Always Reforming

“For behold, the day is coming, burning like an oven, when all the arrogant and all evildoers will be stubble. The day that is coming shall set them ablaze, says the Lord of hosts, so that it will leave them neither root nor branch. But for you who fear my name, the sun of righteousness shall rise with healing in its wings. You shall go out leaping like calves from the stall. And you shall tread down the wicked, for they will be ashes under the soles of your feet, on the day when I act, says the Lord of hosts.“ Remember the law of my servant Moses, the statutes and rules that I commanded him at Horeb for all Israel. “Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the great and awesome day of the Lord comes. And he will turn the hearts of fathers to their children and the hearts of children to their fathers, lest I come and strike the land with a decree of utter destruction.”     I would like to emphasize the last two verses here.  Firstly, Jesus tells us that John the Baptis

Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he had come from God and was going back to God, rose from supper. He laid aside his outer garments, and taking a towel, tied it around his waist.Then he [Jesus] poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet and to wipe them with the towel that was wrapped around him. He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, “Lord, do you wash my feet?” Jesus answered him, “What I am doing you do not understand now, but afterward you will understand.” Peter said to him, “You shall never wash my feet.” Jesus answered him, “If I do not wash you, you have no share with me.” Simon Peter said to him, “Lord, not my feet only but also my hands and my head!”     These few verses are the material for many sermons, I am sure, but allow me to point out just a few thoughts exegetically.  Notice, firstly, the humility of our Savior--that which we ought all to emulate.  This humility also emphasizes His true humanity. 

“If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. Remember the word that I said to you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours. But all these things they will do to you on account of my name, because they do not know him who sent me."     Today I heard on the news a story of a woman in California whose neighbors have complained about her 25' cross in her front yard.  They said that it was an "eye sore" and was hurting their "property values."  Now, I have no idea if it is a gaudy cross that is out of good taste or if it is a standard, wooden cross, but it seems to me if it were a giant statue of Bhudda or some other religious symbol that the controversy would not

Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?” She said to him, “Yes, Lord; I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who is coming into the world.”     The greater context of this passage is the resurrection of Lazarus by Jesus.  This whole physical episode is given to demonstrate a spiritual truth--that Jesus is life.  In 1 John 1:2, John says that Jesus is life--eternal life.  This is the message that Jesus is trying to communicate to His people.  This is why He said He was glad that He had not been there to stop Lazarus from dying.     When Jesus was at the well of Jacob He told the Samaritan that if someone drank of the water which He offered, they would never die.  This water is Himself.  We must drink of Jesus.  He is the way, the truth, and the LIFE!      Only in Jesus do we truly come to life.  As the Holy Spirit

"Now the point in what we are saying is this: we have such a high priest, one who is seated at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in heaven, a minister in the holy places, in the true tent that the Lord set up, not man. For every high priest is appointed to offer gifts and sacrifices; thus it is necessary for this priest also to have something to offer. Now if he were on earth, he would not be a priest at all, since there are priests who offer gifts according to the law. They serve a copy and shadow of the heavenly things. For when Moses was about to erect the tent, he was instructed by God, saying, “See that you make everything according to the pattern that was shown you on the mountain.” But as it is, Christ has obtained a ministry that is as much more excellent than the old as the covenant he mediates is better, since it is enacted on better promises."     Jesus is our high priest.  That is the message of the book of Hebrews.  He is no mere priest, nor is he mer

"Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world. He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, having become as much superior to angels as the name he has inherited is more excellent than theirs." John calls Christ the "Word" in John 1:1-14.  The entire book of Hebrews is essentially about how Christ as Savior is better than the Old Testament rituals and symbols that pictured Him.  This, it could be said, is the story of the New Testament in general.  But a few points from the passage at hand. Firstly, the author of Hebrews confirms that the prophets were divinely inspired.  God revealed His redemptive plan to them in dif

When day came, the assembly of the elders of the people gathered together, both chief priests and scribes. And they led him away to their council, and they said, “If you are the Christ, tell us.” But he said to them, “If I tell you, you will not believe, and if I ask you, you will not answer. But from now on the Son of Man shall be seated at the right hand of the power of God.” So they all said, “Are you the Son of God, then?” And he said to them, “You say that I am.” Then they said, “What further testimony do we need? We have heard it ourselves from his own lips.” And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Now when they heard these things they were enraged, and they ground their teeth at him. But he, full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. And he said, “Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.” What about J

Now as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and after blessing it broke it and gave it to the disciples, and said, “Take, eat; this is my body.” And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, saying, “Drink of it, all of you, for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. I tell you I will not drink again of this fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom.”     There are certain implications that one's eschatological view has on their interpretation practical application of certain passages of the Bible.  This is one such passage.  The "Bible" church I attended (essentially a baptist church" had quarterly communion (such rare observance is one practical implication) and the pastor always made sure to mention that the empty chair at the end of the table was for Jesus, who will return any moment to share this meal with his people for the first time in His

He said therefore, “What is the kingdom of God like? And to what shall I compare it? It is like a grain of mustard seed that a man took and sowed in his garden, and it grew and became a tree, and the birds of the air made nests in its branches.” And again he said, “To what shall I compare the kingdom of God? It is like leaven that a woman took and hid in three measures of flour, until it was all leavened.”     Jesus spends a considerable amount of time discussing the Kingdom of God/Heaven throughout His three-year teaching ministry.  His first "sermon" is short and to this very point: "Now after John was arrested, Jesus came into Galilee, proclaiming the gospel of God, and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel" (Mark 1:14-15).  The Kingdom, to Him, was not a trivial, secondary matter as it has become to the modern Church.  The Kingdom of God was constantly at the center of His mind and on the tip

"For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ." Here comes a rant.     Firstly, why do we think that it's okay that we can splinter our lives and give one section to God and keep one of them for ourselves?  We must give ourselves entirely over to God.  There is no such thing as a secular/religious dinstinction.  It is about as Biblical as the concept of adolescence!  All of life is religious.  All of what we think, do, and say ought to be regulated by God's commandments and principles.      Secondly, why do we still believe in this farce known as neutrality?  Supposedly God doesn't care about our entertainment, or our employment, or, for Pete's sake, our education!  Why do still have our kids in a s