Freedom is Good News Part 180

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Freedom is Good News Part 179

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Freedom is Good News Part 178

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Freedom is Good News Part 177

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Freedom is Good News Part 176

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Freedom is Good News Part 175

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

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

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

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

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

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

Freedom is Good News Part 174

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Freedom is Good News Part 173

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Freedom is Good News Part 172

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Freedom is Good News Part 171

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Freedom is Good News Part 170

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Freedom is Good News Part 169

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Freedom is Good News Part 168

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

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

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

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

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

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

Freedom is Good News Part 167

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Freedom is Good News Part 166

Sometimes we think that the New Testament is made up of “new” thoughts and words, when in truth much, if not all, consists of quotes and thoughts brought forth from the Old Testament.  For example; we have been considering the scripture from Revelation 22:12, “Behold, I am coming soon!  My reward is with me, and I will give to everyone according to his works”, but this is a quote from the book of Isaiah 62:11, “Behold, your Savior comes!  See, His reward is with Him and His recompense accompanies Him.” 

Our Savior, Jesus Christ, speaks the words that John the Revelator records so that we may see this connection.  It is important to understand that without the Old Testament, the New Testament loses some of its meaning.

And so it is with our understanding of our father, Abraham.  Jesus says, in John 8:39, “If you were Abraham’s children, then you would do the works that Abraham did.”  Paul tells us that if we are in Christ, “we are Abraham’s seed and heirs according to the promise.”  Oh!  Then maybe we should look to Abraham our father for instruction.  Follow along with me here: We will go back once again to Isaiah to read his instruction concerning Abraham, “Listen to me, you who pursue righteousness, you who seek the LORD: look to the rock from which you were hewn, and to the quarry from which you were dug.  Look to Abraham your father and to Sarah who bore you; for he was but one when I called him, that I might bless him and multiply him.”  Isaiah 51:1-2

Are you one who pursues righteousness and seeks the LORD?

In the previous article I mentioned that father Abraham has much to teach us.  First of all he was faithful in all his ways.  Secondly, he was obedient in his service to God.  When God appeared to Abraham’s son, Isaac, He told him this; “Abraham obeyed me and kept my requirements, my commands, my decrees and my laws.” (Gen. 26:5)  Now this is interesting!  This statement made to Isaac comes some 400 years before God gives the Commandments to Moses on Mount Sinai.  And here we find Abraham keeping God’s law!  Maybe we should also!!

Another thing that God commended Abraham for doing is found in Genesis 18:18-19, “Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him.  For I know him, that he will command his children and his household after him to keep the way of the Lord by doing righteousness and justice.”

Are you a person of faith?  “Know then that it is those of faith who are the sons of Abraham.” (Gal 3:7)  And Abraham did many wonderful things.  Stay tuned, there is much more coming your way. 

Freedom is Good News Part 165

In the book of Genesis we meet a man by the name of Abram (which literally means – father of height).  We know this man as Abraham (God changed his name in chapter 17 to mean father of nations).  In Genesis 12, God chooses Abram to be the father of His chosen people and God promises to bless him greatly if, in his obedience, he leaves the home of his family and comes to the land God will show him; and not only show him but also give to his descendants.  God states the blessing in Genesis 12:2&3, “I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great and you will be a blessing.  I will bless those who bless you and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.”

In chapter 15 God tells Abram that He has a great reward coming, but Abram reminds God that he has no heirs to leave it to, only a faithful servant.  God tells him, “This man shall not be your heir; your very own son shall be your heir.”  And he took him outside and said, “Look toward heaven, and number the stars, if you are able to number them.’ Then he said to him, ‘So shall your offspring be’.  And he believed the LORD, and He counted it to him as righteousness.”  This is where we were a couple of weeks ago, when we talked of Paul’s letter to the Romans chapter 4:3. “Abraham believed God and it was credited to him as righteousness.”  God promised him many, many offspring!

Who is this son that God says will be Abram’s heir.  Well, if we keep reading in Genesis we come to find out that his heir is named Isaac.  Isaac has a son named Jacob; whose name is later changed to Israel and he has 12 sons who become the nation of Israel.  But wait!  There is a curious scripture in Galatians 3:7 “Know then that it is those of faith who are the sons of Abraham.  And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, ‘In you shall all the nations be blessed.’”

Paul says that God preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham and what is the gospel?  That Jesus Christ, a descendant of Abraham would die for the sins of mankind and that through His resurrection would bring life to all who believed!!  What might we deduce from these statements?  We should see that all nations have now been blessed through Abraham because his offspring, through time, became the Savior of all mankind, i.e. all nations. 

Remember, we have been talking these past few weeks, about receiving the reward that our Savior will have with Him when He returns to earth, Revelation 22:12, “Behold, I am coming soon!  My reward is with me, and I will give to everyone according to his works.”  This reward consists of both blessing and cursing depending on our works.  Jesus tells us in John 8:39, “If you were Abraham’s children, then you would do the works that Abraham did.”  I believe in that previous article, we were attempting to see what works Abraham accomplished.  And now after laying this ground work, we shall.  Sooooo …. Let’s stay tuned because father Abraham has much to teach us.

Freedom is Good News Part 164

“If you belong to Christ then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.” (Galatians 3:29)

Here we have a classic, “if / then” statement.  So, in order to consider whether or not you are included in the “then” statement, you must be able to claim the “if” part.  Do you belong to Christ?  Only you can answer this question.  The reality of it is between you and God.  He knows your heart.  He knows every aspect of your heart.  Do you?

It may be hard to understand why this ancient Hebrew might be claimed as our father.  The words “Abraham’s seed” mean that we are his offspring.  But we cannot even claim that unless we know that we “belong to Christ”.  So perhaps we should take a look at what that might mean.

First of all we must understand that if a person belongs to another then they are a possession; perhaps a slave or a bond servant.  In Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians concerning the body he writes, “Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God?  You are not your own, you were bought at a price.”  What was that price with which we were bought?  Peter informs us of that purchase price in 1Peter 1:18-19, “You were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot.”

Yes, the purchase price that is demanded in payment for our sins and to buy us back (ransom us) from death and give us eternal life is the “precious blood of Christ”.  Have you come to grips with that understanding?  This is a pretty heavy thought for us to get our minds around.  But get around it we must!!

If you would “belong to Christ” then you have to: know that you are a sinner who has broken the “good, holy and righteous laws of God”, believe and understand that the blood of our Savior is necessary for our redemption and because of point 1 and 2, you must repent of those sins and be baptized for the remission of those sins, just as Peter told the crowd in Acts 2:38.  Those steps are not hard to do – at least not physically.  But to do them from the heart, which means that we have humbled ourselves before our God, takes a true movement of the Holy Spirit.  To do that from the heart takes a great commitment to live according to God’s ways and to begin to love Him with all our heart, strength and life.

That is what it takes to ‘belong to God’.  “But hey”, you ask, “What does that mean for me?”  It means that you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.  We will look at the promises to Abraham of which we will be heirs to, perhaps next time.  But for now, let us read the statement Paul makes just prior to this one in Galatians 3:29.  In 3:26 he writes, “You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.”  O my!!  Sons of God – sons of the creator of all the universe, sons of the Living God who originally blessed Abraham.  Wow, that is good news!!

Freedom is Good News Part 163

In the 22nd chapter of the book of Revelation (the last chapter in the bible), we find the apostle John bringing the entirety of God’s word to completion.  In the 12th verse of that chapter he quotes our Savior Jesus, as saying this, “Behold, I am coming soon!  My reward is with me, and I will give to everyone according to his works.”

There are some folks who do not think that “works” have any place in the life of a believer.  They will quote this scripture in Ephesians 2:8, “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith … not by works, so that no one can boast.”  But they confuse the concept of salvation with that of reward. 

Salvation is the free gift of God and can in no way be achieved by our works.  Simply put, it cannot be earned.  The Apostle Paul says it this way in the book of Romans 4:1-5, “What shall we say that Abraham, our father according to the flesh, discovered in this matter?  If, in fact Abraham was justified by works, he had something to boast about – but not before God.  What does the scripture say?  ‘Abraham believed God and it was credited to him as righteousness.’”  I hope we all understand this; if not, please let me know.

The concept of reward, however, is different.  Jesus clearly tells us that when He comes back to the earth, He will bring a reward to give to everyone based upon their works.  Because He will give to everyone a reward, we must understand that there are two sides to this reward; the bible calls them, blessings and curses! 

I believe it will do us some good to consider this topic.  I am sure we all want to be on the side of getting blessings and not curses.  Let us take a look.

Above, I mention Abraham, who according to Paul is the father of us all; that is, all the faithful.  In this same chapter of Romans that I quoted above we read, “(Abraham) is the father of us all.  As it is written: ‘I have made you a father of many nations.’  He is our father in the sight of God in whom he believed.” (Romans 4:16-17)

Did Abraham have to do anything?  Why, yes he did!  In Genesis 12, God told Abram (Abraham’s original name) to, “Leave your country, your people and your father’s household and come to the land I will show you.”  God tells Abram that He will bless him in several ways (ah ha, blessings for obedience) and so we see that Abram left just as the LORD told him.

The entire story of Abraham is a beautiful one.  From Genesis 12 through 25 we learn of the trials, the joys, the battles, the faith and the blessings for obedience and curses for disobedience that Abraham, who is called “our father in the faith”, encountered.

Why look at this topic through the life of an ancient man of God called Abraham?  He is our father in the faith and Jesus said this, “If you were Abraham’s children, then you would do the works that Abraham did.” (John 8:39)  We know Abraham was blessed; what works did he do?  Don’t go away folks, there is still more to come!!

Freedom is Good News Part 162

“You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain, for the LORD will not hold him guiltless who takes his name in vain.”  I believe we have established the reality that taking God’s name in vain is not so much about the words that come out of our mouths but the actions that come from our hearts.

When talking to the scribes and Pharisees, Jesus had this very concept on His mind; in Matthew 15:7-9 He said, “You hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy of you, when he said: ‘These people honor me with their lips, but their heart is far from me; in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’”  This is an important scripture that Jesus quoted from the book of Isaiah 29:13.  It very nicely ties together these three words that we have been considering (lips, hearts and vanity), with our honoring of God.

If what is in our hearts is not in line with what comes out of our mouths then we are worshiping God in vain!!  If I have taken the name of God upon myself and proclaim that I am a Christian; yet I do not do those things that honor God, I am worse than a fool; I am an empty worshiper and God will not hold me guiltless.

The prophet Malachi puts it this way, “If you will not listen, and if you will not set your heart to honor my name, I will send a curse upon you, and I will curse your blessings.”  I don’t know about you, but I do not want God to curse my blessings.  I need to get down on my knees and ask God to examine the motives of my heart and give me correction if I need it.

Please note, I mention that God examines our hearts.  We as humans are quite incapable of examining ourselves.  Jeremiah tells us this, “Cursed is the man who trusts in humanity, who depends on flesh for his strength and whose heart turns away from the LORD …. But blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD whose confidence is in Him.  He will be like a tree planted by the water …. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green …. And never fails to bear fruit.”   He goes on to say, “The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure.  Who can understand it?  I the LORD search the heart and examine the mind to reward a man according to his conduct.” (Jer. 17:6-10)   

Yes, our hearts can lead us astray.  We must align ourselves tightly with our God and with His Son.  We take upon us the name of God, we honor Him with our words and with our thoughts and with our deeds, and so we grow to trust in Him with all of our hearts.  Then we will never fail to bear fruit that will glorify our Father.  “If you abide in me and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given to you.  For this is to my Father’s glory that you bear much fruit and so show yourselves to be my disciples.” (John 15:7-8)  Note that this is contingent upon His words abiding in us.

“Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight.” (Prov. 3:5-6)  I know I have brought this scripture up before, but a reminder is good, for we all desire straight paths.  Good news indeed!!

Freedom is Good News Part 161

The God of the entire universe has a name and He warns us, in the third commandment, not to take it in vain.  These things we began to take a look at in our previous article.

Moses asks God what His name is and God responds by telling Moses that He is “the All Existent One”; God tells Moses to say to the people that “I AM THAT I AM has sent me to you.”  This episode takes place in Exodus 3:13-14.  The reality of God’s name is that He is self-existent – that He is life itself, and all living things get their life from Him.  Isaiah, the prophet, calls Him “the living God” (as opposed to the pagan gods, who are made of wood and stone).  Some translators translate this four letter name of God (YHVH), as “the Eternal” but most translate it as LORD (with all capital letters). 

OK, so let’s get to the gist of the matter!  We know our Savior by the name of “Jesus”.  But in Hebrew His name is really, “Yahoshea”.  We would pronounce it, in English, as Joshua.  Our Savior’s name is derived from two words, “Ya” and “Hoshea”.  The first part is the shortened form of God’s name “Ya”.  The second “Hoshea” is derived from the Hebrew word for salvation – thus the true name for Jesus is actually, “the salvation of YHVH”, or “the LORD saves”.  Sound complicated?  Well maybe!!  But I tell you this so you may see that when you are baptized into the name of Jesus, you are taking upon yourself the actual name of God.

Does one need to know all this in order to be saved?  No!  But it is important to see that when we take upon ourselves the name of the Son of God, we must not do so in an empty manner.  The word “vain” has several nuances of meaning in the bible; it can mean deceit, malice, falsity or emptiness.  Some people feel that they should not use the word “God” with other “four letter” derogatory words, and they are correct!  But the name of God is really attached to the life we lead as God’s children and as Christians.  The negative attributes we present to the world around us truly brings an emptiness and deceit upon God’s name.  His name is holy and we are to be holy as His representatives,

From one end of the bible to the other we find the concept of God’s name being presented as much more than just the four letters that it is made of.  My name is Bill.  It consists of four letters and is only a syllable spoken to get my attention or to identify me.  God’s name on the other hand is filled with His attributes and His personality!!

Let’s take a look at a few scriptures to show you what I mean.  In Psalm 29:2 we read, “Ascribe to the LORD the glory due His name”.  His name has glory.  In Psalm 33:21 we see, “In Him our hearts rejoice, for we trust in His holy name”.  His name is to be trusted.  Psalm 52:9, “In your name I will hope, for your name is good”.  There is hope in His name and it is good!  Psalm 54:1 is interesting, “Save me, O God, by your name”.  Here we find the lesson mentioned above concerning Jesus true name.  In Psalm 83 the Psalmist asks (in verse 16) that men would “seek your name, O LORD”.  And finally, in Psalm 124:8 we see that, “Our help is in the name of the LORD”.  This consideration of the name of God continues throughout the bible.  Perhaps next time we might put it all together and see what our duty is, so as to be “found blameless”