Holidays

It is important that we know the who, what, when, where, and how of the Holidays in which we take part. The goal of these blogs is understanding, not legalism.

Prophetic Insight or Divination?

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propheticWe’ve allowed many to play fast and loose with the term “prophetic” whenever we see folks proclaim “prophetic insights” based on calendars (Hebrew and Modern). Is this Prophetic or merely divination by other spiritual means (numerology, astrology, omen reading).

Let us begin with what will undoubtedly be a season of supposed “prophetic words” that will capitalize on the upcoming Hebrew New Year (Rosh Hashana). It seems every year there is a “prophetic word for 20XX” that never gets reviewed or tested. A prophet of God must be 100% accurate or they are false and need to repent for their blasphemy. There is no in-between.

The Seventh Month

On our western calendar, Rosh Hashana falls on the evening of September 25. While it is called the “Hebrew New Year”, it doesn’t mark the first day of the calendar year as we westerners have come to think of “New Year”. It is in-fact the first day of the seventh month of the year. This is an important month in the Mosaic Covenant, so let us brush up a bit on what Scripture says regarding this month.

Leviticus 23:23-25 (ESV) | The Feast of Trumpets
23 And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 24 “Speak to the people of Israel, saying, In the seventh month, on the first day of the month, you shall observe a day of solemn rest, a memorial proclaimed with blast of trumpets, a holy convocation. 25 You shall not do any ordinary work, and you shall present a food offering to the Lord.”

Okay, so this is to be a Sabbath day in addition to the weekly Sabbath (since this calendar is based on both solar and lunar cycles to keep the seasons) the day on which Rosh Hashana falls varies from year to year. Keeping track of Sabbaths the months, the lunar cycles and the holy days was a priestly duty, but all of the people of Israel had to abide by them in order to keep the Law.

Leviticus 23:26-32 (ESV) | The Day of Atonement
26 And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 27 “Now on the tenth day of this seventh month is the Day of Atonement. It shall be for you a time of holy convocation, and you shall afflict yourselves and present a food offering to the Lord. 28 And you shall not do any work on that very day, for it is a Day of Atonement, to make atonement for you before the Lord your God. 29 For whoever is not afflicted on that very day shall be cut off from his people.30 And whoever does any work on that very day, that person I will destroy from among his people. 31 You shall not do any work. It is a statute forever throughout your generations in all your dwelling places. 32 It shall be to you a Sabbath of solemn rest, and you shall afflict yourselves. On the ninth day of the month beginning at evening, from evening to evening shall you keep your Sabbath.”

Now in Numbers we see what sacrifices were to be brought for the Day of Atonement:

Numbers 29:7-11 (ESV) | Offerings for the Day of Atonement
7 “On the tenth day of this seventh month you shall have a holy convocation and afflict yourselves. You shall do no work, 8 but you shall offer a burnt offering to the Lord, a pleasing aroma: one bull from the herd, one ram, seven male lambs a year old: see that they are without blemish. 9 And their grain offering shall be of fine flour mixed with oil, three tenths of an ephah for the bull, two tenths for the one ram, 10 a tenth for each of the seven lambs: 11 also one male goat for a sin offering, besides the sin offering of atonement, and the regular burnt offering and its grain offering, and their drink offerings.

The Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur) is arguably the most important day on the Hebrew calendar. Lots of sacrifices made to atone for the sins of the people of Israel. It marks the end of the High Holy days that begin on the first day of the seventh month. Let’s look at the historical significance of the Day of Atonement within the Mosaic Covenant.

Leviticus 16:1-10 (ESV) | The Day of Atonement
1 The Lord spoke to Moses after the death of the two sons of Aaron, when they drew near before the Lord and died, 2 and the Lord said to Moses, “Tell Aaron your brother not to come at any time into the Holy Place inside the veil, before the mercy seat that is on the ark, so that he may not die. For I will appear in the cloud over the mercy seat. 3 But in this way Aaron shall come into the Holy Place: with a bull from the herd for a sin offering and a ram for a burnt offering. 4 He shall put on the holy linen coat and shall have the linen undergarment on his body, and he shall tie the linen sash around his waist, and wear the linen turban; these are the holy garments. He shall bathe his body in water and then put them on. 5 And he shall take from the congregation of the people of Israel two male goats for a sin offering, and one ram for a burnt offering. 6 “Aaron shall offer the bull as a sin offering for himself and shall make atonement for himself and for his house. 7 Then he shall take the two goats and set them before the Lord at the entrance of the tent of meeting. 8 And Aaron shall cast lots over the two goats, one lot for the Lord and the other lot for Azazel. 9 And Aaron shall present the goat on which the lot fell for the Lord and use it as a sin offering, 10 but the goat on which the lot fell for Azazel shall be presented alive before the Lord to make atonement over it, that it may be sent away into the wilderness to Azazel.

Okay, so we have now a full picture of what was required as far as sacrifices on the Day of Atonement. It was quite the bloody affair, and it was the only day when the High Priest could enter the Holy Place. The High Priest must first offer a sacrifice to atone for himself and his house, then he had to follow God’s commands to make atonement for the Holy Place because of the sins of the people, and then the tent of meeting and the altar. Then he would lay his hands on the live goat and confess over it all of the sins of the people (this is where the term “scapegoat” derives its meaning) so that it will carry away the sins of the people.

Everything we have discussed in the Law is a foreshadowing of the final sacrifice, the final Day of Atonement, the day that Jesus Christ died on the cross to atone for our sin forever.

Hebrews 9:19-28 (ESV) 19 For when every commandment of the law had been declared by Moses to all the people, he took the blood of calves and goats, with water and scarlet wool and hyssop, and sprinkled both the book itself and all the people, 20 saying, “This is the blood of the covenant that God commanded for you.” 21 And in the same way he sprinkled with the blood both the tent and all the vessels used in worship. 22 Indeed, under the law almost everything is purified with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins.23 Thus it was necessary for the copies of the heavenly things to be purified with these rites, but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these. 24 For Christ has entered, not into holy places made with hands, which are copies of the true things, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God on our behalf. 25 Nor was it to offer himself repeatedly, as the high priest enters the holy places every year with blood not his own, 26 for then he would have had to suffer repeatedly since the foundation of the world. But as it is, he has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself. 27 And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment, 28 so Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him.

This is the significance of the Day of Atonement for those of us who are in Christ Jesus. Plainly taught in Scripture. We now have the great High Priest at the right hand of God the Father interceding on our behalf. No more animal sacrifices, no more waiting for the seventh month of the year, much less the 10th day of the seventh month.

Prophetic Insight or Divination?

There is an unquenchable drive within the community of self-appointed apostles and prophets to always have a “fresh” or “new” word of prophecy. There is very little Biblical teaching in that community. In fact, there is a sense that what is old is no longer relevant, so there is no point of going back to what the Scriptures teach. Oddly enough, when these individuals do go back to the Scriptures, they tend to dive into odd portions of the Old Testament to rip verses or promises out of context. Finally, what is often times presented as a “prophetic word” or “prophetic insight” is really no different from divination.

Numerology and Astrology presented as Prophecy

Why do accept the idea that God is in any way bound to a Calendar (Hebrew or Modern)? Were the feasts and the Sabbaths to be observed by God or by men? Was God bound to certain days on which He could speak to His prophets? No. God spoke when He chose to speak, through whom He chose to speak to whomever He chose to speak. The Lord God is Sovereign. If God is not bound by certain days of the Calendar while the Mosaic Covenant is in effect, He is definitely not bound by those days now that the Truth of Jesus Christ as the Messiah, the Son of the Living God has been revealed. Jesus promised to send the Holy Spirit to dwell within us, and Paul taught that we, Christians, are now the temple of the Holy Spirit of God. If He dwells within us, then we needn’t wait for the Day of Atonement to approach the mercy-seat, or to confess our sins and be forgiven. So, why… WHY have we adopted the pagan practices of astrology and numerology in an attempt to divine the Will of God for “the New Year”?

We’ve already been dealing with false-prophesy in the form of astrology regarding John Hagee’s “4 Blood Moons” nonsense. The supposed tetrad of lunar eclipses that (depending on how you are trying to sell this ‘prophesy’) spell either doom or an opportunity for unlocking some secret blessing from God. Astrology.

Now, thanks in-part to the Hebrew-roots movement, we get 2 seasons of “annual prophetic words”, one for our modern New Year and another for the Hebrew Calendar New Year. We’ve already seen the Biblical significance of this month and how it points to Jesus, but the Hebrew year is also 5775. We’ll undoubtedly see ‘prophetic’ insights tied to some sort of divine significance of the numbers 5 and 7, and the fact that both numbers are doubled. (Rod Parsley and Chuck Pierce have apparently already done so). Numerology.

Neither of these forms of divination are Biblical nor are they Prophetic. While it is true that God repeats patterns of significance in His Word when He chose to work Creation in 6 days and rest on the 7th, it is God who sets the pattern, not the pattern that sets God. The pattern must point to God, or it is meaningless. For example, if I commit a sin (you pick one), there is no power in the number “7” or “10” that I can invoke to get God to forgive me, but if I remember that the Day of atonement (10th day of the 7th month) points to Christ on the Cross, then I can be reminded that Christ already made atonement for my sin, and that all that is required of me is to confess and repent from my sin. Nothing prophetic about your watch showing 7/7/77 as the date, or 7:55:07 as the time… there is no power of prophesy in the number, nor is God obligated to give a prophetic word just because the Calendar has a certain number or letter on it. Divination points to omens, not to the Living God, and not to Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior.

Divination is not Powerless

The real problem here is not only that God is not bound by any calendar to give a word of prophesy, but that divination is prohibited. Remember the test of a prophet isn’t limited to whether or not the sign or wonder comes to pass. Both the Law and Jesus tell us that false prophets will also produce signs and wonders. We are NOT to listen to every spirit, but only God the Holy Spirit.

Deuteronomy 18:9-12 (ESV) | Abominable Practices
9 “When you come into the land that the Lord your God is giving you, you shall not learn to follow the abominable practices of those nations. 10 There shall not be found among you anyone who burns his son or his daughter as an offering, anyone who practices divination or tells fortunes or interprets omens, or a sorcerer 11 or a charmer or a medium or a necromancer or one who inquires of the dead, 12 for whoever does these things is an abomination to the Lord. And because of these abominations the Lord your God is driving them out before you.

Acts 16:16-19 (ESV) 16 As we were going to the place of prayer, we were met by a slave girl who had a spirit of divination and brought her owners much gain by fortune-telling. 17 She followed Paul and us, crying out, “These men are servants of the Most High God, who proclaim to you the way of salvation.” 18 And this she kept doing for many days. Paul, having become greatly annoyed, turned and said to the spirit, “I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her.” And it came out that very hour. 19 But when her owners saw that their hope of gain was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the marketplace before the rulers.

So here we reviewed what was in the Law and then jumped ahead to Acts 16. Notice here there is a slave girl who had an unclean spirit, a spirit of divination. Her owners made money off her divination. She followed Paul and Silas for days and what does the scripture record her crying out? That they were servants of the Most High God proclaiming the way of salvation. Was she telling the truth? Yes. Was she prophesying? No. She was calling attention to herself and to Paul and Silas, but was not seeking to honor the Most High God. For we know that it was a foul spirit. A demon. It was not of God, and that is a problem. I believe this example is recorded in scripture to demonstrate that even if the proclamation sounds right (and this one does seem right in written form) the spirit behind it was wrong. It did not bring glory to God, nor did it edify the Church.

Conclusion

Stop reading omens. Stop searching out others to read omens. Don’t accept divination as a counterfeit for prophesy. Seek first the Kingdom of God by reading His Word, revealed in the Bible. Scripture defines scripture. All scripture is God-breathed. God is unchanging. He will not speak now in a way that runs contrary to Scripture. We are awaiting the Return of Jesus Christ our King, and we have our marching orders, the foundation laid by the Apostles with Jesus Christ as the cornerstone. He is also the Head of His Church. Remember, that the Testimony of Jesus is the Spirit of Prophecy (Revelation 19:10). Test the spirits to know if they are of God or of error. The only test we have is Scripture.

One final thought… anyone who claims to speak Prophetically in the Name of the Lord and demands a fee from you in order for you to be blessed by God has flipped the Gospel upside down. Jesus didn’t give His life on the cross for you to earn forgiveness, much less blessing. The sacrifices in the Law don’t translate into “seed offerings” of money commensurate with your faith to believe for miracles from God. The offerings we reviewed for the Day of Atonement didn’t become the wealth of the priests, they were sacrificed to the Lord to atone for their sin. The High Priest faced certain death if he displeased the Lord God on this day. The false teachers of today who seek to sell you false-hope and take advantage of your desperation by teaching for shameful gain what they ought not teach (Titus 1:9-11).

Jude 1:24-25 (ESV)24 Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy, 25 to the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen.

In Christ Jesus,
Jorge

Knowledge is Power?

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BaconQuoteThis past Labor Day I spent a little over 9 hours on the road unaccompanied. There was a billboard sign promoting some college or university that caught my attention and all it said was “Knowledge is Power”. A quote often attributed to Sir Francis Bacon, one of the so-called “great philosophers” you will undoubtedly study if you take a Philosophy or History of Philosophy class.

The thought that immediately came to mind was, “not all knowledge is power”. So, let’s take this oft-quoted truism and test it against the Word of God.

Did God Actually Say…?

Let’s start with the first appearance of “knowledge” in the Scriptures. For this, we reach all the way back to the Garden of Eden.

Genesis 2:8-9 (ESV) 8 And the Lord God planted a garden in Eden, in the east, and there he put the man whom he had formed. 9 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.

Genesis 2:15-17 (ESV) 15 The Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it.16 And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, “You may surely eat of every tree of the garden, 17 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 3:1-5 (ESV) 3 Now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God actually say, ‘You shall not eat of any tree in the garden’?” 2 And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden, 3 but God said, ‘You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the midst of the garden, neither shall you touch it, lest you die.’” 4 But the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. 5 For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”

Genesis 3:22-23 (ESV) 22 Then the Lord God said, “Behold, the man has become like one of us in knowing good and evil. Now, lest he reach out his hand and take also of the tree of life and eat, and live forever—” 23 therefore the Lord God sent him out from the garden of Eden to work the ground from which he was taken.

God forbade Adam to eat of one tree, the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Satan steps in to tempt Eve to eat of the fruit of that tree, and notice how he did it. He offers Eve a “why” that was a lie. In so doing, he accuses God of withholding power from her. Satan tells her that the reason she is not allowed to eat of the fruit isn’t that she will die; rather, it is so that she will not have the power of knowledge thus keeping her from being like God. What knowledge did Adam and Eve gain from the fruit of the tree? Only the knowledge of evil. Notice the grace of God steps in immediately, in that He made sure to prevent man from eating of the fruit of the tree of Life. Spiritual death happened immediately in the sin. The flesh was defiled by the same sin and would complete the penalty required by sin, complete death. God did not let man live eternally in a cursed and fallen flesh. A way was already made for the redemption of mankind, in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ; therefore, sinful man was prevented from partaking of the fruit of the tree of Life. Praise God.

Getting back to the knowledge gained, Adam already knew God; therefore, he already knew good. God is the very definition of good. Mark 10:18 (ESV) And Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone. Now Jesus is God and is also good, but the rich young ruler had not acknowledged Jesus as God; therefore, he had no basis upon which to call Jesus “good”. Which vaults us into the next topic, the Biblical definition of Knowledge that is Power.

Knowledge of Him

If you search the ESV for “knowledge” you get a lot of results, the vast majority of them would seem to support the truism “knowledge is power”; however, as we’ve established, that statement does not reflect truth on its own. There is knowledge that leads to death, as we saw in the garden. The knowledge of evil, of sin, leads to death. Man sinned in the garden, and died, separating us from the only knowledge that has any power, the knowledge of God. Let us look at some of the Biblical passages that clearly define what knowledge we are to be seeking.

2 Chronicles 1:7-13 (ESV) 7 In that night God appeared to Solomon, and said to him, “Ask what I shall give you.” 8 And Solomon said to God, “You have shown great and steadfast love to David my father, and have made me king in his place. 9 O Lord God, let your word to David my father be now fulfilled, for you have made me king over a people as numerous as the dust of the earth. 10 Give me now wisdom and knowledge to go out and come in before this people, for who can govern this people of yours, which is so great?” 11 God answered Solomon, “Because this was in your heart, and you have not asked for possessions, wealth, honor, or the life of those who hate you, and have not even asked for long life, but have asked for wisdom and knowledge for yourself that you may govern my people over whom I have made you king, 12 wisdom and knowledge are granted to you. I will also give you riches, possessions, and honor, such as none of the kings had who were before you, and none after you shall have the like.” 13 So Solomon came from the high place at Gibeon, from before the tent of meeting, to Jerusalem. And he reigned over Israel.

Luke 11:31 (ESV)31 The queen of the South will rise up at the judgment with the men of this generation and condemn them, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and behold, something greater than Solomon is here.

2 Corinthians 2:14-17 (ESV)14 But thanks be to God, who in Christ always leads us in triumphal procession, and through us spreads the fragrance of the knowledge of him everywhere. 15 For we are the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing, 16 to one a fragrance from death to death, to the other a fragrance from life to life. Who is sufficient for these things? 17 For we are not, like so many, peddlers of God’s word, but as men of sincerity, as commissioned by God, in the sight of God we speak in Christ.

Ephesians 1:16-21 (ESV)16 I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers, 17 that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him, 18 having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, 19 and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might 20 that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, 21 far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come.

Solomon’s great wisdom and knowledge came directly from God the Father, and from no other place. His sin was in allowing false knowledge, false doctrines, and false gods to take up residence in Israel, through his very own fleshly failings in the taking of brides from other nations and allowing their idolatry. Still we see Jesus teaching in reference to the wisdom of Solomon and immediately declaring that something greater than Solomon was in their midst. That something is Jesus Christ, the very standard of Good and the embodiment of Truth and Knowledge. We see plainly that Paul pointed to the Knowledge of Christ as the key factor for our salvation. For if we fail to accept the Knowledge of the Gospel of Christ, we remain powerlessly dead to sin. Notice also, that Paul separates himself from the peddlers of God’s word, in that only in the Gospel of Jesus Christ, the knowledge of Christ, are we made right with God. Many peddle the scriptures, tossing out verses, twisting God’s words for gain, or for a laugh, or to tempt and lead astray even the elect of God. Satan twisted God’s words in the garden by inserting lies. Satan twisted scripture in his temptation of Jesus in the wilderness. Peddlers of God’s Word. But as Paul said in 2 Corinthians “Thanks be to God” for giving us His Word and for sending us His Holy Spirit so that we might grow in the Knowledge of Christ.

False Knowledge Still Kills

1 Timothy 6:3-21 (ESV) 1 If anyone teaches a different doctrine and does not agree with the sound words of our Lord Jesus Christ and the teaching that accords with godliness, 4 he is puffed up with conceit and understands nothing. He has an unhealthy craving for controversy and for quarrels about words, which produce envy, dissension, slander, evil suspicions, 5 and constant friction among people who are depraved in mind and deprived of the truth, imagining that godliness is a means of gain. 6 But godliness with contentment is great gain, 7 for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world. 8 But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content. 9 But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. 10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs.

11 But as for you, O man of God, flee these things. Pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, gentleness. 12 Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called and about which you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses. 13 I charge you in the presence of God, who gives life to all things, and of Christ Jesus, who in his testimony before Pontius Pilate made the good confession, 14 to keep the commandment unstained and free from reproach until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, 15 which he will display at the proper time—he who is the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords, 16 who alone has immortality, who dwells in unapproachable light, whom no one has ever seen or can see. To him be honor and eternal dominion. Amen. 17 As for the rich in this present age, charge them not to be haughty, nor to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy. 18 They are to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share, 19 thus storing up treasure for themselves as a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is truly life.

20 O Timothy, guard the deposit entrusted to you. Avoid the irreverent babble and contradictions of what is falsely called “knowledge,” 21 for by professing it some have swerved from the faith. Grace be with you.

There is only one Truth, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. The truism, is misleading. It is often used to suggest that when one obtains knowledge, one obtains power. That isn’t true. For one, the only way to “obtain knowledge” is by grace, through faith, and that not of our selves, it is the gift of God (Ephesians 2). And faith comes through hearing and hearing through the Word of Christ (Romans 10:17). Knowledge is not a power for us to obtain; rather, it is the only way of salvation, the only way that we might be made alive in Christ rather than dead in our sin.

In Jesus Christ our Lord, to God be the glory forever, Amen.
Jorge

CTT | The Rainbow is More than a Symbol

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CTTAs we try to get back to a more sustainable blog schedule, I want to start addressing some more current events in snippets. My plan is to keep Thursday as the “big blog” day, but as always we’ll just see where the Scripture leads us.

Today, I wanted to talk a bit about the progressive assault on Christians who do not wish to be forced to celebrate homosexual unions. My wording is intentional, because what you see in the media is a complete twisting of the facts to support the LGBTQ(…) narrative that attempts to paint themselves as victims of bigotry. Florists and bakers are the easy targets right now, but churches are being targeted, too (mainly via their tax-exemption status). Over the past several weeks, I’ve seen far too many LGBTQ(…) flags on the news and in social media, so the nagging question has been, “what possessed them to take the rainbow as the symbol of their rebellion?” I looked up what the movement claims to be the origin of their rainbow flag and I’ll share a link at the end, but what the world claims as their own and how they justify it is irrelevant. Wholly and completely irrelevant.

Psalm 24:1-2 (ESV)
24 The earth is the Lord’s and the fullness thereof, the world and those who dwell therein, 2 for he has founded it upon the seas and established it upon the rivers.

Therefore, our focus will be on what God has declared in His Word regarding His Rainbow. Our text today will be Genesis 8:13 through 9:25 (ESV).

Genesis 8:13-19 (ESV)
13 In the six hundred and first year, in the first month, the first day of the month, the waters were dried from off the earth. And Noah removed the covering of the ark and looked, and behold, the face of the ground was dry. 14 In the second month, on the twenty-seventh day of the month, the earth had dried out. 15 Then God said to Noah,16 “Go out from the ark, you and your wife, and your sons and your sons’ wives with you.17 Bring out with you every living thing that is with you of all flesh—birds and animals and every creeping thing that creeps on the earth—that they may swarm on the earth, and be fruitful and multiply on the earth.” 18 So Noah went out, and his sons and his wife and his sons’ wives with him. 19 Every beast, every creeping thing, and every bird, everything that moves on the earth, went out by families from the ark.

Here we see a precise accounting of the day that Noah, his family, and every living creature preserved by the Ark finally stepped out to repopulate the earth. We have a similarly precise account of the day the flood began in Genesis 7:11 (ESV) “11 In the six hundredth year of Noah’s life, in the second month, on the seventeenth day of the month, on that day all the fountains of the great deep burst forth, and the windows of the heavens were opened”. Now the Hebrew calendar followed the lunar cycles and each month was numbered (as opposed to modern secular calendars being solar years). There are 12 months in the ancient Hebrew calendar, but they have a leap month much in the same way we have leap days. Without getting too terribly bogged down in calculations, what we can say is that the Ark protected the remnant of the Earth for at least a full 1 year and 27 days. Now, a year for a man who had already lived 600 might seem to pass by more quickly than a year for a young pup of 36 such as myself; however, given the living conditions on the Ark and the knowledge that God had utterly destroyed the Earth under Noah’s very feet… such a comparison become moot and trite.

Genesis 8:20-22 (ESV)
20 Then Noah built an altar to the Lord and took some of every clean animal and some of every clean bird and offered burnt offerings on the altar. 21 And when the Lord smelled the pleasing aroma, the Lord said in his heart, “I will never again curse the ground because of man, for the intention of man’s heart is evil from his youth. Neither will I ever again strike down every living creature as I have done. 22 While the earth remains, seed-time and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night, shall not cease.”

Genesis 9:1-17 (ESV)
9 And God blessed Noah and his sons and said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth. 2 The fear of you and the dread of you shall be upon every beast of the earth and upon every bird of the heavens, upon everything that creeps on the ground and all the fish of the sea. Into your hand they are delivered. 3 Every moving thing that lives shall be food for you. And as I gave you the green plants, I give you everything.4 But you shall not eat flesh with its life, that is, its blood. 5 And for your lifeblood I will require a reckoning: from every beast I will require it and from man. From his fellow man I will require a reckoning for the life of man.

6 “Whoever sheds the blood of man,
by man shall his blood be shed,
for God made man in his own image.
7 And you, be fruitful and multiply, increase greatly on the earth and multiply in it.”

8 Then God said to Noah and to his sons with him, 9 “Behold, I establish my covenant with you and your offspring after you, 10 and with every living creature that is with you, the birds, the livestock, and every beast of the earth with you, as many as came out of the ark; it is for every beast of the earth. 11 I establish my covenant with you, that never again shall all flesh be cut off by the waters of the flood, and never again shall there be a flood to destroy the earth.” 12 And God said, “This is the sign of the covenant that I make between me and you and every living creature that is with you, for all future generations: 13 I have set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between me and the earth. 14 When I bring clouds over the earth and the bow is seen in the clouds, 15 I will remember my covenant that is between me and you and every living creature of all flesh. And the waters shall never again become a flood to destroy all flesh. 16 When the bow is in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is on the earth.” 17 God said to Noah, “This is the sign of the covenant that I have established between me and all flesh that is on the earth.”

God set His bow in the cloud. The Rainbow is the Lord’s. He set it in the clouds and He declared what it symbolizes. It symbolizes His covenant with His Creation, with the Earth and everything on the Earth. It is a promise that the earth will receive no new curses on account of man, for man is born dead in sin, and the intention of man’s heart is evil from his youth. Read throughout Revelation, and you’ll not see any mention of a second global flood. As long as the earth remains, the seasons and days will continue. This is why every prophesy regarding the Day of Christ’s return talks about heaven and earth being rolled up like a scroll, or passing away. God’s covenant is all of His Creation. When the end comes, it will indeed be the end of this world. That is why everything longs for the New Heaven and the New Earth.

Genesis 9:18-25 (ESV)
18 The sons of Noah who went forth from the ark were Shem, Ham, and Japheth. (Ham was the father of Canaan.) 19 These three were the sons of Noah, and from these the people of the whole earth were dispersed.

20 Noah began to be a man of the soil, and he planted a vineyard. 21 He drank of the wine and became drunk and lay uncovered in his tent. 22 And Ham, the father of Canaan, saw the nakedness of his father and told his two brothers outside. 23 Then Shem and Japheth took a garment, laid it on both their shoulders, and walked backward and covered the nakedness of their father. Their faces were turned backward, and they did not see their father’s nakedness. 24 When Noah awoke from his wine and knew what his youngest son had done to him, 25 he said,

“Cursed be Canaan; a servant of servants shall he be to his brothers.”

Indeed, the problem of sin was not solved by the Flood, for God preserved sinful man from total destruction. And we see here, the first recorded sinful act committed upon another person, is one of sexual immorality (namely incest, adultery, rape, and homosexuality). How much time had passed since they left the Ark? We only know it was long enough for a vineyard to be planted and harvested and for Noah to drink of its wine. Beyond that, we don’t know how much time had passed, but given that they had spent over a year in the Ark as God was sparing their lives, we see how deeply rooted the curse of sin lies buried in the heart of man. Still, Canaan was cursed by the sin of his father against Noah. Not unlike how we ALL are cursed by the sin of Adam. But we also see Japheth and Shem blessed for their righteous acts, for resisting the temptation to sin. God keeps His covenants, even when we fail Him. God preserved the Messianic line from Adam to Jesus, so that in Christ we might have the Hope of Salvation promised on the day sin and death entered the world.

Which brings be back to the LGBTQ(…) use of the rainbow flag. Regardless of whatever history they claim on their use of the rainbow, the Rainbow has a history and belongs to Almighty God. It’s His Rainbow, placed by Him into the clouds as a reminder of His covenant with the Earth and every living creature on it. Not only has the LGBTQ(…) taken God’s rainbow and created of it a flag for their rebellion against God’s design for man and woman in sexual purity, they do so in the name of “Gay Pride”.

Pride.

Psalm 10:2-11 (ESV)
2 In arrogance the wicked hotly pursue the poor;
let them be caught in the schemes that they have devised.
3 For the wicked boasts of the desires of his soul,
and the one greedy for gain curses and renounces the Lord.
4 In the pride of his face the wicked does not seek him;
    all his thoughts are, “There is no God.”
5 His ways prosper at all times;
your judgments are on high, out of his sight;
as for all his foes, he puffs at them.
6 He says in his heart, “I shall not be moved;
throughout all generations I shall not meet adversity.”
7 His mouth is filled with cursing and deceit and oppression;
    under his tongue are mischief and iniquity.
8 He sits in ambush in the villages;
in hiding places he murders the innocent.
His eyes stealthily watch for the helpless;
9     he lurks in ambush like a lion in his thicket;
he lurks that he may seize the poor;
he seizes the poor when he draws him into his net.
10 The helpless are crushed, sink down,
and fall by his might.
11 He says in his heart, “God has forgotten,
    he has hidden his face, he will never see it.”

Also in Romans,

Romans 1:18-32 (ESV)
18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. 19 For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. 20 For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. 21 For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22 Claiming to be wise, they became fools, 23 and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things.

24 Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves, 25 because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen.

26 For this reason God gave them up to dishonorable passions. For their women exchanged natural relations for those that are contrary to nature; 27 and the men likewise gave up natural relations with women and were consumed with passion for one another, men committing shameless acts with men and receiving in themselves the due penalty for their error.

28 And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done. 29 They were filled with all manner of unrighteousness, evil, covetousness, malice. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, maliciousness. They are gossips, 30 slanderers, haters of God, insolent, haughty, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, 31 foolish, faithless, heartless, ruthless. 32 Though they know God’s righteous decree that those who practice such things deserve to die, they not only do them but give approval to those who practice them.

That last point is the most powerful and relevant to our day and today’s post. The problem we face now, even within the professing church, is that the world isn’t happy with mere tolerance of their sin, but they insist that we join them in celebration of their sin, under a banner that mocks God’s covenant by way of reminding Him of His promise as they ignore His commands.

These people are not our enemies; rather, they are lost… dead in their sins and trespasses. It is to them that we must continue to preach Repentance and the Forgiveness of sin through the Blood of Jesus Christ. We pray that the Living God have mercy on them, and extend grace to them that they might hear and receive the Gospel of Grace. Your flesh is no different from theirs, it continues to desire sin and self-gratification as it always did, only by the Grace of God you have been made alive in Him and have been given God the Holy Spirit to comfort, strengthen, and grow you into the fullness of Christ. For we were all like them, and only by the Grace of God did we hear the Gospel of Jesus Christ, repent, and received salvation from the kingdom of darkness, and a promise of eternal life in Christ.

It is tempting to lash out, be confrontational, and to condemn the lost for being lost. Such righteous indignation belongs to Christ, not us. For we are not of ourselves righteous; rather, we rely on the righteousness of Christ to carry us through judgement, in the same way that Noah relied on the Ark. It is not for us to condemn those who blaspheme and hate God, they have already done so. Instead, it is for us to stand firmly on the Word of God, preach the Gospel, and be a living testimony to the greatness of  our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

2 Peter 3:13-18 (ESV)
13 But according to his promise we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells. 14 Therefore, beloved, since you are waiting for these, be diligent to be found by him without spot or blemish, and at peace. 15 And count the patience of our Lord as salvation, just as our beloved brother Paul also wrote to you according to the wisdom given him, 16 as he does in all his letters when he speaks in them of these matters.There are some things in them that are hard to understand, which the ignorant and unstable twist to their own destruction, as they do the other Scriptures. 17 You therefore, beloved, knowing this beforehand, take care that you are not carried away with the error of lawless people and lose your own stability. 18 But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.

In Him,
Jorge

Christmas in July? | Giving

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A local Christian radio station is currently in full-swing with its “Christmas in July” campaign. They are currently supporting a wonderful outreach for an organization that ministers to victims of domestic violence, so I fully support the cause. My question is, what is the purpose of invoking the “Christmas in July” theme? Several of the station promos are of the Christmas variety with “the most wonderful time of the year” jingle, and on-air DJs promoting the “season of giving to each other”. But is that the focus of Christmas?

This past Christmas season (2013), we looked at the Biblical context of Christmas in a 4-part series:

No doubt in your local church there has been at least some debate regarding the focus of our Christmas celebration. While the textbook answer to the question of Christmas is “we celebrate the birth of Christ”, often times what we see demonstrated pays homage to a jolly fat elf character mystically delivering gifts to kids according to their deeds for the year (via omniscience?). Gift giving is the theme of the season overall, but on the day of Christmas the focus is generally on the gifts we have given each other. I’m all for celebration for the right reasons, and in our family we do celebrate and take part in gift giving; however, we do not in any way endorse the demigod santa or any other such mystical nonsense.

So then, since the textbook answer to the question of Christmas is “Jesus”, why is it that we leap to “Christmas in July” to describe a call to give gifts in July? Now, I am not against giving, and the Bible clearly teaches that we are to be loving, giving followers of Christ. I agree with giving to solid, biblical ministries throughout the year and I have no problem with fund-raisers or giving drives for a particular outreach. The problem I have, is with the mixing and blending of themes in the marginally biblical practice of “celebrating Christmas” as the world does, for the world’s reasons. The problem is in how we teach, preach, and share the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Should we be so quick to employ clever marketing at the expense of sound Biblical teaching? I don’t think we should.

So, let us take a look at how Paul fully developed the concept of giving in his letter to the Corinthians:

2 Corinthians 8:1-15 (ESV) 1 We want you to know, brothers, about the grace of God that has been given among the churches of Macedonia, 2 for in a severe test of affliction, their abundance of joy and their extreme poverty have overflowed in a wealth of generosity on their part. 3 For they gave according to their means, as I can testify, and beyond their means, of their own accord, 4 begging us earnestly for the favor of taking part in the relief of the saints— 5 and this, not as we expected, but they gave themselves first to the Lord and then by the will of God to us. 6 Accordingly, we urged Titus that as he had started, so he should complete among you this act of grace. 7 But as you excel in everything—in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in all earnestness, and in our love for you—see that you excel in this act of grace also.

8 I say this not as a command, but to prove by the earnestness of others that your love also is genuine. 9 For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you by his poverty might become rich. 10 And in this matter I give my judgment: this benefits you, who a year ago started not only to do this work but also to desire to do it. 11 So now finish doing it as well, so that your readiness in desiring it may be matched by your completing it out of what you have. 12 For if the readiness is there, it is acceptable according to what a person has, not according to what he does not have. 13 For I do not mean that others should be eased and you burdened, but that as a matter of fairness 14 your abundance at the present time should supply their need, so that their abundance may supply your need, that there may be fairness. 15 As it is written, “Whoever gathered much had nothing left over, and whoever gathered little had no lack.”

Second Corinthians is a wonderful book. I strongly encourage you to read through it as Paul gives an account of his ministry, and that of Titus and the brothers, and even shares how thankful he is that after boasting in their faithfulness, the report given by Titus proved true. The churches of Macedonia suffered extreme poverty yet demonstrated a wealth of generosity and begged for the favor of taking part in the relief o the saints. I believe this is part of the world-wide famine prophesied by Agabus in Acts 11 (I have not thoroughly searched this out, so it could be related to a later hardship). Nevertheless, Paul here is testifying of the wealth of generosity experienced by those in a sever test of affliction and extreme poverty. They want to give what they can to take part in the relief of the saints, the needs of the body of Christ. In sharing this testimony, Paul’s emphasis here is in the readiness of the church in Corinth. It is acceptable according to what a person has, not of what he does NOT have. Paul is urging that they be ready so that out of their abundance, the church at Corinth can supply for the needs of the other churches. Notice in verse 15 that Paul is quoting scripture. Let’s look at the passage he is quoting.

Exodus 16:13-21 (ESV) 13 In the evening quail came up and covered the camp, and in the morning dew lay around the camp. 14 And when the dew had gone up, there was on the face of the wilderness a fine, flake-like thing, fine as frost on the ground. 15 When the people of Israel saw it, they said to one another, “What is it?” For they did not know what it was. And Moses said to them, “It is the bread that the Lord has given you to eat. 16 This is what the Lord has commanded: ‘Gather of it, each one of you, as much as he can eat. You shall each take an omer, according to the number of the persons that each of you has in his tent.’” 17 And the people of Israel did so. They gathered, some more, some less. 18 But when they measured it with an omer, whoever gathered much had nothing left over, and whoever gathered little had no lack. Each of them gathered as much as he could eat. 19 And Moses said to them, “Let no one leave any of it over till the morning.” 20 But they did not listen to Moses. Some left part of it till the morning, and it bred worms and stank. And Moses was angry with them. 21 Morning by morning they gathered it, each as much as he could eat; but when the sun grew hot, it melted.

The children of Israel wandering in the desert, having there needs met by God the Father. Notice here how Paul is setting up the paradigm for giving. Since God is already providing the mana from heaven, the first goal is for God’s people to gather up what they will eat in the day. Some gathered more than others, and then those with gathered extra gave from their excess and those who gathered too little did not lack. Notice that God provided it all, plentifully and by His grace, not by the works of the Israelites. Also noticed, that those who hoarded and broke God’s law then had to deal with the spoilage and the worms. God is sovereign. God gives the increase, and the measurement allotted each. Therefore, Paul was reaching back to this historic provision of God for His people as the basis and foundation for the giving out of readiness that he encouraged the Corinthians. Let’s skip the next portion of 2 Corinthians 8 (Paul’s praise of Titus) and catch back up in chapter 9.

2 Corinthians 9  (ESV) 1 Now it is superfluous for me to write to you about the ministry for the saints, 2 for I know your readiness, of which I boast about you to the people of Macedonia, saying that Achaia has been ready since last year. And your zeal has stirred up most of them. 3 But I am sending the brothers so that our boasting about you may not prove empty in this matter, so that you may be ready, as I said you would be. 4 Otherwise, if some Macedonians come with me and find that you are not ready, we would be humiliated—to say nothing of you—for being so confident. 5 So I thought it necessary to urge the brothers to go on ahead to you and arrange in advance for the gift you have promised, so that it may be ready as a willing gift, not as an exaction.

6 The point is this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. 7 Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. 8 And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work. 9 As it is written,

“He has distributed freely, he has given to the poor;
his righteousness endures forever.”

10 He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness. 11 You will be enriched in every way to be generous in every way, which through us will produce thanksgiving to God. 12 For the ministry of this service is not only supplying the needs of the saints but is also overflowing in many thanksgivings to God. 13 By their approval of this service, they will glorify God because of your submission that comes from your confession of the gospel of Christ, and the generosity of your contribution for them and for all others, 14 while they long for you and pray for you, because of the surpassing grace of God upon you. 15 Thanks be to God for his inexpressible gift!

Notice, that it is not we who provide the seed; rather, it is God who provides the seed and the bread. In doing so, He will also multiply the seed He provided and increase the harvest of our righteousness, the righteousness He imputed to us through Jesus Christ. Anyone who tries to tell you that this passage teaches that you must give out of your lack in order for God to provide is teaching this principle upside down, and is potentially fleecing the flock. Another key to this encouragement from Paul, is that he isn’t “springing” this onto the Corinthians. He is simply reminding and encouraging them to be ready to give out of their excess as indeed they had already committed to do. Nothing here is a knee-jerk, heart-strings ploy promising health and wealth in proportion to their “seed” money. But I digress, this letter comes at a time when several of the churches are in need, and those churches to whom God had provided excess (beyond their need) Paul was encouraging them to continue in faithfulness and freedom in Christ to do good works.

To close out this post, let us look at the latter portion of Paul’s farewell to the Ephesian Elders:

Acts 20:17-38 (ESV) 17 Now from Miletus he sent to Ephesus and called the elders of the church to come to him. 18 And when they came to him, he said to them:

“You yourselves know how I lived among you the whole time from the first day that I set foot in Asia, 19 serving the Lord with all humility and with tears and with trials that happened to me through the plots of the Jews; 20 how I did not shrink from declaring to you anything that was profitable, and teaching you in public and from house to house, 21 testifying both to Jews and to Greeks of repentance toward God and of faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. 22 And now, behold, I am going to Jerusalem, constrained by the Spirit, not knowing what will happen to me there, 23 except that the Holy Spirit testifies to me in every city that imprisonment and afflictions await me. 24 But I do not account my life of any value nor as precious to myself, if only I may finish my course and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God. 25 And now, behold, I know that none of you among whom I have gone about proclaiming the kingdom will see my face again. 26 Therefore I testify to you this day that I am innocent of the blood of all, 27 for I did not shrink from declaring to you the whole counsel of God. 28 Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to care for the church of God, which he obtained with his own blood. 29 I know that after my departure fierce wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; 30 and from among your own selves will arise men speaking twisted things, to draw away the disciples after them. 31 Therefore be alert, remembering that for three years I did not cease night or day to admonish every one with tears. 32 And now I commend you to God and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up and to give you the inheritance among all those who are sanctified. 33 I coveted no one’s silver or gold or apparel. 34 You yourselves know that these hands ministered to my necessities and to those who were with me. 35 In all things I have shown you that by working hard in this way we must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’”

36 And when he had said these things, he knelt down and prayed with them all. 37 And there was much weeping on the part of all; they embraced Paul and kissed him, 38 being sorrowful most of all because of the word he had spoken, that they would not see his face again. And they accompanied him to the ship.

Quite the charge and warning. May our Elders, Pastors, Teachers, Brothers, and Sisters do likewise. When you give, give cheerfully, abundantly, and freely, taking care of the body of Christ. Be ready, be prudent, be good stewards of God’s gifts (law, Gospel, and provision) so that when a need arises you will be ready to take part in the relief of the saints. Continue to preach the Gospel to every creature until the ends of the earth.

May the Lord Bless and keep you,
In Him,
Jorge

Christ is Risen!

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All Glory and Praise to the Risen Lamb of God, the King of kings and Lord of lords!

 

Christ is Risen, He is Risen Indeed

Keith Getty, Kristyn Getty, and Ed Cash; © 2012 Gettymusic and Alletrop Music (BMI) (adm. by MusicServices.org)

How can it be, the One who died,
Has borne our sin through sacrifice
To conquer every sting of death?
Sing, sing hallelujah.

For joy awakes as dawning light
When Christ’s disciples lift their eyes.
Alive He stands, their Friend and King;
Christ, Christ He is risen.

CHORUS
Christ is risen, He is risen indeed!
Oh, sing hallelujah.
Join the chorus, sing with the redeemed;
Christ is risen, He is risen indeed.

Where doubt and darkness once had been,
They saw Him and their hearts believed.
But blessed are those who have not seen,
Yet, sing hallelujah.

Once bound by fear now bold in faith,
They preached the truth and power of grace.
And pouring out their lives they gained
Life, life everlasting.

CHORUS

The power that raised Him from the grave
Now works in us to powerfully save.
He frees our hearts to live His grace;
Go tell of His goodness.

CHORUS
He’s alive, He’s alive!
Heaven’s gates are opened wide.
He’s alive, He’s alive!
Now in heaven glorified.

May the Lord Bless and keep you until the Glorious Day of His Return!

In Him,
Jorge