Greetings all. I was watching this today, enjoying some meditative moments in scholarship, and thought I might share. Many of you have seen this before, some have not. Regardless, take a few moments of your time to reflect on Thomas a'Kempis' words. Let us together promise to try and strive to be one of the few (not the Marines, but they are good too).
Here is the video: Imitation of Christ
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
Thursday, June 16, 2011
Side Blog: Date Rape, Incest, Jesus, and My Favorite Worship Song
While Mal, Mimi, and I were reading Genesis this morning, we came across a passage I totally forgot about- Jesus comes from a line with incest in it. Crazy, right?
Let me set the stage. God tells Abram to leave his family and go to Canaan. Abram grabs his nephew Lot and heads out (Lot always gets into lots of trouble... no pun intended... or, pun intended). They get to the triangle of wilderness that will, in the future, become very familiar to the wandering Hebrews, the Negev, and decide to split up their camps because of fighting among the shepherds. Lot thinks the Sodom area looks nice and decides to head that 'a way. So they part ways.
Now hope in your DeLorean and Fast Forward >>>>>>>>>>>>
Some angels show up, the same angels that visited Abraham and said that Sarah would have a baby. They get to Sodom to warn Lot to bust out of there because God is going to destroy it (why? Well, I think the name helps us to understand). The Sodomites (pun intended) go to Lot's place and want the angels. Lot offers his virgin daughters (who will come into play later). They say no, go blind, and Lot and his virgin daughters + wife escape the next day. Sodom gets destroyed, wife gets turned into pillar of salt for her disobedience- meanwhile, Abraham looks on.
Lot wanders around, fearing for his safety, takes up a home in a cave (caves play a big role in the OT). This is where it gets weird. Lot's daughters are panicked that they live in a cave and all Lot's sons are either non-existent or dead (died in Sodom b/c they "didn't believe Lot"). They fear Lot's line will die out unless something is drastically done. So they get Lot, what I only assume is extremely, drunk on wine and date rape him. As a result, both daughters become pregnant.
This is where Jesus comes in. The firstborn daughter had a son and called him Moab... which weirdly enough means "from the father" (not sure I would want to advertise that). As you know, Moab has a long and convoluted history in the OT. But, what is important to note is Ruth. You know Ruth, the Moabitess. She marries Boaz (interesting more, the kinsman redeemer keeps Elimelech's line alive) and they have a son, Obed, who is the father of Jesse the father of David. As we know, David is the "father" of Jesus... Jesus traces his lineage through David, consequently and partly through Ruth, and ultimately through Moab and one of Lot's oldest virgin daughters. Hence Jesus has a shady lineage: date rape, incest, and gentiles. Very interesting, huh? I thought so, that is why I wrote about it. But isn't that comforting for us, that Jesus traces his humanly lineage through such a line as that? I think so. Just further proof that Jesus came to save all man- Jews, Gentiles, and date rapers.
I know this is some crazy stuff to ponder, so I gifted you with my hands-down, most favorite worship song of all time, "In the Light," by D.C. Talk. No matter the times or circumstances, this song is always the best! Enjoy.
Hands Down My #1 Favorite Worship Song EVER! DC Talk!! OH Yeah
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
click on that link
Let me set the stage. God tells Abram to leave his family and go to Canaan. Abram grabs his nephew Lot and heads out (Lot always gets into lots of trouble... no pun intended... or, pun intended). They get to the triangle of wilderness that will, in the future, become very familiar to the wandering Hebrews, the Negev, and decide to split up their camps because of fighting among the shepherds. Lot thinks the Sodom area looks nice and decides to head that 'a way. So they part ways.
Now hope in your DeLorean and Fast Forward >>>>>>>>>>>>
Some angels show up, the same angels that visited Abraham and said that Sarah would have a baby. They get to Sodom to warn Lot to bust out of there because God is going to destroy it (why? Well, I think the name helps us to understand). The Sodomites (pun intended) go to Lot's place and want the angels. Lot offers his virgin daughters (who will come into play later). They say no, go blind, and Lot and his virgin daughters + wife escape the next day. Sodom gets destroyed, wife gets turned into pillar of salt for her disobedience- meanwhile, Abraham looks on.
Lot wanders around, fearing for his safety, takes up a home in a cave (caves play a big role in the OT). This is where it gets weird. Lot's daughters are panicked that they live in a cave and all Lot's sons are either non-existent or dead (died in Sodom b/c they "didn't believe Lot"). They fear Lot's line will die out unless something is drastically done. So they get Lot, what I only assume is extremely, drunk on wine and date rape him. As a result, both daughters become pregnant.
This is where Jesus comes in. The firstborn daughter had a son and called him Moab... which weirdly enough means "from the father" (not sure I would want to advertise that). As you know, Moab has a long and convoluted history in the OT. But, what is important to note is Ruth. You know Ruth, the Moabitess. She marries Boaz (interesting more, the kinsman redeemer keeps Elimelech's line alive) and they have a son, Obed, who is the father of Jesse the father of David. As we know, David is the "father" of Jesus... Jesus traces his lineage through David, consequently and partly through Ruth, and ultimately through Moab and one of Lot's oldest virgin daughters. Hence Jesus has a shady lineage: date rape, incest, and gentiles. Very interesting, huh? I thought so, that is why I wrote about it. But isn't that comforting for us, that Jesus traces his humanly lineage through such a line as that? I think so. Just further proof that Jesus came to save all man- Jews, Gentiles, and date rapers.
I know this is some crazy stuff to ponder, so I gifted you with my hands-down, most favorite worship song of all time, "In the Light," by D.C. Talk. No matter the times or circumstances, this song is always the best! Enjoy.
Hands Down My #1 Favorite Worship Song EVER! DC Talk!! OH Yeah
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
click on that link
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
Joel 3- Hooray for the Day when Bad Guys Go Away!
I am a total nincompoop, of this I am aware. In the spirit of procrastination, this blog sat unwritten on my desktop for eons... days, actually, but to God a day is like a thousand years and a thousand years a day- so, eons...
Joel 3 is the final chapter of Joel. Yes, just what I was thinking, why did it take over 1 month to finish a small little gem like Joel (see above)? Alas we find the close of days- when those who have wronged Israel/God's chosen are brought to justice... If you haven't yet, I highly suggest you read Joel 3 now!
Welcome back, congratulation- you are better now than you were before for having read this passage. Because as the Bible says, it's words do not return void... which means that you always get something out of the Bible.... maybe not now, maybe not tomorrow, but someday, and either way, you are a better person spiritually for having taking the time to read it- bravo! If you haven' t read Joel yet, and are now feeling convicted, I suggest that you read it so that you can be better in a few minutes then you are right now, and so your conscious will be at ease.
So what is this all about? Joel 3? Simply, the wicked are judged for the wickedness and God's chosen live in prosperity.... the end.
I told you it was easy to understand. See, Biblical prophecy is really quite simply summed up in a few words: bad guys loose and God wins.
But, there are you sticklers out there who "want to know what the Bible is really talking about." So for you "realists," "literalists," "desktop scholars (like myself)", and "bored people," I offer the following explanation.
(Hold-on, Mimi woke up from her nap... ok, she is plopped in front of "Praise Baby," that should buy me about 1/2 hr... on a side note- if anyone ever tells you that aloe is soothing on poison oak, brush the dust of your feet as you leave that place after slapping them... b/c they are liars!)
You will notice a few things going on here in Joel 3. (1) Specific issues relating to the "sons of Judah and Jerusalem," and (2) General description of an event that sounds quite like armageddon.
(1) As always, Joel pronounces that God will bring immediate judgement on those who were afflicting Israel. For example, the Phoenicians and Philistines were told they would be judged for selling off the Hebrews into slavery. Alexander III sold a bunch of people, Sidonians, people from Tyre, and Gaza, into slavery, which would have been the descendants of the same people Joel condemns, Phoenicians and Philistines. There is an example of a temporal fulfillment. There are a number of other things mentioned... but you get the picture.
(2) Verses 9-16 seems to point toward a future event. The Lord's armies will assemble and fight against "the nations."How many? Multitudes upon multitudes will pour into the "valley of decision," aka "the Valley of Jehoshaphat." Therefore, alot. The Lord will wipe them out.
Verses 17-21 describes the Millennial Kingdom and complete restoration- Yay!
To sum up Joel is quite simple. God has promised complete restoration. Those who do not choose God (or, better, who are not chosen by God), will fall in with the "multitude of nations," that will come face-to-face with God in the valley of decision. I want to be on God's side in this epic end times event. Why? Because I want to inhabit the place where, "the mountains will drip with sweet wine, and the hills will flow with milk, and all the brooks of Judah will flow with water; and a spring will go out form the house of the Lord to water the Valley of Shittim." Sounds like a nice place, much better than being included in this group, "Egypt will become a waste, and Edom will become a desolate wilderness, b/c of the violence done to the sons of Judah, In whose land they have shed innocent blood. But Judah will be inhabited forever (I want to be here) and Jerusalem for generations (here too). And I will avenge their blood which I have not avenged (don't want to be avenged upon).
So then, faith in God? If you say YAY, then relax and wait for that great day. If you say NAY, then pray that God will open your eyes and soften your heart so we can hang out together in the Millennial Kingdom and drink some sweet milk that flows from the hills! Sounds too idealistic? Well, it's better than the alternative..
For practical purposes, lets live today in light of that promised future. For our God is great and worthy to be praise and adored. Let's let our life be a "sweet fragrance" wafting up to the divine nostrils of God! Amen
Joel 3 is the final chapter of Joel. Yes, just what I was thinking, why did it take over 1 month to finish a small little gem like Joel (see above)? Alas we find the close of days- when those who have wronged Israel/God's chosen are brought to justice... If you haven't yet, I highly suggest you read Joel 3 now!
Welcome back, congratulation- you are better now than you were before for having read this passage. Because as the Bible says, it's words do not return void... which means that you always get something out of the Bible.... maybe not now, maybe not tomorrow, but someday, and either way, you are a better person spiritually for having taking the time to read it- bravo! If you haven' t read Joel yet, and are now feeling convicted, I suggest that you read it so that you can be better in a few minutes then you are right now, and so your conscious will be at ease.
So what is this all about? Joel 3? Simply, the wicked are judged for the wickedness and God's chosen live in prosperity.... the end.
I told you it was easy to understand. See, Biblical prophecy is really quite simply summed up in a few words: bad guys loose and God wins.
But, there are you sticklers out there who "want to know what the Bible is really talking about." So for you "realists," "literalists," "desktop scholars (like myself)", and "bored people," I offer the following explanation.
(Hold-on, Mimi woke up from her nap... ok, she is plopped in front of "Praise Baby," that should buy me about 1/2 hr... on a side note- if anyone ever tells you that aloe is soothing on poison oak, brush the dust of your feet as you leave that place after slapping them... b/c they are liars!)
You will notice a few things going on here in Joel 3. (1) Specific issues relating to the "sons of Judah and Jerusalem," and (2) General description of an event that sounds quite like armageddon.
(1) As always, Joel pronounces that God will bring immediate judgement on those who were afflicting Israel. For example, the Phoenicians and Philistines were told they would be judged for selling off the Hebrews into slavery. Alexander III sold a bunch of people, Sidonians, people from Tyre, and Gaza, into slavery, which would have been the descendants of the same people Joel condemns, Phoenicians and Philistines. There is an example of a temporal fulfillment. There are a number of other things mentioned... but you get the picture.
(2) Verses 9-16 seems to point toward a future event. The Lord's armies will assemble and fight against "the nations."How many? Multitudes upon multitudes will pour into the "valley of decision," aka "the Valley of Jehoshaphat." Therefore, alot. The Lord will wipe them out.
Verses 17-21 describes the Millennial Kingdom and complete restoration- Yay!
To sum up Joel is quite simple. God has promised complete restoration. Those who do not choose God (or, better, who are not chosen by God), will fall in with the "multitude of nations," that will come face-to-face with God in the valley of decision. I want to be on God's side in this epic end times event. Why? Because I want to inhabit the place where, "the mountains will drip with sweet wine, and the hills will flow with milk, and all the brooks of Judah will flow with water; and a spring will go out form the house of the Lord to water the Valley of Shittim." Sounds like a nice place, much better than being included in this group, "Egypt will become a waste, and Edom will become a desolate wilderness, b/c of the violence done to the sons of Judah, In whose land they have shed innocent blood. But Judah will be inhabited forever (I want to be here) and Jerusalem for generations (here too). And I will avenge their blood which I have not avenged (don't want to be avenged upon).
So then, faith in God? If you say YAY, then relax and wait for that great day. If you say NAY, then pray that God will open your eyes and soften your heart so we can hang out together in the Millennial Kingdom and drink some sweet milk that flows from the hills! Sounds too idealistic? Well, it's better than the alternative..
For practical purposes, lets live today in light of that promised future. For our God is great and worthy to be praise and adored. Let's let our life be a "sweet fragrance" wafting up to the divine nostrils of God! Amen
Monday, June 6, 2011
Repentance, Restoration, and the Holy Spirit! Joel 2:18-32
A few days have since elapsed since we have gathered together for a breeze through Joel. It was a busy week; wedding, Sunday school, and preaching. I thought about posting this installment on Thursday, but instead worked on the wedding ceremony. Sorry, you'll have to take it up with the bride.
Quick review: Judah got in trouble for too much drinking and worldly stuff. God sent a plague of locusts in Judgement. As a result, the people could not fellowship w/Yahweh b/c their thanks offering was resting the belly of the locusts. The Spirit of the Lord led Joel to use this judgement to point forward to the greater judgement of The Day of the Lord at the end times. Joel compares the vast destructive power of the locusts to God's armies- promising that there is no hope for those outside God's camp. Rather than be fearful of the judgement, Joel urges national repentance as for the priests and people to remind God of His obligation to them as covenant partner. Joel 2:18-32 then is God's response to their repentance.
If you haven't already, please read vv. 18-32.
Welcome back. Most all the prophets do this, which is comforting. They give a glimmer of hope after crushing our spirits with what is to come.... or what has already come. V. 18 is no different. Apparently the people have repented and God has "remembered" His people and became zealous for them.... Just a quick note- it is good to have God zealous for you... Have you ever met a sports fan? They are zealous for their team, right? Yes, completed nuts they are. God is even more so zealous for His people- what a comforting thought.
As a result of their national repentance, God promises restoration, grain, grape, and olives, such that they will be full satisfied! God not only promises to restore- but to fully restore! Not just provide only what is needed for survival, but for satisfaction- how great is our God.... (its ok to shout amen to yourself here if you want... no one is looking, unless of course you are in coffee shop or something, then its still ok, just make sure to evangelize the people in there).
So their produce is restored, but so also will be their national pride. Along with their national pride, comes national safety. God promises to clear out the enemies of Judah so that she can rest easy and satisfied... at least until they mess up again.
What is great about this passage is that is doesn't just pertain to the people, but the land and the animals on the land. God is talking about complete restoration after the locusts.... The land will once again grow vegetation and the animals can again feed on that vegetation. This is the temporal fulfillment... But one has to wonder if this is also an allusion to the new heaven and the new earth that is coming? Or, perhaps, this is an allusion to the Millennial Kingdom? Yes, I suppose.
Then Joel gives a promise to the actual people- rejoice, because the rains are coming again, the grain is coming again, and your vats will again overflow! This is messianic imagery here- all things that are supposed to happen once the Messiah arrives. How often does this imagery make its way form the pages of the bible to our ears? Are your vats overflowing, the messiah has come!
What will be the response of the people? "You will praise the name of the Lord your God, who has acted wonderfully in your behalf." The people's sorrow will turn to praise and worship! The object of wrath again becomes the object of worship. It is amazing how swift to forgive is our God, and how fully the restoration. God will restore the nation such that the response will be to worship and rejoice in God's goodness...
Not only will they rejoice, but the nation will again turn its heart toward God and "be convinced that I am in the midst of Israel."
When all this happens, the Spirit of God will come upon the people....vv 28-29 "And after all of this, I will pour out my Spirit on all kinds of people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy. Your elderly will have revelatory dreams; your young men will see prophetic visions. Even on male and female servants I will pour out my Spirit in those days." This is the verse Peter referenced in Acts 2:16... So then, this verse finds at least its partial fulfillment on the day of Pentecost, it not its complete fulfillment.
To close it up (I know I'm getting long winded now), Joel closes with some "signs of the times," (c.f. Ezek 32:6-8) that will precede the Day of the Lord and that in order to be saved from the coming destruction, one must call on the name of the Lord. These are the same people on whom the Spirit indwelled (Joel 2:28-29), who are most likely the remnant spoken of in v. 32, specially called by the Lord... whew!
There is a lot going on here for sure. If you are trying to wrap your brains around this prophecy, let me try and help. Remember a while ago I talked about partial/complete fulfillment of prophecy. This is a common thing in the Bible. Joel promises immediate restoration to the people of Judah, which foreshadows the full restoration that is coming to all people as a result of the coming of the Messiah. When the Messiah comes, he will usher forth a time of great, bountiful harvest and the coming of the Spirit on all people that will cause tremendous blessing. After this, there will be a coming great judgement and only those so called by the Lord, the Spirit-filled remnant, will be delivered through the destruction. Now, some of this has happened and some has not. Let's start with the "has happened."
Ok, Jesus the Messiah came and offered the Kingdom to the Jews. Where is the bountiful harvest and land restoration? This was forfeited as a result of Christ's rejection. This was what was on the table at the arrival of the Messiah. This doesn't mean the prophecy was wrong, this means that the prophecy is still yet to be fully fulfilled at the Millennium (that is the "has yet to come" portion).
Jesus comes, is rejected, then offers an alternative solution- the Church. Jesus' death on the cross brings us the spiritual restoration, and the promised Spirit, but not the physical land promises, yet.... This is saved for a later day, until the full measure of believers have been called. Then, as promised, Jesus will return and the prophecy of Joel will be finally fulfilled.
God is great and promises full restoration, and has already provided for it. At some point, Jesus will return to gather up those believers on earth and bring forth the destruction that leads to total restoration. You have the possibility now of full restoration with God through faith in Jesus christ, just as the people of Judah looked forward to full restoration from the devastation wrought by the plague of Locusts, and to the promise of national, spiritual restoration at the coming of the Messiah. If you haven't already believed in Jesus for restoration- I challenge you to do so... Then the promised bountiful harvest will be yours and your spiritual vats will be overflowing and you will be included as the "remnant" at THE Day of the Lord.
If you are already saved, rest easy in the hope of complete restoration one day. The world is a sick and dying place. We haven't experienced God's full restoration of His creation- that day is coming. So let's worship our God of restoration!
Quick review: Judah got in trouble for too much drinking and worldly stuff. God sent a plague of locusts in Judgement. As a result, the people could not fellowship w/Yahweh b/c their thanks offering was resting the belly of the locusts. The Spirit of the Lord led Joel to use this judgement to point forward to the greater judgement of The Day of the Lord at the end times. Joel compares the vast destructive power of the locusts to God's armies- promising that there is no hope for those outside God's camp. Rather than be fearful of the judgement, Joel urges national repentance as for the priests and people to remind God of His obligation to them as covenant partner. Joel 2:18-32 then is God's response to their repentance.
If you haven't already, please read vv. 18-32.
Welcome back. Most all the prophets do this, which is comforting. They give a glimmer of hope after crushing our spirits with what is to come.... or what has already come. V. 18 is no different. Apparently the people have repented and God has "remembered" His people and became zealous for them.... Just a quick note- it is good to have God zealous for you... Have you ever met a sports fan? They are zealous for their team, right? Yes, completed nuts they are. God is even more so zealous for His people- what a comforting thought.
As a result of their national repentance, God promises restoration, grain, grape, and olives, such that they will be full satisfied! God not only promises to restore- but to fully restore! Not just provide only what is needed for survival, but for satisfaction- how great is our God.... (its ok to shout amen to yourself here if you want... no one is looking, unless of course you are in coffee shop or something, then its still ok, just make sure to evangelize the people in there).
So their produce is restored, but so also will be their national pride. Along with their national pride, comes national safety. God promises to clear out the enemies of Judah so that she can rest easy and satisfied... at least until they mess up again.
What is great about this passage is that is doesn't just pertain to the people, but the land and the animals on the land. God is talking about complete restoration after the locusts.... The land will once again grow vegetation and the animals can again feed on that vegetation. This is the temporal fulfillment... But one has to wonder if this is also an allusion to the new heaven and the new earth that is coming? Or, perhaps, this is an allusion to the Millennial Kingdom? Yes, I suppose.
Then Joel gives a promise to the actual people- rejoice, because the rains are coming again, the grain is coming again, and your vats will again overflow! This is messianic imagery here- all things that are supposed to happen once the Messiah arrives. How often does this imagery make its way form the pages of the bible to our ears? Are your vats overflowing, the messiah has come!What will be the response of the people? "You will praise the name of the Lord your God, who has acted wonderfully in your behalf." The people's sorrow will turn to praise and worship! The object of wrath again becomes the object of worship. It is amazing how swift to forgive is our God, and how fully the restoration. God will restore the nation such that the response will be to worship and rejoice in God's goodness...
Not only will they rejoice, but the nation will again turn its heart toward God and "be convinced that I am in the midst of Israel."
When all this happens, the Spirit of God will come upon the people....vv 28-29 "And after all of this, I will pour out my Spirit on all kinds of people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy. Your elderly will have revelatory dreams; your young men will see prophetic visions. Even on male and female servants I will pour out my Spirit in those days." This is the verse Peter referenced in Acts 2:16... So then, this verse finds at least its partial fulfillment on the day of Pentecost, it not its complete fulfillment.To close it up (I know I'm getting long winded now), Joel closes with some "signs of the times," (c.f. Ezek 32:6-8) that will precede the Day of the Lord and that in order to be saved from the coming destruction, one must call on the name of the Lord. These are the same people on whom the Spirit indwelled (Joel 2:28-29), who are most likely the remnant spoken of in v. 32, specially called by the Lord... whew!
Ok, Jesus the Messiah came and offered the Kingdom to the Jews. Where is the bountiful harvest and land restoration? This was forfeited as a result of Christ's rejection. This was what was on the table at the arrival of the Messiah. This doesn't mean the prophecy was wrong, this means that the prophecy is still yet to be fully fulfilled at the Millennium (that is the "has yet to come" portion).
Jesus comes, is rejected, then offers an alternative solution- the Church. Jesus' death on the cross brings us the spiritual restoration, and the promised Spirit, but not the physical land promises, yet.... This is saved for a later day, until the full measure of believers have been called. Then, as promised, Jesus will return and the prophecy of Joel will be finally fulfilled.
God is great and promises full restoration, and has already provided for it. At some point, Jesus will return to gather up those believers on earth and bring forth the destruction that leads to total restoration. You have the possibility now of full restoration with God through faith in Jesus christ, just as the people of Judah looked forward to full restoration from the devastation wrought by the plague of Locusts, and to the promise of national, spiritual restoration at the coming of the Messiah. If you haven't already believed in Jesus for restoration- I challenge you to do so... Then the promised bountiful harvest will be yours and your spiritual vats will be overflowing and you will be included as the "remnant" at THE Day of the Lord.
If you are already saved, rest easy in the hope of complete restoration one day. The world is a sick and dying place. We haven't experienced God's full restoration of His creation- that day is coming. So let's worship our God of restoration!
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