And when these things begin to come to pass,
then look up, and lift up your heads;
for your redemption draweth nigh.
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March 20, 2008:Traditions | Just a few more weary days and then... I'll fly away... And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh. |
| December 29, 2007:New Year's 2008 | ||
| November 3, 2007:How To Be Successful in Christian Ministry | ||
| October 23, 2007:Salmon |
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| Christ is King William H. Haller |
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First, here are a few brief comments for last week's lesson for the Internet audience. I was so upset with the Teacher's quarterly last week, that I didn't even post anything. First, what we agreed on...
There, we part ways. The quarterly writer made way too much of the word all in their writings. The quarterly writer would say that we can take anything good that we find in the world or the world's religions and accept it since all is rooted in Christ, by some tenuous thread. Somehow, they missed the last quarterly completely. We just went through months of looking at how the early Israelites started down the same path time and time again. They saw something that seemed good in other religions and incorporated it into their own way of life. Each time they did that, their own religion looked less special. They diluted its content. Soon, it was easier to accept the next thing the foreign religion offered, and soon, they were worshiping idols and doing other abominations, where God would be forced to cut them off. Over, and over, and over this occurred.
Are there good things in other religions? Undoubtedly, there are some. Any older member in our church could sit down and write a book of wisdom based on his or her life experience that would have some good bits as well. That isn't the point. Anything good that you find in the world has its equivalent in Christianity if you will get your eyes off the forbidden fruit and look for it. The other religions also have much that is evil. You might not see it at first glance, but if you stray far enough away from your roots, you will find it if you look long enough. You'll also find yourselves in the same position the Israelites were in, worshiping something other than God the Father. Just don't go there. Learn about your own religion in both the Old and New Testaments. I guarantee there is enough there that you don't know that will occupy all your spare time so you won't be off looking at other religions. I know there is for me.
This lesson wasn't much better. The lesson starts of saying that Paul didn't write Hebrews. Well, it is true that the epistle doesn't start out with Paul's name like so many others do, but here is the case for Paul's authorship from Dake.
As they start dissecting the start of Hebrews, I immediately have issues with their statements. They take Hebrews 1:1 and 1:2 to mean that the time of prophets has ended, once and for all. I beg to differ. These two verses simply state an historical fact. God did speak to the Israelites by prophets in the Old Testament. Book after book contains prophecy - either the classical form where the speaker is relating something that will occur in the future, or simple statements of fact that about the current subjects of the prophecy that the speaker could not know under his own power alone.
It is also true that there had not been many prophets to Israel in the intervening years since the exile. Malachi, Haggai, and Zechariah are the only three whose writings survived and are included in the Old Testament Canon. All three books were written in the time period from about 557 to 525 B.C. So there were almost five centuries without any major prophets to the people. All true. Then came John the Baptist, prophesying in the wilderness "I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, Make straight the way of the Lord, as said the prophet Esaias", and later "The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the world. This is he of whom I said, After me cometh a man which is preferred before me: for he was before me. And I knew him not: but that he should be made manifest to Israel, therefore am I come baptizing with water." Sounds like the words of a prophet to me.
You know how when major things are going to happen in the corporate world there is an enforced quiet time where neither company can make comments on pending mergers, companies can't talk about IPOs, et cetera. I think the same thing went on in Israel. God wanted to have the people's attention when He sent Christ. He kept quite for a long period before the date, so that when John began prophesying, it would get the people's attention.
It is also true that Christ was (and is) the Word. While He walked the earth, He was speaking for the Father. So there wasn't much need of prophets while He was present.
But prophecy didn't end there as they say in analyzing verse 1. Prophecy is one of the Gifts of the Spirit that is available to any believer who is Baptized in the Holy Ghost. This gift is no different in operation to the gift of prophecy that operated in the prophets of the Old Testament. It is just more widely available. Instead of being in one or two individuals, prophesying to a people, it is available to any Christian who accepts the Baptism in the Holy Spirit. I guess these two authors don't.
If there was any doubt about whether prophesy died just because Jesus came, they really should read the rest of the New Testament. It is sprinkled with prophecy about things to come. A really big example would be - oh, say - the book of Revelation!
The next few statements point out the glory of Christ. They reiterate that Christ is the heir to all things, and that God made all that exists through Christ. His glory is the brightness of God's glory. He is the express image of God's person. He is the upholder of all creation. He is the Saviour of the world. He has ascended and is exalted on the right hand of God the Father.
The book of Hebrews then turns to the issue of what to do with angels, which was evidently a problem for that group of believers. The book of Hebrews makes clear that Christ is above the angels, it is important to see just what angels are and some of their functions in the Bible. It should also be noted that in our resurrected state, we will have a position above the angels for making a choice to follow Christ and become one of His children by adoption, we gain status that the created angels will never have.
There are many instances of angelic appearances that weren't listed here. Dake notes 104 appearances of angels to man recorded in the Bible. Only four are named (Lucifer, Michael, Gabriel, and Abaddon or Apollyon). Two were faithful (Michael and Gabriel) and two were unfaithful (Lucifer and Abaddon/Apollyon). As noted in the quarterly, the word "Angel" that this class of being is called means to dispatch as a deputy; a messenger; ambassador in the Hebrew or to bring tidings; a messenger in Greek. The word angel is used of visitations by God, Christ, men, and certain spirit beings. The context of the verses where the word is used generally makes clear which reference is intended.
In many cases an angel comes upon the enemy of Israel and wipes out a whole lot of troops in a single action. Angels have like passions and desires to man. Satan was one of the chief angels and led an insurrection against God, was cast from God's presence and lost his Earthly kingdom to man at some point in the interval between Gen 1:1 and 1:2. Many of the angels (one third) were allied with him and lost out. Satan, of course, was the chief culprit in stirring up mischief in the Garden of Eden, although it was still man's choice that led to failure. Angels also are recorded as being one of the proximate causes of the flood in Noah's day, which God sent to eliminate the giant offspring between Angels and women.
There has been a recurrence of interest in angels and other spiritual things by the masses lately. In the Christmas season, this is particularly true. Some interpretations such as "Touched by an Angel" were interesting, although female angels are never mentioned in the Bible. Other interpretations of spiritual things today have little merit, and I won't dignify them by mentioning them. Suffice it to say that after "Touched" went off the air and with the possible exception of "Joan of Arcadia", the fare has been pretty pathetic. Satan seems to have been going out of his way to show possible futures where dire things have happened with some warped religious overtones, no doubt marshaling his forces for the post-rapture events that he knows are coming.
Where does Christ fit into all this? Paul points out in no uncertain terms that Christ is greater than the angels. Verses 1:4 through 2:28 make this clear in 40 statements of comparison between the two. Paul is on a crusade that people need to get their eyes off of the messenger and back on Christ, the God. I will give Touched by and Angel credit, in that in their last episode, they have Monica (who is in testing to move up in the hierarchy), have to make a choice between helping a supposed criminal and going on to be a supervising angel. She chooses staying and helping the criminal. The criminal ends up disappearing and it turns out that Christ was playing the part. The question is asked as to why she didn't recognize Him. The answer was that she would have done anything in the world for Christ - Christ wanted to know what she would do for someone who the world looked down on. She passed her test. That episode always brings tears to my eyes. Would we do anything in the world for Christ - let alone our common man?
I got this e-mail this week and I'm going to pass it on. I've been unable to trace attribution, but I'll gladly attribute it if anyone can tell me the author.
Dear Children,
It has come to my attention that many of you are upset that folks are taking My name out of the season. Maybe you've forgotten that I wasn't actually born during this time of the year and that it was some of your predecessors who decided to celebrate My birthday on what was actually a time of pagan festival. Although I do appreciate being remembered anytime.
How I personally feel about this celebration can probably be most easily understood by those of you who have been blessed with children of your own. I don't care what you call the day. If you want to celebrate My birth just, GET ALONG AND LOVE ONE ANOTHER.
Now, having said that let Me go on. If it bothers you that the town in which you live doesn't allow a scene depicting My birth, then just get rid of a couple of Santa's and snowmen and put in a small Nativity scene on your own front lawn. If all My followers did that there wouldn't be any need for such a scene on the town square because there would be many of them all around town.
Stop worrying about the fact that people are calling the tree a holiday tree, instead of a Christmas tree. It was I who made all trees. You can remember Me anytime you see any tree. Decorate a grape vine if you wish: I actually spoke of that one in a teaching, explaining who I am in relation to you and what each of our tasks were. If you have forgotten that one, look up John 15: 1-8.
If you want to give Me a present in remembrance of My birth here is my wish list. Choose something from it:
Don't forget; I am God and can take care of Myself. Just love Me and do what I have told you to do. I'll take care of all the rest. Check out the list above and get to work; time is short. I'll help you, but the ball is now in your court. And do have a most blessed Christmas with all those whom you love and remember - I LOVE YOU, JESUS
Some may consider that sacriligious, but I think many of the sentiments in that e-mail are very good reflections on what is needed in Christianity today. Our church as a whole does pretty good on many of those fronts. What are you and I willing to do for God? We need to get our eyes off of the messengers and back on Christ who made our salvation possible.
