Here we get into the details about faith and life

Let These Words Sink Down into Your Ears

“Let these WORDS sink down into your ears, for the Son of Man is about to be betrayed into the hands of men.” But they did not understand this saying, and it was hidden from them so that they did not perceive it; and they were afraid to ask Him about this saying. Luke 9:44-45

Before His death, Jesus spoke very frankly with His disciples about the coming events. He was going to be betrayed, handed over, and crucified, but He would rise again after three days. Everyone who heard Him understood the WORDS He was saying, but none of them grasped the reality of them. Even as the events unfolded before them, the disciples struggled with how things played out. Instead of clinging to their faith in Christ, in who He is, and what they had already witnessed from Him, that faith gave way to fear for their very lives. They heard the hatred in the mob’s cries and the religious leaders’ hypocritical disdain. They saw the brutality and the scorn of the Romans. That very natural fear led to doubts about this man they had given up everything to follow. Had they misunderstood? Was this the way it was supposed to be?

Surely, some of the longest hours in their lives were those between the Upper Room and the empty tomb.

The Resurrection changed all that. The doubts and fears gave way to the boldness and fire at Pentecost and beyond. The WORDS that Jesus said became real. Things that they struggled to grasp in those hours in between made sense at last in ways that were beyond their imagination.

Even now, with the Holy Spirit living in us, with the completed canon of Scripture readily available to us, and with 2000 years of church history to draw upon, we have the same trouble grasping the WORDS of Jesus.

Toward the end of His earthly ministry, He said, “Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name’s sake.” (Matthew 24:9) And we struggle to understand why culture is so hostile to our values.

For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places. (Matthew 24:7) And yet we trust treaties and military buildups to protect us and depend on science and technology to fix everything else.

And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold. (Matthew 24:12) We’re still shocked at scandals that reveal the depth of our self-absorption and misogyny.

Jesus told us these things would happen, and now we are living in the in-between time like the disciples in those hours between crucifixion and resurrection. We wrestle with questions – Why doesn’t God do something? Is He even paying attention? Why is everything a struggle?

But when He comes again, and He will just as surely as He resurrected, everything will make sense. The questions and the frustrations will melt into worship and affirmation that He is King of Kings and Lord of Lords. His words will be fulfilled in ways outside the bounds of our imagination.

“These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” John 16:33

Peace. He has overcome. We’ll know exactly what those WORDS mean. Just a little longer.

We would never worship a golden calf, would we?

By Paula

We would never worship a golden calf title graphic

Aaron saw how excited the people were, so he built an altar in front of the calf. Then he announced, “Tomorrow will be a festival to the LORD!” Exodus 32:5 NLT

Admittedly, Aaron had a tough job. No one had ever been the high priest before. He was no theologian. A few weeks ago, he was a slave like everybody else. Moses was gone and had been for an uncomfortably long time and he left very little in the way of instructions. Now Aaron was faced with a nation on the verge of becoming a mob.

Their request, their demand, is fascinating. It wasn’t, “Lead us out of here.” It wasn’t, “Find us some food.” It was, “Make us gods.”

We want to worship something,

Aaron. Make us gods to worship. Something outside us. Something greater than ourselves. Things are uncertain. Restore a sense of balance, familiarity, comfort to us. Make us gods.

So Aaron took their earrings and bracelets, melted them down, and molded and sculpted a calf. Not a bull, mind you. A calf. A manageable, harmless god. One that had potential, but one that was not especially imposing. The people were ecstatic. The god was exactly what they wanted. “This is your god, Israel. The one who brought you up out of Egypt.”

And Aaron, wanting to capitalize on the moment, wanting to harness the emotion, announced, “Tomorrow is a festival to Yahweh!” They took something they had created out of their own imagination, using their own resources, called it GOD and worshipped it.

We live in a culture that is grasping for gods.

God help us not to use our own resources, our own imagination, and craft for them what they want. An emotional experience. A platitude. A compromise. Call it God and worship it.

Sometimes we are not much different than the culture we live in. Too often we seek the comfort of a god we design, a god who is close to the True God but whose standards are more flexible … and familiar. Too often, we look for emotional gratification, an experience, intellectual validation, or reassurance rather than spiritual transformation, repentance, or holiness. More often than we’d care to admit, we create something, call it GOD, and worship it.

God help us point people to what they need. God help us not settle for anything less for ourselves. The gospel. The truth. Transformation. The One True God, Maker of heaven and earth. He is God alone, worship Him.

Why do people settle for something less than the One True God?

Continuing

By Paula

But you must continue in the things which you have learned and been assured of, knowing from whom you have learned them. 2 Timothy 3:14

I get a lot of spam email. Most of it can be divided into two categories– how to lose weight and how to get rich quick. The thing is, I know how to lose weight. Everyone does. Take in fewer calories than you burn. If you do that, you will lose weight, guaranteed. This plan is sometimes expanded to eat right and exercise, but it’s the same idea. Continue with the plan, be consistent, and in time, weight loss happens.

Oh wait – I left out the key spam word – easy. Every email promises an easy way to lose weight. Eat what you want. No exercise or effort is required and the pounds drop off.

Of course, there’s no such thing.

It’s the same way with getting rich. We all know how that happens. Spend less than you take in. Save, invest, and wait. It’s not hard or complicated. It just takes discipline and patience.

The emails, however, assure you that they know the secret to wealth. Buy their book, invest in their scheme, or take their course and the money will roll in.

If it were true, they wouldn’t have to resort to spam to find takers.

That’s the echo in Paul’s words to Timothy. “But you,” you be different. Don’t be like everyone else around you, ready to take the easy way and the quick fix. You be disciplined and patient. You stick to what you know. You continue in the things I taught you.

The advice is relevant for us today. Don’t fall for slick marketing, systems, and strategies. God grows us, and grows His kingdom slowly, patiently, with discipline. Want more intimacy with God? It takes time to develop. Want a more vibrant prayer life? It takes discipline. Want to do a better job sharing your faith? It takes practice. No shortcuts.

Chiasm: X Marks the Spot: Revelation 22:7-20

By Paula Wiseman

We’ve been learning about chiasms in Scripture. Remember it’s a structure that’s distinctive in Hebrew writing. It is a parallel mirror structure. The most important point is in the center with the subpoints building up to and stepping down from that high point. When you recognize it, the structure gives some insight into what the key point in a passage or section is. That helps us correctly interpret and apply what God’s words says. We started with a chiasm in Proverbs and then we looked at 1 Peter 1:23-25. Last week we did one from Ephesians 2. We’ll finish up with the final chiasm in Scripture, Revelation 22:7-20.

Here’s our passage in full.

7 “And behold, I am coming soon. Blessed is the one who keeps the words of the prophecy of this book.”
8 I, John, am the one who heard and saw these things. And when I heard and saw them, I fell down to worship at the feet of the angel who showed them to me,
9 but he said to me, “You must not do that! I am a fellow servant with you and your brothers the prophets, and with those who keep the words of this book. Worship God.”
10 And he said to me, “Do not seal up the words of the prophecy of this book, for the time is near.
11 Let the evildoer still do evil, and the filthy still be filthy, and the righteous still do right, and the holy still be holy.”
12 “Behold, I am coming soon, bringing my recompense with me, to repay each one for what he has done.
13 I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.”
14 Blessed are those who wash their robes, so that they may have the right to the tree of life and that they may enter the city by the gates.
15 Outside are the dogs and sorcerers and the sexually immoral and murderers and idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices falsehood.
16 “I, Jesus, have sent my angel to testify to you about these things for the churches. I am the root and the descendant of David, the bright morning star.”
17 The Spirit and the Bride say, “Come.” And let the one who hears say, “Come.” And let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who desires take the water of life without price.
18 I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book,
19 and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his share in the tree of life and in the holy city, which are described in this book.
20 He who testifies to these things says, “Surely I am coming soon.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!

Now that you’ve had some practice, you may already see some parallels. “Coming soon” appears a couple of times. Then there’s the “words of the prophecy of this book”. But before we dig in, consider what is the most significant thing in Christ’s last message to us? The chiasm will show us. Let’s add the indentations.

In the first step, there’s a focus on Jesus’s promise, “I am coming soon.” That’s an encouragement.

The second step highlights John’s testimony and with that the credibility of the words. Which words? The words of the prophecy of this book.

The third has parallel “let”s. Let the evildoer, the filthy, the righteous and the holy matches with let the one who hears, the thirsty and the one who desires.

The fourth step has Jesus making I AM statements.

Then we reach the center of the chiasm. Blessed are those who are inside. Blessed are those who have washed their robes, who have access to the tree of life. If you know Jesus, you are among the blessed. If not, heed the invitations. Don’t be left outside!

Chiasm: X Marks the Spot: Ephesians 2:12-19

By Paula Wiseman

We’re learning about chiasms in Scripture. Remember it’s a structure that’s distinctive in Hebrew writing. It is a parallel mirror structure. The most important point is in the center with the subpoints building up to and stepping down from that high point. When you recognize it, the structure gives some insight into what the key point in a passage or section is. That helps us correctly interpret and apply what God’s word says. We started with a chiasm in Proverbs and last week we looked at 1 Peter 1:23-25. This week we’ve got one that’s a little bigger. Ephesians 2:12-19 says

12 remember that you were at that time separate from Christ, excluded from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world.
13 But now in Christ Jesus you who formerly were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.
14 For He Himself is our peace, who made both groups into one and broke down the barrier of the dividing wall,
15 by abolishing in His flesh the enmity, which is the Law of commandments contained in ordinances, so that in Himself He might make the two into one new man, thus establishing peace,
16 and might reconcile them both in one body to God through the cross, by it having put to death the enmity.
17 AND HE CAME AND PREACHED PEACE TO YOU WHO WERE FAR AWAY, AND PEACE TO THOSE WHO WERE NEAR;
18 for through Him we both have our access in one Spirit to the Father.
19 So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints, and are of God’s household,

There are some clues that we have a chiasm here. Strangers is repeated within a few verses. We also have citizens and commonwealth which could go together. If we add the indentations, Ephesians 2:12-19 looks like this:

At level 1 we were excluded strangers. In its mirror, we are fellow citizens in the household of God.
At level 2 we were hopeless and without God.
At level 3 Paul explains that the Gentiles were far off, but that the blood of Christ brings us near God AND reconciles us to the the Jews, those who were near.
At level 4 Jesus abolishes, puts to death, the enmity between Jew and Gentile. We used to be divided by the Law. They had it and we didn’t.

In the center is the reason why: So that in Him, through the work of Christ, we would be one body.

The level 4 mirror shows now we’re reconciled.
Stepping out to level 3, we see Jesus preached peace (with the Gentiles through peace with God) to the Jews.
At level 2 we have access in the Spirit to the Father through the work of Christ. (Notice that the Trinity is included showing our full access.)
And at level 1 we are fellow citizens in the household of God.

So in this chiasm in Ephesians, the work of Christ is the key. It is the center of God’s redemptive plan in eternity past, in history, and in our daily reality. There is no peace between God and man or among men without the work of Christ. Explain a lot about what’s on the evening news, doesn’t it?

We’ll do one more chiasm next week.

Chiasm: X Marks the Spot: 1 Peter 1:23-25

By Paula Wiseman

We’re learning about chiasms in Scripture. Remember it’s a structure that’s distinctive in Hebrew writing. It is a parallel mirror structure. The most important point is in the center with the subpoints building up to and stepping down from that high point. When you recognize it, the structure gives some insight into what the key point in a passage or section is. That helps us correctly interpret and apply what God’s words says. Last week we started with a chiasm in Proverbs, but we find them in the New Testament too. Let’s look at 1 Peter 1:23-25.

23 Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.
24 For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away:
25 But the word of the Lord endureth for ever. And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you.

Now if we rearrange things…

23 Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God,
which liveth and abideth for ever.
24 For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass.
The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away:
25 But the word of the Lord endureth for ever.
And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you.

In the first and last lines, we have both the word and born again/gospel. Taking a step in, we see that word liveth, abideth, and endureth forever. In the center is the parallel flesh is grass and the glory of man is a flower. What happens to them? They wither and die.

So what are we supposed to glean from 1 Peter 1:23-25? Everything natural and human is temporary. Even our very best, our glory, will wither and die, but the word of God, the gospel, is eternal and from it, we learn how we can escape withering and death. The chiasm highlights this.