What the Bible Means to Me.

Several years ago I was asked to give a talk on the topic, “What the Bible means to me.”  It was National Bible Week, 1992. There were nine other speakers besides myself…….. a  city alderman; a doctor; a priest; a scientist; a reporter from the paper; a professor from the University; a minister; a retired army general; and a store owner.   I was both honored and  intimidated to be a speaking along with these most formable people.  Of course none of us knew what the others were going to say.  However, we all had one thing in common.  We believed that the Bible was God’s word to humankind.

For this blog I thought perhaps you would like to read what I said in my talk. I have omitted several portions because it would be too long for a single blog.  However, as I read through my writing, I felt my words said then, at that point in my life, are still meaningful to me today.  I do hope they might be the same for you.

   What the Bible Means to Me…. Barbara Hyland, 1992

It must be rather puzzling to those who are atheists or agnostics, to think that our faith seems to be tied to a book or a collection of books called the Holy Bible. Why would intelligent people believe in a book written centuries ago by various authors, be of any interest to the 20^th century mind?   Science has given us all we need to make us happy and improve our well-belling.  Why worry about the past or the future? Most of us are just concerned about how we live today.  I believe the Bible answers that question as well.

The simple answer to the questions posed by unbelievers is that Christianity, like Judaism is an historical religion. We base our faith on historical events that were recorded with great care and accuracy.  For Christians, the greatest happening in the world was the appearance of Jesus.  Our faith depends on who He was, what He said, what He did, and what happened to Him.

This book we call the Bible is a book of unity. Its sixty six books, written over more than a thousand years against a wide variety of cultural backgrounds by people who for the most part worked independently of each other and show no awareness  that their book/story would come  together in a collection we call the Holy Scriptures!  The books themselves are of all kinds: prose, poetry, hymns, history, sermons, letters and even a love song.

These books written centuries apart seem to have been designed for the express purpose of supplementing and illuminating each other. There is one leading character….God the Creator; one historical perspective….world redemption; one focal figure……Jesus of Nazareth, who is both the Son of God and Savior of the world.  Truly the inner unity of the Bible is miraculous; a sign that goes beyond human understanding and challenges the unbelief of our skeptical age.

“The Greatest Story Ever Told” is a title that has been used for the Bible and with good reason.  The Bible is the world’s greatest storybook, not just because it is full of wonderful stories but because it tells one great story……the story of Jesus.  All the stories point to Him.

The story is God’s story. It describes His work to rescue rebellious humans from their guilt and shows humankind its failings. This is a rescue operation, and God always take the initiative.

Only God’s revelation could maintain a drama that stretches over thousands of years as though they were just a short length of time. Only God’s revelation can build a story where the end is anticipated from the beginning and where the guiding principle is not chance or fate but a promise. Only God can shape history to fill the needs of human beings and to bring about His will for mankind.  Human authors may build fiction around a plot they have devised, but only God can shape history to a real and ultimate purpose.

What has come home to me as I prepared this talk is not only how much I owe to the Bible at the different stages of my life, but how much still lies there for me to discover.  I could well use Paul’s words…”I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” (Phil. 3:13-14)

This book, the Bible, is a call….a call to each of us. In this book we can find the answers to why we are here, a purpose for our life, our calling to be needed, and the fulfillment of all we could wish or hope. It is a book of discovery, of excitement, of drama and of adventure.

                       And it’s all found in the Bible!!!

                                A Temple for Us.

In the month of August, many Jewish people observe the tragic time when the temple (s) in Jerusalem was destroyed…..not once but twice. Solomon, David’s son, built the first temple on property that his father, King David, had bought. Solomon built this temple on Mt. Moriah where Abraham was told to offer up his son, Isaac, but who was spared by God’s divine hand.  That first temple stood for nearly 400 years until the Babylonians in 586 B.C defeated Judiah and destroyed the magnificent temple.  The temple had become the center of Israel’s worship, the anchor of her religious zeal and the certainty of communion with God.

The Jewish people’s concept of being God’s chosen people and her awareness of that calling and purpose for her identity was directly connected to the temple. It was the knowledge that God resided within their midst, just as the tabernacle in the wilderness held the glory of God. It was people’s singular connection with the Lord himself.  With no temple there was no assurance of God’s presence or of His provision of forgiveness for their sins.  The destruction of the temple and the corresponding exile were the most devastating   judgments imaginable.  But just as God predicted the judgment, so He planned their restoration.

In 538 B.C. Zerubbabel and a host of Israelites returned to Jerusalem, freed by a decree of King Cyrus of Persia who had defeated the Babylonians.  The book of Ezra describes the restoration of this second temple.  Though the people encountered my difficulties the temple was now completed but it could hardly compare with the magnificent temple built by Solomon.  When the Romans occupied Jerusalem, centuries later, their appointed magistrate, King Herod, wanted to restore some of the grandeur of the former temple.  The western wall of that temple still stands today.  Jewish people call it the “Wailing Wall.”

Many of Jesus activities and some of his most controversial comments were recorded in an around that restored temple. One the most fascinating of these sayings are found in John 2:19-21.

       “Jesus answered and said to them, destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.” Then the Jews said………” it has taken forty six years to build this temple, and will you raise it up in three days?” But he was speaking of the temple of his body.”

Can you see what it meant for Jesus to identify Himself as the temple?  In this short statement He claimed to represent the very presence of God once evidenced in the Holy of Holies. He was the way of uniting the people with God himself. Jesus also made a more ominous prediction.  He spoke not only about this beautiful temple now in their midst, but also about His life as well.

Then Jesus took his disciples and showed them the great city of Jerusalem and told them. “Assuredly, I say to you not one stone shall be left here upon another that shall not be thrown down.”  (Matt 24:1, 2)

This prediction came true in 70 A.D. when Titus and the Roman soldiers destroyed the city and decimated the temple. Thousands realized that what He had spoken was true.  The temple was destroyed but His body was not and He was resurrected on the third day just as predicted.

The temple on earth was never intended to be a permanent fixture. It was a symbol of hope for those who longed for the presence of God, yet only one person could fulfill the role of being a “temple”.  Jesus himself embodies the presence of God.  When we unite with Him and His Holy Spirit resides in us, we enter into His Presence with joy and thanksgiving.  “Enter into His gates with thanksgiving and into His courts with praise.” (Ps.100:4)

The day is coming when we believers will be gathered around the throne of God. There will be a New Heaven and New Earth and this world of death and decay will pass away.  That will be a time of great rejoicing for all who have been reconciled with God through Jesus.  All our questions will be answered and our bodies restored.  We will live in true, unbroken and everlasting communion with Him.

                            Atheism vs. God……Part II

According to many intellectuals of the day, atheism is the only intelligent answer to what’s really wrong in our world. Didn’t Christianity foster many of the most horrible atrocities ever committed against mankind?  Humanists recall the terrible wrongs of the Christian Church: the great persecutions of the Spanish Inquisition; the atrocities of the Crusades; the suffering of the Jewish people through the centuries, most of which were committed by so-called Christians.  Of course, these cannot be denied.  However, atheists  fail to mention or ignore the exterminations of millions under the atheistic Communists ……the massive murders under the Stalin regime; the Killing Fields  of the Khmer Rouge; The Chinese Cultural Revolution (millions of Chinese tortured and murdered).

Among the new atheists like Richard Dawkins, the late Christopher Hitchings and Sam Harris there has arisen a new polemic. Along with the nefarious deeds wrought by the theistic ideology, they also include the promotion of Creationism as an origins myth; the very intolerant view of one’s sexual behavior; plus the various groups who protest against (sometimes with violence) organizations such as Planned Parenthood.  They hold that the theists (aka Judeo/Christian community) are ignorant and promote intolerance.  They actually view faith based groups as wicked!

Consider Dawkins’s book “The God Delusion.”   Thousands of copies of this book have sold on Amazon. Here is the crux of his ideas.  In the course of the book Dawkins selects choice passages from some of the world’s major religious texts and he argues that these passages have driven large numbers of religious persons down through the centuries to do oppressive deeds to their fellow humans.   For Dawkins, the moral zeal that he thinks is typical of religious believers has in fact been a dangerous force because it has led to malice, intolerance and violence (as mentioned above).  In his view the secularists (atheists) are extremely tolerant of opposing views and instead of oppression they persuade others via education….thus avoiding the coercion of the morally intolerant believers.  In other words secularists have better skills for navigating their political surroundings than do their religious counter parts.

Does he speak the truth? As mentioned above both theists and atheists alike do dastardly deeds!  That being said humans do bad things, regardless of whether they are God fearing people or atheists. However, it is my contention and probably yours also, that mainstream Christian traditions promote the virtues and values in our world which help to better the human condition.

We believe that God exists. That he is sovereign and guides human affairs in a providential way. In fact, God’s interest in human affairs is deeply gracious. “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to His purpose.” (Rom 8:28)

God allows humans a sphere of decision-making autonomy, but God also orchestrates our circumstances in constructive ways.   Anyone reading the Bible knows that God has established rules for the benefit of mankind before the likes of Dawkins decided that social justice came along with experimentation and evolutionary forces.  So Christians view their quest for social justice here on earth as being part of God’s larger plan.  We are to cooperate with God in His efforts to make this earth a better place for all humankind.

As Christians’ we can engage in cooperative efforts to rid this world of the evils that corrupt society. We are taught that God has given us guidelines to structure our social and political interactions.  The purpose of these guidelines is for the betterment of society, to give a sense of self worth, and promote a sense of stability in a changing world.  We know that there is a God who loves and cares for his creation…..deeply and passionately.

No, Dawkins……Social justice is not changeable. Truth is not relative.  The values given to us by a loving God are permanent and immutable.   The Christian belief system offers a hope for a future and that each and every human is regarded as valuable and was made in a divine image.

                There lies the hope for all humankind!

                      The Atheist vs. God

The Bible is a collection of small library books very much focused on God and how he interacts with his own creation……not only the world of nature but in his dealings with humankind. In the Bible God has chosen to reveal aspects of his character; his law; his wisdom; his grace and his redemptive purposes, through his prophets God has spoken to humanity.  He has also rebuked humanity including his own special people, Israel, for its corrupt and sinful activities.  Chief among these is humanity’s tendency to indulge in idolatry, either in worshipping various gods or making idols that represent gods.  I wrote about this in my last blog.  However, with the ongoing worship of “strange’ gods comes the idea that man is the maker and creator of his own destiny.  God is ignored or denigrated or simply utterly written off as non essential in our world today.  After all, hasn’t science and technology replaced the need for God?  Man can do it by himself.  Collectively man has the power to make people’s lives better.  We don’t need a God for that, do we?

The verse that comes to mind occurs in two passages in Psalms (14:1 and 53:1). “The fool says in his heart there is no God.” Commentators maintain that the statements in many of the Psalms is not a literal denial of the existence of God but a description of the wicked who live and behave as though God takes no notice of human behavior.  There are no rewards or punishments.  The fools who declare that “there is no god “makes an assumption that God takes no interest in human affairs.  However, today, something even more diabolical is being accepted into the mainstream of human thought.  We are in the age of the New Atheism.

 This really isn’t new concept at all.  A small number of Greek philosophers and writers would question the existence of the traditional gods.  Socrates, the great Greek philosopher, was forced to drink hemlock for corrupting the youth of his day by declaring that the world was governed by chance, not gods, and that morality is man –made and not divine.  Today we don’t force atheistic philosophers and scientists to drink poison but they disseminate their own poison through their writings.

Those of us who are believers often scoff at the outcries of the humanist/atheist/agnostic. But whatever our convictions about God and his dealings with mankind; how he has chosen to reveal himself through Jesus; how we are given the do’s and don’ts of living in this world,  there are thousands of others who have chosen to view our faith as ignorance or worse yet…… they are just plain disinterested! Here are a few “advantages” to atheistic thinking.  Here are just a few.

1. You never have to worry about what God thinks of you. You are never under the scrutiny of a God who expects you to behave in a certain way. Since there is no God to judge you or to punish you in the afterlife, you are rather a free agent. Not all atheists are immoral or bad people. Probably a few of these more admirable traits just happened to be the result of living in a world that has moral values! I wonder where those came from??

2. If you are an atheist, you never have to admit that you need the help of a higher being….namely God. Religion, they say is for the weak, for those who cannot make it on their own. They never have to lower their self esteem, seek forgiveness or see flaws in their own character.

3. If you are an atheist you can embrace any point of view that you want. Morality becomes the right of the individual. All morality is relative. If there is no God, morality is a human invention or a by-product of biological and cultural evolution.

What is it that keeps people from God? Obviously some people were raised that way, just like those of us who are Christians.  However, we must be held accountable for our faith.  We are to live out our faith in our relationship to God and what he requires of us.  As James says, ”Faith without works is dead”. Does that become a burden or a joy?  We don’t have to prove ourselves to God.  He loves us all, but at the same time we have a responsibility not only to God but to our fellow humans.  This view of life just might make our world a better place.

I have more thoughts on this subject but will resume this topic in my next blog. I want to discuss some views of the bestselling authors of atheism …. Richard Dawkins, Sam Harris, Christopher Hitchens. (now deceased).   Stay tuned!   More to come…………

Vain Repetitions

Yeshua (Jesus) warned His disciples not to pray with babbling words like pagans: “Do not use meaningless repetition as the Gentiles do, for they suppose that they will be heard for their many words” (Matthew 6:7). Today’s Gospel readers often understand the warnings against “meaningless repetitions” as an indictment against the liturgical prayers of the synagogue and Temple. Liturgical prayer, by definition, contains patterns of repetition in which the same prayers recur. Remember that the Lord was an observant Jew. He also would have said these same prayers….the prayers of His ancestors. He and his disciples attended the synagogue every Sabbath, and they joined the worshippers in the Temple every time they were in Jerusalem. Jewish liturgy was a regular part of their worship experience. When Yeshua warned his disciples not to pray using “meaningless repetition as the Gentiles do,” He must have been aware of their pagan worship practices.

The Master did not speak against the Jewish mode of prayer. He said, “Do not use meaningless repetition as the Gentiles do,” i.e., the idolaters. When Yeshua warned his disciples not to pray as Gentiles did, He was speaking about how these pagan people using meaningless repetitions in hopes of reaching their god with special requests. Most pagans went to a temple of particular god or goddess, depending on what they wanted….such as a fertility issue or a victory in battle. They might pay the priest or priestess to intercede for them in order to incur the favor of the Gods or even provide him/her with an omen that would foretell the future. All of which is condemned in scripture. Many of them would scream or shout at their God or babble in a type of hypnotic state. Women priestesses were known to scream and shout pulling their long hair……Perhaps this is what Paul meant by women keeping silent in the churches! We need to know the historical context of the time in which Paul was writing.

Many religions use various forms of prayer to reach their “Higher Power”. We, as Gentile believers, must also be careful that our prayers are not a type of formulae that we have heard over and over. I have attended worship services where I know exactly what the person praying is going to say! I often wished he would just pray from his heart and not worn-out phrases that seem to reach no higher than the ceiling!

I have read a Jewish prayer book. They extol the power and majesty of God and less on personal wants and desires. Our public prayers are different than our private prayers. Our public prayers are offered as a community of faith. Yes, we are to pray for our brothers and sisters in need of healing or facing dangers; for our missionaries or for special requests because we pray as a group of believers. Remember when Peter was miraculously released from prison while the believers were praying for him? (Acts 12: (6-19).

Paul warns his Gentile converts to be careful when praying in the worship service. (1 Cor. 14:34). They had received the gifts of prophecy, tongues and healings but they must use these gifts wisely….not babbling like their pagan friends. Every gift should be used to build up the congregation. Although their gift of tongues was valued, it could be abused in public so that the congregation would not be edified. Their community of faith would then hold together, and strengthen their bonds of fellowship. Despite the fears of oppression from both from the Romans and the majority of the Jewish community, they would stand firm even to the point of death!

However, Paul did tell them that their private prayers were between themselves and God and speaking in tongues would edify themselves and provide encouragement for them to live a life worthy of their calling as disciples.

Our private prayer time also is more for personal problems that face us. Not only do we do we remember those with special needs but our private prayers include requests about decisions facing us in our everyday life. Our prayer time is a special time between us and the God who loves us. Some prayers are indeed…. our private discussions with God. He knows the heart.

The Master warned His disciples against the pagan customs of chanting mantras or repeating a particular liturgical refrain or chorus over and over to achieve a spiritual effect. New Testament scholars believe that Yeshua was referring to the formulaic repetition of either intelligible or unintelligible names of gods, magic words, ecstatic utterances, and petition formulas common in the pagan Roman world. I also read where many of the ancients use hallucinating drugs to get their minds in an altered state in order to communicate with a particular god or goddess. Remember the days of people using LSD?

The Master told His disciples that they do not need to rely on gimmicks to get God’s attention.  “Your Father knows what you need before you ask Him.” (Matthew 6:8). We can pray with complete confidence that our simplest prayers are heard and received by God.

Absolutely There are Absolutes!

Although the title didn’t originate with me I did think it appropriate for this article. We are facing an election of primary importance.  I don’t recall our country ever fearing such dangers that are upon us today.  We as Christians must be prepared for a way of thinking that is being forced upon us.  Our moral and ethical standards are being threatened as never before. The millennial generation has become indoctrinated with socialist ideals…..although they call themselves the new “progressives”.  So why am I writing a blog on politics?   I fear that politics is impacting the church as well as our world.

I am centering my thinking on the agenda of the acceptance of homosexuals as an alternate life style. The social progressives are pushing their agenda across our country. If we Christians have a problem with their thinking……then we are called bigots. We are smeared in both the press and the social media.  But we can take that. We shouldn’t be surprised at the public “persecutions” that will follow.  Those of us who are called “Bible Bangers” are targeted.  After all God….loves us all and takes us just as we are…right?  No problem with that except, He also set up certain restrictions.  He abhors fornicators, adulterers, homosexuals, drunkenness, etc etc.  You can read the list for yourself. (1 Cor. 6:9)

Those who profess God’s love only, over and above his commandants… are doing great harm to those who regard their aberrant and immoral behavior as just part of who they are! However, when God has stated that a certain behavior is listed in his “don’ts” then we need to listen.  That’s part of repentance is it not? It is all part of our being sinful humans.  We make mistakes, we disobey the commandments and then we repent.  God’s Spirit within nudges us… We ask forgiveness…..first to those we have wronged and then pray for God’s help with our problem.

A world without the Judeo/Christian value system becomes a humanistic society. Progressivism is a worldview fundamentally based on the philosophy of humanism.  Humanism is based on atheism or agnosticism. This means either there is no God or else He has no concern for human affairs.  Therefore it is up to humans to make their own rules for life.  And we make these rules up as we go along.

Also this philosophy believes that mutually exclusive claims of truth can all be true at the same time!  “What’s true for you may not be true for me.” In other words, there are many roads that lead to God…….Hinduism, Buddhism, Islam, Voodoo etc. all lead us down the same path. If there is a God then Christianity is not the only road. However, 1st Timothy 2:3-6 says: “For there is one God and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, gave himself as a ransom for all…..” Jesus came to save mankind as the perfect sacrifice for our sins.

Since the progressive mindset is now invading our society how does it impact our Churches? Can’t we just go to worship….shut the doors and leave the world outside.  Not so fast. Will our very worship centers be impacted?  What if you want to send your children to a Christian school?

From the Orange County Register I just read an article by Joel Kotkin.(July 1^st 2016).  “California’s legislature has introduced a bill that would forbid religious universities and schools from discriminating against students, faculty or administrators based on sexual orientation or gender identity….thus making it illegal for a conservative Christian school to turn away students or teachers who do not share its stated religious beliefs. Another bill “California Climate Science and Accountability Act of 2016” would enable the state to prosecute any individual or company that has challenged its orthodoxy on climate change. These proposed laws now insist there is only one correct and legal view on controversial issues, such as gender and bathrooms, racism, gay marriage and climate change.  A nation founded on free expression and respect for individual liberty is transitioning into a one party state where, increasingly, the rights of those who hold opposing views are being suppressed and ignored.”

It is just a question of time before the Federal government also will be mandating who is teaching in our Christian colleges and universities. Will our churches come next? What about churches who have schools within their buildings? Will our donations for church work now be taxable? Hiring practices of our staff, our teachers? Transsexual bathrooms and locker rooms?

Not too long ago, we had reverence for the things of God. Today, open sacrilege is the norm, especially in the popular culture.  We think we can make up our own truth instead of submitting to the truth of Scripture.

Such fantasy is ultimately the path to destruction, which will most certainly be visited on us should we not turn back to God in humility and repentance. If we are to survive as a nation, we must submit ourselves to God’s instructions for righteous living and rebuild a society whose values reflect the truths of the one true God.

Christian……the fight is up to you!!!

Did Jesus Have a Resume?

Every professional person who ever has applied for a job needs a resume with references , academic achievements and credentials as well as experience in their particular field of endeavor.  So does Jesus have a resume and why would He need one?  Although He never admitted to being the Messiah directly, everything He did…..the miracles, the healings as well as the words He spoke…. gave Him the authority of God.  We, living in the 21^st century have access to the whole of Scripture.  We can reference and cross reference and  search out the fulfillment of God’s plan for humankind.

Those living in the time of the Lord needed references also. Many men claimed to be the Promised One but they failed to bring about the promise of peace to world, destroying evil and restoring wholeness to the land.  The Romans were still there occupying Israel, which was all part of God’s promise to Abraham.

Many of the early rabbis were unable to accept Jesus. First of all, He had never been to rabbinic school. He didn’t come from a prominent family and in fact was a Galilean not born in Jerusalem.  Worse still, Jesus was by all accounts a mamzer, a child born out of wedlock. This would be blight on his family for ten generations!  It didn’t matter that Isaiah had predicted that a virgin would conceive a child who would be named “God with us” (Immanuel). Virgin birth was rather a pagan concept also and only the stuff of legends and myths about demigods.

Jesus, however, did have a resume. His resume was actually God-given to those early  prophets, and kings.  Jesus said that “The Father who sent me. has testified of me…the works that my Father has given me to accomplish—the very works that I do—testify about me, that the Father has sent me.” (John 5:36-38).  He told the scribes…. “You search the scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; yet it is these that testify of me.” (John 5:39).

It was for this reason that when the disciples of John the Baptizer came to Jesus asking. “Are you the Expected One, or shall we look for someone else?” Jesus responded by saying, “Go and report to John what you see and hear…. the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the poor have the gospel preached to them. (Matt. 11:4-5).  For John the words were clear.  Jesus was appealing to the prophecy of Isaiah 61:1 to validate his mission.

In Luke (4:18-21) when Jesus is first starting His mission, He reads from Isaiah (61:1)…”The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the afflicted: He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to captives and freedom to prisoners.”  The Messianic Resume inscribed in the Hebrew Scriptures……..the Torah, the Prophets and the Sacred Writings…….was the same text that Jesus used to teach the Emmaus Road disciples the truth about himself. (Luke 24:13-27).

The “who, what, where and why” of Jesus’ resume is found solely in the pages of the Holy Scriptures. That is why He taught the words of God with all authority! Even the less educated could understand His parables and relate them to God’s Torah…..how to treat others, how to live according to God’s divine plan for man’s life, how to be a people that are pleasing to God.

No, the Romans still occupied the land, peace and goodwill were elusive and man’s dream of the great “Shalom” had not come…….but something greater was happening.  The cross and resurrection would prove that Jesus had indeed, defeated the forces of sin and death.  A New Age was beginning and will culminate in His return and all the forces of evil will be defeated.  There will be peace on earth and goodwill for all men.

Daniel, one of the greatest prophets of the Hebrew Scriptures predicted, ‘Then the sovereignty, the dominion, and the greatness of all the kingdoms will under the whole heaven will be given to the people of the saints of the of the Highest One; His kingdom will be an everlasting kingdom, and all the dominion will serve and obey Him.  This is the end of the matter” (Daniel 7:27-28)

The credentials of the Master were, impeccable. Those who believe upon Him, as the Scriptures have said, will be blessed of God, receive the gift of Ruach HaKodesh, ( The Holy Spirit) and will be included in God’s everlasting kingdom! How great is that!!

What is Success?

In my reading of the Hebrew Scriptures, or Old Testament, I notice many of the same character traits reappear in the New Testament.  Seems as though people are basically the same whenever, wherever we find them.  The same character faults seem to carry on through the ages.  Although, we now live in a high tech society, people are still chasing the same dreams and have the same ambitions as those of our ancestors.  Not all bad of course.

My theme for this blog is about “Success”. This can be viewed as a desirable trait as well as negative, depending on how one views success. Success is often measured in achievement; either what we ourselves have accomplished or that somehow “fate” has been kind to us. “Hey I just won the lottery!!! “ Is that success?  You might agree that it certainly is.  I would never have to work, I could help my family and friends, plus live a life of luxury and easy living….. although not necessarily in that order.

When reading the scriptures, I find the philosophy of the early cultures (now as well) was that rewards were meted out to certain people dependent upon their obedience to God. Of course God does want obedience. However, obedience is the result of love and reverence for God.  It is a matter of the heart…we love the Lord first and others as ourselves.

The twelve apostles of the Lord felt the same. They had traveled with Jeshua (Jesus), studied with Him as their rabbi, had  given up their professions, and were devoting three years of life away from family and friends, to follow their Messiah.  Surely there would be rewards for their faithfulness.  They hoped to achieve a bit of success in His Kingdom.  It was surely to come soon and they would be given places of honor.    Success was coming their way and they would walk in the honor parade!!

Jeshua told them on several occasions about His coming death, and resurrection. In their minds this meant that the restored Kingdom of God would come at last.  What had been destroyed by disobedience would now be replaced by the new and reclaimed Kingdom, where Jesus would reign as King and they of course would have places of honor.  He would reestablish the Jewish nation again… abolishing the hated Romans and bringing eternal bliss.  They would be judged according to their faithfulness.

Jeshua and His band are approaching Jerusalem, a few days before the joyous celebration of Passover. The Master takes His chosen Twelve aside to tell them for the third and final time how the story will unfold.”See we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be handed over the chief priests and the scribes and they will condemn him to death , then they will hand him over to the Gentiles, they will mock him and spit upon him and kill, him and in three days he will rise again “ (Mark 10:33-34).

The apostles struggle with this information….James and John ask a favor. They requested special places of prominence in the New Kingdom. All the disciples are vying for places of honor.  That’s the way the world thinks. They expected the New Kingdom to happen soon after His Resurrection.  However, Jesus answers with these words, “Whoever desires to be great among you will be your servant and whoever desires to be foremost will be a slave to all.”  Really..???  How does that work?  “Take up your cross and follow me.”  Isn’t that asking a bit much?  But, in fact He is telling us that life isn’t easy for the believer. We are to put aside our own desires for success as the world views success. It boils down to this. We are to serve others ahead of ourselves.

Success, like money is neutral…..neither good or bad in itself. It can be used in good or bad ways. The real value of success depends on the value of the goal, or desire, by which we measure it.  Jesus zeros in on success in his statement to the men ….to help them and us.  We are to redirect our natural desires about ourselves toward helping others. The goal is not elimination of self, as in eastern religions, but thinking less of self with our desires and more of service toward others empowered by the love of God.

Yes, on His second coming, Jesus will be bringing a New Kingdom. That’s part of the good news of the Gospel. Not only have our sins been forgiven but we will be invited into the New Kingdom as believers.  “There will be a new heaven a new earth. for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away.” (Rev. 21:1)  At one point in His life, Jesus himself stated that he did not know the day or hour when He would be returning but He will return!!

His final words to His disciples also must challenge us as well. Jesus teaches us that real success is not only about transcending personal desires, but giving of ourselves to helping others. This is the cost of our discipleship.……….and at some point might mean  our lives as well.  Are you and I up to the task?

SEEING IS BELIEVING

Cleopas and his companion had the sudden realization that the stranger who had conversed with them, eaten their food and expounded on the prophets and the sayings of Moses was truly the risen Messiah. They had actually broken bread with the risen Lord!

Luke says their eyes were opened while he was at the table with them. (24:31). He might have said the traditional Hebrew blessing “Blessed are you Oh, Lord, King of the Universe who brings forth our bread from the earth.” He related the promises of Scripture that actually revealed himself to be the risen Messiah. They knew the prophecies, they knew about the coming of the Promised One, but now every word fell into place.  The writings were true!  God’s words suddenly became alive and “burned” within them.   They had a spiritual awakening!

Although the sun had already set and the hour was late…….they could contain themselves no longer. They had to return to Jerusalem and tell Peter and the others that they too had been with the Lord and actually eaten a meal with him.

They did not reach the city until well after dark. It was evening on that day (John 20:19). The second day of the week and the second day of the counting of the omer had commenced (49 more days to Pentecost or Shauvot).  The two disciples had returned to the “safe” house in Jerusalem. The doors were shut where the disciples had hidden for fear of the authorities.  Perhaps they too could be convicted as being part of the conspiracy to cause rebellion.  Isn’t that how they “framed” Jesus?

They pounded on the door…”Let us in. We have seen the Risen Lord. He is alive!!!”  (my words)

Mark tells us that some of the disciples voiced their skepticism. “They did not believe them either”…. concerning the report of the Lord’s resurrection.  (16; 13)

Luke tells us that as they were talking about these things, the Lord miraculously appears. He said to them “Peace be to you. “ In Hebrew He would be saying “Shalom Aleichem.”  The word Shalom is actually a wonderful word and means much more than simply peace.  The word encompasses physical well being, prosperity, and spiritual health.  It’s a wonderful word and the Lord used it here.   He knew the indwelling of the Holy Spirit would fall on them shortly at Pentecost.

He also showed them his hands and feet………He wasn’t a spirit, even though he could miraculously appear. He was truly flesh and blood!  He chided them for thinking him to be only a ghost or a heavenly spirit.  He was actually hungry, asking them for food.  Can you picture the looks on their faces while they watched him eat?  They stared in absolute astonishment.  I also imagine they wanted to ask him all sorts of questions about death and life beyond.  However, He only told them about things they already knew but failed to realize.  He indeed had come to fulfill the promises of God.  Again he mentions, the Prophets, Moses, and the Psalms (Luke 24:44) He opened their minds to the real meaning of the Scriptures and His fulfillment as God’s Anointed One.  He was the great Redeemer of Israel and the world.

However, one of the apostles was not with them. Poor Thomas!  He wanted to believe but lacked the faith of others.  Surely it was only His spirit.  Dead men don’t rise……Do they???  But in the book of John we are told that Jesus did appear to all of them again…this time Thomas was there.  The Lord told Thomas to touch his hands and feet…..”See, it’s really me!” Thomas, falling down before him, made one of the most profound statements of faith in all of Scripture. “My Lord and My God!”

Seeing is believing ……..that is true. However, the Master said to us…….”Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”

                                                                Jesus  Incognito

Two disciples were on their way to Emmaus from Jerusalem. Their village was only a short distance away.  They were slowly and painfully walking back home after witnessing the tragedy of the day before.  They were confused, discouraged, depressed and somewhat fearful.  Their beloved Master had been crucified.  What were they to think?  They along with hundreds of others had come to believe that this man was the Chosen One of God.  That He really was the promised Messiah and would free the land from their Roman oppressors, bring peace to the world and usher in a new kingdom.  Now all of that had ended at the cross.

They had heard the report of Simon Peter and John as well as some women, that the Master’s tomb was empty. There was talk that an angel had appeared to the women but women aren’t to be believed.  They are full of tales and stories.  The two men didn’t know what to make of it all.  They argued over the details of what the Master had told them while He was still alive.   They were trying to piece the incongruous pieces together.

There, suddenly, appeared with them another man. They didn’t seem to recognize him.  Mark says that Jeshua (Jesus) appeared in a different form (16:12).  Cleopas and his friend, simply assumed this man to be another Pilgrim who had attended the Passover celebration in Jerusalem and was returning home. Some say that their eyes were blinded because of unbelief that Jesus had risen. However, Luke says ( 24:16) that their eyes were prevented from recognizing him.  The Jewish reading of the text says that God prevented their eyes from recognizing Him.

Jesus comes on the scene….not as a spirit, an angel, or in a vision. He comes in flesh and bones but in a different form.  Also remember that the Mary Magdalene didn’t recognize Him either.  She thought He was the gardener.  The disciples, fishing on the lake, mistook Him as a stranger on the shore, and even as they ate with Him they did not dare ask Him who He was!  They intuitively knew it was the Master but they didn’t recognize Him visually.  Jesus was able not only transcend time and space but also could change his appearance.

So what does this mean? I haven’t reached any firm conclusions, but only that Jesus came back in a living form……real flesh and real bones.  Is this how we will be in the heavenly realm?  Although we don’t see Him now…….”For now we see through a glass darkly, but then face to face: now I know in part but then I shall know, even as I am known.” (1 Cor. 13:12)