For the next few weeks, five to be exact, we will look at these and share a little about them with you. It is advised that first we must decide what method we wish to apply to arrive at the number of words.Should we count verses or actual number of words. Now the length of verses can differ quite a bit. We will get the best results  counting the words. We should consider if we count the number of words in English, Hebrew or Greek. The languages used to record God’s word were primarily Hebrew and Greek. 2 Timothy 3:16-17

16 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, 17 so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.

So using Hebrew or Greek our count puts the five shortest books of the Bible as follows…. 3 John, 219 words. 2 John, 245 words. The third shortest book of the Bible is Philemon with 335 words in Greek. The fourth shortest book of the Bible, and shortest book of the entire Old Testament, is Obadiah with 440 Hebrew words. The fifth shortest book of the Bible is Jude with a count of 461 words.

These facts were taken from gotquestions.com One of my favorite sites for biblical information. They also add this note and I pass it along to you…Special thanks goes to Logos Bible Software for making the determination of the shortest book of the Bible by Hebrew or Greek word count much easier.

Let’s take a closer look at this smallest of the books of the Bible. While 3 John does not say who is its writer and over time there has been some speculation it has always been attributed to the apostle John. It was preceded by 1 & 2 John, with all three having been written between A.D. 85-95.

All things have a purpose and a place…and so it is with 3 John. He writes to lift up his friend and co-worker Gaius.

(Gaius of Corinth. Paul baptized a man named Gaius in Corinth—one of only two he baptized there (1 Corinthians 1:14). Later, toward the end of his third missionary journey, when Paul wrote his Epistle to the Romans, he was staying in Gaius’s home, and Gaius is included in his greetings to the church in Rome (Romans 16:23).) …(*)

Gaius was involved in a ministry of helping itinerant messengers traveling from place to place to preach the Good News. He warns the people about the behavior of one Diotrephes, a dictatorial leader who had taken over a church in the province of Asia. Diotrephes behavior and thinking was directly opposed to that of the apostle and what his Gospel stood for. In 3 John he also commends Demetrius whom John had been receiving good testimony about.

Two Key Verses

3 John 4: “I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth.”

3 John 11: “Dear friend, do not imitate what is evil but what is good. Anyone who does what is good is from God. Anyone who does what is evil has not seen God.”

Gaius, is a layman of some wealth and distinction and lives in a city near Ephesus. John strongly stresses the importance of truth in the Gospel. He thanks him for his concern and care of those whose mission it is to take the Gospel from place to place. John encourages him to continue to do the good work of the Gospel and not to follow the example of Diotrephes. Examples of hospitality abound in Old Testament Israel.There was always a warm welcome extended to aliens into homes there where the were given food, lodging and protection***.

Short Summary For A Short Book

From John we learn that we should always walk in the truth of the Gospel and be aware of the needs of those around us, especially those of the faith. We should be discerning enough to be aware of those such as Diotrephes whose behavior is far from being like that which Jesus taught.

Life is Good

jk

*Got Questions

***  (Genesis 18:2-8, 19:1-8; Job 31:16-23, 31-32). 

The writers of the Gospels were as interesting as the historical events and people they wrote about. Their personalities, endurance and work in the faith are visible in their writings. We know little about Luke but the few facts we have trend on the impressive. We know he was a physician. He was the only Gentile, “Non-Jew” that in fact wrote two of the New Testament Books. Paul makes this fact about Luke clear in Colossians 4:1, “Luke not being one of the circumcision”. While Luke does not name himself in either of the books, Paul mentions him in three epistles. One interesting fact is that both Acts and Luke are addressed to the same person, Theophilus and the reason for the books Luke writes in Luke 1:4. We do not know who Theophilus was but we know he indeed existed. The popular theory is that because of the title used by Luke in writing to him is “Most Excellent Theophilus”…he most likely held a position of influence in the local government and was knowledgeable about the basics of the Christian doctrine. Someone had exposed him to it and it is possible he had some questions about the doctrine, however the bible does not tell us who Theophilus was. Luke was a close friend of Paul and frequently traveled with him, Paul referred to him as “the beloved physician” (Colossians 4:14). Luke was a man of facts… He was familiar with sailing and took note of various geographical details. These two facts are interesting because to keep up with Paul and his life and mission would require such ability and diligence. He would have also been able to meet, listen to and talk with some of the most important people of the Early Church. Luke was a well-educated, observant, and careful writer. Last thing…His style of writing was such that it resonated with the customs and language of the people of that day.

Luke writes about those things that are worthy of belief, the great events of the ministry of Jesus and the work of the early church. Both provide hope. There is the extra added bonus that these events have been recorded by those who were from the beginning eye-witnesses and ministers of the word, and who recorded them through Divine Inspiration.  

The book of Luke has often been referred to as  “A Lovely Book” Each Gospel has a sign…for Luke it is the calf.  In biblical times the calf was a symbol of sacrifice, Luke most likely equated the ministry of Jesus as the sacrifice to all the world. It is also the book in which all barriers between Jew and Gentile are broken down. After all is said and done…it is a book of credible information that bolsters the foundation of our faith. I hope you have enjoyed our little side trip for a quick look at Luke…

Luke 1:1-4

1 Inasmuch as many have taken in hand to set in order a narrative of those things which have been fulfilled among us, 2 just as those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word delivered them to us, 3 it seemed good to me also, having had perfect understanding of all things from the very first, to write to you an orderly account, most excellent Theophilus, 4 that you may know the certainty of those things in which you were instructed.

Life is Good 

jk

After the fall of Jerusalem in 70 C.E., the Romans turned their attention to stamping out the last of the rebels holding out at the fortresses of Herodium and Machaerus as well as in the “Forest of Jardes” (which has not yet been identified). The last remaining site occupied by the Jewish rebels was at Herod’s desert fortress-palace on the cliff-top of Masada. Led by Roman general Flavius Silva, the Legio X Fretensis—a veteran military unit—began the siege operation against the rebels in 72 or 73 C.E.

The spiritual heart of the Jewish nation was being destroyed and many of their leaders were dead. Those Jews left in positions of authority or leadership were either appointed by the Romans or influenced by the need to comply in order to survive. Only  five survived and they were women and children. The Jews at Masada had chosen to kill themselves rather than surrender to Roman Rule. You can read more about this at www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/Judaism/masada.html.

Those outside the Christian community seldom mention the persecution of Christians throughout the world. The sad fact is that this is not all that new but seems to have become more prevalent in recent years and of course the rapid sharing of information in this world of global communication has increased the level of awareness within the faith. We Christians here in the USA enjoy a religious freedom that we have become comfortable with and take for granted. We are like those frogs dumped into a pot of  water, which is then slowly brought up to a boil, by the time they realize they are in trouble it is to late. The Jewish nation was no match for the military might of the Roman Empire but I would suggest a much more serious problem that I am sure led to their demise. They had turned from God and sin and disobedience to God’s commands had become commonplace among the Jewish Leaders and the people. They had perverted God’s will and no longer sought to live a holy life, setting aside that which was written for those things and practices they coveted.

Masada was the last stand so to speak of Jews who would not yield to Roman Law and subjugation which leads me to an explanation of this blog title. We Christians are facing our “Masada” and like those frogs we contently lie in the water unaware that it will soon contribute to a crisis of faith. The issues facing Christianity today do not belong to just one denomination, for we all are part of the family of God, and we all are guilty. The issues are many but have one common thread. It is the willingness to interpret the word of God to meet the ever-changing morals of today’s society. Think about this. The only difference between a Christian and a non-believer is we go to church and they don’t. We go to many of the same places, watch the same movies, like to accumulate stuff and in most ways there is very little difference between us. We have been called out, we are to live Holy lives, we are to be different. I encourage each of you who read this to take the time to read and study God’s word and Law. Seek the guidance of the Holy Spirit through prayer and study and the only thing I will say in the way of instruction is simply this. When you study, study and read both Old and New Testament. We must stop yielding to the Caesars of this day in order to increase membership, marginalizing our Christian values because they make others uncomfortable and allowing ourselves to feel uncomfortable because our faith calls us to be different.

Every now and then I go back through the archives to find some material or just re-read a favorite. I am always reminded that things haven’t changed or in some cases gotten worse. Here is a post from years back…you be the judge of its value.

Life is Good

jk

This week we take a closer look at The Book of John. After a bit of research we see immediately that this forth Gospel is quite different from the other three due mainly to all that it omits as compared to the other three.  -No account of the Birth of Jesus -Nothing of his baptism or of his temptations -John does not write of the Last Supper, he does not share with us Christ’s agony in the Gethsemane and there is no writing of the Ascension -John completely omits any record or mention of the healing of people possessed by devils and evil spirits

One of the things I enjoy in biblical writings and records is missing completely in this book…there are none of the parable stories Jesus told and are part of the other three Gospels. These differences continue on. One being here in the fourth Gospel the speeches of Jesus are often a whole chapter long and  facts of the life and ministry of Jesus are often different from the other three. Another interesting difference is that in John’s Gospel most of Jesus’ ministry takes place in Judaea with occasional trips to Galilee. John puts Jesus in Jerusalem for Passover, cleansing of the Temple, for the Feast of the Tabernacles and The Feast of Dedication. It might be helpful to explain this feast.  The Feast of Dedication is another name for Hanukkah, an eight-day Jewish festival that commemorates the rededication of the Jewish Temple in Jerusalem in the 2nd century b.c.e. It usually occurs in December but can also happen in late November and can extend into January. (dictionary.com)

We find in reading the Fourth Gospel Jesus never left Jerusalem after that feast. This would have meant a stay of months there between that feast and the spring celebration of the Passover, at which time Jesus was crucified.

One of the wonderful things of this day would be the wealth of information available to the ordinary person…yes like me, a Layman who loves the word and wants to share it as much as I can.One more interesting observation. The other three Gospels note that Jesus and his ministry did not emerge till after the imprisonment of John the Baptist. In the Book of John some of the ministry of Jesus occurred during the activity of John the Baptist. We can continue to list other differences but I believe it would be better to simply wrap this up by leaving you to consider this…John writes of the first acts of Christ and the other three give an account of the latter part of his ministry. For seventy years John had many occasions to think about Jesus. We are so blessed to have this book. What a time that must have been. John saw what Jesus did, heard what he said and through the infilling of the Holy Spirit understood what he meant. John was the last of the Apostles to put to writing the glory of God’s Son as he walked among us.

John 16:12, 13 12 ‘I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. ¹³ When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth; for he will not speak on his own, but will speak whatever he hears, and he will declare to you the things that are to come.

Life is Good

jk

We see a disturbing trend today of an ever growing encroachment on how our children are raised, what they are taught and believe and it has gone as far as to question the creation of an individual. When little Johnny and Jane were created, some would have us believe that God made a mistake! 

Genesis 1 27 So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. 28 Then God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that [h]moves on the earth.” 

Proverbs 22:6  Train up a child in the way he should go, And when he is old he will not depart from it.

Proverbs, 22:6 implies that parents should with the guidance of God work to provide their child with proper guidance as to their own individuality and those gifts which are God given. We must take into account that there are times that parents overstep this tenet, making all the choices for their children… this can in some cases hurt the child, a good intention gone wrong. As parents we must strive to present an example of seeking God’s advice in our own lives before insisting they also do so in theirs. We must help them discover the tools they will need to seek God’s will in their lives. The goal here is to instill in them the faith that when you seek his will through prayer and study of the word, they will always remain on the right path. I have chosen to share with you the story of a Pharisees Son. Saul, a man who would eventually be confronted by Jesus on the Damascus Road and challenged about the treatment of the HIS people. Acts 9…3 As he journeyed he came near Damascus, and suddenly a light shone around him from heaven. 4 Then he fell to the ground, and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?”

5 And he said, “Who are You, Lord?” Then the Lord said, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting.

Saul’s father was a Pharisee, he was a member of an influential religious sect within Judaism in the time of Christ and the early church. They were known for their emphasis on personal piety (the word Pharisee comes from a Hebrew word meaning “separated”), their acceptance of oral tradition in addition to the written Law, and their teaching that all Jews should observe all 600-plus laws in the Torah, including the rituals concerning ceremonial purification. (gotquestions.org) We should acknowledge that the upbringing of a young Jewish boy would not in any way resemble that of most of the young of this day or our nation. For a strict Jew, there was only one way to go…the way of his father and his father’s father. Saul spoke to this at a later date, by now he had become Paul and was no longer his old self. How did he view his early home life? Here are his words from the book of Philippians 3:5 circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of the Hebrews; concerning the law, a Pharisee… Paul was first and foremost a Jew in heart and mind. There would have been as was the custom nothing but Jewish influence that touched him in his early childhood. HIs father would be his primary influencer and had the main responsibility of his childhood training. As part of his training he would be taught all the precepts, practice them at all times whether Biblical or Rabbinical and his father would be guarding against any forbidden act. Because his father was a Pharisee he would have accepted this awesome responsibility with total dedication to it. Saul would have grown up in a very strict home but the love of his family and the devotion of his father to his Godly upbringing would serve him well in the future. The practices of this new woke approach to life in general could never have prepared the soon to be Paul for what he would face later in life. There is always something we can learn from past times, people, cultures, successes and even failures. We must not allow ourselves to fall into the old trap of if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it, with God’s help we can always make it better. But, and it is a big but, we cannot continue to ignore and not learn from past failures which brings to The Pew’s mind…Our nations turn away from from God and the precept’s of living a Godly Life. This brings me back to Proverbs 22:6. 

Saul’s early life was not harsh but it was strict. Jewish Law condemned harshness in raising children. Children were considered a blessing from God and they were loved dearly. To the Jew the observance of the law and living a Godly life were the most important of all our earthly duties. There is no reason to not believe that Saul’s father might have been excessively strict due to his being a Pharisee but you can be sure even in that time this scripture would have been in his heart and mind. Ephesians 6:4…4 And you, fathers, do not provoke your children to wrath, but bring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord. So, what would Saul’s life been like?

-from his earliest understanding he would have been taught the ways of God

-he would be trained to respond AMEN and the other responses at synagogue as early as three or four years of age

-he would be saying the primary prayers of the Jews…morning, noon and night

-he would pray before and after every meal

The list is long and tedious. He would be attending the traditional feasts and by age five he would be reading scriptures. By his sixth birthday he would have started his education at the school of a Rabbi. After his sixth birthday he would be required to have memorize Deuteronomy 6:4-9, after that add Psalms 113-118. To our way of thinking this is a humongous task. Consider this…being a Jew was not just a religion, or a way of life it was the sum total of who you were, how you thought and what you felt. I can add more but I think the point is plain to see. He is in the process of learning for life, to prepare for the service to God expected by his creator. Faith has many paths and all are not for everyone. Children are no longer being raised in the way of the Lord. I hate to end this blog on a note of negativity…but we have lost our way and there are generations before us, mine included, that took the wrong turn so to speak. 

Now in these last years of my life I am trying to get on the right path. I have rode hard, been put up wet…and ignored the truth of what it has cost me. Children are the precious and most valuable assets of the future kingdom…The Revelation will come…give them the Godly tools they will need to be in that number. Instead of them wondering if God made a mistake…Teach them this.

Psalm 139:13-16

13

For You formed my inward parts;
You covered me in my mother’s womb.

14 

I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
Marvelous are Your works,
And that my soul knows very well.

15 

My frame was not hidden from You,
When I was made in secret,
And skillfully wrought in the lowest parts of the earth.

16 

Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed.
And in Your book they all were written,
The days fashioned for me,
When as yet there were none of them.

Teach  the children they are not a MISTAKE…They have been lovingly created by God and are of great worth.

Life is Good 

Jk

For some reason or another there is a desire among some to just be like others, no reasonable reason, just want to be like others. In these scriptures there is a reason though not well thought out. They were unhappy with the conduct of Samuel’s sons and they believed that a change in government would do them well. They had assembled at Ramah to make known their grievances and petition for the appointment of a king over them, just like other nations had. They wanted their king to keep a court and appear among them in an exalted state of dignity, which to some would be sinful behavior in God’s eyes not to mention unfair toward Samuel who had always sought to be fair and should not be held accountable for his sons bad behavior. He had advised his sons to correct their behavior and always would hear the peoples complaints. He had always been a faithful servant to the people for many years. The corruption of the leaders had led to the demand for what they believed would be better. The Jewish people of that time were too blind to see that not being like other nations actually was their path to happiness.

Consider…they were under the immediate government of the Almighty King, he who had chosen them for his own people and possession. We also have to deal with the hurt it must have put upon Samuel to have been rejected after so many years of faithful service. When we have hard times it is a great relief to have a God of wisdom and love to turn to. Those who treat us unfairly, well we need to remember them in our prayers, not only to ask God to forgive them, but ourselves to forgive and love them also. Samuel sought God’s direction about this event and how to answer it…God answered Samuel’ prayer. To put it plainly God considered their insult to be more toward Him than Samuel. He was their King yet they chose to insult him as well as others ever since they came out of Egypt, yes…even Moses and Aaron were disrespected. These people had also sought other gods. They were an ungrateful lot. God told Samuel to grant their request before they turned to other gods but to solemnly warn them…when they come in prayer he will always hear and answer them but…  not expect kind returns from those who have shown their ingratitude to others before us. Samuel makes a faithful report of the Divine Message; warning them of God’s displeasure at their request. They were not considering that the establishment of that kingly government which their minds were set on would bring with it many problems. They were mesmerized by the pomp and circumstance of a Kingship, not thinking  they must bear the burden. One of the main concerns would be competing with the tabernacle of God, for another tenth of their wealth to support the grandeur of this king to be. Samuel went on to explain that when they did complain it would do them little good. Many times we do not consider that our unreasonable desires come with a price. In this situation it is simple and to the point… They who reject God are justly rejected by him.

We as a people have rejected Jesus Christ and turned from the will of God that was given to us by his Son. The condition of the church today is a testimony to our indulgence to be like everybody else, regulating God second to the pomp and circumstance of this world. There is no need to list the fallacies of   those who seek to change scripture or present it in such a manner that those blinded by their own desires and convenience will follow the world into the darkness of sin and despair.  We can do little to restrain the obstinate sinner. As it was with Samuel the kindest advice is sometimes liable to be misrepresented as selfish and designing.

Life is Good

jk

It has been said that a picture is worth a thousand words, here are some pictures that will tell in raw and vivid detail the story of the crucifixion. May your Easter Day be one of reflection and the enormity of what the blood of Christ really means…the reality of his suffering for us.

HE IS RISEN

Sometimes the truth can be ugly but in the days since the event in Nashville a noticeable hostility and blatant disrespect for those who lost their lives and the grief of those whose lives have changed forever has been present in the major news medias. The powers that be just don’t like us or to put it a bit nicer… they don’t like who we are and what we believe.

 Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs’ (D) press secretary resigned this week after posting a tweet that appeared to condone using violence against “transphobes” and included a photo of a woman holding two guns –  The tweet was posted on the same day that Nashville became the site of a deadly school shooting when three staff members and three children died at Covenant School, a Christian school.

(Reported in article in the publication The Hill 3/23)

For many years now the church has seen an increasing amount of hostility and unprovoked violence against its properties and its people for no more than believing that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and it is to him we look for the promise of salvation and life eternal. I am not sure that is the core reason for these feelings, against us, I have come to realize that from the early days of the church Christianity has never been an easy path to follow and to make another point… our Lord and savior made that plain at the very start of his ministry. We must first acknowledge that there has always been opposition to the core values or precepts of the church. I read one of the early threats to the church and there were many in the writings of Paul in the book of Colossians. Toward the end of the first century, the true gospel of Jesus Christ and His true church were being suppressed and slowly engulfed by a religious movement called Gnosticism, that had as one of its condemning features the combining of certain elements of Christianity with the “mystery religions” extant at the time. These “mysteries” involved secret societies, rituals, levels of understanding, and strange practices like “a gripping religious ecstasy” and being “possessed by the god.” This was just one of many factions that have plagued the church to this very day. There were many different people, and things that came against people of the faith and it is at this point that I ask you to consider this… was it the Gospel of Jesus Christ, or the Resurrection, the promise of eternal life or the need for repentance. Today the Methodist Church is the latest of the main-line churches to be going through a split due to social and cultural pressures based on a scriptural interpretation that has been ongoing for over forty years…that’s right, let me put just a number to that so there is no possibility of a misread. 40 Years. Now let me take this opportunity to share this fact with you. The Methodist Church does not turn and has never turned anyone away from God’s Table. The statement in our Book of Discipline says:

In 1972 the United Methodist Church added language to its Book of Discipline of The United Methodist Church that “homosexual persons no less than heterosexual persons are individuals of sacred worth.” In other words, all individuals are of worth to God.

Also added:

  When Russell Kibler,  a delegate to the United Methodist General Conference from South Indiana, stepped to the microphone with a question It later prompted the addition of the following addition to The Book of Discipline: “The United Methodist Church does not condone the practice of homosexuality and considers this practice incompatible with Christian teaching.” 

Over 44 years later the debate rages on. Consider this, from the very first day Jesus called Andrew as the first disciple, those of the faith have faced opposition and persecution. God’s people have been dying for a long time, we have as a world and nation, become a “Jerusalem”. 

Matthew 23:37 ESV  

“O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing!

What can we do today with a world that hates the Gospel and the good news it brings? 

Paul’s advice to the church at Colossae.

Colossians 1:9-10

9 For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you. We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives, 10 so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, 

Another way of putting it…Stay steadfast in the faith, work to acquire knowledge and learn to live a Godly life. In chapter 3 verse 9- Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices ….It seems that bending the truth or telling outright falsehoods to convince others to accept one’s philosophy was normal in Colossae. That tactic is still very much in use to marginalize and paint a bad picture of Christianity in society today. 2 Timothy 3:12 In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted…

There are enough words written in the Bible to describe the actions by the haters of the truth and the Good News for several pages. One problem with that is I hate to overwhelm you who visit the Pew with bible verses. History…not just Biblical History but records of general historical facts will verify many of these stories of violence against God’s people and can easily be found with a little research. Every now and then we post a blog titled   “One of the Dirty Little Truths of Christianity.” Here’s one now for you.  1 John 4:21 “And he has given us this command: Anyone who loves God must also love their brother and sister.”

The God we serve, let there be no misunderstanding, Commands us “to love our brother and sister. For those of you who hate us here’s a little secret for you…There will be a Judgement Day…I don’t judge you and I hope to be judged to have run a good race and spend eternity with my God…for you…What do you hope for?

Life is Good

jk

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