Is Lack of Knowledge a Sin?

Once again I want to stress the importance of knowledge when you are talking about Christianity.  So often I hear someone say, "I don't have to go to church, I don't have to learn," or maybe even,"I don't have to read a Bible.  I know that I believe Jesus is my Savior and that is all I need to know."  I can only answer, "Are you sure?"  Any thing that anyone tries in this life requires knowledge, except, according to some, spirituality.  I truly do not understand this.

I read a statement by a man who said that Jesus was his savior and, as a result, he never sinned.  I do not know this person, but I know without a doubt that he is wrong.  It is impossible for anyone to go through a single day without sinning.  We only have to read "The Ten Commandments" to know that.  I think that where many people get confused is in thinking that only severe actions are a sin.  Not so.  Romans 3:10 says, "There is no one who is righteous, not even one."  And 1 John 5:17 says, "All wrongdoing is sin, but there is sin that is not mortal."  As you learn you come to understand that in God's eyes taking a pencil from work is the same as robbing a bank; thinking of someone lustfully is adultery; a single curse word is taking God's name in vain; a car, a job, a sport, anything that becomes overly important to you can be your personal god; or that little white lie you tell, so you won't hurt some one's feelings is still a lie.  "All who hate a brother or sister are murderers, and you know that murderers do not have eternal life abiding in them."  1 John 3:15.  There are thousands of ways to make God upset with us and frequently we do not even know that we are sinning.

This is why God gave us Jesus.  John 3:16 says, "For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him may not perish but may have eternal life."  Jesus did not come to tell us that we are so wonderful, but instead, to bring us back to God through Him  We are still sinners.  Without Jesus we are nothing.  We cannot have even a minimal understanding of how this all works without deep study of our Bible and more as we grow in our faith.

At Look and Find Jesus we have a short recommended reading page.  This list is short, but will be growing over time.  Please check it out and start reading.  We also have our two Bible Study books that we hope you will check out.  You will find them on our Home Page.  Remember what God said to Israel in Hosea 4:6, "My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge; because you have rejected knowledge, I reject you from being a priest to me, and since you have forgotten the law of your God, I also will forget your children."

NIV: God or the devil

Hose 4:6A  My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge
Proverbs 8:10  Take my instruction instead of silver, and knowledge rather than choice gold.
2 Peter 3:18  Grow in grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Some time ago I read an article in which the writer stated that the New International Version (NIV) of the Bible was the devil's doctrine and that the King James Version (KJV) was the true word of God.  Because I was taught with the KJV as a child and have used the NIV extensively as an adult, I decided to research this statement.  In case you are wondering I value both translations as conveying the word of God.

I started my project by pulling out 5 translations that I have, in addition to the KJV and NIV.  These 5 translations included the Revised Standard (1952 ed.), the Living Bible, The Message, the Life Application Study Bible and The Complete Gospels which includes the gospels, but not the passages from Acts, Romans, and 1 John to which the writer of the article referred.

The list of Bible passages to which both myself and the original writer are referring are as follows:

• Matthew 12:47; 17:21; 18:11; 21:44; 23:14
• Mark 7:16; 9:44; 9:46; 11:26; 15:28; 16:9-20
• Luke 17:36; 22:43-44; 23:17
• John 5:4; 7:53 to 8:11
• Acts 8:37; 15:34; 24:7; 28:29
• Romans 16:24
• 1 John 5:7

At this time I would like to talk a little about each of the 5 translations and how they agree or disagree with the KJV and NIV.  The original article that I read stated that the NIV was the writing of the devil because it did not include several verses that are found in the KJV.  At this time I will be addressing the verses in Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Acts and Romans.  I will address the passage from 1 John later in this article.

I will start with the Revised Standard (1952 ed.) which is a revision of the American Standard published in 1901.  The American Standard, which I do not have, was a revision of the KJV published in 1611.  The Revised Standard (1952 ed.) agreed with the NIV on all verses except two.  Mark 16:9-20 and John 7:53 to 8:11 are included as they are in the KJV.

The Living Bible generally agreed with the KJV, but in 5 instances it agreed with the NIV.  There were no explanations as to why the verses were either there or not.  Since I could not find any information about this translation or the translators, I will not go any farther as to why they included what they did or did not.

The third translation I have included is titles "The Message."  Published in 2002 and again in 2005 it was translated from the original Greek and Hebrew by Eugene H. Peterson.  His translation was checked and confirmed by 15 Old Testament scholars and 5 New Testament scholars.  The Message does not include any footnotes and agrees with the NIV in all instances except one.  Mark 16:9-20 which is included as it is in the KJV has a note that says these verses are only included in later manuscripts.  Early manuscripts do not include them.

The next translation that I looked at was the Life Application Study Bible published first in 1988 with many editions to follow.  Scholars from a great number of Divinity Schools participated in this publication.  For this translation there were 3 verses from the KJV that were included.  All other verses agreed with the NIV.  The included verses were Mark 16:9-20 with a note that said these verses are not always included, Luke 22:43-44 were included with a note that this reference is found only Luke.  The third section is a passage, John 7:53 to 8:11.  It was included but with a note that it could not be found in early manuscripts.

Finally, the fifth translation that I looked at is titled "The Complete Gospels" and was published in 1992.  It was translated by religious scholars from Harvard, Notre Dame, Wesleyan, and other universities.  I personally like this translation because it does not represent any denomination and is free of ecclesiastical and religious control.  Unfortunately, it only includes the gospels and as a result, cannot be used as a reference for the Acts, Romans, and 1 John passages.  This translation offered the most information about why they agreed with the NIV and I would like to take the time to share what they said.

Starting with the Matthew passages there are no footnotes for 12:47 and the other verses were not included.  For Matthew 17:21 they said the verse could not be found in the original text and had been included by someone from the Mark 9:29 text.  The same was true for Matthew 18:11 which they believed was brought over from Luke 19:10.  Matthew 21:44 was brought from Luke 20:18 and Matthew 23:14 from Mark 12:40 and Luke 20:47.

Concerning the Mark passages: they included Mark 7:16, stating only that it was not in all translations.  They pointed out that Mark 9:44 and 9:46 are the same as Mark 9:48 and that some translators had decided to pair 9:44 with  9:43 and 9:46 with 9:45. but they decided to stay with the original language.  For Mark 11:26 and 15:28 they did not include them and said they could find nothing in the original text about these passages.  Mark 16:9-20 was not included again because there was no record of these verses in the original text.  There are; however, at least 3 theories as to why the verses were added, but I will not go into them at this time.

Luke 17:36 and 22:43-44 were also not included by these translators who stated they could not find them in original texts nor could they find any reason for the appearance of these verses.  Luke 23:17 was not included but the translators said that when it is included, it is sometimes at 23:17, but can also be found between Luke 23:19 and 23:20.

John 5:4 was not included for the same reason given before but the writers believed that the passage started being included as an explanation for what was happening in the passage.  Finally, these translators referred to John 7:53 to 8:11, which they did not include, as an orphan story.  In the editions that most of us are familiar with it is included in this spot; however, it can appear after Luke 21:30, after John 7:44, or after John 21:25; hence the name orphan story.  This story was attributed to Jesus but for some reason never got attached to a specific place.

This bring our attention the th 1 John 5-7 verses, the absence of which in the NIV seemed to be particularly upsetting to the writer of the original article.  The verse says "For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one."  The writer of the original article states that "This is one of the greatest verses testifying of the trinity" and that statement is completely accurate.  The problem is that it first appears in 1611AD with the publication of the KJV.  The question then becomes one of who is correct.  Were the translators of the KJV wrong in including it.  I personally do not believe so.  Does the absence of 1 John 5:7 in the NIV make those translators advocates of the devil.  Definitely not!  They were simply staying true to the original Greek.  This is why at Look and Find Jesus we believe so strongly in religious knowledge.  A personal relationship with Jesus must include feelings and knowledge.  Without feelings a relationship is cold and not satisfying, but without knowledge we may not have the relationship that we believe is there.

I would like to end this article with a few sentences about the KJV and the NIV.  To do this it becomes necessary to look at the very first English translations available.  The first was completed by William Tyndale, but was not received well.  He was accused of "willfully perverting the meaning of the Scriptures" and it was ordered that the copies of his New Testament be burned as untrue translation.  In 1536 he was publicly executed and burned at the stake.  Several more attempts at translation were made in 1535, 1537, 1539, 1568 and 1582.  All of them used Tyndale's original translation as the foundation for those that followed.

When the translators of the KJV began working on the new translation, they unfortunately, tried to take into account what the earlier translators had written.  This meant that the KJV, which was first published in 1611, was a compilation of the works of all the previous translators plus their own work,  Over the next 290 years translators were continually trying to fix the mistakes that they were aware existed.  All of this work culminated in the publication of the American Standard Version in 1901.  Problems still continued and the American Standard was revised in 1952 and again in 1989.

All of this confusion led to a meeting in Palos Heights, Illinois.  At this time it was decided that there was a need to go back to the original Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek and start over again with a completely new translation.  This meeting began a several years long project which led to the birth of the NIV.  It was worked on by Biblical scholars from the United States, Great Britain, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.  All denominations were represented by over 100 scholars who took many thousands of hours of research and discussion to arrive at what we today call the NIV.

I apologize for the length and dryness of this article, but I really felt like I was being led by God to write it.  We all believe that the Bible is the inspired word of God, but we also must realize that prior to the invention of the printing press, everything was printed by hand and subject to human error; no one is perfect, not even then.  Having said all of this I still believe that it makes no difference, if you use the KJV or the NIV or both, as I do.  The Christian church has so many more pressing issues.  There are a great many professed Christians who do not live a daily life of repentance, as Jesus told us we must.  We are all sinners and make mistakes daily.  It is possible that one of our mistakes could turn someone away from Jesus.  In my opinion this is a much more serious issue than the presence or absence of a couple verses.  Remember that you actions may be the only Bible that some people see.

Is There Really a Holy Trinity?

I recently read an article in which the writer stated that he did not believe in a triune God.  This concept, which is professed by Christians, says that God is of one essence, but consists of three persons that are equal in nature.  These three are God, the father; Jesus, the son; and the Holy Spirit.  The writer goes on to say that the Trinity is not possible because there is only one mention of the Holy Spirit in the Book of Revelation.  Clearly, this writer has ignored the remaining books and does not give credibility to the words of Jesus concerning the Holy Spirit.

In Mathew 28:18-19 Jesus said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.  Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit."

At the time of His ascension Jesus said to His disciples, "But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes to you," Acts 1:8.

John 16:5-16 makes it clear that the Holy Spirit is not to be found in Heaven, but with us and in us.  In John 16:7 Jesus makes this very clear when He says, "It is for your good that I am going away.  Unless I go away, the Counselor will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you."

John 14:15-31 is also very clear about the existence of the Holy Spirit; specifically John 14:16 where Jesus says, "And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever."  Also, John 14:26 where Jesus says, "But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you."

Jesus' words are enough to convince me that the Holy Spirit does, in fact, exist and is a vital part of the Trinity.  He does not exist in heaven; but right here with you and me guiding everyone who truly loves Jesus and believes that He is their Savior.

I would also like to offer an example that might help make the concept of the Trinity a little more understandable.  If you hold an apple in your hand, you are holding one apple which consists of three parts: pulp, seeds, and peel; ie: 3 in 1.  Without the seeds the pulp and peel are nothing.  Without the peel the pulp and seeds are nothing.  Without the pulp the seeds and peel are nothing.  You must have all three to make one apple.  They are three separate and distinct parts, but all are necessary to make one apple.

If an apple can be 3 in 1, is it so difficult to imagine that God, with whom all things are possible, could also be 3 in 1.  Yes, the Trinity does exist and Christians worship one God consisting of three inseparable persons.

Easter Sunday

As I begin to write this article and to think about what I wanted to say, I realized that no matter what I could write it would not compare to the way that the Easter story is told in the Bible.  So I am going to quote Matthew 28:1-10.

After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb.

There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it.  His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow.  The guards were so afraid of him that they shook and became like dead men.

The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified.  He is not here; he has risen, just as he said.  Come and see the place where he lay.  Then go quickly and tell his disciples: ‘He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee.  There you will see him.’  Now I have told you.”

So the women hurried away from the tomb, afraid yet filled with joy, and ran to tell his disciples.  Suddenly Jesus met them.  “Greetings,” he said.  They came to him, clasped his feet and worshiped him.  Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid.  Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me.”                     

Maundy Thursday - Remembering Jesus' Gift To Us

After Palm Sunday the next observance during Holy Week in many churches is that of Maundy Thursday.  Maundy Thursday is also a church term and not found in the Bible.  On this day believers remember the establishment of the Lord’s Supper.  Jesus met with his disciples on the first day of Passover.  At this time they ate unleaven bread, which symbolized Christ’s body, and drank from the fruit of the vine, which symbolized Christ’s blood.  This meal was meant to be eaten again and again until Jesus returns.

The establishment of the Lord’s Supper is recorded in Matthew 26:26-30, Mark 14:22-26, Luke 22:19-22 and 1 Corinthians 11:23-26.  Following is the account given in Matthew 26:26-30.

While they were eating, Jesus took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to his disciples, saying, “Take and eat; this is my body.”

Then he took the cup, gave thanks and offered it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you.  This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.  I tell you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it anew with you in my Father’s kingdom.”

When they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.

While we should remember and give thanks 24/7 for the sacrifice that Jesus made on the cross, so that we may live with him forever, we all need to make the additional remembrance by eating the bread and drinking the fruit of the vine as he instructed us when he established the Lord’s Supper.

Palm Sunday

During the first several centuries after the crucifixion of Jesus Christians remembered both the death and resurrection of Jesus on Easter Sunday.  Gradually the time that was taken to honor the passion of Christ grew to be one week long and became known as Holy Week.  Holy Week begins with the celebration of Jesus’ arrival in Jerusalem on what is now called Palm Sunday.  Palm Sunday is a church label and cannot be found in the Bible.  Rather, the Bible refers to this event as “The Triumphal Entry.”

The story of “The Triumphal Entry” is recorded in Matthew 21:1-11, Mark 11:1-11, Luke 19:28-44, and John 12:12-19.  In Mark 11:8-10 we read, “Many people spread their cloaks on the road, while others spread branches they had cut in the fields.  Those who went ahead and those who followed shouted, ‘Hosanna!  Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!  Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David!  Hosanna in the highest!’”

Today many churches celebrate Palm Sunday by distributing palm branches to worshippers and perhaps having a processional re-enacting Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem.                                                            

Lent: The Seven Last Words Of Christ

Since we are now in the middle of the Lenten season, I wanted to discuss what is called “The Seven Last Words of Christ.”  As Jesus hung dying on the cross he made seven statements.  Each statement is referred to as a “word.”  The first three words were said between 9AM and noon, and the last four were said close to 3PM.  You cannot find a list of these words in the Bible in the same way that you find the Ten Commandments, but they are there.  The purpose of this blog post is to tell you what these words are and where you can find them.

The first statement, “Father forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing,” is recorded in Luke 23:34.  Since the entire reason for Jesus’ death on the cross was to grant forgiveness for their sins to everyone who believes and trusts in him, Jesus has established that purpose with this statement.

The second statement, “I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise,” is recorded in Luke 23:43.  This promise given to a penitent thief gives us a look into the future and tells us what happens after a believer’s death.

The third statement, “…he said to his mother, ‘Dear woman, here is your son,’ and to the disciple, ‘Here is your mother,’” is recorded in John 19:26-27.  With this statement Jesus provided for the care of his mother by his disciple John.  From that day forward Mary lived in John’s home and he provided for her.

The last four statements were said close together at 3PM.  The fourth statement, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” is recorded in Mark 15:34 and Matthew 27:46.  This was a cry expressing the emotional pain that Jesus felt as he alone took on his shoulders the sins of the entire world.

The fifth statement, “I am thirsty,” is recorded in John 19:28.  This was an expression of physical pain and his lips were moistened with some wine vinegar.  This was the drink of the ordinary people at that time.

After being given the drink Jesus uttered the sixth statement, “It is finished,” which is recorded in John 19:30.  This was not a cry of defeat but rather a cry of victory.  Jesus had completed what he had come to do.  Salvation was available for everyone who believed and trusted in him.

With that Jesus said, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit,” recorded in Luke 23:46, the seventh and last statement.

These words are extremely important.  They were made while Jesus was completing the final steps for our salvation.  This was something that no one before or since could accomplish.  For this reason I have included these words and their location under our page titled “Things to Know.”                                                        

                                                                                                                       

The Transfiguration of Jesus

On the Sunday before the first day of Lent many churches celebrate the transfiguration of our Lord.  The word transfiguration means to change in form or appearance in a way that elevates or idealizes.  The transfiguration of Jesus is reported in Matthew 17:1-13, Mark 9:2-13, and Luke 9:28-36.  Following is a portion of the story as told in Matthew 17:1-8.

After six days Jesus took with him Peter, James and John the brother of James, and led them up a high mountain by themselves.  There he was transfigured before them.  His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as the light.  Just then there appeared before them Moses and Elijah, talking with Jesus.

Peter said to Jesus, “Lord it is good for us to be here.  If you wish, I will put up three shelters – one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.”

While he was still speaking, a bright cloud enveloped them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.  Listen to him!”

When the disciples heard this, they fell facedown to the ground, terrified.  But Jesus came and touched them.  “Get up,” he said.  “Don’t be afraid.”  When they looked up, they saw no one except Jesus.

The transfiguration gave Peter, James, and John a look at the glory of Jesus.  This glory which is still hidden from us will be revealed fully when Jesus returns again.  Mark 13:26 says, “At that time men will see the Son of Man coming in the clouds with great power and glory.”  There was also encouragement for the disciples who were discouraged after having been reminded that Jesus’ suffering and death were fast approaching.  Also, Moses' and Elijah's appearance confirmed Jesus’ statement in Matthew 5:17.  “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.”  At the transfiguration Moses is representative of the Law and the promise of salvation, and Elijah is representative of the Prophets.

As we think about the transfiguration we must remember that this is the second time that God announces that Jesus is His Son and that we should listen to him.  The glory that was revealed that day to Peter, James, and John should also be a comfort to us as we await the second coming, when Jesus returns in all His glory to defeat all the violence and corruption of this world.

What Is Love?

1 Corinthians 13:13  -  And now these three remain:  faith, hope and love.  But the greatest of these is love.

A teacher of the law asked Jesus, “Of all the commandments, which is the most important?”  “The most important one,” answered Jesus, “is this: ‘Hear O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one.  Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’  The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’  There is no commandment greater than these.”  Mark 12:29-31

As we think about the idea of love, many differing thoughts enter our minds.  So what did Jesus mean when he said the word love?  The Greek word “agape” is the one that is used and was used by believers to talk about the special unconditional love of God.  This unconditional love is what Jesus is telling us we should have for God and for each other.  This is a love that looks toward all things holy and turns away from the world and the pride of life.

1 Corinthians 13:4-7 gives an excellent explanation of the kind of love that Jesus was talking about.  “Love is patient, love is kind.  It does not envy, it does not boast.  It is not proud.  It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.  Love does not delight in evil, but rejoices with the truth.  It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.”

As believers living a life of repentance this means always putting God, Jesus, family, friends and neighbors before ourselves.  As human beings there will be times when we fail, no matter how hard we try.  Once again, this should remind us that we should always be thanking God for His gift of Jesus, and the gift of salvation that we were given when Jesus suffered, died, and rose again.

What Happened When Jesus Was Baptized?

Many churches take this time after Epiphany to celebrate the baptism of Jesus.  All four gospels refer to our Lord’s baptism, but I would like to use the account found in Matthew 3:13-17.

Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to be baptized by John.  But John tried to deter him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?”  Jesus replied, “Let it be so now; it is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness.”  Then John consented.

As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water.  At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and lighting on him.  And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.”

Several important things happened when Jesus was baptized.  First, God announced to everyone that Jesus is his son, that he loves Jesus, and that he is pleased with him.  Included is the fact that the Spirit of God descended from heaven and landed on Jesus.

Second, John the Baptist announced to everyone that Jesus is the Messiah and that his ministry is beginning.  John 1:31-34 supports this when John says, “I myself did not know him, but the reason I came baptizing with water was that he might be revealed to Israel.”  Then John gave this testimony:  “I saw the Spirit come down from heaven as a dove and remain on him.  I would not have known him, except that the one who sent me to baptize with water told me, ‘The man on whom you see the Spirit come down and remain is he who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.’  I have seen and I testify that this is the Son of God.”

Third, through baptism Jesus identified completely with our sin and failure, even though he was pure and did not need to repent.  This is how he became our substitute.  This gift to us from God is reemphasized in 2 Corinthians 5:21; God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

Finally, through his baptism Jesus set an example for all his followers:  that we should repent and be baptized.

As each of us remembers our own baptism, we should also remember that Jesus, who was without sin, became our substitute and took on the pain that is rightfully ours, so that we can stand sinless before God and live with him throughout eternity.

Can You Be Deceived?

Matthew 24:4  -  Jesus answered, “Watch out that no one deceives you.”

These last several weeks I have been doing a lot of reading and what I found was many people who were expressing their opinions about what the Bible says, but not backing it up with Biblical quotes.  Some were expressing confusion and opinion and this is fine, as long as no one accepts what they say as fact.  Some were openly saying that the Bible or Jesus says this or that without citing chapter and verse where it is said.  Without chapter and verse there is no way of knowing what was actually said.  I also found some who were giving chapter and verse, but the quote was not correct because they were using a translation that did not come directly from the original Greek.  With all this going on it becomes very easy to be deceived.  So what can we do about all this?

The answer is easy and difficult at the same time.  We must learn all we can about God, Jesus, the Bible, and Christianity.  We are told that if we ask God for his help in gaining this knowledge that he will help us.  James 1:5 says, “If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.”  If we do not have a thorough knowledge of what the Bible says, it becomes very easy for someone to deceive us and Jesus clearly said in Matthew 24:4, “Watch out that no one deceives you.”

My suggestion is that we all need to read our Bibles daily.  Make sure that you have a translation that comes directly from the original Greek and Hebrew.  Also stay active in Bible Studies.  There are many that can be done at church with others and at home alone or with family members.  Finally, a pursuit of reading and writing Biblical Greek and Hebrew would be a worthwhile goal to reach for.  After all, if you cannot go to the source, how can you be sure you are not being deceived?  Always seek Jesus first.

When Will Jesus Come Again?

As we prepare for Christmas during this season of Advent, I felt the need to spend some time looking at the second coming of our Lord.  The term “second coming” is never mentioned in the Bible, but the reference to our Lord’s return occurs over 300 times in the New Testament.  Jesus told his disciples that he would return in the same manner that they had seen him go.

Jesus talks about the end times in Matthew 24, Mark 13, and Luke 21.  He repeatedly warns us to watch and be on guard.  In Matthew 24:4 Jesus says, “Watch out that no one deceives you.”  Paul follows in 2 Timothy 4:3 and says, “For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine.  Instead to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear.”  Again the words of Jesus, “Watch out that no one deceives you.”  Jesus also says in Matthew 24:36, “No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, not the Son, but only the Father.”  Again Jesus’ words, “Be on guard.”

So how can we prepare for this second coming?  What can we do, since Jesus clearly says that it could happen today, next year, or at some other time in the future.  What should we do?

2 Peter 3:9-13 gives us some very good advice in this area.  Here Peter says, “The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness.  He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.  But the day of the Lord will come like a thief.  The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything in it will be laid bare.  Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be:  You ought to live holy and Godly lives as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming.  That day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire, and the elements will melt in the heat.  But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, the home of righteousness.”

While we do not know when our Lord will return, as Christians we are assured that He will come again in all power and glory and we look forward to that glorious day, just as people 2000 years ago watched and waited for that baby born in a manger in Bethlehem.

What Does Christmas Mean for You?

Matthew 6:19-21

“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust consume and where thieves break in and steal; but store up for yourselves treasures in Heaven, where neither moth nor rust consumes and where thieves do not break in and steal.  For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”

When you unexpectedly read or hear the word “Christmas,” what is the first image that jumps into your mind.  Is it family gatherings, decorations, giving and receiving presents, cookies, or even Black Friday deals; or is it, perhaps, the image of a newborn baby lying in a manger?  As Christians we should make sure that to us the most important part of Christmas is the baby in the manger.  All of the traditions that are now a part of our celebrations are important, but should be observed only as they bring glory to God.

It is most important that we join the shepherds, wise men, the angels, and maybe even the animals and get down on our knees and worship our newborn king.  This little baby is the one who will grow up to be a man and as an adult will take on His shoulders all of our sins and carry them to the cross where He will suffer and die so that we have the opportunity to live with Him forever in Heaven.

What Does Thanksgiving Mean for You?

As we approach the Thanksgiving holiday I am once again reminded that we are frequently led, especially by retailers, to move from Halloween to Christmas.  This is the exact opposite of what the Bible says we should do.  For many Thanksgiving’s focus has been on food and family.  We forget the reason that Thanksgiving was originally established.  While the holiday was started many years after the original event, it was still meant to give thanks to God for watching over us during the preceding year.  Jesus gave us a perfect example when he instigated The Last Supper after he had been betrayed by Judas.  Matthew 26:26 says. “While they were eating Jesus took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to his disciples.”  Knowing that he was soon to suffer and die on the cross, Jesus still gave thanks to God.

I know that life is never easy, but just as Jesus was able to give thanks under extremely bad conditions, so too should we give thanks for the good things in our lives.  Paul tells us in

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, “Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”

It is still very important that we continue our daily prayers of thanksgiving, but given the chance to raise up to God a thanksgiving celebration we should not skip over the opportunity.

Repentance Means

If we were to ask what repentance is, we would probably be told that we should turn away from sin and live a more Godly life.  This is true, but the Bible makes it clearer than that.  In answer to what repentance is Colossians 3:2 says, “Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.”  We are told to become a new person in 2 Corinthians 5:17.  “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation, the old has gone, the new has come!”

The Bible also has some definite requirements for what must be included in repentance.  They are as follows:

1. Faith  -  “The time has come,” he said.  “The kingdom of God is near.  Repent and believe the good news!”  Mark 1:15
2. Humility  -  “Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.”  James 4:10
3. Prayer  -  “Repent of this wickedness and pray to the Lord.”  Acts 8:22A
4. Sorrow for Sin  -  “Therefore I despise myself and repent in dust and ashes.”  Job 42:6

Finally, the Bible makes it clear that we are to show that we are a repentant sinner by the deeds that we do.  In Matthew 3:8 John the Baptist says, “Produce fruit in keeping with repentance.”  Paul repeats this same command in Acts 26:20B when he says, “I preached that they should repent and turn to God and prove their repentance by their deeds.”

As you can see it is not easy to repent.  We can only begin and continue with a sincere heart and mind and do the very best we can.  When we stumble, we must confess our sin, repent, and continue on knowing that Jesus is our Lord and Savior and that He is with us every step of the way.

Can You Do It?

In Luke 13:3 Jesus makes it very clear that anyone who does not repent will perish.  But what does it mean to repent?  The dictionary defines the word repent as “to turn from sin and dedicate oneself to the amendment of one’s life.”  Most pastors will also tell you that to repent means to turn away from sin.  So we say, “Okay, I’ll do that.”  But are you sure?  Let’s take a look at what sin really is.

Exodus 20:1-17 contains the record of The Ten Commandments that God gave to Moses.  I will not repeat them at this time, since everyone can read them.  I will, however, direct your attention to Matthew 5:17-18 where Jesus says, “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.  I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished.”  Jesus continues in Matthew 5 and says that anyone who becomes angry is subject to the same judgment as someone who has committed murder.  He also says that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery.  He continues explaining why it is impossible to gain salvation on our own.

In Matthew 22:37-40 Jesus introduces The Greatest Commandment.  He says, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.  This is the first and greatest commandment.  And the second is like it:  Love your neighbor as yourself.  All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”  I am very sure that no one, myself included, can say that no matter what happens we always put the needs and desires of the other person before our own.  This means that we have sinned and fall short of what God expects from us.

Finally, there are sins of commission and of omission.  Sins of commission occur when we do something that we shouldn’t.  Sins of omission occur when we don’t do something that we should, even if we do not realize that we should do it

The point is that it is impossible on our own to live a sin free life.  This is why we have Jesus; our Lord and our Savior.  He took onto Himself all of our sins, so that when we stand before God all God sees is a pure and sin free life.  But as I said last time, in order to gain salvation we must repent and do the very best we can to live a sin free life.  When we mess up, as we most assuredly will, we must confess our sins, repent, and keep trying.

Heaven or Hell - Are you sure?

This past week I had the opportunity to hear several people speak, who said they had turned their lives over to God and that they were now Christians.  On the surface this sounds wonderful, but as I listened I realized that something was terribly wrong and that these people were probably headed for hell, not Heaven.  You ask, “Why?  How could you say such a thing?”  The words that these people spoke indicated that they had missed a huge component of giving your life to Christ.  Repentance!

They understood that Jesus had suffered and died on the cross to save them from their sins.  They understood that God is love.  John 3:16 “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”  The part that they missed is that God is also a jealous God.  “He is a holy God; he is a jealous God.  He will not forgive your rebellion and your sins.”  Joshua 24:19

The life that we must live in order to have God’s forgiveness is one of repentance.  In Acts 2:38 Peter says, “Repent and be baptized every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins.”  Peter speaks again in Acts 3:19.  “Repent, then, and turn to god, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord, and that he may send the Christ, who has been appointed for you – even Jesus.”  Jesus says it very clearly and to the point in Luke 13:3 when He says, “I tell you. .unless you repent, you too will all perish.”

As we joyfully remember God’s love in sending Jesus to suffer and die in our place, we must also remember that God expects something from us.  It is not a free ride.  We must repent and do our very best to live the kind of life that Jesus taught and lived.  The two are a pair.  In the words of a long forgotten song, “You can’t have one without the other.”

When we talk to God

When a child goes away to college or gets married and moves out of their parents home, the need for communication does not stop.  Parents always want and need to hear from their children about how things are going and if  Mom and Dad can help.  We are God’s children and this also applies to our relationship with Him.  God wants to hear from us everyday.  The Bible tells us to pray without ceasing.

Unfortunately our lives move so quickly that many of our prayers are simply cries for help: help me get through this traffic light, let me get this raise, make the rain stop so we can barbeque.  God does help us, but frequently He sees a bigger picture that helps us even more.  Remember Jesus words as He prepared for the cross, “Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.”  Luke 22:42

I have included a poem by Frances R. Havergal that I believe makes a wonderful prayer when we can’t think of what else to say.

“Take my will, and make it Thine;

It shall be no longer mine.

Take my heart, it is Thine own;

It shall be Thy royal throne.

Take my love; my Lord, I pour

At Thy feet its treasure-store.

Take myself, and I will be

Ever, only, all for Thee.  Amen.”

Why We Experience Evil

When the earth was new it was God's intention that all people and animals should live together in peace and harmony with God.  This meant that no one would ever experience pain or cruelty.  God created a special place called the Garden of Eden where his children and animals were to live.  There were many trees in the garden, including two that were very special; the tree of the knowledge of good and evil and the tree of life.  God also placed Adam and eve and all the animals in the garden.  Adam and Eve recognized God and spoke to Him and He spoke to them  Everything was perfect.  Adam and Eve were allowed to eat the fruit from all of the trees except the tree of the knowledge of good and evil and the tree of life.

Evil must have existed outside of the garden, because one day a serpent came to Eve.  He challenged her to eat fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.  He told her that God knew that if she ate this fruit she would be just like God and know the difference between good and evil.  Eve wanted to be wise and so she ate some of the fruit and gave some to Adam.  He also ate the fruit.

When God realized that Adam and Eve had disobeyed him and that they now knew the difference between good and evil, He became worried that they would eat from the tree of life and live forever.  To prevent this from happening God clothed Adam and Eve and sent them away from the Garden of Eden.  They were now separated from God and experienced the evil that they now knew existed.

Churches often refer to this as original sin.  This story explains how people today came to experience all of the hardship that exists.  For further information about this story go to your Bible and read Genesis 3.

Some people say that this story has to be fiction.  There was nothing written down until thousands of years after the story took place.  Everything was by word of mouth, which, over time, can become confused.  This is true, however, this story can be found in many other cultures, not just Christianity.  The names are different but the content is the same.  We know from our legal system that the more witnesses that agree about what they saw, the more credible the story becomes.  The same is true here.  The fact that many cultures record the same story says that it must be correct.  Many witnesses saying the same thing mean it's true.  Check it out.

Trust

This post was written by a guest writer.  I am very glad to share his insight and hope it is meaningful for you.

"Trust" is a small five letter word that is easy to spell, easy to say, but a challenge to live.  In worship this past weekend we learned about trust (or the lack of it) in the Parable of the Tenants from Matthew 21.   If the tenants would have understood the depth of the landlord's love, they would have never attempted a hostile take-over of his winery.  This principle is repeated throughout God's Word - the principle of trusting our Owner's love in spite of our desire to control what He owns.

Had Adam and Eve trusted what God said about eating the forbidden fruit, they would have never succumbed to Satan's influence (Genesis 3).  Had Cain understood that God loved him just as He loved Abel, perhaps the first murder would have come by the hand of another (Genesis 4).  Had Jacob trusted what God said about "the older serving the younger," he wouldn't have resorted to deceiving his father to gain his promised birthright (Genesis 18).  Had the unmerciful servant described in the parable of Matthew 18 really trusted the King's word of forgiveness, he would have gladly forgiven his fellow servant.

All of these lessons lead us more brilliantly to the cross of Christ.  Trust culminates there.  Paul says it best in his letter to the Philippians.  "I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ."  As you walk in this trust throughout this week, be confident that the one you are leaning on loves you beyond measure (just like the owner of the vineyard).  In this, find strength to resist the temptation to follow after the world and find the motivation to live as one who trusts in the word of the Lord.

What does living as one who trusts look like?  It looks like Adam and Eve enjoying creation within God-given boundaries.  It looks like Cain rejoicing with Abel and God being pleased.  It looks like Jacob waiting patiently for God's plan to unfold.  It looks like a grateful servant extending forgiveness to a fellow servant.  It looks like <<insert your name>> putting trust in God by <<insert your trust challenge>>.

Yours in Christ,
Pastor Monte