Most of the faith community is by now deep into the Lenten Season. There are numerous writings and commentaries that address this event, for me the Bible tells it best. So…here The Rest of The Story. While the ministry of Jesus covered a great area there is a little circle of great importance to us and certainly was to Jesus, His disciples and friends and family, that somehow get lost in the torrent of words and the history involved to tell the story. These are the three cities that held a prominent place in those closing days of Jesus’ ministry. Jerusalem of course has always been at the forefront but these next two are simply mentioned as points of passing in the story. Those being Bethphage and Bethany. We start with Bethany about a mile or so from Jerusalem on the road to Jericho at the Mount of Olives and the home of Mary, Martha and Lazarus. It had earned the name of the Judean home of Jesus as it is recorded he preferred to stay there rather than in Jerusalem. It was here that Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead and being so close to Jerusalem the word spread quickly to the Pharisees at a time when they were much disturbed by his growing influence among the people. It was here also that another event of huge import took place… The Ascension…Luke 24:50,51…And he led them out as far as to Bethany, and he lifted up his hands, and blessed them. And it came to pass, while he blessed them, he parted from them, and was carried up into heaven.”

Now as in all writings of the time there are always other opinions and in this case exact location of Bethany is no exception. What is certain to a reasonable degree is that these events brought this somewhat obscure little place into history. As we move on from Bethany here is a small tidbit as to location taken from got questions.org

“Bethany is today el `Azareyeh (“the place of Lazarus”-the L being displaced to form the article). It is a miserably untidy and tumble-down village facing East on the Southeast slope of the Mount of Olives, upon the carriage road to Jericho. A fair number of fig, almond and olive trees surround the houses. The traditional tomb of Lazarus is shown and there are some remains of medieval buildings, besides rock-cut tombs of much earlier date.”

Now  Bethphage, in Aramaic “place of young figs near the Mount of Olives and to the road from Jerusalem to Jericho; mentioned together with Bethany is about a Sabbatical distance from East of Jerusalem,(1/2 mile) and was surrounded by some kind of wall. One distinction the city has is recorded in Matthew 21:1-4 KJV

1 And when they drew nigh unto Jerusalem, and were come to Bethphage, unto the mount of Olives, then sent Jesus two disciples, 2 Saying unto them, Go into the village over against you, and straightway ye shall find an ass tied, and a colt with her: loose them, and bring them unto me. 3 And if any man say ought unto you, ye shall say, The Lord hath need of them; and straightway he will send them. 4All this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet 

In moving on from Bethphage here is another small tidbit from bible.org. Dr. Barclay thought that he had found its site on the rocky s.w. spur of Olivet, a few hundred yards s. of the road from Jerusalem to Jericho. It is shown on Osborn’s map of Jerusalem.

Jerusalem, the beginning, where the question of His divinity is answered and the world gets its first glimpse of Christianity…and the road to salvation.I was amazed at the mixture of both fact and tradition as to the “City On The Hill” one name for it, most Christians of the day know it as Jerusalem. We have spent a few words understanding the role that Bethphage and Bethany played on the road to Jerusalem, now what about Jerusalem or Zion?  Matthew 23:37 KJV  “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets and stones them that are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!

Most folks of the faith know well the role of this city not only in the life Jesus but also in Jewish history and through the years to come it will become a location of different religions and cultures. I felt like I had opened an area of extensive history and that as a layman I was overwhelmed. So… keep it simple and to the point. Zion, a name applied to Jerusalem, or to certain parts of it, at least since the time of David. There is a suggestion in Arabicas to a visual meaning that fits it location…”ridge of a mountain” or “citadel,” which at any rate suitably applies to what we know to have been the original Zion.(Bible Atlas).  In keeping this simple there are at least five more reasons that we can accept Zion as Jerusalem. The Bible evidence that Zion originally occupied this site is clear. The biblealtas.org also adds this… ZION, literally it was the largest southern hill of Jerusalem, but sometimes the word was used to mean the whole city. See Sion.

It has been said about a journey that it is what happens along the way that matters… Jesus knew where this journey would take him and we see in these towns so often overlooked that the Father had prepared the way for his Son. May God bless all the journeys in your life and may the paths always lead to Him.

Life is Good

jk

Here are two verses of scripture that many of us over the years have not fully understood. You might say we have grabbed the “wrong end of the stick”. From the KJV are the two verses:

Matthew 18:19–20 KJV Again, I tell you, that if two of you agree upon earth upon any matter for which you are praying, you will receive it from my Father who is in heaven. Where two or three are assembled together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.

Using various commentary there seems to be the agreement that if we take these two verses literally, without curtain qualification, there is a highly reasonable opinion that it is untrue in the largest sense of the word. We are not setting out to disprove scripture but rather to amplify the meaning, which truly adds to the promises of God and strengthens the covenant between He and his people. There have been countless times two people have come together to pray for the healing and spiritual growth of others and in a real sense it was not answered as they might have expected. Many pray desperately for the conversion of the unbelievers, the coming of the Kingdom and yet to this day those prayers have not been fully answered. One commentary even goes as far to say,“there is harm in teaching people to expect what does not happen.” We do an injustice to scripture in refusing to face the facts of the situation. When we seek to probe through prayer and the writings of past saints we find a depth of comfort and a renewal in our strength to continue our walk of faith. Consider this… If we are selfish in our prayers we will not find an answer. Add these interesting factors to that.

-we should not pray only for our own needs, selfishness is not in the character of our God

-consider this, one basic truth of unselfish prayer… it is always answered but the truth is that we will not always receive the answer we want but the answer will be that which God in his wisdom and his love knows to be best for us and all concerned. 

-we all have fears, hopes and desires and many times our prayers are for escape from difficult situations, sorrow or disappointment. Through the power of prayer and wisdom of God we are able endure those things we don’t understand or just simply overwhelm us. As an example of this Barclay writes that the best example of this is Jesus praying at Gethsemane. Jesus prayed to be released from the terrible situation that lie ahead for Him…He was not but the Father gave Him the power to meet it,  to endure and to conquer it. We must as Christians come to understand that God does answer prayers…however the answer will always be His, not necessarily ours. Jesus made a great promise, that where two or three are gathered in his name, he is there in the midst of them. Two points here for us to consider.

-first the Church, it would not be wrong to say that God is just as present in a small congregation as a large mass meeting. God is just as present at meeting in a crowded arena as at a local bible study or prayer group of just a few of the faithful.The presence of God does not look first at the numbers but among those of a faithful heart, regardless of number.

-one early interpretation of these words was that the words refers to home…father, mother and child. God is there an unseen guest in every home of faith. 

It does not require a great occasion for God, every occasion where even two or three are gathered in his name is a great occasion. Prayer is truly the engine that fuels faith…

Life is Good

jk

One of the universal traits of mortals is the need to be wanted, to have a purpose, some sense of meaningful existence. I will go out on a limb here and say most civilizations throughout history have always believed that for everything there is a place and for everything a purpose. 

Proverbs 16:4 KJV

4 The Lord hath made all things for himself: yea, even the wicked for the day of evil.

Ephesians 2:10 KJV

10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.

I do believe that God has a purpose and a plan for each and everything He has created. Today we ask the question what is the purpose of Christianity? Wikipedia puts it this way, “The core Christian belief is that through belief in and acceptance of the death and resurrection of Jesus, sinful humans can be reconciled to God, and thereby are offered salvation and the promise of eternal life.” I was amazed as I moved around the internet of the difference of opinions given in response to this basic question. Quora answers the question in this manner…“The main purpose of Christianity is to bring people into a personal relationship with God through faith in Jesus Christ.” Can’t find anything here to disagree with. I found close to thirty definitions of the Purpose of Christianity all having in common one central point…all life begins with God and ends with God. From the time of creation until the Day of The Lord our purpose in this life is entwined with God, the creator of all life. If we define purpose we find it described as the reason for which something is done or created or for which something exists. Merriam-Webster, “The meaning of PURPOSE is something set up as an object or end to be attained.” As Christians, What is our purpose? To what end were we created gotquestions.org, one of my favorite go to sites says simply “for His pleasure.”

Revelations 4:11…

“Worthy are you, our Lord and God,

to receive glory and honor and power,

for you created all things,

and by your will they existed and were created.”

Colossians 1:16

16 For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him.

To answer the question what is our purpose as Christians is also a simple answer; we owe God a life that is a living sacrifice. We do this through our tithes, offerings, gifts, time, talents, possessions and might I add “in the pew” in the Lord’s House. That my friends brings us back to the Church and the Pew.

Matthew 18:20 KJV

20 For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.

I will close on this note. There is more to this simple verse in Matthew 18. Join me in the Pew next week for a little known translation of this verse.

Life is Good 

jk  

Listen to God and inquire of His word to you. In 2 Chronicles 35:20-27 Josiah did not. While the Scripture does not condemn Josiah’s conduct in opposing Pharaoh, Josiah seems to deserve blame for not inquiring of the Lord after he was warned. It is true that the people Josiah went out to meet in battle were a wicked people but some theologists suggest Josiah’s death might have been a rebuke for his rashness. As we progress through this Lenten Season and hopefully are working toward a closer relationship with Christ may we listen carefully to God’s word. We know that Christ was without sin and His life among us was one of faith, and obedience and heeding the word of the Father. Simple lesson here is, agree or disagree with Josiah’s conduct, it would be in our best interests to Listen to what God has to say.

Consider this…Isaiah 55:6-13

In this chapter of Isaiah, the prophet writes to remind us of God’s gracious offers of pardon and peace. During this time his word is calling out to us it would be wise to heed the call…Isaiah has a warning for us… God wants to be part of our life, we must not ignore His call, there will be a day when he can’t be found.There may come such a time in this life and it is certain that at death and judgment the door will be shut. Consider this…we must repent, more than just a simple change of our ways, it must be one of our heart and mind. It could well mean that we have to alter our judgements toward people and things. Some time in the past a President, Jimmy Carter to be exact, recounted that it was not enough to put aside evil but we must also put it out of our minds. There are verses that encourage us to think of only the good things of life, put aside those things that are not Godly. I was drawn to these scriptures verses from Isaiah 55…

6 Seek the Lord while He may be found, Call upon Him while He is near.7 Let the  wicked forsake his way, And the unrighteous man his thoughts; Let him return to the Lord, And He will have mercy on him; And to our God, For He will abundantly pardon. 8 “For My thoughts are not your thoughts,Nor are your ways My ways,” says the Lord. 9“For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your thoughts. 

We who have sinned and done much wrong can be assured that the God we serve can and will forgive all our sinful ways and behavior. We must heed the call to righteous living and not use His generous offer of mercy as an excuse to continue to sin. We are to be reminded that God’s thoughts concerning sin, Christ, and holiness, concerning this world, vastly differ from mans. The power of God’s forgiveness is that not only does he forgive our transgressions, He can and will forget them…we are unable to forget, a sign of our earthly personage. The power of God’s word lies in His protective love and grace for His people and is part of His very nature. The truth we find in the Word, the power of His Call produces a spiritual change in the minds of those who heed such. Will you heed the call? Will you listen to God?

Life is Good

jk