He looked at me with eyes of despair,
Too often ignored by others to plead;
I saw him as a child with curly hair,
A mother that tended his ev'ry need!
Who knows the cause that began his descent?
There, but for the grace of God, could be I;
I saw the face of Jesus, in pain rent,
Tugging at the cross, on which He would die!
How could I ignore him, and walk on by,
Pretending not to see him, or his plight?
I gave him the twenty, that was to buy
The bread and milk, on my way home that night!
Don't tell me, he'll buy a gallon of wine;
That's up to God; showing mercy was mine!
"Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy." (Matthew 5:7)
In this 5th Beatitude Jesus changes from ways the Christian is to interact with God to how he is to treat others. His promise is that we who show mercy to others will be shown mercy when we are being judged, and how badly we need mercy! The poem describes a very commonplace experience that faces us, and a very uncommon way of reacting to it. But then, the Christian is taught very uncommon ways of reacting to all of life's situations, because our Teacher, Jesus Christ, taught counter to every reaction practiced in the world. We are confronted very often today by the panhandler on the street; what's unusual is how Jesus expects us to deal with it.
Note that the Christian does not insulate himself from the beggar by walking on by as if he were not there. Instead, he stopped, looked full into his face, and put himself into the shoes of the beggar. He imagined him as a small child, innocent, loved by all, with a mother who had high hopes and dreams for her baby boy. He thought of what misfortune might have caused him to start down the road of vagrancy, and realized that the same might have happened in his own life, but that God had come into it soon enough to help him avoid the same pitfalls that had befallen the poor man. He remembered the Parable of the Sheep and Goats told by Jesus in Matthew 25, in which God on Judgment Day would say to the merciful, You fed me when I was hungry; You clothed me when I was bare; you visited me in jail and when I was sick. When asked, When did I do those things?, God said, Inasmuch as you did them to the least of my brethren, you did them to me. So the Christian saw the face of Jesus in the beggar's face.
Can you do that? Can you stop, look in the beggar's eyes, put yourself in his skin; rather than looking the other direction and passing on by? That is exactly what Jesus expects you to do; and He expects you to show mercy and give. Many believe that if you give money, you are "enabling", or aiding, in their downfall, for they will just buy more wine to drink, but notice that what the man does with your gift is not for you to determine; it is to be left up to God. In Matthew 5:42 Jesus says when asked, you are to give---no equivocation, no ifs or buts, but to give every time.
This poem and commentary is a very limited instance of how we are to show mercy. When you consider all the needs in the world today, you understand that there is absolutely no limit to the amount of mercy it is possible for you to show. Notice that the Christian in the poem gave generously, even to the point of possibly some slight deprivation of his own family needs. There are instances of believers giving all their belongings in responding to Jesus' teachings on mercy; while this is commendable by God, He does not expect the believer to give so much as to deprive his family of basic needs. The problem in today's culture is that we are saturated to excess in riches and don't realize it. Being deprived of a cell phone with texting, photos, and internet is not deprivation. In the time that Jesus lived, a crust of bread was a treasure to most. We in 2010 in America can afford to give much more than we think we can.
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
Monday, December 28, 2009
Blessed Are The Hungry For Righteousness
When you find Jesus, righteousness begins.
It grows when you want to learn about Him;
The more you learn, the more you hate your sins
And want to live a new life without them!
Jesus told us, "If anyone loves me,
He will obey my teaching." * So you will
Want to study the Bible, and to be
Often in His church, an empty seat fill!
Righteousness grows as His Book you obey;
The road is long, but happiness is sure;
The more you hunger and thirst for His way,
More righteous you will be, and joyous endure!
In thia life, no one becomes righteous full,
But Jesus adds what's lacking in your pull!
*John 14:21
"Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for reighteousness, for they shall be filled." (Matthew 5:6)
Jesus' 4th promise of happiness, as He began His Sermon on the Mount, is for those who seek "righteousness" with a hunger and thirst, not merely an offhand desire. This was said to a poor people in desert country, those who knew real hunger and very real thirst. It is hard for us today to readily grasp the avidness with which we should pursue righteousness with God, which means to win His approval by our obedience to all of His commands. At the very beginning of one's pilgrimage to holy perfection, he may be miffed at being asked to accept Jesus as his Lord, when he knows very well the asker lives a life very short of perfection. And he is correct. There is no Christian, living or dead, who led a righteous life. There was only one man that lived a sinless life, and that man was Jesus, who is God living in the flesh of a man. He was crucified in 32 A. D. for claiming to be God to His Chosen People, and they rejected His claim at the time. However, He came forth from the grave, exactly as their Bible prophesized, and lives today. History verifies His life and death, but is reticent about confirming His resurrection and continued existence. Billions of people since have believed in Jesus as God, and that's what it means to be a Christian and to be eligible to enter heaven after death in this life, where the same Jesus promised that we, too, would live forever.
But salvation can be had by a simple belief in Jesus as God, while becoming righteous is an entirely different matter. Righteousness is gained only by hard work and study and making a complete change in lifestyle, as indicated in the poem. You must first learn what God commands from the Bible, beginning with the Ten Commandments that God personally engraved in stone with His finger (in Exodus), then the teachings of Jesus in the books of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, followed by the rest of the New Testament. It requires a lifetime, and you cannot do it by yourself. Frequent church attendance, where other believers are in every imaginable stage of learning; learning to talk with God by prayer; and encouraging the Holy Spirit to guide you from within are essential to becoming righteous. Most of all, though, is learning self-control and how to live with others in accordance with the teachings of Jesus. It's not easy, and we all find life too short to do it all. When we reach heaven and meet Jesus face to face, He will lovingly add the things we need; living in heaven requires perfect righteousness. I must add, however, that Roman Catholic Christians have a different twist to the last statement. There is a kind of "waiting room", or "boot camp", called purgatory, where saved believers wait until they reach perfection before entering heaven, in their doctrine. Most other churches believe the believer's soul goes immediately to heaven at physical death.
It grows when you want to learn about Him;
The more you learn, the more you hate your sins
And want to live a new life without them!
Jesus told us, "If anyone loves me,
He will obey my teaching." * So you will
Want to study the Bible, and to be
Often in His church, an empty seat fill!
Righteousness grows as His Book you obey;
The road is long, but happiness is sure;
The more you hunger and thirst for His way,
More righteous you will be, and joyous endure!
In thia life, no one becomes righteous full,
But Jesus adds what's lacking in your pull!
*John 14:21
"Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for reighteousness, for they shall be filled." (Matthew 5:6)
Jesus' 4th promise of happiness, as He began His Sermon on the Mount, is for those who seek "righteousness" with a hunger and thirst, not merely an offhand desire. This was said to a poor people in desert country, those who knew real hunger and very real thirst. It is hard for us today to readily grasp the avidness with which we should pursue righteousness with God, which means to win His approval by our obedience to all of His commands. At the very beginning of one's pilgrimage to holy perfection, he may be miffed at being asked to accept Jesus as his Lord, when he knows very well the asker lives a life very short of perfection. And he is correct. There is no Christian, living or dead, who led a righteous life. There was only one man that lived a sinless life, and that man was Jesus, who is God living in the flesh of a man. He was crucified in 32 A. D. for claiming to be God to His Chosen People, and they rejected His claim at the time. However, He came forth from the grave, exactly as their Bible prophesized, and lives today. History verifies His life and death, but is reticent about confirming His resurrection and continued existence. Billions of people since have believed in Jesus as God, and that's what it means to be a Christian and to be eligible to enter heaven after death in this life, where the same Jesus promised that we, too, would live forever.
But salvation can be had by a simple belief in Jesus as God, while becoming righteous is an entirely different matter. Righteousness is gained only by hard work and study and making a complete change in lifestyle, as indicated in the poem. You must first learn what God commands from the Bible, beginning with the Ten Commandments that God personally engraved in stone with His finger (in Exodus), then the teachings of Jesus in the books of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, followed by the rest of the New Testament. It requires a lifetime, and you cannot do it by yourself. Frequent church attendance, where other believers are in every imaginable stage of learning; learning to talk with God by prayer; and encouraging the Holy Spirit to guide you from within are essential to becoming righteous. Most of all, though, is learning self-control and how to live with others in accordance with the teachings of Jesus. It's not easy, and we all find life too short to do it all. When we reach heaven and meet Jesus face to face, He will lovingly add the things we need; living in heaven requires perfect righteousness. I must add, however, that Roman Catholic Christians have a different twist to the last statement. There is a kind of "waiting room", or "boot camp", called purgatory, where saved believers wait until they reach perfection before entering heaven, in their doctrine. Most other churches believe the believer's soul goes immediately to heaven at physical death.
Saturday, December 26, 2009
Blessed Are The Meek
The meek are sweet and mild, slow to anger;
They do not strive to have things done their way;
Gentle, they pose to others no danger;
Quietly trusting Jesus always are they!
Yet, there comes a time when each must stand fast;
Like Moses, when the Egyptian Pharaoh balked
At freeing the Hebrews, God's wrath at last
Was loosed; then first-borns the death-angel stalked;
Like Jesus, when money-changers were cleared
From the temple, and Pharisees were named
Hypocrites; the meek at times must be feared;
Though placid, when God's will's blocked, they're untamed!
To earth the King is coming back in glory;
The meek shall own it, to complete its story!
"Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth." (Matthew 5:5)
The men who lead the nations of earth have practiced war endlessly, spilling the blood of the young, and they will continue until Jesus returns. He will put an end to war forever, and He will give the earth to the meek to rule, for they are peacelovers; they will glory in its abundance. Meekness is a personality trait that Jesus commands us to develop if we become His followers. It is a "fruit" of the Holy Spirit (See Galatians 5:22-23), or God who indwells the believer and guides him in developing sanctification, which means the changing of our worldly ways into those like Jesus was and taught. The nature we possess at birth is full of selfishness, anger, greed, and similar traits; if we are to become more like Jesus we must develop gentleness, for one, and other Christlike characteristics.
Moses was said by God in Numbers 12:3 to be "very meek, above all the men on the face of the earth." Yet, he was not always docile and mild. Facing the Pharaoh of Egypt in his ten demands that he free the slave Israelites, he demanded their freedom in the name of God; upon being refused, he called down the series of plagues that culminated in the death of every first-born son in Egypt, and led the free people across the Red Sea to Canaan. At Mt. Sinai, when Moses came down with the two stone tablets into which God had personally engraved the Ten Commandments with His finger, His anger at them for making and worshiping a golden calf caused him to dash them to the ground, where they were broken into pieces. He was not meek when it came to upholding God's will, and neither should we be. Meekness is not a sign of cowardice or weakness. It is indicative of humility, which God respects. When Jesus' apostles argued over which would be greatest in heaven, Jesus told them it would be the one who was humblest among them. We need to develop and practice meekness; we need to rid ourselves of anger, resentment, grudge-holding, self-gratification and aggrandisement.
They do not strive to have things done their way;
Gentle, they pose to others no danger;
Quietly trusting Jesus always are they!
Yet, there comes a time when each must stand fast;
Like Moses, when the Egyptian Pharaoh balked
At freeing the Hebrews, God's wrath at last
Was loosed; then first-borns the death-angel stalked;
Like Jesus, when money-changers were cleared
From the temple, and Pharisees were named
Hypocrites; the meek at times must be feared;
Though placid, when God's will's blocked, they're untamed!
To earth the King is coming back in glory;
The meek shall own it, to complete its story!
"Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth." (Matthew 5:5)
The men who lead the nations of earth have practiced war endlessly, spilling the blood of the young, and they will continue until Jesus returns. He will put an end to war forever, and He will give the earth to the meek to rule, for they are peacelovers; they will glory in its abundance. Meekness is a personality trait that Jesus commands us to develop if we become His followers. It is a "fruit" of the Holy Spirit (See Galatians 5:22-23), or God who indwells the believer and guides him in developing sanctification, which means the changing of our worldly ways into those like Jesus was and taught. The nature we possess at birth is full of selfishness, anger, greed, and similar traits; if we are to become more like Jesus we must develop gentleness, for one, and other Christlike characteristics.
Moses was said by God in Numbers 12:3 to be "very meek, above all the men on the face of the earth." Yet, he was not always docile and mild. Facing the Pharaoh of Egypt in his ten demands that he free the slave Israelites, he demanded their freedom in the name of God; upon being refused, he called down the series of plagues that culminated in the death of every first-born son in Egypt, and led the free people across the Red Sea to Canaan. At Mt. Sinai, when Moses came down with the two stone tablets into which God had personally engraved the Ten Commandments with His finger, His anger at them for making and worshiping a golden calf caused him to dash them to the ground, where they were broken into pieces. He was not meek when it came to upholding God's will, and neither should we be. Meekness is not a sign of cowardice or weakness. It is indicative of humility, which God respects. When Jesus' apostles argued over which would be greatest in heaven, Jesus told them it would be the one who was humblest among them. We need to develop and practice meekness; we need to rid ourselves of anger, resentment, grudge-holding, self-gratification and aggrandisement.
Thursday, December 24, 2009
Blessed Are Those That Mourn
Grieve not oe'r loved ones that have breathed their last,
For they had their chance to choose death or bliss;
Mourn for those who into the fire are cast,
And who yet live but who heaven will miss!
Shed tears when Jesus is preached but unheard;
When the unsaved enter church but leave lost;
When prayer's banned; Jesus in public demurred;
When newsprint censors God and Christ's cross!
The greatest grief's legal abortion mills,
And Democrats who their nation betray,
Trading borrowed billions to bribe votes on bills;
Or President who lies to get his way!
Christians mourn most when heaven's Kingdom ails;
They will be comforted when Christ prevails!
"Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted." (Matthew 5:4)
Jesus might have phrased this Beatitude, "Blessed are those who mourn for the Kindom of Heaven, for they will be comforted." Most people think of mourning in connection with the death on this earth of a loved one, and they may interpret this saying of Jesus as being comforted for grieving over the death of a spouse or child. If so, they are assuming Jesus has the same limited worldview that people have. But God does not mourn over human death; to Him this life is but a prelude to the eternal afterlife that follows human life. When God looks at a mortal person, He sees one of two things only---whether that person is saved or lost. If he is saved, God is happy, and He expects all Christians to be happy at his death; He doesn't grieve when a saved person dies; He is joyful in welcoming him to heaven. However, when a lost person dies, He grieves, for as the universal judge, God must condemn him to hell for eternity. He expects Christians to mourn the death of a lost person, and He promises to comfort such a one when he arrives in heaven.
Later in His ministry Jesus answers the question of a scholar who asks if He knows the most important commandment. His answer was, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind." (Matthew 22:37) Therefore, a Christian is expected to love God more than anything or anybody; if he mourns anything, it should be, e. g., how Jesus was treated so badly at His crucifiction; or how many lost people are in the world; or how God is ignored by so many; or how our nation is being ripped from its founding as a Christian nation; or how the Democrat Senators in Washington accepted millions of dollars of borrowed money for their home states in exchange for voting for a terribly destructive Health Care Reform bill this week. All these and many more, such as abortion, same-sex marriage, how print media censors the name of Jesus and Christianity but are enamored of diversity and publishes Muslim and other non-Christian stories and holidays. How can our nation take "Christmas" out of the December 25th holiday and substitute "Happy Holidays"?
As with all the Beatitudes, the reward for those who mourn for the pesecution of Chistianity and hatred toward God will be admission to heaven upon human death and new life everlasting. In Revelation 21:4 we are told that God will wipe every tear from our eyes in heaven. There will be no mourning or pain; we will somehow be comforted for the loved ones who are missing, who didn't make it into heaven.
For they had their chance to choose death or bliss;
Mourn for those who into the fire are cast,
And who yet live but who heaven will miss!
Shed tears when Jesus is preached but unheard;
When the unsaved enter church but leave lost;
When prayer's banned; Jesus in public demurred;
When newsprint censors God and Christ's cross!
The greatest grief's legal abortion mills,
And Democrats who their nation betray,
Trading borrowed billions to bribe votes on bills;
Or President who lies to get his way!
Christians mourn most when heaven's Kingdom ails;
They will be comforted when Christ prevails!
"Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted." (Matthew 5:4)
Jesus might have phrased this Beatitude, "Blessed are those who mourn for the Kindom of Heaven, for they will be comforted." Most people think of mourning in connection with the death on this earth of a loved one, and they may interpret this saying of Jesus as being comforted for grieving over the death of a spouse or child. If so, they are assuming Jesus has the same limited worldview that people have. But God does not mourn over human death; to Him this life is but a prelude to the eternal afterlife that follows human life. When God looks at a mortal person, He sees one of two things only---whether that person is saved or lost. If he is saved, God is happy, and He expects all Christians to be happy at his death; He doesn't grieve when a saved person dies; He is joyful in welcoming him to heaven. However, when a lost person dies, He grieves, for as the universal judge, God must condemn him to hell for eternity. He expects Christians to mourn the death of a lost person, and He promises to comfort such a one when he arrives in heaven.
Later in His ministry Jesus answers the question of a scholar who asks if He knows the most important commandment. His answer was, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind." (Matthew 22:37) Therefore, a Christian is expected to love God more than anything or anybody; if he mourns anything, it should be, e. g., how Jesus was treated so badly at His crucifiction; or how many lost people are in the world; or how God is ignored by so many; or how our nation is being ripped from its founding as a Christian nation; or how the Democrat Senators in Washington accepted millions of dollars of borrowed money for their home states in exchange for voting for a terribly destructive Health Care Reform bill this week. All these and many more, such as abortion, same-sex marriage, how print media censors the name of Jesus and Christianity but are enamored of diversity and publishes Muslim and other non-Christian stories and holidays. How can our nation take "Christmas" out of the December 25th holiday and substitute "Happy Holidays"?
As with all the Beatitudes, the reward for those who mourn for the pesecution of Chistianity and hatred toward God will be admission to heaven upon human death and new life everlasting. In Revelation 21:4 we are told that God will wipe every tear from our eyes in heaven. There will be no mourning or pain; we will somehow be comforted for the loved ones who are missing, who didn't make it into heaven.
Wednesday, December 23, 2009
Blessed Are The Poor In Spirit
Frank Sinatra's song, "I Did It My Way",
Struck a responsive chord with this world's men,
For it boosted their pride, as if to say,
"Who needs God? I can cope with so-called sin!"
God knows this evil world leads us astray,
That each by nature will behave amiss;
A man's self-pride crowds God's wise aid away,
Preventing its leading to righteousness!
Yet the poor in spirit depend on God
To avoid the wrong and lead to the right;
In crisis they seek His pathway to trod,
And always hunt His will to walk in light!
Wiser lyrics are, "I Did It God's Way",
If in His guidance you desire to stay!
"Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." (Matthew 5:3)
The first Beatitude, or righteous character trait, is to be "poor in spirit", and strange it must have sounded in the ears of those Jews privileged to be at Jesus' Sermon on the Mount. This, like all the other characteristics that the Savior advocated during His 3-year ministry for those who seek to follow Him, ran counter to what their culture, much less our culture today, held in high esteem. Those persons who were opposite in character, the "rich in spirit", were the most successful; they were strong-willed, aggressive, ambitious, and self-seeking; they were looked up to by less-aggressive folk as leaders and most successful. They were the type of men that fathers held before their children as worthy of emulation. But here was Jesus, their long-expected Messiah, teaching the exact opposite that was expected of the Leader who was prophesized to come and deliver Israel from subjugation to the Romans, restore David's kingdom, and rule from King David's throne. Furthermore, He mentioned a "Kingdom of Heaven" instead of Kingdom of Israel, which was an enigma to them. He surprised them, to say the least, and His counter-cultural preaching never was understood by the majority of Jews, which is why He died on the cross (and was resurrected).
What is being "poor in spirit"? These are people normally considered "losers" and "nerds". They are meek, gentle, unassuming, non-aggressive, unambitious, deferential, quiet, apologetic---the opposite of that character portrayed by Frank Sinatra in "I Did It My Way". They are less likely to do anything "their way", because they have no definitive way of doing anything. They wouldn't stand out in a crowd; they are not likely to be at the head of any line. In fact, they are more likely to seek God's will for their lives than are the more prideful, aggressive people who are sure of themselves. Jesus' first remark to a crowd can be paraphrased as, "Happy are those who are not self-proud and aggressive, for they are more likely to be admitted to heaven when they die."
Am I echoing the words of Jesus for your life? You bet I am! You should practice meekness, deference, humility, being 'lost' in the crowd, politeness, non-ambitious, etc. When Mr. Sinatra's song came out, for a while it was my favorite, until I realized I was full of pride for living my life in a different manner from other people. Since I had been fortunate to have a mother that took me to church regularly, and had become a Christian at age 9, the Holy Spirit inside me began to point out to me that God would not approve or applaud one of His children who took pride in living life as he willed it to be lived. I fear that that song has strengthened some non-believers in their mistaken goal for their own future.
Struck a responsive chord with this world's men,
For it boosted their pride, as if to say,
"Who needs God? I can cope with so-called sin!"
God knows this evil world leads us astray,
That each by nature will behave amiss;
A man's self-pride crowds God's wise aid away,
Preventing its leading to righteousness!
Yet the poor in spirit depend on God
To avoid the wrong and lead to the right;
In crisis they seek His pathway to trod,
And always hunt His will to walk in light!
Wiser lyrics are, "I Did It God's Way",
If in His guidance you desire to stay!
"Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." (Matthew 5:3)
The first Beatitude, or righteous character trait, is to be "poor in spirit", and strange it must have sounded in the ears of those Jews privileged to be at Jesus' Sermon on the Mount. This, like all the other characteristics that the Savior advocated during His 3-year ministry for those who seek to follow Him, ran counter to what their culture, much less our culture today, held in high esteem. Those persons who were opposite in character, the "rich in spirit", were the most successful; they were strong-willed, aggressive, ambitious, and self-seeking; they were looked up to by less-aggressive folk as leaders and most successful. They were the type of men that fathers held before their children as worthy of emulation. But here was Jesus, their long-expected Messiah, teaching the exact opposite that was expected of the Leader who was prophesized to come and deliver Israel from subjugation to the Romans, restore David's kingdom, and rule from King David's throne. Furthermore, He mentioned a "Kingdom of Heaven" instead of Kingdom of Israel, which was an enigma to them. He surprised them, to say the least, and His counter-cultural preaching never was understood by the majority of Jews, which is why He died on the cross (and was resurrected).
What is being "poor in spirit"? These are people normally considered "losers" and "nerds". They are meek, gentle, unassuming, non-aggressive, unambitious, deferential, quiet, apologetic---the opposite of that character portrayed by Frank Sinatra in "I Did It My Way". They are less likely to do anything "their way", because they have no definitive way of doing anything. They wouldn't stand out in a crowd; they are not likely to be at the head of any line. In fact, they are more likely to seek God's will for their lives than are the more prideful, aggressive people who are sure of themselves. Jesus' first remark to a crowd can be paraphrased as, "Happy are those who are not self-proud and aggressive, for they are more likely to be admitted to heaven when they die."
Am I echoing the words of Jesus for your life? You bet I am! You should practice meekness, deference, humility, being 'lost' in the crowd, politeness, non-ambitious, etc. When Mr. Sinatra's song came out, for a while it was my favorite, until I realized I was full of pride for living my life in a different manner from other people. Since I had been fortunate to have a mother that took me to church regularly, and had become a Christian at age 9, the Holy Spirit inside me began to point out to me that God would not approve or applaud one of His children who took pride in living life as he willed it to be lived. I fear that that song has strengthened some non-believers in their mistaken goal for their own future.
Monday, December 21, 2009
The Beatitudes: Living Today For Heaven's Tomorrow
In the realm of the blessed children of trust
Dwell those who reject this world and its ways;
The poor in spirit, who're treated unjust,
Will live victorious in heaven's days!
The mourners will be comforted at last,
Their tears dried by the Savior's own hand;
The meek, who never bound any man fast,
Will rule the earth, and all who own its land!
Those who hunger and thirst for Jesus' love
Will find righteousness, and its great reward;
Mercy, the merciful will have above;
The pure in heart finds the highest regard!
Peacemakers will rest in heaven's true calm,
For spreading on earth God's own holy balm!
"Now when he saw the crowds, he went up to a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, and he began to teach them, saying:
'Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are those who mourn,
for they will be comforted.
Blessed are the meek,
for they shall inherit the earth.
Blessed are they that hunger and thirst for righteousness,
for they will be filled.
Blessed are the merciful,
for they will be shown mercy.
Blessed are the pure in heart,
for they will see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they will be called sons of God.
Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are you when people insult you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.'" (Matthew 5:1-12)
This important scripture passage is the first remarks in Jesus' famous Sermon on the Mount, in which He revealed the coming of the Kingdom of God. This "kingdom" refers to Christianity, beginning with His disciples and apostles, the first church in Jerusalem, and all churches continuing until today, and on into heaven, lasting forever. If you are a Christian---a person who has accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord, repented and had past sins forgiven, and are striving to live as the Savior taught, you are a member of the Kingdom. You will go to heaven when you die and be a recipient of the blessings promised in the passage above.
The poem above lists some of the characteristics (more are named in the scripture) mentioned by Jesus that are possessed by Christians and a few of the rewards that come with admission to heaven. The personality traits are some of those each Christian is commanded by God to be shown by us here in this life on earth. These are called the "Beatitudes"; the word "Blessed" means "Happy"; the blessing is not a reward to us on earth; it is a promise of heavenly joys. In other words, we are to show ourselves to be 'poor in spirit', 'mourning', 'meek', 'hungering and thirsting after righteousness', 'merciful', 'pure in heart', perhaps 'persecuted because of Christ', and to show joy when people do persecute us for being Christian. I intend to publish a series of poem-commentaries on these terms, so that you can learn something of how Jesus wants us to live. No, we will never learn it perfectly, but He expects us to strive mightily.
Dwell those who reject this world and its ways;
The poor in spirit, who're treated unjust,
Will live victorious in heaven's days!
The mourners will be comforted at last,
Their tears dried by the Savior's own hand;
The meek, who never bound any man fast,
Will rule the earth, and all who own its land!
Those who hunger and thirst for Jesus' love
Will find righteousness, and its great reward;
Mercy, the merciful will have above;
The pure in heart finds the highest regard!
Peacemakers will rest in heaven's true calm,
For spreading on earth God's own holy balm!
"Now when he saw the crowds, he went up to a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, and he began to teach them, saying:
'Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are those who mourn,
for they will be comforted.
Blessed are the meek,
for they shall inherit the earth.
Blessed are they that hunger and thirst for righteousness,
for they will be filled.
Blessed are the merciful,
for they will be shown mercy.
Blessed are the pure in heart,
for they will see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they will be called sons of God.
Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are you when people insult you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.'" (Matthew 5:1-12)
This important scripture passage is the first remarks in Jesus' famous Sermon on the Mount, in which He revealed the coming of the Kingdom of God. This "kingdom" refers to Christianity, beginning with His disciples and apostles, the first church in Jerusalem, and all churches continuing until today, and on into heaven, lasting forever. If you are a Christian---a person who has accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord, repented and had past sins forgiven, and are striving to live as the Savior taught, you are a member of the Kingdom. You will go to heaven when you die and be a recipient of the blessings promised in the passage above.
The poem above lists some of the characteristics (more are named in the scripture) mentioned by Jesus that are possessed by Christians and a few of the rewards that come with admission to heaven. The personality traits are some of those each Christian is commanded by God to be shown by us here in this life on earth. These are called the "Beatitudes"; the word "Blessed" means "Happy"; the blessing is not a reward to us on earth; it is a promise of heavenly joys. In other words, we are to show ourselves to be 'poor in spirit', 'mourning', 'meek', 'hungering and thirsting after righteousness', 'merciful', 'pure in heart', perhaps 'persecuted because of Christ', and to show joy when people do persecute us for being Christian. I intend to publish a series of poem-commentaries on these terms, so that you can learn something of how Jesus wants us to live. No, we will never learn it perfectly, but He expects us to strive mightily.
Sunday, December 20, 2009
Your Choice Determines
Good without evil is good untested.
Angels were made to be good, but some failed;
For God's own throne, these boldly contested,
But there was no chance they could have prevailed!
Even higher than angels do men stand;
In His own image God created them,
For friendship and to aid His ruling hand;
God will share with good men His diadem!
Not with all men; just those good while on earth,
Who resist Satan's vile beguiling tricks,
And choose Jesus' high road, to prove their worth;
Most, though, will join with Satan's eternal fix!
To part good men from bad, evil abides;
The free choice each man makes is what decides!
In an important way Lucifer (or Satan, as he was named after expulsion from heaven) actually serves God by providing a choice for every person that lives. The choice each of us has is to choose God or to choose Satan; choosing God requires a conscious effort to live according to the teachings of Jesus (See Matthew 5-7); to choose Satan requires nothing but to live according to the customs and mores of the culture in which you live. Unfortunately, many fail by never consciously deciding; that is, by default.
The reason evil is necessary to God's plan is that it provides a tough test for any person to follow God; His road is difficult, while Satan's path is one of least difficulty. All a person has to do is to go along with popular opinion, because Satan has perverted it to run counter to the precepts of the Bible. God created the angels before He created men. Though He foreknew what would happen, ostensibly angels were expected to be subservient to His will. Unfortunately (yet in accordance with His plan), Lucifer persuaded one-third of the angels to rebel against God. The traitors failed, of course; instead of exterminating them, God cast them out of heaven to earth, where they continued their antagonism by subverting men from God; Satan was in the Garden of Eden, and he turned Adam, the first man, against God; that's what he's still doing today.
The problem of why a loving God would allow evil to snatch a majority of men from being adopted into God's family only to live eternally in torment with fallen angerls has preoccupied philsophers for hundreds of years. It really isn't a tough problem. Before the beginning of time, before anything was created, God prepared a book, called the Book of Life (See Psalms 87:6, Phillipians 4:3; Revelation 3:6, 20:15, 21:27) in which the name of every person that would be saved by entering heaven and being adopted into His own family was written, God knew everyone of us who would be saved thousands of years before the first man was created! BUT, God gave every one of us complete freedom of choice; HE doesn't decide for us; WE decide, each one of us, whther to choose God or not. KNOWING who will be saved is not CHOOSING who is to be saved! He also knew that like the angels before us, if there was no testing of our choice to be good, there was the possibility that we would turn to evil AFTER getting into heaven! So He, a loving God, allowed Satan to test our choice to be good here on earth. That is why evil exists, and it makes perfect sense. Only a perfect mind could have planned it.
Angels were made to be good, but some failed;
For God's own throne, these boldly contested,
But there was no chance they could have prevailed!
Even higher than angels do men stand;
In His own image God created them,
For friendship and to aid His ruling hand;
God will share with good men His diadem!
Not with all men; just those good while on earth,
Who resist Satan's vile beguiling tricks,
And choose Jesus' high road, to prove their worth;
Most, though, will join with Satan's eternal fix!
To part good men from bad, evil abides;
The free choice each man makes is what decides!
In an important way Lucifer (or Satan, as he was named after expulsion from heaven) actually serves God by providing a choice for every person that lives. The choice each of us has is to choose God or to choose Satan; choosing God requires a conscious effort to live according to the teachings of Jesus (See Matthew 5-7); to choose Satan requires nothing but to live according to the customs and mores of the culture in which you live. Unfortunately, many fail by never consciously deciding; that is, by default.
The reason evil is necessary to God's plan is that it provides a tough test for any person to follow God; His road is difficult, while Satan's path is one of least difficulty. All a person has to do is to go along with popular opinion, because Satan has perverted it to run counter to the precepts of the Bible. God created the angels before He created men. Though He foreknew what would happen, ostensibly angels were expected to be subservient to His will. Unfortunately (yet in accordance with His plan), Lucifer persuaded one-third of the angels to rebel against God. The traitors failed, of course; instead of exterminating them, God cast them out of heaven to earth, where they continued their antagonism by subverting men from God; Satan was in the Garden of Eden, and he turned Adam, the first man, against God; that's what he's still doing today.
The problem of why a loving God would allow evil to snatch a majority of men from being adopted into God's family only to live eternally in torment with fallen angerls has preoccupied philsophers for hundreds of years. It really isn't a tough problem. Before the beginning of time, before anything was created, God prepared a book, called the Book of Life (See Psalms 87:6, Phillipians 4:3; Revelation 3:6, 20:15, 21:27) in which the name of every person that would be saved by entering heaven and being adopted into His own family was written, God knew everyone of us who would be saved thousands of years before the first man was created! BUT, God gave every one of us complete freedom of choice; HE doesn't decide for us; WE decide, each one of us, whther to choose God or not. KNOWING who will be saved is not CHOOSING who is to be saved! He also knew that like the angels before us, if there was no testing of our choice to be good, there was the possibility that we would turn to evil AFTER getting into heaven! So He, a loving God, allowed Satan to test our choice to be good here on earth. That is why evil exists, and it makes perfect sense. Only a perfect mind could have planned it.
Saturday, December 19, 2009
In The Tomb
Now all is silent in the tomb;
He rests at last, the gauntlet o'er,
The flesh at peace, though broken sore;
His first respite since Mary's womb.
Quiet broken by a cough without,
And the shuffle of measured feet;
The guards patrol their steady beat,
Watching the tomb to keep men out.
Hear the rustle of angel wing,
Softly stirring the stagnant air.
Their silent tears fall unseen there,
As they hover about their King.
They know to whence His Spirit's gone,
In way of harm to hell's vile cave;
They know as well, this tomb's no grave;
Death can't hold Him, nor death disown!
Yet still they mourn in sorrow rapt,
At the body He wore in life,
So bruised and bloody from the strife,
Lying so still in shroud so wrapped.
Look! The stains fade and wounds repair;
Color returns to His pale face;
Eyelids flutter, then ope to gaze
Upon the friends about Him there!
Unbounded joy! The angels smile,
To see their King back safe from hell;
Their hymn of praise, no mournful knell,
Wafts about God in sweet beguile!
"It's done! It's done!" the angels cry,
"Death overcome! Sin's wages paid!
All hail to Christ! Satan's unmade!
All pow'r is His! His throne on high!"
The cloth unwound and cast aside,
Christ stands upright, flesh unriven;
His arms widespread, all's forgiven,
"Come all to me, fore'er abide."
The stone unrolled at His command;
Out walked Jesus; the tomb left bare;
He lives! He lives! Let hell despair!
The earth re-won, by Jesus' hand!
This poem is not a sonnet, of course. Its subject is the time Jesus spent in the tomb from late Friday afternoon until just before dawn on Sunday. Since He was resurrected on a Sunday, the first Christians adopted it as their day of worship, which was Saturday for Jews. His resurrection is the cornerstone of Christianity. Because He lives, we also will live again after we die. Some believe that during His time in the tomb Jesus went to hell and suffered torment. He lived a sinless life here, but He voluntarily took all the sins of the world upon Himself by dying on the cross. Others believe He went there to preach to all those who died in the flood of the earth during the time of Noah. His family of 8 were the only survivors. Some of the events in the poem above are imaginary, such as the presence of angels. He lives today as supreme God and King of the universe, and He's coming back to earth soon in power and glory.
He rests at last, the gauntlet o'er,
The flesh at peace, though broken sore;
His first respite since Mary's womb.
Quiet broken by a cough without,
And the shuffle of measured feet;
The guards patrol their steady beat,
Watching the tomb to keep men out.
Hear the rustle of angel wing,
Softly stirring the stagnant air.
Their silent tears fall unseen there,
As they hover about their King.
They know to whence His Spirit's gone,
In way of harm to hell's vile cave;
They know as well, this tomb's no grave;
Death can't hold Him, nor death disown!
Yet still they mourn in sorrow rapt,
At the body He wore in life,
So bruised and bloody from the strife,
Lying so still in shroud so wrapped.
Look! The stains fade and wounds repair;
Color returns to His pale face;
Eyelids flutter, then ope to gaze
Upon the friends about Him there!
Unbounded joy! The angels smile,
To see their King back safe from hell;
Their hymn of praise, no mournful knell,
Wafts about God in sweet beguile!
"It's done! It's done!" the angels cry,
"Death overcome! Sin's wages paid!
All hail to Christ! Satan's unmade!
All pow'r is His! His throne on high!"
The cloth unwound and cast aside,
Christ stands upright, flesh unriven;
His arms widespread, all's forgiven,
"Come all to me, fore'er abide."
The stone unrolled at His command;
Out walked Jesus; the tomb left bare;
He lives! He lives! Let hell despair!
The earth re-won, by Jesus' hand!
This poem is not a sonnet, of course. Its subject is the time Jesus spent in the tomb from late Friday afternoon until just before dawn on Sunday. Since He was resurrected on a Sunday, the first Christians adopted it as their day of worship, which was Saturday for Jews. His resurrection is the cornerstone of Christianity. Because He lives, we also will live again after we die. Some believe that during His time in the tomb Jesus went to hell and suffered torment. He lived a sinless life here, but He voluntarily took all the sins of the world upon Himself by dying on the cross. Others believe He went there to preach to all those who died in the flood of the earth during the time of Noah. His family of 8 were the only survivors. Some of the events in the poem above are imaginary, such as the presence of angels. He lives today as supreme God and King of the universe, and He's coming back to earth soon in power and glory.
Thursday, December 17, 2009
How Much Did Jesus Know And When?
How did Jesus' mind in the flesh compare
With that possessed by God through the ages?
Nothing about His infancy was rare;
He grew as all youths do in their stages.
Jewish scriptures were taught to all their boys;
As He learned, His double roles became clear;
His temple visit showed unchildlike joys;
He discussed law with elders free of fear!
The Holy Spirit indwelled Him ever,
Aided Hia choices, what to say or do;
A certain line Jesus could cross never,
Else His flesh would be God-aided undue!
Yes, He knew His sovereign role here;
Proved scripture true---His quotes did not veer!
The Bible doesn't clearly reveal just how much of His divine history as the Almighty Lord Jesus knew as a man, or when He knew it. After all, He is One God---Father, Son, and Holy Spirit; He created the universe and man; He chose Abraham and was the "I Am" God of Moses; He was the Almighty Lord who dealt with Israel and dominated the Septuagint, their Bible, the Old Testament; and He it was that inspired the authors that put every word on paper! Yet, He came to Bethlehem in Mary's womb as a baby, was born there, and His earthly name was Jesus. How much of all that history (and future) did He know? If He did know it, at what age did it come to Him?
First, as a baby, I suspect He was a perfectly normal baby boy, with an infantile mind. He was capable of learning, but He had to learn all the things any bsby must learn---to crawl, walk, talk, use the potty, etc. He had younger brothers and sisters; I think He was normal in intellect and behavior, at least up to 12 years of age. His parents took Him on a trip to the temple in Jerusalem at that age; while there his behavior showed that He already knew the scriptures so well that He was able to hold His own in at least a 3-day discussion and debate with the wisest of the piests and elders there. He must have had the usual religious instruction by His father Joseph and rabbis that Jewish boys have; it was in the course of this requisite training for His Bar Mitzah that the full knowledge of the Lord of the universe flooded like a deluge into his human mind. Thus, He was supremely adequate to discuss intricate details and mysteries of Jewish theology with the sages of Judaism at the temple. I imagine that much of the debate centered around the perversions of Mosaic Law that crept in with the rise of Pharisees during the Babylonian captivity, when so many man-made rules were given equal standing with God's (His) own pronouncements in the Pentateuch and the prophets. Yet, in this incident, as in His entire interaction with mankind, He had to be very careful not to cross the line---meaning to use arguments that God alone might make out of vastly superior knowledge rather than limiting His statements to only those reasonable for a normal 12-year-old boy. What a difficult task! He could not use His miraculous power to make shortcuts unavailable for men to aid in sustaining Himself. For example, when thirsty, He could not strike a rock and get water; He had to look for water and find that which would be accessible to any man when He was thirsty.
Since He had been responsible for causing the writing of the scriptures before His own bith as Jesus, He was in a position to see and possibly comment on or correct any error that its human authors may have made; the fact that during His entire 33-year lifetime He pointed out no error, but, instead quoted much of the Old Testament, stands as a confirmation of the absolute truth of that part of the Bible. For the New Testament, we have no such phenomenon as God coming to earth yet in any form to verify or castigate the New Testament; however, the New Testament says that Jesus is coming back to earth a second time, not as a man, but as God, the Lord Almighty. There is no untruth in it either, or I'm sure His followers would have been (or will be) called upon to explain just how the God of truth was contradicted by modern-day Pharisees.
With that possessed by God through the ages?
Nothing about His infancy was rare;
He grew as all youths do in their stages.
Jewish scriptures were taught to all their boys;
As He learned, His double roles became clear;
His temple visit showed unchildlike joys;
He discussed law with elders free of fear!
The Holy Spirit indwelled Him ever,
Aided Hia choices, what to say or do;
A certain line Jesus could cross never,
Else His flesh would be God-aided undue!
Yes, He knew His sovereign role here;
Proved scripture true---His quotes did not veer!
The Bible doesn't clearly reveal just how much of His divine history as the Almighty Lord Jesus knew as a man, or when He knew it. After all, He is One God---Father, Son, and Holy Spirit; He created the universe and man; He chose Abraham and was the "I Am" God of Moses; He was the Almighty Lord who dealt with Israel and dominated the Septuagint, their Bible, the Old Testament; and He it was that inspired the authors that put every word on paper! Yet, He came to Bethlehem in Mary's womb as a baby, was born there, and His earthly name was Jesus. How much of all that history (and future) did He know? If He did know it, at what age did it come to Him?
First, as a baby, I suspect He was a perfectly normal baby boy, with an infantile mind. He was capable of learning, but He had to learn all the things any bsby must learn---to crawl, walk, talk, use the potty, etc. He had younger brothers and sisters; I think He was normal in intellect and behavior, at least up to 12 years of age. His parents took Him on a trip to the temple in Jerusalem at that age; while there his behavior showed that He already knew the scriptures so well that He was able to hold His own in at least a 3-day discussion and debate with the wisest of the piests and elders there. He must have had the usual religious instruction by His father Joseph and rabbis that Jewish boys have; it was in the course of this requisite training for His Bar Mitzah that the full knowledge of the Lord of the universe flooded like a deluge into his human mind. Thus, He was supremely adequate to discuss intricate details and mysteries of Jewish theology with the sages of Judaism at the temple. I imagine that much of the debate centered around the perversions of Mosaic Law that crept in with the rise of Pharisees during the Babylonian captivity, when so many man-made rules were given equal standing with God's (His) own pronouncements in the Pentateuch and the prophets. Yet, in this incident, as in His entire interaction with mankind, He had to be very careful not to cross the line---meaning to use arguments that God alone might make out of vastly superior knowledge rather than limiting His statements to only those reasonable for a normal 12-year-old boy. What a difficult task! He could not use His miraculous power to make shortcuts unavailable for men to aid in sustaining Himself. For example, when thirsty, He could not strike a rock and get water; He had to look for water and find that which would be accessible to any man when He was thirsty.
Since He had been responsible for causing the writing of the scriptures before His own bith as Jesus, He was in a position to see and possibly comment on or correct any error that its human authors may have made; the fact that during His entire 33-year lifetime He pointed out no error, but, instead quoted much of the Old Testament, stands as a confirmation of the absolute truth of that part of the Bible. For the New Testament, we have no such phenomenon as God coming to earth yet in any form to verify or castigate the New Testament; however, the New Testament says that Jesus is coming back to earth a second time, not as a man, but as God, the Lord Almighty. There is no untruth in it either, or I'm sure His followers would have been (or will be) called upon to explain just how the God of truth was contradicted by modern-day Pharisees.
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
The Grinch Is Satan
Satan has stolen Jesus' manger birth,
And made it the bellwether of commerce;
He permeates all governments on earth
With deceit, God's Kingdom growth to reverse!
What is Christmas now, but how much is sold,
Whether more, or less, than a year ago?
The nation's eyes are fixed on how much gold
Christ's warm spirit results in money flow!
They don't care that their Maker dwelt with men;
That He loved them enough to die for them;
They don't care or see that they're lost in sin,
Their only hope that Babe of Bethlehem!
He who made this universe, it He can end;
He's shunned; their worry's how much we'll spend!
What the White House is calling "Happy Holidays" is Christmas to Christians; it is our celebration of the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem. As our nation invariably does, it has so commercialized Christmas, because of the collateral and non-Christian custom of gift-exchanging, that the whole economic world holds its collective breath until it learns how much money people spend each year. We have been induced to do more and more shopping, until it has become our patriotic duty to smother ourselves deep in debt, just to rescue the insipid economy of the rest of the year. Jesus Christ is on the verge of being blamed for the collapse of Wall Street and the nation's world credit because His birthday spirit doesn't generate enough income to overcome their greedy excesses of stupidity the rest of the year! They want it both ways: Shun Jesus, outlaw Him in public society, but use His loving spirit to generate profits for business whose avariciousness has gotten the nation into economic free fall. Mr. Obama: Tear down that shameful wall keeping Jesus Christ out of America's public life! We ought to adopt Islam's gift-exchange policy. Every time a terroristic jihadist act succeeds in killing Americans, they exchange gifts with each other, as we do at Christmas. When the 9/11/01 atrocity in New York occurred, there were millions of gifts exchanged between Muslims, including those considered non-radical. We could do the same thing throughout the year whenever our troops win a victory, thus removing the pressure from Jesus to keep reckless CEO's from depending upon Christmas sales to save them from bankruptcy.
It is unfortunate for Christianity, because our nation has been steadily diverging from its Christian roots since the end of WWII. I suppose the gift-exchange custom is considered to have originated from the gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh presented by the 3 wise men from the East to baby Jesus at His birth. That is not what was intended by God; gift-giving at Christmas is harmful to the cause of Christianity. It has overshadowed the real significance of the bith of Christ and become a monster. It puts families deep in debt and causes bankruptcies; it detracts from financial gifts to churches. I'm not opposed to gift-giving in moderation, but it really has little to do with Christianity. Nearly all children begin life confusing Jesus with Santa, the Easter bunny, and the tooth fairy.
And made it the bellwether of commerce;
He permeates all governments on earth
With deceit, God's Kingdom growth to reverse!
What is Christmas now, but how much is sold,
Whether more, or less, than a year ago?
The nation's eyes are fixed on how much gold
Christ's warm spirit results in money flow!
They don't care that their Maker dwelt with men;
That He loved them enough to die for them;
They don't care or see that they're lost in sin,
Their only hope that Babe of Bethlehem!
He who made this universe, it He can end;
He's shunned; their worry's how much we'll spend!
What the White House is calling "Happy Holidays" is Christmas to Christians; it is our celebration of the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem. As our nation invariably does, it has so commercialized Christmas, because of the collateral and non-Christian custom of gift-exchanging, that the whole economic world holds its collective breath until it learns how much money people spend each year. We have been induced to do more and more shopping, until it has become our patriotic duty to smother ourselves deep in debt, just to rescue the insipid economy of the rest of the year. Jesus Christ is on the verge of being blamed for the collapse of Wall Street and the nation's world credit because His birthday spirit doesn't generate enough income to overcome their greedy excesses of stupidity the rest of the year! They want it both ways: Shun Jesus, outlaw Him in public society, but use His loving spirit to generate profits for business whose avariciousness has gotten the nation into economic free fall. Mr. Obama: Tear down that shameful wall keeping Jesus Christ out of America's public life! We ought to adopt Islam's gift-exchange policy. Every time a terroristic jihadist act succeeds in killing Americans, they exchange gifts with each other, as we do at Christmas. When the 9/11/01 atrocity in New York occurred, there were millions of gifts exchanged between Muslims, including those considered non-radical. We could do the same thing throughout the year whenever our troops win a victory, thus removing the pressure from Jesus to keep reckless CEO's from depending upon Christmas sales to save them from bankruptcy.
It is unfortunate for Christianity, because our nation has been steadily diverging from its Christian roots since the end of WWII. I suppose the gift-exchange custom is considered to have originated from the gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh presented by the 3 wise men from the East to baby Jesus at His birth. That is not what was intended by God; gift-giving at Christmas is harmful to the cause of Christianity. It has overshadowed the real significance of the bith of Christ and become a monster. It puts families deep in debt and causes bankruptcies; it detracts from financial gifts to churches. I'm not opposed to gift-giving in moderation, but it really has little to do with Christianity. Nearly all children begin life confusing Jesus with Santa, the Easter bunny, and the tooth fairy.
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
A Reality That Exceeds The Dream
My heart was taken with the preacher's words,
"He shall mount up as if on eagles' wings,
If he attends the Lord, and undergirds
His Kingdom; if lost souls he to Him brings!"
I daydreamed of standing before great throngs,
In large cities and small towns ev'rywhere,
Preaching the dangers in doing vile wrongs;
Of rewards for those who for Jesus care!
In my dreams the Lord did my strength renew,
And with His power, I did not grow faint;
Telling millions how their dreams could come true,
By choosing Jesus who forgives sins' taint!
My real life story fell short of the dream,
Yet my rewards will be e'en more supreme!
You cannot daydream your way to heaven. Fortunately, my youthful daydreams of being a champion for Jesus came after I had given my heart to Him at age 9. The rewards of my real life in His service do not depend upon fulfillling my dreams; they are based on His true promises given in the Bible. If they depended upon my real life matching the dreams, I might find myself among the "goats" on Judgment Day instead of the "sheep" (See Matthew 25, Jesus' parable of the sheep and goats), for I suspect the daydreams were based upon my own talent in securing the plaudits of popular opinion, rather than my uplifting the Savior while I receded into obscurity. That's really how He insists that we serve Him; He is the hero---we are the peons that lift Him up.
Daydreaming is for youth. It is the first thing that leaves us as we age. If you are over 40, have you had a daydream lately? I doubt it. The thing about daydreaming that is always present: The dreamer is always the hero. That's not a charecteristic that Jesus admires. In fact, it is actually sinful, because the Bible tells us to be subject to authority, to turn the other cheek, to eliminate all personal pride in favor of pride in God. But don't condemn daydreaming. My own dreaming undoubtedly had great influence on my real life, and fortunately again, it led me into a life of Christian ministry, serving God. Another influence was a sermon on the following scripture from Isaiah.
"Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint." (Isaiah 40:30-31)
I hope other young people out there will daydream a lifetime of service to our Savior and God; it cannot do anything but help them to live lives approved by Him, and guarantee the promised rewards in heaven. Another great influence upon the course of my life was the traveling tabernacle of two preachers named Phillips and Sullivan. They may have been chased from town to town, because the local pastors almost never approved of them, and no one ever knew how much money they collected or what it was used for. They set up a large tent in the spring of 1935 or 1936 on a vacant lot in south McComb, filled it with folding wooden chairs, and opened up for revival services 6 nights a week; this lasted almost 6 months; one morning they hurriedly took everything down and left town. Despite what we might imagine, they were good old fire-and-brimstone peachers, and the tent was filled every night, despite the grumbling of our own church pastors. Lost people were saved, and the young people always had a place to go every night. We went regularly; probably our purpose was not so much to worship God, but the boys might be worshiping a new girl, or vice versa, and some of what God wanted said rubbed off on us; I know, for myself, that was the beginning of my daydream train about being a great preacher for Jesus. Who knows how much good they did? God knows.
"He shall mount up as if on eagles' wings,
If he attends the Lord, and undergirds
His Kingdom; if lost souls he to Him brings!"
I daydreamed of standing before great throngs,
In large cities and small towns ev'rywhere,
Preaching the dangers in doing vile wrongs;
Of rewards for those who for Jesus care!
In my dreams the Lord did my strength renew,
And with His power, I did not grow faint;
Telling millions how their dreams could come true,
By choosing Jesus who forgives sins' taint!
My real life story fell short of the dream,
Yet my rewards will be e'en more supreme!
You cannot daydream your way to heaven. Fortunately, my youthful daydreams of being a champion for Jesus came after I had given my heart to Him at age 9. The rewards of my real life in His service do not depend upon fulfillling my dreams; they are based on His true promises given in the Bible. If they depended upon my real life matching the dreams, I might find myself among the "goats" on Judgment Day instead of the "sheep" (See Matthew 25, Jesus' parable of the sheep and goats), for I suspect the daydreams were based upon my own talent in securing the plaudits of popular opinion, rather than my uplifting the Savior while I receded into obscurity. That's really how He insists that we serve Him; He is the hero---we are the peons that lift Him up.
Daydreaming is for youth. It is the first thing that leaves us as we age. If you are over 40, have you had a daydream lately? I doubt it. The thing about daydreaming that is always present: The dreamer is always the hero. That's not a charecteristic that Jesus admires. In fact, it is actually sinful, because the Bible tells us to be subject to authority, to turn the other cheek, to eliminate all personal pride in favor of pride in God. But don't condemn daydreaming. My own dreaming undoubtedly had great influence on my real life, and fortunately again, it led me into a life of Christian ministry, serving God. Another influence was a sermon on the following scripture from Isaiah.
"Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint." (Isaiah 40:30-31)
I hope other young people out there will daydream a lifetime of service to our Savior and God; it cannot do anything but help them to live lives approved by Him, and guarantee the promised rewards in heaven. Another great influence upon the course of my life was the traveling tabernacle of two preachers named Phillips and Sullivan. They may have been chased from town to town, because the local pastors almost never approved of them, and no one ever knew how much money they collected or what it was used for. They set up a large tent in the spring of 1935 or 1936 on a vacant lot in south McComb, filled it with folding wooden chairs, and opened up for revival services 6 nights a week; this lasted almost 6 months; one morning they hurriedly took everything down and left town. Despite what we might imagine, they were good old fire-and-brimstone peachers, and the tent was filled every night, despite the grumbling of our own church pastors. Lost people were saved, and the young people always had a place to go every night. We went regularly; probably our purpose was not so much to worship God, but the boys might be worshiping a new girl, or vice versa, and some of what God wanted said rubbed off on us; I know, for myself, that was the beginning of my daydream train about being a great preacher for Jesus. Who knows how much good they did? God knows.
Sunday, December 13, 2009
Once Before Men
Some profess Him Lord again and again,
Responding to 'most ev'ry call they hear;
Maybe tender hearts won't let them refrain,
When impassioned words bring the cross so near!
Christ is not more honored by re-rebirths,
As if the first were a childish mistake;
A secret re-affirm is as much worth
As a public walk to amend the fake!
Once before men to profess is enough,
To trust, and prove of Christ ypu're not ashamed;
Keep your private attitude the right stuff,
And your public need not be oft proclaimed!
Your soul is saved at the first profession;
More than that is unneeded confession!
I must hasten to correct the possibly mistaken impression that this poem is a criticism of all added responses by people to "altar calls". An altar call loosely means the invitation of a preacher at the end of the sermon for any member(s) of the congregation to come forward if in the heart he/she feels a tug from the Holy Spirit, to profess in public belief in Jesus. This "public profession" is the practice in most evangelical non-Catholic churches for a Biblical condition imposed on the believer by Jesus in Luke 9:26---He said He would not be ashamed of us at the judgment if we were not ashamed of Him or His teachings on earth. It is also used to fulfill the conditions stated by Paul in Romans 10:10 for the believer's salvation: "For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with the mouth that you confess and are saved." To be "justified" means to be made qualified to enter heaven by the forgiveness of your sins. Of course, there are many other ways and places a person can be saved; usually, before the "walk down the aisle", a Bible class, a counseling session, or a tug of the heart in the middle of the night has already occurred; the public profession is simply an acknowledgement.
After the initial public profession, no other response in public is necessary. However, some altar calls include other invitations, such as rededication, special prayer, or the like. It is always appropriate for the believer to respond to such a call. The poem is simply highlighting the purpose of a public response; sometimes people hear some Biblical condition that they were unfamiliar with, and it leads them to doubt their first profession as being sufficient for salvation. A few people respond many times when it is not really necessary. An 8 or 9-year-old child whose heart is touched by the Spirit and who has the courage to walk down in front of hundreds of adults is saved as truly as if he were an 80-year-old who has studied the Bible all his life. No additional responses needed; Christ doesn't forget.
Responding to 'most ev'ry call they hear;
Maybe tender hearts won't let them refrain,
When impassioned words bring the cross so near!
Christ is not more honored by re-rebirths,
As if the first were a childish mistake;
A secret re-affirm is as much worth
As a public walk to amend the fake!
Once before men to profess is enough,
To trust, and prove of Christ ypu're not ashamed;
Keep your private attitude the right stuff,
And your public need not be oft proclaimed!
Your soul is saved at the first profession;
More than that is unneeded confession!
I must hasten to correct the possibly mistaken impression that this poem is a criticism of all added responses by people to "altar calls". An altar call loosely means the invitation of a preacher at the end of the sermon for any member(s) of the congregation to come forward if in the heart he/she feels a tug from the Holy Spirit, to profess in public belief in Jesus. This "public profession" is the practice in most evangelical non-Catholic churches for a Biblical condition imposed on the believer by Jesus in Luke 9:26---He said He would not be ashamed of us at the judgment if we were not ashamed of Him or His teachings on earth. It is also used to fulfill the conditions stated by Paul in Romans 10:10 for the believer's salvation: "For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with the mouth that you confess and are saved." To be "justified" means to be made qualified to enter heaven by the forgiveness of your sins. Of course, there are many other ways and places a person can be saved; usually, before the "walk down the aisle", a Bible class, a counseling session, or a tug of the heart in the middle of the night has already occurred; the public profession is simply an acknowledgement.
After the initial public profession, no other response in public is necessary. However, some altar calls include other invitations, such as rededication, special prayer, or the like. It is always appropriate for the believer to respond to such a call. The poem is simply highlighting the purpose of a public response; sometimes people hear some Biblical condition that they were unfamiliar with, and it leads them to doubt their first profession as being sufficient for salvation. A few people respond many times when it is not really necessary. An 8 or 9-year-old child whose heart is touched by the Spirit and who has the courage to walk down in front of hundreds of adults is saved as truly as if he were an 80-year-old who has studied the Bible all his life. No additional responses needed; Christ doesn't forget.
Saturday, December 12, 2009
The Pastor's Special Crown
Dear Pastor, Great honor is given you!
His sheep in your flock attend to your word;
They trust each message you speak to be true,
That scripture does ever rightly undergird!
Yours is the one fount of which they partake;
In guiless faith, their every guard down;
Your voice is the key to their inmost gate,
Its message robed as if in God's own gown!
If you speak amiss, some soul could be lost,
Not rejecting, but accepting the call!
Preach the gospel with care, counting the cost;
Add to your flock, and help sanctify all!
Hold fast to His word, whenever you teach,
Earn His crown of righteousess as you preach!
Typically, a church has a pastor. Christ Jesus is considered the head of the church, and the Bible portrays Him as the shepherd of the members, who are pictured as sheep. The pastor is called Jesus' under-shepherd. His is an awesome and dangerous responsibility.
We learn most about the duties of a pastor from the two letters Paul wrote to Timothy, his young protege, in the Bible. Space here does not permit a detailed discussion of them, but here is Paul's description of what is undoubtedly his biggest responsibility.
"Do your best to present yourself to God [and at the same time, your flock] as one approved, a workman [or scholar] who does not need to be ashamed, and who correctly handles the word of truth [the Bible]. Avoid godless chatter, because those who indulge in it will become more and more ungodly." (2 Timothy 2:15-16) [Brackets added]
"Godless chatter" is the non-Biblical man-made characteristics of God that some celebrities promote, most of which lead sincere Christians away from truths in the Bible. For example, Oprah Winfrey sponsors a lady named Marie Williamson, who promotes, "God loves you, and He dwells within your being; if you meditate deep within yourself, you will find God, and then you can do anything your feelings say is right for you, and a miracle will happen. There is no sin; there is no guilt." The first clause is true: God does indeed love you; He loves every human being, no matter what they may have done. But the rest of it is man-made; or should I say, straight from the lips of Satan? God does not dwell within everyone; not for anything will God dwell within a person who has ignored Him. What such a person discovers in deep interior meditation is exactly what Satan wants him to believe, and if you follow your feelings and instincts, you're going nowhere but hell. It is possible, though, for a dedicated pastor to get some man-made or Satan-made claptrap in his head and preach it from the pulpit. Then he is in danger, and so is his flock.
Now, for the good news. Many and many men and women have served as under-shepherds or pastors to flocks very carefully and righteously. As Paul says in 2 Timothy 4:7-8, for them is laid up in heaven a "crown of righteousness", and God will gladly p;ace it on their heads. There is no tougher job on earth.
His sheep in your flock attend to your word;
They trust each message you speak to be true,
That scripture does ever rightly undergird!
Yours is the one fount of which they partake;
In guiless faith, their every guard down;
Your voice is the key to their inmost gate,
Its message robed as if in God's own gown!
If you speak amiss, some soul could be lost,
Not rejecting, but accepting the call!
Preach the gospel with care, counting the cost;
Add to your flock, and help sanctify all!
Hold fast to His word, whenever you teach,
Earn His crown of righteousess as you preach!
Typically, a church has a pastor. Christ Jesus is considered the head of the church, and the Bible portrays Him as the shepherd of the members, who are pictured as sheep. The pastor is called Jesus' under-shepherd. His is an awesome and dangerous responsibility.
We learn most about the duties of a pastor from the two letters Paul wrote to Timothy, his young protege, in the Bible. Space here does not permit a detailed discussion of them, but here is Paul's description of what is undoubtedly his biggest responsibility.
"Do your best to present yourself to God [and at the same time, your flock] as one approved, a workman [or scholar] who does not need to be ashamed, and who correctly handles the word of truth [the Bible]. Avoid godless chatter, because those who indulge in it will become more and more ungodly." (2 Timothy 2:15-16) [Brackets added]
"Godless chatter" is the non-Biblical man-made characteristics of God that some celebrities promote, most of which lead sincere Christians away from truths in the Bible. For example, Oprah Winfrey sponsors a lady named Marie Williamson, who promotes, "God loves you, and He dwells within your being; if you meditate deep within yourself, you will find God, and then you can do anything your feelings say is right for you, and a miracle will happen. There is no sin; there is no guilt." The first clause is true: God does indeed love you; He loves every human being, no matter what they may have done. But the rest of it is man-made; or should I say, straight from the lips of Satan? God does not dwell within everyone; not for anything will God dwell within a person who has ignored Him. What such a person discovers in deep interior meditation is exactly what Satan wants him to believe, and if you follow your feelings and instincts, you're going nowhere but hell. It is possible, though, for a dedicated pastor to get some man-made or Satan-made claptrap in his head and preach it from the pulpit. Then he is in danger, and so is his flock.
Now, for the good news. Many and many men and women have served as under-shepherds or pastors to flocks very carefully and righteously. As Paul says in 2 Timothy 4:7-8, for them is laid up in heaven a "crown of righteousness", and God will gladly p;ace it on their heads. There is no tougher job on earth.
Thursday, December 10, 2009
Death's An Exciting Birth
Death's not so bad, after aging's sorrows;
I've not tried it, but living, pain grows;
More dread, than yearning, for new tomorrows!
The monster is change, which constantly flows;
Familiar routines always disappear,
Until an old man's vista is empty, gray.
That's when life o'er death displays more to fear,
And drawn shades sweeter than the light of day!
But I found Jesus, when my years were few,
He taught me my next life's far more than this,
That's mere prelude; the next's really new;
Endless; living in paradise and bliss!
Death's an exciting birth, not a dismal end;
It's worth suffering aging's futile blend!
Do you think life is easy for a growing babe, floating in the womb, or struggling to crawl or walk? No, it is not easy. But if he knew well what happiness might possibly follow his years of struggle, he would gladly volunteer to go through it again at age 84, just to add a year or two more of this life.
This life, though, is not to be compared with the life that follows death for the Christian. The sorrows of aging are in some small way comparable to those of a babe learning to live this life; for the Christian ager, they are joyful, for he knows the life to follow is so much longer, sweeter, and without any sorrow or pain.
"No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has perceived, what God has prepared for those that love him." (1 Corinthians 2:9)
There are many wonderful promises in the Bible about what Christians will find in heaven in their new life after death in this one. Paul, in the scripture above, sums it all up by stating the impossibility of humans to know in advance all that God has prepared for them. It is similar to how the Pharaoh of Egypt felt when he asked the Greek mathematician Euclid to teach him mathematics. He answered him with the classic response of a teacher to the parent of a child struggling with the subject, "Sir, there is no royal road to Geometry." Likewise, there is no human road to a knowledge of what heaven will be like. We do know this much: There are two roads to life after death; every one of us is going down one or the other. You can choose to go to heaven by belief in Jesus Christ. You can choose to go to a place of torment by ignoring God/Jesus. We also know this: You must choose in this brief testing time that we call "this life". When you die, it is too late.
I chose Jesus at age 9. For 75 years He has been at my side. I lived far less honorably than He wanted me to; nevertheless, He never abandoned me. I was not successful, as some might say; I didn't have more troubles or sorrows as others surely did; but I look back, and I would not change one decision of my career or one for my personal career. Now I am blessed for living longer than most; I certainly don't know why, and neither do my doctors. I have lost eyesight for a time, and God gave it back. Now I am losing it again, for good, the doctor says. Maybe so. But it doesn't matter. Aging is my baby steps, learning what I need to know to live in heaven. I need to live like Jesus taught us to live; I haven't learned it yet.
I've not tried it, but living, pain grows;
More dread, than yearning, for new tomorrows!
The monster is change, which constantly flows;
Familiar routines always disappear,
Until an old man's vista is empty, gray.
That's when life o'er death displays more to fear,
And drawn shades sweeter than the light of day!
But I found Jesus, when my years were few,
He taught me my next life's far more than this,
That's mere prelude; the next's really new;
Endless; living in paradise and bliss!
Death's an exciting birth, not a dismal end;
It's worth suffering aging's futile blend!
Do you think life is easy for a growing babe, floating in the womb, or struggling to crawl or walk? No, it is not easy. But if he knew well what happiness might possibly follow his years of struggle, he would gladly volunteer to go through it again at age 84, just to add a year or two more of this life.
This life, though, is not to be compared with the life that follows death for the Christian. The sorrows of aging are in some small way comparable to those of a babe learning to live this life; for the Christian ager, they are joyful, for he knows the life to follow is so much longer, sweeter, and without any sorrow or pain.
"No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has perceived, what God has prepared for those that love him." (1 Corinthians 2:9)
There are many wonderful promises in the Bible about what Christians will find in heaven in their new life after death in this one. Paul, in the scripture above, sums it all up by stating the impossibility of humans to know in advance all that God has prepared for them. It is similar to how the Pharaoh of Egypt felt when he asked the Greek mathematician Euclid to teach him mathematics. He answered him with the classic response of a teacher to the parent of a child struggling with the subject, "Sir, there is no royal road to Geometry." Likewise, there is no human road to a knowledge of what heaven will be like. We do know this much: There are two roads to life after death; every one of us is going down one or the other. You can choose to go to heaven by belief in Jesus Christ. You can choose to go to a place of torment by ignoring God/Jesus. We also know this: You must choose in this brief testing time that we call "this life". When you die, it is too late.
I chose Jesus at age 9. For 75 years He has been at my side. I lived far less honorably than He wanted me to; nevertheless, He never abandoned me. I was not successful, as some might say; I didn't have more troubles or sorrows as others surely did; but I look back, and I would not change one decision of my career or one for my personal career. Now I am blessed for living longer than most; I certainly don't know why, and neither do my doctors. I have lost eyesight for a time, and God gave it back. Now I am losing it again, for good, the doctor says. Maybe so. But it doesn't matter. Aging is my baby steps, learning what I need to know to live in heaven. I need to live like Jesus taught us to live; I haven't learned it yet.
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
The Believer's Crown
You saved of earth, who witness the greatest,
Reaping for Christ whited fields of the lost;
Look not for more reward than the latest
Who took the scythe; weigh not salvation's cost
By how much harvest gathered; how much fruit.
He who enters heaven is there by grace,
Not because he ministered most astute,
Or worked the longest, or deserves the place!
All of the redeemed are princes in heaven;
With belivers' crowns and some dominions,
According to our Lord's gracious leaven;
To each, a mansion, and angel minions!
God will not unjustly coronate some;
All will be content with what they've become!
Paul says that being a Christian is like being a contestant in a race for which all train strictly, but in which there is one big difference: Instead of one being the champion and receiving the crown, all are champions and all receive crowns. A believer in Christ will get his own crown (See 1 Corinthians 9:25), for he is adopted into God's family, made a brother to Christ, and is co-heir to all the universe! Who wants more than that? Besides, isn't that exactly what we are training to be here on earth? Aren't we training ourselves to be humble, unselfish, unenvious, uncovetous, to love everyone, to be unjealous. etc.? How do you think we can be qualified to enter heaven and yet be envious of some one else's reward? Those evil attributes will be left behind, on earth, where they belomg.
Jesus taught a parable (See Matthew 20:1-16) about a landowner who hired workers to work in his vineyard at different times of the day---some worked 12 hours, some 9, some 6, some 3. and the rest just 1 hour. When the day was done, he lined them up to be paid in the order of the total time worked by each, the least hours worked to be paid first, and so on. He paid those who worked 1 hour 1 denarius each; 3 hours 1 denarius each, and so on, with those who worked 12 hours also receiving 1 denarius each. They grumbled among themselves, but he said, Haven't I paid you what you agreed to work for" What does it matter to you if I am generous with my money to these others? The landowner is like our God, and the workers are like Christians who serve Him for various lengths of time. Deathbed conversions receive the same recompense---salvation and all that is included with it---as the 9-year-old who comes forward at the preacher's invitation and served Him for a lifetime.
The apostle John lived to be almost 100 years old and died a martyr's death after serving faithfully with Jesus throughout His ministry and the rest of his life spreading the gospel. John was a spectator at Jesus'crucifiction; he also took care of Mary, the mother of Jesus until her death. Do you think he felt any jealousy when one of the two thieves who were crucified with Jesus begged the Savior to remember him, and Jesus answered, "This day you will be with me in paradise?" I don't believe he did, nor would any other Christian. Our feeling at such a thing would be the same as that of the angels in heaven when any new Christian confesses belief---unmitigated joy.
Reaping for Christ whited fields of the lost;
Look not for more reward than the latest
Who took the scythe; weigh not salvation's cost
By how much harvest gathered; how much fruit.
He who enters heaven is there by grace,
Not because he ministered most astute,
Or worked the longest, or deserves the place!
All of the redeemed are princes in heaven;
With belivers' crowns and some dominions,
According to our Lord's gracious leaven;
To each, a mansion, and angel minions!
God will not unjustly coronate some;
All will be content with what they've become!
Paul says that being a Christian is like being a contestant in a race for which all train strictly, but in which there is one big difference: Instead of one being the champion and receiving the crown, all are champions and all receive crowns. A believer in Christ will get his own crown (See 1 Corinthians 9:25), for he is adopted into God's family, made a brother to Christ, and is co-heir to all the universe! Who wants more than that? Besides, isn't that exactly what we are training to be here on earth? Aren't we training ourselves to be humble, unselfish, unenvious, uncovetous, to love everyone, to be unjealous. etc.? How do you think we can be qualified to enter heaven and yet be envious of some one else's reward? Those evil attributes will be left behind, on earth, where they belomg.
Jesus taught a parable (See Matthew 20:1-16) about a landowner who hired workers to work in his vineyard at different times of the day---some worked 12 hours, some 9, some 6, some 3. and the rest just 1 hour. When the day was done, he lined them up to be paid in the order of the total time worked by each, the least hours worked to be paid first, and so on. He paid those who worked 1 hour 1 denarius each; 3 hours 1 denarius each, and so on, with those who worked 12 hours also receiving 1 denarius each. They grumbled among themselves, but he said, Haven't I paid you what you agreed to work for" What does it matter to you if I am generous with my money to these others? The landowner is like our God, and the workers are like Christians who serve Him for various lengths of time. Deathbed conversions receive the same recompense---salvation and all that is included with it---as the 9-year-old who comes forward at the preacher's invitation and served Him for a lifetime.
The apostle John lived to be almost 100 years old and died a martyr's death after serving faithfully with Jesus throughout His ministry and the rest of his life spreading the gospel. John was a spectator at Jesus'crucifiction; he also took care of Mary, the mother of Jesus until her death. Do you think he felt any jealousy when one of the two thieves who were crucified with Jesus begged the Savior to remember him, and Jesus answered, "This day you will be with me in paradise?" I don't believe he did, nor would any other Christian. Our feeling at such a thing would be the same as that of the angels in heaven when any new Christian confesses belief---unmitigated joy.
Monday, December 7, 2009
Two Ways To Find God
How does God reveal Himself to a man?
To Abraham God must have come by earth!
He saw Him in beauty of nature's plan;
His attributes gleamed from night's starry worth;
How water grows pure, flowing over rocks;
One acorn grows wood to house a large clan;
A seed produces cloth for both suit and socks;
Another feeds two families of man!
As for we who live today, it's by Book,
In which God inspired those who wrote it all!
There we find new life, if we bother look,
Of how to avoid second death to fall!
Three cheers for Abraham, who got it right;
He had no Bible, but he saw the light!
God reveals Himself to men in the beauty and magnificance of creation. The Bible tells us in Romans 1 that all men can see and know God's attributes in nature. This is called, "The General Revelation of God". No man that ever lived on earth is excused for not discovering God in creation.
"The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the works of his hands. Day after day, they pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge. There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard. Their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world. In the heavens he has pitched a tent for the sun which is like a bridegroom coming forth from his pavillion, like a champion rejoicing to run his course. It rises at one end of the heavens and makes its circuit to the other; nothing is hidden from its heat." (Psalms 19:1-6)
Most of us in this age are so science-indoctrinated that if the words of David above sounded to us through a high-volume speaker as we view nature, we could not connect them to the wonders to which they refer or the Creator that motivated them. Therefore, God inspired forty human beings over 1500 years to write 66 "books" in a volume called the Bible. It is called, "The Special Revelation of God". In it is all truth; by reading it, we can learn what we need to know to live successfully on earth, and to live forever after with the Creator Himself.
"The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul. The statutes of the Lord are trustworthy, making wise the simple. The precepts of the Lord are right, giving joy to the heart. The commands of the Lord are radiant, giving light to the eyes. The fear of the Lord is pure, enduring forever. The ordinances of the Lord are sure and altogether righteous. They are more precious than gold, than much pure gold; they are sweeter than honey, than honey from the comb. By them is your servant warned; in keeping them there is great reward. Who can discern his errors? Forgive my hidden faults. Keep your servant also from wilful sins; may they not rule over me. Then will I be blameless, innocent of great transgression. May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O Lord, my Rock, and Redeemer." (Psalms 19:7-14)
C. S. Lewis wrote that the words of Psalms 19 constituted the greatest lyrics ever written. As a 13-year-old, I had to memorize and recite verse 14 during Daily Vacation Bible School. I have remembered it all my life. Too bad I didn't memorize all of Psalms 19. What knowledge would be more precious?
To Abraham God must have come by earth!
He saw Him in beauty of nature's plan;
His attributes gleamed from night's starry worth;
How water grows pure, flowing over rocks;
One acorn grows wood to house a large clan;
A seed produces cloth for both suit and socks;
Another feeds two families of man!
As for we who live today, it's by Book,
In which God inspired those who wrote it all!
There we find new life, if we bother look,
Of how to avoid second death to fall!
Three cheers for Abraham, who got it right;
He had no Bible, but he saw the light!
God reveals Himself to men in the beauty and magnificance of creation. The Bible tells us in Romans 1 that all men can see and know God's attributes in nature. This is called, "The General Revelation of God". No man that ever lived on earth is excused for not discovering God in creation.
"The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the works of his hands. Day after day, they pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge. There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard. Their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world. In the heavens he has pitched a tent for the sun which is like a bridegroom coming forth from his pavillion, like a champion rejoicing to run his course. It rises at one end of the heavens and makes its circuit to the other; nothing is hidden from its heat." (Psalms 19:1-6)
Most of us in this age are so science-indoctrinated that if the words of David above sounded to us through a high-volume speaker as we view nature, we could not connect them to the wonders to which they refer or the Creator that motivated them. Therefore, God inspired forty human beings over 1500 years to write 66 "books" in a volume called the Bible. It is called, "The Special Revelation of God". In it is all truth; by reading it, we can learn what we need to know to live successfully on earth, and to live forever after with the Creator Himself.
"The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul. The statutes of the Lord are trustworthy, making wise the simple. The precepts of the Lord are right, giving joy to the heart. The commands of the Lord are radiant, giving light to the eyes. The fear of the Lord is pure, enduring forever. The ordinances of the Lord are sure and altogether righteous. They are more precious than gold, than much pure gold; they are sweeter than honey, than honey from the comb. By them is your servant warned; in keeping them there is great reward. Who can discern his errors? Forgive my hidden faults. Keep your servant also from wilful sins; may they not rule over me. Then will I be blameless, innocent of great transgression. May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O Lord, my Rock, and Redeemer." (Psalms 19:7-14)
C. S. Lewis wrote that the words of Psalms 19 constituted the greatest lyrics ever written. As a 13-year-old, I had to memorize and recite verse 14 during Daily Vacation Bible School. I have remembered it all my life. Too bad I didn't memorize all of Psalms 19. What knowledge would be more precious?
Saturday, December 5, 2009
A Close Call For Israel
God had Moses gather them at the mount,
Sinai's foot in the desert, when they went free;
He wanted them hear a first-hand account
Of what He wanted Israel to be!
The ground trembled; thunder rolled; lightning flashed;
People screamed. shrank away; covered their eyes;
They scrambled to safety, as boulders crashed;
Moses stood alone, behind, to his surprise!
So he climbed atop, by himself with God,
Hidden from view of the people below;
He was gone so long, Aaron thought it odd,
Cast a golden calf, a new god to show!
God grew angry enough to kill them all,
But He heeded Moses for mercy call!
"After Moses had gone down the mountain to the people, he consecrated them, and they washed their clothes. Then he said to the people, 'Preoare yourselves for the third day. Abstain from sexual relations.' On the morning of the third day there was thunder and lightning, with a thick cloud over the mountain and a very loud trumpet blast. Everyone in the camp trembled. Then Moses led the people out of the camp to meet with God, and they stood at the foot of the mountain. Mount Sinai was covered with smoke, because the Lord descended on it in fire. The smoke billowed up from it like smoke from a furnace, the whole mountain trembled violently, and the sound of the trumpet grew louder and louder. Then Moses spoke and the voice of God answered him." (Exadus 19:14-18)
"When the people saw the thunder and lightning and heard the trumpet and saw the mountain in smoke, they trembled with fear. They stayed at a distance and said to Moses, 'Speak to us yourself and we will listen. But do not have God speak to us or we will die.' Moses said to the people, 'Do not be afraid. God has come to test you, so that the fear of God will keep you from sinning.'" (Exodus 20:18-20)
"The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet [Jesus] like me [Moses] from among your own brothers. You must listen to him. For this is what you asked of the Lord your God at Horeb [Sinai] on the day of your assembly when you said, 'Let us not hear the voice of the Lord our God nor see this great fire anymore, or we will die.' The Lord said to me [Moses] 'what they say is good. I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their brothers; I will put my words in his mouth, and he will tell them everything I command him. If anyone does not listen to my words that the prophet speaks in my name, I myself will call him to account. But a prophet who presumes to speak in my name anything I have not commanded him to say, or a prophet who speaks in the name of other gods must be put to death.'" (Deuteronomy 18:15-20) [Brackets added]
Moses was the first and greatest prophet to Israel, except Jesus, and this prophecy foretells the coming of Jesus. Unfortunately, their fear of hearing directly from God resulted in His speaking to them entirely by prophets; since they didn't heed God's warning that anyone who failed to listen and obey the words of His prophet would die (which is what 'holding them to account' means), many Jews down through history have 'died' (which in Biblical language means 'condemnation to hell').
A descendant of Ishmael in 610-632 A.D. named Mohammad capitalized on the Deuteronomy prophecy by naming himself the "prophet" spoken of, and recited what he called the "Third Testament" of the Bible, or the Qu'ran, which became the "holy" book of Islam. By distortion, deception, and delusion, Islam's "God" has become confused with our Jehovah, and 1.5 billion Muslims follow a counterfeit religion that will result in their condemnation to hell on Judgment Day. Perhaps this would not have happened had the Israelites been brave enough to stand at the foot of Sinai and listen directly to the voice of God that day in the desert.
Sinai's foot in the desert, when they went free;
He wanted them hear a first-hand account
Of what He wanted Israel to be!
The ground trembled; thunder rolled; lightning flashed;
People screamed. shrank away; covered their eyes;
They scrambled to safety, as boulders crashed;
Moses stood alone, behind, to his surprise!
So he climbed atop, by himself with God,
Hidden from view of the people below;
He was gone so long, Aaron thought it odd,
Cast a golden calf, a new god to show!
God grew angry enough to kill them all,
But He heeded Moses for mercy call!
"After Moses had gone down the mountain to the people, he consecrated them, and they washed their clothes. Then he said to the people, 'Preoare yourselves for the third day. Abstain from sexual relations.' On the morning of the third day there was thunder and lightning, with a thick cloud over the mountain and a very loud trumpet blast. Everyone in the camp trembled. Then Moses led the people out of the camp to meet with God, and they stood at the foot of the mountain. Mount Sinai was covered with smoke, because the Lord descended on it in fire. The smoke billowed up from it like smoke from a furnace, the whole mountain trembled violently, and the sound of the trumpet grew louder and louder. Then Moses spoke and the voice of God answered him." (Exadus 19:14-18)
"When the people saw the thunder and lightning and heard the trumpet and saw the mountain in smoke, they trembled with fear. They stayed at a distance and said to Moses, 'Speak to us yourself and we will listen. But do not have God speak to us or we will die.' Moses said to the people, 'Do not be afraid. God has come to test you, so that the fear of God will keep you from sinning.'" (Exodus 20:18-20)
"The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet [Jesus] like me [Moses] from among your own brothers. You must listen to him. For this is what you asked of the Lord your God at Horeb [Sinai] on the day of your assembly when you said, 'Let us not hear the voice of the Lord our God nor see this great fire anymore, or we will die.' The Lord said to me [Moses] 'what they say is good. I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their brothers; I will put my words in his mouth, and he will tell them everything I command him. If anyone does not listen to my words that the prophet speaks in my name, I myself will call him to account. But a prophet who presumes to speak in my name anything I have not commanded him to say, or a prophet who speaks in the name of other gods must be put to death.'" (Deuteronomy 18:15-20) [Brackets added]
Moses was the first and greatest prophet to Israel, except Jesus, and this prophecy foretells the coming of Jesus. Unfortunately, their fear of hearing directly from God resulted in His speaking to them entirely by prophets; since they didn't heed God's warning that anyone who failed to listen and obey the words of His prophet would die (which is what 'holding them to account' means), many Jews down through history have 'died' (which in Biblical language means 'condemnation to hell').
A descendant of Ishmael in 610-632 A.D. named Mohammad capitalized on the Deuteronomy prophecy by naming himself the "prophet" spoken of, and recited what he called the "Third Testament" of the Bible, or the Qu'ran, which became the "holy" book of Islam. By distortion, deception, and delusion, Islam's "God" has become confused with our Jehovah, and 1.5 billion Muslims follow a counterfeit religion that will result in their condemnation to hell on Judgment Day. Perhaps this would not have happened had the Israelites been brave enough to stand at the foot of Sinai and listen directly to the voice of God that day in the desert.
Thursday, December 3, 2009
The Jew Has No Excuse
Who dares to say, "I wouldn't've spurned God's Son?"
When Mary gave birth in Bethlehem's barn,
Wise men afar followed the setting sun,
While His own deemed God's advent but yarn!
Three hundred forty times Jew prophets said
The divine Messiah was on the way;
Three hundred forty times Jews shook their head;
Killed those who told them what God had to say!
Yet when scholars tested each one for truth,
None was found false or wrong in any way;
God lived among us from birth through youth,
Past thirty-three; was slain; rose; lives today!
For the Jew there is no excuse at all,
Then or now, that God Jesus did in vain call!
What is difficult for me to understand, providing they read the same Bible I do (and scholars tell me they do), is how most Jews in the days that Jesus lived with them did not recognize Him as the Messiah (Moshiach to them) that was promised. No less than 340 passages of the Old Testament prophesied His coming. For a people who prided themselves on reading the Torah, Talmud, Writings, and Prophets (the main elements of scripture in their time) , they failed to recognize One the details of whose coming were scattered throughout, from Genesis 3:15 all the way to Malachi 4:5, the last verse in the Septuagint. Daniel even gave the exact date that He would be born, but for some unknown reason, they didn't identify Daniel as a prophet. Micah said He would be born in Bethlehem, and they proved they knew it, because when King Herod asked them where, so that he might kill Him to prevent His taking over the kingdom, they told him correctly. Wise men from India knew of His birth and followed His star in the west until they found Him; only a few shepherds, who were told by a choir of angels, came to His place of birth to worship Him. Where were the priests?
As a race chosen by God to be priests to the whole world on behalf of God who would be born one of them, and who was to bring salvation to a fallen world, the Jews proved to be unusually dull spritually. Even Moses, their foremost prophet and the leader who freed them from slavery in Egypt and brought them to the Promised Land, constantly reminded them of all that God had done for them, because in every hardship they quickly forgot what He had done for them. Finally God pronounced judgment upon them that insured they would reject the coming Messiah, who would then turn to Gentiles (every human being not Jewish) to spread the gospel worldwide.
"'Be ever hearing, but never understanding; be ever seeing, but never perceiving. Make the heart of this people calloused; make their ears dull and close their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts, and turn and be healed.'" (Isaiah 6:9-10) (750 years before the birth of Christ)
Isaiah was shocked to hear this harsh judgment on Israel from God. He quicl;y asked God how long the judgment would last. He was told, in effect, that it would last until Jesus Christ returns to earth the Second time, which has not yet happened. Jesus was keenly aware of this curse upon the understanding of the Jews. He mentioned it several times---once, He told His disciples that He taught in parables because the Jews were not supposed to understand the message of salvation. Another time He told the Jews about the curse upon them, by quoting the passage from Isaiah. Paul knew about it and preached it to the Jews in Acts 28, when they grew angry and walked out on him. Paul also told of it in Romans 11. The judgment is still upon the Jews today. The nation of Israel today is composed of 78% Jewish population, of which 200,000 are Messianic; that is, who believe Jesus to be Messiah. I expect many of the Jews, even a majority, to accept Jesus when the judgment is lifted after Christ returns to earth.
When Mary gave birth in Bethlehem's barn,
Wise men afar followed the setting sun,
While His own deemed God's advent but yarn!
Three hundred forty times Jew prophets said
The divine Messiah was on the way;
Three hundred forty times Jews shook their head;
Killed those who told them what God had to say!
Yet when scholars tested each one for truth,
None was found false or wrong in any way;
God lived among us from birth through youth,
Past thirty-three; was slain; rose; lives today!
For the Jew there is no excuse at all,
Then or now, that God Jesus did in vain call!
What is difficult for me to understand, providing they read the same Bible I do (and scholars tell me they do), is how most Jews in the days that Jesus lived with them did not recognize Him as the Messiah (Moshiach to them) that was promised. No less than 340 passages of the Old Testament prophesied His coming. For a people who prided themselves on reading the Torah, Talmud, Writings, and Prophets (the main elements of scripture in their time) , they failed to recognize One the details of whose coming were scattered throughout, from Genesis 3:15 all the way to Malachi 4:5, the last verse in the Septuagint. Daniel even gave the exact date that He would be born, but for some unknown reason, they didn't identify Daniel as a prophet. Micah said He would be born in Bethlehem, and they proved they knew it, because when King Herod asked them where, so that he might kill Him to prevent His taking over the kingdom, they told him correctly. Wise men from India knew of His birth and followed His star in the west until they found Him; only a few shepherds, who were told by a choir of angels, came to His place of birth to worship Him. Where were the priests?
As a race chosen by God to be priests to the whole world on behalf of God who would be born one of them, and who was to bring salvation to a fallen world, the Jews proved to be unusually dull spritually. Even Moses, their foremost prophet and the leader who freed them from slavery in Egypt and brought them to the Promised Land, constantly reminded them of all that God had done for them, because in every hardship they quickly forgot what He had done for them. Finally God pronounced judgment upon them that insured they would reject the coming Messiah, who would then turn to Gentiles (every human being not Jewish) to spread the gospel worldwide.
"'Be ever hearing, but never understanding; be ever seeing, but never perceiving. Make the heart of this people calloused; make their ears dull and close their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts, and turn and be healed.'" (Isaiah 6:9-10) (750 years before the birth of Christ)
Isaiah was shocked to hear this harsh judgment on Israel from God. He quicl;y asked God how long the judgment would last. He was told, in effect, that it would last until Jesus Christ returns to earth the Second time, which has not yet happened. Jesus was keenly aware of this curse upon the understanding of the Jews. He mentioned it several times---once, He told His disciples that He taught in parables because the Jews were not supposed to understand the message of salvation. Another time He told the Jews about the curse upon them, by quoting the passage from Isaiah. Paul knew about it and preached it to the Jews in Acts 28, when they grew angry and walked out on him. Paul also told of it in Romans 11. The judgment is still upon the Jews today. The nation of Israel today is composed of 78% Jewish population, of which 200,000 are Messianic; that is, who believe Jesus to be Messiah. I expect many of the Jews, even a majority, to accept Jesus when the judgment is lifted after Christ returns to earth.
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
The City Of Truth
Jerusalem, where God's temple was built,
In which once He dwelt in person with men,
Fell to Babylon due to Jewish guilt;
Yet God will live in Zion with men again!
The saved of nations will also live there;
Carefree boys and girls playing in her streets;
Old people with canes sitting in the square,
Each one giving advice to all he meets!
The city's now whole under God the King;
Once-arid fields brimming with rich new grain;
Ten Gentiles force one Jew all ten to bring
To the Holy Mountain His peace to gain!
When will Jerusalem these heights ascend?
Why, now! Of course! Jesus' church to attend!
What do Jack Kennedy, Ronald Reagan, John McCain, and Jesus all have in common? Well, the first 3 men used the phrase, "A City On A Hill" to describe what America would be to the rest of the world if he were elected to the Presidency; Jesus used it as a symbolic representation of what the life of a Christian should appear to unsaved men, "A city on a hill cannot be hid". He told them they were the "light of the world" (Matthew 5:14). The poem uses the city of Jerusalem, still in rubble from the destruction of Nebuchednessar in 586 B.C., as a restored city of "light" and truth to the whole world, as a promise to the Jews to rebuild it and the temple after their return from captivity in 505 B.C. A literal interpretation of Zechariah 8 would see Jerusalem as an expanded city with people of all the world's nations as citizens, in which God dwelled again as He did in the days of Solomon's original temple. It would be called "The City Of Truth", which would draw Gentiles from the world over ten at a time, ten unsaved grasping a single Jew by the hem of his robe and forcing him to take them to Jerusalem where they could entreat God to forgive their sins and to admit them to salvation.
Jerusalem would be a "whole" city, in that old men and women would live there in safety to ripe old ages; they would be respected because of their advanced age, not despised as impediments to younger generations, and sit in wide plazas in places of honor, judging the weighty matters of public concerns. Their canes would be badges of honor; others would step aside when they passed, saluting them for their age, not despising them for senility. Children would grow up in safety, not being forced into child labor, playing openly in public squares and parks.
"This is what the Lord says, 'I will return to Zion and dwell in Jerusalem. Then Jerusalem will be called the City of Truth, and the mountain of the Lord Almighty will be called the Holy Mountain.' ...Once again men and women of ripe old age will sit in the streets [plazas] of Jerusalem, each with cane in hand because of his age. Then the streets will be filled with boys and girls playing there. ... 'I will save my people from the countries of the east and the west. I will bring them back to live in Jerusalem; they will be my people and I will be faithful and righteous to them as their God.' ...'and now I will not deal with the people as I did in the past', declares the Lord Almighty. 'The seed will grow well, the vine will yield its fruit, the ground will produce its crops, and the heavens will drop their dew. I will give all these things as an inheritance to the remnant of the people. ... Many people and the inhabitants of many cities will yet come, and the inhabitants of one city will go to another and say, 'Let us go at once to entreat the Lord and seek the Lord Almighty. I myself am going.' And many peoples and powerful nations will come to Jerusalem to seek the Lord Almighty and to entreat him' ... 'In those days ten men from all languages and nations will take firm hold of one Jew by the hem of his robe and say, 'Let us go with you , because we have heard that God is with you.'" (Zechariah 8:3-23) [Brackets
added]
Some Bible scholars interpret this restoration promise of God to refer to the possible 1000-year millenial reign of Jesus Christ after He returns to earth; some take it to refer to heaven after the general resurrection. Some (especially Jews) understand it as a literal promise to Israel, the new nation that was established in 1948. None of these is correct. Instead of the actual city of Jerusalem, Zechariah, as well as Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Daniel and the minor prophets that have similar restoration promises, is describing the existing church of Jesus Christ, the Roman Catholic, Orthodox, Presbyterian, Baptist, Methodist, and other Christian churches, and includes the missionary and evangelistic efforts of Billy Graham and all others that spread the true light of Christ in the world today. There is no separate salvation for modern Jewry; these promises will be fulfilled to Israel if and only if as individuals they accept Jesus as Messiah and Lord.
In which once He dwelt in person with men,
Fell to Babylon due to Jewish guilt;
Yet God will live in Zion with men again!
The saved of nations will also live there;
Carefree boys and girls playing in her streets;
Old people with canes sitting in the square,
Each one giving advice to all he meets!
The city's now whole under God the King;
Once-arid fields brimming with rich new grain;
Ten Gentiles force one Jew all ten to bring
To the Holy Mountain His peace to gain!
When will Jerusalem these heights ascend?
Why, now! Of course! Jesus' church to attend!
What do Jack Kennedy, Ronald Reagan, John McCain, and Jesus all have in common? Well, the first 3 men used the phrase, "A City On A Hill" to describe what America would be to the rest of the world if he were elected to the Presidency; Jesus used it as a symbolic representation of what the life of a Christian should appear to unsaved men, "A city on a hill cannot be hid". He told them they were the "light of the world" (Matthew 5:14). The poem uses the city of Jerusalem, still in rubble from the destruction of Nebuchednessar in 586 B.C., as a restored city of "light" and truth to the whole world, as a promise to the Jews to rebuild it and the temple after their return from captivity in 505 B.C. A literal interpretation of Zechariah 8 would see Jerusalem as an expanded city with people of all the world's nations as citizens, in which God dwelled again as He did in the days of Solomon's original temple. It would be called "The City Of Truth", which would draw Gentiles from the world over ten at a time, ten unsaved grasping a single Jew by the hem of his robe and forcing him to take them to Jerusalem where they could entreat God to forgive their sins and to admit them to salvation.
Jerusalem would be a "whole" city, in that old men and women would live there in safety to ripe old ages; they would be respected because of their advanced age, not despised as impediments to younger generations, and sit in wide plazas in places of honor, judging the weighty matters of public concerns. Their canes would be badges of honor; others would step aside when they passed, saluting them for their age, not despising them for senility. Children would grow up in safety, not being forced into child labor, playing openly in public squares and parks.
"This is what the Lord says, 'I will return to Zion and dwell in Jerusalem. Then Jerusalem will be called the City of Truth, and the mountain of the Lord Almighty will be called the Holy Mountain.' ...Once again men and women of ripe old age will sit in the streets [plazas] of Jerusalem, each with cane in hand because of his age. Then the streets will be filled with boys and girls playing there. ... 'I will save my people from the countries of the east and the west. I will bring them back to live in Jerusalem; they will be my people and I will be faithful and righteous to them as their God.' ...'and now I will not deal with the people as I did in the past', declares the Lord Almighty. 'The seed will grow well, the vine will yield its fruit, the ground will produce its crops, and the heavens will drop their dew. I will give all these things as an inheritance to the remnant of the people. ... Many people and the inhabitants of many cities will yet come, and the inhabitants of one city will go to another and say, 'Let us go at once to entreat the Lord and seek the Lord Almighty. I myself am going.' A
added]
Some Bible scholars interpret this restoration promise of God to refer to the possible 1000-year millenial reign of Jesus Christ after He returns to earth; some take it to refer to heaven after the general resurrection. Some (especially Jews) understand it as a literal promise to Israel, the new nation that was established in 1948. None of these is correct. Instead of the actual city of Jerusalem, Zechariah, as well as Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Daniel and the minor prophets that have similar restoration promises, is describing the existing church of Jesus Christ, the Roman Catholic, Orthodox, Presbyterian, Baptist, Methodist, and other Christian churches, and includes the missionary and evangelistic efforts of Billy Graham and all others that spread the true light of Christ in the world today. There is no separate salvation for modern Jewry; these promises will be fulfilled to Israel if and only if as individuals they accept Jesus as Messiah and Lord.
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