Posts Tagged Israel
The Feasts of the Lord Redux
Posted by Peter in Bible, Christianity, God, Israel, Jesus, Old Testament on November 8, 2010
I recently taught a discipleship training class at our church entitled The Feasts of the Lord: Jesus Fulfills the Feasts. It was a three week (1x wk.) course.
I know I was blessed by and learned more from the study, preparation and teaching than anyone listening. Even so, I have an opportunity for an encore at the Sweetwater Aglow November meeting. It will be November 13, 10am-3pm at the Holiday Inn Express in Sweetwater. Lunch will be provided free of charge, and everyone is invited to attend. I hope to see you there.
One of these days, I will get around to posting about this.
The Feasts of the Lord
Posted by Peter in Bible, God, Israel, Jesus, New Testament, Old Testament on September 9, 2010
This is one I have been looking forward to for a while, but now that it’s here, I’m a little nervous.
For the next three (3) Sunday nights I will be teaching a series at our church entitled The Feasts of the Lord: Jesus Fulfills the Feasts. It’s a topic that is absolutely fascinating, and I hope I am able to do it a little justice.
I believe the series will be recorded, and, if so, I will try to post the audio here. At the very least, I will try to post summaries each week.
I hope it goes well. Pray for me.
And if any of you happen to be in the Sweetwater, TX area any of the next three (3) Sundays, feel free to drop in.
Rethinking the Sermon on the Mount
Posted by Peter in Bible, Christianity, Israel, Jesus, New Testament on May 17, 2010
Jesus’ first sermon, The Sermon on the Mount, is probably the most famous sermon in history. We are all familiar with the first few lines:
3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 4 “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. 5 “Blessed are the gentle, for they shall inherit the earth. 6 “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied. 7 “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy. 8 “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. 9 “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. 10 “Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 11 “Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me. 12 “Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great; for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you. 13 “You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt has become tasteless, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled under foot by men. Matthew 5 (NASB)
Toward the end of the sermon, Jesus says:
1 “Do not judge so that you will not be judged. 2 “For in the way you judge, you will be judged; and by your standard of measure, it will be measured to you. 3 “Why do you look at the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? 4 “Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ and behold, the log is in your own eye? 5 “You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye. 6 “Do not give what is holy to dogs, and do not throw your pearls before swine, or they will trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you to pieces. Matthew 7 (NASB)
Do the consequences sound familiar? Jesus also uses similar language in his last recorded teaching:
20 “But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then recognize that her desolation is near. 21 “Then those who are in Judea must flee to the mountains, and those who are in the midst of the city must leave, and those who are in the country must not enter the city; 22 because these are days of vengeance, so that all things which are written will be fulfilled. 23 “Woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days; for there will be great distress upon the land and wrath to this people; 24 and they will fall by the edge of the sword, and will be led captive into all the nations; and Jerusalem will be trampled under foot by the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled. Luke 21 (NASB), and compare Matthew 24.
I have heard countless sermons on the various portions of the Sermon on the Mount. In fact, I heard another brilliant one yesterday (I will link to it when it becomes active). And I was stirred to reread the entire Sermon on the Mount.
What struck me was something I had never seen before. The opening of Jesus’ ministry is a prophetic plea. Jesus is imploring his Jewish brethren to “get it,” and warning them of the consequences of not “getting it”: being trampled.
The Sermon on the Mount is indeed full of spiritual truths, sound advice for living, and a whole host of really cool things. It is also much, much more.
When I teach my public speaking class, one of the things I try and instill is that the audience needs to hear what’s being said three times: (1) tell them what you’re going to tell them, (2) tell them, and (3) tell them what you told them. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus begins His public ministry by telling his audience what He’s going to tell them. Then he spends three years telling them. Finally, He is forced to conclude with a heart-breaking “I told them so.”
This is hardly a completed project, more of an infant idea. I just wanted to write it down for future reference (and if I had written it on paper or in a journal, I don’t know if I would ever find it).
Question on the Nature of God and Blessing or Cursing
For the last several months, our church has been holding a weekly noontime Bible study through the book of Revelation. It’s been quite enlightening, and my end-times theological cage is being rattled a little. Incidentally, the progress is being written about @ The Watchman’s Gaze if you care to follow.
But, during a recent meeting, we chased a few rabbit trails, including: Did Jesus (and by extension God) curse Israel (specifically when Jesus cursed the fig tree, or ever)? Does God curse anything? If He did before, does He still? Is God capable of cursing anything given His nature(?), or given Christ’s accomplishment on the cross(?), or are curses merely brought upon one’s self?
The discussion was obviously much more in depth than the narrowly defined questions posed above, but this is my (admittedly) slanted summary.
Thoughts? Ideas? Comments?
Hebrews Bible Study Week 7
Posted by Peter in Bible, Christianity, God, Holy Spirit, Israel, Jesus, Law, New Testament, Old Testament on November 18, 2009
The goal for this week was to cover two chapters, but we only made it through chapter 8. I suppose it was a little ambitious to try and cover chapters 8 and 9, but 9 will just have to wait until next week.
In verse 1, the author is again referencing Psalm 110, a Messianic Psalm which the author has referenced repeatedly throughout the book of Hebrews. And he or she says:
Now the main point in what has been said is this: we have such a high priest who has taken his seat at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens, a minister in the sanctuary and in the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, not man. Hebrews 8:1-2 (NASB)
The high priest, who is also the Messiah, has taken his place in Heaven and in the true tabernacle. This is the end of the need for sacrifices. The high priest has now entered the heavenly sanctuary and is now the mediator of a better covenant, the old now being obsolete.
So that it is clear, this is not a reference to the Abrahamic land grant covenant, but to the Mosaic covenant. Until the high priest became the mediator of the new covenant, the law was written in stone. Now the laws are in the hearts and minds of the believers.
This principle actually led to the liveliest discussion of the evening in our effort to determine when and how this imprinting upon the hearts and minds takes place. Does it occur upon becoming a believer, at baptism, during the baptism of the Holy Spirit? Without reaching definite conclusions, I think the general consensus was that (1) the Holy Spirit is the mechanism, and (2) it happens when the Holy Spirit becomes activated by faith in Jesus (which we also believed was distinct from the baptism in the Holy Spirit – which could happen simultaneously, but doesn’t always, or even usually).
We again were landed with a ministry opportunity which consumed a fair amount of the time, but the tradeoff was well worth it.
Win a Trip to the Holy Land from the NLT
Posted by Peter in Bible, Bible Translations, Giveaways, Israel on November 18, 2009
The New Living Translation is giving away a trip for four to the Holy Land and a whole bunch of other stuff including Bibles in the Breakthrough to Clarity Bible Contest and Giveaway.
There are three steps to enter: (1) provide name and email and you automaticall win a free NLT Gospel of John Bible Study, (2) share your testimony about how the NLT has provided you clarity, and (3) share your story on facebook, twitter, myspace or linkedin. Contest dates are November 9, 2009 – December 18, 2009.
Everyone who enters will also be entered for a free NLT Study Bible which will be given away daily or a chance to win 100 Bibles for your church. Good luck!
Hebrews Bible Study-Week 3
Posted by Peter in Bible, Christianity, Israel, Jesus, New Testament on September 24, 2009
Last night was the third week of our Hebrews Bible Study. We covered chapter 5 where we now learn that Jesus, the “Son” who is greater than the angels (chapters 1 and 2) and greater than Moses (chapters 3 and 4), is now a high priest. He is not an Aaronic high priest, but rather our High Priest in the order of Melchizedek.
There are differing takes on who this Melchizedek character was, but we concluded that he was Jesus (whether pre-incarnate, spiritual, actual, or otherwise we cannot ultimately know). This should not be a theological sticking point, however, and more about this will follow in the coming chapters.
We also learn an interesting point: Jesus learned obedience through suffering. This clearly suggests that believers will experience some measure of suffering to learn obedience and to be remade in the image of Christ. Now, I think there needs to be a distinction between suffering we bring upon ourselves, which Christ clearly did not do, and suffering through which we learn obedience and are made perfect. For example, Christ suffered because of his compassion for others, for the lost sheep of Israel, and leading up to his crucifixion in the garden of Gethsemane.
Finally, there is an additional hard reality for believers to confront, that many if not most believers are still “infants” partaking “only of milk.” This reality becomes crystal clear in chapter 6 which we will cover next week, but merits mention now. This is a wake-up call to the church to move on to “solid food.” A level which, if we are completely honest, we must confess we have not yet reached (generally speaking), as we will see when we study what the author believes to be “milk,” or “elementary teachings” next week.
Hebrews Bible Study-Week 2
Posted by Peter in Bible, Christianity, Israel, Jesus, New Testament, Old Testament on September 23, 2009
I know it’s been three weeks since I published Hebrews Bible Study-Week 1, but the first Wednesday of the month our church has a church-wide Night of Worship, so there was no meeting that Wednesday. The second Wednesday, we had several out, either sick or ministering out of town, so last Wednesday was actually just our second real week of study.
We picked up on the theme of a lawyer building a case from Week 1. The author is making the case for “the Son.” In chapters 1 & 2, the Son is depicted as greater than the angels, which in the ancient Jewish culture would have been extremely significant. Now, in chapter 3, the Son is depicted as greater than Moses. This would have been just as significant, if not more so, than being greater than the angels given Moses’ status in the Jewish tradition.
Also, we are introduced to the Son, and the author for the first time asserts that Jesus is the Son. We are advised to guard against hard hearts, which are the result of unbelief, so that we may enter God’s rest, unlike the Israelites in the days of Moses. We also learn that sin lies. The very nature of sin is deception, which goes hand-in-hand with unbelief and hard hearts.
Chapter 4 confirms that the promise to enter His rest is still available, and this is one instance in which we are permitted to fear – the fear of not entering God’s rest. Actually, this is also one of the few things in scripture for which we are encouraged to labor. Thus, we are to rest from our works, but work to enter into that rest. A beautiful and thought-provoking paradox that makes perfect sense.
Hebrews Chapter 4-Study Notes
Posted by Peter in Bible, Christianity, God, New Testament, Old Testament on September 9, 2009
These are my study notes for Hebrews Chapter 4. I don’t know if they will make much sense to anyone else, but if they are helpful to anyone feel free to use them.
The scripture references and discussion notes should have aligned with the appropriate scriptures, but I lost that somehow when I loaded the table into my blog. On the left is, obviously, the Bible text, the center column contains the scriptures I referenced or wanted to reference, and the right-hand column has discussion topics.
| Hebrews 4 (NASB)
1 Therefore, let us fear if, while a promise remains of entering His rest, any one of you may seem to have come short of it. 2 For indeed we have had good news preached to us, just as they also; but the word they heard did not profit them, because it was not united by faith in those who heard. 3 For we who have believed enter that rest, just as He has said, 4 For He has said somewhere concerning the seventh day: “AND GOD RESTED ON THE SEVENTH DAY FROM ALL HIS WORKS”; 5 and again in this passage, “THEY SHALL NOT ENTER MY REST.” 6 Therefore, since it remains for some to enter it, and those who formerly had good news preached to them failed to enter because of disobedience, 7 He again fixes a certain day, “Today,” saying through David after so long a time just as has been said before, 8 For if Joshua had given them rest, He would not have spoken of another day after that. 9 So there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God. 10 For the one who has entered His rest has himself also rested from his works, as God did from His. 11 Therefore let us be diligent to enter that rest, so that no one will fall, through following the same example of disobedience. 12 For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart. 13 And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are open and laid bare to the eyes of Him with whom we have to do. 14 Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. 15 For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin. 16 Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. |
Scripture Refs.: 4:4-11 – Exodus 20. The Ten Commandments, included is the command to rest. | Discussion Notes: 4:1-3-“promise remains of entering His rest” – fear falling short of rest.
4:3-His works finished.
4:6-“failed b/c of disobedience” – entire generation died before entering promised land. 4:7-11-“Today”-promise is available today, right now for us to enter into His rest. — “let us be diligent to enter that rest” – What are we to work for? To enter into rest. 4:15-Again, tempted in every way, yet w/o sin. 4:16-we are to draw near w/ confidence, SO that we can receive mercy and grace. |
John Bolton has a Good NYT Op-Ed Piece on the Israel-Iran Standoff
John Bolton has a nice op-ed piece on the whole Israel and Iran nuclear standoff that’s worth reading.
His conclusion:
Absent Israeli action, prepare for a nuclear Iran.
To which, I can only say, “Well, duh!”
I don’t mean to make light of the situation, and, in this instance, I agree with Mr. Bolton. But, this is one we should have all seen coming from a mile away
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