Tag Archives: Moses

Unearthly Glory

July 21, 2015Bible StudyElijah, Moses, mountain, transfiguredLuella Campbell

UNEARTHLY GLORY

And He said to them, ‘Truly I tell you, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see that the kingdom of God has come with power.’

After six days Jesus took Peter, James and John with Him and led them up a high mountain, where they were all alone. There He was transfigured before them. His clothes became dazzling white, whiter than anyone in the world could bleach them. And there appeared before them Elijah and Moses, who were talking with Jesus. Peter said to Jesus, ‘Rabbi, it is good for us to be here. Let us put up three shelters – one for you, one fore Moses and one for Elijah.’ (He did not know what to say, they were so frightened).

Then a cloud appeared and covered them, and a voice came from the cloud: ‘This is my Son, whom I love. Listen to Him!’ Suddenly, when they looked around, they no longer saw anyone except Jesus (Mark 9: 1-8).

What a terrifying moment for a bunch of drop-outs! “But why terrifying/” you ask. This was way outside of their everyday experience. These were fishermen, tax collectors, blue-collar workers, remember, not religious boffins from the local theological college. They faithfully followed Jesus from pillar to post, trailing after Him from one end of the country to the other, but they were still uneducated men. This time He took them up a mountain, a high one at that, according to Mark. What were they going to do up there?

When Jesus was sure that they were quite alone, no hikers near them to witness what His disciples were about to see, something amazing, radical, other-worldly happened. The visible radiance of His divine being broke through His humanity. For a moment, the veil between heaven and earth disappeared. His disciples saw something beyond their normal vision, something that was there all the time but they were not permitted to see, and it nearly scared them to death.

Their shaky faith in Jesus as the Son of God was given a boost they would never forget. And, on top of that, they glimpsed two of the most prominent and influential men of their history, Moses and Elijah, representatives of the Law and the Prophets. Their minds were in a whirl.

Trust motor-mouth Peter to put his foot in it again! He had to say something but he didn’t know what to say, so he blurted out the first thing that came into his mind. “This is great! Let’s stay here forever. Let’s build shrines for the three of you, one for you, Jesus, one for Moses and one for Elijah.” But Peter, haven’t you just recently confessed that Jesus is the Messiah? So where do Moses and Elijah fit in?

At that moment something even more shocking happened. Not only a glorified Jesus in front of their eyes but also a voice from heaven. God actually spoke to them in an audible voice. If they were frightened out of their wits before, how did they feel now? It took the voice of God the Father to speak sense into their addled brains. “Don’t you realise that this is Jesus, my Son, the one I love? Moses and Elijah don’t come into the picture at all any more. Their time is over. They had their say, but now it’s Jesus you must listen to.”

Peter must have burned with shame for blurting out such a stupid idea. More than ever before, these three men were faced with the truth that this Jesus, this rabbi whom they followed, watched, listened to and learned from was actually, really the Son of God! Would they ever forget this holy moment? It was forever indelibly written on their memory. Both Peter and John wrote about it – John in his gospel and Peter in his first letter.

It’s no wonder these men could go out, after the coming of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost, with such holy boldness that nothing scared them. They didn’t care if the whole world was against them. They knew the truth. Jesus was the Son of God. They would die for Him if they had to. They had seen Him on the mountain. They had seen Him after the resurrection. Nothing would change their conviction that He was the Son of God. That’s what they proclaimed – not some wishy-washy message about “come to Jesus and He’ll make everything alright for you” or “come to Jesus so that you can go to heaven when you die.” But

Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Messiah (Acts 3: 36).

This is the message that changed the first century world. This is the only message that will change the world today – not the rubbish that is being preached from many of the pulpits today – “God wants you to be rich” or “Come and get your miracle”. Peter, Paul and all the others had only one message – Jesus Christ and Him crucified, risen and glorified.

Available on www.amazon.com in paperback, e-book or kindle version or order directly from the publisher at www.partridgepublishing.com.

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The Son Over God’s House

February 22, 2015Bible StudyChrist, faithful, house, Moses, sonLuella Campbell

THE SON OVER GOD’S HOUSE

‘Moses was faithful as a servant in all God’s house,’ bearing witness to what would be spoken by God in the future. But Christ is faithful as the Son over God’s house. And we are His house, if indeed we hold firmly to our confidence and the hope in which we glory. (Heb. 3: 5-6)

The origin of Paul’s thought lies deep in the language and culture of God’s ancient people. For forty years they were nomadic shepherds, on a migration from Egypt to the Promised Land. They lived in tents and had to adapt their lifestyle to the uncertainties of their precarious existence, being totally dependent on God for their protection and provision. Their pictographic script and language reflected this period of their history.

The concept of a son and his role in the family pictures this time in their lives. The Hebrew word for son is ben, hence, for example, Jacob named Rachel’s second son, Ben-jamin, son of my right hand. Written in Hebrew, the word ben is made up of two letters, b and n, the vowel being understood. The letter b – beth – is a picture of the floor plan of a tent meaning ‘house’, and the n – nun – is a picture of a seed, which means ‘to multiply’ or ‘to continue’.

A son, then, is one who ‘continues the house’. It is the son’s role not only to continue the family line in natural descendants but also to perpetuate the beliefs and values of the family to the next generation so that the heritage of the family will not die out. This concept is captured in God’s instruction to Israel in Deuteronomy 6.

Hear O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments thatI give you today are to be on your hearts, Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates. (Deut. 6: 4-9)

In a real sense, Moses’s house was limited to his wife and family although he was a ‘father’ to the nation. He was not God’s appointed son, but a servant in God’s ‘house’ – His people Israel. Jesus was appointed by God’s decree to be a Son at a specific moment in time, called ‘today.’

I will proclaim the Lord’s decree: He said to me, ‘You are my Son; today I have become your Father.’ (Psa. 2: 7)

As God’s Son, therefore, it is Jesus’s role to ‘continue the house.’ Through supernatural birth by the power of the Holy Spirit at work in those who receive Him, who believe in His name, He restores to the family of God every wayward and alienated son or daughter who returns to the Father.

Through the work of the Holy Spirit who is His counterpart on earth, He leads them back into His truth and teaches them the values and practices of the kingdom. Moses could do no more, as a servant, than give God’s people His instructions. He could not internalise them by writing them on their hearts. He could not remove their stony hearts or give them a heart after God.

Only the Son, through His perfect obedience to the Father even to death, could be the atoning sacrifice which paid sin’s debt and satisfied the Father’s justice.

In bringing many sons and daughters to glory, it was fitting that God, for whom and through whom everything exists, should make the pioneer of their salvation perfect through suffering. Both the one who makes people holy and those who are made holy are of the same family. So Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers and sisters. (Heb. 2: 10, 11)

Through HIs work, Jesus both taught and demonstrated the way of life God intended for His family and He provides the power for returning children to be true sons and daughters of the Father through the Holy Spirit who lives in them.

How, then, could anyone think of going back to the old religious system which did nothing for them but bring them into bondage again to a system which told them what to do but could not provide the power to obey? Only Jesus, God’s Son, can enable His brothers and sisters to become like Him. Only He can actually ‘continue’ God’s house. We have the evidence of His power to deliver on His promises by the family He has brought home over 2000 years.

Is He faithful over God’s house? Has He continued the house? Has He reproduced Himself in His spiritual descendants? Has He passed on the values of the family? In spite of the many who, down the centuries have twisted and distorted the values and teachings of the kingdom until they are unrecognisable as reflecting God’s character and His ways, there is still the remnant who are faithful, and are true sons who ‘continue the house.’

He Had The Upper Hand!

February 22, 2014Bible Studydisciples, insults, Moses, PhariseesLuella Campbell

HE HAD THE UPPER HAND!

“He replied, ‘Whether He is a sinner or not, I don’t know. One thing I do know. I was blind but now I see!’ Then they asked him, ‘What did He do to you? How did He open your eyes?’ He answered them, ‘I have told you already and you did not listen. Why do you want to hear it again? Do you want to become His disciples too?'” John 9:25-27 NIV.

Cheeky! The blind man had become bold.

He must have realised that the Pharisees found themselves in a very embarrassing situation and capitalised on it. That a miracle had happened (and one that would attract attention because the blind man had been a public figure — always begging in the street), was something they could not deny. They had no explanation for what had happened except Jesus…and they certainly did not want to acknowledge Him!

It was just too much for them when the man challenged them. (His words seem to imply that he had already become a follower of Jesus). They turned on him with insults and abuse — the only way they knew how to get out of a tricky situation.

“Then they hurled insults at him and said, ‘You are this fellow’s disciple. We are disciples of Moses. We know that God spoke to Moses, but as for this fellow, we don’t even know where He comes from,'” John 9:28 29 NIV.

It’s a pity they did not take the trouble to find out. They would have been surprised to learn that Jesus perfectly matched the prophetic fingerprint of Messiah written all over the Scriptures they claimed to revere and follow.

I cannot emphasise enough the importance of weighing up the evidence before dismissing Jesus as a fake. If there was ever a sure way to convince people of the truth of God’s Word, it was to write history before it happened so that, when it happened, no one could dispute the truth. And that is exactly what God did!

When Peter stood up on the day of Pentecost to explain the unusual events that were happening under the noses of the visitors in Jerusalem, he turned to the one thing no one could deny – prophecy. When the apostles took the gospel to the Jews scattered across the Roman Empire, their weapon of truth was — prophecy. That prophecy could be so accurately fulfilled in Jesus was beyond possibility unless it was of God.

The Pharisees were outraged that a mere nobody and a beggar at that, could throw out a challenge to them for which they had no answer. Their claim to be followers of Moses was just as hollow as their accusation that Jesus was a “sinner”. Where was the proof? Jesus Himself had exposed their hypocrisy over and over again.

“The man answered, ‘Now that is remarkable! You don’t know where He comes from, yet He opened my eyes. We know that God does not listen to sinners. He listens to the godly person who does His will. Nobody had ever heard of opening the eyes of a man born blind. If this man were not from God He could do nothing.'” John 9:30-33 NIV.

This man had them and they knew it! As unlearned as he was, his logic was more plausible than theirs. For him it was simple. God hears a godly man. He heard Jesus and worked a miracle, therefore Jesus was a godly man. No contest.

Why could the Pharisees not get it? It had nothing to do with their intelligence or ability to reason. It have everything to do with their prejudice and their unwillingness to bow to Jesus as Lord and God. They had chosen to reject Him because it did not suit them to believe in Him. It was up to them to find a logical reason for rejecting Him and that was easier said than done. Their best weapon was abuse which did not solve their problem. It only showed them up for what they were.

Many human beings still follow the way of the Pharisees, It takes honesty and humility to acknowledge that Jesus is right and we are wrong and we need to bow to Him.

Have you done that?

Religion Or Righteousness?

January 28, 2014Bible Studyglory, miracle, Moses, SabbathLuella Campbell

RELIGION OR RIGHTEOUSNESS?

“Whoever speaks on his own does so to gain personal glory, but He who seeks the glory of the one who sent Him is a man of truth; there is nothing false about Him.

“‘Has not Moses given you the law? Yet not one of you keeps the law. Why are you trying to kill me?’

“‘You are demon-possessed,’ the crowd answered.’who is trying to kill you?’ Jesus said to them, ‘I did one miracle, and you are all amazed. Yet, because Moses gave you circumcision (though actually it did not come from Moses but from the patriarchs), you circumcise a boy in the Sabbath. Now if a boy can be circumcised on the Sabbath so that the law of Moses may not be broken, why are you so angry with me for healing a man’s whole body on the Sabbath? Stop judging by mere appearances, but instead judge correctly.'” John 7:18-24 (NIV).

Jesus had them! He saw right into their hearts and put His finger on the real issue. These people had their own agenda for “keeping” the law of Moses. In other words, the law of Moses was their excuse for following a religion that was to their own advantage.

Let’s look at it carefully. The first thing He exposed was their motive. It was definitely not to do God’s will. Had that been their intention, they would have recognized Him as God’s Son and representative and His teaching as the truth from God. What was their motive, then? They enjoyed the limelight and the accolades they received from their admiring followers. They loved being put on a pedestal to be honoured for their “holy” lives!

They were not interested in the real reason why God gave them His teaching — to replicate Him on earth so that the surrounding nations would have a picture of their God. They hated Jesus for exposing the falseness of their claims to be followers of Moses. If they were true followers of Moses, they would not have hatred and murder in their hearts.

They vehemently denied His accusation that they were out to kill Him, even accusing Him of being demon-possessed. They resorted to character-assassination to cover up their own evil intentions.

Jesus went right to the core of their wicked hearts. They circumcised a baby boy on the Sabbath because it was what the law required and they did no count it as “work”. However, when Jesus rescued a paralysed man from the misery of his imprisonment and gave him back his life, they pounced on Him for breaking the Sabbath. What was the difference?

They saw circumcision as a requirement of the law but they ignored the equally important requirement of showing mercy to those in need. Circumcision was not as powerful a revelation of God’s character or as demanding of themselves as was kindness to a fellow human being. It was the goodness of God revealed by Jesus through His compassion for people that they could not stomach.

There are two things that offend people — goodness and wickedness. Goodness offends evil people and wickedness offends good people! Behind the rage that was stirred in the hearts of these Jewish religious leaders was the real reason why they were so offended by Jesus’ action; He was good and they hated Him for it and they were self-deceived.

Self-deception is the worst form of deception because people believe their own lies and live according to what they believe. The Jews believed that it was more important not to do what they classified as “work” on the Sabbath, which took on ridiculous and petty proportions, than to show mercy to someone in need. This was a complete reversal of the law and the heart of God.

Herein lies the difference between religion and the kingdom of God. Religion focuses on performance even to the point of killing others if they do not comply. Jesus showed us that the kingdom of God is about living in unity with God in loving and caring for all of creation, including all people, even our enemies. True righteousness is doing the right thing to everyone in need regardless of colour or culture.

Jesus did! And so should we!

Glimpses Of The Great God: Day Eighteen

November 28, 2013Devotionchanged, Elijah, Moses, mountainLuella Campbell

DAY EIGHTEEN

About eight days after Jesus said this,

He took Peter, John and James with Him,

and went up onto a mountain to pray.

As He was praying, the appearance of His face changed,

and His clothes became as bright as a flash of lightning.

Two men, Moses and Elijah, appeared in glorious splendour,

talking with Jesus.

They spoke about His departure

which He was about to bring to fulfilment at Jerusalem.

Peter and his companions were very sleepy

but when they became fully awake,

they saw His glory and the two men standing with Him…

While he (Peter) was speaking a cloud appeared

and enveloped them,

and they were afraid as they entered the cloud.

A voice came from the cloud saying,

“This is my Son, whom I have chosen: listen to Him”

Luke 9:28-32; 34 -35

For a brief moment, Jesus’ glory which He had with the Father before the beginning of time, broke through His human flesh and became visible to the sleepy disciples. It was something Peter never forgot. “We were eyewitnesses of His majesty…We ourselves heard this voice when we were with Him on the sacred mountain.” (2 Peter 1:16b, 18). What an experience!

Ebenezer Family Church

HE IS RISEN!