This week we start a journey through what has been called “The Loveliest Book”. I have always been thankful for the wealth of study aids available in our highly digital world but that fact has always added to the great amount of thanks I feel toward the early writers and theologians and men of the faith who over the years have provided us with these wonderful works of Biblical inspired writings. The very first thing I want to do is to acknowledge two of my primary sources of reference for this blog. 

 William Barclay’s Daily Bible Study… 

Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary  

It is my intention to make this blog the first in a series about the Book of Luke. This is a book of lovely thoughts and the delightful fact that it was accepted as written by Luke without question. That’s important to me because most of the New Testament books face some questions about the authorship. We start with the amazing fact that Luke was a Gentile, he is as a matter of fact the only New Testament writer who was not a Jew. That he was a doctor by profession, (Colossians 4: 14)  helps to explain his extraordinary sympathy for all people. Much of his time was spent seeing people at their worst, seeing people just as they are and loving them all. The Book of Luke was written to a man named Theophilus who it appears has shown an interest in Jesus and his ministry. (Like 1:1-4)

The Biblical symbol for Luke is the calf…an animal of sacrifice. In Luke’s eye he saw Jesus as a sacrifice for the whole world. Jesus was a barrier breaker. No longer would there be Jew, Gentile, sinner or saint Jesus was the Savior for the whole world.  Luke was a careful writer, his Greek was good and overall his work is the result of careful research. A little more about Luke and his writing, he was a trusted traveling partner of Paul and was in a position of having met all the great figures of the Church. His background speaks to his being well informed and while Paul was imprisoned in Caesarea, Luke was with him for two years. It would not be that difficult to believe that Luke had many questions for Paul and also an opportunity for study and research. An example of the care he took in his desire to be accurate was the fact that he had no fewer than six dates with which to assign the date of the emergence of John The Baptist. He writes with great care choosing to be as accurate as possible. 

Some Hard Facts

Theophilus, was as Luke, a Gentile and it is agreed that there would be nothing about the gospel that a Gentile could not understand. Luke does not make the connection as strongly as others that Jesus was the fulfillment of Jewish prophecy. There are a couple of other interesting points…rarely does he quote the Old Testament and he was known to insert Greek as a substitute for the Jewish equivalent, this so that the Greeks would understand. He also never used the Jewish term Rabbi, preferring a Greek word meaning Master. Matthew traced the lineage of Jesus back to Abraham, founder of the Jewish race but Luke traced instead to Adam…the founder of the human race. His style of writing because of these and other points made his book the easiest of all the gospels to read. Luke wrote for all people, everyday folks like us. You could say that Luke’s gospel is one of prayer. Luke shows us how at all the great moments in the life of Jesus he prayed. To Luke the door to prayer was always open to take us closer to God, the Father. As standing would go, women in Palestine were at the bottom of the pole so to speak. In their prayers in the morning Jewish men would thank God for not having made them a Gentile, Slave or Woman. In the gospel of Luke women are given a very special place. The story of the birth of Jesus is told from Mary’s perspective. It is very plain that Luke has given special status to women…we read of Elizabeth, Anna, the widow at Nain and the woman that washed and anointed Jesus’ feet in the home of Simon the Pharisee. Luke gives us a vivid picture in words of Martha, Mary and Mary Magdalene. Luke’s gospel is most certainly one of praise. Luke’s praising of God occurs often, in fact more than in any of the rest of the New Testament.

The most outstanding thing about the Book of Luke is that it presents us with a universal gospel. The barriers are down. Luke presents us with a Jesus Christ that belongs to and is for all the people, no one is excluded. 

F. W. Faber wrote the lines: 

There’s a wideness in God’s mercy, Like the wideness of the sea; 

There’s a kindness in his justice, Which is more than liberty. 

For the love of God is broader
Than the measures of man’s mind; 

And the heart of the Eternal Is most wonderfully kind. 

Luke’s gospel is a demonstration that this is true.

I hope you will join me next week as we look at the first chapter of Luke’s Gospel.

Life is Good

jk

How can you overcome or persevere through the uncertainty of these days? There are many stories of God’s people from the flood to this day who have stayed the course throughout the Old and New Testaments. The example of Jesus, our Lord and Savior and the power of God’s grace can be found in Hebrews, chapter twelve.  

In verses 1-11 the example of Christ is set forth, and the presence of God in all the sufferings believers endured, let’s start there. Their perseverance and obedience of faith in Jesus Christ challenges the Jews that believe with only two very real choices through which they will either win the crown of glory or find themselves in everlasting misery. That same race is very much a part of our world today. Sin is the most prevalent factor to how poorly or well we run the race, with no exception for whom it impedes…we are all susceptible to our own personal sin. If our own personal sin is not put away it will hinder our ability to run the Christian race. It weakens our will and gives power to every discouragement that can come against us. It is human nature to tire easily and fall short of our goal of winning this race we are in, even if it is only figuratively speaking, it is a test of our spiritual and faith endurance. Life and its every day trials can leave us faint and take from us the urgency of this race we are running. We must focus on Jesus and the agony of the cross, all he did for us and allow it to strengthen our resolve. We must think of him in our everyday life and activities and understand how small they are in comparison to that of Christ; or even others among us. We should remember as it has been written…he will never place more on us than we can bear. I am one that believes there’s such a thing as Divine chastisements, brought on my our earthly sins. Never make light light of these afflictions as they may well be the hand and rod of God…They are his rebukes for our sins. We may look around and wonder why others seem to sin and there seems to be no accountability for them. Take heart because God always corrects the sins of his children, he is our Heavenly Father and all correction is for our profit. Our God is not a God of condemnation, he is a God of restoration.We must learn to consider the afflictions brought on us by the malice of men and or our own sin, as corrections sent by our wise and gracious Father, for our spiritual good.

What next? Attitude perhaps…It is an understood fact that the burden of sin and its weight upon our mortal souls can cause us to falter, stumble and be with little spirit for the days ahead also leaving us in discouragement. The writer of Hebrews gives us some sound advice to keep us in the race and on course. Faith, patience and diligence allows us to follow our calling and run the race with assurance of God’s abundant grace. We must be at peace with all people in our pursuit of holiness. When we fail to seek this peace and comfort of God’s grace, sin can creep in and sins of the past can find renewal in our weakness and then comes the falling away from the commitment we have made. There are many that desire the blessing but are unwilling to do what is necessary to obtain them. We must never lose the truth that God never severs anyone from the blessing but he will not join such blessing to those whose goal in this life is to satisfy their own lusts.

Mount Sinai / Mount Zion

Sinai, associated in Jewish thought with Moses from whom God gave the Ten Commandments…concerning outward and earthly things. The Holy Law as given from Mount Sinai was to be feared and revered with no exceptions. Without a Savior even the most holy must despair, if judged by the holy law given from Sinai. The gospel church is called Mount Zion; there believers have clearer views of heaven, and find comfort for their souls. Scripture tells us that all children of God are heirs and have the privileges of the first born. There is a natural barrier that is present for all who still have a lingering eye for the lusts of this present world, whose pride and questionable behavior toward others would surely find themselves uncomfortable among these people. There is a word here for those whose life is beset with sin, it is the Covenant between God and the people, the Mediator being Jesus Christ. This covenant is intended to bring all people together and to God. It is sealed with the blood of the cross, shed for our sins and is freely given to those who repent. The blood of Christ speaks on behalf of sinners, asking not for vengeance but for mercy. This scripture encourages us not to refuse his gracious call and offered salvation.

God speaks to us from heaven, with infinite tenderness and love with the assurance of salvation. How can we turn from God who so longs for our reconciliation, that we may receive his everlasting love and blessings? There is grace in God’s judgement of his children and you may be assured that there will be righteous judgment of those who ignore his Law. In closing let it be made clear that our God is the same God under the gospel as under the law. The inheritance is assured to those who believe and with grace and perseverance run the race. Let us seek for grace, that we may serve God with reverence and godly fear.

Life is Good

jk

My Pastor recently completed a sermon series on temptation in the context of living in today’s world. After some study I found that these verses in Luke Four are helpful in understanding what one commentator described as “ the most sacred of stories, for it can have come from no other source than Jesus’ own lips.” (William Barclay, DBS) From a secular view we acknowledge that a great leader must select the method by which he / she will lead. We know from the opening verses that Jesus has chosen the way of suffering, rejecting the way of power and glory. We know that temptation did not come through earthy failings and the tempter was none other than the Devil himself. One of the odd facts here is that the temptations described are only a test for a person who would have the powers and ability to be tempted by them. An ordinary person would know they could not and there would be no need to even be tempted by that which they had no ability to do. Jesus had the power to do such and chose not to.

It’s almost like a play being played out on the largest stage available…God’s creation of earth… The scene being set in the wilderness, on the central plateau, the backbone of southern Palestine. Between it and the Dead Sea stretched a terrible wilderness, thirty-five by fifteen miles consisting of hills of dust heaps and limestone which appeared to be blistered  and peeling Everywhere the rocks were bare and jagged, terrible heat and then  large cliffs that were 1200 feet high which dropped straight down to the Red Sea. Here among this terrible devastation Jesus was tempted. This was a terrible place that Jesus deliberately went to and for forty days wrestled with how he would go about his father’s work. It would be a long hard task and would not end till the cross. The first temptation was to turn stones into bread

Throughout the rough ground lie little bits of limestone that looked just like loaves of bread. 

Deuteronomy 8:3

3 He humbled you, causing you to hunger and then feeding you with manna, which neither you nor your ancestors had known, to teach you that man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord.

The devil put Jesus high up on a mountain from which all the world could be seen. The devil told Jesus that through evil he had the minds of the people… strike a deal with me now and compromise a little and they will follow you…all this could be yours.” Jesus as always, even in his ministry to come answered with scripture. 

Deuteronomy 

6:13 Fear the Lord your God, serve him only and take your oaths in his name

10:20 Fear the Lord your God and serve him. Hold fast to him and take your oaths in his name. 

Jesus would not worship the devil for he knew there could be no compromise when fighting evil. People are constantly being won over by compromising with the standards of the world. The temptation to compromise has led many to sin.

Now the third and final temptation from the fourth chapter of Luke …9 The devil led him to Jerusalem and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. “If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down from here. 10 For it is written:

“‘He will command his angels concerning you
to guard you carefully;

11 

they will lift you up in their hands,
so that you will not strike your foot against a stone. ”

12 Jesus answered, “It is said: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’ 

13 When the devil had finished all this tempting, he left him until an opportune time.

Now let’s revisit these temptations. The devil knew the powers of Jesus and he suggested that he use those to provide material things as a bribe to get people to follow him.There is in our society today the attitude of “what’s in it for me”. The sad fact is that many of us have allowed the accumulation of stuff  to influence many of our life decisions, marginalizing our relationship with God.

  Secondly the art the compromise, or bargaining with the devil…Compromising by lowering our standards to be in line with the worlds and societies acceptance of the many cultural changes that challenge our ability to live a Godly life.

The devil is a persistent adversary…thus the third temptation put before Jesus. The devil took Jesus to the pinnacle of the Temple from where there was a drop of some 450 feet. We know of times even among his disciples in the early ministry a need for some sort of sign, something sensational…in a layman’s term , a real confirmation for them and the people; a sensational moment. Jesus refused once again turning to scripture. How often do we see or may even have experienced what we thought to be a need for more. How often have we turned to programs, real attention getters to bring people into the church? Jesus knew that sensationalism would never last. Latter in his ministry he would reveal who he was by telling the woman at the well that he had the “living water” drink of it and you will never thirst again. Jesus knew that God was all they would ever need and through his Son Jesus Christ they would have just that.

Our service to Christ might lead to the cross but then the crown.

Life is Good

jk

A rather odd instruction resulting from a bible study group I am in. As we studied the introduction to this book, we came to a point that required a simple answer. We were well into the introduction when the question was posed… “at this point in our study what would be a simple description of the state of things for these people and this time?” The one I liked best was an old cliche of back in the day… “the worlds going to hell in a handbasket.”  Thus the blog this week is to encourage you to “stay out of the basket.” For a long period of time as the early church came into its own Christians and those who professed their faith in Christ were not on the radar of the Roman Empire…they were classified as being religiones licitae, one of the permitted religions. As was the custom at that time Roman toleration was very wide, and that any religion which did not affect public morality and civil order was certain to be permitted. In the early days of Christianity Judaism was considered a religio licita, at that time the Romans did not know the difference between Judaism and Christianity. Christianity was under no threat because of the lack of knowledge that was available to Rome. The Romans just assumed it was a cult within Judaism. Nero changed all that with some help from some Jews. At first Nero blamed the fires in Rome on the Christians…then discovering that Judaism and Christianity were different, via some influential Jews, he then pursued a different way. This Christian cult was then declared a new and separate religion. The result was that Christianity became at once a prohibited religion, and immediately every Christian by definition automatically became an outlaw. Bible scholars agree that 1 Peter was written to people who were living in troubled times and facing the prospect of worse times to come. They are encouraged to stay steady in their endurance and to remain pure in their character. One thing we can note that the second coming of Christ is in the very front of their concerns and it was believed to be soon. In the first few verses there are a few things right off that will keep the Christian out of the basket. The scriptures listed are from 1 Peter unless noted otherwise:

 Those who keep the faith will be saved from the coming judgment (1:7). 

Christians are to hope for the grace which will come at the revelation of Jesus Christ (1:13). 

The day of visitation is expected (2:12). 

The end of all things is at hand (4:7). Those who suffer with Christ will also rejoice with Christ when his glory is revealed (4:13). 

I find that sometimes you can be overwhelmed by scripture and on this particular blog subject that would be an understatement. The first point to be made here is…“the worlds going to hell in a handbasket” needs no great number of words to justify this as being true…a bit crude…but true from the Christian point of view.

The second being the Day of Judgement… 

The thing we sometimes miss in my opinion is that this Day of Judgement will be all-inclusive, the earth its people and all within it will be accountable.

Again, you could fill a lot of pages with the sins of man but it is just simpler to ask…have you lived a Godly life, Christ led, filled with the Holy Spirit and faithful submission to His will?

Third point, That Basket that is headed to hell. How do you stay out of it?  2 Timothy 4: 1-5

 In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom, I solemnly urge you: 2 proclaim the message; be persistent whether the time is favorable or unfavorable; convince, rebuke, and encourage, with the utmost patience in teaching. 3 For the time is coming when people will not put up with sound doctrine, but having itching ears, they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own desires, 4 and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander away to myths. 5 As for you, always be sober, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, carry out your ministry fully.

To close this blog I refer you back to last week…

 Colossians 3:11-17

11 Here there is no Gentile or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all.12 Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. 13 Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. 14 And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.15 Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. 16 Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts. 17 And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

It matters not at what point this world is…Prepare yourself…Stay Out of The Basket 

Life is Good

jk 

I recently experienced this rather odd affliction and it made a lasting impression on me. Everything spinning out of control, loss of direction…nothing to hold onto, your balance is gone and you are unable to stand on your own and your sense of direction is gone. On reflection it occurred to me that there are times in our lives that we experience a spiritual vertigo. Balance in our daily lives would be our ability to react to different circumstances and deal with the many differences in life in a Godly manner. No matter who you are there are things that affect your ability to keep things balanced. There are so many issues today, to name just a few…issues between men and women, cultures, social positions, education, religious beliefs, work…How do you balance all of these factors and some not listed or thought of and maintain a balanced life? It is really hard to answer that question. Consider this…Finding a spiritual balance will not only provide an answer to this question but will allow you to lead a full and balanced life as well. 

 Ok, how do we describe Spiritual Balance? One concern might be perceptions of other christians as to the balance in our lives concerning God, Jesus Christ and biblical teachings. Most all of us would agree that the Sabbath, the holy days, tithing and God’s Kingdom, all these are basic things we can believe in but each individuals conception of them will differ. Most of these differences will be based on personal beliefs and past experiences.

Puzzling and in some respect sad but even how a person perceives God is often based more on past religious experiences, bypassing actual biblical revelations. Many of us see God as an untouchable being and remote, disinterested and uninvolved in the life of his people…nothing could be farther from the truth. So the first point of a spiritually balanced life would be a strong relationship with God. Biblically speaking references to balance, the word as we know it are few and subtle at best. In Hebrew the word translated refers to a pair of scales or balances. In New Testament Greek the word means to join together…yoke. Simply speaking in a symbolic way, a spiritual way, it is used as an emblem of justice and fair dealing. 

Proverbs 16:11 A just balance and scales are the LORD’s; all the weights in the bag are his work.

Second Point….He must always be the standard by which we measure everything. Only God and his character are a true balance. I am going to move on to Point Three…which just happens to be Colossians Chapter 3.  as a way to gain that balance we need to live an abundant life. Real balance in our lives starts with our relationship with God and Christ. Turning away from our old ways that we might not be dragged back into our sinful ways…regaining and maintaining the proper balance in life, through God and Jesus Christ.We become a new person, replacing the old with the new…The new being the righteous character of  Jesus Christ, fully applied to our new person. In verses 11-17 Paul writes about this new person, he writes of tender mercies the benchmarks of his renewed soul. Kindness, humbleness, meekness, long suffering and extending forgiveness to others. 

Colossians 3:11-17

11 Here there is no Gentile or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all.12 Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. 13 Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. 14 And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.15 Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. 16 Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts. 17 And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

This is Christian Balance, when the realization comes to us that God is the final, just and faithful judge of all things. Through God and Christ we will be led to the joy of a balanced life making proper and Godly decisions. Remember – John 10:10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly. There is a power in the word that brings balance in our lives.

Life is Good

jk