Time in the Chapel Podcast

Symbols of Jewish fall festival of Sukkot, lulav - etrog, palm branch, myrtle and willow Feast of Tabernacles, Part 2 Scripture, like all other, so-called, religious documents is heavily criticized. The skeptics...and there are plenty of skeptics, claim that what we consider sacred is, in fact, silly. Of course, most of the more reputable and scholarly types wouldn't put it like that (I only did for the alliterative value :) ). Sure, you will encounter such caustic commentary from the occasional anonymous Internet troll but they really don't matter. The critics that I believe are the most dangerous are the ones that have all those little letters at the end of their signature line, e.g. PhD, ThD, PsyD. We are conditioned to believe that if there is a "D" associated with someone's educational credentials then that person is to be listened to unquestionably. Occasionally someone with different letters may nudge their way in. We may have trouble with M.Phil or even the tricky sideways ThM. Many (not all, of course) of these very impressive sounding acronym-defined experts claim that the Bible shouldn't be taken too seriously; after all it's "only religious". Yes, I'm beating that drum again but I'm only doing so because their drums keep getting louder and louder. The critics are increasingly attacking not only the Bible but anyone foolish enough to follow it. Those of us that ignore the experts and do take the Bible seriously are not only being marginalized but, of late, vilified. It seems if you think the Bible is worth adhering to then you are to be considered a bigoted, womanizing, colonizing, murderous, multi-phobe. We've even stopped debating or even considering that the Bible may be accurate. It just isn't discussed anymore as if it has already been "officially" deemed a fable. Now, lest you think I'm merely talking about the pagans and atheists of the world, let me tell you, some of the most vociferous and vicious opponents of a literal interpretation of the Bible answer to "Pastor", "Reverend", or "Minister". Now, I could really go on and on with this attack on the attackers but I don't want to drift too far from my point. The key to believing the Bible is believing in Jesus. No, I'm not saying just believe that there once was a person named Jesus but believe in the Jesus that Jesus said Jesus was. If we can come to the conclusion that Jesus was actually everything that He said He was then all else in the Bible falls into place. Once you can accept that Jesus was, for example, the Way, the Truth and the Life (John 14:6) then you would not have a problem believing that Moses struck a rock with his staff and water flowed out of it (Numbers 20:11). You see, both of those passages are there to tell a story about Christ. Not knowing...or believing that that water flowing from the struck rock was a picture of Christ makes it seem like nonsense. Once you know...or believe "why", the "how" is immaterial. Knowing...and/or, again, believing that Christ is thread that runs throughout the Word of God gives Life and Meaning to it. If you can believe that Jesus was sent of His Father as He said He was (John 20:21 and many others) and that the entire Bible talks about that then Scripture becomes a cohesive narrative like none other...ever. That miracle effectively makes all other reported miracles not only believable, but certain. The Seven Feasts of Israel exemplify the above Truth in grand and glorious style. In this episode we wrap up our discussion of the Feast of Tabernacles. This is another one of those lessons that will either thrill your soul or cause you to question my integrity. It will either intrigue you or repel you. It is our argument in this episode that a close and objective view of the Biblical...and, surprisingly, traditional details of this festival will lead to the Truth that Jesus is the Coming King. Like all seven of these Feasts, Christ is the object, purpose and fulfillment of the Feast of Tabernacl...

"View Of Jerusalem with the Temple of Solomon"by Philippe de Champaigne, 17th CenturyImage in the Public Domain Feast of Tabernacles, Part 1 Throughout Scripture, time and again God is seen stretching a Helping Hand to His people. His entire Book is a record of His love and care for them. God not only chronicled the many times He provided for the nation Israel but He insisted that they celebrate what He has done for them. You see, it's not only important to God that His children praise Him for His constant provision but it's also important for His children to remember the many ways He's supported and cared for them. It is a lesson for all of us because when we remember the Lord's tender love and help, we call to mind His abilities and willingness to lift us above whatever is pressing against us. That is precisely God's purpose in giving the Feast of Tabernacles. In today's episode we discuss not only the Scriptural but the traditional details of the Feast the Jewish people call Sukkot (or Succoth). God intended this Feast to be a reminder of the time He provided for the nation of Israel when they were fleeing the Egyptians following the Exodus. It is a celebration of God's Faithfulness and mankind's total but joyous dependence on Him. (Of course, there is another reason for this celebration but you'll have to wait for Part 2 to hear about that. Can you guess? I'm sure you can.) In this podcast we have decided to go into some depth describing the ancient Talmudic traditions that have grown up around God's original Feast. We learn that Sukkot is greatly loved by the Jewish people and has been for millennia. In this first part we concentrate on the ancient festivities and see that even tradition can be used to shed Scriptural light on Truth. I want to remind you that we are discussing matters of eternal importance. You may think that these sorts of things are for the Jew only but everything in God's Word can be applied to everyone; Jew, Christian...even non-believer. It is all so vital and that is why we urge you each time to take a moment to pray before you begin the study. There is so much to learn and so much to meditate on that we must be certain that God is with us, guiding us and showing us what His Word has to say. So, I strongly suggest that you go to the Father in prayer and ask Him to assist you as you hear His Word taught so that you may glean from it every precious gem that will lead you closer to Him.

Jews Praying in the Synagogue on Yom Kippur by Maurycy Gottlieb, 1878Note the solemnity of the moment.Image in the Public Domain Yom Kippur 2019 There are many things that separate man from the beasts: intelligence, communication skills, sophisticated social order; the list goes on but the one I want to point out here is not so flattering. The animal kingdom is much better at facing reality than humans are. When an animal sees something good to eat, it eats. When an animal finds a safe place to rest, it rests. When an animal senses danger, it does something about it. It either fights or flees. This is where humans fail. Too often when we sense danger, we ignore it. You want proof? How about cigarette smoking, alcoholism and obesity. But there is a far greater danger that countless millions ignore every day: (Heb 10:30)  For we know him that hath said, Vengeance belongeth unto me, I will recompense, saith the Lord. And again, The Lord shall judge his people.(Heb 10:31)  It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God. "Oh, but we don't like to concentrate on that in our ministry. We'd rather talk about the love of God." How very human of you. You see danger, you ignore it. The cynic will accuse God of being dark and vengeful and repressive because He says things like, "The heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked" (Jeremiah 17:9) or "all have sinned and come short of the Glory of God" (Romans 3:23) . We wonder why God is being so mean. Why doesn't He just ignore it like we do? Suppose you've been driving all night through the Mojave desert. It's dark. You've been on the road for hours and you decide to pull over just to get a little sleep. A few hours later, you are rudely awakened by a sheriff's deputy banging on your window and shouting at you. You think, "Now, can't he see that I'm tired and need some rest?" Next thing you know you hear a freight train speeding toward you. In the darkness and due to your unfamiliarity with your surroundings you parked your car on active train tracks. In a flash, that cop goes from obnoxious blowhard to live saver. God is pointing out your desperate, sinful condition because it is placing you in danger. The Bible makes it clear: We are helpless, hopeless sinners. As much as God loves us all...and He does love us all, He will not ignore sin. Now, this is not the place to discuss "why". In fact, if you accept that He will not ignore sin than the "why" question doesn't matter because once you come to the conclusion that God is holy and you're not you will be driven to the REAL question, "What can I do about it?" Well, your mood isn't going to improve because the answer to the question, "What can I do about my sin separating me from God" is...nothing. But, ironically...and with God there is SOOO much irony...ironically, though God is ALWAYS the offended party, He is also the only one who can make things right and the ENTIRE Bible is a record of His remedy. By the way, the only way you can make sense of the Bible, the only way the Bible will bring you joy is if you look at it as a picture of "The Atonement". The Bible isn't a history book, although there is history in it. The Bible isn't a morality guide, although there is morality in it. The Bible is not a world peace plan, although there is peace in it. God's Book is a prescription for removing sin and reuniting His people and the Seven Feasts of Israel are all of that in miniature. Today we talk about one of the most well-known of all the Seven Feasts: Yom Kippur; in the English, The Day of Atonement. God gave this Feast to His children to demonstrate all of what we've said thus far: He will not tolerate sin; it must be paid for; and we will NEED a substitute...a PERFECT substitute as payment. In the Old Testament, God established an elaborate system of offerings designed to do two things: Atone for sin and to tell a story. Join us for this podcast as we find out what that story re...

The Blowing of the Shofar Rosh Hashanah Perhaps no single event in all of history has had more impact on Judaism than the destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans in 70 A.D. (we don't use C.E. around here). Prior to 70 A.D. all the way back to shortly after the return from Babylonian exile and then before that 70 years all the way back to Solomon, all the worship activities were conducted at and within the Temple. After Titus swept through Jerusalem, less than 40 years after the death of Jesus, the devastation was unspeakable and the Temple lay in ruin and remains in ruin to this very day. Without the Temple, Jewish worship was drastically and tragically altered. No Temple, no altars. No altars, no sacrifices. No sacrifices and nothing would be the same. Even the revered celebrations of the magnificent Seven Feasts of Israel radically changed from the original intent to the point that the rich Biblical meaning and symbolism are, now, largely hidden from the typical Jewish worshiper and Christian seeker-after-truth. That's why it is vital for every child of God to return to Scripture to try and rediscover why God instituted these wonder filled celebrations. In this episode we renew our series on the Seven Feasts that God gave Israel. This time we begin by talking about the "Fall" festivals, starting with Rosh Hashanah, otherwise known as the Feast of Trumpets. Now, that doesn't mean the Hebrew phrase "Rosh Hashanah" has anything to do with trumpets. The literal translation is "head of the year" or the more useful and commonly used looser translation, "new year". Rosh Hashanah is the celebration of the Jewish (civil) New Year. "Then why is it also called 'Feast of Trumpets'"? Well, here is one of those radical changes to the Jewish system of worship we spoke of a moment ago. To hear the details, join us for this week's podcast. But before you press "play" make sure you're spirit is prepared and your heart is open and your mind is clear. The best way to do all of that...and, frankly, ANYTHING, is to ask for God's help. Go to God and pray that He will assist you in understanding these crucial, vital, unmatched in the human realm celebrations that He gave His people. Ask for God's Spirit of Truth to guide you as you strive to grasp what He has presented in His Word. Ask Him to permit you to see all that He is saying so that you can fully honor Him and His Son and come to a saving knowledge of all that He has done to bring you closer to Him.

Jesus on the Road to Emmaus by Gebhard FugelThis image is in the Public Domain Psalm 22 Part 2 Bible scholars don't always get it right. Just because they went to a top notch seminary or Bible College or Christian university doesn't mean they're infallible. No one is infallible. No one. Case in point, Bible scholars have unofficially titled Psalm 22 as "The Psalm of the Cross". Well, as I argued in the last episode and I'll demonstrate in this one, that moniker sells this beauty short. I mean, if all we had was the Cross, we'd be no better off than we were before Jesus came to the earth and, frankly, neither would God. Let's just say it. If all Jesus had to look forward to was the Cross then I don't believe he would have ever shed His Heavenly Glory and "took upon Him the form of a servant" and "the likeness of men". (Heb 12:2)  ...Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. Jesus endured the cross; part 1, because joy lay ahead; part 2. If you were with us for our first installment in this series then I have no doubt that you were astounded by the accuracy of Psalm 22 in its prediction of the thoughts of the Man dying on the Cross. It is that startling exactness that, no doubt, motivated the scholars to label this the "Psalm of the Cross". However, as incredible as the description of the cross is in this Hebrew Hymn so is the prediction of the aftermath of the cross. The JOY that motivated Jesus to endure His grisly Death is also found in Psalm 22. Hebrews 12:2, as quoted above, shows us that the joy that was set before Him included Jesus sitting down (the more modern way to put it) at the right hand of the throne of God. Well, how did Jesus get from the Cross to the right hand of the throne of God? Resurrection! Jesus rose and Psalm 22 is so wonderful, it tells us about that experience too! Join us for this, the second part of our Psalm 22 series. We purposely split it up because there are two distinct themes: the Crucifixion and the Resurrection. This section of God's Word is a very big challenge to Bible critics and those that deny that Jesus is the Messiah. If you find it more comfortable to doubt that God exists or that Jesus is His Son or that the Bible is a true and reliable book then I suggest you skip this episode because all it's going to do is make you uncomfortable by throwing a very serious challenge at your doubt. On the other hand, if you are truly interested in knowing whether or not what God says in Scripture is something you can hang your eternal soul on then I encourage you to listen in. But before you do I want to suggest you take a few minutes and go to God in prayer and ask Him to open your heart to Truth. Ask Him to help you put away old prejudices and the strong delusion of the world so that you can see clearly what is real and right. If your spirit longs for answers ask God to take you by the hand and lead you to His Wisdom.

Manuscript Leaf With The CrucifixionFrom a Missal_ca 1270–80Image in the Public Domain Psalm 22 Part 1 with Communion The thing I hear most often from my friends and acquaintances who do not fully agree with my views is that we shouldn't take the Bible too seriously. I've never really heard anyone "denounce" the Bible or call for the end of the use of the Bible in society; at least not anyone most of us would take seriously. With only a few exceptions, perhaps, some lonely, attention-starved Internet trolls, most people are polite in their rejection of what the church still considers (for the time being) its most important document. Most people I encounter...especially those who know what I do with my life are civil, albeit a bit condescending. I often hear things like, "Well, it's just a bunch of stories" or "It's not perfect because it's just a book written by men" or "Society has evolved since it was written. It's no longer relevant." The interesting thing about those who make these and similarly dismissive comments is that it is unlikely that any of them have spent more than 5 hours of their lives studying that which they criticize. It's actually quite unique in the human social experience, I believe. In most other subject areas it would be considered rude to comment on the value or validity of something before having, at least, some knowledge of it. Although, I do admit, with the rise of social media more and more seem to willingly and actively participate in discussions on just about any topic regardless of their fitness to do so. Despite the fact there is a fairly sizable proportion of Biblical critics who refuse to change their position on the truth of Scripture, I believe there are still quite a few who just need to take a closer look. Today (and next time) we are talking about Psalm 22. This is where staying "on the fence" gets really tough. You see, besides just being one of the finest of the Hebrew worship songs, Psalm 22 is a remarkably accurate prophecy. Perhaps you didn't know that the Psalms aren't just a collection of Jewish hymns but that they're also rich in prophetic imagery especially as it relates to the coming Messiah. In fact, Jesus Himself once said: (Luk 24:44)  ...all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me. Jesus said the psalms, along with other Old Testament Scripture, spoke of Him. Join us for this episode as we begin to unpack the remarkably prophetic Psalm 22. I especially encourage those of you who are still not sure if the Bible is sent from God Himself to have a listen. BUT if you are one of those who are not yet convinced that Scripture is "inspired" I'm going to ask you to withhold judgment until you have fully examined this startling example of God's Holy Spirit working through the pens of men. It may take more than just our little two part series to get you all the information you need on this topic. Like every subject we teach on, I encourage all of you to do your own research. I never want you to solely rely on our teaching as you pursue a better understanding of God through His Word but I believe this is a good place to start. We do our best to strip away the tradition and religion and get to the heart of what the Bible is really saying. Psalm 22 was written for YOU. Psalm 22 was written with a purpose in mind. God is reaching His Hand out to you, grab it and let Him draw you closer through what He has said in Scripture. In this episode we also celebrate a Communion. If you've never done that with us before I would encourage you to pay as close attention as you can to the first 20 minutes or so of the program. It is in that segment where we cover some of the more important aspects of "Going to the Table of the Lord". (If this is not the first time you've celebrated the Communion with us on a podcast then you've probably heard that first part already.

David Strangling the Lion by Claude MellanThis is how we all envision the mighty King David but Psalm 56 gives us another view.Image in the Public Domain What Time I am Afraid... We've all heard stories of men and women who seem to bravely and unhesitatingly face incredible and, sometimes, terrifying situations. We love to say that they're "fearless". But is "fearless" even possible? Looking up the word "fearless" in the dictionary yields such expected definitions as "free from fear" or "without fear". Yes, we will encourage and/or embolden and/or strengthen one another by saying "be not afraid". Psychologists try to give us "the formula for living without fear". You may have even read on a church billboard that God promises freedom from fear. Well, God doesn't actually take away fear but, instead, He prepares you for it. He doesn't isolate you from fear, He carries you through it. Scientists love to point out that the numbers of people claiming to be religious or even believing in God are dropping. They get all giddy when survey after survey shows that people have become increasingly uninterested in going to church. Science feels vindicated by these trends. The intelligentsia have claimed that they've been saying all along that people only turn to religion when times are bad and that now that science and government have it all figured out, people don't feel they need God anymore. As long as they have science and government then what could possibly go wrong? "Thanks to us," they say..."they" being either science or government, take your pick. "Thanks to us," they say, "people are happy and they don't need church. The citizens of the world have awoken and don't go for those religious fables anymore. After all, they don't need them. They have us. God doesn't love them. We do. God doesn't take care of them. We (science and/or government) do." Karl Marx once famously said "religion is the opiate of the masses." Nowadays, it's seems to me, that science and government...and ACTUAL opiates (created by science and permitted by government) are the opiates of the masses. Science and government and chemical dependence have become the favored vehicle of happiness, of late. That's the new religion that, by the way, Karl Marx would be very proud of. Now, don't get me wrong. I'm no anarchist nor do I advocate ignorance. I believe in order and knowledge but I just believe that neither science nor government (nor chemistry) has as many answers as they think they do...certainly not as much as they say they do. Religious expression may be dropping but it's not because people are all of the sudden happy and well-adjusted. In fact, quite the opposite. Honest science is actually telling us that depression is on the rise around the world. (Interesting, but somehow related side note, the article linked above cites INCREASED longevity of life, a direct result of more science in our lives, as one of the factors LEADING to higher rates of depression. Remember when science convinced us that we'd be happier if we lived longer? Yeah, that doesn't seem to check out.) No, people are not skipping church because they're happy. They're skipping church because church stopped making sense to the church goer. The message from the pulpit has drifted away from Truth. God wired us for Truth and when we don't receive Truth there is a disconnect in our spirits. You see, despite what critics and even churchmen try to tell you, God isn't a choice of last resort. God isn't someone to look up only when your stomach is rumbling or your hands are shaking and I honestly believe only people in a real relationship with the Father know that and what's more, the Bible isn't some talisman to rub when you've missed your last two car payments. The Bible is our guide to getting closer to God. Scripture is what the Holy Spirit uses to reveal to us God's True Nature and once we know what He is really like, we don't find ourselves going to Him less often; when we start t...

David and Bathsheba Georg Pencz (German, Wroclaw ca. 1500–1550 Leipzig) The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, The Elisha Whittelsey Collection, The Elisha Whittelsey Fund, 1966 (66.529.82) http://www.metmuseum.org/Collections/search-the-collections/336291 Psalm 51 One of the reasons that the Bible is so often rejected is because it is constantly reminding us that we're sinners. Of course, no one will admit it but people don't like to hear that. Not even the proudest, loudest reprobate likes to face that he was "shapen in iniquity". It's not that anyone really thinks that they're unblemished by faults and failures. I've never met anyone nor heard of anyone who claimed to be pure. Most people admit to, at least, one or two past mistakes. "No one's perfect" rolls very easily and naturally off all tongues but the problem with the Bible is that it makes you regret sin and what's worse is it insists that you REPENT of your sins. "Hey, I'm willing to admit I'm no saint but that doesn't mean I have to stop doing whatever I want." (Isa 55:9)  For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts. "You see, it's stuff like that. I don't like when God says things like 'his ways are higher than mine.'" The Bible makes very clear that in order to approach God we must come in utter humility. In fact, we must be willing to face more than humility, we must crawl to God in humiliation. (Mat 7:14)  ...narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it. The original in Matthew 7:14 is a picture of a tight space that is contracted with pressure. In other words, it is uncomfortable. The way to life...eternal life, a life with God is not easy because, among other things, it involves stepping out in humility and humiliation. Few people are willing to go so far as to say they are a lowdown, lousy, miserable sinner...even if they KNOW that they are...in order to gain life but that is the only way God will have you. "Okay, I hear you. I'm a sinner and I want to change. I don't want to offend God and man anymore but I don't know what to do." In response to that I would give my usual answer: Turn to God's Word. In this episode we discover the beauty of Psalm 51. This is one of the, so-called, Penitential Psalms; penitential meaning something that expresses regret and sorrow for some sort of transgression or offense. In it David perfectly presents the model by which all men and women should come to God. Psalm 51 is a picture of utter shame and disgrace for sin. During this discussion we take time to cover the "back story" of this Psalm. We go over the event that led David to such a state of despair as described in excruciating, yet, poetic detail in this well-known portion of what Spurgeon calls the "Treasury of David". This Psalm has been referred to and relied upon and meditated over by countless humbled sinners down through millennia as an introduction to their own cries for mercy and forgiveness. With tear clouded eyes we begin our frightened, saddened, burdened pleas for redemption by saying with David, "Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy lovingkindness: according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions." Even if your heart and conscience is, at the moment, clear of a conviction of moral and spiritual failure (don't know too many of those but nonetheless) you should join us just to see inside the broken, crushed heart of one of the most mighty, favored men in all of human history. If I were a betting man, I would wager that there aren't too many people out there who aren't touched by the wretched remorse of a broken king. Perhaps it would be best that before you start the podcast you take a moment to ask God to open your heart to, what I suspect, are the many ways you have failed Him. You may think I'm being a little presumptuous but if you're even a little bit like me,

Johannes Sadeler I (Netherlandish, Brussels 1550–1600 Venice (?)) The sacrifice of Abel (plate 1 from The Story of Cain and Abel), 1576 Netherlandish, Engraving; Sheet: 8 1/8 × 11 3/16 in. (20.7 × 28.4 cm) The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Harris Brisbane Dick Fund, 1953 (53.601.17(62)) http://www.metmuseum.org/Collections/search-the-collections/700567 Approaching God on My Own Terms (with Communion) What Cain and Abel Can Teach Us You know, atheism is not the biggest threat to the survival of the church. Actually it's not even close. In fact, atheism is so innocuous in its effect on the cause of Christ that it's not even mentioned anywhere in Scripture. Among all the thousands of characters in the Bible there is not ONE atheist. Not even Satan is an atheist. The biggest threat to the church is what theologians call apostasy. Nothing got the ancient Israelites in more trouble than apostasy. Nothing riled Jesus up more than apostasy. In case you don't know, apostasy means the rejection or renunciation of a religious (and sometimes political) belief. (Mat 15:6)  ...Thus have ye made the commandment of God of none effect by your tradition. Human attitude toward "religion" is a very funny thing and, frankly, always has been. We are forever changing our view of what is sacred. Of course, there is no doubt that Satan is behind all that changing but, nonetheless, we're not without blame. A brief history of human religion could be mapped thusly: In the beginning everyone believed in the One True God. Adam and his family, at first, knew of no other worship worthy Being than God Himself. Satan stepped in and convinced them that their kind should share in some of that worship worthiness. Before long some people started putting other people in the place of God. After the expulsion from the Garden nature turned hostile toward us. Some people turned to the One True God for help. They probably didn't like how and the speed at which He answered their pleas for protection so they turned to those people that other people were now worshiping. Some were satisfied and added to the ranks of people who worshiped other people. Some were not and decided that the best way to quell the hostility of nature was to try and please it. What's more pleasing than having someone bow down to you? So, some people started worshiping nature and animals. Then mankind started finding shiny metal in the ground and thought, "Hmmm, that's pretty enough to worship", so they started making their people gods and animal gods out of gold and silver and since those ended up prettier and less smelly than the real things they started worshiping the shiny people and animal gods. Eventually Jesus comes along and personifies what the world should be worshiping. He does and says some wonderful worship-generating things and many people decide He's the one to whom all worship should flow. That works out for a little while and, in fact, the number of people agreeing on Jesus as their God actually grows rapidly and significantly but then, slowly, the old pattern returns. This time, however, for the most part, Jesus is the one that is still considered worship-worthy but humans become unsatisfied with HOW to worship the worship-worthy. That's the mess we're in now. Yes, you're right. It's not a new mess but its damage is nonetheless real. When people decide that they don't like the current god and that they would prefer a god they can deal with or use or hide from they tend to change the Truth to fit their fancy. There is no more glaring example of this deviation from Truth than at the Table of the Lord. In this ministry we've joined forces, at least in spirit, with other like-minded ministries around the world who are attempting to return the dignity to this simple and lovely ceremony. The church has decided down through the centuries that simple and lovely is not enough. They have come to the conclusion that ornate and spectacular is more to God's liking...

The Reign Of HeavensAnonymousLate 17th CenturyImage in the Public Domain A Colony of Heaven "This world is not my home, I'm just a'passin' through." That is the well-known first verse of the classic American Gospel Hymn of the same name. All of the lyrics speak to weary Christians but I think it's this one that is most often silently repeated as a means to comfort oneself when the burden of living for God approaches the extremes of mental, physical and spiritual endurance. Before I go much further let me say that today's episode is for those who have already given their lives to Christ and are feeling the pressure of that decision. Now, I suppose I shouldn't sound exclusionary. I don't mean to. As always, anyone and everyone is invited to listen. In fact, let me even encourage non-believers and ESPECIALLY those on the proverbial "fence" to join us because this is one of those lessons that you should listen to before you opt for Christ. I believe in full disclosure. Most others in my business seem to believe in bringing in the saints at all costs...even costs measured in truthfulness and integrity. All is fair, it would seem, in love and altar calls. To me, complete honesty is far more effective in the preservation of the saints. Therefore, I believe in the "no surprises" approach to winning souls. Tell the full truth and let God and the repentant work it out. So, let me issue the following warning: If you've not decided for Christ yet but are considering it, today's lesson may not provide you the motivation to make the final push, but you should still listen. So, if you're still interested, let me finish this week's little podcast "warm-up". Most of you who have been at this for a while know that being a Christian is not easy. It's true that no one is being fed to lions anymore (although violent persecution of Christians is once again on the rise around the world). Certainly when compared to the early church, being a Christian today is far less deadly. We may not be suffering much under the physical oppression of the world but we are still subject to its spiritual tyranny. (Joh 15:19)  If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you. Just as a, somewhat related, side note, it appears to me that the church world has been trying to bury that verse for the past 100 years. The church doesn't seem to want us to be at odds with the world. From all appearances, it looks like the church wants us all to get along with the world. That sounds good and, to be honest, I would like that too but the church is far too willing to sink to the world's level rather than bring the world up to ours...as Jesus called us to do. (Mat 28:19)  Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:(Mat 28:20)  Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you... You see, the problem is, doing all that teaching and baptizing is a lot of work in a world that doesn't agree it NEEDS to be taught and baptized. Before long, the world starts to resent the effort. They take it personally (which they should) and after a while, the world looks at those who are trying to do the teaching and baptizing as as a hated enemy. Being a hated enemy is not fun. In this world, true Christians get pushed to the periphery and treated as outsiders to the point that we eventually feel like foreigners and, to be honest, that's exactly what we are and if you know your Bible you know that condition will not change until Jesus comes to wrap this whole thing up. The commonly used aphorism of the dedicated, yet suffering saint states, "We're in the world but not of it." That simply means that we don't belong here. We don't share the world's culture. We live here, yes. We want to live peaceably here, yes...well, mostly, yes but we must not compromise our new,

The Ascension of Christby Johan Ignatz Zimbal, ca. 1750 Image in the Public Domain Psalm 24 The Bible is, seriously, one of the most interesting books ever written. Of course, many, many people would disagree with me on that point. To be honest, 30 years ago I would have disagreed with me. I believe that none of us are born with a natural love for heavenly things. In fact, quite the opposite. The Psalmist David spoke for all of us when he said, "I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me." (Psalm 51:5) Listen, he wasn't insulting the woman that gave birth to him, he was just stating one of the most important facts of human existence and that is that we are all born with something seriously wrong with us: sin. What's your point? In the unsaved state, the Bible will not thrill you. An unrepentant heart will find nothing of value in Scripture. (1Jn 5:3)  For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous. Now, having said all of that, the day you give your life to Christ is not the day you gain perfect knowledge of the things of God. That's just the point where you're given a heart open to what He has to say to you through His Word and through His Spirit. The moment you acknowledge Jesus as your Savior is not the day you can climb into any pulpit in America and start preaching the Gospel. It's simply when the ability to grasp eternal things is unlocked. From that point, you must get to work. In order to truly capture the majesty of Scripture you HAVE to study it. (Jos 1:8)  This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein... (Rom 15:4)  For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope. (Pro 2:3)  Yea, if thou criest after knowledge, and liftest up thy voice for understanding;(Pro 2:4)  If thou seekest her as silver, and searchest for her as for hid treasures;(Pro 2:5)  Then shalt thou understand the fear of the LORD, and find the knowledge of God. In this episode we discuss one of the most interesting sections in all the Bible: Psalm 24. (Without the Holy Spirit, you may not agree.) Many of the Psalms were written to celebrate or commemorate certain events from the long, diverse history of the nation Israel. Sometimes the event that inspired the Psalm is obvious and sometimes we have to guess. Psalm 24 belongs to the latter category. However, when judging from the content, most scholars will agree that it was likely written to commemorate the return of the Ark of the Covenant to Jerusalem after being briefly held by the Philistines as a spoil of one of the many wars between the two nations. However, like almost everything else written in the Bible, the true meaning of Psalm 24 lies somewhere beneath the surface and THAT is what makes this Psalm so incredible. Can you guess what it is really talking about? I think you can. Join us for this podcast as we attempt to unlock the eternal truth of this lovely gem from the Hebrew song book. But before you do, I urge you to prepare your heart and mind by going to the Lord in prayer. Ask Him to open up His Word to you. Ask Him to help you to see in Scripture what seems hidden to so many. Pray that God's Holy Spirit will shine His light on eternal things so that you may apply them to the calling He has placed on your life.

The Holy Spirit as a bird descending with spread wings at top center; the twelve Apostles standing below gesturing to it in front of an archway by Domenico Campagnola-1518 Image in the Public Domain The Holy Spirit Doesn't Talk Like That in Traffic Being a Christian is NOT what the world seems to think it is. In fact, strangely, being a Christian is NOT what most of the church world thinks it is either. There are several viewpoints. First let's start with the world view. Simply being a Christian makes you their enemy; no matter whether they say it or not...but they're saying it more and more these days. You may think I'm being dramatic. You may think I'm just trying to add Christians to the ever-growing list of populations bent on extorting those that don't belong to our group into showing us blind, unquestioning respect and unfettered liberty to do as we wish. (Yes, that was social commentary.) Nonetheless, I stand by my statement. Well, it's actually not mine. It's Jesus'. If ye were of the world, the world would love its own: but because ye are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you. John 15:19 It's that hatred that shapes the world view or opinion of what a Christian is. The world disapproves of our outlook on life. They see us as intolerant or rigid or conservative or unloving and even racist! But then they refuse to let us be human. One failure and the label "bigot" is replaced with the equally ugly "hypocrite". To the world, Christians are merely a people who claim to follow a set of rules they themselves disagree with but will quickly condemn when they see us misstep. We're actually not much better off inside the walls of the church, to be honest. There is just as much judgment and condemnation from the pulpit and the pews as there is from the populace. Our fellow parishioners are ever ready to point out our bunglings as soon as they become known while calling for patience when their own failures surface. And then there's that segment of the church world that seems to think that freedom from sin is the same as freedom TO sin. "If it feels good, do it because Jesus died to give you that right." To that crowd, forgiveness is equal to permission. They view Grace as pre-payment for future self-indulgence. And then there's that increasingly influential group within Christianity that declares that we must "evolve"; that we must throw away what we once thought was right and wrong and "modernize" our outlook on things we once held as immutably sacred such as the authority of Scripture and the sovereignty of God. They feel the church and God must yield to societal pressure when judging what's just and holy. If we seek the answer to some thorny moral question don't consult the Bible or the Holy Spirit, just ask the world; do an Instagram survey; post a Facebook question; tweet, text or tag. That's the path to truth...but beware, that truth is subject to frequent change. So, what's a sincere Christian to do? How are those of us that are interested in what Jesus thinks supposed to live? Well, any of you who know this ministry will anticipate my answer. Like we do for ALL other matters, we turn to the Word. This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.Galatians 5:16 "But, John, how does that apply to me? My problem isn't sexual sin." "I get angry." Or "I have a drug problem." Or "I just find myself going back to my old destructive ways." Well, then this verse does apply to you. In fact, this verse applies to all of us. Galatians 5:16 is far more encompassing than you think. Although we talk in detail about this in today's episode let me just say here that "lust" and "flesh" mean a lot more than we've been told. Whenever you are pursuing your own way...and the Bible makes it clear that we ALL do that (Isaiah 53:6, Philippians 2:21)...saved or not...then we are attempting to fulfill the lust of the flesh.

Moses Consecrates Aaron and His Sons and Offers Their Sin Offering This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Public Domain Mark 1.0 License. Christ Our Offering with Communion You know what I find tragically humorous? Although we humans have been sinning since the beginning, we still don't know exactly how to define it. Even though there is probably nothing more consistent in the human condition, we still can't agree on what sin is. We seem to bicker and debate about it. Sometimes the arguments are even with ourselves. Sometimes, in order to dampen a stinging conscience over something we did, we may try to convince ourselves that as long as no one dies, I'm still okay. We try to persuade our critical inner voice that an act or a behavior has to be salacious or violent or oppressing to be labeled sin; everything else can be ignored. The church doesn't help much. There are places where saying a swear word or looking at a girl's ankles will get you banished to the sinner's bench. And, then, there are other places that like to tell you that there is some sort of sin hierarchy. There are "big" sins like murder and rape. No one is allowed to do those but then we also have "little" sins like taking a wee nip of whiskey for a sore tooth or telling little white lies like, "Yes, Pastor, I did get a lot out of that message". Those aren't too bad and most of us can get away with them and we wouldn't be risking hell. It's all so confusing and not a bit of it is Scriptural. Now, the Bible has a much simpler (and far more inclusive) definition of sin. The Hebrew and Greek original words that get translated into the English word "sin" are both descriptive and plain. In essence the literal translations are "to fall short" or "to miss the mark". The sense is not hitting a target, an ideal, a goal. In God's Book, "a miss is as good as a mile". There are no such things in the Bible as little sins or big sins. (Interestingly, however, there are big sinners and little sinners. We cover a little of that in this lesson.) God gives no "wiggle room". God does not allow you or I to define sin. God does not allow you and I or anyone to decide whether or not what we do should be categorized as "mortal" or "venial", major or minor. Falling short is falling short. You can't "sort-of" fall short. You can't "kinda" miss the target. That is precisely why Paul says: (Rom 3:23)  For all have sinned... In fact, Paul finishes that statement with a literal rendering of the Greek word. "For all have sinned, AND COME SHORT of the glory of God". The point? You and I are sinners and there is nothing we can do to hide our condition. God knows we're sinners and for that we should be eternally grateful. You see, God not only knows we're sinners but He has done something about it. Believe it or not, God loves you. You may not love yourself but He does and He has made it abundantly clear He does NOT want you apart from Him. The problem, however, is that darn sin condition. It stands between us and a Holy God. He cannot let a single sin go by; not even those sins you and I don't seem too worried about. They must ALL be dealt with before we can be with Him forever and the Bible makes it clear (as does our own experience) that we are incapable of making any difference in our sinfulness...except make it worse. So, then, how do we get reunited with God? We can't approach Him with the stain of sin on us. Are we and God doomed to be eternally separated? Of course not. Nothing stands in God's way. That's what actually makes Him God. Nothing and no one can defeat Him, not even sin. So...and don't ask me how but God, from the beginning, was prepared. He is our Creator and He knew we would fail so He devised a rescue plan and that rescue plan is His Son. The entire Bible speaks of this plan. The New Testament reveals the plan in Christ and the Old Testament lays it out in type and shadow so when His Son comes to rescue us, we'll know it's Him.

The Temptation of Christ by the Devil-Woodcut Panel-French Early 16th CenturyImage is in the Public Domain The Temptation in the Wilderness It has been said that it is as blasphemous to deny the humanity of Jesus as it is to deny His divinity. The more you understand your Bible the more you're going to see that it could be no other way. In order for the Redemption of mankind to be possible, the Redeemer has to be both man AND God. Our aim is not to prove that in this lesson. Instead, the purpose of this episode is to show you that there is great comfort in knowing that Jesus was very much like you and me. I think the one thing that surprises most "new" Christians is the fact that this regenerated life we have in Christ is no less challenging than the one we left behind. There are just as many setbacks, disappointments and obstacles as there were before we surrendered to Christ. Well, we shouldn't be surprised. God's Word never claimed it would be any easier. We all seem to assume that once Christ comes into our life that sin will no longer be a factor. We spend those first few brief moments feeling like we're above failure, that we've got that "old man" beat and then just as we're feeling pretty good about ourselves, temptation appears, we fall to it...and then it happens again...and then again and in the end we somehow come to the conclusion that we've failed or that our Salvation "didn't take" or a thousand other foolish thoughts. We get tempted...and it doesn't take very long...as our discussion today attests to...we get tempted and we think that there's something wrong with us. We were just sure that accepting Christ was going to make the temptations glance right off of us and when it actually sticks to us like an ugly, smelly glue, we just assume we're to blame. The story of the Temptation in the Wilderness shows us that no one is safe from the tricks of the devil. When we read this very personal story from the life of Jesus we can actually see that temptation is just a part of the journey but instead of this being simply a reminder of our vulnerabilities, it is a clearly detailed battle plan. Certainly the devil didn't intend this to happen, but when he decided to go after Jesus all he really did was give the Son of God the opportunity to teach us a vital lesson. Join us for this episode as we discuss the infallible tactic that Our Lord employed to fend off the foolish attacks of Satan. But, before you begin the lesson, please, take a few minutes to speak to God and ask Him to help you to get to know His Ways better. Ask Him to show you, through His Word and through His Spirit what He expects from you and pray that He will inspire in you an unending desire to live for Him.

Man Protected by the Shield of Faithby Maarten van Heemskerck, 1559Image in the Public Domain The Other Side of Faith There is something really quite persistent in God's Word that by virtue of its ubiquity we should not take lightly. Perhaps you know what I'm going to say that persistent something is. If you guessed "faith" then you win a prize...I really don't have a prize for you but I can tell you this, ALL of God's Plans hinge on Faith and no one is exempt. No one can exchange ANYTHING for faith. Well, let me modify that, a bit. You can substitute something for faith but you will not be successful. It is, honestly, the most difficult lesson to teach...and learn. Human beings are doers. I think we suffer from having really good imaginations. We can convince ourselves of just about anything. We see something in our way and think we can move it; no matter what it is. And, you know, not helping matters is the fact that, on the face of it, we've done a pretty decent job, so far. We've put together some pretty magnificent things. We've solved more than a few human-besetting problems (we've caused probably more than we've solved but stay with me). Humans have raised great cities and cured diseases and visited space and many, many other things. We are honestly the most successful species we know of. We "work" through our troubles. We "charge" toward our enemies. We "clear" our obstacles. Doing is what we do. Believing is not. (Isa 55:8)  For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD.(Isa 55:9)  For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts. Now, God does not say "Don't do." Let's just make sure that's clear. God doesn't say action has no place in His Plan. This isn't part of the lesson but I just want to make sure you've got that straight before we get to the point. God is not advocating you sitting around, waiting for Him to do all the building, planting and harvesting. "Doing" has its part to play but God wants you to know that "acting" is NOT superior to believing and in some things "working" will have no effect whatsoever. The details of all of that is for another time. This lesson is focused on the "believing" part. In this ministry, we talk a lot about faith. You've heard us argue, from God's Word, that faith is a commandment (1 John 3:23). God expects you to believe and like everything else, God has a very good reason for that. You see, there is something about faith. It has immense power. So much so that it would appear from Scripture that without faith God cannot (or will not) intervene into the lives of men. Jesus confirmed this when He lamented that "A prophet is not without honour, save in his own country, and in his own house". (Matthew 13:57) The original infers that His own people did not value who He was. They didn't see Him as the One brought to save them and because of this unbelief, "he did not many mighty works there". (Matthew 13:58) The lack of faith among the Israelites prevented Jesus from performing "mighty works". The Amplified Version of the Bible says "works of power". Faith is the key to unlocking God's power. There is no explanation in the Bible as to why this is, but it is clear, your faith in God will release His presence and power in your life. Yes, Faith saves. We all know that but faith also helps. When we need God's power, the key to unleashing it is faith. This is not a "Prosperity Gospel" message. The power of faith is not released for your sake but for His. Can I ask for healing for myself? Yes, because you believe He is a healing God and in your healing He will be glorified. Can I ask God to help me with my bills? Yes, because you believe He is your Father and He will provide your "daily bread" and demonstrate to the world that He is true to His promises. When you are safe, secure and provided for you will show that God can be trusted.

Pasture Sceneby James HartImage in the Public Domain Stillness One of the most ironic truths about the life of Jesus is that He was almost universally seen as a blasphemer by His contemporaries and yet...here is the ironic part...all He ever taught from was Scripture. Down through the previous centuries the Word of God had become so corrupted and thereby completely misunderstood that the Messiah that was clearly spoken of in God's Word was executed by the very people He was so clearly sent to in God's Word because they thought He was a blasphemer. It was all because they misunderstood Scripture. Now, some may think that such a thing would not be their fault. They can't be blamed for improperly perceiving truth and I would agree with that to some degree. However, the real blame, as God also makes abundantly clear, rests on the shoulders of the leaders of the congregation and more specifically the religious leadership. But, let me say, fixing blame for the misunderstanding, misapplying and misappropriating of Scripture is not my intention. My intention here is to simply point out that we have the same problem today. People don't properly understand their Bibles and the results have been disastrous, just as they were for those Israelites who called on Pilate to have Jesus executed. The difference now, however, is that we have opportunity, ability and access to fix our ignorance. Certainly the task is not an easy one. The vast majority of us today know only translations of Scripture. A very small number of us can speak the original languages of the Bible and no one does so natively. Sure there are people who were born into a Greek speaking or Hebrew speaking culture but remember, these documents are many centuries old and, for the most part, these languages are different than they were when the ink was still drying on those original pages. The point is, we must work to find the full meaning of these Sacred Books. Admittedly, there are portions of Scripture whose meaning still escape even the experts but that should only drive us even harder. After all, we love the Man that is spoken of here and no amount of effort is excessive when compared to the joy of discovering Him. For millennia, Psalm 37 has comforted many an anxious child of God. However, can I say that perhaps we in our time may have been robbed of some of its beauty. Many of us today don't derive the same peace that those closer to the original language may have. Again, can I say, it's no one's fault but we can trace the source of the problem directly to a misunderstanding. "Rest in the Lord" seems like a very discomforting thing to do for us modern folk and then add in the next statement "and wait patiently for Him" and you have an all-out 21st Century meltdown. The last thing a present-day man or woman wants to do when in crisis is "rest". Then try and include "wait" with a sprinkle of "patiently" and you no longer have a comforting Psalm, you have a frustrating command. Now, normally I don't go for placating the modern masses but this is so discordant it's worth investigating and that's what we try to do in today's episode. If you love God's Word and want to get the most out of it you can, might I suggest joining us for this podcast. Perhaps you'll see that taking an extra step in investigating Scripture is a worthwhile endeavor in your overall pursuit of getting close to God. However, before you do anything else, take a moment or two and go to God in prayer and ask Him to help you gain a greater understanding of what Scripture is saying to you. Let God know that all of this is important to you. Convince Him that you want to get to know Him better and ask Him to send His Spirit to guide you into ALL Truth.

Moses and the IsraelitesImage in the Public Domain Knowing You're a Christian Although it is one of those things we talk most about in church, especially the evangelical church, Salvation seems to be one of the most misunderstood concepts in Christianity. Don't get me wrong, we know HOW we're saved but we don't know WHY we're saved. Now, of course, I know some of you can very easily give me the standard church-approved response when I ask "Why are you saved?" Most likely you'd say something very theological like, "We are saved so that we can be free." Good answer. But what if I asked, "Free from what", would you know? You see, this is especially a problem here in America because we think of liberty and freedom as meaning "independence". Though that is probably correct...well, arguably correct politically, it is not correct Biblically. Let me shock you by declaring, "There is NO such thing as independence in the Bible." Jesus once said of Himself...actually quoting Scripture, "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised..."(Luke 4:18). This is the key verse in understanding what our freedom actually is. We are set free, yes, but you see there that the King James says "set at liberty them that are bruised". That is an odd statement...as written; wouldn't you agree? The original word infers oppression or some sort of pressing down. Some Biblical commentators say the inference is the oppression of sin. Jesus says that He is sent to set us at liberty from the oppression, the pressing down, the bondage, the captivity of sin. But, here is my point, we are free BUT we are not INDEPENDENT. In fact, the opposite. Paul put it perfectly when he said, "...ye are not your own. Ye are bought with a price." (1st Corinthians 6:19-20) Therefore, there is a reason you were saved and I'll let you in on a secret: it's not so you can happily hop from one heavenly cloud to another upon your arrival in the hereafter. You were bought. The image is purposely that of a slave market. Slaves are NEVER bought to be set free. Slaves are bought to be put to work. If you don't like that then don't accept Jesus' offer (but I beg you to reconsider). So, why am I telling you this? Because you need to know. It is important that you know who you are. It's important to know who you belong to because knowing who you are and who you belong to is necessary in finding your purpose...and don't we all want to know our purpose? In today's episode we go back to the days of the wandering in the desert. For 40 years the Israelites went from place to place in the barren wilderness region of Palestine. It was grueling and dangerous and the only way they were going to get through it was they had to listen to God and work together. Each man and woman had to know what their part was in God's Plan and then do it. As is usual with God's Word, this has application to us to this very day. Please join us as we discuss this very important topic out of God's Word. I trust you will find something in it that will help you discover what God has called you to. However, as I say each week, before you begin, make sure you take a moment of two...just you and God, seeking His help in finding His Will for you. Ask Him to open your heart and mind so that His Word can touch you and instruct you and bring you closer to Him.

LamentationJan de BeerImage in the Public Domain The Violent Cost of Sin (with Communion) The Christian world has gotten so tidy; wouldn't you say? It's so clean. It's so refined. No harsh words. Not in the least bit upsetting. "All are welcome." "Join us for a joyful experience." "Come be comforted." Those are just some of the more typical messages we see on the signs outside of our churches nowadays; right? We want people to get the impression that they can come in and get something that will make them feel good. We don't want to offend. We don't want to "ruffle any feathers". You know what you won't see on the church billboard? "Come get washed in blood." "Enter here and leave your dead body at the door." "Join us for today's sermon: 'You're a Lowdown, Hell-bound Sinner'". Guaranteed you won't see THAT ONE. In fact, sin is hardly mentioned in most church services except perhaps in some mindless prayer chant written hundreds of years ago...LONG before we got so sophisticated. Fact is, we don't talk about sin in church, anymore. Sin is not on the agenda. It's too depressing and, well, no one wants to go to church to feel bad about themselves. Instead we talk about love and fellowship and glory (ours not His). Most church websites are overflowing with images of happy, smiley people hugging, high-fiving and pleasantly sharing a cup of coffee. Most of the "About Us" sections excitedly tell you about their "contemporary" music service, wide-open arms and modern, comfortable atmosphere. There are lots of screen filling photos of what look like rock concerts with the lights and the fog machines and the mood setting backdrops but are, instead, captioned, "Scenes from last Sunday's Worship Service". In all of the published literature you'll struggle to find any mention of Jesus, hardly a picture of any sort of pulpit and nowhere will the word "sin" be found. Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked:Revelation 3:17 "John, what's wrong with love and fellowship and smiling, hugging and high-fivingly sharing coffee?" Nothing, but if you're gonna invite people to your church, if you're gonna invite people to Christ the honest invitation will say they must come broken. Jesus said He came to seek and save the LOST! I never met a smiling lost person. Jesus said the poor in spirit are blessed. They that mourn will be comforted. Most modern congregations would probably walk out on Jesus if He dared preach the Sermon on the Mount in their church. Too depressing. Too demanding. Too much sacrifice. Yes, Jesus jumped for joy (Luke 10:21) but He also wept. (John 11:35), He groaned. (John 11:33). He experienced agony (Luke 22:44) and hunger (Matthew 21:18) and thirst (John 19:28). No, I don't think we need to focus on the negative all the time. I don't believe in staying in the shadow of the crucifixion. Joy DID come in the morning, the morning of the Resurrection. It is there that we should live BUT Jesus did purposely ask us to remember His Sacrifice. In that Upper Room, in one of the most touching moments in all the Bible, Jesus looked into the eyes of His friends with the symbols of His Body and Blood in view as tokens of the brutal price He would shortly thereafter pay and simply said, "Do this in remembrance of Me." He didn't say slap each other on the back and split a doughnut with your neighbor or tell amusing golf-related anecdotes or jump up and down to earsplitting guitar riffs at praise and worship. Some of those things have their place but that place is NOT up front. His life and violent death should be honored as the most important event that has ever happened TO YOU. I know this is not a popular view. That's actually the entire point I'm trying to make, not only here in this intro but throughout the lesson to which it is appended. This is not a message people want to hear and, yet,

The Rock of Gibraltar from the 1880sArtist UnknownImage in the Public Domain The Faithful God Have you ever heard said of someone, "That guy is steady as a rock"? Perhaps you know someone like that. Maybe someone has said it about you. He's as "solid as the Rock of Gibraltar". That's a well-known saying; isn't it? It's a compliment we give to people who can be counted on because we view the Rock of Gibraltar as the very emblem of unshakable reliability. In fact, a very old and very well-known insurance company decided to use the Rock of Gibraltar as their corporate symbol. According to their website, in 1896 this company adopted the marketing slogan, "The Prudential has the strength of Gibraltar". If you're in the insurance business you want your customers to know you'll be around awhile; right? You want the insured to know you can be counted on; don't you? To this very day, you will see the Rock of Gibraltar in the Prudential Insurance corporate logo. Corporate Logo for Prudential Insurance There are a few more interesting points I want to make about this famous natural landmark that have some relevance to today's lesson. The Rock of Gibraltar, known in antiquity as one of the pillars of Hercules...no doubt adding to its legendary mystique of power and invincibility, was formed during the Jurassic Period according to a paper published by Earlham College. It was, most likely made when shells of sea creatures accumulated eventually forming a large limestone promontory. However, what we see today is NOTHING like it was millions of years ago. Here is the relevant point; the point that I want to make that relates to our podcast for today. One of the characteristics of limestone, the rock that forms "The Rock" (Gibraltar, not the actor) is that it is made up of calcite and calcite dissolves...albeit sometimes quite slowly, in water. The Rock of Gibraltar is now actually at the tip of a peninsula. You know what a peninsula is; don't you. A peninsula is a piece of land surrounded, on three sides, by water and, over the many millennia, this surrounding water has significantly CHANGED this mighty formation that ironically stands as a symbol of permanence. Some have suggested that what now sits on one side of the Strait of Gibraltar may have, at one time, stretched all the way across it, cutting the Mediterranean Sea off from the Atlantic Ocean. In addition, one of the more popular features of the Rock of Gibraltar that draws so many tourists, year after year, are the many caves that crisscross its interior. Well, these caves have only appeared relatively recently (geologically speaking, of course). In other words, there were no caves in the Rock of Gibraltar when it was first formed. Slowly the inside AND the outside of the Rock of Gibraltar have changed, significantly. If you and I were around 4.5 million years ago and we decided to visit the Rock of Gibraltar, it would look very different than it does now. "What's your point?" The Rock of Gibraltar, that paragon of permanence, that shrine of stability, that rock-hewn chapel of unchangingness is, in fact, in a constant state of changing. Yes, the change is slow but it is changing. Time, wind and waves are slowly but steadily transforming this wonder of nature that we seem to think is immutable. I suppose we could even say that this momentous natural structure will eventually return to the sediment from whence it came. It's just another example of the inevitable truth of the statement of the so-called "weeping prophet", Heraclitus. He famously observed that "Nothing endures like change". All created things change and, what's worse is most of that change, is, in fact, deterioration. Everything changes. Everything eventually breaks down (see 2nd Law of Thermodynamics). Of all the things I have said to you over the years you must agree this is the least controversial. No one could argue with me on that point...except perhaps a Darwinist but,

Sir John Everett Millais (British, Southampton 1829–1896 London) The Wicked Husbandman (The Parables of Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ), 1864 British, Image in the Public Domain The Parable of the Tenants We Christians have been at "this" so long that we don't even question what "this" actually is. Most of us walk into church every Sunday and, sometimes Wednesday, and we just do whatever we did the previous Wednesday or Sunday. We are told to kneel, we kneel. We are told to sing, we sing. We're told to offer peace to the person sitting next to us and we robotically comply. But I suspect...with a high degree of confidence that if someone were to ask the kneeling, singing, peace offering church goer why they kneel and sing and offer peace most would point toward the pulpit and say "he told me to". Church, to most of us, is not much more than following orders. Believe me, I know. I knelt, sang and peace-offered on cue for most of my life. I "toed the line" loyally, never once asking myself "why". After all, I'm old enough to have witnessed the once-common stinging consequences of religious curiosity. Don't ask, don't swell. The church was in charge and they made sure you didn't forget it. Though the methods may have changed, the philosophy has not. Now, don't get me wrong. I'm not an anarchist. I believe in leadership. I believe God's intention is to put men in leadership positions over His people. The Bible makes that clear. Jesus makes that clear and His Parable of the Tenants tells us that. Whenever Jesus told a parable He was trying to describe either what the Kingdom is like OR what it is not like. Theologians categorize them as Parables of Comparison or Parables of Contrast. The Parable of the Tenants, our topic for this week, is a Parable of Comparison and in it Jesus tells us that God's Plan for His people includes assigning leadership roles. God intends you and I and His Creation to be led and administered by mankind. Why? We don't know. For how long? We aren't told but His current method of getting things done involves human leadership and, according to Jesus, we have made quite a mess of it. That's the central point of the Parable of the Tenants. That's why He told that story. God's Word is vital to our relationship with Him. He has called us all to produce fruit and He has provided everything we need to fulfill that calling. The Parable of the Tenants (sometimes called the Parable of the Wicked Husbandmen) serves to warn us of the implications of misusing what He has given us. We were created to serve Him and He will, someday, return to collect His due. I realize this little introduction is not very pleasant. I realize that what I put here may not motivate you to eagerly listen to this weeks podcast but, nonetheless, I encourage you to join us for this most important discussion from God's Word. But, as always, before you get started, go to the Father in prayer and ask Him to open your heart and mind and make you receptive to all that He has to say to us: the sweet as well as the stern; the comforting as well as the corrective; the renewing as well as the rebuking.

The Miracle of the Gadarene Swine, circa 1000 A.D. (artist unknown)This image in the Public Domain The Cost is Too High Most of us don't mind being "religious" as long as it's on our own terms. We'll certainly act the part when it's appropriate; you know, Christmas, Easter, sickness, funerals, that sort of thing. We especially lose all our religious inhibitions when we're in need or trouble. As the old saying goes, "There are no atheists in foxholes". Not that I am a big fan of such things but survey after survey reveals that most people believe there is such a thing as God. However, those same surveys reveal that only a minority of those that say they believe in God actually say they believe in the God of the Bible. You see, most of us like the idea of some god existing somewhere. Gods may come in handy from time to time. But the God of the Bible seems...so demanding. There seems to be so many strings attached. The God of the Bible doesn't fit out concept of an acceptable god. We want a God we can approve of and more importantly we want a God who we can order around. Again, I say, we don't want the God of the Bible. He has a mind of His own. So, we just say that God doesn't exist and then replace him with someone who will be a little nicer without expecting too much in return. We want a God that we can summon when we're in need and then just as quickly expel once we've gotten what we want. More like a genie in a bottle than the Great Administrator of the Universe "Hey God, I'm really in a tough spot. I was wondering if you wouldn't mind stopping by and taking care of my mess. It shouldn't take too long." And then we'd probably sprinkle in a few catch phrases just to keep the wheels greased, as it were. "Be merciful to me a sinner", or, "Praise Your Name" or "Thy Kingdom Come". You know, religious sweet talk; prayer-bribes. One of the millions of things I love about God's Word is its ability to reach across time and space to touch us where we live. It was written about a place most of us have never been, at a time that spans multiple millennia going all the way back to, literally, unimaginable antiquity and, yet, it can teach us so much about our here and now. In today's episode we study the very interesting story of the healing of the demoniac of Gadara. It's another one of those passages from the Bible which is so much more than just a story. I honestly pity those who only think of the Bible as a collection of stale old tales. We spend some time on this part of the Gospels because it gives us a telling snapshot of how most people view their relationship with God; then and now. The Gadarenes had a problem and they needed someone to come fix it. Along comes Jesus and the result may surprise you...it sure surprised the Gadarenes. Even if you've heard this story before you should join us because maybe we'll make a point or two you've not considered before. As always, I call you to pray before you listen to God's Word taught. These are eternal things and you'll need an Eternal Guide in order to make sense out of them. It is the Holy Spirit's job to reveal Truth to you. All you need to do is ask Him.

Fragment of a Frieze with a Vine Scroll Bearing Leaves, 6th–7th century Coptic, Coptic period (3rd–12th century) Image in the Public Domain The Vine One of the most striking characteristics of the ministry of Jesus was His complete lack of respect for religion. You think I'm bad, Jesus said things like religious tradition rendered Scripture ineffective while accusing some religious leaders of being nothing more than well-dressed coffins. You see, not unlike our own time, things had gotten pretty far off track by the time Jesus arrived on the Earth. The Israelites, at the time, had become quite adept at patting themselves on the back. They had gotten really good at reminding themselves, and anyone else that would listen, that God had specifically chosen them even though they didn't seem all that certain as to what they were chosen for. But, to be honest, to them, the reason they were chosen didn't really matter because being chosen is being chosen; am I right? Things aren't so different now. I tell you all the time, the Church is in a very similar position today as the Israelites were in Jesus' time. God has chosen the Church...the original word actually means "ones called out"...to spread the Gospel and because of that He is actively working in our midst. In that respect, we are just like the Israelites. God is guiding the Church and using the Church to demonstrate His Love and Mercy to "all the nations" and His promise is that He is with us in that effort (Matthew 28:19-20). And, like the Israelites, we have corrupted our responsibility into self-serving privilege. By the way, this is why we teach from the Old Testament. Some think that book is closed and the church is only to be concerned with the Gospels and the New Testament. WRONG. We have a great deal to learn from Genesis on through Malachi. By the time Jesus was born, the Hebrew system of worship was already very, very old. The Jewish people had already been interacting with God for many, many centuries. During their long history together there were many ups and downs in the relationship between God and His people...mostly downs but all the while in the lives of every Jew there was ALWAYS religion. Ever-present were the rituals and the symbols and the laws and...the Word. Scripture, was constantly on the minds of the people but the funny thing about human beings is we don't seem to leave things alone. We don't stay satisfied very long with "current" understanding. Today we call it "evolving". I'm not sure what they called it in ancient Israel but the effect was the same. Their Scripture clearly stated one thing but in their minds, that wasn't enough. You see, the problem, apparently, is the Bible wants us to worship Someone who doesn't speak the way we like Him to, look the way we want Him to and act the way we want Him to. You may say, "Yeah, but, that's the way the Bible describes Him." Well, the unsatisfied doubter may respond, "Yeah, but I don't like that. Why don't we change it?" There are a lot of unsatisfied doubters and they've been around a long time. For centuries the Israelites read about "vines" in their Scripture. They had always known how important these things were in their society so seeing vines referred to in their Sacred Text seemed natural. God's Word talked about vines. In fact, once it even said that when God established Israel, He intended them to be "a noble vine"(Jeremiah 2:21). They liked that. Who wouldn't? Elsewhere God had said similar things and, eventually, the notion of Israel as a vine...again, an extremely important plant in that land, started to get into their heads. The problem, again can I say, is that they seemed to misunderstand what being a vine meant. Instead of seeing that vines exist to nourish and serve; instead of realizing that vines are established for the purpose of producing fruit, they only saw themselves as pretty plants only meant to be admired. Let me say again, be careful, Christian,

God Judging Adam by William BlakeImage in the Public Domain Atonement Part 4-Back to Alienation I don't think we fully appreciate what happened to us in the Garden of Eden. I don't think we really and truly grasp how much we lost back there. In fact, I'm sure we don't. Mankind was created to be like God; the Bible says in His Image. (Genesis 1:26) Do any of you feel like a god, at the moment? Even if you have what may be considered by others as the "perfect life"; is it really? And, you know, this just happens to be one of the problems we live with: we don't even know what makes us truly happy. Do you think God struggles with defining happiness? Of course He doesn't. But, actually, I'm just guessing because even though I was created in His image, I have almost no idea what He's like. Sure, I know some things about Him but He seems so different than me...so foreign. And THAT'S what happened to us in the Garden of Eden. In those opening passages of Genesis we only got the slightest of glimpses into the relationship between God and Adam but we can safely deduce from what we are told that God's intention was plain and simple: fellowship. Don't ask me why, but God created mankind to be His companion. Why do you think He made us in His Image? I may love my dog but I'd rather spend time with Catherine. She and I are alike. My black lab Gypsy is lots of fun to play fetch with but if I want to make a connection I have to find someone more like myself. In heaven, God has angels flying all around Him all the time. Theologians tell us that the heavenlies are full of different sorts of "created intelligences" but as far as we know, there is no being quite like mankind...except for God. He made us like Him so that we could have eternal, meaningful fellowship. We lost all of that because of one sin. Even if Adam never sinned after that...and there is no record in the Bible that tells us he ever did...I'm not saying he didn't but we aren't told of one other of Adam's sins. My theory on that, by the way, is because it doesn't matter. We are not told of any other of Adam's sins because, frankly, it wouldn't have made any difference. In fact, we aren't told if he did anything overly righteous, either, for the rest of his 900 or so years because, again, it didn't matter. It was done. Adam's ONE sin forever changed the relationship between mankind and God...in whose image we are created. "John, why do you keep bringing that up?" Because I want you to see how far we've come. I want you to grasp the impact of that one little sin. We went from "alike companions" to complete strangers because of just one sin. Do you really think sin doesn't matter? Sin transformed us from God's closest creation to banished strangers. Paul refers to it as "alienated". (Colossians 1:21) God alienated us from Himself. When Adam sinned God had to put distance between Himself and the ones He created to be His family. Is it possible for any of us to sense the tragedy of that? You know what? I don't think so...not without Christ. We have been alienated and that is why the world is in the mess it is in. Someone may ask you why there is evil in the world. Well, you can say with Paul that there is evil in the world because we have been alienated from God...His choice...and the manifestation of that alienation down through these many millennia is that our minds now view God as a foreign enemy. Isn't that frightening to think about? We have made an enemy out of the very personification of Righteousness, Goodness and Mercy. No wonder our newspapers...or whatever the modern medium is now called...are filled with shocking stories of human depravity. Then, like idiots, we dare ask God why He "allows" evil, all the while we treat Him as an invading tyrannical enemy. ALL BECAUSE OF ONE SIN. But the story will not end that way. God has promised to fix all of it. Even though this isn't His mess, He has taken on Himself the burden of restoring what He had set out to e...

The Mercy Seat (Illustration from the Holman Bible)Image in the Public Domain Atonement Part 3-Covering We're still at it. We're still trying to pry open the meaning of this word atonement. And, by the way, we're really more interested in WHY the word atonement was created. "Atonement", you should know by now, is an invented English word. (I realize ALL words are invented but you get my meaning.) However, it isn't abundantly clear who invented it. Some say William Tyndale made it up; some say there is evidence that it existed before Tyndale began using it. We can, however, be certain that William Tyndale is the first person to use it in a Biblical context and, frankly, that's really the only context we're interested in, at the moment. The problem we're facing is how the word is currently defined versus what we are told the word meant originally. There appears to be some conflict between the modern use of the word and what Tyndale intended the word to mean. The disparity seems irreconcilable and that is what has set us on our journey. You see, we don't hide from controversy. We don't shy away from what some might consider Biblical disagreement and we don't blame God or His Word when we, in fact, suffer, simply, from a lack of understanding. Around here we do what we can to figure it out. So, today we will look at the Old Testament use of the word. Of course, William Tyndale is not, necessarily, known for his Old Testament work. He was actually executed before he could finish his translation of the Hebrew Scripture but it is clear that his New Testament translation influenced later Old Testament English translations, including the King James. Those later translators must have liked his use of the word atonement because it appears quite extensively; more than 80 times, the majority of which occur in the Book of Leviticus. Now, this shouldn't surprise us because it is in the Book of Leviticus that God deals, administratively, if you will, with sin. In God's Plan, where sin exists, atonement must be present and that speaks of Christ. Starting to see why we're taking the time to study this word? So, once again, I call you to pause a moment and go to God and ask for His help. Pray that He will send His Spirit so that you and He can work out how His Plan fits into your life. Ask Him to open your eyes that you may behold wondrous things out of His Law. (Psalm 119:18)

The Martyrdom of William Tyndale (from Fox's Book of Martyrs)Image in the Public Domain Atonement Part 2-Because "knowing" is also Important There are lots of things you may want criticize about this ministry and the one thing that I am sure is on most everyone's list is that we spend so much time on so many details. I happen to agree with that one. We do spend a lot of time on details and (admittedly this next statement is against every podcasting best practice) might I say this lesson is one of the worst offenders. Today we're going spend a lot of time on only a few things. Why? Why do we focus so intently on these things? Well, because they're important. I unapologetically argue there is nothing more important than what we discuss on this program week after week. These are the things of life and death. These are things worth living and dying for. That's why I love William Tyndale so much. Like most Englishman of his time, he loved Mother England but when it became apparent that he would never be able to achieve God's calling on his life he left behind everyone and everything he knew and for the rest of his life he was a hunted fugitive who eventually paid the ultimate price so that the common man and woman could get to know God better. And do you know why he did all of that? Because he thought it was important. In this lesson we are still struggling to properly define the word "atonement". We go over what we've been told it means and we ask "Why?". One of the sub-purposes of this lesson...and frankly every lesson we present is to get you into the habit of wondering "Why". Some may think that that is sowing dissension or inciting rebellion or even encouraging or facilitating doubt. Nothing could be further from the truth. KNOWING is important to your atonement. You see, we have to "accept" our Salvation for it to be applied to us; right? Can you really accept something you don't understand? God loves you, but more importantly He wants you to love Him. You can't love someone you don't know. You and I should spend every day of our lives getting to know everything about God that we can. KNOWING what gifts He is offering you is the only real way to fall in love with Him and the only real way you'll be able to give yourself to Him. Is it difficult? Yes. Does it take work? Yes. But you know what I've learned through my many years on this earth? Nothing valuable is ever easy. So, take a moment to ask for God's guidance. Believe me, you KNOWING these things is more important to God than it is to you. Therefore, He is more than willing to do all He can to get you to a point where you KNOW what your atonement really is. Why we weren't just born with complete knowledge; I can't say. Why does God make us toil for understanding; I don't know. I can guess that it is because He wants you to truly appreciate His Love for you and that takes effort. BUT, He doesn't expect us to go it alone. He offers Himself as our Guide into all Truth. (John 16:13) So, before you do anything, pray that God's Spirit will assist you on this journey of discovering the majesty of His Atonement.

Anonymous Portrait of William TyndaleThis image is in the Public Domain Atonement Part 1-Made-up Words The Bible is one of the world's most incredible documents. Christian or not, any objective thinking person has to admit that. In, in my opinion, you don't even have to believe what the Bible says to respect it. There are few documents that have been so meticulously assembled, cared for and studied in all the history of human literature. Now, I am certain that scoffers and atheists may argue that I'm being a little hyperbolic but I honestly believe that most who have spent a decent amount of time researching its history would have to agree with my above statements. Like no other literature of any sort...religious or not...an unbroken documentary trail leads all the way back to the origins of this very ancient collection of writing. This is a beloved and revered book and we know that because of how much priority those that love God put on it. To us IT IS THE WORD OF GOD...the mind of God...the precious thoughts, instructions and judgments of a loving, living Father. As proof, one need only look at the efforts that men and women have put forth down through the millennia to make the Bible available for all to understand. Though difficult to accurately estimate, some have said that the Bible has been translated in part or in whole into more than 3,000 languages. Now, the important part of that statistic is to realize that the VAST majority of those translations have been completed in recent times...certainly not more than 200 years. Another important fact to realize here is that the growth in the number of languages into which the Bible has been translated is accelerating largely BECAUSE there are so many translations. You see, linguists and etymologists will tell you that there are very few isolated languages. In other words, almost all languages are related to some other language. Without getting too bogged down in the details let me just say that the more languages something is translated into the easier it is to accomplish that next translation. Each translation is used as reference for other subsequent translations. That is partly why there are so many language versions of the Bible. Now, imagine having almost NO other translations to work with AND throw in the fact that the language you want the Bible translated into is new and, frankly, incomplete. That is what faced William Tyndale in 16th Century England. At the time, the Bible had only been translated into a handful of languages. The only "authorized" version was written in Latin; a language very few of Tyndale's countrymen spoke. That alone severely limited access to the Word. In addition, Tyndale lived at a time of transition in England. His country was slowly defining a unified identity which would eventually include a national language. It may be difficult to believe, but the language we refer to today as English has only been spoken in England for less than 600 years. That means when God got a hold of William Tyndale and inspired him to write a Bible in the language the people of England there was hardly enough of a language to work with. Well, God always chooses the right person to accomplish His difficult tasks. So, take a moment to pray for guidance and help in understanding and then have a listen to this week’s episode as we dive into the fascinating subject of the English Language Bible.

Martyrdom of St. Andrew by Carlo MarattiImage in Public Domain Resurrection Part 3-It Comes Down To This So, all that's left is a simple choice.

The Supper at Emmaus by VelazquesImage in the Public Domain Resurrection Part 2-Questions and Answers In this episode we continue our in-depth look at the Resurrection. Although I say "in-depth", the reality is that we are really only presenting a very small portion of the whole topic. After all, as I say to you all the time, it is impossible for a finite mind to fully grasp the infinite. We certainly do our best. We constantly push the boundaries of our human intellectual abilities but, nonetheless, we will ultimately have to bypass "knowing" and simply embrace "believing". That notwithstanding, in this second part of the series we pick up where we left off last time. Here we are focusing on the importance of the witnesses. Have you ever wondered why Jesus didn't just head on to heaven once He rose? A fairly sizable portion of the story of the Gospel is dedicated to telling us what Jesus did AFTER He died. It actually extends PAST the Gospels and into the Acts of the Apostles. Interestingly, there's not a lot of details given on those appearances. There is a line or two on what He said but, by and large, it seems almost random...almost...anticlimactic. Before this there was that emotional scene in the Garden of Gethsemane, followed by the dramatic arrest, trial and sentencing. Then there was the horror of those dying moments on the cross. On the face of it, the appearances seem like merely a postscript of some sort. Now, I get why we're told about the appearance to Mary Magdalene. It was a tender moment between a dedicated servant and her Risen Lord. I understand the appearances to Peter. The man was not only going to be important to the future church but He was also a dear friend of Jesus who was, no doubt, suffering from the shame of the night of the arrest. Our Merciful Lord wasn't going to pass up the opportunity to comfort a nearly broken man. That's just the kind of Person we serve. Those appearances make sense because they just demonstrate the personality of Jesus so well; but why those two on the road to Emmaus? We don't even know who they were. Luke says one of them was named Cleopas but that's all we know. (Luke 24:18). Mark doesn't even give us that many details in his re-telling of the story (Mark 16:12). How about Paul's reference to the appearance Jesus made "to 500 brethren at once"? (1st Corinthians 15:6) There we get no information; no names, no locations. The same can be said about the so-called Ascension. We are told by Luke in chapter 1 verse 6 of the Acts of the Apostles that "they" were come together but we can't be certain who the "they" consisted of. We can be fairly confident that the remaining eleven apostles were there but was that all? The point is we aren't told and, as you regulars know, when we aren't told something in the Bible, it isn't important. It can be plainly seen that in most of the post-Resurrection appearances that are recorded in Scripture, the "who" was not as important as the "why". Jesus' appearances have a purpose. That is what we discuss in this episode. So, take a moment to pray for understanding and then have a listen to part 2 of our Resurrection series. My prayer is that the Holy Spirit gives you an appreciation of the incredible love and mercy that God showed when He allowed us to get that ever-so-brief look at His most Precious Son.

The Resurrection by Claude MellanImage in the Public Domain Resurrection Part 1-Why Bother? In the past, I have been accused (with an inference of derision) of being a Christian "apologist". In case you don't know, an apologist is defined by Webster's as someone "who speaks or writes in defense of someone or something". Well, I thought that's what guys like me are supposed to do. In fact, isn't that what we're all supposed to do? Isn't that what Peter meant when he said: (1Pe 3:15)  But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear. I don't believe in arguing about the things of God. I normally don't engage in debate about these sorts of things but I have and will continue to present the things of God in a way that will allow the listener or reader to make an informed decision. If you want to call that "defending" the Faith; that's fine with me. I simply want to encourage a habit of critical thinking and I believe that's God's Way, as well. God is not afraid of our questions. He's not afraid of our doubts. He knows our limitations because, frankly, He set them. He established the boundaries of our intellect, for some reason, and so He is aware of how much we can learn and it is obvious that He has a lot more confidence in our intelligence than most of our church leaders do. All of that to say that, in this ministry, I won't apologize for being...an apologist. I trust you and I trust the Spirit of Truth to do His job and guide you (and me) into all Truth (John 15:26). This lesson is the beginning of a series and this series is going to challenge you. We will be taking a detailed look at the most important event in human history: the Resurrection of Jesus. Why is that important? Well, that is the point of this first installment. It is here that we examine whether or not believing Jesus rose from the tomb is important. I mean, we talk a lot about the "Risen Christ" in church. At Easter time (I don't like that word but that's for another day) we plaster all over the place "He is Risen!" We see it on church billboards, in the pastor's newsletter, we post it on Facebook and even occasionally (with ever-dwindling frequency) give each other greeting cards that tell us that the tomb was empty. But, do we really believe it? It's pretty spectacular, when you think about it. A dead man is placed in a grave and He is not there 3 days later. And, listen, that does not mean He's now a ghost...whatever that is. We don't have trouble with the concept of someone's spirit going...somewhere after they die. That is NOT what happened in this instance. His BODY rose. He had a body. What was once dead flesh got up and left that boulder-sealed cave. Can you believe that? By the way, that's a legitimate question. I want to know. Can you believe that Jesus rose, BODILY, from the dead because if you can't or you won't then Paul says your faith is in vain. (1 Corinthians 15:17) Now, if you need more information to make a decision, I get that. That's okay. That's why this series is here. We want to make sure to give you as much information as possible so you CAN decide because decide you must and, if we fail at that, we hope that, at least, this series gives you a genuine desire to learn enough to make a decision. I am hoping you'll see how important this is and that you take it upon yourself to seek out Truth...no matter the personal cost. This is NOT to be taken lightly. The Resurrection is the central, pivotal fact of human history. The Resurrection is the dividing line between the saved and the damned. Those that accept its Truth will live and those that don't...won't. So, I implore you with every ounce of my being to find a way to bring yourself to full acceptance of the Truth of the Resurrection. May I humbly suggest that you start by listening in to this series. If nothing else,

" The Institution of the Eucharist at the Last Supper with St. Peter and St. Paul" Mid-16th century"Latin Inscription reads, "For this is my body. For this is the chalice of my blood of the new and eternal testament, the mystery of the faith which shall be shed for you and for many for the remission of sins."Image in the Public Domain Discern (with Communion) One of the most commonly known church rituals is the taking of Communion. In fact, that's really one of the biggest problems in all of Christianity. We have become so used to the Communion that it's lost any semblance of sacredness. Most of us could go through the rituals with our eyes closed. Most of us are so familiar with the way the Communion is celebrated we've long ago stopped thinking about it. The Table of the Lord has become just another routine in a world of full of routines. We put no more thought into it than we do making our coffee in the morning. AND YET, Paul says not thinking about it when we partake will bring judgment on us. (1 Corinthians 11:29) But the greatest tragedy of this is the fact that Jesus Himself said, "...do this in remembrance of me." (Luke 22:19) The unfortunate truth, however, is that Jesus is the LAST thing most remember when they take communion. The one thing Jesus asked us to do with regard to the Table, we neglect to do. In this ministry, we are trying to regain the dignity of this beautiful, little ceremony. We spend a great deal of time teaching about how important the Table of the Lord is and we try to instill in you a deeper respect for this Jesus-given sacrament. In this lesson we concentrate on Paul's warning about discernment. We also celebrate the Table of the Lord in this episode so be sure you listen closely to the first section of the podcast so that you can be prepared if you decide to join in. BUT, before you do any of that, before you start to listen to this podcast make sure you take a moment to pray. It is always best to prepare your heart and mind so that God's Spirit can effectively share with you the Truth of God's Word.

"...the world has yet to see what God will do with a man fully consecrated to him"Henry Varley(Image in the Public Domain) Sacrifice The Bible spends a great deal of time talking about something we now refer to as the Tabernacle in the Wilderness. It is really one of the most fascinating topics in Scripture. Some of you know that it was designed by God and built by Moses and the Israelites to be a place where God could dwell among His people (Exodus 25:8). Now, this episode does not feature a discussion on the Tabernacle; for that you can check here and here. However, I want to point out, briefly, that according to God's instructions, just past the entrance to the outer court of the Tabernacle complex, was placed the Brazen Altar. It was at this altar that the various sacrifices of the people were brought. This was where the payment for sin was offered. Now, I bring that up to say that in God's Plan, forgiveness of sin is only the beginning. ALL of the rest of the Tabernacle, a type and shadow of, among other things, the life of the Christian, lies ahead. When you accept Christ into your life as your sin bearer, as your sin offering, you've only really only just started your journey. Jesus characterized it as being "born again". That's something you hear a lot in evangelical churches; don't you? They talk a lot about the "born again experience". The church world is geared toward bringing the sinner to the altar but fails to take them past it. The saved are left in spiritual infancy...standing around the altar, never venturing out too far. We actively teach and emphasize and focus on, for example, the first 11 chapters of Romans but for some reason we don't, then, move on to chapter 12. Yes, the glory of Christ's work on our behalf is in full view for three-quarters of Paul's Christian manifesto and it's magnificent, glorious, wonderful...but Paul never intended us to stop there. Through those opening chapters he highlights marvelous things like receiving righteousness of God by Faith (Romans 3:22) and how Christ died for the ungodly (Romans 5:6) and how we now have life in Christ and that we are free from the law of sin and death (Romans 8:2). On and on it goes regarding our Salvation. Many of you are quite familiar with most of that. Those verses are heard regularly on Sundays and we praise God for them...but there is actually more. Once Paul has those things out of the way...once he feels we get it, he says: (Romans 12:1)  I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. In this lesson we talk about what comes next. We lay out the "why" of Salvation. You've heard plenty about the "how" and "who" but not so much about the "why". There is more to our lives than waiting around for the Rapture. You were born for a reason and it's not limited to the pursuit of a ticket to heaven. God wants us to offer ourselves for His purposes and for His pleasure and He makes that clear throughout His Word. So, take a moment to pray for the assistance of God's Spirit of Truth. Ask God to open up eternal things. Pray that He will guide you to a better understanding of your place in His Kingdom. Once you've done so, press the "Play Button" and listen in as we teach on this most important topic out of God's Word.

16th Century Foot ArmorImage in the Public Domain Provision Not to start out sounding like an old man...old men use...perhaps overuse the phrase "these days", but I can't avoid it this time. These days...(shudder) it is very difficult to be an honest Christian AND bring unbelievers to Christ. It's not that the need isn't there. Certainly you can see the state the human race is in. And, you know what, there certainly isn't a lack of those who say they are willing to reach out to the "lost" as the Bible calls the unsaved. Seminaries are full. Bible Colleges are springing up everywhere. And, why not? In America, at least, being a pastor has turned into a pretty sweet gig. Some of the most ostentatiously wealthy people in this country founded or pastor or are, otherwise, employed by what is, now, known (at times, derisively) as "megachurches". There is plenty of demand and, on the surface, at least, there appears to be plenty of supply. Churches are bursting at the seams, in some places. Mission trips are packed and plentiful. Heck, people are insisting, through the ubiquitous use of bumper stickers, that we should "keep Christ in Christmas". So, why does it still feel like there is a worldwide spiritual crisis that never seems to dissipate, even just a little? You want to know what I think? You probably said "no" but I'm going to pretend you didn't. I think the problem with the packed church yet spiritually bankrupt world is directly traceable to the pulpit. We, long ago, changed the message. Maybe the word "change" is not the one I'm looking for. It's probably better to say that the message has been abridged. I mean, it's relatively difficult, nowadays, to outright lie about Scripture; people have a lot of access to the Bible and they do LOVE to correct you...if for no other reason than to feel superior. Instead, the preferred method of truth manipulation is to "cherry-pick" your way through the Bible. Highlight this part while de-emphasizing that. That way you can even provide chapter and verse and everyone is happy. Isn't that what we're after? Keeping the people happy? Isn't that what makes your pastor happy? (Please don't email me and tell me you're the exception. I KNOW there are exceptions. If this doesn't apply to you then just let it go.) We have full churches and empty hearts because the message isn't complete. He loves you, yes. He wants to save you, yes. That's the part you hear about; but there's more. This is the part you DON'T hear about. God's Word makes it clear that the life of the believer is not going to be smooth and silky. Does Jesus wish that "our joy would be full"?(John 15:11) He does indeed. The problem, however, is WE want to define the path to this joy. Well, God once said, "Thy shoes shall be iron and brass" (Deuteronomy 33:25) Seems like an odd thing to say; don't you think? Why would God insist on shoes made out of such materials? Tough shoes mean only one thing: tough trip. Your footwear must match your journey; right? Not that this has happened to me too many times but have you ever checked into a swanky hotel room? There are lots of little amenities provided to you for your stay. Comfy robes and splendid lotions and soaps and shampoos. There is fancy tea and sometimes delicious treats waiting for you each morning of your stay. In the more posh locales they'll even give you fuzzy, over-sized, plush, downy-soft slippers. Now, believe it or not, all of this is a marketing ploy. They want to give you the impression that you're in the most relaxing place on earth. Those plush slippers are right there in the open because they want your imagination to picture a laid-back, no pressure, luxurious, ultra-relaxing visit in, what is certain to seem to be one of the antechambers of heaven. Well, I think those hotels learned that little stratagem from God. However, He said that our shoes will NOT be luxurious in any sense of the word. Nothing comfy sounding about shoes made of brass and iron.

Silver Greek Coin from the 1st Century B.C.Image in the Public Domain For Me and Thee There is an old Jewish saying that states, "As the bee brings home honey to its owner, but stings others; so it is with the words of the law". The critics of the Bible claim it is filled with death and wrath and exclusion and judgment and, you know, that's one of things the critics, actually, get right. But, unfortunately for the critic, that's all they see. God is a just God and a just God will exact justice; He must or He can not claim to be just. Justice...even in our own little realm, can be unpleasant. I mean, it's one of the reasons people want to avoid being on the wrong side of the law. Justice can be harsh because it has to be. So, yes, the Bible, the record of a just God, will have those elements to it. But the Bible is also full of love and tenderness and care and comfort. Not only is God a just God but He's a loving God. We know that because of Jesus. The Apostle John makes it clear in the 1st Chapter of his Gospel that although no man has seen God, Jesus has "declared" Him. That's the word we see in the King James. The original Greek word actually means to "lead out"; to "draw out"; to "unfold a teaching". Part of the wonder of Jesus is that He is a picture of what God is like...partial picture, of course. You and I, in our current state could not...and, actually, maybe never, handle a full view of God. Nonetheless, what we see Jesus do, God would do. One of the most fascinating stories found in the Bible is the miracle of the coin in the mouth of the fish. It is actually one of the most incredible miracles in all of Scripture. The details are actually astounding. So, astounding, as a matter of fact, that we have largely missed the point of the story. As we read it, we seem only able to marvel at the power Jesus has over nature. Don't get me wrong. It's okay to stand in awe of Our Lord but we must ALWAYS look beyond the facts to get the message. That is what we do in today's lesson. We dig into one of the best known portions of Scripture and really focus on what God wants us to know. In this story we see the side of God that the critics miss. In these passages we see the "other" reason why God is to be worshiped and adored. This story demonstrates God's love for us as His own. It demonstrates that God is aware of us and our needs as individuals. It is a lovely, comforting reminder for when the world seems so gray and impersonal. We invite you to listen in as we teach from this uplifting, vital story from the life of Our Personal Savior, Jesus. Remember, before you begin, take a moment or two to ask for God's Spirit to be with and lead you into the Truth of the Gospel.

4th Century Fragment of the Gospel of John-Image in the Public Domain The Word We may find it difficult, at times, to talk to our friends about Jesus. Many of us want to spread the Gospel but we, very often, meet with resistance, but can you imagine what it must have been like in the beginning? When those original apostles and disciples set out to evangelize the world as Jesus commanded them to there was more than resistance; there was ignorance. Outside of Palestine no one had EVER heard of Jesus for that first few decades. Those that had been sent to convert the Gentiles had a very difficult task indeed. Of course, the apostles tasked with trying to convert the Jews didn't have it all that easy but, at least, there was some common ground in Scripture. The Jews...including those outside of what we today call the Holy Land...the Jews of the diaspora as they're called...may not have been easy to convince that Jesus was the Messiah but, at least, they knew what a Messiah was. The problem for the rest of the apostles was that the cultural influence of the Jews was very narrow. At that time, if you weren't Jew by birth then most likely you had no familiarity with the Jewish religion whatsoever and you just as likely didn't know anyone who did. The dominant cultural and religious mindset of the day in most of the known world was decidedly Greek...thanks to Alexander the Great. Not only did the famous Macedonian general conquer lands, he conquered minds. Before his rather untimely death, Alexander set out to spread Greek thinking throughout the world. And he did a pretty good job, I must say. I'm sure John the Evangelist would agree. You see, John, the writer of one of the Gospels, a few epistles and the Book of Revelation was among those apostles whose mission field was among the Gentiles. Tradition tells us that John lived in one of the MOST Gentile cities on earth, at the time: Ephesus. This was a very, Greek, VERY pagan city. In fact, Ephesus was home to the Temple of Artemis, also sometimes referred to as the Temple of Diana, one of the holiest sites in the Greek pagan religion. Trying to convince his neighbors of the Gospel of Jesus was not going to be an easy task, even for this giant of the early church; a man who knew the Messiah personally. But "For God nothing shall be impossible." (Luke 1:37) Difficult, yes. Impossible NEVER. Tune into to today's lesson to get a glimpse into the immeasurable wisdom of our Father. The opening verses of the Gospel of John demonstrate that God has been in control from the beginning. The genius of the those first few statements is remarkable. Please join us as we take a focused look at one of history's most incredible literary treasures. BUT, as always, before you begin, take a moment to pray for God's Help in understanding the wonders of His Word.

Image in the Public Domain Kinsman Redeemer (with Communion) The Bible tells us so many comforting things. That is one of the reasons people love it so much. But the Bible ALSO tells us more than a few discomforting things. And, that's why so many people DON'T love the Bible so much. One of the most persistent discomforting things the Bible says is that the human race is in a very precarious position. We're in trouble. I'm sure that those of you that are familiar with the Bible will accuse here me of understatement...and you'd be right. I am "soft-pedaling" a bit. One can't just jump right into these sorts of things. But the Bible does use words like "wrath" and "destruction" and "torment" and phrases like "consuming fire" and "weeping abundantly". And, by the way, if you're only being taught the comforting things than you are not being told the whole story and whoever is the one responsible for the abbreviated version of the Bible is not doing you any favors. The Scriptures make clear that the human race is in REAL danger...outside His care. You can hardly turn a page in the Bible without being reminded of that. We were born into this world at a distinct disadvantage. Doesn't matter if you don't like to hear it...actually, it doesn't even matter if you don't believe it. Adam, the ancestor of us all, sinned and those that have been born of woman since...and that's everyone of us, are affected. We are all tainted by the sin of Adam and, let me remind you, that we don't do ourselves any favors either. If you're honest you'll admit that you do a pretty good job of being a wretched sinner even WITHOUT the stain of Adam's rebellion. Now, of course, I'm leaving out quite a few of the details but it is not my intention here to prove any of this first part to you. Suffice it to say, you and I are born in sin and, in ourselves, we are powerless to change that. Paul refers to this condition as "the bondage of corruption" (Romans 8:21) In every sense of the word, we are enslaved to sin; as hopeless as any other slave to throw off our own chains. Now, I don't want you to think I'm just using poetic imagery here. I'm not that clever. This is precisely how God WANTS you to view your condition. Over and over, in the Bible, God uses the analogy of slavery to get across to us our dire circumstances. You must remember that behind everything presented in Scripture there is God's description of His Rescue Plan. In fact, that's the entire purpose of Scripture: to tell us about how He will make things right again. One of the clearest examples of this is found in the Book of Leviticus. It is there that we find what is now called the Law of Kinsman Redeemer. It is a beautiful picture of how Christ will provide a rescue for us. The Law of the Kinsman Redeemer is given to us to show that God will NOT leave us in our bondage to sin; to assure us that we have hope; to prove that He is always in control and His Justice and Righteousness is preserved even when He redeems "that which is lost". Today we will be talking about the Kinsman Redeemer. ALSO...in this episode we will also be going to the Table of the Lord. Make sure you listen carefully to the first few minutes ESPECIALLY if you want to participate with us which we invite you to do. BUT, as always, before you hit "Play" take a few moments to prepare your heart and mind by going to God in prayer. Ask Him for understanding. Ask Him to guide through His Word. Once you've done that, dive right in.

Nadab and Abihu being devoured for offering Strange FireImage in the Public Domain Strange Fire Mankind seems to be a worshiping creature. Of that, there seems little doubt. The problem is, for some reason, mankind resists worshiping the One True God the way He has told us He wants to be worshiped. We don't like how He says to do things so we decide to go about it our own way. We still say we love Him. We still show up on Sundays. We still even carry Bibles under our arms but, from the looks of things, we don't open them very often or we don't seem to care what it says. We accuse God of being too rigid or "old-fashioned". Some people may give God a break and blame the men who wrote the Bible as if God isn't strong enough to stop someone from writing a forged biography of His Son. Well, the Bible tells us "Be not deceived, God is not be mocked."(Galatians 6:7) In today's lesson we discuss the infamous Nadab and Abihu; a couple of insincere ministers of God who learned the hard way how important it is to God that we serve Him properly. And this is not just an Old Testament story. We have our own Nadabs and Abihus in our time and the purpose of today's podcast is to point out to you that God will not ignore Strange Fire.

"And it came to pass, as Moses entered into the tabernacle, the cloudy pillar descended, and stood at the door of the tabernacle, and the LORD talked with Moses." Exodus 33:9 Image in the Public Domain Tabernacle in the Wilderness Part 2 Today we continue our fascinating series on the Tabernacle in the Wilderness. In this lesson we go into depth on the various pieces of "furniture" in the Tabernacle. We explain the meaning of the materials, the placement of the objects and the everyday use of the items and show that, without a doubt, all of it is pointing to Christ. Every bit of the Tabernacle in the Wilderness, in all of its many details, is given to us to tell the story of the redemption of mankind by the One we now know as Jesus of Nazareth. I know, I know it sounds hard to believe. How could something tell a story 1400 years before it happened and with this much accuracy? I just ask you to give it a chance. Listen in (as well as Part 1 in the series if you haven't already) and keep your mind open. Don't decide until you've heard the facts. That's what this lesson presents: the facts. Before you begin, pray for understanding. Ask God to open your heart and mind so that you can see the wonders of His Word.

"And let them make me a sanctuary; that I may dwell among them." Exodus 25:8 Image in the Public Domain Tabernacle in the Wilderness Part 1 There is a book that is so fascinating, so incredible, so fantastic that it has captivated millions. If you read it with a sincere interest in understanding it, the expected result is deep respect and admiration (and eventually adoration) for its author. Of course, I am speaking of the Bible. Even those that criticize it or dispute the truth of its contents cannot help but admire it. After all, its pages are filled with some of the most remarkable events in all of human history; too remarkable, in fact, to be believable, is the claim of many detractors. In this ministry, we don't spend much time trying to prove the veracity of the Bible. Sure, there is some of that here and there but don't we ALL try to defend that which we love so dearly? That notwithstanding, most of the time we simply lay out the facts and let you decide. One of our favorite topics, something we return to time and again, is the Tabernacle in the Wilderness. Not too long after the Israelites were rescued from Egypt, God told Moses to build Him a dwelling place and it was going to be like no other building ever built on earth. In fact, its primary purpose, unlike most other buildings, was not to house or contain things or people but rather the purpose of this building was to tell a story. In the building of the Tabernacle we get a glimpse of the immeasurable love God has for mankind. The Tabernacle communicates God's mercy and provision in such a way that forces us to either go to our knees in utter reverence of His Glory or drive us away in mocking disbelief. This podcast is the first of two in a series that explores this magnificent structure. There is so much to talk about that we've had to split it up into two podcasts and, to be honest, that isn't even enough. Today's episode is far more general in nature but, nonetheless, crucial to your understanding of this wonderful topic. Make sure you take a moment or two to pray for God's assistance and make sure you pay close attention because these are sacred things and should be given the respect they are due.

Fresco of a servant in the Roman Tomb of Silistra in northeastern Bulgaria-4th Century AD Image in the Public Domain Slavery Far too often people will read the Bible or, more often, hear the Bible read and become confused, startled, disgusted and even angry with what it says. There are so many things that get in the way of the proper understanding of the things of God. Among the most insidious is our cultural mindset. Now, this, of course, isn't a new problem. Down through the centuries, the way we have been taught by the society in which we were born and raised has had an enormous impact on our ability to learn new things. This is yet another reason why we have to make sure we take time to learn what Scripture is saying to us. So many people turn away from God because of what they have been TOLD the Bible says or, at the very least, what they BELIEVE the Bible says. In our English language versions of the Bible we see the Apostle Paul, time and again, refer to himself as a "servant of Jesus Christ". I believe our modern use of the word "servant" does not adequately convey Paul's view of his relationship to Our Lord. If it were possible for Paul himself to translate his letters for you and I into our modern English, he would most certainly NOT use the word "servant". He would undoubtedly use the word "slave". Now, why is that important? What difference does it make whether Paul meant "servant" or "slave"? Well, that is the topic of our discussion in this episode. Have a listen and decide for yourself. But, before you do that, make sure you pray that God give you spiritual ears to hear and a spiritual heart to understand. Ask Him to open up His Word in the way He originally meant it to be presented.

Image in the Public Domain Pray Without Ceasing (Luk 18:1)  And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint; In this ministry we quite often teach on the subject of prayer. It is one of the most wonderful blessings we've ever been given...probably second only to Salvation itself. In fact, you've heard me argue that Salvation isn't even possible without prayer and, so, it prayer actually be the MOST wonderful blessing of all. However, as wonderful as it is, I am convinced that we know almost nothing about it. Like so many other things in our so-called religious lives there is a lot of church tradition surrounding prayer. I would say that probably the vast majority of what we know and how we practice prayer is strictly tradition; so much so that the Bible's version of prayer is almost completely foreign to us. Now, the reason this is so important to point out is that, as quoted above, prayer is something Jesus says we should be doing ALWAYS. That is a mighty high standard...which is, pretty much, the case with everything Jesus expects out of us. Jesus says we ought ALWAYS to pray and not to faint. That sounds impossible; doesn't it? If you answer "yes" to that don't feel like you're alone in your opinion. Today's podcast is centered on this most enigmatic statement of Our Lord's. Have a listen...and make sure you stay all the way to the end because we're going to go into some depth on this one and, believe me, there will be a few bends and curves along the way but hopefully by the time you get to the conclusion you will, at least, have a little better idea of what God considers prayer and maybe, just maybe, you'll see that what Jesus is asking isn't so impossible after all. Remember; pay close attention, pray for God's help in your understanding (do that before you hit the "play" button) and open your Bible.

Time in the Chapel-What's All This Then? We are about to begin this new journey. In this first episode we tell you a little bit about "Time in the Chapel" and why we do it. SPOILER ALERT: We study teach God's Word. That's it. We open up our Bibles and we give it the time and attention it deserves. It speaks of Christ and He is the most wonderful Person who ever lived. Don't believe me? Then, keep coming back. Perhaps some day you will.