings (Lv 23:18; cf. 6:8–13).

SIN OFFERING (Heb: chatat) of one kid of the goats for atonement/cleansing from sin (Lv 23:19a; cf. 4; 6:24–30; Nm 28:30).

PEACE OFFERING (Heb: shelamim) of two, one-year-old lambs as a sacrifice for fellowship between the people and Yahweh (Lv 23:19b; 7:11).

FREEWILL OFFERING (Heb: nedavah), a personal gift offering based on how much God had blessed them that year. “Then you shall keep the Feast of Weeks to the LORD your God with the tribute of a freewill offering from your hand, which you shall give as the LORD your God blesses you” (Dt 16:10-11).

Feast of Pentecost: Overview of the Offerings

The priests sacrificed the animals communally on behalf of everyone. When the text states “you shall offer” in the plural, it addresses Israel as a whole. The grain, oil, and animals were provided from the national storehouse and treasury (Neh 10:32–39). However, the men brought a firstfruits offering (Heb: bikkurim) and a freewill offering (Heb: nedavah).

FIRSTFRUIT OFFERING. At the Feast of Weeks, each man from Israel brought a basket of the first ripe produce from his fields to present before YHWH as an act of thanksgiving (Ex 23:16; Dt 26:1–2). This offering, called the firstfruits (bikkurim), marked the beginning of the wheat harvest and publicly acknowledged God as the source of Israel’s provision. Worshipers placed their baskets before the priest and recited a declaration recounting God’s redemption and faithfulness to bring them into the land (Dt 26:3–10). The priest then set the basket before the altar of the LORD (Dt 26:4,10). The worshiper rejoiced with the Levite, the foreigner, the fatherless, and the widow (Dt 26:11). Unlike the two leavened wheat loaves offered nationally by the priests (Lv 23:17–20), this firstfruits offering was an individual gift, expressing personal gratitude and covenant loyalty for God’s blessing on their harvest and giving them the land of milk and honey.

WAVE OFFERING. Israel brought two loaves of leavened bread made from new grain from their household, weighing two-tenths of an ephah (Lv 23:15; Nm 28:26). Unlike Passover (or the Feast of the Unleavened Bread), the two loaves offered contained leaven. Leaven commonly symbolizes decay in the Bible. Guzik pointed out the unusual combination of a wave offering with leaven with a burnt offering since the Lord forbade it (Ex 23:18; 34:25). He saw it as a “special symbolic message from God in the command to wave two leavened loaves of bread before Him at the feast of weeks, and then to offer those loaves with the burnt offerings.”³

This ceremony was the waving of the first sheaf of grain to be accepted by God. No one could eat any of the grain of the harvest until the first sheaf of the harvest was brought to the priest. The priest would wave the loaves upward and outward before the LORD as a national offering, symbolizing a sacrifice that dedicated the entire harvest to Him.

BURNT OFFERING. Israel also had to make a burnt offering for trespasses. Trespasses can range from oaths, touching anything unclean, swearing, speaking thoughtlessly, etc (Lv 5:1-4). Believer’s Bible states,” The distinctive feature of this offering is that restitution had to be made for the sin committed before the offering was presented” (5:16). The offering consisted of seven, one-year-old lambs without blemish, one young bull, and two rams for burnt offerings to the Lord. As the name suggests, a burnt offering (olah in Hebrew) is an offering made by fire unto the Lord (1:13). The animals for sacrifice had to be without blemish since the Lord would not want anything less. Considered the highest form of offering, it had a process for submission. First, the priests, acting on behalf of all Israel, laid their hands on the heads of the sacrificial animals to identify the nation with the sacrifice, symbolizing transference of guilt and presentation to YHWH for acceptance and atonement (1:4; 4:15). Then, he would kill them before the Lord. The blood of the sacrificed animals atoned for the sin of the person. The priest sprinkled the blood, skinned, cut up, and burned the animals. Finally, the priest burned everything on the altar as a “burnt sacrifice, an offering made by fire, a sweet aroma to the LORD” (1:9).

GRAIN OFFERING. Each animal required a proportionate amount of flour, oil, and wine to be offered with it as a grain offering (Nm 15:3-10): three-tenths of an ephah for each bull, two-tenths for the one ram, one-tenth for each of the seven lambs, and also one kid of the goats.

DRINK OFFERING. A drink offering also accompanied the burnt offering (Lv 23:18; Nm 28:28). Like the grain offering, the amount had to be specific to the burnt offering: one-fourth of a hin of wine as a drink offering for each lamb, one-third of a hin of oil for a ram, and half a hin of oil for a young bull (Nm 15:5-9). One half of a hin equals two quarts, one third measures one quart, and one fourth equals one quart. In all, it totaled three hins of oil or about three gallons.

SIN OFFERING. Leviticus 4:2-3 outlines a sin offering: “Speak to the children of Israel, saying: ‘If a person sins unintentionally against any of the commandments of the LORD in anything which ought not to be done, and does any of them, (3) if the anointed priest sins, bringing guilt on the people, then let him offer to the LORD for his sin which he has sinned a young bull without blemish as a sin offering. The Believer’s Bible refers to it as sin through ignorance, meaning “more than lack of knowledge of the sin. It probably means that the sin was not willful, deliberate, or done in defiance or rebellion” (Nm 15:30). For this offering the person gave a kid of the goats (Lv 23:19a; Nm 28:30; cf. 4; 6:24–30.

PEACE OFFERING. Israel also had to sacrifice two one-year old lambs for fellowship between the people and Yahweh (Lv 23:19b; 7:11). These lambs were presented with the two leavened loaves as a wave offering before the LORD, and they became holy for the priests to eat (Lv 23:20). The wave ceremony signified that the people and their produce were being offered to God and then accepted back for joyful fellowship. This offering expressed thanksgiving, fulfillment of vows, and celebration of covenant peace (Lv 7:11–13). By placing the peace offering alongside the firstfruit loaves, it portrayed reconciliation and communion between God and His people.

FREEWILL OFFERING. This offering represented a personal gift for the blessings God had given them that year. “Then you shall keep the Feast of Weeks to the LORD your God with the tribute of a freewill offering from your hand, which you shall give as the LORD your God blesses you” (Dt 16:10-11). Unlike the national offerings of animals, grain, and drink required by law (Lv 23:18–20), the freewill offering allowed each man to decide the type and amount he would bring, whether grain, produce, money, or livestock (22:18–23). It demonstrated gratitude and devotion and reminded worshipers that no one was to appear before the LORD empty-handed (Dt 16:16–17). Similar to the firstfruits offering, the person presented the gifts in celebration with the “Levite and the stranger.” It highlighted God’s desire for joyful worship, generosity, inclusion, and care for the vulnerable (26:11–12).

Fulfillment in the New Testament

Israel had celebrated this summer feast for 1500 years before the first coming of Christ. Pentecost’s fulfillment created a prophetic marker of the anticipated revelation that began in Mt. Sinai and carried over to Jerusalem when Jesus poured out His Spirit with the true giving of the Law (Mt 5:17; Rm 8:3–4). He redeemed them from spiritual Egypt. Instead of the Law written on stone tablets, His Spirit wrote it on tablets of human heart in the upper room when they experienced fire falling, a mighty rushing wind, and noise with visible signs of speaking in tongues and inward spiritual transformation (Ex 31:18; Jer 31:33; Acts 2:2-3; 2 Cor 3:3).⁴ This outpouring fulfilled God’s promise: “I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you” (Ezek 36:26), and confirmed the word of Joel: “Whoever calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved” (Joel 2:32a). Since Israel rejected the Messiah, the outpouring fell on a remnant and then Gentiles (Acts 2:16-20). From the church’s beginning, calling on the name of the Lord became central to every aspect of salvation, just as Peter declared on the Day of Pentecost in Acts 2:38: “Then Peter said to them, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. The Pentecost offerings also present a prophetic portrait that points to fulfillment in Christ.

FIRSTFRUIT OFFERING. The Feast of Weeks foreshadowed Jesus Christ’s resurrection and the harvest of believers gathered into the kingdom through His Spirit (Rom 16:5; 1 Cor 16:15). Fifty days after His resurrection, Jesus poured out His Spirit on the disciples (Acts 2:2–4). After Peter preached the gospel, about 3,000 believed and were baptized (Acts 2:41). These initial believers became the firstfruits of the new covenant brought about by the Holy Spirit, the beginning of a greater redemptive harvest to come (Acts 2:41).

WAVE OFFERING. This offering foreshadowed the creation and nature of the Church. Theologians see the loaves symbolizing the two people groups, Jews and Gentiles, brought together into one spiritual harvest and formed into one new body in Christ (Eph 2:14-16). This fulfillment began on the day of Pentecost when Jesus poured out His Spirit on His disciples. At this same feast, God gathered the first harvest of believers through His infilling, gathering the first harvest of Jewish believers, and later extending it to the Gentiles.

Further, the two loaves contained leaven, a symbol of sin, corruption, and imperfection. Levitical law commanded that Israel bake the two loaves with leaven (Lv 23:17). The Church, unlike its perfect head, Jesus Christ, reflects redeemed people who are prone to sin. God accepts His new community of faith and forgives their sins through grace by Jesus Christ (Eph 2:8-9).

BURNT OFFERING. Prophetically, the burnt offering connects to Jesus, the ultimate offering. Because of His great love for us, He sacrified Himself with total obedience leaving a sweet aroma pleasing to God (Eph 5:2). The original offering prescribed a sizable amount of animals on behalf of Israel (Lv 23:18; Nm 28:27). The fire on the altar consumed the entirety of each animal with nothing held back (Lv 1:9). Likewise, Jesus held nothing back on behalf of humanity.

GRAIN OFFERING. The grain offering expressed thanksgiving and dedication of daily provision to YHWH. The fine flour offered symbolized the perfect and sinless humanity of Jesus Christ, while the oil represented the anointing of the Holy Spirit upon Him (Lk 4:18; Acts 10:38). Offered without leaven, it pictured the purity of His life and ministry (Lv 2:11). Prophetically, this offering pointed to Jesus as the Bread of Life to give life to the world (Jn 6:35) and to the Spirit-filled Church as a consecrated offering of thanksgiving, wholly devoted to God’s service (Rom 12:1).

DRINK OFFERING. The pouring out of the drink offering pointed to Jesus pouring out His Spirit (Is 53:12; Lk 22:20). Since the drink offering represented a sign of dedication, joy, and relationship, the pouring out of the Spirit at Pentecost brought joy, spiritual victory, and a deeper covenantal bond. Hebrews 1:9 referred to God anointing his Jesus with the “oil of joy.” The infilling of the Spirit fully consecrated, filled, and empowered believers.

SIN OFFERING. Before the outpouring of the Holy Spirit came upon believers in Acts 2, the pattern of the sin offering revealed the truth that cleansing must come before Spirit infilling. Jesus’ crucifixion on the cross foreshadowed Him as the spotless Lamb who bore the sins of humanity, fulfilling God’s plan of redemption. Through His blood, He made remission of sins available to all who obey the gospel through repentance, water baptism in His Name, and the infilling of the Holy Spirit (Lk 24:47; Acts 2:38; Heb 9:26). The Pentecost sin offering pointed forward to the cleansed hearts of believers, prepared as vessels to receive God’s Spirit and walk in the newness of life.

PEACE OFFERING. This offering pointed to Jesus Christ, who made peace through His sacrifice and united believers as one body filled with His Spirit (Eph 2:14–17; Col 1:20). It also foreshadowed the unity and fellowship of those in the early church in Acts 2:42–47, who shar

Foundation of Acts: Beginning in Jerusalem

Tue, 09 Sep 2025 12:57:53 -0500

Authored by Luke, the book of Acts serves as a bridge between the Gospels and Epistles in the New Testament canon.¹ It chronicles the early history of the Spirit-empowered church, provides doctrine, and gives a window into how early Christians lived out their newfound faith. Paul, then Saul, referred to them as the Way (Acts 9:2). This article examines the historical development and cultural aspects of the early church of Acts focusing on behind the text information regarding the framework of the book.

The coming Spirit signaled the birth of the church–a watershed moment that fulfilled Old Testament prophecy:

At Mount Sinai, the Lord gave the Law to Israel (Ex 19–24). Its fulfillment came with Pentecost when the Spirit was poured out in the true giving of the Law (Mt 5:17; Rm 8:3–4).

At Mount Sinai, the Law was given on tablets of stone (Ex 31:18). In the Upper Room, it was written on tablets of the human heart (Jer 31:33; 2 Cor 3:3; Heb 8:10).

God descended upon Mount Sinai at the place of the meeting with fire, wind, and noise. Those in the Upper Room experienced fire falling, a mighty rushing wind, and noise with both external and internal manifestations (Acts 2:2-3).²

After Jesus’ ascension, the apostles went to an upper room in Jerusalem as He commanded them, and remained there for the promise of the Father (Acts 1:4) until they “were endued with power from on high” (Lk 24:49). The group included those who were with Jesus, with the exception of Judas Iscariot.

The remaining eleven disciples of the Twelve would hold an important distinction, having been with Jesus from the beginning as they witnessed His life from John the Baptist through to the resurrection. Acts 1:13 lists the disciples closest to Jesus, the apostles present in the upper room: “Peter, James, John, and Andrew; Philip and Thomas; Bartholomew and Matthew; James the son of Alphaeus and Simon the Zealot; and Judas the son of James.” Jesus appointed them to be “with Him” (Mk 3:14). He had many disciples who physically followed Him, but He only designated certain people as His apostles. In Mk 3:13-14, Jesus explained He would send them out to preach and give them power to heal sicknesses and cast out demons. They had His authority in their witness. He commissioned the Twelve as His apostles, but in actuality He had other disciples. One hundred twenty disciples, men and women alike, gathered in the upper room with the apostles steadfastly praying in “one accord in prayer and supplication” (Acts 1:14). Prior to the upper room Pentecost experience, Jesus sent seventy into the field to witness (Lk 10:1).

To reiterate, they did not do so on their own accord, but by the authority of Jesus’ name in Luke 10:17. When they returned they said, “Lord, even the devils are subject unto us thy name.” Not only does scripture give us an early reference for the usage and power of the Name–that is Jesus–but also a glimpse of the social system of that day. The deliverance through the Name by the seventy stood in contrast to the incantations of exorcists seeking to persuade devils. The invoking of the singular name of Jesus一God at the beginning of human life, beget by His Spirit一bound this diverse group in unity together.

Authorship

Luke wrote Acts, which many consider a continuation from the Gospel that bears his name. He ended the Gospel of Luke with the resurrection, ascension, and promise of the Spirit (Lk 24:44–53). Then, Acts begins by repeating these same events, showing a seamless continuation. The unity between the Gospel and Acts strengthens the case for Luke as their common author.

Though the book does not mention Luke’s name, theological circles generally view him as its author. Several lines of internal evidence support this claim. The book’s style, vocabulary, and theological emphasis resemble those in Luke. The author addressed both books to Theophilus, his patron (Lk 1:3; Acts 1:1). Luke also accompanied Paul on his three missionary trips, giving the author firsthand information about events that occurred.

Beyond style and dedication, further confirmation of Luke’s authorship appears in the ‘we’ passages. The author sometimes shifts into the first-person plural ‘we’ form. This suggests that Luke himself was among those present. The first appears in Acts 16:10–17: “Now after he had seen the vision, immediately we sought to go to Macedonia, concluding that the Lord had called us to preach the gospel to them” (especially verse 11). This vision at Troas prompted Paul and his companions, including Luke, to set out for Macedonia. Other ‘we’ references include Acts 20:5-15; 21:1-18; 27:1–28:16.³

Alongside this narrative continuity and internal evidence, Luke’s professional background also shaped his writing. Since he was a physician by trade, his books provide readers with comprehensive and orderly accounts. His descriptions of Paul’s missionary journeys include precise geographical references, travel details, and portraits of the people he encountered. Taken together, these clues affirm Luke’s role as both author and careful historian, preparing the way for a closer look at the genre of Acts.

Genre

The book itself reflects a general narrative, an ancient form of historiography.⁴ However, beyond its historical record, Acts carries theological weight through its witness. Luke laid out the doctrine of the Name: a book of Acts paradigm that teaches the inseparable unity of the one God in three administrations revealed in Jesus. It launched the saving guide to the question: “’Men and brethren, what shall we do?’ Then Peter said unto them, ‘Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. ³⁸ For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call'” (Acts 2:37-39). Thus, Acts functions not only as history but as a theological witness, centering salvation in the name of Jesus.

Keener described the style of Acts as written in Greek with a ‘biblical’ or ‘Jewish’ accent. Luke’s writing sounded like someone well-versed in Jewish Scripture even though he wrote in Greek. In other words, Acts would feel familiar both to Jews reading the Septuagint and to Gentiles accustomed to Jewish storytelling styles. ⁵ In addition to style, Luke’s accuracy as a historian is supported by archaeology, which verifies names, places, and titles throughout Acts.”

Some secular historians might look at the book of Acts as fiction, however, archeology proves otherwise. We can find it in Ancient Near East ruins, inscriptions, and artifacts that prove the story of Acts and its timeline. For example, in Acts 13:7, Luke called the Roman ruler Sergius Paulus proconsul, when Paul met him in Cyprus. Before 22BC, propraetors administered Cyprus.⁶ However, when Cyprus became a province, proconsuls governed it. Multiple inscriptions containing the name Sergius Paulus appear to portray him as prominent in the Roman Empire during the 1st century AD.–A Greek inscription from Soloi in Cyprus, mentions a proconsul named Paulus during the 1st century AD (IGR III, 930).”⁷ Further, the Galillio Inscription dates his service and Paul’s ministry there with a fixed marker. The example of the proconsul from the multiple inscriptions not only describes accurate titles for political figures, but also accounts that actually occurred. Such archaeological accuracy strengthens the case for Luke’s reliability as both historian and author. Acts therefore stands as more than a story of the early church. The book provides theological witness to salvation in Jesus and a historically reliable account confirmed by archaeology.

Audience

One hundred twenty disciples continued together in prayer in an upper room waiting for the promise of the Father (Acts 1:13-15). On the day of Pentecost, the ministry of Jesus through His Spirit began in the disciples. Additionally, Jews from fifteen nations gathered in Jerusalem for the feast. Luke listed “Parthians, and Medes, and Elamites, and the dwellers in Mesopotamia, and in Judaea, and Cappadocia, in Pontus, and Asia, Phrygia, and Pamphylia, in Egypt, and in the parts of Libya about Cyrene, and strangers of Rome, Jews and proselytes, Cretes and Arabians” (Acts 2:8-11). Jewish men of age with good health would make the pilgrimage to Jerusalem three times annually一Passover, Pentecost, and Ingathering. The presence of Jews from across the empire ensured that the outpouring of the Spirit at Pentecost would ignite a worldwide movement. Many of those present belonged to the wider Jewish diaspora, which stretched across the Roman Empire.

By the mid–first century BCE, several thousand Jews resided in Rome, some brought there as slaves after Pompey’s conquest of Judea in 63 BCE, while others migrated voluntarily, drawn by the city’s opportunities for commerce, stability, and advancement.⁸ Similar Jewish communities flourished in other major cities such as Alexandria in Egypt, Antioch in Syria, and across Asia Minor. When the Spirit was poured out at Pentecost, many of these visitors received the message of salvation in Jesus. Returning home, they carried the Gospel back with them to their nations, synagogues, and villages, becoming the first witnesses to spread the good news beyond Jerusalem.

The Gospel began among the Jews at Pentecost, but Acts traces its widening reach—from diaspora Jews to the Ethiopian eunuch, to Cornelius the Roman centurion, and finally to whole Gentile communities like Antioch. The Gospel went first to the Jews, and then to the Gentiles. The Ethiopian eunuch was the first time the Gospel moved beyond Jerusalem toward a non-Jewish seeker (8:26–40). Peter, then ministered to Cornelius and his family (Acts 10:44–48). The Spirit fell upon them while he preached. He then baptized them. Peter concluded, “God has also granted to the Gentiles repentance to life” (Acts 11:18 NKJV). After Stephen’s death, believers scattered and some preached to the Hellenists, the Greek-speaking Gentiles in Antioch. The city was the third-largest city in the Roman Empire (after Rome and Alexandria). Many Gentiles believed, and Antioch became the first major Gentile church and a missionary hub (Acts 11:19–21, 26). Paul’s three missionary trips took the Gospel even further into the Gentile nations.

Timeline of Events

Understanding the general timeline of events in Acts not only provides an overall picture of the beginnings of the early church but also establishes a framework for the epistles that follow.

Upper Room

Jesus ascended and commissioned the disciples in AD 30 AD

One hundred twenty disciples gathered in an upper room and continued with one accord in prayer and supplication (Acts 1:14)

Witness in Jerusalem (1:1-8:1)

The outpouring of the Holy Ghost was AD 30 — 50 days after Jesus’ resurrection (2:2-4; cf. Jn 3:8; 20:22)

Peter addressed the crowd (Acts 2:14-36)

Peter’s explanation of how to be saved (2:38)

3000 souls saved (v.41)

Stephen was martyred AD 32 (7:39)

Persecution of the church and their scattering in Judaea and Samaria AD 33–34 (8:1)

Saul (later Paul), created havoc in the church entering homes and dragging off men and women, committing them to prison AD 33-37 (8:3-9:1-2)

Witness in Judaea and Samaria (8:5-12:23)

Paul was converted AD 37 (8:5-12:25)

Gospel was preached to the Gentiles (Cornelius, a Roman centurion) in AD 40 (10:1–48 – 11:1–18)

James the apostle martyred by Herod 44 AD (12:1-2)

Herod imprisoned Peter but an angel rescued him AD 44 (12:3-5, 7:11)

An angel of the Lord smote Herod Agrippa I, King of Judea and he was eaten of worms AD 41-44 (12:23)

Witness Beyond

Paul’s first missionary trip: Sent out from Antioch with Barnabas to Cyprus, Pisidian Antioch, Iconium, Lystra, and Derbe; return to Antioch AD 48 (13:1–14:28)

Claudius expelled the Jews from Rome AD 49 (18:1–2)

Jerusalem Council–Debate over circumcision and Gentile believers AD 49 (15:1–29)

Paul’s second missionary journey: Travelled through Asia Minor and into Macedonia and Greece–Philippi, Thessalonica, Berea, Athens, and Corinth AD 50-52 (15:36–18:22)

Paul’s third missionary journey: Strengthened churches in Galatia and Phrygia, spent extended time in Ephesus, travelled through Macedonia and Greece, then returned to Jerusalem AD 53-57 (8:23–21:17)

Paul beheaded according to tradition AD 64–67

Peter crucified AD 64-67

Apostle John exiled to Patmos AD 85-96

Culture and Conflict

The early church developed in a Greco-Roman context, one with numerous languages, religious practices, customs, and ethnic identities. As the Gospel spread outward from Jerusalem to Rome, Christianity often clashed with Jewish traditions and Greco-Roman culture. Luke chronicled the conflicts Paul encountered as he evangelized to Jews, God-fearers, pagans, philosophers, and aristocrats. In some cases, Paul faced fiercer opposition from Jews than from the Greeks.

Wherever Paul traveled, he first brought the message of salvation to the Jews. It often resulted in causing uproar and often turning violent (17:5). When the whole city in Pisidian Antioch gathered to hear him preach the word of God, the Jews became jealous and opposed him. While many of the Gentiles believed, the “Jews stirred up the devout and honourable women, and the chief men of the city, and raised persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and expelled them out of their coasts” (13:50). This same pattern of unbelieving and envious Jews ousting him happened repeatedly in places like Iconium (14:1–6), Thessolonica (17:1-9), Berea (vv. 10-14), Corinth (18:12–17), and Jerusalem (21:27–36). Yet, Paul prevailed in his mission work.

Idol worship permeated throughout the Greco-Roman world. When Paul arrived in Athens, “his spirit was stirred in him, when he saw the city wholly given to idolatry” (17:16). Athens had an estimated 30,000 gods in it, perhaps more idols than people. ⁹ As Stott described, the city as submerged in idols influencing every facet of their lives. 10 ¹⁰ ¹¹ Every gateway or porch had its protecting god. They lined the five-mile road from Piraeus up to Athens and every place of prominence whether on walls or in the agora. Greeks worshiped multiple gods (polytheistic) such as Athena, Poseidon, and Zeus.¹² Idolatry held such an important facet of Greek life that it was unlawful to promote the worship of a foreign god.¹³ Paul encountered pagan idol worship as he traveled throughout the Roman Empire. The people of Lystra worshipped him after healing a lame man. They later stoned and left him for dead because of incitement from opponents (14:8–19). The casting out of a spirit from a fortune-telling slave girl caused economic uproar because her owners lost a profit. They dragged Paul and Silas to the authorities and a mob beat them (16:16-24). Paul’s teaching in Ephesus threatened the idol-making trade, leading to a massive uproar in the theater with the crowd shouting, “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!” (19:23-41).

Yet, against this background, the early church grew. Adherents increased from 25,000 in AD 100 to 20 million by AD 310.¹⁴ The explosive growth stands without the modern conveniences of travel and communication. Even persecution could not deter Christianity’s spread.

Preaching Across the Pews

Tue, 31 Dec 2024 14:38:54 -0600

Theologians have been writing about the transmission of the Gospel in indigenous terms, or local theologies, since the 1970s. Pioneers in this field, whose works have become seminal, include Vincent Donavon (1978), Paul G. Hiebert (1985), Robert J. Schreiter (1985), and Stephen B. Bevans (1992). They explored the concepts of faith in understandable and relatable terms of which a specific community can make meaning.

Vincent Donavon, in 1978, discussed missionary work as “taking the message of Christ to people who do not believe in him, who indeed have never heard of him…” However, he discussed the good intentions of the first missionaries in East Africa, in which evangelizing wiped out the culture and customs of people groups there. Centuries ago, they encountered widespread slavery that interrupted village life. The missionaries responded by purchasing slaves and having them work on Christian-based plantations. They baptized, trained, and arranged marriages among the slaves with the goal that Christian families would develop into succeeding generations. Donavan wrote:

The mission compounds are still in evidence in East Africa. And the questionable motivation for baptism, the subservience and dependence of the christianized peoples, the condescension of the missionaries, are themes that have returned again and again in the intervening hundred years.

Even though the missionaries intended to further Christ by changing the demographic makeup of the area, the concept did not carry over. Proportionate to the general population, it did not succeed in developing familial Christianization that would extend generations to come. Rather, the missionary strategy desecrated the identity of East Africans and left the mark of slavery there as well.

The pendulum for defining missionary work later shifted toward tolerance and conscience. Some believed missionary work violated conscience to convert people to Christian beliefs of their own. Yet another trend emerged focusing on providing aid and materials to needy countries. Conversion was out of the question. Donavon labeled this group of missionaries as “ecclesiastical peace corps.” They contended to bring freedom, knowledge, health, or prosperity for people to become Christians, bringing missionary work full circle with the slave/school concept.

onavon went on to work with the Masai, learning principles that ran counter to those from the past. Central to his missionary work, he contended that Christianity must transcend its Western cultural expressions. Missionaries should proclaim the Gospel in a way that resonates with local communities. Following the apostle Paul in Athens, missionaries align the salvation message with the cultural and social realities of the people they evangelize. For example, collective societies in Latin America emphasize the individual’s role as part of the community. This cultural framework contrasts with the classical theological emphasis on personal salvation and holiness, which can seem at odds with their communal values.”

Shift: Engage in the Local Culture

The nature of preaching serves as a conduit for the Spirit to transform the listener through the Gospel; therefore, communication should (1) support God’s purpose and plan; (2) revolve around love; (3) originate from the Holy Spirit; (4) bring meaning; and (5) unify the Body in diversity. It involves those transmitting the Word to think outside their own worldview and belief system to that of the audience and beyond. Considering how social media extends the reach of a sermon, it gives pause to spreading the Gospel message outside the four walls of the church. In a rapidly changing, pluralistic country such as the United States, the dynamics of worldview offer an eye-opening view of culture. According to Ryan Burge’s overview of religious beliefs from 2023, generational averages show 22% hold to no religion in particular; 18/4% atheist or agnostic, with the highest amount among Millennials and Gen Z; 52,4% protestant and Catholic combined with the highest amount in the Silent Generation. In the Chicago metro area, the graphs below from the United States Census Bureau 2023 figures and Census Reporter.org show the wide-ranging dynamics of racial composition in various villages and cities in the Chicago metro area.

According to a February 2024 Bloomberg Report, “The number of migrants listing an address in Illinois for their immigration court cases jumped nine-fold in 2023 compared with just two years earlier.” As of December 18, 2024, the Chicago metropolitan area has received 51,648 asylum seekers since August 2022. The migrant’s circumstance determines their legality under U.S. law. Asylum seekers are not deemed illegal for being in the U.S. while pursuing their claim.

Looking at the various cultural dynamics of Chicago and some of the surrounding suburbs present wide variances. It warrants going outside one’s cultural sphere and considering how other people with different worldviews can engage in the Gospel. Hiebert brought up a point to ponder:

Most of us were raised within a church and taught its theological confessions. We were monotheological and assumed that there is only one way to interpret the Scriptures, that all deviations from this approach were false. It comes as a shock, therefore, when we find honest, deeply committed Christians interpreting the Bible in different ways.

A different interpretation of Scripture does not necessarily deem it incorrect; rather, it signifies that people are diversely receptive to it. Thus, preaching the Gospel entails creating a pathway in communication that brings meaning to the audience and bridge-building to understanding.

Bridging the Culture Gap Models

Shaping the Gospel in meaning-making requires gathering cultural insights to support discipleship across diverse cultures. It involves mapping the cultural landscape through a neutral analysis of a population’s ethos—its worldview, values, and external practices. The goal is to uncover visible and hidden behaviors that shape feelings, judgments, and thought patterns. Understanding these dynamics also demands self-awareness, enabling a comparison of one’s cultural framework with that of the audience. Without this critical step, preaching risks remaining confined within the boundaries of a single cultural perspective.

In Matthew 28:19, Jesus commissioned His disciples to teach all the nations, a phrase transliterated from Greek as panta ta ethne. Ethne in the verse means peoples. At the time of this passage, the term nations reflected the Jewish worldview, which divided humanity into Jews and Gentiles, rather than the geopolitical nations we recognize today. The message of salvation was intended to go first to the Jews and then to the Gentiles.

Vincent Donovan, in his book Christianity Rediscovered, offered a perspective that aligns with this New Testament context. He argued that ethne referred not to modern nations like the United States or Germany but to “ethnic, cultural groups, the natural building blocks of the human race.”  Reflecting on his work with the Masai tribe, Donovan concluded, “God enables a people, any people, to reach salvation through their culture and tribal, racial customs and traditions.” This insight underscores the Gospel’s adaptability to diverse cultural identities.

Pioneers in local theology, such as Schreiter and Bevans, have proposed various models for developing theologies rooted in local settings. Building on their insights, this article introduces three models grounded in biblical examples. Jesus and the apostles serve as excellent guides for cross-cultural preaching, demonstrating effective approaches across diverse environments. These models—(1) inclusivity, (2) intentionality, and (3) adaptivity—function distinctly yet interdependently, each contributing uniquely to the task of contextualizing the Gospel in meaningful ways.

Inclusivity Model

Preaching across the pews begins with an inclusive approach that honors and connects with diverse cultural identities. Start by crafting sermons that respect and celebrate these differences while fostering meaningful connections. Build a mental framework that seeks to understand another culture deeply and intentionally.

Next, create an environment where listeners feel seen, valued, and spiritually nurtured, regardless of their background. Extend this care not only to congregants but also to those beyond the walls of the local church. However, proceed with discernment—sift through cultural elements and discard anything that contradicts biblical truths or compromises the Gospel message. As society evolves, preaching must remain vigilant, adapting to these shifts while staying rooted in Scripture.

Two Key Steps

Inclusive preaching relies on two essential steps. First, a preacher needs to step outside one’s cultural framework to embrace a broader perspective—pray for guidance to navigate this shift! This model falters when preachers lack awareness of the people around them, leaving them disconnected from their audience. Second, after grasping the cultural significance of the listeners, translate that understanding into the new situation (context).

However, this model presents challenges. While inclusivity presents a good start in cross-cultural preaching, fully understanding local traditions takes time and effort. Leaders often assume they know a community completely, only to discover gaps in their understanding later. Additionally, without intentional actions to accompany inclusivity, preaching remains stagnant. The other models—intentionality and adaptivity—become essential, working together to enrich and transform the preaching process.

Intentionality Model

Intentionality thoughtfully connects with and addresses the diverse cultural, ethnic, and social backgrounds of the intended listeners. It focuses on ensuring that the Gospel message transcends cultural barriers and fosters unity. This model takes the prior Inclusivity Model to the next step by building upon the mental framework and transferring it to purposeful planning for action. Consider the quote from Nieman and Rogers: “A cherished expression in one group may evoke indifference or offense in another.” When crafting a sermon, the messenger carefully examines symbols and terms to ensure clarity for the audience. Symbols representing culturally agreed-upon meanings should not be abstract, offensive, or overly reliant on cultural context for understanding. Every symbol used must enhance, rather than hinder, the message’s reach and impact.

Two Key Steps

First, recognize social change. Communities continually evolve due to shifts in family structures, urbanization, immigration, and age demographics. Begin by seeking the guidance of the Holy Ghost. What does the Spirit reveal about the people’s challenges and needs? Pray over these needs. Listen attentively to both the Spirit and the culture, and discern how to bring Jesus into the community’s specific realities. Raymond Facélina describes this as having “a listening heart:”

How do you attune your ear to hear Christ within a culture?

How do you approach a culture on its own terms, rather than imposing your own realities?

How does a community’s experience become fertile ground for God’s mission to flourish?

Second, focus on ensuring the Gospel message transcends cultural barriers and fosters unity. Move from analysis to communication—transition from simply understanding cultural dynamics to actively communicating the Gospel within that context. Use the insights gained to craft deeply resonating messages, ensuring Christ’s message reaches hearts and minds without unnecessary barriers.

Inclusive preaching relies on two essential steps. First, a preacher needs to step outside one’s cultural framework to embrace a broader perspective—pray for guidance to navigate this shift! This model falters when preachers lack awareness of the people around them, leaving them disconnected from their audience. Second, after grasping the cultural knowledge, know that when moving within the intentional model, guard against discouragement. It’s evident that much of contemporary culture’s beliefs and values reflect the end of the Church Age. While culture constantly shifts, God remains unchanging—He is immutable. Regardless of the world’s condition, Christ stands greater than culture, reshaping it to align with Kingdom living and fulfill His divine purposes.

Both Jesus and Stephen’s declarations imply a fresh and profound understanding of Scripture that does not depart from the core truths of Old Testament teaching but elevate them to a new level of faith, universal acceptance, and practice. Writers of New Testament Scripture expound in detail Christ reigning at the right hand of God, providing an understanding of Stephen’s vision in Acts and which establishes a sound theology for the Church, both practical and prophetic. The Sanhedrin council held a Scriptural understanding of the right hand of God. However, it lacked knowledge of its relationship to Christ and an unwillingness to accept Jesus as God’s anointed sitting at His right hand. Their hatred of Jesus blinded them, Rome, and ultimately Israel to recognize God in Him, resulting in His death and, subsequently, Stephen’s. This same spirit continues to exist. However, the outpouring of the Holy Ghost and preaching of the Gospel of Jesus Christ will reverse the blindness upon individual hearts.

Right Hand (Grk: dexios–a place of honor, authority, and power; to stand in power as leader or sovereign.

Culturally, Jews and Greeks from the ancient world used the expression right hand as a figure of speech to describe a place of power, honor, or blessing conferred upon a recipient by a host. The favored individual thus fulfilled the host’s wishes or will. Also, in a banquet setting, a host seats the honoree on his right hand. To conclude, the expression right hand bestowed authority and blessing upon a recipient. Example: Jacob conferred a blessing upon the two sons of Joseph using his right hand (Gn 48:13-14).

The Jews viewed the right hand of God as a figurative expression from a divine perspective relating it to God’s glory. They based their understanding of God’s identity or glory upon various Scripture passages from the Old Testament. Stephen attributed the term to Jesus, the Son of Man, before the Jewish council of priests, elders, and scribes. They perceived Stephen’s words as blasphemy against the God of Israel and sentenced him to death by stoning. Both Jesus’ and Stephen’s words teach that the right hand of God pertains to the Son of man and son of David, drawing attention to the reality of the incarnation, God shining in complete revelation in Jesus Christ. When God exalted Jesus, he bestowed his honor upon Him so all creation might recognize, worship, and honor Him in Christ.

It became apparent that the council members understood Stephen’s use of the right hand of God to proclaim the resurrected Jesus of Nazareth as the Lord God, regarding it as a significant violation of Dt 6:4. Earlier, the same council accused Jesus of blasphemy, sentencing Him to death for making this claim regarding Himself (Mk 14:60-64). Since first-century Jewish theologians and Christians viewed the right hand of God as a figurative expression describing God’s glory, preeminence, and authority, Jesus sitting on a throne next to God had no theological basis or implications. They never saw it as an establishment of two or more divine persons of God. Christians further viewed it to identify Jesus with the God of Israel from an incarnational perspective, which Israel interpreted and judged as heresy (Acts 24:14)

Scripture uses the expression right hand of God to describe God’s sovereign preeminence and power over His creation and the lives of His people. Relative to Christ, this term first appeared in Psalms 110:1, prophetically describing the Messiah’s ascension, glorification, and exaltation to divine honor, preeminence, and power over all creation, revealing Jesus of Nazareth as the sovereign God in flesh. God now governs and becomes recognized by His creation through the lordship of Jesus Christ. Hebrews 1 and other New Testament books beautifully expound the resurrected and exalted Son of man at the right hand of God.

Jesus gave the significance of the Messiah positioned at the right hand of God by revealing its importance. First, He theologically established an incarnational understanding of Ps 110:1 that recognizes, connects, and reveals the monotheistic faith in Jehovah with the new covenant lordship confession of Christ. His thought-provoking question to the Pharisees reveals the Son of David sitting at the right hand of God. Second, His interpretation of Ps 110 and His closing question to the Pharisees revealed the limitations of their theological understanding of the Messiah by presenting the passage’s sound implications to Himself. Finally, Jesus’ interpretation laid the basis upon which He and His first for the Christian martyring of Stephen.

When Jesus questioned the Pharisees concerning the Messiah’s identity, He knew their deep-seated reluctance to identify Him. Jesus possessed scriptural and cultural markings of the Messiah, and the Pharisees knew it, but their hardened hearts did not allow them to believe Him. His question and implied answer revealed their fear of Him and moved them to terminate all discussions concerning the Messiah with Him. As the prominent religious leaders of their day, they knew Jesus to be an established rabbi in Israel, the adopted son of Joseph, for it was legally registered after His birth. They knew Joseph belonged to the house of David through Solomon, for genealogies were accessible legal records used to prove paternity, status, and claim inheritances. They further knew of the story and events surrounding His birth and its proclamation throughout Jerusalem some thirty years earlier, yet they persisted in denying His claim. Since they knew the prophecies of Daniel, Isaiah, and others matched the life, times, and person of Jesus of Nazareth, they feared it to be true. John the Baptist identified Him as Messiah during his brief ministry. During Jesus’ baptism by John, God spoke from heaven, declaring Him to be His Son before all who were present, including the Pharisees. So when Jesus questioned them concerning the son of David, they knew He indirectly claimed to be Messiah, the Lord God of Israel in flesh.

The Pharisees lacked or held no understanding concerning the incarnation. In Mt 22:41-46, Jesus questioned them, “What think ye of Christ? Whose son is he?” They responded by saying the Son of David. Jesus further asked them, leading to King David’s words recorded in Ps 110:1. Jesus challenged the Pharisees by saying that David in the Spirit called Christ his Lord while sitting at the right hand of God. If David called Him Lord, how can He also be David’s son? Did the Pharisees respond incorrectly regarding the Messiah’s connection to King David? No, for Scripture truly states the Messiah will descend from the lineage of David. But, the Pharisees erred in their hearts by not recognizing God before them in Jesus of Nazareth. Their limited perception prohibited them from reconciling their understanding of David’s inspired statement. According to Jesus, Ps 110:1 prophetically describes a divinely chosen descendant of David reigning as Lord at the right hand of God (a theologically figurative expression) having Yahweh’s identity, honor, glory, and power. For David, a monotheistic Jew, to prophetically address his remote descendant as my Lord establishes a prophetic monotheistic recognition of the coming incarnation of God in Christ based on Dt 6:4.

David prophetically recognized the Messiah to be the human incarnation of Jehovah. Before the foundation of the world, God appointed the Son of Man to sit at His right hand. This view left the Pharisees speechless and prepared them to understand Jesus’ response to their question of whether He is the Son of God on the night of His arrest. His sitting at the right hand of God reveals Him as Israel’s covenant God in flesh, which they called blasphemy. This view disclosed a new faith confession in Jehovah that includes the incarnation and enlightens understanding of Dt 6:4.

On the night of Jesus’ arrest, the Pharisees, elders, and scribes understood Jesus’ application of the right hand of God to Himself as the claim to be Jehovah, the God of Israel, finally enraging them with madness. His earlier interpretation of Ps 110:1 led to His death and later to Stephen’s (Mk 14:60-64; Acts 7:54-59).

New Testament writers use synonymous terms concerning the right hand of God to develop its meaning. In conjunction with its cultural definition, these terms help expand its meaning beyond an unscriptural position next to God to establish the sole deity and supremacy of Jesus Christ.

Right hand of the Majesty (Heb 1:3)

Right hand of the throne of the Majesty (Heb 8:1)

Right hand of the throne of God (Heb 12:2)

Right hand of God (Acts 7:55)

Right hand of the power of God (Lk 22:69)

The Throne of God (Rv 3:21)

The glory of God and Jesus at the right hand of God (Acts 7:55)

Close

Jude connects and summarizes the preceding right hand of God’s expressions to Jesus Christ. He uses these same expressions in his acclamation of praise to the Savior. These expressions present an exalted view of the incarnation based on Scripture comparison of the above right hand of God. They do not show or imply an inferior right hand of God’s position or distinct person in the Godhead. Instead, these points describe the right hand of God and reveal the exalted status of the Son of man, Jesus Christ. They further demonstrate the Son of man as the incarnation of the only wise God (omniscience- All-knowing), whom Jude also calls Savior. Without using the right hand of God term, Jude describes Jesus, the exalted Savior, as the only wise God having glory, majesty, dominion, and power forever, who demonstrates omnipotence and omniscience by His ability to present believers faultless before the presence of His glory.

“Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy, 25 To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen” (Jude 1:24-25).

Brightness of God’s glory (Heb 1:3)

Expressed image of God’s person (Spirit) (Heb 1:3; 2 Cor 4:4-6)

Heir of God’s Old Testament identity, Jehovah (Heb 1:4; Ps 110:1)

Lord and Christ (Acts 2:32-39)

Prince and Savior (Acts 5:31)

Lord of glory (1 Cor 2:8; Jas 2:1)

Father of glory (Eph 1:17-20)

These passages personify the glory of God as the exalted Jesus who sits at God’s right hand, having His titles of honor before all creation and the Church. Jesus holds sole preeminence over the affairs of the angelic world, universe, and Church. Such status, honor, glory, and power a human holds reveals God manifested in flesh (1 Tm 3:16). This understanding establishes what Stephen saw in his vision and what Luke describes in Acts. The Sanhedrin council understood Stephen’s statement, which led to his death.

Daryl Cox — 4.22.24

Valley of the Dry Bones: Historical and Cultural Contexts

Fri, 22 Mar 2024 06:25:14 -0500

The vision of the valley of the dry bones (Ez 37:1-14) stands amid a collection of oracles from Ezekiel addressed to the exiled during the Babylonian captivity. Ezekiel transmitted the words of the Lord to the exiled as their watchman and prophet. In 37:1-14, he oracled renewal and restoration that included a united Israel (vv. 15-21) as part of the book’s primary purpose of judgment and salvation for Israel and the nations.

Historical Context

A historical overview of exile for the divided kingdoms reveals deportation for both but at different points. In 721 BC, before the Babylonian captivity, the Assyrians took the Northern Kingdom captive (2 Kgs 14-20). Babylonian captivity followed about 100 years later in two waves. The first wave in 597 BC resulted in the capture of King Jehoiachin and leading citizens of Judah including Ezekiel. The second occurred in 587 BC when Babylon razed Jerusalem and its temple after Jerusalem’s second rebellion. It forced Jerusalem’s surrender and deported its king and Judean notables to Babylon (2 Kgs 24:10-16).

To grasp the fullness of the dry bones prophecy, a glimpse at the circumstances before exile places the word of the Lord in perspective. Several events led up to the Babylonian exile. While King Josiah pleased the Lord during his 30-year reign by walking in the ways of David, Jehoahaz and Jehoiakim marked a return to acts of evil in the Lord’s sight (23:37). After Jehoakim rebelled against King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon, the Lord sent bands of Chaldeans, Syrians, Moabites, and children of Ammonites to destroy Judah for the sins of Manasseh (24:3). Nebuchadrezzar then reigned over Syria and Palestine from the Euphrates to the Egyptian frontier (2 Kgs 24:7), and Judah became a Babylonian province. Finally, the Lord chastised the people in the twelfth year of Babylonian exile (Ez 33:21) after Jerusalem’s fall for their continued sins.

The Lord did not leave the exiled without His guidance. While in captivity, God called Ezekiel to the office of prophet. Among the deportees, Ezekiel recorded a series of visions from the Lord while exiled in Babylon during King Jehoiachin’s captivity in the diaspora community by the River Chebar (Ez 1:2). His oracles conveyed God’s redemptive plan for Israel and the nations about judgment and restoration. He specifically spoke to the Judeans and first-generation exiles after the fall of Jerusalem as a voice from the exiled.

He prophesied his first vision about the throne room in chapter one (1:4). The writer did not say whether it took place during its actual delivery versus writing at a later date. If he prophesied the first vision at the start of his captivity, then, as Boadt noted, it occurred in 623-622 BC when 30 years old (1:1). Tiemeyer concurs with a sixth-century BC dating since it supports Neo-Babylonian sources.Allen dated his prophetic call to 593 BC.

In terms of dating the Ez 37 prophecy, the preceding may give a clue as to the timeline. Zimmerli dated passages 35:1-36:15 to after 587 BC since it recalls the dispute between the Judahites who remained in Jerusalem with neighboring peoples over Jewish claims to the land. As Ezekiel ordered the oracles chronologically, this may imply that chapter 37 occurs later in the 70-year exilic period. Further, if Ezekiel delivered the dry bones prophecy around 585 BC, then the lesser first wave lived in exile for twelve years and the greater second wave two years.

Cultural

Ezekiel 37:1-14 portrays the cultural state of the exiled through symbolism reflected in the very many or very great many dry bones in the valley or open valley (37:2). In essence, Babylonian captivity stripped them of their identity and left a collective society now scattered from their homeland in a severely deteriorated, dry state.

Since the Babylonians captured Ezekiel during the first wave, the prophet did not directly experience Jerusalem’s fall. Nevertheless, God chose him as His spokesperson to the exilic community living among the refugees in their trauma culture. The book of Lamentations records the very depth of their sorrow, suffering, and abandonment. They also experienced shame from exile. Ezekiel 25 records the surrounding nations laughing (25:3) and mocking (v. 8) the exiled house of Israel. In the wake of the exiled feeling of grief, the Lord’s message sought to give them hope in their captivity.

Geographical

The Babylonians transported most of the Judahites 1000 miles to Mesopotamia during the second wave of capture. The exiled came from an urban environment in Jerusalem and relocated to what Joyce describes as “ghetto-like settlements” like Tel-abib described in Ez 3:15. The elders could gather with each other (8:1; 14:1; 20:1). Ezekiel himself lived among the exiled in a community by river Chebar in Tel-abib 100 miles south of Babylon (Ez 1:1; 3:15).

Economic

Pearce noted that the term exile suggested movement away from a native land. Economically, that movement away from the homeland took a toll on the diaspora. Taking a closer look at the exile reveals the extent of the destruction by the captors on the captives. The Babylonians physically dislocated Judeans from their homeland, deprived them economically of their possessions, and left them spiritually depleted without their temple. To the Jews, the losses affected their identity closely tied to the promised land, the Davidic throne, Jerusalem, and Lord’s temple. Second Kings 25:1-21 describes in vivid detail the fall, capture, and destruction of Jerusalem: forced famine; murdered military officials, king’s associates, townspeople, and priests; burnt structures, and pillaged the house of the Lord. The captors left only a small remnant of the very poor behind. The resettlement in Babylonia resulted in a starting over so to speak of the exiled.

In all, perhaps at the very heart of God’s mission to His people lies the events that preceded exile and the losses they experienced. He would allow them to experience death in the valley, only to bring them life out of the valley. “Then you shall know that I am the LORD,” (Ez 37:6, 13, 14).

Bibliography

Ackroyd, Peter R. Exile and Restoration: A Study of Hebrew Thought of the Sixth Century B. C. Philadelphia: Westminster, 1986.

Allen, Leslie C. Ezekiel, Vol. 29. Word Bible Commentary. Edited by John D. W. Watts and James W. Watts. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1990.

Bimson, John J. “Book of Ezekiel.” in The Dictionary for Theological Interpretation of the Bible. Edited by Kevin J. Vanhoozer. Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2005.

Boadt, Lawrence. “Book of Ezekiel.” in The Anchor Bible Dictionary, Vol D-G. Edited by David N. Freedman. New York: Doubleday, 1992.

__________. Reading the Old Testament: An Introduction. New York: Paulist Press, 2012.

Brett, Mark G. ed. Ethnicity and the Bible. Boston: Brill Academic Publishers, 2002.

Chicago Manual of Style: The Essential Guide for Writers, Editors, and Publishers. 17th ed. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2017.

Eichrodt, Walther Theology of the Old Testament. Translated by J. A. Baker. Philadelphia: Westminster Press, 1961.

Fox, Michael, V. “The Rhetoric of Ezekiel’s Vision of the Valley of the Bones.” Hebrew Union College Annual 51, (1980): 1-15.

Greenberg, Moshe. Ezekiel 21-27. Anchor Yale Bible. New York: Yale University Press, 2010.

__________. The Design and Themes of Ezekiel’s Program of Restoration.” Interpretation 58, no. 4 (2007): 585-625.

Goldingay, John A. “Ezekiel.” Eerdmans Commentary on the Bible. Edited by James D. G. Dunn and John W. Rogerson. Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 2003.

Kamsen, Joel and Tihitshak Biwul. “The Restoration of the Dry Bones in Ezekiel 37:1-14: An Exegetical and Theological Analysis.” Scriptura 118 (2019:1), pp. 1-10.

LaSor, William Sandord, David Allan Hubbard, Frederic William Bush, and Leslie C. Allen. Old Testament Survey: The Message Form, and Background of the Old Testament. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans Publishing, Co. 1996.

Lee, Lydia. Mapping Judah’s Fate in Ezekiel’s Oracles Against the Nations. Atlanta: SBL Press, 2016. https://www.sbl-site.org/assets/pdfs/pubs/9780884141808_OA.pdf.

Longman III, Tremper. The Message of the Prophets: A Survey of the Prophetic and Apocalyptic Books of the Old Testament. Grand Rapids, Zondervan, 2010.

Mein, Andrew. Ezekiel and the Ethics of Exile. Oxford Theological Monographs. Oxford: OUP Oxford, 2006.

Miller, Maxwell J. and John H. Hayes. A History of Ancient Israel and Judah. 2nd ed. Louisville: Westminster John Knox Press, 2006.

Mendenhall, George. “Covenant.” The Anchor Bible Dictionary, Vol A-C. Edited by David Freeman. New York: Doubleday, 1992.

Pearce, Laurie E. “Identifying Judeans and Judean Identity in the Babylonian Evidence.” in Exile and Return: The Babylonian Context, edited by Jonathan Stökl, Caroline Waerzeggers, and Jonathan Stökl. Berlin: CPI Books, 2015.

Qubt, Shadia. “Can These Bones Live? God, Only You Know.” Review and Expositor. 104, Summer, 2007.

Schultz, Samuel J. The Old Testament Speaks: A Complete Survey of Old Testament History and Literature. New York: HarperOne, 2000.

Serfontein, Johan and Wilhelm J. Wessels. “Communicating Amidst Reality: Ezekiel’s Communication as a Response to His Reality.” Verbum Eccles 35, no. 1 (2014): http://www.scielo.org.za/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S2074-77052014000100033.

Smith-Christopher, Daniel L. A Biblical Theology of Exile. Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 2002.

Staples, Jason A. The Idea of Israel in Second Temple Judaism: A New Theory of People, Exile, and Israelite Identity. New York: Cambridge University Press, 2021.

Stökl, Jonathan, and Caroline Waerzeggers. Exile and Return : The Babylonian Context. (Beihefte Zur Zeitschrift Für Die Alttestamentliche Wissenschaft, 2015): Volume 478. De Gruyter. https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&AuthType=sso&db=cat06729a&AN=ebc.EBC2189973&site=eds-live.

Tiemeyer, L. D. “Book of Ezekiel.” in The Dictionary of the Old Testament Prophets. Edited by Mark J. Boda and J. Gordon McConville. Downers Grove: IVP Academic, 2012.

Walton, John H. Ancient Near Eastern Thought and the Old Testament: Introducing the Conceptual World of the Hebrew Bible. Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2006.

Zimmerli, Walther. Ezekiel 2. Hermeneia. Philadelphia: Fortress Press, 1983.

Jan Paron, PhD, 3.22.24

The Supremacy of Jesus: Hebrews 1:3

Fri, 15 Mar 2024 21:08:05 -0500

In the epistle of Hebrews, the author set the tone by establishing Jesus’ identity. He reminds the audience of Christ’s supremacy as the Mediator of the New Covenant (9:15) with an eternal promise that extends into the eschatological future where He reigns in a new heaven and new earth. By means of His death, He redeemed the transgressions of the first testament. A transgression refers to an action, while sin comes from that action.

According to the Word made flesh through the incarnation, we find God’s self-revelation in Jesus. God spoke in the Old Covenant by means of the prophets, rather now directly through the express image of Himself, Jesus, with the highest and ultimate representation of Himself (1:2a). In John 14:10-11b, Jesus reminded His disciples of the unity of Him and the Father. That which Jesus spoke came from the Father. “The words I speak to you I do not speak on My own authority; but the Father who dwells in Me does the works. Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father in Me,” (NKJV). As God’s messengers, the prophets conveyed His inspired word. However, the higher and ultimate revelation came from Jesus as the embodiment, meaning personification, of God’s Word.

From the start of the book in the first chapter, the author makes the supremacy of Jesus known to the readers. He lists seven characteristics in 1:1-3 that provide a visual picture of Jesus’ superiority demonstrating Him as the cornerstone that laid the foundation. The traits are:

Heir of all things (1:2b)

Through whom also He made the worlds (1:2c)

Brightness of His glory (1:3a)

Express image of His person (1:3a)

Upholding all things by the word of His power (1:3b)

He had by Himself purged our sins (1:3c)

Sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high (1:3d)

Heir of All Things (1:2b)

Adam did not qualify as the heir due to his sin in the Garden of Eden. In turn, Adam’s actions also made his sons ineligible as inheritors of the eternal blessing. God made Adam from the dust of the earth. On the other hand, God incarnated Himself in Jesus as the Son of God. Christ is the only begotten of the Father. Robed in flesh as the last Adam, the Son had a sinless nature, the spotless lamb who would sacrifice Himself to redeem man’s iniquities.

As the only begotten Son of God, Jesus stands as the Heir of all things. Psalm 2:7-8, says “I will declare the decree: The LORD has said to Me, ‘You are My Son, Today I have begotten You.⁸ Ask of Me, and I will give You The nations for Your inheritance, And the ends of the earth for Your possession.’” Jesus fulfills this inheritance through His Sonship. All earth will submit to Him as He rules over it having dominion passed to the Son.

Luke chronicled Jesus’ greatness as the Son of the Highest. His conception occurred when the Holy Ghost came upon Mary and His power overshadowed her (Lk 1:35). The angel announced to Mary that the Lord God would give the Son the throne of His father David (1:32b). Jesus’ Sonship establishes Him by the bloodline of David through Mary (3:23-38) and an heir to the throne of David through His legal father, Joseph (Mt 1:1-16). God promised David that He would establish his house and throne forever through an heir (2 Sm 7:16; cf. Lk 1:33).

Through Whom Also He Made the Worlds (1:2c)

God created all things by His Word. God manifested Himself as the Word made flesh in Jesus through the incarnation (Jn 1:1). The Shema in Dt 6:4 establishes the Lord our God as one. The Shema also holds true in the New Testament as well. Thus, we cannot separate the Word from God. Since Jesus is God, the fullness of God indwelled in Jesus with the oneness of His being. As Peter wrote in his first epistle 1:20a, Jesus was “foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you.” Prior to it, there was no Son of God but the One who is now incarnate, the Creator. Adam Clarke remarked that “Eternity has no beginning and nor stands in any reference to time. Son supposes time, generation, and a father; and time also antecedent to such generation.” This means that Son and eternity cannot coexist since they both entail opposite ideas.

Paul explained it well in Col 1:15-16: “He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. ¹⁶ For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him.” This verse supports Hebrews. So, “through whom also He made the worlds” in Hebrews refers to Jesus as the Word of God by which God created in a preincarnate state.

Brightness of His Glory (1:3a)

As the Word became flesh, Jesus displayed the glory as the only begotten Son of the Father (Jn 1:14b; 1 Pt 1:17) and manifested from the Father. Prior to the incarnation, Israel would experience the glory of the invisible God’s presence through different means such as a cloud of the invisible God appearing in a cloud over Mt. Sinai (Ex 16:10) or filling the house of the Lord (1 Kgs 8:10-12; 2 Chr 5:14).

The Lord told the prophet Isaiah that He would not give His glory “unto another” since it would profane His name (Is 48:11). Since God indwelt bodily in Jesus, His flesh not only embodies the Lord’s glory but also bears His name. In Jesus, we see the fullness of the visible presence of the invisible God’s glory. Thus, the brightness of glory in Heb 1:2 refers to the inward glory of God that had shown bright in His physical representation in Jesus as majestic excellence in absolute perfection (2 Pt 1:17; BLB.org). His glory also radiates His incorruptible nature without corruption or decay (Rom 1:23).

Brightness denotes light. The Word became flesh as the true Light (Jn 1:9, 14). Satan only can transform into its light, but never the true Light. The brightness of God’s glory shines knowledge of Him in our hearts only in the face of Jesus Christ. God commanded the light to shine from darkness (2 Cor 4:6)

Express Image of His Person (1:3a)

Unlike God portraying His presence in Old Testament theophanies, like the burning bush, He fully reveals it in Jesus Christ. God now made His known with the advent of the incarnation that united God and man making Christ the visible image of the invisible God with His exact nature (Col 1:15). By definition, several key phrases stand out that confirm the nature of Jesus Christ as God Incarnate: exact expression, marked likeness, precise reproduction (BLB.org). But, what exact expression does Jesus represent? It explains His person. Person (Grk: hypostatsis) meaning substantial quality, nature, of any person.

It was necessary that God revealed Himself in flesh on our behalf for several reasons. First, Jesus had to take subjection over all things. The first Adam, due to his disobedience in the Garden of Eden, failed in taking dominion over every living thing that moved upon the earth (Gn 1:28). His sin prevented him having that authority. However, Jesus, the Son of Man, knew no sin from His perfect divine nature, took back this dominion. In Heb 2:8, the author wrote He “put all things on subjection under His feet,” fulfilling the Son of Man in Ps 8:4, 6. He’s over the works of God’s hands because He is God. He sits at the right hand of God not by physical location rather a metaphor of His honor, authority, and power having all enemies under His footstool (cf. Ps 110:10). Remember Is 9:6 calls Him the Mighty God who will also bring about the conditions embodied from the Everlasting Father.

Second, Jesus, God’s revealed agent and perfect representation, directly brought the message of salvation to humanity. Moses brought the Law to Israel delivered by angels to him. Jesus became the Law. Since Jesus was in the mind of God

Last, He made propitiation for our sins. He robed Himself in flesh, perfect in every way to become our High Priest. In this role He made Himself the ultimate sacrifice for our sins (1 Jn 2:2).

Upholding All Things by the Word of His Power (1:3b)

This title refers to Jesus’ power and authority. By the word of His power, He commands it. Jesus maintains the order, existence, and sustenance of the entire universe. The term upholding (Gr. pherō) conveys an ongoing act, indicating that Christ continuously sustains all creation. The Son as the divine preserver of the universe keeps it functioning according to His will and purpose. In the Old Testament context, “word” associates with an creative and authoritative action such as in Gn 1, where God speaks the world into existence by His word. For example, in Gn 1:3 God said, “’Let there be light,’ and there was light.” This parallels the concept of the universe being sustained by the word of God’s power, highlighting the authority of His word in creating and sustaining life. The prophet Nehemiah also acknowledged God’s role in creating and sustaining all life: “You alone are the LORD. You made the heavens, even the highest heavens, and all their starry host, the earth and all that is on it, the seas and all that is in them. You give life to everything, and the multitudes of heaven worship you” (9:6). He emphasizes God’s continuous sustaining power over creation. Further, scripture in Ps 33:6, 9 echoes the idea of God’s command having creative and sustaining authority. As the Incarnate God, Jesus has the same: “By the word of the LORD the heavens were made, their starry host by the breath of his mouth… For he spoke, and it came to be; he commanded, and it stood firm” (33:6, 9).

The New Testament also attests to the word of His power. Colossians 1:16-17: states “For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.” This passage closely parallels Heb 1:3, attributing the creation and sustenance of all things directly to Christ. In the opening verses of Jn (1:1-4), the author credits the Word with the creation of all things and is described as the life that was the light of all mankind. This establishes the divine Logos as not only the agent of creation but as essential to its ongoing existence and order. Jesus is the Word made flesh. In another New Testament passage that explains the power of His word, 2 Pt 3:5-7 discusses His divine power. This passage speaks to the power of God’s word in both creation and judgment, illustrating the sustaining and transformative power of divine command, which aligns with the theme of Christ’s sustaining power in Hebrews.

In summary, the descriptor “Upholding all things by the word of His power,” in Heb 1:3 demonstrates that Christ executes His power by command or decree. His divine authority holds everything together. This phrase, therefore, speaks to the sovereign role of Jesus Christ as not only the agent of creation but also its sustainer. As another descriptor in Heb 1:3, it provides us with another integral understanding of the theological portrait of Jesus in Hebrews, positioning Him as supreme ruler over all things and essential to the existence and ongoing maintenance of the universe and over all in His future, everlasting Kingdom. Further, it underlines His divine, powerful, and sustaining redemptive presence in the world.

He Had by Himself Purged Our Sins (1:3c)

“He had by Himself purged our sins” speaks of Christ’s unique complete act of atonement. Blue Letter Bible defines the purging of sins in Hebrews 1:3 as cleansing from the guilt of sins from the propitiatory sacrifice of Christ.”Jesus took on the propitiation of sin. With His sacrifice on the Cross He satisfied the justice of God against our sin and His righteous anger over it.

The concept of Jesus’ act of purging our sins represents a better sacrifice central to the book of Hebrews and message of the New Testament. His greater sacrifice grounds itself in a comparison between the continual, sacrificial systems of the Old Testament and singular, definitive sacrifice He made. His superior sacrifice fulfilled God’s plan for redemption and established a new covenant of which He purged sins, never again remembered. Unlike the repeated sacrifices in the Old Testament, which could never fully remove sin, Christ’s sacrifice provides complete atonement once for all. His purging of sins ushered in the new covenant. Scripture refers to this covenant as the better covenant, established upon better promises. Jesus mediates the better, new covenant (Hebrews 8:6). When Jesus purged our sins it also underscores His singular deity of God manifest in Him without division; and the one God’s decisive action for humanity’s salvation.

Additionally, Jesus’ sacrifice portrays superiority as once and for all. Repetitive and continual characterize the Old Testament sacrifices, prescribed by the Mosaic Law. The priests regularly offered animals to atone for sins, continually, year after year (Heb 10:1-4). In contrast, Jesus Himself made a once and for all sacrifice; by one offering. He has made perfect forever those being made holy (10:14). His single sacrifice was sufficient to cover all sins, past, present, and future.

The idea of purification from sins, presented in Hebr 1:3c, has deep roots in Old Testament prophecy. Isaiah 53:5-6: “But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.” This passage foretells Christ’s atoning work, where He bears the sins of many.

David made a personal petition for purification after committing adultery with Bathsheba and murdering Uriah the Hittite. He pleaded to God: “Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, And cleanse me from my sin…Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow” (Ps 51:2, 7 NKJV). Christ ultimately fulfilled the cleansing of sin.

Further, Jer 31:34, the Lord tells the house of Israel that “For I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more” This promise of a new covenant, with the forgiveness of sins, points forward to the ultimate fulfillment in Christ’s purging of our sins.

Sat Down at the Right Hand of the Majesty on High (1:3d)

In Heb 1:3d, the descriptor “Sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high” (KJV; e.g., Acts 2:33) presents a powerful portrait of Jesus Christ’s exalted post-resurrection and ascension position. This expression signifies the completion of His redemptive work and ultimate authority. The title of majesty refers to reigning king or queen as a monarchial description. The emphasis on Jesus sat down signifies He’s the sole reigning majesty or Lord in heaven. Dan Segraves explained it well in his book about Hebrews: “The point is that He who suffered the ultimate humiliation of assuming solidarity with His creation now occupies the supreme position of exaltation (Phil 2:5-9). In that position, He is due the homage of all creation” (2:10-11).”

The imagery of the right hand of the Majesty on high (God) comes with a rich background in Jewish tradition from the Old Testament. Since God is an omnipresent Spirit, scripture describes Him with anthropomorphisms in revelatory language referring to Him in human form or with human characteristics to help us understand His actions and attributes. The Bible commonly uses anthropomorphisms like His finger (Ex 8:19), eyes (Ps 34:12), ear (2 Kgs 19:16), hand (Is 41:13), arm (Ex 6:6), face (Nm 6:25) and footstool (Is 66:1). Therefore, Jesus sitting at the right hand cannot signify a literal geographic location. Instead, it symbolizes the culmination of Christ’s work and His central role in divine power, honor, and authority. He embodies both the authority and presence of God Himself.

Likewise, when Stephen gazed into heaven at Jesus standing at the right hand of God, it meant he saw the glory of God’s presence in Jesus Christ (Acts 7:55). Another similar example, Ps 110:1, sitting at the right hand of God foretells the Messiah’s glory. Scripture states “The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool.” This verse reflects the exalted status bestowed upon the Messiah demonstrating God’s declaration of the Messiah’s (Jesus) exalted role and authority from a unified, divine identity with messianic mission. To remember, the Most High does not dwell in temples made with human hands (7:48).

Through the incarnation, God became man through the conception and birth of a virgin woman named Mary. This act unites deity (God) and humanity (Son) in the person of Jesus Christ according to John 1:1,14. This also explains the phenomenal acts and sayings of Jesus that declare both His deity in addition to His humanity and the relationship between them. The incarnation makes possible the entirety of authority, power, and majesty we see in Jesus.

Jan Paron, PhD — 3.15.24

An excerpt from the future online course, Laying the Foundation: The Superiority of Jesus in Hebrews at All Nations Leadership Institute.

Bibliography

Segraves, Daniel L. Hebrews Better Things, Volume 1. Hazelwood, MO: Word Aflame Press, 1996.

The Davidic Covenant

Sun, 04 Feb 2024 01:32:44 -0600

God ordained the Davidic Covenant as the final covenant of the Old Testament. The New Covenant follows it through the coming of Jesus Christ. The Davidic Covenant is the covenant God ordained with David the King of Israel. This covenant emphasizes the coming of the Kingdom of God in the person of the Messiah, Jesus Christ. The covenant has both His first and second comings in view. Both comings of the Messiah are God’s means of bringing about the redemption of God’s creation and the restoration of mankind to the Kingdom of God. In 2 Sm 7, David expresses a desire to build God a house–a temple. God responds to David’s desire by Nathan the prophet that he would not build the house of God because he was a man of war. Instead, David’s son would build the house. God initiates a covenant with David. This covenant speaks to David’s immediate future and generations yet to come. The words of this covenant have double references, meaning it addresses more than one person. This determination comes from other scriptural passages that address the words of the covenant. As students of the Scripture, we do not make these determinations incautiously, but by the actual declarations from the immediate passage or other passages addressing the same subject. The referents of this covenant are David, his son Solomon, David’s descendants from Solomon and Jesus the chosen son of David.

Covenants represent ordained agreements between two or more parties to ensure the establishment of a purpose. Though men make covenants among themselves, man cannot make covenants with God. It is God who initiates and makes covenant with man. Deuteronomy 7:9 says, “Know therefore that the LORD thy God, he is God, the faithful God, which keepeth covenant and mercy with them that love him and keep his commandments to a thousand generations” (KJV). God makes and determines covenant with man, not man with God. He ordains covenant to establish His will in the earth, and uses man to accomplish this. It is our responsibility to submit to Him. In covenant, all parties are bound to fulfill their responsibility. Covenant results from God seeking relationship with mankind. Our responsibility is submission to Him.

Under no specific actions of David was this covenant made. The covenant was already in the heart of God. David’s desire to build a temple gave occasion for God to reveal it. David could not build the temple, but his son Solomon would. Solomon did build the temple of God, but a careful study of Heb 1:3-5 and 2 Sm 7:12-14, reveals that the greater son spoken of is Jesus Christ. He would build the New Testament temple of God, the Church. A body of water and Spirit baptized believers in Christ would be the greater temple than Solomon built. The Church is the temple called by God’s name, the name of Jesus. Jesus is the seed of David whose throne (dominion) will endure forever. This of course, is made possible by His resurrection from the dead.

The events of this covenant were to transpire at some point in time following the death of David. God also promised that He would make David a house, a royal dynasty. This ensures the promise in Gn 49:10 that the right (scepter) to rule Israel will rest with the tribe of Judah in the family of David. This covenant extends to the generation of kings descended from David. None of the kings of the northern kingdom of Israel had a divine right to rule the nation. Only the tribe of Judah had this divinely given right. God promised that His mercy would remain with David and His descendants even though they would commit transgression against God. They would be punished for their deeds, but mercy would not depart.

The covenant looks beyond the generations of David’s family to the millennial period following the great tribulation. The Messiah’s throne is said to endure forever. Under the Messiah’s reign, Israel, the nations of the world and the creation itself will be blessed beyond measure. The glory of God will fill the Earth. Life will be like it was intended to be because Jesus will be here as King of kings and Lord of lords. Second Samuel 16:7 poses a very interesting thought, ”And thine house and thy kingdom shall be established for ever before thee: thy throne shall be established forever.” Though these events will occur after David’s death, he would be alive to witness them! This speaks of the great resurrection to come because of Christ’s resurrection from the dead. David will witness the fulfillment of God’s plan forever. He is a God who keeps covenant!

Pastor Daryl Cox 2.4.24

From the online course Calling to Covenant: The Story of David

Image from: Bible Study Tools

Discovering “But God” Moments

Sat, 24 Sep 2022 04:48:56 -0500

(scroll to the bottom to watch this teaching)

There are moments in life when we find our backs against a wall and don’t know which way to turn. The challenges we face seem overwhelming, and hope begins to fade.

In these moments, we must surrender to God and allow Him to step into rescue and deliver us.

This message is for you if you find yourself in a season of trials or setbacks.

Let’s pray before we dive in. Dear Heavenly Father, help me understand and apply the words you speak to my spirit today. In Christ’s name, Amen.

I like to use the phrase “but God” which is simply another way of portraying hope. The term “but God” is laid out several times in Scripture.

But God has helped me to this very day; so I stand here and testify to small and great alike. I am saying nothing beyond what the prophets and Moses said would happen. Acts 26:22 (NIV)

In other words, God showed up when it seemed as if He was nowhere to be found.

But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Romans 5:8 (NIV)

Have you ever had a time when you were surrounded by bad news, but then God showed up?

Once when we were going to the place of prayer, we were met by a slave girl who had a spirit by which she predicted the future. She earned a great deal of money for her owners by fortune-telling. She followed Paul and the rest of us shouting, “These men are the servants of the Most High God, who are telling you to be saved.” She kept this up for many days. Finally Paul became so troubled that he turned around and said to the spirit, “In the name of Jesus Christ I command you to come out of her!” At that moment the spirit left her. When her owners realized that their hope of making money was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the marketplace to face the authorities. They brought them before the magistrates and said, “These men are Jews and are throwing our city into an uproar by advocating customs unlawful for us Romans to accept and practice.” The crowd joined in the attack against Paul and Silas and the magistrates ordered them to be stripped and beaten with rods. After they had been severely flogged, they were thrown into prison and the jailer was commanded to guard them carefully. When he received these orders, he put them in the inner cell and fastened their feet in the stocks. About midnight, Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them. Suddenly there was such a violent earthquake that the foundations of the prison were shaken. At once all the prison doors flew open and everybody’s chains came loose. The jailer woke up and when he saw the prison doors open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself because he thought the prisoners had escaped. But Paul shouted “Don’t harm yourself! We are all here!” The jailer called for lights, rushed in and fell trembling before Paul and Silas. He then brought them out and asked “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” They replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved — you and your household.” Then they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all the others in his house. At that hour of the night the jailer took them and washed their wounds; then immediately he and all his household were baptized. The jailer brought them into his house and set a meal before them; he was filled with joy because he had come to believe in God — he and his whole household. Acts 16:16-34 (NIV)

There are two “but God” moments in these verses. The first happened to the demonized slave girl. The girl was possessed by a spirit that allowed her to tell fortunes. There was a conglomerate of people who owned this girl and would make money off of her telling fortunes.

When Paul cast the spirit out of her, she was set free and gloriously saved. That was a “but God” moment. The second “but God” moment was when the jailed and his whole family were saved. These were two miraculous and joyous moments, but I want to now focus on Paul and Silas as they sat in the cold prison cell.

How do I discover “but God” moments?

Paul and Silas were dragged through the marketplace and into the courtroom after they had cast the spirit out of the demon-possessed girl. What were the charges against them? Scripture doesn’t tell us but we have to look at the cultural norm during that time era. The charge was that Paul and Silas were blamed for touching the property of these conglomerates.

The slave girl was their property just like your house is your property. When Paul cast the spirit out of the girl, he changed these men’s property. These men were angry because now their property, the girl, wasn’t going to make them any money. Therefore they took Paul and Silas to court. They didn’t get a formal trial and were then thrown into prison.

Who would want to be thrown into prison? Even guilty people don’t want to be in there. I want you to see that if you want to discover a “but God” moment, you have to check your attitude.

Check your attitude.

Paul and Silas went to prison, obviously under duress, and they were beaten. While they were in prison, what were they doing? The Bible says that they were praying and singing hymns to God. Would you be able to sing and praise in prison? Paul and Silas could have been upset that they were in prison for setting the girl free, something that should have been celebrated but was instead met with anger. However, they checked their attitude. They knew that despite being behind bars, God was still at work.

The LORD your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior who saves. He will take great delight in you; in His love He will no longer rebuke you, but rejoice over you with singing. Zephaniah 3:17 (NIV)

Don’t limit God when you’re behind bars. Don’t put a limit on God when things are difficult. God says, I’m going to rejoice over you. He says that you are what He is focusing on. What kind of attitude did Paul and Silas have in prison? They had a faith attitude. God can do exceedingly and abundantly above all that you could ask or imagine. Prison cells and bars do not hinder God.

The spirit of God CAN’T be hindered. He doesn’t need a whole army to move, he just needs one person that’s willing to have a faith attitude.

If you want “but God” moments in your life, check your attitude. Your attitude is the foundation to which God moves.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to Him and He will make your paths straight. Proverbs 3:5-6 (NIV)

Paul and Silas were in prison, and they were trusting God. God responds to faith. Faith moves God. We must recognize the necessity of faith. When we check our faith, there are certain things we must stop doing and things we need to start doing.

Stop complaining and start praising.

These guys were in prison, and they weren’t complaining. You might be having a difficult time or going through a trial. No one likes going through hard trials. I want you to check your attitude when we go through difficult seasons. Why? Because it’s in the checking and curbing of our attitude, we may experience “but God” moments. Paul and Silas checked their attitude when they were in prison. They stopped complaining and started praising. What else did they do?

They stopped resigning and started volunteering.

When Christians go through hard seasons and trials, they often resign instead of press forward. Paul didn’t say, “I’m not going any further because I’m stuck here in this prison, so what’s the point in going onward?” Instead, he pressed on. Paul didn’t resign, he volunteered to keep going. We also need to stop disconnecting from God and start connecting to Him.

You may wonder, “How am I disconnecting from God?” It’s when you stop reading your Bible and stop praying. You think that God’s not showing up, but you are the one who is putting Him off. You need to stop acting like the victim and start acting like the victor. Paul didn’t mope around and act like a victim; instead, he acted like a victor! He went around the prison, singing and praising God.

I want you to see that “but God” moments come from checking your attitude.

Adjust your perspective.

We must also adjust our perspective. Perspective speaks of how you see things. Paul and Silas had a Gospel-centric perspective. Gospel-centric perspective means a God-centered perspective.

But seek first His Kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Matthew 6:33 (NIV)

Paul and Silas were seeking first the Kingdom of God. They knew that God could use them wherever they were. They chose to sing and praise, and when the prison foundation began to shake, their chains fell off. Instead of running free, they stayed put. Roman law said that if the jailer allowed something to happen to the prisoners to where they escaped under his watch, the sentence that was theirs would become his.

When the jailer went to kill himself, Paul said, “Do not harm yourself!” Paul kept the Gospel-centric perspective and stayed to help the jailer instead of running. This leads the jailer to salvation.

Accept God’s Challenge.

Not only should we check our attitude, not only should we adjust our perspective, but we must accept God’s challenges. You’re probably wondering, “What is God’s challenge?” God wants to use every one of us. Everyone has a gift, and the Holy Spirit wants to use you even in the midst of chaos and difficult problems. He wants us to accept His challenge despite whatever trials we may be going through.

Paul and Silas spotted the jailer about to kill himself, and they told him not to harm himself. This conversation immediately creates a shift, and the jailer recognizes that God must be with Paul and Silas. He dropped down on his knees and asked, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”

In order to experience “but God” moments, you must be able to recognize that we have to adjust our perspective as well as accept God’s challenge. The challenge was made clear when the jailer asked, “What must I do to be saved?” They answered him that he must believe in the Lord Jesus.

God says that when you accept Christ as your Savior, He has a covenant with you. He wants to commit to you and see your whole family get saved. God wants to work through you to help facilitate the spiritual transformation of people in your own family. When the jailer got saved, he took Paul and Silas out of prison and cleaned their wounds. He took them to his house and fed them, and later that night, the jailer’s whole household got saved. Paul and Silas then took them outside and baptized them.

Why was baptism so essential? Baptism associates you with the death and resurrection of Jesus.

Our God is in the business of transforming people.

These “but God” moments are not just for those in Scripture but also for you and me. Check your attitude, adjust your perspective, and accept God’s challenge. I don’t want you to be lukewarm. I don’t want you to be mediocre. I want you to be transformed.

God wants to baptize His people in fire. I pray that you become a sold-out believer.

I pray that God’s power liberates you and that you become a witness of His power.

Prayer – Dear Heavenly Father, in times of trial, remind me to check my attitude, adjust my perspective, and accept your challenge. Let me not be lukewarm, but sold out for you. Use me to advance your Kingdom. In Christ’s name, Amen.

Power Evangelism

Mon, 12 Sep 2022 06:07:05 -0500

(watch this message by scrolling to the bottom and clicking play)

What kinds of things come to mind when you hear the word evangelism? Knocking on the doors of strangers to share the good news? Handing out tracts or pamphlets to try convincing people to follow Jesus? A preacher under a big tent compelling people to give their life to Christ?

We know the Scripture tells us to proclaim the good news, but evangelism can be a source of anxiety for many people. If that’s you, I have good news. When you understand the Holy Spirit’s role in evangelism, you can move from fear and anxiety into exciting adventures of sharing Jesus with others.

Let’s pray together: Dear Father, thank You so much for how awesome You are. Give us big hearts to keep pursuing You. In Christ’s name, Amen.

I would like to focus on the topic of power evangelism. Power evangelism means that God uses Spiritual Gifts that deal with signs, wonders, healing, and miracles. These help people come into right relationship with Him. If you have already been walking with Jesus, this will help you get unstuck and keep walking.

When Jesus had called the Twelve together, He gave them power and authority to drive all demons and to cure diseases. And He sent them out to proclaim the Kingdom of God and to heal the sick. Luke 9:1-2 (NIV)

I made two of these statements in this verse bold for a reason. First, proclaim the Kingdom of God. Second, heal the sick. The Gospel must have both effects. It is two parts, and if it has just one and not the other, then we’re short of changing the world.

The first proclamation of the truth of the Gospel is the words we speak. This refers to teaching, conversations, and proclaiming the power of God we have seen.

The demonstration of God’s power is where we see signs, wonders, miracles, and deliverance. In our Westernized world of thinking, we often think that knowledge only comes from the five senses. This is not true. Knowledge may come from the five senses but think about the greatest miracle of salvation. When God changes a person’s life, they simply have to profess to Him, in faith, that they want to give their life to Jesus. When this happens, something changes. They are forgiven and transformed. Their lifestyle of righteousness starts instantly. That is a great miracle! If that is the greatest miracle that exists, then lesser signs, wonders and deliverances are a no-brainer.

It may seem complicated, and we may still ask questions, but it doesn’t limit us from asking God to use us.

God Wants a Growing Family.

Let’s frame the discussion around this idea. God has this BIG heart for everybody and wants a growing family. How do you get into God’s family? You invite Christ into your life, and then you are adopted into the family of God. Remember what I quoted in Luke 9, “go out and preach the Kingdom of God and pray for those who are sick”? Let’s see what happens from there.

When the apostles returned, they reported to Jesus what they had done. Then He took them with Him and they withdrew themselves to a town called Bethsaida, but the crowds learned about it and followed Him. He welcomed them and spoke to them about the Kingdom of God, and healed those who needed healing.
Luke 9:10-11 (NIV)

Here we see that the apostles came back and told Jesus what happened. Jesus then did two things: He proclaimed the Kingdom of God and prayed for the sick. I want you to see the dual components that are in the Gospel. This is power evangelism. The power of God confronts people, and they get set free.

It can happen anywhere through anybody who walks with God. You don’t have to be ordained or have attended seminary. You don’t have to be someone who has walked with God for a long time. All of those statements are contrary to the Bible. ANYBODY who is a servant of Jesus, whether it be for one hour or 100 years, can use the power of God to turn people from the darkness to the light.

God Has Given You Gifts.

Every follower of Jesus has been given spiritual gifts. These are not church gifts or gifts that are only used during a service, but these gifts can be used anywhere, anytime.

Now about the gifts of the Spirit, brothers and sisters, I do not want you to be uninformed. There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them. There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. There are different kinds of working, but in all of them and in everyone it is the same God at work. Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. To one there is given through the Spirit a message of wisdom, to another a message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues. All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and He distributes them to each one, just as He determines. 1 Corinthians 12:3-11 (NIV)

This catalog of gifts is referred to as the Gifts of the Holy Spirit. There are nine of them. I don’t want you to mistake them for other kinds of gifts. In Romans 12, we see a list of motivational gifts. In Ephesians, Paul gives a list of ministering gifts. These gifts are referred to as charismatic gifts.

If we look back to Corinthians, from verses 4-11, it says that each of us has at least one of these Gifts. All nine of the Gifts listed are supernatural. You cannot get them from reading a book, going to college or buying them. The Scriptures say that the Holy Spirit gives us Gifts as HE determines. You cannot tell God what Gift you want or be picky about the one He gives you. Remember that the Gifts are used for power through evangelism so people can connect with Christ.

I will put the nine Gifts into three categories to wrap our minds around the Gifts of the Holy Spirit.

Revelational Gifts: Word of Wisdom, Word of Knowledge, Discerning of Spirits. These three gifts reveal and unmask information. The Word of Wisdom gives information about the future. The Word of Knowledge is historical facts and data. The Discerning of Spirits is when we can see the essence of who people are.

Power Gifts: Faith, Gifts of Healing, Works of Miracles. The Gift of Faith speaks of a miracle. Through the Gifts of Healing, healing will take place (physical, mental, etc.). The Works of Miracles are when something miraculous happens. Think of Jesus turning water into wine.

Inspirational Gifts: Prophecy, Different Kinds of Tongues, Interpretation of Tongues. The Gift of Prophecy is when the Holy Spirit comes upon a person, and they can speak about the future. The Gift of Different Tongues means speaking in another language, supernaturally. This is NOT their prayer language but instead a divine-inspired speech that must be interpreted. The Interpretation of Tongues is when a person can hear supernatural language and tell people what it means so that others may understand.

You need to understand that these Gifts are for you. God wants a growing family, and He wants to use the Gifts He has given you to grow His family further. You need to remove every excuse from your mind that says God can’t use you. These Gifts are NOT based on Spiritual maturity. These Gifts have been given to you the moment you come to Christ, and you need to use these Gifts everywhere you go.

Gifts Reveal God’s Love.

I want to dive deeper into the Revelational Gifts. If we look into the Book of John, Chapter 4, we can see that Jesus was hungry, tired and thirsty. His disciples went ahead into a nearby village to buy food. While Jesus stayed on the outskirts of the village, He sat down by a well called, Jacob’s Well. While sitting there, a woman came out of the village to get water. It was an odd time of the day for her to come, and it wasn’t normal for her to be alone. In that era, women typically would go to the well together. This tells us that she was an outcast in her village. She was a Samaritan woman, and as she was going to get water, Jesus asked her to draw some for Him. She was taken aback because He was a Jew, and she wasn’t. At that time, Jews and Samaritans didn’t want anything to do with one another. Jesus told her that if she knew who was asking for water, then she would ask Him for living water, and He would give it, and she would never thirst again.

Jesus answered, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” The woman said to Him, “Sir, give me this water so that I won’t get thirsty and have to keep coming here to draw water.” He told her, “Go, call your husband and come back.” “I have no husband,” she replied. Jesus said to her, “You’re right when you say you have no husband. The fact is, you have had five husbands, and the man you now have is not your husband. What you have just said is quite true.” “Sir,” the woman said, “I can see that you are a prophet.” John 4:13-19 (NIV)

Don’t allow the woman’s statement to distract you. It is true that Jesus was a prophet. He was an evangelist, a pastor and a teacher. But if we look at the woman’s statement, we would think that the Gifts of the Spirit are only for people with ministry gifts, which is not true. Jesus used the Gift of the Word of Knowledge. Remember that the Word of Knowledge is a fraction of the mind of God. He reveals to us something past or present about someone. This Gift was divinely given to Jesus. He wanted this Samaritan woman to be forgiven of her sins and to experience salvation through the power of evangelism. Notice that Jesus didn’t use His Word of Knowledge to shame her. He used His Gift to say, I love you, and I want you to know I see you. He was allowing her to know that He sees beyond her past. When the woman recognized that she needed the living water Jesus was talking about, she became transformed. She left her bucket by the well and went to the village to tell everyone about the Messiah.

Many of the Samaritans from that town believed in Him because of the woman’s testimony, “He told me everything I ever did.”
John 4:39 (NIV)

The village got saved! This woman barely knew the Lord, and yet she went out and shared her faith. You don’t need to have a bunch of theological knowledge. All you have to do is share your story. If you learn to tell your story, you can lead others to Jesus. Look at the power of evangelism at work. One Word of Knowledge caused the Samaritan woman to get saved. I pray that God may use you in the supernatural, even when you don’t understand everything about it. It is amazing what God will do and what God can do!
God wants a growing family. He has given you Gifts, and those Gifts reveal God’s love.

Let’s pray: Dear Father, I need you to come into my heart. Lord, wash away my sins. Change me and help me to serve you. I pray this in the name of Jesus, Amen.

Trophies of Intercession

Mon, 05 Sep 2022 10:46:19 -0500

(this message is available to watch, scroll to the bottom of the page)

What is intercession? And what are the trophies of intercession?

Those are the questions I am answering in this article. For decades the topic of prayer and intercession has been discussed but not fully understood. And surprisingly, the answer isn’t a mystery and is not reserved for those who have attended Bible college or seminary.

Before we dive into this week’s teaching, would you pray with me?

Prayer: Dear Father, let a changed mind take place within us so that we would be like Jesus. Let us be men and women of prayer that battle on our knees. Let us win a generation for Christ. I ask you this in Christ’s name, Amen.

Trophies of intercession are significant.

Trophies are essential possessions that families often use to adorn their mantles or fireplaces. They show off what someone in their family has done. Some stories will become your trophies because of what God has done for you through your time of intercession.

The word intercession means prayer on behalf of yourself or another. It means to urge, come between and ask God for help.

Can you envision yourself being powerful on your bended knees?
It’s doable, but you must adopt a mindset that intercessors are God’s special forces. God drops off intercessors into areas, and those areas become a demonstration of the power of the Spirit.

“One of the terrible marks of the diseased state of Christian life in these days is that there are so many who rest content without specific answers to prayer.” —Andrew Murray (Pastor & Author)

Andrew Murray says that diseased Christianity is when we pray and don’t expect answers. It’s when we pray and walk away, forgetting our prayers, not knowing that our prayers are eternal. If we look at Jesus’ prayer as an example, He said, “I pray that my Father’s house will be a house of prayer for all nations.”

This prayer is still living, and we’re still chasing it. I pray that you will not only learn about intercessory prayer but will also not become content unless your prayers are answered.

What will you intercede for?

We come from a lineage of men and women that showcase their trophies of intercession. Look at Hannah in the Old Testament. She was barren, and Peninnah teased her for it, especially when they went to the temple of God to pray at the annual feast. One day, Hannah got so fed up that she stood in the temple of God and would not leave until she had a breakthrough in prayer. She was so frustrated that she removed the word “quit” from her vocabulary. She went to intercede one day in the temple, which was not a pretty intercession. It was so ugly that Eli rebuked her. He thought that she was drunk.

She responded to him by saying that she was not drunk but just bitter of heart. She told him that she was weeping before the Lord. She went home, and a short time later, she got pregnant. She told the Lord that if He gave her a child, she would give him back to God. When she gave birth, she gave her trophy of intercession back to Him.

Hannah said to him, “Excuse me, sir. Do you remember me? I am the woman you saw standing here, praying to the Lord. I asked Him for this child, and He gave me what I asked for. So I am dedicating him to the Lord. As long as he lives, he will belong to the Lord.” Then they worshipped the Lord there. 1 Samuel 1:26-28 (Good News Translation)

She dropped off her son, Samuel, and he became a mighty prophet. He was a kingmaker who laid hands on Saul and David. He also established the school of prophets. How did this man come to the face of the earth? He was a trophy of Hannah’s intercession.

What will you present as a trophy of your intercession?

King David also had trophies of intercession. Samuel prophesied over him as a teenager that he would be king one day. The only problem was that Saul, king at the time, didn’t want to vacate his office. Saul recognized God’s calling and anointing on David’s life, and so he tried to kill David.

He put a hit out on him for 10 years. Scholars say that Saul pursued David on mountains, down mountains, in caves, and out of caves. The pursuit was so bad that David went and gathered 600 men as his soldiers. He went and lived in Philistine territory for 16 months.
During this time, the Amalekites came in, unbeknownst to David, and they kidnapped all of the wives and children of the soldiers and stole their stuff. Now confronted with the reality that the enemy had stolen from him, David had one option. He had to pray before God, “What should I do?”

Then David said to Abiathar, the priest, the son of Ahimelek, “Bring me the ephod.” Abiathar brought it to him, and David inquired of the Lord, “Shall I pursue this raiding party? Will I overtake them?” “Pursue them,” He answered. “You will certainly overtake them and succeed in the rescue.” 1 Samuel 30:7-8 (NIV)

David and his men got up out of the prayer time and chased after the Amalekites. They fought them from day to night and defeated them. They got back their women, children, and stuff. They also took the Amalekite’s possessions. These were their trophies of intercession.

What will be your trophies of intercession?

David prayed a military prayer, “Should I pursue them?” Most of us never see God as a military God, but He is. He loves to fight! God is not a wimp. We don’t serve a God that just sits there. We serve a God that is a General of an army. He told David to go, pursue
them, defeat them for MY glory.

We need to stop praying simple little “kumbaya” prayers. Our Father wants to step into the ring. He wants you to drag your enemy into your prayer closet. He wants you to drag your crisis into the prayer closet. When you drag these things into the prayer closet, that’s when you’re going to win battles. As you fight and intercede, God will show up. You WILL get your breakthrough. I want to see your trophies of intercession.

One of the apostle Paul’s trophies of intercession wasn’t stuff or people. It was a solution to a problem that he couldn’t shake.

Scripture says that there was a thorn of Satan that bothered him. We don’t know what this was, but we know it was an annoying thing that pestered Paul. Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. 2 Corinthians 12:8-9 (NIV)

Paul tells us that his trophy of intercession was learning to be content when everything wasn’t perfect, and that is how he won. Many of us go through a lot of crises, and that brings on panic attacks as well as anxiety attacks. We must learn that if you live in the lion’s den, you can tame the lion and still live there. If you have to be in a fiery furnace, learn how to stay in the furnace until the fourth man meets you there.

That is why Paul was able to testify about it.

A trophy of intercession is contentment.

If you can just learn to be satisfied, God can use you. What if your wife never changes? What if your husband never gets healed? Can you be at peace? Can you get the victory? That’s the trophy of intercession. You won’t get that trophy if you don’t know how to handle yourself in the valley.

Some Christians can only live on the mountain.

God can’t take them to the valley because they will die there. You meet giants in the valley. That is where David met Goliath and got the victory. I am looking for believers who can gain victory in the valley. I want to see Christians who can win when they’re weak. I am looking for people who don’t call it a failure, even when everything goes wrong. I am looking for believers of intercession.

There are many types of trophies, but they all come from intercession.

I know that God cares for you, and He is interested in helping us establish trophies of intercessions.

Pray this with me: Dear Lord, I pray that people will discover their purpose. Let them see what you have created them to be. May they run in a zealous way and be filled with enthusiasm after you, Lord. I pray for the power of the Spirit to come on them. Thank you for breakthrough and healing. Lord, surprise us with your opportunities. God, I thank you for all the other stuff you’ll give us that we’ve not even asked from you so that you can use those things to advance your kingdom in Christ’s name, Amen.

The Upper Room Community

Mon, 22 Aug 2022 17:20:49 -0500

(this teaching is available to watch by scrolling to the bottom of the page)

How do you maintain strong faith and remain hopeful in a world that can quickly drain you? When trials and challenges hit from every side, what anchors you and gives you the power to press on?

God’s Word has the answer.

Before you jump into today’s teaching, pray this:

Dear Father, help us have clarity and understanding to be hearers of the word and be compelled to be doers. Help us to shape this generation for Christ. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Do you want to be renewed in your faith?

Do you want a fresh sense of enthusiasm for Christ?

Do you want to fall in love with Jesus all over again?

If you are looking to be renewed, then prayer must be a key habit and practice in your life. What does it mean to be renewed? It means to be refreshed, to go forward, to sprout.

When you’ve renewed your walk and relationship with God, you feel refreshed.

In Acts 1, you find the “upper room,” located on the second floor of a home, and there are 120 people gathered there. I call these people the Upper Room Community.

These individuals knew how to cry out to God in prayer.

Acts 1:4-5 says, On one occasion, while He was eating with them, He gave them this command: “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.”

The disciples had no idea what the baptism of the Holy Spirit was. Some of them thought it was the restoration of Israel.

Acts 1:8-9 says, “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” After Jesus said that, a short period passed, and He ascended to be with God the Father. Let’s pick up at Acts 1:12-14, Then the apostles returned to Jerusalem from the hill called the Mount of Olives, a Sabbath day’s walk from the city. When they arrived, they went upstairs to the room where they were staying. Those present were Peter, John, and Andrew; Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew; James, son of Alphaeus and Simon the Zealot, and Judas, son of James. They all joined together constantly in prayer, along with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with His brothers.”

Historically, the upper room was when a homeowner would have a large second floor of their home, most often used for feasts and festivals. Other times it was a place where people would gather for bereavement.

We now find a community gathered in the upper room for prayer. Mary, the 11 apostles and Jesus’ brothers were there. If you continue to read Acts Chapter 1, you will see around 120 people gathered there. Why were they there?

Jesus asked them to wait in Jerusalem.

They had no idea what was going to happen next. Jesus had been crucified and the climate of the city was uncertain.

How did they prepare themselves for the gift that God had promised them? They came into alignment with God’s perspective.

COME INTO ALIGNMENT!

For you to function in the upper room, you must come into alignment with God’s perspective. His perspective is that you are going to receive power. The word power in Greek is dunamis which means dynamite when translated to English.

When you get filled with the Holy Spirit, it’s like an explosion in your life. The baptism of the Holy Spirit gives you the power to serve and function in what God has called you to do. It also gives you the power to be a witness in Judea, Samaria and to the ends of the world.

There must be love in your heart for all people.

We must also come into alignment with the perspective and prerequisite toward prayer.

You must confess your sins before God and be cleansed from all unrighteousness.

“If I had not confessed the sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened.” —Psalm 66:18

When climbing the steps to the upper room to do business with God, you need to ask God to forgive you of your sins. Remove the barrier and gap that is between you and the Lord.

An aligned perspective is when you share your sins with God and acknowledge that a problem is affecting you. Ask Him for forgiveness and get rid of the gap caused by sin. I want you to prevail and continue in prayer until you see a breakthrough.

PREVAIL IN PRAYER!

Acts 1:14 says, “All these with one mind and one purpose were continually devoting themselves to prayer, (waiting together) along with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with His brothers.”

Prevailing in prayer means that you pray until you secure an answer from God.

These 120 men and women in the upper room spent 10 days praying. To prevail in prayer means that there is some resistance. It means that there may be something to be won and the powers of darkness must be subdued and defeated in prayer.

When you prevail in prayer, you prevail against yourself.

You’re pushing through the distractions of this world and envisioning your future in prayer. If you don’t envision a future where you can see that prayer is secured, you won’t get an answer to prayer.

Why didn’t Jesus just lay hands on the disciples and have them receive the Holy Spirit right then? Why did He have them wait in Jerusalem?

Having them wait and gather allowed them to get focused and ask God to empower them. It gave them the time to learn to pray in a very attentive way and learn how to move God. It showed them how to have the ability to prevail in prayer.

If we want to grow in the Lord and see Him deliver on His promises, then we need to learn to prevail in prayer. To prevail in prayer means you have to pursue God.

God gives us desires. He puts longing in our hearts, and we shouldn’t dismiss them as inconsequential.

When you have cried out to God saying you want to be in His will, be mindful that He gives you the desires you are praying for. Those desires become prizes that God wants to give you. When you prevail in prayer, you pray about those desires until they give birth and are fulfilled.

Satan will do everything in his power to keep you from staying in prayer and stop you from joining the upper room community. He wants to stop you from being an intercessor and praying for others.

“Satan usually knows his priorities, and since prevailing in prayer can restrain, bind, and defeat him more than all else, Satan makes his priority to hinder, divert, or stop prevailing prayer.” —Wesley L. Duewel (Author & Missionary)

One of the biggest struggles you’ll ever have is to develop a prayer life, and one of the biggest hurdles will be learning to prevail in prayer. When you start praying about something, you may find yourself distracted, but I want you to recognize that the enemy is sending distractions to hinder us.

Prevailing in prayer is not twisting God’s arm or manipulating Him. It’s not the abundance of words and prayer that moves God, it’s His desire for you to experience the fulfillment of His promises for you.

1 John 5:14 says, “We are confident that God listens to us if we ask for anything that has His approval.”

The Scripture teaches that Jacob prevailed in prayer when he wrestled with the angel of the Lord. He told the angel that he wouldn’t let go until he blessed him. That is the language of prevailing prayer.

Moses prevailed with God when he stood before God and asked Him not to wipe out the Israelites. The 120 people prevailed in prayer and were blessed with the promise of the Holy Spirit—and from them, the church was birthed.

When you prevail in prayer and ask for the same thing over and over, it’s not an indication of doubt but instead of desire. Elijah prayed for rain seven times. He sent his servant to look for rain and on the seventh time he prayed, the servant said he saw a cloud the size of a man’s hand. Elijah prevailed in prayer, and it rained.

Jesus prayed three times in the Garden. He prayed for God to take the cup from Him, and finally, Jesus submitted to the Lord’s will. But He learned to prevail in prayer.

As you’re prevailing in prayer, God adjusts your expectation. He adjusts your mind and heart in prayer. When you surrender your heart and will to God in prayer, you become what He wants you to be. If you’re not prevailing in prayer, it’s because you’re not hungry enough for the will of God.

When we think about the upper room intercessors, not only do they come into alignment in prayer, they…

ENJOY GOD’S PROMISES!

There is something that happens when you talk to people and tell them about your prayer experience. Faith grows in your heart when you share how a prayer was answered.

Acts 2:1-4 says, When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.

The Holy Spirit came on all of them, not just the apostles. One hundred and twenty people received the baptism of the Holy Spirit and what was the evidence? They began to speak in another language supernaturally.

If you read on in the text, you find that people from all over heard them speak in their language. The word of God went global. Fifteen different nations gathered in Jerusalem for the feast of Pentecost, and God was able to speak to them through the power of the Holy Spirit. Peter got up and preached that day, and 3,000 people were saved.

A fantastic revival took place, and I believe that God will do that for us. A revival and outpouring of the Holy Spirit will occur, but we need people to enter the upper room. We need intercessors who won’t stop praying until there is a breakthrough.

If you want to see a mass transformation of people and for society to change, we need a visitation from God. What God wants us to do is learn to prevail in prayer. Stop feeling sorry for yourself and allowing depression to clothe you. That is a trick of the enemy.

Instead, let the Holy Spirit come upon you, break yolks and use you to make history. God is interested in us being in the upper room community and being history makers. This is a wake-up call from the Holy Spirit to us.

Once you’re awakened, the climate in your home will change and the spiritual climate of your heart will change.

Closing Prayer: Dear Father, I need a miracle to take place in my life, my home and my heart. I pray that you help me establish a pattern of prayer and that I see answers from heaven. Change lives, break bad habits and make history. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

The Making of an Intercessor

Mon, 15 Aug 2022 05:48:02 -0500

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Many are familiar with prayer in general but did you know there are different types? There are types of prayer outlined in the Bible that are used in specific situations to achieve a particular purpose.

Before we dive into this week’s teaching, pray this with me.

Prayer Starter: Dear Father, thank you so much for the simplicity of Your love for us. Please help us grow in the knowledge of your love and let us not just be hearers of your Word but doers. In Christ’s name, Amen.

What would life look like if you were renewed?
What would life look like if you were refreshed?
What would life look like if you became reawakened to the love of God?

One of the building blocks for renewal is prayer and, more specifically, a type of prayer called intercession. The word intercession means prayer on behalf of oneself or another. It means to urge, to come between, to act between parties. It also means to entreat, to intercede for help. This word, which describes a kind of prayer, is when you’re standing before God, sometimes for yourself, most often for others, and you’re bringing them before God. You’re petitioning God for His help because that individual (or individuals), organization or nation cannot. They may not be in the place, or they’re unaware of their need for God’s help, but you stand there as an intermediary and advocate for that individual in the power of prayer.

I love what the American businessman Charles Bent said to define intercession.

“Intercessory prayer might be defined as loving our neighbor on our knees.” —Charles Bent.

One of the most incredible things that you can ever do is to develop a ministry of prayer.

There was a certain man from Ramathaim, a zuphite from the hill country of Ephraim, whose name was Elkanah son of Jeroham, the son of Elihu, the son of Tohu, the son of Zuph, an Ephraimite. He had two wives; one was called Hannah and the other Peninnah. Peninnah had children, but Hannah had none (1 Samuel 1:1-2, NIV).

Whenever the day came for Elkanah to sacrifice, he would give portions of his meat to his wife Peninnah and to all her sons and daughters. But to Hannah he gave double portions because he loved her, and the Lord had closed her womb. Because the Lord had closed Hannah’s womb, her rival kept provoking her in order to irritate her. This went on year after year. Whenever Hannah went up to the house of the Lord, her rival provoked her till she wept and would not eat. Her husband Elkanah would say to her, “Hannah, why are you weeping? Why don’t you eat? Why are you downhearted? Don’t I mean more to you than ten sons?” Once when they had finished eating and drinking in Shiloh, Hannah stood up. Now Eli the priest was sitting on his chair by the doorpost of the Lord’s house. In her deep anguish Hannah prayed to the Lord, weeping bitterly. And she made a vow, saying, “Lord Almighty, if you will only look on your servant’s misery and remember me, and not forget your servant but give her a son, then I will give him to the Lord for all the days of his life, and no razor will ever be used on his head.” As she kept praying to the Lord, Eli observed her mouth. Hannah was praying in her heart, and her lips were moving, but her voice was not heard. Eli thought she was drunk and said to her, “How long are you going to stay drunk? Put away your wine.” “Not so, my lord,” Hannah replied. “I am a woman who is deeply troubled. I have not been drinking wine or beer; I was pouring out my soul to the Lord. Do not take your servant for a wicked woman; I have been praying here out of my great anguish and grief.” Eli answered, “Go in peace, and may the God of Isreal grant you what you have asked of him.” She said, “May your servant find favor in your eyes.” Then she went her way and ate something, and her face was no longer downcast (1 Samuel 1:4-18, NIV).

This is one of the greatest stories in the Bible to depict the making of an intercessor. Barrenness, in Bible days, was looked at as almost the ultimate tragedy for a married woman. The hope for married women was that they would be able to give their husbands a son, and the son would inherit their name and state. When Hannah discovered that she was barren, she was very troubled and made it a point of prayer. God answered her prayer.

How did Hannah become an intercessor?

Intercessors are made, not born.

You cannot become an intercessor from birth. You don’t become an intercessor because of will. Seeking God is a developed skill, and Paul weighs in on this conversation. He describes there being many kinds of prayer. The prayer that reflects intercessory prayer, that’s prayed by an intercessor, is a developed skill.

I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people—for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness” (1 Timothy 2:1-2, NIV).

God, our Savior, wants all people to be saved and come to know the truth.

Paul is telling you that it requires you to be intentional. All the picketing, rioting, and crying out for political change isn’t going to save our nation. God is going to bring transformation.

When He steps into our story, He reshapes it. Prayer is our invitation to God. We’re asking Him to get involved because this challenging problem that we’re facing can’t be broken on our own. We don’t have the strength, skill or wit to fix the issues ourselves.

Sometimes we get mistaken and think that knowledge will help us solve a problem.

I want you to know that you can be very academically strong, but if you don’t have the power to bend your knees and pray, you won’t bring the change God wants.

I’m trying to make the point that intercessors are made, not born.

Intercessors are people who are deeply bothered by the state of affairs. Year after year, when Hannah and her family went to the temple to worship God, Peninnah would provoke her. She would mock her for being barren, and it can be with words and actions when you mock someone. Imagine Peninnah brushing her kid’s hair and commenting loudly how wonderful it is to take care of children, knowing that Hannah doesn’t have any.

We can see in the Scripture that God had closed up Hannah’s womb. In other words, in the Providence of God, He had a hold on Hannah’s ability to get pregnant and have a child. The only thing that was going to remove the hold was a time of long prayer on Hannah’s behalf.

Could there be a hold on some area of your life where you are barren?

Is there an area of your life where you are unfruitful?

Could it be that God is letting you experience that pain so you can turn to Him, become an intercessor and see a breakthrough come?

“There is no one who calls on Your name, who stirs up himself to take hold of You; for you have hidden Your face from us and have consumed us because of our inequities” (Isaiah 64:7, MEV).

You’ll have to get to a place where you are disturbed or angry about something and it bothers you to your core, and God is trying to get your attention. If we look at Hannah, she gets to a place of being fed up and turns to Almighty God in prayer.

I want you to see that intercessors are made, not born.

You can keep on living in your lack, your mess and your bareness, and your lack is not upsetting you enough to where you turn to God. Instead, you think you need more vacations or to purchase more stuff.

I’m trying to tell you that you don’t medicate your soul with earthly things.

God wants you to cry out to Him in prayer and desperation so that He can break something inside you. It’s something that’s been closed and locked up. Once this is broken, THEN you can come to a new dimension of fruitfulness, and that is how intercessors are made. They’re not made because they want to be. They’re made because something drove them to prayer.

I want you to see that something is happening in your life. Something’s knocking on the door of your heart, creating a lot of pain. It gets you irritated, agitated and perturbed.

Could it be that God wants to use our emotions?

Intercession always starts with emotion. Let your emotions turn you to God.

Intercessors are made on their knees.

Intercessors have come to realize that certain battles can only be won in prayer. Why can’t God just do it for us? God allows our frustration to build because He is withholding something.

When we pursue Him, and He gives us the very thing that we’ve been asking for, it endears us and increases our value of communing with Him.

It’s like having children. When you have kids and give them everything they ask for, they walk around entitled and spoiled. But if you tell them no and have them work for things, the best in them comes out.

When you recognize that you’ve birthed something in prayer, and you know that it wasn’t magic or happenstance, all of a sudden, something forms inside of you where you realize God has called you to move Him in prayer.

“Prayer is the language of the poor. The self-sufficient don’t need to pray. The self-satisfied don’t want to pray. The self-righteous can’t pray.

The only people who pray are those who realize we need a power outside of ourselves.” —Leonard Ravenhill (British Pastor & Author)

We often are so self-sufficient that we don’t go before God. There is nothing wrong with going before your Heavenly Father because He loves to hear from you. Intercessors are made on their knees.

Remember what intercession is? It’s to plead, urge and go before God on behalf of yourself or someone else. Intercession is like pleading a case before the judge of Heaven.

Remember in 1 Samuel when Hannah prayed to the Lord weeping bitterly? She made a vow and a commitment to God. The language of that Scripture is Hannah being passionate and persuasive. She brought her case before God and was pleading in the courtroom of Heaven. Hannah vowed that if God gave her a son, she would dedicate him back to God. This is what intercession is all about.

When you are in times of intercession, you are pleading a case before God. Hannah was pouring out vulnerable words and was using public pleas that were articulate, and she also had private groans that no one was able to understand except God Himself. As she was praying to the Lord, Eli observed her mouth, and he thought she was drunk because her voice was not heard. She tells Eli that she was not drunk but was pouring her heart to the Lord. There comes a time in intercession when you’re emptying your soul and not holding anything back.

“In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. And He who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God” (Romans 8:26-27, NIV).

Sometimes you cry out to God, and suddenly, you get to a place where it’s no longer just mental. It’s emotional. You will get to this spot of intercession where you are pouring out your heart, and then you don’t even know what to say. You can’t even articulate it and are so caught up in your emotions. Don’t think that your emotions are foolish. Don’t think that you’re babbling to the Lord. Our loud whimpers and our soft whispers are prayers to God.

When Hannah muttered and murmured, those words meant something before Heaven’s creator. God was taking her words that may have seemed so disjointed, and shaping her into the intercessor that He called her to be.

I want you to know the power of God when we cry out to Him in intercession. When you step into the place of intercession, you don’t go in with 15 goals. You have one goal, and it may be your marriage, a financial situation or something else, but it’s something that is bothering you, and it’s on the forefront of your mind. Don’t turn on the television. Spend some time in prayer and let God mold you and shape you. When you’re crying out to Him, you might weep or whimper. You might stumble over your words. This doesn’t mean you’re inarticulate or uneducated. It means that you want to have power before God and that you want to move Heaven.

Intercessors have scars AND trophies!

I would not be an honest Bible teacher if I told you everything always works out perfectly when you pray. If I said that, I’d be lying. Sometimes you walk around with scars. You walk around with the pain of unanswered prayers or prayers that God didn’t answer the way you wanted Him to.

I want you to understand there are scars, and it’s not just me who has them.

Bible heroes had scars of intercession. David had an affair with Bathsheba, and she got pregnant. David then started crying out to God because the child was born with an illness. He spent seven days fasting and praying for God to heal the child, and the child died on the seventh day. David washed his face on the eighth day and worshipped God. That is a scar of intercession.

If we look at Paul in 2 Corinthians, Chapter 12, he says that there was a thorn in his side. It was a messenger of Satan. Paul prayed three times for God to take it away, and on the third time, God said: “My grace is sufficient for you. For my power is made perfect in weakness.” That scar didn’t stop Paul.

The greatest intercessory scar was on Jesus. When He was in the Garden of Gethsemane, He cried out to God three times. He asked God to take the cup away from Him. He also had James, Peter and John praying with Him as well. Then they fell asleep, and the third time Jesus prayed, He said, “Not my will be done, Your will be done.” That is a scar of intercession.

I want you to understand that you may have scars, but scars make you stronger. Scars shouldn’t get you to a place where you stop praying.

Some of you have stopped praying and stopped coming to the secret place. When you get to Heaven, and Paul shows you his scars, you need to show your scars too. You must say there were times when God didn’t give me what I asked for, but I have trophies of intercession.

“Do not take your servant for a wicked woman; I have been praying here out of my great anguish and grief.” Eli answered, “Go in peace, and may the God of Israel grant you what you have asked of Him.” She said, “May your servant find favor in your eyes.” Then she went her way and ate something, and her face was no longer downcast” (1 Samuel 1:16-17, NIV).

That day in the temple, Hannah received a trophy of intercession.

How do you know that? You know when you get a breakthrough in prayer. When you’re crying out to God and reasoning your case, it comes to a point where you feel like the Heavens have broken. You will feel like you don’t have any resistance or hindrance.

If you keep reading in 1 Samuel, Hannah returns home, has relations with her husband, and gets pregnant. She gives birth to a boy named Samuel, and when he weens, she brings him to the temple to present him to Eli. If you follow the growth of Samuel, he becomes the most powerful prophet in Israel. Hannah gave birth to a kingmaker. When she gave birth in intercession, she gave birth to a national prophet.

When you are burdened and barren, don’t stay there.

Take your bareness before Holy God and bring your need before Him. That’s what God wants you to do and what He’s calling you to do. He wants you to become an intercessor who prevails in prayer.

Prayer helps us to join forces with God. Prayer helps us to change history. God is calling us as history makers to become intercessors. It doesn’t matter what you did in your past or if you are young in Christ. You can be a baby in Christ but be a powerful intercessor. God is calling you to a new place where you can pray and prevail before Him.

Prayer: Dear God, please change us. Help us to be individuals that shape history. In Christ’s name, Amen.

It Happened on the Mountain

Mon, 08 Aug 2022 05:46:52 -0500

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There are times and seasons in our lives that require us to set aside specific times of seeking the Lord. Times that need us to press into God’s presence to receive His revelation and wisdom.

In today’s article, you’ll learn the three things that happen in your life as you close off the distractions of life and seek God diligently.

Prayer Starter: Dear Father, I ask you to do something transformational in my heart. I ask that you would teach me and reveal what it means to press in and experience You in a new way. In Christ’s name, Amen.

It Happened on the Mountain.

I would like to tell you about a recurring theme in the Bible. The mountain of the Lord is a subject mentioned around 19 times in Scripture, and as I dive into this topic, I want you to know that the mountain of the Lord is a symbolic place of change. It is a place of breakthrough and where we encounter God.

Having encounters with God not only defines who we are but also clarifies who God is.

In Scripture, we see that Moses went to the mountain of the Lord, and there he had an encounter with God. When he came down from the mountain, he had the Ten Commandments, etched by the finger of God, on two stone tablets.

Jesus also went to the mountain of the Lord, and when He came down, He had the names of the twelve apostles. It was also on the mountain of the Lord that Elijah heard the voice of God, and He chose his successor, Elisha.

I wonder what awaits you when you go to the mountain of the Lord.

In Genesis, it says, “Some time later God tested Abraham. He said to him, “Abraham!” “Here I am,” he replied. Then God said, “Take your son, your only son, whom you love— Isaac—and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on a mountain I will show you” (Genesis 22:1-2, NIV).

I don’t know about you, but I hate taking tests. You just don’t know what the professor or examiner will throw at you, and God was giving Abraham a test. Abraham and Sarah had been waiting for a son, and when they finally got one, they were madly in love with him. Then God decides to give them a pop quiz. God wants to know that He, God, is the first in Abraham’s life. When God tests us, He always focuses on our allegiance and loyalty.

So, I have a question for you, why go to the mountain of the Lord?

I Meet With God.

We go to the mountain of the Lord to meet with God. When Abraham went there, that’s what happened.
I want you to see that God always calls us to do something exceptional if we want to see transformation take place. When you go to the mountain, go with the purpose of meeting with God. He desires to talk with you and discuss your life, allegiance, and destiny. Isaiah puts it this way when he says:

In the last days the mountain of the Lord’s temple will be established as the highest of the mountains; it will be exalted above the hills, and all nations will stream to it. Many peoples will come and say, “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the temple of the God of Jacob. He will teach us His ways, so that we may walk in His paths.” The law will go out from Zion, the word of the Lord from Jerusalem (Isaiah 2:2-3, NIV).

This is just one of the 19 times in the Bible where that phrase, mountain of the Lord, invites us to go and meet with God.

Sometimes you feel like your life is on pause. You may feel disconnected from others, and you’re frustrated. Even though you may seem like you don’t have control over things, you DO control your attitude and desire for the Lord.

Ask yourself, do I hunger and thirst for God?

If you are hungry for the Lord, go to God’s mountain. Go and meet with Him. When you connect with God, He will bring you a fresh perspective and a new intimacy with Him.

Before I go to the mountain, I prepare my heart and start fasting. When you fast, you are turning your plate over to God. You’re letting God know that you are ready for Him to awaken a deep appetite for Him within you.

If you’re serious about going to the mountain of the Lord, I want you to pray and fast.

John Wesley, the founder of the Methodist Church, said, “Some have exalted religious fasting beyond all Scripture and reason, and others have utterly disregarded it.”

I Find Relief.

What happens on the mountain of the Lord? You find relief.

Genesis 22:9-14 (NIV) says, “When they reached the place God had told him about, Abraham built an altar there and arranged the wood on it. He bound his son Isaac and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood. Then he reached out his hand and took the knife to slay his son. But the angel of the Lord called out to him from heaven, “Abraham! Abraham!” “Here I am,” he replied. “Do not lay a hand on the boy,” He said. “Do not do anything to him. Now I know that you fear God, because you have not withheld from me your son, your only son.” Abraham looked up and there in a thicket he saw a ram caught by its horns. He went over and took the ram and sacrificed it as a burnt offering instead of his son. So Abraham called that place The Lord Will Provide. And to this day it is said, “On the mountain of the Lord it will be provided.”

As Abraham walks up the mountain, can you imagine what he’s thinking? Maybe he thinks, “If I slay my son, how will I face Sarah?” “How can I even deal with this in my own heart?” And as he walks up the mountain, we see that he finds relief from his internal conflict when he decides to trust God.

Nothing beats having a personal encounter with God. Abraham walked up that mountain filled with grief, chaos, and confusion. And as all the stress was coming to a head, Abraham heard the voice of God, and the test was over.

Don’t let anything take the place of God. The Lord wants to be first in your life, in every dimension, and with all your affections. Love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, all your strength.

Something happens on the mountain.

When you go to the mountain of the Lord, carrying your Isaac, carrying the things that you love, you’re saying, “God, all that I have I am willing to lay down at your feet.” When you go to the mountain, you will find financial, relational, or physical relief when you go to the mountain.

When Abraham felt confused, and there was chaos around him, he went to the mountain and found relief.

What relief are you asking God to give you on the mountain? Let’s believe in God for breakthroughs in every dimension of our lives.

I Gain Rewards.

What happens on the mountain of the Lord? I gain rewards.

Genesis 22:13 (NIV) says, “So Abraham called that place The Lord Will Provide. And to this day it is said, “On the mountain of the Lord it will be provided.”

Did you know that phrase “the Lord will provide” is where we get that Hebrew term to describe one of the dimensions of God? Jehovah Jireh—the Lord who provides.

The God that we serve is a God that rewards and provides.

The Bible says, “On the mountain of the Lord it will be provided,” and that’s what God did for Abraham. God provided the ram in the thicket so Abraham wouldn’t have to sacrifice Isaac.

When we go to the mountain, the Lord will provide.

Hebrews 11:6 (GNT) says, “No one can please God without faith, for whoever comes to God must have faith that God exists and rewards those who seek Him.”

I don’t want you to become spiritually anemic. I don’t want you to be someone who praises God but doesn’t pray to Him. I want to encourage you to go to the mountain of the Lord, seek out what He has for you, and get the rewards.

Prayer: Dear Father, I pray we will have a tremendous encounter with you. I pray that you will bring relief and rewards as we seek you. I ask you these things in Christ’s name, Amen.

How to Get Perspective and Power

Mon, 01 Aug 2022 06:31:12 -0500

(Please scroll to the bottom to watch this powerful message on perspective and power.)

We all need the right perspective in order to thrive, not just survive. You see, we all face challenges daily. From family struggles to issues with a co-worker to sorting through feelings surrounding a health issue.

It can all become overwhelming. It can be discouraging.

So, how do you maintain a proper perspective during trials? And how do you find the power to press on in what may seem like impossible circumstances?

If you’re asking these questions, God’s Word has the answer.

Pray this before you keep reading: Dear Father, I pray that you would cause a transformation to take place in my heart today. Give me eyes to see and ears to hear what you have for me, in Christ’s name, Amen.

Let’s talk about standing on top of the hill.

You may think this is a strange subject, but you gain perspective and power when you stand on top of a hill. The phrase “Mountain of the Lord” or “Mountain of God” is found over 19 times throughout the Bible. Each time we see this, someone got on top of the mountain and started to cry out to God. Then powerful things happened. A key example is when Jesus went on top of the mountain. There He gained perspective and power and was then able to choose His 12 disciples.

I want to challenge you to begin drawing closer to God and to go to His mountain.

Do you want to go to the next level with God?

The Book of Exodus shows us that Moses was in charge of the children of Israel. He led a group of over one million people, most notably leading them out of Egypt. Afterward, as they headed to the promised land, they were attacked, causing Moses to take off the spiritual-leader hat and put on the military-leader hat. Why? Because he wanted and needed to have perspective and power.

In Exodus 17:8-15 (NIV) it says, “The Amalekites came and attacked the Israelites at Rephidim. Moses said to Joshua, ‘Choose some of our men and go out to fight the Amalekites. Tomorrow I will stand on top of the hill with the staff of God in my hands.’ So Joshua fought the Amalekites as Moses ordered, and Moses, Aaron and Hur went to the top of the hill. As long as Moses held up his hands, the Israelites were winning, but whenever he lowered his hands, the Amalekites were winning. When Moses’ hands grew tired, they took a stone and put it under him and he sat on it. Aaron and Hur held his hands up—one on one side, one on the other—so that his hands remained steady until sunset. So Joshua overcame the Amalekite army with the sword. Then the Lord said to Moses, ‘Write this on a scroll as something to be remembered and make sure that Joshua hears it, because I will completely blot out the name of Amalek from under heaven.’ Moses built an altar and called it The LORD is my Banner.”

I’m always fascinated when I read the exploits of spiritual champions. As I pick apart and analyze what they do, it encourages me and assures me that if they can do it, so can I.

It also raises questions within me like, “Why did Moses stand on top of the hill? Why didn’t he go and fight alongside Joshua?” The answers are found in Scripture, which reveals that Moses knew the tension between the natural and spiritual.

Keep a healthy tension between the natural and spiritual.

If Moses would have looked at life simply through the lens of the natural, he would have never been victorious. Often we fall into the trap of viewing things through one lens because we don’t realize that life has two clear dimensions—natural and spiritual.

The natural is human, while the spiritual is divine.

The Apostle Paul weighs into this conversation in the Book of Galatians.

Galatians 5:17 (GNT) it says, “For what our human nature wants is opposed to what the Spirit wants, and what the Spirit wants is opposed to what our human nature wants.”

Paul clearly states that our bodies may want one thing, but the Holy Spirit may want something totally different. We need to be conscious that both of those realities exist. There is a difference between the natural and the spiritual.

We must work but not omit worship.
We must think as well as trust.
We must use our intellect (natural) and faith (spiritual).

Are you someone who gravitates toward thinking or do you put your faith in God?

Admittedly, I often gravitate toward thinking, but then I catch myself and say, “God, I trust you.” Moses climbed to the top of the hill because he realized that the battle would be more than temporal things, but also eternal things. He needed to win the battle, not for the temporal dwelling but for the eternal.

Sowing the seed for the next generation was on the line.

I challenge you today that if you want to make a difference in your future, then you need to go to the mountain of the Lord in this season. When you are on top of the hill, you must remember the natural and the spiritual. You cannot just live in the spiritual, and you cannot just live in the natural. There needs to be a healthy tension between them.

Honor the power of fighting battles alone and together.

When you are on top of the hill, two things will call you: being alone and being together.

We see this in Exodus 17:9 (CEV), “So Moses told Joshua, ‘Have some men ready to attack the Amalekites tomorrow. I will stand on a hilltop, holding this walking stick that has the power of God.’ ”

There is nothing wrong with wanting to have your own spiritual life, but there is also a danger. Why? Because sometimes you’re going to face battles, and you’re not going to be able to do it alone. You need to understand the tension between being alone and being together.

The need for community is highlighted in Exodus 17:12-13 (NLT), “Moses’ arms soon became so tired he could no longer hold them up. So Aaron and Hur found a stone for him to sit on. Then they stood on each side of Moses, holding up his hands. So his hands held steady until sunset. That’s how Joshua defeated the Amalekites.”

We see Moses, the mighty guy who stood before Pharaoh and performed many miracles, and he now needs help. He can no longer deliver and protect on his own. The Scripture shows the correlation between him holding up the staff and the Israelites winning the battle and how they would begin to lose when he dropped the staff.

Aaron and Hur could see this connection between the natural and spiritual. They got a stone for Moses to sit on, holding up his hands. Moses needed the reliance and support that he received from his brothers.

Who holds up your hands?

I know you’re gifted, educated, and talented. I know that you may feel strong, but what happens when something comes along that you never expected? Who is your Aaron and your Hur? You need to have community. This is not just an Old Testament truth but also a New Testament one.

The beauty, power, and fruit of living in Godly community are captured in Acts 2:46 (CEV): “Day after day they met together in the temple. They broke bread together in different homes and shared their food happily and freely, while praising God. Everyone liked them, and each day the Lord added to their group others who were being saved.”

The Christian faith is not an individualistic faith but a communal one.

We must understand the tension between having a personal relationship with Christ and the power of standing in agreement with one another. You may be praying on the mountaintop, and a big battle comes, so you think about inviting someone to battle with you. But how can you when you’ve never built a relationship with them? You need to build relationships with people so that they will go in the trenches with you when it’s battle time.

Here’s another way to look at it: “Friendship is the hardest thing in the world to explain. It’s not something you learn in school. But if you haven’t learned the meaning of friendship, you haven’t learned anything.” —Muhammad Ali.

I want you to understand the value of bringing your strength into a friendship and your friend bringing theirs. One of my favorite proverbs is a Zambian one that states: “When you run alone, you run FAST, but when you run together, you run FAR.”

We all must learn to run far, not just fast.

Know that what you do today will impact tomorrow.

We see the necessity for the natural and spiritual and being alone and together, but we also need to see the tension between today and tomorrow. What you do today has implications for what will occur tomorrow.

In Exodus 17:14-15 (GNB) it says: “Then the Lord said to Moses, ‘Write an account of this victory, so that it will be remembered. Tell Joshua that I will completely destroy the Amalekites.’ Moses built an altar and named it ‘The LORD is my Banner.’ ”

When something happens in your history, write it down. If we don’t write it down, you will forget it. Something about capturing what’s happening today will impact your tomorrow. Moses wrote down what happened to him so that future generations could see it, and it would electrify their faith. When your grandkids want to know how you were powerful in different seasons of your life, you will have a written account, and you will be able to show them how you were able to battle on the hilltop.

You are making history when you go to the top of the hill. Remember, keep a healthy tension between the natural and spiritual, honor the power of fighting battles alone and together, and know that what you do today will impact tomorrow.

Closing prayer: Dear God, You’re so amazing. Thank You for putting this challenge in front of me. As I rise to the occasion, I ask that You would take all the excuses away and give me the kind of fortitude that I need to pursue You. I thank You in Christ’s name, Amen.

Remember this, precious child of God:

Today you’re an acorn, but tomorrow you’re an oak tree. Let’s go to the hill of God.

God Answers Prayer

Mon, 25 Jul 2022 05:03:26 -0500

(watch the video of this message by scrolling to the bottom)

From Genesis to Revelation, God emphasizes the power of prayer because He wants us to understand it. He values it. He wants us to internalize the fact that He answers prayer.

For this reason, thousands of books have been written, and tens of thousands of messages have been preached on the topic of prayer. If it matters to God, it should naturally matter to anyone trying to know God better. In fact, I have even written a few books on the vital subject of prayer.

This message simply centers on this powerful truth: God answers prayer.

Before you dive into today’s teaching, pray this:

Dear Father, help me to hold onto Scripture and apply my faith so I can see the fulfillment of Your word in my life. I ask you this in the name of Jesus, Amen.

God answers prayer.

The Bible is firm on the promise that the God we serve answers prayers. Hebrews 5:7 says this (GNT): “In His life on earth Jesus made His prayers and requests with loud cries and tears to God, who could save Him from death. Because He was humble and devoted, God heard Him.” The reason why God heard Jesus was because Jesus had a relationship with God. He was committed. He also had the right attitude when making requests to God.

You see, many individuals don’t recognize the value of prayer. Many also don’t recognize that prayer has specific rules. When you realize the rules surrounding prayer, and you use those rules, you can have confidence that God hears you and answers you.

In Chronicles, we read how Solomon had just finished dedicating his palace and temple to God. That night God visited him in a dream. 2 Chronicles 7:13-14 (NIV), “When I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or command locusts to devour the land or send a plague among my people, if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.”

Here you have a roadmap for the rules of prayer.

This passage of Scripture also reveals how God answers prayer and the prerequisites He needs for it.

Notice how God is essentially saying, “prayer is for my people.”

Are you one of God’s people?

The phrase “my people” talks about God’s covenant relationship with His people. It means that you have accepted Christ as your savior. It’s when you’ve invited God into your heart to be your heavenly Father. That’s when you become one of His people.

Know the rules of prayer.

You can be confident that God answers prayer. Think about how sweet that is.

When you think about prayer, I invite you to also consider the guidelines God calls us to abide by when we pray. God’s answer to prayer depends on our actions. Our actions are CRITICAL to prayer. 2 Chronicles 7:14 (CEV) puts it this way: “If my own people will humbly pray and turn back to me and stop sinning, then I will answer them from heaven. I will forgive them and make their land fertile once again.”

There are two sides to this particular Biblical passage. Let’s zoom in.

One part identifies with your actions, while the other part identifies with God’s reactions.

What role do my actions play in prayer?

There are three actions the Bible instructs us to do after becoming one of God’s people in order to have our prayers answered.

First, God says that you must humble yourself. Prayer requires humility. To be humble, you must make yourself low in prayer. You need to trust God and His judgment.

Second, turn back to Him. This means you need to renew your devotion to God. It is also saying that God needs to be first in your life. When you turn back to Him, you are positioning yourself for answered prayers.

Third, stop sinning because sin hinders prayer. It sounds simple, but this requires repentance. Repentance is when you turn away from your sin and toward God.

These are the three steps you must take. Watch God show up when you go through these actions.

Your actions trigger God’s reactions.

Check out the following portion of Scripture one more time, this time through the lens of focusing on God’s reactions to our actions.

2 Chronicles 7:14 (CEV), “If my people will humbly pray and turn back to me and stop sinning, then I will answer them from heaven. I will forgive them and make their land fertile once again.” Here we see that God will give three reactions.

First, He will answer you. God says, “I answer when you pray.” When you pray, recognize with faith and expectation that God answers you.

God’s second reaction is to forgive your sins. One of the most beautiful things is to know that you don’t owe God anything and your sins have been forgiven. No news is better!

The third reaction is that He will make your land fertile again. In today’s context, when God heals your land, He’s healing your family, church, and nation.

It’s so helpful to know that when you look at 2 Chronicles 7:14, we have the roadmap to having God answer prayers. In summary, God’s reactions will follow if you do your part. Don’t fall into the trap of never offering your prayer. God is ready right now. You have access to your Heavenly Father right now.

Do your part. He is faithful to do His.

Let’s close with this prayer: Dear Heavenly Father, I want to be a member of your family. Come into my heart today, Lord. Please wash away my sins, change me and help me live for you so that you may be glorified in me and through me. I ask you this in the name of Jesus, Amen.

Why Get Water Baptized?

Sun, 17 Jul 2022 15:20:05 -0500

(watch this message by scrolling to the bottom)

Water baptism is not a hot preaching topic these days. Even though this powerful public act of commitment is highlighted throughout the New Testament in the Bible, it seems to have taken a back seat to other topics.

When the Holy Spirit changes and transforms your heart when you practice repentance, the next step in following Christ is water baptism.

Let’s pray this before you keep reading: Dear Father, thank you so much for your incredible kindness. Today, let the power of the Holy Spirit allow change to come in. Come and rearrange our lives so we may please you in a greater way. I ask you, Father, these things in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Why get water baptized?

When I got baptized, back in 1982, it was a month after I had prayed to give my heart to Jesus. I remember how I overflowed with excitement because a month earlier Jesus had done something so deep and real in my life. I knew I had changed and water baptism was a public way to tell everybody that God had changed me. He brought me out of a life of atheism and transformed me from the foul-mouth person that I was. Water baptism is a public sign of inward change and that is why I was so open to it. Jesus has changed my life and I publicly communicated how proud I was to be a believer.

Do you know how critical water baptism is?

The Great Commission in Matthew 28:18 tells us that we ought to go and preach the gospel to every nation, make disciples and baptize them in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

Do you know how to water baptize someone when you lead them to Christ?

If not, keep reading.

Are YOU water baptized?

If not, keep reading.

What we’ll learn from the Scriptures is that God is in the business of changing lives, no matter where you are in life, how old you are or what your race is. Whether you’re rich, poor, educated, uneducated, religious, irreligious, morally good, or morally bankrupt—God has the power to transform people.

In fact, water baptism is an indication of that.

Let’s jump into the Book of Matthew, chapter three. There we see God loves to transform people by specifically using water baptism. In Matthew 3:1-6 (NIV) it says: In those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the wilderness of Judea and saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.” This is he who was spoken of through the prophet Isaiah: “A voice of one calling in the wilderness, ‘Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him.’ ”

John’s clothes were made of camel’s hair, and he had a leather belt around his waist. His food was locusts and wild honey. People went out to him from Jerusalem and all Judea and the whole region of the Jordan. Confessing their sins, they were baptized by him in the Jordan River.

John was saying that God is in the business of changing lives and He wants to change your life. People came from every direction to get baptized by John. Why? Because they needed to experience God’s great forgiveness. His forgiveness says, “I’ll remove your sin when you ask me to. I’ll wash you clean and take that heavy load of shame from you.” When John was baptizing people in the Jordan River, people kept coming.

The people were overwhelmed with their sin so they asked God to forgive them and John baptized them.

God wants repentance.

The crowd continued to build and John took a break. In Matthew 3:7 (MSG) we see it captured this way: When John realized that a lot of Pharisees and Sadducees were showing up for a baptismal experience because it was becoming the popular thing to do, he exploded: “Brood of snakes! What do you think you’re doing slithering down here to the river? Do you think a little water on your snakeskins is going to make any difference? It’s your life that must change, not your skin!” John was angry at these two Jewish groups. These people were strict, self-righteous and religious. However, they were not right with God. They had never experienced the power of a transformed life. This is why John yelled at them when they wanted to be baptized too. We see clearly here how God needs REPENTANCE.

John the Baptist was saying to the Pharisees and Sadducees, “What God wants is repentance.” He was telling them that religion doesn’t mean right-standing with God. In other words, he’s saying, “Look, we’re all sinners in need of salvation. No matter how good you may be, don’t deceive yourself. Your goodness is not good enough. You need salvation.”

John was helping these religious leaders try to understand what it means to repent. When John chewed out the religious people, the rest of the crowd started to ask him questions. Luke 3:10-14 (NIV) says this: “What should we do then?” the crowd asked. John answered, “Anyone who has two shirts should share with the one who has none, and anyone who has food should do the same.” Even tax collectors came to be baptized. “Teacher,” they asked, “what should we do?” “Don’t collect any more than you’re required to,” he told them. Then some soldiers asked him, “And what should we do?” He replied, “Don’t extort money and don’t accuse people falsely—be content with your pay.”

John said the same thing to the regular rank that he did to the religious leaders. He made it clear that God wants repentance, which applies to everyone, everywhere.

John was saying we’re all sinners in need of salvation. You need salvation. Repentance means that you don’t play with your eternal destiny. Heaven is real and so is hell. There’s one or the other, no in-between.

I need a SAVIOR!

John the Baptist was clear on one thing: He was not the savior, Jesus was. The Scripture says in Luke 3:15-16 (CEV): Everyone became excited and wondered, “Could John be the Messiah?” John said, “I am just baptizing with water. But someone more powerful is going to come, and I am not good enough even to untie his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire.” John was the forerunner of the Messiah.

Jesus is the only one that can save you.

Baptism doesn’t save you; it is simply a sign that declares you’ve been saved and have asked for forgiveness.

But baptism is more than just a ceremonial experience.

The Apostle Paul gives us the richness of what it truly means to be baptized in Romans 6:3 (CEV): Don’t you know that all who share in Christ Jesus by being baptized also share in his death? When we were baptized, we died and were buried with Christ. We were baptized, so that we would live a new life, as Christ was raised to life by the glory of God the Father. If we shared in Jesus’ death by being baptized, we will be raised to life with Him. We know that the persons we used to be were nailed to the cross with Jesus. This was done, so that our sinful bodies will no longer be the slaves of sin.”

Let that sink in.

Paul is saying that when you get water baptized, you’re associating yourself with the death and burial of Jesus. When you come out of the water, you’re then aligning yourself with the resurrection of Jesus.

You see? Baptism is not an empty ceremony. As we publicly demonstrate that we have experienced forgiveness because we recognize we need a savior, Jesus meets us in the water.

Let’s close with this prayer: Heavenly Father, thank you for changing lives. I ask you now to change my life. Wash away my sins and transform me so that I may walk with you every day of my life. I ask you this in the name of Jesus, my Savior. Amen.

The Power of Repentance

Sun, 10 Jul 2022 14:32:15 -0500

(scroll to the bottom to watch the entire message)

Repentance can be a heavy topic.

It can stir up many emotions and reactions, largely leaning on the negative side. Despite its reputation, I invite you to reconsider what repentance is. It’s actually a beautiful word that helps us change our hearts and minds.

It means making a U-turn, which steers us in the direction of renewal to our lives.

Today’s article is centered around helping you understand the power of repentance.

A prayer before we begin: Lord, today, as we open our hearts wide to you, we ask that you perform heart surgery on each of us as you see fit, so that we can be able to be the kinds of people you’ve called us to become. I ask you these things in Christ’s name, Amen.

What does it mean to be renewed?

The definition of renew is: to grow up, to sprout, to begin again.

Imagine it is springtime. A beautiful moment during this season is when birds start to chirp and sing. It’s also awe-inducing when flowers poke their heads above the ground and display their beauty.

This is a picture of renewal.

When you experience renewal, something is transformed inside of you. You bloom anew. The song of your life sounds different. Renewal makes your relationship with God exciting and passionate again.

But to get to renewal, you must first go through repentance.

Repentance

Acts 3:19 (The Passion Translation): “And now you must repent and turn back to God so that your sins will be removed, and so that times of refreshing will stream from the Lord’s presence.” See here God’s big-heartedness towards us.
God says, “If you want to experience renewal, where times are refreshing, it happens when you practice repentance.” Repentance is a game-changer.

The Greek word for repentance is metanoia. It means to turn around. It’s as if you are going north, then suddenly realize it’s the wrong moral direction, and you repent to go south. You totally shift where you’re headed.

Author and pastor Bruce Wilkinson puts it this way: “Repentance means you change your mind so deeply that it changes you.

Are you hungry for renewal?

It starts with repentance.

Let’s look at what it means to repent and why normative Christianity is passionate Christianity. You cannot be a Biblical believer and be bored with God. You can’t be someone who walks with Jesus and be apathetic. God calls us to be fiery servants and have fiery faith. That’s why repentance is a game-changer.

The Book of Psalms was written by David, who is also known as Israel’s Psalmist. He was also the King of Israel and a warrior.

Despite his status and accomplishments, however, David fell into hard times.

Why? He made the wrong moral choices. He had an affair with a married woman by the name of Bathsheba. She became pregnant with his child, while her husband, Uriah, was at war fighting against the Ammonites.

Then David tried to cover up his sin, so he had Uriah brought back home from war. He got Uriah drunk twice, hoping that in his drunken state, he’d go home and have relations with his wife. However, Uriah wouldn’t do it. He stayed right outside of the palace all night. David then sent Uriah back to war and he made sure that the Ammonites killed him. After that, Bathsheba grieved for the loss of her husband, and

David soon married her.

This scandal was a big deal and deeply damaging against the character of God because David was supposed to be a man of God. Then here was David in a dry, disillusioned and backslidden state, and Nathan, the prophet, visited him. He skillfully confronted him, causing David to repent and pour out his heart to God, asking for forgiveness.

We see this moment here: Psalm 51:1-4 (NIV): “Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions. Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin.
For I know my transgressions, and my sin is always before me. Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight; so you are right in your verdict and justified when you judge.”

I admire David, not because he sinned, but because he repented authentically and truthfully before God. I admire him because he did what was necessary to get right with God. As a result, he was on his way to renewal.

This is where God wants you to be too. So, how do you get renewed?

Scripture teaches us that repentance precedes renewal. There may have been something that made you dry. Maybe your spiritual temperature has dropped because you missed time with God or became distracted. Or maybe, like David, it was sin. Whatever the reason, whatever caused your heart to change, I want you to know it’s not God’s will that you stay dry.

It’s God’s will that you get renewed.

Do you need to repent?

This question is a call to search your heart. It challenges you to reflect: “Is there a problem between you and God?”

Has God whispered to you?

Has He nudged you or prompted you in some way?

Has he made you realize that there’s some sin in your life that you’ve not dealt with?

The question “Do I need to repent?” invites us to investigate and interrogate our hearts. When we do this, we can look over our past actions and our past attitudes to ask ourselves this question:

Am I right with God?

Is there something in your life creating a problem between you and God? If there is, then you’re going to need to repent. Sin hardens our hearts, makes our conscience callous and creates a divide between us and God. Repentance bridges that gap.

Have you ever asked God the question, “God, have I done something to I violate your moral code or your standard?” If not, try it. I suggest you go there with God because sin will make the Christian walk tiring, taxing and tough. But that’s not what God had in mind for us. There should be passion, zeal and enthusiasm as you walk with God. Conversely, if you’re serving God and feel dry, apathetic and devoid of zeal, it means something’s wrong.

When you sin against God the relationship on the human side has been harmed. There’s a break in the fellowship between you and God. Please know God’s love and care for you hasn’t changed. His kindness towards you is also still the same, but your sin hardened and harmed your relationship with the Lord.

So, again I ask you: Do you need to repent?

Next, allow me to ask you this:

Have you FULLY repented?

Full repentance happens through a comprehensive inspection of the heart. It happens by cleaning out the junk that’s in your heart.
Going back to the Bible story mentioned earlier, David was excellent when it came to repenting and repentance.

Remember the meaning of repentance—to turn around. It’s when you repent so deeply that it changes you. You then get back to the place of cleanliness, purity and right-standing before God.

This takes a process. You don’t just say “I repent.” David couldn’t just say, “I repent.” He had a man killed and had gotten a woman pregnant who wasn’t his wife. He not only deceived the nation, but also himself. We see in Scripture (2 Samuel 11) that in the nine months Bathsheba was pregnant, David never repented. Then, the baby was born and the child died. We can then conclude that it was almost a year before David made his relationship with God right.

So again, it’s important to know repentance is a process.

Here are the four stages of repentance:

Stage 1: You realize that you’ve done wrong.
Stage 2: There are feelings of remorse about your sin.
Stage 3: You renounce your sin or turn away from it.
Stage 4: You’re restored. That’s when repentance takes place.

Let’s apply this to David. In Stage 1: David realized he was going in the wrong direction. In Stage 2: David had remorse for his sin. In Stage 3: David renounces his sin. In Psalm 51:1-2 (NIV), it says, “Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions. Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me of my sin.” Finally, in Stage 4: David is restored.

Early Church Father, John Chrysostom, captures the heart of repentance like this: “Repentance is a medicine which destroys sin, a gift bestowed from heaven, an admirable virtue, a grace exceeding the power of laws.”

When you repent it’s as if God has dispensed His medicine into your soul. The dryness you were feeling in your heart vanishes and the fire of passion is rekindled. Repentance is a game-changer, and it brings healing to you.

I’ve repented, NOW WHAT?

What should you expect after you repent?

David has the answer. Psalm 51:12-13 (NIV) says, “Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me. Then I will teach transgressors your ways, so that sinners will turn back to you.” I want you to see that when you repent, God restores you. The joy of your salvation and walking with Jesus will be passionate again. You will be renewed and refreshed in your relationship with God.

Don’t miss how David also said, “One of the signs that I’ve repented is that I want to teach transgressors your ways, God.” Your burden for lost souls is one of the greatest indicators of you being renewed. So you see here that being renewed is not just about you. David essentially says, “I now feel the burden for those who don’t know you.” Let that value soak in.

Another verse that sums up repentance can be found in Acts 3:19 (NIV), where it says, “Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord.”

You now have a Biblical basis for expecting refreshing and renewal. You have a guide to grow in passion. You have an effective tool to experience the fire of the Holy Spirit. And you have a pathway for a zeal for the Lord. Your basis, your guide, your effective tool and pathway is repentance.

One of the schools I graduated from was Alliance Theological Seminary. Long before I attended, in 1906, when it was called Nyack Missionary Training Institute, a revival broke out. Interestingly, it all started because someone publicly confessed their sins.

Here is an account of the revival: “For three weeks, preachers, teachers, and students were lying on their faces. Awful confessions were made. It began at 12 o’clock noon and went on until the next morning. God had struck with mighty conviction. Some tried to escape because they didn’t want to confess, but they had to return and go through with it. I declare unto you that when the confessions were over, the mighty presence of God filled the place. We walked on tiptoe. The atmosphere was so holy. We were afraid to hear the sound of our heels in that school. If you ever heard thunder rolls of intercession, they went forth from that school. You could have heard the body of students a mile away. They prayed as one man and everybody as loudly as possible, but they knew God was behind those prayers.”
When the students confessed their sins before God and cried out to God in prayer, not only did they experience renewal, it led to revival.

Again, I ask you:

Do you need to repent?
Have you repented fully?
What can you expect?

Let’s close with this prayer: Heavenly Father, I want to experience renewal and times of refreshing. I want the Holy Spirit to visit me in a brand-new way and transform me. So I confess my sins before you now. And I ask you to forgive me for each one. God, may this begin a series of times of confession and repentance until I experience personal renewal. This I pray in the name of Jesus, Amen

Mediator for the Marginalized, 4

Mon, 02 May 2022 06:36:00 -0500

Does absolute power corrupt absolutely? We’ve heard the saying time and time again. Even worse, we’ve seen so many examples of corrupted power we now take its truth for granted as a sort of social law. Unfortunately, this is nothing new. Indeed, the Preacher in Ecclesiastes told us, “…there is nothing new under the sun” (Ecc. 1:9). He saw oppressions, with power on the side of the oppressors and the oppressed having no one to comfort them (Ecc. 4:1). It seems like this corruption infects all authority. However, the source and standard for all authority, Jesus Christ, gives us a different picture. As we consider Jesus’s mediation for the marginalized, we see the Serving Sovereign, who “raises up the poor from the dust; he lifts the needy from the ash heap and makes them to sit with princes and inherit a seat of honor” (1 Sam. 2:8).

As King, Jesus upholds the cause of the poor and organizes a beloved community of mutuality. In doing so, He mediates the reign of God, which brings shalom to all. The reign of God appears at the outset of biblical revelation. In Genesis 1-2, God is a King who rules reality by His word. Under His rule, creation flourishes as a harmonious kingdom. He places mankind at the center of His creation, in Eden to exercise dominion as His vice-regents. However, Adam’s sin vandalizes shalom, so that sin and death reign (Romans 5:17, 21). Satan becomes “the god of this age” (2 Cor. 4:4), the “prince of the power of the air” (Eph. 2:2). Under sin, humanity walks in ruin and misery and practices violence (Ro. 3:10-18). What’s In a context where hostility and ruin characterize human society (Tit. 3:3), the poor and weak suffer the most (Ps. 12) because they don’t have the means to protect themselves.

As King, God rescued His people from oppression in Egypt (Ex. 20:1, Ps. 114, 135:8-12) and created a beloved community. By “beloved community,” I mean a community of God’s beloved children (Dt. 7:7, 33:12, Eph. 5:1) where the focus of all relationships is love (Dt. 6:5, Lv. 19:18). This love manifests in mutuality, a conviction that everyone’s flourishing is interconnected and interdependent. Under God’s rule, Israel was so concerned with this sort of love that they were to build their houses with their neighbor’s safety in mind (Dt. 22:8). If they found an enemy’s stray animal, they were to return it (Ex. 23:4-5). They understood that the poor had a right to their possessions, in a sense (Lev. 19:9-10). As King, Yahweh formed a community that was to embody His concern for the poor (Ps. 12:5-6, 82:1-8, 146:5-10). After establishing a human monarchy in Israel, the Prophets and Writings hope for the ideal king who will defend the cause of the weak (Ps. 72, Pr. 31:8-10). Unfortunately, Israel’s authorities fall woefully short, instead devouring the poor (Jer. 23:1-4).

Because of this, the prophets look forward to the king who will “faithfully bring forth justice” (Is. 42:1-4). The Branch of Jesse, the Son of David, will “decide with equity for the meek of the earth (Is. 11:4). Jesus arrives on the scene as the Son of David (Matt. 1:1, Luke 18:38) who redefines authority. Rather than “lording it over” those without power (Matt. 20:25, 1 Pet. 5:3), Jesus the King uses His authority to serve (Mk. 10:45, Php. 2:5-8). Such an authority alleviates the poor and weak from being left to the insufficiency of their own resources. The King of Kings stoops to serve and care for them, calling His people to do the same (Matt. 25). As King, Jesus makes war on the most tyrannical of all authorities oppressing the poor, namely sin, Satan, and death (Ro. 6:6-7, Col. 2:11-15, Heb. 2:14-15) and defeats them. He also judges unjust earthly authorities (Psalm 7:2-4, Psalms 58 and 82), symbolized as Babylon in Revelation.

All of this happens as Jesus establishes the kingdom of God. Since Jesus is God, His kingship restores the dynamic reign of God over the world, thus re-establishing shalom. This reign, though not fully consummated, is realized in this age primarily in the church, the beloved community of mutuality Jesus establishes. In the church, “all are one in Christ” (Gal. 3:28), serving love is the ethic (Ph. 1:28, Gal. 5:6, 13-15, Ro. 13:8-10), and those in need receive impartial care (Eph. 4:28, Ja. 2:1-13, Acts 2:44-45, 4:32-37). This love so defines Christ’s kingdom that Paul calls churches to provide for the church in Jerusalem financially without qualification (2 Cor. 8-9, Rom. 15:22-29). Christ the King exalts the lowly (Lk. 1:51-53, cf. 1 Sam. 2:7-8) and brings shalom to poor and weak.

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Mediator for the Marginalized, Pt. 3

Tue, 29 Mar 2022 05:48:25 -0500

There are some words that once carried force in their original context, but now they’re used so freely that they’ve lost their edge. It’s like a stench in a room, it nearly takes your breath away at first, but then you find yourself accustomed to it and barely notice it. The word “awful” strikes me that way. “Thy goodness to thy saints of old an awful thing appeared,” F. W. Faber once said. “Awful” conjures images of a splitting sea, sounds of rolling thunder and earthquakes. Now, when you say “That’s awful,” it doesn’t strike you that way, does it? Another word that has lost its sharpness? “Prophetic.” It still carries undertones of uncanny prescience or insight, but it doesn’t come with the weight of “thus saith the Lord.” Perhaps this is due to our general neglect of authoritative statements, but the fact stands. To be “prophetic” often just means “saying what my tribe says but others disagree with.” Not so with Jesus’s prophetic ministry. Every time Jesus speaks, it’s “thus saith the Lord.” How then, does His prophetic ministry benefit the needy? Before we answer that question, we need to consider the office of prophet more broadly.

The prophetic office finds its paradigm in Moses, the man of God (Dt. 18:15-22, 34:10). If the primary role of the priest is mediation concerning representation, the role of the prophet is mediation concerning revelation (Heb. 1:1, 2 Pet. 1:19-21). Through the prophets, Yahweh frames reality in light of who He is and in light of His covenant with His people. For our purposes here, the prophets’ ministry benefits the marginalized in that they declare the good news of dignity and deliverance while decrying oppression. These aspects are abundantly clear in the ministry of Moses, although they are not exclusive to him. Through Moses, Israel hears that all humanity is in God’s image, whether rich or poor, powerful or weak, male or female (Ge. 1:26-27, cf. Ge. 9:6, Ps. 8, Ja. 3:9). This dignifying declaration contrasted the Egyptian story of Israelite inferiority, like the rooster’s crow that breaks the morning stillness. One of the core values that Moses emphasizes is the equal treatment of the poor, widow, sojourner, and orphan (Ex. 22:21-24, Dt. 10:16-21). Because of this, the authorities are to show no partiality in judging (Dt. 1:17, 16:19) and those with resources should not seek to profit from the vulnerability of those in need (Dt. 23:17). On the contrary, those with resources ought to use them to seek the flourishing of those who lack them (Dt. 23:18-22). As Israel descends into idolatry and drifts from embodying the heart of God revealed in His law, later prophets often function as covenant prosecutors, condemning Israel for her exploitation of the vulnerable (Is. 1:16-17, 5:8-10, 10:1-3, Jer. 7:5-14, Ez. 18:1-32, Am. 4:1-3, Mi. 2:1-13, etc.).

The prophetic ministry for the marginalized is most clear in the Exodus and declaring Jubilee. In the Exodus, the prophet Moses confronts the oppressive tyrant Pharaoh and demands that he let Israel go (Ex. 5:1). In the Jubilee, Moses demonstrates God’s desire for there to be no permanent underclass in Israel.[1] Every 50 years, there would be an opportunity for those who were poor to start over. Jubilee was a socioeconomic reset, a sort of civil exodus for those stuck in poverty. It makes sense, then, that subsequent prophets, in speaking of Israel’s deliverance from exile, speak in terms of exodus and Jubilee. This is abundantly clear in Isaiah 61, the passage Jesus takes up as the thematic overtone of His ministry in Luke 4.

As the Prophet greater than Moses, the one who truly reveals God, (Jn. 1:1, 14-18., Heb. 1:1-2, Acts 3:17-26), Jesus declares the good news of freedom to those under Roman oppression (more on that in a bit) in Luke 4:16-30. Jesus confronts abusive authorities (Mk 11:15-19, 12:41-44, Matt. 23:23-24). He calls people to give to the poor (Matt. 19:16-22, 25:31-40 cf. Acts 2:44-45, 4:32-37, 2 Cor. 8:1-15, 9, 6-15, Gal. 2:10). Jesus also reveals the dignity of the poor by identifying with them (Lk. 9:58, Mt. 25:40, cf. Php. 2:5-10, Ja. 2:5-7) and rebuking those who degrade and exploit them (Mk. 11:15-19, Mk. 12:41-44). As Prophet, Jesus reveals the just God, who expresses solidarity with the poor against their exploiters and honors them as image-bearers and heirs in Him.

Now, you might say, “If Jesus came to liberate those under Roman oppression, how come He didn’t overthrow the government? How else could He bring freedom?” Jesus declares freedom from Roman oppression in at least three ways: 1) Jesus declares that Rome is not the decisive authority in the lives of those who follow Him. To belong to Jesus means God has the ultimate and final say on one’s circumstances, not Rome or any other authority (see Heidelberg 1). This is why the Psalmist speaks of God’s justice overcoming the sinister intentions of those seeking to overwhelm him (Ps. 56, 11, 12, etc.). 2) As a global superpower, Rome is another kingdom that seeks to oppose the rule of God in the world (Dan. 2:31-45, 7:1-28). Therefore, Jesus, in declaring the arrival of God’s kingdom, is declaring the eventual, but real overthrow of Roman supremacy, like Babylon in Revelation. 3) Fear is the ultimate tool of oppression, though it is not the only one. The primary instigator and object of fear is death. Rome instigated fear through its various death sentences, especially crucifixion. In His death and resurrection, then, Jesus disarms Rome’s greatest weapon (I owe my thoughts to Howard Thurman and Esau McCaulley here). Jesus implies all these senses of freedom in Luke 4:16-30.

The implications here are legion, and I will explore some in greater detail in another post. For now, we need to ask some questions: Does the gospel we preach declare dignity and deliverance while denouncing oppression for all people? Would those who don’t care for foreigners in our midst find their apathy accommodated? Does our discipleship see relational presence with the poor as Christian extra-credit? Can we discern the faces of Pharisaical and Roman oppression in our midst today? These are the sorts of questions we’ll have to answer if we will reveal and reflect the Prophet for the poor, Jesus Christ.

Notes

[1] “…the land reverted to its original owner. This practice ensured that no citizen would remain poor or a slave forever.” Year of Jubilee, Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology

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TIU, Will, Jada and Chris

Mon, 28 Mar 2022 12:44:53 -0500

Last night my wife and I caught up on last week’s episode of “This Is Us.” After watching and discussing the Kate and Toby marital breakdown, we flipped over the socials. The firs thing we saw was video of Chris Rock joking Jada Pinkett-Smith and Will Smith slapping Christ on national TV during the most highly-anticipated awards show in America.

So, last night was a lot! Like a lot of people, we spent the next hour trying to figure out what happened and how to feel. I still don’t know completely, but I have reactions.

I hope this isn’t a “think piece,” because it seems evident most people don’t need or want one of those—whatever they are. But I do have thoughts, reactions really. “Thoughts” suggests too much. I’m still processing these things. In no particular order, here are some of these still-in-process reactions.

We don’t need to be cruel to be funny.

I’m tired of the cruelty of the world. It’s exhausting. Hurtful. Embarrassing. And it ain’t funny. Chris Rock took a cheap shot—whether or not he knew of Jada’s medical condition. He was taking an aspect of her appearance and making it the brunt of a joke—in front of the watching world! That’s cheap. That’s personal. That’s cruel. We all know that most women—in fact, most men, too—struggle with body image and the host of things connected with body image. So, any man that has even a passing familiarity with women knows we don’t joke them about their appearance unless we are being cruel. It’s wrong. We need to stop sanctioning cruelty by calling it “a joke.” It ain’t.

2. Most of the time, we don’t need to be violent to be protective.

So, I ain’t mad at Will. That’s his wife. They are supposed to be one. Another man clowning his wife in from of a watching world calls for a response. Now, I put the line in a different place. You probably draw the line someplace different as well. But, hopefully, every husband has a line and crossing it requires a response. Should it have been a slap in that context? I don’t think so. There’s still such a thing as, “Meet me outside.” And there are more meaningful ways of protecting those we love than grand-standing fisticuffs. Wouldn’t it have been wonderful if Will had used the acceptance speech time to check Chris in a way that pointed out the cruelty, empathized with people with illnesses and disabilities, and honored his wife for something praiseworthy? He could have still found Christ and said, “Meet me outside.” But, in any case, most of the time we don’t need to become violent to be protective.

3. We don’t have to be embarrassed about being “street.”

A lot of the reactions I say made jokes about West Philly, about being sent to live with your aunt and uncle, etc. I get the humor, but I wonder if we get the mild disdain that humor trade in. Most of it turns on a stereotypical notion of being “street,” which is to say uncouth, undignified, unable to engage people without tawdry acts. I suspect that folks dissing being “street” may have forgotten that being “street” has a lot to do with honor, respect, protecting space and family. There are places where “street” is less welcome, viewed as hostile, and rejected as subhuman. But we need to be careful that those places are getting away with dehumanizing, misrepresenting, and bigoted stereotyping. In the final analysis, a place like The Oscars is a cross-cultural setting. We know it. We admit every time we say #OscarsSoWhite or we can’t believe a certain film we didn’t even see won the award over a film we loved. In cross-cultural settings, clashes of values happen. Seems to me that happened on some level last night. What concerns me are the number of African Americans whose instinct was to criticize the scene as “street” and thereby express disdain not just for the violence but for the underlying codes and cultures of all the poor, inner-city “West Philadelphias” out there. I felt a lot of things last night—but embarrassment about something being “street” wasn’t one of them. If you did, it might be worth examining the roots of that embarrassment and where you learned it from.

4. Black women are so rarely publicly protected and almost only against other Black people.

For a couple of seconds, it looked like things would be laughed off despite Jada’s obvious and justifiable reaction. She didn’t appreciate Chris Rock’s joke. The eye roll was murderous. I don’t know what happened between the time the camera catching Jada’s look and panning back to Chris. Did will see her facial expression? Did she say something to Will? I don’t know. But the next thing we know Will strides down the aisle and throws the blow. What’s remarkable is he did at all. Normally, our women appear defender-less in situations of public slight and insult. On some level, I’m glad will stood up for Jada. But on another level, this seems to only happen when we square off against each other. Why is that? Why do we find it easier to knuckle up when the face in our crosshairs belongs to another Black person? Would Will have done this if it were a white, Asian, or Hispanic comedian telling the same joke? I don’t know. But I think our sisters and wives deserve our alliance and our public protection no matter who crosses them this way. Can we get more of this while remembering #2 above?

5. The narcissism needs to be identified and rejected.

When I first saw the video, I thought it was staged. It looked fake, from the swing itself to Rock’s reaction. And then there was the walk back to his seat followed by the acceptance speech. I may be too critical here. Please forgive me if I am. But it seemed to me there was a lot of Will in all of it. A speech about protecting women when you haven’t done that in some significant ways in your marriage. A speech about you, Will, and Richard, that merely mentions the women but doesn’t actually talk about the whys and ways they ought to be protected. It was Will’s stage and it felt to me he used it for Will. Yes, Satan does attack us during mountaintop moments. But was that comment thrown in there to bring more attention to Will, to justify his actions, to make him a victim of more than a bad joke but also Satanic attack? It all seems rather self-centered, the way narcissists and abusers find a way to make everything about them while the person abused (in this case, Jada) gets pushed to the side. We didn’t need an essentially self-valorizing speech. We needed comments that centered the mistreated.

6. Maintaining personal dignity is hard.

Everyone involved last night–not just Will, Jada and Chris, but also every person in that room and viewing it on TV or online–had their dignity challenged last night. Jada had to decide how much to react to a personally insulting joke. She held herself together with a facial expression that let you know. Will had to decide whether and how to respond to someone very publicly dehumanizing his wife. Chris had to respond to being slapped in a very public and dehumanizing way. All of us have to decide how to talk about what we saw. It’s a test of both our understanding of human dignity and our understanding of how to preserve it. I don’t know how I would have responded were I in anyone else’s shoes. If I’m Jada, do I merely roll my eyes or do I say something? If I’m Will, do I cross the stage to deliver a blow or do I shout from my seat or do I comfort my wife or do I escort her out of the room in protest? I don’t know. If I’m Chris, do I swing back or just say, “Wow”? Do I apologize to Jada and Will and the audience? As a viewer, do I tell jokes about people’s pain, or bring up their personal indiscretions, or write think pieces (like this one?)? Dignity is an objective value subjectively negotiated with others. That negotiation gets really complicated really fast sometimes. Because sometimes when you “do the right thing” (say, refuse to retaliate), you don’t feel all that dignified. And sometimes when you fight for dignity (say, punch a guy who insults you), you actually prove undignified. The lines are fine but crossing them has significant consequence. So, maybe we should all recognize that, no matter what, we ought to extend dignity to one another. Perhaps that’s our first duty to God’s image bearers.

7. Community is important–but we have to sanction the right things and console the right people.

That’s my take-away from Denzel and others trying to comfort Will. I thought it was pretty great that some people found solace and counsel in the aftermath of that event. It was good of Diddy to try defusing the situation and pointing to a possible redemptive encounter later. Perhaps more people found the community’s support than we saw on TV. But I found myself wondering whether Jada had much support. Whether other women in the room who have suffered the same kinds of indignities (and worse) had people to turn to. I also found myself wondering if Will and Chris had anybody check them–not just side up with them. They were both wrong and they were both right in different ways. I’m hoping we’re not simply sanctioning one-sided responses instead of seeing whole persons and delivering to the whole person all that they should receive in appropriate balances and time. We can’t just say to Will, “That’s right; protect your wife.” We also have to say, “Bruh, you were out of pocket, owe a lot of people an apology, and there was a better way.” Isn’t that what we try to get children and teenagers to understand all the time? At the same time we can’t just say to Chris, “Man, it was amazing to see you keep your poise.” We have to also so, “While it was good that you didn’t respond, you should never have joned Jada that way to begin with. Maybe you should’ve gotten slapped, but you definitely owe her an apology. Make it right.” We most of all need to say to Jada, “That was wrong. We are sorry. We won’t tolerate that anymore. Here’s how we’re going to sanction Chris.” The community’s message can’t be one-dimensional; it has to be layered, proportional, and targeted.

Conclusion

Anyway, Black people, we do have to ask ourselves if this is us. It may be that the healthiest answer is all of this is us. And, this is all of us. So, we shouldn’t over-attribute anything to blackness or shy away from expressing those things that might be labeled ‘street’ by others but represent cultural codes and ways of beings to us. We understand all of this, even if it dismays us. We’ve probably experienced a lot of this, even if it’s no longer our daily reality. Keeping in touch with all of this is a way of keeping us.

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Mediator for the Marginalized, Pt. 2

Fri, 11 Mar 2022 05:48:42 -0600

I remember a particular homeless person my wife and I spent time with for several months. Let’s call him Lawrence. A few years ago, my wife met Lawrence at a gas station near the apartment complex where we stayed. My wife has a heart for homeless people, and on the Wednesday afternoon she met Lawrence, they talked so long she was late for Bible study that evening. When she arrived, she had Lawrence in tow. His clothes had a light brown tint to them, and Lawrence talked and walked with a sort of hesitation. But, we could tell he was glad to be amongst people. As we talked later that evening, Lawrence intimated, “I don’t know the last time I actually talked to someone. I mean, you know, like beyond asking for money or whatever. Nobody really talks to me.” Though he said this with quiet gratitude, Lawrence’s statement jarred me as if he’d just shouted. He’d just illumined one of the constant realities of marginalization: being an outcast, having an abiding sense of alienation from others.

In this series, we’re considering the intersection between Reformed and Liberation theologies, specifically through Christ’s threefold office of prophet, priest, and king. Last time, we defined who “the marginalized” are, namely those who are: 1) particularly vulnerable to injustice, and 2) who lack the resources and influence to protect and promote their own flourishing because of their position in society. However, Lawrence’s statement above shows us being marginalized isn’t just about social power. It’s also about relationships, or, in Lawrence’s case the lack thereof. This was just as true in the days of the Old and New Testaments as it is today.

So, the question is: How does Jesus and His salvation meet the outcast?

My answer: In His priesthood, Jesus cleanses the outcast, making them fit for life with God and His people.

In scripture, the poor and weak are not always so due to mere economic misfortune or financial irresponsibility. Often times, poverty occurred because of disease or a bodily defect. This is especially clear in the Gospels and Acts. There are beggars who are blind or lame (Mt. 15:30-31, Mk. 2:1-12, Jn. 9:1-12). Their physical limitation would make work difficult, if not impossible, such that they could not even benefit directly from the gleaning laws that protect the poor (Dt. 24:19-22). Disease and defects not only meant health problems and economic insufficiency, but also social and religious alienation. No person with a physical defect could come into the temple for worship (Lev. 21:16-21) because they were deemed unclean. The gospel writers also at times point out the social and economic circumstances of these unclean ones. The blind and lame are “beggars” (Lk. 18:35-43) and the woman with the issue of blood had spent all her money on ineffective doctors (Lk. 8:43). Certain diseases, especially leprosy, meant separation from the people outside the camp. Therefore, the uncleanness of disease and defects brought with it the potential for poverty, weakness, and alienation. Not only that, but riches carried with it the assumption of God’s blessing, implying poverty as a manifestation of God’s displeasure. So, even if there was not the uncleanness of disease or defect, poverty itself brought with it a sort of alienation, a social exile.

In the law, cleansing uncleanness and satisfying God’s displeasure only came through sacrifices offered by the priest. The role of the priests was one of representation. They represented the people to God (Heb. 5:1) and represented God to the people. Through the prophets, Yahweh promises to cleanse His people (Eze. 36:24-25, Is. 53:5) and given the connection between cleansing and sacrifice, this implies the work of a priest. When Jesus came, such a priest arrived on the scene (Heb. 7:11-22, 10:11-18). Although the central focus of His priestly work was to offer Himself as the once-for-all sacrifice for sin (Heb. 9:11-14), we also see His priestly work in His healing ministry. The first miracles in Matthew, Mark, and Luke all mention uncleanness (Matt. 8:1-4, Mk. 1:40-45, Lk. 4:31-37), whether it is the uncleanness of demon possession or leprosy. Not only that, but Jesus heals the blind (Mk. 8:22-26, 10:46-52), lame (Jn. 5:1-17), paralyzed (Mk. 2:1-12), and a woman with menstrual dysfunction (Mk. 5:21-34). It seems the writers go out of the way to depict the cleansing power of Jesus because they point out that Jesus touches the unclean ones (Mk. 1:40-45, 5:21-34). This ought to have rendered Him unclean, but the efficacy of Jesus’s holiness as priest is so invincible and infectious it cleanses those He touches. These were penultimate cleansings, as he would accomplish the ultimate cleansing on the cross. When Jesus cleansed these vulnerable, unclean ones, they could now experience inclusion with God and His people.

Not only that, healing removed the primary cause of their social and economic vulnerability, making it possible for them to flourish as God intended. In this way, Jesus’s priestly mediation delivers the downtrodden from the vulnerability and alienation caused by their uncleanness. Earlier, I mentioned a homeless friend, Lawrence. Not everyone is homeless. Not everyone experiences the severity of alienation from people Lawrence experienced. But people who are homeless serve as a fitting example of those who would receive the cleansing welcome of Jesus the Priest because we often treat them like outcasts. Many people in our societies don’t want them around at all, much less be willing to love them, hug them, and welcome them. As minorities in America, many of us know what it is like to experience a sort of “outcasting” on a more subtle level. But where society offers apathy and rejection, Jesus offers cleansing and welcoming love. As His church, Jesus calls us to embody this reality, to offer the cleansing welcome of the gospel and the experience of that cleansing welcome through intimate, relational love towards all society’s outcasts.

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Deconstruction or Demolition?

Thu, 10 Mar 2022 10:37:25 -0600

As a pastor, I have to maintain a healthy interest in the spiritual developments that effect people. Perhaps it’s a new book really encouraging or upsetting people in their faith. Or maybe it’s a Christian leader touting a new idea that impacts how people live. It can also be things like community violence, international war, and family dynamics. Anything really.

That’s why I have watched with interest the current work happening with deconstruction. I’m no expert–at all. But a few things seem pretty obvious even to a novice like me. First, “deconstruction” means a lot of different things to different people. Second, various kinds of things can be “deconstructed,” from Christian beliefs to Christian behaviors to church practices to cultural barnacles. Third, “deconstruction” can reach really different end points, from a firmer, truer faith to outright rejection of the same. So, as a pastor, I’m really interested in what a specific person means when he or she says they are “deconstructing.” I’m interested to help them think well about what’s happening with them with the hopes that they might become more sound in faith.

To that end, it seems to me (again, I’m no expert) that a few questions might be helpful in diagnosing what’s happening when we feel we are deconstructing in some sense. In no particular order, here are a few I hope might be helpful:

Is this deconstruction or “negative learning”? Deconstruction assumes you had a coherent belief or position. But sometimes people are “deconstructing” things they never actually learned or constructed. They’re gathering objections, critiques, and complaints from others without understanding what’s being critiqued or if the critiques are accurate. That’s why I call it “negative learning”–the person is amassing a series of often disparate negations to replace an ill-formed belief or practice. Particularly in a society flooded with hurts, allegations and abuses, polarization and bad faith polemics, we need to be careful that we are constructionists in the first instance and that our deconstruction isn’t mostly a matter of murmuring, complaining, gossiping, and being taken in by every wind or doctrine.

Are your beliefs ever really rooted in the Bible? A lot of people are discovering that what they thought was biblical was actually cultural or political. The ideas of men have been taught to them as if they were the conclusions of God. Those kinds of discoveries ought to result in a kind of deconstruction. We should constantly scrape off the barnacles of cultural and political accretion from the ship of faith. But it also ought to make us wonder whether or not we had been rooting our faith in the word of God. Before we can deconstruct anything in a healthy way, we must go back to the source in a positive way. Can we build our beliefs from the Bible up rather than from a theological system down? Can we construct a position on a doctrine or practice using only the Bible, or are we primarily driven by “pastor says”? If we cannot articulate our beliefs with only the Bible in front of us, finding book chapter and verse, then the first order of business is to actually learn the Bible. Forget about deconstruction until you do some construction.

What specifically am I deconstructing? Is it the whole of Christianity or some specific teaching? Am I rethinking foundational Christian teaching (i.e., the Trinity, hell, the resurrection, atonement, etc) or a secondary doctrine (i.e., baptism, gender roles, spiritual gifts, etc)? Answering this determines whether you’re flirting with apostasy or reforming according to the word of God. Apostasy threatens the soul; reforming strengthens it. So, it’s helpful to do some triage. It’s also helpful to watch out for any instance where a secondary issue (say, baptism) begins to bleed over into primary issues (say, salvation). Theological and doctrinal ideas often hang together. Changes in one place often effect changes in other places. This, in part, is how some people drift into greater error and unbelief. Keep the questions as specific as you can.

Where am I trying to go? This question can help eliminate spiritual wandering. In the name of “deconstructing,” some people experience a loss of purpose and direction. They don’t know where they’re headed or trying to go. As I watch the conversation, it seems to me a crisis of confidence often travels with deconstruction. Some boast about this; they see their deconstruction as a commitment to ambiguity, not knowing, taking a journey being guided mainly by questions or doubts. I don’t think such boasting is healthy. As G. K. Chesterton once observed, “The purpose of having an open mind, like an open mouth, is to close it onto something solid.” But others who are deconstructing have a more specific destination in mind. They can identify the particular issue(s) that need re-examination in light of scripture, history, practice, etc. I’d suggest specificity actually helps with knowing whether you’re making spiritual progress toward anything healthy or toward anything at all. Again, you don’t want to be tossed to and fro by every wind of doctrine or taken captive by empty philosophy.

Are you being honest about your sin issues and temptations? It’s pretty easy to begin a deconstruction journey by assuming the rightness of our concerns. This is especially true with regard to our personal temptations and sin concerns. We may be facing temptations and sins for which we want approval, however, the Bible condemns it. So, in the name of “deconstruction,” we begin with a forbidden conclusion and work our way toward finding approval either outside the Bible or by twisting the Bible. That’s often times dishonest. It boasts in man’s wisdom rather than boasting in the knowledge of God. I am not here talking about a healthy acceptance of ourselves, including an honest admission of our sins and temptations, which is necessary to understand and fight them. I’m talking about an unhealthy self-deception, calling light darkness and darkness light. That kind of dishonesty might result in temporary relief or happiness, but it ends with eternal judgment. We must be relentlessly honest with ourselves and others about our sins and temptations so we are not deceived by them.

Is your deconstruction driven by hurt or disappointment? This is anecdotal, but it seems hurt or disappointment fuels a lot of deconstruction. it can be hurt suffered personally at the hands of church leaders. It can be disappointment with the failings of congregations or leaders. It can be a sense of betrayal when we disagree with others on a social or political issue important to us (especially given the hyper-polarization of the last decade). Pastorally, I think it’s important that we address our hurts and disappointments as constructively as possible before we turn to deconstruction as an answer. I know that many people find that their efforts at reconciliation and healing are thwarted or unfruitful. That compounds the hurt. But sometimes people give the impression they never sought to address offenses or misunderstandings. They left the hurtful relationship and decided to also leave some aspect of their faith and practice. Again, I think leaving a church or leader(s) is sometimes absolutely warranted. And leaving can be the first step in healing. I’m not cautioning against that. But we must be honest about the difference between when leaving is healing and when we’re leaving to avoid the hard work of reconciliation. Of course, I can’t answer that for anyone. But it seems important for everyone to ask themselves that question. In my anecdotal experience, most Christians try in heroic ways to achieve some reconciliation before deconstructing. So, if that’s not been your story, you might pause to ask why.

Are you in a rush? Sometimes it seems to me people are rushing toward conclusions at the speed of tweets. I wonder, Why be hasty with your soul? The work we do at sanctification, reforming our understanding, deconstructing or reconstructing is the most important work in the universe. We are working out our salvation with fear and trembling. So, we need to do it at a deliberate pace, discerning how God is at work in us to will and do His good pleasure. It’s unwise to rush spiritual formation. In fact, it’s pretty near impossible to do so. In many cases, people have believed something all their life and they learned it from the most trusted persons in their life (parents, pastors, teachers, etc). So, their beliefs and thoughts are often multi-layered, subtle in presence, foundational to more than just the practice or belief itself. Deconstruction can be a massive upheaval of an entire life. You shouldn’t do that unaided by trusted others and you shouldn’t do that as if it must be accomplished before it stops trending on social media. It may have taken you years or a lifetime to arrive at one understanding; give yourself years or even a lifetime to arrive at a better, more rooted, biblical new understanding. Don’t rush your soul’s development or your faith’s practice. Take your time. Jesus has you.

Conclusion

These are questions, not answers. They’re offered in the spirit of helping travelers read some of the signs they may be passing. As a committed Christian and pastor, I would have everyone enter and remain in the faith. But as a long-time Christian and pastor, I know all too well that we Christians and leaders hurt one another. Some do it unintentionally and others intentionally. There are weak sheep in the pews and the pulpit, just as there are wolves in pews and the pulpit. The consequence is hurt, pain, confusion and oftentimes doubt. Deconstruction can be a healthy response to those realities if we are careful to slow down and ask the right questions. Remember: There’s a significant difference between deconstruction and demolition. In demolition, we tear the entire edifice down, usually in one explosive moment. In deconstruction, as with our favorite shows on HGTV, we remove things with care and with an eye toward designing something better in the future.

I hope this helps even a little bit.

The post Deconstruction or Demolition? appeared first on The Front Porch.

Mosaix Blogs Full

Psalm 51: Repentance as a Servant of the Lord

Historical Background

Servant of the Lord

Theme Progression

Theme 1: Appeal — Ps 51:1-2

Theme 2: Confession — Ps 51:3-4

Levitical Law of Offerings

Leviticus 1: Law of the Burnt Offerings

Leviticus 2: Law of the Meat Offerings

Leviticus 3: Law of the Peace Offerings

Leviticus 4 & 5: Law of Sin and Trespass Offerings

Significance of the Sacrifices – Fulfilled at Pentecost

Mission in the Early Church

Tumultuous Birth

Early Christians

Jerusalem (Acts 2-5) 一 Local: Same Culture and Religion

Judea (Acts 6-7) 一 Culturally Similar But Some Religiously Different

Hellenist Jews

Samaria (Acts 8) 一 Same Language, Different Culture, Ethnicity, and Religion

End of the Earth (Acts 9-28) 一 Different Geographically, Religiously, Culturally, Linguistically, and Ethnically

Close

Feast of Pentecost in the Old Testament and Its New Testament Fulfillment

The Feast in Jewish Tradition

Fulfillment in the New Testament

Foundation of Acts: Beginning in Jerusalem

Authorship

Genre

Audience

Timeline of Events

Culture and Conflict

Preaching Across the Pews

Shift: Engage in the Local Culture

Bridging the Culture Gap Models

Inclusivity Model

Intentionality Model

Close

Valley of the Dry Bones: Historical and Cultural Contexts

Historical Context

Cultural

Geographical

Economic

Bibliography

The Supremacy of Jesus: Hebrews 1:3

Heir of All Things (1:2b)

Through Whom Also He Made the Worlds (1:2c)

Brightness of His Glory (1:3a)

Express Image of His Person (1:3a)

Upholding All Things by the Word of His Power (1:3b)

He Had by Himself Purged Our Sins (1:3c)

Sat Down at the Right Hand of the Majesty on High (1:3d)

Bibliography

The Davidic Covenant

Discovering “But God” Moments

How do I discover “but God” moments?

Check your attitude.

Stop complaining and start praising.

Adjust your perspective.

Accept God’s Challenge.

Our God is in the business of transforming people.

Power Evangelism

God Wants a Growing Family.

God Has Given You Gifts.

Gifts Reveal God’s Love.

Trophies of Intercession

Trophies of intercession are significant.

What will you intercede for?

What will you present as a trophy of your intercession?

What will be your trophies of intercession?

A trophy of intercession is contentment.

The Upper Room Community

COME INTO ALIGNMENT!

PREVAIL IN PRAYER!

ENJOY GOD’S PROMISES!

The Making of an Intercessor

Intercessors are made, not born.

Intercessors are made on their knees.

Intercessors have scars AND trophies!

It Happened on the Mountain

It Happened on the Mountain.