Tag Archives: prophets

THE GOSPEL OF LUKE – STRANGERS TO GRACE

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STRANGERS TO GRACE

“That’s when you’ll find yourselves out in the cold, strangers to grace. You’ll watch Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, and all the prophets march into God’s kingdom. You’ll watch outsiders stream in from east, west, north and south and sit down at the table of God’s kingdom. And all the time you’ll be outside looking in – and wondering what happened. This is the Great Reversal: the last in line put at the head of the line, and the so-called first ending up last.” Luke 13:28-30.

This rejection of unbelievers makes terribly sad reading for those who have experienced grace, the unimaginable favour of God that takes worthless sinners and makes them over into beloved sons, all because the rejected ones have not taken seriously what Jesus was saying.

Imagine getting to the end of the road, so sure you are right, only to find that Jesus was right and you were wrong and now there’s no going back. The Pharisees and religious leaders were so cock-sure of themselves that they exterminated Him on the strength of their conviction, only to find that what He predicted happened – He rose from the dead and proved them dead wrong!

“Consider, therefore, the kindness and sternness of God: sternness to those who fell, but kindness to you, provided that you continue in His kindness.” Romans 11:23 (NIV).

God’s offer of kindness in forgiving sin, wiping the slate clean and starting all over again is extended to everyone without exception, but He never forces His kindness on anyone. He has provided the sacrifice – His own Son, Jesus – and made the offer, but it is up to us to take what He offers seriously or pooh-pooh His grace and face the consequences.

God’s sternness is reserved for those who are foolish enough to brush aside His provision as though He were either a liar or irrelevant. If His warnings fall on persistently deaf ears, we have no-one but ourselves to blame when we hear His sorrowful words, ‘Go away. I never knew you.” For those who have a conscience (and who hasn’t, except that many pay no attention to it), there is no excuse because conscience is God’s inner voice built into us at conception.

“When outsiders who have never heard of God’s law follow it more or less by instinct, they confirm its truth by their obedience. They show that God’s law is not something alien, imposed on us from without, but woven into the very fabric of our creation. There is something deep within that echoes God’s yes and no, right and wrong…” Romans 2:14, 15.

God has no pleasure in tossing people onto the eternal rubbish dump (called hell), but He has no option but to uphold His word and confirm our choices. Like seeds, God has put endless potential into every life. Look at an apple. What do you see? A tasty fruit, or a forest-in-the-making? It depends on your perspective. God looked at Abraham and saw a nation. It’s all about potential. His greatest sorrow is to have to discard people eternally because of wasted potential.

He has woven into human beings (that’s us too), the potential to become sons of God with all the rights and privileges Jesus has as God’s Son. He has actually named His sons heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, reigning with Him in eternal glory! Why pass that up for a stubborn refusal to take Him seriously?

Hence Jesus’ warning, “Before your day-to-day choices are confirmed forever,” He said, “take the trouble to verify My credentials, My trustworthiness and My promises, and act on what you discover.”

Once again, it’s your choice…

THE GOSPEL OF LUKE – WHO DO YOU SAY THAT I AM?

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WHO DO YOU SAY THAT I AM?

“One time when Jesus was off praying by Himself, His disciples nearby, He asked them, ‘What are the crowds saying about me, about who I am?’ They said, ‘John the Baptizer. Others say Elijah. Still others say that one of the prophets from long ago has come back.’ He then asked, ‘And you – what are you saying about me? Who am I?’ Peter answered, ‘The Messiah of God.’ Jesus warned them to keep it quiet. They were to tell no one what Peter had said. Luke 9:18-21.

Luke said nothing about the circumstances and environment of this event – which happened at Caesarea Philippi, the “red light” district of Israel – or Jesus’ altercation with Peter because of his misunderstanding of what He, as God’s Messiah, had come to do.

Jesus, it seems, wanted His disciples to be clear in their minds about His identity. They needed to distance themselves from the opinion of the people around them because, without the absolute conviction that He was the Messiah, they would not have the strength or perseverance to stay with Him when the going got tough.

The crowds who thronged Jesus were dazzled and enamoured by His personality and His miracles but they still fell short of their understanding of who He was. He was a prophet, yes, even one of the great prophets of history come back from the dead – if that were a possibility – but not the Messiah. They could not rise to that, especially as their spiritual leaders repudiated His claims and were bent on annihilating Him because He was a threat to them.

It was imperative that His disciples get it. It must have encouraged Him to know that they, probably through discussion among themselves, had at least recognised that He was more than just a prophet. Whatever their understanding of Messiah was, was yet to be revealed. It turns out that they were set on believing that He would deliver them from Roman occupation and restore the glory of David’s kingdom and nothing more than that.

Although He repeatedly tried to get them to understand what His messianic role was, it was only after all the horror of His crucifixion and the miracle of His resurrection that they came any closer to understanding that the deliverance of which He spoke was more than political and that God’s kingdom was broader than Israel.

It’s a great pity that there are large parts of the church today that have just as narrow a concept of who Jesus is as the disciples and the people of Jesus’ day had. Many denominations narrow God’s kingdom down to their particular theology or way of doing things. Some preachers insist that it’s all about “faith and prosperity”, while others go so far as to declare categorically that there is no salvation outside the boundaries of their “church”. They have removed Him from the throne and put themselves in charge.

But Jesus refuses to fit into anyone’s mould or to be anyone’s servant. He does not belong to anyone’s denomination or subscribe to anyone’s theology. His criterion for participation in the kingdom of God is far simpler and less regulatory than that.  He said, ‘Believe in me.’ Those who don’t do that, immediately disqualify themselves from being His disciples.

As simple as that instruction is, it will take a lifetime to understand and carry out His command. Following Jesus implies watching, listening, learning, practising, falling, getting up, starting again, going on, imitating, obeying, repenting, relearning, over and over again, like an infant learning to become a responsible adult.

Anything less than, or other than that, is just not Christian. As He said, ‘If you don’t do that, you are disqualified.’ It’s time for us, who call ourselves believers to get back to the Word of God and stop inventing our own brand of Christianity. The measure I use, which helps me to stay on course, and especially when I see and hear what goes on in the name of Jesus, is to ask the question, “Is that why Jesus came?”

It is the Bible, not popular preachers, that gives us the answer.

THE BOOK OF ACTS – COME FOLLOW ME

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COME FOLLOW ME

“They said, ‘Nobody wrote warning us about you. And no one has shown up saying anything bad about you. But we would like very much to hear more. The only thing we know about this Christian sect is that nobody seems to have anything good to say about it.’

“They agreed on a time. When the day arrived, they came back to his home with a number of their friends. Paul talked to them all day, from morning to evening, explaining everything involved in the kingdom of God, and trying to persuade them all about Jesus by pointing out what Moses and the prophets had said about Him.” Acts 28:21-23 (The Message).

As always, Paul gave the first opportunity to his own people to hear the gospel. Putting aside all his previous experiences with the Jews, he summoned the leaders to listen to his story in the hopes that some of them would believe and take the message back to their own community while Paul was restricted to his quarters under house arrest.

Paul’s meeting with the Jews in Rome started off in friendly fashion. At least, as far as they were concerned, he could begin with a clean slate. His reputation had not yet preceded him. He could tell his story to an unbiased audience and allow them to make their choices without prejudice, so he thought.

For a whole day Paul opened up their Scriptures to them, shining light on and bringing new meaning to the old familiar words. What a Bible study it must have been! His letter to the Roman church had already been written, and his readers familiar with the grand truths that he had unlocked for them from the pages of Holy Writ. No doubt drawing from the understanding he had received under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, like his Master, he spoke of the glories of the kingdom of God to men who should have had an appreciation of the Scriptures.

“Some of them were persuaded by what he said, but others refused to believe a word of it. When the unbelievers got cantankerous and started bickering with one another, Paul interrupted: ‘I have just one more thing to say to you. The Holy Spirit sure knew what He was talking about when He addressed our ancestors through Isaiah the prophet:'” Acts 28:24-25 (The Message).

The same thing all over again! Paul should have been used to it by now. This is the nature of the gospel of Jesus. He warned that it would be so: ‘I did not come to bring peace but a sword.’ His truth and His claims inevitably draw a sharp line down the middle. Such is the truth about Him that no one can remain neutral or indifferent to Him.

There is an innate enmity against God in the heart of every human being until their deep need for Him rises to the surface with a longing to know Him that outweighs their antagonism towards Him. Some will follow their hearts while others will retain that inward hostility that will rob them of the mercy that constantly reaches out to them. They will put anything in its place rather than submit to the love that calls them to Himself. The fight is so strong that they will destroy the messenger rather than respond to his message.

There is little else in the world that provokes such a violent response as the claims of Jesus. Religion and politics are the main causes of the great divide. But Jesus’ call is not to a cause like religion or politics: it is to Himself. ‘Come, follow me,’ He invites us, and that implies only one thing. You cannot follow a dead man, therefore He must be alive.

Unlike the founders of every counterfeit religion who can only leave behind a record of what they said or did, Jesus is alive! Like all others, He died, but unlike any other, He rose again to authenticate every claim He made about Himself. He is the only one who can speak, now, into your heart, saying, ‘Come, follow me.’

THE BOOK OF ACTS – THE CHURCH AT WORK

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THE CHURCH AT WORK

“It was about this time that some prophets came to Antioch from Jerusalem. One of them named Agabus stood up one day and, prompted by the Spirit, warned that a severe famine was about to devastate the country. (The famine eventually came during the rule of Claudius). So the disciples decided that each of them would send whatever they could to their fellow Christians in Judea to help out. They sent Barnabas and Saul to deliver the collection to the leaders in Jerusalem.” Acts 11:27-30 (The Message).

This was the church at work, doing life together across racial, cultural, social and even geographical divides. The church in the Roman Empire was a culture within a culture, living as a family unit in a hostile, anti-God environment, caring for and supporting one another and sharing their resources so that everyone had enough.

The prophetic ministry was part of this family life, not a kind of Christian “fortune-telling” to satisfy curiosity about the future but to prepare for disaster in advance in the same way as God prepared Egypt through Pharaoh’s dreams and Joseph’s interpretation.

Generosity was taught to the Israelites in the constitution of the Old Covenant. God taught them how to take care of one another so that there would be equality and a minimum of poverty among the people. They were to leave the corners of their fields for the poor to glean. They were to set up freed slaves with enough to save them from sliding back into poverty and inevitable slavery again.

Their system of tithes and offerings took care of all those for whom they were responsible – their high priest, their priests, their families and the poor, the widow, the orphan and the alien. They did not leave the care of the needy to the government. Their government operated through their religious system under God.

In the early church resources were used serve, not to hoard. What they had they did not regard as exclusively theirs. It was on loan from God to be used for the common good. Human nature is still today what it was then — enslaved by greed. There was one clear test of a new heart — how did they treat their possessions?

The Apostle Paul accurately diagnosed the root of all evil in the world as not money but as the love of money. Jesus made it clear that it is impossible for anyone to serve two masters, God and Mammon. Mammon is not money per se; it is the demonic stronghold that money sets up in the heart of a greedy person. When the love of money grips a person’s heart, believer or not, he cannot be a lover of God.

Since Jesus spoke more about money than anything else, it must be true that our attitude to, and the way we handle our money is the measure of our commitment to Him. The money and possessions God entrusts to us are a part of our equipment with which we show the love of God to fellow believers and to the unbelieving world.

Love is a very practical thing. John put it this way: “If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him?” 1 John 3:17 (NIV).

The generosity of the believers in the early church was spontaneous. They did not have to be cajoled, bullied or begged to share their resources with brothers and sisters in Judea. It was their first response to the approaching famine.

The eighth commandment, “You shall not steal,” is as much about withholding from those who need your help as it is about taking what does not belong to you. God indicted His own people through the prophet Malachi. “‘Will a man rob God? Yet you rob me. But you ask, ‘How do we rob you?’ In tithes and offerings. You are under a curse — the whole nation of you — because you are robbing me.'” Malachi 3:8, 9 (NIV).

How many robbers are sitting in our churches, believing they are disciples of Jesus but under a curse and excluded from the kingdom because they are takers and not givers?

THE BOOK OF ACTS – HE PREACHED JESUS

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HE PREACHED JESUS

“The passage he was reading was this:

“As a sheep led to slaughter,

And quiet as a lamb being sheared,

He was silent, saying nothing.

He was mocked and put down, never got a fair trial.

But who can count His kin since He’s been taken from the earth?”

“The eunuch said, ‘Tell me, who is the prophet talking about: himself or some other?’ Philip grabbed his chance. Using this passage as his text, he preached Jesus to him.” Acts 8:32-35 (The Message).

What a golden moment? Just Philip and the eunuch, riding along in an open chariot, far from anywhere, engrossed in the Scriptures together. Philip was in his element, unfazed by colour, culture, race and language differences, sharing the precious truth about Jesus. The eunuch’s heart was wide open to receive the truth and respond with life-changing faith in the Master.

What did Philip say to the man? He preached Jesus. What does that mean? No doubt his theme was the prophecy of Isaiah and prophecy about Jesus in general. What better way to present Jesus to this man than that He was the focus and pinnacle of Old Testament prophecy!

It was Peter’s theme on the Day of Pentecost. “These people are not drunk. This is the fulfillment of Joel’s prophecy,” he thundered to thousands of curious onlookers. It was Jesus’ theme on resurrection day when He joined the grieving pair on their way home from Jerusalem. It was Matthew’s theme when he unfolded the fascinating story of Messiah, tracing every stage of His life back to the words of the prophets so that his own people, the Jews, would be convinced that Jesus was their Messiah, the king of the Jews.

Why is this such a vital theme for our faith in Jesus as the Son of God? Prophecy is God’s trump card. There is no religion on earth that can point to prophecy to authenticate its message. No one can stop people from making outrageous claims but to prove those claims to be true is another matter.

Such is the foolish gullibility of man that people swallow the most ridiculous beliefs ever spawned by human imagination without questioning their source or their authority. Can people in their right mind, for example, really believe that an image carved out of wood or stone has any power or influence in their lives? What about the random powers of nature? Do they have any intelligence or desire to affect human beings for their good?

All these false systems are an attempt to evade the truth that there is only one authentic and authoritative God. He gave us a detailed written record of His dealings with a people He chose to be His channel and through whom He came in person to show us what God is like. Even more amazing, He wrote the whole story before it happened so that we would know that it’s true.

When Philip told the eunuch the story of Jesus, it was no thumb-suck for entertainment; it was the poignant story of a God who cares. How much does He care? He cared enough to humble Himself to the level of a human baby, to live the same struggle-filled lives as ours and to be so misunderstood because His people wouldn’t consult the prophetic record, that they murdered Him as a lying imposter.

But the story didn’t end there. The prophets wrote the end of the book too. He came back again, just as He said He would, because He was not the fraud they said He was. Who proved to be telling the truth? He did, because He is alive and still doing through His people what He did when He was here in the flesh.

So who and what are you believing; the nonsense passed down to you just because you forefathers believed it or the truth because Jesus proved it by fulfilling it to the letter?